Training camps open this week all around the league and preseason hockey is right around the corner. Most of the restricted free agents are signed, big extensions have been handed out, and rosters are nearly complete for most teams. Hope is all over the league as pretenders try to become contenders, rebuilding clubs see rookie breakouts, and newcomers try to make an impact in unfamiliar surroundings.
With that in mind, it’s time to run another edition of the PHR Mailbag.
Last time, the mailbag was broken into two parts. The first looked at the center market over the next two years, and future dealings for Steve Yzerman, and predicted some of the RFA news that would follow. The second examined the tanking rosters, Ottawa’s interesting offseason, and how St. Louis can afford to re-sign Ryan O’Reilly.
You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter or by leaving a comment down below. The mailbag will run on the weekend.
With Scandella being gone most of not all of the season, do the Blues go and trade for, go and sign, or promote from within a defenseman?
I think the Blues will be just fine without Scandella…plenty of young options to go with down on the farm
… or up in St Louis already. Got to figure that this gives Perunovich significant minutes.
ok sure.
Have the Vancouver Canucks apologized to Jake Virtanen? He wasn’t allowed due process by his former club. Can Virtanen sue and or collect his full wages from his former employer?
^ They paid him and bought him out just like any other underperforming player. He was not ‘released’ a-la Evander Kane and San Jose.
The Kings look to build on their surprise season last year, A full season of Doughty and Walker should help along with the kids having a season under their belts. I know their against the cap but what about trading Iafallo or Peterson for some cap space and going after Jakob Chychrun. They have plenty of kids to help get it done. Your thoughts on this or any other moves they can make to get better. Good news is cap help is coming with Quick ( 1 year left ) and Kopitar ( 2 years left )on their deals.
Do you perceive the Blues being interested in Chychrun now that Scandella is out?
There have been several “big” stories this offseason that garnered a lot of attention. Do you have any hunches about any of the lower-key moves yielding more (or less) than the market value suggested?
When a player signs a PTO, what exactly is the club liable for? Lodging? Travel? Per diem? Medical? Are all PTO’s standard across the NHL in regard to the language in the contract?
Does Wilf know anything correct about hockey?
It is most probable that the Habs finish last in the East. Several teams that finished close to the bottom last year like the Sens, Devils and Sabres will increase their point totals as other teams in the East like the Panthers, Bruins, Capitals and Bolts finish the year with fewer points.
But what about the West? How many teams will finish lower than the Habs? And which teams are most likely to significantly improve their points total? Kings, Oilers, Wild?
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. This off-season that applies to which team(s)?
Overachievers and underachiever predictions for the WEST and EAST. Two each. Also include one example of alliteration using a player name.
All-seeing, -knowing and -telling Crystal Ball, please rank the following could-be studs in terms of goals – and then total avg. points/year moving forward – and which ones jump outta the gate first (in alphabetical order for now): Beniers, Holtz, Jarvis, Kent Johnson, Perfetti & Zadina. As always, thank you for your 20/20 eyesight, insight and foresight.
Who’s is more likely to remain is St. Louis past this upcoming season between O’Reilly and Tarasenko?
Differences between a 1 way and 2 way contract?
What is Matt Dumba’s future? Extension with the Wild- terms?- or a trade. Also, when are chats coming back?
Chats will be back for the regular season!
Dumba + for Horvat
Ok, this one is for the crystal ball: What are the first three waiver wire pickups of the season and who will pick them?
Also, will the total goal average go up again after this past season’s (almost)-time-of-my-life-high?
Are the Flyers cursed?
Don’t post so often. Everyone is sick of it. When I see your profile picture I automatically projectile vomit everywhere.
@ HP: Don’t post so often. When I see your handle I wonder who-did-what to you when you were growing up to make you such adisgusting human being.