The trade deadline is now less than two weeks away and while there have been a couple of big splashes made already, there will undoubtedly be more to come along with the usual smorgasbord of depth moves that this time of year usually brings. With that in mind, it’s a good time for our next edition of the mailbag to discuss the upcoming deadline (or anything else hockey-related).
The last mailbag was run in three separate segments. Topics in the first included Chuck Fletcher’s future with the Flyers, whether it’s time for Pittsburgh to kick off a rebuilding phase, and Colorado’s potential deadline plans. The second focused on Red Wings center Dylan Larkin who remains one of the more intriguing players to keep an eye on as his contract extension has yet to be finalized. Lastly, among the topics in the third column were Seattle’s playoff push, the Stars’ cap situation heading into the deadline, and the possibility of Timo Meier heading to the Devils.
You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter or by leaving a comment down below. The mailbag will run on the weekend.
Do the caps sell? And if so, is Orlov a trade candidate? Could they still bring him back in the offseason if he’s traded?
With the Wild in NHL purgatory and having a solid set of prospects, would it be better to sell or buy at the trade deadline? What direction do you see them going?
Follow up question: what would Hartman get in a trade?
Now that Armstrong has started the fire sale, I see a couple more moves that might make sense. Krug to Detroit…they have the cap space and prospects to make this work, plus maybe going back to his hometown might be the best for him. While I’m not ready to give up on Parayko just yet, send him home to Edmonton for Hyman. I know they all have NMC clauses, but as we’ve seen that’s not really an obstacle.
Why on God’s Green Earth would the Wings want Krug ?? They have plenty of D and several GOOD prospects in GR. Silly. If the Wings make any trades, it’s for GOAL SCORERS, since they have NONE !
Chiarot and Zadina for Krug (retain $.5M) Your Welcome!
Krug is injury prone as of late. If anything, swing for the fences and trade for Karlsson if you think Wings need a D. Probably not a bad idea to have an offensive minded D to runs the PP
Do the Pens finally realize they aren’t gonna crack the playoffs this year with how competitive the Metro is, how uncompetitive the Pens are, and how they have pretty much no cap to address any of the multiple issues plaguing the team? Do they instead look towards the off season and will the plan be to let the UFA’s walk and try to trade some cap out in hopes that the closing window on the big 3 can be better next season? Also is it finally Sully’s time to be out and try to go get Trotz?
Eh, things haven’t changed much since the preseason, when several posters were divided on the subject (largely based on whether they were Pittsburgh rooters or not), and one of the factions was pretty foursquare in the We!Can’t!Waste!Sid’s!Last!Few!Years! camp. Well, sure, whatever, but the predictable result resulted.
My question is related to the rules. Maybe you can answer. Let’s say a team is playing shorthanded. Then a penalty is called on the team that’s on the PP. The short handed team then scores on a delayed call. What happens after? Who’s in the box? Does a player on the PP team still serves the penalty and they play 4 on 4?
Alright, this might call for some serious speculation, but it’s what just came to mind. What team blows the deadline the worst … either a contender that made a bad trade, a seller who gave away the store, or a team that just freezes like a deer in the headlights?
Nha- A team that just freezes like a deer in the headlights. See Chicago Bulls
OK, Crystal Ball, let’s hear some wiley wisdom: 1. Which teams meet in the Stanley Cup Final – and who wins it? 2. Which 3 or 4 players currently in the minors make a scoring impact in the NHL next season? 3. Who are your Top-5 forwards, Top-3 offensive D-men, and Top-3 goaltenders in the upcoming NHL draft? As, always, thanks in advance!
This was the year that the Sens, Sabres, and Wings were expected to take the next step in their respective claims to a playoff spot. What happened?
Seems they are still battling. More to come! LOL
What happened? They DID take the next step. Going into today, the *poorest* performing of those teams (Ottawa) is 5 points out of 7th place. The Islanders and Panthers are in the 7th and 8th positions right now, and Buffalo/Detroit/Ottawa each have at *least* four games in hand on both those teams, as well as games in hand over Pittsburgh and Washington. One of those teams has a pretty good chance of winning a wild card berth, and I wouldn’t be astonished if two of them got the berths.
Sens are 4th from the bottom … like last year.
Sabres are fifth from the bottom … last year they were one slot higher at 6th from the bottom.
Wings are two positions higher but out of the playoffs.
If you are either a Sens, Sabres or even a Wings fan and you’re happy with the progress of your team … you’re easy to please.
Question again: what happened?
Not over yet, Sabres have up to 5 games in hand on at least 2 teams and hold a 1 game in hand against the Wings. Only out of a playoff spot by 3 points.
The Bruins have to be “all in” this season but what can they do given their cap situation?
How are the Bruins in such desperate straits cap wise? Down the middle they’re only paying Bergeron, Krecji, Coyle and Nosek a total of $10.25 million. Some superstars (and non-superstars) make more than that.
Obviously, by spending to the cap, just like three-quarters of the teams in the league. The cap is $82.5 million, and you hit it just as hard by handing out $4m salaries as you do by handing a couple $10m deals.
Thanks for responding. It was kind of a rhetorical question. You are correct, the Bruins spent their money at other positions. For example, they’ve got almost $30 million invested in their seven d-men (not counting Mike Reilly’s $3 million buried in the AHL). The biggest problem is they’ve got nobody but Swayman on an ELC. Winning records/trading picks/spotty drafting catches up with you after a while.
Agreed. It’s why I really hope the Bruins don’t make a trade for Moah Shiny Toyz at the deadline; all they have to deal are picks, and they don’t dare trade any.
Nha- See Chicago Blackhawks who did both. You’re welcome.
It appears Hart and Ersson are the starter and backup for the Flyers… so where does this leave Sandstrom? Is he a trade candidate and who would be interested?
i thought the kings were close on chychrun. what other LHD are there that the kings can acquire and who (if any) will be traded off the roster?
Add to this. – what’s a fair deal for the Kings to get Chychrun all things considered? Coyotes aren’t getting their ask based on no deal,so far, Kings should be able to offer a good package to get it done without sacrificing the future.
Who is the worst player on an expiring deal on a playoff team?
And then who should they trade him to for what return?
While great to hear that the Jets have “inquired” on Timo Meier (according to TSN) unless the deal comes with an extension, I see it being very unlikely Chevy swings such a trade. I wonder if the Jets might roll the dice on the Stars’ Denis Gurianov. (?) They could buy low on a guy who had his best season under Bowness and also chipped in with 9 goals in the playoffs for Dallas on the way to the finals (both in 2020). I think it would be a low cost/risk move, with the potential for reward if Bowness can coax more from the guy once again. Change of scenery, perhaps? Maybe there’s a deal involving the rights to Vesalainen, the Jets’ OWN disappointing first rounder!?! Perhaps he’d be ignited in Dallas with so many of his Finnish brethren. Thoughts on this proposal??
Do the Senators make sense for an Erik Karlsson reunion?
My vote would be “no,” although they’re one of the only teams that could. (1) Ottawa just isn’t deep enough to have spare parts to trade, (2) The Sens are one of several teams fighting for the privilege to get obliterated in the first round, (3) resurgent season notwithstanding, who thinks that Karlsson can both keep it going for four more years AND stay healthy?, (4) Karlsson gets a veto anyway.
I have a question. I am asking your opinion on the Ref’s inconsistency of let’s say cross checking and the role Toronto plays. Case in point. Dylan Larkin gets crossed check in the neck vs.Dallas some time age, NO call, NO nothing. Larkin out for some time after that and needs surgery to recover over the summer. Larkin cross checks Oshie, 5 minutes and a game and fine. Last night Lindgren cross checks Rasmussen, 2 minutes. The last two look almost identical and you can even say Lindgren’s looked more vicious. How can anyone in Toronto not see the similarities in the last two? The Dallas incident was some time ago and probably didn’t have the capabilities to contact Toronto to get the call right.
1) Did the Bruins do enough?
2) Why did it cost as much for Orlov and Hathaway as the Rangers paid for Tarasenko and Mikkola and the Maple Leafs paid for O’Reilly and Acciari?
What can the Devils still do at this point? Do you see them as a fit for Kane? They are still so young and I think are a few years from running into cap trouble.
So add this year and go for it? Perhaps at the cost of Mercer Holtz and / or 1st round picks? Or hold out for next year at the cost of likely coming up short this year? Is there one piece that puts them over the top?
Hate thinking the smart move is waiting, but that’s where I’m at.
If the cap situation can be worked out, convince me why the Preds going for Timo Meier wouldn’t be a good move to make?! :)