For three-quarters of the league, the offseason is now underway. We’ve seen some exciting playoff matchups in the opening round while several teams now find themselves looking for new coaches with others potentially following suit in the coming days. With that in mind, it’s a good time to open up the mailbag.
Our last mailbag was split into two columns. Topics in the first included Chicago’s goaltending situation, the potential offseason coaching carousel, and college free agency. Meanwhile, in the second, topics included what’s next for San Jose, if this is the summer where Nashville moves a goalie, and expansion.
You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter/X or by leaving a comment down below. The mailbag will run on the weekend.
Few questions here:
What was the biggest surprise to you in first round?
Whats your favorite matchup for the second?
What potential matchup excites you most for CFs / SCF?
It’s generally suggested that the KHL is the second best professional hockey league in the world, but how competitive would a complete KHL team be if they were to compete in the NHL?
Additionally: How do the major European leagues (KHL, SHL, Liiga, German Elite League, etc.) compare to the North American pro game? Are they more on par with the AHL? ECHL?
And if we really wanna get spicy… What level would pro leagues in countries like Australia, Japan and United Kingdom be comparable to?
Heh, guys who were middle-sixers in college and the AHL get to be UK scoring champions.
Do you see Sean Monahan sign long term with the Jets ?
Do you see coach Bowness sign an extension or will he chose to retire and spend his time with his beautiful wife ? After the scary year they had on a personal / health level .
If he retires is it Scott Arniel time to be head coach?
Coach bones answer one question, take care of Judy coach
Devils said they are going “big game hunting” this offseason.
Lets apply this to both coach and 1A goalie
Who do they get? Realistically
What are your thoughts on the Devils pursuing Binnington?
Ullmark
I think they maybe roll the dice on a 2nd tier if they don’t have faith in one of their backups (Schmid/Daws) and let Allen have the pipes for a year and add some better defensive defensemen. Add a Tanev to their young group. Let Hamilton come back and see how things go that way.
Unless Fitz is still infatuated with Markstrom and can get him with some retention and a lesser cost, I don’t see them willing to move much.
Reports from here in Calgary suggest Calgary wants a 1st this year, a top prospect, plus for Marky. I wouldn’t do that if I’m Jersey for a 34.5 year old making 6M for 2 more years.
Will the numerous pundits who predicted that the Bruins were going to go down in the biggest first round upset enjoy the crow they’re being served, or will they collectively pretend they never made such a prediction and hope people have forgotten?
Jeepers just barely surviving by the skin of their teeth hardly suggests the predictions were unreasonable.
The Bruins needed Game 7 overtime and injuries to Woll and Matthews to make it out of the first round.
I also think if Woll didn’t get hurt the result would have been different. Not to mention Mathews being less than 100% in the final game.
Good morning,
Your thoughts on a Marner for Saros, straight up? Potentially as a sign & trade for both?
Or if the above proposal is a no go, maybe Marner to Chicago or to Utah? And yes, let’s pretend that Marner waives…
Finally, Toronto must make changes to the roster. I’m interested in what would be your most mind blowing, no way, they did what scenario.
Thank you
What package of picks and players would the Red Wings need to give up to get Saaros
The Red Wings have Cossa just about ready to take over on a long term 1st string basis. I doubt they’re giving up much for a 1 or 2 year stop gap.
It looks like Leafs & Marner both possibly may want to move on. How about to Philly? A team trading for him I assume would need a contract extension in place.
Who has 11M to acquire a soft, offensively productive in non-physical games winger? Because that extension starts there. Torts would send MM to thr minors before the season even started.
Marner is a two-way player, but it won’t matter bc Torts won’t be here much longer.
So we’re about to see where the lottery teams draft on Tue. The Hawks have 2 firsts and 3 seconds. Who are the Best Goalie prospects in this years field? Commesso played well in the playoffs against a good team. I have no faith in Stauber or Soderblom. Gajan is far away. Who can they draft to solidify the position? 2nd round is where G’s seem to end up going and their own 2nd round pick should be a high one. As for Davidson, he says he wants to start adding talent to win. Where do you think he adds? Thanks.
I heard that Patrik Laine is selling his place in Columbus. He could be buying a new place but is most likely looking for a trade. Who do you think would be interested, what would the trade package look like and would Columbus need to retain some salary?
With Fedotov and Ersson set in goal, what happens to Hart [RFA]? Who should the Flyers add with Michkov to mentor/develop into a scorer and playoff team?
Hart is on the equivalent of the commissioners list. Ineligible to do anything with him. He is stuck in no-mans-land until the hockey Canada trial is over. Likely won’t play another pro game in North America again. If cleared, I would guess the Flyers would be one of the first teams to offer him opportunity to prove his worth vs the story. And he’d likely be an improvement on Fedotov and Ersson.
Michkov could be a couple years away from an NHL opportunity too. Rumors he could come over for next year, but nothing is set in stone yet. Probably best to stay the course until those situations have a little more clarification.
Now that it’s been determined where the Flyers draft, will Sam Dickinson or Berkley Catton fall enough for them to take at 12?
Any chance the Hawks can move from 2 to 1? Thanks
Greir already said the Sharks are taking Celebrini.
Do the Sabres finally move away from keeping the first round pick #11 and package it with one of the young guys, Rosen, Kulich etc. to acquire the NHL veteran top six forward/center they really need?
Given this year’s group of UFAs, who would you sign if you only have $11m to spend and you need a top 6 forward and a left shot defenseman?
We don’t need you guys to answer our questions bc we have @wreckage to handle them.
I’m sorry, is a comment section not an appropriate place to post one’s opinion?
Fair enough.
It’s not a comment section. It’s a mailbag question forum to see what the site writers think about the questions. Make a comment fine but nobody really wants to know what your answer is. If we did we would ask you personally.
Can I comment on your comment?
No. LOL If he wants to answer the questions get a job here.
Nobodies forcing you to read my comments. And there is always the mute button.
It’s not really a mutable type of thing. I enjoy your stuff I just agreed with the other guy that’s all. Nothing to get anybody’s panties in a wad about my friend. Peace.
Thanks. I try to be civil and like to engage in talks about things and find the mailbag a good section for people to discuss these things. Lots of people participate in them and ask some things that are really opinion based which makes for an easily engaging section to chat.
Sorry if some people think i am attempting to hijack the mailbag, but Josh and Brian and whomever else hosting are gonna answer the questions regardless if I or others post their opinions on the topic.
Also, at this time of year rumors are gonna slow down so the gentlemen hosting these can probably use some of our input into vs the publics perception on some of the values of players and their worth to make their opinions. And usually it takes a week or 2 before they post their answers to the questions. It gives us some fun time to talk and evaluate the questions asked. We as fans of the sport and site can debate and discuss as well. Not all q’s will be answered so we can talk about them as our own group. No need to just get the writers opinions. Most of them will also say they’re not insiders or anything of the sorts. Just posting their opinions. What are opinions if we can’t disagree and discuss them with eachother?
Then once the guys who are hosting the ask anything bag answer, we can go thru it again. I bet the hosts would appreciate getting the hits times 2.
Would a Zegras + for Laine & Jiricek make any sense for Anaheim & Columbus ??
Ducks trade #3 overall pick + Rodwin Dionicio + Carey Terrance + 2025 3rd rounder to the Islanders for Noah Dobson. Who’s says no?
What was the point of the Preds 2023/24 season? They’ll once again pick outside the top 20 in the draft and got booted in the first round of the playoffs again, being led mostly by veteran age players. Aren’t they just doing what they always have in the past despite saying they didn’t want to be in the mushy middle any longer?
Do you like my song?
Nostrils sittin’ on the dock of the bay
Watching his boys dock away
Ooh, he’s just docking on the dock of the bay
Wastin’ time