The playoffs have arrived while half of the teams in the NHL have started their offseason. Several teams will have a viable chance to win the Stanley Cup while several others will be embarking on some big changes in the coming months, some of which have already started in the form of coaching changes.
With all that in mind, it’s a good time to open up the mailbag once again. Our last call for questions yielded enough for three separate columns. Among the topics in the first were Devon Levi’s time with Buffalo and if he can one day live up to expectations and going over the big changes for the Rangers and what moves could be coming this summer. The second included Joel Hofer’s strong season in St. Louis and Nashville’s season that was anything but strong. Lastly, the third included thoughts on the thin goalie market this offseason, Detroit’s back end, and the possibility of Mackie Samoskevich being an offer sheet candidate in July.
You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter/X or by leaving a comment down below. The mailbag will run on Saturday.
What are the Red Wings offseason plans? Trade and draft targets? Will they shed some bad contracts? Seems after today that the players expect more from management than what they’ve gotten recently.
Really! Larkin is the Captain, that’s his responsibility in the locker room. What does that say to the players in that locker room when your Captain make a comment like that. LOOK in the Mirror, LOOK at your last 2 MARCH stats & record. Trade his A _ _ !!!! He is not a #1
Solid tantrum.
Of the lottery teams trending up, who has laid the groundwork for future success? Calgary has Wolf, but relying too much on a keeper isn’t a recipe for success (Coronato looks great though), and are in reality a trending-down older team that happens to have a great keeper and a top D-man in Andersson. The Flyers are the opposite, and could build around Michkov, but their D is suspect, and they forever seem a good goalie away from being decent. Utah is pretty well-rounded, but got bit by the injury bug, and may need an upgrade in goal. The Wings have some nice pieces, but seem snakebitten, and who knows if the Sabres will ever make the playoffs again. My vote would be split between the Ducks and the Jackets — both have potential — though for the Jackets going into ’26 with Jet Greaves, hot as he was down the stretch, as the best option net feels a bit scary.
Lots of chatter about San Jose moving their #1 draft pick if they win the lottery. Seems counter productive to a re-build??
Depends. We can all think of #1 overalls who never amounted to much. If someone offered them a solid, young, proven first liner?
The recent signings of WPG Jets of Alex Iaffallo and Neil Pionk ,,And long term contracts to their star players will this year F A ‘s think hmmmmm maybe winnipeg has something I don’t know about or will it always be a hard no ?
Looking at the Blues FA’s this year (Faksa, Suter, MacEachern according to NHL.Com), do you see them potentially bringing any of the 3 back or moving on from all 3?
Also is there anyone you see the Blues potentially buying out (Faulk, Leddy, Joesph, etc)?
Zegras, Zelly, Pastujov, 2025 1st, 2026 1st for pasta. Who says no?
Since when can you use a coaches challenge for a puck over the glass penalty? And will the NHL ever leave goal reviews strictly up to the War Room? Imo any decisions after the original call on the ice should fall on the War Room.
What can we expect the Kings to do in the off season? Sign Vlad and a goal scorer?
Predictions for NYR this offseason…
– Drury stay or go?
– New Head coach?
– Option on 1st round pick?
– trade / buyouts decisions? Kreider or anyone else of note?
– notable UFA/RFA decisions?
– can the team retool, or do they need to rebuild? If the latter, will they?
Thanks!
Realizing you covered a few of these last month – perhaps best to focus on new perspectives if any… also drury question obviously been answered
Kent Hughes stated that he is willing to overpay in a trade to get that 2nd line center. Mike Grier is willing to move the 1st overall pick… If you’re Kent Hughes, what would be 3 overpaying scenarios to get you that 2nd line center via trade?
The Wild have had a consensus top 5ish farm system but the Iowa Wild have been consistently bad. Is there a correlation between having a good group of prospects and minor league team and overall player development? Watching Hershey and Coachella being competitive makes me wonder
Hell yeah. A large part of the reason for Detroit’s “Hockeytown” era, IMHO, is that they had a very strong minor league club in Adirondack for the duration, loaded with veteran talent who taught the prospects what winning looked like.
IM NOT SAYING THEY NEED TO GO THIS ROUTE BUT…What does a Quinn Hughes to New Jersey mock trade look like to you?
How/why is Alexander Mogilny STILL not in the Hall of Fame???
A few reasons, I think, myself. First is the strong correlation between the HHOF and playing for Cup-winning teams. A lot of mediocre HHOFers — the Pulfords, Olmsteads and Lowes of the world — racked up multiple rings. Mogilny’s sole ring was as a rental in 2000, and he didn’t play well in the playoffs that year.
Second are the Bill James-style questions: was he ever considered the best in the game at his position? How many awards did he win? How many times did he lead the league in anything? Mogilny had a single Byng at the end of his career, was a Second Team All-Star twice, neither being a huge resume for a HHOFer.
He also just wasn’t that dominant. Strike 1993 and 1996, and not too many people would see the rest and think “All-Time Great.”
Then you have that they just don’t induct many people. They haven’t inducted more than four career NHLers in a year in fifty years, and not often that many.
Lastly, this is the era where 1000 pointers don’t automatically make it. Nicholls, Fleury, Damphousse, Taylor, Whitney, Verbeek, Tkachuk, Bobby Smith, Weight, all guys who did, haven’t, and might not.
He’s borderline. He deserves it an f-ton more than Lowe or Carbonneau or many of that ilk, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.