PHR Mailbag

Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include the Rangers, Phil Kessel, Cody Ceci’s future in Ottawa, Philadelphia’s offseason movement, what Dallas could do this summer, CBA talk, Jonathan Quick, San Jose’s veteran free agents, and the Olli Maatta trade.  As we’ve done over the last several mailbags, the questions will be split up with the ones not appearing here going in next weekend’s edition.

pawtucket: Does Trouba re-sign in New York or did the Rangers just give away a 1st rounder and Pionk for a 1-year rental?

met man: Now that the Rangers have obtained Trouba, what do you see as their next big move?

acarneglia: Which Rangers player, if any, is most likely to be traded at the draft? Do we see Lundqvist finally waive his NTC to chase a ring? Does NYR cut ties with Kreider?

Let’s tackle the New York questions together.

While technically, the Rangers didn’t get permission to speak to Jacob Trouba about an extension, the belief is that they were on the list of teams that the defenseman gave to Winnipeg that he’d like to be traded to.  I don’t think he does that if his intention was to just take a one-year deal and then hit the open market.  It may take some time but I expect them to get a long-term deal done in the range of $7MM to $8MM per season with considerable no-trade protection in the second year and beyond.

I’ve been saying for a while that New York would be wise to not make big splashes this summer and give their young core another season to see how they integrate into the lineup.  Clearly, they made one of those moves with Trouba but I’m not certain there will be another that’s at that magnitude.  They’ll try for Artemi Panarin but there’s no guarantee they get him.  Dealing away Chris Kreider is a distinct possibility if they can’t agree to terms on a long-term deal.  Talks have only been cursory thus far but that should change as we enter the week where some big trades are likely to be made.

As for who else could go, I think Jimmy Vesey could be on the move at some point.  They’ll be adding Kaapo Kakko and Vitali Kravtsov next season and all of a sudden, it doesn’t appear as if Vesey is going to be part of their long-term plans.  If that’s the case, the time to move him may very well be sooner than later.  Henrik Lundqvist has never shown an inclination to leave New York, even when their rebuild was in full force.  Now that they’re emerging from that, it’s hard to imagine he’ll suddenly have a change of heart.

@RMabie215: What trade did Kessel veto?

According to reports, Kessel blocked a trade that would have seen him go to Minnesota in a swap that would have also involved Jason Zucker (who now has essentially been dealt twice only to see the trade fall through).  Jack Johnson and Victor Rask were also suggested as players potentially in the swap but Pittsburgh has since dealt Olli Maatta from their surplus of blueliners.  Kessel has an eight-team trade list which doesn’t give GM Jim Rutherford much wiggle room to try to move him.

Lately, Rutherford has been talking about how he now expects to keep him and doesn’t really want to shake up the core very much.  At least to some degree, I think that’s just public posturing.  It’s pretty clear that head coach Mike Sullivan isn’t Kessel’s biggest fan so if the opportunity presents itself to bring in someone that might be a better fit, I expect the Penguins to pursue it despite the recent comments.

JDGoat: What are the chances between a Ceci trade or signing?

I’ve long expected the Senators to trade defenseman Cody Ceci.  He has been exposed while playing a role that he’s just not capable of handling on a night in, night out basis.  I think he can still be a serviceable fourth or fifth defender in the right situation but Ottawa is not the right situation for him.

The Senators are clearly in the middle of rebuilding.  Ceci is a year away from being eligible for unrestricted free agent eligibility.  The price tag is going to be approaching the $5MM mark, perhaps even a bit more on a long-term deal (something that might actually hurt his trade value).  This is a situation that logically screams trade from Ottawa’s perspective.

I get that Ceci is a bit of a different case.  He’s from the area and played his junior hockey with the 67s.  There’s a bit of extra attachment to him as a result.  However, they didn’t hesitate to move anyone else in this situation so they should be taking that approach with the 25-year-old here as well.

If I’m handicapping the situation, I’ll put it at 65-35 in favor of a trade this offseason.  If there isn’t a palatable swap available right now, a one-year deal may be the next option with an eye on trading Ceci as a rental player closer to the trade deadline in February.

Fortarnold: Does Chuck Fletcher actually know what he is doing? He has just made three questionable moves in a row at a time when he could turn the Flyers into a legit contender. Two defensemen trending in the wrong direction and paying a non-top tier center near top tier money. At least Hextall had a plan that you could see shaping to form, albeit at a snail’s pace, but a logical plan nonetheless.

While some of the moves have been a little surprising, I can see Fletcher’s logic.  Matt Niskanen gives them some mobility on the back end, not to mention a bit of a veteran presence which is something their group doesn’t have a lot of.  He’s not the number two/three player he once was but he can still contribute.  Having to retain part of Radko Gudas’ contract to facilitate the move was a bit surprising though.

I think the price for Justin Braun was a little steep but he’s a steady player in the right role.  At the very least, if he winds up being more of an extraneous part, there will be a trade market for him as the season progresses where they can get at least one of those picks back.

The contract for Kevin Hayes is a bit of an overpayment but most big contracts given to unrestricted free agents are.  He’s a capable second liner in the short-term and once Nolan Patrick develops and surpasses him on the depth chart, they’ll be in really good shape down the middle.

The plan appears to be that it’s time for them to get back into the playoffs as these are all win-now types of moves.  They’re certainly a better team but with the Rangers and Devils also making moves to improve, Philly is probably still going to be in a tough battle to make the postseason.

@JoeWalton9090: Do you see Dallas making a big splash this offseason?

They have enough cap room to sign/acquire one player of note.  That could very well just be re-signing Mats Zuccarello though.  However, there’s a higher price to pay to keep the winger around though as the conditional 2020 pick that they owe the Rangers would upgrade to a first rounder.  That could be too steep of a price for GM Jim Nill to pay.  He told NHL.com earlier today that Zuccarello intends to see what’s out there in free agency first before deciding whether or not he wants to re-sign.

I could see Anders Lee and Gustav Nyquist being players of interest if they don’t bring Zuccarello back.  Lee would give them another legitimate scoring threat while Nyquist would bolster their second line.  I suppose Lee could be called a splash if he signs there.

Having said that, I also wouldn’t be surprised if Dallas decides to shore up their depth and uses their money over a few players.  Instead of spending most of their remaining cap room (after Brett Ritchie and Jason Dickinson get new deals) on one player, I could see them signing a couple of cheaper wingers to try to bolster their scoring depth instead of being so top-heavy.  So while they have it in them to make a splash this summer, I think they’ll spread the wealth around instead.

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The 2018-19 NHL season is officially over, but that doesn’t mean the hockey world gets a moment of rest. The draft is just around the corner, with free agents allowed to start talking to new teams just after that. Teams have already started to reshape their rosters with trades, while others try to steady the ship with long-term extensions.

Erik Karlsson was set to become the top free agent on the market this summer but has re-signed in San Jose, leaving a hole at the top of the list of available defensemen. Do Tyler Myers and Jake Gardiner become the de facto top options, or will teams instead circle back to the trade market to try and find their blue line solutions? What about up front? Does Artemi Panarin have a market outside of a handful of teams? Will San Jose be able to afford Joe Pavelski now? All those questions and more are on the minds of hockey fans everywhere.

With that in mind, it’s time to run another edition of our mailbag. You can submit your query by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter or by leaving a comment down below. Make sure to get your questions in early and we’ll try to get through them all when the mailbag runs this weekend.

If you missed our last edition, it was split into two parts that you can read here and here. The first tackled topics like morality clauses in player contracts, the New Jersey Devils’ offseason plans, and the unfortunate reality of bad Edmonton Oilers contracts. Next, Brian took on questions regarding Chris Kreider‘s future in New York, a potential Jacob Trouba trade, and gave his thoughts on the Phil Kessel situation.

Topics in this edition of the mailbag include the Rangers, Detroit’s offseason, offer sheets, 2019-20 playoff teams, Phil Kessel’s future in Pittsburgh, what’s next for Buffalo, a possible P.K. Subban trade, and what Vegas needs to go this summer.

Dylan: What moves do the Rangers make *if* they attempt to contend and if not, what do they do over the course of the offseason?

acarneglia: Do one of Ryan Callahan or J.T. Miller return to NYR as part of a salary dump? Could both?

WalterNYR: Will the Rangers trade Chris Kreider before the start of the season and if so what sort of return could they expect.

CoachWall: Despite a treasure trove of talent at defense, do the Rangers make a play for Jacob Trouba?

There were quite a few questions about the Rangers so let’s group them all together to start.

If they’re looking to contend, they’ll be shopping at the top end of the UFA market.  Erik Karlsson and Artemi Panarin are among the players that have been speculatively linked to them already.  I could see them looking to bring back Mats Zuccarello in that situation as well.  I think making the jump would be premature at this point as players like Lias Andersson, Filip Chytil, Brett Howden, and Anthony DeAngelo are all still part of the supporting cast right now.  The Rangers will truly be ready to contend when those players are all in impact roles and for that to happen, they need more ice time.  Being restrained in free agency and letting the youngsters play more in 2019-20 would go a long way towards making that happen.

In terms of what else they made do if they opt to not try to contend next season, I can see GM Jeff Gorton trying to make a trade with Kevin Shattenkirk.  It’s not working out for him in New York and a change of scenery is probably ideal for both sides.  His value is low but teams looking for firepower from the back end should be kicking the tires at least.  They’d probably be among the teams open to taking on a pricey contract from another team to add some other assets as well.

Callahan’s days in Tampa Bay appear to be numbered.  Yes, he has some trade protection but at this point, he knows the writing’s on the wall.  I suspect he’d be open to a return to New York where he’d have a shot to play a bit more while returning to where he had a fair bit of success early on.

I wouldn’t classify Miller in the same group as Callahan, however.  He had a bit of a down year in 2018-19 but he’s still a capable second liner at the very least.  While it’s certainly possible that Tampa Bay could look to move him to free up cap space, they’ll be looking for good, young players in return.  It’s not a situation where they’ll be needing to attach assets to move him, something that is likely to be the case with Callahan.  I’m not sure the Rangers are at a point where they’re going to move out young players which would make a reunion with him unlikely.

As for Kreider, it all depends on whether or not he signs a contract extension this summer.  That’s going to be one of Gorton’s top priorities and if they get something done quickly, he’ll clearly stay.  If they don’t agree right away though, it’s certainly possible that he gets moved before the season but I think that would only happen if a team struck out in free agency and knew they needed to make a splash.  Otherwise, they could very well take this into the season and if an extension still isn’t agreed upon, then they’ll look to move him as a midseason rental.  Power forwards are in high demand on the trade market and given the physicality of this postseason, he would certainly be a popular target for playoff-bound teams closer to the trade deadline.

When it comes to Trouba, a lot depends on his willingness to sign a long-term contract.  If he’s amenable to doing so with the Rangers, then yes, going after him would make some sense.  However, if he just wants to go to arbitration, get his one-year award, and hit the open market in 2020, then a Trouba trade for the Rangers wouldn’t make much sense at all considering that they’d be parting with young, affordable assets for a rental in a season where there’s no guarantee that they’d be in playoff contention.

tigers22: Mantha for Trouba and wings select Byram with the 6th overall pick? Any chance Wings can make that happen and will they buy out Abdelkader?

If Trouba is open to signing long-term, then it’s something that’s worthy of some consideration.  There’s no denying that Detroit desperately needs help on the back end and Mantha’s cheaper salary for the upcoming season would certainly help Winnipeg’s cap situation in the short term.  But if Trouba wants to go to the open market, then it wouldn’t make any sense for Detroit to entertain a trade like that.  If they’re parting with Mantha for a defender, it needs to be someone who can be an impact player for them on a long-term basis, much like they expect from Mantha now.

As for the second part of that, it’s quite unlikely that Bowen Byram slips to the number six spot.  He’s the consensus top defender in the draft and it’s widely expected that he’ll go either third or fourth.  If Detroit wants him, they’ll have to move up.

I know Justin Abdelkader had a rough year and has a bad contract but Detroit’s not in a spot where they can really benefit from the roughly $3MM they’d save in 2019-20 from buying him out.  That’s not the difference between them making or missing the playoffs so why not hold onto him?  If he rebounds, then perhaps he has a bit of trade value.  If not, the buyout cost isn’t quite so drastic a year from now.  Either way, it’s more prudent to hold onto Abdelkader despite his struggles.

pitmanrich: Do you see any changes regarding offer sheets for RFA’s? At the moment, the compensation is so high it’s almost pointless as nobody will give up so many draft picks in one go.

In the short term, no changes are coming.  This is a CBA issue and we’re still at least a season away from this current one expiring with the NHL having until September 1st to opt out and September 19th for the NHLPA.  If they did so, it would expire in 2020 and if not, in 2022.

I do think there will be changes down the road with regards to the linking.  It’s currently tied to the average salary; whatever the increase in percentage to the average salary, the same percentage increase is applied to the offer sheet threshold.  As revenues continue to increase, the thresholds are going to go up pretty quickly.  They could tweak the wording to make it that the offer sheet rates only go up by, say, half of the percentage of the increase.  That would at least slow the rapid increase; the price point for the four first-round pick compensation has gone up by more than $2MM in this CBA already.

I’m sure the NHLPA would like to lower the compensation point at the top end and drop it from four first rounders to three.  However, that would probably require a considerable concession to do so and given how few players would actually be affected by that, it’s not something I’d expect.  I think a change will come in the next CBA but it will probably more of a negligible one and not something that really affects restricted free agency all that much.

pawtucket: Which playoff teams do not make the playoffs next year? Which team that didn’t make the playoffs does?

This is always tricky to predict at the best of times, let alone before seeing what actually transpires over the course of the offseason where rosters will change considerably.  Nonetheless, let’s give this a go.

In the East, the easier pick to slide out right now would be Columbus due to the uncertainty surrounding their unrestricted free agents.  If they all leave, they’ll probably be staring down a short-term rebuild.  I’m also skeptical that the Islanders will get the same level of goaltending they did in 2018-19 so them taking a small step back is a possibility as well.  Same with Carolina depending on what their goalie situation looks like next season with both netminders slated to hit free agency next month.  I expect the Flyers will add some pieces and get back into the postseason and if Florida does wind up being as active as it seems they will be, they’ll probably get in as well.  Montreal could also get into the mix if they can another impact piece.

I don’t think there will be as much movement in the West.  If Arizona can stay healthy, they could very well get back in the mix.  If Chicago makes a big splash, they could be heard from as well but it’s far from a guarantee.  I have a hard time pinpointing who will come out though.  San Jose could take a step back depending on what happens in free agency but they should still be a playoff contender.  Colorado is a team that’s slowly on the rise so it might not be them and I expect Dallas to make a splash in the coming weeks.  I wouldn’t expect much movement in the standings in the West; the East is where there’s potential for some new teams getting into the playoff picture.

Paul Heyman: Does Phil Kessel stay in Pittsburgh due to his NMC or does Pittsburgh trade him to one of the eight teams on his trade list?

I know the Penguins have put it out there that they’re more than content to keep Kessel around if they can’t find a trade to their liking.  But let’s face it, they have to put that out there no matter what.

The time has come for a change of scenery.  He doesn’t appear to be overly enthralled with things based on the speculation about his frustration with his role and linemates.  The coaching staff clearly isn’t too pleased with his inconsistency.  Yes, he’s a quality scorer, but sometimes the time is simply right for a move.  This is one of those situations.

Of the eight teams on Kessel’s list, I don’t think there are many who will be overly interested which could complicate things.  If the winger wants to move, he may have to expand (or revise) his list to create some other opportunities.  If you look at the production he can provide and his cap hit ($6.8MM for three more years with Toronto covering the rest), that’s a better contract than you can get signing someone on the open market.  I think we’ll see a trade involving Kessel come to fruition over the next few weeks.

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Topics in this edition of the mailbag include expiring draft rights, contract language, the Devils, Erik Karlsson, bad contracts in Edmonton, Detroit’s pursuit of free agents, the upcoming offseason for the Kings, and a top St. Louis prospect.  As has been the case recently, the mailbag has been split into two parts so if your question doesn’t appear here, watch for it next weekend.

met man: Just read an article on Trade Rumors referencing 2019 Expiring Draft Rights. Who are the players that would draw the most interest?

Given that we’re mere hours from the 4:00 PM CST deadline for these players to sign, let’s tackle this one first.  This isn’t a particularly good class of prospects and doesn’t have a standout player like last year’s group did with Adam Mascherin.

With Zachary Lauzon’s concussion situation likely preventing him from getting signed, the highest remaining unsigned player from that list is Scott Walford.  I’m a little surprised that the Canadiens haven’t signed him.  The defenseman had a breakout year offensively on a team that had some difficulty scoring and Montreal’s lack of quality depth on the left side of their back end made a deal seem rather likely on the surface.

Coyotes defender Noel Hoefenmayer had a big season with OHL Ottawa and had a very strong postseason as well.  He’s someone that I figured would have signed or been dealt by now.  Pavel Koltygin (a Nashville center) had a strong postseason that could get him on the radar.  Liam Hawel (Dallas) is a big center that showed some offensive touch this past season and size down the middle is something that many teams will still take a chance on.

This all said, there probably isn’t going to much trade activity in the hours leading up to the deadline.  Most teams know by now which players aren’t getting signed and the fact that a conditional late-round pick hasn’t been dealt for some of these players yet is a sign that they have questions about these players as well.  A couple could get redrafted but the likeliest outcome is that the group above are getting tryout deals for rookie camps after the draft comes and goes.

Mark Black: Given the recent Kuznetsov situation, what is the NHL and NHLPA’s stance on morality clauses in contracts? Thinking back to the disputed termination of Mike Richards’ contract and even further back in baseball with Denny Neagle and the Rockies, do teams carry clauses that allow them to terminate contracts for conduct unbecoming? Highly unlikely that this happens with Kuznetsov, regardless if it’s present in his contract or not, but just curious about those clauses – whether they are boilerplate, incredibly secretive, or only in the contracts of some players.

There is a boilerplate morality clause in a Standard Player Contract.  From Exhibit 1 of the CBA:

2. The Player agrees to give his services and to play hockey in all NHL Games, All Star Games, International Hockey Games and Exhibition Games to the best of his ability under the direction and control of the Club in accordance with the provisions hereof.

The Player further agrees,

(e) to conduct himself on and off the rink according to the highest standards of honesty, morality, fair play and sportsmanship, and to refrain from conduct detrimental to the best interest of the Club, the League or professional hockey generally.

This clause is word for word from the 1997 CBA so it’s not something they’ve looked at for a long time.

The NHL has issued a statement clearing Kuznetsov of any wrongdoing so there won’t be any attempt to terminate his contract or anything like that.  The NHLPA would be highly unlikely to agree to reword that clause to include a provision for contract termination for a particularly egregious breach nor would they encourage their players to agree to any sort of addendum therein.  That’s something that would inevitably go through an arbitrator on a case-by-case basis which is probably the preference of the league and the NHLPA at this point.

mikenowo1: Thoughts on what the Devils will do this offseason? Any offer sheets for cap-stripped teams like Toronto and Winnipeg?

jamincito: Do the Devils get someone significant in free agency and who?

Let’s tackle the two New Jersey questions together.  They have had a tough time attracting free agents in recent years and after the season they just had, it’s hard to see that changing, at least at the top end of the UFA pool.  Adding secondary scoring is something they should be able to do via the open market at least and with the extra cap space they have compared to a lot of teams, the Devils should be able to pay the extra money to make their offer stand out amongst the rest.

I expect them to be more active on the trade route though.  If there’s a big-name player made available, they’ll probably be kicking the tires.  I’m sure they’ve inquired about Phil Kessel at the very least.  Adding another premier talent would certainly aid their efforts to re-sign Taylor Hall to a long-term extension this summer or at the very least give them another piece to build around if they ultimately have to move the winger out.

Offer sheets sound wonderful in theory but they rarely come to fruition.  (That said, if there was ever a year for one, this would be it, albeit not with the players at the top of the class.)   New Jersey is in good shape to take advantage of cap-strapped teams but that will probably be in the form of adding assets to take on a bad contract.  The contenders that are against the Upper Limit won’t want to give up top-end talent to get out from under the cap.  Instead, they’ll be trying to peddle secondary pieces so that’s where the expectations should be placed.

Connorsoxfan: Is Erik Karlsson to Tampa considered a serious possibility, or just fun to speculate about because of their ability to manage the cap in order to make things happen?

It all comes down to his friendship with Lightning blueliner Victor Hedman.  If Karlsson really wants to play there and is willing to take less than market value to do so, then it could happen.

While Ryan Callahan is the near-surefire bet to be on the move at some point to create cap space for Brayden Point’s next contract, there are other players in that price range that could also be traded if need be.  J.T. Miller ($5.25MM through 2022-23), Tyler Johnson ($5MM through 2023-24), and Alex Killorn ($4.45MM through 2022-23) are all capable secondary scorers that would carry some reasonable trade value.  Move out a couple of those for players still on their entry-level deals and all of a sudden, they’ll have enough money freed up where it could become a possibility.

I certainly wouldn’t put Tampa Bay as the prohibitive favorite to land him though.  Even if they did free up the extra money to sign him, they’d be in a situation where a significant portion of their team would have to be on contracts below $1MM to fill out their roster.  As Chicago has shown in recent years, it can be done but it’s extremely difficult to make it work and it would greatly restrict their ability to make in-season moves.

pitmanrich: How big a risk is signing Karlsson to a 7-year deal at probably 10-11mil a year? Yes, he’s an elite player but injuries are starting to occur more frequently. Also, where does he end up? Rumours of the Rangers interest but they already got plenty d-men on big contracts even if their play is not earning them.

I think there’s pretty much always a risk with a max-term contract.  Way more of those contracts don’t work out well with unrestricted free agents than those that do.  In Karlsson’s case, the risk is even higher considering the recurring injuries but there will still be teams lining up to sign him on July 1st if he makes it to the open market.  Blueliners with his skillset rarely become available and it’s even rarer that the acquisition cost would ‘only’ be dollars and not other players, prospects, and draft picks.  Even though whoever signs him could believe that the final few years could be rough, if they think he’s a piece to help them win now, they’ll do it and not think twice about it.

In previous mailbags, I’ve stated my belief that New York would be better off not jumping back into the upper echelon of free agency just yet and going one more with the youngsters getting prime ice time.  But most of that youth is up front, not on the back end.  Yes, the Rangers have some pricey underperformers in Marc Staal, Kevin Shattenkirk, and Brendan Smith.  Fortunately, they each only have two years left and because of all of the entry-level contracts they have on the books, they could afford to add Karlsson and those others on the books and still be comfortably under the cap.

Zack35: Can Milan Lucic, Andrej Sekera or Kris Russell’s contracts be dealt?

Any contract can be dealt…as long as the team is willing to take on a comparably bad (or worse) contract in return.  That’s the situation Oilers GM Ken Holland faces with Lucic.  About the only way that he gets dealt is if they take a really bad contract in return.  I honestly think he’s capable of rebounding somewhat from a rough 2018-19 campaign but other teams won’t be giving up value merely based on hope.

Sekera’s an interesting case.  Because of his injuries the last two seasons, there are legitimate concerns that he can once again become the consistent top-four defender that he has been in the past.  But he looked pretty good at the World Championships last month so Edmonton has to hold out some hope that he can still get back to that level.  They wouldn’t get great value for him so I think their inclination will be to keep Sekera with the belief that he’ll get closer to the level he played at when he first joined the team.

Russell continues to be one of the more polarizing blueliners in the league.  He’s a great shot-blocker but teams get a lot of shots towards the goal when he’s on the ice.  But he can play on both sides and only has two years left at $4MM per year.  That’s a bit expensive for someone that’s ideally on a third pairing but it’s not too much of a premium to scare everyone off.  If they want to move him, I think they can get some decent value in return, perhaps a middle-six winger to help them up front.

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The Stanley Cup Final is starting and the St. Louis Blues are still alive. The organization that has never won a Cup in their history will get a chance to raise hockey’s legendary chalice, but have to go through the team that beat them the last time they had this opportunity. The Boston Bruins put St. Louis out in 1970, starting a 49-year streak of failure to reach the final round.

Even as hockey fans focus on the final few games of the season, work is being done in front offices across the league to prepare for the upcoming entry draft. Prospects are gathering this week in Buffalo for the draft combine, while management is prepping on all the free agents that will be available this summer. The interview period begins in just a few weeks, and top names like Erik Karlsson, Artemi Panarin and Matt Duchene remain unsigned.

With that in mind it’s time to run another edition of our mailbag. You can submit your query by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter or by leaving a comment down below. Make sure to get your questions in early and we’ll try to get through them all when the mailbag runs this weekend.

If you missed out on the last mailbag, it was split into two parts that you can read here and here. The first tackled topics like Karlsson’s pending free agency, playoff formats and the Nashville Predators, while the second looked at the future for the New York Rangers, the goaltending market, and the top defensive prospects in the game.

Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include the offseason for the Rangers, the upcoming UFA market, Minnesota’s big contracts, Toronto’s defense corps, Detroit’s contract situation, young blueliners that could be primed to make an NHL impact, and the upcoming draft class.

This is the second half of the mailbag from questions submitted earlier this month.  The first half of the mailbag can be found here.

met man: How active do you think the Rangers will be in free agency? Will they buy out any contracts?

pitmanrich: How do you see the Rangers defense pairings next season; they carried eight this year but with the additions of Fox and Hajek and possibly Lindgren ready to suit up some will have to go. All the other teams will know this and it will weaken any trade attempts.

acarneglia: Will Lundqvist waive his NTC? If so where’s a likely destination? Florida? Edmonton? Carolina?

There were several New York questions in our most recent call for questions so let’s tackle them together.

I expect the Rangers will be active on the open market but not just in terms of top players like defenseman Erik Karlsson who they’ve already been linked to.  Yes, they have the cap room to make some big moves but I think they’ll also be going after players that I like to call buffer guys.  These are players that will take a short-term contract and basically hold down a spot until a younger player is ready to come up on a full-time basis.  At that time, the veteran gets traded.  If they sign a couple of those players, they’ll allow some of their prospects to develop in the minors some more and give themselves some trade chips at the same time.

On the buyout front, there are players that are candidates (Brendan Smith comes to mind) but it’s not like they’re hurting for cap room.  Unless they have several big signings planned, they’d be better off riding out the bad contracts they have instead of taking some short-term savings knowing that they’ll be adding to their costs down the road when they’re coming out of the rebuild and some of their younger players will need new deals.

Looking at their current back end, I think Brady Skjei and Kevin Shattenkirk reprise their pairing from the end of the season (unless Shattenkirk is traded).  Marc Staal is still probably going to be in a top-four role and I think Neal Pionk will slot in alongside him.  Then it gets interesting.  Adam Fox is probably going to be on the roster as is Anthony DeAngelo.  Both are right-shot players so they probably won’t make up a pairing; instead, one will serve as the seventh defender.  I’m not sure Yegor Rykov is ready for that role just yet and I think Ryan Lindgren and Libor Hajek need more development time as well.  I think that third pairing left spot will be filled in free agency by one of those buffer players.

As for Lundqvist, I know his comments earlier in the summer about not necessarily finishing up in New York are out there but he has kiboshed a trade already.  Knowing that they’re closer to getting back into contention in the next couple of years, I don’t think he has the desire to change his stance on that.

pawtucket: There are a lot of good FA goalies (Varlamov, Bobrovsky, Lehner, Mrazek, Talbot). Where do they all end up?

I don’t think we’re going to see the musical chairs for goalies that we’ve seen in recent years.  In particular, I think Robin Lehner will be inclined to stay with the Islanders and Petr Mrazek should get a new deal from the Hurricanes.

Sergei Bobrovsky is by far the best goalie available but there aren’t a ton of teams looking for a number one, especially at the price point he’ll be seeking.  Florida has been a speculative suitor for a while now and they’re probably the best fit for him so let’s put him there.  I know Columbus is open to going with an unproven duo between the pipes for next season but someone like Semyon Varlamov on a short-term deal makes a lot of sense for them.  They get some short-term security, he gets a chance to prove that he can still be a starter.

I really liked the Cam Talbot acquisition for the Flyers and figured he’d be a great fit with Carter Hart.  Then he barely played down the stretch which makes me question how much he’ll want to stay there.  Assuming Mike Smith doesn’t re-sign in Calgary, I could see the Flames looking for someone that can play more than typical backup minutes and Talbot would fit that bill.  Lots will change in the next month but those would be my current predictions.

sovietcanuckistanian: What/whom do you think will be the biggest overpay in terms of AAV/length of free agent contract and where might they be going?

My money is on Duchene. While not a terrible player he is not anyone’s idea of a team’s alpha dog, but might actually get paid like one.

Matt Duchene will certainly be a candidate in terms of AAV, at the very least.  He’s not a true franchise forward but he’s coming off of a strong postseason and plays a premium position.  He’s going to get a pricey contract but he’ll be capped at a seven-year term unless he re-signs in Columbus before July 1st.  He’s only 28 so that term shouldn’t be crippling.

My choice is Winnipeg defenseman Tyler Myers.  The market for right-shot defensemen is basically Karlsson and then him.  Anyone who strikes out on Karlsson will probably be looking at Myers, who has played big minutes in the past.  However, his effectiveness has waned in recent years and he’s someone that probably ideally slots in as a fourth or fifth defender.  He’s going to get a lot more money than someone in that role should get.  I could see the Flyers and Devils as landing spots – they have the cap space to pay up and fairly thin depth on the right side.

Bdd1967: How hard would it be salary cap wise for Minnesota to dump Parise and Suter or work out deals to get them off the roster? Those two suck up so much cash it makes it impossible to surround them with enough talent to win. It’s getting really, really old…mediocrity is the standard with this club.

There’s a significant difference in market value between the two.  If GM Paul Fenton was to say that Ryan Suter is available, he’d have five phone calls before he has time to get a coffee.  Suter’s deal is expensive for sure but he’s still a legitimate top pairing defender.  Very few of those are typically available in any offseason and those that are will get long-term deals at a higher price tag than Suter.  He’s also quite durable having only missed nine regular season games over seven years with the franchise.  Yes, the fact that he’s 34 and has six years left is concerning but he still has several above average years left in him which would be enough to make teams pay a significant price to get him.

The same case probably can’t be made for Zach Parise.  His injury history is a concern and even though he had a nice bounce-back season in 2018-19, there are going to be questions about his potential level of productivity moving forward.  He produced like a top liner this season but before that, he was more of a second-liner.  A $7.5MM price tag for one of those (for six years) doesn’t have a ton of value.  Still, I think Fenton could get out of the deal without needing much of a sweetener – he’d just have to take a big (but shorter-term) contract in return.  If they have eyes on trying to get back to the postseason next year though, a move like that wouldn’t help.

ThePriceWasRight: With another failed playoff, do you see the Leafs finally sacrificing some of their young forwards for defensive depth? Everyone loves the kids coming up but no way they are comfortable come playoff time with two, maybe three rookies on that back end.

If there was ever a time to do that, this would be it.  It’s unlikely Jake Gardiner and Ron Hainsey will be back while Travis Dermott won’t be ready to start the season.  As a result, they’ll be starting the season with Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzzin, Nikita Zaitsev, and three mediocre and/or unproven options.  There are some prospects on the horizon but a buffer player or two would help.

Toronto has several prospect forwards that they could deal from but I could see them moving one of Kasperi Kapanen or Andreas Johnsson to fill that void rather than a prospect who would likely only yield a prospect in return.  Given their cap situation, it’s unlikely that they’ll be able to retain both wingers and with the way both performed, they could fetch a pretty good young (cost-effective) defender.  With some of the youngsters on the horizon (adding a seemingly NHL-ready Ilya Mikheyev certainly helps), they can promote from within to fill the gap.

I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Maple Leafs look for a veteran free agent in the $1MM range.  While they wouldn’t land a top-four player for that price, there are usually some reasonable third pairing players that will slip through the cracks and take a bargain deal.  If they can do that and flip Kapanen or Johnsson for another rearguard, they’ll be in reasonable shape in terms of depth to start the season.  Give their youngsters like Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren a bit more development time in the minors and their depth for next postseason should be pretty good as well.

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Topics in this edition of the mailbag include Erik Karlsson and the Sharks, the postseason format, P.K. Subban’s future in Nashville, Houston’s chances of landing an NHL team, Washington’s free agents, and Micheal Ferland’s future in Carolina.  If your question wasn’t answered here, it will be covered next weekend.

JDGoat: What’s the likelihood of Karlsson re-signing in SJ?

SFGiantsFan28: Is there a way that the Sharks can re-sign Karlsson, Pavelski and Thornton considering their limited cap space? What will that mean for RFAs Timo Meier and Kevin Labanc? Does Nyquist even get an offer from SJ?

pitmanrich: Sharks vs Bruins final Game 7 overtime,  Jumbo Joe Thornton scores the winner against the team that drafted him with his last touch before retirement. Written in the stars???

Lots of San Jose questions here so let’s tackle them together to kick things off.

With regards to Karlsson, I thought the likelihood of him signing an extension after the trade deadline was pretty high but clearly, that hasn’t happened.  His injury issues raise a bit of a red flag as well but not to the extent where they’re going to be scared off.  I’d still peg it as much more likely than not that they’ll re-sign him.  GM Doug Wilson made the trade with the belief that they could make the money work while creating a dynamic back end.  Karlsson’s injuries don’t really change either of those factors.

On top of that, I think they can re-sign him and Joe Pavelski without too much issue despite the limited cap room.  Joe Thornton can sign a bonus-laden deal with a low base salary and while many players wouldn’t do that, his offer to take less money when they were trying to keep Patrick Marleau tells me he may be willing to consider a high-bonus contract which would allow San Jose to potentially defer those costs to 2020-21 when the cap should go up a bit again.

To do that, they will probably need to trim from their back end.  Brenden Dillon ($3.27MM) and Justin Braun ($3.85MM) will be on expiring contracts and they could safely move one of them out to free up a bit of money.  Swapping Aaron Dell ($1.9MM) for a cheaper backup is also something I could see them doing.

When it comes to the restricted free agents, I suspect Labanc will wind up on a bridge contract which will also save a bit of money in the short-term relative to what a long-term pact would cost.  I think they’ll try to go long-term with Meier but if Thornton sticks around, they may have to go with a bridge deal there as well.  If so, a one-year contract may be the best way to go.  It’s hard to envision Gustav Nyquist sticking around – I’m sure they’d love to keep him but he’s well below Karlsson and Pavelski on the list of priorities.  One of them would need to go elsewhere to really free up a spot for Nyquist.

As for the Thornton game-winner scenario, that’d be one way for him to ride off into the sunset.  He’d probably call it a career if that was to happen which is the only prediction I’m making with that one.

PQW: Is there any talk, anywhere about changing the playoff format somehow to allow an extra team or two into the playoffs? With Vegas and now Seattle joining, it’s a shame that a team like the Habs (not a fan) at what, 14 games over .500 didn’t make the show.

There is certainly an appetite from a few owners to expand the playoffs.  The addition of Seattle to bring the alignment back to even (eight teams in each division) would seem like a good time to make changes and a mini Wild Card play-in series (or single game) would be an option.

However, the nays outweigh the yeas when it comes to the Board of Governors.  Gary Bettman is also against the idea of postseason expansion.  Considering a two-thirds majority would be needed to make that change, I wouldn’t count on it happening anytime soon.

That said, I could see a change to the format happening down the road.  There is some interest from owners in going back to the old format of 1-8, 2-7, etc. and the one-year extension to the current format means that change could happen sooner than later.  Alternatively, they could scrap the Wild Card altogether once Seattle makes it and make it just the top four teams from each division.  There could be changes coming sooner than later but it probably won’t be expanding the postseason field.

ThePriceWasRight: What happens in Nashville? Sounds like Subban is on the table as a trade candidate and am wondering what team you see as a fit and what a trade could look like.

I think P.K. Subban’s time in Nashville is probably over.  This is a team that needs to reallocate some of their cap spending up front and at a $9MM AAV, Subban’s deal is on the expensive side.  They also know that Roman Josi will soon be up for a raise and it’s unlikely that he or Ryan Ellis will move and Mattias Ekholm is on a team-friendly pact.

There are lots of potential fits but it depends on what GM David Poile is looking to accomplish.  Is he looking for a top-end forward in return?  Or is he okay with taking a futures-based package with an eye on turning around and spending that money on the UFA market?  If it’s the latter, that’s going to limit the options to teams with a lot of salary cap space.  I’m inclined to think that they’ll look for something in between – there will be an NHL piece coming back that makes a few million but the impetus of a trade will be to open up cap flexibility (and more playing time for Dante Fabbro).

In terms of teams that could be a fit, I wonder about Vancouver.  Yes, Jim Benning recently cautioned about spending big this summer but a top pairing defender is something they’ve been coveting for a while.  We also know he had interest in Subban in the past as he was fined for tampering for comments he made about Subban’s availability in 2016.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see New Jersey make a pitch – defense has been a big need for a while and they’ve had trouble attracting prominent players in free agency.  If Buffalo winds up moving Rasmus Ristolainen which has been speculated going back to the trade deadline, I could see them being involved here as well.

@RWMichaels92779: What’s the reality of having a team in Houston?

Tilman Fertitta is the owner of the NBA’s Houston Rockets and there are varying reports when it comes to his willingness to be involved with an NHL team which would share the Toyota Center as a tenant.  If he’s not interested in having an NHL squad as a tenant (regardless of his ownership stake in the team), it won’t happen as building a new facility for a potential Houston hockey team doesn’t make any sense.

I also don’t see expansion happening anytime soon.  That means that their only chance is relocation.  If they can share the arena with the Rockets, this would be one of the better options to move a team to as they’d have a place to play and are in a good TV market.

Having said that, I don’t think relocation is on the agenda anytime soon.  While the Coyotes’ arena situation still doesn’t appear to be close to a resolution, they’ve held on this far and Bettman has stated numerous times in the past that the priority is keeping them in Arizona.  He also recently stated that relocation isn’t an option for Ottawa.  There aren’t really other teams that have been speculated to be candidates to move.

I think that there will be a team in Houston one day.  But it may take many, many years for that day to arrive.

2012orioles: Which of the Capitals free agents are most likely to be re-signed?

Andre Burakovsky is still an intriguing case.  He’s a capable player but a $3.25MM qualifying offer (and arbitration eligibility) makes it a tougher call.  If nothing’s done by the end of the draft, I think they’ll non-tender him and then try to bring him back at a lesser rate but as a 24-year-old with some success under his belt, he’d have plenty of interest.  Dmitrij Jaskin ($1.1MM) is also a non-tender candidate as they could bring in someone at the league minimum and save a few bucks there.

Jakub Vrana, another RFA, will be their top priority and the type of contract he signs could dictate what they do with their UFAs.  If it’s a long-term (more expensive contract), they may not be able to afford to bring any of their notable free agents back but if it’s a bridge deal, they may be able to keep one.

Brett Connolly seems to be the popular choice as to who may stay but I could see him looking for a larger role elsewhere after a career season.  So if any of their UFAs stick around, I think it’s Carl Hagelin.  Yes, he’ll need to take a big pay cut but he’s going to have to do that no matter where he goes.  He fit in well with the team after being acquired and was a big help on their penalty kill.  I know that scoring depth in the bottom six is needed but I think they’ll target some minor league scorers on cheap deals with the hopes that one will produce.  I doubt Devante Smith-Pelly is offered a new deal and they’ll probably move on from Brooks Orpik as well.

mikedickinson: Ferland was set up for a nice payday, but he’s so darn injury prone. Think he comes back to the Canes on a good deal now or will someone still overpay?

I’m not sure his market has been negatively affected all that much.  He usually misses time to injury each year so getting hurt in the postseason is basically par for the course at this point.  There aren’t many power forwards with a bit of an offensive touch out there in free agency and of the ones that are, he’s the youngest with the most upside.  That means someone’s still going to overpay.

With that said, I think the odds of him staying are increasing.  The better the Hurricanes do in the playoffs, the better case they can make that they’re a team on the rise.  He could stay there and have a top-six role for a while and it’s generally tougher to leave a winning environment than a losing one.  It also should make a compelling case to owner Tom Dundon to spend more to keep this group together.  I wouldn’t call him staying a sure-fire outcome at this point but I’d have the odds of it happening a lot higher now than I would have after the trade deadline.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

We’re almost two rounds deep in the NHL playoffs and most of the league is now focused on the 2019 offseason. Already we’ve had some long tenured executives and coaches change teams and are sure to see top players follow them as soon as trading season really kicks off. The draft next month is sure to bring about plenty of fireworks given the overhaul expected in several markets, and July 1st still has plenty of talent scheduled for unrestricted free agency.

Will Erik Karlsson re-sign in San Jose? What about the trio of forwards in New York? Can the Oilers crawl back into the playoffs? There should be countless questions on the minds of hockey fans everywhere, and with that in mind we’ll be running another edition of the mailbag this weekend. You can submit your query by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter or by leaving a comment down below.

If you miss the last mailbag it was split into two parts because of the volume of questions. First, our Brian La Rose tackled questions like Nazem Kadri‘s future in Toronto and the Philadelphia offseason, and then took a look at some of the league’s worst contracts and the future for Petr Mrazek. Make sure to submit a question early so we can include it in this edition.

Topics in this edition of the mailbag include Adam Fox’s future, bad contracts that could be on the move, how much Petr Mrazek’s next contract should cost, what Chicago could do with the number three pick, and what’s in store for the Rangers this offseason.

met man: What do you think happens to Adam Fox?  Will Carolina trade his rights at the upcoming draft?

From Carolina’s standpoint, I don’t see the need to drag this out.  If the defenseman plays out his final college year, the Hurricanes pretty much lose all of their leverage so why take it to 2020?  They would be wise to take the best deal they can get over the next few months as I don’t see Fox having a change of heart about joining the Hurricanes.  With the defensive depth they have, there’s no immediate path to the NHL for him.

That said, it all comes down to Fox’s willingness to sign.  Any team wanting to trade for his rights is going to want some kind of assurance that he’ll put pen to paper on a contract and failing that, they’ll want to put some conditions in the trade to protect themselves.  For example, a conditional seventh-rounder in 2020 that upgrades to let’s say a second-round pick in 2020 if he signs.  Since he has the extra year of college eligibility, any conditions would have to be in that 2020 draft so the upcoming draft in June doesn’t have to serve as a soft deadline.  I suspect Carolina’s preference would be to move him by then but I wouldn’t be shocked if it drags out into free agency where teams have a better idea of what their roster looks like before committing to a trade.  He should on the move this summer though.

@RunnerSaltShack: What’s it going to take to move bad contracts? Lucic?  Callahan?  Abdelkader? Which bad contract is likely to move this year?

I’ll answer the second part first and say of those three, Callahan is the likeliest to be dealt.  The shorter the remaining term on the deal, the easier it is to move a player and with one year left, Callahan immediately jumps to the top of the list.

As for what a cost may be, let’s note what Winnipeg gave up to offload Steve Mason’s $4MM deal on Montreal.  They gave up a young roster forward in Joel Armia plus a fourth rounder and a seventh rounder.  Callahan has a higher cap hit at $5.8MM but it’s also plausible that an acquiring team could actually keep him instead of buying him out as the Canadiens did with Mason.  Accordingly, I’d set the price at somewhere around there, assuming Callahan is willing to play ball and waive his trade protection.

As for Milan Lucic, with four years at $6MM remaining, the cost in terms of young assets to offload the deal would be huge.  We don’t know who Edmonton’s GM will be for next season but whoever it is, it’s a cost that they wouldn’t want to pay.  As a result, I think the only way he moves if it’s a swap of long-term bad contracts but even at that, I think there’s too much term remaining on the deal for that to even be a semi-realistic possibility.  There may come a time where that deal is movable but we’re a couple of years from that point.

I’m not sure Detroit would be all that interested in moving Justin Abdelkader.  While he had a tough year this season, he’s only a year removed from a 35-point campaign which isn’t a terrible return on a $4.25MM AAV.  Four more years isn’t ideal but given his stature on the team, I can’t see new GM Steve Yzerman being all that interested in attaching assets to move the deal out when they’re still in a rebuilding stage though they need to free up some cap space at some point in the near future.  I just think they’ll look to move someone else out first.

In terms of other bad contracts that could be on the move this summer, Vancouver winger Loui Eriksson (three years, $6MM) could be an option as his salary starts to dip.  Teams with limited budgets may be inclined to take a player like that on without requiring a massive incentive to do so given the actual cost savings they’d realize over signing someone who isn’t on a front-loaded deal.

mikedickinson: What kind of deal will it take for the Hurricanes to lock up Mrazek? The guy has been very good this year, and a missing piece.

What a nice comeback year he’s had.  This was looking like a potential last chance situation if Mrazek struggled like he did last season but instead, he did well splitting the starts with Curtis McElhinney and has played well in the playoffs.

The fact that he only played a half season should work in Carolina’s favor.  Most of the teams that will be looking for help on the free agent market are going to be looking for a full-fledged starter or someone that is willing to sign cheap enough as a guaranteed backup.  There shouldn’t be a sizable market for the platoon/1A-1B guys like Mrazek is.

In terms of comparables, a couple of players come to mind.  Coyotes goalie Antti Raanta, whose career high in games played came last season with 47, signed a three-year, $12.75MM deal.  His numbers were a little better than Mrazek’s but he also has a bit of risk given his injury issues over the years, something that certainly came into play in 2018-19.

The other is someone you’re surely familiar with in Hurricanes goalie Scott Darling.  He played a little less in his final year in Chicago than Mrazek did this season but he was still able to land a four-year, $16.6MM deal.  Of course, that hasn’t worked out well at all for Carolina which is why Mrazek’s in a situation to potentially cash in here.

I think those two players represent the high end of Mrazek’s earning potential.  Carolina will be cautious given what happened with Darling and Mrazek isn’t going to want to sign an overly long contract at what could be a below-market rate if his strong play continues.  As a result, I’d peg him for a three-year deal with an AAV between $3.5MM and $4MM.  It’s a deal that gives Mrazek some stability but doesn’t break the bank at the same time and allows Carolina to employ a platoon between the pipes over the next few years as well.

random comment guy: What are the Hawks gonna do at #3? Seems to be a crap shoot after Hughes and Kakko (assuming he goes second). Do you think they will stand pat or trade (possibly with a contract to open up cap relief)?

I have a hard time thinking GM Stan Bowman would want to part with that particular pick to offload a bad contract, especially since they actually have a bit of salary cap flexibility this summer for the first time in a long time.  I also don’t foresee there being much of an appetite to trade the pick for an established player so I think they stand pat.

The interesting call will be who to take.  Russian winger Vasili Podkolzin is a popular choice to go third but he has two years left on his deal in the KHL and as we’ve seen in recent weeks, some Russian teams are dead set against the idea of letting players out even a couple of weeks early let alone a couple of years.  There’s no player transfer agreement in place between the two leagues either.  The Blackhawks are still in the mindset of trying to win right now so it’s plausible that having to wait could act as a deterrent.  Given their recent spree of drafting defensemen, Bowen Byram may be off the table so perhaps that would make them give some strong consideration to someone like center Alex Turcotte.  With some draft-eligible prospects still playing (Cole Caufield had quite the showing at the Under-18’s), it’s hard to make any specific predictions on who they’d take this early but I expect they’ll be making that selection two months from now.

acarneglia: Outside of presumably drafting Kakko with the 2nd overall pick, what does the rest of the Rangers offseason look like?

First off, they’ll have to hire a replacement for Glen Sather as team president.  That’s probably going to be John Davidson (or at least that’s the overwhelming expectation).

I expect them to be active in free agency but not necessarily just looking to land simply top-end players.  Part of them taking a big step forward will be continuing to give their youngsters a chance to play themselves into the top roles that they’re expected to fill.  That will take some time so GM Jeff Gorton’s free agent targets will factor that in mind.  Some complementary players on short-term deals would make a lot of sense for them, both up front and on the back end.  I could see them landing one impact player though as they will have some money to spend.

Chris Kreider’s case is going to be an interesting one.  He’s eligible for an extension on July 1st and Gorton will want to have a sense sooner than later as to what one will cost to allow him to decide whether or not to keep him or trade him.  He can make a big impact but there are a lot of nights where he’s quiet so if I had to guess right now, I don’t see the team signing him right away.

They’ll also have a decision to make between the pipes.  Alexandar Georgiev showed some promise last season as Henrik Lundqvist’s backup and the soon-to-be-signed Igor Shestyorkin will be starting his first season in North America.  Who gets the nod to start next season and does the other become potential trade bait with several teams looking for promising young netminders?

The Rangers are on the right track in their rebuilding process so I don’t expect a lot of roster turnover this summer.  They should stick with the plan they have in place and if they do that while adding a couple of pieces here and there, they’ll be in good shape moving forward.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

This edition of the PHR Mailbag looks at what’s next for the Flyers, Nazem Kadri’s future in Toronto, Mike Smith’s struggles with Calgary, Ken Holland’s situation in Detroit, what Buffalo needs behind the bench, and the vacant Rangers presidency.

Questions that were submitted that aren’t covered here will run in a separate mailbag piece next weekend.

FortArnold: Disappointing season for the Flyers. They will have money to spend and most likely need to find an opening in their lineup for Morgan Frost. Where do you see them looking to add to this team and who may be sent packing?

Earlier this month, GM Chuck Fletcher acknowledged that his defense corps could get older next season which is a pretty strong inference that they intend to add to that position.  They have a very strong foundation of young blueliners in Shayne Gostisbehere, Travis Sanheim, Ivan Provorov, and Robert Hagg but none of those players are really ready to be true anchors of a back end at this time.  Aside from Erik Karlsson, there aren’t any defenders like that available on the open market so I wouldn’t be shocked if they turn to the trade market to get a number two or three rearguard that’s signed for a few years.  Doing that wouldn’t give them that anchor player but would give them very strong depth throughout the group and as we’re seeing, teams with strong defensive depth can still be successful even without a true number one option.

I also see them looking to add a second line center this summer.  Frost or Nolan Patrick should be that option down the road but he’s not ready for that role just yet while they probably want to keep Claude Giroux on the wing.  Doing so would also allow them to integrate Frost in as a winger, allowing him to develop without some of the tough defensive responsibilities right away.  They should be able to fill that void in free agency.

As for who could go, I don’t expect a whole lot of departures.  I know Gostisbehere has been in trade speculation before but moving him off a down year isn’t deal.  Their big-ticket players aren’t going anywhere nor will they need to move anyone out for cap reasons.  If they have to trade for that impact defenseman, I could see the 11th overall pick being in play and someone like winger Oskar Lindblom could work as a sweetener in a deal.  But beyond that, I suspect the departures will simply be the players whose roster spots are dislodged by the offseason acquisitions (players like Phil Varone and Andrew MacDonald).

JDGoat: Has Kadri played his last game in Toronto if they lose the series?

I don’t think so.  I thought GM Kyle Dubas passed up on the perfect opportunity to deal him last offseason.  They had just landed John Tavares and Ryan O’Reilly had been dealt which left the market for impact centers basically empty.  He was coming off another 30-goal season and had clearly established himself as a top-six pivot.  As a result, Toronto would have moved him at peak value.

Fast forward to today.  As expected, Kadri had a down year offensively (playing on the third line will do that) and also dealt with a concussion.  And as we all know, his suspension history is starting to be a bit concerning as well.  While I have no doubt that there would still be a significant trade market for Kadri, his value has still undoubtedly dipped compared to last summer.  If Dubas didn’t want to move him then, he won’t want to move him now.

Yes, the Maple Leafs will need to free up some salary cap room this summer with some big contracts about to hit their books but there are other players they’ll look to move to alleviate those concerns.  (Patrick Marleau comes to mind as a trade candidate after July 1st to a team looking to get to the cap floor while spending less than that on salaries.)  Kadri’s leash is certainly smaller now but he should still be in Toronto in October when next season starts.

sovietcanuckistanian: How short of a leash does Mike Smith get in the playoffs before they switch him out? He looks a little vulnerable and – on paper at least – seems to be the weak link on a potential Cup contender team. Thanks again sir.

You were onto something with this question (which was asked back when this series was still close).  Smith looked shaky in some moments but I can’t put all the blame on him.  Calgary’s defense corps is supposed to be one of the top groups in the league and they allowed more than 50 shots in back-to-back games.  I think that made it difficult to make a change.  Sure, he coughed up six in Game Three but he made 50 saves so it’s tough to make the case to pull him.  He follows that up with 49 saves on 52 shots the next game which makes it nearly impossible to put David Rittich in for Game Five.  Smith wasn’t great at times in the series but he didn’t get a lot of help either.

Goaltending was the one big weakness that the Flames had during the year and there wasn’t a whole lot they could do about it as no starting goalies were traded throughout the year.  Smith is a free agent this summer and I expect Calgary will go in a different direction with several other starting goalies likely to be out there on the open market.

Connorsoxfan: Why is Holland staying on in Detroit? Haven’t there been a ton of Seattle rumors? That’s not a realistic option anymore, right?

Seattle is still two years away from starting up so they don’t really need a GM or a full-time hockey operations staff for another year.  In terms of other GM vacancies, there’s only one in Edmonton and Holland has already informed them he’s not interested in that job, per a report from TSN’s Darren Dreger (Twitter link).

With really nowhere else to go, why not stay in Detroit?  Holland can use the upcoming season to decide if he wants to stay as an advisor and remain with the Red Wings or if the itch to be a GM returns.  If it’s the former, he can stay where he is and if it’s the latter, his contract will be up right around the time that Seattle will be hiring and by then, there may be another vacancy or two around the league as well.

sabres3277: Which direction do the Sabres need to go for a head coach?? A veteran coach or someone else??

In this day and age, there isn’t much appetite to bring in a veteran coach with the reputation of being a disciplinarian but that’s what I think they need.  Their young core needs some structure and can’t be allowed to just willfully coast at times which is what happened down the stretch.  It’s true that these types of coaches tend to have a short shelf life but let’s face it, all Buffalo coaches seem to have a short shelf life.

I think someone like Dave Tippett makes some sense for them.  He has some experience working with younger players but can also crack the whip at times.  It’s notable that he hasn’t been mentioned in some of the various head coaching searches around the league though so perhaps he’s enjoying his time with Seattle and may have some assurances of a role on that staff when the team is closer to debuting.

Whichever route they wind up going, GM Jason Botterill needs to do a better job of supplementing their core.  He has made a couple of moves to help their defense but it still needs work.  The forwards need a better supporting cast to take some of the pressure off.  If those things don’t happen, it may not matter who gets hired as a flawed roster can only go so far, especially in a tough division with three of the top teams in the league at the moment.

mz311: With Yzerman now in Detroit, who are the top options to replace Glen Sather as the Rangers’ President?

As things stand, it appears the list of options begins and ends with Columbus team president John Davidson.  The long-time Ranger has had success in that role with both the Blues and Blue Jackets and certainly has familiarity with New York during his time with the Blueshirts.  On the surface, I think he’d be a great fit to replace Sather.

Larry Brooks of the New York Post points out that the Rangers haven’t been searching for prospective candidates beyond Davidson and Yzerman and aren’t even doing due diligence on other options.  That suggests that they’re pretty confident that they will wind up with Davidson whenever Columbus is ousted from the postseason.

If that falls through, I wonder if they’d take a run at Trevor Linden who held that position with Vancouver.  He’s comfortable with a rebuilding situation having overseen one with the Canucks and didn’t deviate from his plan to the point where he left when ownership was reportedly seeking a quicker turnaround.  I think he’d be a good fit in that role for them but it certainly seems like they believe they will wind up with Davidson when all is said and done.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.