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Offseason Checklist: Anaheim Ducks

May 14, 2021 at 7:57 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 3 Comments

The offseason has arrived for most teams that aren’t playoff-bound with a couple of others set to join them in the coming days as they play out their rescheduled games. It’s time to examine what they need to accomplish over the coming months. Next up is a look at Anaheim.

Expectations were relatively low for Anaheim heading into this season. The expectation was that the top three seeds in the Pacific Division were pretty much locks, leaving only one spot available for everyone else to fight for. It didn’t quite go as expected with who the third seed wound up being (many would have had St. Louis there) but in the end, the rest of the teams were battling for one spot. That is, except Anaheim as the Ducks fell out of the hunt in a hurry. The same problems that existed a year before are in place now so GM Bob Murray has a lot to accomplish this offseason to try to get this team out of its rut.

Add Offensive Help

Let’s dive into the obvious one first. The median goals per game average this season was 2.84 and the year before that 3.07. Anaheim’s goals per game averages over that same stretch? 2.21 this year (dead last) and 2.56 last season (third last). You can’t win if you can’t score and the Ducks clearly cannot score. Their core group just isn’t good enough to produce at a high enough level.

There’s good news on the horizon if you’re looking for some reason for optimism. Last summer, Anaheim didn’t have a lot of cap space at their disposal but that’s not the case this time around. They have just under $59MM on the books for next year, per CapFriendly, with no high-priced free agents to re-sign (more on the one you might be thinking of in a little bit). Even with a flat $81.5MM cap, that’s a lot of room to work with and if they’re willing to go into LTIR again, they would have even more room at their disposal as that $59MM figure includes Ryan Kesler’s $6.875MM AAV and with his playing days done, he can go back on there for next season.

The key here for Murray will be adding difference-makers. They could use a top center, top left winger, and top right winger. They could use upgrades on the second line as well. That’s not to say that they’re going to fill all of those spots – they won’t – but multiple viable top-six additions are needed. With few teams having the type of cap space that Anaheim will this summer, there should be few impediments in trying to get this done. Expect the Ducks to be active.

Re-Sign Young Core Forwards

While I’ve been critical of their offense, there are some promising pieces of Anaheim’s core up front and the majority of them need new contracts this summer. Included in this group are Max Comtois, Max Jones, Isac Lundestrom, Sam Steel, and Alexander Volkov.

With the exception of Volkov, the rest are drafted and developed exclusively by the Ducks and were supposed to comprise a bit part of their young core. Comtois is on his way – he very quietly led Anaheim in scoring this season – but the other three struggled, notching no more than 12 points.

Accordingly, the majority of these deals will be bridge contracts, allowing for more evaluation as to their overall upside but perhaps more importantly, to give them as much flexibility to try and add to their roster. Worth noting is that only Volkov has salary arbitration eligibility as well.

But Comtois’ deal will be a bit trickier. Over his first two seasons, he was pretty quiet at the offensive end in limited action, totalling 18 points in 39 games but in a full-time role this year, that jumped to 33 points in 55 contests while averaging over 15 minutes per night. Does he have another level to reach? If Murray thinks so, Comtois could be a quiet candidate for a longer-term deal. He isn’t an RFA that’s garnering a lot of attention but he’s one of the more intriguing ones of the summer.

Determine Getzlaf’s Future

Ryan Getzlaf has been a fixture in Anaheim’s lineup for 16 years and was a force on their top line for the majority of those. Along the way, he became their captain and is now the franchise leaders in games played and goals and is within striking distance of Teemu Selanne for the lead in points (just six away from tying the record). He has long stated his desire to stay with the Ducks to the point where he wouldn’t entertain trade options a year ago. This season, he appeared to be more open to the idea of moving at the trade deadline but no really viable opportunities really materialized, likely in large part due to his $8.25MM AAV; even with 50% retention, that would have been tough for most teams to fit in.

It’s a guarantee that he won’t get that this summer or even come close to that number. The 36-year-old had the worst offensive season of his career in 2020-21, notching just five goals and a dozen assists in 48 games. The days of him being a core contributor are gone but is there a fit at something closer to the $2MM mark, a deal that’s someone comparable to the deal that long-time former linemate Corey Perry inked with Dallas a year ago? Getzlaf is eligible for performance incentives in his deal as long as he signs a one-year contract.

But is he better off going elsewhere, especially if he has intentions of trying to get back into playoff contention? And does Anaheim need to keep transitioning to the future by allowing Steel and Lundestrom to get some of Getzlaf’s minutes? It’s always a tough situation when a franchise icon is nearing the end of his run. Murray will need to determine if that time is indeed now.

Figure Out What’s Next For Manson

Josh Manson has worked his way from being a role player to a key cog on Anaheim’s back end. While his offensive outburst in 2017-18 is looking more and more like a one-off, he still is strong in the defensive zone and gives them plenty of physicality. Those elements made him highly sought after at the trade deadline despite an injury-riddled season. But Murray set a very high asking price with him having another year left on his contract at a $4.1MM cap hit and nothing came to fruition.

Now he will be entering the final season of his deal and with that is the ability to work on a contract extension. While he is a key cog for them, he’ll be hard-pressed to command a significant raise with his offensive game regressing lately. In a flat-cap era, it’s harder to allocate significant salary dollars to players who aren’t going to do a whole lot on the scoreboard but a small increase in pay should be doable. Something in the $4.5MM to $5MM range is something that would seem reasonable to both sides.

But what if Manson isn’t ready to do that deal this summer? As we saw this season, cap space is much harder to free up once the season gets underway and unless the Ducks rapidly turn around their fortunes, he’ll enter the year as a highly speculative trade option. If that is the route that it looks like they will be heading down, they might be better off moving him before free agency starts. Anaheim’s back end has taken some hits in recent years and it seems likely that Murray will try to make a push to make sure that Manson isn’t the next one on that list.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason Checklist: Buffalo Sabres

May 11, 2021 at 7:57 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 6 Comments

The offseason has arrived for several teams that aren’t playoff-bound with others set to join them in the coming days as they play out their rescheduled games. With that in mind, it’s time to begin our annual offseason series, beginning with Buffalo.

Optimism was high, or at least higher than normal, heading into the season for the Sabres. The top forward in free agency in Taylor Hall signed a one-year, $8MM deal to try to showcase himself alongside Jack Eichel while bolstering their top line in the process while Eric Staal was brought in to anchor an improved second line. That was the plan. What actually occurred was basically the exact opposite. Pretty much all of their veterans struggled mightily and things wound up going worse than they had in recent years. That saw Ralph Krueger ousted as head coach in the middle of an 18-game winless streak and while they were a bit better down the stretch, GM Kevyn Adams enters his second offseason with an awful lot on his to-do list. Here are some of the bigger ones.

Sign A Goalie Tandem

Forget simply searching for a starting goalie which is something that has been on the radar for a while given the uncertainty of Linus Ullmark’s ability to take over the number one role. Three years after letting Robin Lehner go, they hoped that Ullmark and veteran Carter Hutton would be able to work as a platoon. That hasn’t gone as well as they hoped and now both netminders are set to hit the UFA market this summer.

Hutton clearly won’t be back but Ullmark’s future is somewhat murky. They weren’t able to agree on a contract extension before the trade deadline but Adams opted to hold onto him and expressed some optimism that a deal could be reached. But what’s the right price tag? He had a 2.67 GAA with a .917 SV% this season which are good numbers considering the team led the league in goals allowed but he only made 20 starts. Ullmark hasn’t made more than 37 appearances in a single NHL season. That can’t be spun as playing time for a starter or even the strong side of a platoon. He’s in line for a raise on the $2.6MM he made this year but top backups only make about $1MM more than that. Is he willing to take that to stick around?

Of course, the fact that they want him to return also poses the question of what role they want him back for. Do they think he’s an above-average backup or, despite the relative inexperience, do they view him as a starter? The answer to that determines what type of other goalie they pursue, either a proven number one or a similar backup to try the platoon again. (And if he doesn’t re-sign, they’ll be looking for two goalies.)

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is the presumptive goalie of the future for Buffalo and while he didn’t look out of place in a four-game stint late in the season, he’s not ready to be a backup yet let alone a starter. That also throws a wrinkle into Adams’ planning. If they think Luukkonen is a few years away from being their number one, do they look at a shorter-term platoon as a bridge? And are top starters less inclined to sign there if Luukkonen is the guy down the road?

There are certainly a few factors in play but one way or another, Adams needs to sign a pair of goalies over the coming months.

Determine Eichel’s Future

Jack Eichel has been in the news plenty since Monday following his end-of-season media availability where he expressed some frustration with how things have gone both on the ice and with regards to his medical situation. Ending comments with a desire to get healthy and play “wherever that might be” isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement of Buffalo and stings a bit harder as their captain and franchise player.

Can this be fixed? At this point, they’re clearly hoping that they can and what happens with regards to whether he can get the surgery on his neck will certainly be part of those talks. If not, he’s going to be in trade speculation all summer long.

Eichel has five years remaining on his contract with a $10MM AAV. That will be difficult for teams to absorb but number one centers of his caliber rarely become available. Cap space is hard to come by but he’s the type of player that teams will find a way to make it work to bring him in, a task that will be made more difficult by the reality that getting Buffalo to retain on that contract for the next half-decade would be extremely difficult.

Also at play here is the fact that Eichel is a year away from having full control of where he could be moved to with a full no-move clause. The number of suitors in the 2022 offseason would be much lower as a result so if they can’t mend fences or sense that this discontent will be a lingering issue, the time to move him is this summer. More specifically, before the start of free agency when creating cap space will become more difficult as players start signing.

While Adams is at it, similar decisions will need to be made of defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen and forward Sam Reinhart. Both players have one year of team control remaining and didn’t exactly give glowing endorsements in their interviews either. Are they part of the long-term plans; are they willing to sign a multi-year deal? If not, they may have to be on the move as well.

Re-Sign Dahlin

On top of all of this, the other intended franchise pillar in defenseman Rasmus Dahlin is also in need of a new contract as he enters restricted free agency. Like pretty much everyone for Buffalo, this season was an abject disaster. After recording 40 points in the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season, expectations were understandably high that he could become one of the elite offensive blueliners which would have him extremely well-positioned to get a second deal similar to Florida’s Aaron Ekblad ($7.5MM) or Ottawa’s Thomas Chabot ($8MM). Instead, he had just 23 points in 56 games along with an eye-popping -36 rating which stood out as the low outlier on a team full of poor minus ratings.

It’s not all doom and gloom for the 2018 first-overall pick, however. Dahlin still projects to be a key piece of Buffalo’s rebuild, even if that gets extended by moving some of their veteran players over the next few months. One of the decisions that Adams will have to make is whether or not to pursue a long-term contract or to work out a bridge deal that allows both sides to reassess his value down the road.

One of the challenges with a long-term pact that buys out some UFA eligibility is that Dahlin’s value isn’t what it was a summer ago when he could have signed an extension. He may still be a big part of their plans but the season he had simply cannot have bolstered his asking price. Accordingly, is he even willing to entertain a long-term deal now where he could be leaving some money on the table if he rebounds over the next couple of seasons?

With Dahlin not being eligible for salary arbitration, this one will probably be towards the back of the pile as it can be pushed until closer to training camp if it has to. Even so, this is a significant item on their to-do list.

Coaching Decision

On top of needing a new goalie or two, dealing with the discontent of their star and other key veterans and having to re-sign one of their pillars on the back end, Adams has to make a call on who is going to coach the team or whatever is left of it by then. Don Granato did a relatively nice job after taking over for Krueger despite the 9-16-3 record and helped get the Sabres out of their funk. They surprised some playoff teams down the stretch. Was that a matter of good coaching or teams playing looser when they’re eliminated? It’s a question that many interim coaches have to go through when they take over for a non-playoff team midseason.

There were several veteran coaches on the market already before John Tortorella and Rick Tocchet were added in recent days. There may be others that hit the market in the coming days as well. There will be options and Adams has said he’ll cast a wide net but they’re hardly going to be the only team on the lookout as well with Columbus and Arizona already in need of new bench bosses as well. Patience in finding the right fit is never a bad idea but with others that will be going after the top options, they may have to move quickly if they decide that Granato isn’t the long-term solution.

Needless to say, there’s an awful lot that Buffalo will need to get done between now and the start of next season. It’s going to be a fascinating offseason for them as a result.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Poll: Where Will Jack Eichel Begin The 2021-22 Season?

May 11, 2021 at 5:50 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 41 Comments

The Buffalo Sabres didn’t have a great Monday. After Rasmus Ristolainen and Sam Reinhart both sparked some hot stove speculation with their media availability comments, a perturbed Jack Eichel lit the building on fire. Not only did Eichel express frustration at how his medical situation has been handled by the team, but he left the door wide open for trade speculation, saying his focus was on getting healthy and playing hockey “wherever that might be.”

That became the biggest story of the week, even as teams prepare for the upcoming Stanley Cup Playoffs that will begin on Saturday. Eichel’s future has been discussed every offseason since he landed with a franchise in Buffalo that has underperformed for years. Now it seems more likely than ever that the team will trade him by next season, with Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reporting that there was a “contentious exit interview” between the injured star and the organization.

So where will Eichel go?

The most common teams listed as potential suitors are the Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers but there will be many more teams interested even with the injury concerns. Friedman suggests that the Boston Bruins will likely try, while also listing Philadelphia Flyers, Anaheim Ducks, Ottawa Senators, and Montreal Canadiens as teams that have enough young pieces to get a deal done. Pierre LeBrun said today on TSN’s Insider Trading that the Minnesota Wild are another potential fit. That will not be an exhaustive list of potential buyers if the Sabres truly make Eichel available this offseason.

Of course, there is that injury to worry about. Eichel’s camp seems set on surgical repair for his neck injury, which could scare off some teams, at least from paying the full price. Is trading him under that cloud of uncertainty really in the Sabres’ best interest? Or could Eichel start the year in Buffalo to prove his health and worth?

It’s certainly not clear at this point where he will end up, so give us your thoughts on the situation. Cast a vote below on which team will have Eichel to start the 2021-22 season and make sure to explain yourself in the comment section below.

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

PHR Mailbag: Pittsburgh And Colorado Goalies, Seattle, Boston’s Expansion Situation, Playoff Sleepers, Gogolev, Fantasy Hockey

May 9, 2021 at 7:58 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 2 Comments

Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include Pittsburgh’s goalies, Colorado’s decision to not add a more prominent backup goalie, some Seattle side deal speculation, a quick look a Boston’s expansion situation, what sleeper teams could make some noise in the playoffs, a junior player that hasn’t received much NHL interest, and some comments on some young NHL forwards that haven’t quite found their way offensively. If your question doesn’t appear here, check back in last weekend’s mailbag.

One More JAGR: Do the Penguins have the goaltending tandem to make it to the big show or is the lack of experience going to be an Achilles’ heel?

The tandem of Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith (when healthy; both are currently hurt) is certainly far from the top tandem in the league but teams have gone deep with lesser starters before. Both goalies have shown they can get hot for stretches and in the playoffs, a hot streak can win a round or two so I think they’re capable of being good enough to do some damage if one gets going at the right time.

However, I’m not overly confident that they will be able to do that. Pittsburgh is the top-scoring team in the league this season which is great but scoring rates typically go down instead of up in the playoffs. That puts more pressure on the goalies to try to limit teams to two or less. Jarry has allowed three or more goals in 20 of 39 appearances this season and DeSmith in nine of 20. That’s basically a 50/50 split on allowing three or more. It’s hard to go deep in the playoffs with those types of odds and with them looking like they’ll line up against the Islanders, the games are definitely going to be lower-scoring. One of them will need to get going right away to avoid an upset.

Eaton Harass: Why would Sakic go out and get two questionable backups instead of getting one solid one?

I think part of the problem was the uncertainly with Pavel Francouz’s injury. At the time they went and got Jonas Johansson, I suspect they were still holding out hope for Francouz to return. If they thought he was going back, then just getting a short-term bridge guy made some sense and to Johansson’s credit, he has been better than I thought he was going to be.

Devan Dubnyk’s addition was a bit of a surprise though. I thought Jonathan Bernier was going to be their target, someone who had played there before and while he’s not a true starter, he’s an above-average backup. Dubnyk hasn’t been that for a couple of years now so him being targeted was odd and I wonder if he was the fallback plan. Landing on the COVID Protocol Related Absences List certainly hasn’t helped things either.

However, the goalie trade market never really materialized. Florida held onto Chris Driedger and Detroit kept Bernier, taking the two top options off the market in the process which limited their options to add more of an impact goalie. The Panthers wanted the goalie insurance for their playoff run and I suspect the Red Wings are going to try to re-sign Bernier. GM Joe Sakic doesn’t strike me as someone that’s going to push all of the chips to the table either. They know they need some cost-effective players over the next couple of years and holding onto their top picks gives them a better chance to develop some of those.

Incremental upgrades were the name of the game for the Avs at the deadline as Sakic supplemented the depth instead of the core. I think they should have been willing to pay a bit more to get a more reliable option but with most of the notable names not moving, I can’t say for certain that they didn’t try either. If Philipp Grubauer can stay healthy though, who backs him up in the playoffs should ultimately be a moot point anyway. But with what happened last year, I can certainly understand why there’s a bit more emphasis on the backup this time around.

pawtucket: Who (or what) will Seattle’s biggest acquisitions be?

This is really hard to predict when we’re more than two months away from protection lists being released. Trades will be made, players will be injured in the playoffs which could shift them from protected to unprotected, and there may be another GM change or two on the horizon which could also affect things. As a result, at this point, the best I can offer is a couple of vague predictions on side deals.

Tampa Bay needs to dump money and Seattle has the ability to absorb it better than anyone else can. Tyler Johnson’s $5MM AAV needs to come off the books. I suspect that Seattle is going to receive a significant package in exchange for selecting Johnson. Given their free agent situation up front and a need for several low-cost forwards, I suspect the incentive is going to come from the back end where Cal Foote, a 2017 first-round pick, seems like a player that could be part of that package as someone that can start on Seattle’s third pairing and ideally work his way up a bit.

Right now, Washington’s goaltenders seem like the logical target as they can’t protect both Vitek Vanecek and Ilya Samsonov. Neither are ready for full-time number one duty but both are young and cost-controllable. Combined, that tandem certainly could work for the Caps for a few years. With that in mind, I expect GM Brian MacLellan to work out a side deal to keep them around. That shouldn’t cost a top prospect but their upcoming second-round pick seems like something Kraken GM Ron Francis may be asking for.

As the offseason gets going, we’ll certainly be diving deeper into the situations for the 30 teams that will lose players (Vegas is exempt) where we’ll be able to put together better pictures of what could happen so I’m sure we’ll be able to come up with some predictions as we get closer to the expansion draft.

case7187: With the exp draft coming who should the Bruins protect? We know the Big 3 and Coyle (NMC) while they should trade DeBrusk; they should’ve done that last season when he had value. The 3 D are Carlo McAvoy and Grzelcyk (IMO they should look to move him as well with his long list of injuries) but goalie not sure and not really worried about some of the other guys this season has shown me the need to blow up the bottom nine.

I’m going to go a little out of order and talk about Jake DeBrusk first. I don’t see there being much of a viable trade market for him this summer. The year he is having has hurt his trade value considerably and his back-loaded contract only makes things worse as his $4.85MM salary is far from desirable. I’ll take it a step farther and say there’s a better chance he’s bought out than traded. As he’s under 25, it’s only a one-third cost and the back-loading of the deal would make for a pretty low cap charge. (Per CapFriendly, doing so would give Boston a cap credit of $366K next year and a cap charge of $808K in 2022-23). To me, that’s more desirable than trying to move him for another bad contract.

Now let’s look at the forwards. As you noted, Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and Charlie Coyle are locked in with no-move clauses and David Pastrnak is an obvious choice. I’m going to put Nick Ritchie and Craig Smith as my next two picks; Ritchie remains young enough to still improve and has been a lot better than he was in limited action last year after being acquired while Smith is on a pretty good contract. That leaves one spot for Trent Frederic and Zach Senyshyn, two prospects who haven’t done much with their chances. Frederic gets the spot as he has at least mostly established himself as a regular while Senyshyn is more on the fringes. For anyone checking, that leaves DeBrusk, Ondrej Kase (injuries make him a safe bet to not be picked), Curtis Lazar, and Chris Wagner as unprotected forwards and they would be in compliance with the requirement to have at least two signed players unprotected that have played in 27 games this year or 54 over the last two years with this list.

I agree with the defense although it leaves Jakub Zboril and Jeremy Lauzon exposed and I wouldn’t be surprised if one of those two get picked by Seattle. I kicked around the idea of leaving Matt Grzelcyk exposed with his contract but Boston’s back end can’t take any more hits in terms of losing established talent. As for goalies, Jeremy Swayman is exempt while Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak are UFAs and aren’t at any risk of being signed and picked. That puts it between Daniel Vladar and Callum Booth and of those two, I’d protect Vladar. It means that Booth needs a qualifying offer when he hasn’t earned it but they’re not going to be the only team qualifying a goalie for that very reason.

wreckage: Whom are the biggest sleepers entering the postseason? Everyone expects big things from Tampa, Colorado, Vegas, and Toronto. Could a Minnesota, Edmonton, Montreal, or Florida surprise and make a run?

I think Minnesota’s the team to watch for here. They’ve given Vegas fits this season winning five of eight games with two of the three losses coming in overtime. They’ve also been alright against Colorado who right now lines up as their more probable first-round matchup. They’re scoring at a good clip but have a fairly balanced attack and both Cam Talbot and Kaapo Kahkonen have shown themselves to be capable of playing quite well for a long stretch.

I’m not as bullish on the other three you listed. Edmonton’s still largely the same team that got upset in the bubble a year ago and no matter how well Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl do, they probably can’t carry the load alone while having success in the playoffs. Montreal is supposed to be built for the playoffs but they haven’t looked good outside of the first ten games of the season. If they’re healthy by then, they’re good enough to give a team a scare but I don’t see them going deep. I give Florida a ton of credit for turning things around but I can’t pick them to beat a Tampa Bay team that’s going to get captain Steven Stamkos and top winger Nikita Kucherov back.

I’m going to add the Islanders to the list as well. They’ve shown that they can have playoff success with good defense and goaltending and those elements are definitely still in place. Their offense is a bit deeper than it was a year ago and it would not surprise me much at all if they were the team that comes out of the East Division.

bigalval: How is Pavel Gogolev doing and where is he playing right now? I really think this kid could be good and he went undrafted. Am I the only one who believes in him?

It has been a few months since we checked in on Gogolev although not a whole lot has changed since then. He spent about six weeks in Sweden’s Allsvenskan, a level below the SHL where he didn’t produce much with just two goals and an assist in a dozen games. He then went back to North America in February on a tryout deal with the Marlies but has played in just four games since then, scoring a single goal.

Gogolev’s track record of higher-end success is minimal, basically limited to his final junior season. Plenty of players get big jumps in their last year though granted, they typically don’t produce 45 goals and 51 assists like he did. But that alone doesn’t make him an NHL-caliber prospect. The fact that he has gone undrafted and hasn’t been able to even earn an AHL contract (a tryout deal isn’t really the same) suggests that scouts are not particularly high on his potential.

He can shoot, that much is a given. But that element alone isn’t going to get him into the NHL. His best bet is to find a team – either in the minors or overseas – that he can join for a couple of years and get some stability where he can work on improving some other elements of his game that could help get him on the NHL radar. But as things stand, it seems quite unlikely that there’s an NHL future on the horizon for him.

Pieters: I’m in a 12-team dynasty league counting G, A, Pts, +/-, PIM, PPP, SOG and Hits. Last year I joined an expansion team and attempting to build a contender. I’m on the bubble this year as to whether the following players well break out to meet potential; Sam Steel, Dillon Dube, Jordan Kyrou, Sam Poulin and Cody Glass. Other than Poulin they’ve appeared to get some opportunity but have struggled to date. Any opinion on these is appreciated.

Let’s tackle these one at a time:

Steel – I’d be a bit worried if I was Ducks GM Bob Murray. This is his third professional season and he hasn’t progressed much at all. More worrisome is that Anaheim simply can’t score. It’s one thing for Steel not being able to carry a line; he’s 23 and that’s not supposed to be his job. But the veterans aren’t good enough to lead the way either and until that changes, he’s going to be spinning his wheels.

Dube – I think there’s a bit more room for offensive growth. He has established himself as a gritty bottom-six player which has earned him some spot duty higher in the lineup. If that continues, he could be a breakout candidate in a couple of years. He seems to be on the right trajectory although his ceiling is probably around 40 points or so.

Kyrou – This is the first year where he has had some consistent opportunities and the results have been pretty good with 32 points in 52 games. That’s a 50-point pace over a full season and he’s doing that despite averaging less than 15 minutes a night and second unit power play time. There’s definitely cause for optimism for him to take on a bigger role and should be on your radar as a breakout candidate for next year.

Poulin – Given Pittsburgh’s stated desire to add some size and grit to the lineup, it certainly seems like Poulin has a good shot as a spot next season. However, that will be in a limited role most likely as not a lot of players go straight from junior to a top-six role. He has the upside to get there but it probably won’t be in 2021-22.

Glass – I was expecting big things from him this year and thought he’d push for a regular spot on the second line. Clearly, that didn’t happen. There’s definitely time for him to rebound but with Chandler Stephenson establishing himself as a top-two pivot, Glass will have to work his way up from the third line so it may be a couple of years before he takes that big step forward.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Seeking Writers For Pro Hockey Rumors

May 8, 2021 at 5:00 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 10 Comments

Like many other small businesses, the last year has been especially difficult for the Trade Rumors family. At the start of 2020, we were looking to hire several new writers as we expanded coverage and ramped up some new features. When the sports world came to a sudden halt, so did our search. Now, as things start to get back to some level of normalcy, we’re going to once again make a call for new writers.

PHR is looking to add multiple part-time contributors with strong evening and weekend availability. There also may be an opportunity for some daytime shifts. The position pays on an hourly basis.

Applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

Exceptional knowledge of all 32 NHL teams, with no discernible bias.
Knowledge of the salary cap, CBA, and transaction-related concepts.
At least some college education.
Extensive writing experience, with professional experience and a background in journalism both strongly preferred.
Keen understanding of journalistic principles, ethics, and procedures. Completion of basic college-level journalism classes is strongly preferred.
Attention to detail — absolutely no spelling errors, especially for player and journalist names.
Ability to follow the site’s style and tone.
Ability to analyze articles and craft intelligent, well-written posts summing up the news in a few paragraphs. We need someone who can balance creating quick copy with thoughtful analysis. You must be able to add value to breaking news with your own insight, numbers, or links to other relevant articles.
Ability to use Twitter, Tweetdeck, and an RSS feed reader such as Feedly. In general, you must be able to multi-task.
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If you’re interested, email prohockeyrumorshelp@gmail.com and in a few paragraphs, explain why you qualify. Be sure to attach your resume to the email.

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PHR Mailbag: Toews, Hurricanes, Hall, Avalanche, Selke Candidates, Devils, Projections

May 2, 2021 at 7:59 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 8 Comments

Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include the latest on Chicago’s captain, Carolina’s quiet trade deadline, Taylor Hall’s next destination, Colorado’s goaltending situation for expansion, potential Selke Trophy candidates, targets for New Jersey in free agency, and many projections. If your question doesn’t appear here, watch for it in next weekend’s mailbag.

realsox: What is the current status of Jonathan Toews?

Toews has missed the entire season due to an illness and with it being a sensitive health matter, it’s nice to see that there hasn’t been a lot of ill-founded speculation on his situation. The original announcement was that he was experiencing symptoms that left him feeling drained and lethargic and quite frankly, that can be quite a few things and there’s no point guessing on what it could be. He hasn’t skated lately and isn’t coming back this season, even if Chicago makes a miracle run to get to the playoffs.

The good news is that last month, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that Toews’ health is improving and that as things stand, he’s expected to be available for next season which is great news. That means that the Blackhawks won’t be able to put his $10.5MM on LTIR for next year but with Brent Seabrook and Andrew Shaw’s playing days done, they’ll still have a lot of money on there and if all goes well, they’ll have their captain back which would give them a huge boost at center, a position that has been a problem spot all season.

mikedickinson: Is Waddell’s lack of a move at the deadline going to hurt the Canes? With Jesper Fast out last night they dressed seven defensemen and the third and fourth lines weren’t anything great.

I know GM Don Waddell had suggested that they weren’t going to be anywhere near as active at the trade deadline as they were a year ago but I was expecting more from them than swapping out sixth defenders (Haydn Fleury for Jani Hakanpaa and a sixth-rounder). I thought they’d have moved out a goalie but that market didn’t materialize as much as some thought it would (and with Petr Mrazek banged up again, that may wind up working out for them in the end).

I would have liked to see them add some more forward depth, especially since they had the cap space to add where a lot of other contenders didn’t but there may have been a budgetary element to that as well. Having said that, a depth winger shouldn’t make or break their chances in the playoffs. Carolina’s top six is what will make the difference and that has been bolstered with Teuvo Teravainen’s long-awaited return. Teams often go as far as their top players will take them when it comes down to crunch time, so to speak and as long as those guys stay healthy, they should be in good shape regardless of their third and fourth lines.

M34: Where does Taylor Hall fail next season?

At this point, I don’t see a reason to think why it won’t be Boston. Following the trade, Hall confirmed that he used his no-move clause to push a deal to the Bruins and that he had interest in joining them last fall but the money couldn’t come together. Unless things go really poorly, it’s hard to see him opting to go elsewhere.

What works for Hall is that he’s now in a role that’s better suited for him. At this point of his career, he’s not a 20-minute player that’s going to be counted on to get the key goal at the crucial moment. He wasn’t that at the end of his time in New Jersey, he wasn’t that in Arizona, and he certainly wasn’t that in Buffalo this season. If he decides to hit the open market this summer in a search for a role where he can be that number one guy, he will probably struggle once again. But he doesn’t need to be that in Boston where he’s clearly behind Brad Marchand in the pecking order and Marchand isn’t giving up that role anytime soon. He can get the secondary defensive matchups playing alongside David Krejci and take advantage of those which he has so far.

Also working in Boston’s favor is their cap situation moving forward. Krejci’s $7.25MM comes off the books this summer and while there’s a very good chance he re-signs, it’ll be at a lower rate than what he’s getting now. Some of those savings can go towards Hall – who is on Boston’s books at $4MM with Buffalo retaining the rest – while not drastically hurting their financial flexibility with moves still to make in terms of solidifying the defense and retaining or replacing Tuukka Rask. Lots can change over the next few months but if I’m picking where he signs right now, it’s Boston.

coachdit: If you were in Joe Sakic’s shoes, what would you do with goalie regarding the expansion draft? Dubnyk and Gruby are UFA after the season, Johansson and Francouz are in their second season and I believe that means they are exempt.

Let’s look at the eligibility situation first. This is Jonas Johansson’s fourth season on an NHL contract so he is eligible to be taken (but he’s a pending UFA at no risk of being picked). It’s technically Pavel Francouz’s third year but he hasn’t played this season. Unless he comes back, he won’t accrue a year of service time which makes him exempt. Hunter Miska is also eligible for selection.

I don’t think there’s much of a decision to make here. If they can re-sign Philipp Grubauer by then, he gets protected. If they think there’s a chance to re-sign him after expansion, he gets protected. If he goes to them and says he’s testing the open market, I’d still probably protect him as there’s no risk of Miska getting picked even with him on an AAV that’s below the league minimum salary for 2021-22; the Avs will have better players left unprotected to pick from than him.

The only way I don’t see Grubauer being protected is if his demands are so high that Colorado goes out and trades for a goalie. In that case, whoever they get becomes protected. Otherwise, signed or not, they may as well just protect Grubauer.

KAR 120C: Who are the Selke trophy candidates? I ask as Draisaitl is looking good, but wonder about all of the variables in play. It feels like there are always the incumbents.

Honestly, I don’t think Leon Draisaitl is in the conversation. Regardless of how good someone’s defensive game is, if you’re battling for a scoring title, you’re probably getting overlooked for a defensive award. He may get some fourth and fifth place votes but I doubt he sees more than that.

Yes, there are the usual suspects that are in it regularly. Patrice Bergeron is always going to be in the mix. So too is Ryan O’Reilly. Last year’s winner (Sean Couturier) would have been in the mix had it not been for injuries. Mark Stone dropped to fifth last year after finishing second three years in a row and has to be given strong consideration as well.

If you’re looking for a darkhorse candidate, I’ll toss out Aleksander Barkov. He has been thought of as underrated for so long that he really isn’t underrated anymore so he’s on the radar for voters. He logs heavy minutes including late-game defensive situations and takes a regular turn on the penalty kill. He’s well above average at the faceoff dot. If you look at possession and expected goals for stats (which some voters do), he stands out there as well. And with the award seemingly gravitating towards the best two-way forward in the league instead of the best defensive one, Barkov certainly has the offensive numbers to stand out too. You can never count out the regulars for this award but this may be the year for Barkov.

SpeakOfTheDevil: You mentioned in prior mailbags that the Devils lack an identity (which I sort of agree with you about). That being said, name three free agents the Devs should go after this offseason to complement the pieces that we do have and that start acquiring that identity.

With the cap space New Jersey has entering a market that has few teams with big money to spend, I’m going to dream big here with a couple of these. I don’t see them landing three big fish but here is who I’d target if I was GM Tom Fitzgerald.

Dougie Hamilton – With Ty Smith and Damon Severson already on the roster plus P.K. Subban, there’s a puck-rushing component to build off of. Hamilton can add to that. With the young group of forwards they have, Lindy Ruff is trying to get a team that plays more up-tempo. Hamilton fits that playing style. And with Subban being a year away from unrestricted free agency, there’s a pending hole to be filled and what better way to fill it than the best UFA blueliner out there that already fits the direction they seem to want to go?

Gabriel Landeskog – There is a lot of finesse in New Jersey’s young core but not a lot of high-end sandpaper. Landeskog plays with enough of a physical edge to make him stand out among New Jersey’s options and is talented enough offensively to fit alongside Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier and really bring another dimension to that line while also providing some much-needed scoring on the wing. He’d be a huge boost on their top line.

Zach Hyman – Is he a big fish compared to these two? Not really but he’d be a nice consolation prize nonetheless. He has shown in Toronto that he is a perfect complementary piece for skill players and fits in an up-tempo environment. That’s what New Jersey has and is hoping to build upon. If the plan is to build around Hughes and Hischier anchoring the top two lines, they need someone that’s willing to do the dirty work around the boards and more specifically, someone that’s good at it. Hyman checks those boxes. With his price point coming in lower than some of the top free agents out there, he’s going to have plenty of interest but the Devils have the ability to outbid them all.

The Duke: Crystal Ball fortunes/rankings, please, for points and time frame for: Jarvis, Newhook, Krebs and Veleno; Kotkov, Denisenko, Kravtsov and Podkolzin; Valimaki and Fabbro – and GAA/time frame for Melnichuk, Vladar, Ingram, Larsson and Petruzzelli? Thank you in advance.

With you asking about 15 players this time instead of a smaller group, I’m going to try to be a little shorter than usual on each one but here we go.

Group One

Seth Jarvis (CAR) – I’ve touched on him before but I see him as a second-liner down the road which has him in the 45-50-point mark. I could see him getting a look next year but 2022-23 may be more likely for him to debut.

Alex Newhook (COL) – Same as Jarvis in terms of point potential. The Avs may need to put a few more entry-level players into their lineup next year depending on which UFAs they need to keep which could give Newhook a leg up. Otherwise, 2022-23 for his start time as well.

Peyton Krebs (VGK) – Another one that’s in that 45-50-point range, he could use a full AHL season before making the jump although they may opt for a longer route given his recent injuries and the fact that Cody Glass – another first-round center – has had his development stunted a bit by trying to develop him more in the NHL. 2022-23 is a possibility but 2023-24 may be more realistic.

Joe Veleno (DET) – With a full AHL year under his belt already plus spending this season overseas, he’s pretty much ready to step in so I’ll put 2021-22 as a timeframe. While he was a dominant scorer in junior, I think he’s more of a two-way third liner in the NHL in the 30-point range. Don’t mistake that as me being down on his upside though – he’ll be an important piece of their rebuild.

Group Two

Vladislav Kotkov (SJ) – He’s a good junior scorer but not great and I can’t help but wonder if some of his production comes from being bigger and older than most opponents. He needs at least two if not three years in the minors before having an NHL shot and I don’t see him being a big point producer at the top level. Still a worthwhile add as an undrafted UFA by the Sharks though.

Grigori Denisenko (FLA) – He looks more like a third liner based on his recent numbers but KHL guys with limited playing time (which is where he was before this season) are tough to project; they see him as having top-six upside which would have him around 40 points. A year in their system (on their own farm team instead of Tampa’s) is needed at a minimum to earn a full-time spot.

Vitali Kravtsov (NYR) – With the other wingers the Rangers have, I think he’s more of a third liner than a top-six fit. I know the KHL goal total was impressive this season (16 in 49 games) but was that more of an outlier? 25-30 points is the safer pick but if they clear someone out in an effort to get center help, that will go up as he’ll have a window to a bigger role. He’s basically a regular now and that’s unlikely to change next season.

Vasili Podkolzin (VAN) – The biggest wildcard out of anyone on here. Vancouver thinks he’s a top-liner which has him in the 55-point or more range. With how he has done against his own age group, that may be a bit high (and I’m not even going to dig into his KHL numbers). There’s a good chance he’s a regular next season but he could be a 25-30-point guy to start with a gradual increase once he establishes himself.

Group Three

Juuso Valimaki (CGY) – I know it’s his first year back but I think Calgary was expecting a bit more from him. I can’t write off his offensive upside entirely considering what he did in junior but unless he can play his way into a bigger role with special teams time, it’s hard to see him going higher than 20 points most years.

Dante Fabbro (NSH) – He’s going to be an important part of Nashville’s back end – he is already – but even though he put up some points in his last year at Boston University, that’s not going to be his NHL calling card, especially with those in front of him. He could get to the 20-25-point range but I don’t think he’s dynamic enough offensively to go much higher.

Group Four

Alexei Melnichuk (SJ) – The fact that Josef Korenar has passed him on the depth chart is concerning. His AHL numbers aren’t pretty and with SKA St. Petersburg in Russia acquiring his rights yesterday, there is going to be a strong offer to get him to go home. Assuming Korenar is the backup next season, I don’t know if there is an NHL ETA for Melnichuk as if he’s faced with the choice in 2022 of re-signing as a third-stringer or going to a top KHL team, I think he’s going with the latter.

Daniel Vladar (BOS) – I like him as a third-string option but I’m not sure he’s an NHL backup moving forward. Jeremy Swayman looks like he’s part of the tandem next season with a veteran (Rask, Jaroslav Halak, or a free agent) filling the other spot. He has two more years left and maybe in that final year he gets a longer look but between now and then, it’s spot duty.

Connor Ingram (NSH) – With this year being largely a write-off, I expect they’ll want him to spend next season with AHL Milwaukee and then move up to be the backup to Juuse Saros. If they’re skeptical that they can get him through waivers though, he could be in the mix as soon as next season. It’s hard to project GAA numbers as a lot of the time it’s team-dependent; just go two or three tenths above the starters’ numbers and the projection will be pretty close.

Filip Larsson (DET) – In hindsight, staying in college would have been the better way to go. Larsson is two years into his entry-level deal now and frankly hasn’t progressed much. He’s at least two years away but needs to be qualified by then and I’m not sure he has done enough to get that yet.

Keith Petruzzelli (DET) – Larsson’s fate will largely be determined by whether or not they can get Petruzzelli signed between now and the middle of August; it’s intriguing that a deal hasn’t been done yet. I think he could be in the mix to be an NHL backup after a couple of professional seasons and with Detroit basically opting for veteran stopgaps in recent years, there’s an opportunity for him to move fast in their system.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trade Deadline Primer: Winnipeg Jets

April 11, 2021 at 7:59 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 3 Comments

The 2021 NHL Trade Deadline is just hours away so it’s time to wrap up our look around the league with the Winnipeg Jets and where they stand and should be trying to do.

The Jets came into this season as a bit of a wild card team. Connor Hellebuyck gives them high-level goaltending while they bolstered one of the better top-six forward groups in the league. There were questions surrounding the rest of the team but they’ve answered them nicely so far and are battling for home ice in the first round with a shot still at tracking down Toronto for first in the North. With that in mind, Kevin Cheveldayoff should be looking to try to add over the next few hours.

Record

25-13-3, 2nd in West Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$0 in regular cap space, $2.43MM in LTIR room, 1/3 retention slots used, 44/50 contracts used per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2021: WPG 1st, WPG 2nd, WPG 3rd, WPG 5th, WPG 6th
2022: WPG 1st, WPG 2nd, CBJ 3rd, WPG 3rd, WPG 5th, WPG 6th, WPG 7th

Trade Chips

Cheap defensemen are always in high demand at the trade deadline and Winnipeg has one of those in Sami Niku. For years now, he has been on the cusp of making it as a regular but has yet to do and has dropped a couple of spots on the depth chart with Logan Stanley holding his own and Ville Heinola waiting in the wings. He’s someone that they can easily hold on to for expansion purposes as he is already signed for next season at just a $725K cap hit but at 24, there are likely rebuilding teams that would like to get a closer look at him. Instead of flipping a mid-round pick for a rental, Niku could be substituted, a move that would also give Winnipeg a little more cap flexibility.

Kristian Vesalainen is a name that many are familiar with going back to his days in the SHL before he was drafted. However, the offensive potential that was believed to be there hasn’t really materialized since Winnipeg picked him 24th overall back in 2017. In his limited NHL action this season, he has been limited to duty on the fourth line and that’s not a great fit for his particular style of play. The Jets would certainly be selling low but his value is likely only going to continue to dip the further he gets into his entry-level deal which has another year left on it. If there’s a team that still really believes in Vesalainen’s upside, this may be the right time to move him.

Mathieu Perreault’s name has come up many times over the years as a speculative trade or even buyout candidate but now as an expiring contract, this is his last chance to be moved and this may be his likeliest chance of moving compared to those other times. If Cheveldayoff wants to go after a higher-priced player, Perreault’s $4.125MM AAV could quite plausibly be thrown into the deal as a salary offset over asking a team to retain, especially with some of the sellers likely to use their three allowable retention slots. He’s a versatile player that certainly has a role on the roster but if they need to take away a sizable contract to add another one, Perreault is the obvious candidate to be thrown in.

Others to Watch For: F David Gustafsson ($817.5K through 2021-22), F Skyler McKenzie ($742K, RFA)

Team Needs

1) Top-Four Defenseman: One team that was almost certainly disappointed by David Savard heading to Tampa Bay was Winnipeg as they’ve had a need for a blueliner that can log 20 minutes or more pretty much all season. Actually, you could go back to last year for that particular need. There aren’t many other rentals that could fit that bill – New Jersey’s Ryan Murray may be one of the exceptions – but Cheveldayoff needs to find a way to get one despite the limited LTIR room he has to work with.

2) Upgrade Fourth Line Depth – Winnipeg has not used their fourth line much this season with Perreault being the only one averaging more than ten minutes a night. There isn’t anything wrong with targeting defensive specialists to help in those situations but adding a piece or two that Paul Maurice would be comfortable using for more than nine minutes a game would help keep their top players a bit more rested down the stretch and give them some extra insurance in case more injuries arise.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

PHR Panel: Trade Deadline Predictions

April 11, 2021 at 2:00 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 12 Comments

With just 24 hours remaining before the 2021 NHL trade deadline, things are heating up around the league. Several big moves have already been made, with David Savard, Kyle Palmieri, and Brandon Montour all traded to contenders. There’s more coming before 3pm EST tomorrow, with Taylor Hall still drawing plenty of attention among many others.

With the deadline approaching, we thought we’d unearth one of our former features: The PHR Panel. This time it’ll come with a bit of a twist, as instead of answering questions, we’re going to be having some fun. Each of us will give one prediction for a deadline move, and we encouraged each other to go a bit outside the box if necessary. These deals are completely speculative and just done for fun–but make sure you tell us why we’re out of our minds in the comments!

Q: Predict one trade that will happen before the deadline

Brian La Rose: Luke Glendening to EDM

The Edmonton Oilers are known to be looking for a right-shot center that can help kill penalties and win faceoffs. Detroit happens to have one available in Luke Glendening, a player that GM Ken Holland is quite familiar with; he gave the forward the four-year, $7.2MM contract that is set to expire this summer, a clear sign that he was a fan of what the 31-year-old can provide.

Edmonton has been very quietly creating salary cap flexibility with the recent placements of Kyle Turris, Tyler Ennis, and Joakim Nygard on waivers, giving them the ability to send any of them to the taxi squad to free up cap space. If the Red Wings are willing to retain up to 50% on Glendening’s contract, they could acquire him and have Turris go to the taxi squad in a move that would actually free up a bit more room for Edmonton to work with. With the Oilers missing their second and third-round picks this year already, they’re more likely to part with a 2022 selection to do a deal like this.

Is Glendening going to be a secondary scorer which is something that Edmonton also needs? No, but if he can just provide the two elements that he has with Detroit, he will check off a pair of important boxes for the Oilers. Holland showed faith in giving Glendening what was an above-market extension at the time and he’ll show more faith in him by bringing him to Edmonton.

Holger Stolzenberg: Conor Garland to VGK

With Vegas relatively tight up against the salary cap, the Golden Knights now more than ever will be looking for a cheap forward. They are set in net and seem pretty strong defensively. Where they are lacking is on offense—especially in scoring. The team is hopeful for another Stanley Cup run like they had in their inaugural season and while they are 11th in goals/game, they have struggled more recently to score and could really use one more top-six forward. Enter Garland, who would be quite an upgrade and a player the team could hold onto since he’s expected to hit restricted free agency next season. He would be an excellent fit in Vegas after a breakout season in 2018-19 and an even better year last season. His numbers look to be close to on par this year once again. At $775K, he’s the perfect fit.

Normally, the Coyotes would want to hang onto Garland, but the team is known to be struggling financially, has expressed interest in cutting salary, and might be open to moving Garland for the right price. Things are a little more complicated for Arizona as they are still battling for fourth place in the Central Division, which could stop general manager Bill Armstrong from selling. However, could Vegas move its first-rounder (something they ordinarily don’t do) and a top prospect (Lucas Elvenes might make sense here, although there are other solid prospects the team could offer) to pry him away? Stranger things have happened.

Zach Leach: Sam Bennett to COL

What happened to all of the Sam Bennett rumors? Earlier this season, a Bennett trade seemed imminent on multiple occasions and it was a foregone conclusion that he would be traded before the deadline at the latest. Yet, for over a month now there has been nothing but silence out of Calgary on Bennett’s status and there are just hours left until the deadline passes. Are the Flames just too good to be trading roster players? Nope. In fact, the team’s 2-8-0 record in their past ten games is the worst mark in the NHL. Calgary has fallen to fifth place in the North Division and are well outside of a playoff spot. They’re sellers. So has Bennett just played so well that he can’t be traded? No, it’s not that either. Bennett recorded just three points in the month of March and has one goal in his past 19 games. By all accounts, the situation surrounding the Flames and Bennett has not changed, but the hype surrounding a potential deal has cooled nonetheless.

Flames GM Brad Treliving has repeatedly said that he did not want to rush into a Bennett trade. However, that was months ago and nothing has changed. The 24-year-old forward has shown flashes of upside, but it simply hasn’t been a good fit in Calgary. Even with the coaching change to Darryl Sutter, whose style should favor a player like Bennett, there has been little improvement from the 2014 fourth overall pick. Both sides just need to move on. If Bennett remains in Calgary beyond the deadline, he will very likely be exposed in the Expansion Draft and could be lost for nothing to the Seattle Kraken. Even if that doesn’t happen, the Flames may seriously consider not offering the restricted free agent a qualifying offer at his $2.55MM mark. In either scenario, Calgary comes away with nothing. In a trade, they come away with something, even if Bennett’s trade value is at its lowest point. Unless Treliving and company still quietly believe in the long-term potential of Bennett and plan to protect him in expansion and then re-sign him, they need to make this move.

Colorado may not immediately come to mind as a suitor for forward help. Their public pursuit of a backup goalie and rumors that they are eyeing a defenseman as well would seemingly make forward their third-highest priority. However, the Avalanche are one of the very best teams in the NHL this season and a top contender for the Stanley Cup. They also have ample salary cap room, unlike many of the other buyers scouring the market. GM Joe Sakic is going to do his best to check off every single box that he can because that is what you do when you have a real chance at a championship. Bennett makes a lot of sense for what the Avalanche need. As good as their forward corps has been this year, with a dominant top line and good secondary scoring, there is a major drop-off after their top eight forwards. J.T. Compher has had a down year, Tyson Jost has again failed to take a step forward, and Matt Calvert has been all but written out of the lineup. The team needs a boost in the bottom six and Bennett fits the bill, especially since he could be a solution beyond just 2020-21 as well.

While his career offensive profile is similar to Jost’s, Bennett has a slightly better goal-scoring touch and, importantly, has an excellent track record in the playoffs. Yet, offense may not even be Bennett’s most important contribution to Colorado. The Avalanche desperately need to add physicality to their lineup. The team ranks dead last in the NHL with just 15.06 hits per 60 minutes and the biggest threat to their postseason success is the potential of getting pushed around by a bigger, tougher opponent. Enter Bennett. For a player who couldn’t do even one pull-up at the NHL Combine, Bennett has developed into a heavy, aggressive player. His physicality has been the one element of his game that has never wavered and the Avalanche could desperately use a player who can improve their checking game and make them more difficult to play against.

As for the return, the Flames are more likely to land a prospect than a pick if dealing with the Avalanche. Colorado is already missing their 2021 and 2022 second-round picks, as well their 2021 fourth- and sixth-rounders. Bennett is certainly not worthy of a first-round pick, but even asking the Avs for a third-round pick in either of the next two years could be a tall task. Fortunately, Colorado has a solid pipeline, especially down the middle, and Calgary has a long-term need at center. While Alex Newhook and Shane Bowers are not on the table in a Bennett deal, their presence in the system could make a nice piece like Jean-Luc Foudy expendable. The 2020 third-round pick plays with speed and vision and has the makings of an NHL play-maker down the road. He would be a nice project for the Flames with the upside to be the top-nine center that Calgary had hoped Bennett would be. It seems like a fair swap all things considered.

Gavin Lee: Jamie Oleksiak to TOR

I know what you’re thinking, Maple Leafs fans. Oleksiak? That’s it? Don’t be so dismissive of the 6’7″ defenseman just because he’s played in Dallas for most of his career. Toronto may have publicly stated that they need forwards, but adding some defensive depth should also be in the plan for GM Kyle Dubas. After trading Mikko Lehtonen earlier in the season, the team doesn’t have a ton of reliable options to plug in should any of their starters go down.

Martin Marincin currently looks like the team’s seventh defenseman, with Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren behind him. That’s one player who has never been able to secure an NHL job and two young prospects without much experience. Oleksiak would be a perfect complement to the group, able to move into the lineup in case of injury or even perhaps unseat Travis Dermott on the third pairing.

The fact that he’s from Toronto—his younger sister Penny is an Olympic swimmer from the city—and a pending free agent makes him a realistic fit, given the team’s insistence that rentals are the target this season. Toronto has a little bit of added cap flexibility after acquiring the LTIR-bound Riley Nash, and if Dallas (or a go-between) retained some of Oleskiak’s $2.14MM cap hit he wouldn’t cost much more than the league minimum.

This is a unique opportunity for the Maple Leafs to go deep in the playoffs without facing Tampa Bay or Boston. Adding depth is a crucial part of those long runs, and Oleksiak shouldn’t come at a prohibitive cost.

Trade Deadline Primer: Washington Capitals

April 11, 2021 at 10:21 am CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

We are now just days away from the NHL Trade Deadline and a few moves have already been made with more to come. Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Washington Capitals.

Washington has been solid all year long and as their window for a second Stanley Cup is beginning to close, the team is expected to be active adding more veteran talent to their team to give Alex Ovechkin and company another shot. The real question is what the team has left in reserve to trade for any talent and how they might be able to squeeze anyone into their cap situation.

Record

26-11-4, tied for 1st in East Division