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Poll: Where Will Ilya Kovalchuk Sign?

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One of the biggest question marks this summer is the potential return of KHL superstar Ilya Kovalchuk. Though he’s made it known he wants to return to the NHL this season, there isn’t a clear front-runner to sign the 35-year old winger. The teams in New York and Florida were reported as his preferred destinations last summer, but now that he is an unrestricted free agent there could be any number of teams reaching out. Indeed we heard recently that his new agent J.P. Barry has been discussing Kovalchuk with several teams, but don’t know who those are.

The Rangers were once believed to be interested, though now that they’re heading into a mini-rebuild could avoid going after the veteran forward. After trading Ryan McDonagh, J.T. Miller, Derek Stepan, Rick Nash and more over the last few years, New York is trying to get faster and younger to compete in the new NHL. Kovalchuk doesn’t really fit that mold, but would certainly be a big attraction at Madison Square Garden should he end up there.

Florida could use some more firepower up front and has former teammate Evgeni Dadonov under contract, but might be happy plugging in younger options like Henrik Borgstrom and Maxim Mamin. The Panthers also aren’t flush with cap room, unless Kovalchuk was one of their only moves of the summer. Still, they could be an enticing option if they believe that the team can compete in 2018-19.

The Islanders are probably the most interesting contender right now, as they’re in one of his preferred destinations and just hired Lou Lamoriello, the same man who signed Kovalchuk to a 15-year $100MM contract in 2010. Obviously Lamoriello felt strongly about Kovalchuk’s talent at that point, but there’s no telling what he thinks this time around. The Islanders are working to re-sign John Tavares and compete right away, and adding a five-time 40-goal man wouldn’t hurt either situation.

Where do you think Kovalchuk will land? Does he stay on the east coast as expected last summer, or will he end up out west? Is Lamoriello the one to bring him back to the NHL, or has that bridge been burned? Vote below and make sure to leave your explanation in the comments.

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Poll: Where Will Rick Nash Play In 2018-19?

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The Boston Bruins have been eliminated from Stanley Cup contention, losing in five games at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning. After destroying the Lightning in game 1, the Bruins lost the next four and were eventually done in by a lack of secondary scoring and the depth of the Tampa Bay squad.

One player who seemed to embody the Bruins play all series was Rick Nash, who scored two goals in the first game and then was held to just a single assist in the following four. Nash, who was acquired at the trade deadline for a hefty sum, is now looking at unrestricted free agency later this summer, provided he doesn’t re-sign in Boston.

That price that the Bruins were forced to pay, a first-round pick, Ryan Lindgren and Ryan Spooner, looks even more expensive now that Boston has been knocked out in the second round. Re-signing Nash could dull the sting of losing out on those young assets, especially if it came at a reasonable price. After all, the soon to be 34-year old did record 21 goals this season and is still a positive possession player at both ends of the rink.

The question is will the Bruins even try to bring him back after a disappointing playoff run? Nash seemed open to the idea soon after the trade, but as Ty Anderson of 985 The Sports Hub tweets, it seems more likely that most of Boston’s pending unrestricted free agents will not return. With more young players ready to make an impact, the team could instead try to use some of their remaining cap space on a bigger fish, and fill in the rest of the spots internally.

Still, there is no doubt that Nash will have suitors on the open market. Just as several teams showed interest at the trade deadline, there will be some who point to his solid defensive play and still respectable offensive totals and see a useful player who could be acquired on a reasonable contract. There’s no way the veteran forward will be able to demand the kind of salary he’s been earning in recent years, but a multi-year contract is not out of the question.

Where do you think Nash will end up? Could Boston re-sign him for a smaller salary and try to recoup some of the value they sent to New York at the deadline? Could another team swoop in and make him a multi-year offer to join their playoff hopes? Will he return to one of his old stomping grounds in New York or Columbus to try and find a spark of past glory? Make sure to leave your reasoning in the comments below.

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Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Poll: Was The Tom Wilson Punishment Appropriate?

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Last night the hammer came down on Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson, when the Department of Player Safety suspended him for three playoff games. That matches Nazem Kadri as the longest suspension of these playoffs, and could potentially remove Wilson from the rest of the second round matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The league took several factors into account, including Wilson’s history—he’s already served two suspensions since last season—and Zach Aston-Reese’ resulting injury. Some have to wonder though if Wilson’s other incidents this postseason also factored into the decision. Wilson was involved in hits on both Brian Dumoulin and Alexander Wennberg that were reviewed by the league, but deemed not worth of supplementary discipline.

In this case, the responses to the suspension have been all over the map. Some believe the hit wasn’t even worthy of a suspension, while others think Wilson should be serving even longer for his repeated physical play.

Now, we’d like to quantify those beliefs. Vote below on whether you think the penalty was too harsh, too light or just right. Explain in the comments how long or short you believe it should have been, or if you think he shouldn’t have been punished at all.

These have been a playoffs full of suspensions, and it doesn’t look like they’ll end here.

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Poll: Who Will Win The 2018 IIHF World Championship?

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If you were one of the many hockey fans frustrated by the NHL’s decision to not attend the most recent Winter Olympics, or one of the many others who have already seen their team eliminated from Stanley Cup contention, this weekend is for you. On Friday, some of the best hockey players in the world will kick off the IIHF World Championship as Team USA and Team Canada do battle.

For more than two weeks, players will represent their countries in the top international tournament of the year. The bronze and gold medal games will be played on Sunday, May 20th—who will be there?

The Canadians look like favorites to contend once again, with Connor McDavid leading an impressive forward group that also includes names like Mathew Barzal, Ryan O’Reilly, Jaden Schwartz and Brayden Schenn. Tyson Jost was added to the team today, while a blue line manned by Aaron Ekblad and Colton Parayko should be smothering.

Team USA doesn’t lag far behind, with Patrick Kane headlining an incredibly skilled group of forwards. Cam Atkinson, Alex DeBrincat, Johnny Gaudreau, Dylan Larkin and others are going to bring speed and offense to the tournament.

Russia is always a wildcard in international tournaments, and is coming off an Olympic victory in Pyeongchang. The team will also have a new face behind the bench, as Oleg Znarok stepped down earlier this month. Ilya Kovalchuk won’t be there, but don’t expect a reduced level of play from the Russians.

As usual, Sweden—the defending champions—will have arguably the best defensive corps in the tournament, with names like John Klingberg, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Hampus Lindholm and Adam Larsson manning their blue line. The team will also feature young talents like Lias Andersson and Elias Pettersson up front, making their games must-see TV for prospect nerds.

The Czech Republic, Finland and Slovakia will all be tough outs like always, and don’t overlook a Leon Draisaitl-led German squad. The Germans have made the quarter-finals in the last two World Championship tournaments, and shocked the hockey world with an Olympic silver medal in South Korea.

In all, the tournament should be excellent and provide a hockey release for those already frustrated with their team’s performance in the Stanley Cup playoffs. With that, we ask you who you think will win the gold medal. Make sure to explain your reasons down below.

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Poll: Who Should Win Coach Of The Year?

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The Jack Adams is a tough trophy to award. Almost always based on team success relative to the prior year, or in the face of injury, it’s an award whose voters rarely have all of the pertinent information. No one can say for sure what is the best coaching method, or how one individual decision affected the results of an entire hockey team.

That said, the league seemed—from the outside at least—to have an excellent field of coaches to choose from this year. Three finalists were named in Gerard Gallant (Vegas), Jared Bednar (Colorado) and Bruce Cassidy (Boston), but other names like John Hynes (New Jersey), Paul Maurice (Winnipeg) and Peter Laviolette (Nashville) all could have found themselves in the race in any other year.

The question is should they have been in the race this year? Should someone else, like Jon Cooper or Peter DeBoer have been considered? What exactly determines the “coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team’s success” in your mind? While Gallant may be the expected winner by many around the league, should he be?

Vote below on not who you think will win, but who you think should win the Jack Adams trophy. Our similar poll for the Calder resulted in different finalists, while our readership picked the same top three for the Norris. Remember this is based on regular season results, not the first round of the playoffs. Explain your choice in the comment section below.

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Poll: How Far Will The Golden Knights Go?

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The Vegas Golden Knights can’t be stopped. The Los Angeles Kings couldn’t even slow them down. It took just four games for the NHL’s youngest franchise to win their first playoff series, allowing just three goals in the process. Marc-Andre Fleury is an early favorite for the Conn Smythe trophy, but he’ll have to continue his string of outstanding starts to actually take home the trophy. More likely than not, the Golden Knights will also have to win the Stanley Cup, something that doesn’t seem so far-fetched anymore.

Vegas has been doubted at every turn. When they got off to an 8-1 start to the season, people said they would come back to earth. It was just a motivated group and home-heavy schedule. They would still falter by the trade deadline, and sell off their expiring assets. Instead, they went out and spent three draft picks on Tomas Tatar to improve their offense and retained all of their high profile unrestricted free agents.

Now, they sit as the betting favorites to win the Stanley Cup after eviscerating the Kings in four games. They only scored seven goals against the stingiest defensive team in the league, but that was more than enough to feel in control of the series the whole time. Amazingly those Kings were basically neck-and-neck with the Golden Knights when we asked who would come out of the Western Conference just before the playoffs began. That was despite an 11-point lead in the regular season. Now, the tide seems to be turning in their favor.

The Golden Knights will take on the winner of the Anaheim-San Jose series next, and they should likely be considered favorites regardless of who they face. Just 12 wins remain for the Stanley Cup, a result unimaginable at season’s start. We ask you, has your opinion changed? How far will the Golden Knights go?

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Poll: Who Will Be Eastern Conference Champions?

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Yesterday, we asked who would come out of the next few weeks with the title of Western Conference Champions, and 37% of our readership agreed. The Nashville Predators easily led the poll, with the Colorado Avalanche bringing up the rear with just 3% of the total vote. Interestingly, the vote pegged the Los Angeles Kings as the third-most likely to win, despite finishing the season as the seventh best team in the West.

Will the public perception be the same in the Eastern Conference? We ask you the same thing, who will be champions when the first three rounds have been decided?

Can the Tampa Bay Lightning ride their conference lead all the way to the top? Will the Pittsburgh Penguins reach their third consecutive Stanley Cup Final? Are the Washington Capitals really cursed, or is it finally time for Alex Ovechkin to lift the Cup?

Make sure to leave your reasoning in the comments below, and share the poll on Twitter so you can disagree with even more people.

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Poll: Who Will Be Western Conference Champions?

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The NHL Playoffs kick off tomorrow night with three first round matchups. The Minnesota Wild head to Winnipeg to take on the Jets, the Pittburgh Penguins welcome in their rival Philadelphia Flyers, and the Vegas Golden Knights host the first playoff game in franchise history when they take on the Los Angeles Kings. All three should be exceptional games, featuring superstars and underrated talents.

By Thursday evening, all eight series will have started and the first round will truly be underway.

So who do you think comes out of it all? This year more than ever the conferences seem wide open, with several teams built to be real contenders for the Stanley Cup. Even with weaker records, some of the lower seeds have the ability to catch fire for a few weeks, while injuries can always upset the favorites. Vote below on who you think will win the Western Conference, and explain why in the comment section. Will the Predators head back to the Finals for the second year in a row? Is it another long playoff run for Joe Thornton (when he returns) and the Sharks? Can the Anze Kopitar and the Kings score enough to shock the world again?

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Poll: What Is The Worst Contract In The NHL?

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Every year, young or overlooked players break out in the NHL and provide incredible value for their teams. In Vegas they know this phenomenon quite well. Jon Marchessault and William Karlsson are impact players for them while earning pennies compared to other stars, and are a big reason why the Golden Knights look like a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

But at the other end of the spectrum are players who have fallen apart after signing long-term, big money deals. Veterans who earned a big payday after some excellent seasons in their youth, but aren’t coming anywhere close to delivering on that promise. We’ve looked at this subject in the past, mentioning players like Carl Soderberg and Bobby Ryan, who hadn’t come close to their previous scoring totals. Soderberg has reclaimed some of his offensive touch this season, while Ryan has continued to struggle in Ottawa.

So who really does have the very worst contract in the league? In the poll below we’ve listed some of the obvious options, but make sure to discuss in the comment section who you think tops the list. Is it an aging defenseman, or a useless forward? A former superstar, or a role player riding the spoils of a career season?

The amount listed is how much of the contract is remaining after the 2017-18 season.

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Poll: Will Washington Re-Sign John Carlson?

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John Carlson is having an outstanding season, and he’s doing it as the fourth-highest paid defenseman on the Washington Capitals. Despite the fact that he’s tied for the league lead in points from a defenseman, a legitimate candidate for the Norris Trophy, and logging almost two minutes more each game than anyone else on the Capitals, he’s being paid just $4.0MM this season. Matt Niskanen, Dmitry Orlov and Brooks Orpik all carry much higher cap hits, and are earning more actual salary.

But boy, is Carlson about to get paid.

In the upcoming free agent class, no defenseman comes anywhere close to providing the impact Carlson has, and if it weren’t for a certain center in New York he’d have a good shot at being the top name on the board at any position. Calvin de Haan, Mike Green and Jack Johnson might be nice names to add, but Carlson is on another level.

So, why would the Capitals let him go? Part of the reason may lie in the fact that he’s the fourth name down when looking at the salaries on their blue line. With so much money tied up in Niskanen, Orlov and Orpik, there might just not be enough left for Carlson if he demands a deal approaching some of his contemporaries. Giving him something like $7MM per season (or perhaps even more) would make navigating the cap very tricky, given their long-term commitments to so many other players.

But they also can’t really afford to lose him. Though Madison Bowey and Christian Djoos have showed they can play at the NHL level, they’re not about to pick up the slack for a departing Norris candidate (or winner). Orpik is a buyout candidate once again, but at this point it doesn’t save a ton of money going forward and it might just be easier to ride out his last year in 2018-19.

So will Carlson stay? The Capitals have made it clear they will try to re-sign him, and they’ve shown a willingness in the past to give out max-length deals to keep the cap hit as low as possible. Cast your vote below, and leave a comment with where you think he’ll end up in the future.

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