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Poll: Which First-Round Favorite Is In The Most Trouble?

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The NHL playoffs are never what you expect. Every single year a bubble team surprises in the first round and plays better than they were expected to, sometimes pushing a favorite to the brink or defeating them outright. Last season saw the Toronto Maple Leafs push the Boston Bruins to seven games in their opening round series, while the San Jose Sharks actually upset the Anaheim Ducks. This year, things are off to quite the interesting start.

Four different underdogs were able to win game one of their series, including two different wild card teams in the Dallas Stars and Columbus Blue Jackets. The Blue Jackets especially shocked the world as they came back from a 3-0 second period deficit to defeat the historically-good Tampa Bay Lightning. Other games came down to the wire, as the New York Islanders needed an overtime winner from Josh Bailey to take game one on the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Washington Capitals held off a late charge from Andrei Svechnikov and the Carolina Hurricanes.

Inspired by a question in yesterday’s live chat, we now ask you to decide which favorite is in the most trouble in round one. Can the Lightning get things organized after their collapse and go back to their dominant offensive ways? Will the Nashville Predators be able to crack Dallas’ suffocating defense and goaltending? Can Jordan Binnington be beaten?

Cast your vote and make sure to leave your thoughts in the comment section below!

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Poll: Which Team Improved The Most At The Trade Deadline?

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The final chapter of the 2018-19 regular season is upon us. The trade deadline has passed and teams will now not receive any external help on their journey for the Stanley Cup. No more “looking for depth forward” or “searching for puck-moving defenseman.” As the day started there were plenty of contenders, but only a handful really went out of their way to improve.

The Islanders for instance, who are currently leading the Metropolitan Division with a record of 36-18-7, have not made a single trade since early July 2018. Instead, GM Lou Lamoriello and head coach Barry Trotz must believe this group can lead them all the way. The same could be said for the Tampa Bay Lightning, who decided not to pay the high prices for rentals and instead put their trust in the exceptional roster they’ve already built.

But that’s not to say there weren’t winners yesterday. The Nashville Predators turned Kevin Fiala and Ryan Hartman into Mikael Granlund and Wayne Simmonds, betting experience is more useful to them than youth right now. The Winnipeg Jets once again added a second line center to their group in addition to several more minor moves, while the Vegas Golden Knights landed the top name available.

Some teams did their shopping in the days leading up to the actual deadline. The Columbus Blue Jackets didn’t wait around for a last second bidding war, instead acquiring Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel early. Gustav Nyquist found himself on his way to the San Jose Sharks late Sunday night to join in their search for the Cup.

So who was the biggest winner? Who improved their team the most, if we take the last week into account? Cast your vote below and explain why in the comments.

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Poll: Where Will Matt Duchene Finish The Season?

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The trade deadline is less than a week away, and it seems as though the Ottawa Senators have clarity on at least one of their pending free agents. Matt Duchene will almost surely be traded. That’s the sentiment coming out of several reports over the last few days. But where he will eventually end up is still anyone’s guess, even as the best fits start to present themselves. The Winnipeg Jets, Nashville Predators, Calgary Flames, Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Islanders have all been linked to the star center, with several other teams mentioned in the rumor mill over the last few weeks. Even more than that have likely checked in on Duchene at some point, wondering if he could perhaps be the missing piece for a Stanley Cup playoff run.

Today, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) detailed the various options for Duchene’s camp as they attempt to secure an eight-year deal in free agency. A deadline deal and then sign-and-trade is not out of the question, thus including teams that may not want to give up the assets in-season. A free agent can only sign an eight-year deal with the team that owns his rights as of the latest trade deadline, meaning whoever gets him before Monday passes would have to orchestrate a deal of that length.

Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia also suggested that a sign-and-trade may be on the table, and notes that the Senators actually started “quietly shopping” Duchene last week. The expected asking price according to the Ottawa-based scribe would be a first-round pick, high-end prospect and another piece.

Like with Artemi Panarin and teammate Mark Stone, a deal for Duchene could potentially set the market for these exceptional rental options and quickly get things moving ahead of the deadline. All three will have a dramatic effect on whoever acquires them, and no one wants to waste assets on the second tier of available players before getting a crack at a star.

So who will end up acquiring Duchene? Will the Senators strike a last second deal to keep him in Ottawa long-term, or will he be on the move for the second time in less than two years? What will it eventually cost to get him? Cast your vote below and make sure to explain why in the comments.

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Snapshots: Matthews, Winnik, Gerrie

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Talks continue between star center Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs in hopes of coming to terms on an extension in the near future. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Matthews’ agent, Judd Moldaver, is expected in Toronto this week to continue negotiations. LeBrun feels that there is still a gap between the two sides, but momentum is pushing them in the right direction. As previously noted, Matthews is not seeking a maximum eight-year term, but rather a five- or six-year extension is his preference, which LeBrun reinforces. Matthews, 21, has 45 points through 36 games this season and is tied for ninth in the NHL with Sidney Crosby in points per game. Since his debut three years ago, the 2016 No. 1 overall pick, Matthews has recorded 177 points in 180 games, among the 20 best scorers in the NHL. That combination of youth and production at center is as rare as they come and Matthews is likely seeking a contract that will meet or exceed in AAV that of new teammate John Tavares, who signed with the Maple Leafs for $11MM per year this summer. Such high-stakes negotiations usually do not come together quickly, so this is likely just another step in a long process for both sides.

  • Veteran forward Daniel Winnik was unable to secure an NHL contract this off-season, but now finds himself as a priority free agent in Switzerland. Winnik ended up signing with Geneve-Servette of the NLA back in October and has been highly productive for the Swiss squad, notching 23 points in 31 games thus far. According to the Swiss Hockey News, head coach Chris McSorely is desperate to bring Winnik back next season and the experienced journeyman is open to an extension. Winnik, who played for the Minnesota Wild last season and joined the Boston Bruins on a PTO this fall, may have slight NHL interest in the off-season, but the 33-year-old is likely better off sticking in the NLA. With Geneve-Servette, not only has Winnik scored more easily than at any point in his eleven NHL seasons, but McSorely also calls him “a real leader and a positive voice in the locker room”.
  • A strong season for the Bowling Green State University Falcons has helped them to net another elite prospect for their program. Bowling Green, ranked No. 12 in the NCAA in the latest Pairwise polls, has received a commitment from 2019 NHL Draft hopeful Keighan Gerrie, per the Superior International Junior Hockey League. Gerrie is currently tearing up the SIJHL with 62 points in 34 games, among the top five scorers in the league and is far and away it’s best U-18 player. Gerrie is currently slated to play in the NAHL next year, but if he continues at nearly a two points-per-game pace this season, he will likely wind up in the USHL instead before joining Bowling Green. As for the NHL, Central Scouting ranked Gerrie at No. 140 among U.S. skaters in their latest rankings, but as his stock continues to rise, he could push to be a fourth- or fifth-round selection, which could make him the Falcons’ top prospect when he finally arrives. Junior goaltender Ryan Bednard, a 2015 seventh-rounder of the Florida Panthers, has been excellent this season but will be gone by the time Gerrie arrives. Sophomore forward and leading scorer Brandon Kruse, a fifth-round pick by the Vegas Golden Knights this past year, could still be on campus to form a dynamic duo with Gerrie in two years, but may have already turned pro by that time. Gerrie could be Bowling Green’s best hope of remaining among the top programs in college hockey moving forward.

Poll: Who Will The Los Angeles Kings Trade Next?

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The Los Angeles Kings have realized they’re not going to compete for the Stanley Cup this season or any time soon with their current core, and have begun to move some pieces out in exchange for future assets. The first big move of that ilk was trading Jake Muzzin yesterday to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a package that included a first-round pick and two prospects. While some may argue that the Kings could have gotten more closer to the deadline, or that Muzzin should have been retained, the team has obviously made a decision to move forward with at least a partial rebuild.

So who else is on the move out of Los Angeles? Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar are still likely untouchable, be it because of their value to the franchise or their huge contracts or a combination of the two. But other core pieces like Jonathan Quick, Jeff Carter, Alec Martinez and Tyler Toffoli have all seen their names thrown around in trade speculation throughout the season. There have even been reports of the price it would take to get Martinez out of Los Angeles, and detailed examinations of how Carter could use retirement as a sort of no-trade clause.

There are other names like Carl Hagelin, Derek Forbort, Nate Thompson, Kyle Clifford and Trevor Lewis who will all see unrestricted free agency either this summer or next, making them potential short-term rentals for teams looking to upgrade. Each of those names has their share of red flags though that might end up limiting the return. Others like Dustin Brown, Dion Phaneuf and Ilya Kovalchuk have huge obstacles blocking the way of a trade, though there are always ways around those obstacles.

Who do you think will be moved out next? What will the return be? How long will Los Angeles wait before making another move? Cast your vote below and explain your reasoning in the comments.

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Poll: Which Team Is Under The Most Pressure To Make The Playoffs?

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When the NHL’s unofficial second half kicks off this week, there will be substantially fewer teams with playoff hopes than when the first half began back in October. Of course, no team has been statistically eliminated yet, but a quick look at the standings can help to rule out more than a handful of the league’s bottom-dwellers. In fact, The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn had seven teams with less than a 5% chance of reaching the playoffs in his latest model: the Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, Chicago Blackhawks, and Philadelphia Flyers.

On the other hand, there are also quite a few teams whose first-half success has given them near certainty of playing beyond the regular season this year. Luszczszyn’s projections give eleven teams an 85% chance or better of qualifying for the postseason: the Tampa Bay Lightning, Calgary Flames, Winnipeg Jets, Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vegas Golden Knights, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Columbus Blue Jackets, and New York Islanders.

This leaves 13 clubs remaining – the “fringe” teams – who are vying for a possible five playoff spots. Eight of these teams will miss out. Who least wants to be part of that group?

Well, the team who has been a member of the early off-season club the longest would certainly like to change things up. The Carolina Hurricanes have gone nine seasons since making a postseason appearance and have come close the last few years but fallen short. The team could crack 90 points this season for the first time in eight years, but it might not be enough in the tight Eastern Conference wild card race. The two other teams who are desperate to get back to the playoffs are the Buffalo Sabres, who are on a seven-year drought, and the Arizona Coyotes, who are six years out from a postseason appearance. The Sabres got off to a hot start this season and looked to be a surprise playoff team, but have regressed recently, with three wins in their past then games, and are now tied with Carolina for ninth place in the East. The Coyotes have been resilient in the deep Western Conference wild card race, battling injuries and inconsistency to stay in the mix, but Arizona has their work cut out for them the rest of the way.

Then there are the teams who have made the playoffs recently but not performed. The Blue Jackets – who have never won a playoff series in franchise history – will almost certainly have another shot this year, but what about the Florida Panthers? Many have dismissed the team this season, but the Panthers have plenty of talent and have fallen short of expectations until recently. They face an uphill battle to make the postseason but if they do, the team would have a chance to snap the league’s longest streak without a playoff series win. Florida has not won a round since 1996, a whopping 21 seasons without postseason success and longer than the Blue Jackets have even existed. That’s a substantial mark on the franchise. It’s been a decade now since the Colorado Avalanche have won a postseason series as well and now that they are armed with one of the league’s best forward lines, have a chance against anyone if they can win a spot. The Avs looked like a legitimate Stanley Cup contender early this season and with some trade deadline reinforcements could be a factor this spring. However, recent struggles have plummeted them into the thick of the wild card race in the West and they are in danger of missing the playoffs entirely.

Then, there are teams that simply entered the 2018-19 campaign with high expectations and need to meet them. The defending champion Washington Capitals are of course part of this group. Among the most likely fringe teams to make the postseason, it is nevertheless hard to ignore the disastrous play of the Capitals of late. Three wins in their past ten games, including a number of blowout losses, has begun “Stanley Cup hangover” talk and has legitimately injured Washington’s playoff odds. The team needs to right the ship soon or risk falling out of the current playoff picture. A team on the opposite trajectory are the Minnesota Wild, who have improved their play of late and have pulled away in the race for the final Central Division berth. Minnesota is another team that entered the season with high expectations and are still searching for the franchise’s first ever Stanley Cup final appearance. With hopes reaching new highs this season, a collapse for the Wild would be devastating.

Unlike the Capitals and Wild, there are also teams with high expectations who don’t have promising playoff outlooks right now. The Edmonton Oilers and the league’s best player, Connor McDavid, sit atop that list. Edmonton is currently in 13th in the Western Conference and in danger of dropping out of the playoff conversation sooner than any fringe team. The organization has already fired their head coach and general manager this season amid another year of disappointing results and face slim odds that this campaign will end any differently. McDavid and company maintain that the Oilers are a playoff-caliber team, but something has to change with this team down the stretch for that that hypothesis to be tested this postseason. The St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars certainly look like playoff teams on paper, but both have been mediocre at best this season. The Blues, a popular dark horse Stanley Cup pick before the season, have been disappointing in every regard and there has been talk that the team could blow it up this season. A recent improvement paired with the struggles of others in the Western Conference playoff race have revived postseason hopes, but few expected that making the playoffs would be this difficult for St. Louis this season. The same goes for Dallas, who has had highly-publicized feuds between ownership, coaches, and players alike this year as the team continues to fall short of expectations. The Stars currently hold the top spot in the wild card race, but a recent history of late season collapses casts doubt over their ability to hold on to that spot.

There are still many teams whose playoff futures this season remain in question. These franchises all have varying degrees of desperation based on history and expectations. Of the 13 “fringe” teams, which team is under the most pressure to make the playoffs?

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Poll: Where Will Jake Muzzin Finish The Season?

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The asking price for Jake Muzzin right now is very high. That’s what Bob McKenzie had to tell TSN radio today when asked about the Los Angeles Kings defenseman and the trade market at large. McKenzie explained that given there is still a month left before the trade deadline teams are asking for huge returns hoping someone will jump the gun and meet them.

So I would assume that the Kings will be saying, ‘We want a first-round pick, and we want a really good blue-chip prospect or young player,’ and that’s what the asking price will be.

That asking price is no doubt too steep for many of the teams in the hunt right now, but Muzzin is also an extremely valuable asset that could change the look of nearly every top-four in the league. The left-handed defenseman has 21 points through his first 50 games this season and is once again a dominant possession player who can log more than 21 minutes every night. The fact that he’s under contract for another season at just a $4MM cap hit makes him incredibly affordable for teams looking to compete this year and next.

But that incredible value could be held by the Kings next season as well. If the Los Angeles brass believe that their team can compete for a playoff spot right away, perhaps they decide to hang on to Muzzin at least through the summer and see what their on-ice product looks like next season. If it’s not going well, Muzzin would still be an attractive trade chip next deadline, or a potential extension candidate given that he’s only currently 29.

Where do you think the veteran defenseman will end up? Does a team make a splash with weeks left before the deadline, or do the trade negotiations last right to the eleventh hour? Can the Kings expect to get the full asking price? Cast your vote below and make sure to leave your thoughts in the comments.

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Poll: Can The St. Louis Blues Make The Playoffs?

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Can the St. Louis Blues make the playoffs? The question seemed ludicrous just last month, when the team was four games under .500 and held the worst record in the Central Division. However, the Blues have points in seven of their past eleven games and are now comfortably within the playoff race for the final seed in the division or a wild card spot (even if it is an underwhelming race that The Athletic’s Tyler Dellow coined a “turtle derby”). So, could St. Louis actually pull off the in-season turnaround?

On paper, it may seem that their chances are still slim. The Blues are currently in 13th in the Western Conference with 47 points, five points back of a playoff spot, following a disappointing loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night. However, the perception of St. Louis has suffered for much of the season due to the fact that the Blues have played fewer games than most of the league. St. Louis has played in just 48 games this season, tied for the least in the NHL, and less than each of the seven teams in the wild card mix. In terms of points percentage, St. Louis is actually tied with the Edmonton Oilers at .490 and easily within striking distance of the Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, and Vancouver Canucks. The team will need to string together a few wins to catch up with division foes in the Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, and Minnesota Wild, but it’s well within the realm of possibility. The Athletic’s model, updated daily by Dom Luszczyszyn, currently predicts that the Blues will finish tenth in the West, but just three points back of the Ducks for the eighth and final playoff spot.

However, can the Blues maintain their recent stretch of success? While the struggles of other contenders have made their modest improvement look impressive, the fact of the matter is that St. Louis is in the bottom-third of the league in both goals for and goals against per game. The team is still looking for improvement from many of its top players and have been unable to confidently rely on goaltender Jake Allen on an everyday basis. The roster undeniably has the talent to be better than they have so far this year, but there hasn’t been any reason to believe that a drastic change in fortunes is coming.

There’s also the matter of the impending trade deadline to consider. St. Louis has been a hot name on the rumor mill this year, including allegedly being open to trading stars like Alex Pietrangelo, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Brayden Schenn. Even if their recent success has cooled off those talks, the Blues will still need to seriously consider offers for impending free agents like Jay Bouwmeester, Carl Gunnarsson, Patrick Maroon, and Jordan Nolan. At the same time, they seem unlikely to be buyers and other teams in the playoff race could outpace them if they decide to make additions while the Blues stay the course.

The fate of the Blues’ season remains a mystery. Is this the team many expected? Has their recent success been an accurate portrayal of their ability and has their games played disadvantage allowed them to lurk in the shadows as a legitimate playoff contender? Or is this simply the bad team that everyone saw at the beginning of the season, whose struggles are supported by the statistics? With a post-bye week slate of games against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Tampa Bay Lighting, and Nashville Predators twice, we’ll soon know whether St. Louis is a contender or pretender. For now, what do you think?

Poll: Which Carolina Defenseman Is Most Likely To Be Traded?

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With more reporting today that the Carolina Hurricanes are willing to move one of their defenseman, a debate has emerged over who would be the best target among them. The group is incredibly talented all around, but each player has their strengths and weaknesses. That makes for interesting decisions for both the Hurricanes and any inquiring team over what to prioritize as they look for playoff success. Is offensive skill at a premium in today’s NHL, or is a minute-munching penalty killer more valuable when the games get tighter?

Despite most of the trade speculation surrounding Dougie Hamilton and Brett Pesce, we’ll list the basic stats for each of the defensemen currently on the Hurricanes roster below. Cast your vote on who you think will be traded and make sure to explain why in the comments!

Dougie Hamilton:

25, right-handed
19:30 ATOI
48 GP, 6 G, 10 A, 16 P, -13 rating, 59% CF%
$5.75MM through 2020-21

Jaccob Slavin:

24, left-handed
23:04 ATOI
48 GP, 5 G, 16 A, 21 P, -13 rating, 55.2% CF%
$5.3MM through 2024-25

Justin Faulk:

26, right-handed
22:14 ATOI
48 GP, 3 G, 14 A, 17 P, -2 rating, 54.1% CF%
$4.83MM through 2019-20

Calvin de Haan:

27, left-handed
19:24 ATOI
48 GP, 1 G, 10 A, 11 P, +6 rating, 55.1% CF%
$4.55MM through 2021-22

Brett Pesce:

24, right-handed
19:38 ATOI
39 GP, 3 G, 8 A, 11 P, +14 rating, 54.2% CF%
$4.025MM through 2023-24

Trevor van Riemsdyk:

27, right-handed
15:16 ATOI
44 GP, 2 G, 7 A, 9 P, -2 rating, 53.1% CF%
$2.3MM through 2019-20

Haydn Fleury:

22, left-handed
12:40 ATOI
11 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 1 P, +1 rating, 52.5% CF%
$863K through 2018-19 (RFA)

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Poll: Where Will Derick Brassard Finish The Season?

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This week’s player of choice in the NHL rumor mill appears to be Derick Brassard, who had seen fewer than 13 minutes of ice time in consecutive games before getting a little more time on Tuesday against the San Jose Sharks. Brassard recorded a goal in that game to give him eight on the year and a total of just 14 points in 37 games heading into tonight’s action. That kind of production just hasn’t been enough for the Penguins, who have seemingly made it known to every publication in Pittsburgh about his availability. Perhaps Tuesday’s deployment was a showcase of sort, given the news today that the Sharks have inquired on Brassard at some point.

It’s not just the Sharks that will be interested though, if Penguins GM Jim Rutherford decides to sell Brassard. When the Ottawa Senators decided to make the veteran center available last season, Pittsburgh had to beat out several teams including the Columbus Blue Jackets, St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets for his services, eventually involving a third team to make the salaries work. It cost them a hefty price in terms of draft picks and goaltending prospect Filip Gustavsson, meaning there must have been other substantial offers on the table.

So where will Brassard end up this season? It’s hard to imagine the Penguins would give him up for prospects or picks without enough time to flip those assets, given they intend on competing for the Stanley Cup this season. If a deal like that happens it would likely have to occur with time to get in another deal before the deadline, meaning we could get an answer on Brassard sooner than other potential deadline deals—not to mention Rutherford’s propensity to get his shopping done ahead of time. If he can’t get a deal he likes, perhaps there’s still even reason to keep Brassard for a run and hope he can find his game in the playoffs.

Where do you think he’ll end the year, and what will he bring back if traded? Cast your vote below and make sure to explain your choice in the comment section.

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