Poll: Can The St. Louis Blues Make The Playoffs?
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?
Can The St. Louis Blues Make The Playoffs?
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Yes 53% (443)
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No 47% (389)
Total votes: 832
Poll: Which Carolina Defenseman Is Most Likely To Be Traded?
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!
25, right-handed
19:30 ATOI
48 GP, 6 G, 10 A, 16 P, -13 rating, 59% CF%
$5.75MM through 2020-21
24, left-handed
23:04 ATOI
48 GP, 5 G, 16 A, 21 P, -13 rating, 55.2% CF%
$5.3MM through 2024-25
26, right-handed
22:14 ATOI
48 GP, 3 G, 14 A, 17 P, -2 rating, 54.1% CF%
$4.83MM through 2019-20
27, left-handed
19:24 ATOI
48 GP, 1 G, 10 A, 11 P, +6 rating, 55.1% CF%
$4.55MM through 2021-22
24, right-handed
19:38 ATOI
39 GP, 3 G, 8 A, 11 P, +14 rating, 54.2% CF%
$4.025MM through 2023-24
27, right-handed
15:16 ATOI
44 GP, 2 G, 7 A, 9 P, -2 rating, 53.1% CF%
$2.3MM through 2019-20
22, left-handed
12:40 ATOI
11 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 1 P, +1 rating, 52.5% CF%
$863K through 2018-19 (RFA)
Which Carolina defenseman is most likely to be traded?
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Dougie Hamilton 37% (452)
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Justin Faulk 29% (354)
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Brett Pesce 14% (167)
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Trevor van Riemsdyk 7% (82)
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Calvin de Haan 4% (47)
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Haydn Fleury 4% (47)
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Jaccob Slavin 3% (34)
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None 3% (33)
Total votes: 1,216
[Mobile users click here to vote]
Poll: Where Will Derick Brassard Finish The Season?
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.
Where will Derick Brassard finish the season?
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Pittsburgh Penguins 13% (151)
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Winnipeg Jets 13% (147)
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San Jose Sharks 12% (130)
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Columbus Blue Jackets 8% (85)
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Dallas Stars 5% (54)
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Vegas Golden Knights 5% (52)
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Carolina Hurricanes 4% (44)
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Edmonton Oilers 3% (38)
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Boston Bruins 3% (35)
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St. Louis Blues 3% (33)
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Colorado Avalanche 2% (27)
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Nashville Predators 2% (27)
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New York Rangers 2% (27)
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Calgary Flames 2% (25)
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Anaheim Ducks 2% (24)
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Montreal Canadiens 2% (24)
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Buffalo Sabres 2% (23)
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Toronto Maple Leafs 2% (22)
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Minnesota Wild 2% (21)
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New York Islanders 2% (19)
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Philadelphia Flyers 1% (16)
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Los Angeles Kings 1% (14)
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Chicago Blackhawks 1% (12)
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Detroit Red Wings 1% (12)
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Florida Panthers 1% (12)
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Arizona Coyotes 1% (11)
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Ottawa Senators 1% (10)
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Vancouver Canucks 1% (9)
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Washington Capitals 1% (7)
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New Jersey Devils 1% (6)
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Tampa Bay Lightning 1% (6)
Total votes: 1,123
[Mobile users click here to vote]
Poll: Will The Edmonton Oilers Trade Jesse Puljujarvi?
Like Wayne Simmonds and Sergei Bobrovsky over the last few weeks, Jesse Puljujarvi has become the hockey world’s favorite trade chip recently as the Edmonton Oilers search for help up front. According to several reports, the Oilers are all-in for the playoffs this season and are not willing to waste another year of Connor McDavid‘s prime out of the postseason race. Puljujarvi, likely because of Ryan Rishaug of TSN’s report that the Oilers are willing to part with a “young developing forward,” has become the piece most bandied about in trade speculation.
But would the Oilers actually trade a fourth-overall pick less than three years after selecting him?
It’s important to remember that Puljujarvi, the big talented Finnish winger, was expected to go third overall behind Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine at the 2016 draft. He had just finished a professional season for Karpat in the Finnish Liiga where he recorded an impressive 37 points in 60 games as a teenager and had won both U18 and U20 World Junior Championship gold medals. In fact, Puljujarvi was named the U20 tournament MVP after leading it in scoring with an incredible 17 points in seven games. It was hard to imagine anyone passing on him at #3, but the Columbus Blue Jackets did just that.
Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen was roasted on draft night for selecting Pierre-Luc Dubois instead, opting to go after who he believed was the next best center in the draft. Dubois has since become a first-line staple for the Blue Jackets and has 40 points in 45 games this season. The 20-year old center could very well crack 30 goals and is a key reason why the Blue Jackets are heading to the playoffs this year.
Puljujarvi meanwhile has stagnated in Edmonton, bouncing back and forth between the NHL and AHL and recording just 35 points through his first 128 NHL contests. Even in the AHL the big winger isn’t at a point-per-game pace expected of many top prospects.
In today’s NHL that is becoming more and more populated by fresh faces right out of junior ranks around the world, it’s easy to forget that not every player reaches his potential before the age of 21. Puljujarvi won’t hit that age threshold until this May, and still has plenty of time to develop into the dominant, puck-possessing beast he had shown on the international stage. Whether the Oilers are willing to wait is the bigger question.
With GM Peter Chiarelli desperately trying to fix things in order to get McDavid and Edmonton to the playoffs—likely in order to save his own job as much as anything—the idea of trading Puljujarvi no longer strikes as unbelievable. Still, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet said on radio recently that the Oilers first-round pick might actually be the better trade chip at this point, given it could potentially be a lottery pick in the 2019 draft. It would be tough for the Oilers to accept that Puljujarvi brings back less than a draft pick regardless of how high, which may lead to them holding onto their young prospect and hoping his play rebounds.
Where do you think Chiarelli will land as the deadline approaches? Will Puljujarvi be dealt for an immediate upgrade? Or do the Oilers have enough other assets to improve the club for a 2019 playoff run?
Will the Oilers trade Jesse Puljujarvi?
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Yes, and they should. 36% (521)
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Yes, but they shouldn't. 34% (488)
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No, and they shouldn't. 22% (318)
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No, but they should. 8% (116)
Total votes: 1,443
[Mobile users click here to vote]
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Poll: Where Will Sergei Bobrovsky Finish The Season?
It seems every day there is a new name dominating the headlines around the NHL as we approach the February 25th trade deadline, and today that name is Sergei Bobrovsky. The veteran goaltender will not dress for the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight after an incident took place which “failed to meet expectations and values” of the club. Though a spokesperson for the team originally said the goaltender was expected back at practice on Friday night, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription required) did a bit more digging and found out that GM Jarmo Kekalainen will have a meeting with Bobrovsky first to determine the next step.
No matter how that meeting goes, there is a bigger question than when Bobrovsky will return to practice—will he be with the team at the end of the season? The 30-year old goaltender will become an unrestricted free agent after the 2018-19 season if he and the Blue Jackets don’t come to an extension, something that seemed extremely unlikely even before this latest incident. Now the team must decide whether they even want to keep him past the trade deadline and put him out there for a playoff run, or cash in to get whatever assets they can from a contender looking for an upgrade in net.
It’s clear that even if Bobrovsky is mired in one of the worst seasons of his career that he would still be an upgrade for many potential contenders. The two-time Vezina Trophy winner hasn’t completely lost his game and is still at an age where goaltenders can usually find success. Even his .906 save percentage is still better than names like Martin Jones, Philipp Grubauer, Jake Allen, Cam Talbot and Mike Smith, all expected to be front line starters at the beginning of the season for their respective clubs. There’s little doubt there would be some interest if Bobrovsky was made available.
The problem is that it’s not necessarily even Kekalainen’s decision. When we asked a similar question yesterday regarding pending UFA forward Wayne Simmonds, less than seven percent of votes believed he would finish the year with Philadelphia. After all, Simmonds has limited no-trade protection (names 12 teams he will not go to) and a struggling team. But Bobrovsky is a different situation not only because of the strength of the Blue Jackets, but also the full no-movement clause he holds. If he doesn’t want to go to another team there is no way the team could force it, meaning he also would have a big say in where he ended up.
So where will his season end? Does Bobrovsky get another chance to lead the Blue Jackets back to the playoffs, a place where he has traditionally struggled? Or will a contending team blame the rest of the Columbus organization for failing to win a single playoff series and acquire the veteran goaltender to take that next step in a different uniform? Cast your vote below and explain your reasoning in the comments.
Where will Sergei Bobrovsky finish the 2018-19 season?
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Columbus Blue Jackets 15% (175)
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Philadelphia Flyers 12% (140)
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St. Louis Blues 10% (116)
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Calgary Flames 9% (100)
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San Jose Sharks 7% (84)
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Colorado Avalanche 6% (68)
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Edmonton Oilers 6% (65)
-
New York Islanders 6% (63)
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Florida Panthers 4% (43)
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Toronto Maple Leafs 4% (40)
-
Chicago Blackhawks 3% (36)
-
Carolina Hurricanes 2% (28)
-
New Jersey Devils 2% (18)
-
Pittsburgh Penguins 1% (15)
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Winnipeg Jets 1% (15)
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Minnesota Wild 1% (14)
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Ottawa Senators 1% (14)
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Buffalo Sabres 1% (12)
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Vancouver Canucks 1% (12)
-
Arizona Coyotes 1% (10)
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Los Angeles Kings 1% (10)
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Boston Bruins 1% (9)
-
Washington Capitals 1% (9)
-
Detroit Red Wings 1% (8)
-
Montreal Canadiens 1% (7)
-
Dallas Stars 1% (6)
-
Anaheim Ducks 0% (5)
-
New York Rangers 0% (5)
-
Tampa Bay Lightning 0% (5)
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Vegas Golden Knights 0% (5)
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Nashville Predators 0% (2)
Total votes: 1,139
[Mobile users click here to vote]
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Poll: Will Michael Frolik Be Traded By The Deadline?
Never one to stay quiet when he believes his clients are being shortchanged, agent Allan Walsh stepped up on Twitter last night in defense of Michael Frolik. Frolik was a healthy scratch for the Calgary Flames on Saturday night in an overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks, something that clearly didn’t please his agent. Walsh suggested that sitting Frolik only devalued him as an asset, and could potentially be a ploy by head coach Bill Peters to get rid of the veteran forward:
Many people in Calgary have been reaching out asking why Michael Frolik is a healthy scratch. Keeping one of the teams most efficient and versatile forwards in the stands marginalizes and devalues a great team player. Head coach’s attempt to run a good player out of town?
Frolik for his part was extremely professional when asked about the tweets today, indicating that he just wants to help Calgary win. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been given a big opportunity to do that this season. In the games he has played outside of his injury and scratches, Frolik is averaging just 11:54 of ice time. That’s easily the lowest mark of his career, and five minutes fewer than he averaged last season even as he struggled to produce offense. He finished with just 25 points in 70 games last year, but that number actually may go down this season.
Incredibly, Frolik has just seven goals on the season and has yet to record a single assist. That from a player who has recorded at least 40 points in a season five times, and is carrying a $4.3MM cap hit through next season. That’s where it becomes tough for the Flames, who certainly don’t want that kind of money sitting the press box watching on a regular basis. Frolik is expected to get back into the lineup tonight against the San Jose Sharks, but moving forward it’s not clear if there is a real fit anymore.
The Flames added two other high profile wingers in the offseason in Elias Lindholm and James Neal, and though the latter has certainly not found his groove yet—Neal has just seven points in 38 games—the team is committed after signing him to a five-year contract. Frolik meanwhile could free up some valuable cap space if he was moved, and likely still has some value even with his depressed point production this year. The 30-year old forward is versatile enough to play various roles in an offense, and obviously has shown the ability to contribute offensively in the past.
Frolik does hold a 10-team no-trade clause, but with his agent publicly speaking out about the treatment he has received this year it may not be an issue at all for the Flames if they entertained offers. There’s no indication that GM Brad Treliving is doing that, but as the deadline approaches at the end of February the Flames are going to find themselves unable to add much for the playoffs if they don’t clear some cap space. Even past this year, the team is looking at a massive new contract for Matthew Tkachuk and a new deal for Sam Bennett without any substantial money coming off the books except Mike Smith‘s $4.25MM cap hit.
Still, it’s hard to say for sure if the Flames will move Frolik in-season. There’s something to say for having experienced options ready to step into a larger role if someone is injured, and Calgary doesn’t want to jeopardize the good position they have put themselves in halfway through the year. The team sits in first place in the Pacific Division, but have several teams breathing down their necks to dethrone them at a moment’s notice.
So do you think they will move him before the deadline? Should they even be considering it? Cast your vote below, and explain your thoughts in the comment section.
Will the Calgary Flames trade Michael Frolik by the deadline?
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Yes, and they should. 47% (171)
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No, and they shouldn't. 23% (83)
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Yes, but they shouldn't. 19% (68)
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No, but they should. 11% (41)
Total votes: 363
[Mobile users click here to vote.]
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Poll: What Does Your Team Need For Christmas?
The holiday season is a time to give gifts to show how much you appreciate others, but hungry front offices around the NHL have already begun to think about what they want to receive instead. What exactly does your team need the most this year? We’ve asked this same question for the last two years, and gotten very different answers.
2016 was the year of the top-four defenseman, with Kevin Shattenkirk dominating headlines as one of the top targets. Shattenkirk was eventually dealt to the Washington Capitals in a deal that certainly didn’t turn out as well as they hoped. The Capitals would be knocked out of the playoffs once again, and the offensive defenseman would hit unrestricted free agency only to sign with a division rival.
In 2017 readers were more focused on a scoring winger, with Evander Kane the big prize that everyone was discussing. Kane would eventually find his way to the San Jose Sharks, who liked him so much that they handed him a seven-year $49MM extension just a few months later. That extension cost them a conditional draft pick as well, but Kane seemed to fit in beautifully with the Sharks down the stretch. Though he’s still been fine for the team, a pace of 23 goals and 49 points isn’t exactly what the Sharks were hoping for out of their $7MM man.
This season’s trade deadline is shaping up to have even more talent available than previous years, and teams could very well acquire a game-changing player at any position. So if your team had a chance to pick up a piece in early January for a run at the playoffs, or to solidify their status as a Cup contender, what would it be? Cast your vote below and be sure to leave a comment explaining your decision.
What does your team need for Christmas?
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Top 4 Defenseman (i.e. Alex Pietrangelo, Jake Muzzin) 32% (330)
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Scoring Winger (i.e. Artemi Panarin, Mark Stone) 28% (283)
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Draft Picks (It's over folks) 18% (181)
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Top 6 Center (i.e. Kevin Hayes, Matt Duchene) 10% (105)
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Starting Goaltender (i.e. Sergei Bobrovsky, Jonathan Quick) 8% (85)
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Other (Explain in comments) 4% (37)
Total votes: 1,021
[Mobile users click here to vote]
Poll: Who Will Be The Biggest Seller?
The NHL holiday transaction freeze starts in just a few days, and already we’ve heard rumblings from several teams around the league that are in dire need of shake up. The St. Louis Blues seem to be on the minds of nearly every broadcaster in North America, with markets wondering how Alex Pietrangelo, Vladimir Tarasenko or Colton Parayko would look in some new colors.
While none of those three may eventually get moved, the Blues are one of the teams worth monitoring as we move through the holiday season and approach the 2019 trade deadline. Very little has gone right this season for St. Louis, and even after their recent two-game winning streak the team still sits in sixth place in the Central Division. The only team behind them, the Chicago Blackhawks, are another team looking to change their fortunes at some point. On a 1-8-1 streak, the Blackhawks now sit last in the entire NHL with a -32 goal differential and are right in the thick of the draft lottery race for star prospect Jack Hughes. Chicago doesn’t have a lot of assets that aren’t locked into seemingly unmovable contracts, but could try to really change their culture by moving out one of their core Cup-winning faces.
The Los Angeles Kings, another team soaring towards the first-overall pick, have been in the news lately because of Jeff Carter. Their second-line center doesn’t hold any trade protection in his contract, but has another type of armor to help decide where he could be traded to. Carter could potentially use retirement as a weapon against both the acquiring team and the Kings, given that it would cause a cap recapture penalty against Los Angeles. There’s little chance that the team wouldn’t work with him to find a soft landing spot, but even then there may be several complications in a trade.
That takes us to the Eastern Conference, where the Ottawa Senators are starting to slide closer to where many believed they would finish the season. After a stronger than expected start, the Senators now carry a -20 goal differential and sit just two points ahead of the Florida Panthers for last place in the Atlantic Division, despite having played three additional games. Ottawa is perhaps the most interesting team to watch in the entire league as the deadline approaches, given the pending unrestricted free agent status of both Matt Duchene and Mark Stone. The Senators, who owe their top pick to the Colorado Avalanche this June, would love to get back into the first round somehow to help their rebuild continue.
Then there is Philadelphia, who is considering a coaching change after bringing in a new GM and could make several moves to alter the direction of the organization. Chuck Fletcher has been rumored interested in making trades before the freeze kicks in on Wednesday, but with just a few days left that could have to wait. The Flyers too have an unrestricted free agent in Wayne Simmonds, and a potential glut of young offensive-minded defensemen who could help many teams around the league.
So who will put up the “For Sale” sign first and start uprooting their foundation? Who will be first on the phone when the trade freeze lifts? Where will playoff-hungry executives show up to try and make a deal?
Cast your vote below for who you think will be the biggest seller of the season, and leave a comment to explain your choice.
Which team will be the biggest seller this season?
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St. Louis Blues 31% (379)
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Los Angeles Kings 22% (268)
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Philadelphia Flyers 14% (175)
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Chicago Blackhawks 12% (146)
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New York Rangers 7% (87)
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Ottawa Senators 6% (74)
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Detroit Red Wings 5% (58)
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New Jersey Devils 1% (17)
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Vancouver Canucks 1% (12)
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Other (specify in comments) 1% (8)
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Florida Panthers 1% (8)
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Dallas Stars 0% (6)
Total votes: 1,238
[Mobile users click here to vote.]
Poll: Which Defenseman Is Most Likely Traded This Season?
The NHL holiday transaction freeze is just a few days away, and while there is an increased level of chatter among league front offices in comparison to recent years, there’s no guarantee any blockbuster trades are made. Those could very well wait for after the freeze is lifted at the end of December, and in the following two months before the 2019 trade deadline.
Like every year, contenders are looking for defense. Teams like Toronto and Edmonton led by superstar forwards, could use an upgrade in their own end. Unlike most years though, there may be several high-end defensemen available. What is usually an extreme shortage may actually be in ripe supply this year, and Colton Parayko could be the crown jewel. Parayko leads Frank Seravalli’s latest Trade Bait board for TSN, despite much of the speculation around St. Louis focusing on Alex Pietrangelo instead.
Parayko is an obvious target if he is truly available, given his age and immense upside. Everyone who watches the 6’6″ defenseman play can see what a monster he could become if he puts everything together, and at just 25 years of age there is plenty of time for that to happen. The right-handed Parayko has 111 points through 271 games in his career, but likely has even more offensive ability to show in the right situation. That also means he would cost a boatload from any acquiring team, especially given that he’s under contract through 2021-22 at a reasonable $5.5MM per season.
It’s the depth of potentially available defensemen that is so striking though, as Los Angeles Kings duo Alec Martinez and Jake Muzzin both find themselves on Seravalli’s list along with Brett Pesce and Justin Faulk, two right-handed options from Carolina. Those three teams—St. Louis, Los Angeles and Carolina—could create quite a market for desperate buyers, but also could drive each other’s prices down because of heavy supply.
There’s obviously going to be some moves before the trade deadline later in the season, but which high-end defenseman is most likely to be traded? Who will be first? Cast your vote and leave a comment down below detailing who you think will step up and pay the price.
Which defenseman is most likely to be traded in 2018-19?
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Alex Pietrangelo 24% (274)
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Jake Muzzin 22% (255)
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Justin Faulk 18% (213)
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Colton Parayko 11% (131)
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Alec Martinez 10% (121)
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None of the above 10% (116)
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Brett Pesce 4% (45)
Total votes: 1,155
[Mobile users click here to vote]
2006 NHL Draft Take Two: Thirtieth Overall Pick
Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.” Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended. For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.
Our look back at the 2006 NHL Entry Draft is now in full swing as we poll the PHR community to see who would have been selected in the first round and in what order knowing what we know now. Throughout this first round, we’ve seen potential Hall of Fame players switch teams, and multiple captains move up and down the draft board.
Here are the results of the redraft so far:
1st Overall: Jonathan Toews (St. Louis Blues)
2nd Overall: Claude Giroux (Pittsburgh Penguins)
3rd Overall: Nicklas Backstrom (Chicago Blackhawks)
4th Overall: Brad Marchand (Washington Capitals)
5th Overall: Phil Kessel (Boston Bruins)
6th Overall: Jordan Staal (Columbus Blue Jackets)
7th Overall: Milan Lucic (New York Islanders)
8th Overall: Kyle Okposo (Phoenix Coyotes)
9th Overall: Erik Johnson (Minnesota Wild)
10th Overall: Derick Brassard (Florida Panthers)
11th Overall: Bryan Little (Los Angeles Kings)
12th Overall: Nick Foligno (Atlanta Thrashers)
13th Overall: Semyon Varlamov (Toronto Maple Leafs)
14th Overall: Artem Anisimov (Vancouver Canucks)
15th Overall: Michael Grabner (Tampa Bay Lightning)
16th Overall: Patrik Berglund (San Jose Sharks)
17th Overall: Jeff Petry (Los Angeles Kings)
18th Overall: Jonathan Bernier (Colorado Avalanche)
19th Overall: Mathieu Perreault (Anaheim Ducks)
20th Overall: Michael Frolik (Montreal Canadiens)
21st Overall: Cal Clutterbuck (New York Rangers)
22nd Overall: James Reimer (Philadelphia Flyers)
23rd Overall: Leo Komarov (Washington Capitals)
24th Overall: Steve Mason (Buffalo Sabres)
25th Overall: Michal Neuvirth (St. Louis Blues)
26th Overall: Chris Stewart (Calgary Flames)
27th Overall: Andrew MacDonald (Dallas Stars)
28th Overall: Viktor Stalberg (Ottawa Senators)
29th Overall: Nikolay Kulemin (Phoenix Coyotes)
After being originally selected in the middle of the second round (44th overall to Toronto), Kulemin jumps to the bottom of the first round in our redraft and is the second straight player originally drafted by the Maple Leafs to come off the board.
Kulemin spent two post-draft seasons back home in Russia, playing with Magnitogorsk of the RSL (now the KHL) before crossing the pond in 2008. He made an immediate impact with Toronto, cracking their lineup as a 20-year-old and tallying a respectable 31 points in 73 games in his rookie season.
While his numbers were largely the same in his sophomore campaign, he became one of their top scorers in 2009-10, tallying 30 goals along with 27 assists (numbers that remain his career high), providing the team with exceptional value in the first season of his two-year bridge deal. His second season wasn’t anywhere near as productive though as his point total was cut in half and as a result, Toronto opted to again give him a short-term deal that only covered his remaining RFA years instead of locking him up long-term. That turned out to be a prudent decision.
Following another stint in Russia during the lockout in 2012-13, Kulemin’s numbers rebounded slightly that season as he approached the half a point per game mark. Unfortunately for Toronto, he struggled the following season, posting just 20 points and ending any thought of another contract with them in the process.
Despite his drop off in production, the Islanders surprisingly stepped up with a four-year, $16.75MM contract that didn’t make a lot of sense at the time and didn’t work out as well as they hoped. While he had a decent run over the first three seasons (averaging just over 25 points per year in that span), that’s not a good return for that cap hit. Last season was even rougher for him as he missed 69 games due to injuries including the final 67 games due to shoulder troubles.
Not surprisingly, that didn’t help his case for another contract in the NHL but he was able to land a three-year deal with Magnitogorsk and he’s off to a good start there with 10 goals through 25 games. Considering he’ll be entering his age-35 season when that deal expires, there’s a good chance that he’s played his final NHL game.
While Kulemin never really became an impact scorer in the NHL aside from his third year in Toronto, he still carved out a nice career for himself. He sits 14th in games played among players from this draft class and 16th in points, not bad for a player picked in the middle of the second round.
We now move to the thirtieth and final pick of the round which was held by the New Jersey Devils. They opted for a physical, stay-at-home defenseman in Matt Corrente, a pick that didn’t pan out too well. He played in 34 games with the Devils before bouncing around the minor leagues. He retired following the 2015-16 season where he spent some time in the ECHL. They’re clearly going to wind up with a better player in this draft than Corrente but who should they pick? Have your say by voting in the poll below.
2006 Redraft: 30th Overall
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Jamie McGinn 23% (121)
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Derek Dorsett 21% (109)
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Jiri Tlusty 14% (71)
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Matt Beleskey 13% (70)
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Trevor Lewis 13% (69)
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Peter Mueller 8% (42)
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Shawn Matthias 7% (39)
Total votes: 521
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