Here is a rundown of the original content at PHR over the past week.
Group VI free agency doesn’t typically get much attention but one of the things to watch for down the stretch each season is which players can still avoid it and whether or not those teams bring those players up to retain their rights. I took a look at the four players that could still avoid hitting the open market although those situations could change depending on what happens with the schedule in the weeks to come.
Gavin held his weekly Thursday chat in the immediate aftermath of the suspension of the schedule. Topics included the annual awards, college free agency, minor league postponements, and more.
Our Stretch Run Storylines series kicked off as we look at the Central Division. I examined what to watch for in St. Louis where the defending Stanley Cup champions could be a team to watch for if play resumes. Vladimir Tarasenko’s return should bolster an already strong and deep attack while they possess arguably the top pending unrestricted free agent in Alex Pietrangelo as well who could be too expensive for them to keep.
The NCAA announced this past week that they would extend eligibility for those playing spring sports and added that they would discuss the issue for those (including hockey players) that weren’t able to complete their conference and NCAA championships. Zach broke down how that could potentially be accomplished as well as forecasting what the field for the NCAA tournament could have looked like.
Every year, there are trades that contain conditional elements for a draft pick to be transferred over. These can often pertain to games played although there has also been the odd one also is based on the production of a player with his new team. Some of those are still in flux; Gavin assessed those and how the potential return of regular season contests could make or break those conditions.
Part two of our mailbag is now available. Topics I tackled in this one included Henrik Lundqvist’s future with the Rangers now that he’s the clear-cut third option, Kyle Dubas’ tenure as the GM with Toronto, a projection for Philadelphia in the playoffs, and more.