The Stanley Cup could be awarded this evening and the offseason is already in full swing around the NHL. We’re just a few weeks away from the Seattle Kraken selecting their expansion roster and the 2021 draft class finding out which team will choose them. Free agency will soon follow and teams will start preparing for the 2021-22 season, which is just a few months away thanks to the altered sports calendar.
With that in mind, it’s time to run another edition of the PHR Mailbag. If you missed the last one, it was broken into two pieces. In the first part, Brian La Rose gave his thoughts on Philadelphia’s defense corps, the future of Jack Eichel and Rasmus Ristolainen in Buffalo, and whether or not the Maple Leafs made a mistake when they installed Kyle Dubas as general manager. In the second, he suggested some teams that may need to complete a side deal with the Kraken, examined some interesting free agent targets, and gave his thoughts on the Dougie Hamilton market.
You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter or by leaving a comment down below.
You’re Don Sweeney. Are you exposing Jake DeBrusk and taking the cap relief, trading him at his lowest value, or making him your reclamation project?
I’m seeing some movement of players going overseas to continue their careers despite NHL expansion. Do you think we will see more players go to the KHL/SHL/Swiss/etc., and if so who?
Crystal Ball time: Where will Ek-Lar & Kessel end up – and what’s Adin Hill’s future hold? Bonus question: who will be Nashville’s backup goalie – and what is Connor Ingram’s status? Thanks!
Crystal Ball #2: is Ron Francis’ intent in Seattle to emulate VGK and win now, or to put together a team that’ll contend 2-3 years from now?
Will playoff teams be required to be cap compliant after the Tampa Bay Lightning kept Kucherov on LTIR?
If not I can see this becoming a circumvention of the cap for playoff bound teams. Our player is ‘cough cough’ injured still and needs more practice time.
How active and/or successful do you think Francis will be during the free agency period?
. . . to clarify, I mean the FA window between the 17th and 21st?
It sounds like almost all draft prospects plan to return to their current teams next year. Are there any notable players who would possibly try the NHL or AHL next year? Also, how much of this is COVID-19 related, as this certainly seems higher than normal?
Thank you for fielding questions! My head scratcher is this…. What 2021 draft eligible prospect will make the biggest leap/splash in this years draft? Like Sider jumping to #6 2 years ago. Conversely, what player do you think will drop the most? Maybe Caufield as an example (he has had the last laugh this playoff run, hasn’t he? #nhlerstud)
Do the devils add anything of significance this season ? A lot of fans say wait till the kids are ready but the kids have actually played the last two seasons and they haven’t been good or people say wait till Jack and Nico are ready, but they won’t do without the right players them, so they add anything of value ?
What happens with Evander Kane? It sounds like he is wearing out his welcome in San Jose (what happened?). That would be his third team, so what would his market be and what is the real issue?
Heh, we all know what happened: Kane’s a headcase and chronic malcontent. :)
What center is out there, besides Eichel,that the Rangers could try to trade for. Hertl, Dvorak, Horvath or someone similar?
Assuming we are to believe Doug Wilson’s saying the Sharks are re-tooling and not re-building, are there any free agent goalkeepers that make sense in San Jose (given a potential buyout for Martin Jones and their cap situation)?
Who is the most likely buyout candidate?
Heh, you mean the most likely one not named deAngelo …
Who would be the most realistic player going to Seattle? Oshie? Tyler Johnson?
Any chance Buffalo doesn’t go Owen Power?
Who is a better trade target for the kings Jack eichel or Vladimir Tarasenko?
Reinhart. Less $ less damage.
Here’s the fun part as a Sabres fan. Reinhart is the better team player. His numbers keep getting better, fully healthy and he has very good character. Out of all the big names to be leaving he would be missed most.
Could the Canadiens be a destination for Kuznetsov? What would the return look like?
What’s the most realistic scenario in offseason trades / free agency that puts the Blackhawks in the playoffs next year?
Can Vegas really afford to keep this goalie tandem? There seems to be no interest in moving either of them, but they could badly use the cap space. Not that this helps them with the cap, but if Vegas doesn’t trade an NHL goalie, could Logan Thompson be moved for a young skater?
What scoring forward do you think the Preds will go after this summer or have a realistic chance of getting?
What would it take for the Panthers to get rid of Bobrovsky? Or more realistically Yandle?
Peter Chiarelli getting hired by another team.
@ red wings — Panthers’ management with incriminating video of another team’s GM and a goat.
MacKinnon has publicly stated he would take a “cheaper” deal again next time he is up. At that point in his career, and the mvp caliber status/production, what is his market value? What kind of “lesser” deal is he willing to sign?
Will it make a difference whether or not Colorado wins a cup between now and then?