We’re coming up on the NHL All-Star break and a few days past the halfway point of the schedule. Jakob Chychrun and John Klingberg are squarely in the rumor mill, as the Coyotes and Stars try to squeeze the most value out of their departing defensemen. Evander Kane’s situation is still up in the air, and players from around the world are departing for the Olympics.
With all 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 parts. In the first, our Brian La Rose examined the Philadelphia Flyers situation right as they fired Alain Vigneault, wrote about the Kane situation before his minor league incident, and took a look at the disappointing Winnipeg Jets campaign. In the second, he projected out future point totals for players like Matty Beniers and Cole Perfetti, looked at J.T. Miller as a trade candidate, and discussed the struggles for many of the Canadian teams this year.
You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter or by leaving a comment down below. The mailbag will run on the weekend and answer as many questions as possible.
Realistic opportunity for the Kings to add an impact defenseman? What would a kings package for chychrun look like?
What can the Devils realistically do to make their goaltending situation better? Blackwood is clearly not the answer here and Bernier is done for the year and there are rumors he may be done for his career. So who can we go after to end this hamster wheel of mediocrity?
with the rangers exceeding expectations for the season and likes of kreider,fox,shesty and panarin at the top of their games, what does Chris Drury do at the trade deadline? add rentals or add players with term knowing that more key players need resigning within the next couple of years.
Should Arizona stand pat with Chychrun since he’s playing like a pile of hot garbage right now (considering his success last year) and maybe look to move him when his stock is back where it belongs?
Realistically, what can the Bruins do? They have a lot of talent but they also have glaring needs at C, LD and RW. Besides draft picks, they don’t have many cheap, young assets to trade (unless they’re willing to move Swayman). Studnicka and Vaakanainen are okay prospects but not exciting. DeBrusk is overpaid and underperforming. Frederic is a former 1st rounder but he’s bottom 6 only. It will be tough for the Bruins to make a competitive offer for any of the big names that may be out there (Chychrun, Hertl, JT Miller) given their lack of assets. If they were lucky enough to acquire one of the bigger fish they would have nothing left to fill their other needs.
as a Bruins fan, I feel your pain and skepticism. outside of a top 4 LD I don’t see them making a huge push to address the fwd situation other than peripheral tweaks… unless they get something falling into thier laps. either that or a swap of bad contracts.
would would realistic returns look like for certain Flyers players? Claude? Braun? Martin Jones? Maybe Provy?
I’d throw in JVR and Ristolainen too.
What have the Kraken done to win three out of four games as I type this message?
Man the title of this mailbag should be called “Keeping It Real”
Should the Oilers trade one of McDavid or Draisaitl in an attempt to build a more complete team. And what could the return look like?
Oh, Mighty Crystal Ball: Do CBJ re-sign Patrik Laine or is he a Trade Deadline surprise? Are UPL’s days in the minors over? Does Rasmus Sandin ever take the reigns from Morgan Reilly or is he forever a Tier-2 or -3 scoring D-man? And lastly, will Filip Zadina become a bona fide Top-6 scorer (or perhaps get traded to become one)? As always, much thanks for the foreseeing…
Crystal ball, I’ll add two more to the list, Alex Nylander is doing well in Scranton, does he finally decide to make his own name (become a top 6 scorer) or just play on his family name? Cody Glass is having a decent AHL season, does he mature into a top 6 option?
Two more: updated scouting/projections for Alex Turcotte and Brandt Clarke?
If done over again Zegras was the better prospect vs Turcotte?
is there a chance chat the Red Wings are interested in Klingberg ? Staal, Leddy, DeKeyser all could be gone next year. Hronek slipping on the depth chart. Might be a good pick-up. They have draft picks stockpiled. Thoughts ??
How do you feel about the new lines employed by the leafs (I call it the Spread Offense)
As the trade deadline gets closer and closer give me your thoughts on who the Blue Jackets will move, or better yet tell what per cent chance the likes of Korpisalo. Domi and Laine have of being moved? Might there be a surprise player in Columbus on the move? The Jackets have scored two goals or less in 5 of their last 6 games. The offense is sputtering and Perry Como sang with more energy than the Blue jackets have been playing with. Might the club re-think their efforts to try to tread water during their rebuild and just tear the whole thing down?
Hmm, they had enough energy to beat NYR the other night. It appears some of their players wish to perform, but was it for the BJ’s or the scouts in the arena?
Do you think the B’s could package that 3 horrible first round picks DeBrusk, Senyshyn, and Zboril for a guy like JT Miller or someone similar to him or would they have to add picks or Vaakanainen to any deals
Do you see the Islanders making any moves to strengthen the team or will they be sellers?
It would seem that the Flyers will move Giroux at the deadline, so what teams do you see being interested in him and what will the asking price look like?
Does the Red Wings’ best QUALITY option at 2C for 2022-23+ already play on the team? If not, how does the team add a non-rental piece that can contribute quickly enough not to waste Bertuzzi, Larkin, Fabbri, and Vrana’s time with the organization?