PHR Mailbag

The first mailbag for the month of April takes a look at several Metropolitan Division squads, impact college signings, and an intriguing hypothetical for the Golden Knights.

FortArnold: What’s your take on Dave Hakstol? I think most Flyers fans are unhappy with him. He did give Couturier a chance to excel as the team’s top center. Giroux moving left wing has worked out but I would chalk up his health as a major reason for the resurgence as well. Gostisbehere recovered from the same surgery with a similar trajectory. Beyond that, it seems like he slows their young players’ progression in favor of inept veterans. The team struggles against inferior teams and he as a coach seems to lack the ability to shift the momentum of a game like a Laviolette. Special teams are inept which doesn’t completely fall on him but still is an issue. Heck, North Dakota didn’t win a championship until after he left.

Philadelphia’s tendency to go on a long winning streak and follow that up with a long losing stretch (or vice versa) has been rather befuddling.  It’s fair to put some of that blame on Hakstol as most teams don’t do that and the Flyers do with some regularity.

However, I don’t think he has done a particularly poor job overall.  While he may prefer veterans more than some fans would like, the same could be said for a lot of coaches around the league.  Most coaches are cautious by nature and will opt to go with the safer (veteran) option more often than not.

That said, he has done well integrating a lot of young players into the lineup pretty quickly.  This is a team that has seven of their top 11 scorers aged 25 or younger while players like Ivan Provorov, Shayne Gostisbehere, and Travis Konecny are making big impacts early in their careers.  Nolan Patrick has even been allowed to develop at a nice, gradual pace which is a luxury that isn’t often afforded to top picks.  I suspect the Flyers will reap the benefits of that next season.

Ron Hextall as a manager appears to be quite patient with his team building.  He has been content to build slowly and steadily so I imagine that will be the case with Hakstol as well, especially since they’re on their way to the postseason once again.

hurricane johnny: What’s up with the Canes? Not one ELC to date. Also, with McKeown, Zykov, Foegele, and possibly Fleury being assigned to Charlotte for the Calder Cup playoffs, what do you think the chances are of them going all the way?

mikedickinson: Hurricanes GM? What the heck is going on with it? Also, and chance Tavares comes to Raleigh this summer? They’ve got the owner with deep pockets….

The 50-contract limit doesn’t get a lot of attention but this is one time of the year where it makes a difference.  The ‘Canes sit just one below the maximum which makes it difficult to offer a contract that begins this season.  That will take them out of the race for some of the more prominent college free agents.  What also doesn’t help is not having a general manager – who has the authority to make a roster move right now?  Don Waddell (or even Ron Francis) may like a prospect but the eventual new GM may not so I’m not too surprised they’re inactive at this point in the UDFA market.  As for the Checkers, they’ll get reinforcements but Lehigh Valley (their likely first opponent) is going to be a tough out, especially with Anthony Stolarz now back in goal.

As for their GM search, things have quieted down for now and that’s not necessarily a bad thing (other than possibly hamstringing them in the prospect free agent market at the moment).  With so many of the candidates publicly withdrawing, Thomas Dundon needs to rethink his strategy.  Obviously, there is something that the people being interviewed aren’t liking so Dundon needs to decide if he wants to change what’s being offered (in terms of role, decision-making authority, salary, etc).  I’m sure Carolina will make a run at John Tavares but there are other teams that have deep pockets and plenty of cap room as well.  Leaving the Islanders (a fringe playoff team) for the Hurricanes (another fringe team) doesn’t seem like too likely of a move at this time, however.

Connorsoxfan: Could Vegas pull off getting Karlsson and Tavares if they aren’t forced to take on Bobby Ryan?

With the salary cap expected to jump a bit next year and the fact that players like James Neal and Mikhail Grabovski ($5MM each) are off the books, they could make it work financially.  However, I don’t think Vegas gets Erik Karlsson without taking on Ryan’s contract.

The Golden Knights don’t have the deepest of systems thanks to this being just their first year in the league.  Not having a first or third-rounder this season won’t help that either.  That’s why Ryan’s inclusion was very important to Ottawa from their talks back in February.  They wouldn’t get the prospect capital in return that they could have got from other teams but getting Ryan’s contract off the books would have at least freed up some other possibilities.

As for Tavares and Vegas, I don’t think that idea has gotten enough attention; they haven’t been among the teams bandied about as possible destinations if he decides to go elsewhere.  If they have a good run in the postseason, they’re going to be an attractive option for a lot of free agents and that would certainly catch the eye of Tavares.

@twin1todd: Who is the college post-tournament player that will make the biggest impact for their team getting to the playoffs?

Right now, it’s hard not to pick Ryan Donato in Boston.  Not only has he held his own, he has thrived so far.  They’re a pretty deep team up front and for him to step into a top-six role and not miss a beat is quite impressive.  Even when they get all of their players back, it’s hard to see him really falling out of the top-nine for the postseason.  I can’t see him maintaining a point-per-game pace like he is through his first seven regular season contests but he should still play an important role.

If Anaheim can hold onto a playoff spot, I could see Troy Terry playing a regular role for the Ducks in the postseason, though it may be more of a depth one.  He has produced in big games before so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him be a factor at some point.  Adding him and Jason Chimera (back at the deadline) gives them a much-improved speed element which should come in handy in the postseason.

Walter T: NYR have four RFA forwards in Hayes, Namestnikov, Spooner and Vesey. Who do you think they sign long-term and do you see them trading any of them? Thanks.

Considering the way Vladislav Namestnikov was playing when he came over from Tampa Bay, I’d have called him a lock for a long-term deal this summer.  However, he hasn’t played all that well in New York which complicates things a little bit.  If they’re not sold on him rebounding to his form with the Lightning next season, I could see them looking at a one-year deal for him.  If, however, they believe this drop is just a blip and that he’ll be fine with a full offseason and training camp under his belt, then he’s the most likely of the group to sign a lengthy deal.

Kevin Hayes has been a fairly steady middle-six player for the past several years and should earn a nice raise on his $2.6MM salary this season.  The question becomes, is he a core player, or just a nice middle-six fit?  If it’s the latter, signing players like that to long-term, big money contracts are the types of deals that can come back to haunt teams down the road.  I don’t think they’ll go year-to-year with him but he’s not getting a contract of six or more years either.  Three or four, a term that buys out a bit of UFA time while keeping the cap hit reasonable, seems like the way to go.

It’s a similar question for Ryan Spooner although his track record is a little more erratic.  I don’t think a six-week stretch is enough to make him part of the core so, like Hayes, a deal that buys out a year or two of UFA rights is about as far as I think GM Jeff Gorton would go.  Spooner is only a year away from UFA eligibility so a two or three-year pact may be the end result.  As for Jimmy Vesey, players in his role aren’t ones teams should be signing to big contracts.  The true ‘bridge deal’ isn’t really available since he’s only two years away from UFA eligibility but I think they’d like to give him one more year before deciding whether or not he’s worth committing to long-term or if he’s more of an expendable player.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

It’s that time again folks, the #PHRMailbag is taking questions. The mailbag will be released this weekend with our very own Brian La Rose answering those burning queries like always. Have a question about playoff seeding? What about the NCAA tournament? Which draft-eligible prospect will surprise, and which will disappoint?

Make sure to submit your questions on Twitter using the hashtag #PHRMailbag, or leave them in the comment section down below. Though Brian may not be able to answer every single one, our other readers may chime in with their thoughts.

You can read our last mailbag right here, where Brian touches on several topics including Evander Kane, Jacob Trouba and the future for Alain Vigneault. You can also click the tag at the bottom of the article for past mailbags, or use this link.

This edition of the PHR Mailbag takes a look at some impending free agents, early draft projections, a discussion on Alain Vigneault’s future with the Rangers, plus what might be on tap for the Blues this summer.

mz90gu: Do you think Kane re-signs with the Sharks?  If so what kind of contract to expect?

Evander Kane is certainly off to a nice start in San Jose although to be fair, a four-goal game does skew the numbers a little bit.  He’s a nice fit for them in terms of his playing style and the Sharks certainly have the payroll room to bring him back.  However, I don’t think he would priority number one for them.

With Joe Thornton’s contract expiring and the fact he’s nearing retirement, San Jose’s top priority is probably going to be adding some help down the middle.  They’re probably going to be in on any top-six center that hits the open market and locking in some long-term stability there is going to be ahead of bringing Kane back (although if he’s willing to be patient in free agency for a little bit, they could easily accomplish both).

His next contract is certainly going to be really interesting.  Young players that are power forwards don’t become available very often so if one was to look at that alone, it could be suggested that he could easily surpass the $5.25MM he’s making now.  However, given the lack of trade interest he had throughout the season, I think some teams may shy away which could make his market considerably less robust.  A short-term deal to rebuild some value (and prove that the off-ice distractions are behind him) could be a way to go and that might come in around a $6MM AAV.  If he gets a long-term deal though, the cap hit may come in a little bit cheaper than that.

@folcaraj: Anything on Jacob Trouba? Will he sign or be dealt?

Trouba’s situation back in 2016 was a fascinating one to follow and I think this one could be even more intriguing from a distance.  Heading into this season, many expected that he would have a career year and really dominate.  That just hasn’t happened and his injuries don’t help either.

I don’t think Winnipeg has much appetite to move him.  Tyler Myers is a UFA after next season and his potential departure provides the top-four role on the right side that Trouba is said to prefer (compared to playing on his off-side).  If their plan is to funnel the savings from Myers’ expiring contract towards re-signing the likes of Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor (both restricted free agents next summer), they’ll want to keep Trouba as their insurance policy at the very least.

It’s often at this point on the service time clock that we really start to see talk of a long-term deal rather than opening up the option to go two years through arbitration and then onto unrestricted free agency.  While I believe the Jets would like to go long-term, their offers are going to be based in large part off of this season so there is likely to be a large gap to bridge once again.  At this stage, my prediction would be that Trouba files for arbitration, Winnipeg elects the one-year term, and then they try to work out a one-year pact for next season.  That will buy them more time to get the long-term deal done or if they’re so far apart on money, then they will have the time to find the right trade for him in the summer of 2019.

acarneglia: Are Alain Vigneault’s days numbered in New York? Who could be his replacement?

I generally am not a fan of suggesting that teams stick it out with coaches that are struggling and I’m actually pleased that teams have been more patient with their bench bosses this year with no in-season firings.  However, having said that, I would not be surprised if this is it for him.  Unless ownership feels his salary ($4MM next year and $4.25MM in 2019-20) is too high to pay for him not to coach, the time may be right for a change.

With the Rangers heading squarely into a rebuild, having a head coach who is used to working with veteran teams and pushing for contention may not be the best idea.  That would seem to take current assistant Lindy Ruff out of the running.  If their plan is to develop their younger players, their coach should be someone with experience in that regard.  Accordingly, I’d be looking to the AHL level for a potential replacement.

As for who those options could be, Sheldon Keefe in Toronto is going to probably draw some attention.  Dallas Eakins (San Diego) didn’t have a good run in Edmonton but he’s far from the only coach who struggled with the Oilers and his reputation is that of being someone who can develop prospects.  Keith McCambridge (the Rangers’ AHL bench boss) would probably be considered as well.  In terms of assistant coaches in the NHL that could get a look, I’d toss out Davis Payne (Buffalo) and Kevin Dineen (Chicago) as options – both have NHL experience but also have coached with some success at the minor league level in the past.

rowdelicious: Who do you think are the best defense prospects in this year’s draft and where are they ranked in the draft?

MrMet19: What could the top 10 in this year’s draft look like, and how many players selected early could make an immediate NHL impact?

Blueliner Rasmus Dahlin is the prize prospect of this draft class and is widely expected to go first overall.  He has drawn early comparisons to Ottawa’s Erik Karlsson and is believed to be a true franchise player.  As for others that could go early, Adam Boqvist may wind up going in the five to eight range while Noah Dobson, Evan Bouchard, and the undersized but highly skilled Quinn Hughes should go towards the back of the top-ten or before the teens.  All in all, it’s a nice top end of the draft for teams looking for help on the back end.

In terms of slotting an early top-ten, Dahlin will go first with scoring wingers Filip Zadina and Andrei Svechnikov going second and third (though they could easily be flipped).  Wingers Brady Tkachuk and Oliver Wahlstrom along with Boqvist make up the next tier that should go in the four-to-six range.  After that, the other three defensemen should slot in fairly quickly and with this being a poor draft for centers and the number of teams in dire need of help down the middle, I wouldn’t be shocked if someone reached for Joe Veleno by a few spots either to round out a top-ten.  Lots can change between now and then though as the playoffs at all the junior and college levels approach.

Paul Heyman: Do the Blues buy out Bouwmeester this summer along with maybe some others and maybe try to either sign Stastny again or go after maybe Tavares and some other big names?

The hip injury to Jay Bouwmeester will make it pretty much impossible for St. Louis to buy him out.  The four-to-six month timeline for recovery will make it that he will be injured through the main buyout window in June and injured players cannot be bought out.  A lesser-known second window opens up if a team has multiple arbitration filings but even if the Blues were to have multiple players file, the hearings only run through early August.  Unless Bouwmeester gets the green light before then, he still cannot be bought out.  Even if St. Louis was to try it, it feels like it would be something that Bouwmeester and the NHLPA would try to grieve and they’d probably have a pretty good case.

I could see them trying to bring Paul Stastny back this offseason.  He’s not a true number one center anymore but there’s no denying he was still a quality player for them before he was dealt to Winnipeg.  I expect John Tavares will be their preferred target but with over $61MM committed already for next season, I’m not sure they’ll have the money to sign him, re-sign Joel Edmundson while filling out the rest of the roster, and stay under the salary cap.  Stastny isn’t on his level but he’d certainly be a nice consolation prize for St. Louis or for whoever winds up getting him.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

The trade deadline has come and gone and not surprisingly, some of the big moves (and non-moves) dominated the questions for this mailbag.

acarneglia: What is your reaction to the Ryan McDonagh trade? On the surface, who was the winner and did the Rangers get a good enough return to justify trading their top D-Man and one of their best young players?

Pawtucket: Why would NYR trade Miller (RFA) for Namestnikov (RFA), when Miller is proven to be versatile on any line and has been a product of the Rangers for many years?

Not surprisingly, the Ryan McDonagh trade to Tampa Bay was the hot topic of the week so let’s lead off with that and look at it from a couple of angles.  For starters, I think New York did better here than some are giving them credit for.  The inclusion of Vladislav Namestnikov and J.T. Miller (more on them in a moment) is relatively even so in essence, the Rangers picked up a guaranteed first, a guaranteed second that could become a first, plus a pair of good (not great) prospects for a year and a quarter of McDonagh.  That’s far from terrible.

I can understand some disappointment from the perspective that there isn’t a real blue-chip piece in that group and they’re unlikely to get one from the draft picks.  Given the lack of top prospects that moved at the deadline though, I don’t really think there was one out there to be had and that may not have changed in the offseason when it actually becomes a pure rental situation.  This isn’t a home run for GM Jeff Gorton but I don’t believe it was a fleecing for the Lightning by any stretch either.

The inclusion of the two forwards in Namestnikov and Miller was a bit of a head-scratcher.  I think it really comes down to a preference for a specific type of player.  Miller is a bit more of an all-around piece that can shuffle into a few different spots so that type of versatility will be useful with the Lightning.  Namestnikov is more of a pure skill player and while that limits how many spots he can fit into a lineup, they may believe the overall upside is a bit greater.  Given that their ages and contractual status are a wash, it probably comes down to each GM thinking the guy they got is a better fit than the one they gave up.  I think Miller, in particular, should fit in quite well with Tampa Bay.

ByeTheNumbers: Which teams were the biggest winners and losers after the deadline? Which players were the biggest winners and losers?

Tampa filled a massive need so it’s hard not to put them here.  Having already discussed the trade earlier, I won’t add much here but they already had the forward depth and strong goaltending and now their biggest weakness has been addressed in a big way.  Winnipeg also wins by getting a versatile center in Paul Stastny to really help them make a run.  His addition gives them enviable depth down the middle and insurance if one of Mark Scheifele or Bryan Little gets hurt.  Losing a first-rounder hurts a bit but they have the prospect pool to overcome losing that and Stastny should be a great fit there.

In terms of a team that lost, the Islanders immediately come to mind.  They’ve had goaltending issues all year and did nothing to address that.  Their back end has been struggling considerably and Brandon Davidson isn’t going to fix that; he’s just another depth option.  (The optics aren’t great about them giving up a third-rounder for a player who was a waiver claim not all that long ago but to be fair, their situation health-wise has changed since then).  They also had an opportunity to use some of their extra draft picks to add an important piece to really aid in their postseason push while perhaps helping to entice John Tavares to stick around (or at least help replace him).  They failed on that end as well; adding another physical forward in Chris Wagner to an already-physical fourth line certainly didn’t move the needle at all.

As for players that are big winners, McDonagh is an obvious one.  He goes from a situation where the Rangers are in full rebuilding mode to a Tampa Bay squad that’s going for the Stanley Cup and he won’t have as many responsibilities on his shoulders with Victor Hedman around.  That’s a nice spot to be in for him.  Evander Kane getting a shot at a postseason run is also a win for him with free agency on the horizon.  To pick an off the radar player, I’d also suggest Chris Bigras who was flipped to the Rangers in a late trade with Colorado is a winner as well.  He has gone from a quality prospect to somewhat of an afterthought lately and with New York’s back end getting blown up, he should get an opportunity to re-establish himself with his new team down the stretch.

On the flip side, Jack Johnson not getting dealt puts him in a tough spot moving forward.  As much as he’s saying the right things publicly, this is still a pretty awkward situation to be in where he asked for a trade, the team acquired what looked to be a replacement in Ian Cole, and he still didn’t get dealt.  It’s hard to imagine that he’s happy with the way things played out.

@therealscyie: So the Bruins overpaid highly for Rick Nash, when the Leafs get Tomas Plekanec for a 2nd and two prospects. Plekanec has had more points than Nash in the past three years combined. So my question is did Sweeney get fleeced again on another trade?

I believe Boston overpaid in the Nash trade but not because of what Toronto gave up for Plekanec.  Yes, their point totals over the past three years combined are close but looking at this season and last, it’s not exactly close (69 points in 131 games for Nash, 48 in 123 contests for Plekanec).  One is still a top-six player, the other is more of a checker so naturally, Nash was going to yield a better return.

What surprised me was how much the Bruins gave up for someone that isn’t a front line upgrade.  Ryan Spooner had been speculated as a change of scenery candidate for a while now but he is still a productive forward with team control (that actually has more points than Nash at the moment in considerably fewer games).  Ryan Lindgren is a decent prospect and they added a first-rounder (albeit a late one) as well.  Considering the price for players like Paul Stastny and Evander Kane, that was a steep price to pay.

The other reason I’m not a big fan of Nash’s acquisition from Boston’s perspective is their playoff matchups.  If they want to get out of the division, they have to get through Toronto and Tampa Bay, two of the quickest teams in the league.  Nash isn’t exactly a speedster and that could come into play through the first couple of rounds.  He’s undoubtedly an upgrade for the Bruins but I don’t think he was the perfect fit and they certainly paid a high price to get him.

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With the trade deadline now just over a week away, this edition of the PHR Mailbag features plenty of questions about the trade market.

SFGiantsFan28: Do you see the San Jose Sharks doing anything before the deadline? Can they replace Joe Thornton without having to give up high draft picks or prospects?

mz90gu: is there a forward with a similar contract the Sharks can swap for Paul Martin if they can’t trade him?

I’ll lump these two together since they’re both about the Sharks.  I’ve been expecting San Jose to do something trade-wise all season long but they’ve stayed the course and I can’t see the Thornton injury causing them to drastically change course.  If they want a top-six forward to replace him, they’ll have to move top picks or prospects as it’s quite difficult to get a core player without losing a key young asset or two.  A third line center seems like a realistic proposition while allowing them to keep at least most of their cap room in place for next offseason where they should be big players.

Martin is logging some big minutes with the Sharks’ AHL affiliate but he isn’t playing well enough to really give himself much value around the league.  In terms of swapping his contract for a similar forward, Buffalo’s Matt Moulson springs to mind.  The cap hits are quite close ($4.85MM for Martin, $5MM for Moulson) and they each have one year left on their current contracts.  Buffalo needs some help defensively and Moulson has been quite productive since clearing waivers earlier this season.  Jori Lehtera ($4.7MM cap hit through 2018-19) would be another option but the Flyers aren’t likely looking to add defensive help.  Tyler Ennis ($4.6MM cap hit through 2018-19) in Minnesota also fits the bill but the Sharks would likely either have to retain or take some other contract back as the Wild have very little cap space to work with.

ThePriceWasRight: What is the next best move for the Sens? Trade Hoffman? Smith?  How likely is it they buy out Burrows?

After vastly overpaying for Matt Duchene and then giving Dion Phaneuf away for pennies on the dollar value-wise, GM Pierre Dorion needs a big win with his next trade.  The problem for him here will be that it’s shaping up to be a buyers’ market for non-rental players.  That’s going to make it hard for him to get maximum value for a player like Mike Hoffman so I would suggest they would be wise to hold onto him and look towards moving him near the draft.

Players like Zack Smith and Jean-Gabriel Pageau would be the ones I’d be looking to trade if I was in Dorion’s shoes.  Both are on decent contracts (Smith at $3.25MM through 2020-21, Pageau $3.1MM through 2019-20) but aren’t bargains for what they provide either.  They also happen to be centers which are in short supply but high demand which would help their trade value.  If the Sens are looking to rebuild (and it appears they are), these are the types of players that could be deemed expendable to them and valuable to others.

As for Burrows, although he is having a tough season, I have a hard time thinking he’s going to be bought out.  With only the one year left on his contract, they’d be better off offering to retain 50% of his deal in a trade as that would cost them less than the two-thirds (over two years) they’d be giving him in a buyout.  At $1.25MM, someone would take a chance on Burrows.  The Phaneuf-Gaborik trade showed that money is going to play a big factor in their decision making so the route that costs them the most money (the buyout) probably isn’t the one they’ll want to take.

vegasloveforthebills: What are the Golden Knights going to do? Buy, sell or a little of both?

I think Vegas will be pretty quiet at the trade deadline.  I can see them offering to retain half of Jason Garrison’s deal to give him a chance elsewhere and maybe trying to deal fellow blueliner Griffin Reinhart as well to try to get out of the second year of his contract.  They’re not going to get much for those players, however.

In terms of the NHL roster, I don’t think they’re going to do much.  Their four-line attack has been huge for them so I can’t see them wanting to shake that up and their defense has come along nicely as well.  I can see them looking to add a little depth up front in case of injury (perhaps another waiver claim) and considering the bad luck they’ve had between the pipes, another goalie may not be a bad idea either.  James Neal and David Perron would yield nice returns as rental players but moving those two out would be tough to justify considering where they are in the standings.

The other challenge that has to be considered here is that Vegas simply doesn’t have a full pipeline of prospects to deal from; their reserve list is the shortest in the league.  Teams like Tampa Bay can afford to move a youngster or two because they have a deep prospect pool but the Golden Knights just aren’t in that situation with this only being their first season in the league.

@DAN35NY: When will the Rangers start to sell?

acarneglia: What would trade packages for Nash, McDonagh and Grabner look like?

Again, with both of these being about the Rangers, I’ll lump them together.  I don’t seem to have a great track record predicting what they’d do considering I didn’t expect them to sell at all this year but at the very least, they’ll sell off their rental players in the coming weeks.  I still think players signed beyond this season may be more offseason moves but I can see a scenario where someone pays a premium for Ryan McDonagh.

As for what some trade packages will look like, I don’t believe GM Jeff Gorton will be able to get his asking price for Rick Nash.  Even with 50% retention, his cap hit will be tough to absorb for some teams which will lessen his market.  I expect the centerpiece of a deal for him will be an already-drafted prospect plus a second-round pick and perhaps a roster player to balance out the money.  In Michael Grabner’s case, his contract will be easier for teams to absorb and a second-round pick plus a lesser selection would be my guess of what he will yield in a trade.

Then there’s McDonagh.  I would peg him as the most valuable non-rental player available and since he plays a premium position, he may be the one player where other teams will really be willing to get into a bidding war for as he would be the final piece of the puzzle for some contenders.  The Rangers should be able to command a first-round pick, a top youngster, plus some other piece of value (another pick or roster player).  If they want to move him now, they will get the best package of any player moved at the trade deadline in return.  If not, they will be in line for a similar package at the draft.

goatpowerd: What are the Florida Panthers going to do this year?

The Panthers are a team that I could see both buying and selling over the next week or so.  Despite their run as of late, they’re still probably not going to make the playoffs this season so they will likely look to move their expiring contracts at the very least.  Pending UFA winger Radim Vrbata has already been asked to submit his no-trade list while defenseman Alex Petrovic, who voiced his frustration with his role earlier this season, is also someone who could be on the move.  He still has a year of team control left after this one which should help garner some interest.  Winger Jamie McGinn is someone I wouldn’t be surprised if they try to move as well.

On the other side, Florida still has a strong young nucleus with some quality prospects expected to make an impact in the very near future such as winger Owen Tippett and center Henrik Borgstrom.  However, with their goaltending situation being what it is with an aging Roberto Luongo as the starter, their window to win is still in the near future.  Between that and with several teams making quality players with term available, Florida could very well look to take advantage of that to see if there is a buy-low candidate that makes sense for them for next season and beyond.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

With the trade deadline now just over a month away, this edition of the PHR Mailbag looks at some of the potential rental players that could be on the move as well as a look at the Blues and several Metropolitan teams.

acarneglia: Do you see the New York Rangers as buyers or sellers at the deadline? If buyers who do they bring in? If sellers who goes?

It’s a cop-out answer but right now, it’s too early to tell.  I suspect GM Jeff Gorton would like to give this core one last kick at the can but with how tight the Metropolitan Division is, we’re simply not going to know if they’re going to be in it until closer to the deadline itself.  This may be a decision that goes down to the last few days before February 26th.

If they were to buy, I don’t think they’d be looking to make the big splash.  They won’t be moving their top prospects and they don’t have a surplus of draft picks to deal from either.  As a result, it won’t be surprising to see them going bargain hunting for a rental bottom-six forward (preferably a center) and some defensive depth.  I don’t believe they’re close enough to being contenders to justify doing much more than that.

On the flip side, things could be interesting if they decide to sell.  Michael Grabner would undoubtedly draw a lot of attention as would Rick Nash (as long as New York retains money or takes a contract back).  Nick Holden isn’t having a great year but some teams should have interest in him.  I wonder about Kevin Hayes as well as someone that’s a non-rental option.  It’s out there that they may not be against doing another core shakeup but unless they go into the tank these next few weeks, that may be more of an offseason deal like they did with Derek Stepan near the draft.  Ryan McDonagh and Mats Zuccarello have one year left on their contracts after this and would be players to watch for in that scenario.

Paul Heyman: Will the Blues trade for Mike Hoffman or Max Pacioretty?

We know St. Louis is going to be looking for help on the wing and GM Doug Armstrong said late last month that they’re unlikely to pursue rental players.  (For what it’s worth, I think they should be open to adding pending free agents instead of limiting their options.)  Hoffman and Pacioretty would certainly fit in well and they are the top non-rental wingers that are known to be available.

There are a couple of factors that give me pause in thinking one of them will actually wind up in St. Louis, however.  The first is money.  Payroll room is extremely limited even with Robby Fabbri’s LTIR opening so they will have to come fairly close to matching outgoing contracts.  Carl Gunnarsson ($2.9MM) seems like a logical fit to go but that’s well below what Hoffman (just under $5.2MM) and Pacioretty ($4.5MM) make.  I also don’t get the sense that the Blues are overly open to parting with top prospects and they would likely have to deal one or two based on the current asking prices.

Instead, I think they’re going to look for someone making closer to $3MM that can play a middle-six role.  They’ll get Jaden Schwartz back soon so that should cover filling the current vacancy on the top line.  If the Rangers do wind up selling, I could see Hayes being someone that they look for to fit that bill – he’s unsigned for next season but is a restricted free agent with one more year of team control.  If I had to pick one of your two wingers in terms of who is more likely to go there, I’d say Hoffman simply because he’d cost less to acquire but I wouldn’t put the odds of either of them landing there particularly high.

rowdelicious: Could Detroit land a prospect like Kale Clague or Michael McLeod in a trade for Mike Green?

McLeod is a fairly recent first-rounder while Clague (originally a second-rounder) is probably worth one in a trade now.  So basically, is Green worth the equivalent of a first-round pick?  He’s the best rental defenseman out there but I don’t think his value is quite that high.

Green has tailed off a bit as of late offensively with just nine points in the last 24 games (spanning the last two months).  For a player whose calling card is his production and not his play in his own end, that won’t help his value.

First-round picks, even late ones (or prospects of equivalent value), don’t move as often at the deadline anymore with cost-controlled talent becoming much more important by the year.  The odd one will go for a rental but at this point, Buffalo’s Evander Kane is probably the top candidate to fetch either a first or comparable prospect in return.  Guys like Pacioretty and Hoffman will also be higher on the priority list for teams that are willing to move that level of pick or prospect and moving one for one of them would be defensible given the extra year (or two) on their contracts.

Green should be able to fetch a return comparable to what they got for Brendan Smith last year (second and third-rounders), especially if Detroit is willing to retain salary.  I could even see the third-rounder being a conditional second depending on postseason success or him re-signing.  That’s still a strong return but not quite at the first-rounder or similar prospect level.

@doctor_perk: With the Devils dropping six straight and a poor defensive core being exposed, do you see them making a splash for a top-line defenseman by the deadline? #PHRMailbag

Count me among those that thought Sami Vatanen would have more of an impact than he has had thus far.  I thought he was going to go a long way towards helping things out there but it hasn’t happened just yet.  New Jersey’s back end is certainly a weakness and they would be wise to address it again in the next month.

That said, I don’t see them making a splash for a top-pairing player simply because I don’t think there is a top-pairing player that is going to be moved.  Green from Detroit is the best one out there and while he can log heavy minutes, his defensive concerns aren’t really going to fit what the Devils need.  Ottawa’s Dion Phaneuf is a top-four option but that’s a contract that a lot of teams aren’t going to want to touch.

I think they need someone that can stabilize the bottom half of that back end as offensively, between Vatanen, Will Butcher, and Damon Severson (who has produced in the past), they’re not in bad shape.  Fortunately, those types of players are the ones that are going to be available.

I would not be surprised at all if San Jose’s Paul Martin is someone that the Devils will be watching closely as he works his way back into playing shape in the AHL.  He has been a strong defensive player in the past and his postseason experience would be useful on a team that doesn’t have a ton of it.  He’d also help shore up the bottom end of that back end as well as the penalty kill.  They have the cap room to take on the contract without much concern and the asking price shouldn’t be too high.  Beyond that, some of the names from the next question would serve as potential rental options for them to consider.

MrMet19: Who are the most likely targets the Islanders could swing a trade for to help out on defense or in the net?

Between the pipes, the options appear to be pretty limited.  Unlike Chicago where a lot of players could represent upgrades with Corey Crawford out, there aren’t many possible upgrades for the Isles.  Aaron Dell could be one but I don’t think the Sharks will move him which is why I didn’t include him in the options for the Blackhawks either.  Antti Raanta makes a lot of sense and has had success in this division already while he wouldn’t break the bank.  If they want to make a longer-term splash, I wonder if Robin Lehner (Buffalo) could be a fit but the asking price would certainly be higher.  Is he someone that GM Garth Snow would be comfortable giving a long-term deal to in the summer?

Green would give them a nice one-two punch offensively but I think they may prefer more of a defensive-minded player, especially with Calvin de Haan out for the year.  Jack Johnson’s name is out there and unlike New Jersey, the Isles have a young defenseman that they could move in the deal which is something that Columbus is likely seeking.  Ian Cole would fit in as well but I don’t know if Pittsburgh would move him in the division (same with Columbus and Johnson for that matter).  Erik Gudbranson in Vancouver might move and he would give them a different look on their third pairing while killing some penalties.  Martin from the Sharks would fit in on the third pairing as well but do they want to take on the extra year of that contract?

I’ll toss out one other idea as well that also ties in with the question about St. Louis earlier.  They’re likely looking to move Gunnarsson and he would be a small upgrade defensively for New York although he has another year left on his deal.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported earlier this month that center/winger Brock Nelson could be available.  Nelson’s a non-tender candidate based on the season he’s having with his required qualifying offer of $3.5MM in June.  It’s pure speculation on my end but I wonder if there’s a fit there for something involving those two players and because of the option to qualify Nelson, it wouldn’t necessarily be a pure rental situation which is what Armstrong in St. Louis wants to avoid.

Unfortunately, none of these blueliners are going to drastically change their fortunes but there just aren’t a lot of top-four options available even if that’s what they’re seeking.  That’s why I’d prioritize help between the pipes with Raanta in particular.  If he can provide good goaltending (not even great, just good), the Islanders would be in a much better position for the stretch run and that alone might be enough to get them over the top for a playoff spot.

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