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The Friday Three – Deadline Buyers & Sellers

written by BelowTheIce

Which Western Conference teams do you see as “sellers” heading into the deadline?

IAN SHEPPARD: The bottom three. Kings, Oilers and Ducks. The Kings and Ducks are aging teams and are past contending for a cup and have a few pieces that could sold to start building towards the future. The only issue becomes bad contracts and whether or not some of the players they want to move can be moved.

In terms of the Oilers, they fall into the exact same boat with bad contracts that are unmovable. But they can start offloading pieces on 1-year deals they know won’t resign in the offseason. Guys like Cam Talbot, Alex Petrovic, Brandon Manning, Ty Rattie, Jujhar Khaira, and Alex Chiasson are all options.

TYLER YAREMCHUK: The LA Kings and Anaheim Ducks are the only two teams I view as 100% sellers at this point. The Oilers are in an interesting spot too. They’ll dangle names like Chiasson, Kassian, and some of their lower-end defenseman. They’ll deal Cam Talbot as well. Apart from that, they might look for some additions that benefit them next season. Chicago might sell, but they don’t have very many assets that are easy to move. The Coyotes would probably like to swap their pending UFA’s for picks as well. The Minnesota Wild are reportedly going to put an eye towards the future, so watch for them to sell off some pieces before February 25th.

WYATT ZIEGER: In the West, it’s hard for you who will sell but I think that there should be 4 definite sellers in the Western Conference.  LA has already started the process with Jake Muzzin being shipped out but Anaheim, Edmonton, and Minnesota should also put themselves on the short list of teams who more than likely won’t make the playoffs.

Anaheim has Manson, Silfervberg, Kesler, and Miller as good trade chips right now. Edmonton would like to move Chiasson, Talbot, Manning, and Petrovic although the latter two will be difficult. And poor Minnesota who is actually in a playoff spot right now but is still without Dumba and has lost captain Mikko Koivu for the rest of the season.

And what about the East?

Detroit Red Wings players celebrate their 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators after an NHL hockey game Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

IAN SHEPPARD: I’m going to go with the same formula as last time and say the bottom three teams in the East as well. The Senators have been having a yard sale since the season started and despite talks of Matt Duchene re-signing I still think he gets moved at the deadline along with potential names like Ryan Dzingel and Mark Stone.

The Devils have already moved Brian Boyle and could look to trade Marcus Johansson who is set to be a FA and a veteran like Ben Lovejoy could also be moved. Detroit continues to be the dark horse for me with guys like Gustav Nyquist, Thomas Vanek and Andreas Athanasiou all possible piece to move.

TYLER YAREMCHUK: It’s much easier to predict what teams in the East are going to do. Ottawa will be this year’s big sellers given the quality of players they’re considering moving. Add the Red Wings, Devils, Panthers, Rangers and probably Flyers into that group as well. Other teams will be active, like Columbus and Carolina, but they won’t be what we traditionally call sellers.

WYATT ZIEGER:  Again in the East, there are another 5 teams that are definite sellers; Ottawa, New Jersey, Columbus Detroit, and the Rangers. Teams like Florida and Philadelphia could join the list if they fall beyond 12 points out of the playoffs but both seem intent on being buyers at the deadline.

Ottawa has the two biggest trade chips in Duchene and Stone but also a plethora of other trade pieces most notably Dzingel and Ceci. It’ll be an interesting fire sale in the nation’s capital. New Jersey is a bit more intriguing because I question what pieces they want to move obviously Schnieder could be in play, but are they willing to part with Zajac, Palmieri or Johannson? Columbus is obvious in trying to move either Panarin, Bobrovsky or both. The market will decide there fate.

Detroit, of course, has a lot of rentals for playoff teams; Nyqvist, Vanek, Howard or Kronwall although they seem reluctant to deal Kronwall. The Rangers are an interesting team in the trade market because they have the most mid to upper range value players to deal. Kreider is having a career season, Hayes, Zuccarello, and Mcquaid are all rental for a contender and who knows if there are options on Henrik Lundqvist.

Which team do you think will make the biggest improvements at the deadline?

IAN SHEPPARD: Either the Islanders or Predators. The Avalanche also remain a possibility too with around $11 million in cap space and could look to add a forward for their second line. But the Islanders are hot right now and also have cap space with around $9 million and could look for that extra piece.

The Predators are in a tougher spot with cap space at around $6 million but this could be one of those years where to look to make that final leap and a few smart deals at the deadline could be exactly what they need to improve.

TYLER YAREMCHUK: The Winnipeg Jets. This is their last year before having to go through what will likely be salary cap hell with all of their RFA’s so I think we’ll see them push all of their chips in. They have a handful of ‘A-Level’ prospects that they could use as trade chips and they have their first and second rounders for the next three seasons. They can move two, or even three, quality assets and still be in good shape as far as their long-term future goes. I expect they’ll land one of Duchene or Stone and might be players on a good defenseman as well.

WYATT ZIEGER: I think Winnipeg is going to try to make the biggest splash and if they can land Mark Stone who’s been rumoured in trade talks with the Jets. The Jets are already one of the most complete teams, aside from Tampa but if they can get one more 30 goal scorer in their top 6 they would be a lethal force in the central division.

Winnipeg likely would make a couple depth moves as well and need to do so to solidify a win against most likely Nashville.

February 15, 2019 0 comment
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The Friday Three – Cap Space Conundrums

written by BelowTheIce

WHICH TEAM WILL HAVE THE TOUGHEST TIME STAYING UNDER THE CAP NEXT SEASON?

TYLER YAREMCHUK: The Winnipeg Jets. Even if the cap goes up to $83 million, they’ll have just over $26 million to sign Patrick Laine, Kyle Connor, and Jacob Trouba. That will all cost them at least $24 million combined, and that’s being generous. From there, they’ll still need two defensemen, four forwards, and a backup goalie. Now, I understand that they have some up and coming players on ELC’s that can slide in, and they could look at moving someone like Mathieu Perrault, but things are going to be tight in the ‘Peg. Nik Ehlers might be a cap casualty.

IAN SHEPPARD: See question 1. The talk for the last year has been about how the Leafs will maintain their young players with expiring ELC’s especially with the signing of John Tavares. With Matthews now being locked up at $11.6 AAV, it’s just one more domino in the cap issue.

Trying to shoehorn Marner’s potential deal into this group is going to be the tight rope that GM Kyle Dubas needs to tread. The right smart moves will keep the Leafs a Cup contender for at least five years. The wrong one could shrink that window.

WYATT ZIEGER: Tampa’s going to have a hell of a time this summer getting Brayden Point on a team friendly deal this offseason. Point could very well command 10 million plus if he scores over 100 points this season, which he’s on pace for.

Tampa will shed over 11 million in cap space from Stralman, Coburn, and Girardi if that happens though they will only have five roster defensemen. There is also the pay raises for both Kucherov and Gourde that totals nearly 9 million almost cancelling out the money coming off the books. If I’m an NHL GM this summer, I’m throwing the ever sacred offer sheet his way.

WILL MATTHEWS, NYLANDER, & MARNER ALL BE LEAFS NEXT SEASON?

TORONTO, ON – APRIL 23: William Nylander #29 of the Toronto Maple Leafs salutes the crowd after getting the game’s first star against the Boston Bruins in Game Six of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Air Canada Centre on April 23, 2018, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images)

TYLER YAREMCHUK: I think they will be. The Leafs don’t have a “Marner, Matthews, Nylander’ problem; they have a Zaitsev & Marleau problem. If they package Kasperi Kapanen with Zaitsev, they could likely get a pick in return and shed $4.5 million in cap space. If they move out Connor Brown as well, then they’ll have an extra $6.5 million to fill out their roster. They can keep all their big guns if Kyle Dubas plays his cards right, and I think he will.

IAN SHEPPARD: No. I honestly don’t think so. They could end up moving Jake Muzzin, Patrick Marleau, Kasperi Kapanen or Nikita Zaitsev but the way Marner is playing right now I could see someone making a legit offer sheet for him.

For me either Marner leaves via the offer sheet or they end up trading Nylander to ensure they keep Marner. Keeping Muzzin or Marleau and maybe Kapanen keeps the depth of the team. Their window of winning it all can stretch over the next five years if they keep a deep core. I believe ripping the band-aid off with Marner or moving Nylander will help that.

WYATT ZIEGER: I think two of the three will return. Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner are both key components on the team, and I believe Nylander’s contract holdout has put a sour taste in some fans mouths still. The Leafs are going to eventually need to shed salary and are still a top 4 D away from cup contention, and trading Nylander would accelerate the process.

That deal most likely won’t come down at the trade deadline but could be a draft table move; we’ll wait and see.

WHICH TEAMS 2ND HALF RESURGENCE HAS SURPRISED YOU THE MOST?

TYLER YAREMCHUK: I understand that the Flyers are seven points out of the playoffs, but their rise from laughing stock to a team that could work their way into playoff contention has been fun to watch. Carter Hart adds another fantastic layer to this. They have a solid team on paper; if they keep this winning streak going, they could make things real interesting out east.

IAN SHEPPARD: The Blues. At the start of the season, I answered one of these questions with St. Louis as my surprise slumping team to start the year. The talk was about them selling off pieces after coach Mike Yeo was fired. Vladimir Tarasenko and Colton Parayko were expected to be dealt at the deadline.

But since then the team has turned it around winning 9 of 14 games in 2019 and now find themselves one point out of a playoff spot behind the Canucks. These sellers may find themselves as buyers in a few weeks.

WYATT ZIEGER: (Said as Mugato) The Philadelphia Flyers, they’re so hot right now.

Philadelphia is 8-1-1 in their last ten and have shot out of the basement, but more work is still needed as they’re still 8 points out of a playoff spot. Props to Carter Hart who has been rock solid with a 2.48GAA and .925SV% and captain Claude Giroux, coming off a 100 point season, who has 58 points in 54 games so far.

The Flyers still have a lot of work to do to make the playoffs, but with teams like Buffalo and Columbus on a slide if they stay hot, they still have a chance.

February 7, 2019 0 comment
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Friday Three – Deadline Chatter

written by BelowTheIce

HOW DOES THE JAKE MUZZIN DEAL CHANGE YOUR OPINION ON THE LEAFS?

IAN SHEPPARD: My perception hasn’t changed a whole lot since the trade. It’s a move that of course strengthened the weak spot of the team. While I do think the move can help them compete with the best competition in the East like Tampa Bay I don’t think it puts them ahead of some of the teams in the West like Calgary, Winnipeg, and even Nashville.

WYATT ZIEGER: First and foremost I think the Leafs won this trade.  Toronto became a better team without question, anytime you can add a top pair defenseman without losing a roster player you’ve done well. I do still think the Leafs are a few pieces away still, another top 4 d-man and a top 9 power forward would make this team a legit cup contender.

TYLER YAREMCHUK: They went from being a really good team to being a legit Stanley Cup threat in my opinion. Muzzin really rounds up their back end and his playoff experience will be very valuable. You need a strong top pairing to win games in the playoffs and the Leafs got that. Very important that Dubas didn’t subtract from his current roster too. He’s utilizing a strong prospect pool and a wealth of cap space.

IF YOU WERE COLUMBUS, WOULD YOU TRADE BOBROVSKY OR PANARIN? OR BOTH?

IAN SHEPPARD: If the right offers came along I’d move both but I think they have to move Panarin. He’s expressed his displeasure with playing in Columbus for a while and his contract is up at the end of the year so it’s almost a given he won’t return.

The Jackets are in the last playoff spot in the East right now so holding onto Bobrovsky will help them on a run, but his deal is also up at the end of the year. I think if there’s any chance that relationship can be mended then it definitely should.

WYATT ZIEGER: If I was Columbus I would learn from the Islanders mistake and deal both while they still can.

The Blue Jackets, while a playoff team, are not a Cup threat. They still have a good core; PLD, Jones, Werenski and a promising goaltender in Korpisalo. Jarmo Kekalainen has a tough task ahead of him no doubt and may not get the return you’d expect for both players. He should still be looking to get something instead of letting them walk in free agency.

TYLER YAREMCHUK: I would be shopping Sergei Bobrovsky rather hard because I really like Joonas Korpisalo, I think he’s their future between the pipes and I think you could get a first round pick plus a really good goaltending prospect for ‘Bob’.

As for Panarin, I would like to keep him around as an in-house rental, but I would still strongly consider moving him. I would set the price very high though and see if someone overpays for him at the last minute. I’d ask for a conditional first rounder (if he resigns), a very good young roster player (DeBrusk from Boston, Beavillier from New York, that type of player), and a good prospect. If someone pays that, I’d move him then use the cap space and draft picks to improve your team this summer.

WHICH CANADIAN TEAM HAS THE BEST CHANCE OF WINNING THE CUP?

IAN SHEPPARD: The Winnipeg Jets. Right now Calgary is in the mix and possibly Toronto as well. It pains me too much to think Calgary could win a cup but I also think the Jets are the most complete team. Not just out of Canadian teams but in the West and right behind Tampa Bay for in the league.

They made it close last year and I don’t see a team in the West standing in the way of a motivated group who has a taste to win and will be getting some pieces healthy down the stretch. They’re also getting tremendous production out a guy like Kyle Connor who’s filling the void of an up and down season from Patrik Laine, who could become a force come playoff time.

WYATT ZIEGER: Today I’ll vote for the Winnipeg Jets, with all respect to the Flames and Maple Leafs.

Hellebuyck has continued his success from last year, Wheeler and Scheifele are on pace for over 100 points and the defense led by Byfuglien is solid. Winnipeg is still going to be adding come deadline time and will look to find this year’s Paul Stastny, only making them better. I don’t think Winnipeg will win this years Stanley Cup but even if you asked me before the season I would have banked on seeing them in the Cup final.

TYLER YAREMCHUK: It’s the Leafs and anyone who says otherwise is just a Toronto hater. They have every ingredient needed to go on a run: a very deep group of forwards, high-end skill, unrivaled centre depth, a pair of good defenseman, some quality vets, and a goalie who can seem unbeatable when he’s at his best. That makes them the favourite amongst the Canadian clubs.

February 1, 2019 0 comment
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The Friday Three – Changes in Edmonton

written by Tyler Yaremchuk

WHO WILL BE THE NEXT GM OF THE OILERS?

WYATT ZIEGER: Not going to lie it feels really nice to answer this question after 3.5 years of putting up with terrible deals.

My best guess is Ken Holland, its been rumoured that Yzerman is next-in-line for the Detroit job and the friendship between Holland and Bob Nicholson is well documented. Plus how great would  Ken Holland-aise sauce taste on the Bobby Nix burger?

IAN SHEPPARD: STEVE YZERMAN! A fan can dream, can’t they? Ok so I know there’s no chance whatsoever this will happen, so you probably want a more realistic answer? Keith Gretzky is currently serving as the interim GM while having help on decisions when it comes to trades etc. I could see them leaving him in the permanent role come the summer, which doesn’t entirely bother me. If they’re going to promote from within then this is the guy to do it with.

Gretzky’s known to have a good scouting prowess and that added to Bob Nicholson stating in his press conference that the team needs to do better at leaving players in the AHL to develop longer gives me some hope. Two realistic options outside of the team right now for me are Ron Francis and Sean Burke. Both have done great work for Hockey Canada and I believe Francis especially had something good in Carolina before being let go for reasons that weren’t actually hockey related.

TYLER YAREMCHUK: I have a general idea of who some good candidates are, but remember, they need a new GM and a POHO. In my opinion, they need to go find a good, experienced hockey mind to be their President of Hockey Operations and then pair him with an up-and-coming GM.

Let’s say Ken Holland as the POHO and then pair him with someone like Lawrence Gillman, Sean Burke, or Kelly McCrimmon,

A MONTH FROM THE TRADE DEADLINE… WHO WILL BE THE BIGGEST BUYERS?

WYATT ZIEGER: I’m not sure there is going to be any of the huge buyers in the past who make 2-3 big deals to round out the roster but there are a couple teams I could see making 1 big deal ahead of the deadline.

The Oilers are need of scoring help and a new GM is going to be tasked with acquiring that, the Anaheim Ducks need scoring help and speed in the worst way and have plenty of defensemen to ship off and Nashville could also be in search of a top 6 winger.

IAN SHEPPARD: Here’s one you might not expect! The New York Islanders! The Isle are currently in first place in the Metro and second in the East, a spot no one really thought they’d be in. They have a decent amount of cap space, probably the most out of the majority of competing teams and adding that extra piece or two is what could take them from being a playoff team to a playoff contender.

TYLER YAREMCHUK: I think both the Islanders and Canadiens will be sneaky buyers at the deadline. The Isles have put themselves in a really nice spot and they have the cap space to make a big splash. The Habs could use a defenseman and could reach into their pool of prospects to pull out someone like Jake Muzzin or Alec Martinez from LA. They have Carey Price, who can almost single-handedly win them a playoff series, so why wouldn’t they try to load up?

WHO WILL BE THE BIGGEST SELLERS?

WYATT ZIEGER: Biggest seller is also a bit of crapshoot right now.

The Senators have the biggest pieces to dangle; Stone and Duchene but seem unwilling to part with either. Those LA Kings look like they need to hit the reset button and could move Carter, Toffoli and Martinez by the deadline. Detroit is so far out of the race and has a plethora of veterans they’d be willing to unload to playoff teams.
Either one if not all 3 of those teams could be the biggest sellers come deadline time.

IAN SHEPPARD: The Ottawa Senators. A month ago I would have said the Blues and while I still think they could fall into this spot they’re suddenly only three points out of a playoff spot. Ottawa has dropped below Detroit for worst in the league and when you look at the amount of trade bait on the roster it’s apparent they’ll be moving some pieces.

Mark Stone, Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel are all UFA’s at the end of the season and all have been rumoured to be shopped despite Duchene’s apparent contract negotiations. I also think that at 37 years of age and one year left on his deal Craig Anderson’s name could also be floated. In an offseason after moving Erik Karlsson, this team needs to rebuild and do it right. Adding more picks and prospects is in their best plans.

TYLER YAREMCHUK: The Senators have some really nice assets, but I’m not sure how many end up getting moved. Instead, I’ll say the New York Rangers. They’ll likely move Kevin Hayes and Mats Zuccarello. Keep an eye on Chris Kreider, Pavel Buchnevich, and Vlad Namestnikov as well. They’re in a full on rebuild and aren’t going to hide it at the deadline.

January 25, 2019 0 comment
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The Friday Three – Deadline Chatter

written by BelowTheIce

WHO IS THE MOST ATTRACTIVE PIECE OF ‘TRADE BAIT’ ON THE MARKET?’

IAN SHEPPARD: For me, it comes down to three. Matt Duchene, Micheal Ferland, and the Oilers first round pick. Duchene is the most talented and with 45 points (20G-25A) in 38 games this year is the obvious number one desire for a lot of teams.

Ferland is just behind Duchene with 25 points(13G-12A) in 39 games. And both players will be UFA’s at the end of the year. The one difference is the almost $3 million in cap differential between the two which might make Ferland easier to acquire.

And for the Oilers first round pick, I think it’s a toss up where it could end up and what comes back for it, so it’ll interesting and frightening to see where a trade involving it leads.

WYATT ZIEGER: Term is important and Parayko still has two years remaining on his deal after this season and his 5.5 million cap hit is manageable, especially for a defenseman of his caliber.

Point production is down this year for Parayko, he’s on pace for less than 30 for the first time in his career which may lessen trade value by a bit, making him an even more attractive piece for trade partners.

Despite the down point production, Parayko is still scoring goals. Currently, he sits at 8, one off his career high.

TYLER YAREMCHUK: I think it’s got to be Mark Stone. He’s a pending UFA, but as far as rentals go, he’s the best player that could be realistically had. He’s played four full NHL seasons and he’s scored 20 goals every single time. He’s a big body as well and I think he’d be a monster on a team that’s looking for an impact playoff performer. If he goes to a team with an elite centre, he could hit the 40-goal mark this season. A player like Stone is rare and there should be a long list of suitors should the Sens decide to move on.

BESIDES TAMPA BAY, WHICH NHL TEAM HAS THE MOST COMPLETE ROSTER?

IAN SHEPPARD: The Winnipeg Jets. I love every line this team puts out. Whether its the first line with a combined 155 points between Connor, Scheifele, and Wheeler or the second line led by Bryan Little and Patrik Laine to the bottom six which is gritty and touch and a D-core featuring Dustin Byfuglien, Josh Morrissey and Tyler Myers this team is deep. They’ve had some injury issues with Byfuglien and Ehlers recently and a struggling Laine but I think things will balance out.

The bigger and possibly most surprising attribute to this team has been it’s goaltending. Between Connor Hellebuyck and Laurent Brossoit the team has won 31 games. It seems like whoever is between the pipes for the Jets will give a standout performance.

WYATT ZIEGER: It has to be the Nashville Predators right? They have the best defense in the NHL, (sorry San Jose), they can roll all 4 lines and have last years Vezina winner in net.

The only thing you could knock Nashville for is their lack of a bonafide superstar on offense. Arvidsson, Johansen, and Forsberg lead the way for forwards on the Preds but only Arvidsson is at the point-per-game marker with 25 points (18G, 7A) in 25 games. Even that isn’t enough though as 42 players in the NHL have over a PPG this season.

I wouldn’t count Nashville out as a team looking to improve their top 6 at the deadline

TYLER YAREMCHUK: Don’t want to copy Ian, but I will. The Jets are just too deep to ignore. They have four lines that can contribute offensively and a d-core that doesn’t really have a weak spot, although they could add another left-handed d-man to really shore things up. They have a good young goalie as well. It’s a near perfect roster.

Honourable mention to the Maple Leafs and the Sharks. Those two teams made me pause and think.

WHAT PIECES SHOULD THE OILERS DANGLE FOR A TOP SIX FORWARD?

IAN SHEPPARD: I think there are five players on this roster that shouldn’t be moved regardless of the return. Connor McDavid (Do I really have to say that?) Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Darnell Nurse, and Oscar Klefbom. Jesse Puljujarvi, Kailer Yamamoto, Ethan Bear, and the first round pick remain on the table for me, but the return must be worth it.

If a legit top-6 forward with term is available then it’s more than worth it. But if it were that simple it would probably have happened already so time will tell what move is made, at this point, I think one is inevitable.

WYATT ZIEGER: I hate to be a cynic … who am I kidding I love it.

With Peter Chiarelli at the helm, the Oilers should be dangling nothing to try and get a top 6 forward. What I consider fair value in a deal I can almost certainly say Peter Chiarelli would not.

But if I’m going to play ball, I’m sorry Edmonton Jesse Puljujarvi is the piece I move.

I think by now the experiment is over in Edmonton and they are hindering his development more than they are helping it. Send him to a team willing to roll the dice on him or one that will invest time into turning him into an NHL player.

The only problem for the Oilers, his trade value, which has fallen off a cliff since the beginning of the season. Puljujarvi is still young enough to be playing in Juniors this year so there is still hope he finds his game, it just may not be in Edmonton.

TYLER YAREMCHUK: If it’s a young (under 27) top six option who has a good shot and has proven he can score 20 goals a season, then Chiarelli should absolutely move the first rounder for it, even if that player isn’t under contract for the 2019-20 season. If that player IS under contract, then throw Ethan Bear in the package or look at throwing one of Jesse Puljujarvi or Kailer Yamamoto along with maybe a 2nd round pick. Those are the two scenarios I would consider ‘wins’ for the Oilers heading into the deadline.

January 18, 2019 0 comment
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The Friday Three – All-Star Game Improvements

written by BelowTheIce

HOW CAN THE NHL MAKE THE ALL-STAR GAME MORE APPEALING TO YOU?

TYLER YAREMCHUK: I got two big ideas that will bring fans back to the All-Star Game. First off, you need to bring back the ‘Fantasy Draft’ aspect of things. Have fans vote in three captains and then pick a fourth from the host city. Make it a big event on the Friday night, give the players some liquor like they did last time, and have them pick their 3v3 squads. that was fun!

Second, up the cash prizes. I don’t care what you need to do for a sponsor like Huawei or Honda to give you $10 million, but you do it. Have these guys competing for like $1 million each on their fantasy squads.

IAN SHEPPARD: When I was a kid the All-Star game was one of the best things to watch all year. Now that I am an adult the games themselves have become less appealing for the same reason every All-Star game in every sport has become boring, they mean nothing.

I do still find the skills competition interesting and I’d be more interested if the league eliminated the games all-together and turned the weekend into the league’s best with no roster restrictions who come together to showcase their skills in an extended skills competition. Maybe the top winners win bonus money with a portion being donated to charity? Could make the weekend something a little more interesting to watch.

WYATT ZIEGER: Honestly there is no real way to improve the ASG you just have to take it for what it is. That’s an event for kids and sponsors, which will never change. If I could make two adjustments I would be bringing back the players draft, where the voted-in captains draft their own teams and also change the rule that every team must be represented.

WHO’S BEEN THE LEAGUES BEST SOPHMORE PLAYER THIS YEAR?

TYLER YAREMCHUK: If the question was “most improved” then it would be Thomas Chabot. But the question says “best” so my answer is Matt Barzal. He had 85 points as a rookie, and although he’s on pace for a little bit less than that this year, he’s still been incredible and hasn’t had John Tavares taking away tough matchups. He’s a really special player.

IAN SHEPPARD: Thomas Chabot. Chabot put up 38 points (10G-28A) in 38 games before suffering a shoulder injury just after Christmas. He was an easy candidate for the Norris Trophy before the injury and could still be considered in the running. He’s by far had the best season of any sophomore player this year.

One other pick would be Alex DeBrincat. DeBrincat has played in all 46 games for the Blackhawks this season piling up 36 points (21G-16A) while playing on the team’s third line. While just in his second season the 21-year-old winger is already 7 goals behind his season total from a year ago. His career looks bright going forward.

WYATT ZIEGER: Thats a hard one for me I’m going to have to go with Griffen Reinhart … sorry, I believe those from long island spell it Mathew Barzal, too much Chiarelli on the brain.

With Tavares leaving this season the Islanders became Barzal’s team and he’s taken the ball and ran with it. Point production is slightly down from the over a PPG pace he set last season but that was expected now playing against tougher matchups. Still, 38 points in 41 games for the sophomore player is impressive and if the rest of the team can find its scoring touch Barzal could still finish above or at a PPG.

HOW MANY PLAYERS THIS YEAR WILL SCORE 100 POINTS?

TYLER YAREMCHUK: There are currently around ten players who are on pace to do it, I’ll say fie eventually get there. McDavid and Kucherov are locks. Mackinnon and Rantanen should as well. Ill even say Johnny Gaudreau keeps up his ridiculous pace and hits the century mark.

IAN SHEPPARD: Four. That’s right four. And shocker they’re among the five current leading scorers in the league. I know real original right? Well, Nikita Kucherov is already at 71 points so it’s a given he’ll hit 100. I think if the power couple of Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon stay hot they’ll both continue to pile up the points adding to their 66 and 65 respective point totals and eventually both could hit 100.

I think it must be assumed that Connor McDavid will hit 100 because well he’s Connor McDavid and currently sits at 63 points. Johnny Gaudreau could come close as he currently sits fourth in the top five with 64 points, but Calgary has a lot of scoring depth and I think eventually he’ll cool off a bit.

WYATT ZIEGER: Lets start with the numbers, over the course of an 82 game season you would need to average 1.21 PPG to score 100 points. Out of the players that have played in 40 games or more, only 14 players are at that pace; Kucherov (1.65), Rantanen (1.55), Gaudreau (1.47), MacKinnon (1.5), McDavid (1.5), Point (1.33), Crosby (1.32), Marner (1.31), Wheeler (1.31), Kane (1.29), Schiefele (1.26), Eichel (1.23) Pastrnak (1.21) and Draisatl (1.21).

Out of those 14 I could see as many as 9 reach the feat, the caveat, of course, being health. Only two players on that list have missed time (McDavid 1 game, Eichel 3) and thats huge in changing your odds, scoring 100 points isn’t easy in todays NHL but even missing just 3 games can make it nearly impossible.

Take into consideration Jack Eichel who has missed just 3 games, now, over an 82 game season his 1.23PPG would be good for 101 points but Eichel at most can play 79 games. Assuming Eichel doesn’t miss any more time and keeps the same pace he would finish with a respectable 97 points in 79 games. Long story short, health is important (as is consistency) and it will be if Kucherov, Rantanen, Gaudreau, MacKinnon, McDavid, Point, Crosby, Marner and Schiefele plan on hitting that 100 point plateau.

January 12, 2019 0 comment
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The Friday Three – Talking ASG

written by Tyler Yaremchuk

WHO WERE YOUR BIG ALL-STAR GAME SNUBS?

TYLER YAREMCHUK: I can find two easy snubs in each division in the West. In the Pacific, I’m looking at Mark Giordano and Leon Draisaitl. In the Central, I think Gabriel Landeskog and Patrick Laine could be all starts.

In the East, I think Niklas Backstrom deserves more love. He’s always flying under the radar. One of the best players of this generation. In the Atlantic, there are four players. Jeff Skinner, Mitch Marner, Morgan Rielly, and Brayden Point are having incredible seasons. It’s criminal that they aren’t there.

IAN SHEPPARD: Mitch Marner. Marner is sixth in the league in points right now with 55 (15G-40A) and is also leading the Leafs in points while playing on the top line with John Tavares and Connor Brown. Marner is currently nine points ahead of Tavares and 19 ahead of Auston Matthews who both made the Atlantic Division team.

One other name to mention is Jeff Skinner. Skinner is second to only Alex Ovechkin in goals with 28 on the year and his contribution is a massive influence on the Sabres turnaround season.

WYATT ZIEGER: I’ll admit off the bat I’m not a fan of the NHL’s current ASG format, teams should be voted by coaches and players and every team should not be represented if the talent isn’t there. That would cut down on the snubs and there were a lot Giordano, Point, Marner, Rielly, Laine, Malkin etc.

All that being said the biggest snub for me is Leon Draisatl. Since the ASG is in San Jose, naturally they want to have most of their own talent on display but Pavelski over Drai this year is laughable. Pavelski has two more goals but 14 less points than Draisatl, who is 10th in NHL scoring. Pavelski? tied for 46th. Fingers crossed the additional fan vote per division this year, goes to Leon and not Logan Couture.

Sidenote: Since EVERY team must be represented, if you’re Montreal, Anaheim, Detroit, Nashville, Vegas or NYR you only have your goalie representing you. If you’re goalie gets injured does the league pick a goalie in the division or do you send your back up? Better yet can I send a positional player to play in goal? If Gibson goes down give me Getzlaf in net.

GIVE ME ONE PLAYER WHO WILL REBOUND IN 2019

TYLER YAREMCHUK: Oh this is a tough one. I’m going to say Milan Lucic. Two weeks in a row I’m talking about Looch! He was so bad over the past calendar year, I just can’t see how he could be any worse. It won’t be a huge bounceback, but I’ll say Milan scores five goals before the end of this season. He’s due. It’s got to happen eventually.

IAN SHEPPARD: Erik Karlsson. Karlsson hasn’t necessarily struggled so far with 33 points (3G-30A) on the year so far. In fact he’s started to find his stride recently. But I think he’s really going to find his game in 2019. I believe we’re going to start to see the Karlsson that made his name what it was in Ottawa when he was the best defensemen in the league.

As 2019 rolls on and Karlsson becomes more comfortable with his new team I think he’ll start to be a major factor in San Jose’s playoff run.

WYATT ZIEGER:  He’s already got his first goal of the year in 2019 so here’s hoping William Nylander. After a long contract dispute that saw him miss the Maple Leafs first 28 games, Nylander has come back and looked less than spectacular.

With 1 goal and 2 assists through his first 12 appearances back it’s time for Nylander hit his stride once again. He has recently been reunited with Auston Matthews who has vowed to get Willy back into his scoring ways and if there is any man who can get his motor running it’ll be Matthews.

HOW MANY TEAMS IN EACH CONFERENCE ARE STILL “IN THE HUNT’?

TYLER YAREMCHUK: In the East, I think Washington, Tampa, and Toronto are locks. That leaves Columbus, Pittsburgh, Boston, Buffalo, Montreal, and the Islanders in the hunt. One of those teams will miss and I believe it will be the Islanders. I just don’t trust their goaltending.

In the West, Winnipeg, Nashville, Vegas, San Jose, and Calgary are locks already (the latter three because their division is awful). That leaves me with Dallas, Anaheim, Colorado, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Minnesota fighting for the last three spots. Vancouver will fall out. I don’t know how I feel about Edmonton, Anaheim, and Minnesota though.

IAN SHEPPARD: In the East I only see two teams really in the hunt. Currently the Islanders, Rangers, Panthers and Hurricanes are all within 10 points of a playoff spot. Buffalo and Montreal hold both Wild Card spots and I believe they will continue to fight for those spots. Other than that I only see the Islanders and Panthers being legit contenders for those spots. I don’t think the Rangers have enough depth and it will be too difficult for Carolina to stay close with the 10 point gap.

For the West I think there’s three teams who will stay in the mix. Colorado and Anaheim hold both wild card spots for now with 46 and 45 points respectively. On the outside looking in sit the Canucks, Wild and Oilers with only a max four point difference. The Canucks are one point out and their deep young talent will keep them in it. Minnesota and Edmonton are a little cloudier. Minnesota is battling injuries but could stay in the hunt while Edmonton lacks the depth behind it’s superstars to stay consistent down the road.

WYATT ZIEGER:  I’ll start in the West with the teams who have no chance to make the playoffs and that’s LA, Arizona and Chicago.

Next is those who have a shot to make the playoffs and that’s every other team in the conference. Even St. Louis who is 13th with 36 points still has a chance, they have the least games played in conference and would need a good streak but even that’s not impossible.

The East is a little more clean cut, there is a clear disparity between who is a playoff team and who is not. The cut off comes at 9th which is currently occupied by the New York Islanders, with the exclusion of the Panthers who I could see make a playoff push.

Everyone else currently outside of the playoff picture; Rangers, Hurricanes, Devils, Red Wings, Flyers and Senators can’t hold a candle to the rest of their divisions and conference which is going to cost them post season concession sales.

January 4, 2019 0 comment
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