There's no timeline on the third line center trade so while we are all waiting for that skate to drop I decided to do a mailbag
is the old saying true that a watched Jagr never returns?
— Meesh (@HockeyMeesh) July 3, 2017
Perhaps, but have you considered the other saying that a broken Jagr watch is right two times a decade?
Is Jordan Staal's return nostalgia driven, nostalgia drivel, or actually a possibility?
— Nick Case 🌻 (@Nick422) July 3, 2017
I'm unaware of any Jordan Staal reports tying him to a Pittsburgh return. You do have the nostalgia variable and with Marc-Andre Fleury and Chris Kunitz moving on in the same month I can understand people looking for some familiarity.
Jordan Staal is still a very good player. He is a legit top six center. The reason his offensive numbers don't look like it is because his quality of teammate throughout his career has been rubbish for the most part until last year. He finally played with some skilled wingers and had his best output since he's been in Carolina. His still a defensive marvel. He is a shutdown center and should get some Selke love some year.
Is it a possibility? The guy who traded for him and gave him his current contract is the Penguins general manager. However, I would be shocked if the team went this route.
how confident are you that dan girardi is the missing piece for tbl? ill hang up and listen
— Michael Stuart (@MikeStuartTLL) July 3, 2017
When people ask about the best general managers in hockey Steve Yzerman's name will pop up in that discussion and why not? He's done more good than bad. Although an acquisition like this is another reminder that there probably aren't any great general managers out there, just ones that are less bad and get lucky. Dan Girardi has been objectively one of the worst players at his position for a few years now. Yzerman referenced some in-house analytics making the case for him. Stick with the public information on this one.
Evaluation of the Scandella and Pominville trade.
— Garret Smith (@Smitty0717) July 3, 2017
Jason Botterill has improved the Buffalo Sabres in his short time running the show in Buffalo. They needed a top four defenseman and acquiring Marco Scandella accomplishes that. They didn't lose anything to acquire him either. Tyler Ennis is a skilled player, but has fallen off the table due to injuries the past few years. Jason Pominville led Minnesota in 5v5 points per 60 just last season. Put him in an appropriate role and he will continue to be an asset. Marcus Foligno is a very replaceable player and is of no substance as far as value is concerned in this trade. This was a clear win for Buffalo and when you look at the additions of Scandella, Beaulieu , Antipin, and potentially Guhle there is potential for improvement on what was a horrendous blue line.
Are the Sabres a playoff team this year?
— Mitch (@Reinhart_23) (@JACKElCHEL) July 3, 2017
It's tough to make playoff predictions before all the dust settles in the offseason, but I'll give one anyways. I think they fall short but have some things going in their favor in the coming years. Ottawa is due for regression after everything fell right last year, Detroit is terrible and will be for some time as long as Holland is in charge. Florida is a complete mess and is undoing the good roster work they did the past few years. Boston is unpredictable with Sweeny and no longer has Julien. Montreal's long term scope looks worse with each roster move. Toronto and Tampa should be good for the next few years.
I guess they have a puncher's chance. They are heading in the right direction.
Without a current trade for C, name top 4 lines with current roster.
— Greg Roe (@gregroe72) July 3, 2017
I'm going to assume Sheary is re-signed for this exercise
Sheary-Crosby-Sprong Rust-Malkin-Hornqvist Hagelin-Guentzel-Kessel Wilson-Rowney-Reaves Aston-Reese Edit: Whoops left Hornqvist off originally. Wasn't intentional. Just goes to show what a waste of a spot Ryan Reaves is if Sprong is ready.
This isn't what it will look like in October, but it's the best I can come up with on July 3. Splitting Crosby, Malkin, and Kessel is a must to spread the wealth. Guentzel is actually a center and I am giving him two of the teams better wingers to help that transition. You have the two young wingers in Sprong and Aston-Reese who may or may not play an NHL game during the 2017 calendar year. I'd rather take a chance with them than Tom Kuhnhackl type.
Do you think Pens fans could handle what Caps are going through?
— Bekamp (@mbekpgh) July 3, 2017
They did for the final few years of the Shero/Bylsma era and during the transition into Rutherford/Johnston. Remember, trading Malkin was going to solve everything. There were plenty of idiots suggesting that kind of stuff when the Penguins weren't finding playoff success.
Why not Kruger as pens 3 center?
— Markus Piltorp (@pengamazkinen) July 3, 2017
Very limited offensively. Pittsburgh is looking to roll three good scoring lines and one line anchored by Ryan Reaves.
Why do the pens punish mistakes by young defencemen (Pouliot) but give Hainsey/Maata/Daley all the rope in the world?
— Shane Bencze (@Effeww) July 3, 2017
This is not a Pittsburgh specific problem. This is a league wide thing. I would also say that Maatta is young and they trusted him. Their confidence in him was born from the most favorable usage you could get and they've been blind to the fact that Maatta has struggled more than he hasn't without a top pairing partner in a bottom pairing role.
Are the Sharks smart or stupid for paying Thornton $8M?
— Jim (@unrealZeroG) July 3, 2017
Very smart. It's only for one year and the alternative was losing their best forward for nothing. Eight million is a non-issue for the single season. It isn't hampering the team's ability to make moves.
If Cullen decides to retire any ideas for solid/cheap 4th line C?
— Austin Barnes (@Austin_Barnes00) July 3, 2017
The team could get away with Carter Rowney playing fourth line minutes to start the season.
Ok one more. Single best and single worst roster change (FA/trade/etc) of the offseason?
— Kevin Reuter (@KevinReuter66) July 3, 2017
I really like the Kevin Shattenkirk signing. He doesn't get enough credit for being able to drive play and his offensive ability is very good. Getting him signed for four years was huge. Cap hit is totally fine for the caliber of player. It isn't normal for the biggest free agent on the market to also have one of the most reasonable deals.
The flip side is that the Rangers were able to make this move because they bought out Dan Girardi. I have no idea why Tampa Bay gave him more than the league minimum and gave him term. Horrible choice.
There were some smaller moves that I liked involving veteran players getting one year and low money. They include Scott Hartnell, Alex Hemsky, Benoit Pouliot, and Patrick Sharp.
The Dmitry Kulikov signing deserves to be considered among the worst. He is coming off a horrendous season in Buffalo and the situation screams a one-year "show me" deal. Not three years at over 4M. What are the Jets doing?
Are GMs banking on a 2020 lockout to clear themselves of the bad contracts they're signing year after year?
— Marty (@McNulty4prez) July 3, 2017
The most transparent thing in the NHL is the fact everybody is protecting themselves for the next lockout. Players are getting signing bonus laden contracts if they sign past 2020. General managers are giving out huge deals to players on long term because they know they'll be able to wipe their hands clean of it when the compliance buyouts make their return. It's really pathetic that this is something that happens on a regular basis.
Who else do you think the Caps trade? I'd definitely look at moving Ovi . Obviously Orpik but dno if any team will take on that contract.
— Zack H. (@zdh_412) July 3, 2017
It might be that time to trade Alex Ovechkin. Washington is in cap hell. When Ovechkin signed his monster deal he did not have a classic agent. He and his mother negotiated the contract. The no trade clauses that plague a lot of GM's when trading a star player aren't as harsh with Ovie. He CAN be traded to 20 of the 31 teams.
It won't be easy to move a 9.5M contract, but it only has four years left on it. I liked Travis Yost's suggestion of Arizona who has the money and would love the marketing opportunity.
Thanks for reading!