Mailbag: Possible rule changes; Markstrom's future

Here is the March 20 edition of the weekly NHL.com mailbag, where we answer your questions asked on X. Send your questions to @drosennhl and @NHLdotcom, and tag it with #OvertheBoards.

Any serious talk [at the General Managers meetings] about revamping 3-on-3 overtime. Making it 10 minutes? Trying to prevent the possession game by regrouping in the neutral zone? -- @GabeML30

As expected, 3-on-3 overtime was discussed Monday in one of the breakout groups that featured eight general managers and it was again a topic in the big room discussion of all the GMs and NHL executives on Tuesday. But the consensus is to leave well enough alone. Nicholas J. Cotsonika covered that in this column.

To reiterate from the column, entering Tuesday, 69.6 percent of games that have gone to overtime have ended in overtime this season (158 of 227). That's on pace for the highest percentage of overtime games ending in overtime since the NHL adopted the shootout in 2005-06. The record is 68.5 percent, which was set last season (207 of 302). It's quite clear that 3-on-3 overtime and the way it is played is working and the general managers don't want to tinker with overtime for fear of unintended consequences. If you prohibit the regroup by not allowing teams to bring the puck back across the red line after crossing it on the attack it could create more whistles and ruin the flow. It could lead to the need for video review to determine if the puck did or did not cross the red line. Those are just some of the issues that were outlined by the general managers.

There was some discussion about extending overtime to seven minutes, similar to the ECHL, but that doesn't seem to have any traction at this point.

What kinds of ideas and changes were being offered and discussed at the GMs meetings? Anything earth-shattering or was it business as usual? -- @MrEd315

The GMs are proposing a number of smaller rule change recommendations, more tweaks to current rules than anything else. Here is the story on that.

The big one is the expansion of the coach's challenge rule to include delay of game penalties for pucks shot over the glass and for high sticking minors that might have been a result of friendly fire. In each case, it would be to remove a penalty only.

It may seem black and white for pucks shot over the glass; either it goes directly over the glass from the defensive end and it's a penalty or it touched something (stick, skate, glass) on the way out of play and it's not a penalty. But the gray area is still in the video that is available. The blue line camera and goaltender cameras are in identical spots in every building, so you'll always have video evidence for potential offside or goalie interference situations, but evidence of pucks being shot over the glass is reliant on television cameras that are not identical in every building. So, could there be an issue that tonight it is caught on replay but tomorrow it is not? That is a consideration but the GMs decided to go forward with the proposal to add it to the coach's challenge rule.

This also is opening the door to allow penalties to be reviewed. Is that a door the NHL wants open? Where does it stop? Is the next step to then start reviewing tripping penalties? Did you fall over your stick or mine? Cross checks; was it just a push or was it more violent? Video review is important but the NHL doesn't want the game to be bogged down because that ruins the entertainment value.

I know there have been discussions about adding to the reviewable plays but any thoughts on removing offside review? Also, are we forever going to have the trapezoid? I would love to see goalies wandering out into the corners after pucks. -- @Scott_RA

There haven't been any public discussions about removing the offside review. Technology is expanding and the idea of removing an element of video review that allows for the ability to get the call right doesn't seem to be in the playbook of the NHL or, frankly, any sports league. Yes, people may not like the offside review if it goes against them or think it's nitpicking at inches, but it is only right to do everything technology allows to get a call correct. If a goal is scored illegally, whether it's caught live or on camera, it's still scored illegally and should not count.

Nothing on the trapezoid either. That debate seems dead. It's a part of the game. Goalies are learning with the trapezoid now, developing and coming up with it as part of their boundaries. To change it now would be doing a disservice to them. Even if it's removed, it's unlikely that you'll see many goalies wandering out to play the puck. They won't have enough time. There is no clutching and grabbing in the game anymore so the forecheckers are coming fast and they can't be held up. The defensemen barely have time to go back and get the puck, so there's little chance a goalie will have time to skate to the corner, set the puck up on their stick and make a play. They're better served staying in the crease.

Anything mentioned about the playoff format? -- @bruinsmemes

The playoff format has not been discussed and is not an issue the GMs or anyone in the NHL has brought up. The League is happy with the playoff format and feels it is doing what it is intended to do, which is to allow for rivalry matchups and challenging playoff series across the board. The playoff format has not been a topic that has generated consideration for change for quite some time.

With the New Jersey Devils looking for a true starting goalie do they possibly look at Spencer Knight to be the guy? -- @victortroyan

It's not the way the Devils should go. Knight, the Florida Panthers goalie prospect, is 22 years old. He's playing in the American Hockey League with the Charlotte Checkers. He's playing relatively well; 21-13-4 with a 2.59 goals-against average and .899 save percentage in 39 games. He has NHL experience, having played in 57 games, going 32-17-6 with a 2.91 GAA and .906 save percentage. He has two more years left on a three-year contract. He's also brave, having sought help last season through the NHL-NHLPA Player Assistance Program for obsessive compulsive disorder, which he has admitted publicly. Knight should be admired and he's undoubtedly a top prospect who has the potential to be an NHL goalie for a long time.

But he is not who the Devils need going into next season. The Devils need a reliable, proven, veteran No. 1 goalie to get at least 50 starts with Jake Allen reserved for the rest. They need stability at a position that has been most unstable for them this season. That's why goalies like Jacob Markstrom from the Calgary Flames, Juuse Saros from the Nashville Predators, Linus Ullmark of the Boston Bruins, and John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks are strong options for New Jersey. Knight would likely be a fine option playing behind one of them, just as he would be next season playing behind Sergei Bobrovsky in Florida, but the Devils have Allen. What they need is a sure thing in front of him.

Outside of the Devils what other teams do you expect to explore trading for Markstrom or any other goalie? -- @punmasterrifkin

The Toronto Maple Leafs top the list. A lot depends on what happens the rest of the way this season, but Ilya Samsonov is a pending unrestricted free agent and there's no guarantee the Maple Leafs will bring him back. Joseph Woll is signed through next season with an AAV of $766,666, leaving the door wide open for Toronto to go big game goalie hunting in the offseason. Do not be surprised if that happens, but first we need to see what happens the rest of this season with Samsonov and his progression as a No. 1.

The Los Angeles Kings could be in the market. Cam Talbot and David Rittich are both playing on one-year contracts. The Kings were rumored to be interested in Ullmark before the trade deadline this season. The Bruins need to re-sign Jeremy Swayman, which likely will force them to trade Ullmark, who next season will be in the last year of a four-year, $20 million contract ($5 million AAV).

The Philadelphia Flyers could be in the market for a top goalie like Markstrom, Saros, Gibson or Ullmark. Samuel Ersson starts a two-year, $2.9 million contract ($1.45 million AAV) next season. Felix Sandstrom can be an unrestricted free agent after this season. Carter Hart is on leave and unlikely to return.