Mailbag: Pacific Division playoff teams, Rangers targets at Deadline
NHL.com's Dan Rosen answers weekly questions
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Of the Los Angeles Kings, Vegas Golden Knights, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks, which do you see getting the two guaranteed playoff
,
Zac Jones
or
Matthew Robertson
. I would not trade defenseman Braden Schneider, the No. 19 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft who looks like an NHL-ready defenseman.
The Rangers should not overpay to fill the need, but with the young defensemen not named Schneider and two second-round picks in the 2022 NHL Draft, they are in a good position to make a move for a rental player (on an expiring contract) who won't significantly impact their future or bottom line going forward.
However, the Rangers also must determine Ryan Strome's future. He's a huge part of the team, playing center on a line with Artemi Panarin and as a regular on the top power-play unit. But Strome is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), meaning Monday represents sort of a deadline to figure out his future, similar to what happened with left wing Chris Kreider two seasons ago. The Rangers were facing the dilemma of likely trading Kreider before the 2020 deadline if they did not get him signed; Kreider signed a seven-year contract worth $6.5 million annually on deadline day. New York won't trade Strome, not with the playoffs in its future, but what happens next will impact the Rangers' current and future plans. If they re-sign him, it preserves their strong 1-2 center depth along with Mika Zibanejad and leaves available all of the assets they're willing to trade for a rental: Hertl, Rakell, Kessel or someone else. If they don't re-sign Strome, any trade they make, especially if it's for a pending UFA, could impact what they might be able to offer teams in the offseason in a trade for a center to replace him.
If the Oilers miss the playoffs, what changes should be expected? They have six players that make up half of their salary cap. -- @punmasterrifkin
Make or miss the playoffs, the Oilers have to address their goaltending in the offseason. Mikko Koskinen is a pending UFA. He has proven to be effective in spurts and I wouldn't mind him being a 1B to a better 1A. Mike Smith is signed for next season with a $2.2 million NHL salary cap charge. He turns 40 on Tuesday and has been injured most of the season. Can you really trust Smith to even be your No. 2 next season? That's a question the Oilers have to answer. Maybe with a No. 1 lock, whoever that might be and however they acquire him, you can keep Smith and let Koskinen leave, especially if he wants anywhere in the neighborhood of the $4.5 million he's making this season, the last of a three-year contract. He'll be 34 when next season begins.
The Oilers will have to make some moves to free up salary cap space to retool their middle-six forward depth and get forwards Kailer Yamamoto and Jesse Puljujarvi, each a pending restricted free agent, under contract. I'm usually a proponent of filling out the skater depth and working the salary cap to fit the needs there before solving the goaltending issue, but for Edmonton it very clearly has been a goaltending issue for several seasons and has to be addressed.
Lots of trade talk out there. Is there one team that maybe doesn't need to make a trade to not try to breakup chemistry amongst the team? If so who, and why not make any changes? -- @theashcity
There are no perfect teams. You buy insurance with the hope that you never have to use it. I think every NHL team needs insurance; we call it depth. Every team that believes it has a legitimate chance to win should be willing to go the extra mile. Assets can be recouped; the chance to win the Stanley Cup in 2022 cannot. Chemistry is important, but contending teams try to add to what they have to fill holes. Personality and character matter because you don't want someone to come in and upset the chemistry. They have to fit in.
Look at the Tampa Bay Lightning and the acquisition of defenseman David Savard last season. They got him to play in a bottom-pair role. He had five assists and averaged 14:07 of ice time in 20 playoff games. The Lightning may not have won the Stanley Cup without him.
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