Mailbag: Golden Knights offseason, Letang's future with Penguins

Here is the May 18 edition of the mailbag, where we answer your questions asked on Twitter using #OvertheBoards. Tweet your questions to @drosennhl.

What are some teams that you are keeping an eye on during the offseason? -- @punmasterrifkin
The Vegas Golden Knights fired coach Peter DeBoer on Monday, a move that only bolsters my opinion that they are the most fascinating team of the 24 that have already reached the NHL offseason. Is this where Barry Trotz lands? What about Mike Babcock? Could the Golden Knights be the team that brings Joel Quenneville back into the NHL pending a conversation with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman? Quenneville resigned as coach of the Florida Panthers on Oct. 29 after being implicated in an independent investigation into the Chicago Blackhawks for allegations by former player Kyle Beach of sexual assault by then-video coach Brad Aldrich in 2010, when Quenneville was Blackhawks coach. Commissioner Bettman said at the time of Quenneville's resignation that he will require a meeting with him to reenter the NHL.
The Golden Knights are known for swinging for the fences, so I could see a big, bold move for their next coach. They have to figure out their roster to become compliant with the NHL salary cap. Forwards Reilly Smith and Mattias Janmark are pending unrestricted free agents. Will they be back? Can the Golden Knights afford to sign them? What about the future of Evgenii Dadonov? Vegas tried to trade the forward to the Anaheim Ducks before the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline, but the transaction was canceled because it did not comply with his no-trade clause. Do they revisit moving Dadonov, who handled that entire situation like a true pro? Is Robin Lehner staying as the goalie? He's signed for three more seasons with a cap charge of $5 million. Do the Golden Knights try to trade him anyway to save on the cap? There are a lot of questions and at this point not a lot of answers. The Golden Knights are clearly the most interesting team of the offseason.

Do you think Lane Lambert will bring a change in coaching philosophy for the New York Islanders different from Barry Trotz's? -- @TrishTheMiddle
Lambert worked with Trotz for 11 seasons and three teams (Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals, Islanders). I don't think you'll see a major change in coaching philosophy. The plan for the Islanders is to still be hard to play against, strong defensively and tough to get through in the neutral zone. That is their identity and Lambert said Monday that won't change. But his philosophy on how much they should push for offense, how much risk he will accept in their game, will all depend on the roster he is given by general manager Lou Lamoriello and the front office.
The Islanders need to improve their speed on the back end and at least one more high-end scoring threat in their top six forward group. They likely need some more speed on the wings. They need to retool their fourth line. They can't run the same group with the same philosophies next season after missing the playoffs and changing coaches. Lambert certainly will have his own ideas, but they will be formed around the weapons he has at his disposal. Trotz coached the Islanders based on what they had. He pushed and it worked. Lambert must do the same, but where he pushes and how much he pushes will depend on the players he has to push, and that's still to be determined.
Does Kris Letang stay in Pittsburgh or does he move on, and if so where to? -- @FLYRH8R
I don't think the Pittsburgh Penguins can make a wrong decision when it comes to Letang. The defenseman is a pending unrestricted free agent coming off what might have been the best of his 15 seasons in Pittsburgh. He scored an NHL career-high 68 points (10 goals, 58 assists). He played 78 games, the third most in his career. He was a difference-maker in every game.
Letang is 35 years old and completed the final season of an eight-year, $58 million contract with a $7.25 million cap charge. Based on the season he just had, the cap charge on his next contract could be equal to what it was if not slightly more. He earned it. If the Penguins decide Letang is still worth it, they can sign him to a three-year contract, matching the length remaining on Sidney Crosby's contract, and try to get center Evgeni Malkin, another pending UFA, signed and ride out the core for three more seasons. If they worry about regression in Letang's game, they can move on from him knowing they got the most out of the player. It's possible they're feeling Letang may have hit his high point this season and that his age, injury history, and the 1,090 games he has played between the regular season and the Stanley Cup Playoffs will start to wear on him. It's a gamble, but if that's the feeling I would understand why they would move on from him. That is a decision that needs to be made because I don't think Letang has to take any hometown discount to stay in Pittsburgh. He should play for what he is worth on the open market.

If Letang leaves, the Montreal Canadiens could be the target for him. General manager Kent Hughes is Letang's former agent. The Canadiens need to improve. Letang is a veteran leader, a three-time Stanley Cup champion, and he can add a lot in the room and on the ice. Letang is also from Montreal, a proud French Canadian, and I'm sure he used to dream of playing for the Canadiens. In fact, after covering the Penguins in the Eastern Conference First Round and having conversations with people who know Letang, I think he will either stay with the Penguins or sign with the Canadiens. I also think he'll give the Penguins the opportunity to sign him before the free agent market opens July 13, but he won't do it for less than he's worth on the open market.
Battle of Alberta, who you got? -- @OilCityDynasty
I picked the Calgary Flames to win the Stanley Cup and not moving from that prediction. They outplayed the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference First Round. The series got to overtime of Game 7 because Stars goalie Jake Oettinger was terrific with a 1.81 goals-against average, .954 save percentage (13 goals on 285 shots) and one shutout. The Flames averaged 41.0 shots on goal per game, third most in the first round. They allowed 27.9, the fewest per game. They outshot Dallas 67-28 in Game 7. They played their game. They will do the same against the Edmonton Oilers.
The challenge is, of course, greater against Edmonton because of forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. McDavid scored 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in the first round after leading the NHL with 123 (44 goals, 79 assists) in the regular season. Draisaitl had nine points (five goals, four assists) after getting 110 (55 goals, 55 assists) this season. They will get their chances. They will get their points. There's no way around it. They're that good and it would be foolish for me to say the Flames have to stop them to win. But they have to limit them, which is something they can do by playing their smothering, aggressive, puck possession style.
The Oilers needed seven games to get through the Los Angeles Kings, another team that plays with excellent defensive structure and an aggressive forecheck, but the Kings are not as good as the Flames. Their leading scorer in the regular season was Anze Kopitar with 67 points (19 goals, 48 assists). Their leading goal scorer was Adrian Kempe with 35. Calgary had two 100-point players in Johnny Gaudreau (115) and Matthew Tkachuk (104). Elias Lindholm had 82 points. Each scored at least 40 goals. The Flames present a significantly greater challenge to the Oilers from an offensive perspective than the Kings.
The same can be said of the challenge the Oilers present to the Flames and how much greater it is from what Dallas offered, but that series would not have been as close as it was without Oettinger's brilliance. Mike Smith will have to play like Oettinger for the Oilers to win this series. And if he does, I'd still pick the Flames because they are arguably the best team in the NHL at limiting chances against and they're backed by Jacob Markstrom, a finalist for the Vezina Trophy given to the best goalie in the regular season.
Flames in six.
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