Mailbag: Karlsson's future, Rangers' center options

Here is the Sept. 19 edition of Dan Rosen's weekly mailbag, which runs every Wednesday. If you have a question, tweet it to @drosennhl and use #OvertheBoards.

With Erik Karlsson's saga now over, are you in the camp that he'll re-sign with the San Jose Sharks long term or will he test free agency this coming summer? -- @bloodfury
It's too soon to tell. We don't know how, or if, Karlsson is going to mesh with his teammates in San Jose or if he and his wife will like the area. We can predict with some level of confidence the Sharks will be a good team, a Stanley Cup Playoff team, but their success could impact Karlsson's decision. It's a big one, and the defenseman is under no obligation to rush into anything.
But from what we know of San Jose and the players who play there, it's rare to find one who doesn't like it and/or wants out. Why do you think center Joe Thornton keeps coming back for more with the Sharks? He loves the team and the area. He has no desire to leave. Forward Evander Kane found a home and signed a seven-year contract May 24. Forward Patrick Marleau stayed for 18 years before he finally left for another opportunity with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Former Sharks forward Owen Nolan returned to the area and now calls it home. Center Logan Couture signed an eight-year contract extension July 1 to stay in San Jose, bypassing the chance to become an unrestricted free agent after this season.
The Sharks are betting on Karlsson feeling the same way; I think it's a good bet to make.

Does Rick Nash return to the NHL this year? Best guess where he lands? -- @DanBreeman
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet had an update from Nash's agent, Joe Resnick, in his 31 Thoughts column that ran Sept. 14, but all Resnick said was "Nothing has changed since July 1. Status quo."
The 34-year-old forward seems intent to start the season on the sidelines. What happens after that is anybody's guess. Nash has a growing family (he and his wife, Jessica, have three young children) and he thinks about his future. He has had some injury issues, including a concussion at the end of last season, and has already gotten so much out of the game and his NHL career that maybe he thinks it's time to do something else. He has played in 1,060 NHL games, with 437 goals. He won the Olympic gold medal twice with Canada. He reached a Stanley Cup Final in 2014 with the New York Rangers, but didn't win. He also won gold at the 2007 IIHF World Championship. Other than winning the Cup, I can't imagine there's much more on Nash's to-do list for his NHL career.
If Nash does choose to come back, I'm sure there will be no shortage of teams interested. He lives in Columbus, so the Columbus Blue Jackets would be a natural fit. Depending on if and when he starts fielding offers, the standings could have an impact. Nash would be a good addition to any team needing to beef up its top-nine group with a forward who goes to the net. It just depends on Nash and if he wants to keep going to the net. If he doesn't, he won't play again.
Do you see the Rangers trading Kevin Hayes by the new year to maximize trade value if Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil perform above expectations after sticking with the team? What could they possibly get in return? -- @pz_nyr11
It's certainly possible the Rangers could put the 26-year-old center, who can become an unrestricted free agent after this season, on the market, and there's no doubt he'd be a hot commodity as a rental. I'm not sure what the return would be; that depends on Hayes' play and the market at the time. But a lot has to happen, including New York's season going sideways, for Hayes to be on the block before the 2019 NHL Trade Deadline (Feb. 25).
Andersson and Chytil will have to be good. Part of the reason the Rangers signed Hayes to a one-year contract July 30 was because they wanted to buy themselves more time to evaluate the rookie centers before committing to Hayes long term. If Chytil and Andersson each proves he can be a top-nine center, with Mika Zibanejad in the fold, the Rangers could use the money they would have paid Hayes elsewhere and still feel good about their depth down the middle.
To trade Hayes, the Rangers also will have to think they're out of the playoff race. I don't see them selling off again if they're in the race in mid-to-late February. They've stockpiled a lot of high-end prospects in the past 15 months and they feel comfortable with what they have in their system. If they're trending away from playoff contention and they like what they've seen from the rookie centers, you can bank on Hayes being on the block.
Who looks most NHL-ready for the third-line center role on the Boston Bruins between Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, Trent Frederic and Jack Studnicka? All three have looked pretty good so far. And does David Pastrnak stay with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand (arguably the best line in hockey) or move down next to David Krejci? -- @tdeon26
I think the fact Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy used Frederic on a line with David Backes in the 2018 O.R.G. NHL China Games is an indicator Frederic has the inside track to be Boston's third-line center when the season begins. Forsbacka Karlsson and Studnicka were playing the roles that would normally be filled by Bergeron (out with back spasms) and Krejci. It was great practice for them and good scouting for the Bruins, who need to know who can fill in should Bergeron or Krejci miss significant time with an injury.
I'm not convinced Pastrnak will stay with Marchand and Bergeron. The Bruins might think they're better off going with pairs instead of loading up one line. Bergeron and Marchand could be joined by either Ryan Donato, Danton Heinen or Anders Bjork on the right wing (each of them shoots lefty, though). Pastrnak could then join Krejci and Jake DeBrusk on the second line.
I think the Bruins look more dangerous that way than loading up the top line. Pastrnak could be seeing some middle-pair defensemen and second and third lines if he drops down. That's another reason it would have been good for Boston to have had Krejci with them in China, because he could have played with Pastrnak for two games. Krejci was a late scratch from the trip because of an immigration issue.

Do you think the Calgary Flames should pursue better goaltending or stay the course with what they have? -- @StanfordJer
They'll stay the course for now, with Mike Smith as the No. 1 and either David Rittich or Jon Gillies as the No. 2. Smith is 36 years old and in the last year of his contract, so depending on his season and how much further Calgary wants to go with him, eventually the Flames are going to have to figure out how much they believe in Rittich and Gillies.
Neither has a large enough sample size to judge. Gillies, 24, played in 11 games (nine starts) last season and was 3-5-1 with a 2.88 goals-against average and .896 save percentage. Rittich, 26, was 8-6-3 with a 2.92 GAA and .904 save percentage in 21 games.
Rittich requires waivers to be sent down, so he could start the season as the backup to Smith, with Gillies, who doesn't need waivers, going to Stockton of the American Hockey League. Calgary also has 21-year-old Tyler Parsons, but it's not clear if he has No. 1 potential.
It's possible the Flames could go another season or two with Smith, but his performance will dictate much of that. It wouldn't shock me if the Flames' No. 1 goalie next season isn't on their roster now.
Could Henrik Zetterberg retiring be a blessing in disguise for the Detroit Red Wings in the sense that it forces management to turn to the young guys? -- @JanusGemini79
No, because the Red Wings were going to turn to the young guys anyway. Now those young guys, especially forwards Dylan Larkin, Anthony Mantha, Andreas Athanasiou and, potentially, forwards Filip Zadina, Michael Rasmussen, Evgeny Svechnikov and Tyler Bertuzzi, won't have Zetterberg around to show them the way, to push them, to lead them.
I know what you're implying in your question, but I just can't find anything good about Zetterberg being unable to play because of a degenerative back condition.