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PHR Live Chat: 07-06-23
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Josh Erickson
4:00
Hi all! Looking to get these started weekly again. Very excited to restart this tradition
Certainly a lot of things to parse through today as the free agency aftermath rages on. I'll wait a few minutes for some questions to filter in and then get started.
Dumba
4:04
So where do I land? I've talked to Toronto, Arizona and others. Am I better trying to rebuild my value with a 1 yr and cash in next year?
Josh Erickson
4:04
Good place to start here. I think anyone still on the market of top-six F/top-four D caliber is looking at a one-year deal. The money isn't there, as Tarasenko quickly found out this week.
4:05
I think Arizona is an intriguing destination for Dumba – I think it's a very boom or bust move for him. He's 28 and will be 29 by the time next season starts. There's not much more room for growth here.
4:06
His goal is to show he can be a 35-40 point per season guy and not get hung out to dry defensively. You'd think there would more demand based on how many minutes he's eaten up for the Wild, but this past season was not pretty. If he can reclaim some more power play minutes with the Coyotes and whatnot, and stand out among a poor supporting cast (although I think it's improved), then it could work.
4:07
If it turns out he needs a system like Minnesota's to keep him from becoming a complete liability... it could tank his career. I do wonder about San Jose as well, but it carries the same risks.
slash1001
4:07
What are the Predators up to?  I want to be optimistic after they moved on from Poile (2 years too late) but the current approach feels messy and likely to keep them in the mushy middle.  None of the current prospects project to be top-line talent, and Saros is too good to let them tank.  What do you think of the plan so far, and does it have any chance of putting them back in a serious playoff conversation 3 years from now?
Josh Erickson
4:08
The O'Reilly signing was pretty nonsensical to me. They're quite thin at center, and although there are some nice pieces to develop there, ROR is their de facto number one.
4:09
Unfortunately, I think that much ice time is going to burn him out rather quickly at his age in footspeed. I don't think it's a good fit for either the player or team. I like their prospect pool, and I think their 2023 draft was good, but they had some opportunities they passed up on. Unfortunately, with how strong the 2024 draft is as well, I think they missed a golden opportunity to be okay with tanking and go all in on a rebuild.
Wayne Simmonds
4:10
Any reason the Leafs decided to get Ryan Reeves for 3 yrs when I was available for league min to do the same thing
Josh Erickson
4:11
I do think Reaves is a better hockey player. He can handle a few more minutes a night than Simmonds can at this point, although handing him seven figures per season is an overpay. He's not a complete liability defensively and is a bit stronger locker room presence. I like the acquisition, I think it's a slight upgrade, but the term and cap hit is a little tough to swallow.
RandomDevilsFan
4:12
Hi! Do you think the Devils are done making moves for the offseason?
Josh Erickson
4:12
They've gotta be close, save for a potential goalie trade. Gibson seems more likely than Hellebuyck at this point if they do go that route, he's cost-controlled and it's clear NJ doesn't want to pay Hellebuyck's asking price on an extension, which I think is a wise move.
4:14
The question is, how much do they like Kevin Bahl? If they don't envision him in the lineup every night, they could go bargain bin shopping for a left-shot defender. Caleb Jones?
Pedro
4:14
Are you surprised nobody claimed Zadina?  Some of the rebuilding teams have plenty of cap space so there's no reason his salary should've prevented them from getting a jump on the rest of league.
Josh Erickson
4:15
Not at all. The cap hit isn't the issue – it's the term and structure of the contract. His deal was backloaded, meaning he's earning more actual money than his cap hit dictates in both 23-24 and 24-25. Teams likely sensed DET/Zadina were headed for termination or a buyout if this didn't get resolved, and they knew he could be had for cheap later on.
Avs
4:15
Is it just me or has colorado just decided to sit out free agency this year? Feels like they have a bunch of holes that they chose not to address
Josh Erickson
4:17
Replacing Compher with a cheaper and higher-upside Johansen seems like filling a hole to me. I do still think there's room for another middle-six forward, though. They're cap compliant now, but they haven't dipped into the Landeskog relief much. Depending on how they play his LTIR relief, I've been wondering about a Patrick Kane fit there since NYR were eliminated. (1 year, 4-5 mil?)
Tarasenko
4:17
When do I sign In Carolina
Josh Erickson
4:18
I have don't have a ton of insight as to the nitty gritty of this, but I'll say there aren't a lot of options for him, and I think he prefers Carolina to Ottawa. I don't think the Sens stand much of a chance with how long this DeBrincat saga is drawing out. I would be surprised if Tarasenko still a UFA by this time next week, but it could still take a few days before we hear anything.
Mike
4:19
Anaheim loaded with D prospects any chance one of mintyukov and or Zellweger makes the team?
Josh Erickson
4:21
With how thin their blueline is, I think there's a chance that both are on the opening night roster out of camp, although I don't think they both stay long-term. Zellweger can play in the AHL next year, and I *think* Mintyukov can, too – he'll be 20 before the new year. I'd bet on Zellweger to stick long-term more than Mintyukov, however. Gudas seems like a targeted attempt to protect Zellweger to me.
Tambyman
4:21
Where does Erik Karlson ultimately end up, and what is the timing.
Josh Erickson
4:22
I think this is something that's gonna drop at 8pm on a Friday with no warning, I'll tell you that.
4:23
These negotiations are so incredibly complex to make the money work... I really don't know how long this could possibly take. I'd be a little surprised if he's still a Shark by August, but I wouldn't rule it out. I have a gut feeling about Pittsburgh. Carolina just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me after the moves they've made, especially with the DeAngelo acquisition pending...  cap space will get tricky
4:24
Pittsburgh, on the other hand, could offer Petry + Pickering + 1st round pick and potentially other futures, and they'd only need to do a little work to get cap compliant.
Kyle D.
4:24
What do you think of the start of my Pittsburgh era??
Josh Erickson
4:25
Draft was okay. I liked Yager at 14, but I thought the depth picks left a little to be desired (unlike his time in Toronto, where I thought he excelled). The Leafs had a pretty poor draft day too, so I'm not sure what the missing link is.
4:26
FA signings... Smith was a nice add, although I don't think much was done to change the state of the bottom six. It's still quite old and slow, and he made three depth forward adds (Nieto, Eller, Acciari) over 30 years of age. The Graves deal had a bit too much term for my liking, but he's an upgrade over Dumoulin
I think it's status quo. I think he did well enough to kick the can down the road without completely screwing with the team's long-term future, but I don't think fans are gonna be happy with how he addressed the team's speed issues.
Dan
4:26
Do the ducks make any more moves this off-season? Is debrincat a possibility? Thanks!
Josh Erickson
4:27
I think they have to. That defense is still something out of a horror film... it can't possibly get worse than last year, can it?
4:28
DeBrincat would be nice and they have the assets to do it. It's puzzling to me that they'd prioritize getting him traded for and extended while Zegras and Terry remain unsigned, though. You'd think that would be Verbeek's first priority instead of giving a 33-year-old Killorn too much money.
Even if Zellweger and Mintyukov have good camps, I think they need to get at least two more D. I mentioned Caleb Jones earlier, I'd like to see him here. He has a lot of experience putting up solid underlying numbers on poor defenses.
Dan
4:29
Do you see any chance the Blues can move one of their higher priced defensemen?
Josh Erickson
4:29
I think they waited much too long. I do think a move gets done out of necessity, but I don't think it'll be a return that Army is enthused with.
John
4:29
Can this be the finally be a breakout for Lafreniere? Hard when he gets third line and no top PP time. Will this change under Laviolette? Such a waste in his development.
Josh Erickson
4:31
I hope so. He's displayed shooting ability in spades during his limited role, but his more advanced metrics aren't tracking as you'd hope. That could change with a better supporting cast. I do think he's a solid bet for 25ish goals if he gets closer to 17 minutes a night, though. He's by no means a complete bust, he'll have a long NHL career, but I do wonder if he'll ever get past high-end middle-six forward. It's obviously not the ceiling everyone envisioned.
Guest
4:32
Where do minor leaguers live when bouncing betwen AHL and NHL?
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