JotCast | PHR Live Chat: 10/29/25

PHR Live Chat: 10/29/25

Josh Erickson

1:57

Hi all, I'll start answering questions in a few minutes!

2:00

Alright, let's get going.

LGD

2:00

How many consecutive games you giving Markstrom to find his groove?

Josh Erickson

2:02

I'm always willing to write off the first game back from an injury, but the three prior appearances weren't great for him, either. This is why it was so crucial to re-sign Jake Allen, and I'm sure they're thrilled with their choice. Markström has been prone to some year-to-year swings, particularly recently. I get that the Devils have banked points early on, but they're a contending team. They do what gives them the best chance to win. Catering to one player, especially one in a contract year, isn't conducive to success. They'll give the majority of the workload to Allen for as long as he can take it if he's the hotter hand.

Ahl

2:03

Where would Chicago get open slots if they wanted to promote Moore and lardis in the near future ?

Josh Erickson

2:05

If they want to wait until after the trade deadline, the roster limit goes away. That might be the smart play anyway, so as not to interrupt what they're cooking in Rockford right now. But they already have one open roster spot, and unless Laurent Brossoit makes a miraculous return, they don't have anyone on injured reserve who's going to be activated. They can recall one of them without a corresponding transaction. If they wanted to recall both, I would bank on Landon Slaggert being sent to Rockford. He's waiver-exempt and has been in and out of the lineup since returning from injury.

Miguel

2:05

What's your feeling of the Canucks so far? They've got so many players with no move/no trade clauses like a perennial cup contender yet they seem closer to winning the draft lottery and little roster flexibility

Josh Erickson

2:09

Not good. They've been a little unlucky in the finishing department, but not enough to explain the lack of offense. They've simply been below average in every department so far, aside from goaltending. I understand the injuries have piled up, but their possession metrics at 5-on-5 are some of the worst in the league. They're controlling under 45% of scoring chances and high-danger chances. Keep that up, and playoffs are out of the question. Their salary cap situation is better than it looks right now because of all their injuries. Most of the players they've committed to long-term don't look like huge problem contracts aside from Elias Pettersson. Nothing so far this season has quieted concerns about him. He's the make-or-break guy.

DStars

2:09

How would you grade out Thomas Harley’s new contract? And how does this affect Jason Robertson’s future in Dallas?

Josh Erickson

2:12

Over the last 12 months, Harley's played like a top 10 defenseman in the league. He's also still got room to grow and can do so without all the pressure of being "the guy" because Miro Heiskanen is there as well. It's a really advantageous situation for him and the team, and I think the Stars did well to get this done early, given the lack of blue line help on the way aside from Lian Bichsel and their poor recent track record of identifying quality depth targets on the free-agent and trade markets.

2:15

As for Robertson, I don't think the Harley extension makes it a non-starter. While he's been consistent, he hasn't hit a point per game in two years and isn't tracking to do so this season. I don't think he has the standing to land much more than the $10MM annually that Logan Cooley just received from the Mammoth, at least not right now. If Dallas signs him to that deal, they'll have $7.4MM in cap space for 2026-27 to fill six roster spots. Tight, but doable, since Jamie Benn and Mavrik Bourque are the only other high-profile pending free agents there.

Dugout001

2:15

Blackhawks are finally fun to watch. A mirage?

Josh Erickson

2:18

A long-term mirage? No. But I would still temper expectations for their record this season. They've improved enough to start sniffing around .500, but I'd be surprised if they finished with more than 85 points. The possession play still isn't close to where it needs to be. The penalty kill was something of a bright spot last year and continues to be so in 2025-26. I don't think most understand the impact Spencer Knight has had on their record so far. He's been an uncontested top-five goalie in the league for the first month and is on pace to start 55+ games. His .930 save percentage is definitely covering up some holes.

Mammoth13

2:18

Do you think the Mammoth with resign Nick Schmaltz? Thanks.

Josh Erickson

2:19

Put me in the no camp. I don't think it makes sense for them based on where they're at in their contention window and where he's at in his career. If he wasn't having a massive start to his contract year, I may have a different answer for you. However, he's putting himself in a position where his market value is going to almost definitely exceed the actual value he provides on his next deal. He's 30 years old with his best chance to cash in on the open market, so I don't believe he has much incentive to take a discount to stay with Utah, either. He's been a great soldier for that franchise dating back to the Arizona days, but with the amount of forward prospects the Mammoth have on the way, he's replaceable.

Bruins

2:20

Do bruins rattle off a win streak?

Josh Erickson

2:23

They've had some really weird games recently. I thought they were fine against the Senators and lost 7-2. I didn't think they had any business being the Avalanche last weekend, but they did. On the whole, I wouldn't be surprised to see them string a few together in the next several days. The goaltending coming back down to Earth, particularly in Swayman's case, is concerning. In general, though, I think their 5-on-5 play has been trending in the right direction.

Pete

2:23

Who are the lslanders likely to move at the deadline. I can see Lee, JGP, Pulock and Pelech made available. Can use picks and prospects I think the team is playing for 2 years to be competitive.Thanks.

Josh Erickson

2:27

Ryan Pulock has a full no-trade clause. With him under contract through 2030 and the Islanders overall trending in the right direction as an organization, I can't think of a reason he'd waive it. Cross him off that list. The other three you mention only have partial no-trade clauses, so they're all in play. Pageau is a near-certainty to be moved. He's a pending UFA, and I imagine they aren't overly interested in re-signing him with Calum Ritchie on the way. Pelech moving would be surprising unless they feel a need to have the younger lefties they like (Marshall Warren/Isaiah George) in full-time roles next season. I don't know enough about where extension talks are at with Anders Lee to give an accurate assessment of his availability.

NSH

2:28

I think it is about to tear it down. Who are the Predators actually able to trade for positive value at the tdl? What could they get in return?

Josh Erickson

2:32

This is a low-event team without the quality of personnel on defense needed to convert that into a winning record, particularly without Roman Josi here. The depth isn't great, and Brady Skjei desperately needs to be better.

In the past, they've said they're treating Ryan O'Reilly like he has a no-movement clause even though he doesn't have one. He's the most tradeable target. He only has one year left on his contract after this, and his $4.5MM cap hit is one of the better value propositions on the team. He's leading them in scoring and is the absolute least of their worries right now. They're likely able to get at least a first-round pick for him if he keeps up this level of play throughout the year. Erik Haula's played nicely as well and could get them legitimate value. I wonder if they shop one of their younger depth defensemen to make more room for Tanner Molendyk moving forward.

2:33

Forsberg, Stamkos, and Marchessault all have no-movement clauses, so they're at the mercy of the players there.

Ron Duguay

2:33

As the Blue Shirts struggle to score even against the dregs of the league, what are the asking prices for Tuch or Robertson should they decide to continue pushing for a playoff spot? Thanks.

Josh Erickson

2:35

I don't get the sense that the Stars are willing to consider moving Jason Robertson during the season, so that's not an option. He's a pending RFA, not a UFA, so there's no rush. They can still trade his signing rights at full value over the offseason if an extension is in place, or do so via a sign-and-trade. Tuch is the only semi-available one, and I don't think the Rangers have the assets the Sabres are looking for if they were to consider giving up on extending him this early in the season. They would need to give up a Will Cuylle or Gabe Perreault-type value forward to get it done, and I don't see the Rangers being that aggressive.

Habs or Habs Nots

2:35

What will it take to bring Kadri to Montreal?

Josh Erickson

2:38

The Flames have time on their side. That makes it a harder deal for Montreal to get done, particularly since there's no rush from Kadri's camp either to find his way out of Calgary, at least at the moment. The Flames already have five picks in the first three rounds of next year's draft. I don't see how that gets done without a high-end prospect like Michael Hage being involved.

SharkBite

2:39

Is Askarov;s early season problems more on him or the defense in front of him?

Josh Erickson

2:42

Out of the goalies to play at least five games this season, no one has faced a more taxing workload than Askarov, who's essentially facing four expected goals per game. That being said, he hasn't done much to help. His actual GAA is higher than that at 4.69 and his .844 SV% is pretty unacceptable no matter the defense in front of him.

There is, of course, plenty of time for him to change the narrative, and everything in his development so far suggests he'll be able to. I'd put more blame on the defense, but he's far from being without blame. He's seventh-worst in the league in goals saved above expected.

Utah, Give me 2

2:42

What will the Mammoth be looking to add this later this season, if they continue to be one of the best squads in the West?

Josh Erickson

2:45

Third-line forward looks like the most pressing need. I'm really not sure what happened to Lawson Crouse, but it looks like the move from Arizona has completely cooked him. In fact, none of their bottom six forwards has been particularly productive. Michael Carcone leads the way with three points in nine games. I imagine having Alexander Kerfoot back in the lineup at some point later on will help matters, but even then, they need more of a scoring punch on that third line to keep pace with the titans of the West in the playoffs.

Tampa Bae

2:50

Let's say Tampa continues to struggle the next 2 - 2.5 months, would they consider selling? If so, which names would be available?

Josh Erickson

2:53

I don't think they'll get to that point. They've rattled off three wins in a row here. Vasilevskiy looks to be getting his game back. I thought they were playing better than their record indicated for the first few games.

For the purposes of this exercise, though, I wouldn't see them making any significant moves even if they were out of the playoff race in March. They have too many good players on long-term commitments to overreact to one season. I could see them trying to flip pending UFAs like Bjorkstrand or maybe McDonagh, but no one with term.

Dan

2:53

How nervous should the Leafs be about their mediocre start?

Josh Erickson

2:56

Not overly nervous. It's worth noting their middling possession numbers are pretty much in line with what they posted last season. The difference is goaltending. It kept them afloat in 2024-25 but is sinking them this season. Stolarz has not been good. They were a fairly low-event team last year and still are. I don't think their identity has changed a ton, even without Marner. But getting back to league-average goaltending will be the key here.

BruinsMoe

2:57

With Mason Lohrei struggling on defense for the Bruins, is there any discussion with converting him to a forward, which he has experience growing up?

Josh Erickson

2:58

He's 24. The time to do so is running out fast. Initial position conversions historically only happen early on. Burns first moved from RW to defense at age 20 for the Wild, and Chicago first tried Dustin Byfuglien at forward at age 23. The fact that Boston hasn't signaled they're thinking about it by now makes me think it's not a possibility.

Turk

2:58

Is an Ovi trade at the deadline possible? If so who?

Josh Erickson

2:59

Not even if the Caps end up in last place. He's finishing his NHL career in Washington. There has never been a thought otherwise.

3:00

Alright folks, that's the top of the hour here. Thanks for everyone's great questions!

Connecting…