JotCast | PHR Live Chat: 11/19/25

PHR Live Chat: 11/19/25

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Josh Erickson

1:58

Apologies to those who received a message that the chat viewer limit had been reached. That's been fixed, and the readership cap has been removed. I'll start answering questions in a few minutes!

khl

2:03

What can nhl teams offer draftees to entice them to leave the khl ? Anything besides higher type an and b bonuses ? Thx

Josh Erickson

2:06

Assuming they're under 25 years old, yes. Under the existing CBA, players ages 25 through 27 coming from Europe were limited to signing an entry-level contract. That's been removed in the extension to standardize ELC lengths across all players. So if the player is coming from Russia with a signing age of at least 25 now, the team can offer them a standard contract that's not bound by ELC limits.

2:07

I will say it's unclear when the change has or will take effect, given how messy the transition dates got. The latest that will happen is Sep. 15, 2026, so there's a chance that it won't be true this upcoming offseason, but will be for 2027.

azhawkfan

2:07

When should the Hawks trade for an appropriate winger for Bedard? This cast is too little to sustain the start of this surprising season

Josh Erickson

2:10

I saw they've promoted Tyler Bertuzzi there recently. Obviously, that causes some depth issues lower in the lineup, but for now, that's a much better stopgap with him and Burakovsky than Colton Dach or Ryan Greene was. Both Bertuzzi and Burakovsky are near a point per game, and that line has outscored opponents 4-1 at 5-on-5. If that's the case, it's less about making a big splash for an established top-line name – given how prohibitive that acquisition cost is right now – and more about rounding out the depth.

2:11

To more directly answer the question, this season isn't the time if they are to acquire an established top-line winger via trade. There aren't any options out there, for one, outside of maybe Alex Tuch or one of the Penguins' veterans (which seems unlikely given Pittsburgh's start). The Blackhawks aren't sinking assets into a 29-year-old pending UFA until they've made a playoff berth, I'll tell you that.

Rookies

2:11

Do you think Moore and Greene are in the nhl to stay even after the injured forwards return with slaggert being sent down ?

Josh Erickson

2:14

The name I would be sending down is Colton Dach, actually. Moore's got five points in seven games and is getting top-six minutes, which tells me he's staying (or at least, he should be). That brings it down to Greene and Dach, and the former has shouldered more minutes with much better defensive results. I haven't been impressed by Dach... or at least, his linemates are consistently faring better without him than with him.

crystalballinjuries

2:14

How do teams like VGK(Stone), WAS (PLD), FLA (everybody) make the call on adding to replace injured assets, scouring wavier wire, or just hold tight and hope for the best? Which of those 3 teams do you see making a trade and what type would it be?

Josh Erickson

2:17

There are two main factors: length of absence and intrigue of AHL contributors. In Vegas' case, they were never going to make a move. Stone's only week-to-week, not expected to be out multiple months. They also wanted to give some names, like Braeden Bowman, a shot at some point, and that's working out well. With how many intriguing options the Capitals have in Hershey, it wouldn't surprise me to see them lean on them instead of making a trade. Florida would be the likeliest team to make a move on paper, but their salary cap situation is prohibitive for anything outside of a waiver-wire pickup.

HTK

2:18

What's with all the injuries? Hard to remember the last time so many players were dropping like flies, seems like another big name gets hurt every day...how much of it is the condensed schedule (which seemingly isn't that much more intense than usual, just slightly), and how much of it is just plain bad luck (Hughes and Luostarinen being extreme examples)?

Josh Erickson

2:19

Yeah, I personally don't think there's much of anything meaningful to take away from this. There were two guys diagnosed with blood clots in the same week, a while back. The odds of that happening... plus the absurdity of the Hughes and Luostarinen situations... I'm willing to chalk it up to Mercury being in retrograde, or whatever they say.

Tired Flames fan

2:19

What are the Devils' plans? Are they going to wait it out, try Mercer at center long term and look for internal options, or make a move?

Josh Erickson

2:22

The Devils are in a decent spot because they've bought themselves a good bit of time with their hot start to weather the storm and not take a massive hit in the standings. With how poorly things are going in Utica, I'm surprised they haven't made a waiver claim, even if it's something minor like taking a swing on Philip Tomasino today. Like you say, Mercer can shift to the middle. It's not an ideal long-term solution, but it doesn't have to be since Hughes isn't missing more than a couple of months. Getting Evgenii Dadonov back in the lineup is a needle-mover, though. He had a strong training camp, and that's a great piece of veteran depth.

TheBoot

2:22

Ellis is getting more starts. What does that mean for the rest of the Buffalo tandem?

Josh Erickson

2:26

As he should be, he's been their best option so far with a .914 SV% and 1.8 GSAx in four appearances. I believe their intent is to carry three goaltenders for the remainder of the season. After that, they have a choice to make. Devon Levi will require waivers in 2026-27. Alex Lyon would have legitimate trade value as a pending UFA on an extremely affordable cap hit next summer if he keeps this level of play up. That leaves Luukkonen. It's too early to gauge his market. I can't imagine there being many suitors with three years left on his deal. A buyout is stomachable at a flat cap hit of $1.583MM through 2031-32 if they opt for that. Or, trade Levi if you're still not sold on him and keep trying Luukkonen.

Cbj4life

2:27

When will Elvis leave the building??? Can’t come soon enough

Josh Erickson

2:29

I know he's had back-to-back underwhelming starts, but on the whole, he's still been above average this season. His .900 SV% and 2.7 goals saved above expected are both his best marks since 2021-22 if they hold. Greaves is showing he's ready for the 1A role. Since cap space isn't a concern, I see no reason to pursue a Merzlikins trade. Right now, he's an above-average backup option.

Troy

2:30

With Stl struggling, and Edm in need of an upgrade in goal, can you see a way the 2 teams can get together to make a deal for Binnington to Edm?

Josh Erickson

2:31

The Blues are struggling because of Jordan Binnington, not the other way around. It makes little to no sense for the Oilers to pursue a costly goaltender having the worst season of his career. They can't afford to make that kind of mistake.

Yegor Chinakhov

2:32

The doghouse I am sitting in in Columbus is way too small. Where can I go to get 3 squares a day and play one of the top two lines?

Josh Erickson

2:33

The Flames might be the only team in the league where Chinakhov would be a top-six forward if they were to acquire him today. The Panthers might have a spot for him with the Luostarinen injury, but it would be short-lived.

Dan

2:34

curious to hear your thoughts on the ducks young d, specifically belles on, Zellweger, and Ian Moore? Who stands out to you? And what are their ceilings? Thanks for doing these!

Josh Erickson

2:37

I've always been a big Olen Zellweger guy. Dare I say he's finally making me look good. I'd argue he's been their second-best defender this season behind Trouba (of course, playing all of his minutes with him at even strength will be a help). I'm not going to pretend like I'm able to catch enough late games to say whether Trouba or Zellweger is the primary driver of that pairing's success, but they've been spectacular.

The question was never about Zellweger's offensive ceiling; it was about whether he could avoid being too much of a defensive liability to warrant top-four deployment. This season, the answer is a resounding yes, so I'm sold on him as a long-term 2LD with fringe 1LD deployment. Now, let's get him some more power play time since LaCombe is doing diddly squat with it this year.

2:39

Moore is doing well in his limited minutes. I need to see what he does in more extended deployment to offer a legitimate long-term projection, but for now, he's a fine No. 6/7 option. I haven't liked Helleson this year. In particular, Pavel Mintyukov has had much better results with Moore than with Helleson. I don't think neither he nor Moore offer anything beyond third-pairing ceiling.

big handsome

2:39

Shouldn't the Canes move on from Andersen? Seems he lets in at least one soft goal every game.

Josh Erickson

2:41

I don't think it's worth trading him unless they're forced to, but I agree that he's been outpaced by both Brandon Bussi and Pyotr Kochetkov this season and shouldn't be receiving as high of a workload as he is. Carolina's played significantly worse in front of Andersen than they have in front of their other goalies, explaining that .886 SV% to some extent. I still think he's been right around average, but Bussi and Kochetkov have delivered more than that. So no, Andersen shouldn't keep getting half the starts for the remainder of the season if Bussi and Kochetkov are able to keep up this level of play.

slang1987

2:42

Do you see the Capitals making a move for a top 6 forward?

Josh Erickson

2:43

Some fresh blood would be nice. I think they need to turn it around before a move is made, though, not the other way around. They're shooting really poorly this year after everything was going in for them last year. They're playing a much better possession game than they were last season but their team shooting percentage has dipped by nearly three percent. I imagine that comes up a bit here soon, and the wins will come with it. Once that happens, I could see them kicking tires on Coleman, Tuch, etc.

Bruins

2:44

How will the bruins fair out will they make wild card? Or more thank you go B’s🐻

Josh Erickson

2:46

They've banked enough points here to make it interesting, for sure. Ultimately, I have more faith in teams like the Capitals, Lightning, and Panthers to put it together than I do in the Bruins to keep up their hot streak. It's worth keeping in mind that Boston's played more games than everyone else. By points percentage, they're actually fifth in the Atlantic Division and out of a playoff spot. I know the standings are quite compact right now, but worth keeping in mind.

DDub30

2:46

Wondering if you saw the hit on Romanov last night and would like to know your opinion of it and if you think the NHL got it wrong and there should have been a suspension?

Josh Erickson

2:47

I think they got it right. Awful to see, but there was enough contact between Mayfield's and Rantanen's skates that I believe Rantanen lost directional control through no fault of his own.

Brian

2:47

Hi Josh, Would the NHL consider getting rid of the trapezoid behind the nets in the next CBA? let the goalies play the puck!

Josh Erickson

2:50

Interesting question. I don't think either the league or the NHLPA has any appetite to strike the trapezoid, mainly for player safety reasons. It's quite effective at reducing skater-goalie collisions as a secondary objective. I'd be really surprised if there's any discussion around that.

Dr Know

2:50

Re previous injury question: don’t you think compressed Olympic schedule is having an impact? I get the freak ones, but there are lots of injuries. Also, its impact on goalie usage (more split time) with so many back-to-backs is interesting

Josh Erickson

2:52

I don't, because the schedule was compressed to a similar degree last season because of the 4 Nations Face-Off. I think this year's break is only four-ish days longer.

Brian

2:52

Does Makar break 100 points and win the Norris again this year?

Josh Erickson

2:53

No to 100 points, yes to Norris. He's on pace for 108 points right now. His point pace is 1.32 per game. I say no because his pace has been consistently in the 1.1-1.2 range over the last five seasons, and I think he sinks closer to there as the season progresses. He's also never played a full 82 in his career.

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