JotCast | PHR Live Chat: 7/16/25

PHR Live Chat: 7/16/25

Josh Erickson

2:00

Hi all, let's get started!

Devilshark

2:00

Are the Bruins a bottom 5 team for this coming season?

Josh Erickson

2:02

It's definitely within the realm of possibility. I'd caution more toward a bottom-10 finish, mainly because I'd anticipate somewhat of a bounceback from Jeremy Swayman, but it's possible. Boston may have improved their roster from the end of last season, just by the quantity of pieces they picked up, but it's worth remembering they were the second-worst team in the league post-deadline. That's the point they're improving from, not their whole-season record in 2024-25.

frankfurrr

2:02

What's the latest on the major RFAs?

Josh Erickson

2:05

I'll try to do a few quick hits here. I haven't heard much noise on the Jets' duo of Gabe Vilardi and Dylan Samberg since, well, ever. Not sure how to predict those situations. As for Marco Rossi in Minnesota, if the trade interest isn't there, which it doesn't seem to be, they'll focus on a bridge deal. Rossi will probably acquiesce as he's been able to softly speak to other teams about a new contract in trade talks, and they haven't been to his camp's liking. Status quo on Mason McTavish as well... curious to see if he starts the season in Anaheim or somewhere else. Haven't heard much on Luke Hughes but the two sides are grinding away.

Draft

2:05

Based on your own rankings, was zhrovosky good enough to trade the 41 st and 49th pick to move up to 34 ? The 6th rounder is negligible

Josh Erickson

2:05

Yeah, Zharovsky was in my 20s, so I really liked the pick there.

Rob

2:06

In a McTavish Rossi trade which team adds to the trade?

Josh Erickson

2:07

Now here's a solution that I'd honestly argue works for both teams, although I'm not sure Rossi fits the Ducks' M.O. because of his size. If they did have interest, I think the Wild have to add to the package to get it done. McTavish is younger, has a higher draft pedigree, much more physicality to his game, and still managed 52 points last season on an offensively impotent Anaheim team.

Sovietcanuckistanian

2:08

Life long Bruins fan here; what in the sweet merciful jebus are Sweeney/Neely (he has some input) doing? Sweeney was given a 2 year extension, and I'm beginning to wonder why? I get they want to be the 'big bad bruins' again (I do miss thier tenacity) but unless fights count for points in the standings, i don't see too many games won (by more than a goal). Any non-end-is-nigh insight?

Josh Erickson

2:10

I'm going to offer *some* defense of the Bruins' FO here. The big moves to get them back into playoff contention weren't there. The Jeannot contract is icky, but I also don't think it signals some sort of big-money splash that fuels them to a significantly better record in 2025-26. I think they did a good job of insulating their club with veterans to buy themselves some time with fringe young players like Fraser Minten to see if they're really ready for full-time NHL minutes. They also didn't improve so much to push themselves back to mushy middle status, unless Pastrnak, McAvoy, and Swayman go sicko mode. They've set themselves up well for another high pick in a deeper 2026 draft after doing extremely well to get James Hagens at No. 7 this year.

Landyn

2:11

Is Luca Marelli ready to play next year for Columbus?

Josh Erickson

2:13

Not as a full-time player, no. I get his insane playoff run, but he needs adjustment with AHL Cleveland. Remember that he's also rather old for his draft year (October birthday), so that tampers the impact of his D+1 offensive outburst on his development path slightly. I could see a late-season call-up like someone like Luca Del Bel Belluz has gotten for them, but nothing more than that. There's no space for him anyway with Fabbro, one of Provorov/Mateychuk on their off side, and Gudbranson ahead of him on the right side.

Devilshark

2:14

I feel like Nico Daws would get claimed passing through waivers... can the devils manage this season and hold onto him?

Josh Erickson

2:16

He wasn't all that great in the AHL last year and is on a one-way contract with $850K in actual salary due to him, more than his $812.5K cap hit. That could act as a deterrent to waiver claims, so I wouldn't bet on him getting claimed. They'd probably have an easier time keeping him on the roster to begin the season, at least with Johnathan Kovacevic likely to miss some time, so I guess they could wait until teams pursue other options to fill goalie vacancies and try to sneak him through waivers a few weeks into the season if they're that worried about a claim.

Rob

2:16

Which rookie (Buium,Jiricek, Yurov, Ohgren, and Wallstedt) has the BEST season for the Wild?

Josh Erickson

2:18

Buium is both the best prospect of the group and has the clearest path to significant ice time (outside of Wallstedt). I think he's the clear answer – he'll get all, if not more, of the power play time that Declan Chisholm is vacating, and there's also added roster flexibility for him (and Jiricek) with Jon Merrill becoming a UFA and presumably not returning. Jonas Brodin is also uncertain for the start of the season, so that could mean top-four minutes plus first power-play unit for Buium out of the gate. Sheesh.

Rookies

2:19

Which new forwards do you think can make the Blackhawks assuming Frondell returns to Sweden ? Moore and Greene? Lardis ? Thompson maybe ?

Josh Erickson

2:20

Eh... Oliver Moore is the only confident bet for an opening-night job on that list for me. The rest of the group could be better served by additional development time. One name you don't mention who I think has the inside track on a roster job because his development won't necessarily be stagnated by being put in a fourth-line role is Colton Dach.

2:21

My answer changes if Lukas Reichel gets moved. If he does, the math looks better for Ryan Greene. I don't see a scenario in which Nick Lardis or Aidan Thompson start the season in the NHL aside from a strict nine-game trial for the former.

Erik Karlsson

2:21

Everybody seems to have me headed to Detroit. Um, don’t I get a say in this too given my contract has a NTC? Why am I even approving a trade from one non-contender to another? Seems like the pundit class keeps glossing over this small detail. Oh, and I’m 35 without a Cup to my name. Please make it make sense. Otherwise, please enlighten the class in terms of what a return would even look like for my services.

Josh Erickson

2:24

Not only an NTC, but an NMC! You're correct. I've never bought into the Detroit speculation – and that's what it is, not any legitimate rumor – for that reason. We covered last week that the list of teams he's willing to be traded to is not particularly large (https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/2025/07/erik-karlsson-open-to-being-tr...). I would be surprised if the package, with some significant retention, eclipses the cumulative value of a late first-round pick.

Soba

2:24

Will the Blackhawks trade for any promising young talent that needs a change of scenery? And who are the possible players that fit the above description?

Josh Erickson

2:26

Not at this point in the offseason unless it's an in-kind swap that sees Lukas Reichel going out the door. They already have enough fringe veterans and need to leave space for their in-house talent to compete for jobs. I don't see an addition on top of their current group. I wonder about Nick Robertson, but I think the Maple Leafs are more incentivized to keep him now with Marner's departure (and he may be more amenable to staying with a clearer path to an increase in role).

Marco Rossi

2:26

Best guess that I’m still a member of the Wild come Opening Night? If not, where am I headed and what is the return?

Josh Erickson

2:27

I'm at the point where if Rossi were getting traded this offseason, it likely would have happened by now. So yes, unless he decides to hold out. I don't think that does him any good long-term.

Dougie Fresh

2:27

Do you see Tampa doing anything to shake up a team that has failed to do much in the playoffs the last few years?

Josh Erickson

2:29

That's one way of looking at it; I don't think it's a fair assessment. The other is that they're an incredibly strong team with the misfortune of matching up against the eventual Stanley Cup champions in the first round. Remember that their depth scoring in Round 1 was inhibited by the Oliver Bjorkstrand injury, plus the Brandon Hagel absences. Their defensive depth is fine, they did a good job of rounding out their forward depth with pickups like Pontus Holmberg and Jakob Pelletier. They're a strong, strong club. Don't see why they would mess with it unless something implodes early in the season.

Army

2:29

What are some other moves the Blues could make to be a team capable of beating teams like Florida and Vegas?

Josh Erickson

2:32

I'm not sure they're one move away from that. At best, I think the Blues have made lateral progress this summer. I don't think their record differs much from last year. Short-term, I hate that Bolduc/Mailloux swap. They did well with their center pickups, but I think the combo of Bolduc/Faksa provided greater value last year than Suter/Bjugstad will this season. They don't have a ton of cap flexibility to swing anything big. I don't think acquiring Byram really moves the needle because they're not getting him without dumping a top-nine forward, something they're not in a position to do after the Bolduc trade. This season is not the year to get super aggressive – that's fine, they have good young pieces and some time to sort it out.

NHL Fan 76

2:32

Did the Bowen Bryam deal surprise you? Everybody had him ticketed out of town. Still feels like he won’t be a Sabre past that contract but in the meantime, what are your thoughts on it.

Josh Erickson

2:35

It depends on how he does this season and how much the Sabres are willing to reward him. My understanding is that Byram doesn't necessarily want out of Buffalo, at least not to the degree Peterka did. His priority is money, as is his right. When the long-term offer wasn't there from the Sabres and it didn't look like they were going to get the trade return they wanted, Buffalo gave him a nice bridge deal that rewards Byram by making him UFA-eligible at the earliest possible opportunity. A lot can change in a year – they may still trade him if someone steps up – but I don't think he's a sure thing to be gone in 2027.

PenPal

2:35

What does adding Silovs mean for Blomqvist, Murashov, and Jarry?

Josh Erickson

2:37

It doesn't really mean anything for Sergei Murashov. He's still a raw prospect and shouldn't have been expected to even be considered for NHL time in 2025-26 anyway. There's still a clear path for him to jump to more consistent minutes in the AHL this season, which was always the goal. For Blomqvist and Jarry, it gives the former more competition and the latter more flexibility to be moved since the Pens don't necessarily need an NHL-caliber goalie in return anymore.

DDUBS30

2:37

Do you think there will be any big trades still to come this off season … and who might be involved ?

Josh Erickson

2:39

It's really hard not to see a defenseman getting moved. At least one of that group of high-value D on the block (Byram, Karlsson, Rasmus Andersson) will get moved. Not sure about multiple, but it's a safe bet that at least one gets a change of scenery. I think Bryan Rust is the likeliest forward to move, more so than his teammate Rickard Rakell.

Kyle Dubas

2:39

What’s my timetable for dealing with Rakell, Karlsson, and potentially Rust too? If moved, what are the likeliest destinations and trade packages for each? Thanks.

Josh Erickson

2:43

The great thing is there's no rush. The Penguins can let the market come to them, that defense is suspect enough to make them lottery contenders on its own (plus what I'm anticipating will be additional decline from Evgeni Malkin). All three situations could stretch into the season as Kyle Dubas plays hardball. There's no urgency to recoup assets until next summer when Karlsson becomes a pending UFA.

As for some totally accurate mocks....

Karlsson -> CAR for Gostisbehere + Jayden Perron + 2027 2nd

Rakell -> LAK for a 1st, 2nd, and Koehn Ziemmer

Rust -> BUF for something centered around Isak Rosen

Army

2:43

Could we see Justin Carbonneau make the NHL roster come opening night? He has the skill, tenacity, and grit, in my opinion to play well with Bjugstad and Toropchenko?

Josh Erickson

2:44

I like Carbonneau, I had him a bit higher than 19th, but that's a stretch. The jump from the QMJHL is larger than it is from the OHL or WHL. I wouldn't be opposed to a nine-game trial, but I think him spending the entire season with the big club is detrimental to his long-term development.

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