Mailbag: Stanley Cup Playoff scoring, Rangers offseason choices

Here is the May 25 edition of the mailbag, where we answer your questions asked on Twitter using #OvertheBoards. Tweet your questions to @drosennhl.

I can't remember a postseason with so much scoring. Is the playoff landscape changing? -- @ericsagedean
I have no idea how old you are Eric, but if you didn't start following the NHL before 1994-95, then you are correct in not remembering a postseason with as much scoring as we're seeing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season. There was an average of 6.26 goals scored in the 65 playoff games played through Monday, the most since 6.36 were scored in 81 games in 1995. At no point in the 25 seasons in between did the NHL average cross the 6.00 goals per game threshold. The highest from 1996-2021 was 5.98 in 89 games in 2009-10. The last five years went like this:
2021: 5.48
2020: 5.47
2019: 5.57
2018: 5.90
2017: 5.16
The jump in scoring during the postseason is a continuation from the regular season, when there were 6.29 goals scored per game, the most since 1995-96 (also 6.29). The NHL averaged more than 6.00 goals per game three times between 1996 and 2021, including 6.03 in 2018-19 and 6.04 in 2019-20. It dropped to 5.87 goals per game last season, but that was in 868 games and teams only played inside their own division, making it an aberration. I think the amount of skill, and coaches allowing that skill to shine, has led to the increase in scoring in three of the past four seasons. There also has been an emphasis on calling slashing and cross-checking penalties, which leads to more power plays and more offense. Penalties are being called regularly in the playoffs, too, but the skill is shining, the best players are playing well and goals are being scored. If it continues to be like that in the regular season, I see no reason why it won't continue to be this way in the playoffs, too.
Can the New York Rangers afford to keep Andrew Copp and Frank Vatrano with the pending extensions for Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad? If not, does this make Filip Chytil expendable? -- @jaychen201
With the extensions kicking in for Fox, a defenseman ($9.5 million average annual value through 2028-29), and Zibanejad, a forward ($8.5 million AAV through 2029-30), the Rangers likely are going to have to prioritize either Copp or center Ryan Strome. I don't think Vatrano fits into the equation, and my guess is he becomes an unrestricted free agent unless he's willing to sign for below market value. I'll also assume that Chytil isn't going anywhere, particularly with how he's been arguably one of the Rangers' most consistent forwards during the playoffs. Chytil is signed for one more season before he can become a restricted free agent.
Copp and Strome, each of whom can become an unrestricted free agent after the season, are more versatile players, and if I had to guess, each would be in the $5-$6 million range per season on his next contract. Copp would be my choice if the Rangers can get him to sign for less than $6 million per season. If he's in the $5-$5.5 million range on a six-year contract, that would be terrific value for the Rangers. Copp's versatility sets him apart from Strome; he can play center or wing, and on the top power-play unit. He's reliable on face-offs in the defensive zone and is a reliable penalty killer. He contributes to all facets of the game while Strome does not.
Strome has played well in his four seasons with the Rangers and has been a good fit with Artemi Panarin. But there are limitations to Strome's game that Copp doesn't have. When Strome is driving offense and producing, he's a very effective No. 2 center behind Zibanejad, but when he or his line goes cold he doesn't impact the game in other ways like Copp does.
The Rangers also should be in the market to sign forward Tyler Motte. He'd fit in well on their fourth line as a speedy forechecker and penalty killer.
What is the direction of the Nashville Predators? Let Filip Forsberg walk? Trade the bigger contracts and rebuild? Or try to go for it, re-sign Forsberg and improve the core around Roman Josi? -- @MeierGilles
The latter. Sign Forsberg, who is a pending unrestricted free agent. Improve around him and Josi. Make the playoffs again and hope this time there's a healthy Juuse Saros in goal. The Predators stood no chance against the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference First Round without Saros, who is a finalist for the Vezina Trophy but missed the playoffs because of a lower-body injury.
I don't think they win the series even if he's healthy, but they would have been more competitive and likely would not have been swept. However, let's also go back to their last game of the regular season. If they don't give away a 4-0 lead to the Arizona Coyotes and lose 5-4, they would have played the Calgary Flames and not the Avalanche. They likely still lose to Calgary without Saros, but I'll assume here that it wouldn't have gone the way it did against Colorado.
All this is to say the Predators don't have to rebuild or retool. They averaged 3.20 goals per game, second in their history (3.24, 2006-07). They had the best power play in their history (24.4 percent). They had 45 wins and 97 points, and it would have been 46 and 99 if not for the collapse against the Coyotes. This is a good team and should remain a good team. But signing Forsberg is the key after he had an NHL career-high 84 points (42 goals, 42 assists) in 69 games. If they can't do that, then they have to replace him with someone who can deliver the same type of offense. If that's Johnny Gaudreau, that's fine, but short of the Calgary Flames forward, who is also a pending UFA, I'm not sure who would be an equal replacement for a 27-year-old in his prime like Forsberg.
Outside of re-signing Jake Oettinger and Jason Robertson what else do you see the Dallas Stars doing this offseason? -- @punmasterrifkin
A lot of Dallas' plans center around pending UFA defenseman John Klingberg. Is he coming back? If so, what will it cost and how much will that impact what else the Stars will try to do outside of signing pending restricted free agents Oettinger, who established himself as the No. 1 goalie, and Robertson, who led Dallas with 41 goals and was second with 79 points. So until those three players are resolved, the Stars won't know what their budget will look like. If they can't re-sign Klingberg, they will have to look for a replacement through a trade or free agency, but the only pending UFA defenseman that can give them similar value as Klingberg is Kris Letang. It's not clear what will happen yet with Letang and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Stars also need a new coaching staff after Rick Bowness resigned and assistants John Stevens, Todd Nelson and Derek Laxdal were fired. I don't think Klingberg's decision will be based on who the coach is going to be because if he signs a long-term contract, there's a good chance he'll be in Dallas longer than whoever replaces Bowness. Either way, the coaching search comes first, and then the Stars can figure out their offseason plans regarding their personnel.
There's a good chance forwards Alexander Radulov, Michael Raffl and Vladislav Namestnikov, defenseman Andrej Sekera and goalie Braden Holtby, each a pending UFA, will not return. So the Stars will have to find some replacements for those players, too, though some of those likely will come from within, with the possible exception of a backup goalie. That could be Anton Khudobin if he's healthy after season-ending hip surgery in March. Khudobin is signed through next season, so he could be Oettinger's backup if he's capable of doing it.