Mailbag: Trade Deadline thoughts
NHL.com's Dan Rosen answers weekly questions
Who are some underrated potential NHL Trade Deadline candidates who can make the biggest impact (i.e. Marian Gaborik to the Los Angeles Kings and Patrick Eaves to the Anaheim Ducks)? -- @martin\grinberg
Two of them have been traded this week.
Petr Mrazek can have a significant impact for the Philadelphia Flyers, but that's obvious since he's a goalie and they always have a significant impact on a team, especially one like the Flyers that has lost its top two goalies (Brian Elliott and Michal Neuvirth) to injury.
Nick Holden could be the depth defenseman that the Boston Bruins need to give coach Bruce Cassidy more confidence in his three-pair rotation. The Bruins acquired Holden from the New York Rangers for a third-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft and minor league defenseman Rob O'Gara on Tuesday. Cassidy can predict what he'll get every time he puts his top two defense pairs (Charlie McAvoy with Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug with Brandon Carlo) over the boards, but it's been less predictable and consistent with the third pair. It's no sure thing that Holden plays right away with the Bruins, though, because Matt Grzelcyk has fared well on the left side of the third pair. However, Holden provides depth, which is important, and he's much better suited to play in a third-pair role in Boston than he was in a first-pair role next to Ryan McDonagh with New York. Holden can move the puck and join the rush, but mainly he needs to be a steady defenseman who can play 16 or so minutes per game. It's an ideal role for him.
Three more underrated yet impactful players who could be traded are center Mark Letestu (Edmonton Oilers), left wing Pat Maroon (Oilers) and left wing Michael Grabner (Rangers). Letestu is an all-situations, bottom-six center. Maroon is a power forward who can thrive in a top-line role or play a physical game in a bottom-six role. Grabner's speed makes him a breakaway threat every time he's on the ice. He's also a strong penalty-killer, and you don't have to take someone out of your top six to move him in.
Would it be realistic if the New York Rangers traded Ryan McDonagh to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Mikhail Sergachev and a draft pick? -- @\nyr2h2
I think it's realistic and reasonable. Will it happen? No clue. But I don't think it's totally crazy. McDonagh is a high-end, top-pair defenseman who is 28 and signed through next season. The Lightning are in win-now mode. There's no question that he makes them better and gives them a better chance not only to win the Stanley Cup this season, but to contend for it again next season too. Sergachev is a promising 19-year-old defenseman who has given the Lightning quality minutes and production this season, but he has been sheltered. He fits into what the Rangers are trying to be now, which is a retooling team that's trying to get younger. If the Rangers are trying to trade McDonagh, Sergachev is exactly the type of player they should want in return. If the Lightning want to have the best chance possible to win the Stanley Cup this season, bringing in McDonagh for Sergachev gives that to them.
Do you see the Pittsburgh Penguins making a move? If so, for who/what? -- @stevepat17
I do see them making a move. I think Letestu is the type of player who can help the Penguins. He's a two-way center who they can put on their third or fourth line. With Riley Sheahan and Letestu, they could have the depth and experience behind Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin that they used to have with Nick Bonino and Matt Cullen. Letestu is a pending unrestricted free agent, meaning Pittsburgh's investment in him can be just for the rest of this season. If he plays well and they go deep again, he could re-sign at a reasonable rate.
If the Penguins want to make a bigger investment, Ottawa Senators center Derick Brassard could be their man. Brassard is signed through next season. He's more of a second-line center, but in Pittsburgh he'd obviously be the third-line center behind Crosby and Malkin.
I'm not sure if it's possible, but if not Letestu or Brassard, maybe the Penguins can pry Zack Smith or Jean-Gabriel Pageau out of Ottawa. Each can be a third-line center and is signed beyond this season.
Do the Vegas Golden Knights do anything dramatic at the deadline or try to stick with the long-term plan rather than this year's Stanley Cup run? -- @Leejam88
George McPhee is arguably the most tight-lipped general manager in the League. He keeps his plans private, or at least within his own circle of trust. But I'd argue that sticking with the long-term plan would be the Golden Knights doing something dramatic if only because it would mean trading forwards James Neal and David Perron. That was the original plan. I think it would be surprising and dramatic if they traded Neal and Perron at this point with the success they've had.
I do not expect the Golden Knights to trade draft picks or future assets to help them now, but I also find it hard to believe that McPhee is going to tear it apart. Normally, at this point I'd say expect a depth move if they do anything at all, but considering the Golden Knights are a team of mostly depth players, I don't think they're going to do much because they're not going to pay the asking price for a big name, especially one who is a rental.
Is it feasible that Justin Faulk could be moved (to a team like Tampa Bay) at this year's deadline? -- @BoltsGuy04
The Carolina Hurricanes are in the Stanley Cup Playoff race, and Faulk is their most experienced defenseman. He's averaging 22:16 of ice time per game. I know there has been talk for some time about Faulk being on the trading block, but it doesn't make any sense for the Hurricanes to subtract their most experienced defenseman, even one who has never played in the postseason, when they're finally legitimately in a playoff race. It might be a different story in the offseason.
Who are your top three Hart Trophy candidates at this point in the season? Could New Jersey Devils forward Taylor Hall be the favorite? -- @josh_graessle
My top three right now are Bruins center Patrice Bergeron, Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov and Winnipeg Jets forward Blake Wheeler. Hall is close to being in the top three. The same can be said for Crosby, Malkin, Kings center Anze Kopitar and Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon.
Bergeron is my No. 1. He has done it all for his entire career, but now he's also a point-per-game player (52 points in 53 games). He has an impact all over the ice and almost never makes a mistake or is caught in the wrong position. He's centering the best line in hockey with Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak on his wings. With all due respect to Marchand and Pastrnak, it's the best line in hockey because of Bergeron.
Kucherov has been dynamic and a top scorer all season. Even though the Lightning have stumbled of late, Kucherov has been terrific, piling up the points. He's a huge reason the Lightning have been at or near the top of the League standings all season. His 78 points (32 goals, 46 assists) lead the NHL.
I can't say enough for how impressed I have been with Wheeler this season. His versatility is outstanding. That he could move to center to replace Mark Scheifele and the Jets wouldn't have any drop-off is truly remarkable. They went 11-2-3 without Scheifele, their No. 1 center, and Wheeler is a huge reason. He had 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in the 16 games Scheifele missed with an upper-body injury. He went through a 15-game goal drought from Jan. 7-Feb. 13 but had 12 assists during that span. He is second in the League in assists (52) and fourth in points (69).
This can shift in the last quarter of the season. If Hall continues to tear it up or if MacKinnon drives the Avalanche back into playoff position, they could climb into my top three. But I think it's solid at this point.
What do you make of the Devils' streaky play? Attribute it to a young team learning how to be consistent and get wins, or is the talent level just not quite there yet to be consistently good? -- @Chris_Amos54
There is something to be said for the Devils being a young team learning how to be consistent. I don't think their streaks this season, positive and negative, are a result of the talent level not being quite there yet to be consistently good. But I think they have been consistently good with an off-night here and there, like most teams. Even during their stretch of three wins in 11 games (3-8-0) from Jan. 20-Feb. 11, a stretch that featured two four-game losing streaks wrapped around a three-game winning streak, they outshot the opposition 358-315. They had the shot advantage in five of the eight losses. Their only truly bad game was the 6-1 loss against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Feb. 10, when they were outshot 50-35.
Coach John Hynes has talked a lot lately about how the Devils need to appreciate the time of year and what it takes to win games that are meaningful. That's part of the learning curve for this team. Some of their players know what it takes, but a good number of New Jersey's most important players, including Hall, have no idea what it takes to win meaningful NHL games this late in the season. They're getting that experience now and they're doing it without No. 1 goalie Cory Schneider, whose absence because of a lower-body injury doesn't make it any easier. They've reached the point when I'd be surprised and they'd be terribly disappointed if they didn't make the playoffs.
What's the story with Shea Weber? How bad is the injury? Will he be traded? Is he probably done for the season? -- @Marctheplowman
The Montreal Canadiens aren't going to ship out Weber less than two years after they traded defenseman P.K. Subban to acquire him. He's Montreal's best defenseman, and there isn't a close second. He will be Montreal's best defenseman for a long time. But he's injured. He has a foot injury. It doesn't appear he's coming back soon. Coach Claude Julien said Monday that Weber is not comfortable in his skate, and that's why he's not skating. Julien said he's working with the team doctors and specialists to see if they can help him, but that they're not going to push Weber and he must be 100 percent to play. I like that mindset, but if he's 100 percent it means he's healthy enough to play and that means he should play. I hate the idea of shutting down a player if there is a chance he can play. The League is about competition, and teams should ice their most competitive, and healthy, lineup every game.
