Mailbag: Tarasenko’s Future, Devils Playoff Chances, Rivalries

Here’s the August 3 edition of the Mailbag where we #OvertheBoards to your questions posed on Twitter. Tweet your questions to @drosennhl.

The St. Louis Blues are still in discussions with teams about this Vladimir Tarasenko? There have been mixed reports that he still wants out, but talks appear to have died completely. What are the chances of him ending up on the team this year and going free? — @BeerLeagueSelke

The Blues have been quiet on the Tarasenko front, but I think that’s intentional. I have no reason to believe the trade request he submitted prior to last season has been withdrawn, but that doesn’t mean St. Louis wants or needs to trade him. Tarasenko wasn’t traded last season and he was good. He had 82 points (34 goals, 48 ​​assists) in 75 games and helped the Blues qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

I don’t think Tarasenko’s value in the trade market is strong enough for the Blues to trade him now or ahead of the season. They would need to get a top-six forward back to replace him, especially since they lost David Peron in Free Agency, who signed a two-year, $9.5 million ($4.75 million average annual value) contract with the Detroit Red Wings. But Tarasenko is 30 and entering the final year of an eight-year, $60 million ($7.5 million AAV) contract. Why would a St. Louis team give one of their top six forwards for Tarasenko when he’s on the wrong side of 30 and there’s no guarantee they’ll have him longer than this season? Let’s not forget his history of shoulder injuries. It could be different if Tarasenko is willing to sign an extension if traded, but he would do it blindly. He’s never played for any other team in the NHL, so I’m hesitant to think he’d marry off to a new franchise without ever playing for them. The possibility of becoming UFA next summer could also appeal to him.

My feeling is that Tarasenko will be with the Blues this season and they will try to have another magical ride with him and down the middle Ryan O’Reilly, who is 31 and a year away from full free agency, is entering the final year of a seven-year contract. It’s also possible they could get one or both of them to sign pre-season or mid-season contract extensions.

Video: STL@MIN, Gm5: Tarasenko beats 3rd third hatless

With the off-season takeovers, coaching changes and development of their young players, can the New Jersey Devils finally make a push into the playoffs? — @keithcaporelli

The Devils are undoubtedly deeper and capable of being a better team with the additions of forwards Ondrej Palat and Eric Haladefender John Marino and Brendan Smithand goalkeeper Vitek Vanecek. I love the Palat and Haula additions. New Jersey needed more veteran presence in its top 9 forward group. The devils have it with these two. Palat could be perfect for Jack Hughes. he was for Nikita Kutscherow and Brayden point when they played with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He plays well with experienced players. With Dougie Hamilton, Damon Severson and Marino, the Devils are strong on the right side of the blue line. That buys time Simon Nemek, the 2022 NHL draft pick. Smith is a well-rounded veteran. He will play at the back Ryan Graves and Jonas Siegenthaleressentially buy time for Luke Hughes, the No. 4 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, who is expected to play one more season at the University of Michigan. Vanecek and Mackenzie Blackwood have what it takes to make a good goalkeeper tandem, but none are safe. Either way, it can’t be worse than last season when the Devils used seven goaltenders and the only one to have a save percentage of .900 or better Jonathan Bernier (.902), who played 10 games, none after December 3 due to a debilitating hip injury.

But to make the playoffs, the Devils must at least crack the Metropolitan Division’s top five, and that’s only enough if they outperform the fourth-ranked team in the Atlantic Division. So are the Devils better than the Carolina Hurricanes? Hard no. Are they better than the New York Rangers? Hard no, again. Are they better than the Pittsburgh Penguins? I do not see it. Are they better than the Washington Capitals? Maybe. What about the New York Islanders and the Columbus Blue Jackets? That remains to be seen. Last season, they trailed the sixth-ranked Blue Jackets by 18 points. They’re no better than the Lightning, Florida Panthers or Toronto Maple Leafs, the consensus top three in the Atlantic Division. I think the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators will fight for fourth place, but I’m not convinced New Jersey is better than those two teams.

The Devils have improved this offseason and they have some star power in Luke Hughes, Nemec and forward Alexander Holtz. But I’m not ready to predict they’ll make the playoffs, not with net uncertainty and the distance they’ll have to travel to be better than last season.

Video: Ondrej Palat moves to New Jersey

Where do you see Pat Verbeek’s plan for the Anaheim Ducks? All I know is that he wants big boys. Where is he looking for points and defensive depth? Despite the John Klingerberg Signing, is there still a significant gap in the defense? — @pucksngraps

There are gaps in the Ducks depth map that need to be filled because they are being rebuilt and it is a process. Signing Klingberg on a one-year deal is great for this season. It’s a dry run to see if the Ducks and Klingberg can extend the marriage for many more seasons. He will be 30 years old on August 14th. He’s not too old to be a big part of the Ducks’ future because they’re not too far away.

Verbeek, the Ducks’ general manager, wants speed and strength. That doesn’t have to mean big players. It means fast players who can compete hard on the puck. He’s said many times that he didn’t think the Ducks were fast enough last season. They have dynamic young players in the forwards Trevor Zegras and Troy Terryand defender Jamie Drydale. you need more Forward Mason McTavish could make the opening nights list in a top 9 role. The 2021 NHL Draft #3 is tall (6ft, 213lbs) and fast. He’s the type of player Verbeek wants. They added to the front Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano in free agency. These are two top six forwards who can skate on the puck and compete fiercely. Strome is a playmaker. Vatrano is a Sagittarius. They are solid additions to complement Zegras and Terry up front, just as Klingberg is at the back end to join Drysdale. Cam Fowler and Kevin Shattenkirk.

The Ducks need more players who are fast and fight hard for the puck, players who are good at defending and scoring. They’re hoping for a few to come as McTavish is backed by forwards Jacob Perreault, Brayden Tracey and Benoit Olivier Groulx. They need time to become an NHL player and could get a chance this season.

Video: Ryan Strome joins Anaheim

Thoughts on planning rivalry matches? Should there be some favoritism towards rivalries or does more splitting of the schedule really help the game/markets grow better? — @mikeybox

I’m all for rivalry games, but not too many of them. It might sound great when the Rangers and Islanders, Maple Leafs and Senators, Kings and Ducks, Flames and Oilers, Penguins and Flyers, Bruins and Canadiens, and Lightning and Panthers go head-to-head up to eight or ten times in a season. but this is too much. I’d be good with five times a season, which is at least one more than they’re playing now. The Rangers and Islanders only play each other three times, all through December 22. That is not enough. I am not told that every team has to play in every market. Like as much as fans in Philadelphia would like to see Connor McDavid and the Oilers come to town, I think they might sacrifice that opportunity for another game Sydney Crosby and the penguins. Similarly, Crosby being set in Southern California is important, but an additional Ducks-Kings game would likely draw the local fan base more. But the NHL’s scheduling matrix requires every team to play at least one home and one away game, and the competitive balance in the league makes it difficult to argue against that. Viewership is also strong (the NHL played at 90 percent modified capacity last season with 20.7 million fans at games), so the current system is clearly working.