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David Pastrnak scored his 53rd goal of the season 41 seconds into overtime and the Boston Bruins wrapped up the Presidents’ Trophy with their franchise-record 58th victory, 2-1 over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night.
Its Play Off Hockey
Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast – Tin Foil Hats, on the Winnipeg Jets core, the Montreal Canadiens and Pierre-Luc Dubois.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Marek: “Winnipeg Jets. Tough loss Saturday against the Los Angeles Kings, 4-1 is the final. I want to get Lizzotte and Morrissey in a couple seconds, but you talked about this Saturday on Hockey Night, man that is a really difficult loss for Winnipeg, but, your thoughts on the future of the Winnipeg Jets core.
Friedman: “I saw tweets about Rick Bowness’s quotes after the game and then we showed them at the end of the show and oftentimes I think when you read something and you see something, they can come across two different ways, Jeff.
Honestly, when I read them, I said, ‘wow, that’s pretty harsh.’ but when I saw them, I was think, ‘nah, you know what, he’s delivering them really calmly, very matter of factly about losing to the Kings.’
Bowness: “Top guys, they got to score. We need some goals from them. That’s just stating the obvious … fight through it. fight through it. Whatever they throw at you, fight through it”
Look, we talked about Keefe and his frustration with the Maple Leafs, Bowness has been pretty clear about his frustration with the Jets and I should mention, it was Scott Billeck he had the exchange with last week about motivation, it wasn’t Sean Reynolds, I misread Sean’s tweet. I would like to blame Sean Reynolds for this mistake because that’s what I do, I voice blame on other people, but it wasn’t Sean’s fault, I misread his text.”
Marek: “Fingers are for pointing.”
Friedman: “Fingers are for pointing. Very good Jeff.
But, do you not get the sense here that the Jets core that had a good run together and had a lot of promise, we’re just getting to the end of it. And part of it is contracts.
(Pierre-Luc) Dubois has a year left and we all know how he feels. (Blake) Wheeler’s got a year left. (Mark) Schefiele’s got a year left. Sometimes it’s a combination of the group had a run and they represented the Jets extremely well, but sometimes it comes to the end because of your record. Sometimes it comes to the end because of the contracts.
Paul Maurice, he really protected that group. Not so much Dubois because Dubois came later, but Wheeler, Schefiele. He basically said these are the guys I trust. These are the guys I like the tone they set. I love how committed they are to doing work. Like, they are my guys.
NHL Rumors: Jets Making Playoffs Could Impact Pierre-Luc Dubois Future in Winnipeg
With Bowness, it certainly doesn’t come across that way. That’s one of the reasons that Bowness was brought in, was to change the way that the structure was and challenge players a little bit more.
And I just look at this, and the way this year is going, You and I have talked about it, they keep pulling away and then they let everybody back in. They pull away and they let everybody back in. Well now, they’ve kind of let everybody back in again, and I just wonder if we’re seeing the end of this group.
I think the Jets have talked to the Canadiens on and off about Dubois. Is there some way, we know that Dubois’ going to end up there 95 percent? Is there some way we make a deal so the Canadiens get him earlier, we get something we want. I think they’ve talked about that but they haven’t been able to make the deal.
With Schefiele, you’ve got to basically decide, are you re-signing him or is he re-signing or do you move him somewhere else?
Like I said, those guys represented Winnipeg hard. They talked up Winnipeg when a lot of people were unsure. Do we really want to go there? We’ve talked about how Cheveldayoff has a tough job than a lot of other GMs because there’s not place that has less of a pool of players available to it than the Jets do.
I’m looking at this and saying, ‘boy, this could be an end of an era with the Jets.’
Marek: “Yes, and then I think part of the conversation revolves around when was the beginning of the end? This is going to take a lot more thinking from me, but my knee-jerk is, it began when Dustin Byfuglien left. And that it was marching towards this eventually. All teams, the core of every team so of marches to its own demise at some point, I just think the beginning of the end was losing Dustin Byfuglien.
Friedman: “I agree with that.”
Marek: “And now here was are and we’re at the point where you do have to start to make the decisions and try and get something to build this team back up because as we have talked about, it’s challenging to populate a roster with elite level players if you’re Kevin Cheveldayoff. ”
Friedman: “You know I got to tell you something Jeff, I agree with you on that. Byfuglien seems to me the kind of guy that you know there’s always, when you go to work and it’s really serious all the time, Byfuglien seems to me the kind of guy, he doesn’t do everything the way everybody else does it, but he gets there it’s hilarious. ‘
NHL Rumors: Central Division and College Free Agents
Marek: “Ya, and we’ve had a lot of people, just in our own example, we’ve had a lot of people we’ve worked with that have made it really fun to come to work. I think, how many times do we sit in the green room and laugh with Doug MacLean or with Brian Burke or whomever?
You need that I think in every workplace. I know it’s your job and your obligation to go to work, you’re being paid and that’s the agreement, but there are just some people who make it fun to go to work and I think that’s really valuable.
…”
– NHL Rumors Feed
Its Play Off Hockey
Sportsnet: Jeff Marek and Greg Wyshynski on The Jeff Marek Show – MvsW: A Record That Will Never Be Broken? discuss which team could turn things around quicker if they won the draft lottery and were able to select Connor Bedard.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Wyshynski: “What team do you think is closest to winning if they get Bedard?”
Marek: “That is a great one.”
Wyshynski: “Who do you think is the most set up for that right now?
There’s a part of me. Montreal definitely. Detroit’s in the conversation. Vancouver obviously.”
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Marek: “Listen, you know what, I think Philadelphia. Philadelphia can turn this thing around quick, but I’m factoring in trades. When you factor in trades I think Philadelphia.
Wyshynski: “Ya, no, no, without question.”
Marek: “Honestly, I think Philly cause when you think about what they’ll do with either (Ivan) Provorov or (Travis) Konecny or (Kevin) Hayes and what they can get in exchange, plus their own draft position, plus the emergence of Morgan Frost and (Tyson) Foerster and Sammy Ersson. They make a decision on Carter Hart.
I know that Philadelphia’s rebuilding here but if (GM Daniel) Briere can pull off the right moves, and if you can add a Connor Bedard. I think maybe my answer’s Philly. I think it is.”
Wyshynski: “What if you add Bedard to a team that has Patrik Laine, Johnny Gaudreau and Zach Werenski on it? ”
Marek: “I still don’t know about that mix.”
Wyshynski: “What if you add Connor Bedard to a team that has Logan Couture, Tomas Hertl and Erik Karlsson on it?”
Marek: “That’s the other one. You got a lot of vets with San Jose.
Wyshynski: “Fun thought experiment.”
Marek: “That is a great thought experiment. That might be the one to because I don’t think San Jose is looking to rebuild at all. I don’t think they’re looking for picks and futures. No, no, no, no. They’re calling Edmonton and saying, ‘you want to send Draisailt our way?’
Wyshynski: “They are me frantically playing the Mega Millions in the hopes that I could just cut the line.”
– NHL Rumors Feed
The post Travis Hamonic Looking to Re-Sign With Senators appeared first on NHL Trade Talk.
Defenseman Travis Hamonic has found a home in Ottawa where he feels comfortable. After years of trying out different clubs and wrestling with issues surrounding the NHL bubble, family needs, and rumors he only wanted to play in a specific geographical location, Hamonic feels like the Senators are a great fit and he’s hoping there’s a spot for him on this team moving forward.
Ian Mendes of The Athletic writes that defenseman that the d-man is looking to sign another deal with the Ottawa Senators and doesn’t want to pursue other free agency options this summer. While the market is less appealing than in most other years and Hamonic could do well among teams that could use a veteran blueliner who could eat minutes, the pending UFA is just hoping the Senators offer him an extension. He is currently finishing up a deal that pays him $3 million and while he didn’t give hints about the next type of contract he’d be looking to sign, one would have to assume it would be fairly team-friendly given his age and comfort level in Ottawa.
Travis Hamonic Ottawa Senators NHL
Mendes cites Hamonic who said:
“I love it here. And I want to say that from the bottom of my heart. My wife and kids are so happy here. They are really settled here. And the community has really welcomed us. On a personal level, this is a no-brainer. And with the hockey team, this is headed in the right direction. This organization is on the upswing.”
Mendes adds that Hamonic has been fairly effective this season. He’s leading the team with 142 blocked shots but is also leading all Senators’ defencemen in scoring this month. He’s still got some game left and the Senators could do a whole lot worse.
Next: Four Takeaways from Maple Leafs’ 3-2 OT Loss to Panthers
The post Travis Hamonic Looking to Re-Sign With Senators appeared first on NHL Trade Talk.
The post Four Takeaways from Maple Leafs’ 3-2 OT Loss to Panthers appeared first on NHL Trade Talk.
Last night, the Toronto Maple Leafs had the lead until less than a minute was left in regulation time. Then the Florida Panthers came to win the game in overtime by a score of 3-2.
This is such a unique time of the season. First, it’s pretty clear that the Maple Leafs will hang onto second place in the Atlantic Division and have the home advantage for the playoffs. Second, the goal is not so much to win but to ready the team for the postseason.
Takeaway One: Three Positives in the Maple Leafs’ Loss
As a result of the context, I’m going to list three positives to take out of the game. The loss is a loss, and the single point helped. Here are three things that Maple Leafs’ fans should be happy about, even though their team lost:
First, Ilya Samsonov came back after the birth of his first child (a son) and his performance in the net was solid.
Second, Auston Matthews looked like a Hart Trophy winner once again. He actually seemed to play better as the game went on.
Third, a new defensive pairing is showing promise – night after night. We have all seen the emergence of the Jake McCabe & TJ Brodie defensive pairing. Right now, they are the Maple Leafs’ number-one defensive pairing. That twosome had another strong outing.
Takeaway Two: Zach Aston-Reese Is Playing Great Hockey
Zach Aston-Reese (ZAR), who’s new to the Maple Leafs this season, has been playing exceptionally well in recent games. Last night, he scored a goal, had five shots on goal, and delivered three hits. Even better, he accomplished all this activity in just over eight minutes of ice time.
ZAR x 2!! pic.twitter.com/ppGil0RM4d
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 18, 2023
ZAR’s performance is not an anomaly. He’s been consistently playing his best hockey of the season lately. He has scored eight goals this season; and, although he’s currently playing on the fourth line, that’s just fine. He helps make that line a deal with the postseason coming up.
Related: Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Samsonov, Woll, Sandin & O’Reilly
Takeaway Three: Maple Leafs New First Line Continues to Play Well
The Calle Jarnkrok-Auston Matthews-Mitch Marner threesome is clicking. The three players are building chemistry. Jarnkrok’s been a pleasant surprise since joining the team. That’s especially true since he’s been on the team’s top line.
Jarnkrok’s combination of two-way play, combined with Matthews’ scoring ability, and combined with Marner’s playmaking skills make for a formidable line. This like has proven to be difficult for opposing teams to defend.
Calle Jarnkrok Signs Maple Leafs
Keefe’s line juggling has allowed different players to get a chance to play with Matthews and Marner. As a result, he’s discovered Jarnkrok’s fit with the top line. Because it’s important for the team’s success to have depth scoring, the potential pairing of Michael Bunting and Ryan O’Reilly could provide that.
If the Maple Leafs (a) continue to utilize their depth and (b) continue to build chemistry, they have a solid chance to experience playoff success. The Jarnkrok-Matthews-Marner line has shown it can be a dominant force. Now, how will they play with the postseason comes?
Related: 4 Reasons Auston Matthews Makes Every Maple Leafs Player Better
Takeaway Four: Auston Matthews Is Putting It All Together for the Playoffs
Auston Matthews had another strong performance last night. He scored his 37th goal of the season and extended his point streak to seven games. Mitch Marner also had a solid game, extending his point streak to 11 games. The Maple Leafs’ two top players are actually beginning to play better. Matthews looks to have found his top form as the playoffs approach.
Really, when Maple Leafs’ fans think about it, there’s little surprise that Matthews and Marner are playing so well. They’re two of the NHL’s most talented players. Matthews is a prolific goal scorer with a lethal shot, and Marner is an elite playmaker who can make magic happen with the puck on his stick.
Auston Matthews Mitch Marner Maple Leafs
Both players have been hot recently. Matthews has registered six goals and five assists in his last seven games. Marner has recorded points in 11 straight games. One reason they have such success is because, together, they have great on-ice chemistry. Certainly, they each have individual skills. However, they also seem able to read each other’s movements and anticipate where the other will be on the ice.
If Toronto is going to push far into the playoffs, Matthews and Marner will be two players who’ll be counted upon to do much of the heavy lifting. Their offensive production is the key to the team’s success.
Related: FACING THE MAPLE LEAFS’ FROM THE LIGHTNING’S POINT OF VIEW
The post Four Takeaways from Maple Leafs’ 3-2 OT Loss to Panthers appeared first on NHL Trade Talk.
The post Rangers Sign Forward Filip Chytil to Four-Year Extension appeared first on NHL Trade Talk.
Filip Chytil is sticking around in New York as the Rangers have signed the forward to a four-year extension worth $17.75 million. The deal will have an annual average salary of $4.4375 million and will keep him with the organization until the end of the 2026/27 NHL season. He would have been an RFA this summer.
FOUR MORE YEARS OF FIL ?
The @NYRangers have signed Filip Chytil to a four-year extension! pic.twitter.com/PCwVMmJpTW
— NHL (@NHL) March 29, 2023
The deal does not include trade protection and breaks down as follows:
Year 1: $3.5M Salary & 1M Signing Bonus
Year 2: $4.625M Salary
Year 3: $ 4.875M Salary
Year 4: $3.75M Salary Does not include trade protection
Chytil is playing on the team’s second line and it’s likely he will keep improving which is why many see this deal as a smart piece of business by GM Chris Drury. There’s also speculation that this will equate to the last year Barclay Goodrow will spend with the club. @JFresh says of Chytil: “young shoot-first middle-six two-way center. Very good at carrying the puck in transition and creating shots from dangerous areas of the ice. The finishing touch can be a bit streaky.”
He is posting career-best totals with 22 goals and 42 points in 66 games, and logging just under 15 minutes in average ice time. At 23 years old, his best days are likely ahead of him and the Rangers will get his prime seasons as part of this contract.
Next: Insider Ranks 2023 UFAs in Weakest Free Agent Class in a Decade
The post Rangers Sign Forward Filip Chytil to Four-Year Extension appeared first on NHL Trade Talk.
