Letter writing has become a lost art in today’s world, except to maybe the New York Rangers.
The Rangers finally waved the white flag on this season after New York general manager Chris Drury released a letter to their fans on social media Friday letting them know a re-tool was coming. This isn’t the first time the Rangers have done this, as the team released another similar letter almost eight years ago that explained to their fans, in a roundabout way, to expect a rebuild. However, we never really saw that rebuild. Igor Shesterkin soon arrived, the Rangers signed Artemi Panarin a year later, and they were off and running again. This time, though, a quick fix for New York’s problems seems very unlikely to fall into its lap.
It’s taken until mid-January for us to finally have our first true seller in the Eastern Conference. The standings have been so bunched up that no one was really out of it, but a recent slide and perhaps a realization by the Rangers that they could get a jump on the market saw them throw up the for-sale sign. The Rangers also have a lot of assets they could sell if they like, with the most obvious being Panarin. Shortly after the letter came out, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that they wouldn’t be offering Panarin an extension and they’d work with him on a trade prior to the deadline. Nick Kypreos had both Panarin and Vincent Trocheck on his trade board this week, with the latter also being a very intriguing target for teams.
Trocheck is still under contract for three more years after this one at a very reasonable $5.6 million cap hit, so he would have a massive market if he’s made available. The veteran forward is a good two-way centre that has a perfect style for the playoffs. Any team that acquires him will get him for multiple post-season runs.
Given how at one point there were so few sellers, there was a belief that this year’s deadline could end up being very quiet. With the Rangers now open for business, though, there could be some massive moves on the horizon.
This year’s deadline could be the most impactful in years
Now that the Rangers have declared their intentions, there could be a rush from other teams to try and move some their other key pieces first before New York gets going. There still aren’t that many sellers, but those that are planning to deal have some impactful players. Besides the Rangers, you can probably also count the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames and St. Louis Blues among those willing to sell. A Rasmus Andersson deal seems inevitable and there have been rumblings about Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman as well. It sounds like the Canucks are willing to listen on just about anybody and when it comes to the Blues, it doesn’t sound like too many players are off limits. That means even captain Brayden Schenn, Jordan Kyrou and Justin Faulk could potentially be had for the right price.
This doesn’t even account for additional teams falling out of it in the coming weeks that may also want to getting into selling mode. If all the stars align, we could see more than handful of big names change addresses before the deadline.
Overreaction? No
What’s interesting about this year’s deadline is that there might technically be two. There will be a trade freeze from Feb. 4-22 during the Olympic break and some general managers may be hoping to get business done before then. We could see a handful of moves prior to the players heading off to Milan. Then, the actual trade deadline will follow very quickly after the Olympics. It’s possible some GMs will use the break to strategize about what moves to make to counter what some teams have already done. Let’s say Andersson gets moved to the East — then, we could see some other Eastern Conference teams look to also bolster their defence to keep pace. With the standings being so tight, any advantage could be the difference between making the playoffs or not.
There are a ton of teams that can’t afford to miss out on the post-season this spring, so expect a plethora of trades as desperate teams try to load up.
Ilya Sorokin is the biggest reason for the Islanders’ turnaround
There’s a new energy around the New York Islanders this season and there’s no denying it’s because of Matthew Schaefer. The 18-year-old phenom is taking the NHL by storm and has put the franchise on an entirely new trajectory. A mediocre team for a few years prior, the Isles now seem like a decent bet to get back to the playoffs thanks to the already-likely Calder winner. With all that said, Schaefer isn’t doing this alone — goaltender Ilya Sorokin could make a case that he’s an even bigger reason for the Isles’ improved play. Sorokin might even be the best goalie in the NHL this season.
Overreaction? No
Sorokin was solid for the past two seasons but nowhere near the level he displayed in his first three years in New York. This year, though, he’s re-established himself as one of the league’s elite netminders. Sorokin is up to a .915 save percentage and leads the NHL with a whopping 22.3 goals saved above expected. Since Nov. 1, he’s been even better, with a .929 save percentage and five shutouts. The Islanders have needed Sorokin to be this good, too. They haven’t been giving him a ton of offensive support, as the Islanders rank 23rd in goals per game and they’ve also been one of the worst teams at giving up quality looks. New York has given up a league-worst 502 high-danger chances against.
Schaefer has been an incredible story this year, but I don’t think the Isles would be sitting second in the Metropolitan Division if not for the heroics of Sorokin.
The Stars are in trouble
There was a time not too long ago that the Dallas Stars were nipping at the heels of the Colorado Avalanche for first overall in the NHL. Now, they’ve won just two of their last 11 games and are tied with the Minnesota Wild for second in the Central. Dallas is also struggling to find the back of the net, scoring only five goals in its past three contests and being held to one goal in each of its past two. Thomas Harley doesn’t have a point in four games and is enduring a down year overall, having not scored since the middle of December. It’s been a disappointing development for a Stars blue line that already isn’t as deep as other Western Conference powers. Plus, Jake Oettinger hasn’t been in top form this month, sporting an .862 save percentage and allowing at least four goals on three different occasions.
To make matters worse, Dallas’s schedule doesn’t get any easier for the rest of the month. The Stars still have to face Tampa, Boston, Vegas and Utah before the Olympic break. Right now, the team doesn’t look like the Stanley Cup contender they were hoping to be.
Overreaction? Yes
The good news for the Stars is they still have a massive cushion in regards to their playoff position. Sure, it’s possible if they continue to slide that Minnesota may overtake them for second in the division, but they’re still 11 points up on Utah in fourth. It would take a massive collapse for them to not finish as one of the top three teams in the Central and an even bigger one to be in any kind of jeopardy of missing the playoffs.
I’d also expect the Stars to be very active leading up to the trade deadline, with defence being their primary focus. Their forward depth can rival anyone and Oettinger has been excellent over the past two post-seasons, so upgrading the back end with a top-four blue liner will easily put the Stars in position for another deep playoff run.
Columbus should give Kent Johnson a fresh start
It’s been a very disappointing season for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Kent Johnson’s production is one of the main reasons for that. Johnson has floundered this season to the tune of just five goals and 14 points in 47 outings, which is a massive step back for his potential and that of the 2021 fifth-overall pick. The Blue Jackets were forced to trade away another first-round pick in Yegor Chinakhov not too long ago when it was clear things weren’t working out in Columbus. Johnson is still young enough and has shown enough promise that the Blue Jackets should be able to get a decent return for him if they decide to explore his trade market.
Overreaction? Yes
At some point, the Blue Jackets have to start recouping some value from their high draft picks in recent years and it was only a season ago where Johnson tallied 24 goals and 57 points in 68 games. That’s nearly a 70-point pace over 82 outings. If I’m general manager Don Waddell, I’m not giving up on that type of talent in a player that is still only 23 years of age. Plus, I’d also give Johnson some time under new head coach Rick Bowness, who just took over behind the bench earlier this week. He’s already looking better in his first three games under his new coach, seeing his ice time significantly increase and picking up two points on Thursday. The Blue Jackets appear to be in the middle of a new-coach bump that Johnson could take advantage of to spark his game. At the very least, Columbus wouldn’t want to trade him when his value is at an all-time low. Give Johnson some time to figure things out with Bowness and hopefully he finds his groove again.
Tyler Bertuzzi will score 40 goals
Connor Bedard receives most of the attention when it comes to the Chicago Blackhawks these days and rightfully so, but another Windy City forward is having an impressive campaign as well. Tyler Bertuzzi has quietly tallied 24 goals, which is already one more than he scored all of last year and puts him in the top 20 in NHL goal scoring. What’s perhaps most impressive about Bertuzzi’s campaign is that he’s being doing much of his damage without playing with Bedard. The two play together on the power play, but Bedard and Bertuzzi have only skated together about 17 per cent of the time at even strength. Bertuzzi is scoring at around a 44-goal pace with a little less than half a season to go, so can he reach 40 goals for the first time in his career?
Overreaction? No
If you’re skeptical when it comes to Bertuzzi keeping up this pace, it’s likely because of his shooting percentage. Bertuzzi is currently shooting almost 23 per cent, something he likely won’t be able to sustain throughout the entirety of the season. That said, Bertuzzi only needs 16 more goals in 34 games to hit 40, something that seems reasonable even if his shooting percentage dips. He’s also shooting the puck a lot more frequently this year, as Bertuzzi is on pace for a new career high of nearly 200 shots. Not to mention Chicago’s power play is clicking at over 22 per cent this year, so Bertuzzi should be able to feast on the man advantage for at least another half dozen goals. With some expected regression, I don’t see Bertuzzi finishing at his 44-goal pace, though 40 does seem in reach.
