In this week’s edition of Hockey Central Ask the Insiders, several fan questions are answered including what to expect at the 2013 NHL draft; who could be bought out and who will be the number one goalie for the Maple Leafs.
Gregory asks: With the NHL draft coming up this weekend, do you foresee a lot of wheeling and dealing since in about a week there is the buyout period, the draft and free agency?
Nick Kypreos: Yes, I expect a very active draft weekend. This is the first time since the salary cap was introduced in the NHL that it’s going down. Some teams are scrambling to get the cap down and a trade or two is one way to go. The other way of course is the compliance buyout. This is an easy free “get out of jail card” that doesn’t go against your cap. Look for some big names outside of Brad Richards being discussed. Vinny Lacavalier remains the most interesting name for me. Tampa Bay can’t have him on the payroll much longer. Only question for Stevie Y is does he do it now or does he wait one more season.
Scott Morrison: The buyout period is nearly upon us as it begins 48 hours after the Stanley Cup Final ends. With the Blackhawks winning it all on Monday night at 11 pm EST, the buyout window is from 11 pm ET on Wednesday until 5 pm EST on July 4. Some teams have already said what they intend to do. There is the potential for dealing before and after the draft because the salary cap falls next season and there will be teams feeling a cap/cash crunch. Beyond that, the free agent market isn’t a great one this summer, so that may prompt teams to deal to answer their needs, again especially with the cap falling.
Jeff Marek: Yes, I do and mainly because of a weak free agent class this offseason. There are few gems available in free agency on July 5th and the only way to improve your team in short order is through deals. Now, will they all be “hockey moves” or just trades to help teams get to the new salary cap threshold ($64.3 million)? Good question. And yes, probably. I also expect teams to be frisky on the draft floor as it seems a number of teams could have their picks in play. Look at Edmonton, Nashville, Carolina to all entertain offers for their picks and don’t even be surprised if the Avs end up trading the first overall spot. Could be a crazy weekend.
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Narin asks: What do you think of the Leafs trading for Jonathan Bernier? What are the odds he wins the number one job ahead of James Reimer?
Nick Kypreos: Trading for Bernier was a very good move by the Leafs. It gives the Leafs deeper depth in goal with great upside. I also love his reputation for high level fitness. This guy is a true professional and it will rub off on his teammates. In saying that, Leaf fans should not completely right off Reimer either. It lends to healthy competition next season and if Bernier pulls too far ahead of Reimer in a year or two, there won’t be a shortage of teams that would trade for Reimer providing his compete level doesn’t drop considerably. In today’s game you need two good goalies to challenge for a Cup.
Scott Morrison: The Leafs have felt for a while they needed to improve their depth in goal and Bernier certainly has the ability to become the number one. But he is going to have to earn it. I don’t think the Leafs felt comfortable with Ben Scrivens spelling off Reimer and now feel they have improved and given themselves two quality goaltenders. Down the road they have options.
John Shannon: The Leafs have said countless times since the end of their season, that they will upgrade at every position. Bernier gives them depth at goaltender, and considering they didn’t give up any major assets, it was a very good move. Reimer had a great finish to the 2013 season, but concerns over his rebound control and glove hand, make it important to have options in goal next season. I fully expect Reimer to start the season as number one, but Bernier will claim that spot by Christmas.
Harrison asks: So… John Tortorella to the Canucks. Media guy’s dream job or a nightmare? Do you think he’ll be a good fit?
Doug MacLean: Harrison, I really don’t care about his relationship with the media. I think it’s overblown. His problem in NY was he became a distraction to the team. He lost his key players due to his coaching style and the fact he continually called his players out in the media. If he just coaches he will be fine for the Canucks. If he continues his antics he will be a disaster.
Jeff Marek: If Tortorella can change his stripes (which he did indicate at his presser Tuesday) then there’s a chance he’ll be a good coach in Vancouver. He’s going to ask a lot of players to do things they’re not accustomed to doing (the Sedins blocking shots and killing penalties? What?!), which will either be feast or famine. The Canucks cannot continue to play the same way with the same personnel, that much is obvious and it’s a team whose winning window is closing quickly. If Tortorella can connect with this team of vets then he has a shot. As far as media goes, he’s a goldmine. Never a dull moment, never a boring presser.
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Andrew asks: Was it a rookie mistake for Joe Sakic to say that the Avs will likely draft a forward and not Seth Jones first overall? Otherwise I don’t really understand the strategy of making it public.
Doug MacLean: Andrew, I didn’t understand Joe showing his cards. Typically that doesn’t happen as you continue to field offers as you don’t know who people below you in the draft want for certain. Or maybe due to Seth Jones being a local kid he wanted the distraction gone before the draft. First time I’ve seen this.
Jeff Marek: I actually think it’s a smart move by both Sakic and Patrick Roy, one made in order to prepare his marketplace for what will be a very unpopular decision. Hockey operations in Colorado believes that Nathan MacKinnon is a superior prospect to Seth Jones. That much is obvious. The problem, from a marketing POV, is Avs fans are in love with the Jones story. He fell in love with the game in Denver when his dad played with the NBA’s Nuggets, learned to play the game as an Avs fan and taught to fall in love with hockey mainly because of Joe Sakic. Sounds like a dream story. But it’s not the direction Colorado wants to go in. By letting the marketplace know they won’t be taking Jones they’re doing nothing more than getting their market set to deal with a controversial move they are about to make at the draft. Give fans some time to deal with the idea and accept it. To me it’s a smart play.
John Shannon: We will see if it’s a mistake, but you have to give Sakic credit for being transparent. Too often hockey executives play games with the media and fans, yet when Sakic is transparent with his intentions, everyone questions his motives. Probably the best explanation for the honesty in this situation is trying to downplay the possibility of taking Nathan MacKinnon over Seth Jones, is to keep the local hype down to a minimum. Jones is the local player, with big connections to the city of Denver. Building him up unnecessarily now, will save the new management team in Colorado some criticism later, when they don’t take him.
Steve asks: Do you know if the NHL would be looking at a Plan B in case the repairs to Calgary’s flooded Saddledome aren’t able to be completed before the start of the season? It sounds like the city may have bigger priorities than fixing a hockey rink.
John Shannon: The Flames have already begun the re-build of the event level of the Saddledome, so they are hopeful to have the building ready for opening night of October 6th. I would suspect, if there are any issues, the NHL (which has been sitting on two schedules (with Olympics and without) would be reluctant to make changes to a schedule at this late date.
That said, don’t be surprised that we see Calgary with and extended road trip in October to buy some time for the renovation. The bigger issue will be training camp and exhibitions games. While there are plenty of quality rinks in Calgary for camp, it would not surprise anyone if the Flames exhibition schedule was forced to be changed at the last minute. That’s not ideal, but with the circumstance, it’s understandable.