THW Daily - Projecting Next Contract for Red Wings' Seider & Jets Providing Goaltending Blueprint for Islanders
Also, why the Flames must hurry up and sell, the Maple Leafs' trade deadline targets & more
Welcome to The Hockey Writers Daily
In today’s edition, we have a projection for Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider’s next contract, how the Jets are providing the Islanders with a blueprint for helping their goaltender, why the Flames must hurry up and sell, and much more.
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New Jersey Devils: Devils Sunday Brunch - Heading South by Josh Reinitz
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Yesterday’s Scores…
Flames Need to Hurry Up and Sell
January 16, 2024 by Rupert McDonald
The Calgary Flames are a tricky team to get a read on. They won their final game in 2023 as well as their next two to begin the New Year to give them a three-game winning streak. They appeared to be on the verge of turning things around. But the good vibes quickly turned sour after a 4-3 loss to the injury-riddled Chicago Blackhawks.
After the Blackhawks loss, Flames fans appeared to be near giving up. But, as this team has shown in the past, they can suck you right back in and are doing so once again. With their 3-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Jan. 14, the Flames are once again on a three-game winning streak and remain in the hunt for a playoff spot. As exciting as it may seem for fans, it is a very dangerous spot to b and is something general manager Craig Conroy needs to fix in a hurry.
Projecting Moritz Seider’s New Red Wings Contract
January 16, 2024 by Tony Wolak
Now that the Detroit Red Wings are about halfway through the 2023-24 season, it’s a good time to look to the future. At this point, enough games have been played to have a sufficient sample size to calculate Moritz Seider’s next contract.
Detroit’s top defenseman is in the last year of his entry-level contract (ELC) and is eligible to sign a new deal. Seider is due for a raise from his current $832,500 salary – how much, exactly, is what we’ll determine. Let’s dive in.
Oilers Were Wise to Reject Maple Leafs’ Desharnais Trade Offer
January 16, 2024 by Sean Panganiban
Hockey insider Elliotte Friedman revealed back in October that before Sam Lafferty was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks, the Toronto Maple Leafs had offered him to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for defenceman Vincent Desharnais. Lafferty was a player the Oilers were rumoured to be interested in last season when he was a member of the Chicago Blackhawks, as he checked many boxes for them — a middle-six centerman who can score and play physically. Ultimately, the Oilers turned down the offer from the Maple Leafs, prioritizing blue-line depth.
Yet, in light of Edmonton’s early-season troubles with defensive challenges, and lack of secondary scoring, at the time, the non-move appeared to be a potential misstep. However, given what we know now, especially with the Oilers currently on a 10-game winning streak, Edmonton is reaping the rewards of a smart decision of not trading their homegrown defenceman. Desharnais’ game has grown noticeably, and he’s also added a skillful touch that has boosted his overall value.
Maple Leafs’ 2024 Trade Deadline Targets
January 16, 2024 by Spencer Lazary
Now that the calendar has changed to 2024, it is officially trade talk season. It’s the time of year when, every day, there will be a new name reportedly out on the trade market. From now to the Mar. 8 Trade Deadline, there is only one roadblock: the 2024 All-Star Game. Once that has come and gone on Feb. 3, the trade buzz around the NHL will pick up even more. I figured why not get it all started for the Toronto Maple Leafs by talking about players the club should target ahead of the Deadline.
There have been some big-name players linked to the Maple Leafs such as Chris Tanev from the Calgary Flames or Boone Jenner of the Columbus Blue Jackets. However, these three players listed are on teams that are either outside the playoffs or on the cusp — potential sellers, depending on how they perform in the coming weeks. This is the biggest reason why these are teams the Maple Leafs need to talk shop with and try and get some help for a Stanley Cup push.
Hellebuyck Provides Blueprint For Islanders To Help Sorokin
January 16, 2024 by Mike Fink
When a goaltender with Vezina Trophy aspirations has a .909 save percentage (SV%) and a 3.15 goals-against average (GAA) halfway through the season, it means he’s had a rough start. Ilya Sorokin’s baseline stats indicate just that, but he’s managed to keep the New York Islanders in games. How so? He’s putting up underwhelming numbers while facing an unprecedented 1034 shots.
The gap between Sorokin and Hellebuyck seems significant, yet both are in the same tier. Last season, they were finalists for the Vezina, and throughout their careers, they’ve proven they are among the league’s elite. Sorokin is in a rough patch, something Hellebuyck experienced earlier in his career, and the Islanders must address it to allow him to bounce back this season and regain his dominant form.
Canadiens’ Kent Hughes Dropping the Ball on Trading a Goalie
January 16, 2024 by Rob Couch
The Montreal Canadiens were one of the very few teams that started this season with three goalies on the roster or have even held three netminders at once. This was a decision made so that Cayden Primeau, the rookie goaltender in Montreal, wouldn’t be picked up off waivers and be lost for nothing.
As Kent Hughes described, “we were not ready to put Cayden on waivers, based on the discussions with other teams. We were pretty sure someone would have claimed him. We decided to keep three goalies and evaluate the potential trades from there. The plan was not to have three goalies all year. It’s still not the plan. But I can’t tell you 100 percent that we’ll make a goaltender trade.”
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
Montreal Canadiens - Canadiens, Drouin Had Good Reason to Walk Away from Each Other
New York Rangers - Rangers’ Lafreniere Making Strong Case for Massive Extension
Tampa Bay Lightning - How Has Andrei Vasilevskiy Played Since Returning From Surgery?
NHL News & Rumors - Oilers, Blue Jackets, Avalanche, Canadiens
From TSN - Insider Trading: Does Fleury land on a contender?
From Sportsnet - NHL Fit Check: Stylist to Premier League stars ranks the NHL's best-dressed
From ESPN - Golden Knights F Jack Eichel week-to-week following surgery
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