Tangential to the Miro questions - should the Stars be eliminated in a first round without Heiskanen, did Jim Nill err by failing to address the situation before the trade deadline?
Sean, I don't want to get ahead of anything, as the playoffs are all that matter, but, always thinking ahead (like Jim Nill). Can you dive into the Stars salary cap situation as the team would enter next year? With the Mikko signing and Wyatt, can they afford to keep Granlund and Robo and basically everyone else, except the depth pieces. Will Benn and Duch come back at really reduced contracts? Duch has played two years at like $3 million and his production has been much greater. Will he and Benn be like Pav and take less money? How much room do they have? Thanks! I nearly forgot---make sure to lock Harley up soon!
Hey Sean, I love your work. Thanks for all you do. Thomas Harley has, I believe, 19 points (6G 13A) since Miro Heiskanen has been injured. Since then, he's played more minutes, has quarterbacked the 1st PP unit, had a Four Nations trip, and has looked, frankly, fantastic. Heiskanen is obviously an incredible, Norris deserving, number one defensman, but given Harley's incredible offense recently, do we see Miro bumped off PP1? Could we see Harley in a more enhanced role? How will this effect Harley's next contract? Miro has struggled a bit this year on the offensive side of things, but it appears Dallas has a franchise D Man in Heiskanen and an up and coming elite defenseman in Harley.
This is one of the first seasons in a while that had extremely competitive playoff races for the Wild Card spots in both conferences. Who do you predict are the 8 playoff bound teams in each conference?
Hypothetically, is Seguin returning for one more chance at a Cup and LTIR retirement in the offseason? Two recent hip surgeries, can he continue his career pain free...the Rantanen trade and extension doesn't seem to fit Nill's normal MO and I can't wrap my head around "we'll just do the deal and figure out the cap later"
Hey Sean! Enjoyed your PWHL piece the other day - when you watch that league, are there any skills you notice which are more prominent/important to the game than they are among NHL players?
This is piggy backing off of some of the other Miro questions, but how much trouble are the Stars really in if Miro can't be back for Round one, seeing that it looks like we are going to get Colorado?
Ron Francis openly talked about the Kraken using their acquired deadline draft picks to make trade acquisitions in the summer. Are there any players that jumps out to you as Kaapo Kakko-esque buy-low candidates for the Kraken this summer?
I can't help but think that Miro is always matched up against the top line of the opponent. In a 1st round series vs COL, assuming they start without Miro, do you put Harley or Esa against that top line and who should be their partners? ... I ask bc Smith-Dumba hasn't been ideal, but I wouldn't want to mismatch the other 2 pairings just to fit the ideal top pair.
This is a bit of a re-tread, but how do you watch the broadcast of a game? I never played sports growing up for various reasons, mostly health related, and I discovered a love of soccer and hockey later in life. I find if I just "follow the action" so to speak, things are entertaining as there is always something happening but I don't get a good sense of the play. Sometimes I try to focus on a single player, usually a forward, and I kinda get a sense of the play and strategies but I miss a lot of action. Soccer is different for me because the camera tends to be much further away and so its easier to see more of the context of the field. Hockey is just so much more zoomed in, which is a double edged sword because it is more exciting that way.
My Blues are playing well right now and fighting for a playoff spot. Earlier in the season the plan was for Jimmy Snuggerud to compete in the Frozen 4 and then join the Blues after. That said, if the team is still in the playoff hunt and playing well, does he immediately join the mix and bump a player who's been with the team most of the year? From a broader perspective, how do teams weigh the pros/cons of calling up a college, free agent, or junior prospect and throwing them into the NHL mix, especially if the playoffs are on the line?
How will Dallas deploy their defensemen without Miro in a playoff series against Colorado. Last year they effectively used 5 defensemen and I can’t see them leaning on Dumba for as many minutes as they do in regular season. Especially on PP2!
Tangential to the Miro questions - should the Stars be eliminated in a first round without Heiskanen, did Jim Nill err by failing to address the situation before the trade deadline?
Sean, I don't want to get ahead of anything, as the playoffs are all that matter, but, always thinking ahead (like Jim Nill). Can you dive into the Stars salary cap situation as the team would enter next year? With the Mikko signing and Wyatt, can they afford to keep Granlund and Robo and basically everyone else, except the depth pieces. Will Benn and Duch come back at really reduced contracts? Duch has played two years at like $3 million and his production has been much greater. Will he and Benn be like Pav and take less money? How much room do they have? Thanks! I nearly forgot---make sure to lock Harley up soon!
Why is Steve Levy #3 or #4 on hockey pop, he has always been excellent. They’re wasting his talent on the pregame/between periods show.
Hey Sean, I love your work. Thanks for all you do. Thomas Harley has, I believe, 19 points (6G 13A) since Miro Heiskanen has been injured. Since then, he's played more minutes, has quarterbacked the 1st PP unit, had a Four Nations trip, and has looked, frankly, fantastic. Heiskanen is obviously an incredible, Norris deserving, number one defensman, but given Harley's incredible offense recently, do we see Miro bumped off PP1? Could we see Harley in a more enhanced role? How will this effect Harley's next contract? Miro has struggled a bit this year on the offensive side of things, but it appears Dallas has a franchise D Man in Heiskanen and an up and coming elite defenseman in Harley.
Thanks
This is one of the first seasons in a while that had extremely competitive playoff races for the Wild Card spots in both conferences. Who do you predict are the 8 playoff bound teams in each conference?
Hypothetically, is Seguin returning for one more chance at a Cup and LTIR retirement in the offseason? Two recent hip surgeries, can he continue his career pain free...the Rantanen trade and extension doesn't seem to fit Nill's normal MO and I can't wrap my head around "we'll just do the deal and figure out the cap later"
Hey Sean! Enjoyed your PWHL piece the other day - when you watch that league, are there any skills you notice which are more prominent/important to the game than they are among NHL players?
This is piggy backing off of some of the other Miro questions, but how much trouble are the Stars really in if Miro can't be back for Round one, seeing that it looks like we are going to get Colorado?
Ha, as soon as i wrote this I saw David Castillo's article on this in D Magazine...
Ron Francis openly talked about the Kraken using their acquired deadline draft picks to make trade acquisitions in the summer. Are there any players that jumps out to you as Kaapo Kakko-esque buy-low candidates for the Kraken this summer?
*jump
I can't help but think that Miro is always matched up against the top line of the opponent. In a 1st round series vs COL, assuming they start without Miro, do you put Harley or Esa against that top line and who should be their partners? ... I ask bc Smith-Dumba hasn't been ideal, but I wouldn't want to mismatch the other 2 pairings just to fit the ideal top pair.
This is a bit of a re-tread, but how do you watch the broadcast of a game? I never played sports growing up for various reasons, mostly health related, and I discovered a love of soccer and hockey later in life. I find if I just "follow the action" so to speak, things are entertaining as there is always something happening but I don't get a good sense of the play. Sometimes I try to focus on a single player, usually a forward, and I kinda get a sense of the play and strategies but I miss a lot of action. Soccer is different for me because the camera tends to be much further away and so its easier to see more of the context of the field. Hockey is just so much more zoomed in, which is a double edged sword because it is more exciting that way.
So how do you watch a game?
My Blues are playing well right now and fighting for a playoff spot. Earlier in the season the plan was for Jimmy Snuggerud to compete in the Frozen 4 and then join the Blues after. That said, if the team is still in the playoff hunt and playing well, does he immediately join the mix and bump a player who's been with the team most of the year? From a broader perspective, how do teams weigh the pros/cons of calling up a college, free agent, or junior prospect and throwing them into the NHL mix, especially if the playoffs are on the line?
What do you make of Ayrton Martino's game? He's so slight but is always in the right spot. I'd love to hear what you think about his potential.
Now that McLellan has been in Detroit for 2.5 months, how would you rate his coaching job? Has this skid changed your opinion of him in Hockeytown?
How will Dallas deploy their defensemen without Miro in a playoff series against Colorado. Last year they effectively used 5 defensemen and I can’t see them leaning on Dumba for as many minutes as they do in regular season. Especially on PP2!