National League teams have been questioning the Artturi Lehkonen case for some time, for the right reasons.
And why not ?
- He is a player who competes with intensity, night following night.
- He is intelligent.
- He has a strength of character that brings him to the corners of the rink.
- It is effective during the numerical inferiorities.
And as Martin St-Louis pointed out following Saturday’s game once morest the Ottawa Senators:
- He plays the right way.
- He thinks in terms of the team.
- Defensively, he excels.
- Offensively, he analyzes situations well.
- He never tries to cheat without paying attention to the defensive aspect.
Can we believe that Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton have already made a decision in the case of the Finnish player? If the manager is full of praise for him, then why talk regarding the possibility of a transfer?
Because we don’t really have a choice.
The heavy contracts granted in recent years complicate the task of Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton. “They will have choices to make, told me a very influential person from the National League. The salary cap sometimes forces you to make tough decisions, decisions you would have liked to avoid. »
For now, Lehkonen’s status does not change. If the Canadian gets an interesting offer, Hughes and Gordon won’t hesitate, especially if the players currently in the audition period continue their astonishing progression.
What conditions will the Canadian’s decision makers impose?
A first-round pick?
Some would say that we dream in color.
May be.
But, in the past, teams have paid an unexpected price for third line players. Or even for defenders. The example that cannot be ignored is David Savard. Also, Barclay Goodrow and Blake Coleman who won two Stanley Cups in Tampa Bay.
Does Lehkonen fall into this category of players?
Absoutely.
However, the Canadian will not win the Stanley Cup next year. Probably not next season. If the Hughes-Gorton duo can secure a first-round pick for the Finnish player, we’ll jump at the chance.
Meanwhile, does the latest news regarding Carey Price suggest he won’t play a game this season?
Possible.
But, Price wants to get answers to questions.
The Canadian too.
When we embark on a recovery plan, we do not want to leave any doubt regarding the status of certain skaters. Even less on a goalkeeper earning $ 10.5 million per season (salary cap).
across the league
- That Zdeno Chara suddenly finds himself on the list of a few formations should come as no surprise. Experience, fierce competitor, leader, he offers several qualities. However, he no longer has as many resources. It is to be considered…
- Are there going to be many changes in Winnipeg if ever, and it seems to be the case, the Jets are excluded from the playoffs. This team has been accumulating disappointments for three or four years…
- Should Igor Shesterkin’s name be included on the list of candidates for the title of the most valuable player to his team? Absoutely.
- So the Arizona Coyotes players and team owners met in mid-February to get a better idea of the owners’ new plans. Several questions remained unanswered and the players are very worried regarding the current situation. Owners will have to quickly find answers to questions.
- The Philadelphia Flyers would closely monitor everything that happens in the case of Jeff Petry and his situation with the Canadian. Does he want to continue the adventure or does he want to find a buyer in the United States?
Will they change address?
Only three weeks left to complete the workforce. The discussions will be increasingly heated among the general managers of the National League. We will try to achieve a smoking blow.
Each team has its priorities. Those in the hunt for playoff qualification will be window-shopping especially at teams that have already mapped out a business model for next season.
This is undoubtedly the case for the decision makers of the Canadian.
In the meantime, we will listen attentively to the proposals of the counterparts of the circuit, and those which can contribute to the revival of the concession will obtain particular attention.
The next few days and the next three weeks will hold surprises. Players intending to take advantage of their free agent status without compensation risk obtaining offers from their employers.
Others will quickly become targets for policy makers looking to improve their workforces.
Who will be the coveted players?
More than ever, with a salary cap that will be improved by $1 million next year, but this same cap, which is causing a lot of concern for administrators, means that there are several interesting candidates.
- Ben Chiarot : defender of the Canadiens who might solve many problems for teams with great ambitions.
- Filip Forsberg : a very interesting case. We will know more this week, but he demands a salary higher than that of Roman Josi, $ 9.05 million. Can we accommodate it?
- Tomas Hertl : he will listen to the proposals of the Sharks. But, does he really want to stay in San Jose?
- Claude Giroux : he will decide by listening to the advice of Pat Brisson, his agent who has full freedom to discuss with certain teams.
- Jakub Chychrun : still among the list of coveted players. He is only 23 years old and commands a salary of $4.6 million for the next four years.
- Rasmus Ristolainen : a disappointing season in Philadelphia. The Flyers will listen and then they will continue discussions with the Dallas Stars for John Klingberg.
- Marc-Andre Fleury : an experienced goalkeeper and teams who want to add depth will not be able to ignore it.
- Brandon Hagel : a young skater, 23 years old, little known, but who is attracting more and more attention. What will the new Blackhawks GM do?
- Phil Kessel : can he help a team aspiring to the Stanley Cup? Let’s say he still has some resources.
- Joonas Korpisalo : Can he help the Toronto Leafs or the Edmonton Oilers or any other team?
