The Minnesota Wild have cap complications coming up next season, as their top three forwards need new contracts Fiala, Kaprizov, and Eriksson Ek. They also have a complicated situation to handle in expansion because of their depth a good problem to have, but still complicated for management. Finally, it hard to determine whether the Wild should be buyers or sellers - the team has looked better than expected, and could probably use some improvement on the power play in order to capitalize on Kaprizov and Fiala penalty-drawing prowess. On the other hand, the Wild are in possession of six players who would do nicely as rentals for other contenders: forwards Nick Bjugstad, Nick Bonino, Ryan Hartman, and Marcus Johansson; and defensemen Ian Cole and Brad Hunt. These players are on expiring contracts and are either specialists or great depth Jared Spurgeon Face Mask, but the Wild can probably only afford to re-sign one of them after the obvious priority of signing our top three forwards. This puts the Wild in a precarious spot - while they look hot this year and would like to compete, you have to balance asset management with that. Losing four legitimate forwards and two roster-caliber defensemen for nothing would be disastrous unless you think you have to go all-in this year. Does losing Dumba to expansion mean this is our last year to compete In my opinion, the future has to be considered now. Kaprizov, Fiala, Eriksson Ek, and Greenway are 24 or younger - at their peak but not declining in the near future. The defense is intact for at least three more years Kevin Fiala T-Shirt, even assuming Addison has to slot in for Dumba. Beyond that, there are more prospects coming that can help fill out the middle six. On the other hand, the Wild could only overestimate their playoff chances this year. While a first-round win is likely vs. Vegas, St. Louis, or Arizona based on what wee seen this year, there is a possibility of drawing Colorado in the first round. Minnesota has also won more games than they have earned, bouncing around the teens MoneyPuck. com analytical power ranking (19th at the time of this writing). Finally, wee done this in a division with a weak floor, and have a tough schedule ahead. It not out of the question that this corrects downward between the deadline and the playoffs Jordan Greenway Pet Jersey, making a buying move look foolish. This is my case that the Wild should execute a light sale at the deadline, given the assets we have. The team does need depth in order to finish the season and compete in the playoffs, so I doubt we see more than two players leave. Addison and Matt Boldy will join the team for playoffs, but in the meantime we will need to cover for injuries. A healthy reminder of what injuries can look like in a condensed season should be the games we played without Foligno, Parise, and Zuccarello. The remaining squad was able to handle these, but probably no more. If Guerin moves a player, that one less injury that the team can handle. Now, let review the case for moving each player. To review the stylistic and financial considerations of moving these players, the following must be considered. Both Bonino and Bjugstad can act as depth forwards on a contender third line, and Cole can fill a 2nd or 3rd pair role to bolster depth for a real contender https://www.storeminnesotaonline.com/Carson_Soucy_Flag-103. Hunt is a power play specialist that chills on the third pair at 5-on-5. Johansson skill and skating ability offers offensive upside and could fit nicely with on a defensive team which prefers scoring off the rush, or needs to fill out it second line. In terms of cap hits, Johansson is the priciest at $4. 5M Bonino next at $4. 1M, then Cole at $3. 5M, Bjugstad at $2. 1M, Hartman at $1. 9M, and cheapest is Hunt at $700K. I doubt that we will move Cole, Johansson, or Hartman move at the deadline. Word on the street is that right now, Guerin is speaking with Cole agent in hopes of bringing him back next season. Johansson and Hartman would be hard to part with based on the utility and chemistry theye brought to the middle six. Furthermore, Johansson cap hit makes him available to only 16 teams: the playoff teams that could afford one of them include the Bruins, Predators, Penguins, Hurricanes, and Panthers (the Avalanche could too, but I doubt we trade him there given theye directly in our path to the cup). Few of those teams have the financial capability to re-sign him long-term, especially after re-signing their own FA, so it would have to be a team that going all-in this year. Between Johansson cap hit and utility to the team, plus the low number of teams that can afford him, I predict hel remain in town through our playoff run. Bonino presents the same financial considerations as Johansson, but his style of play and benefits are more transferrable. He has played effectively, posting a 53. 2% xG rate, and a positive xG relative to his on-ice teammates. This essentially means he elevated the Wild defensive systems. Moving to another team should work as well - most every contender has a checking line that he could slot into and improve. His defensive skillset and experience probably translate in a checking role to any contender, and so he would fit with any of the contenders mentioned above. Bonino has played in front of elite defensive clubs for the past few years in Minnesota and Nashville, and would fit exceptionally in a similar situation. The rest are cheap enough that they could be open to any playoff team as a rental. The Wild would likely be expecting no more than a third round pick for any of these players. In Hunt case, the compensation could be lower because he been the team 7th defenseman Jordan Greenway Hoodie, but a team that needs his shot on the power play could offer more. Cole, Bonino, and Bjugstad would likely command a pick somewhere between the 3rd and 5th rounds. Hartman and Johansson have looked really good lately, so they could potentially command up to a second round pick. While none of this sounds very sexy, it important to remember that a lot of analysis has gone into man-games played in the different rounds of the draft. The findings of these studies is consistently that while the first, second, and third rounds have cascading levels of star potential, the average value of everything after the middle of the second round is essentially equal. What this means is that Late round picks are undervaluedWhile youe less likely to find stars late in the draft, you can still get cheap depth. Price control is crucial to teams that play in a league with a salary cap. Teams that have to pay superstars like Kaprizov. Fiala, Eriksson Ek, Parise, and Suter are going to further constrain the Wild cap situation for the near-to-mid future. Acquiring late round picks for Bonino, Bjugstad, or Hunt can essentially replace these role players down the road, which gives us several years of an equivalent roster. If you like this team now, I think you should sustain this success by replacing the depth long-term, rather than hold onto all of these players for a few months and lose them for nothing. Keep in mind, I not proposing that Guerin sell off every single player on an expiring deal - I think Hartman and Johansson belong here even though they will likely walk in the offseason https://www.storeminnesotaonline.com/Louie_Belpedio_T_shirt-13. I excited for the future of the team, but I don want it to stagnate like the core assembled in the mid 2010. Granlund, Coyle, Nino, etc. never panned out for two reasons: a lack of star power, and management tendency to overpay for rentals. If Guerin can continue to be patient and grow talent in house via the draft (as the best teams in the NHL do), the State of Hockey can finally blossom into the franchise that the market deserves - not just a perennial playoff qualifier, but a perennial cup contender.

Two years ago, injuries decimated the Dallas Stars defense. That season, 14 different players saw action on the blueline, including Ben Gleason, who earned an entry level contract just months earlier while on a professional tryout at the Traverse City prospects tournament https://www.denverproshoponline.com/Adam_Prentice_T_shirt-80. This year, it has been the forward core that has been hit. Tyler Seguin hasn seen action since last year playoffs, and Alexander Radulov and Roope Hintz have had their time limited by nagging injuries. Joel Kiviranta has also spent time on the sidelines. As a result, the Stars have iced a plethora of line combinations, but through it all, the defensive pairs have remained remarkably consistent: Esa Lindell and John Klingberg, Jamie Oleksiak and Miro Heiskanen, and a combination of Andrej Sekera, Mark Pysyk, and Joel Hanley. Taylor Fedun, the Stars eighth defender, has only played in two professional games this year, both on a conditioning stint with the Texas Stars. The Stars defensive numbers this year certainly aren what they have been over the past several years. The progression (and regression) over the last three years shows a growing problem in the crease. Either Roman Polak deserves an apology, or this reflects a breakdown of rebound control with Ben Bishop out of the lineup. The other option is to consider that this year, Stars head coach Rick Bowness began using Oleksiak and Heiskanen as the primary shutdown pair Brandon McManus Hoodie. Heiskanen overall numbers have suffered with the arrangement, and with the season in the balance, it may be time to look at alternatives, especially with the trade deadline approaching and Oleksiak status as a pending unrestricted free agent. When Miro Heiskanen began his career, he was saddled with a physical, stay at home defender. Polak certainly didn contribute much on offense (being the inspiration behind the Polak Score aside), but he was reliably in a defensive posture, leaving almost all forays into the offensive zone solidly with Heiskanen. Oleksiak doesn play that role, and within the pair, he tends to use his skating and puck handling in a decidedly offensive manner. If I ever hate myself enough, I'm going to look at which defensemen has the most "wasted" controlled exits to prove a point about Miro Heiskanen. In essence, the Stars have a shutdown pair consisting of two players who tend to join the rush. Perhaps this is by design, but in practice what it means is that Heiskanen in particular needs to limit his natural creativity either because he playing with Blake Comeau, Radek Faksa, and Andrew Cogliano, or because his partner is also making an offensive push. That a somewhat roundabout way of saying that, perhaps - and in spite of their success during last years playoff run Oleksiak isn the ideal partner for Heiskanen. Which brings me to a separate and unusual topic: Joel Hanley. Has anyone been paying attention to how Hanley has become the de facto fifth defender on the Stars defensive depth chartHanley has become a fixture on the third pair, getting time with both Sekera and Pysyk. He plays on the penalty kill, and in somewhat sheltered minutes leads the team in shot share percentage, and is near the top in most other categories. There are a lot of good stories here. How did Hanley, who wasn even a first pair guy in his 100 games with the Texas Stars Trey Marshall Flag, find a home as a regular on the Dallas blueline Going into the playoff bubble, Hanley was an afterthought, behind Fedun and Sekera, and was probably only included in the group because Polak decided not to return. If there was any noise about a defender on the taxi squad, it was about Thomas Harley. Beyond the NHLers that Hanley passed by in the bubble, you also have to look at the fate of Gavin Bayreuther (moved on to the Columbus organization) and Dillon Heatherington (now in the KHL), both of whom had a more well-defined path from Texas to the NHL. There also the well documented story of Julius Honka, who now finds himself pulling third pair time in the AHL. Oleksiak, since his return from the Pittsburgh Penguins, has been better than could be expected. He also a pending UFA who, based on his comparables, is going to be up for a decent pay raise, with term. Given everything presented, here what would set Dallas up for better long term success and get the most out of their future Norris trophy contender. As much as it hurts in the near-term, Dallas should move on from Oleksiak. That gives the team the ability to pull in a draft choice and use the rest of this season to figure out a better long-termpartner for Heiskanen https://www.denverproshoponline.com/Kevin_Toliver_Ii_Pet_Jersey-514. That could be found internally with Hanley. His game matches up with Heiskanen strengths. A dependable left defender would open up Heiskanen to fully carry the puck up the ice, and stay with it. In addition, a Hanley re-signing (if it works) is a contract that fits into what Dallas needs for salary cap purposes. There are some obvious questions: does this make the Stars too small Can Hanley handle the extra time and/or better competitionThis is the type of year to see if those questions can be answered. There is more to come about the Dallas Stars blueline and the future. If you want a taste, listen to today Stargazing podcast, after which - time allowing - wel take a deeper look at the organization defensive prospects.

All NHL teams are releasing reverse retro jerseys. Some are really imaginative and fun and some are boring. The Jets land in the boring category. They go for the same basic idea as their other retro jerseys Ulf Nilsson Pet Jersey, but with these ones they are lacking something to make them pop. Maybe some colour or piping would help Likes: it is the tru retro of the Jets jersey, there is a distinct retro feel and the numbers are easy to see (please see last year Heritage Classic jersey for why this point is important. Dislikes: The lack of Atlanta Thrashers. Based on the fact we have the Carolina Hurricanes doing the Hartford Whalers jersey and the Colorado Avalanche with the Quebec Nordiques https://www.storewinnipeg.com/Sami_Niku_Hoodie-75. Now, there could be a reason for it as the current Jets hold the trademark on the old Jets logo hence the Arizona Coyotes not being able to use that jersey (it would have been funny and weird and therefore fun) https://www.storewinnipeg.com/Ville_Heinola_Pet_Jersey-256, but there is no work about that happening with the Atlanta Thrashers. The Jets reverse retro jerseys are a cool concept that looks half-baked. A bit more colour and they would really work well. Sadly, the Jets went with grey, white, and a bit of blue. It could have been better, but it isn the worst.

It was speculated, starting in the playoff bubble and continuing through the start of this season https://www.stprostoreonline.com/Bernie_Federko_Face_Mask-89, that the Blues were having problems playing without fans in the seats Curtis Joseph Flag. They seem to have righted the ship with a three game winning streak, no fans allowed, but there will still be 1400 butts in the stands tonight. The Blues are releasing tickets to some select season ticket holders under the guidance of the St. Louis Department of Health. It remains to be seen if the addition of fans is going to help Jaden Schwartz and Jordan Kyrou add to their scorching season starts, or if it will help Jaden Schwartz skate circles around Arizona defense yet again Who knows. But I sure itl be nice. The Coyotes, meanwhile, are putting all of their offensive depth out at once on a line of Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, and Conor Garland. Rick Tocchet seems to be aware that maybe putting all of his eggs in one basket isn exactly a power move, but he trying it anyway. s much as it can be good, they have to understand that they have to be able to defend the puck before they leave the zone or before they do anything https://www.stprostoreonline.com/Tony_Twist_Pet_Jersey-275, actually. h, you don say Blues, I think you know what to do. This is your GameDay Thread. Comment like you want to see someone knocked off of the puck. Let Do This. Let Go Blues.

It was announced earlier this morning that the Browns were closing their facility after a positive COVID test:I'm told personnel at the Browns facility Marshall Newhouse Face Mask, including some players who had already reported for the day and coaches were recently told to leave and continue working from home until further notice, per source. It sounds like this won be a major event like we have seen other places:If contact tracing goes the right way, Browns probably will have split-squad practice indoors. Right now, facility closed and meetings held remotely after staff member tested positive. Same drill, different day. This is something to keep an eye on throughout the next couple of days. What we have seen recently is that these things are handled differently now than they were when the Titans had their outbreak back in October Brett Kern Pet Jersey. The NFL is pushing forward with getting these games in on the week they are scheduled. They have re-done a ton of the schedule to make sure the game between the Ravens and Steelers, scheduled for this afternoon, is played as a part of week 12 - even if it is played almost a week after it was scheduled on the calendar https://www.tennesseefanstoreonline.com/Brady_Breeze_Pet_Jersey-272. The rage towards teams going through these things has also subsided. Doug Farrar blocked half of Titans Twitter for calling him out for his ridiculous take that the Titans should be removed from the 2020 NFL season. I haven seen him say that about these other teams. . . of course how could I because I am blocked. . . Anyway, it doesn seem at this point that the Titans game is in jeopardy of getting moved from Sunday, but it something to watch.

HOUSTON -- Defensive back play will always be a issue of need in the NFL David Johnson Hoodie. As teams become more pass-happy and transition into throwing consistently, every defensive back will have a target on his back. The Houston Texans might not have an elite secondary, but the addition of Desmond King - who has survived and has before thrived with thattarget - should solidify the nickel position. If Houston is getting a college version of King, perhaps he could be on his way to another Pro Bowl season. King was named one of the top 80 college defenders of the 2000s by ESPN Bill Connelly. Coming in a No. 38, Connelly credited the former Iowa standout for his ball-hawking skills when asked to play in man coverage. READ MORE: The Best 5 Theory In HoustonA longtime Ball State commit, King flipped to the Hawkeyes late in the 2013 recruiting cycle and became an immediate star. Over four years, he picked off 14 passes, returned three for scores, broke up 33 more passes and won the Thorpe and Tatum awards in 2015. - ESPN Bill ConnellyKing was ranked as the No. 6 cornerback among Connelly list, falling behind Tyrann Mathieu , Terrance Newman , Alphonso Smith and Derrick Strait P.J.Hall Pet Jersey. Of the names listed, Mathieu remains the only one now in the league and he is primarily used as a safety. Drafted by the Chargers, King proved to be a draft day steal during his time there. The 2018 season was a breakout year for the former Hawkeye, in which he recorded62 tackles, 10 passes deflections, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries. READ MORE: A Texans Trade Timetable for DeshaunKing also saw reps in the return game, earning a first-team All-Pro nods at defensive back and second-team on special teams. Last season, King was traded at the NFL trade deadline to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for asixth-round pick. He finished with55 total tackles https://www.houstongearonline.com/Eric_Murray_Face_Mask-374, two passes breakups and returned a fumble for a touchdown. This offseason, he signed a one-year $3. 5 million deal with Houston. The Texans are hopeful the addition of King, with Bradley Roby and Justin Reid, will be enough to contain wide receivers in coverage. Entering the summer, Pro Football Focus ranked King as the No. 6 slot defender for 2021. Kings career has trended in the wrong direction since making a splash with PFF grades north of 85. 0 in his first two NFL seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers. He followed up that hot start with solid, yet unspectacular, grades of 70. 9 and 67. 0 in the last two years. King has been a reliable run defender and tackler throughout his first four seasons. Coverage has been the area where his play has started to decline. However, King still ranks in the 69th percentile of all slot defenders in coverage grade since 2019. Hell look for a fresh start on a Houston defense in need of playmakers next season. - PFFCan King return to his college-level or even his early-NFL level of play The Texans return to NRG Stadium July 27 for the start of training camp, offering a chance to find out.

So now that we are into the first andatory camp of the offseason we are starting to see a few things from this team. One thing we now know for sure is that Xavian Howard is serious about wanting a new deal and has thus held out of this camp to exhibit his displeasure with a deal that he signed only a little over a year ago. Oh did I mention that it was a record-breaking deal at the time I don know what this will cost him per his contract but he and his agent clearly believe that this is a game worth playing Cameron Tom T-Shirt. As cutthroat as this front office can be when you do not seem to clearly be on board with what they are doing or trying to accomplish as a team, and I know this is different because it all about money, but they are still cutthroat and your level of talent means little to them when you do not buy-in to the lan. I do not know if the front office and or coaches see this as not honoring his deal and thus not buying into the team concept or if they just shrug it off at this point as part of the business assuming that the money crunchers will figure it out and he will be back soon enough. Either way, it not a good thing for Howard to not be in any of the camps as he should be looked at by now as one of the leaders on the team, and at this point, I have zero idea if this means anything for his future or if it means nothing and he just eventually shows up and plays, perhaps with something as simple as a promise to sit down and discuss his deal following the 2021 season, assuming that he still plays up to the high level that he exhibited last season. Beyond that Tua has struggled on one day and then shined on another. We have seen this in the past with Tannehill and while some of us still wish they had just held onto Ryan and built around him others still think shipping him away for not a lot was the correct choice so we will see what happens with Tau but I assume this is the how us something to hang our long term hopes on season in 2021 or the team will likely be forced to move on and begin the search for the next ranchise quarterback for the 100th or so time https://www.miamigearonline.com/Kylan_Johnson_T_shirt-49. Others on the roster have shown improvement or at least we are being told that others have made a great deal of improvement. Having been a fan of this team for as long as I can remember being alive, for over a half a century, I have always wanted to believe that the coaches are telling us what they truly believe and they most likely do believe it 99. 99 percent of the time but being a long time Miami Dolphins fan also makes you a master of skepticism. We all want to remain positive and yet most of us, especially those of us that have lived a long damn time and suffered enough disappointment in this team in some single seasons to last a lifetime not to mention decades of it are more than practical to have a wait and see attitude on most everything that surrounds this team no matter how much we love the team or bleed aqua https://www.miamigearonline.com/Kai_Locksley_Face_Mask-480, orange, blue and white. So with all of that in mind, the Phinsider Question Of The Day is what news that has come out of camp thus far has given you hope What player's development are you most excited about as far as something that will make an impact on the play of the team in a tangible way On, the flip side of that what player's development or lack thereof, that has shown itself in this camp worries you as to that player's long-term future as part of the master plan for this team going forward Give us your thoughts and ideas below- As this is a nightly post (when there is not a live game thread or the Phinsider Question Of The Day Post) feel free to not only discuss the question/topic of the day if there happens to be one but to also use this as a live thread where the rules are pretty wide open https://www.miamigearonline.com/Adam_Joseph_Duhe_Flag-233, and you can discuss nearly anything so long as you continue to follow the site rules. Also, we obviously encourage group discussions of our Miami Dolphins and the goings-on with the team from day to day. Speaking of site rules the three rules that come with a zero-tolerance policy are that we do not allow ANY personal attacks against your fellow hins fan or even a troll from another site. Flag it and walk away! There is no reason to get yourself a warning or temporary banning due to someone else lack of proper demeanor. Beyond that, there is no discussion or even references to anything remotely religious or political.

I thought it was weird when it was reported yesterday that the Titans had DeShone Kizer in for a workout Nate Hairston T-Shirt. They seemed pretty set at the quarterback position with Ryan Tannehill, Logan Woodside and Trevor Siemian. We did know they had at least some level of interest in Kizer because he was in the group of guys they brought in before. Well now we know why. The Saints have signed Trevor Siemian to their roster. He gives them a third quarterback behind Taysom Hill (who is apparently their starter for some reason) and Jameis Winston with Drew Bress landing on IR https://www.denverproshoponline.com/Shelby_Harris_Flag-657. Kizer will likely assume the esignated survivor role that Siemian has been in this season. The tradeoff between Siemian and Kizer is probably insignificant. The bottom line is the Titans are in a lot of trouble if they get to a point where their 3rd quarterback has to be on the field Warren Jackson Hoodie. This move doesn change much about that fact.