{"id":895030,"date":"2026-10-26T08:12:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T08:12:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/895030\/"},"modified":"2026-10-26T08:12:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T08:12:10","slug":"phr-mailbag-lightning-blackhawks-hellebuyck-devils-trade-market-edvinsson-pro-hockey-rumors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/895030\/","title":{"rendered":"PHR Mailbag: Lightning, Blackhawks, Hellebuyck, Devils, Trade Market, Edvinsson \u2013 Pro Hockey Rumors"},"content":{"rendered":"

Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include the end to the Connor Hellebuyck<\/a> saga, why the Blackhawks haven\u2019t entered LTIR yet, and more.\u00a0 If your question doesn\u2019t appear here, we\u2019ll have two more mailbag columns over the next two weekends so watch for it in one of those.<\/p>\n

ALightningStrike: Tampa needs a right-handed top six winger, especially on the PP1. Granted, they probably can\u2019t do anything about it until the trade deadline as they\u2019ll have as it stands right now, $12.93MM of deadline cap space. My question is who should or could they aim for? Do they look at a reunion with Steven Stamkos<\/a> (who\u2019s off to a hot start) or go with someone new like Owen Tippett<\/a> (who is rumored to be a trade candidate yet again). I\u2019m just spitballing names as maybe you have your own suggestions on the topic.<\/p>\n

FearTheWilson: Looks like the Pennsylvania teams could possibly have four righties available. Rust, Rakell, Konecny and, as mentioned above, Tippett. Would any of them fit the bill?<\/p>\n

To answer the first question, I\u2019m going to go in a different direction to give you some context to my answer.\u00a0 It\u2019s not the $12.93MM (per PuckPedia<\/a>) that I\u2019m worried about.\u00a0 That number will inevitably go down due to injury recalls but they\u2019ll have some room to play with.\u00a0 I\u2019m more worried about 2027-28 and working backwards.\u00a0 They have $29.8MM in cap space for next year available.\u00a0 More than half of that is going to Nikita Kucherov<\/a>.\u00a0 Several other free agents are going to pick up nice raises that will cost several million more than they\u2019re making now.<\/p>\n

With that all said, can they afford an impact player signed beyond this season from a cap perspective?\u00a0 I don\u2019t think it\u2019s a hard no but they\u2019re probably looking at someone who isn\u2019t overly pricey.\u00a0 So that\u2019s going to dictate my answer here.<\/p>\n

I like the Tippett suggestion, especially since he\u2019s a pure shooter.\u00a0 I think they could squeeze him in with re-signing everyone else too.\u00a0 To bring the follow-up into play, the two Pittsburgh wingers fit the bill; they\u2019re a little cheaper and easier to work in.\u00a0 \u00a0Konecny, meanwhile, is probably too expensive.\u00a0 Stamkos would be fun and fit the mantra of bringing in players familiar with the system so while I can\u2019t rule it out, I don\u2019t think it\u2019s possible without either retention or some money moving the other way.<\/p>\n

If Winnipeg winds up taking a rebuilding approach having now moved Hellebuyck, Gabriel Vilardi<\/a> is appealing, though pricey at $7.5MM.\u00a0 He\u2019s someone I could see Tampa Bay trying to take a run at although their trade options aren\u2019t the greatest.\u00a0 But looking at the early sure sellers, there isn\u2019t anyone that fits the bill just yet, though that should change as the year goes on.<\/p>\n

My initial lean before digging into this was saying that a rental might be the better way to go.\u00a0 But the problem with the rental group is that there are few high-end right-shot shooters on expiring contracts.\u00a0 For context, there\u2019s one 20-goal player from last year in the group and that\u2019s Ryan Hartman<\/a>.\u00a0 While he\u2019s probably available in the right trade, that trade is for the center they\u2019re seeking which takes Tampa Bay out of that mix and if I\u2019m being honest, he doesn\u2019t really fit the shooter bill anyway.<\/p>\n

This does not solve the top-six element that you\u2019re asking for but this feels like a good spot for Patrik Laine<\/a>.\u00a0 Give him fourth-line minutes at even strength and PP1 time where Kucherov and John Carlson<\/a> can feed him for one-timers.\u00a0 If that revives a power play that has struggled out of the gate, that\u2019s a low-cost partial solution that would allow them to be a bit more selective for a better fit when one becomes available later in the season.<\/p>\n

Unclemike1526: I just noticed after looking at the Hawks\u2019 cap that Ryan Ellis<\/a> is only on the injured list, not on LTIR. I know they don\u2019t need the space right now but is there some kind of advantage to waiting as long as possible? I mean, the Hawks will be able to use that space, right? All of it? Or part of it? Was just curious why they hadn\u2019t done it yet. I know you have to wait until the season starts but that ship has sailed. Thanks.<\/p>\n

You technically don\u2019t even have to wait until the season starts; there is such a thing as offseason LTIR placements.\u00a0 The short answer to your question is that they don\u2019t need to do it yet.<\/p>\n

When you place a player on LTIR, a common misnomer is that the player\u2019s full cap hit now becomes spendable.\u00a0 That\u2019s not necessarily the case.\u00a0 Any remaining regular cap space is subtracted from that.\u00a0 In Chicago\u2019s case, that\u2019s over $2.3MM of full-season money, $2.6MM of in-season spending (per PuckPedia<\/a>).\u00a0 So, if Ellis went on season-ending LTIR (the one where the space isn\u2019t limited to the league average salary), the Blackhawks wouldn\u2019t get $6.25MM (his AAV) in spending room.\u00a0 Instead, it\u2019d be less than $4MM, the difference between the two.\u00a0 They\u2019re better off waiting until their spending gets as close to the $104MM Upper Limit as possible and then putting him on there.\u00a0 Then, more of the $6.25MM would be available.<\/p>\n

Without getting into too much detail as this isn\u2019t the most exciting subject to read about, there\u2019s also a benefit to getting as close to the ceiling from a day-to-day cap accrual standpoint.\u00a0 Put Ellis on LTIR now and if they call anyone up or acquire anyone for the rest of the season, they\u2019re not banking cap space as their spending would be above the accruable cap space limit (ACSL).\u00a0 Wait, and even if a couple of players are recalled over time, they\u2019ll still be banking some cap room.\u00a0 That\u2019s why teams only put players on when absolutely necessary.<\/p>\n

Honestly, I think Chicago is hoping they never need to put him on there.\u00a0 The more they can be under the cap, the better.\u00a0 A team that finishes in LTIR has no cap space left and thus any bonuses achieved count against next year\u2019s cap.\u00a0 The Blackhawks have $12.75MM in potential bonuses.\u00a0 Only a chunk of that (maybe 25-40%) is going to be reachable but the more they\u2019re under the cap, the less that rolls over to 2027-28.\u00a0 If they spend into LTIR and stay there, however, than all of the achieved bonuses hit next year\u2019s books.\u00a0 Considering this probably isn\u2019t a playoff year for them, might as well get as much of it paid off now as possible.<\/p>\n

Cla23: What to do with Helly? Jets are dangerously thin in goal, a Skinner injury from total disaster. Do you see Helly and Jets patching things up and a Helly, Skinner tandem for the time being\u2026there must be talk\u2026Jets need a goalie back in a trade, I think.<\/p>\n

Thoughts?<\/p>\n

Kevin Cheveldayoff, you couldn\u2019t wait a little longer to make this trade so I could get another wrong prediction in about what would have happened?\u00a0 (This question was submitted before the trade was made.)\u00a0 I thought he was ultimately going to be paid to stay home for a bit and we\u2019d see a trade in a week or two once the Jets bent a bit on the asking price.<\/p>\n

So, let\u2019s talk about Winnipeg\u2019s return in the trade instead.\u00a0 Dawson Mercer<\/a> is a good middle-six piece who can cover down the middle and they can try to sign him long-term as an RFA this summer.\u00a0 He\u2019s a secondary core player but they need some of those so he\u2019s a nice get.\u00a0 So is Alexander Command<\/a>, who I suspect is Cheveldayoff\u2019s headliner here.\u00a0 If he can be a top-six center down the road, having him and Viggo Bjorck<\/a> as viable long-term options down the middle is great.\u00a0 I\u2019m not sure there\u2019s a huge gap between Nico Daws<\/a> and Clay Stevenson<\/a> but Daws is young and cost-controlled so they\u2019ll have time to evaluate him.\u00a0 The other three pieces aren\u2019t big needle-movers.<\/p>\n

For better or for worse, Skinner is now the full-fledged starter with some relatively untested options behind him.\u00a0 That\u2019s fine for a rebuilding team but not so much one with playoff aspirations.\u00a0 It wouldn\u2019t shock me if they look to try to shore up the position closer to the trade deadline if they\u2019re still in the mix.<\/p>\n

I have to admit, I thought Winnipeg would do better than this given the Buffalo speculation back at the draft.\u00a0 While we don\u2019t know the full deal with the Sabres, I think it may have been better than what they got and perhaps Cheveldayoff held firm a little too long.\u00a0 On the other hand, goalies don\u2019t get top-end returns like top skaters do.\u00a0 To get what should be a couple of core pieces for someone who wanted out and wasn\u2019t even playing isn\u2019t a terrible outcome by any stretch.\u00a0 For the Jets to take a step forward, their offensive depth needs to be better.\u00a0 This is a good step in that direction, albeit at the cost of what was one of their franchise players.<\/p>\n

bottlesup: After adding Hellebuyck today, what do you think the ceiling is for the Devils? Conference Final? And do you think the Jets got fair value in return?<\/p>\n

I covered the thoughts on Winnipeg\u2019s side in the last question so let\u2019s focus on the Devils.\u00a0 In the last mailbag column, I had them outside of the playoffs unless they went and got a true starting goalie.\u00a0 They now have that, so they should comfortably be a playoff team, barring a rash of injuries.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know if I\u2019d go as high as the Conference Final for a realistic ceiling, however.\u00a0 I know Carolina\u2019s goaltending is always a question mark in itself but I don\u2019t see any reason to not have them as the favorite to come out of that side of the bracket.\u00a0 Could they win a series against them?\u00a0 Sure.\u00a0 But a Washington-New Jersey series to get to that point could be a long one, draining whoever wins for the next round.\u00a0 They are definitely a better team with this move but I\u2019m not sure they\u2019re going to be a high-end contender just yet.<\/p>\n

Schwa: How much longer do we wait for the first big name moved? Who do you expect to be the first? And do you expect some others to come in succession \u2013 or not much activity until closer to deadline?<\/p>\n

I think we now know the answer to the first two so let\u2019s focus on the last one.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to say no, I don\u2019t expect there to be a big uptick now that one big domino (Hellebuyck) is off the table.<\/p>\n

Generally speaking, there isn\u2019t much in the way of early-season movement in a normal year.\u00a0 Teams are still evaluating what they have and what they need and typically don\u2019t have enough cap space to do much of consequence at the moment.\u00a0 This year, there have been so many injuries that quite a few teams haven\u2019t even had their full lineup available once let alone enough times to assess things.\u00a0 And those injuries have necessitated recalls, further tightening their spending availability.\u00a0 With a hard-cap system, teams need to have space to make a deal and it takes longer into the season for that to happen.<\/p>\n

Now, if Dylan Larkin<\/a> wants to put some teams on his yes list that actually might want to trade for him instead of packing it with teams that wouldn\u2019t want or need him, there could be another big move coming.\u00a0 But Hellebuyck\u2019s deal probably isn\u2019t the precursor to make that happen, nor do I expect a big domino effect whenever Larkin goes.\u00a0 There will be some trade fun this season, but the bulk of it will be closer to the trade deadline.<\/p>\n

Red Wings: If Edvinsson wants $11MM but Detroit doesn\u2019t want to go that high, doesn\u2019t that make the front office look worse if 10 teams will throw assets and pay him the ask?<\/p>\n

The $11MM report is on a max-term contract.\u00a0 The Red Wings don\u2019t have to go there necessarily so I wouldn\u2019t get too fixated on that just yet.\u00a0 And while there are believed to be around 10 teams interested in Edvinsson, there\u2019s no guarantee that they\u2019re willing to go that high on a deal either.\u00a0 He can only get seven from Detroit, six elsewhere (barring a sign-and-trade).\u00a0 Personally, I don\u2019t think there are 10 teams willing to give Edvinsson maximum term at $11MM per season.\u00a0 Some probably will be, but others will be hoping (if not expecting) that price to come down if he gets his way and gets traded.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also important to note that not a lot of teams can afford him at that price.\u00a0 Yes, Detroit would presumably take a player or two back but unless there\u2019s a headliner in there, the acquiring team will be adding a fair bit of payroll.\u00a0 I suspect that might limit the number of teams willing to go the max route as well.<\/p>\n

Speaking of payroll, I want to highlight a little-known CBA element here.\u00a0 Without going into the dry specifics, Edvinsson\u2019s cap hit will be higher than the average value of the contract this season and then lower after that.\u00a0 This will be because he signed after the regular season started.\u00a0 The longer he stays unsigned, the bigger the gap becomes.<\/p>\n

For example, William Nylander<\/a> waited until December 1, 2018 to sign his second contract, the last day he could do so (which is also Edvinsson\u2019s deadline).\u00a0 The average value of the contract (dollars divided by years) was around $7.515MM.\u00a0 His cap hit the rest of the 2018-19 season was over $10.27MM and around $6.96MM the rest of the way.\u00a0 While the lower cap charge the other years will be appealing, the considerably higher cap hit this year on Edvinsson\u2019s eventual deal will make it harder for the acquiring team to fit him in.\u00a0 I suspect that will push a lot of the external offers below maximum term as a result.\u00a0 Detroit, by the way, is one of the few teams who can afford the inflated cap charge without any issue.<\/p>\n

So, is this a bad look on the front office?\u00a0 It\u2019s hard to say since I\u2019m skeptical that there are 10 teams willing to pay that price for him.\u00a0 It\u2019s probably too early to answer this part of the question.\u00a0 But is this situation a bad look for them in general?\u00a0 Absolutely.\u00a0 They\u2019ve shot themselves in the foot twice already, one by waiting two months to give Shawn Horcoff the green light to negotiate and the other by unnecessarily insisting on a bridge deal through training camp, leading to the trade preference.\u00a0 So far, it\u2019s a masterclass on what not to do.\u00a0 We\u2019ll see if they ultimately turn things around and convince him to sign.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include the end to the Connor Hellebuyck saga, why the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":895031,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[66],"tags":[385,5626,5627,99],"class_list":["post-895030","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nhl","tag-nhl","tag-phr-mailbag","tag-pro-hockey-rumors-originals","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/895030","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=895030"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/895030\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/895031"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=895030"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=895030"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=895030"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}