@Xqb15a @coga16 @NMAvsfan

Would you like to make a trade?

we will take this anchor off of your hands, in addition to a higher pick, for JTM with retention on the rest of his 5.25m contract or horvat

For the record I'm not writing him off after 9 games, just gauging opinions.

Horvat extended might be interesting depending on how contract.

Is it even possible to retain on Miller for only this year?

Nope.

Newhook hasn’t been perfect this year, but nobody has. The depth looks all sorts of disjointed. Right now we have 2 of our top 4 wingers injured. I’m willing to give Newhook a long leash here. If we are healthy and in February Newhook looks out of sync with the top 6, then we might have an issue.

Considering the odd things happening, Landeskog being out all the games, Nichushkin missing games, 3 back to backs, and Bednar’s bizarre choice to basically not play the 4th line, I think there has been good (Seattle he was the best forward in the game), bad NJD, and a lot of meh. Bednar made it a point to say he was going to get an extended look but he is 9th in avg TOI amongst forwards. What has disappointed me the most has been he seems to be deferring to everybody he plays with instead of driving the play like he is capable of. I’d like to see him get more ice time, but the jury is definitely out still.

I think he’s been fine, really holding out judgement until we see that top 6 together and what they can do

No one wants miller and his 8x8 extension

I thought Newhook should have stayed in NCAA an extra year. At BC, he did get knocked off the puck a little.
Not sure what he has looked like this year (other than game vs NJD...Compher looked better in that game...no sure he has been tried at 2C).

There are some possible rental options at deadline. Horvat, Toews, Monahan, Haula...maybe Larkin, maybe O'Rielly. Domi, Kerfoot if you are desperate.

Other longer-term options where they have cheaper, faster, younger options coming in-house: Brock Nelson, Sam Reinhart, Mark Scheifele, Yanni Gourde

Nice to see a balanced take from you, given that you've been critical of my healthy skepticism regarding Newhook at 2C...

Hey I’m still on the Newhook train. Personally I think Bednar should be feeding him more minutes, he is a guy that has succeeded at every level and shown he can drive play, he’s got a bit of a work horse in him that does better with more ice time allowing him more chances I think is better than not. Because rolling MacK and Mikko 25+ minutes a night is going to be bad come the stretch run.

I think the TOI says it all. Needs more opportunity imho. That's not 2C TOI.

What am I, chopped liver?

it feels like 9 wants the job in spite of 18. I'd seperate them

Nothing Newhook has done so far this season has impressed, but you could say that about pretty much the whole roster to be honest.

At this point, I see this team limping into the playoffs with the goal of being healthy and trying to catch lightning in a bottle and go for a run.

As disjointed as they’ve been so far (due to schedule or injuries or whatever) I still don’t see this team being a top contender. One too many pieces lost this past offseason and it’s showing.

For today, I'd make pairs. 9 with 62, 29 with 96, 18 with 13.

it is a fair extension and it is only 7 years but I dont want it either

Yes I believe so because you can only extend on a contract, once a new contract kicks in that is a new deal

"When a team trades a player, they have the option to retain a part of their salary (and cap hit). The team who retains the salary then pays the retained percentage of the salary, and also retains the percentage of the cap hit until the contract expires." - CF CBA

Problem with that is you force either Lehkonen or Nuke to the 3rd line which doesn’t sound effective.