Joe's Reaction of the Week (Chip's Version): The Search for the Next Dylan Strome
The NHL's free agent landscape looks like a scene out of some post-apocalyptic movie. At times like these, you must dig deeper to find hidden treasure.
Friends, let's be honest: NHL free agency may not be dead, but it's certainly not living its best life.
A quick look at the list of pending free agents isn't particularly inspiring. Oh, sure, there are still some quality names on that list: Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Anze Kopitar—but Kopitar is retiring, and Ovechkin and Malkin will almost assuredly re-sign with their respective teams. Other free agents like Alex Tuch, Charlie Coyle, and Mason Marchment have their positives. But, given how shallow the pool is, they're likely going to get a lot more money than they're actually worth. Add to it all that Tuch, at 29, is the youngest of the bunch.
On the restricted free agency front, yeah, there's the dream of Jason Robertson, and maybe the slightly less stimulating dreams of Trevor Zegras, Dylan Holloway, Connor McMichael, or Pavel Dorofeyev. But the odds are strong that those five teams will figure out ways to keep those five players.
Let us also not waste too much time thinking up scenarios where Leo Carlsson or Conor Bedard are given offer sheets. Even if the New York Rangers wanted to play that game (they don't) the Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks have ample resources to match any offer the Rangers could come up with.
Some of you may be saying, "So what? This is fine. I want don't want the Rangers to sign anyone. I like what the kids have done and I want a roster full of kids next season. Trade Vincent Trocheck, trade Taylor Raddysh, get rid of Sheary and Brodzinski, and let the kids play." Sure, I get that. So, something like:
Perreault - Zibanejad - Lafrenière
Cuylle - Miller - Greentree
Sykora - Laba - Chmelar
Kartye - Edstrom - Lamb
I understand the appeal. I don't think it's particularly realistic. I do believe Vincent Trocheck and Taylor Raddysh will be traded, but I also believe Conor Sheary will be back (two years at $1.5 million per year is my guess). And, beyond that, I believe that the Rangers are going to sign someone on the free agent market. The question, as always, is who.
That brings me to Dylan Strome.
No, Dylan Strome is not available. But the next Dylan Strome might be. Join me, friends, for a quick trip down memory lane—no passport required.
