I wish we would have been allowed to get the full Stephen Johns experience. It's incredibly unfair to see what happened to his career. Health and sanity are important parts of a continuing life.
I had forgotten how much of a mess oir D was not terribly long ago.
Also Esa is perhaps the most underrated D man in the league!
I’m biased because I’m a Miro fan to the core but- this was a great piece lol
I think your point about the forward usage/style on the PK is incredibly important and like… truly, my kingdom to get Faksa off the PK and Johnston back on it.
But I ALSO… this ties into my Harley concerns (which are not “Harley is bad” but “what is the point of a 10.5875mil #3 defender?)- I think as much as we all admire Harley’s offensive prowess and the threat of his shot, Miro as the PP QB was awesome this year. And I’m sure Miro wants all the minutes and all the responsibility but it feels like it might be good to let Harley take over the bulk of those PK minutes or SOMETHING.
I think Harley had more 5v5 avg TOI this season than Miro? And like, sure, but part of that is because Miro’s PP usage and how much more effective would the team be at even strength if that 3:06 avg time on the PK was instead added to even strength?
I like Lindell a lot, I think he is undervalued outside of Dallas (I also think if he could be convinced to waive his protection he would be a great trade chip) but.
Not to add to the carousel of Heiskanen partners but… I dunno.
They were very very very very good together.
I still kind of think Miro could be better with a different partner.
Great piece on a great Dman… even if he forgets sometimes he can block an opponent with his body… too!
Clearly our best… and seems he plays best with Lindell… our #2.
equals Harley overpaid as 3rd… at his highest value now… um… Are we All in? My vote trade him for one of San Jose’s young scoring forwards! Cap room! San Jose needs D!!!
"A" could also stand for Alternate Captain. I do wonder if he has the... presence, I guess, to switch that to a "C" down the line. What do we think? Is Mikko now the favorite to succeed #14?
Honestly, timing will have a lot to do with it. It still could be a tad early to ask Johnston to step up this summer, so we could see Seguin or Rantanen if Benn doesn't return. (But my bet is that Benn will still come back for one more year.)
I don't think it's a foregone conclusion just yet, but I personally would see the appeal of handing the mantle to a much younger player who will be here for a while.
I have the same question about Miro possibly wearing the C next. He's in his prime years and under contract for another 4 years. Wyatt is still very young. Mikko would also be an excellent choice.
Spot on. Fans and people who vote on the Norris Trophy are like the chicks in baseball who love the long ball. They're going to prefer the offensive defensemen who dazzle with the puck and score a lot of goals. But I don't know that I would trade Miro straight up for any other defenseman in the NHL. He is superb in all three zones, not just the offensive zone.
Great article. Hopefully after Robo and Borque contracts are finalized there is enough change remaining to sign a reasonably priced RHD for depth. Otherwise we can always count on Petro! BTW, what are the important calendar dates related to getting something done with Robo? Thanks.
THANKS! I am, as I assume everyone is too, very anxious to see how it ends up. I can make a case for signing him or trading him. Doing the latter only if it makes up for 45 goals and 95 points.
I wish we would have been allowed to get the full Stephen Johns experience. It's incredibly unfair to see what happened to his career. Health and sanity are important parts of a continuing life.
I had forgotten how much of a mess oir D was not terribly long ago.
Also Esa is perhaps the most underrated D man in the league!
I’m biased because I’m a Miro fan to the core but- this was a great piece lol
I think your point about the forward usage/style on the PK is incredibly important and like… truly, my kingdom to get Faksa off the PK and Johnston back on it.
But I ALSO… this ties into my Harley concerns (which are not “Harley is bad” but “what is the point of a 10.5875mil #3 defender?)- I think as much as we all admire Harley’s offensive prowess and the threat of his shot, Miro as the PP QB was awesome this year. And I’m sure Miro wants all the minutes and all the responsibility but it feels like it might be good to let Harley take over the bulk of those PK minutes or SOMETHING.
I think Harley had more 5v5 avg TOI this season than Miro? And like, sure, but part of that is because Miro’s PP usage and how much more effective would the team be at even strength if that 3:06 avg time on the PK was instead added to even strength?
I like Lindell a lot, I think he is undervalued outside of Dallas (I also think if he could be convinced to waive his protection he would be a great trade chip) but.
Not to add to the carousel of Heiskanen partners but… I dunno.
They were very very very very good together.
I still kind of think Miro could be better with a different partner.
Awesome work as always!
Great piece on a great Dman… even if he forgets sometimes he can block an opponent with his body… too!
Clearly our best… and seems he plays best with Lindell… our #2.
equals Harley overpaid as 3rd… at his highest value now… um… Are we All in? My vote trade him for one of San Jose’s young scoring forwards! Cap room! San Jose needs D!!!
"A" could also stand for Alternate Captain. I do wonder if he has the... presence, I guess, to switch that to a "C" down the line. What do we think? Is Mikko now the favorite to succeed #14?
Honestly, timing will have a lot to do with it. It still could be a tad early to ask Johnston to step up this summer, so we could see Seguin or Rantanen if Benn doesn't return. (But my bet is that Benn will still come back for one more year.)
I think Benn will return, too. So if it's 2027, is it Johnston?
I don't think it's a foregone conclusion just yet, but I personally would see the appeal of handing the mantle to a much younger player who will be here for a while.
I have the same question about Miro possibly wearing the C next. He's in his prime years and under contract for another 4 years. Wyatt is still very young. Mikko would also be an excellent choice.
Spot on. Fans and people who vote on the Norris Trophy are like the chicks in baseball who love the long ball. They're going to prefer the offensive defensemen who dazzle with the puck and score a lot of goals. But I don't know that I would trade Miro straight up for any other defenseman in the NHL. He is superb in all three zones, not just the offensive zone.
Harley on PK where he can be dangerous
Miro on PP
Profit.
Great article. Hopefully after Robo and Borque contracts are finalized there is enough change remaining to sign a reasonably priced RHD for depth. Otherwise we can always count on Petro! BTW, what are the important calendar dates related to getting something done with Robo? Thanks.
NHL draft starts June 26, and free agency on July 1. The Stars would need to extend him a qualifying one-year offer by June 29, per NHL rules.
The way I see it, the most likely outcome is for Robertson to be locked up long-term or traded by June 29. But we shall see.
THANKS! I am, as I assume everyone is too, very anxious to see how it ends up. I can make a case for signing him or trading him. Doing the latter only if it makes up for 45 goals and 95 points.