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Now this is how you write a season review for a player – Shutdown Line looks at Jeff Skinner.

A splash of cold water for those who have soured on Skinner:

Right now, any talk associated with Skinner is how the team should consider trading him because he is injury prone, bad defensively and is coming off his worst season. Yes, he had two concussions but he still managed to play in 78% of his game during that time.

I’ll concede that he is bad defensively, but this is the case with many young scoring forwards and on most nights, Skinner is there to make up for it at the other end. He didn’t this year because he couldn’t buy a goal over his last 31 games. People who are clamoring for Skinner to be traded now are doing so because of a bad 31 games.

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The final NHL team to look at – the Winnipeg Jets

2013-14 sleeper pick: Jacob Trouba

If you are a regular DobberHockey reader, you are already very familiar with Trouba. He is the best defensive prospect in hockey (not including the 2013 eligible players), and he is more than ready for prime time NHL minutes on the Winnipeg back end. Trouba can do it all – offensively, he's elite. He is a punishing hitter, and he is sound positionally, too. The Winnipeg defense is wide open after Byfuglien, Enstrom, and Bogosian. Expect Trouba in that top four.

Long term sleeper pick: Yasin Cisse

An interesting prospect to say the least – Cisse left Boston University to go to the QMJHL after struggling there. His production in the Q was decent, but not great. He's a big forward with a lot of talent, but also a lot of inconsistency in his game. In 27 games in the QMJHL, he scored eight goals and had 14 points. In 29 games with BU, he scored two goals total. He's 6-3 and 215 pounds, and at this point is about as much of a project forward as you can get.

He'll turn pro this summer, but he probably isn't even AHL ready yet.

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You could make this same video about 29 other NHL clubs, but it is funny to see how hypocritical Claude Julien's comments are/were:

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A funny read here – the Flyers are trying to acquire… everybody?

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Was Mark Streit the best option for the Flyers?

Streit is a similar player as former Flyer Matt Carle, who signed a six-year, $33 million deal ($5.5 million cap hit) with Tampa Bay as an UFA last year. Carle, an excellent shot blocker, was 27 at the time.

Streit will help the Flyers on the power play and he will trigger the offense by getting the puck to the forwards quickly. He is also a good leader.

That said, he is on the downside of his career, and Holmgren is taking an expensive risk.

The Flyers may regret passing on Carle last summer – Streit is superior offensively, but Carle is better defensively (and a lot younger, too).

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Detroit can't afford to acquire Kris Letang, writes Helene St. James.

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Will Nino Niederreiter finally breakthrough in 2013-14? Will be get traded?

Some think he could replace Boyes (who replaced Parenteau) on the wing with JT and Moulson:

Niederreiter, by rights, should be one of those wings. After a disastrous and unlucky rookie NHL season in 2011-12, he opened the 2012-13 season in the AHL performing like he really wanted to be one of those wings.

Now all that’s left is a good summer of training, a preseason to earn a job, and a summer spent keeping himself (and/or his agent) out of what soccer followers call “transfer” talk.

After a season with a Bridgeport-high 28 goals and just two points shy of team leader Brock Nelson, the ball is in Niederreiter’s court.

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USA Today's Kevin Allen doesn't think the Wings and Filppula will agree to a contract before July 5^th.

Good news for Nyquist/Tatar et al.

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The Sabres re-signed Jhonas Enroth (man that "h" always finds a way to surprise me) to a two-year deal. Does he get a chance to compete for the starting gig? Is Miller traded? Do the Sabres bring another goalie in? Lots of questions, and not many answers (right now, at least).

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Three years and $6 million for Raffi Torres in San Jose – solid contract for a good third line winger. And that money can help pay some of the inevitable fines in his future.

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The Flyers confirm they are buying out Danny Briere. I think Winnipeg and Ottawa are likely destinations, as is Toronto (assuming Briere wants to sign somewhere close to his kids).

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Should the Caps go for a top-four defenseman or a number two center?

Some thoughts:

Can some combination of Perreault, Brooks Laich, Martin Erat and Troy Brouwer form an adequate second-line? Maybe. Are you ready to test that theory in a new Division that boasts more than its fair share of the best centers in the game, especially since teams will likely have to play divisional opponents if/when they make the playoffs? I’d be more comfortable with a terrific third line and a second line capable of scoring and defending behind the top trio, rather than shoehorning guys into roles for which they’re ill-equipped (been there, done that, got the Presidents’ Trophy t-shirt… no, not really).

Moreover, the answer to the 4D problem for 2013-14 could conceivably be in the organization already in Dmitry Orlov (who was quite good as a rookie in 2011-12); can you say the same about the second-line center?

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Jon Blum could be a victim of the numbers game in Nashville – trade bait?

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So you're saying there's a chance?

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