The Panthers jumped out ahead of the Hurricanes with a 5-2 win last night in game one of the Eastern Conference final. Carter Verhaeghe led the way with the opening goal and an assist.

Fredrerik Andersen had his worst night of the playoffs, allowing five goals on 20 shots (only the second time this post-season that he has allowed more than two).

Segei Bobrovsky was busy, and earned the win making 31 saves.

Jackson Blake scored the last goal of the game, and while it didn’t matter as the game was out of reach by that point, it’s good to see the rookie on the scoresheet. 

This series was closer than the score indicated, and could have ended very differently if the Canes connected on some of their many chances in the first period. It did look like they were shaking off a bit of rust though, and I expect game two to be a much better showing.

*

Jalen Chatfield missed the game with an undisclosed injury despite skating in the morning, so he's likely not far away.

As a result, Scott Morrow made his NHL playoff debut, going minus-three in the loss to the Panthers. He played about 12 minutes, which was last on the team among defencemen. He added two shots with one penalty. Alexander Nikishin had a similar debut statistically debut, sans the minuses. 

In the regular season Morrow had six points in 14 games, but he's not a great source of peripherals. Next season with both Dmitry Orlov and Brent Burns possibly leaving as free agents, there could be a few spots open on the blueline. Alexander Nikishin is likely the front runner for a full-time spot, being more physically mature than Carolina’s other prospects, but Morrow has a real claim to a spot too with his junior and AHL pedigree. Dominic Fensore would be the other internal candidate, and while as an older prospect who is also a right shot he could have the inside track, his height often leads to questions about how well he could handle the rigors of the NHL. 

At this point, there's also a very real possibility that the Canes add a defenceman or two into the free slots, pushing Morrow back to the AHL for one more year. That seems like with most teams it would be the most likely outcome, but with Carolina, they try to make space for the young players to earn spots (like Blake last summer). I would put the odds of Morrow having a regular role with the Canes next year at a little over 50% right now.

*

A few quick injury updates:

Josh Morrissey sustained a knee injury in game six against Dallas, which would have kept him out for the rest of the playoffs, but did not require surgery. Hopefully that means he can still get some kind of full offseason of training in, but it could also mean a bit of a slower start for him next fall.

Anthony Stolarz confirmed he suffered a concussion in game one of the Florida series – hoping he can fully recover soon.

Auston Matthews declined to share what injury he was playing through, which continues a long line of secrecy around his injuries. We're still unsure whether the wrist that was bothering him a while ago is now still the main issue, or if something ese has cropped up.

Bo Horvat has left the World Championship with an injury, and has been replaced on the roster by 2025 draft eligible winger Porter Martone.

*

I'm seeing a lot of articles about the Leafs and how this is the end of the Core-Four era, and how they have to move on from at least two or three of them, etc etc. Maybe they do, maybe they shouldn't, but I expect there will be some changes, and at least discussions in the front office about what major moves could look like.  

I wanted to take this real-life example to illustrate how you can adjust the top end of fantasy teams either in-season in any league, or at any point in a keeper league.

If you're stuck with a core that you just can't seem to get over the hump with and want to try and address different categories, someone who isn't always injured/resting during fantasy playoffs, or just to make a change, then you've looked at moving on from your best player or players.

It's hard to move on from one (or more) top-20 player without losing the deal, and it's even harder to get back something that makes your team better. There are ways to do it though, and about none of those avenues start with diving head-first into a trade. Wading in is the way to go, by letting the league know that a star player could be moved so that everyone can put forward an offer. It's always possible someone oversteps and knocks your socks off.

Internally, you need to be looking first at what the player is that you're trying to trade. Let's take Auston Matthews as an example. He's a Rocket Richard winner who plays a very good two-way game as a big centre, and at 27-years-old is currently in his prime with three more seasons on his current contract. He has also dealt with some injury issues, and now has a label of not being to close out big games in the playoffs.

No, instead of pigeon-holing yourself into needing a specific piece or type in return, it's better to keep the possibilities open and look around the league at who would need or want this particular asset. The best bet would be to find a team that is also looking for a shake up, and has a key star player (or two) that would make sense to bring in as a replacement.

Looking around the league, the top teams like Colorado, Dallas, Florida, and Tampa likely wouldn't push hard for Matthews to the point of paying enough, while other teams like Vegas, Carolina, Washington, Los Angeles, and Edmonton wouldn't have the right fit for a Matthews trade (I'm not sure Matthews for Leon Draisaitl really changes things enough for either team as an example). Then below those teams in the standings, the up-and-comers (Buffalo, Detroit, Utah as examples) aren't desperate enough to mortgage their core or future for a star who is three years away from both free agency, and turning 30.

That leaves you with a few middle teams who would be your best bets to find a deal. I would be looking at Vancouver, Nashville, Minnesota, and maybe Winnipeg. At this point you can start setting your sights on the possible key pieces of a return from each team, which would likely be something along the lines of Pettersson and/or Hughes from Vancouver; Forsberg and the 2025 5^th overall pick from Nashville; Kirill Kaprizov from Minnesota; or likely something starting with Toronto-area-born Mark Scheifele from Winnipeg. Maybe there's an option with a gigantic futures package from Minnesota with Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, Danila Yorov, and more, but that's not likely the direction that Toronto wants to go, as they want to win now, which necessitates the star names listed above.

Perhaps the most interesting option would be a deal of Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson for Mathews and something. It gets Matthews out West, while Vancouver brings in a replacement star for Hughes, who the Canucks are worried will be leaving after two more years anyways, in order to play with his brothers in New Jersey. The Leafs would add a dynamic top defenceman, something they have sorely lacked, and they replace at least Matthews' upside on offence with Pettersson. None of these players are necessarily winners in the playoffs yet, but those types of players are locked up by teams that aren't desperate enough to move them, so it may just be too much of an ask.

None of this happens though without understanding what kind of asset you have, and who would take the risks associated. An American star with only three years left until both free-agency and his 30^th birthday? That's a bit of a dangerous combination that would likely take both Winnipeg and Vancouver out of the running if it weren't for the fact that Vancouver might be losing Hughes in only two years anyways.

I'll likely have angered two vocal fanbases with this one, but the theory behind it, and how you can use that framework to better approach your bigger offseason deals, is still very valid.

*

See you next Wednesday, and if you have any fantasy hockey questions or comments you can find me on BlueSky @alexdmaclean, as that's now my primary platform.