First, if you missed Mike's coverage of the Jonathan Doruin-Mikhail Sergachev deal or Phil Housley being announced as the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres, check those out:

 

Montreal-Tampa deal

Buffalo Hires Housley

 

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A few quick notes on Lightning-Canadiens deal.

 

Jonathan Drouin's fantasy value receives an immediate boost with the Canadiens. However, as Cliffy pointed out, his long-term upside could be capped without the presence of a go-to offensive center.

 

Charles Hudon was quickly inked to a one-way contract following the deal. It's an extension of confidence from the organization to the 22-year-old center, and Hudon has scored 55 goals and 102 points through his past 123 games in the AHL.

 

Phillip Danault is almost guaranteed a top-six role entering the 2017-18 campaign, and he finished last season strong. He averaged 16:51 of ice time from Dec. 8 through the end of the regular season and posted a respectable 31 points, which included 29 at even strength. His 1.82 points per 60 minutes at five-on-five also trailed only Max Pacioretty and Paul Byron least year.

It's also impressive that Danault posted a 55.6 Corsi For percentage and 4.3 relative mark at five-on-five last year. He's a capable driver of possession and has proven — albeit in a short stretch — to be a serviceable top-six option.

It seems to be a foregone conclusion that Alex Galchenyuk is going to be traded. Why, I'm not sure. Why Montreal has determined he's unfit to be a top-six center is beyond me. The circulating rumors are that Galchenyuk is expected to be dealt for defense help. It's a wait-and-see situation, but a change of scenery could be huge for Galchenyuk.

 

 

Turning quickly to the Lightning, committing long term to Tyler Johnson is a bad move. He's becoming injury prone, and his numbers away from Nikita Kucherov aren't good. Johnson has been limited to just 135 games over the past two seasons and has only 33 goals and 83 points despite playing top offensive minutes. Additionally, over the past three years, Johnson and Kucherov have combined for 3.58 goals per 60 minutes at five-on-five. Johnson has a 1.99 mark when apart, whereas Kucherov is at 2.85.

 

Sergachev should crack the Lightning blue-line corps this fall, and he'll probably ease his way into a reliable role. It will probably take time for him to fulfill his fantasy potential playing a secondary role behind Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman. However, sometimes talent wins out, so Sergachev is definitely a potential asset beginning in October. Freshman inconsistency will likely limit his upside, though.

 

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Scott Darling is going to be a top-12 fantasy goalie next season, and Carolina is going to push for a playoff spot. The Hurricanes owned a 29th-ranked .912 team save percentage at five-on-five, and the league average was .923. With just league-average goaltending, Carolina allows approximately 21 fewer five-on-five goals last year.

There is also a case that Darling is better than league average. He posted a .933 five-on-five save percentage through 75 games over the past three seasons, after all.

The Hurricanes posted a fifth-ranked 51.5 Corsi For percentage and 98.5 PDO at five-on-five last season, which further highlights the goaltending problems. Carolina also generated the fourth-most high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes (11.8) at five-on-five. Everything is in place for a step forward from the Hurricanes, and it was only goaltending that has held them back.

 

Darling is currently positioned as the 21st goalie in Pete Jensen's updated rankings at NHL.com. Having worked with Pete for a year co-hosting a podcast, I value his opinion. Additionally, looking through the goalies ranked ahead of Darling, this isn't a situation where he's been misarranged, either. It's just that there is a logical case for Darling to have a big year, and most importantly, there is a clear path to out producing his current ranking.

I'm a little more bullish about Carolina's chances to win than Dobber was when he broke down the Darling-to-Carolina deal in May. The important takeaway from looking back at Dobber's take is that there is a reliable fantasy floor, and paired with the potential ceiling I'm suggesting, there is a lot to like about Darling as a mid-round target as your No. 2 fantasy netminder.

That young core of forwards and defensemen are just going to get better in front of Darling, too.

 

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Here are a couple interesting tweets with quotes from Drew Doughty about Torontonians playing in their hometown.

Doughty on @LeafsLunch1050 "I think all of us Southern Ont. players, we secretly want to play for TML. We all have that kind of soft spot."

— Lance Hornby (@sunhornby) June 15, 2017

                          

More from Drew Doughty on @LeafsLunch1050 on how some players view playing in Toronto: pic.twitter.com/3DKkgVV6zz

— Leafs Lunch (@LeafsLunch1050) June 15, 2017

 

With the city buzzing around the future of the Maple Leafs, the desire to just be a face in the crowd will probably only become more difficult to acheive going forward. With key and timely free-agent acquisitions often being an important aspect of creating a contender, it'll be interesting to see who Toronto pursues over the coming years.

 

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It appears the Flyers are letting Steve Mason walk, as his agent hasn't had formal contract negotiations with Philadelphia general manager Ron Hextall. I've discussed Mason in this space over the years, but stumbled on something Mike wrote recently that is concise and fitting:

"Over his first three years in the orange and black, Mason had a .935 save percentage at five-on-five. That number cratered to .919 this past season. The question, then, is whether to trust the 7300-plus minutes from 2013-16 or the 2500-plus minutes from 2016-17."

Mason's value can't be accurately analyzed until he signs with a team, but he is a capable mid-tier goal that has been successful in the past. He could prove particularly profitable in our fantasy game if he lands in a timeshare position because of the upside to outplay his competition. Additionally, injuries can send the goalie position into a frenzy in a hurry, and Mason has averaged 54 starts over the past four seasons. If he's in a timeshare, he could stumble into full-time starts through injury to a teammate, too.

There's a lot to like about the motivation of a fresh start, too.

 

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I'm anticipating writing up an article about a Jordan Eberle trade Friday. Hit the comments with the destination and deal.

Could the Oilers also deal Ryan Nugent-Hopkins? Could Nugent-Hopkins for Alex Galchenyuk work? It would be the P.K. Subban-for-Taylor Hall deal that never left ground.

 

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Is Nico Hischier going to edge out Nolan Patrick?

Here's a quick read with plenty of notes from McKeen's Director of Prospect Scouting Ryan Wagman.

I'm leaning Patrick as the better choice for the Devils. His complete game and pedigree are can't-miss assets, and there is untapped upside considering the amount of time he's missed due to injuries. Patrick is a franchise building block up the middle, and there is potential he's the coveted No. 1 center that every team in the league is chasing.

Hischier is probably the better fantasy asset at this point and owns more dynamic offensive upside, so there is definitely a case for him to be the No. 1 selection. I just wonder if he's capable of being a go-to center at the highest level. The wing might be a better fit, which is likely where he would slot in with the Flyers.

 

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#Preds brought in more than $50 million in economic impact to city of Nashville during playoff run.

— Thomas Willis (@TomAWillis) June 15, 2017

 

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Here's the NHL beat writers Expansion Mock Draft.

It's a fun tour through each team. Just remember that there are likely to be a number of changes before the trade freeze, so a lot will change. However, it's still interesting to stroll through the thoughts of the insiders of each team.

 

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I'm buckling up for more moves and fantasy fun ahead of the trade freeze. Enjoy the weekend, Dobberheads.