I wouldn't go with Lanks as a starter next season and I don't think I'd go with him over Mrazek either at this point. Lankinen had one strong stretch of games last season where he looked like a world-beater -- like many guys, including Kurashev, etc. -- but he's been underwhelming since. Mrazek fits the bill as a veteran goalie who has started multiple seasons in his career. For 3.8 million, that's a fair price. I've said it before and I'll say it again: the Hawks will need a veteran goalie next year, whether they're rebuilding or not. You can not rely on Lankinen for that role. And you also can't spend a ton on the position either. Mrazek is far from perfect - no argument there - but he is a logical choice for next season or two. Mrazek is just a stop-gap. I'm not proposing the guy is a stud or should be retained after his contract expires.
I have no problem with Lankinen as the 1a next season, as long as there's a 1b who's a seasoned vet who can step in if Lanks craps the bed and take over the 1a role or even full #1--think Turco or Emery to Crawford. Mrazek might fit the bill on that but if we're sending Fleury out, especially retained, the return better be Mrazek+
Like everyone else here, I am a Hagel fan but, again, sorry for repeating this for the 100th time but: there is no such thing as "don't trade _____". Ever. This is transactional business, if you can get a positive ROI on moving anyone you do it. Holding on to someone for any other reason is fanboy.
As for not retaining salary for Flower, I may disagree, the question is which incremental picks/prospects are they willing to give up in exchange for us retaining the salary.
As we all recall all too well, when we were in Cap Hell we had to give up boatloads of picks/prospects in exchange for cap relief, time for us to profit from the other side of that equation.
Agreed, the problem though is getting positive value back, and since we know nothing much on Davidson except for him offloading that boatanchor Nylander for a decent 4th liner, we don't know if he can swing a deal like that--his predecessor certainly couldn't.
Hagel is one of our blue chips and as such this year and next likely will command a lot on the trade market, as such,
if we trade him out that trade has to be a win, because if it's not we lost a player who had a ton of value we can't recoup off of it. Ergo, unless the part coming back from a potential Hagel trade is literally can't-miss in an area of concern (Goaltending, center, and of course defense), we should wait and hold off.
The last think the 'hawks need to do with Hagel, Debrincat, or any other blue-chip asset is pull another Panarin-for-Saad deal or Joker for Nylander where they end up losing long-term. So yeah, even though from a fan's perspective I want to keep Hagel, from the business perspective he could be moved but he should only be moved if the RoI is guaren-fucking-teed. No more of this project player bullshit.
during a rebuild you get rid of old talented players not young ones. Hagel is only 23, thats the kind of player you are trying to get to build for the future, trading Hagel seems counter productive for a rebuild
Not necessarily. FWDs tend to mature a lot faster than centers, goalies, and defensemen. Consider this: Keith went about 8 years from draft to cup. Seabrook 7, Crawford 9. Meanwhile Toews was very fast at 4, while Kane was 3.
Hagel, being a FWD, hit his stride quickly and as such could command a decent paycheck as early as 2023-2024. When it comes to center depth going forward we have...Strome. Dach isn't playing center right now. Lankinen and maybe Soderblom are what we have in the goalie cupboards, but nether of them have shown much as being at least an average NHL starter. On defense, the prospect pool is about as barren as the surface of Mars. We got zilch.
If Hagel could bring in a good quality defenseman that could actually speed up the rebuild.
IF. If he can't bring in a can't-miss prospect for defense, goaltending, or a center we should in all rights keep him. However, if we assume it'll be about 8 years between getting a 1-2 D prospect and them getting a cup, Hagel will be in his 30's by that time--and that's assuming we acquire one this year. Moving Hagel for the
right prospect coming back could fast-track that.
And this coming from a guy who loves what Hagel brings to the ice.