We are now in the dull days when it comes to the NHL offseason.
There have been some small signings and some minor coaching moves, but other than that, things are pretty quiet in the hockey world right now. Given that it is already the middle of July, this should not come as a surprise to anyone.
To help brighten things up, I decided to check in with my favorite hockey personality, Jonny Lazarus. Lazarus, who is everywhere in the hockey world these days, was kind enough to stop by and give us his thoughts on all things NHL offseason.
I hope you enjoy what Jonny had to say!
PH: As someone who grew up loving the Rangers, what was your reaction when you saw that Chris Kreider agreed to be traded to the Anaheim Ducks?
JL: As sad as it is to see Chris Kreider go, I do believe it was time to move on. Kreider is an interesting player for so many reasons.
He was in New York for over a decade and is a key part of some of my favorite playoff memories, both as a kid and in my adult life. I know everyone thinks about the hat trick he had in the third period in Carolina in 2024, but for me, it was the games when the Rangers were facing elimination where he really seemed to thrive.
I am talking about Games 5 and 6 against the Washington Capitals in 2015, and Games 6 and 7 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2022. Everytime they had their backs against the wall, it was Kreider who seemed to be the one to break through.
PH: What are your thoughts on the player-related moves that Chris Drury has made so far this offseason?
JL: I think Chris Drury has done a fine job this offseason. His hands are pretty tied with the cap space he has left, but adding Vladislav Gavrikov with a 7×7 and signing Will Cuylle to less than $4M are pretty good pieces of business.
PH: It is clear that Drury and new head coach Mike Sullivan appear to be on the same page in the early going. Given how the team has gone through three head coaches since the 2019-20 season, do you think Sullivan has a chance to last a long time on Broadway? Why or why not?
JL: Depends on what you consider a long time to be. I would be interested to see who lasts longer with the Rangers, Sullivan or Adam Fox.
If the Rangers do not win a Stanley Cup by the time Fox’s contract is up, which is the end of the 2029 season, I could see the organization going in a new direction.
PH: Speaking of Sullivan, he brought David Quinn with him to be his assistant coach. How awkward, if it all, do you think it will be for him to be back behind the Rangers bench?
JL: I do not foresee any awkwardness as a lot of time has passed, and the organization is in a much different position than when David Quinn was here. If anything, maybe it will help Fox and Mika Zibanejad, who had great years under Quinn.
PH: Moving on to the Florida Panthers, what was your reaction when you saw that they were able to keep the trio of Brad Marchand, Aaron Ekblad, and Sam Bennett? I do not think that anyone thought it would be possible.
JL: I thought Marchand and Bennett would stay, but I did not see it working with Ekblad and the money he was going to get. The energy in Florida is contagious, and it is better to be happy every day in a city that you love, playing for a great team, than it is to chase the money.
PH: Based on the two past postseasons, it is clear that the Edmonton Oilers have a goaltending problem. Why have they not addressed it yet?
JL: I think this is a bit of a tired storyline, and I do not buy into it all that much. This team has been in back-to-back Cup Finals, playing in a Game 7 in one of those runs.
Maybe the goaltending just was not good enough to beat Florida, but it was still good enough to get them as far as they got.
PH: Which teams do you think have taken a step forward this offseason? Why?
JL: I am excited to see what the Anaheim Ducks can do. They have got tons of young talent who have some experience now, and I think Leo Carlsson is a superstar in the making.
I think they can make the playoffs this year.
PH: Which teams do you think have taken a step back this offseason? Why?
JL: I do not know if it should be considered a step back, but the Tampa Bay Lightning did not do much, and their window is starting to dwindle. They still have a ton of talent and some of the best players in the league in their respective positions, such as Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman, and Andrei Vasilevskiy.
After a couple of early playoff exits, however, they did not do much to improve.
PH: Despite it being the offseason, you are still everywhere these days giving your thoughts on the best sport in the world. Can we expect more of the same in the upcoming season? Do you have anything exciting in the pipeline?
JL: I am working on some cool things for next season, but I cannot give full details on it just yet. I love what I do and work as hard as I can, so you can count on that to be the same.
ITR 47: Then There Was Nothing – Inside The Rink
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