First time ever seeing a seattle ACGM on here. It’s nice seeing their logo. Looking forward to the ED.

Literally 0% chance the Devils leave Sharangovich unprotected

Whoever wrote that should think twice before putting Toews on here.

The Devils will protect Sharangovich. BR is garbage if they think the Devils will give him up lol.

Seattle will likely get one of Merkley, Butcher, Bastian, or whoever NJ doesn't protect between Johnsson/McLeod

I can't see NSH leaving Kunin exposed. He definitely started out slow, but so did literally the entire team. NSH was awful all around at the start of the season -- but like many others, he has come back and played very well in the second half of the season. He's still only 23 years old, and Poile didn't pay a cheap price to acquire him. I think NSH protects Forsberg, Arvidsson, Kunin, and one of Johansen, Duchene, Jarnkrok, or Sissons in a 4-4-1 scheme.

Pre-injury stats: 2G, 3A in 17 games
Post-injury stats: 4G, 6A in 14 games

BLEACHERREPORT is drunk then if they think Toews will be left unprotected

Do they even cover hockey?

Another Fan base who can hate on Brady Skjei. I hope the Canes find a way to keep him.

Minny goes 8-1 to protect Dumba. They'll still lose a decent player, but Dumba is more valuable to them than the forwards that would be exposed.

What if Seattle offers the #3 OA pick? ...so you're saying there's a chance!

Mcleod will be protected over Johnsson

I don't think Boston leaves Smith unprotected

They might have very little choice but to lose him. Nashville is stuck using the 8-1 protection method because of their 4 defencemen that need protection. From there they'll wanna protect Forsberg, Arvidsson, and Jarnkrok for sure. Leaving 1 spot available for protection. As much as he may not have been great so far in Nashville, I'd think that spot goes to Duchene. Leaving him unprotected might upset the player and it sends the wrong message to other players who may want to sign in Nashville in free agency which would be "sign here and do exactly what you've always done the first season, but if you slow off after that then we really don't want you". It's not Duchene's fault that Poille overpaid for him. With the team obviously not rebuilding he's not gonna look to ship out the top guys he brings in and do worse. So unless a side deal is worked out with Seattle, Kunin is likely exposed and taken in the draft.

Im not sure if he will be. The Devils are heavily analytic based and Johnsson's analytics/underlyings have been actually pretty good this season. He'll most likely be protected

Johnsson has been horrible this year. I don't look at advanced stats but from what I've seen, Johnsson is bad

Advanced stats say quite the opposite actually. He's been one of the better forwards for the most part, which the Devils will take into consideration when making this decision

The advanced stats were high on him earlier in season.
He has fallen off a bit.
Kind of true for most devils.
McLeod fits longer term view. So keep him.

That's not really true. His first 22 games are very comparable across the board to his last 23, im very similar minutes. Maybe slightly worse but not to the point where he's being carried by the start of the season. His underlyings have been consistent throughout the season

McLeod is a fine player, but lets be real hes a 4th liner and nothing more. He's replaceable. I don't think the team will expose Johnsson to just to protect McLeod

Sure they will.
Do you want McLeod for 6 years or Johnsson for 2 (where he has NTC in his last year)?

Johnsson. I'd rather have the better hockey player.

Both role players
But we need McLeod more than we need Johnsson.
Centers more valuable.
And he is our only RHC.
Can take face-offs.
And McLeod plays more minutes than anyone else against top lines.
Can't ask Johnsson to do that - he gets sheltered more than anyone who is not a teenager on team.

Either way, I'd rather they take Merkley than Mango or Mcleod

I mean, thats just not true. Zajac had the most minutes against opposing teams top lines, and after him its Zacha.

Its not even remotely true that Johnsson is sheltered when he faced opposing teams top D pairing almost triple the amount of time that McLeod does, and more than anybody on the team not named Hughes.

Johnsson can atleast fill into a top 6 role whereas McLeod is a 4c and nothing more, hes expendable and replaceable. Theres zero reason to protect McLeod over Johnsson. Zero

Zajac is not on team anymore
Teams don't match forward lines against opponents def pairings.
Other way around.

Here

You said McLeod has played more minutes against other teams top lines than anybody else. And that is just false. Zajac played more when he wss on the team and Zacha played more too. Maybe McLeod has the past few games with Zajac bring traded and Zacha being hurt? And in Zacha's absence it still wasn't McLeod, it was Hischier. So you're still wrong, and those minutes aren't even close to McLeod so you made that up or what?

Teams don't match their forwards up against opposing top pairings but they can avoid the matchup if they want to, especially at home. Which they don't. Johnsson also plays against opposing teams top forward lines more than McLeod does.

That is incorrect.
I sent you the data.

You just proved me even more right with that chart. Hes arguably he worst player on the team against elite competition. Zero reason to protect him over Johnsson. Move along