Maybe, unless he starts vocally saying he wants out which I could definitely see. Then he becomes a problem. So much of performance is mental and environment, Jones could come unglued in this environment.

He'd actually be a awesome fit for the Leafs but of course they don't have the cap room.

Yeah, he'd be lights out with Matthews, just don't see how the Leafs afford him and don't think the Leafs want to move Knies but likely what it would take.

I was thinking something along the lines that Buffalo did last year, they managed to squeeze out some value from quality depth players like Hinnie/Caggs/Eakin. Heck we did it before with Janmark. If we immediately put that pressure on Reichel like we did with Dach...same old same old is going to happen.

Good point though the expectation of retaining cap for that length of time seems perilous. He should try and play his best hockey to put him in the shop window if he decides his future lies elsewhere.

Without question Reichel is in the NHL last year. He probably should have played a third of the season last year, but the Hawks obviously were bad. I'm not suggesting he's going to the first line or maybe not 2nd line, but he's going to get heavy minutes next year. Letting him sit another year in the AHL is kind of pointless as he's proven himself there, he needs to experience the NHL and spend a couple years developing so he can help the young draftees when they are ready.

Leafs would need to trade out Nylander to fit him some way.

Does this team finish last? That forward group would be lucky to have a single player hit double digits in goals, and the defense + goaltending combo is so porous that they’d probably give up a dozen per night before the other team just started playing keep-away to kill off time for the last two periods. This team would struggle with an average WHL team lmao

@Fotiu4U is right. I've run a Rangers ACGM a handful of times. They would probably need 3rd party retention just to have him for next season, and then beyond that they won't be able to afford him with all the raises they have due to young players.