{"id":451788,"date":"2026-02-09T03:22:32","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T03:22:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/451788\/"},"modified":"2026-02-09T03:22:32","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T03:22:32","slug":"stars-jets-mammoth-blackhawks-fourth-lines-playoffs-draft-pro-hockey-rumors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/451788\/","title":{"rendered":"Stars, Jets, Mammoth, Blackhawks, Fourth Lines, Playoffs, Draft \u2013 Pro Hockey Rumors"},"content":{"rendered":"

Topics in this edition of the mailbag include the types of moves Utah should look to make, the top fourth lines in the NHL, and much more.\u00a0 If your question doesn\u2019t appear here, check back in one of our last two mailbag<\/a> columns<\/a>.<\/p>\n

bottlesup: With what the Avalanche are doing right now and with Vegas acquiring Rasmus Andersson<\/a>, is there a world in which my Stars can possibly make the Stanley Cup Final?<\/p>\n

At this point, I wouldn\u2019t be as concerned about Vegas.\u00a0 Yes, they\u2019re better, but they\u2019re a third-round opponent (Dallas isn\u2019t dropping to a Wild Card spot and lining up with the Pacific Division) and with shaky goaltending this season, they\u2019re beatable in a seven-game series.\u00a0 Not saying the Stars would for sure win but they\u2019d have a solid chance.<\/p>\n

Now, assuming they get past Minnesota in the first round, Colorado is its own unique test.\u00a0 Yes, they slumped before the break but let\u2019s face it, teams that have a runaway first half tend to take their foot of the gas a little, so to speak.\u00a0 That doesn\u2019t worry me.\u00a0 The Avs would be the favorites in that series but they\u2019re also not unbeatable.\u00a0 I\u2019d say that Jake Oettinger<\/a> would need to be sharper than he has been this season for them to have a chance.<\/p>\n

For Dallas to get the best chance to make it through to the Cup Final, they need to add defensive help.\u00a0 They have a strong top three but then are piecing it together from there with iffier options that you might not want to rely on for 16-plus minutes per game in the postseason.\u00a0 A solid defensive second-pairing blueliner that can help the penalty kill and take some pressure off the third pairing would help.\u00a0 A bit more firepower in the bottom six would help their chances as well.\u00a0 Once they get a better sense of whether Tyler Seguin<\/a> can return (keeping their LTIR pool intact) or not (an SELTIR placement would add nearly $6MM to that pool), they\u2019ll see how feasible those acquisitions could be.<\/p>\n

Long story short, there\u2019s definitely a world in which Dallas gets there.\u00a0 They\u2019re one of the top teams in the league for a reason.\u00a0 They have a strong, experienced core group that has had some playoff success before.\u00a0 They\u2019re not the favorite to come out of the West today but someone has to survive the gauntlet and it could very well be them.<\/p>\n

Cla23: The Winnipeg Jets always claimed to be a draft-and-develop team. Meanwhile, they are one of the oldest teams, the Moose are not very good, and a lot of young players want out as they feel they are not getting a chance with the big club; their drafting is poor as well.<\/p>\n

Do you think it is time to shake up the management and scouting staff? Scott Arniel should be safe as he doesn\u2019t have much to work with.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s fair to say that Winnipeg\u2019s drafting and development hasn\u2019t been great as of late.\u00a0 Part of that is not having some of their better picks as a result of making win-now trades.\u00a0 Losing a first-round pick to retirement at 21 due to a hereditary tissue disorder was something out of their control.\u00a0 But, in general, if you look at their draft history (HockeyDB has a quick snapshot<\/a>), the results aren\u2019t pretty.\u00a0 And the end result is a system that\u2019s certainly toward the bottom of the league.<\/p>\n

As to whether an overhaul is needed, that\u2019s a little harder to answer.\u00a0 We know the Jets are one of the stricter-budget teams in the league and their scouting group is on the smaller side.\u00a0 So is their player development group.\u00a0 Is this a case of simply needing more eyes that could aid on the drafting side and a bigger development team to help those prospects?\u00a0 It\u2019s definitely possible.\u00a0 I\u2019d like to think that could fix at least some of the problem without overhauling things.<\/p>\n

I think the only way that an overhaul would be considered is if ownership decided that the current core has gone as far as they can and that it\u2019s time to commit to a multi-year rebuild.\u00a0 At that time, maybe you bring in some new decision makers in management and scouting.\u00a0 I\u2019m not sure the market could survive any sort of extended rebuild from an attendance and revenue standpoint and the fact they\u2019ve re-signed all the veteran players they have suggests that\u2019s not even being considered.\u00a0 So, for now, the more realistic hope would be that the front office gets a bigger budget to work with to rectify some of the drafting and development issues and hope that over time, that gets things back in the right direction.<\/p>\n

GBear: The Mammoth seem to be a legit threat to make the playoffs, what move(s) do you foresee them making near the trade deadline? I\u2019ll hang up and listen for the answer. \u260e\ufe0f<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll start with a question of my own.\u00a0 Where does GM Bill Armstrong feel his team is within the rebuilding cycle?\u00a0 Are they in the \u2018happy to be here\u2019 phase or aiming higher?\u00a0 The answer to that dictates the answer to your question.<\/p>\n

I have them in the former.\u00a0 They\u2019re not a top-three team in the loaded Central Division and I don\u2019t think they beat Vegas or Edmonton if they wind up crossing over.\u00a0 I suspect Armstrong feels the same way so it\u2019s probably not the time to swing big.<\/p>\n

However, he should also want to reward his roster with some reinforcements, albeit more of the depth variety.\u00a0 An upgrade over Nick DeSimone<\/a> and Olli Maatta<\/a> is a small move that can give the back end a bit of help.\u00a0 There should be several of those players on the move that would only cost the Mammoth one of their previously-acquired selections.\u00a0 Up front, getting Logan Cooley<\/a> back should be enough of an upgrade down the middle so I\u2019d look at the wing.\u00a0 Someone like Michael Bunting<\/a> makes a lot of sense.\u00a0 With the right fit, he can play basically on any line, allowing them to deepen the lineup.\u00a0 He plays with some jam which should appeal to Andre Tourigny.\u00a0 And he\u2019s only 30; it\u2019s plausible that they\u2019d want to give him a multi-year deal if things went well so he feels like a fit on that front as well.\u00a0 And, again, their surplus picks should cover a big chunk of the acquisition cost.<\/p>\n

Even if they wind up shoring up their group for an early playoff exit, a team can learn a lot from that short series by getting that taste.\u00a0 That\u2019s worth using some assets to try to help solidify while also being restrained knowing that the bigger moves (that we know Armstrong will sniff around on) will likely come in the offseason.<\/p>\n

Unclemike1526: With Frondell and Kantserov coming late this year in all likelihood, and Murphy and maybe Dickinson too being moved, Name the one guy (under 30) the Hawks could get in a trade that can put the puck in the net? A flat-out scorer. They need that more than anything. Frondell can take Dickinson\u2019s spot eventually and Del Mastro can take Murphy\u2019s; there has to be somebody out there, right? I don\u2019t want to move Mikheyev or Grzelcyk and would rather re-sign them. Grzelcyk is solid and Mikheyev is too valuable as a PK guy. They need a scorer, right? The time for draft picks is over. Thanks.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Unfortunately, this isn\u2019t the time of year when a lot of under-30 impact scorers tend to be moved.\u00a0 But if St. Louis is ready to shake things up, making a run at Jordan Kyrou<\/a> makes sense.\u00a0 He\u2019s not having a great year this season but before that, he had three straight 30-plus-goal seasons so that should fit the bill for what you\u2019re looking for.\u00a0 He\u2019s 27 and signed for five more years after this one at $8.125MM, a price tag and term the Blackhawks can afford.\u00a0 It\u2019d take parting with a key youngster and a quality pick or prospect but if the goal is to get an upgrade to help take the next step, he might be it.\u00a0 Admittedly, I\u2019m not sure he\u2019s a great fit with Connor Bedard<\/a> but talent is talent and he\u2019d be a big upgrade.<\/p>\n

On a smaller scale, they\u2019re the type of team I could see wanting to take a look at Patrik Laine<\/a>.\u00a0 It\u2019s starting to sound like Montreal is willing to retain money to move him and take a negligible at best return for him to open up cap space for themselves.\u00a0 Chicago has loads of cap space and a six-week flyer to see how the 27-year-old might fare with a fresh start and if he might be a short-term solution for a couple of years after this.\u00a0 It runs counter to them being a seller but if the cost is next to nothing (or nothing), it\u2019s a dart throw that might be worth making.<\/p>\n

Daniel M: Blake Lizotte<\/a>\u2019s recent re-signing has me wondering if the Penguins have the best 4th line in the NHL right now. Their underlying numbers look really good, even though they start a ton of their shifts in the defensive zone. They contribute offensively too. What are some of the NHL\u2019s best 4th lines?<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh\u2019s trio would be right up there.\u00a0 They\u2019ve really impressed and have been together enough to show that it\u2019s not just short-term good luck.\u00a0 Right now, they may very well be the best.<\/p>\n

I pushed this question to the last mailbag so I could watch some games with this question in the back of my mind.\u00a0 Two fourth lines, in particular, stood out.\u00a0 One was Buffalo\u2019s with Jordan Greenway<\/a> and Beck Malenstyn<\/a> being centered by Peyton Krebs<\/a>.\u00a0 It\u2019s a line with a lot of size and physicality but some solid defensive play and a bit of offensive upside to go along with a cycle game.\u00a0 Greenway\u2019s continuing injury woes are certainly a concern moving forward, however.<\/p>\n

The other one that caught my eye was Boston\u2019s trio of Tanner Jeannot<\/a>, Sean Kuraly<\/a>, and Mark Kastelic<\/a>.\u00a0 A little penalty-prone, sure, but that\u2019s an energy line with some defensive acumen, a bit of offensive touch, and an ability to cycle a team to death in the attacking zone.\u00a0 That type of line can do some damage as the checking gets a little tighter down the stretch and into the playoffs and I could see it being more successful in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n

One of the challenges in evaluating fourth lines is that they\u2019re forever fluid.\u00a0 It\u2019s rare to find a combination that works for an extended period of time.\u00a0 Players get hurt, shuffled in and out of the lineup, or moved up if things are going well.\u00a0 Per MoneyPuck<\/a>, Pittsburgh\u2019s fourth line of Connor Dewar<\/a>, Noel Acciari<\/a>, and Lizotte, is the 18th-most-used line in the league.\u00a0 Not just among fourth lines, that\u2019s all lines.\u00a0 That type of consistency is extremely rare for a fourth line and probably gives it a leg up on the rest overall.<\/p>\n

Duke II: After a brief hiatus, let\u2019s get to it: Who are your under-the-radar, pre-playoff fantasy hockey players (scoring & GAA only); two D and G + four skaters, please. Thanks, Crystal Ball!<\/p>\n

The Crystal Ball assumes you\u2019re looking ahead to the playoffs and are asking it to forecast based on its predictions of who gets to the final 16.\u00a0 So, with that in mind, here goes:<\/p>\n

Defense: Let\u2019s start with Thomas Harley<\/a>.\u00a0 This season hasn\u2019t been pretty from an offensive perspective, making that early extension sting a bit.\u00a0 However, a refresh with the Olympics should help.\u00a0 23 points at this point of the season isn\u2019t exactly near the top of the list so he\u2019s someone that would qualify as a little under the radar.\u00a0 If you\u2019re a believer in Utah doing some damage from a Wild Card spot, Sean Durzi<\/a> puts up solid numbers when he\u2019s healthy and is someone who probably wouldn\u2019t be picked much in a pool.\u00a0 But you\u2019d have to be confident they could pull off an upset to justify picking him.<\/p>\n

Goalies: This is a little harder to find an under-the-radar candidate.\u00a0 I could see poolies shying away from Brandon Bussi<\/a>\u2019s inexperience but someone has to win for them and with Frederik Andersen<\/a> scuffling at times, Bussi should get a long leash on a team that doesn\u2019t allow a lot of goals.\u00a0 If you think the Islanders can get through a round, Ilya Sorokin<\/a> also makes some sense.\u00a0 They\u2019re a lower-event team which should keep the GAA down.<\/p>\n

Forwards: When looking at Montreal, some may shy away from Ivan Demidov<\/a>.\u00a0 Even though he\u2019s one of the top rookie scorers this season, rookies generally are riskier in the playoffs.\u00a0 Since this would be his second stint, however, he\u2019s not quite as risky but still under the radar from a likelihood to be picked standpoint.\u00a0 Oliver Bjorkstrand<\/a> isn\u2019t having a great year in Tampa Bay but fit in well in two rounds last season.\u00a0 An uptick in production wouldn\u2019t be overly surprising, making him a sneaky back-roster selection.\u00a0 Jackson Blake<\/a> wasn\u2019t overly productive in his first playoff run last season but he\u2019s playing a bigger role this year and is in a division that should allow for another long run this year.\u00a0 Like Bjorkstrand, an uptick from last year\u2019s numbers would make sense and that should get him on the radar.\u00a0 A lot of what has been written about the last two players also applies to Vasily Podkolzin<\/a>.\u00a0 He was pretty productive last postseason despite seeing time on the fourth line.\u00a0 He\u2019s higher on the depth chart now so building off a career year already with a stronger playoff stat line could very well happen.<\/p>\n

Nha Trang: What surprising team in each conference is, in your estimation, for real, and which one is overhyped and waiting for a fall?<\/p>\n

I was not a big believer in the Islanders heading into the season.\u00a0 But Sorokin is back to elite form and is the type of goalie who can steal a series.\u00a0 They still have the remnants of a grind-it-out team that can win some 2-1 games in the playoffs.\u00a0 I wouldn\u2019t have them as a contender by any stretch but there might be some staying power down the stretch.\u00a0 I\u2019m honestly a little leery about both the Penguins and Red Wings.\u00a0 Despite so-so numbers, it feels like the goaltending is overachieving at the moment and I still have in the back of my mind that GM Kyle Dubas would probably rather sell in an ideal world.\u00a0 I\u2019m not ready to fully trust them yet as a result.\u00a0 As for Detroit, I\u2019ve seen some great games from them lately and some clunkers.\u00a0 They feel like a bubble team more than a for-real threat at this point.<\/p>\n

In the West, it\u2019s a little harder as most teams are where I thought they\u2019d be.\u00a0 I had five teams from the Central making it, four are in right now with Winnipeg being the team that\u2019s out.\u00a0 Those other four are where they\u2019re supposed to be and aren\u2019t really surprises.\u00a0 Meanwhile, Vegas and Edmonton being the top two in the Pacific also isn\u2019t a surprise.\u00a0 Anaheim and Seattle are in the other two spots.\u00a0 Both of those are surprises but I think it\u2019s more likely that both fall than hold on.\u00a0 The Ducks are a little too streaky to be trusted and can\u2019t get consistently good goaltending.\u00a0 The Kraken can\u2019t score enough to be a threat and while they\u2019re stingy defensively, that\u2019s not enough to be a threat even if they do land one of the last two spots.\u00a0 So I don\u2019t really have a for-real surprise to give you for this one.<\/p>\n

rayk: Besides McKenna and Stenberg, what three forward prospects are now in your top five forward prospects for the 2026 draft? <\/p>\n

I always have to lead with this for these types of questions.\u00a0 I\u2019m not a big draft guy in terms of watching film on incoming players so I always struggle a bit with these ones.\u00a0 I don\u2019t have a personal ranking but I\u2019ll try to give you who I think could be the next forwards picked.<\/p>\n

Ethan Belchetz<\/a> has power forward size and is already over a point-per-game in junior with 30 goals.\u00a0 Teams will see that and dream of an impactful top liner so he should be in that top-five forward group.\u00a0 Viggo Bjorck<\/a> isn\u2019t lighting it up in the SHL but has top-line skill and strong success against his age group.\u00a0 He should be a top-ten pick which, with the strong cohort of defensemen in this draft, likely lands him in the top five forwards.\u00a0 Given the need for centers, there are two I have in mind for the last slot.\u00a0 Tynan Lawrence<\/a> has the higher rankings but has scuffled a bit to start his college career.\u00a0 Caleb Malhotra<\/a> is the riser with the bigger frame and teams will gamble on that frame even if the ceiling isn\u2019t as high.\u00a0 Right now, it\u2019s probably Lawrence as the other forward but if he doesn\u2019t finish strong and Malhotra does, I could see that being flipped.<\/p>\n

Gmm8811: Thoughts on how the Hockey Canada scandal players are doing as they attempt to resurrect their careers?<\/p>\n

Do I have thoughts on those players off-hand?\u00a0 Not really.\u00a0 I\u2019m not really focused on them or give them any extra thought.\u00a0 But since you asked, I\u2019ll do my best.<\/p>\n

I am surprised that Carter Hart<\/a> has struggled as much as he has.\u00a0 Yes, some inconsistency was to be expected but instead, he just was consistently poor to mediocre most nights before getting hurt.\u00a0 I thought Dillon Dube<\/a> might have gotten a look but the backlash with Hart\u2019s signing (and rumors before that) probably scared teams off.\u00a0 He\u2019s doing well enough with Springfield that an NHL conversion could be justified but I\u2019m not sure that happens this year.\u00a0 Michael McLeod<\/a> staying in the KHL has worked out as he\u2019s an impressive performer there but with a three-year deal overseas, he might not be looking for an NHL deal anymore.\u00a0 And Callan Foote<\/a> was already on the fringes before the scandal so it\u2019s not surprising that he\u2019s on an AHL contract although he\u2019s doing well in limited action in Chicago.<\/p>\n

Photo courtesy of\u00a0Jeff Curry-Imagn Images.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Topics in this edition of the mailbag include the types of moves Utah should look to make, the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":451789,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[5,4,860,697],"class_list":{"0":"post-451788","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nhl","8":"tag-hockey","9":"tag-nhl","10":"tag-phr-mailbag","11":"tag-pro-hockey-rumors-originals"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/116038530331855191","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/451788","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=451788"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/451788\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/451789"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=451788"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=451788"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=451788"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}