NHL Inbox: Montembeault on Canada? Most promising Red Wing? U23 Olympics?

Welcome to the third edition of NHL Inbox - a monthly forum in which readers can ask me anything hockey-related and I try my best to deliver an insightful answer. Thanks to the 80-plus people who've submitted questions thus far.

Note: The questions below have been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.

deitch asks: Who's the most promising player on the Wings' current squad?

"Most promising" leaves a lot of room for interpretation, but I think I'm being asked to identify the young NHLer with the highest ceiling. With forward Lucas Raymond and defenseman Moritz Seider already well-established, I'll go with Swedish blue-liner Simon Edvinsson.

Edvinsson, who turns 22 next week, eased into the NHL with nine games in 2022-23 and 16 last year. He's now a full-timer, logging the third-most minutes among Detroit defensemen (20:44 nightly, including 1:46 on the penalty kill). He leads the defense corps with a 51.3% expected goals rate at five-on-five. The Wings have outscored opponents 31-25 in those 825 minutes.

Edvinsson is also a wonderfully graceful skater for a 6-foot-6, 209-pound defenseman. That rare length and mobility combination gives him enviable reach. He effortlessly covers a ton of ice and is exceptional at turning defense into offense - say, a crafty stick check into a smooth defensive-zone exit.

Dan Watson, Edvinsson's coach in AHL Grand Rapids the previous two seasons, believes his former player has really popped as an NHLer because he's developed a "B" game. Beyond his skating and puck skills, Edvinsson offers value in his physicality, shot-blocking, and straightforward playmaking.

Seider's already a top-pair guy while 2023 first-round pick Axel Sandin-Pellikka is progressing well as a pro in Sweden. It's hard to predict usage and deployment over the long term, but the foundation of the blue line is strong.

"If you put Mo and Simon together, whenever that may come this season or down the road, you have a formidable one-two punch on D for what Detroit hopes is a really long time," Watson said of the righty Seider and lefty Edvinsson.

Edvinsson was one of four defensemen taken early in the 2021 draft: Owen Power went first overall, Luke Hughes went fourth, Edvinsson sixth, and Brandt Clarke eighth. In a redraft of only blue-liners, I'd select Edvinsson first.

Derek L. asks: Can we get some insight into what an NHL front office looks like? What are the titles and job descriptions that help teams run effectively?

The best way to answer this question is to focus on a successful club based in a mid-sized hockey market (and therefore doesn't have endless resources).

In other words, the Stars.

Jim Nill is Dallas' general manager. He's hockey operations' public face, top delegator, and chief strategist. The 66-year-old oversees dozens of people while holding the hammer on any decision relating to players and coaches. Like all NHL GMs, Nill must tactfully "manage up" to keep ownership happy.

Nill has two influential assistant GMs. Scott White is in charge of scouting and doubles as the GM of Dallas' AHL affiliate, while resident CBA expert Mark Janko is responsible for managing the salary cap and negotiating contracts with players and staff. Ex-Stars forward Rich Peverley works closely with all three as the team's director of player personnel. Hockey ops then branches off into amateur scouting, pro scouting, player development, and analytics.

Player development and analytics have become increasingly important in the last 20 years. In the salary cap era, every GM relies upon both to gain edges, big or small, over his 31 peers.

The Stars employ four analytics staffers and four player development staffers, according to the team's online staff directory. (Check out my in-depth March 2024 feature for much more on the rise of analytics within NHL front offices.)

John K. asks: Some questions for those of us in hockey pools. 1) If a shot is deflected by a defensive player before hitting the goalie, does the offensive player who originally shot the puck get credited with a shot on goal? 2) Is a hit crossbar or post considered a shot on goal? 3) If the puck is sent down the ice as a harmless clearing attempt or dump-in but still reaches the goalie, is it jotted down as a shot on goal? 4) If a goalie stops a puck that's clearly wide of the net, perhaps out of the crease's blue paint, is he still credited with a save?

1) Yes, the offensive player who originally took the shot is credited with a shot on goal in this scenario. That said, there's another layer to consider: If a defensive player directs the puck to the net with no help from an offensive player, a shot on goal is not automatically awarded. It becomes a shot on goal only if the puck crosses the line for an "own goal." All goals count as shots on goal.

2) No, posts and crossbars aren't shots on goal. They're "missed" shot attempts. Now, if the puck hits the goalie before ringing the post or crossbar, that is a shot on goal (assuming the puck was deemed on target when it hit the goalie).

3) Yes, a clearing attempt or dump-in that makes its way to the goalie is an official shot on goal, given the goalie is preventing the puck from entering his net. It's not a shot on goal if he's playing the puck well outside his crease.

4) No, a puck that's judged to be going wide (for instance, well outside the frame of the goal) is not a shot on goal.

Sam M. asks: How did Montebeachball make Team Canada?

This question about Canadiens goalie Sam Montembeault landed in my inbox minutes after he and Montreal fell 9-2 to Pittsburgh on Dec. 12.

Montembeault and the Habs have both rebounded, but the question remains relevant. The 4 Nations Face-Off is approaching and Canada's goalies, as announced on Dec. 4, are Adin Hill, Jordan Binnington, and Montembeault.

Given the lack of bona fide stars in Canada's goaltending pool, I understand the logic behind picking Hill and Binnington - they're a couple of reliable veterans who've won a Stanley Cup. The Montembeault selection, while not terrible, raised eyebrows then and looks even more peculiar in hindsight.

Logan Thompson, Stuart Skinner, Darcy Kuemper, Cam Talbot, and Mackenzie Blackwood were also available. Thompson, who signed a six-year extension with the Capitals on Monday, boasted the most impressive numbers in early December - and still does today. He's lapping other Canadians in save percentage (.927), quality start percentage (85.2), and goals saved above expected per 60 minutes (1.04). If not for Connor Hellebuyck, Thompson would be a front-runner for the Vezina Trophy.

Thompson recently said Hockey Canada never contacted him during the selection process - despite reaching out to others in case of an injury. Odd.

To me, the Montembeault pick was an upside play, with the thinking going something like this: if we're committed to Hill and Binnington, why not bring a third-stringer who could blossom into our starter before the 2026 Olympics?

If that was part of the calculus, I'd much rather take a flier on the moment's hottest goalie and hope he's playing well in February. Of course, Thompson was the hottest back in December and still is two weeks from the event.

Pablodiablo asks: I've never been a fan of Olympic hockey, with or without NHLers, mainly because the Olympics occur right when the NHL season starts to intensify. I believe Olympic hockey should follow the lead of Olympic soccer, in that there's an age limit. In soccer, it's 23, with an exemption allowing up to three players older than 23. Hockey could do something similar. Thoughts?

This idea of under-23 Olympic rosters seemed like a stretch at first glance. Did you see how little buzz men's hockey created with no NHLers in Beijing in 2022?

On second read, I gave the "something similar" phrase extra attention and started to come around on the outside-the-box concept. However, the problem with doing U23 rosters without NHL participation is that most of the best U23 players are under NHL contract and play in the NHL or AHL.

So, in the spirit of "something similar," what if the age group dipped to U20 and only amateurs were eligible? This format would bring the top teenagers together, which, thanks to the annual world junior championship, we know creates great theater. The Beijing rosters were filled largely with ex-NHLers or journeymen pros. A U20 tournament would be filled with future NHL stars.

There would be Olympic medals on the line for up-and-comers playing in places like Canadian major junior, American college, and European junior, and the ever-present "Are NHLers going to the Olympics?" storyline would die off.

That said, I prefer Olympic hockey with NHLers. It makes for true best-on-best hockey and specialty events help break up the regular season.

What do you want to know, hockey fans?

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