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Archives for December 2017

Doug Armstrong Signs Four-Year Extension With St. Louis

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The St. Louis Blues have put an end to the speculation about GM Doug Armstrong’s future, and will announce a four-year extension according to Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic. Armstrong was one of several NHL GMs operating in the final year of his contract.

While the Blues still haven’t captured that ever-elusive Stanley Cup, Armstrong’s tenure with the team has been filled with success in the regular season. Hired as the Director of Player Personnel in 2008, Armstrong took over as club GM in 2010 and has only missed the playoffs in that first year. With a record of 337-185-56, the Blues have been a contender every year and look like one of the best teams in the league once again.

Over his time with the team, the Blues have managed to pull off several impressive trades. Just recently Armstrong made successive deals on the draft floor that brought in Brayden Schenn for future draft picks while still allowing him to select Klim Kostin at the end of the first round. Before that, Armstrong had moved Kevin Shattenkirk despite the team’s playoff hopes, giving them the resources for the Schenn trade.

Armstrong has never been afraid to move out top players for future assets. He’s traded T.J. Oshie, Brian Elliott, Ian Cole, David Perron, Kris Russell, Brad Boyes, Erik Johnson, and David Rundblad among others, continually restocking the prospect cupboards while finding relative success in the NHL.

Look no further than the World Junior Championship, where players like Kostin, Jordan Kyrou, and Robert Thomas are set to star before one day pulling on a Blues sweater. While the Stanley Cup remains just out of reach, Armstrong has positioned his club about as well as you can.

Chicago Blackhawks Recall David Kampf, Jeff Glass

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The Chicago Blackhawks will begin a four-game road trip tomorrow night against the Vancouver Canucks, and they’ll have a new option up front should they need it. David Kampf has been recalled by the team from the minor leagues for the first time.

Kampf signed with the Blackhawks in the offseason after a particularly impressive season in the Czech professional league, and has performed well in his first taste of the AHL. With 17 points in 30 games, the 22-year old has shown that his European breakout might lead to a real NHL future. The Blackhawks, still struggling to remain relevant in the Western Conference playoff race, could use some kind of spark to get them back on track.

Undrafted, Kampf was a highly sought-after free agent this summer that eventually decided on the Blackhawks organization. The 6’0″ winger was actually ranked 36th among international skaters in 2014 and 57th again in 2015, but was never selected. He’ll now try to become the latest example of an undrafted European player making a big impact in Chicago.

The team has also recalled goaltender Jeff Glass, while placing Corey Crawford on injured reserve. It’s not clear how long Crawford will be out, but the net will fall to Anton Forsberg for the time being. Glass, 32, has never appeared in an NHL game in his professional career.

Alexander Burmistrov Retires From NHL, Signs In Russia

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Wednesday: Burmistrov has signed a one-year deal with Ak Bars Kazan of the KHL, where he will continue his playing career.

Sunday: NHL player agent Dan Milstein announced that Vancouver Canucks center Alexander Burmistrov has announced his retirement. Burmistrov had recently talked about his frustration with his role with the Canucks. He was a healthy scratch last night against the Blues and only had 4:53 minutes of ice time Thursday against San Jose.

“The frustrating thing is you know you can play at this level and every day and every night you walk into the dressing room and you don’t know if you’re playing or not. You kind of want to know you’re playing or be sure to be confident in yourself and feel like you’re part of the team,” Burmistrov said. “Then you walk into the dressing room and you’re not playing and you’re thinking: ‘What is it going to be like tomorrow?’ I’m trying to work hard but this is hard.”

Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that Burmistrov wanted to return back home. Milstein told Dhaliwal, “He wanted to go back home. No other reason. The Canucks were more than accommodating to his request.”

The 26-year-old signed a one-year deal with Vancouver in July after splitting  last year between the Winnipeg Jets and the Arizona Coyotes. He had spent five years with the Winnipeg Jets/Atlanta Thrashers organization after being the eighth-overall pick in 2010, but was waived in January by Winnipeg and Arizona claimed him. Burmistrov never lived up to the billing as his best year in the league was back in 2011-12 when he scored 13 goals and 15 assists in 76 games in the Winnipeg Jets’ first year after moving from Atlanta.

He played a total of 348 games, scoring 37 goals and 101 points. He had two goals and four assists in 24 games this season.

Minor Transactions: 12/27/17

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As the NHL gets back to its regularly scheduled programming today, league rosters will start to thaw after the holiday season. At 12:00am on December 28th, teams will be once again allowed to trade, waive and loan any player on the active roster. For now, we’ll have to make do with recalls from the minor leagues.

Ottawa Senators Sign Aaron Luchuk To ELC

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The Ottawa Senators have signed undrafted forward Aaron Luchuk to a three-year, entry-level contract. Luchuk was recently traded in the OHL and is currently playing for the Barrie Colts.

Luchuk, 20, is the best friend and a former teammate of fellow Ottawa prospect Logan Brown, and was part of the Memorial Cup-winning Windsor Spitfires last year. Though a bit undersized, he’s nevertheless continued to score in bunches at the OHL level and has 56 points in just 33 games this season.

Though he’ll be in the CHL for the remainder of that league’s season, Luchuk becomes the 48th contract on the books for Ottawa and could potentially play a role for the AHL’s Belleville Senators at the end of their year. He’ll jump to the professional ranks full-time next season, and will try to continue to disprove his doubters.

Johnny Bower Passes Away At Age 93

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In some heart-breaking news to hear around the holidays, Toronto Maple Leafs legend and NHL Hall of Fame goaltender Johnny Bower has passed away at the age of 93. A short statement was released by the Bower family, that outlined some of his past greatness:

Bower is renowned for his generosity, having raised money for such causes as the Candian Kidney Foundation, Canadian Arthritis Society as well as advocating for Canadian military veterans and their families. He has been a long-time spokesperson for the Peel Children’s Safety Village and Honorary Chief of Police in Peel Region since 2003.

Johnny BowerThe fact that a statement of Bower’s legacy includes so much mention of his post-hockey work is no mistake. Though he was a titan of goaltending between 1953 and 1969, playing in 552 contests and winning four Stanley Cups and two Vezina trophies, his impact off the ice was even greater. Bower had been a long standing ambassador for hockey in the Ontario region for decades, with an impact of some sort on thousands of players.

While the goaltender was a familiar face at Maple Leafs games and Hockey Hall of Fame events, his daughter Cindy is as well-known in minor hockey rinks across the province as a power skating coach. There are few young Ontario-born players who’ve reached any heights without some interaction with the Bower family.

A statue of Bower was erected outside the Air Canada Center in Toronto in 2014 as part of “Legends Row” and he was named the 7th-greatest Maple Leafs player of all-time in recent years. He is survived by Nancy, his wife of 69 years, children John Jr., Cindy and Barbara, eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

To Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com, perhaps Brendan Shanahan put it best.

There may not be a more loved Toronto Maple Leaf, nor a former player who loved them as much back.

One Year Later: Revisiting A Red Wings Rebuild

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For some teams in the NHL, a year makes quite the difference. Examples include the New Jersey Devils, or the Vegas Golden Knights, who at this point last year, didn’t even have a coach or roster. Yet for other teams, it’s more of the same or in some cases, worse. Despite valiant efforts to improve or an unwillingness to make a steadfast decision, many teams remained mired in mediocrity or near the bottom of their respective division.

The Detroit Red Wings are one of those teams.

Last December, I wrote about whether or not the Red Wings should embrace a full rebuild as the team was looking to miss the playoffs for the first time in 25 years. The “rebuild on the fly” strategy wasn’t working, and as the season would bear out, Detroit would indeed miss the playoffs.

Since then, the Red Wings have continued to take the middle road, refusing to do a complete tear down while still offering money to veterans that could potentially jumpstart the team. Trevor Daley was the latest example of that, and while he’s collected a few goals as of late, his five points (2-3) is hardly an effective return on investment for a defenseman making $3.17MM.

It’s a practice they’ve employed for nearly half a decade, and a three-win December are the recent fruits of that labor. Worse, the Red Wings are staring into the playoff abyss, nine points out of the final wildcard spot. At this point, it’s likely a fool’s paradise thinking that Detroit has any chance at making the playoffs. But general manager Ken Holland has gone on record saying he’s not interested in a rebuild. Andreas Athanasiou

MLive’s Ansar Khan wrote extensively about their troubles, and beyond their goal scoring woes, the Red Wings, he writes, are exactly as their record indicates. At 13-15-1, they’re fooling no one, except maybe themselves, about making a playoff run. Khan doesn’t expect them to be in there, though he leaves it open for a miracle turnaround. He adds that their best bargaining chip is Mike Green, who could fetch a haul from the right team.

But the Red Wings problems run deeper than just missing the playoffs. It’s a stubborn refusal to do what might be painful but necessary. It’s something that many teams reluctantly did after years of suffering through malaise–be it the Toronto Maple Leafs or New Jersey Devils. Even the Los Angeles Kings broomed their general manager and coach, both of whom were in place for two Stanley Cup titles. Outside of Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha, Detroit has no elite talent capable of leading them into contender status once again. Andreas Athanasiou has struggled after waiting out a contract, and coach Jeff Blashill once again has him in the proverbial doghouse, giving him just 8:34 of ice time on Saturday.

Detroit News writer Gregg Krupa has been vocal about the “process” not working, and at some point, as the same errors and results continue, something has to be done to reverse course. As  Holland works through his final year without an extension in place, one can only wonder if ownership believes that a fresh pair of eyes are needed to finally plunge into a rebuild that emphasizes youth. For all of the posturing that the Red Wings have made about infusing youth into their lineup, they’re still the oldest team in the NHL. The only question that remains is if they bring in new blood–much like Mike Ilitch did when he hired Jimmy Devellano away from the then dominant New York Islanders in 1982. That move would transition Detroit out of one of the most brutal stretches in team history, known as the “Dead Wings” era.

Though there are intriguing prospects waiting, none seem ready to step in and save the team. That type of talent is only found early on in the draft–or sometimes–a bit later if luck will have it. The Athletic’s Craig Custance (subscription needed) wrote about how the Red Wings drafting as of late hasn’t yielded the talent necessary to take the next step. This is troubling for a team trying to “rebuild on the fly.” If they can’t draft high-end talent and can’t make the playoffs either, it’s the perfect combination for a return to the hockey wilderness.

There are a lot of tough decisions ahead for the Red Wings. But it’s clear that their familiar approach isn’t working anymore.

Atlantic Notes: Bruins, Sabres

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Yahoo’s Ryan Lambert opines that the Boston Bruins are truly as good as advertised. After dispatching the Red Wings Saturday afternoon, the Bruins solidified their spot in the Atlantic top three, and are within two points of the Maple Leafs, with three games in hand. Not bad for a team that struggled in its first 15 games and looked anything but a playoff team. Lambert writes that it wasn’t fair to judge them so early–especially since they were besieged by injury. Lambert writes that since going 6-7-1, the Bruins are 12-3-1 since and their possession numbers, which rank fifth in the league, are a pretty good indicator of a solid team. Lambert tips his cap to bench boss Bruce Cassidy, who he says has gotten the most out of a team that featured aging vets and younger players trying to find their stride. Lambert adds that the play of youngster Charlie McAvoy has been above and beyond everyone’s expectations, calling the 20-year-old defenseman the “crown jewel” of Boston’s “stable youngsters.”

  • The Buffalo News’ Nick Veronica writes that Sabres’ owner Terry Pegula admits the team desperately needs scoring to turn the corner. Veronica reports that Pegula was on WGR-550’s show, The Instigators, and spoke about how dire the goal scoring situation was for the Sabres. For fans looking for hints as to what Pegula would do to address it, Veronica writes that he spoke of his excitement regarding the Sabres prospects wh who will be playing in the World Juniors over the course of the week. Pegula cited Alex Nylander, Casey Mittelstadt and Marcus Davidsson as the prospects he’ll be keeping an eye on.

Zac Rinaldo Declines In-Person Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

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Zac Rinaldo could be in trouble again, as the Arizona Coyotes forward was offered an in-person hearing from the Department of Player Safety after punching Colorado defenseman Samuel Girard. Rinaldo has waived his right to that in-person meeting, and will instead try to defend himself over the phone tomorrow.

Because they offered Rinaldo the meeting, the NHL reserves the right to suspend him for five or more games, which seems likely given his history. Rinaldo has already been suspended four times in the past despite playing in just 306 career NHL games. After delivering a check on Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon, Rinaldo grabbed Girard and threw a punch while the defenseman was looking past him. While both Erik Johnson and MacKinnon were immediately involved in altercations, their discipline will be limited to the major fighting penalties they served, and MacKinnon’s game misconduct.

Rinaldo was last suspended in March of 2016, meaning he isn’t technically a repeat offender in terms of the salary he will sacrifice if suspended. That doesn’t mean that the DoPS won’t use his past transgressions in deciding his fate, as all previous incidents are considered regardless of how long ago they took place.

Last year we saw Micheal Haley suspended one game for a similar punch, his first such discipline from the DoPS. One would imagine a regular offender like Rinaldo will face a stiffer penalty.

2017 Year In Review: May

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2017 has been quite a busy year in the hockey world. There have been several big trades, the first expansion team in over 15 years, and much more. Over the coming days, PHR will take a look back at the top stories from around the game on a month-by-month basis. Next up is a look at May.

Playoff Injuries Abound: As teams continued their chase of the Stanley Cup, their bodies began to break down. As each subsequent round was completed, and teams were eliminated from the playoffs, reports of surgery and rehab surfaced daily. Players like Patrice Bergeron, Tuukka Rask, Jason Zucker, Andrej Sekera and Ryan Johansen all went under the knife in May, with the Anaheim Ducks perhaps announcing the worst of the bunch. Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen would both require shoulder surgery, not only putting the start of their 2017-18 seasons in jeopardy but complicating the expansion process for the Ducks. A seemingly inevitable Vatanen trade was put on hold until just recently, when he was sent to the New Jersey Devils for Adam Henrique.

Toronto Bolsters Blueline: The Toronto Maple Leafs had some depth issues on their blueline in 2016-17, when Morgan Rielly was forced to log big minutes despite suffering from a high-ankle sprain for much of the season. They decided to add to that depth when they signed both Calle Rosen and Andreas Borgman out of the SHL, and locked up a key newcomer long-term. Nikita Zaitsev officially signed his seven-year, $31.5MM extension on May 2nd, ensuring he’d be part of the core for some time.

Ben BishopBig Ben In Big D: The Dallas Stars, coming off an extremely disappointing season, decided that something had to be done about their goaltending duo of Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi. The Stars went out and traded for Ben Bishop, almost immediately signing him to a six-year, $29.5MM contract. Because Bishop was set to become an unrestricted free agent and was coming off one of his worst seasons in the NHL, he cost the Stars just a fourth-round pick. An improvement in Bishop’s play was one of the keys we identified recently for a potential Stars turnaround, after which he immediately posted a 24-save shutout against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Buffalo Gets Botterill: After canning their coach and GM the previous month, the Buffalo Sabres announced that Jason Botterill, formerly an assistant GM with the Pittsburgh Penguins, would be the new man to captain their ship. Botterill had some interim GM experience with Pittsburgh, but had never truly been the head man before and had a tough task ahead of him in Buffalo. The Sabres are once again one of the worst teams in the NHL, but have their star locked up long-term and several blue chip prospects on their way.

Vadim, Las Vegas: On May 4th, 2017 the Vadim Shipachyov era in Vegas officially began when the team announced a two-year, $9MM contract for the Russian star. Shipachyov was just the second player to sign with the Golden Knights, and was immediately penciled into their first line. Unfortunately, the rest of 2017 would not go as smoothly. Shipachyov was first left off the NHL roster to begin the season, and would eventually terminate his contract with Vegas in order to return to the KHL. He scored one goal during his brief NHL career, and has spoken quite candidly about the disappointing situation.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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