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Archives for January 2018

Morning Notes: Buffalo, Prospects, Offside

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After another disappointing loss at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets last night, the Buffalo Sabres were back on the ice today trying to right the ship. Unfortunately, things didn’t go so smoothly. According to Amy Moritz of the Buffalo News, Zach Bogosian was helped off the ice unable to put weight on his left leg.

Not only that, but tempers appear to be flaring as according to Bill Hoppe of Buffalo Hockey Beat, Evander Kane and Justin Falk got into a shoving match with the latter calling the former “selfish.” Things haven’t gone according to plan for the Sabres this year, who are now in the midst of a five-game losing streak and just three points ahead of the Arizona Coyotes for last place in the NHL.

  • ISS Hockey and Jeff Marek of Sportsnet each released their new draft rankings today, with both agreeing that Rasmus Dahlin has solidified his position as the no-doubt first-overall pick in June’s draft. After that though, the lists diverge with Marek leaving Andrei Svechnikov in the second spot while ISS has moved Brady Tkachuk into that position. The remaining top 10 is a mixed bag, and should make for an incredibly interesting draft day with teams having very different boards.
  • While the entire league is wondering whether the current offside review process will stay the same after another “skate blade incident” for the Edmonton Oilers last night, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that NHL Director of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell will bring up the issue once again at the GM meetings in March. There is a growing belief that the rule should be changed to that of a endzone-type plane that extends straight up, so that a player’s skate doesn’t necessarily need to be touching the ice to be onside.

Minor Transactions: 01/10/17

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The NHL world is in a frenzy about offside review calls once again, after the Edmonton Oilers had a goal overturned last night that could have changed the outcome of the game. Connor McDavid doesn’t like the review system, and he’s not alone. Still, life must go on around the league and we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.

  • The Nashville Predators have flipped Juuse Saros and Anders Lindback once again, as the likely will throughout the team’s bye week. The team has done this several times throughout the year to get Saros more playing time and keep him fresh for a potential run should Pekka Rinne go down to injury.
  • Ottawa has brought back Filip Chlapik from the AHL according to the minor league’s transaction board. The young forward played six games with the Senators earlier this year, but is still looking for his first NHL goal. He’ll get into the lineup tonight with Bobby Ryan out due to injury.
  • The St. Louis Blues have sent Vince Dunn and Ivan Barbashev to the Chicago Wolves during their bye week, while also assigning Tage Thompson to San Antonio. The Blues won’t be back in action until they take on the Maple Leafs on January 16th.
  • The Capitals have once again sent Madison Bowey and Jakub Vrana to Hershey of the AHL, via the AHL’s transactions page.  This isn’t a sign that the team isn’t pleased with their play but rather a way to save a little bit of money on the cap.  With Washington in action tomorrow, they’ll likely be recalled for that game.

Evening Snapshots: Seabrook, Red Wings

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Early speculation that Brent Seabrook may be a healthy scratch today proved correct. The veteran defenseman and alternate captain of the Chicago Blackhawks was a healthy scratch tonight against Ottawa, showing that head coach Joel Quenneville is willing to do anything to keep his team accountable writes ESPN’s Emily Kaplan.  The benching of one of the team’s most successful players is clearly a sign that things in Chicago are not going according to the normal expectations. The Chicago Sun-Times Mark Lazerus reports that “the heart and soul of the team” wasn’t thrilled with the decision, but told Lazerus that once he gets back into the lineup, he’ll “have to be ready to go.” Seabrook has been a solid core of the Blackhawks successful past but his ice-time has been reduced this season and he’s appeared a step behind in terms of foot speed. Though Quenneville said it’s “not easy” to make such a decision, it shows that the team is willing to just about anything to solidify its standing in the West.

  • The Detroit News’ Gregg Krupa believes that the Red Wings are just spinning their wheels as they enjoy their five-day break and will not be returning to the playoffs anytime soon, despite a recent four-game winning streak that snapped on Sunday evening. Writing that they’re consistently inconsistent, he adds that the strides of Dylan Larkin, Andreas Athanasiou, and Anthony Mantha among others is encouraging for a team needing to get younger. The Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James writes, however, that the Red Wings’ players believe that they can beat anyone and will begin their playoff push in earnest once their break is over. Despite several of the players’ optimism about being in the thick of the playoff race, she points out that it would take “quite the push.” While admitting that the Wings have played better than their record indicates, leapfrogging three teams and being just a point ahead of last year’s pace doesn’t bode well for even the most positive thinkers.

Asking Price For Evander Kane Revealed

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We’ve heard speculation and rumor on the Buffalo Sabres’ asking price for Evander Kane in trade, but now Pierre LeBrun definitively reports on TSN’s Insider Trading that the team is looking for a first-round pick, prospect and a conditional pick based on whether Kane re-signs with the acquiring team. Of course, this is the value of Kane “if the Sabres have their way” as LeBrun puts it, not necessarily what they’ll actually receive for the talented winger when (and if) they eventually do move him.

There will surely be several teams eventually willing to meet that price for the 26-year old, especially ones that are certain to make the playoffs and won’t be risking a potential lottery pick. Teams that want an extra push for the postseason could do worse than a power forward well on his way to another 30-goal season.

Kane is a lightning rod for criticism thanks to his previous off-ice incidents, but has flown relatively under the radar this season in terms of questionable comments or actions. Though any acquiring team wouldn’t be able to completely discount his past, there has been interest from around the league for some time. LeBrun believes that some teams that could be willing to meet that price haven’t completely decided whether they’ll buy or sell at the deadline yet, and will have to wait another few weeks.

For pure rentals this year, Kane seems like the top option on the market so far. Whether he’d be open to an extension with his acquiring team is unclear, but he also could head into the summer as the top free agent available. That would result in quite the haul financially, though other scoring wingers like James Neal and James van Riemsdyk could seem like more palatable moves for the more risk-averse clubs around the league should they also make it to free agency.

Help Wanted: Islanders’ Defense Corps

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In his most recent 31 Thoughts column for Sportsnet, Elliotte Friedman notes that the New York Islanders need help on defense as they deal with injuries to Calvin de Haan and Johnny Boychuk. Brock Nelson, a pending restricted free agent, is listed as a possible trade chip whose name is “starting to creep out there” though Friedman provides no further details other than noting that the Islanders are in a desperate win-now mode.

Brock NelsonThat’s mostly because of the continued intrigue around John Tavares and his potential free agency, but it’s not just him that could walk this summer. Josh Bailey, Thomas Hickey, Jaroslav Halak and de Haan are all set to become unrestricted free agents, which could result in a very different Islanders team taking the ice next season. If they’re to compete with this group, it has to happen now.

If the Islanders are to put Nelson up for sale, he would certainly garner interest despite his down year. Coming off three consecutive 20+ goal, 40+ point seasons, Nelson has just 14 points on the season this year playing reduced minutes behind Tavares and Mathew Barzal. His ability and size are still attractive attributes for teams looking to upgrade down the middle, especially when they come with just a $2.5MM cap hit. Most teams in the league could afford to add a contract like that, especially if a defenseman is headed back the other way.

Defense isn’t the only thing Friedman mentions in regards to the Islanders, as he sneaks in a thought about their goaltending situation and a potential interest in Robin Lehner of the Buffalo Sabres. This doesn’t seem to be based on any inside information, but just seems like a logical fit from his point of view—for what it’s worth, Joe Yerdon of NHL.com has considered this idea before as well.

The Islanders could use an upgrade in net, and with Lehner heading towards restricted free agency once again this summer with an increasing price tag, the Sabres might consider moving him for the right price. After all, they do have Linus Ullmark waiting in the minor leagues for his chance in the NHL and a team that has holes all over the roster.

The biggest takeaway perhaps from Friedman’s notes is that the Islanders are indeed a team to watch as the trade deadline approaches next month. With a lot riding on this season to show Tavares where their future lies, and their current position in last place in the Metropolitan Division, we could see some fireworks before long.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Chris Kreider To Undergo Surgery, Out Indefinitely

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Jan 9th: Kreider has undergone successful surgery, and will be reevaluated in six weeks. While the team still lists him as out indefinitely, this gives some hope to the idea that he can return healthy to the Rangers at some point, even if it is next season.

Jan 5th: After revealing a scary diagnosis of a blood clot for New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider recently, the team has announced that he’ll go under the knife for a rib resection and is out indefinitely. It would be dangerous to assume anything about his future before any details are released, but the Rangers will have to plan for life without him for at least the time being.

Kreider was a big part of the Rangers offense, with 22 points through his first 37 games and was coming off his best season as a professional. For a club that has pushed themselves back into the thick of the playoff race, losing a top-six player possibly for the rest of the season is a crushing blow. The Rangers will need to find someone to replace his minutes, either internally or on the trade market.

After today’s bronze medal game, Filip Chytil is due back in the AHL and could be an option, and other youngsters like Pavel Buchnevich and Jimmy Vesey have already been expected to carry a larger load. The Rangers latest game saw Buchnevich play 18:22 in a loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, his highest number since the first week of the season.

Snapshots: Emelin, Guhle, Schwartz

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The Nashville Predators locked up the back half of their defense corps today, inking Matt Irwin, Yannick Weber and Anthony Bitetto to minimum-salary deals. The question now will be about Alexei Emelin, and where he fits into the picture. Emelin is an unrestricted free agent on July 1st, and Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets that the two sides plan on meeting after the season to “discuss things.”

Emelin has been a fine addition to the Predators this season, able to fill in admirably while Ryan Ellis was out for the first half of the season with an injury. Now that he’s back, Emelin’s role is expected to decline though he still provides excellent depth for a potential playoff run. He also could be used closer to the deadline as a trade chip for the Predators, since part of his salary is already being covered by the Vegas Golden Knights.

  • Brendan Guhle will make his season debut for the Buffalo Sabres tonight, though a move will need to happen to reduce their roster size before that happens. Guhle is expected to skate alongisde Jake McCabe, in a long awaited return after spending three games with the NHL club during last season. Guhle is an impressive defenseman, capable of taking pucks away in his own end and moving them quickly into offensive chances, and should improve a Sabres defensive unit that has struggled mightily this season. The group of Victor Antipin, Nathan Beaulieu, Josh Gorges, Justin Falk and Zach Bogosian have just 11 points combined, despite totaling 111 games played.
  • Jaden Schwartz was having the best season of his career when he went down to injury last month, scoring 35 points in 30 games. The St. Louis Blues’ offense hasn’t been the same without him, but they could get a boost before long. Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic reports that Schwartz is out of his walking boot and still on target for a re-evaluation on January 20th, which isn’t as far away for the club as it might seem. After tonight’s game against the Florida Panthers, the Blues have their CBA-mandated bye week and won’t get back into game action until January 16th.

James Van Riemsdyk Looking For $36MM Extension

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After James van Riemsdyk scored once again for the Toronto Maple Leafs last night, several members of the media speculated on his upcoming free agent value. van Riemsdyk is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and is having another solid season in terms of goal scoring. Bob McKenzie relayed during the broadcast on TSN that he believed a five-year deal worth $6MM per season was possible, while Darren Dreger was on TSN radio this morning suggesting a six-year, $36MM deal is more accurate.

The money is right. I think that van Riemsdyk would take $6MM. $6MM frankly on the open market could be considered a hometown discount based on the goals he provides to the Toronto Maple Leafs. In a perfect world, I think JVR would prefer a 6×6 scenario to stay in Toronto.

Dreger suggests that van Riemsdyk does want to stay in Toronto if possible, but that his camp would believe that $6MM number is actually leaving money on the table. That’s the number suggested back in September as well, but the 28-year old winger could be earning himself even more every day.

With 18 goals already, van Riemsdyk is on pace for what would be a career-high 34 goals on the year and a potential spot among the absolute top of the free agent charts. Since Toronto has several other contracts to worry about in the next couple of seasons—most notably, Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner—anything more than $6MM per season (and perhaps even that) could be out of the question.

Cody Franson Clears Waivers

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Well, so much for the report that there were several teams interested in Cody Franson. The veteran defenseman has cleared waivers for the Chicago Blackhawks, and has been assigned to the Rockford IceHogs. It doesn’t necessarily mean that he won’t be traded in the coming days, as we’ve seen previously with players immediately after they clear waivers. In his place, the Blackhawks have recalled Erik Gustafsson.

Gustafsson hasn’t played in an NHL game in nearly two years, but is still just 25 and has been playing exceptionally well at the AHL level. The Swedish defenseman has 17 points in 25 games for Rockford, and has earned another shot with the big club. Amazingly, Brent Seabrook is the defenseman who stayed out late after practice today according to Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times and could be a scratch for tonight’s Blackhawks’ game.

Seabrook of course has six more seasons on his current contract at a cap hit of $6.88MM, and holds a full no-trade clause through 2021-22. His decline has been rapid and unfortunate for the Blackhawks, who don’t have the luxury of wasting cap space while still paying Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane some of the highest salaries in the league.

Nashville Predators Sign Yannick Weber, Anthony Bitetto, Matt Irwin

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The Nashville Predators have given themselves some cost certainty among their depth defensemen, signing Yannick Weber to a two-year extension worth a total of $1.35MM. Weber was set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer, but will now be with the club through the 2019-20 season. The team also announced a one-year extension for Anthony Bitetto, worth $650K. Bitetto was in the final season of a two-year deal, and would have also been eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer.

Matt IrwinAdditionally, a few minutes later, the team announced a two-year deal for Matt Irwin also worth $1.25MM. Irwin was on a one-year deal that was set to expire in the summer, and thus had to wait (like Weber) for January 1st to sign an extension.

Because the Predators have always put a hefty amount of responsibility on their top four, getting depth defensemen locked up for the minimum salary is a key part of their salary structure. Even with P.K. Subban eating a huge chunk of the cap, the team can feel now confident trying to extend Ryan Ellis before he becomes a free agent in the summer of 2019.

Weber, Irwin and Bitetto certainly don’t play huge roles on the team, but their presence as the third-pairing or extra man is still valuable. Until the Predators acquired Alexei Emelin to help cover for Ellis’ long-term injury, Irwin and Weber were the go-to pairing for around 11-13 minutes a night. The two played in all 22 games in last season’s Stanley Cup run, and can be relied upon in at least a limited capacity.

The Predators now have seven defensemen and eleven forwards signed and penciled into the NHL roster for next season, meaning that their remaining ~$12MM (depending on where the cap lands) can be used for landing a big fish on the open market or bringing in more salary in trade. GM David Poile has done a masterful job of retaining the core pieces of his team while adding through trade when necessary, and has built what looks like a sustainable winner at this point. Getting three depth pieces under contract for the league minimum is only the latest example.

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