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Archives for January 2018

Jonathan Quick Placed On Injured Reserve; Jack Campbell Recalled

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Though it is not believed to be a major injury, Jonathan Quick has nevertheless been placed on injured reserve by the Los Angeles Kings retroactive to January 24th. The Kings have recalled Jack Campbell from the AHL to take Quick’s spot for at least one game.

Because Quick pulled out of the All-Star game at the last minute, he’ll be forced to sit for Wednesday’s contest. It’s not clear if he’ll return after that, the team calling it a “nagging injury” that caused him to withdraw from the festivities.

Campbell, 26, is a very interesting story for the Kings. The 11th-overall pick in 2010 by the Dallas Stars, he didn’t progress as planned and eventually found himself toiling in the ECHL. Since a trade to the Kings though, Campbell has put up solid numbers for the Ontario Reign of the AHL and rediscovered the potential that made him a high pick. He is carrying a .920 save percentage this season through 22 games for the Reign and could potentially push for the backup role next season as Darcy Kuemper is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent.

While Quick is clearly the king in Los Angeles, developing Campbell to take some pressure off him as he enters his mid-thirties can only help the team. It doesn’t look like Campbell will get onto the ice right away, but if Quick remains out for any length of time we might get a glimpse of what he can do at the NHL level.

The team has also recalled Jonny Brodzinski, Michael Amadio and Paul LaDue as expected. The Kings take on the Dallas Stars tomorrow night, before heading to Nashville for a game against the Predators.

Snapshots: Islanders, Prospects, Recruitment

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The New York Islanders will be opening the doors on their new arena at Belmont Park in a few years, but for the time being they needed to find a place to play. Today, the team announced that they would play 12 games at Nassau Coliseum next season, and split time evenly between there and the Barclays Center again in 2019-20.

During the press conference, the Islanders executive group spoke about John Tavares and his pending free agency, saying that it is completely in his hands and that they want him to spend the rest of his career with the club. As Tavares focuses on getting the Islanders back into the playoffs, rumors will continue to bubble up about him going to another city—it certainly won’t be because they don’t want him back as an Islander.

  • Corey Pronman of The Athletic (subscription required) has released his midseason draft rankings, and they will definitely raise an eyebrow or two. Pronman has long been a proponent of ranking potential stars over depth players, despite the risk that may be involved. That might explain his ranking of Ryan Merkley at #6 and Brady Tkachuk down at #15. Pronman’s rankings are just another example of how difficult this draft will be to project, as players fall in wildly different categories on various lists. It could lead to more trading on the draft floor, as teams try to acquire “their guy.”
  • NHL players don’t turn down an opportunity to help improve their club, and the All-Star weekend was no different. Several reports, including Craig Custance of The Athletic, listed examples of players trying to recruit others that might be heading to free agency soon. Mike Green, Drew Doughty and Erik Karlsson all heard it from players like Auston Matthews, while apparently Steven Stamkos was selling Tampa Bay to everyone who would listen.

Calgary Flames Place Jaromir Jagr On Waivers

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Monday: Jagr has cleared waivers according to McKenzie, and will now have his contract assigned to Kladno for the remainder of the season. It very well could be the end of the line for a legendary hockey name, though there is always a chance of a return at some point down the line.

Sunday: The Calgary Flames have placed long-time NHL star Jaromir Jagr on waivers, according to TSN’s Bob McKenzie. While initially reported to have been placed on unconditional waivers with the intention of releasing him from his contract, McKenzie reports that the veteran has actually been placed through regular waivers. The 45-year-old Jagr hopes to continue his career in the NHL, but according to McKenzie, the plan is that if he clears waivers, the Flames can assign him to a European team to finish out his contract.

The Hockey Writers Ryan Pike reports that if he goes unclaimed, he’s expected to go to Kladno in the Czech league on loan. The writer adds that the difference here is that if Jagr is loaned to Kladno rather than go through unconditional waivers, then the Flames could still potentially use him in the playoffs.

Unless the veteran is claimed tomorrow morning, it could likely end the veteran’s NHL career. This move has been a long-time coming as rumors of a split between Calgary and Jagr were reported back on Jan. 6. However, a lower-body injury allowed the team to delay a decision while they placed him on injured reserve until he healed and was ready to go. Evidently, he’s ready to resume his career, just elsewhere. After signing a one-year, $2MM deal on Oct. 3 with Calgary, he has struggled fitting in with the Flames. Dealing with injuries and the fact he has slowed down quite a bit, Jagr hasn’t made the impact that many were hoping. He played in just 22 games with just one goal and six assists to show for it.

The question now is whether an NHL team is willing to kick the tires on claiming him and adding them to their roster. Perhaps several teams that might need help on one of the back lines could be interested, but considering the lack of interest this offseason from teams, there is a likelihood that he will not be claimed. A poll, back on Jan. 7, asked the question, “Should your team make a play for Jaromir Jagr.” The results were split with 52.35% suggesting that his NHL career is over, while 47.65% stated he still has something left.

Jagr, who is in his 24th year in the NHL, has played in 1,733 career games, putting up 766 goals, 1,155 assists for 1,921 points. He has also played in 208 playoff games, with 78 goals, 123 assists and 201 playoff points. Assuming he goes unclaimed and is loaned to Kladno, it’s a team he has played for before. He played 17 games there in 2004-05 and then returned in 2012-13 where he played another 34 games for them after that.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was the first to report the news.

Minor Transactions: 01/29/18

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As January comes to a close, the NHL resumes a normal schedule and teams across the league try to make a push for the playoffs. The trade deadline, which comes in just a few weeks will bring new addresses for some of the very best players, while along the way many minor moves will be made to help the edges of a roster. We’ll keep track of all the day’s minor transactions right here.

Jacob Trouba Could Miss Six To Eight Weeks

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Lost in all the excitement of the NHL All-Star weekend was a report from Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun, detailing an injury to the Jets’ Jacob Trouba. Wiebe writes that Trouba will be out with an ankle injury for six to eight weeks, a huge blow to the already hurting Jets.

Now in his fifth season in the NHL, Trouba has blossomed into a dynamic two-way defender for the Jets, capable of playing in all situations against any competition. The 23-year old trails only Dustin Byfuglien in average ice time, and Tyler Myers in points among Jets’ defenders. Losing him for nearly two months will put a huge stress on Winnipeg’s blue line, and could lead to a potential trade to add some depth.

While Tucker Poolman will likely be asked to fill a bigger role, the team could go out and add a piece to fill Trouba’s role. If that’s true, they have the prospect talent to land some of the league’s biggest fishes.

The Jets are headed for a playoff spot for the first time since 2014-15 and only the third time in franchise history that goes back to Atlanta in 1999-00. Even with injuries to Mark Scheifele and now Trouba, the team sits in first place in the Central Division and looks as capable as anyone to come out of the Western Conference playoffs.

Five Key Stories: 1/22/18 – 1/28/18

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While it was a lighter week on the NHL schedule with the All-Star break beginning, there were still several headlines around the hockey world.  Here are the top stories from the past week.

Olympic Rosters: Both Finland and Russia (officially participating as ‘Olympic Athletes from Russia’) named their rosters for next month’s tournament.  Notable players on the Finnish squad include long-time goaltender Karri Ramo plus a pair of first-round picks from last summer’s draft in Miro Heiskanen (Dallas) and Eeli Tolvanen (Nashville).  Meanwhile, the Russian squad features players from only three KHL teams and features several long-time NHL veterans including Pavel Datsyuk, Ilya Kovalchuk, and Slava Voynov as well as Vadim Shipachyov who retired from the Golden Knights earlier this season.

Senators Have Preliminary Arena Agreement: While things haven’t been going well on the ice for Ottawa, they got some good news off of it with the announcement that they have reached a preliminary agreement on a redevelopment project for a new arena.  Although their current one isn’t outdated by any stretch, it’s on the outskirts of the city so owner Eugene Melnyk is hopeful that one closer to downtown as this one will be will help improve attendance.  Although this is an important first step, it will still take several years to finalize everything with an early projection of being ready for 2022-23.

Johansson Concussed, Marchand Suspended: A late-game hit between New Jersey and Boston has resulted in a pair of players missing considerable time as Bruins winger Brad Marchand received a five-game suspension for his elbow on Devils winger Marcus Johansson.  Meanwhile, Johansson is out indefinitely after being diagnosed with his second concussion of the season.  Despite being suspended, Marchand was allowed to participate in the All-Star festivities after being named to the game for the second season in a row.

Joe ThorntonMore Knee Troubles For Thornton: For the second straight season, Sharks center Joe Thornton is dealing with knee trouble.  He is out indefinitely after undergoing an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee upon being diagnosed with an MCL injury.  While this is the opposite knee that he had problems with last season, it could very well hurt his cause come free agency as an aging veteran with recent issues in both knees.  Meanwhile, the Sharks will be down an important piece for the foreseeable future as they look to maintain a playoff spot in the very-tight Pacific Division.

Detroit Ready To Sell: As their playoff hopes continue to fade, the Red Wings have told teams that they are open for business and ready to sell.  While that includes pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Mike Green, they also appear to be open to moving players that are signed beyond this season.  One of those appears to be goaltender Jimmy Howard who is believed to be available although a soft trade market for goaltenders may make that somewhat of a challenge.  Looking ahead, with GM Ken Holland’s contract up at the end of the season, what he does (or doesn’t do) over the next month may play a role in whether or not he is brought back for a 22nd season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Poll: Who Will Be The Next UFA To Sign A Contract Extension?

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While there is plenty of trade talk in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline each year, there is also an uptick in pending free agents signing contract extensions.  These are often done to ensure that the player won’t wind up being dealt as a rental while it also gives teams a better idea of what they have to spend beyond the season in case that plays a role in their deadline strategy.

Earlier this season, Kyle Turris was the first prominent unrestricted free agent to take himself off the open market when he signed a six-year, $36MM extension upon being dealt to Nashville.  Odds are that someone else of note will do so in the next month leading up to the February 26th deadline.

Who will be the next potential free agent to put pen to paper on a new contract before deadline day?  Make your predictions by voting in the poll below.  Players are listed in the order that they appeared in our midseason UFA power rankings (1-10, 11-20, honorable mentions) from earlier this month.

Mobile users, click here to vote.

PHR Originals: 1/22/18 – 1/28/18

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With the trade deadline now less than a month away, the focus around the league is starting to shift more towards the trade talk and the same can be said for our original content here at PHR over the past week.

Our Trade Candidates series kicked off with a look at five players that could potentially be on the move in the weeks to come.  Four of them are rental players while one has three years remaining but still could be of use on the back end of a contending team.

Tomas Plekanec – Montreal (link)
Derek Ryan – Carolina (link)
Mike Green – Detroit (link)
James Neal – Vegas (link)
Jason Demers – Arizona (link)

One rental player that many expect to be on the move is Edmonton’s Mark Letestu.  Zach took a closer look at his situation, noting that the Oilers may have already missed out on their best chance to move him for maximum value.

William Karlsson has been one of the biggest surprises for the Golden Knights this season as he leads Vegas in goals while sitting tied for second overall league-wide.  He certainly has positioned himself well for a new contract this summer as a restricted free agent with arbitration eligibility.  Gavin examined how his shooting percentage could be a significant discussion point on his next deal as a rate of 26.7% will be very difficult to maintain.

We also had a poll for who the best available trade chip is.  Montreal’s Max Pacioretty currently leads the way but there’s still time to cast your vote.

Trade Candidates: Jason Demers

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With the trade deadline approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that have a good chance to be dealt by February 26th.

With another dismal season in the desert, the Arizona Coyotes will once again attempt to unload their veteran players with the hopes of picking up some draft picks and opening roster spots so the team can promote some of their young talent in the minors. While the team may want to hold onto some of their offseason trade acquisitions a bit longer like Derek Stepan or Niklas Hjalmarsson, there are others such as defenseman Jason Demers, who the team will likely shop in hopes of finding a taker.

Contract

One reason Arizona was able to get Demers for such a cheap price (for Jamie McGinn) was that the Coyotes were willing to eat his contract. The 29-year-old defenseman still has three years remaining on the five-year, $22.5MM ($4.45MM AAV) deal he signed in 2016 with the Florida Panthers. However, the Panthers will retain $563K for each of the next four years, which brings his salary down to just under $4MM per year.

2017-18

While the Coyotes had high hopes that with the addition of Demers and Hjalmarsson to go with Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Alex Goligoski and second-year defenseman Jakob Chychrun, the team’s defense and new goaltender Antti Raanta might stabilize their defense. That hasn’t happened, although Demers has played well with the Coyotes and been a consistent defensive presence all season. While his offensive numbers have been modest at best (three goals this year compared to nine last year), he has played well defensively and is averaging a solid 21:06 of ice time.

Season Stats

50 GP, 3 goals, 13 assists, 16 points, -11 rating, 29 PIM, 21:46 ATOI, 51.1 CF%

Potential Suitors

While Demers is no rental player, the team has to hope a team is willing to take on three more years of his contract for a trade to work. Even if they were willing to retain some of his salary, finding a taker might be challenging. While the Toronto Maple Leafs have shown interest in Demers in previous years and might be looking for a defenseman, the likelihood they would be willing to take on his contract for three more years when their cap situation ready to explode at that time suggests they aren’t a great match. Perhaps a team with ample cap space such as the San Jose Sharks, the Colorado Avalanche or even the Winnipeg Jets might be willing to take on that contract. The New York Islanders also could use some defense, but would likely have to send some salary back to make a deal work.

Likelihood of a Trade

Arizona is likely more than willing, but again, it all comes down to whether any team wants to take on the three years remaining on his salary and how much Arizona might be willing to retain. Demers isn’t that high priced, but the defenseman is hardly that great player that will change a team’s playoff fortunes around. Yet, he is a solid, respectable defenseman who might make a solid pickup to a team’s defensive rotation.

Minor Transactions: 1/28/18

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With the 2018 NHL All-Star Game slowly coming to a close, many NHL teams will be getting ready for games on Tuesday and might be recalling several players they sent down before the break.

  • The Carolina Hurricanes announced they have recalled defenseman Haydn Fleury from the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. The 21-year-old  was sent down to get some game time in while everyone was on break. He played one game for the Checkers, his first there this season. The former 2014 first-round pick has played 39 games for the Hurricanes this season. He has six assists in 39 games in his rookie season.

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