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Archives for February 2018

Snapshots: Three Stars, Plekanec, Talbot

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Evgeni Malkin took home the top honors among the NHL’s Three Stars of the Week, after scoring six goals and eight points in just three games. Malkin is turning it on at the right time for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who now find themselves in a Metropolitan playoff spot for the time being.

Amazingly, goaltender Harri Sateri garnered the second star of the week after stopping 88 of 93 shots in his three starts. For the Florida Panthers, who’ve dealt with injuries to Roberto Luongo and James Reimer all season, Sateri’s emergence has been a welcome sight. Not so is the third star, Reilly Smith, who the Panthers sent to the Vegas Golden Knights in the offseason only to see him come into his own offensively. Smith had five points in four games last week and needs just ten more to match his career-high of 51. The 26-year old is a whopping +25 on the season, trailing only teammate William Karlsson (+28) and Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara (+27) for the league lead.

  • In Montreal, Tomas Plekanec remains one of the interesting players to watch for the Canadiens as he heads towards unrestricted free agency at the end of the year. In a frustrated column for Sportsnet, Eric Engels writes that Canadiens’ GM Marc Bergevin should be shown the door if he doesn’t trade Plekanec for something at the upcoming deadline. Engels doesn’t totally disagree with the idea of bringing Plekanec back next season, but posits that the team absolutely has to get an asset out of his expiring deal this year. Vegas, Tampa Bay, Columbus, and San Jose are all examined as potential landing spots for the 35-year old center, who has seen his offensive production fall off a cliff in recent years. Plekanec has also been linked to the Pittsburgh Penguins as an ideal fit for their third line.
  • One veteran center with a more certain future than Plekanec is 11-year NHL veteran Max Talbot, who is now playing overseas with the KHL’s Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Talbot isn’t making an NHL comeback, but he isn’t retiring either. Talbot has earned a one-year extension from Lokomotiv, the KHL announced today. Talbot has served as an alternate captain for Yaroslavl for two years now and had the best offensive season of his career – NHL or otherwise – last season and has shown no sign of slowing down. While the reliable two-way forward won’t be suiting up for Team Canada at the Olympics, he remains one of the best North American skaters not playing in the NHL and Lokomotiv was wise to retain the services of their experienced import.

Los Angeles Kings Trade Zac Leslie To Vegas Golden Knights

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The Los Angeles Kings have completed their first ever trade with the Vegas Golden Knights, sending minor league defenseman Zac Leslie in exchange for future considerations.

A sixth-round pick of the Kings in 2013 in his second year of eligibility, Leslie has spent the last three seasons in the minor leagues with the Kings organization, not yet getting a chance in the NHL. The 24-year old played four years for the Guelph Storm of the OHL, showing off his quick puck-moving skills and being a big part of the 2014 team that were OHL champions. Since then, he’s progressed slowly through the minors, even spending some time in the ECHL.

Leslie signed a one-year contract with the Kings in the offseason, meaning he’ll be a restricted free agent this summer for the Golden Knights. While Vegas has had a lot of success in the NHL, building a minor league pipeline is still a work in progress. Next season, when the St. Louis Blues are no longer sending players to the Chicago Wolves the Golden Knights will have to fill out the ranks themselves, and try to continue the team’s strong play.

This year, the Wolves are sitting at 24-15-8 and in good shape for the playoffs, but have had trouble getting much offense from their blueline. Jason Garrison leads the way with 19 points, but isn’t even on the roster currently. Shea Theodore’s 11 points in 8 games actually still ranks fourth on the team among defensemen, something that hopefully Leslie can change if given the opportunity.

Trade Candidate: Rick Nash

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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.

News broke this morning that the New York Rangers had finally asked Rick Nash for his 18-team no-trade list, essentially confirmed what has been suspected for some time. The team plans on trading Nash before the deadline, trying to recoup as much value as possible out of the last few months of his current contract.

Contract

Nash is in the final season of an eight-year, $62.4MM contract—$7.8MM cap hit, $8.2MM salary. He will be a UFA in July, and holds an 18-team no-trade list.

Alain Vigneault, Rick Nash2017-18

For years, Nash was one of the elite goal scoring talents in the NHL. Armed with excellent speed, a large frame and good hands, the power forward topped 40 goals in three different seasons, and 30 in five others. Since his 42-goal 2014-15 season things have started to trend downwards, but there is still effective hockey left in the 33-year old.

This year, Nash has scored 15 goals through 52 games and has seen his ice time increased back to more than 17 minutes a night. His value as a defensively responsible forward is still quite high, and he still spends nearly two minutes penalty killing every night.

Season Stats

52 GP, 15 goals, 10 assists, 25 points, -5 rating, 20 PIM, 162 shots, 17:04 ATOI, 48.7 CF%

Potential Suitors

Even with Nash’s large cap hit, the market could include several teams around the league. If the Rangers are willing to retain salary (which they are), several teams in the Western Conference could see him as one of the top additions, especially because of his two-way ability.

Dan Rosen of NHL.com lists the Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks and St. Louis Blues as possible destinations, with others noting his familiarity with people like Ken Hitchcock and Joe Thornton. All four teams are battling for position in the West, and could end up driving the price higher and higher for top rentals.

Another interesting spot would be a return to Columbus, though it would take a trade between division rivals to pull it off. The Blue Jackets are looking for some more depth at forward—though specifically center if they had the choice—and would likely welcome the old face of their franchise back for one last run. The two sides did not leave on good terms when Nash was dealt in 2012, but that was some time ago and included a different front office regime.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Nash confirmed he had handed in his list today, and seemed upset at the thought he wouldn’t be a Ranger at the end of the season. Speaking to media including Sean Shapiro of The Athletic, he explained how hard it will be to tell his son that he isn’t with the team anymore.

It’s hard to imagine that the team won’t trade him now, but there is definitely the possibility that he returns to New York in the offseason. Knowing that, it would be foolish of the Rangers to not cash in on whatever return they can get, unless they truly believe they can compete this season in the playoffs. Even still, the return for Nash—which some are speculating could be as high as a first-round pick—is more valuable to the franchise than his contributions this season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Injury Notes: Vesey, Hornqvist, Versteeg

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The New York Rangers today confirmed that forward Jimmy Vesey is dealing with a concussion, and isn’t practicing with the team. The team was also without Marc Staal at practice with a cervical strain, while Pavel Buchnevich deals with a concussion of his own.

If there was any doubt that the Rangers would be sellers at the deadline, the piling injuries may just erase it. The team is back in action against the Dallas Stars tonight, but will have to decide how long to wait before selling off assets like Rick Nash and Michael Grabner. It could be a very different looking Rangers team in the next few weeks.

  • Though Phil Kessel missed practice with an illness, the news isn’t as good on Patric Hornqvist. The Pittsburgh Penguins announced that the high-energy forward will be out on a week-to-week basis with a lower-body injury, removing him from the lineup for the time being. Hornqvist will become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and may be on his last chance to suit up with the Penguins. After three straight 20-goal seasons, Hornqvist sits at 16 this year and will head into the summer with plenty of interest in his services.
  • Kris Versteeg was on the ice today for the Calgary Flames for the first time since hip surgery in December. Versteeg still isn’t expected to be ready for game action for a few weeks, but getting him on the ice is a good first step. The 31-year old had just eight points in 22 games when he elected surgery, but could be an important piece down the stretch for the Flames.

Rick Nash Submits No-Trade List To New York Rangers

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It has been expected for some time that Rick Nash would be dealt at the trade deadline, the only question was where. Now, according to Bob McKenzie of TSN, the New York Rangers have some idea of where they can send their pending unrestricted free agent, as they’ve asked him to submit his 18-team no-trade list. New York can now trade him to the twelve teams not included on the list, or ask him to waive the clause in order to deal with any of the others.

Nash, 33, is an interesting case to follow as the deadline approaches. Though he’s not the same 40-goal scorer he was a few years ago, he does still have 15 goals and 25 points on the season and can skate well enough to contribute in several different roles. He could be a useful addition to several teams, but both the no-trade list and his prohibitive $7.8MM cap hit are obstacles for the Rangers to navigate in the coming weeks.

Despite being just two points back of a playoff spot, the Rangers woke up today in last place in the Metropolitan Division. Their struggles this season have given both front office and fans of the team an appetite for a rebuild, as evidenced by the overwhelming results in our latest poll and constant trade rumors surrounding Nash and captain Ryan McDonagh.

If the Rangers do end up selling, Nash looks like he’ll be one of the first assets out the door. Interestingly though, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet this weekend floated the idea that both Nash and Michael Grabner could be traded as rentals only to return to New York in the summer as free agents.

Minor Transactions: 02/05/18

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After a light Sunday schedule because of the Super Bowl, the NHL has just four games on tap for Monday night. Despite the lack of on-ice action, there will be plenty of minor moves around the league. As always, we’ll keep track of all of them right here.

Morning Notes: Hurricanes, Predators, Strome

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The Carolina Hurricanes were one of the few NHL teams in action yesterday, but weren’t able to put up much of a fight against the San Jose Sharks, losing 3-1. After the game, head coach Bill Peters had a lot to say about the effort of his team, and Luke DeCock of the News & Observer encapsulated the comments in a scathing review of the club.

Whether Peters’ angry exclamation that the Hurricanes “can’t put that group out again after that” will actually spark some movement from GM Ron Francis is unclear, but the team certainly isn’t satisfied with how they’ve played. Carolina has lost two in a row but still find themselves only one point out of a wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference. If there was ever a time to push some chips to the middle and try for a playoff push, now might be it.

  • The Nashville Predators are one of the deepest teams in the NHL, and will only improve in that regard when Mike Fisher returns to the lineup at some point over the next few weeks. Still, that isn’t stopping GM David Poile from looking around for another forward. Adam Vingan of the Tennessean reports that Poile could still go after a top-six winger, and points out that the Predators have a ton of cap room to fit in even the most expensive players.
  • Though his short NHL stints haven’t gone perfectly, Dylan Strome continues to impress in the minor leagues. The 20-year old Arizona Coyotes forward is leading the league in points-per-game with 41 in 32 games, and will look to continue that dominance tonight against the San Jose Barracuda. Strome, the third-overall pick from 2015, has just two points in 18 NHL contests but is still a big part of the Coyotes future plans. If Max Domi truly is on the block in the desert, Arizona will need Strome to take the next step before long and help fill some of the offensive burden that Domi has struggled with at times this season.

Josh Leivo Asks To Be Traded

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Maple Leafs winger Josh Leivo is in his second straight season of seeing limited playing time and with it looking less and less likely that this will change in the weeks to come with Kasperi Kapanen coming up from the minors and playing well, he has requested a trade if he isn’t going to get more ice time, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos reports (video link).

Josh LeivoLeivo is waiver eligible which is what has left him in limbo, similar to what had been happening last season with now-Penguins blueliner Frank Corrado.  Toronto doesn’t want to risk losing him for nothing as he would almost assuredly be picked up if they were to place him on the wire.

Leivo’s agent Ian Pulver spoke to Jonas Siegal of The Athletic (subscription required), indicating that there is no bad blood between the two sides.

Josh is a player who would stand in front of a train for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Josh was drafted by the Leafs and he wants to be a long-time Leaf. He would love to be in the lineup Monday night, and every night thereafter. Having said that, he hasn’t been in the lineup for a long time, and hasn’t played much in the past two seasons.  He has reached a point in his career where he simply needs to play regularly.

While it looked like Leivo would start to get more playing time following a one-year, $925K extension he signed back in November to avoid potentially hitting Group VI unrestricted free agency, that hasn’t been the case.  The 24-year-old has played in just 12 games this season, notching a goal and two assists while averaging just 10:54 per night in playing time.

Overall, Leivo has had a bit of success when he has had the opportunity to play.  Although he has played in just 53 career NHL games over parts of five seasons, he has managed a respectable 10 goals and 11 assists in limited playing time (just 10:57 per game on average).  That should attract some interest around the league, especially since his cap hit of $613K falls below the league minimum salary.

While Toronto is certainly looking to add before the trade deadline, this case may be one where it makes sense for them to take a future asset in return.  The Leafs are currently at the maximum of 50 contracts so picking up a draft pick or unsigned prospect here would free up an opening for them to add a veteran before the end of the month.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Five Key Stories: 1/29/18 – 2/4/18

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Although it was a quiet week on the trade front, there was still a fair bit of big news around the league over the past week.

Fisher Unretires: Mike Fisher’s retirement didn’t even last one year.  The long-time center announced that he will be returning to play for Nashville.  No contract has been finalized yet as the 37-year-old will have to get back into playing shape first.  It will have to be signed before the trade deadline in order for him to be eligible to play in the postseason.  While Fisher likely won’t bring much to the table offensively considering how long he has been off, he should slot in their bottom six up front while potentially giving them the flexibility to shift Nick Bonino to the wing.

Trouba Out Long-Term: Injuries haven’t been kind to Winnipeg this season as Mark Scheifele, Dustin Byfuglien, Mathieu Perreault, and Steve Mason (among others) have all missed a sizable amount of games.  Defenseman Jacob Trouba was the next to be added to that list as he will miss the next six-to-eight weeks with an ankle injury.  While his production has been lower than expected this year, he has still played an important role for the Jets while ranking second among skaters in ice time.  As he’ll be out past the trade deadline, there’s a possibility that Winnipeg may look to add another defender in the weeks to come.

Jagr To Kladno: After clearing waivers, the Flames assigned veteran winger to HC Kladno in the Czech Republic.  In doing so, the 45-year-old remains on Calgary’s books and the team will retain the ability to recall him if they so desire instead of running him through unconditional waivers to give him his outright release.  In the meantime, veteran Czech center Petr Nedved came out of retirement to face Jagr in his first game back.  Jagr’s first game back home was certainly a productive one as he recorded three assists while playing more than 20 minutes in ice time.

John TavaresNo Tavares Trade: Islanders captain John Tavares hasn’t put pen to paper on a contract extension which led to some speculation that the team could trade him before the deadline to avoid the risk of potentially losing him for nothing in the summer.  GM Garth Snow put an end to all that by stating that Tavares will not be dealt no matter what before the deadline.  With the Isles in a close battle for a Wild Card spot, it seems more likely at this point that they will try to add a player or two to help their chances of getting into the playoffs while hoping to strengthen their pitch to keep Tavares in the fold beyond this season.

Canucks Prefer To Keep Gudbranson: While Vancouver defenseman Erik Gudbranson has been viewed as one of the more prominent rental defensemen that will be dealt before the trade deadline, GM Jim Benning acknowledged that their preference is to sign him to a contract extension.  Gudbranson has been limited to just 33 games this season due to injuries and has been used in a more limited role than usual; his 17:39 average ice time is his lowest since his rookie season.  If they aren’t able to agree on a new deal before the 26th, the 26-year-old will still likely find himself in another uniform by the end of the month.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Filip Forsberg Suspended For Three Games

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3:52 PM: Forsberg has been suspended for three games, the Department of Player Safety announced (video link).  He will be eligible to return on Saturday, February 10th.

8:36 AM: The Department of Player Safety announced today that Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg will have a hearing today for his hit on New York Rangers winger Jimmy Vesey during the Predators’ Saturday’s 5-2 win.

The incident happened during the second period of the game in which Forsberg skated backwards behind the net and collided with Vesey, leaving the second-year forward a bloody mess. Video link here.

There was no penalty called on the hit during the game. The highly debated hit brings many questions as it looks like Forsberg leaves his feet to make the hit and his elbow connects with Vesey’s face, suggesting it was malicious in nature.

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