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Archives for March 2018

Snapshots: Coaching Changes, Marchand Fine, McDonagh Debut

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Buried in the news of Ron Francis being replaced as GM of the Carolina Hurricanes was the fact that it was the first major personnel decision of the 2017-18 season. It’s March, well beyond the three-quarter mark of the season, and there has been just one general manager fired (but promoted) and still no coaches. It’s rare to see so much inactivity, but it can likely be linked to the fact that the league’s worst teams – Arizona, Buffalo, Ottawa, Vancouver, and Montreal – all have first- or second-year coaches: Rick Tocchet, Phil Housley, Guy Boucher, Travis Green, and Claude Julien respectively. Unsurprisingly, USA Today’s Kevin Allen lists the head coaches of four of the next five worst teams as being on the hot seat as the end of the season approaches. That includes the Edmonton Oilers’ Todd McLellan, the Detroit Red Wings’ Jeff Blashill, the New York Rangers’ Alain Vigneault, the Chicago Blackhawks’ Joel Quenneville, and the Carolina Hurricanes’ Bill Peters. The most obvious inclusion on this list is Peters, who has an owner looking to make changes and soon a new GM, and has also struggled to get the most out of his talented roster. Quenneville would be the biggest news, should he be removed, as the longest-tenured coach in the NHL, since 2008, and a three-time Stanley Cup champion. The last name on the list who doesn’t quite fit the pattern is the Washington Capitals’ Barry Trotz. Trotz has yet to be offered a contract extension and his future could depend on the Caps’ playoff success this season. However, as Allen states, Trotz would be the prime coaching candidate this summer if he isn’t retained by Washington. As of right now, all of these coaches are safe, but things could change quickly with the season coming to a close. In the meantime, if you would like to apply for the open Hurricanes GM position, here you go.

  • One thing that there has been plenty of in the league this season has been punishment handed down by the NHL Department of Player Safety, as the league has focused on cracking down on certain penalties. A player who has gained plenty of attention, fair or not, has been Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand. Marchand has finally spoken out after his most recent hit, a $2,000 fine for diving. Marchand spoke to the media, saying things like “it’s a small amount of money”, “it’s a joke”, “it’s pretty stupid” and “I don’t care about this.” He did go a step further though, adding “how are they (Player Safety) to tell …they go from being players to management and running the league pretty quickly and forget how to play the game.” While Marchand doesn’t seem to care much about a very minor fine, he is making a point that any fine for diving, the most subjective call in the game, is somewhat unreasonable, especially when the call comes from those who were not even present at the game.
  • While the Bruins are continuing to win behind three straight game-winners from Marchand, their rivals in the Atlantic Division and the President’s Trophy race, the Tampa Bay Lightning, continue to win as well. They’ll get even better starting tonight, as their huge trade deadline acquisition, Ryan McDonagh, is set to make his debut with the team tonight against the Montreal Canadiens. Head coach Jon Cooper told beat writer Bryan Burns that McDonagh is ready to go, after dealing with an upper-body injury for more than a month. McDonagh’s addition to the Bolts blue line makes them a scary team for anyone to go up against and that includes the Bruins, who play Tampa three more times this season and could very well meet them in the second round of the playoffs.

Minor Transactions: 3/10/18

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There are eleven games on the docket today, including action for each of the league’s top eight teams and a match-up with major wild card implications in Blues-Kings. As teams continue to push toward the playoffs and jockey for position, here are the roster transactions being made before a busy day:

  • Last night, the Colorado Avalanche recalled defenseman David Warsofsky from the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage. The 27-year-old journeyman rearguard is in his fifth NHL season, but has seen less and less of the NHL ice as the years have gone on. Thus far in 2017-18, Warsofsky has suited up for just six games for the Avs and hasn’t done much to prove he deserves more, with zero points to his credit, zero hits, and just two shot attempts per game. Currently the eighth defenseman in Denver, don’t expect Warsofsky to be the spark that ignites a playoff-clinching stretch run for Colorado.
  • Ahead of their Original Six matinee match-ups today and tomorrow versus the Boston Bruins, the Chicago Blackhawks added some grit to their lineup in the form of John Hayden. The team announced this morning that they had called up Hayden from AHL Rockford and he will play this afternoon in Boston. The move was an emergency recall, with Vinnie Hinostroza dealing with family issues, but also a timely addition for Chicago. With Tommy Wingels gone, ironically to the Bruins, the ’Hawks could use a degree of toughness, which the 6’3″, 220-lb Hayden certainly brings. The Yale product has 11 points in 39 games with Chicago this year, as well as 103 hits and 43 penalty minutes.
  • Another Central Division moves comes from the Winnipeg Jets, who have brought back Tucker Poolman. It was a brief demotion for the young defenseman, who has spent much of the season as an extra man for the Jets. Poolman, playing in his first pro season out of the University of North Dakota, has played in 15 games with Winnipeg, recording just one point, and 17 games with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose crammed into several short trips, where he has posted 10 points.
  • The St. Louis Blues announced they have recalled journeyman defenseman Chris Butler from the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL today under emergency conditions. Butler has been up and down several times this season, but has only appeared in two games for the Blues. While there is no official word on who is out, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Tom Timmerman writes that defenseman Robert Bortuzzo did not practice Friday.

Kyle Okposo Diagnosed With Concussion

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Already in the midst of a tough season, the news just got worse for Sabres winger Kyle Okposo.  The team announced today that he has been diagnosed with a concussion following a collision with Ottawa winger Bobby Ryan on Thursday and will be out indefinitely.

Okposo is no stranger to concussion troubles recently as he sustained one late last season that resulted in him being in intensive care by the end of it.  This one doesn’t seem to be as serious at least as head coach Phil Housley told reporters, including Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald, that the team hasn’t given any thought towards shutting him down for the season.

The 29-year-old is in his second season in Buffalo and the results haven’t been particularly strong.  In 65 games, he has just 11 goals (his lowest total since the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign) which is hardly the production the Sabres were expecting when they committed $42MM over seven years to him back in the summer of 2016.

Okposo is far from the only forward on the shelf in Buffalo.  The team is still without center Jack Eichel who has been missing for a month due to a high ankle sprain and has no timetable for his return while wingers Seth Griffith, Evan Rodrigues, and Kyle Criscuolo are all dealing with upper-body issues; Griffth and Rodrigues are day-to-day while Criscuolo is likely out for the rest of the season.

Coyotes Interested In Extending Antti Raanta And Niklas Hjalmarsson

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Although he wouldn’t discuss the current status of negotiations, Kevin Epp, the agent for Coyotes goaltender Antti Raanta, confirmed to Arizona Sports’ Craig Morgan that there is mutual interest in getting a contract extension done.

Raanta was part of the big trade with the Rangers that also saw Arizona pick up center Derek Stepan while New York added the seventh overall pick (center Lias Andersson) and blueliner Tony DeAngelo.  When healthy, he has made a big impact and has posted a .935 save percentage since the beginning of January which is well above-average.  However, he has only been able to play in 39 games this season and is currently out with a lower-body injury.

The 28-year-old is receiving just $1MM in salary this season and will be poised to make considerably more for 2018-19 as he is set to become an unrestricted free agent in July.  The contract Carolina handed Scott Darling after acquiring his negotiation rights last season (four years, $16.6MM) will likely be a close comparable if they can get a deal done.

While he still has another year remaining on his contract, Morgan reports that the Coyotes also have interest in signing defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson to an extension as well.  They will be able to do so as of July 1st and Epp happens to be the agent for the defender (as well as fellow Arizona rearguard Oliver Ekman-Larsson).

As has been the case with Raanta this year, Hjalmarsson has had trouble staying healthy as he missed 26 games due to multiple upper-body injuries.  When he has been in the lineup, the 30-year-old has been a stabilizing presence on their back end, logging just shy of 21 minutes per night.  GM John Chayka acknowledged to Morgan that the veteran was drawing trade interest prior to last week’s trade deadline but that they weren’t looking to move him.

Hjalmarsson carries a $4.1MM cap hit (with a $4MM salary) through next season.  As the league shifts away from stay-at-home players in favor of more mobile puck-movers, it will be interesting to see how much of a raise he will be trying to command to put pen to paper on a deal that would see him forego unrestricted free agency.

New York Rangers Extend AHL Affiliation

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The New York Rangers and Hartford Wolf Pack have extended their affiliation for two more season according to Patrick Williams of NHL.com. The partnership will continue through the 2019-20 season, after which the Rangers hold three one-year options.

The Wolf Pack organization has been affiliated with the Rangers for more than two decades (though they spent some time as the Connecticut Whale between 2010-13) but have unfortunately seen some struggles recently because of it. Since the Rangers have spent so much prospect and draft capital to upgrade the NHL team over the last few years, the Wolf Pack have suffered and only made the playoffs once in the last five seasons. This year, the team is going to need a huge last month to qualify, but things are headed in the right direction.

New York is in the midst of a rebuild, and seems committed to bringing exciting young talent into the organization. This year, the Wolf Pack have been able to showcase young players like Filip Chytil, Vinni Lettieri and Neal Pionk at various times, and are expected to get several new names in the coming years. With Chris Drury managing the team now, they’ll hope for some more tangible success in the AHL playoff picture.

Snapshots: NCAA, Fines, Tolvanen

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The NCAA is a breeding ground for NHL talent these days, and over the next few weeks the top free agents will be snapped up by clubs all across the league. Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required) reports that two names in particular are getting a ton of interest.

Daniel Brickley of Minnesota State has apparently been contacted by 30 teams, while Jimmy Schuldt from St. Cloud State has spoken to 22. Both players went undrafted and can sign with a team as soon as their collegiate season ends, though both are juniors and could potentially return to college for another year. Both are left-handed defensemen who could step into an NHL lineup with little development, and they both will turn 23 before the end of the regular season.

  • The NHL handed out embellishment fines to both Nick Cousins and Brad Marchand, for their second incidents of the season. The first time a player is caught embellishing by the league, he is given a warning. Now, Cousins and Marchand will have to pay $2,000 and could face stiffer penalties if it continues. On the fifth such incident, the player’s coach starts to be fined as well.
  • Eeli Tolvanen continued his dominance of the KHL today, scoring two goals to send Jokerit to the next round. That will unfortunately delay his appearance in the NHL even further. Adam Vingan of the Tennessean reports the earliest Tolvanen’s season could now end is March 20th, but could play even later than that if Jokerit keeps winning. The outstanding young sniper has seven goals in six playoff games after finishing the regular season with 36 points in 49 games.

Florida Panthers Sign Patrick Bajkov To Three-Year Contract

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The Florida Panthers have signed another exciting young prospect today, inking Patrick Bajkov to a three-year entry-level contract. The 20-year old forward is playing for the Everett Silvertips in the WHL, but could spend some time on an amateur tryout in the AHL before the end of the season.

Bajkov wasn’t selected in the NHL draft, but has impressed scouts all season with his offensive explosion for Everett. With 92 points in 67 games—the WHL site has him at 92, while the Florida release lists 91—he ranks ninth in WHL scoring and easily leads the Silvertips. A deadly playmaker on the powerplay, he should bring a good level of offense to the AHL level.

The question that will follow Bajkov is can he produce at the NHL level. The 6’0″ 185-lbs forward was ranked as high as 113th on the NHL’s Central Scouting list for North American players, but projections for where he would fit into an NHL lineup aren’t positive. Though that powerplay prowess could carry him through, it’s unlikely he’d be an impact player in limited minutes and could have trouble cracking a lineup without a chance to operate with other skilled players.

Still, it’s hard to ignore the production this season entirely, and the Panthers are more than willing to take a chance on a player with high on-ice vision. They’ve developed other overlooked players in the past, and will try again with Bajkov.

Injuries Piling Up For Pittsburgh Penguins

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As the Pittsburgh Penguins march towards the playoffs and an attempt at a third straight Stanley Cup Championship, the injury list is beginning to crowd. The team announced today that Bryan Rust is dealing with a concussion, Dominik Simon is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury, and that Zach Aston-Reese and Matt Murray are “making progress.”

Obviously there are other players on the Penguins whose absence would be more noticeable, but don’t underestimate the impact of losing several depth players at one time. Rust’s importance to the team is sometimes understated, but with 33 points this season and the ability to play in every situation, he’ll be missed over the last few weeks of the season.

Aston-Reese and Simon have taken turns on the top line at times this season, and will force the Penguins to insert Josh Jooris into the lineup should they not be able to make a quick recovery. Riley Sheahan might end up moving to wing to fill out the line with Phil Kessel and Derick Brassard.

Murray of course is a huge wildcard for the Penguins. The young goaltender has won a Stanley Cup in each of his first two postseasons, but has battled injury throughout his short career. This year he has just a .909 save percentage even when healthy, giving way to Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith to try and show that they could be relied upon in a postseason start. The idea of going through the playoffs with two goaltenders with such little experience is probably not what Jim Rutherford was hoping for, but it may be his only option if Murray isn’t able to come back and prove his health. Even if he does return before long, it will be interesting to see if he can ramp up his game once again for the chance to three-peat as Cup champions.

Capitals Extend GM Brian MacLellan; No Word On Barry Trotz

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March 9th: The Capitals have officially confirmed the extension to Tom Gulitti of NHL.com.

March 4th: The Washington Capitals have signed general manager Brian MacLellan to a multi-year contract extension Saturday, according to Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos. The next question is whether the team will extend head coach Barry Trotz as the coach is in the final year of his contract.

MacLellan has worked his way up the ladder with the Capitals having served as an assistant general manager for seven years with the organization before taking over general manager duties in 2014. While in charge, his teams have reached 100 points three consecutive years. The team’s lone issue has been its struggles in the playoffs as the team has failed to get out of the second round in each of those years.

Even this year, the Capitals are atop the Metropolitan Division this year with 81 points, despite losing a number of players due to their salary cap issues this year. The team lost several key players in the offseason, including defenseman Karl Alzner, Kevin Shattenkirk, Nate Schmidt as well as forwards Justin Williams, Marcus Johansson. Yet the team has continued to succeed with younger players and some veteran additions.

As for Trotz, there are questions whether the Capitals may move on from the veteran coach. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman added on Saturday night’s Headlines segment on Hockey Night in Canada that the team might consider promoting assistant coach Todd Reirden. In the past, other teams have asked to interview Reirden for coaching jobs, including the Arizona Coyotes, Buffalo Sabres and the Florida Panthers.

“It’s gotten to the point where if he’s not signed soon … other teams are going to come out looking for him perhaps,” said Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston during Saturday night’s Headlines segment. “Barry’s future in Washington is very much uncertain.”

Carolina Hurricanes Ask For Permission To Interview Mike Futa

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The Carolina Hurricanes have already started their search for a new GM after moving Ron Francis out of power this week. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets that the club has asked for permission to speak with Los Angeles Kings Assistant GM Mike Futa. Lisa Dillman of NHL.com adds that the request was granted. Futa has been in the running for GM jobs all around the league for the last few seasons, but was retained and promoted when Rob Blake took over as GM of the Kings last year.

Futa has a scouting background, previously worked as GM in the OHL, and is regarded as one of the brightest minds not yet given the reins of an NHL team. He was in the running for the Buffalo Sabres job before it eventually went to Jason Botterill last year, and makes sense as one of the first names Carolina would target. Whether they’ll be given permission to talk to him now or after the season is unclear, but new Carolina owner Thomas Dundon hasn’t waited around for much since taking over control of the team in January.

The Hurricanes are in danger of missing the playoffs for the ninth straight season, but do come with an impressive young core. This isn’t a job where a rebuild would be in order, which is usually the case when new GMs are brought in. Instead, the Hurricanes could be just a few moves away from real contention with their pipeline of young defensemen and scoring talent up front. While a star forward would be nice, the team desperately needs to find an answer in goal for their struggles. Cam Ward comes off the books at the end of the season, but Scott Darling hasn’t shown enough to be relied upon as the lone starter for another year.

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