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PHR Mailbag: Draft Trades, Bruins, Capitals, Bennett, Stars

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The first mailbag of the postseason takes a closer look at one of the top pending free agents, the coaching market, and much more.

Connorsoxfan: Why aren’t NHL teams as active with trading up and down on draft day as NFL teams are?

It wasn’t all that long ago that there were a lot of trades on draft day in the NHL but that has fallen by the wayside as of late.  I don’t expect it to really change much in the near future either, especially as the salary cap continues to force teams to put more young, entry-level salaried players in the lineup to stay in compliance with the Upper Limit.

In the NFL, quite a few teams believe in the draft pick value chart.  If the ‘value’ of two or more lesser picks equals the higher one, some teams are willing to make that swap.  That doesn’t seem to be too prevalent in the NHL.  Back in 2011, Michael Schuckers of Stat Sports Consulting put together an NHL equivalent value chart and the conclusion pretty much drawn from that is that trading up usually doesn’t make a whole lot of sense; it appears a lot of teams are in agreement with that.

Generally speaking, there is a big variability in draft lists beyond the first round.  A final draft list for teams heading into the draft may only be 50-75 players long and they’ll still get players on that list in the sixth and seventh rounds.  Accordingly, why should a team give up an extra pick or two to move up a little bit when there’s a decent chance the player they want will still be on the board?

Another factor is that the opportunities to acquire younger talent are much more prevalent in the NFL.  There are a large number of undrafted players that sign as free agents that either land on a practice squad or sometimes even crack the active 53-man roster.  In the NHL, undrafted players are often signed to be depth players; there is the odd diamond in the rough but most players wind up just being fillers years down the road.  The best shot to get top young talent that will have an impact with the big club sooner than later is the draft so teams aren’t going to willingly surrender extra chances as frivolously as they were in the past.

Not all that long ago, the draft was one of the more active trading times in June but now, it feels like the opposite is true.  There will be an influx in the days leading up to it and some after before free agency opens up but for the foreseeable future, draft day isn’t going to feature a lot of trade activity.

@NicholasAlexa14: Do you think The Boston Bruins have a chance at John Carlson or John Tavares in NHL free agency this offseason?

I can’t see Boston being too active in a pursuit of Tavares.  With Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, and David Backes (a natural center playing the wing) all signed to big money deals, there isn’t a major need to add Tavares.  Of course, they could trade one of them to make room if they had to but there are other priorities to address.

Carlson, meanwhile, would be a more interesting fit.  He would lock in Boston’s right side (with Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo) for years to come and that’s a strong one-two-three group.  He’d also give them another workhorse as realistically, Zdeno Chara can’t keep leading them in ice time for much longer.  The only concern I might have is that they might have too many offense-first defenders with Carlson, McAvoy, and Torey Krug but even if GM Don Sweeney thought that was the case, teams would be lining up to alleviate Boston of that ‘problem’.  It’s an intriguing fit, especially since he’s from the area.

ThePriceWasRight: If Washington is eliminated in the first round, when do they restructure the team and stop blaming the coaching?

And who do you see making a pitch for Carlson?

Considering everything GM Brian MacLellan has said publicly regarding the coaching staff dating back to last offseason, an early exit is probably going to result in a change behind the bench regardless of what happens with the roster.  I do agree, however, that if they get eliminated this round, it may be time to change up the core.  What could Washington get for Nicklas Backstrom, a bona fide number one center locked up for two more years at a team-friendly rate?  With Evgeny Kuznetsov proving himself to be a top-liner as well, that’s a strength they could deal from and either address some holes on the roster or set themselves up nicely down the road.  With this much top-end talent, the lack of depth that results from it is certainly a factor that they may want to try to address.

As for Carlson, MacLellan has said they’d like to keep him around but that’s going to be tough to accomplish given their salary cap situation.  I wouldn’t be surprised if Vegas took a run at him over making another pitch for Erik Karlsson as effectively a one-year rental to give them a true top-pairing defender.  Buffalo is in need of help on the back end so I expect they’ll make a pitch.  If Thomas Dundon greenlights more spending in Carolina, I think they’ll kick the tires, especially with Justin Faulk a couple of years away from free agency; adding Carlson could allow them to move Faulk.  New Jersey still needs help on the back end so they’ll be it in as well – it was only a year ago that they made the top financial offer for Kevin Shattenkirk.  There will surely be quite a few other teams as well but these ones should be in the mix at the very least.

Pawtucket: What is Calgary going to do with Sam Bennett?

It’s safe to say that things haven’t gone well for Bennett in his first three full NHL years.  The fourth-overall pick back in 2014 has shown signs of brilliance and others where he has looked out of place.  The end result has been a position change (from center to the left wing) but it didn’t yield much improvement as his 11 goals this past season were a career-low.

While the Flames could certainly look to cut bait with the 21-year-old, they’d be doing so with his value about as low as it has been.  That’s not an ideal situation to be in.  Instead, it makes more sense for them to hold onto Bennett for one more year.  Perhaps their new head coach finds a way to get more out of him and gets him back on the right track.  If not, then he enters restricted free agency without a lot of leverage and perhaps at that time, a trade makes more sense; it’s not as if his value would drop much lower than it currently is.  Calgary has shown a lot of patience already with their former top prospect and they’d be wise to do so for one more year at least.

@ZonaNitro67: Who’s the next Stars coach?

GM Jim Nill’s first two hires have been veterans in Lindy Ruff and Ken Hitchcock.  He also came from an environment in Detroit that favored veteran coaches (Scotty Bowman and Mike Babcock were the mainstays during that time).  As a result, on the surface, it would certainly be reasonable to assume that he may be inclined to look for someone with experience.  Alain Vigneault is a speculative candidate but Blues associate coach Craig Berube and former Ducks assistant Paul MacLean (who Nill is familiar with from their days in Detroit where MacLean was an assistant for six years) should be in the mix as well.  Dan Bylsma is on the market as well and has experience with a team with a lot of firepower from his days with Pittsburgh.

Some of the comments made following Hitchcock’s retirement suggested that the team may be more open to bringing in someone with no experience.  That would have people like Sheldon Keefe (Toronto) and Benoit Groulx (Tampa Bay) in the mix as well as college coaches like Jim Montgomery (Denver) and David Quinn (Boston University).

However, given that the Stars are a veteran-laden team with a lot of firepower up front, I have a hard time thinking that Nill will hand the keys to the team to a rookie bench boss.  This is a team built to win now so I think someone with NHL experience will be the way he prefers to go.  Berube is going to be a popular candidate this summer and he could be the fit here but if not him, I could see MacLean getting the nod.  He had some success in his last stint with Ottawa and the existing relationship he has with Nill won’t hurt either.  MacLean may be a shorter-term coach but with the way the team is currently constructed, that might not be a bad thing.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Sean Couturier Missed Game Four And Played Remainder Of Series With Torn MCL

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UPDATE (4/22): After the Flyers’ Game Six loss today, it was revealed that the “lower-body injury” that kept Couturier out of Game Four was a torn MCL ligament. Yet, Couturier returned for Game Five and Game Six, compiling four goals –  the game-winner on Friday and a hat trick this afternoon – and two assists. That’s quite the gutsy performance for the Philly forward and Selke Trophy candidate.

4/18: The Philadelphia Flyers are facing a crucial Game Four tonight, at home and down 2-1  in their first round series with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but will have to secure the win without a key player. Flyers GM Ron Hextall has confirmed to the media that top line center Sean Couturier will not play tonight, ruled out with a lower-body injury. Couturier was injured in practice yesterday when he collided with defenseman Radko Gudas. The initial word out of Philadelphia was that Couturier would be a game-time decision tonight, with some question as to the severity of the injury versus simple gamesmanship of the Flyers’ part. While questions still remain, it is clear that Couturier has suffered a significant injury if it is causing him to miss a defining playoff game.

Couturier’s loss is a game-changer for this Metropolitan Division series, as the 25-year-old forward is enjoying a breakout campaign. Centering Philly’s top line this season, Couturier posted a career-high 76 points, finishing behind only superstar teammates Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek in team scoring. Couturier nearly doubled his previous career-high of 39 points, while seeing little drop-off in the two-way game he has become known for. In fact, Couturier’s +34 rating this year was tops in the Eastern Conference and the best in the league among players not skating on the Vegas Golden Knights’ top line.

Couturier played a complete game all regular season and was a major threat for any opposing team. It will be difficult for the Flyers to replace his production in Game Four and beyond – which may only be Game Five – though at first glance, the easy solution will be to slide Giroux back to center and go from there. If there is one dull silver lining, it’s that Couturier has been largely ineffective against the Penguins both during the regular season and so far in the postseason. Remove the Flyers’ Game Two outburst and “Coots” has just two points in six games against Pittsburgh this year. Maybe his replacement in the lineup will have better luck, as the Flyers look to keep the series in reach and avoid an elimination game in Pittsburgh in Game Five.

Canucks Could Entertain Trading Sven Baertschi

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In general, it’s a bad idea for rebuilding teams to trade away promising young talent. While the Vancouver Canucks have defied the logic of a rebuild on several occasions, that rule applies to them as well. However, Jason Botchford of The Province makes a convincing case for one exception: Sven Baertschi.

Baertschi, 25, is a highly-skilled winger for the Canucks who has always carried a ton of potential since being selected 13th overall by the Calgary Flames in 2011. When on the ice, Baertschi shows flashes of brilliance that reminds fans of why he was selected so high. Yet, as Botchford points out, Baertschi has struggled to stay on the ice in his young career. In Calgary, it was inconsistency that kept him out of the lineup, but in Vancouver, it has instead been injury, which is even more concerning. Baertschi played in just 53 games this season and was shut down in early March with a separated shoulder. It was the third straight season in which Baerschi missed significant time and has still yet to crack 70 games in a campaign. Availability is one of the most important abilities a player can have and thus far Baertschi has failed in this department.

That alone is not enough to trade away a young player either, though. If Baertschi had played in 82 games in each of the past two seasons, he would have likely exceeded 20 goals and 45 points in both. If sold for pennies on the dollar, the often goal-hungry Canucks could live to regret a deal if Baertschi was to stay healthy and be a consistent 40-50 point player. However, Botchford also recognizes that Vancouver has ample depth in young player that they can afford to trade Baertschi if the right offer comes along. In particular, Botchford notes that Nikolay Goldobin has the makings of a very similar player to Baertschi and, beginning next season, is no long waiver-exempt and will require a full-time role. With players such as veterans Loui Eriksson, Sam Gagner, and Markus Granlund, Calder candidate Brock Boeser, young projects like Goldobin, Jake Virtanen, and Brendan Leipsic, and incoming prospects Elias Pettersson and Jonah Gadjovich, there is plenty of competition for spots on the wing, even without Baertschi. This doesn’t even count additions in free agency or with one of the Canucks early draft picks, either. There’s a safety blanket to moving Baertschi in the Canucks’ depth of options.

Will a deal actually happen? Baertschi is a restricted free agent and Botchford points to comments from GM Jim Benning stating that the team is only interested in re-signing him to a one-year deal. That doesn’t invoke feeling of confidence in their long-term plans for him. Then, even if he does have a full, consistent season, he would be an unrestricted free agent capable of pricing himself out of Vancouver for now return. It certainly appears that the time is now for the Canucks to capitalize on Baertschi’s remaining upside and intrigue to acquire further (re)building blocks. There’s always risk associated with trading away young talent, but for a player who has been better in theory than in reality thus far in his pro career, Benning and company would be smart to the pull the trigger this summer if the right opportunity presents itself.

Snapshots: Boucher, Thornton, Hamhuis, Lindholm, Cullen

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The Vancouver Canucks placed center Reid Boucher on waivers with the hopes of sending him to Utica of the AHL, according to TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie. The forward missed the final three games of the season when he broke his hand, but Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that he is healthy again and ready to join the Comets for the first-round series against the Toronto Marlies in the Calder Cup playoffs.

The 24-year-old Boucher struggled to make an impact with the Canucks this season as he had just three goals and five points in 20 games. However, he was quite successful when playing for the Comets, putting up 25 goals in just 45 games for the AHL squad. He is a restricted free agent this offseason.

  • The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports that San Jose Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer said that center Joe Thornton has been ruled out in Game 1 against the Vegas Golden Knights later this week, although no date has been set yet by the NHL. The 38-year-old has been working his way back from a torn MCL injury in January. He has been practicing on his own, but obviously if he’s been ruled out already for Game 1, then it might be another week. Regardless, he could be back at some point in the series.
  • SportsDay’s Mike Heika profiles defenseman Dan Hamhuis, who was a key shutdown defender alongside Greg Pateryn this season for about 50 games before the 35-year-old veteran began to wear down. The defensive-minded defenseman still tallied three goals, 24 points, 113 blocks and 82 hits during the season, but the scribe writes the veteran’s play was part of the reason for Dallas’ late-season struggles. Heika adds that it’s likely the team will move on from Hamhuis who will be a unrestricted free agent this summer. He is finishing up a two year, $7.5MM deal. The team is likely to go with a younger defense as they will want to give minutes to Julius Honka and last year’s third-overall pick Miro Heiskanen, who many believe will come over from Finland next season.
  • With his team having lost the SHL finals, center Par Lindholm, one of Skelleftea top players, is expected to leave the team and come to the NHL, according to Expresssen (translation required). The 26-year-old put up 18 goals and 29 assists in 49 games this past season, and added another six goals and 11 points in 16 playoff games and played for Sweden in the 2018 Olympic Games. There is no word in the article where he might go, although there is plenty of interest from NHL teams.
  • The Minnesota Wild’s Matt Cullen has not made any decisions about whether he intends to return next season, according to StarTribune’s Sarah MacLellan. “I don’t know,” the 41-year-old said after the Wild were eliminated Friday. “My only though here the last while was getting it back home for Game 6. So to be honest, I don’t have an answer right now.” Cullen, who has played 20 seasons so far in the NHL, waited until August last year before opting to leave Pittsburgh and join Minnesota, his hometown team. He played in 79 games, but saw his points total drop to one of his lowest totals ever with 22 points.

Barzal, Boeser, Keller Nominated For Calder Trophy

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The NHL released the names of the 2018 Calder Trophy nominees as the New York Islanders’ Mathew Barzal, Vancouver Canucks’ Brock Boeser and the Arizona Coyotes’ Clayton Keller were named as the league’s top rookies. The award will be voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association with the winners to be announced on June 20 in Las Vegas.

In a year in which there were a large amount of talented rookies, several good players didn’t get nominated, including the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Yanni Gourde, Boston Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy, New Jersey Devils’ Nico Hischier, Chicago Blackhawks’ Alex DeBrincat and Winnipeg Jets’ Kyle Connor.

Barzal is the likely hands down winner after putting up a great rookie year with 22 goals and 83 points, centering the Islanders’ second line for most of the season. He was the only rookie to average more than a point per game (1.04) and had three five-point performances throughout the season. His emergence could lessen the blow if teammate John Tavares opts to leave via free agency as Barzal could easily take over as the team’s franchise player.

Boeser’s chances are slimmer after only playing in 62 games when he was lost for the season with a back injury. However, in that time, he put up 29 goals, 55 points and was named MVP of the 2018 All-Star Game. He should be a constant presence along with Bo Horvat with the young core of forwards that are coming in as the team’s rebuilding project begins to come to fruition.

Keller led all rookies in ice time (18:05) and put up 23 goals and 42 assists in his freshman campaign and also led the team in goals, assists and points. He provides the franchise with another core piece as the Coyotes begin to build their team back to contending status.

NBC Sports’ Sean Leahy was the first to report the news.

Playoff Notes: Hornqvist, Malkin, Komarov, Ehlers

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After having missed the last two playoff games for the Pittsburgh Penguins with an upper-body injury, veteran winger Patric Hornqvist is expected back for Game 6 today against the Philadelphia Flyers. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Jason Mackey writes that Hornqvist’s return is a major boost for a team as he is one of the team’s most unheralded players.

Mackey writes Hornqvist’s skill around the net, willingness to take a hit and his intensity both on and off the ice are keys the Penguins have missed the last two games. In fact, it’s that passion that’s so important to Pittsbugh.

“He brings so much passion to the rink every day and loves the game,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “He loves to be around his teammates. He loves to practice. He loves to play, and it’s contagious. I think he’s one of the more passionate guys that I’ve been around in all the years that I’ve been associated with this league. That’s one of the things that we love about him.”

Whether it’s his attitude or scoring prowess, he has made a difference to the team, according to Mackey. When he’s on the ice, the Penguins have a .640 points percentage as opposed to a .559 when he’s not playing.

  • While Hornqvist is expected to play Sunday, the Pittsburgh Penguins aren’t as sure about the status of center Evgeni Malkin, according to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Sam Werner and Mackey. Malkin was the only player to miss Saturday’s practice after injuring his leg in the first period of Friday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers when he got collided with Jori Lehtera and fell awkwardly against the boards. While he left after that play, he returned for the second period. While missing practice isn’t that big of a deal, Sullivan didn’t tell the media he was taking a maintenance day, suggesting his injury could be more serious than originally thought. He is a game-time decision.
  • Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston writes that Toronto Maple Leafs forward Leo Komarov is at 85 percent and isn’t yet ready to play for Monday’s Game 6 against the Boston Bruins. The 31-year-old has only played in two games this series with a lower-body injury. He has no points and a minus-1 rating in those two games.
  • While it’s still a series away, the Winnipeg Jets Nikolaj Ehlers skated with a non-contact jersey Sunday. Head coach Paul Maurice said Ehlers wasn’t feeling quite right and missed Game 5 because of that, although the coach didn’t clarify if it was an injury or illness, according to Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun. Ehlers and the Jets await the winner between Nashville and Colorado in the second round of the playoffs.

Vancouver’s Pettersson Joins Elite Company In SHL

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Already expected to have Adam Gaudette and Jonathan Dahlen on their roster next season, the Vancouver Canucks might be able add another gem in 2017 first-rounder Elias Pettersson, who has dominated the SHL in his rookie season and put himself among elite company.

His team Vaxjo captured the Swedish League Championship today when it swept Skelleftea in four games and Pettersson dominated. Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that Pettersson, the Canucks’ fifth-overall pick a year ago, was named the playoff MVP and is expected to be named to the Swedish World Hockey tryout camp.

The 19-year-old led the SHL in scoring in both the regular season and playoffs, the first player under 20 to ever do that. In total, he had 75 points in 56 games (including the playoffs), which sits him comfortably in first place among all-time juniors in the SHL. Ironically, Vancouver’s Henrik Sedin, who had the record, is now second all-time when he totaled 61 points back in 1999-2000. Daniel Sedin now holds both third and fourth places.

He tallied 24 goals and 32 assists during the regular season, but added a staggering 10 goals and 9 assists in 13 playoff games. The hope is that Pettersson will join Vancouver next season.

 

Rangers’ David Desharnais Headed to KHL

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With the New York Rangers in rebuilding mode and the expected full-time roles that are likely to be given to top prospects Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil, the writing looked to be on the wall for veteran center David Desharnais. Now, European insider Igor Eronko reports that the 31-year-old Desharnais intends to continue his career overseas with the KHL.

Desharnais was unlikely to return to New York as he will be an unrestricted free agent in July. He signed a one-year, $1MM contract last summer to help offset the Rangers’ losses of Derek Stepan, who the team traded to Arizona, and Oscar Lindberg, who the team lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft. The team had hopes that Andersson might make the team out of training camp, but also wanted insurance in case the 18-year-old didn’t. Desharnais provided that depth after Andersson was returned to Sweden, and played 71 games, but tallied just six goals and 28 points this season.

While there is no word on whether he has a deal in place, Desharnais has spent most of his career in North America, having only played 16 games during the 2012-13 strike in Switzerland. Desharnais played most of his career for the Montreal Canadiens and had several good seasons, including 60-point, 52-point and 48-point seasons between 2011 to 2015 seasons. However injuries have derailed his career and the veteran has struggled to hold onto his roster spot as the Canadiens traded him to the Edmonton Oilers last season for their playoff run, while the Oilers opted not to re-sign him last offseason.

Edmonton Oilers Frontrunners To Sign KHL’s Mikko Koskinen

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Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Bob Stauffer of 630 CHED each have linked the Edmonton Oilers with being the frontrunners to sign KHL goaltender Mikko Koskinen as the team’s backup to starter Cam Talbot. Koskinen, who has been playing with the KHL for the past six seasons, made his intentions known a couple of weeks ago that he’d like to take his talents back to the NHL.

The 29-year-old, who was a second-round pick of the New York Islanders in 2009, came overseas and played two games in the ECHL, 41 games in the AHL and four games with the Islanders, but struggled and eventually opted to return to Finland. In 31 games for SKA St. Petersburg, the goaltender posted a 1.89 GAA and a .905 save percentage.

Koskinen could be a good fit with Edmonton, assuming Talbot can rebound after a tough season. The starter went from a 2.39 GAA in 2016-17 and dropped to a 3.02 GAA this year. One key factor is the amount of games the veteran has played. Talbot has appeared in 153 games in two years if you include the 2017 playoffs. If Talbot can return to form, Koskinen could be a solid backup option where the team struggled last year. Laurent Brossoit started the year as the backup, but lost his job when he posted a 3.24 GAA. The team then traded for veteran Al Montoya, who didn’t fare much better with a 2.94 GAA in nine appearances. Montoya is the only backup who is under contract for next year at $1.06MM.

The Edmonton Journal’s David Staples writes that a backup goalie is essential to a team’s success and compares the potential signing to that of Anders Nilsson, who also struggled after being drafted by the Islanders and went overseas before signing with Edmonton. However, Nilsson struggled as a backup as well and was traded away later that same season. However, Koskinen has six years in the KHL under his belt and would be a far more likely option to be successful as a backup with the Oilers.

Friedman reported the news on Saturday’s Hockey Night in Canada.

Playoff Notes: Tortorella, Miller, Devils

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The Washington Capitals, who have tortured their fans with crushing playoff losses in the past, are a game away from digging out of a 2-0 hole and advancing to the second round. After beating Columbus 4-3 in overtime this afternoon, Washington has a chance to wrap the series up Monday night in Columbus. But it won’t be that easy, writes the Washington Post’s Roman Stubbs, who quotes Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella as saying there will be another game in D.C.:

“We will be back here for Game 7,” he said, before doubling down after another question about how he would prepare his team for the next game. “I won’t have to say a damn word to them. We’ll be back here for Game 7.”

As Stubbs points out, this isn’t the first person to guarantee victory, as the Caps’ Alex Ovechkin vowed that his team would rally from the two game deficit. Last season, Mike Babcock guaranteed a seventh game against the Capitals, but as Stubbs notes, that guarantee “rang hollow.” The Jackets’ bench boss is most likely trying to deflect the pressure that builds after squandering a two game series lead, or as Caps coach Barry Trotz said after hearing of Tortorella’s guarantee: “He wants to get it out there he believes in his team, just as I believe in my team.”

  • J.T. Miller is thriving with the Tampa Bay Lightning and the former Ranger has been a key part in Tampa’s first round success writes Newsday’s Colin Stephenson. With four points in five games, Stephenson reports that being on a line with Steven Stamkos certainly helps his performance, but it’s Miller’s grit and tenacity that has made him so valuable on a team loaded with skill. Whether it’s his work on the ice leading to goals, like his screen of Cory Schneider during Nikita Kucherov’s goal, or his knack to win crucial faceoffs (currently 56% through five games), he’s a guy, according to Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper, who “can make plays.”
  • Emily Kaplan of ESPN (Insider Subscription needed) offers a post-mortem of the Devils season and writes that the team has to add some defensive depth as it was a glaring need during the five game loss to the Lightning. She writes that both Sami Vatanen and Will Butcher are great building blocks for a strong defensive corps, but “reinforcements” are needed to get the Devils back into the playoffs and beyond. She also touches on predictions for next season, and what the Devils should do concerning Patrick Maroon and Michael Grabner.

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