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Archives for September 2018

Austin Watson Receives 27-Game Suspension

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Last week, the NHL indicated they would be making a final decision on supplementary discipline for Predators winger Austin Watson, who pled no contest to a domestic assault incident earlier this summer.  That decision has been made and they announced that Watson has been suspended for the first 27 games of the season as well as the entire preseason.  Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports (Twitter link) that the NHLPA intends to appeal the suspension.

Commissioner Gary Bettman released the following statement:

Today’s ruling, while tailored to the specific facts of this case and the individuals involved, is necessary and consistent with the NHL’s strongly held view that it cannot and will not tolerate this and similar types of conduct.

Watson’s plea came back in late July and at the time, he was given three months of probation and was placed on judicial diversion.  This means that if he complies with all of the terms set, his case will be expunged.

Watson will not be paid for the duration of the suspension and will be eligible to return to Nashville’s lineup on December 3rd.

Latest On Erik Karlsson Trade Talks

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Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson remains the most prominent defenseman available on the trade front and it there have been a few times already when a move looked imminent.  In an interview on TSN 1050 (audio link), TSN’s Darren Dreger noted that there is a growing sense that a trade could happen in the next day or two.

Similar to what happened with the Canadiens and Max Pacioretty, the beginning of training camp could serve as an artificial deadline in an effort to try to get something done before Karlsson’s situation becomes the focal point of media attention.

Dreger noted that the Stars, who were at one point viewed as the front-runner for Karlsson’s services, do not appear to be in the hunt at the moment.  He suggests that the recent managerial change in Tampa Bay could wind up sparking something while he believes that Vegas could still be in the mix as well despite moving one of their top trade chips in prospect Nick Suzuki to Montreal as part of the Pacioretty deal.  David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal echoes that sentiment, adding (Twitter link) that the Golden Knights have upped their efforts to get a deal done.  It’s believed that Ottawa has already turned down an offer that included six elements – two roster players, two prospects, and two draft picks although that was contingent on the acquiring team working out an extension.

Karlsson is in the final year of his contract with a $6.5MM cap hit and a $7.5MM salary.  The Sens offered him a long-term extension when the window to do so opened up in July and it has previously been reported to range between $10MM and $11MM per season but it was quickly rejected.  It’s likely that if and when he does get moved, his new deal should still wind up between those two amounts.

The 28-year-old is coming off of a bit of a quieter year by his standards but still put up 62 points (9-53-62) in 71 games while logging 26:44 per night, his lowest average since 2011-12.  However, he was slowed down at the beginning of the year with an ankle issue but indicated earlier this summer that he has fully recovered from it.

Karlsson’s status has been one of the dominant storylines of the offseason but it appears that this one could be coming to an end sooner rather than later.

Minor Transactions: 9/12/18

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Quite a few teams have released their training camp rosters today.  There haven’t been too many names of note but those with NHL experience are highlighted here among today’s minor moves.

  • The Avalanche revealed their roster which includes center Cody Bass. The 31-year-old played in 34 games with Nashville’s AHL affiliate in Milwaukee last year, recording six points and 36 penalty minutes.  He had seen NHL action in three of the previous four seasons before that and has a total of 75 games of experience between Ottawa, Columbus, and Nashville.  He’ll likely be pushing for a full-time AHL spot to start the season with the hopes of earning a recall when injuries strike.
  • The Blue Jackets unveiled their invites which includes defenseman Brady Austin. He spent last season with Cleveland of the AHL, putting up a career-best 23 points in 65 games.  Austin suited up in five games with Buffalo back in 2016-17 and like Bass, is most likely looking to land a full-time spot at the AHL level.
  • On a different note, the Blues announced six cuts from their rookie camp. Included among them is 2018 first-round pick Dominik Bokk, who was assigned to Vaxjo in Sweden.  The winger was the 25th pick back in June and has already been signed to his entry-level deal.  As he won’t play in ten or more NHL games this upcoming season though, his contract will slide a year which means he will still have three years on his deal beginning in 2019-20.

Jake Allen, Others To Miss Start Of St. Louis Training Camp

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The St. Louis Blues have some lofty expectations this season after a strong summer spending spree, but much of those hopes come down to goaltender Jake Allen. The team lost backup Carter Hutton to Buffalo in free agency and signed Chad Johnson in his wake, leaving Allen as the clear starter for this year. Bad news has already come out regarding the team’s starter though, as today they announced that Allen will miss the first 10-14 days of training camp with back spasms. Prospect Erik Foley and goaltender Luke Opilka will also be out indefinitely following a recent concussion and hip surgery respectively.

The team also announced cuts to six players from the training camp roster, including first-round pick Dominik Bokk. As we wrote recently, Bokk is expected to play in Sweden for all of 2018-19.

Allen, 28, took a fairly substantial step backwards last season and was part of the reason the Blues missed the playoffs entirely, registering a .906 save percentage in 59 games. That was good enough for just a 27-25-3 record, and though some of that had to do with the play in front of him the Blues need more from the goaltending position this year. In the 2016 offseason Allen was given a four-year contract extension a year before he reached free agency and already in the 2016-17 season you could tell that it may have been a bit premature. The goaltender wasn’t even included on a road trip with the team, but after changing goaltending coaches an incredible run during the second half of that season and into the playoffs turned around his numbers. Those changes didn’t last, but the Blues have made it clear that they will live and die with Allen in net.

Johnson, the other option, was one of the worst backup goaltenders in the league last season with the Buffalo Sabres, recording an .891 save percentage and a 3.55 goals against average. Though he does have some solid seasons in his past, there is little reason to believe that he could take over the Blues net for an extended period of time and get them to the playoffs. That leaves just young prospect Ville Husso if Allen struggles or deals with injury, and though he’s coming off a good season in the AHL it’s hard to expect a ton at the NHL level for the 23-year old goaltender.

Latest On William Nylander Negotiations

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The Toronto Maple Leafs announced their training camp roster today and young forward William Nylander was not on it as he continues to negotiate his next contract. Though both sides seemed very confident that a deal would be done before the season, nothing has been announced yet as the team prepares for camp to open. Darren Dreger was on TSN radio earlier today discussing the situation, and suggested that other sources around the league believe that Nylander’s ask could have been around $8MM per season. The Maple Leafs meanwhile, according to Dreger, are looking at other comparables that sit somewhere in the $6-7MM range.

Nylander, 22, is coming out of his entry-level contract and has made it clear that he would rather sign a long-term deal with the Maple Leafs. The team meanwhile has to carefully consider their options, given that big extensions are coming down the pipe for Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner at some point. After handing out a $77MM contract to John Tavares this summer, the team could be trying to get Nylander on a bridge contract for now and deal with the cap problems up front later. Nylander’s teammates meanwhile have said that they expect him in camp, though unless something is announced in the next few hours it doesn’t seem likely that he’ll be there for day one.

The Maple Leafs are a rising pick to contend for the Stanley Cup this season after their big free agent acquisition, but there is more than just Nylander’s deal to be done before they find themselves in the playoffs. The team’s defense still has several question marks given Travis Dermott’s relative inexperience and the lackluster right side, while there isn’t a ton of depth after their big three centers. At camp there will be a battle for the backup goaltender position as well, but the biggest distraction will easily be Nylander’s contract situation if it drags out. Though the report of $8MM could have just been an initial ask when the negotiations started, the two sides obviously haven’t yet come together on a number that suits both the long-term financial structure of the Maple Leafs and Nylander’s self perceived worth as an up and coming star.

After two consecutive seasons with 61 points, Nylander has already established himself as one of the better players from the 2014 draft. When we examined a group of players from that class and asked the PHR community which they’d rather have, the young Maple Leafs forward came in second behind David Pastrnak and ahead of both Nikolaj Ehlers and Dylan Larkin. If that’s his value going forward, he’d have to settle for a deal somewhere between Ehlers’ $6.0MM and Pastrnak’s $6.67MM cap hits.

Nick Shore Drawing Interest From Around The League

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One of the more interesting players still available on the market is 25-year old center Nick Shore, who wasn’t issued a qualifying offer at the end of the year and became an unrestricted free agent. Many believed Shore would find a home quickly as a fourth-line or depth option, but as of today he wasn’t even listed as a camp invite anywhere around the league. James Mirtle of The Athletic though reports that Shore is “getting a lot of interest” around the league and could sign a contract soon. Mirtle also adds that he doesn’t believe the Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the teams showing interest, but doesn’t go into detail on any that may be.

Shore was a third round selection by the Los Angeles Kings in 2011 out of the University of Denver, and quickly improved his stock with an outstanding sophomore season. The center put up 41 points in 43 games for DU that year and had no trouble continuing to score when he eventually moved into the minor league ranks. That’s where the offense ended though, as Shore only registered 49 points in 221 games with the Kings before being sent to the Ottawa Senators as part of the Dion Phaneuf trade in 2017-18. He didn’t spend much time in Ottawa though as Shore was quickly flipped to the Calgary Flames for a seventh-round pick just a few weeks later.

Perhaps that low return could have signaled the lack of confidence in Shore by the Flames and then the early free agent market, but the analytics community seems convinced that he could still provide some value to a team in a depth role. Even with drastically skewed defensive zone starts, Shore still put up positive shot stats in Los Angeles. That could be a byproduct of the Kings defense and system, but it seems worth it for a team to take a chance and find out. At the very worst Shore would represent an injury replacement with plenty of NHL experience, and at best he could perhaps hold down a center job full-time next season.

2006 NHL Draft Take Two: Eleventh Overall Pick

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Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.”  Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended.  For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.

Our look back at the 2006 NHL Entry Draft is now in full swing as we poll the PHR community to see who would have been selected in the first round and in what order knowing what we know now.  Through the first ten picks, we’ve already seen potential Hall of Fame players switch teams, and multiple captains move up and down the draft board.

1st Overall: Jonathan Toews (St. Louis Blues)
2nd Overall: Claude Giroux (Pittsburgh Penguins)
3rd Overall: Nicklas Backstrom (Chicago Blackhawks)
4th Overall: Brad Marchand (Washington Capitals)
5th Overall: Phil Kessel (Boston Bruins)
6th Overall: Jordan Staal (Columbus Blue Jackets)
7th Overall: Milan Lucic (New York Islanders)
8th Overall: Kyle Okposo (Phoenix Coyotes)
9th Overall: Erik Johnson (Minnesota Wild)
10th Overall: Derick Brassard (Florida Panthers)

The Panthers round out our Top 10 by selecting Brassard out of Drummondville in the QMJHL. Dropping four spots from where he actually went, Brassard still is an excellent option for a team looking to upgrade at the forward position. A former 27-goal man with the New York Rangers, Brassard enters this season as an excellent role player behind the other stars in Pittsburgh and will try to bring home the Stanley Cup for the first time in his career. Florida, who picked Michael Frolik in real life, get a chance to add a center to their other upcoming young forwards like Stephen Weiss, David Booth and Nathan Horton. Perhaps things would have gone differently if they’d had Brassard in the mix.

Now we’ll move on to the eleventh overall pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, which was originally held by the Los Angeles Kings.

In 2006 the Kings were right in the middle of what would end up being the longest playoff drought in franchise history, and had just fired head coach Andy Murray near the end of the season. Their star prospect Anze Kopitar, selected in the eleventh spot a year earlier, had impressed in Sweden and was due to make his debut in the NHL the following season. The team believed he could be the answer at center, and decided to look to the crease for their next big pick.

Jonathan Bernier was the first goaltender taken in 2006, taken by the Kings after a huge workload in the QMJHL. Bernier had started 54 games for Lewiston and recorded a .908 save percentage, but showed enough athleticism and poise to be considered a top prospect in the draft. He was ranked as the top North American goaltender by CSS, and projected to have a long career in the NHL. Little did the Kings know that the third-round goaltender they’d taken a year earlier would go from a backup at UMass-Amherst to winning a Conn Smythe trophy in just a few seasons. Jonathan Quick stole the starting role in Los Angeles by 2008-09, and still hasn’t looked back.

Bernier’s career perhaps hasn’t gone exactly as planned, but he still has proven to be a legitimate NHL talent. In 288 career regular season games for the Kings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Anaheim Ducks and Colorado Avalanche he has a 128-108-30 record and has registered a .914 save percentage. He was signed by the Detroit Red Wings this offseason as a potential replacement for Jimmy Howard, and still likely has several years of high quality play in front of him.

But was that the right selection for the Kings to make? Knowing what we know now about Quick’s ascension to star goaltender the team likely wouldn’t have made the pick, but is there an obvious candidate to replace Bernier at the number 11 spot? With the eleventh pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, who should the Los Angeles Kings select? Cast your vote below!

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Tampa Bay Lightning Extend AHL Affiliation

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The day after the Syracuse Crunch learned that their General Manager had been promoted to lead the NHL club, they have announced a long-term partnership with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The two teams have agreed to a five-year extension to their current partnership with additional options for 2023-24 and 2024-25. Crunch owner Howard Dolgon released a statement about the new agreement:

It is with great pride and excitement that the Syracuse Crunch extend into a long-term affiliation agreement with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Time and again, the Lightning have proven – from ownership to business and hockey operations, to coaches and players – to be the finest organization in all of sports. We look forward to continuing a long and successful partnership.

It’s true that the partnership between the Crunch and Lightning has been quite successful. Starting in 2012, the Crunch have been one of the more dominant teams in the AHL and have won their division twice and been to two Calder Cup Finals. Julien BriseBois, who will remain the GM of the Crunch for the time being in addition to his increased duties with the Lightning, has worked magic with the development system and graduated countless players to the NHL over the last several seasons. There are even more coming, with players like Mathieu Joseph and Mitchell Stephens looking like potential NHL call-ups as soon as this year.

Even with the departure of former GM Steve Yzerman this week, the Lightning are still considered one of the best organizations in the NHL and should be contenders for the Stanley Cup in the coming years. That’s in no small part to their rock solid partnership with the Crunch, who also should compete for the playoffs once again in 2018-19.

Jack Skille To Attend Ottawa Senators Training Camp

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The Ottawa Senators released their training camp roster today, and while it contained most of the expected names—including Erik Karlsson despite continuing rumors of his trade availability—there was one that stood out. Jack Skille, veteran of 368 NHL contests, will join the Senators camp on a professional tryout in hopes of another chance in North America.

Skille, 31, played in the KHL last season where he recorded 25 points in 41 games. The seventh-overall pick from 2005 last played in the NHL for the Vancouver Canucks in 2016-17, and has also suited up for the Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets, Florida Panthers and Chicago Blackhawks during his career. Once a top prospect, Skille now represents a potential depth option for the Senators at the bottom of their lineup.

Perhaps one of the “new” players that owner Eugene Melnyk was talking about, Skille could actually represent a fine veteran option for a team in the midst of a rebuild. Though he’s shown very little offensive upside at the NHL level, he obviously possesses enough skill to play in the league and actually posted positive possession numbers in his small sample with Vancouver. Ottawa is looking for bodies to fill up the lineup as they sell off expiring assets, and Skille could earn himself a short-term contract.

Jordan Schmaltz Re-Signs With St. Louis Blues

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It seemed likely that Jordan Schmaltz would work out a contract before training camp with the St. Louis Blues, since he was already in town participating in informal skates. That’s exactly what has happened, as the Blues announced a two-year contract with the young defenseman that will pay him $700K in the NHL. The deal is a two-way contract for the first year, and a one-way deal in 2019-20.

Schmaltz, 24, could have become a Group VI unrestricted free agent next summer had he agreed to a one-year deal and still not received much playing time in the NHL, but instead will stick with the organization who drafted him 25th overall in 2012. That organization has given Schmaltz just 22 regular season games in the three years since he left the University of North Dakota, despite substantial point totals at the minor league level. The right-handed defenseman has some tough competition in St. Louis as their top two pairings are dominated by Alex Pietrangelo and Colton Parayko, but there is perhaps some hope for this season.

Despite bringing in several veteran forwards to fill out the group up front, the Blues did virtually nothing on the blue line and head into training camp with several players battling for few spots. Carl Gunnarsson and Jay Bouwmeester have seen their effectiveness wane in recent years, while Robert Bortuzzo failed to see his usage climb over 15 minutes a game for another year. While Vince Dunn has jumped over Schmaltz in the pecking order, there is still a real chance the latter could find himself as the extra defenseman on the roster or a full-time player if an injury occurs in camp.

That chance is only buoyed by the fact that Schmaltz is now waiver eligible, and would have to clear in order to be sent to the minor leagues. Though there is obviously no guarantee of a claim, teams around the league could very well jump at the chance to acquire a right-handed puck-mover on the wire. That does point to the Blues making a roster move at some point to clear some room on the NHL blue line, but there’s no clear indication who that would be. The team could also potentially take eight defensemen into the start of the season, though with players like Robby Fabbri, Patrick Maroon and Nikita Soshnikov that are all potential injury risks they made deem extra forwards more important.

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