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East Notes: Norris, Wilson, Carlo, Daley

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With Josh Norris off to a very strong start with the University of Michigan, some have wondered if he could potentially turn pro next season.  He indicated to Postmedia’s Ken Warren that while it’s certainly an option, he’s not ready to make that decision just yet:

“That’s a little too far ahead. I have a lot of hockey to play, there’s a lot of development left for me. There’s four months left on the schedule. Of course I want to play in the NHL, and, when the time is right, I have to make that decision – whether it’s after this year or not.”

Norris was one of the key players involved in the Erik Karlsson trade back in September and was a first-round pick of the Sharks back in 2017.  He sits tied for tenth overall in NCAA scoring with eight goals and eight assists through 13 games and if he can maintain that level of production, he could certainly make a case that he’s ready to suit up for the Senators as early as next season.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • Capitals winger Tom Wilson was assessed a match penalty for a hit on Devils winger Brett Seney on Friday night. That carries an automatic suspension pending a league review.  Washington next plays on Sunday afternoon so a decision will come fairly quickly.  Seney briefly left the game but returned for the third period.
  • The Bruins appear to be set to get some help on the back end tomorrow night. The team announced (Twitter link) that Brandon Carlo is probable to play on Saturday versus Detroit.  The defenseman has missed the last nine games due to an upper-body injury.  Carlo was averaging a career-best 20:58 per game before being injured and will likely be counted on to take on even more of the workload with Zdeno Chara, Kevan Miller, and Charlie McAvoy all on the shelf.
  • The Red Wings will be without defenseman Trevor Daley for tomorrow’s game in Boston and isn’t expected to play on Sunday against Colorado, head coach Jeff Blashill told reporters including Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News. The blueliner sustained an undisclosed injury on Wednesday in the first period versus St. Louis and did not return.  As Detroit now has just six healthy defensemen on the roster, they may soon be bringing someone up from Grand Rapids of the AHL.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Chicago Blackhawks

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. Let’s take a look at what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Chicago Blackhawks. 

What are the Blackhawks most thankful for?

Cap space.  Unlike recent years, they actually have some thanks to their offseason dealing of Marian Hossa’s contract to Arizona.  The start of this season hasn’t gone well – they’re near the bottom of the league in goals allowed, sit in sixth place in the Central Division (St. Louis could pass them if they win their games in hand), and have let long-time bench boss Joel Quenneville go.  In previous years, they’d basically be stuck with what they have but since they sit more than $3MM under the Upper Limit per CapFriendly, GM Stan Bowman has the flexibility he has lacked to try to make in-season upgrades to his roster that should provide Chicago fans with a little bit of hope.

Who are the Blackhawks most thankful for?

Offense has been an issue for several core Blackhawks this season but Patrick Kane isn’t one of them.  He has played at a greater than 40-goal pace through the first 25 games of the season while he’s on pace for the second-highest point total of his career.  Yes, his contract is onerous with a $10.5MM cap hit but as long as he continues to produce like this and be among the league leaders in points (he’s tied for 12th heading into Friday’s games), he’ll be living up to the deal.  After a quieter 2017-18 campaign, he’s off to a much better start.

While Chicago is a veteran-laden team, they do have some young players making a notable impact.  Among those is Alex DeBrincat whose sophomore year has gotten off to a strong start as he’s ahead of his scoring pace from his rookie campaign.  It wouldn’t be surprising for Bowman to only look to make short-term additions with his cap space this season to make sure he has plenty of money available to extend DeBrincat’s deal as early as this coming summer.

What would the Blackhawks be even more thankful for?

Good goaltending, something they simply haven’t had a lot of.  Cam Ward has shown that Carolina made the right decision letting him go as he’s allowing more than a full goal per game more than last season while his .890 save percentage is his worst since his rookie year.  Corey Crawford hasn’t fared much better.  Granted, there was bound to be some rust after missing the better part of a year but his numbers are the worst of his career as well.  If Chicago plans to get back into the playoff picture, they’ll need to get a much better performance from his goaltenders.

What should be on the Blackhawks’ Holiday Wish List?

Everything needs to be on the table here.  They’re committed to giving Dylan Strome a look as their second line center but if he struggles, they’ll probably be on the lookout for help down the middle.  Shoring up their defense would go a long way towards helping their goaltending while if Ward continues to struggle, they may have a move to make there as well beyond giving Anton Forsberg or Collin Delia a look.  There’s money to work with but a lot of holes to fill as well.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Penguins Unlikely To Trade For Goaltending Help

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Although the Penguins were recently noted as a potential suitor for Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports (citing multiple sources from within the organization) that it’s extremely unlikely that Pittsburgh opts to trade for help between the pipes.

Starter Matt Murray has struggled considerably this season and is out for the longer term with a lower-body injury.  As a result, they’re running with Casey DeSmith and Tristan Jarry, a pair of players with some upside but not a lot of NHL experience.  Accordingly, they could certainly use some veteran help for the time being.

However, Pittsburgh’s salary cap situation is working against them.  They’re already into LTIR with defenseman Justin Schultz but since he’ll be back before the end of the season, using that space to bring in a goaltender is risky since they’d have to get back into cap compliance before Schultz could be activated.  Basically, they have enough room to acquire someone making close to the league minimum.

Unfortunately for the Penguins, there aren’t any capable proven netminders available at that price tag.  If they were to seriously take a run at someone like Howard or a more expensive veteran, they’d have to send out a higher-priced veteran player as part of the return and potentially need the other team to retain salary.  That’s a tough sell this early in the season but could be more palatable closer to the trade deadline.

The Penguins currently sit in sixth in the Metropolitan Division and are going to need much better goaltending to get back into a playoff position.  However, there isn’t likely to be help from outside the organization on the horizon so it will be up to DeSmith and Jarry to step up in Murray’s absence.

Snapshots: Nylander, Hextall, Pilut

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Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock did nothing to curb his outspoken nature when asked about William Nylander again today, telling reporters including Jonas Siegel of The Athletic that he still believes that the young forward will be on the team but the organization won’t beg him to return. Meanwhile, Frank Seravalli of TSN tweeted this morning that the Philadelphia Flyers had been in touch with Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas in his recent “last call” for trade offers. TSN broadcaster Gord Miller also heard that from a source in Philadelphia, and detailed what those talks were about:

This was the previous regime that was contacted by the Leafs on the weekend, and the Leafs asked for—they wanted to tap into the Flyers’ young D. Right away the Flyers said “Ivan Provorov? Not touchable.” So Provorov, who scored 17 goals last year is not on the table. Now again, this is the old regime. So the focus turned to Shayne Gostisbehere.

When Miller references the “old regime” he is speaking about former Flyers GM Ron Hextall, who was let go this week along with assistant GM Chris Pryor. The conversation regarding a fit between the Flyers and Nylander continues, but is highly speculative at that point especially given the changes in the Philadelphia front office since this apparent negotiation happened. Still, it only lends credence to the idea that Dubas and the Maple Leafs have been doing their due diligence in preparation for the deadline tomorrow, when there will finally (hopefully) be a conclusion one way or the other regarding Nylander.

  • Speaking of Hextall’s recent firing, the former Philadelphia GM spoke with the media today and expressed his shock at the entire situation. Hextall did not see his dismissal coming, and was “stunned” when team president Paul Holmgren delivered the news. Hextall is of course a legend in Philadelphia from his playing days, including being one of the rare players to ever win a Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP despite losing in the Stanley Cup Finals. Still, his tenure as GM had not yet resulted in any deep playoff success and upper management had grown tired of waiting.
  • With all eyes still on the Buffalo Sabres as they continue their fight for the Atlantic Division crown just a year after finishing last in the NHL, a new face will be scrutinized under the lights. Lawrence Pilut will make his NHL debut according to Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News, despite the recent recall of Matt Tennyson. That gives Buffalo fans another highly anticipated Swedish defenseman to watch, and one that brings plenty of offensive upside. Pilut had 22 points in 16 games for the Rochester Americans before his call-up, and is still just 22 years old.

Ottawa Senators Sign Justin Falk

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Justin Falk saw his professional tryout with the Colorado Eagles terminated today, but he didn’t have to wait long for another opportunity. The veteran defenseman has signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Ottawa Senators that will carry a cap hit of $650K at the NHL level.

Falk, 30, is by no means a savior for the Senators, but does bring a healthy amount of experience to a blue line that lacks it at times. The left-handed defenseman has suited up for 269 regular season NHL games, split between the Minnesota Wild, New York Rangers, Columbus Blue Jackets and most recently the Buffalo Sabres. In that time he’s only registered 33 points, but is a big—6’5″ big—body that can be used on the penalty kill and in the defensive zone.

There’s no guarantee that Falk plays a ton for the Senators, but with Mark Borowiecki on injured reserve and Chris Wideman recently traded, the team is employing six defensemen all 25 or under. Dylan DeMelo, the elder statesman of the group, has only 159 regular season NHL games under his belt. For now, Falk will likely be asked to fill in and play the role of the veteran seventh defenseman while the young group gets their legs under them at this level. His first task will be to serve as insurance for Max Lajoie, who is currently dealing with a minor injury.

Board Of Governors Will Vote Tuesday On Seattle Expansion Bid

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As expected, the NHL’s Board of Governors will officially vote on the Seattle expansion bid on Tuesday morning at their annual meetings. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet tweets that it is “all but certain” that the league will vote to approve Seattle and bring them in as the 32nd NHL franchise.

Though there has been some debate over whether the city’s arena project will be completed in time for the team to start playing during the 2020-21 NHL season, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan was clear that that is still the plan when speaking to King 5 News:

We think it can and so does (Oak View Group). Every major project there’s surprises, things you don’t plan for and can’t expect, and we know that, and try to build in those contingencies. But our plan is to open in 2020. We want it; they want it. I think we are going to have the best arena, I think in America.

The arena project cannot officially get started until the NHL approves the expansion, but provided everything goes according to plan this week the city will begin work to try and play in just two years. That kind of timeline is also in danger of a potential work stoppage if the NHL or NHLPA decide to use their opt-out clause in the current CBA, but will nonetheless put more work onto the plates of front offices around the league.

Like when Vegas was announced, teams around the NHL will now have to start—if they haven’t already—preparing their roster for an upcoming expansion draft. The same rules are expected to be used this time around, though the Vegas Golden Knights will likely be deemed exempt from the process altogether. As teams make trades and sign contracts over the next two years, it will always be with a thought towards their position for an expansion draft. The success of the Golden Knights was based largely on how well they navigated the process, holding teams ransom for big trade packages and picking under-utilized but talented players. You can bet the league will be better prepared this time around, but last-minute dealings will still have to happen.

The league will also likely discuss a potential realignment plan, one that apparently has already been vetted by the Board of Governors’ Executive Committee. That plan would likely have the Arizona Coyotes move to the Central Division to make room for an incoming Seattle team in the Pacific. It may not stop there though, as Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press writes that expansion may not stop at 32.

Micheal Ferland Diagnosed With Concussion, Out Indefinitely

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The Carolina Hurricanes were already dealing with a concussion to young defenseman Haydn Fleury, and will now be without another one of their key players due to a brain injury. Micheal Ferland has been diagnosed with a concussion and is out indefinitely until he is given medical clearance to return.

Ferland, who came over from the Calgary Flames as part of the Elias Lindholm–Noah Hanifin trade, has played exceptionally well for the Hurricanes in the early going. The team’s leading goal scorer through the first quarter of the season, Ferland has been dangerous on both the powerplay and at even-strength and will be sorely missed while he deals with a concussion. The Hurricanes were already missing a true goal-scoring talent to go along with their solid stable of playmakers, and will now need someone else to step up in his absence.

The team recalled Clark Bishop yesterday and after losing Valentin Zykov on waivers and assigning Scott Darling to the minor leagues, now have two available roster spots on the NHL squad even without moving Ferland to injured reserve. That would suggest the team has some recalls planned, though it doesn’t seem like anyone is on their way up before tonight’s game against the Anaheim Ducks. The Hurricanes will leave for a west coast road trip after the game, which will almost certainly require at least two more healthy players just as insurance.

Edmonton Oilers Claim Valentin Zykov, Scott Darling Clears

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The Edmonton Oilers have snatched some offensive potential from the Carolina Hurricanes, claiming recently waived forward Valentin Zykov according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Scott Darling meanwhile has cleared and has been immediately assigned to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL.

Zykov, 23, will immediately bring some offensive upside to an Oilers team that has been desperately searching for some secondary scoring. Edmonton only has four forwards with more than 10 points on the season, and one of them is Alex Chiasson who is sporting an incredible 35.5% shooting percentage. The quartet of Milan Lucic, Tobias Rieder, Jujhar Khaira and Kyle Broziak have combined for exactly three goals this season, an unacceptable number even in limited minutes.

If there’s one thing that Zykov has proven he’s capable of at the minor league level it’s score, as he led the AHL with 33 goals last season. Unfortunately that production hasn’t yet carried over the NHL, but he’ll likely be given the best opportunity of his career in Edmonton. That opportunity does come with some cost for the Oilers though, as Zykov is already signed to a one-way contract through next season. His cap hit is obviously manageable at $675K, but he’ll take up a precious contract slot for the time being.

For Darling, there was little chance of claim given his expensive contract. His career hinges right now on whether he can get back on his feet at the minor league level, and show that he is able to at least serve as a backup in the NHL. The Hurricanes would likely retain some salary to get him off the books, unless they believe he can find the same level of production that earned him his current four-year deal in the first place.

Nikita Soshnikov, Ben Street Placed On Waivers

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Friday: Soshnikov and Street have cleared waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The Blues have now sent Soshkinov to the minor leagues, though Street was still present at the Ducks’ morning skate in Carolina.

Thursday: The St. Louis Blues are preparing to make a change up front, as they today placed Nikita Soshnikov on waivers for the purpose of sending him to the minor leagues. Soshnikov has played in just five games for the Blues this season, and is still looking for his first point. With Robert Bortuzzo almost ready to return from injured reserve, the team needed another open roster spot. In addition, CapFriendly reports that Ben Street has also been placed on waivers by the Anaheim Ducks for the second time this season.

There’s no doubting that Soshnikov has enough talent to crack an NHL roster somewhere, but the simple fact is he’s had trouble staying healthy throughout his short career. The 25-year old forward was signed out of the KHL in 2015 by the Toronto Maple Leafs, and quickly made an impact on that team by scoring 18 goals in the minor leagues and adding another five points in 11 NHL contests. He was a regular in the Maple Leafs lineup the next season, but suffered a concussion after colliding with Zdeno Chara in 2017 and would never really find his way back into Toronto’s lineup. Traded to the Blues last season for a fourth-round pick after a deadline had threatened his return to Russia, he suffered several injuries in St. Louis and ended up playing just 12 games for them.

After five games this season, Soshnikov is now available for any team in the league to make a claim. The feisty forward is a versatile bottom-six option, but just hasn’t been reliable enough to really contribute on a consistent basis. His $800K cap hit is relatively inexpensive, but could still scare off enough teams that he slips through and is assigned to the minor leagues once again.

Street meanwhile was already waived and cleared for the Ducks before the season began, but needed to go through the process again given the fact he’s played 18 games this year. The veteran center is a legitimate All-Star talent in the AHL, but hasn’t ever been able to show enough in the NHL to warrant consistent playing time. It’s unlikely he’ll be claimed, but perhaps a team with a desperate need on the fourth line will take a shot.

Minor Transactions: 11/30/18

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As we close in on the end of November, there are storylines aplenty around the league. William Nylander’s contract situation should come to a close, while the Philadelphia Flyers continue to search for a new GM. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Sabres and Colorado Avalanche are pushing for the top spot in the entire NHL. With five games on the schedule for tonight, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.

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