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Archives for April 2019

Golden Knights Interested In Ilya Mikheyev

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The Golden Knights made a splash in Russia earlier this month with the signing of winger Nikita Gusev.  Now, it appears they have their sights set on winger Ilya Mikheyev.  A report from Sport-Express in Russia suggested that he has agreed to terms with Vegas but Sport-Express writer Igor Eronko clarified (Twitter link) that they are interested in signing him but Mikheyev has other NHL offers on the table and has yet to make a decision.

The 24-year-old recently wrapped up his best season in the KHL, picking up 23 goals and 22 assists in 62 games with Avangard Omsk.  He was even more productive in the postseason, collecting 11 points (4-7-11) in just 13 contests, good for fourth on the team in scoring.  Eronko notes that he is also an effective penalty killer which would bode well for his chances for making it as a bottom six player in the NHL.

Mikheyev is still subject to the entry-level system but his initial contract can only be for one year with a maximum base salary of $925K, including a 10% signing bonus.  As he isn’t eligible to play in the NHL this season since he wasn’t on a Reserve List before the trade deadline, he can’t sign a 2018-19 contract and burn it immediately since the regular season has already passed.  (Gusev was able to do so since he was on Vegas’ Reserve List, making him postseason-eligible.)  Mikheyev’s KHL contract doesn’t expire until the end of April so an official announcement on where he winds up isn’t likely to come for a couple more weeks.

T.J. Oshie Undergoes Surgery, Out Indefinitely

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As expected, T.J. Oshie won’t be joining the Washington Capitals on the ice any time soon. The team announced today that Oshie underwent a successful surgical procedure to repair a broken collarbone, and is out indefinitely.

Oshie, 32, was injured when a push from behind sent him hard into the boards in game four of the Capitals first round series. Warren Foegele, the Carolina Hurricanes forward who hit him, was not given any supplementary discipline for the play though he did get some added attention from members of the Capitals in game five. Oshie meanwhile will miss at least the next several weeks if not the entire rest of the playoffs.

There have been players who come back from collarbone surgery in a matter of weeks, but for that possibility to happen the Capitals would need to go deep into the playoffs if not make it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. Without Oshie on the ice that will be a tough ask, given how important he is to their team. The veteran forward recorded 25 goals and 54 points in 69 games this season and was a key part of the team’s championship run a year ago. An effective two-way player, his defense and physicality is sometimes just as important as the offense he provides for the Capitals.

Perhaps playing a little harder in honor of their injured teammate, the Capitals dissected the Hurricanes last night to the tune of a 6-0 win. They’ll now have two chances to advance to the second round, starting tomorrow evening in Carolina. In the vacant forward spot the team inserted playoff hero Devante Smith-Pelly, who received several standing ovations from the home crowd and was a welcome addition after spending much of the year in the minor leagues. While he obviously doesn’t replace Oshie completely, his presence will be a welcome addition as the Capitals look to repeat their performance from last year.

Winnipeg Jets Face Big Questions After Early Exit

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The Winnipeg Jets were knocked out of the playoffs last night by an impressive St. Louis Blues group, and now must face the harsh reality of another season wasted. The Jets will not be happy with just making the playoffs in a season where many had them as a Stanley Cup contender, and will have plenty of questions surrounding the organization as the offseason begins.

Is Paul Maurice the right man for the job?

There’s no doubt that Paul Maurice is a good coach. The Jets’ head man has been behind NHL benches for most of his professional life, first taking the reins of the Hartford Whalers in 1995 when he was just 29 years old. His 695 wins put him seventh all-time among NHL coaches, behind only Joel Quenneville and Barry Trotz among those active. He’s ahead of names like Mike Babcock, John Tortorella and Claude Julien.

For all his regular season success though, Maurice has plenty of failure on his resume too. His teams have finished below .500 in a full season six times, and his overall record in the playoffs is 36-44. The team found some success last season as they made it all the way to the Western Conference Final, but that was just the third time in his entire NHL career that Maurice had made it past the second round of the playoffs. Now with another disappointing exit, the coaching seat in Winnipeg is sure to feel warm over the next few weeks and months.

How much are they willing to commit to Laine, Connor and Trouba?

Patrik Laine, Kyle Connor and Jacob Trouba are all set to become restricted free agents this summer, and should all command huge dollar figures and term. Each one of them is a potential star at his position, but each also comes with some real red flags. Trouba’s are perhaps the easiest to see after his previous tough negotiations and hesitancy to commit long-term to the Jets. The 25-year old defenseman has wanted to be “the guy” on the right side, a position that the Jets are deep at with Dustin Byfuglien and Tyler Myers among others.

Laine has had his ups and downs all season, going through drastic slumps while also still showing why he is a potential superstar. While he hit the 30-goal threshold for the third time in his three-year career, he also had his lowest point total (50) and was a -24 on the year. His negotiation will be particularly interesting to see if the two sides even want to ink a long-term deal after such a disappointing year.

Connor meanwhile led all Jets forwards in scoring during the playoffs and has developed into a key cog on offense. The biggest question surrounding his negotiation will be as a direct comparison to Laine. Doesn’t the 22-year old former Michigan star deserve more money after the year he just completed? How will the Jets afford to pay both of them, while also watching an extension kick in for Blake Wheeler raising his cap hit to $8.25MM. Is that too much money to spend on the wings?

What about the unrestricted free agents?

If those three RFAs weren’t enough, the Jets also have some important unrestricted free agents to worry about, starting with Myers. The hulking defenseman is set to hit the open market in July and could arguably be the best blue line option available, depending on how things go with Erik Karlsson. While he had another strong season for the team, if they are looking to shake things up perhaps they decide not to bring him back and instead install one of their younger defensemen like Sami Niku on a full-time basis.

There is also Kevin Hayes, whose upcoming free agency leads to another question about the Jets. How are they going to fill that second line center role, after using rentals in each of the last two years? Hayes was acquired for a first-round pick this season after the team spent the same on Paul Stastny the year before, only to see both fail to bring them a Stanley Cup. Bryan Little is still under contract for five more years at a $5.29MM cap hit, but GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has obviously not been content with him in the middle of the second unit.

Morning Notes: Gronborg, Hayton, Hughes

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There are still quite a few coaching vacancies around the NHL after some of the big names have been snatched up in recent days, and Scott Burnside of The Athletic (subscription required) breaks down all the expected candidates in a new piece. While the scribe details everyone from Dave Tippett to Scott Sandelin, one interesting name appears with a connection to the Buffalo Sabres. Burnside notes that after missing out on Todd McLellan recently, the Sabres threw Rikard Gronborg’s name “into the mix” for their head coaching positions.

Gronborg is an extremely well respected name in international coaching circles, but it would certainly be an out of the box hire for the Sabres as he doesn’t have any previous NHL experience. Still, there were rumors that GM Jason Botterill considered Ralph Kruger during his last head coaching search, and he is likely turning over every possible stone to try and find the right fit for his flailing organization.

  • Barrett Hayton finished his OHL season with 82 points in 50 combined regular season and playoff games, the expected big step forward in production after being the fifth-overall pick last June. His development has gone so well that Craig Morgan of The Athletic (subscription required) suggests that he may even compete for a roster spot with the Arizona Coyotes for the coming season, despite not turning 19 until this June. Hayton will be too young to be eligible for the AHL as he was drafted out of the CHL, meaning he’ll have to go back to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds if he fails to make the Coyotes roster. While that’s not a death sentence for his development, it certainly might not be the best place for him after all he showed this season.
  • If you wanted proof that Jack Hughes was a little bit ahead of his fellow draft eligible players, he’s providing it at the U18 World Championship. After a quiet opening game with just a single point, Hughes recorded seven in his second game of the tournament and already has a goal in today’s matchup with Russia. The potential first-overall pick is doing his best to show he still belongs at the top of every draft board, while others like Cole Caufield and Alex Turcotte continue to impress.

Minor Transactions: 04/21/19

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The NHL has just two games scheduled for today after several series came to an end this week, including the Colorado Avalanche upsetting the Calgary Flames. Each game today features a favorite facing elimination as the Boston Bruins and San Jose Sharks look for a way to avoid the golf courses and play again on Tuesday. As teams prepare for that action, we’ll be here keeping track of any minor moves they may make.

  • After being demolished last night by the Washington Capitals, the Carolina Hurricanes have sent Aleksi Saarela back to the minor leagues. The team hopes that young star forward Andrei Svechnikov will be ready for tomorrow’s elimination game, after suffering a concussion at the hands of Alex Ovechkin earlier in the series. Saarela made his NHL debut last night but failed to record a shot on goal in his nine minutes of ice time.
  • Minnesota has been active in signing its prospects to Amateur Tryout Agreements to bring them to AHL Iowa for the postseason and they’ve added two more as Michael Russo of The Athletic reports that winger Ivan Lodnia and center Connor Dewar have both signed ATO deals.  Lodnia was a third-rounder back in 2017 and recently finished up with Niagara of the OHL where he had 14 points in 11 playoff games.  Dewar was a 2018 third-round selection and had a career year with WHL Everett with 81 points in 59 contests.
  • The Capitals continue to shuffle their third goalie as the team announced that Parker Milner has been recalled from South Carolina (ECHL) while Ilya Samsonov has been returned to Hershey (AHL).  Milner spent nearly the entire season at the ECHL level so if one of Braden Holtby or Pheonix Copley were to be injured, they would likely bring someone else up to serve as the backup.

Mark Hunter Linked Again To Edmonton GM Search

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The Edmonton Oilers continue their methodical search for a new general manager, and at least one candidate has received a second interview. That was Mark Hunter, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, who notes that there are other candidates including ones overseas taking in the U18 World Championship.

Hunter last worked in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but returned to the OHL’s London Knights—which he owns with his brother Dale Hunter—after the team decided to promote Kyle Dubas to the GM position instead of him. He helped the Knights reach the OHL playoffs where many believed they would contend for a spot in the Memorial Cup, but the team was unfortunately knocked out after losing four straight games to the Guelph Storm in the second round.

The veteran executive was named to the Hockey Canada Program of Excellence to manage the U20 National Junior team back in March, something that apparently is not stopping him from interviewing for the Oilers’ GM role. He was adamant that he wanted the Maple Leafs role when it came open in Toronto after Lou Lamoriello was moved out of the position, and obviously would give up his spot with London and Hockey Canada to take charge of the Oilers.

Rumors swirled this week as Steve Yzerman was introduced as the new GM of the Detroit Red Wings, linking long-time executive Ken Holland with the Oilers. Cold water was quickly thrown on that by Darren Dreger of TSN though, who tweeted that Holland had withdrawn his name from consideration. Other names like Vegas Golden Knights AGM Kelly McCrimmon, Los Angeles Kings AGM Mike Futa and interim Oilers GM Keith Gretzky have all been linked to the job in some way, but it is not clear how many other candidate are being considered.

AHL Notes: Ness, Wild, Barach

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It was a scary moment for everyone in attendance when Hershey Bears defenseman Aaron Ness lay motionless on the ice during last night’s Calder Cup playoff game against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. The 28-year old fell and collided head first into the end boards, not moving for several minutes as the medical staff brought out a stretcher. The entire Bears team stood stoically while their teammate was rolled off the ice, hoping he would be okay.

Good news came down today, as the team announced that though Ness did go straight to hospital for further evaluation he was in stable condition and was expected to be released. Obviously there is no timeline for his return to action, as his health is the first priority in an incident as serious as this.

  • The Iowa Wild have signed three players to amateur tryouts for the remainder of the season, bringing in Shawn Boudrias, Alexander Khovanov and recently signed Brandon Duhaime. Khovanov may be the most interesting of the group, as the 18-year old put up 74 points in 64 games while playing in the QMJHL this season. The third-round pick signed his entry-level deal last month, and will be a name to watch over the next few seasons to see if he can compete for a spot on the NHL roster.
  • Derek Barach had been playing with the Cleveland Monsters on a tryout since finishing his college career at Mercyhurst, and will stay on with the club for another year. The 24-year old forward signed a one-year AHL contract with the Monsters for next season, giving the team another offensive weapon for next season. Barach had 11 points in 15 games with the team down the stretch, but hasn’t been able to light the lamp yet in the postseason.

Poll: What Do The Flames Do With James Neal?

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The Calgary Flames were unable to slow down the Colorado Avalanche last night, and it meant the end of their 2018-19 season. The team with the best record in the Western Conference were knocked out of the playoffs in five games, joining the Tampa Bay Lightning as top seeds knocked out in the first round. Plenty of the blame for the series loss can be laid at the feet of the forwards, who were able to record just eight goals in five games. Johnny Gaudreau’s one-assist performance may be the talk of the town, but there is another huge situation to deal with for the Flames this offseason.

That would be James Neal, who was a healthy scratch in game five after failing to register a point in the first four while being a -3. Neal had an incredibly bad debut season in Calgary, registering just seven goals and 19 points through 63 regular season games. The amazing part is that coming into this year Neal was one of the few NHLers in history to record at least 20 goals through each of his first ten seasons, a stretch that showed off his incredible consistency. No, he likely wasn’t going to repeat the 40-goal campaign he had in Pittsburgh in 2011-12, but one could reasonably expect 20 goals and 40 points from the veteran forward.

Instead, he dealt with that failure that had him out of the lineup for a game in which Calgary faced elimination.

Now the decision is a difficult one for the Calgary management group. Less than a year ago they committed $28.75MM to Neal over a five-year term, a contract that is evenly distributed throughout and includes no signing bonuses. Because of that structure, the notion of a buyout must immediately comes to the forefront of any discussion of Neal’s future. If the Flames were to buy him out it would cost them more than $15MM in actual dollars, but impose just a $1.92MM cap hit on their books. Unfortunately that cap hit would extend through the 2026-27 season, making him quite an expensive mistake for one failure-riddled season.

There is also the trade route, given that the contract includes no protection in that manner. But who would be willing to take on such a large salary for a player who struggled so mightily this season? If the team were willing to retain some salary perhaps, but at that point a buyout may seem more reasonable given that they wouldn’t be expecting much in return.

Lastly, there is the idea of hoping he can turn it around. Quite notably, Neal has been one of the most consistent shooters in the league over his decade prior to joining the Flames. His shooting percentage had never gone above 14.0% in a single (non-lockout-shortened) season, while never dropping below 10.4%. This season, that number dropped dramatically to just 5.0%. Whether that was a symptom of a declining game, weaker linemates or different deployment, there is a reasonable argument to be made that with a little more luck things might have not looked so rough.

The Flames meanwhile have some financial troubles heading their way given the long-term commitments they’ve handed out. The team already has nearly $70MM penciled in for next season, even without the big raise that is coming for Matthew Tkachuk and new contracts for others like Sam Bennett and Andrew Mangiapane. They also don’t currently have a goaltender lined up, as both Mike Smith (UFA) and David Rittich (RFA) are heading to free agency. Getting out from Neal’s contract somehow might be a necessary move for GM Brad Treliving this summer.

So what should Calgary do? Do they hold on and hope that 2018-19 was a fluke, and that Neal will be back stronger than ever next season to help them get back to the playoffs? Or do they move on through a buyout or trade in order to open up some cap space, and hope that he doesn’t find his goal scoring touch somewhere else? Vote below and leave your thoughts in the comments.

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Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

2019 Vezina Trophy Finalists Announced

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The NHL has announced the finalists for the Vezina Trophy, awarded to the best goaltender in the league as voted on by all 31 general managers. The finalists are Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Robin Lehner of the New York Islanders and Ben Bishop of the Dallas Stars.

This is second year in a row that the 24-year old Vasilevskiy has been among the finalists for the award, after once again leading the league in wins. Though he started just 53 games on the season due to injury, a .925 save percentage helped him compile a 39-10-4 record that included six shutouts. Vasilevskiy is arguably the most athletic young goaltender the league has seen in some time, but unfortunately wasn’t good enough to help the Lightning past the first round of the playoffs. The voting only takes regular season performance into account however, meaning he is certainly a strong candidate to take home the trophy for the first time in his career.

It’s hard to write a better comeback story than the one Lehner has penned (literally, at times) this season. The 27-year old goaltender did not receive a qualifying offer from the Buffalo Sabres last summer as the team decided to go in a different direction, meaning Lehner was left to sign a one-year, $1.5MM deal with the Islanders just for a chance at redemption. It wasn’t clear if he would even get a chance to start in New York given the fact that Thomas Greiss was still under contract. If Barry Trotz’ system was the biggest reason that the Islanders turned around their defensive woes, Lehner might have been next in line as he posted an incredible .930 save percentage in 46 games including six shutouts. He and Greiss—who had a .927 in 43 games and likely deserved some votes of his own—took home the Jennings Trophy as the goaltenders for the team with the lowest goals against average. It is the first time Lehner has ever received Vezina votes, let alone be named a finalist.

Speaking of comebacks, how about the 32-year old Bishop who was ushered out of Tampa Bay two years ago to make room for Vasilevskiy in the first place. The two-time Vezina finalist posted the best save percentage of his career this season, leading the entire league with a .934 mark. The 6’7″ netminder has battled through injuries the last few years including this one, but was outstanding for the Stars as they punched their ticket to the playoffs. With four more years on his contract the Stars would have been happy with more of the level he played at last season, but Bishop has always had more in the tank.

Flames Sign Martin Pospisil

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Just one day after being eliminated from the postseason, the Flames have started their offseason work, announcing the signing of center Martin Pospisil to a three-year, entry-level contract.  Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The 19-year-old was Calgary’s highest draft pick (105th overall) back in 2018 following his rookie season with Sioux City of the USHL where he led the league in penalty minutes with 253, 77 more than the second place finisher.  Pospisil’s second season with Musketeers was much more fruitful offensively as he finished second on the team in scoring with 63 points (16-47-63), good for a tie for eighth league-wide.  That ranking could have been higher had he not had to serve a 12-game suspension.

Pospisil had initially committed to St. Lawrence University back in 2017 but back in November, Mike McMahon of the College Hockey News reported (Twitter link) that the process to clear him to play there hit a snag.  Instead of trying to find another school to potentially try to play for, it appears he’ll kick off his professional career next season with Stockton of the AHL.

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