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Archives for November 2020

Poll: Who Are The Best Wingers In The NHL?

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Earlier this month NHL Network began their reveal of the top players at every position, starting with the best defensemen in the league. In their estimation, Victor Hedman was the top name this year, something our readership predicted in 2019 when they disagreed with the network’s choice.

We asked those readers to select the best defensemen in the NHL and though Hedman was on top once again, the rest of the list doesn’t quite match up. Our PHR community-voted Top 20 Defensemen list currently looks like this:

  1. Victor Hedman (958 votes)
  2. Roman Josi (630 votes)
  3. Alex Pietrangelo (587 votes)
  4. Seth Jones (536 votes)
  5. John Carlson (468 votes)
  6. Cale Makar (466 votes)
  7. Miro Heiskanen (359 votes)
  8. Quinn Hughes (286 votes)
  9. Shea Weber (247 votes)
  10. Drew Doughty (230 votes)
  11. Brent Burns (225 votes)
  12. Dougie Hamilton (206 votes)
  13. Shea Theodore (182 votes)
  14. Jaccob Slavin (173 votes)
  15. Erik Karlsson (173 votes)
  16. Zach Werenski (166 votes)
  17. Torey Krug (155 votes)
  18. Charlie McAvoy (154 votes)
  19. Ivan Provorov (152 votes)
  20. Mark Giordano (149 votes)/Oliver Ekman-Larsson (149 votes)

Next the network released their ranking of the best wingers in the league, always one of the most heated debates among hockey fans. Does consistency and defense come into play, or is the wing just a place where pure offense reigns supreme?

In this year’s list, Hart Trophy finalist Artemi Panarin takes home the top spot after being eighth last time around. Last year’s top-ranked (and 2019 Hart winnger) Nikita Kucherov has dropped to third, despite helping his Tampa Bay Lightning to a Stanley Cup, while the silky smooth David Pastrnak jumps all the way up to second.

You want newcomers? How about J.T. Miller, who is 17th on this year’s list despite not being ranked a year ago, while veteran Max Pacioretty has made his way onto the list at 15. It’s not often that players in their 30s are making their way up the chart, but that’s exactly what the Vegas Golden Knights forward has done after rebounding to have arguably the best season of his career in 2019-20.

Just like our defenseman poll, we want the PHR community to let us know who the best wingers in the world are. Unlike the last poll however, we’ll ask you to select 20 names because of the huge number of options. Make sure to leave a comment below on who you think deserves to be recognized or your thoughts on how the defenseman poll ended. We’ve included many names that could be considered, but if you think we’ve missed someone important (which we undoubtedly have) make sure to leave his name down below.

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There will always be some crossover with wingers and centers, but we’ve done our best to match what the NHL Network seems to have used. For instance, Leon Draisaitl, though appearing in the winger list last year, will now be listed in the center vote.

Snapshots: Ryan, McConnell, O’Connor

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In a candid interview with Craig Custance of The Athletic, new Detroit Red Wings forward Bobby Ryan spoke about the buyout that ended his time in Ottawa and the free agent process this fall. In one particularly revealing moment, Ryan explains that there was a genuine interest in signing him from around the league, including from some Canadian teams, but that he and his wife decided that because he is getting closer to retirement they wanted to stay south of the border and start setting up their long-term family situation.

Ryan still believes that he has some high-level hockey left to play and told Custance that the opportunity in Detroit was what interested him so much. The Red Wings have plenty of openings in the top-six as they continue their rebuild, giving Ryan a chance to play the scoring role he has always held. The 33-year-old forward has scored 254 goals in his 833-game career, including cracking the 30-goal threshold in four consecutive seasons early in his career.

  • The Arizona Coyotes have named Devan McConnell as the team’s high performance director, hiring him to “maximize performance, minimize injury risk, optimize fitness and nutrition levels and execute comprehensive training regiments for all Coyotes and Roadrunners players and club prospects.”  McConnell served in a similar role with the New Jersey Devils for part of last season and spent several years with UMass-Lowell.
  • Drew O’Connor, who signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins back in March after his college season ended, was actually loaned to Manglerud in Norway on October 26. He has yet to play, serving out a quarantine first, and will be returned to North America for NHL training camp later this winter. O’Connor will be joined by Blake Christensen, who signed an AHL deal with the Bakersfield Condors for 2020-21 but has also been loaned overseas for now.

Carolina Hurricanes Hope To Extend Dougie Hamilton

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This fall, the Carolina Hurricanes traded away Joel Edmundson before watching Trevor van Riemsdyk and Sami Vatanen head to unrestricted free agency. For most teams, losing three NHL defensemen over a few weeks would leave them scrambling for answers, but the Hurricanes still have one of the deepest groups in the league. Jaccob Slavin, Brady Skjei, Jake Gardiner, Brett Pesce, and Haydn Fleury are all under control for at least three more seasons, while names like Jake Bean continue to push for playing time in the minors.

Even that would be an impressive depth chart, but it doesn’t include perhaps the best defenseman in Carolina. Dougie Hamilton, who was a frontrunner for the Norris Trophy before he suffered an injury last season, is heading into the final year of his contract with the Hurricanes and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the 2021 offseason.

That’s something the team hopes to remedy in the coming weeks, as Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports. Hurricanes GM Don Waddell told Gulitti that the team hopes to sign Hamilton to an extension before the upcoming season begins, explaining that though they haven’t started talks yet, they plan to soon after Hamilton arrives back in Carolina later this week.

A contract extension for Hamilton would certainly be an expensive one, even if he does have a somewhat checkered NHL past. Originally selected ninth overall in 2011, Hamilton has already been traded twice in his career, first from the Boston Bruins to the Calgary Flames and then to Carolina in 2018. That movement has come despite him being one of the best offensive defensemen in the entire league, almost since day one.

Over the last six seasons, which includes his final year in Boston, Hamilton sits 16th among all NHL defensemen in scoring with 258 points in 446 games. That rank increases to fifth if you sort by goals, as the right-handed defenseman trails only Brent Burns, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Shea Weber and Roman Josi in that category. The fact that offensive production comes paired with elite possession numbers and an ability to play in all situations make Hamilton one of the most valuable defensemen in the league.

The question is, whether the Hurricanes can afford a substantial raise on his $5.75MM cap hit. That depth mentioned earlier could potentially make that difficult, given the team already has four defensemen making at least $4.025MM per season for the next three years. The team also needs to consider that Andrei Svechnikov will be demanding a huge raise when he becomes a restricted free agent after this season, plus neither of their goaltenders are signed through 2021-22.

On that defensive note, Waddell also confirmed that they haven’t actually closed the door on bringing back Vatanen, who still hasn’t actually signed anywhere this offseason. The veteran defenseman was traded to the Hurricanes at the deadline, didn’t get into a single regular season game before the season was shut down, but then played big minutes for the club in the postseason. Vatanen is one of a handful of capable defenders still gauging the market, but Carolina has told him they still think there is a “good fit” for him with the Hurricanes.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Ty Dellandrea Loaned To JYP

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Talk about culture shock. Ty Dellandrea has been loaned to JYP Jyväskylä of Finland’s top league until further notice, with the young forward expected to return to Dallas Stars training camp when it gets underway. Dellandrea, 20, has spent the last four seasons playing for the Flint Firebirds of the OHL, serving as captain since 2018.

The 13th overall pick in 2018, there’s a lot to like about the game Dellandrea brings to the ice. Not only is he talented enough to score in bunches, but his character, leadership, and work ethic are all exceptional. While those things can be said about many players and it’s hard to quantify exactly what they mean on the ice, Dellandrea has continually seen his stock rise directly because of the impact he makes off the ice as well.

At last year’s World Junior tournament he was named an alternate captain for Team Canada and held his own offensively, scoring three goals and five points in seven games. He also managed to get into 11 AHL games at the end of the 2018-19 season, where he scored his first few professional points.

Now old enough to head to the AHL full-time, Dellandrea will first get a taste of international hockey in Finland. At this point, success won’t be a surprise for the young forward, but development is still the goal.

Carl Soderberg Drawing Interest Overseas

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As the off-season wears on and so many free agents remain unsigned, it seems like a near certainty that an established NHL talent is going to wind up forced out of the league by a lack of opportunity. With so many teams battling a lack of cap flexibility in light of the flat salary cap, players who know they are worth more than a minimum NHL contract may need to look elsewhere for a substantial paycheck. The scenario hasn’t played out yet, but it only seems like a matter of time.

Could Carl Soderberg be the first victim? The veteran center remains unsigned despite a complete two-way game and a history of success. Soderberg, 35, came over to the NHL later in his career but still has seven full seasons under his belt, in six of which he has recorded at least a dozen goals and 35+ points. Soderberg is also a defensive asset, relied on at the face-off dot and for defensive zone starts. Soderberg’s per-game production declined last season, but so did his ice time. A player who spent the past five seasons at a $4.75MM AAV has not really proven that he is worth much less on his next deal, yet that kind of money may not be available in the NHL.

As a result, whispers have started to emerge out of Europe. The Swiss Hockey News cites sources in Switzerland as well as in Sweden that claim Soderberg is in consideration and the interest is mutual. Just like in the NHL, there is some concern about the impact of COVID-19 on season lengths and clubs’ earning potentials, but there will still be a number of teams in bringing in an established NHLer to lead their squad. One team specifically mentioned is the SHL’s Malmo, Soderberg’s junior program and the club he spent his first eight pro seasons with. However, there is some speculation that Malmo may not be the most likely landing spot. Someone will get lucky though, unless an NHL team jumps in the mix and convinces him that a value deal to remain in North America is his best choice to continue his career.

Poll: Which Team Is The Best Fit For Mike Hoffman?

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We’re now more than a month into NHL free agency and Mike Hoffman still sits on the open market without a contract. The 30-year-old forward is taking his time with what could be a career-changing decision, but it is still unclear where exactly he will eventually land.

From the start of free agency we’ve heard almost every team linked to Hoffman in some sort of speculation, with even his old team the Florida Panthers linked recently. There have been some like the Philadelphia Flyers who apparently haven’t reached out despite a potential need, but the longer it goes on the more teams may believe they can get a bargain.

But where is the right fit for Hoffman? When we polled the PHR community a few weeks ago, the vote was split on whether the free agent should be looking for a one-year contract or still trying to secure a multi-year deal. We already saw players like Taylor Hall and Tyson Barrie take one-year deals to try and build their value for a bigger contract next summer, but is that the right fit for a player who hasn’t really experienced any inconsistency on the ice?

Hoffman, the best pure goal scorer among any of the free agents this year, has found the back of the net 169 times over the past six seasons. That includes 29 goals in just 69 games this year, easily on pace to crack the 30-goal mark for the second consecutive season had it not been stopped prematurely.

Lots of teams could use that kind of instant offense, especially on the powerplay. Despite finishing tenth overall in the regular season and going all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Dallas Stars wouldn’t be considered an offensive juggernaut. In fact, the team scored just 178 goals in the regular season, putting them 29 out of 31 teams. The Columbus Blue Jackets had a similar story, relying on tight defense and strong goaltending to go as far as they did. Columbus recently lost Gustav Nyquist to a long-term injury as well, meaning their search for goals may be increased even further.

But even those teams that can score should be interested in the 30-goal man. The Colorado Avalanche had the fourth most goals scored in the entire league but were still in the bottom-half in powerplay percentage. Hoffman has scored 60 powerplay goals in his career, more even than Nathan MacKinnon despite playing in fewer games.

Why not even consider a team that is still rebuilding, like the Detroit Red Wings? On a short-term deal, Hoffman would be guaranteed plenty of powerplay time and shifts next to the team’s best players and could test the market again down the road. The team on the other hand could potentially move him at the deadline to a contender for some added assets.

There’s a case to be made for almost every team in the league, assuming that Hoffman comes at a reasonable price. But which is the absolute best fit? Cast your vote below and leave your thoughts in the comments.

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Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

College Notes: Hockey East, Newhook, UAH,

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You want more college hockey? You’ve got it. Hockey East has announced its 2020-21 schedule which will begin on November 20 with three games and continue through March 6. Not all teams will kick things off right away, with Boston University not playing until the start of December.

Men’s and women’s hockey will be, for the most part, aligned this season to keep transmission risk lower and there will be a “vigorous testing program for the teams, staff, and officials.” This is huge news for top prospects like Spencer Knight of Boston College, who had an outstanding freshman season but needs to keep getting into games to continue his development.

  • Of course, Knight’s BC teammate Alex Newhook has been invited to Team Canada’s World Junior selection camp that starts later this week, meaning he won’t be taking part in the first part of the Hockey East schedule. As Ryan S. Clark of The Athletic reports, Newhook will leave the BC program on Friday to take part in the month-long selection camp, chasing a dream of suiting up for Canada after he was cut from the team last year. The 19-year-old forward was selected 16th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in 2019 and won the Tim Taylor Award as the best rookie in the NCAA last season.
  • Speaking of good news on the college front, the University of Alabama-Huntsville announced that it has received a long-term multi-million dollar financial commitment and will continue to be a Division I hockey program. The Chargers were in danger of dissolving earlier this year thanks to financial concerns, but after a GoFundMe quickly reached a fundraising goal, more commitments have been made by alumni and the college administration to reinstate the program.

Minor Transactions: 11/11/20

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As we wait for tomorrow’s announcement about the upcoming NHL season, minor league and European teams continue to fill out their depth charts. With a few months of offseason still to come, signings and loans will slowly drip out and we’ll try to cover all the important ones. Make sure to refresh this page throughout the day as we keep track of today’s minor moves:

  • Graham Knott has signed a one-year contract with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL after he was left unqualified by the Pittsburgh Penguins this offseason. A second-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015, Knott’s career hasn’t gone as planned. The 23-year-old 6’4″ forward spent most of the 2019-20 season in the ECHL, playing just 11 games at the AHL level with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Once considered a promising prospect that won gold at the Hlinka-Gretzky and took home a Memorial Cup, the chances of him ever reaching the NHL are dwindling.
  • While Manuel Wiederer was not given a qualifying offer by the San Jose Sharks, the organization did sign him to an AHL contract for the upcoming season. While he waits for that season to start, he has been loaned back to his hometown team in Deggendorf, Germany where he’ll play in the third-tier until the AHL resumes. Wiederer, 23, scored just 12 points in 35 games for the San Jose Barracuda last season.
  • Andrew O’Brien, a fourth-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in 2012, has mutually-terminated his contract with Dinamo Riga of the KHL after just seven games. The 27-year-old dominated the Norwegian league last season, scoring 45 points in 51 games (and recording an incredible 309 penalty minutes) in his first year overseas after several in the AHL.

Greg Pateryn Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp

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It was a bit of a mystery when Greg Pateryn was ruled out for Minnesota Wild training camp when they got together to prepare for the postseason bubble, with the ominous “out indefinitely with an upper-body injury” tag placed upon him. Turns out, that’s because he had back surgery in June. Michael Russo of The Athletic caught up with Pateryn to talk about a tough year that included core muscle surgery last September which kept him out for all but 20 regular season games, and a microdiscectomy to repair a herniated disc in June.

Despite those injuries, Pateryn is focused on the upcoming season and is expected to be ready for training camp when things finally get off the ground. That’s good news for the Wild who invested $6.75MM in the free agent defenseman when they signed him to a three-year contract in 2018. When he was last healthy, playing 80 games for the Wild in 2018-19, he was a serviceable bottom-four guy who could contribute on the penalty kill and add some physicality to the lineup. Those kinds of players are valuable, even if it’s not the most glamorous role or one that really excites a fan base.

The question now though is what role will be left for him this season. After emerging as a full-time option in Pateryn’s absence, Carson Soucy was given a three-year deal this offseason and should see an increase in playing time. The team still has Jared Spurgeon, Ryan Suter, Matt Dumba and Jonas Brodin locked into top-four roles, with young players like Calen Addison soon to be pushing up from the minor leagues. It’s hard to see Pateryn as anything better than the sixth option on this team, and even that’s assuming that he’s playing over veteran Brad Hunt.

Still, it is at least good news that the 30-year-old Pateryn is back on the ice and ready to compete for a spot at training camp. The challenge now will be getting back to his former level of play and showing—ahead of another UFA summer—that he can still hack it at the NHL level.

Jonas Gustavsson Announces Retirement

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If you were a hockey fan in the summer of 2009, you may remember that one of the biggest stories was which NHL organization would get a chance to sign “The Monster.” Jonas Gustavsson, a 6’4″ Swedish goaltender that had just absolutely dominated in the Elite League—posting a .932 save percentage in the regular season and a .961 in the playoffs en route to a league title—was being hotly pursued by several NHL teams, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, Dallas Stars, San Jose Sharks, and Colorado Avalanche. Given he was just 24 and would be signing an entry-level deal, Gustavsson was truly one of the most high profile free agents available.

He would eventually sign a one-year, entry-level contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs to become the backup for Vesa Toskala. While he wouldn’t have the impact that many expected after his overseas dominance, Gustavsson still played in 181 NHL games over parts of eight seasons, including two playoff appearances for the Detroit Red Wings in 2014. He returned to Sweden in 2017 and now has decided to hang up his skates. Gustavsson announced his retirement today, thanking his teammates and the fans that have supported him through the years.

Now, with years to reflect on it, the massive goaltender stands as a cautionary tale for those projecting greatness onto overseas talents. He would never come close to matching his SEL numbers on North American ice, even if he did still carve out a decent little NHL career.

Perhaps more notable than his numbers in either league, is the silver medal he won in 2014 as a member of Sweden’s Olympic team. Of course, he didn’t actually see the ice at the tournament as Henrik Lundqvist played every minute of competition for the Swedes.

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