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Poll: Who Will Finish With The Best Chance At First Overall?

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Success at the World Junior Championship doesn’t guarantee success in the NHL. It’s a junior tournament, after all, and there are countless examples of players who star there only to find it difficult to translate their game to the professional level. Esa Keskinen, for example, is one of the highest-scoring players of all time with 31 points in two tournaments. The fifth-round pick never came over to North America (likely due to his small stature during a different era of hockey), playing out his career in Finland and Sweden instead.

But even as scouts are starting to place less importance on performance there, the World Juniors plays an important role in something else for future stars: an introduction to a wider audience.

In the grand scheme of hockey fans, there aren’t many watching Regina Pats games. They might not get a chance to see future first-overall pick Connor Bedard on a very regular basis, if at all. So when he puts up seven points in one game or comes within one goal of the Canadian record from a ridiculous angle suddenly fans from across the league start dreaming about him pulling on their sweater next season.

Tanking for the first-overall pick doesn’t work all that well in hockey. The draft lottery gives hope to around half the league (depending on trades) and causes anxiety for those clubs at the bottom of the standings. Going into tonight’s games, the Chicago Blackhawks have the best odds of winning the right to select Bedard. Chicago has lost nine of their last ten and 25 of 33 on the year. Their .303 winning percentage would be the third worst in the salary cap era if it continued all year. The two teams ahead (or behind) them though – the 2016-17 Colorado Avalanche and 2019-20 Detroit Red Wings – both failed to win the lottery.

Colorado fell to fourth after three teams jumped them, and got the consolation prize of Cale Makar. The Red Wings fell three spots too and had to settle for Lucas Raymond.

There have been some changes since then, meaning Chicago (or whoever finishes last) won’t drop quite so far. But coming last still by no means guarantees the top pick. In fact, a team like the Montreal Canadiens could theoretically end up with an even greater chance, even without finishing last. The Canadiens have their own pick and Florida’s, who are also currently out of the playoff picture. Should the Panthers drop even further, Montreal would essentially have two cracks to move up.

There is also a lot of hockey left to play. One more win would tie the Blackhawks with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Two would bring them even with the Anaheim Ducks, who have played three more games. There’s a long race to be run by quite a few teams.

So as you watch Bedard (and Adam Fantilli) pile goals onto an overmatched Austrian squad, who do you think will enter the draft lottery with the best chance? Cast your vote below and explain how you see it playing out in the comments.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Extension Updates, Letang, Pacioretty

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Now that the holiday break is over, teams will now shift their focus directly on the trade deadline and a push for the playoffs. Some clubs who find themselves on the bubble will have to determine whether an extension or a trade is the best option for some expiring contracts. With that in mind, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic examines several of the most intriguing contract negotiations, from David Pastrnak to Dylan Larkin.

While those two seem destined to eventually re-sign, that doesn’t seem quite as likely for the two big names in St. Louis: Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko. Blues fans holding out hope that the former will be kept won’t love the comments from agent Pat Morris, who explained that there have not been any contract negotiations for O’Reilly this season and there is “nothing new to report” on that front.

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins could be without Kris Letang again, as head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters including Rob Rossi of The Athletic that the veteran defenseman is being evaluated for a lower-body injury. Letang played over 27 minutes last night and nearly 26 the night before that in consecutive losses.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes won’t have Max Pacioretty in the lineup tomorrow, but head coach Rod Brind’Amour said today that it is possible he returns within the next ten games. The veteran forward tore his Achilles in August and was given a six-month recovery timeline – one that he appears well ahead of. Pacioretty scored 19 goals and 37 points in 39 games for the Vegas Golden Knights last season.

Andreas Johnsson Clears Waivers

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Dec 29: Johnsson has cleared waivers and was immediately assigned to Utica.

Dec 28: According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the New Jersey Devils have placed Andreas Johnsson on waivers once again, after he previously cleared at the beginning of the season. He joins Max Willman today, who the Philadelphia Flyers already announced would be on waivers.

Johnsson, 28, has played just two games this season in the NHL, after scoring 13 goals and 35 points in 2021-22. As the Devils improved their forward group, he was pushed further down the depth chart and now finds himself on the outside looking in when it comes to NHL minutes.

Given the team also was forced to move Ondrej Palat to long-term injured reserve just to fit in today’s recalls, burying Johnsson in the minor leagues can also be beneficial to their cap situation. His $3.4MM cap hit can’t be entirely buried, but $1.125MM will come off the books while he plays for the Utica Comets.

That is of course assuming he clears waivers, though it seems very likely given that contract situation.

Alexis Lafreniere To Be Healthy Scratched

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The New York Rangers have decided to drop Alexis Lafreniere even further down than the fourth line. He’ll spend this evening in the press box as a healthy scratch while the Rangers take on the Tampa Bay Lightning. Sammy Blais will enter the lineup in his place, according to Colin Stephenson of Newsday.

The Rangers and the 2020 first-overall pick are at a critical point, according to Arthur Staple of The Athletic, who spoke to several scouts that were critical of Lafreniere’s play. Still just 21 years old, the left-shot forward has five goals and 17 points in 36 games.

He has seen his playing time decrease rapidly over the last few weeks, and now he’ll have to watch a sixth-round pick in Blais take his lineup spot. Lafreniere scored more goals last season than Blais has over his entire career; in fact, he hasn’t scored a single time since arriving in New York before last season.

But it’s the lack of identity that comes up in so many critiques of Lafreniere’s play. He disappears often and rarely imposes his will on a game, even though there is talent to do so. The legendary junior player – who won two QMJHL MVP awards, two CHL Player of the Year awards, and World Junior gold and MVP honors – is too rarely present for the Rangers.

Lafreniere has scored 36 goals and 69 points in 171 games, while bouncing all around the lineup to try and find a good fit. While one healthy scratch doesn’t mean he’ll be immediately traded, it is just another chapter in what has been an imperfect marriage since the moment he was selected.

Notably, the young forward is going to be a restricted free agent at the end of the season and will likely have to settle for an inexpensive deal. There’s no reason to pay him, given he doesn’t have arbitration rights or much leverage. What that contract looks like will be determined by the second half of 2022-23, when he’ll either re-establish himself as a core piece for the Rangers moving forward, or confirm the idea that he’s never going to become that difference-maker for New York.

Aleksander Barkov, Aaron Ekblad To Return For Florida Panthers

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The Montreal Canadiens are the unlucky team that will see the return of several key players for the Florida Panthers tonight. Aleksander Barkov, Aaron Ekblad, and Radko Gudas have all been cleared to return. It will also be the NHL debut of Anton Levtchi, who came over from the Finnish professional leagues this season.

Montreal not only has to play a much more healthy group but is also on the second half of a back-to-back after losing 4-1 to the Tampa Bay Lightning last night. After an encouraging start, the Canadiens are now 3-6-1 in their last ten and have fallen to last place in the Atlantic Division.

Florida, meanwhile, is only one point ahead of them in the standings, and are on their own three-game losing streak. The 2022 Presidents’ Trophy winners have struggled to produce consistent offense and rank near the bottom of the league in goals against. Sergei Bobrovsky, who will start tonight, is in another one of his bad years, posting a career-low .895 save percentage through 21 appearances.

Ekblad has played just 24 games so far and has been outscored 32-21 when on the ice at even strength. The 26-year-old has been in and out of the lineup with injuries. something that has become a trend in his career.

Barkov, usually considered the team’s most important player, has just 25 appearances on the year, and hasn’t played since exiting a game on December 17 early. The big center has 22 points but just six of those are goals, after scoring a career-high 39 last season (in just 67 games).

Levtchi, 27, signed a one-year, entry-level contract in June to give North American hockey a go, and has scored 13 points in 24 games for the Charlotte Checkers so far. The undrafted forward has developed into a superstar in Finland, scoring 61 points in 55 games last season with Tappara Tampere.

Calgary Flames Activate Dennis Gilbert

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Dec 28: It appears the Flames have activated Gilbert off of IR this evening, per CapFriendly. A closer look at the Flames’ roster page shows Gilbert listed on the roster among the other healthy players.

Dec 21: DeSimone could be staying on the Flames roster for a few days, at least. Calgary today converted his emergency call-up into a full-time one, per CapFriendly.

Dec 20: The Calgary Flames have lost Dennis Gilbert for at least a week, as the defenseman was placed on injured reserve today after leaving Sunday’s game early. Nick DeSimone was elevated from the AHL to take his place on the roster.

Gilbert left the game after a fight with Jonah Gadjovich of the San Jose Sharks just nine shifts into his night. It’s tough timing for a player who was only recalled that day and was playing in his eighth game of the season.

His cap hit now will stay on the books for Calgary, a tough break for a team that needs every dollar. The team could have sent him back down and buried his entire $750K contract otherwise.

DeSimone, another minor league veteran, will potentially get the chance to suit up against his old organization, should he enter the lineup tonight in a rematch against the Sharks. The undrafted defenseman spent parts of five seasons with the San Jose Barracuda, wearing an “A” as an alternate captain in the last two.

In four games this season with the Flames, he has yet to register a point.

Ottawa Senators Place Nikita Zaitsev On Injured Reserve; Recall Jacob Larsson

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With the Ottawa Senators dealing with an ever-dwindling depth chart on defense, the team has recalled Jacob Larsson from the minor leagues. Nikita Zaitsev left yesterday’s game after blocking a shot, while Artem Zub remains out. The latter needs another test before getting clearance to play, according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia, while the former has been moved to injured reserve.

With Zaitsev leaving early and Dillon Heatherington playing just over eight minutes, the Senators were essentially playing with just four defensemen against the Boston Bruins. Thomas Chabot ended up with more than 31 minutes of ice time in the shootout win, while each of Nick Holden (24:41), Travis Hamonic (24:24), and Jake Sanderson (27:13) reached at least 24.

Larsson, 25, isn’t expected to really change that. The former Anaheim Ducks defenseman has played just three games with Ottawa this season, failing to crack 15 minutes in any of them. Through 24 games with the Belleville Senators, he has just five points and is a -13, trailing only Angus Crookshank for the worst number on the team. While he may be a capable short-term injury fill-in, the Senators desperately need Zub back to take some of the defensive responsibility off the shoulders of the top four.

Zub did skate today, and will hopefully be back in the lineup before long. There has been no announcement from the team on Zaitsev’s timeline just yet, but his placement on injured reserve requires him to miss at least a week. The team is back in action tomorrow in Washington, before a back-to-back against the Red Wings and Sabres this weekend.

Marc Crawford Hired In Switzerland

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The ZSC Lions, one of the most popular teams in Europe, has made a big change behind the bench. They have parted ways with Rikard Gronborg and hired Marc Crawford as head coach, signing the former NHL bench boss to a deal through the 2024-25 season. Crawford will be joined by Rob Cookson.

This is actually a return to Zurich for Crawford, who coached the team for four years starting in 2012-13. The Lions won the league championship in 2014 and put up a 125-47-28 record overall with Crawford in charge. His time there also included a 2015-16 season with teenage phenom Auston Matthews, who scored 24 goals and 46 points as an 18-year-old in just 36 games.

Gronborg was already going to leave ZSC at the end of the season and rumors had emerged about his connection to teams in Finland. He is a free agent now, however, and has drawn plenty of NHL interest in the past. The 54-year-old coach was with Zurich since 2019, and had previously served with the Swedish national team for many years.

Crawford, meanwhile was most recently with the Chicago Blackhawks and has served with the Ottawa Senators, Dallas Stars, Los Angeles Kings, Vancouver Canucks, and Colorado Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques. It was Crawford who took the Avalanche to a Stanley Cup championship in 1996 after the move from Quebec, though the rest of his NHL postseason resume isn’t quite as successful. Cookson worked with Crawford in Ottawa and served as an assistant with the Calgary Flames for many years previously.

Pittsburgh Penguins Recall Ty Smith, Drake Caggiula

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have moved Josh Archibald and Ryan Poehling to injured reserve, recalling Ty Smith and Drake Caggiula to fill the roster spots. Both IR stints are retroactive, meaning Archibald and Poehling can be activated whenever healthy enough to return.

Smith’s recall will excite some fans though, given the upside that he still represents. The 22-year-old defenseman was part of the return in an offseason trade of John Marino and looked like he would be a regular piece of the Pittsburgh blue line during the preseason. Instead, he was sent down to start the year and has racked up 14 points in 26 games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins instead.

That was Smith’s first experience in the minor leagues, as he jumped right from the WHL to the NHL in 2020 with the New Jersey Devils. He played 114 NHL games during his first two seasons, scoring seven goals and 43 points in the process. The 2018 first-round pick has plenty of offensive potential but can still be inconsistent on the defensive side of the puck.

He will likely get a chance to show off any improvement in that area, given the injury that Chad Ruhwedel suffered last night. The veteran defenseman played just 5:28 before leaving.

Beck Malenstyn Loaned To AHL

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After explaining that Beck Malenstyn is close to a return yesterday, the Washington Capitals have loaned the young forward to the AHL today. Malenstyn will join the Hershey Bears, now that he has recovered from a finger injury.

Selected 145th overall in 2016, few would have been surprised if Malenstyn never made it to the NHL. After all, he wasn’t a dynamic offensive player in junior, reaching a career-high of 56 points. But the 6’3″ forward did make it, debuting for the Capitals in the 2019-20 season thanks to a hard-working, physical playstyle.

Now a few years later and the 24-year-old has 20 games under his belt, including five this season with the Capitals. He had two points in those five, before leaving a game at the beginning of November and sitting out ever since. He’ll now have to get back up to speed in the minor leagues but could be a potential call-up down the road for the Capitals.

With Tom Wilson nearing a return, Washington is starting to get healthy again and is already one of the hottest teams in the league. The club has won five straight and nine of ten as they climb up the Metropolitan Division standings.

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