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Calgary Flames Trying To Acquire First-Round Pick

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Buried inside the always excellent 31 Thoughts column by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman is a report that the Calgary Flames will try to add a first-round pick in this year’s draft. The Flames previously traded their first this year as part of the Travis Hamonic deal, and if they miss the playoffs could be forced to wait until the fourth round before picking anyone. That’s a long time sitting at the table in Dallas for a team that was extremely disappointing this season, making it obvious why they want to try and reclaim a spot in the first 31.

Interestingly, the New York Rangers were recently confirmed as being open to moving one of their three first-round picks, making them a prime target for Calgary over the coming months. Where the Flames want to select is obviously still a big question mark, as there is a big difference in value between the top and bottom halves of the first round. Should they want to land one of the top names in the draft, they’ll have to make a big pitch to another non-playoff team.

What they’ll be looking to move is also unclear. The Flames have some nice prospects still developing, but it doesn’t make much sense to trade one of them to get a first-round lottery ticket. Instead, it’s more likely that they would be trying to move an NHL roster player of some sort to recoup their lost pick.

Immediately, someone like Sam Bennett comes to mind as a potential trade chip after a third disappointing season in Calgary. Bennett has just 26 points on the season, and hasn’t come anywhere near fulfilling his promise as a fourth-overall pick. Still, he’s just 21 and could be seen as a potential building block player for a team a little further away from their playoff window.

In any case, the fact that Calgary is now looking to get back into the first round is a telling indictment of the way their season has gone. Since looking like a contender willing to trade to solidify what was supposed to be one of the best defense corps in the league, to fighting just for a second wildcard spot, things haven’t gone according to plan. Even with Johnny Gaudreau’s excellent season, Calgary will have to evaluate just what went wrong and how to fix it for 2018-19.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Adam Fox To Return To Harvard For Junior Season

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While the Bruins convinced Ryan Donato to leave Harvard and turn pro on the weekend, the Flames will not be able to do the same with defenseman Adam Fox.  Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson reports (Twitter link) that the 20-year-old defender will remain at the NCAA level for his junior campaign, saying that “For right now, just staying and focusing on school and hockey, that’s my focus”.   Fox was Calgary’s third-round pick (66th overall) back in the 2016 draft and posted 28 points (6-22-28) in 29 games this season.

Prospect Notes: Draft Rankings, Stukel, Schneider

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TSN’s Craig Button has released his updated 2018 draft rankings, and though Rasmus Dahlin remains at the top there are some other changes near the top of the board. Boston University’s Brady Tkachuk has climbed to number two in the ranking, while Evan Bouchard of the London Knights is all the way up to fifth. Tkachuk will try to keep BU alive in the National Championship race this weekend, while Bouchard will try to help London surprise the field in the OHL playoffs.

Some of the more interesting ranks on the list though fall at the bottom of the first round, where Ryan Merkley, Joe Veleno, Ryan McLeod and Benoit-Olivier Groulx all find themselves between 26-31. For four players all long ticketed for the first round, their falls have been somewhat surprising. Teams that are trying to compete for the Stanley Cup this year will hope Button is right, and snatch up talent like that with their late-round picks. In a draft that has vacillated between strong and week in the eyes of pundits, the first round should bring a lot of excitement.

  • The Vancouver Canucks won’t be signing Will Lockwood this spring because he’s headed back to school, but that’s not the case for Jakob Stukel. He won’t be signed at all by the Canucks according to Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130, meaning he’ll become an unrestricted free agent on June 1st. Stukel was selected in the sixth round two years ago, but Vancouver has decided he’s not worth a pro contract at this point. The recently turned 21-year old led the Calgary Hitmen in scoring this season with 64 points but has a long road ahead of him if he’s to ever make the NHL. More likely he’ll sign some sort of minor league deal in an organization and try to prove that he’s worth an ELC down the road.
  • Speaking of the Hitmen, goaltender Nick Schneider has been assigned to the Stockton Heat of the AHL now that his season is over. The Calgary Flames prospect signed his entry-level deal way back in 2015 after going undrafted, and actually has already played nine games for the Heat in the past. Now that his junior career is over, Schneider can join the impressive pipeline of talent that the Flames have amassed in goal, with players like Tyler Parsons, Mason McDonald and Jon Gillies already making their mark.

Injury Notes: Winnipeg Injuries, Tkachuk, Kuznetsov, Hutton, Kamenev

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Despite just having lost defenseman Dmitry Kulikov to injury, the Winnipeg Jets look to be gaining several other names back. The team, which seems to have been hampered by multiple injuries over the past couple of months, could be getting three players back on Sunday.

JetsTV’s Jamie Thomas tweets that forwards Mark Scheifele and Adam Lowry along with defenseman Toby Enstrom are likely to play if they feel good tomorrow. Scheifele has missed five games due to an upper-body injury, while Lowry’s upper-body injury has prevented him from playing in a game since Feb. 1. Enstrom has missed eight of his last nine games with the Jets with what is believed to be a lower-body injury.

Thomas also mentions that the team’s goalie situation isn’t improving as quickly. Backup goaltender Steve Mason, who had his knee scoped earlier this week is still on a tw0 to three-week timeframe and is not likely to return until April. He has just played in 12 games so far this year due to multiple injuries. Michael Hutchinson, out with a concussion, is active and riding a stationary bike, but there is no timetable yet for his return.

  • Sportsnet’s John Shannon tweets that Calgary Flames winger Matthew Tkachuk did not join the team for their two-game road trip to Las Vegas and Arizona Sunday and Monday. The 20-year-old had already missed the past two games and is not expected to be back until at least Wednesday. He has been out with a possible concussion he sustained Sunday against the New York Islanders.
  • The Washington Capitals announced that center Evgeny Kuznetsov will be out Sunday with an upper-body injury and will be listed as day-to-day. He was injured in Friday’s game against the New York Islanders after being tripped by Thomas Hickey. The 25-year-old has been one of the key constants for the Capitals as he already has a career-high in goals scored with 21 and is closing on his career-high for points.
  • The Vancouver Canucks will be without defenseman Ben Hutton Saturday as he will miss the game due to a foot infection, according to Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal. The third-year blueliner has played 59 games this season and averages 18:27 ATOI.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have placed forward Vladislav Kamenev on injured reserve, according to CapFriendly, after he has spent the last three games playing for the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL. No word on if he re-injured his arm, which he broke back in November.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Mangiapane, NCAA

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The NHL released their three stars from last week, and young Patrik Laine leads the way. The Winnipeg Jets sniper still hasn’t turned 20, but is now tied with Alex Ovechkin for the league lead in goals with 40 and is in the midst of an 11-game point streak.

Brad Marchand and Evgeni Malkin fill the other two spots, as both try to hunt down a nomination for the Hart Trophy. Malkin sits just a single point behind Nikita Kucherov for the league lead in scoring with 87, while Marchand now has 69 points in just 53 games. Though sometimes overshadowed by other superstars on their respective teams (Patrice Bergeron and Sidney Crosby usually), both Marchand and Malkin are having outstanding seasons and could meet late in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Minor Transactions: 3/11/18

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With a busy 11-game schedule Saturday, the NHL has a lighter schedule today with just four games. With all the injuries, many teams will look to make moves to shore up their roster for the upcoming week.

  • The Arizona Coyotes announced they have assigned defenseman Andrew Campbell to Tucson of the AHL. Strome, the Coyotes third-overall pick in the 2015 draft, has had trouble finding a role with the Coyotes so far as he has just one goal and no assists in 11 NHL games, but has been dominant with the Roadrunners. He has 22 goals and 27 assists in 44 games with Tucson. Campbell was recalled last Sunday as an emergency while defenseman Alex Goligoski was with his wife, waiting for the birth of their child. He did not appear in a game.  Center Dylan Strome was recalled on an emergency basis at the same time but later in the day, the team announced that that recall was cancelled.
  • The St. Louis Blues have announced they have assigned goaltender Ville Husso, forward Samuel Blais, and defenseman Chris Butler to the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL. Husso had been recalled on Thursday as an emergency replacement for goaltender Carter Hutton, who injured his neck, but Husso did not see any playing time. Butler was recalled Saturday as an emergency defenseman, but wasn’t needed. Blais, who has been out with a concussion, skated Thursday and might be ready to play with San Antonio. The 21-year-old has three points in 11 games with St. Louis.
  • The Buffalo Sabres announced they have assigned forwards Justin Bailey and Daniel O’Regan to the Rochester Americans of the AHL. Both players, who have been shuttled back and forth recently between the two teams, are likely being sent down with a four-game break coming up for the Sabres. Buffalo doesn’t play again until Thursday against Toronto. Bailey, the team’s second-round pick in 2013, scored a goal in Saturday’s game against Vegas, but only picked up 8:39 minutes of ice time. O’Regan, acquired in the Evander Kane trade at the trade deadline, has not picked up a point yet in two games with San Jose. The 24-year-old only got 10:19 of ice time Saturday.
  • As reported yesterday, the Colorado Avalanche officially assigned forward Vladislav Kamenev to the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL last night, according to CapFriendly. Kamenev, who came over to the Avalanche from Nashville in the Matt Duchene trade, broke his arm on his first game with Colorado. He is ready to get some playing time in San Antonio and could be recalled once he’s back in game shape.
  • As reported yesterday, the Calgary Flames officially announced they have activated goaltender Mike Smith and have assigned goaltender Jon Gillies to the Stockton Heat of the AHL. Smith has been out of the lineup since Feb. 11 with a groin injury and has been listed as day-to-day for weeks. However, he is expected to start today. The return is critical for Calgary who is fighting for a playoff spot. Smith, an all-star this year, has a 2.53 GAA, but more importantly, a .921 save percentage in 47 games for the Flames. The 24-year-old Gillies struggled in limited playing time for Calgary as he played in seven games, putting up a 2.78 GAA and a .904 save percentage.
  • The Colorado Avalanche announced they have recalled goaltender Spencer Martin from the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL to serve as an emergency backup after Jonathan Bernier was hit in the head with a puck during Saturday’s game. He had already missed several weeks due to concussion symptoms. Martin has had to fill in due to multiple injuries to both Bernier and Andrew Hammond. Martin hasn’t appeared in a game for Colorado, but has a 3.05 GAA and a .895 in 31 appearances with the Rampage.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled winger Valentin Zykov, per a team release.  He has yet to play with the ’Canes this season but has been productive at the AHL level with 30 goals in 57 games which leads their affiliate in Charlotte.

Mike Smith Expected To Return Sunday

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  • The Flames should get goaltender Mike Smith back for tomorrow night against the Islanders, head coach told Sportsnet’s John Shannon (Twitter link). The veteran has been out of the lineup for the last month with a groin injury and a result, Calgary has been using rookies David Rittich and Jon Gillies between the pipes and despite their best efforts, they now find themselves on the outside looking in at the postseason.  If Smith is indeed activated off injured reserve, Gillies will likely be returned to Stockton of the AHL as he is currently with the team on an emergency recall.

Kris Versteeg Nearing A Return

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  • The Flames are likely to get a boost to their forward unit in the coming days. Head coach Glen Gulutzan told reporters, including Sportsnet 960’s Pat Steinberg (Twitter link) that winger Kris Versteeg should be able to return to the lineup this coming week after he gets a few practices under his belt.  The veteran has been out with a hip issue since late November and may be able to give Calgary’s power play a lift as five of his eight points on the season (in 22 games) have come with the man advantage.

Snapshots: Maple Leafs Future, McDonagh, Price, Ferland

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While armed with top talent to make a Stanley Cup run now, the Toronto Maple Leafs will also have quite a few decisions to make after this season. For purposes of their playoff run, the team held onto its two key unrestricted free agents in Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk. However, there is an extreme likelihood the team will move on from those two after the season. The team’s salary cap will continue to tighten over the next couple of years, especially with the pending extensions of Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner. In fact, all three could be extended this summer, although Nylander is the only one who will be a restricted free agent when the offseason begins.

Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star writes that its unlikely either Bozak or van Riesmdyk will return. Bozak is especially unlikely as he will be highly coveted by teams that are in need of a center and might overpay to sign him, something that Toronto cannot afford to do. Van Riemsdyk is another player, who puts up lots of goals, but lacks in other areas and McGran writes that he could see coach Mike Babcock wanting to move on as well.

What other options are out there? One legitimate possibility would be for the Maple Leafs to go out and sign KHL star and former NHLer Ilya Kovalchuk. The 34-year-old winger might be a perfect replacement for van Riemsdyk and would be much cheaper. Kovalchuk is coming off his best two seasons in the KHL as well as leading Russia to a gold medal and winning the MVP award at the Olympics a couple of weeks ago.

McGran also mentions Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau’s former teammate and buddy would be an interesting possibility to replace Bozak. While he’s coming off a tough injury, Thornton would provide the team with more leadership and experience. Russian defenseman Igor Ozhiganov of CSKA Moscow has also been linked to the Maple Leafs. Among the top in-house candidates, McGran points to wingers Andreas Johnsson and Carl Grundstrom along with centers Miro Aaltonen and Frederik Gauthier as players who could fill out Toronto’s line next season. The team should also have some defensive depth options in Calle Rosen, Andreas Borgman and Timothy Liljegren.

  • Tampa Bay Times’ Joe Smith writes that while the Tampa Bay Lightning attempted to pry defenseman Erik Karlsson from Ottawa at the trade deadline, the acquisition of defenseman Ryan McDonagh was hardly a fallback option. The general belief is that McDonagh might prove to be a better fit within the Lightning system. McDonagh, who might be ready to play in Tuesday’s game against the Florida Panthers, is considered to be the better shutdown guy who has the more well-rounded game than Karlsson. “McDonagh is one of the most well-rounded defensemen in the league,” said two-time Stanley Cup-winning defenseman Brian Engblom, the Lightning’s Fox Sports Sun color analyst. “He’s a No. 1 on any team — a 1A-1B with Victor Hedman, and that’s only because Victor is Victor. (McDonagh) thinks about the right net first. “That doesn’t mean he’s not good passing the puck or making plays. He can play in any situation. He’s really mobile, really smart. He covers up a lot of mistakes by other people. He’s pretty much everything you want to list in an all-around defenseman.”
  • Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price skated for the first time since suffering a condition on Feb. 22, according to TVA Sports Renaud Lavoie. While he still has a ways to go, the hope is that Price will be able to practice with the team soon. Price has had a tough season as the 30-year-old has struggled with injuries. He has a 2.98 GAA and a .904 save percentage, which is not great for a goalie whose eight-year, $84MM extension kicks in next season.
  • Postmedia’s Kristen Anderson writes that Calgary Flames winger Micheal Ferland will return to action on Monday on the team’s top line against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Ferland, who is having a breakout season, has missed the last four games with an undisclosed injury. He has 20 goals and 14 assists this season, a career-best.

Snapshots: Calgary, Mironov, Murray

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The Calgary Flames were involved in a battle for funding for a new arena for quite some time, until the talks were abruptly halted in September. After Mayor Naheed Nenshi was re-elected in October, there hasn’t been any progress or even discussion on how to fix the deteriorating financial situation the Flames find themselves in.

Today according to the Canadian Press, as part of his tour through Western Canada, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman spoke about how the Flames are now relying on the league’s revenue sharing program instead of contributing to it as they had in the past. The Flames have indicated their dedication to the community in the past, but hinted that could change if it becomes impossible to operate a financially sound organization. While much of the back and forth in this story has been public posturing, Calgary’s hockey team remains without a long-term fix to their arena situation.

  • Andrei Mironov will indeed head back to Russia after terminating his contract, and as agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey explains on Twitter, he’d like to thank everyone in the Colorado Avalanche organization. It doesn’t seem like there is any bad blood between the two sides, but there just wasn’t a fit for Mironov after signing his entry-level contract last May. The 23-year old defenseman played just 10 games in the NHL, and will likely return to the KHL.
  • Matt Murray was back on the ice doing drills today, though didn’t take any live shots from teammates. That’s huge news for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who despite having faith in Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith, obviously would rather have their two-time Stanley Cup winner in net for the playoffs. We saw first hand last night the struggles that the rookie tandem could have, as the Boston Bruins chased DeSmith from the net in the first period and ended up with eight goals. There is still no timeline for Murray’s return from a concussion, but seeing him on the ice is a good first step.

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