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Latest On Florida Panthers Interest In Sergei Bobrovsky

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For months now the Columbus Blue Jackets have been the focus of many around the NHL as they prepare to deal with pending unrestricted free agents Sergei Bobrovsky and Artemi Panarin. Neither player seems likely to consider an extension with the Blue Jackets, meaning the team has a decision to make on whether to trade them before the upcoming deadline or keep them for a potential Stanley Cup run. Recently the Florida Panthers cleared out cap space by trading away Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann, immediately leading many to speculate that they were gearing up for a run at both free agents in the summer.

That wait until summer may not be necessary though, as Larry Brooks of the New York Post tweets that the Panthers are interested in trading for Bobrovsky before the deadline in order to get him under contract. Remember players can only sign eight-year extensions with the team they spend the most recent trade deadline with, meaning the Panthers would be able to offer Bobrovsky an extra year of contract security. Brooks notes that the Panthers could potentially use newly acquired forward Derick Brassard as part of the package to get Bobrovsky to Sunrise.

Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen has made it clear that he is willing to make a tough decision on both free agents, but will trade them only if they get the desired return. After losing five consecutive games and falling to fourth in the Metropolitan Division, perhaps it is getting easier to stomach the idea of moving their star players even if it will weaken their group for a playoff run.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) today pondered in his latest column whether the Blue Jackets would have interest in Jimmy Howard as a potential Bobrovsky replacement, but also touches on the idea that the Panthers will not be so quick to move on from Brassard. The Florida front office is hoping a late-season push can get them into the playoffs and wants to see how the former Pittsburgh Penguins forward fits in.

The other thing to consider when it comes to Bobrovsky’s potential fit in Florida is how it would affect the current goaltenders. The team already has Roberto Luongo and James Reimer under contract for a combined cap hit of nearly $8MM, with three and two years remaining on their respective contracts. An early retirement would mean cap recapture penalties (for both Vancouver and Florida at the moment) in the case of Luongo, but his health has also been a concern in recent years. There would obviously have to be a corresponding transaction of some sort if Bobrovsky was given an extension. One has to wonder if that would be another option for the Blue Jackets—taking on one of the current Panthers goaltenders.

There are now just three weeks before the NHL trade deadline and Columbus still has time to turn things around and establish themselves as contenders once again. If they do it will be extremely difficult to move on from two of the team’s best players, but it might be the right thing for the long-term health of the franchise.

Atlantic Notes: Larkin, Point, Brassard, Condon

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The Detroit Red Wings pulled off a big overtime win over the Toronto Maple Leafs Friday, but suffered an even bigger loss when star center Dylan Larkin had to leave the game in overtime while trying to chase Mitch Marner. He was doubled over and appeared to hurt his rib cage.

Fox Sports John Keating reports that coach Jeff Blashill said that Larkin will miss one to two weeks with a strained oblique muscle, although the team is hoping he will only miss one week. He has already been ruled out for tonight’s game against Ottawa. Andreas Athanasiou is expected to replace Larkin at center on that line.

Larkin has been a key player for the struggling Red Wings. He is having a career-year as he already has 22 goals, just one shy of his career-high and is close to being a point-per game player.

  • In a mailbag article, The Athletic’s Joe Smith writes that Tampa Bay Lightning soon-to-be restricted free agent Brayden Point has made it quite clear that he wants to remain in Tampa Bay for a long time and the scribe suggests that the team might be best offering a five-year deal which might be the perfect compromise between a bridge deal and an eight-year pact. Both sides have agreed to put off contract talks until the summer. With 30 points goals and 65 points already in 51 games, the 22-year-old should receive quite a bump in pay when signing his new deal.
  • Even though the Pittsburgh Penguins were able to get their new acquisitions Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann into their game Friday by giving them a police escort from the airport to the game, the Florida Panthers didn’t do the same thing. The Panthers, who acquired Derick Brassard, Riley Sheahan, three draft picks and future cap room from Pittsburgh earlier in the day Friday, opted to go without the pair Friday and are expected to have the two in the lineup Saturday against Vegas, according to Sun Sentinel’s Wells Dusenbury “I didn’t find out [about the trade] until about 11 [am],” Boughner said. “We were planning on having a different lineup in there tonight and so we built the lineup with what we had and unfortunately [Brassard and Sheahan] couldn’t get in for the game.”
  • The Ottawa Senators continue to be without goaltender Mike Condon, who the team placed on waivers on Oct. 31 who had and still is trying to come back from a hip injury, according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. The veteran goaltender cleared waivers, but has appeared in just one game for the Belleville Senators in all that time. Condon has recently started skating and working out in Ottawa, but there remains no timetable for his return. The hope is that he can make a return to the ice for Belleville March. The team acquired goaltender Anders Nilsson to be their backup goaltender on Jan. 2, who has fared well in eight appearances for Ottawa with a .922 save percentage, meaning that Condon will have a tough time getting back into the goaltending rotation, barring injury.

Snapshots: Matthews, Winnik, Gerrie

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Talks continue between star center Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs in hopes of coming to terms on an extension in the near future. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Matthews’ agent, Judd Moldaver, is expected in Toronto this week to continue negotiations. LeBrun feels that there is still a gap between the two sides, but momentum is pushing them in the right direction. As previously noted, Matthews is not seeking a maximum eight-year term, but rather a five- or six-year extension is his preference, which LeBrun reinforces. Matthews, 21, has 45 points through 36 games this season and is tied for ninth in the NHL with Sidney Crosby in points per game. Since his debut three years ago, the 2016 No. 1 overall pick, Matthews has recorded 177 points in 180 games, among the 20 best scorers in the NHL. That combination of youth and production at center is as rare as they come and Matthews is likely seeking a contract that will meet or exceed in AAV that of new teammate John Tavares, who signed with the Maple Leafs for $11MM per year this summer. Such high-stakes negotiations usually do not come together quickly, so this is likely just another step in a long process for both sides.

  • Veteran forward Daniel Winnik was unable to secure an NHL contract this off-season, but now finds himself as a priority free agent in Switzerland. Winnik ended up signing with Geneve-Servette of the NLA back in October and has been highly productive for the Swiss squad, notching 23 points in 31 games thus far. According to the Swiss Hockey News, head coach Chris McSorely is desperate to bring Winnik back next season and the experienced journeyman is open to an extension. Winnik, who played for the Minnesota Wild last season and joined the Boston Bruins on a PTO this fall, may have slight NHL interest in the off-season, but the 33-year-old is likely better off sticking in the NLA. With Geneve-Servette, not only has Winnik scored more easily than at any point in his eleven NHL seasons, but McSorely also calls him “a real leader and a positive voice in the locker room”.
  • A strong season for the Bowling Green State University Falcons has helped them to net another elite prospect for their program. Bowling Green, ranked No. 12 in the NCAA in the latest Pairwise polls, has received a commitment from 2019 NHL Draft hopeful Keighan Gerrie, per the Superior International Junior Hockey League. Gerrie is currently tearing up the SIJHL with 62 points in 34 games, among the top five scorers in the league and is far and away it’s best U-18 player. Gerrie is currently slated to play in the NAHL next year, but if he continues at nearly a two points-per-game pace this season, he will likely wind up in the USHL instead before joining Bowling Green. As for the NHL, Central Scouting ranked Gerrie at No. 140 among U.S. skaters in their latest rankings, but as his stock continues to rise, he could push to be a fourth- or fifth-round selection, which could make him the Falcons’ top prospect when he finally arrives. Junior goaltender Ryan Bednard, a 2015 seventh-rounder of the Florida Panthers, has been excellent this season but will be gone by the time Gerrie arrives. Sophomore forward and leading scorer Brandon Kruse, a fifth-round pick by the Vegas Golden Knights this past year, could still be on campus to form a dynamic duo with Gerrie in two years, but may have already turned pro by that time. Gerrie could be Bowling Green’s best hope of remaining among the top programs in college hockey moving forward.

Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers Complete Four Player Swap

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have found a taker for Derick Brassard, and filled their third-line center role in the process. The team has sent Brassard, Riley Sheahan, a 2019 second-round pick (PIT), and two 2019 fourth-round picks (PIT & MIN) to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann. Neither team will be retaining any salary.

Pittsburgh had been looking to ship Brassard out all season, as the veteran forward just never fit into a role with the team. Acquired last season from the Ottawa Senators, Brassard has registered just 23 points in 54 regular season games with the Penguins, and contributed just four points during the team’s early playoff exit last spring. That wasn’t enough given the opportunity he was given to play alongside Phil Kessel, and he’ll now find himself in the Florida sun for the time being. Don’t count on Brassard staying there long though, as his pending unrestricted free agency isn’t attractive for a Panthers team that is likely to miss the playoffs.

Flipping Brassard to another contender could help the Panthers keep collecting picks while opening up cap space, the biggest asset they’ve gained in this transaction. Florida is expected to take a run at both Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky in the offseason—or perhaps even sooner—and Bjugstad wasn’t providing enough to justify his $4.1MM contract. The big center has had trouble staying healthy throughout his career and has just 12 points in 32 contests this season. McCann meanwhile has 18 through 46 games but still hadn’t really established himself as a key member going forward.

That’s exactly what the Penguins will hope happens for both players, as they prepare for another run at the Stanley Cup this season. Pittsburgh is now just three points behind the New York Islanders for first place in the Metropolitan Division, but will have to fight tooth and nail to hold off the rest of the group fighting for their spot. Even with the Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets on long losing streaks, all three Metro playoff spots are undecided.

It’s important to note how close the Penguins have now pushed up to the salary cap ceiling, as it will be difficult to make any additional moves without sending money the other way. Pittsburgh is close to getting Justin Schultz back from long-term injured reserve, and would no longer have the room to add someone like Micheal Ferland who they have been linked to extensively. That might not matter though, as Bjugstad brings plenty of size to a lineup that was looking to add muscle for a stretch run. The 6’6″ forward isn’t an overly physical player, but can use his strength to get pucks out of traffic and create chances for himself and teammates. He’s expected to start at center for the Penguins, though has plenty of experience in Florida on the wing as well.

Three picks are a hefty price to pay for Pittsburgh, given that they spent a good bit on Brassard just last year, but the team is in clear win-now mode with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kessel all still able to compete at a high level. There will come a point where the team struggles to graduate any players from their prospect system, but they’ve shown in the past to be excellent college and undrafted free agent recruiters to fill those gaps.

Florida meanwhile has now restocked some of the draft picks they had traded away in recent years. At one point this season they were without any selection in the second or third rounds, but now will select six times in the first four and could get even more by flipping these expiring contracts. For a team with a good young group of players and now plenty of cap space in the summer, the Panthers are a team to watch on the trade market over the next month and near June’s draft.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Jamie McGinn Placed On Waivers

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Friday: McGinn has cleared waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet and will now be assigned to the Springfield Thunderbirds.

Thursday: The Florida Panthers have placed Jamie McGinn on waivers, likely indicating that he’s healthy enough to resume playing. McGinn underwent back surgery in September and has not played a game yet this season. The team has also recalled Jayce Hawryluk, Josh Brown and Ian McCoshen from the minor leagues.

McGinn, 30, is in the final season of a three-year, $10MM deal signed with the Arizona Coyotes in 2016. He arrived in Florida as the entire return for Jason Demers before last season, after GM Dale Tallon was given back control of the organization and made several moves to clear what he believed to be problem contracts. McGinn scored 13 goals and 29 points for the Panthers last year, but it’s unclear now what his future holds with the team.

Instead of returning to a Panthers team that is still trying to push for a playoff spot in the second half, McGinn will head to the minor leagues and try to rebuild his value with the Springfield Thunderbirds. A two-time twenty goal scorer, McGinn is a big frame that can bring some touch around the net and is more than willing to engage physically. This injury will cause many to pause when considering him for their team this summer when he becomes an unrestricted free agent, but if he can show he’s healthy enough to compete in the second half there should be a future for him in the league still.

If McGinn immediately returns to the Thunderbirds lineup there may even be some interest in him at the trade deadline. Should Florida decide that he doesn’t fit into their forward group any longer, the team might be able to cash in for at least a draft pick. Teams are always looking for physical players to plug into a playoff lineup, and McGinn does have 36 games of playoff experience.

Future Unclear For Bogdan Kiselevich After AHL Assignment

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The Florida Panthers made a few heads turn today when they announced that veteran forward Jamie McGinn had been placed on waivers, but it likely could have been expected given the extent of his injury that has kept him out all year. McGinn has a big enough contract to probably avoid any claim since he hasn’t proven his health at all this year. There was another older player on his way to Springfield today though, this time with not such a hefty contract. Included at the very bottom of the press release explaining three call-ups today was the news that Bogdan Kiselevich has been assigned to the Thunderbirds.

Kiselevich, 28, was made available for trade earlier this month by the Panthers, after failing to really make an impact with the team. In 31 games the Russian defenseman has recorded eight points, but has been a healthy scratch at times and hasn’t suited up since January 13th. He played just 12:33 in that contest, but amazingly that wasn’t even close to his lowest total of the season. In 17 of his 31 games Kiselevich has received less than 15 minutes of ice time, including a season-low of 10:52 on New Year’s Eve.

Now, with MacKenzie Weegar close to a return and Kiselevich headed to the minor leagues it is unclear what the future holds. The KHL veteran signed a one-year contract with the Panthers in the summer and will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. He’s waiver exempt for this year allowing the team to move him up and down without risk, but Josh Brown and Ian McCoshen both getting the call today there doesn’t seem to be any room in the NHL. That means he could still be used as trade bait, but as of yet there doesn’t seem to be a market, or at least not one that has satisfied GM Dale Tallon.

There is reason to believe that the left-handed defenseman can help someone, given his success overseas. Part of the gold medal-winning “Olympic Athletes from Russia” squad and a staple of the CSKA blue line the last few years, Kiselevich actually put up some good possession statistics in his short opportunity in Florida. We’ll have to wait and see if someone takes a chance on him at the deadline, and if he wants to remain in North America for next season. The Panthers are back in action tomorrow night against the Nashville Predators.

Snapshots: Mock Draft, Arizona State, Jokinen

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Itching for the NHL Entry Draft already? Several fan bases are, as many teams are beyond a reasonable shot at the postseason as the unofficial second half of the season begins. After a recent rash of mid-season draft rankings were published, NHL.com writers Adam Kimelman, Mike Morreale, and Guillaume Lepage tried their hands at a mock draft of the first round for the upcoming draft. They did not conduct a lottery simulation nor did they try to predict how the playoffs would unfold, so the mock is strictly the current standings inverse. However, each of the trio made their own selections and interesting trends can already be spotted. Of course, all three had the Colorado Avalanche, using the Ottawa Senators’ first-rounder, taking U.S. National Team Development Program phenom Jack Hughes first overall. Regardless of who picks first, Hughes is the unanimous pick to go No. 1 in any scenario. There was also a consensus for Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko going second to the New Jersey Devils and Russian winger Vasili Podkolzin going third to the Los Angeles Kings. However, there was not much agreement the rest of the way. Western Hockey League centers Dylan Cozens and Kirby Dach and USNTDP forwards Alex Turcotte and Trevor Zegras went early for all three writers, but no two agreed on the fit for any one team. There was also dissent over the first defenseman taken and where, as Kimelman placed Swedish rearguard Philip Broberg at No. 6 to the New Jersey Devils, while Morreale and Lepage had Canadian blue liner Bowen Byram going No. 7 to the Florida Panthers or No. 8 to the Edmonton Oilers, respectively. One of the biggest surprises was Morreale’s selection of wunderkind goaltender Spencer Knight to the Panthers. While many consider Knight to be the best draft-eligible goalie prospect in some time, no keeper has been taken in the top ten since Carey Price in 2005. The other two writers had Knight at No. 14 to Colorado and No. 24 to the Vegas Golden Knights. Later in the round, opinions differed greatly on OHL defenseman Thomas Harley and hyped overage forward Brett Leason as well. There is still a lot to be decided about the upcoming draft board, not to mention the draft order and the impact of trades, but it is interesting to get a good look at this point in the season as the picture becomes more clear for both the teams and prospects.

  • Arizona State University continues to make waves this season in college hockey. In just their fourth year of existence as an NCAA program, ASU is currently ranked No. 17 in the country and could push for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. As AZ Central’s Jeff Metcalfe writes, the play of forward Johnny Walker and goalie Joey Daccord is making all of the difference and beginning to draw national attention. After blanking the immensely talented Boston University Terriers 3-0 on Saturday night, Walker’s two tallies put him in the NCAA lead for goal scoring, while Daccord’s shutout was his NCAA-best seventh of the year. Daccord, 22, was a seventh-round pick of the Ottawa Senators back in 2015 out of Cushing Academy and it is beginning to look like the Sens’ late-round waiver on the long-term project could pay off. Daccord is a junior and could be enticed to turn pro this off-season if Ottawa hopes to avoid him becoming a free agent after another year. Walker, 22, went undrafted as a Phoenix native playing in the NAHL and is only a sophomore at ASU. However, that won’t stop NHL teams from trying to pry him away from college to get a look at his near goal-per-game pace at the pro level. A tournament run by Arizona State would only further amplify the status of these unlikely heroes of the collegiate campaign.
  • Veteran forward Jussi Jokinen has been unable to find NHL employment this season. The fact is somewhat amazing considering Jokinen played in 14 or more games with four different NHL teams last season. The well-traveled 35-year-old signed a PTO with the Detroit Red Wings this summer, who would have become his tenth different NHL team, but it did not pan out and no one else has come calling. Finally, Jokinen has decided to move on. Finnish reporter Pasi Tuominen reports that Jokinen is set to sign with Karpat of the Liiga in his native Finland for the remainder of the season. Jokinen will be a valued mentor for top NHL prospects like Rasmus Kupari (LAK) and Aleksi Heponiemi (FLA) while with Karpat and may even lead the first-place team to a championship. Regardless, it is highly likely that Jokinen’s days in the NHL are done. The well-liked and respected forward leaves a great legacy behind him in North America, but will surely continue to play overseas for a few years to come.

 

Trade Rumors: Duchene, Lightning, Bargains

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Seemingly every year, there is speculation that a prominent impending free agent could be the one to finally bring the “sign and trade” back to the NHL. The sign and trade is relatively self explanatory; a player re-signs with his current team to a contract negotiated with a second team that he is subsequently traded to. In the current structure of the NHL, the sign and trade could hypothetically be used to add an eighth year to a contact, as free agents are limited to a cap of seven years when negotiating with a team other than their current club. This season, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun has reopened the sign and trade discussions, this time in regards to Ottawa Senators forward Matt Duchene. LeBrun speculates that Duchene has approximately two weeks to work out an extension with the Senators before the team will be forced to shop him. Ottawa has reportedly already made an initial offer of eight years and $64MM, but Duchene is likely to be eyeing an AAV closer to $9MM per year instead of $8MM. If that counter is too rich for Senators owner Eugene Melnyk and company, the team could not afford to miss out on a the potential return for Duchene at the trade deadline.

When it comes to a sign-and-trade, things get tricky for the player, which could explain why it remains such an infrequently used device in the NHL. While the eighth year is enticing for Duchene, especially at his desired salary, signing that long-term deal means a) getting another team to first agree to that contract and b) trusting the future plans for that franchise. The last time Duchene was traded, from the Colorado Avalanche to the Senators early last season, it didn’t work out so well. Duchene may be hesitant to sign with a team for eight years simply because they can afford to acquire him this season. A sign and trade also eliminates Duchene’s opportunity to test the free agent market and potentially maximize his market value. Duchene will undoubtedly be the top center on the UFA market this summer and may wish to weigh his options rather as a first-time free agent rather than commit to another team so soon before seeing what else is out there. A sign and trade works out nicely for the Senators, as they would surely receive a better return, but finding a trade partner could be difficult and getting Duchene to go along with the plan may not happen. For these reasons, a sign and trade remains an unlikely result to the ongoing Duchene saga.

  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have all the makings of a true trade deadline buyer this season: they are the first-place team in the league by a considerable margin, will have upwards of $8MM in cap space by the deadline, and are facing an impending cap crunch that could begin to dismantle their roster as early as this off-season. The Lightning are in win-now mode and, with excellent odds of winning the Stanley Cup, will look to add the best reinforcements they can ahead of the deadline. However, the Lightning may struggle to make the trades typically seen by a true buyer. Tampa Bay currently has 49 players signed to professional contracts against a cap of 50, per CapFriendly. The team probably doesn’t want to hit that 50-contract mark either, as it would take them out of the college and junior free agent market this spring. This means that the Bolts cannot simply trade picks and prospects for rental players. Instead, GM Julien BriseBois will have to get creative with sending under-contract players the other way. Only two of Tampa’s 49 “pro” players are in juniors, meaning that any trades will likely send current AHL contributors to sellers and the team will effort to do so without hurting their postseason depth. At the end of the day, Tampa Bay’s trades at the deadline may end up looking more like hockey trades – player-for-player talent swaps – than you would typically see from a deadline buyer.
  • Sportsnet’s Andrew Berkshire believes that there is great long-term value to be found in the current buyer’s market. Berkshire writes that the Los Angeles Kings’ Tyler Toffoli, the Chicago Blackhawks’ Brandon Saad, and the Florida Panthers’ Evgeni Dadonov are among the best bargains potentially available on the market due to their recent struggles and/or under-the-radar trade status. Berkshire states that Toffoli’s value is at a career-low given his current 33-point pace for the down-and-out Kings. However, Toffoli notched 47 points just last year and has 20+ goals in three of the past four seasons. The two-way forward also has a palatable $4.6MM cap hit and could be a buy-low candidate that blows up with a change of scenery. Similarly, Berkshire believes that Saad’s value is still low after bottoming out last season. He has rebounded this season, but is still on pace to fall short of the 50+ points that used to come consistently for him. At $6MM AAV for two more years, Saad’s contract isn’t egregious but is a strain for the cap-strapped Blackhawks. They could be enticed to sell low on the power forward and could very well end up on the wrong side of a Saad trade for the third time. Conversely, Berkshire believes that the Panthers are happy with Dadonov and would be reluctant to move him, but may feel pressured to sell at the deadline despite few obvious rental pieces. The play-making winger is quietly on his way to another 65-point season or better and with one year left on his contract at just $4MM, is already a bargain and could be even better elsewhere. Florida won’t give him up easily, but considering the upside that Dadonov has shown, he could still prove to be a steal even with ample trade capital going the other way.

Poll: Which Team Is Under The Most Pressure To Make The Playoffs?

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When the NHL’s unofficial second half kicks off this week, there will be substantially fewer teams with playoff hopes than when the first half began back in October. Of course, no team has been statistically eliminated yet, but a quick look at the standings can help to rule out more than a handful of the league’s bottom-dwellers. In fact, The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn had seven teams with less than a 5% chance of reaching the playoffs in his latest model: the Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, Chicago Blackhawks, and Philadelphia Flyers.

On the other hand, there are also quite a few teams whose first-half success has given them near certainty of playing beyond the regular season this year. Luszczszyn’s projections give eleven teams an 85% chance or better of qualifying for the postseason: the Tampa Bay Lightning, Calgary Flames, Winnipeg Jets, Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vegas Golden Knights, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Columbus Blue Jackets, and New York Islanders.

This leaves 13 clubs remaining – the “fringe” teams – who are vying for a possible five playoff spots. Eight of these teams will miss out. Who least wants to be part of that group?

Well, the team who has been a member of the early off-season club the longest would certainly like to change things up. The Carolina Hurricanes have gone nine seasons since making a postseason appearance and have come close the last few years but fallen short. The team could crack 90 points this season for the first time in eight years, but it might not be enough in the tight Eastern Conference wild card race. The two other teams who are desperate to get back to the playoffs are the Buffalo Sabres, who are on a seven-year drought, and the Arizona Coyotes, who are six years out from a postseason appearance. The Sabres got off to a hot start this season and looked to be a surprise playoff team, but have regressed recently, with three wins in their past then games, and are now tied with Carolina for ninth place in the East. The Coyotes have been resilient in the deep Western Conference wild card race, battling injuries and inconsistency to stay in the mix, but Arizona has their work cut out for them the rest of the way.

Then there are the teams who have made the playoffs recently but not performed. The Blue Jackets – who have never won a playoff series in franchise history – will almost certainly have another shot this year, but what about the Florida Panthers? Many have dismissed the team this season, but the Panthers have plenty of talent and have fallen short of expectations until recently. They face an uphill battle to make the postseason but if they do, the team would have a chance to snap the league’s longest streak without a playoff series win. Florida has not won a round since 1996, a whopping 21 seasons without postseason success and longer than the Blue Jackets have even existed. That’s a substantial mark on the franchise. It’s been a decade now since the Colorado Avalanche have won a postseason series as well and now that they are armed with one of the league’s best forward lines, have a chance against anyone if they can win a spot. The Avs looked like a legitimate Stanley Cup contender early this season and with some trade deadline reinforcements could be a factor this spring. However, recent struggles have plummeted them into the thick of the wild card race in the West and they are in danger of missing the playoffs entirely.

Then, there are teams that simply entered the 2018-19 campaign with high expectations and need to meet them. The defending champion Washington Capitals are of course part of this group. Among the most likely fringe teams to make the postseason, it is nevertheless hard to ignore the disastrous play of the Capitals of late. Three wins in their past ten games, including a number of blowout losses, has begun “Stanley Cup hangover” talk and has legitimately injured Washington’s playoff odds. The team needs to right the ship soon or risk falling out of the current playoff picture. A team on the opposite trajectory are the Minnesota Wild, who have improved their play of late and have pulled away in the race for the final Central Division berth. Minnesota is another team that entered the season with high expectations and are still searching for the franchise’s first ever Stanley Cup final appearance. With hopes reaching new highs this season, a collapse for the Wild would be devastating.

Unlike the Capitals and Wild, there are also teams with high expectations who don’t have promising playoff outlooks right now. The Edmonton Oilers and the league’s best player, Connor McDavid, sit atop that list. Edmonton is currently in 13th in the Western Conference and in danger of dropping out of the playoff conversation sooner than any fringe team. The organization has already fired their head coach and general manager this season amid another year of disappointing results and face slim odds that this campaign will end any differently. McDavid and company maintain that the Oilers are a playoff-caliber team, but something has to change with this team down the stretch for that that hypothesis to be tested this postseason. The St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars certainly look like playoff teams on paper, but both have been mediocre at best this season. The Blues, a popular dark horse Stanley Cup pick before the season, have been disappointing in every regard and there has been talk that the team could blow it up this season. A recent improvement paired with the struggles of others in the Western Conference playoff race have revived postseason hopes, but few expected that making the playoffs would be this difficult for St. Louis this season. The same goes for Dallas, who has had highly-publicized feuds between ownership, coaches, and players alike this year as the team continues to fall short of expectations. The Stars currently hold the top spot in the wild card race, but a recent history of late season collapses casts doubt over their ability to hold on to that spot.

There are still many teams whose playoff futures this season remain in question. These franchises all have varying degrees of desperation based on history and expectations. Of the 13 “fringe” teams, which team is under the most pressure to make the playoffs?

Mobile users, click here to vote.

Minor Transactions: 01/22/19

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The bye weeks have started and because of it there are just five games on the schedule for tonight in the NHL. The best of those may be a potential Stanley Cup preview between the San Jose Sharks and Washington Capitals, two teams in clear “win-now” modes. The Capitals have recently lost their grip on the Metropolitan Division and will need to break a five-game losing streak if they’re to get back on top.

  • The Florida Panthers have sent Jayce Hawryluk, Josh Brown and Ian McCoshen to the minor leagues while they’re on break, in order to get the young players even more playing time. Sending those three down will also save some money given they are all on two-way contracts.
  • Similarly the Los Angeles Kings have sent Austin Wagner and Sean Walker to the minors over their break, saving a bit of cash and keeping them on the ice. The Kings likely don’t want to stop playing as they’ve turned things around a bit of late, climbing out of the basement of the league standings and giving their fans a respectable product to watch. The Kings now sit 27th in the league with 44 points.
  • After clearing waivers today the Ottawa Senators have sent Justin Falk to the minor leagues. Falk hasn’t played since before Christmas, meaning he’ll get into some games at the AHL level before potentially returning to the Senators.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have recalled Adam Cracknell from the San Diego Gulls after the veteran forward has scored seven goals and 13 points in 13 games. Cracknell was acquired from Toronto earlier this season and has always been a strong offensive player in the minor leagues.

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