- Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis is with the team on their current road trip but is unlikely to play, suggests Paul Skrbina of The Tennessean. He’s working his way back from a concussion sustained back at the Winter Classic on January 1st. With Nashville currently on the outside looking in at a playoff spot, he’d certainly be a welcome addition but if this holds true, the earliest he’ll be able to play is February 13th.
Predators Rumors
Trade Candidate: Mikael Granlund
With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we continue to profile players that have a good chance to be dealt by February 24th.
Last season, the Nashville Predators made a big splash at the trade deadline with the acquisition of Mikael Granlund from Minnesota. They had been looking for one basically all season long and it wasn’t even a rental situation. Things were looking up, or so it seemed.
Granlund struggled down the stretch and in the playoffs last year and things haven’t gone too well for this season either. Between that and the fact that Nashville needed a couple of wins this week just to stay out of the basement of the Central Division, it seems quite likely that he’ll on the move over the next few weeks. Even if the Predators can stay close to the playoff picture, he could still be on the move due to his rather limited production on the team as his money could be better spent elsewhere.
Contract
Granlund is in the final season of a three-year, $17.25MM deal that he signed back in August of 2017. The deal was slightly back-loaded as his salary this season is $6.5MM, $750K higher than his $5.75MM AAV. He will become an unrestricted free agent in July.
2019-20
While he has performed better than he did after being acquired, Granlund has still underwhelmed, especially relative to his production in his final years with Minnesota. Despite playing in the top six basically all season long (including more than two minutes a night on the power play), his point per game output is the lowest of any full season of his career. The 27-year-old has a well-earned reputation for being a playmaking forward and has recorded at least 31 assists in each full season of his career. However, Granlund has just eight helpers on the season and has gone more than a month and a half without one. That pretty much sums up how disappointing his season has been.
Season Stats
44 GP, 10 goals, 8 assists, 18 points, -1 rating, 16 PIMS, 90 shots, 17:05 TOI, 55.3 CF%
Potential Suitors
Despite his struggles since joining Nashville, there will be several teams that look at Granlund’s body of work with Minnesota and think that a change of scenery can help get him going again. That’s the good news. The bad news is that a $5.75MM price tag is going to limit the number of trade options; even if Nashville retains (they can hold back up to 50%), he’s still going to be too expensive for some of the cap-strapped contenders.
In the East, the Islanders stand out as a team that would be a good fit. They are in the bottom ten in the league in goals scored and have a few players capable of scoring more than they have been. Yes, adding another underachiever into the mix is risky but Granlund’s overall track record suggests he’d give them a boost at the very least. They’re one of the only playoff contenders that can afford his contract outright as well. Lightning GM Julien BriseBois isn’t bullish on adding a rental player but Granlund could fit in well with their high-skilled attack in a middle-six role. And of course, when it comes to making splashes at the deadline, the Penguins can’t be counted off though they would need Nashville to retain some money or send a contract or two the other way. Pittsburgh has a clear vacancy to fill with Jake Guentzel out long term and Granlund is one of the more skilled forwards that’s available.
Out West, Flames GM Brad Treliving would prefer to add someone that’s signed beyond this season but if that falls through, Granlund would be a nice pickup for their top six and give them some extra skill in that group. However, the Michael Frolik deal last month doesn’t free up enough cap space alone to add Granlund so there would need to be some retention. The Avalanche are still one of the top teams in the league offensively but they have plenty of short-term cap room to work with and this is a year they should be trying to go for it so don’t be surprised if they still look to bolster their attack.
Likelihood Of A Trade
While the return isn’t going to be anywhere near what it would have been perceived to be a year ago, GM David Poile has all but certainly decided that Granlund won’t be staying past this season and that his money will go elsewhere on the open market. In this case, getting something is better than nothing, even if they wind up turning around and acting as a buyer to get a short-term replacement for him. Barring injury or a rapid turnaround, it’s hard to envision him still being in Nashville past February 24th.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Ryan Ellis Resumes Skating, Colton Sissons Should Return Later This Week
The Predators have slipped to the bottom of the Central Division, a place that hardly anyone would have seen them being in at the start of the season. However, some help could be on the horizon as Adam Vingan of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that defenseman Ryan Ellis skated today for the first time since sustaining an upper-body injury back on January 1st at the Winter Classic. Ellis is second on the team in ice time at over 23 minutes a night while his 0.72 points per game average is the second-highest of his career.
Meanwhile, Vingan adds in a separate tweet that while center Colton Sissons won’t play tonight, he could return as soon as Thursday against New Jersey or Saturday against Vegas. He has missed the last month due to a lower-body injury. The Predators have an open roster spot so they won’t need to send anyone down in order to activate Sissons off injured reserve.
Poll: Can The Predators Make The Playoffs?
Matt Duchene, the Nashville Predator’s blockbuster free agent addition of this past summer, remains very confident in his new team, despite how their season is going. Duchene, in the first season on a seven-year, $56MM contract, is one of a number of under-performing players on the Nashville roster. The team has not played up to expectations this year, which has already cost head coach Peter Laviolette his job and now threatens to cost the team a trip to the postseason. Yet, Duchene believes the team has what it takes to turn their season around and qualify. He told the media on Monday that he feels that Nashville is a playoff team and, to double down, he does not think they need to make a move ahead of the forthcoming NHL Trade Deadline.
It’s a mighty big prognostication from a player who has been part of the problem and not the solution for the Predators this year. Duchene is on pace for just 56 points this season, which would be among the worst years of his career, when he was supposed to be shine on a talented Nashville roster. He’s not alone; Filip Forsberg (59 points), Ryan Johansen (47), Viktor Arvidsson (40), Kyle Turris (36), and Mikael Granlund (30) are all on pace to finish well below what has come to be expected of them. On top of that, veteran starter Pekka Rinne and young backup Juuse Saros are both experiencing the worst campaigns of their careers. Nearly all of Nashville’s key pieces outside of Roman Josi have disappointed to this point in the season, leaving them in the basement of the Central Division and among the worst teams in the league in a number of categories.
Yet, maybe Duchene has a point. A closer look would imply that perhaps Nashville is more than their current last-place position in the Central Division. With substantial games in hand on Minnesota, Chicago, and Winnipeg, the Predators’ .543 points percentage before Monday night’s game is actually fourth-best in the division. Beyond that, while the Preds currently trail the Vegas Golden Knights by six points for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference, they are really just .005 points percentage points behind. Nashville actually seems to be well-positioned to compete for a spot. Also strange is the seeming lack of correlation between the number of underachieving core producers on the Predators and the actual state of their offense. At 3.30 goals for per game, the team is tied for seventh-best in the league in offense so far this season, even if only Josi is among the top scorers at his position.
With all that said, there is no hiding the fact that the Predators have been poor defensively and on special teams this season, their goaltending situation is shaky at best, and their best forwards have not risen to the occasion all year. Will the returns of Ryan Ellis and Colton Sissons be enough to boost the team? Can their struggling stars turn things around without help?
We already know how Duchene would vote, but what say you? Can the Predators make the playoffs?
Minor Transactions: 01/26/20
The 2020 NHL All-Star Game is in the books. The 3-on-3 tournament produced a familiar result, with the Pacific Division taking home the title. In five years under this All-Star format, the Pacific has won three times and the Metropolitan twice, with the Atlantic and Central still seeking a title. The Atlantic got close yesterday; after winning their first game 9-5 over the Metro, the Atlantic suffered a 5-4 loss in a much tighter game against the Pacific, who had also blown out their first game against the Central, 10-5. Unsurprisingly, the celebrity captain assigned to the Pacific was Wayne Gretzky, who always has the hockey gods on his side. Despite the final loss, Boston forward David Pastrnak was voted the MVP of the All-Star tournament with a total of four goals and six points (if only Pastrnak could help his Bruins – league leaders in OT/SO losses by a wide margin – improve on their 3-on-3).
Now, with many teams returning to action on Monday, be prepared for a flurry of activity today, as evidenced by an early start. Many minor moves will be filed before games resume tomorrow night, so keep up with all of today’s transactions here:
- The Ottawa Senators have recalled forwards Drake Batherson and Filip Chlapik from AHL Belleville, the team announced. Chlapik has skated in 23 games with Ottawa this season, recording five points, while Batherson has a pair of points in nine NHL games. Batherson though has largely spent his year in the AHL, where he has compiled 46 points in 37 games – the league’s third-highest scorer. In fact, Batherson was supposed to be in attendance at today’s AHL All-Star event in Ontario, California, but apparently will be a last-minute absence.
- According to CapFriendly, the Anaheim Ducks have reversed the exact move the team made eight days ago before their bye week began. Blake Pietila has been reassigned to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, having not gotten into any NHL games still thus year, while fellow forwards Max Jones, Chase De Leo, and Troy Terry have been recalled. Following a long-term injury, Terry needed the extra game action in the minors over the break, but both he and Jones have played in 30+ games with the Ducks this season and look like NHL fixtures moving forward. De Leo on the other hand has only skated in one game with Anaheim this year and is still working toward proving himself.
- CapFriendly also adds that the Tampa Bay Lightning have brought veteran defenseman Luke Schenn and young forward Mitchell Stephens back to the NHL ranks. Schenn has cleared waivers multiple times this season and looks like a capable and flexible depth option for the team down the stretch, even if his usage has been limited thus far. Stephens, 22, is still waiver exempt and has split his season evenly between the NHL and AHL, contributing at both levels.
- After several injury-plagued seasons and a failed attempt at earning a contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs in training camp, veteran goaltender Michal Neuvirth has decided to return to his roots, perhaps until he calls it a career. Neuvirth has signed with HC Sparta Praha of the Czech Extraliga, returning to the organization that he grew up in as a developing teenager before embarking on a pro career in North America. The team’s press release reveals that Neuvirth, who trains with the team during summers, has also been working with them over the past couple of months before deciding he was ready for game action. They note that persistent injuries remain a concern, but that the opportunity is there for Neuvirth to seize the starting job and perhaps earn a contract extension beyond this season.
- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled defenseman Lawrence Pilut from the AHL’s Rochester Americans. The Sabres are overloaded with defenders, but Pilut’s production in the minors this season – 22 points in 30 games – has left them with little choice but to keep giving him NHL looks.
- The Detroit Red Wings announced they have recalled goaltender Calvin Pickard from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL on emergency conditions, while sending goaltender Kaden Fulcher to the ECHL ’s Toledo Walleye. Pickard will likely take over backup duties while Jonathan Bernier works his way back from a lower-body injury.
- The Nashville Predators announced they have recalled three players from the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL, including forwards Colton Sissons, Yakov Trenin and defenseman Jarred Tinordi. Sissons spent the past week practicing with the Milwaukee after missing 10 games with the Predators due to a lower-body injury. Trenin has become a popular figure after he went toe-to-toe with Boston’s Zdeno Chara several weeks ago. He has two goals and six points in 13 games where he is averaging just 10:33 of ATOI. He has 31 hits in those 13 contests. Tinordi has appeared in seven games, averaging 14:12.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled forward Tyler Gaudet of the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. The 26-year-old has two goals and 13 points for the Marlies this year in 39 games. Gaudet, considered to be a tireless worker, has been a favorite of head coach Sheldon Keefe for years. Gaudet played for him back in the CCHL with the Pembroke Lumber Kings during the 2012-2013 season and then again with the Soo Greyhounds between 2012-14.
- The Winnipeg Jets announced they have assigned forward Jansen Harkins to the Manitoba Moose of the AHL, so Harkins could play in the AHL All-Star Game. The Jets replaced him on the roster with forward Cameron Schilling. The move was necessarily even though Winnipeg doesn’t play again until Jan. 31, because the team must keep a 20-man roster and by sending Harkins down, the Jets had no choice but to recall Schilling.
- The San Jose Sharks announced they have recalled forwards Joel Kellman, Dylan Gambrell and Antti Suomela from the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL. That reverses a move made before the team’s break with the exception of Gambrell, who replaces Joachim Blichfeld on the NHL roster. Gambrell played 30 games with the Sharks, but was assigned to the Barracuda to work on his game where he had 12 points in 15 games there.
- The Calgary Flames have recalled forward Buddy Robinson from the Stockton Heat of the AHL. The 28-year-old forward is having a solid season with the Heat, posting 16 goals and 30 points in 40 games. Robinson has played in seven NHL games over the course of his career (all with Ottawa), but hasn’t appeared in a game since 2016-17.
- The Los Angeles Kings have recalled two players in Blake Lizotte and Matt Luff from the Ontario Reign of the AHL, according to Fox Sports’ Jon Rosen. Both players were sent down before the break. Lizotte was out with a lower-body injury and hasn’t been in the lineup since Jan. 8. He played one game for Ontario over the break, but is expected back in the lineup. He has four goals and 15 points over 45 games. Luff has five points in 17 games with the Kings.
Central Notes: Dallas Stars, Avalanche, Johansen
It’s possible that the NHL preseason games in China could return next season. The Dallas Morning News’ Matthew DeFranks writes that a source has said that the Dallas Stars are being “highly considered” as a team that would play in China next season and was confirmed by Stars president Brad Alberts.
The big question is whether the NHL will play some preseason games in China this year. In fact, little is clear including who Dallas might play, if they play at all. It would mark the first time the Stars have ever played a game in Asia. The Stars, however, already have a developmental agreement with the Beijing Shougang Hockey Club, which they agreed on in September and makes them a likely candidate to go overseas to start off next season.
After two years of putting exhibitions there in order to grow the game overseas, the NHL played no games in China this season as the country was celebrating the 70th anniversary of its founding last fall, which created major scheduling headaches. The last preseason games in China involved the Boston Bruins and Calgary Flames back in 2018. The Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings played in 2017.
- Mike Chambers of the Denver Post writes that despite the fact that the Colorado Avalanche have the lowest payroll, he believes it’s unlikely the team will be making a major trade at the upcoming trade deadline. The scribe writes that the team lacks openings in the top-six unless injuries develop over the next month. However, Chambers does add the team may look to add some help in goal and add a bottom-six forward with playoff experience. Colorado had been rumored to be a target for players such as Taylor Hall (already traded to Arizona), Chris Kreider and Tyler Toffoli, which no longer seems to be the case.
- The Athletic’s Adam Vingan (subscription required) analyzes the play of Nashville Predators center Ryan Johansen through the first half of the season. While the play of many Predators have been down this season, Johansen’s numbers are quite disappointing. He has 10 goals and 27 points and is on pace for a 47-point season, which would be his worst season since his rookie campaign. However, Vingan notes that his shooting has increased and should exceed his expected-goal rate this season. Unfortunately, since Johansen is shooting more, his assists are way down. Throw in the fact that Johansen is always paired up against some of the other teams’ most challenging players, his numbers make more sense and should be able to rebound in the second half of the season.
Colton Sissons Sent To AHL On Conditioning Assignment
The Nashville Predators could be getting a key forward back soon, as Colton Sissons has been sent to the AHL on a conditioning assignment. Sissons has not played since December 27th, missing ten games since then including the Winter Classic.
Sissons, 26, is in the first season of the seven-year, $20MM contract he signed last summer that locked him into a reasonable cap hit for the prime years of his career. That reward came after a career-high 15 goals and 30 points in 2018-19, a mark he looked ready to at least match this year before getting hurt.
Through 37 games the checking center has seven goals and 13 points, while being a consistent physical presence and penalty killer. His return would give the Predators another reliable forward to help in any late-season push they have in them. The team currently sits in sixth place in the Central Division with 51 points.
Predators Looking To Trade Mikael Granlund
Last season, Mikael Granlund being traded at the deadline was one of the bigger surprises around the league. One year later, it seems like he’s going to be on the move again and this time, it won’t be as much of a surprise. Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reports that the Predators are looking to move the pending unrestricted free agent.
When Nashville acquired him last season, the 27-year-old looked like he was on his way to his third straight 60-point season which was going to set him up well for contract extension talks with the Predators. Instead, he had just a single goal in 16 regular season games with the team while adding only one in the playoffs in their first round loss to Dallas.
Instead of Granlund being the extra punch to their attack like they hoped, they had to trade P.K. Subban to New Jersey to free up the cap room to add Matt Duchene in free agency. Still, with a full training camp under his belt, the hope was that he’d rebound and become the impact player that he was with Minnesota. With eight goals and eight assists in 41 games, he has been a little better than the stretch run a year ago but nowhere near the level that he has played at before.
Not surprisingly, it seems as if Nashville has no interest in engaging in any extension talks which is probably the best for both sides. With the Predators on the outside looking in, moving him now makes sense while Granlund will be banking on a change of scenery helping him rediscover his form and aiding his free agency case. As things stand, it seems unlikely that he’ll be beating his current $5.75MM AAV on the open market.
Unfortunately for the Predators, given Granlund’s struggles, it’s doubtful that they’ll be able to land a return comparable to what they gave up to get him in the first place in winger Kevin Fiala who actually has out-produced Granlund so far this season. A year ago, this looked like a great pickup for Nashville and one that could be a longer-term piece. But it hasn’t come close to working out and over the next month, it’s almost certain that he’ll be dealt once again.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Nashville’s Austin Watson Moved From Healthy Scratch To First Line
It has now been a week and a half since John Hynes replaced Peter Laviolette as the head coach of the Nashville Predators. In that time, it has been a mixed bag of results. Hynes lost his debut mere hours after his hire became official, but it came at the hands of the Boston Bruins, one of the league’s best teams. The Predators then scored a convincing win over the Chicago Blackhawks and a hard fought two points against the Winnipeg Jets. Just when it looked like the coaching change could be paying immediate dividends, Nashville dropped their past two games to the Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks.
Hynes has apparently decided that major lineup changes may be in order to get the team to play up to their expectations and he plans to begin those experiments on Saturday night against the Buffalo Sabres. After already demoting Viktor Arvidsson to the third line, Hynes is set to roll out another major lineup change. Austin Watson goes from healthy scratch for four of the five games of Hynes’ young tenure to the first line, joining Ryan Johansen and Calle Jarnkrok. He replaces Craig Smith, who is set to fall all the way to the fourth line with Kyle Turris and Colin Blackwell, with Yakov Trenin getting the healthy scratch due to Watson’s addition.
Hynes’ thinking with this move may not be as focused on offense as it is on defense. In fact, while many Nashville forwards have been disappointing on an individual basis this season, the team is tied for eighth in the NHL in goals for per game. The same can’t be said for goals against, where the Predators are ranked 24th. Nashville simply has not been a difficult team to play against this season and the loss of Colton Sissons has only exasperated that fact. There has been an obvious lack of physical response and energy from the forward group many nights. As they struggle to get a more balanced, two-way effort out of their forwards, Hynes may be hoping that a refreshed Watson, who leads the team in hits by a wide margin despite sitting six games (and Sissons is in second) can add some punch to the top line. Meanwhile, Smith can bring some experience and scoring threat to the fourth line, where maybe he can even get Turris re-energized.
Perhaps more important than strategy is that this moves by Hynes sends a message that no one’s role is safe under the new coach. The effort has to improve and no one is irreplaceable if they don’t perform. If the team continues to lose, don’t be surprised to see GM David Poile send the same message to his roster by the trade deadline.
Central Notes: Kaprizov, Sissons, Ellis, Saad, Parayko
In a Q&A on the KHL website, Gillian Kemmerer interviewed KHL star and Minnesota Wild prospect Kirill Kaprizov, who stated he is very interested in coming over and play in the NHL.
“I mean, what can I say? The [KHL] season is still on. I have to do my best here, but I do have a great desire to move over,” said Kaprizov. “I have to focus on the ongoing season. It’s the end of the regular season—I need to get ready for the playoffs and do well so that we win our second cup in a row. There’s still a lot to be done before I have to worry about it—such as making the World Championship team. There’s still time. I’ll think about it later.”
Kaprizov is expected to be a free agent this spring and could be a key piece in the Wild’s rebuilding effort if the team can convince him to sign an entry-level deal. The 22-year-old, who was a fifth-round pick in 2015, has been one of the KHL’s biggest stars as he has 23 goals and 45 points in 44 games this year with CSKA Moscow.
- The Nashville Predators are hopeful that they might get a forward back into their lineup soon as head coach John Hynes said that the team hopes to get forward Colton Sissons back to practice after the all-star break, according to The Athletic’s Adam Vingan. The 26-year-old, out with a lower-body injury since Dec. 27, has been skating on his own. Hynes also noted that the news isn’t as good on defenseman Ryan Ellis, who still hasn’t stepped on the ice. The blueliner suffered an upper-body injury after taking a hit from Dallas’ Corey Perry on Jan. 1. However, Hynes points out that Ellis, “he is on that protocol to come back,” although he did admit he didn’t know when Ellis might start skating again.
- The Chicago Blackhawks announced they have activated Brandon Saad off of injured reserve and he is expected to play against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. The 27-year-old has missed 12 straight games with an ankle injury and hasn’t appeared in a game since Dec. 19. Saad has 11 goals and 19 points in 36 games. The winger was considered to be out until the all-star break, but practiced fully on Friday.
- NHL.com’s Lou Korac reports that the St. Louis Blues could have defenseman Colton Parayko back after the all-star break. The 26-year-old defenseman has been out since Jan. 2 with an upper-body injury. Head coach Craig Berube said that he is “pretty confident” that Parayko will be ready to return when the team gets back from break.