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John Tavares

Western Notes: Coyotes Free Agency, Perron, Jarnkrok, Fowler

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With the team comfortable at both goaltending and defense, the Arizona Coyotes are expected to be add to their forward lines this offseason. Don’t be surprised if Arizona looks into the free agent market this summer and attempts to grab itself a top-six forward, according to AZCentral’s Richard Morin.

A team with ample cap space, Arizona has spent the last few years building through the draft and then this past season made multiple trades to upgrade its roster, acquiring the likes of Derek Stepan, Antti Raanta, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Richard Panik. The scribe writes the franchise, especially after an impressive second-half run, might look to dip its feet into the free agency market. While acquiring center John Tavares is not a likely scenario, the team might be able to snag an elite winger such as James van Riemsdyk, Patrick Maroon or Rick Nash. The team will have a couple of their own free agents they must sign, including veteran Brad Richardson, Zac Rinaldo, Kevin Connauton and Luke Schenn (as well as try to extend defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson), but the team should have the assets to upgrade their offense.

Morin does also admit that general manager John Chayka might also go back to the trade route as well, but at the same time, the team believes they will see an uptick in production from rookie Clayton Keller and now believe that prospect Dylan Strome is ready to handle full-time duties in the NHL.

Early Notes: Tavares, Stamkos, Luongo

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In a story that won’t go away until a decision is made, John Tavares spoke again about how this season has gone for the New York Islanders and where his future might reside. Arthur Staple of The Athletic (subscription required) navigates the non-answers and explains how the decision truly doesn’t seem to have been made just yet.

Tavares is having an excellent season with 83 points through 80 games, but none of it will matter as the Islanders are set to miss the playoffs once again. While the superstar center has always said no one factor will decide whether or not he stays in New York, the future and direction of the club has always been important.

  • Steven Stamkos is still not at practice for the Tampa Bay Lightning, which makes it unlikely that he’ll play tomorrow night against the Buffalo Sabres. That’s the final home game of the regular season for the Lightning, but the crowds won’t have to wait long to welcome their team back on the ice. Though Tampa Bay is fighting with Boston for seeding in the Atlantic, both teams will have home ice advantage in the first round with the lower seed facing Toronto next week. The Lightning will have to hope Stamkos can go in Game 1, or else face tough competition without their captain.
  • Roberto Luongo will become just the third goaltender in the history of the NHL to play in 1,000 games when he takes on the Boston Bruins tonight, joining Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy in the exclusive club. Amazingly, Luongo has remained one of the best goaltenders in the league this season even at the age of 39. With a .929 save percentage, Luongo sits third among goaltenders who have started at least 30 games, and had he not been injured could be in the Vezina conversation—one that has never ended with him taking home the hardware.

Ilya Kovalchuk Can Begin Talking To NHL Teams On April 15

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While many people are looking forward to free agency this summer, which includes a number of interesting players like John Tavares, James van Riemsdyk, John Carlson and Evander Kane, the NHL is also expected to get back Russia’s Ilya Kovalchuk this summer, who has made it clear he wants to return to the NHL.

What people may have forgotten, according to the New York Post’s Larry Brooks, is that Kovalchuk also finds himself in an exclusive category as he will become a unrestricted free agent on his 35th birthday, which will be on April 15, and the veteran can begin talking to teams then. While he cannot sign an actual contract for the 2018-19 season until July 1st, he can negotiate with teams and agree to a contract in principle after his birthday. That could prove to be a big advantage to other players who will have to wait for the pre-July 1st interview period to negotiate with teams.

Besides leading Russia to a gold medal at this year’s Olympic Games, Kovalchuk has produced big numbers in the KHL. Despite being in his mid-thirties, he has put up great numbers over the past two years. He has scored 32 goals in each of those seasons and combined for 143 points. While last year, he made it clear he wanted to play in New York or in Florida, Kovalchuk has stated he wants to win a Stanley Cup before he finishes his playing career, which could rule out most of those options from a year ago.

Kovalchuk’s SKA St. Petersburg team is currently in the second round of the KHL playoffs with his team leading 3-1 over Lokotomotiv.

Snapshots: Tavares & Barzal, Berube, Gustavsson, Tolvanen, McLain

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Having lost 10 out of their last 11 games this season, the New York Islanders look ready to make a major change as head coach Doug Weight plans to not only shake up their lines, but also put their two best players on the same lines for Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers. The move, which was actually started Friday during the second period would force John Tavares to the wing position with rookie Mathew Barzal moving next to him at the center position, according to Andrew Gross of Newsday. Jordan Eberle will take over at right wing.

“It doesn’t mean he’s going to play wing and it doesn’t mean he’s not a centerman,” Weight said of Tavares. “It’s an experiment. Moving forward it gives them some experience together. I’m excited to see it.”

One has to wonder whether the move is made to see whether Barzal and Tavares might make a good fit, which could be another incentive, if it works, to convince Tavares to stay and re-sign with the franchise at the end of the season. The team has struggled offensively recently and neither player has stood out recently. Tavares has just two goals in the team’s last 10 games, while Barzal has just three in that same span.

  • While Corey Crawford is unlikely to return this year in goal for the Chicago Blackhawks, the real test for the remainder of the year will be to determine who will end up being his backup next year. The team has both current goaltenders, Jean-Francois Berube and Anton Forsberg, under contract for one more season. According to Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times, the better of the two will likely assume the backup spot next year. Both are very similar as they both make the almost the same amount of money and are almost the same age. Lazerus believes that while neither goalie is perfect, Berube has been slightly more consistent than Lindholm, who has put up one of the worst save percentages in the league since Feb. 1 (.889) and has already been pulled six times this season.
  • The Ottawa Senators got some good news as 19-year-old prospect goaltender Filip Gustavsson is heading for the AHL. According to the Ottawaw Citizen’s Ken Warren, Gustavsson, who the Senators acquired in the Derick Brassard trade from Pittsburgh at the trade deadline, is expected to report to the Belleville Senators as his Lulea team in the Swedish Elite League was eliminated from the playoffs. He played 22 games in the SHL with a 2.07 GAA and a .918 save percentage.
  • On the other hand, the Nashville Predators are still keeping a close eye on the KHL playoffs as they watch the play of Eeli Tolvanen of Jokerit. The 2017 first-rounder saw his team drop their second straight playoff game to CSKA and if they get swept, Tolvanen could be free to sign with the Predators for their playoff run as early as Tuesday.
  • On a minor league note, the Iowa Wild of the AHL announced they signed Bowling Green forward Mitch McLain to an Amateur Tryout Agreement. The former captain was an nominee for the Hobey Baker Award and scored 53 goals for Bowling Green over the course of four seasons.

Tavares, Islanders Could Work Out Sign-And-Trade

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A “sign-and-trade” scenario, in which a player signs with his current team or another only for the purposes of being traded to a different team, is uncommon in the NHL. It most frequently seen in the NBA, where such deals often offer the teams making the deal some salary cap loophole or benefit. The straightforward NHL hard cap doesn’t require such moves very often; in fact no sign-and-trade has occurred in the salary cap era. However, TSN insiders Pierre LeBrun and Darren Dreger think one high profile free agent could necessitate such a deal: New York Islanders superstar John Tavares.

Now, there is still no word on what Tavares’ plans are this season. He is undoubtedly the biggest name among potential unrestricted free agents this off-season, but could still choose to stay with the Islanders. Tampa Bay Lightning phenom Steven Stamkos was in a similar situation two years ago and waited about as long as possible before simply re-upping with Tampa. Tavares could certainly do the same. Dreger says that Tavares will meet with agent Pat Brisson following the season – which for the Islander should be next month – to discuss the situation and the many factors that could keep him in New York or instead drive him away. Dreger adds that Tavares is expected to inform GM Garth Snow and the Islanders as to what his plans are ahead of the NHL Draft in June.

If Tavares does let Snow and company know that he has decided to move on, it doesn’t rule out his re-signing with the team, again for the purposes of a sign-and-trade. As LeBrun points out, all three parties involved could benefit from such a deal. Tavares could gain an eighth year to his new contract, available only in extensions, if he first signs with the Isles. The team he is traded to could also use the eighth year to lessen the cap hit on the deal by dropping the actual salary as the years go on, as so often happens in lengthy contracts for players of a certain age. Finally, the biggest concern for the Islanders and their fans is obviously watching Tavares walk away for nothing. While they won’t get a return similar to if they had dealt Tavares at the deadline, New York will still get something in exchange for enabling the sign-and-trade. At this point, getting anything at all for losing Tavares has to appeal to the Isles.

Will such a scenario play out this summer? There hasn’t been a sign-and-trade this century, so obviously the odds don’t favor it. However, there are aspects of the situation that lend themselves to this being the exception to the rule. The most likely result is still that Tavares stays in New York. If that doesn’t happen, it likely means he wants to test the open market. Yet, there is a possibility that Tavares will have a specific destination in mind prior to July 1st and, if that happens, a sign-and-trade could be the ideal scenario for everyone involved.

Islanders Notes: Losing Streak, Tavares, Gibson, Leddy

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Just over three weeks ago, the New York Islanders were clinging to a wildcard berth and now with an eight-game losing streak on hand, New York is looking up from a distance as they find themselves eight points back of a playoff spot, almost guaranteeing another disappointing year in New York. After being eliminated from the playoffs on the final game of the year last season, that makes for two disappointing years for soon-to-be unrestricted free agent John Tavares.

The Hockey News’ Jared Clinton writes that this eight-game losing streak comes at a one of the worst times of the year — right during their playoff run — which will only hurt the Islanders’ chances of re-signing the all-star, who has already broken the 30-goal plateau this year for the fourth time in his career. While it might have been exciting to play for one of the top offenses in the league earlier this year, Clinton writes that since Dec. 1, the Islanders offense has been average at best, tied 12th in the league, averaging 2.88 goals per game. Considering the holes in both the Islanders defense and goaltending, there definitely seems to be a lot of negatives that Tavares will have to sort out in the coming months.

  • Newsday’s Neil Best tries to figure out the meaning of Tavares’ comments last Monday in Vancouver after the team suffered a disappointing overtime loss. Tavares said, “Obviously, this isn’t a whole lot of fun right now,” causing a frenzy of reaction from both unhappy Islanders fans and elated NHL fans hoping their team can steal the star player for themselves. Tavares was quick to say the comment had nothing to do with his feelings about the franchise or his willingness to re-sign. “I’m sure when people look at the way our team’s going, they want to speculate,” he said. “They speculate on teams that have won eight in a row, too. I just control what I control. It’s just other people talking. I’m sure there’s interest, but I can’t worry about that. That doesn’t have really much to do with me, what other people think or what they think what I say means. I have always said how committed I am to this team, this organization, the guys in the locker room. I mean, losing eight in a row isn’t very much fun.”
  • After some impressive performances in goal for New York’s Christopher Gibson, several players were clamoring for the 25-year-old to get more playing time as the team is floundering over their past eight games, according to The Athletic’s Arthur Staple (subscription required). Gibson, who has led the team to two overtime games (both losses) has performed admirably as he boasts a 1.86 GAA and a .953 save percentage in his only two NHL appearances this season. He had a 2.31 GAA and a .909 save percentage in 33 AHL games this season. “He’s played phenomenal, starting in Pitt and again here tonight,” defenseman Brandon Davidson said. “I think he’s kind of earned the right to be the guy.” Gibson is sharing time with starter Jaroslav Halak, while backup Thomas Greiss is injured.
  • In another piece, Staple points a finger at Islanders defenseman Nick Leddy, who is most likely the team’s top defenseman, writing that his game has slowly gone south like the direction the team is heading. After putting up 20 points in his first 28 games, both his offense and defense seems to have fallen off. Leddy, who still has four years remaining on his contract, holds a plus/minus rating of -33, which is second-worst in the league next to Arizona’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson. And despite his early offensive output, he also has had just 18 points in the last 40 games. Staple writes that Leddy is a key cog to the team’s defense and probably the most important as veteran Johnny Boychuk will be 35 next year and the team is likely to lose Calvin de Haan in free agency.

Deadline Primer: New York Islanders

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With the trade deadline now just a few days away, we continue our closer look at the situation for each team.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?  Next up is a look at the New York Islanders.

The New York Islanders know that time is running out for them. The team is doing everything it can to re-sign their franchise player John Tavares, but as the offseason seems to be getting closer and closer, the Islanders are also find themselves battling for one of the final playoff spots and are currently on the outside looking in. With a struggling defense and a goaltending tandem that leave a lot to be desired, the Islanders must feel a sense of urgency to make some changes in hopes they can fix their team enough to vault them into the playoffs. While making the playoffs is no guarantee they can extend Tavares, missing the playoffs certainly won’t help either.

Record

29-26-7, sixth in the Metropolitan Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$4,381,086 in deadline cap space
45/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Draft Picks

2018: NYI 1st, CAL 1st, NYI 2nd, CAL 2nd, NYI 3rd, NYI 4th, NYI 5th, NYI 7th
2019: NYI 1st, CAL 2nd*, NYI 5th, NYI 6th, NYI 7th

*If the Flames miss the playoffs in 2018, the Islanders receive a 2019 second-round pick. If the Flames make the 2018 playoffs, then the Islanders get a 2020 second-round pick.

Trade Chips

Feb 13, 2018; Brooklyn, NY, USA; New York Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk (55) takes a shot during pregame warmups prior to the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY SportsWhile defense is a big weakness on this team, the biggest trade chip this team has are the picks they received from trading defenseman Travis Hamonic to the Calgary Flames in the offseason. The team has Calgary’s first and second-round picks and could dangle those assets along with their own picks and some of the Islanders young talent such as Joshua Ho-Sang or Anthony Beauvillier. The team could also consider moving some of their pending unrestricted free agents such as Thomas Hickey or Dennis Seidenberg, but would probably need a defenseman back before they weaken their defense even further. Jaroslav Halak’s expiring contract could be a piece in upgrading in goal.

Players to Watch: W Anthony Beauvillier; G Jaroslav Halak; W Joshua Ho-Sang; D Thomas Hickey; D Dennis Seidenberg

Team Needs

1) Defense

Desperate for defense, the team already unloaded a third-round pick to acquire defenseman Brandon Davidson, but the team has allowed the most goals in the NHL this season as they have allowed 223 goals this season. Injuries to defenseman like Johnny Boychuk and Calvin de Haan haven’t helped, but the team needs to solidify its defense if they want to make a playoff run. Don’t be surprised if the team tries to grab a quality defenseman to stabilize their blueline core.

2) Goaltending

While you can’t blame the goaltenders for everything as the defense doesn’t help out Halak or backup Thomas Greiss, the Islanders are desperately in need of a shakeup in the pipes. With Halak’s contract about to expire, could the team try to upgrade and bring in a Robin Lehner or an Aaron Dell in hopes that one of them might decrease the amount of goals that are getting past them?

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Edmonton Trades Brandon Davidson To Islanders

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The Edmonton Oilers announced they have traded defenseman Brandon Davidson to the New York Islanders in exchange for a 2019 third-round pick, a move that might be considered a win-win move for both teams.

For the Oilers, the team really cashed in on Davidson’s success this season considering he was untradeable just a couple of months ago. He was picked up in the middle of the year when Edmonton claimed him from the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 3. The Canadiens, who tried to trade him off could find no takers at the time and forced them into placing the blueliner on waivers. However, he fared well in Edmonton as a bottom-tier defenseman. The fact the team was able to get a third-rounder for him is an excellent move from Edmonton general manager Peter Chiarelli. Many people assumed the Oilers might keep the 26-year-old defenseman around for next season. Ironically, it marks the second time in two years the Oilers have traded Davidson at the trade deadline. They sent him last year to Montreal in exchange for forward David Desharnais.

As for the Islanders, the team adds some much needed defensive depth for a team that is struggling with injuries on the blueline. Davidson immediately fills in as a bottom-pairing defenseman where the team needs the most help. The Islanders, who have the No. 4-ranked offense in the NHL, need help on defense as they have allowed more goals per game than any other team in the league at 3.56 per game. Nevertheless, the Islanders are still fighting for a playoff spot, which if they can secure a spot, might aid them in their bid to re-sign center John Tavares at  the end of the season. Davidson, who makes $1.425MM this year will be a restricted free agent for the Islanders when the offseason hits. He is unlikely to make much more than that next season, making him a solid, inexpensive player who might fill the shoes of one of their potential defensive free agents like Calvin de Haan or Thomas Hickey.

Davidson played 13 games for the Canadiens earlier this year and had just one assist in limited playing time. He had played 23 games for the Oilers since being acquired and has had three goals and an assist and is averaging now 16:29 of ice time combined between both teams as the Oilers have used him quite a bit. While not a great puck-moving defenseman, Davidson is a solid defenseman who can hit hard.

The Islanders may still have a bigger move planned in the upcoming days before the deadline as they have moved a 2019 third-rounder instead of moving one of the multiple picks they have for this year’s draft. New York has two first-rounders, two second-rounders as well as their third, fourth and fifth round picks for 2018, most of which they picked up in the Travis Hamonic trade in the offseason with the Calgary Flames.

San Jose Sharks Have Looked Into Erik Karlsson

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This is not a match many would have seen coming, but TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the San Jose Sharks are among the teams that have had talks with the Ottawa Senators about all-world defenseman Erik Karlsson. The rumors are growing that Karlsson could be moved ahead of Monday’s trade deadline or, at least, this off-season. Could the Sharks be a dark horse destination?

In a way, it makes sense. Ever since it was revealed that Senators GM Pierre Dorion was seeking a team to take the contract of Bobby Ryan – $7.25MM over four more years – as part of any deal for Eriksson, it narrowed the field considerably of who could possibly even afford to acquire such players, without bringing in a third team. One such team that is a contender and could afford to bring in both Karlsson and Ryan are the Sharks, who will have over $18MM in salary cap space entering the off-season. LeBrun also notes that it is not out of the ordinary for Sharks GM Doug Wilson to inquire into every available player. LeBrun calls San Jose “big-game hunters”, citing their trades for Joe Thornton and Brent Burns over the years and their push to sign Steven Stamkos two years ago. The Sharks have also been mentioned as a possible destination for John Tavares, should he decide not to re-sign with the New York Islanders.

However, one has to wonder if this rumor is more fiction than fact. While the Sharks may have the cap space and the big splash history, the fit doesn’t make much sense. The reason the team has had interest in Stamkos and Tavares is because they need another major piece up front, especially with 38-year-old Thornton unlikely to return. There is no similar concern on the blue line. Burns is fresh off a Norris Trophy last season and right up there with Karlsson as one of the best defenseman in the league. He’s also signed for seven more years to the tune of $56MM. Marc-Edouard Vlasic is one of the league’s top defensive rearguards and begins his own eight-year, $56MM extension next season. Justin Braun and Brenden Dillon are both in their primes and signed for two more years at reasonable rates, while youngsters Dylan DeMelo and Joakim Ryan have taken a step forward this season. Even the system is well-stocked, with promising blue liners like Jeremy Roy, currently in the AHL, and Mario Ferraro of UMass. The Sharks are a top-ten team in goals against and shots against and arguably the best penalty kill unit in the NHL. Defense is the least of their worries, so why then would they sell off multiple high-value assets and take on a terrible contract to acquire, of all things, another defenseman? The answer is they wouldn’t. No one can blame Wilson for checking in, if he did, but more likely this is the Senators exaggerating interest to drive up the price on Karlsson. Don’t expect a top pairing of Norris Trophy winners in San Jose any time soon, unless Vlasic is ever rewarded for his stellar two-way play.

Snapshots: Vanek, Tavares, Matthews

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Thomas Vanek is probably the most likely player to be traded from the Vancouver Canucks in the next few days, and yet there remains a chance he could re-sign with the team instead. Speaking with Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet, Vanek explained he’d love to play another year with Daniel and Henrik Sedin, but they haven’t given him an answer about their future yet.

Obviously, there is also the option of trading him this weekend only to re-sign him in the summer when he becomes a free agent. Vancouver already brought back Erik Gudbranson, their other top rental option, and don’t seem poised to really be big sellers at the deadline. Vanek brought in a third-round pick last season for the Detroit Red Wings, and could likely fetch a similar price if Vancouver decides to shop him around.

  • After Josh Bailey was re-signed to a six-year contract this morning, many pointed out how it might help the New York Islanders re-sign his linemate John Tavares. The Islanders were making it clear that they wanted to keep this group together and were committed to winning. Not so fast, says John Shannon of Sportsnet, who tweets that the signing will “not have any effect” on the Tavares negotiations, and that the captain will still wait until after the season is over to make a decision.
  • Auston Matthews suffered damage to his shoulder last night, and will be out for “a bit” according to head coach Mike Babcock. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet details how the Toronto Maple Leafs plan on dealing with the loss of their superstar center, and notes that the team will not change their approach to the trade deadline.

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