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Mike Ribeiro

Mike Ribeiro Expected To Retire From Professional Hockey

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Mike Ribeiro’s NHL journey came to an end last year when he was sent to the minor leagues mid-season, and now it seems as though his professional career is finished entirely. In a heartbreaking article by Richard Labbé of La Presse, Ribeiro’s agent Bob Perno reveals that the former All-Star forward has relapsed into alcohol abuse and has not received any contract offers for the upcoming season.

All I know is that Mike has not put on the skates once since the end of the season, he’s not training and he’s not on the ice anymore. He will retire. There is not a single NHL team or even a European team that has called me to inquire about his services. The way his career is going to end is very disappointing. 

Unless something changes, Ribeiro will finish his career having scored 793 points in 1,074 games. His on-ice contributions have been tremendous over the years, reaching a career high of 83 points with the Dallas Stars in 2007-08. That year Ribeiro added another 17 in the Stars’ playoff run, losing in the finals to the Detroit Red Wings. He would never get that close again, though he would play 67 playoff games in his career.

Ribeiro was a second-round pick by Montreal back in 1998 and quickly showed his immense offensive potential, dominating the minor leagues before becoming a perennial top playmaker in the NHL. His 565 career assists actually put him 103rd all-time in the NHL. His career will end just seven points shy of 800, and tied for 163rd all-time.

Dead Space: Bought-Out, Buried, And Retained Salaries For Every Team

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It’s something that often goes unnoticed, but with the cap showing minimal growth the last few years, teams are starting to feel the crunch more than ever. Buyouts have become more common, especially with players with under three remaining years on their contracts. And it’s not just the big name busts that have seen the ax lately – we’ve seen lesser names at lesser money take the fall for their respective teams, then needing to scramble for work elsewhere in the league. Additionally, salary retention in trades has become a more utilized tactic as of late. Teams with “unmovable” contracts have offered to retain part of a poor contract in order to entice a team into giving them some relief.

All this said, some teams have been better with foresight than others. Some teams have shown a track record of being entirely unable of handing out poor contracts over the past five or so seasons. Considering many teams showed some progress in being more frugal this off-season, it seems a wise time to review the dead space every team has accumulated, either due to poor management decisions or poor luck.

Colorado Avalanche – $4.83 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after current year – Francois Beauchemin buyout; Cody McLeod retained

Arizona Coyotes – $4.61 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2020-21 – Mike Smith retained; Mike Ribeiro, Antoine Vermette buyouts

Columbus Blue Jackets – $4.025 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2020-21 – Fedor Tyutin, Jared Boll, Scott Hartnell buyouts

Carolina Hurricanes – $3.71 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2020-21 – Eddie Lack retained; Alexander Semin, James Wisniewski buyouts

Toronto Maple Leafs – $3.28 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2021-22 – Tim Gleason, Jared Cowen buyouts; Phil Kessel retained

Nashville Predators – $2.83 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2018-19 – Viktor Stalberg, Eric Nystrom, Barret Jackman buyouts

Boston Bruins – $2.73 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved 2019-20 – Dennis Seidenberg, Jimmy Hayes buyouts

New York Rangers – $2.61 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2022-23 – Dan Girardi buyout

Minnesota Wild – $2.5 MM in 2017-17, issues resolved after current year – Thomas Vanek buyout

Los Angeles Kings – $2.4 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2023-24 – Matt Greene buyout; Mike Richards termination/recapture

Edmonton Oilers – $2.33 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2020-21 – Lauri Korpikoski, Benoit Pouliot buyouts

Anaheim Ducks – $2.21 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2023-24 – Mark Fistric, Simon Despres buyouts; Patrick Maroon retained

Vancouver Canucks – $2.13 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2021-22 – Roberto Luongo, Jannik Hansen retained; Chris Higgins buyout

New Jersey Devils – $2.09 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2023-24 – Mike Cammalleri, Devante Smith-Pelly buyouts; Ilya Kovalchuk recapture

Tampa Bay Lightning – $1.83 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2019-20 – Matt Carle buyout

Calgary Flames – $1.82 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2018-19 – Mason Raymond, Lance Bouma, Ryan Murphy buyouts

Detroit Red Wings – $1.67 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2020-21 – Stephen Weiss buyout

Dallas Stars – $1.5 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2018-19- Antti Niemi buyout

Philadelphia Flyers – $1.5 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after current year – R.J. Umberger buyout

Winnipeg Jets – $1.46 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2018-19 – Mark Stuart buyout

Florida Panthers – $1.33 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after 2018-19 – Jussi Jokinen buyout

Las Vegas Golden Knights – $1.1 MM in 2017-18, issues resolved after current year – Alexei Emelin retained

Ottawa Senators – $350,000 in 2017-18, issues resolved after current year – Andrew Hammond buried

Buffalo Sabres – Minimal in 2017-18, increased issues ($791,00) resolved after 2022-23 – Cody Hodgson buyout

 

 

Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders, San Jose Sharks,  Montreal Canadiens – No dead cap space

After compiling the list, it became clear that utilizing these options isn’t a complete hindrance to competing in the NHL. In fact, most clubs have between $1 MM and $3 MM in dead space. That said, of the teams that have not needed to utilize the buyout or retention options, there has been a great deal of success. And among the five worst offenders, the Leafs, Hurricanes, Blue Jackets, Avalanche, and Coyotes, none has moved past the first-round in multiple years. It’s hard to draw massive conclusions without taking the context of each individual situation into account, but there is something to be said for making every dollar of cap space count. Perhaps this is merely a byproduct of past success rather than an indicator of future success, but considering how amenable many managers have become to the option, it bears consideration.

(All totals courtesy of the fantastic CapFriendly.com)

Will The San Jose Sharks Make A Move?

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It’s hard to make an argument for any other team in the NHL as having a less exciting start to the 2017 off-season than the San Jose Sharks. Yes, the Sharks are just a year removed from a Stanley Cup appearance and have re-signed Norris Trophy-winner Brent Burns as well as Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Joe Thornton, and Martin Jones since then. You can get excited about new deals for Ryan Carpenter and Tim Heed last month too if you like. Yet, other than re-signing their own players, what have the Sharks added to their 2017-18 squad?

We know what they’ve lost. Patrick Marleau, a career-Shark and the franchise leader in goals (power play, short-handed, and even strength), points, and games played, is now a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. David Schlemko, a 2016 free agency addition, was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the Expansion Draft and then flipped to the Montreal Canadiens. Micheal Haley (Florida Panthers) and Buddy Robinson (Winnipeg Jets) are also gone.

The only additions for San Jose thus far, as they look to plug the holes formed by lost free agents as well as improve upon their 2016-17 performance: left wing Brandon Bollig and goaltender Antoine Bibeau. Bollig, 30, is a physical, fourth-line caliber forward, but doesn’t produce enough on a consistent basis to be a regular player. Bollig hit his career-high in points in 2013-14 with the Chicago Blackhawks when he scored 14 points in 82 games. Soon after, he was traded to the Calgary Flames, where he scored just nine points in 116 games over two seasons before being buried in the AHL for the entirety of the 2016-17 season. The big winger posted 11 goals and 11 assists in 60 games for the AHL’s Stockton Heat, but still brings little to the the table for the Sharks other than grit and experience. As for Bibeau, the 23-year-old keeper was not tendered a qualifying offer by the Toronto Maple Leafs after a disappointing season. Bibeau had an .894 save percentage and 3.08 GAA in 32 regular season appearances for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies and performed even worse in his one playoff game. Bibeau had clearly fallen behind Garret Sparks and Kasimir Kaskisuo to fifth in the Leafs’ organizational depth chart, and so he was not retained. In San Jose, Bibeau will be no greater than fourth behind Jones, Aaron Dell, and Troy Grosenick and may never get another NHL start.

Bollig and Bibeau, two players destined for the AHL, are not exactly an inspiring pair, which begs the question: will the Sharks make another move? The team is far from perfect and could use some help. Jones and Dell proved to be a solid duo last season and the blue line is as deep as any in the NHL, but San Jose is not without needs up front. The Sharks ranked just 19th in scoring last season, and also boasted on of the worst power play’s in the NHL, below average face-off numbers, and poor possession stats. Burns (a defenseman) was the team’s leading scorer last year and tied for the team lead in goals, while the since-departed Marleau was fifth in scoring and third in goals. The rest of the top five scorers –  Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture, and Joe Thornton – will return, but the 38-year-old Thornton is recovering from a torn ACL and MCL, an injury that occurred after he scored all *seven* of his goals. Beyond those three forwards, the production dropped way off in 2016-17 to the likes of disappointments such as Mikkel Boedker and Joel Ward and young, developing players like Chris Tierney and Tomas Hertl. The Sharks have a clear need for secondary scoring, especially with Marleau gone, and could use a power play catalyst as well. Brandon Bollig is not going to cut it and a full season of Jannik Hansen, acquired at the Trade Deadline, likely won’t either.

Top options for the Sharks include Thomas Vanek, Drew Stafford, and Jiri Hudler, while taking a waiver on a veteran like Jaromir Jagr, Jarome Iginla, P.A. Parenteau, or Mike Ribeiro or on a younger player like Alex Chiasson or Brandon Pirri could work as well. Given the Sharks’ scoring needs, their sufficient cap space, and the complete dullness of their off-season to this point, perhaps maybe two of those players could find their way to San Jose. If not, the Sharks do have pieces to make a move to acquire a scorer, potentially a Matt Duchene or Evander Kane, if they so choose. One way or another, GM Doug Wilson needs to do something, and quick, or not only will he have a team that has surely gotten worse since the end of the season, but he will have a disappointed fan base on his hands as well.

Predators Activate Josi From IR

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After demoting frustrated forward Mike Ribeiro today, the Nashville Predators used the roster spot to bring a much better personality back into the lineup: star defenseman Roman Josi. Josi was activated from the injured reserve after missing the team’s last nine games. He had originally sustained the upper body injury after taking a big hit from Bruins rookie Anton Blidh back on January 12th. Josi left the game and did not return and was swiftly placed on IR the next day.

Boosted by the return of P.K. Subban, the Predators were able to survive Josi’s absence, going 6-2-1 while he was sidelined. However, they are now back to full strength and continue to fight for position in the Central Division with Josi leading the charge. Although he got off to a slow start this season (so did the entire team), even before the injury, with just 22 points through 42 games, Josi is as dynamic as any defenseman in the NHL. Last season, Josi trailed only superstars Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns, and Kris Letang in defensive scoring with 61 points. He is one of only a handful of defensemen with 40 or more points in each of the last three seasons. In a system specifically designed to run its offense through its defense, Josi is capable of putting up monster numbers, especially when he is surrounded by other possession players like Subban, Mattias Ekholm, and Ryan Ellis. Josi should easily reach 40 points again if he can stay healthy through the end of the season.

However, his focus will not be on scoring stats but on leading the defensive corps and the team overall in their quest for the Stanley Cup this season. A dark horse pick by many before the season, the Predators had a miserable start to 2016-17, but have begun to stack up wins and pull away from the Western Conference’s fringe playoff teams. Benefiting from the collapse of the St. Louis Blues, Nashville now sits in third in the Central with a three point lead on the Blues and more points and games in hand on both the Winnipeg Jets and Dallas Stars. If the Predators keep winning, they can turn their focus toward chasing the Chicago Blackhawks, who are nine points up, but two games ahead as well. With Josi back in the fold and the team currently rolling on all cylinders, it’s not impossible for Nashville to get home-ice advantage on the ’Hawks by playoff time.

Minor Transactions: 2/4/2017

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It’s a busy blue line in Edmonton, as the Oilers announced today that they have recalled two defenseman, Griffin Reinhart and Jordan Oesterle. The move comes on the heels of rookie defenseman Matt Benning (and forward Jujhar Khaira) being placed on injured reserve. The call-up adds two more bodies to the back end, which already has fixtures in Oscar Klefbom, Adam Larsson, Andrej Sekera, and Kris Russell, has Brandon Davidson and Eric Gryba back and healthy, and is awaiting the return of Darnell Nurse. 

If he’s in the lineup tomorrow against the Montreal Canadiens, it will be the first NHL game of the season for Reinhart, who failed to make much of an impact in 2015-16 with just one assist and a -6 rating in 29 games with the Oilers. However, Edmonton traded first and second rounders to acquire the young defenseman, so they won’t give up on him that easy, even if he does prove to be a sunk cost. Reinhart has five goals and six assists in 29 games with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors this season. However, he’s been outshined by Oesterle, who has 3 goals and 15 assists to lead Condors defensemen in scoring. If Oesterle plays tomorrow, it will also be his first appearance in 2016-17. The 24-year-old played in 23 games with Edmonton over the past two seasons, recording six assists. Even with Benning on IR, don’t expect both Reinhart and Oesterle to remain with the Oilers for too long.

Elsewhere across the league:

  • After clearing waivers, Mike Ribeiro has been sent down to the AHL by the Nashville Predators. Although he is clearly not in high demand having gone untouched by 29 teams, Ribeiro’s trip to the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL does not signal the end of his NHL season. If Nashville is willing to hold on to some salary, there is still a good chance Ribeiro gets his trade wish granted by March 1st.
  • Cal O’Reilly also cleared waivers recently and has now been demoted to the AHL’s Rochester Americans. In a corresponding move, the Buffalo Sabres have recalled Justin Bailey, who is expected to take the place of the injured William Carrier while he remains sidelined. The 21-year-old Bailey has 19 goals and 10 assists in 39 AHL games this season.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled Markus Hannikainen on an emergency basis from the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. There is no word on what prompted the quick call-up or whether the young winger will suit up for the Jackets’ game against the New Jersey Devils tonight. Hannikainen scored his first career NHL goal in his last game, a win over the Carolina Hurricanes on January 21st.
  • Anaheim has called up defenseman Brandon Montour from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. The Ducks have been swapping Montour and Shea Theodore back and forth from the AHL seemingly all season long. The former UMass blue liner has been outstanding with the Gulls, scoring 30 points in just 34 games, but is still looking for his first NHL point through five games with the Ducks.

Blues Notes: Ribeiro, Hitchcock, Johnson, Armstrong

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The Blues may be one of the more interesting teams leading up to the trade deadline. The team has talent, but has underachieved this year and is battling just to make the postseason as a wild card. St. Louis took the surprising step of firing highly-respected head coach Ken Hitchcock, who had already announced he was retiring following the 2016-17 season, but more changes could be on the way.

Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch hosted his weekly chat with Blues fans today and tackled several queries regarding what steps the team might take next. It goes without saying but the whole post is well worth your time. Regardless, here’s a compilation of a few of the highlights:

  • Rutherford has long suggested the Blues need help at the center position and with Mike Ribeiro hitting the waiver wire today, one reader wondered whether St. Louis would take a chance on the talented pivot. While Ribeiro has a solid track record of offensive production, Rutherford just doesn’t see the soon-to-be-37-year-old as a fit for the Blues, citing the fact he has been a healthy scratch in Nashville on several occasions this season. Ribeiro does have 25 points in 46 games this season but only four goals. It’s likely the Predators sought potential trade partners prior to waiving Ribeiro and it would seem there wasn’t much interest. It’s possible someone besides St. Louis in need of center help will take a chance given the pivot is in the final season of his contract and wouldn’t come with much risk as a result. He did register a 50-point campaign in 2015-16 and tallied 62 the season before, suggesting he might still be able to help a team offensively.
  • The scribe also addressed whether Hitchcock’s name might come up in connection with the Las Vegas head coaching job. Rutherford is of the impression the veteran bench boss wouldn’t be “keen” on the idea and while he doesn’t specify as to why, it’s possible that the 65-year-old is simply at a point in his career where he wouldn’t want to take on the challenge of building an expansion franchise from the ground up. However, despite the fact he was set to retire after the 2016-17 season, many in the industry have said they wouldn’t be surprised to see Hitch back in the league at some point.
  • The Blues and Lightning have been linked as potential trading partners, given St. Louis’ issues in goal and the possible availability of pending free agent netminder Ben Bishop. However, Rutherford has heard that the Blues have interest in another Tampa Bay player: center Tyler Johnson. Johnson would make a ton of sense for the Blues. The team likely still fancies themselves as Stanley Cup contenders – if not necessarily this year – and a hypothetical deal for Johnson not only addresses a weakness now but would add a talented player who can be controlled as a RFA beyond the current campaign. Rutherford doesn’t specify what Tampa Bay would want in return but it’s safe to say a top-four defenseman would have to be part of the discussion.
  • Lastly, Rutherford’s colleague with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Jesus Ortiz, argues that the Blues “fired the wrong guy” when they dismissed Hitchcock. Ortiz is of the belief the team should instead have given GM Doug Armstrong his walking papers. He points to the hiring of Mike Yeo as “head-coach-in-waiting” as potentially undermining the authority of the veteran bench boss. In the press conference following the firing, Armstrong made a reference to “independent contractors,” when describing some of the players on the team and it’s fair to wonder if that condition is related to the team’s overall approach to the handling of the coaching situation. Ortiz also suggests that allowing Troy Brouwer and David Backes to depart as free agents hurt the team both on the ice and from a leadership perspective. Additionally, the team’s decision to trade goalie Brian Elliott and install Jake Allen as the undisputed #1 seems to have backfired. Hitchcock has long been able to coax above-average play between the pipes due in large part to his strong defensive structure. That hasn’t been the case this season as each of the team’s goalies, Allen and Carter Hutton, has a S% below 0.900. However, it should be noted that Elliott is also struggling in Calgary, and there is no guarantee he would have duplicated his success from last season had he remained with the Blues.

Ribeiro, Marchenko On Waivers; Three Players Clear

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The Nashville Predators have placed center Mike Ribeiro on waivers, according to Adam Vingan of The Tennessean.

We reported earlier this morning that Ribeiro may have asked for a trade out of Nashville. He was a healthy scratch for the Predators past three games and five of their past 11. Ribeiro has four goals and 25 points in 46 games so far this season. This is his third year in Nashville, but the first year he’s struggled to produce. Ribeiro had 62 and 50 points in his first two seasons in Nashville. The first sign of trouble was likely in the playoffs last season, when he was a healthy scratch twice while posting just two assists in 12 games. Vingan writes that Ribeiro is the most sheltered player in the NHL this season, starting more than half his shifts in the offensive zone. When Vingan asked coach Peter Laviolette about Ribeiro, all he said was “he’s a member of our team.” That’s not exactly a vote of confidence.

In addition, the Detroit Red Wings have placed Alexey Marchenko on waivers, per Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. Marchenko has six assists in 30 games with the Red Wings this season. He also represented Russia at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. The right-handed Marchenko is on waivers to make room for defenseman Brendan Smith, who will be activated off IR tomorrow, according to Ansar Khan of MLive.com.

Meanwhile, New Jersey Devils tough guy Luke Gazdic, Colorado Avalanche defenseman Eric Gelinas, and the Buffalo Sabres center Cal O’Reilly all cleared waivers.

Gazdic signed with the Devils as a free agent back in July. He had spent the previous few seasons in Edmonton, and actually lived with superstar Taylor Hall, who was traded to New Jersey just days before Gazdic signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $700K. He has no points and 12 PIM in 10 games with the Devils so far. He has two assists in 13 AHL games this season. He’s already cleared waivers once this season.

Gelinas, a former Devil, was traded to Colorado for a third round pick at last year’s trade deadline. He has a single assist in 26 games. His $1.575MM contract is likely why he cleared waivers. Should he be assigned to the AHL, he’ll account for $625K on the Avalanche’s salary cap. Gelinas’ roster spot will likely go to Mark Barberio, who was claimed off waivers from Montreal on Thursday.

O’Reilly is the older brother of Sabres’ star Ryan O’Reilly. He has one assist in 11 games, but is much better at the AHL level. He has 34 points (8-26-34) in 36 games. ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun reported Buffalo is looking for an upgrade at the fourth line center position (which O’Reilly had been occupying) via the trade market.

Trade Deadline Notes: Shattenkirk, Fleury, Ribeiro

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The St. Louis Blues are willing to trade Kevin Shattenkirk. They’re even willing to sign him for eight years and then trade him, to facilitate another team acquiring the offensive defenseman.

Unfortunately for the Blues, no teams have shown interest in a sign and trade. ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that fear of a flat-cap has lead to any inquiring teams to ask about Shattenkirk as a pure rental. So many teams are already tight to the salary cap, LeBrun writes, that signing Shattenkirk to $7MM annually would be too big of a commitment before the exact cap is known. While he will still get big money should he make it to free agency, that would be in July once teams know “the exact salary-cap figure they’re dealing with before splurging on him.”

LeBrun believes that the Rangers and Bruins have already reached out to the Blues, and that spending assets to acquire a rental like Shattenkirk isn’t in the cards for building teams like the Oilers and Maple Leafs. Blues GM Doug Armstrong will be patient until the trade offers improve before making a decision.

  • Penguins GM Jim Rutherford is on the record as saying having two legitimate starting goaltenders in Matt Murray and Marc-Andre Fleury “doesn’t work ideally.” Despite this, Rutherford told the Pittsburgh Tribune’s Jonathan Bombulie that his “preference is to keep both these goalies here this year.” While it’s understandable to want goaltending depth (they used three goaltenders in last year’s playoffs), the 32-year-old Fleury is clearly the backup now. Rutherford said he will listen to Fleury, and if the veteran wants to be moved now as opposed to the summer, then the GM will do whatever he can to do the right thing for the Penguins’ all-time winningest goaltender. It’ll be interesting to see how the Penguins handle the situation; more than two-thirds of the NHL doesn’t have the cap space to take on Fleury without sending salary back. Cap restraints are one of the biggest reasons we have yet to see any big moves this season.
  • Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman appeared on Sportsnet 960 in Calgary on Friday morning, and discussed a possible trade request out of Nashville. Chris Nichols of FanRagSports quoted Friedman as saying Mike Ribeiro may have asked for a trade from the Predators. Friedman couldn’t say for sure, but did say it wouldn’t surprise him because Ribeiro isn’t in the lineup every night nor is he playing a marquee role. Ribeiro has four goals and 25 points in 46 games so far this season. He had 62 and 50 points in his first two seasons in Nashville.

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