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Morning Notes: Crosby, Ovechkin, Sabres Search

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After skating on his own yesterday, Sidney Crosby was back at Penguins’ practice today in a regular jersey and looks poised to return to the lineup tomorrow night in Washington. If he does, it would be just five days since suffering a concussion due to Matt Niskanen’s cross-check on Monday night. The idea of returning so quickly may be familiar to Penguins fans that remember Crosby’s first concussion. After being hit by David Steckel in the 2010-11 Winter Classic, Crosby would return just a few days later to face the Tampa Bay Lightning.  After another (much less violent) hit from Victor Hedman, he’d lose the rest of the season and part of the next year.

While obviously if he’s returning it means that the Pittsburgh medical staff has signed off, returning so soon is still a risk for the Penguins’ captain. His history with head injuries is getting longer and longer, and there have been many instances around the league of players coming back too soon, only to have symptoms return. Here’s hoping that Crosby is 100% ready, and not being rushed back in order to give the Penguins a better chance for the Stanley Cup.

  • The Washington Capitals will try Alex Ovechkin on the third line tomorrow, moving him down in an attempt to spread out their offense. Washington has only been able to score more than two goals once in the series, and even had trouble scoring in their first-round matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Despite out-shooting their opponent consistently, the Capitals just can’t seem to find the back of the net. Putting Ovechkin with Lars Eller and Tom Wilson may seem like a desperation move, but perhaps it will spark something in the team as they fight for their playoff lives.
  • The Buffalo Sabres GM search continues, and according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet (via a Chris Nichols transcription on FanRag) they have asked at least one candidate if they would be comfortable with the team installing a President of Hockey Operations after taking the job. As discussed this week, many around the league believe Buffalo should follow the design of teams like the Calgary Flames, who have an experienced GM sitting behind a less-experienced man holding the position. While Buffalo tried this with Pat LaFontaine at one point, disagreements led to the dissolving of the President position and Tim Murray retaining whole control.

Ottawa’s Expansion Conundrum

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The Ottawa Senators are in for a tough decision come the completion of their playoff run, whenever that might be. Ottawa has a team which is built upon depth and scoring by committee, but each NHL team can only protect 7 forwards, 3 defensemen, and 1 goaltender – or alternatively, 8 total skaters and 1 goaltender in the upcoming expansion draft. The Senators are in a situation where they will likely prefer to lose a veteran with a large contract. This seems doubly true because the organization is believed to have an internal cap for financial reasons, and will need to clear space in order to hand out hefty raises to Mark Stone and Kyle Turris following the 2017-18 campaign.

Obviously, Erik Karlsson, Stone, Turris, and Mike Hoffman will be protected. Karlsson is a perennial Norris favorite, captain of the team, and one of the best offensive defensemen the game has seen in decades. Stone and Hoffman are the driving forces behind offensive production, and are both on the young end of their primes. Turris has finally, fully come into his own as a number one center, posting  a 27 goal, 55 point season. Considering the price to acquire him (Mika Zibanejad) and the relative value of centers to this team which isn’t too formidable up the middle, Derick Brassard also seems a certainty to stay. Craig Anderson is the obvious pick in net. He’s been an absolute rock that the team has depended on the past few seasons, and this year was simply extraordinary. Cody Ceci is also a rather safe bet, consider minutes logged, age, and his role on the back-end. Marc Methot should seemingly be a core piece to the defense as well, but as we will soon see, his situation is far more complicated. So, in terms of definitely protected players:

Forward:    Hoffman, Stone, Turris, Brassard

Defense:    Karlsson, Ceci

Goalie:    Anderson

That leaves 3 forwards and 1 defensemen, or, alternatively, 2 total skaters to protect. It seems somewhat unlikely (although not impossible) that they will opt for the latter option. If we look at the potential list of who can be protected, there are no easy answers. Up front, Alexandre Burrows seems to have been a solid fit, as he has played well since being promoted to Turris’ right wing on the top line, and his cap hit drops to a measly $2.5 MM going forward. Zack Smith has been a more-than-capable third-line center, and is signed to a cap-friendly deal for four years after this. Bobby Ryan is incredibly overpaid ($7.25 MM) considering his performance this past year (25 points), but has expressed his profound disappointment in his own season to the relative acceptance of the fanbase. It doesn’t hurt his cause that he has been Ottawa’s best skater this post-season by far, leading the team with 7 points through 6 games. Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Ryan Dzingel could also receive consideration for a protected forward spot, but only one is likely to remain unguarded.

In terms of defense, Dion Phaneuf has a bloated contract which would be especially helpful to be rid of. Phaneuf is getting an absurd $7 MM per year , but he is on the “must-protect” list due to his modified no-trade, no-movement clause. The team could ask him to waive, but considering his solid play of late, this is more difficult to conceive. There is also no guarantee that Vegas would be interested in the player. The up-and-coming Fredrik Claesson is exempt from the expansion draft and needs no protection. Therefore, it seems likely that Methot ($4.9 MM) will be the odd man out, as he would likely be exposed in the 7-3 option. This would be a difficult pill for Ottawa fans to swallow, as Methot has arguably been their best shutdown player and he logs a ton of tough minutes.

For a team that has worked so hard to shore up its back-end and add depth up front, there are no easy solutions for GM Pierre Dorion. If you lose Methot, you lose your best defensive defenseman – if you expose a resurgent Ryan, you surrender a creative offensive weapon. Either way, Vegas is likely going to pick one of its integral players from Canada’s capital city.

Ovechkin Takes Hard Hit But Returns In Game 5

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Washington Capitals’ star winger Alex Ovechkin was upended in Game 5 of their series against Toronto by a Nazem Kadri hip check, who was called for tripping on the play. Ovechkin was escorted off the ice and could not put weight on his left leg. The hit can be viewed here, courtesy of NBC. He returned to the game for the second period.

Kadri attempted to lay a hip into Ovechkin as he carried the puck out of his defensive zone along the left board. Kadri succeeding in making contact with Ovechkin, but not before Ovechkin attempted to avoid the brunt of the impact by veering slightly right. The result was Ovechkin being twisted and flipped, in what looked to the officials in real time to be a knee-based trip. On the ensuing powerplay resulting from that penalty, the Capitals scored the opening goal. If the series hinges on such a call, the criticism from Toronto and Canada in general could be deafening. Notably, both Mike Milbury and Keith Jones called the hit legal during the intermission break for NBC.

Ovechkin, who is a notoriously tough, hard-nosed player, is no stranger to physicality. The winger has missed remarkably few  games over the course of his career – he only missed 4 contests in the last 3 seasons. His 33 goals in 2016-17 were his lowest total since 2013 – he had hit the 50-goal mark the previous three. However, coach Barry Trotz has consistently praised Ovechkin’s focus on defensive, all-around play this year, in hopes his change in style would lead to a championship run. Ovechkin has been one of the greatest playoff performers for a Washington team that has consistently struggled to find success in the post-season. His 44 goals in 88 games places him 16th all time in playoff goals per game, with the closest contemporary player on the list being Phil Kessel (at 20th). Considering his Capitals have never made it past the second-round during his career, this statistic is made even more impressive.

Ovechkin surprisingly returned to the game for the second period, in apparent game shape. His return was not anticipated by most analysts, and hockey fans everywhere exhaled a sigh of relief for the health of one of the game’s greatest players. His availability beyond this contest is unknown, but this is the time of year players will play through injuries.

Toby Enstrom And The Expansion Draft

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After the Winnipeg Jets announced yesterday that Toby Enstrom underwent knee surgery and would be out for the rest of the year, it ended what has been a very disappointing season. The former 50-point defenseman had just 14 this year, easily the lowest number of his career. Broken up by a concussion and personal issues, 2016-17 has been one to forget for the 32-year old.

Next season, he’ll head into the last year of his current five-year contract likely passed by Josh Morrissey among Jets’ defenders and perhaps even the newly signed Tucker Poolman as well. His $5.75MM cap hit is hard for the Jets to swallow if he can’t get back to his previous performance, but it’s something else that may cost Winnipeg even more.

Enstrom’s contract includes a no-movement clause, meaning he’ll require automatic protection in the upcoming expansion draft should he not agree to waive it. Dustin Byfuglien also has an NMC, and Jacob Trouba and Tyler Myers clearly need protection. That would force the Jets into the eight skater option, leaving several good players available for Vegas to choose.

Even if they decided to leave the rest of the defenders—losing one of Ben Chiarot, Julian Melchiori or Brenden Kichton wouldn’t cripple the team—that means they only have four slots for forwards. When you check off Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler and Bryan Little as obvious choices, you then are left with the group of Mathieu Perreault, Adam Lowry, Marko Dano, Joel Armia and Andrew Copp available with the power to protect just one. Losing any of them without a fight would be painful, given the potential or performance they’ve shown so far.

Getting Enstrom to waive that NMC is crucial, as it would give three more spots to the Jets to keep their young forward group in tact. If he isn’t willing, it won’t be just his declining play that will leave a bad taste in the mouths of the Winnipeg faithful. For a player who has spent his whole career with a single franchise after they took a chance on him in the eighth round, he needs to do just one more thing for them—even if it does put him at risk of having to play in Vegas for a year.

Gary Doak Passes Away At 71

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Former NHL defenseman Gary Doak died today at 71 years old. Doak was a veteran of over 750 NHL games in a 15-year NHL career. While Doak was known for his tough, fearless, physical style, his teammates and peers described him as a gentleman off the ice who was quiet, humble, and the ultimate team player.

Doak broke into the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings at the age of 19 in 1965, but was traded to the Boston Bruins midway through his rookie season. It was with the Bruins that Doak made a name for himself as one of the fiercest defenseman in the league and called Boston his home long after his playing days were over. After being moved to the Bruins, Doak enjoyed four more seasons with the team, including helping them win the 1970 Stanley Cup championship while skating alongside the likes of Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito, John Bucyk, Derek Sanderson and more. However, he was claimed that off-season by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1970 NHL Expansion Draft and became one of the inaugural members of the league’s newest team. After one very successful season in Vancouver, Doak was first traded to the New York Rangers in 1971, then returned to the team that drafted him, the Red Wings, in 1972, before the Bruins were able to re-acquire the fan favorite in 1973. Doak played out the rest of his career in Boston, playing until 1981. Over 15 seasons in the NHL, Doak scored 23 goals and added 103 assists, but impressed more in his own zone with a career +140 rating, nearly 1,000 penalty minutes, and was widely known as a skilled shot-blocker and checker. Doak was perhaps one of the best stay-at-home defenders of the 1970’s.

After hanging up his skates, Doak stayed with the Bruins as an assistant coach under former teammate Gerry Cheevers for five seasons. Doak then stayed in the city, taking over as the head coach at the nearby University of Massachusetts – Boston for many years. A well-regarded and well-liked player and coach, Doak became a true Bostonian and will be missed by teammates and fans of the Bruins, as well as by his peers and supporters across the NHL.

Milt Schmidt Passes Away At 98

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Boston Bruins legend Milt Schmidt has passed away today at the age of 98. He was the oldest surviving NHL veteran. A true icon of the game, his memory will live on in the hearts and minds of hockey fans, especially those fortunate enough to know him and see him play, coach, and manage the Bruins for many years.

Milton Conrad Schmidt was born on March 5th, 1918 in Kitchener, Ontario. After playing junior hockey in his hometown alongside good friends and fellow Hall of Famers Woody Dumart and Bobby Bauer, an 18-year-old Schmidt joined the Original Six Boston Bruins for the 1936-37 season and brought his friends along with him. As they say, the rest is history. Schmidt played in Boston for 18 seasons, calling it a career during the 1954-55 season. During that time, the trio formed the famous “Kraut Line”, considered by many to be one of the best lines in NHL history. They played a key role in Stanley Cup championships in 1938-39 and 1940-41. Dumart was a three-time All-Star, and played with Schmidt right up until the very end of their careers. Bauer was four-time All-Star and two-time recipient of the Lady Byng Award; the sleak scorer of the group. But it was Schmidt who was the leader and play-maker down the middle. A four-time All-Star and the Hart Trophy winner as league MVP in 1950-51, Schmidt established himself as one of the best players in the NHL during the 40’s and 50’s. His breakout year came in 1939-4o, when he led the league with 30 assists and 52 points. He set a career high four years later, with 62 points in 1646-47 and nearly matched it again in 1950-51 with 61 points. Schmidt also wasn’t afraid to play physical and never backed away from conflict. Hard-working and consistent throughout his lengthy career, Schmidt ended his career with 575 points in 776 games.

However, Schmidt’s hockey career was far from over when he finally left the ice. 16 years of NHL experience and four years of military service during World War II were the perfect formula for a great coach. This realization came during the 1954-55, when mid-season Schmidt retired as a player and took over as the bench boss. Schmidt remained the head coach of the Bruins for 11 years, during which he also served as the team’s assistant general manager. Schmidt took the team to two Stanley Cups during this stretch, back-to-back heartbreaking losses to the rival Montreal Canadiens in 1956-57 and 1957-58. During his time as coach, Schmidt was also inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame in 1961, cementing his legacy.

Even when Schmidt was done coaching in 1965-66, he wasn’t done. Instead, he was promoted to the team’s general manager in 1967. Despite his accolades as a player for 16 years and his ability to jump right into coaching for more than a decade after, Schmidt’s managerial prowess may have really been his greatest achievement. Just two years after taking the job, he had put together one of the best teams in NHL history, which won the 1969-70 Stanley Cup and then won it again in 1971-72. He hired Harry Sinden, developed Bobby Orr (who scored 120 points that year), Derek Sanderson, Wayne Cashman, and Gerry Cheevers and traded for Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge, and Fred Stanfield. Schmidt served as the GM until only 1975, but in that time transcended his hero player turned head coach role and became a true Boston legend.

Just how Schmidt’s career seemingly never ended, his connection with the Bruins lived on as well. Even after retirement, Schmidt remained close with the team, serving in various positions and continuing to mentor some of Boston’s finest players. The Bruins retired Schmidt’s #15 in 1980 and have honored his life-long commitment to the team on nearly an annual basis. Bruins team president Cam Neely said today that “(Milt Schmidt) epitomized what it meant to be a Bruin” and was an “outstanding ambassador for the game of hockey” and “a true gentleman”. Jeremy Jacobs added that “Milt’s impact in Boston… will forever be felt amongst hockey fans”. Finally, captain Zdeno Chara summed it up by saying that Schmidt will be “greatly missed, but never forgotten”. Though Schmidt has passed away, his legacy in Boston and around the NHL will live on. A player, a coach, a GM, a four-time Stanley Cup champ, an All-Star, an MVP, a legend, a great man.

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