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Snapshots: Trouba, Worlds, Subban

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Jacob Trouba was a big hockey story in the summer of 2016, when he held out on the Winnipeg Jets and asked for a trade. Trouba wouldn’t sign a new contract as a restricted free agent until November 7th of that year, missing a month of the season before settling on a two-year $6MM deal. The prevailing thought at that point was that Trouba wasn’t happy with his role or future on the team since the Jets already had Dustin Byfuglien and Tyler Myers locked in on the right side, but things seemed to have changed in the years since.

Today, Jim Toth of TSN 1290 reported that Trouba has told his agent he wants to be with Winnipeg long-term, meaning signing a new contract this summer when he’s scheduled to become a restricted free agent once again. The 24-year old defenseman has developed into quite the player for the Jets, and has logged the second-most minutes in the postseason for them (behind only Byfuglien, who is averaging a ridiculous 26:15 through 14 games). Signing Trouba long-term would certainly be a win for the Jets, but the team has to be careful with how much money they hand out this offseason, as there are even more extensions—namely Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor—coming down the road.

  • The quarter-final matchups are set for the IIHF World Championships, with Sweden facing Latvia, Russia facing Canada, the Czech Republic matched up with the USA and Switzerland taking on Finland. The games will be held on Thursday, with Saturday and Sunday holding the semi-final and medal rounds. Denmark, the hosts of this year’s tournament, were dramatically eliminated in the final game against Latvia despite winning three games in the preliminary round. That included a 3-2 upset of Finland, who ended up winning the group.
  • Though it never had much merit in the first place, any rumors surrounding a trade of P.K. Subban out of Nashville were summarily shut down today by the club. As Joe Rexrode of the Tennessean writes, despite never having a full guarantee that a player won’t be traded, the Predators are about as far from dealing their Norris-trophy finalist as they ever have been. The relatively early exit at the hands of Winnipeg notwithstanding, the Predators had an outstanding season and Subban was a big part of that. He’ll almost assuredly be back in a Predator uniform to start next season.

NHL Announces Schedule For Conference Finals

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Even though the Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets still need to decide who is moving on to the next round, the NHL has released the schedule for the Eastern and Western Conference Finals. It’ll all get kicked off on Friday night when the Washington Capitals travel to Tampa Bay to take on Steven Stamkos and the Lightning. The full schedule can be found below:

All times listed in CT

Eastern Conference Finals

Friday, May 11 – 7:00pm Washington @ Tampa Bay
Sunday, May 13 – 7:00pm Washington @ Tampa Bay
Tuesday, May 15 – 7:00pm Tampa Bay @ Washington
Thursday, May 17 – 7:00pm Tampa Bay @ Washington
Saturday, May 19 – 6:15pm Washington @ Tampa Bay*
Monday, May 21 – 7:00pm Tampa Bay @ Washington*
Wednesday, May 23 – 7:00pm Washington @ Tampa Bay*

Western Conference Finals

Saturday, May 12 – 6:00pm Vegas @ Nashville/Winnipeg
Monday, May 14 – 7:00pm Vegas @ Nashville/Winnipeg
Wednesday, May 16 – 8:00pm Nashville/Winnipeg @ Vegas
Friday, May 18 – 7:00pm Nashville/Winnipeg @ Vegas
Sunday, May 20 – 2:00pm Vegas @ Nashville/Winnipeg*
Tuesday, May 22 – 8:00pm Nashville/Winnipeg @ Vegas*
Thursday, May 24 – 7:00pm Vegas @ Nashville/Winnipeg*

*If necessary

Early Notes: Offer Sheets, Kane, Yakupov

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After another two teams were eliminated from playoff contention yesterday, more and more focus is shifting to the offseason and how free agency will shake out. As always, there will be speculation about the potential of an offer sheet being signed with one of the many high profile restricted free agents, and Rory Boylen of Sportsnet is here to break down how it all works.

Boylen also lists several players that could be signed to a sheet, including Mark Stone, Jacob Trouba, Mathew Dumba, William Nylander and others. One of the most interesting names listed, and one to keep an eye on all summer is William Karlsson of the Vegas Golden Knights. After a 43-goal breakout season, there is no one who can definitively say what he’s worth or what he’ll be asking for in negotiations this summer.

  • Evander Kane was playing with a separated shoulder during the playoffs, according to Kevin Kurz of The Athletic, which could at least partially explain why he struggled in the San Jose Sharks’ final series against the Vegas Golden Knights. The Sharks have a decision to make now on Kane, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st. Should they sign him to a contract extension, they’ll be forced to upgrade the second-round pick sent to Buffalo at the trade deadline to a first rounder.
  • Just like last summer, the idea that Nail Yakupov could return to Russia and the KHL is already starting to percolate. After another disappointing season that saw the 2012 first-overall pick register just 16 points in 58 games for the Colorado Avalanche, he’s scheduled to become a restricted free agent once again. Adrian Dater of BSN Denver asked Yakupov’s agent directly about a potential return to Russia, who answered simply “he’s a grown man, and he will decide what’s best for him.” Last spring we examined the opportunity that the KHL could offer, before he eventually decided to give the NHL another shot.

Colorado Avalanche Sign Pavel Francouz To One-Year Deal

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The Colorado Avalanche have an interesting situation brewing in goal, as both Jonathan Bernier and Andrew Hammond are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents, while Jeremy Smith will become a restricted free agent this summer. Semyon Varlamov also has just one season left on his current deal, leaving a lot of uncertainty moving forward.

Enter Pavel Francouz, who was signed by Colorado to a one-year contract today. The 27-year old goaltender has dominated the KHL for several years, and is now apparently ready to start his North American career. Adrian Dater of BSN Denver reports that the contract is worth $690K, and is a one-way deal.

Francouz posted a .946 save percentage in 37 starts this season in the KHL, which was actually a step backwards from the incredible .953 mark he registered in 2016-17. To say that he’s been good is an understatement, and he’ll finally get his chance to prove that he can do it at the NHL level. The reason he hasn’t gotten that chance before now is very simple—he’s tiny.

Listed at 6’0″ by the Avalanche—but 5’11” at other times—he doesn’t have the usual size of an NHL goaltender, who routinely measure in at 6’2″ or taller. That obviously gives them an advantage, one that he’ll have to overcome if he’s to make an impact at the highest level.

Colorado might be the best place to do it, as they have recent experience with Bernier who usually ranks in as one of the league’s smallest netminders. Whether Bernier will be retained is unclear at this point, but Francouz offers them a talented goaltender who could potentially be an upgrade on what they currently have.

NHL Announces 2018 China Games

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The NHL announced today the schedule for two games to be played in Shenzhen and Beijing, China between the Boston Bruins and Calgary Flames. The two teams will take part in a pair of preseason matchups September 15th and 19th.

Last preseason the Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings played two games in China, as part of the NHL’s attempt to bring the game to non-traditional hockey markets around the world. The games were a huge success, and gave players a chance to experience a different culture. For the Bruins, this is just the latest event in a years-long relationship with Chinese company ORG Packaging and its chairman Zhou Yunjie. Players including David Pastrnak have made several visits to China over the past few seasons to host clinics and speak with youth hockey teams.

Though the NHL avoided the most recent Olympics, one has to wonder whether they will consider returning for the 2022 Beijing Winter Games. After using these preseason matches to spark the ever-growing interest in hockey overseas, the Olympics would be a perfect place to show China the best-on-best once again. Still, those decisions will likely come down to the next collective bargaining agreement, which still needs to be negotiated in the coming years.

Vancouver Canucks Will Not Re-Sign Jussi Jokinen

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According to Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130, the Vancouver Canucks have informed Jussi Jokinen’s agent that they will not be offering the pending free agent another contract. Jokinen is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after being acquired by the Canucks as part of the Thomas Vanek deal earlier this year.

Unfortunately, it may be the end for Jokinen after playing on four different clubs last season. Though he did find some success at the end with Vancouver, he failed to accumulate 20 points for the first time in his career and couldn’t contribute in many of the ways he was known for in his youth. Now 35, Jokinen was once one of the more versatile forwards in the league, able to play all three positions and hit the ice on both special teams. Responsible in his own end and dangerous at the other, Jokinen was also a good playoff performer with 32 points in 54 games.

As for the Canucks’ other pending unrestricted free agents, Dhaliwal reports that they have not spoken to Nic Dowd yet and have told Darren Archibald he’ll have to wait until they deal with some of their restricted free agents. The Canucks have some big decisions to make with RFAs like Troy Stecher, Sven Baertschi, Jake Virtanen and Derrick Pouliot.

Snapshots: Lottery, Hischier, Brown, Bruins

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The NHL Draft Lottery is scheduled for this Saturday, but it won’t happen all at once. According to Bob McKenzie of TSN, picks 4-15 are set to be revealed between 6:30-7:00pm CT, while the last three will be unveiled during the first intermission of the Vegas Golden Knights-San Jose Sharks game.

Remember that three teams are picked in the draft lottery, and can potentially move up all the way from 15th to 1st. The full odds have the Buffalo Sabres as the most likely to select first overall, and the Florida Panthers the least likely. Though the first pick will get the right to draft Rasmus Dahlin, there are still exceptional players available in the next few slots.

  • Nico Hischier played all season with a left wrist/hand injury according to the New Jersey Devils, who announced that he would not need surgery but won’t be heading to Denmark to take part in the World Championships. Both Hischier and Pavel Zacha were invited, but will be nursing injuries for the next two to four weeks. The pair of young forwards are integral to the Devils progression from playoff surprise to Stanley Cup hopeful, and will be expected to take on an even heavier load in 2018-19.
  • Speaking of injuries, Dustin Brown of the Los Angeles Kings had shoulder surgery today but is expected to be ready for the regular season according to Jonathan Davis of NHL Network. Brown was one of the many Kings players shut out in the postseason, assisting on just one of the team’s three goals in their first round series. The 33-year old nevertheless had an outstanding bounce back campaign that saw him record 28 goals and 61 points (a career-high) in 81 games. The physical forward is under contract for another four seasons, but has turned himself from a buyout candidate to an important piece for the Kings once again.
  • When the Boston Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs last night, it meant that the conditional fifth-round pick that they sent to Chicago for Tommy Wingels was converted into a fourth-round selection in 2019. That’s a small price to pay for success in the postseason, but will help Chicago (if only slightly) restock their cupboards even more.

KHL Announces Alignment, Schedule Changes For 2018-19

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We had already heard that the KHL will contract to 25 teams in 2018-19, losing Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk and Lada Togliatti. Now, the league has announced realignment moving several teams around. For next season, three divisions—Bobrov, Tarasov and Khalamov—will have just six teams competing, while the Chernyshev division stays untouched. The full divisions are as follows:

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

Bobrov Division:

Dinamo Riga
Dynamo Moscow
Jokerit Helsinki
Severstal Cherepovets
SKA Saint Petersburg
Spartak Moscow

Tarasov Division:

CSKA Moscow
Dinamo Minsk
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
Slovan Bratislava
HC Sochi
Vityaz Moscow Region

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

Kharlamov Division:

Ak Bars Kazan
Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg
Metallurg Magnitogorsk
Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk
Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod
Traktor Chelyabinsk
Sibir Novosibirsk

Chernyshev Division:

Admiral Vladivostok
Amur Khabarovsk
Avangard Omsk
Barys Astana
Kunlun Red Star
Salavat Yulaev Ufa

The league will also be expanding their schedule to 62 games, up from the 56 games played in 2017-18. Though the league has been notorious for the lack of parity between their richest and poorest clubs, contraction and a longer schedule could work to reduce that performance gap. Just this week, Ak Bars Kazan upset CSKA in the Gagarin Cup Finals to win the KHL championship, a very unexpected outcome given the powerhouse teams CSKA and SKA St. Petersburg iced this year.

The KHL season begins on September 1st.

Snapshots: Round Two And World Championships

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The NHL is expected to wait on the result of Game Seven tomorrow night between the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs before announcing a full schedule for the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. However, they have at least put an end to the wait on the dates and times of the series openers. No one is more relieved than the Vegas Golden Knights, who have already been inactive for a week after sweeping the Los Angeles Kings. The Knights will host the San Jose Sharks, also fresh off a sweep of the Anaheim Ducks, at 10 PM ET on Thursday, April 26th. The second round will kick off earlier that evening with the third-straight postseason collision between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals. With their Metropolitan Division rivals out of the way, that series will get underway in Washington at 7 PM ET on Thursday. Friday night, the 27th, will feature the much-anticipated match-up between the Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets, the top two teams in the NHL in the regular season. That series starts in Nashville at 8 PM ET on Friday. Finally, the Tampa Bay Lightning await the winner of Bruins-Maple Leafs and the decision also affects when their second round begins on Saturday, the 28th. If the Bruins win on Wednesday night, they’ll travel to Tampa for a 3 PM ET puck drop, but if the Leafs pull off the comeback and take the series, they’ll take the ice against the Lightning later in the day at 8 PM ET. Stay tuned for more Round Two schedule updates in the next 36 hours or so.

  • Meanwhile, the “consolation playoffs”, the IIHF World Championships, will begin in Denmark on May 4th and teams continue to add talent from those NHL teams who have been eliminated from the postseason. Insider Juha Hiitela adds another name to the list, confirming that Minnesota Wild forward Mikael Granlund will suit up for Finland at the tournament. Granlund scored at the highest clip of his career in 2017-18, recording 67 points in 77 games, including a career-high 46 assists. He added another three points in Minnesota’s first round playoff series versus Winnipeg, but the Wild were outmatched by the Jets and fell in five games. Now, Granlund will have a chance to return to the World Championships, where last he scored 12 points in 10 games to lead Finland to a second-place finish.
  • However, Hiitela adds that New Jersey Devils top defenseman Sami Vatanen will not be joining Granlund in Denmark. Per Hiitela, Vatanen suffered a concussion in the Devils opening series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. This adds some clarity to the recent situation in which Vatanen missed most of Game Four and all of the deciding Game Five with an undisclosed upper-body injury. Just as he was missed by New Jersey, he’ll be missed by Finland at the World Championships. This would have been the first appearance at the tournament for the five-year NHL veteran.

NHL Releases Playoff Schedule

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A snow storm and significant flooding in Boston back in early January led to tonight’s rescheduled regular season finale between the Bruins and Florida Panthers. While the Philadelphia Flyers put an end to Florida’s impressive late-season playoff push with their win yesterday, the Bruins are still playing for something this evening, with the top seed in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference on the line. That could have potentially caused some delays in scheduling for the postseason, but the NHL has come armed and ready with two different schedules, depending on the result of tonight’s game.

If the Bruins can pull off a win, in any fashion, to finish their impressive regular season, Sportsnet’s John Shannon reports that this is how the first round schedule will shake out for both conferences:

If instead the Panthers play spoiler and the Bruins can’t land two points, the Tampa Bay Lightning will retain the top spot in the East and the schedule will look like this:

Keep an eye on the final score of tonight’s regular season culmination before beginning to schedule your postseason watching. In either scenario, the puck drops on the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Wednesday night.

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