Snapshots: Price, Boucher, Elias, Sharks, Flyers
Guillaume Lefrançois, writing in Montreal’s La Presse, wrote today about the recovery of Canadiens goaltender Carey Price, who missed all but 12 games last year with an injury to a right knee ligament. The article is in French, but reading through Google translate, there were several points of interest.
Price, who turns 29 next week, missed all but 12 games last year due to a strained ligament in his right knee. Price has now ended three of his last four seasons with injury, meaning the Canadiens will exercise some level of caution. Still, goaltending coach Stephane Waite tells Lefrançois that the team expects Price to play between 60 and 65 games this season. Before his most recent injury, Price’s two most recent seasons saw him play 59 and 66 games.
Some have expressed concern over Price being named to play for Team Canada in September’s World Cup of Hockey. Waite, who will also be working with Team Canada, dismissed these concerns, pointing out that if not for the World Cup, he’d be risking injury playing in the NHL’s pre-season games.
Continuing throughout the NHL:
- NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti reports that the New Jersey Devils have re-signed restricted free agent forward Reid Boucher to a one-year contract. Boucher, who turns 23 in September, was originally a fourth round pick of the Devils in 2011. In 73 games over the last three seasons in New Jersey, Boucher has 11 goals, and 27 points. He’ll receive $715K in the NHL and $70K at the AHL level.
- Gulitti also responded to a Twitter question about the status of free agent forward Patrik Elias. Gulitti suggests that the Devils will wait to see how their former captain’s injury rehab goes before committing to re-signing him. Elias turned 40 in April.
- The San Jose Sharks unveiled new uniforms and a new logo today. Included was a third jersey, that says “Los Tiburones.” This is the Spanish translation for “Sharks,” and has served as a local nickname for the club.
- The Philadelphia Flyers announced today that Chris Pryor has been promoted to assistant general manager and director of player personnel. Pryor has been with the Flyers the last sixteen seasons, and most recently worked as director of scouting. Before working with the Flyers, he played 82 games over six NHL seasons with the Islanders and North Stars.
Snapshots: Saunders, Schedule, Spaling
The hockey world mourns today as it was reported earlier that broadcasting titan John Saunders passed away at the age of 61. Saunders had worked for ESPN for nearly 30 years, and was one the biggest influences on hockey broadcasting in the United States. An all-star defenseman growing up in Montreal, Saunders went on to play at Western Michigan University from 1974-76. Saunders was a founding board member of the Jimmy V Foundation, a charity that has raised over $90MM for cancer research.
Many fans in the United States and across the world would not have understood, or appreciated hockey without John Saunders, and here at PHR we would like to extend our deepest condolences to his family.
- The NHL released its preseason schedule today, and among the notable games are two that will be held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the home of the upcoming expansion franchise. The Los Angeles Kings will play back-to-back nights against the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche on October 7-8th to give the fans there a taste of what is to come. Also opening its doors for the first time will be the Edmonton Oilers’ new home, as the team will play the Calgary Flames at Rogers Place on September 26th.
- Nick Spaling‘s deal with Geneve-Servette was announced today, making him the latest in the line of players heading to Switzerland. The deal is different than any given in the NHL, reports Stephen Whyno as the two sides have agreed to a one-year pact with an option for 2017-18, much like an MLB deal. This adds a new wrinkle to players looking for contracts outside the NHL, as European leagues are getting more creative in their contract structure. Spaling will be reunited with former line-mate and veteran NHLer Mike Santorelli, who signed a deal last month with the club.
Roster Crunch: Atlantic Division
Over the past few days, we’ve looked at the final few spots on the roster for both the Pacific and Central divisions. This time, we’ll turn our attention to the East starting with the Atlantic. This division will be in turmoil over the next few years, with clubs like the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs going through slow, deliberate rebuilds, and perennial contending squads like the Detroit Red Wings finally starting to slow down.
Florida Panthers – While the Panthers have pretty much accomplished everything they set out to do this off-season – improving the blueline with Keith Yandle and Jason Demers, getting a capable replacement for Roberto Luongo in James Reimer, and locking up their young core – they failed in one, big $5.5MM way. Dave Bolland failed his physical and therefor couldn’t be bought out. He’ll try to prove he deserves some playing time this season, but may find himself buried in the AHL to make room for Jared McCann, the prize Florida received when they dealt Erik Gudbranson to the Canucks.
Twenty More Players Join Concussion Lawsuit
Head injuries lead the list of the most devastating an athlete can suffer, and former NHL players are standing up to the league for putting them at risk. Today, twenty more former players have added their names to a lawsuit being brought before the court by more than 100 former NHLers, including names like Gary Leeman and Bernie Nicholls. According to a list from James Mirtle, the new players are:
Darren Veitch
Sheldon Kannegiesser
Steve Dubinsky
Jamie Huscroft
Ron Zanussi
John Stewart
Robert McClanahan
William “Billy” Huard
Iain Duncan
Frank Lessard
John Wayne Rivers
Daniel Sexton
Marc-Andre Bourdon
Ray Schultz
Andre Deveaux
Garrett Burnett
Robert Liddington
Bruce Hoffort
Perry Pelensky
Robert Robins
According to a piece by Michael Drapnek of CBC back in February, when Grant Ledyard and eleven others added their names, the lawsuit alleges that “the NHL knew or ought to have known about the link between repetitive concussive events and long-term brain damage but failed to protect or educate its players.”
It also states that Ledyard suffers from “headaches, mood swings, losing his temper for little or no reason, and depression. He drinks alcohol to assist with sleep. He has issues with sensitivity to light.” Much anecdotal evidence supports these claims, including the recent article by Gabriel Landeskog in the Players Tribune. In it, Landeskog references the “warrior mentality” that the league perpetrates, though he does clearly state that the issues are being resolved, if slowly.
The lawsuit will be presented in a Minneapolis court later this year.
East Notes: Pryor, O’Dell, Prior
The Philadelphia Flyers have promoted long-time scout Chris Pryor to assistant general manager, and director of player personnel. Pryor has been with the organization for the past 17 years, joining the club first as a US amateur scout in 1999. He’s held many positions since then, director of hockey operations and director of scouting among them over the years.
He’ll join general manager Ron Hextall and president Paul Holmgren in the Flyers brain-trust trying to improve on their first-round exit last season. Since Pryor became the director of hockey ops in 2006, the Flyers have had a fairly successful draft history, hitting on top picks like Claude Giroux and James van Riemsdyk, and unearthing superstar rookie Shayne Gostisbehere with the 78th overall pick (2012).
- While the exodus to Switzerland’s top hockey league is in full effect, another former NHL player will be taking his talents to Russia instead. Eric O’Dell, who played last season with the Rochester Americans of the AHL has signed on with Sochi (Russian translation) for 2016-17. O’Dell has played in 41 NHL games, all with the Winnipeg Jets, scoring eight points.
- The Washington-Las Vegas pipeline continues, as George McPhee has hired long-time Capitals goalie coach Dave Prior, according to Stephen Whyno. Prior spent ten years with Washington, before being let go before the 2014-15 season. He’ll join a organization who has poached former employees of Washington almost exclusively since McPhee came on board.
Nick Spaling Signs In Switzerland
Wednesday: The club has officially announced the deal.
Tuesday: Free agent center Nick Spaling is on the verge of signing a contract with Geneve-Servette of the Swiss NLA according to a report from NZZ News in Zurich (link in German). The report also notes that Spaling is currently in Geneva and the signing is just a formality at this point.
Spaling started last season with Toronto after being acquired from Pittsburgh as part of the Phil Kessel trade. The Leafs were hoping that he would be able to anchor their third line but he struggled in his new home, picking up just a goal and six assists in 35 games despite averaging more than 15 minutes of ice time per game.
Just before the deadline, Spaling was dealt to the Sharks (along with Roman Polak who has since rejoined the Maple Leafs). He was a bit better with his new squad, collecting six points in 23 games though his average ice time dipped to just 12:47 per night. He also suited up in all 24 postseason contests in San Jose in their run to the Stanley Cup Final, picking up a single assist while logging 12:44 per game.
Spaling has suited up for four NHL teams in his career, the majority of which were with Nashville who drafted him in the second round (58th overall) in 2008 before moving him to Pittsburgh. Overall, he has played in 437 regular season games, recording 52 goals and 72 assists while adding 12 points in 57 postseason contests.
Spaling earned $2.2MM last year and given the season he had and the quality of players that remain unsigned, he likely would have had to take a significant pay cut or even a training camp tryout if he wanted to stay in the NHL. Instead, he’ll try to boost his value in the Swiss League and at just 27 years of age (he turns 28 next month), a strong season overseas could get him back on the NHL radar in a hurry.
Jared Boll Comments On Joining Anaheim
After being bought out late in June, there were some who didn’t expect enforcer Jared Boll to quickly resurface with a new team. However, less than a week later, Boll signed a two year, $1.8MM deal to join the Anaheim Ducks. His whirlwind couple of weeks continued as just four days after signing, he got married as well. Boll opened up about his offseason in an interview with AJ Manderichio of the Ducks’ official website.
On being let go by Columbus and signing with Anaheim:
“At the end of the season and the beginning of the summer, I wasn’t expecting this. It was a total change for me, a surprise. When I let it all sink in, I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of this organization and finally get out there.”
Anaheim’s surprising decision to hire Randy Carlyle for a second stint as head coach helped play a factor in Boll choosing to join the Ducks as well:
“He always has tough, hard teams to play against, and that fits my game perfectly. That was another huge reason why I was so excited to come to Anaheim. He’s proven he can win. He won a Cup there a few years back, so it will be nice to get there, learn the system and play the way he wants to play. I think it fits my game really well.”
Carlyle’s teams in the past have routinely deployed enforcers (such as Colton Orr and Frazer McLaren with Toronto and George Parros and Shawn Thornton in his first stint with Anaheim) so it’s easy to see the allure for Boll.
Last season, the 30 year old played a sparing role with Columbus, suiting up in just 30 games while recording three points and 61 penalty minutes. He also sits ninth in the NHL in penalty minutes among active players. The Ducks don’t have a ton of depth up front so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him play more of a regular role on the fourth line than he did with the Blue Jackets last season.
[Related: Ducks’ Depth Chart]
Snapshots: Lucic, Possible Retirees, Gretzky
Milan Lucic may have only been a member of the Los Angeles Kings for one season, but at least one teammate is sad to see him go. Right-winger Tyler Toffoli lamented the loss of “a great player, a great guy to have in the room”. Toffoli scored a career-best 58 points last season on a line with Lucic and center Jeff Carter, who posted 62 points to tie his third best career output, and best since 2011.
Lucic, of course, signed a seven-year contract worth $42MM with the Edmonton Oilers on July 1, citing a team on the rise and some rookie named Connor McDavid as his main reasons for heading north. OilersNation’s Jonathan Willis broke down how Oilers fans can expect Lucic to age over the course of his contract, and ultimately concluded Lucic will be very effective in his first three seasons, has a two-thirds chance at being effective in the next two seasons, and has a 50-70 per cent chance at posting below 30 points in his final two seasons. However, Lucic told Steve Ewen of The Province that he plans “on playing them out to the best of my ability and, hopefully, I can add another year or two once this contract is done”.
Here are some other news and notes from around the NHL:
- Speaking of players who could retire, Jared Clinton of The Hockey News explored a few big names who could be entering their final season in the NHL. We could be seeing the last of several former superstars, including Jarome Iginla, Shane Doan, Andrei Markov, and Mark Streit. Iginla has seen his point totals fall by 13 over the last three seasons. Doan has an understanding with GM John Chayka which allows him to take his time on deciding about returning or retiring, and its clear he has no interest in chasing Stanley as a rental. The KHL is a possibility for Markov, who will no longer have the speedy P.K. Subban to cover for his aging speed. Similarly, Streit has previously played in his native Switzerland, and could return next summer. Clinton also mentions the legendary Jaromir Jagr, but seeing as Jagr insists on playing until he’s 60, it’s hard to think he’ll willingly retire unless his production drops off or he suffers a serious injury.
- Finally, today marks 28 years since “The Trade”. On August 9, 1988, the Edmonton Oilers traded Wayne Gretzky, Mike Krushelnyski, and Marty McSorley to Los Angeles for Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, three first round picks over six years, and most notable (or infamously) $15 million cash. Edmonton fans reacted as expected, burning the team’s owner in effigy and threatening to cancel season tickets; a Member of Parliament even suggested the federal government block the trade. The blockbuster popularized and legitimized hockey in non-traditional markets and lead to a popular comment around the trade deadline “well, if Wayne Gretzky can be traded…”
Minor Transactions: 8/9/16
Some news and notes throughout the hockey world:
- Renaud Lavoie tweets that the Bruins have to come to terms with defenseman Chris Casto. Lavoie writes that the deal is worth $650K and is a two-way deal. Last season, Casto spent the season with the AHL’s Providence Bruins, registering 23 points (7-16).
- The Lake Erie Monsters are now the Cleveland Monsters according to the team’s official Twitter account. The Monsters are the defending Calder Cup champions, and are the affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Jackets also released a statement via their website.
Are The Red Wings In Hockey Limbo?
The Hockey News’ Matt Larkin writes an interesting piece on the status of the Detroit Red Wings–a quarter of a century perennial playoff participant who seems to be at a crossroads. There hasn’t been much written about it though there are the obligatory “will the Red Wings finally miss the playoffs” prediction columns every season since Nick Lidstrom retired. And there’s good reason for that.
Since the retirement of Lidstrom, the Red Wings have been stuck in neutral. Though a “tough out” in 2013 and 2015, the Red Wings were bounced quickly in 2014 and 2016. Worse, they haven’t been viewed a legitimate contender since at best, the 2011-2012 NHL season–where they lost in five games to the Nashville Predators in the first round.
Larkin argues that the only person who can answer the question of the Wings’ Limbo status is architect and general manager Ken Holland. The Wings’ GM had a busy summer trading Pavel Datsyuk‘s contract and adding several players in Frans Nielsen, Thomas Vanek, and Steve Ott while re-signing Darren Helm, Petr Mrazek, Luke Glendening, Danny DeKeyser, and Drew Miller. But the moves were critiqued, especially the long term deals for players who were hardly setting the world afire on the stat sheet.
Larkin writes that Holland has a point when he says the Red Wings are not scraping the bottom of the barrel. They have a number of young core players, but with Ott, Vanek, and Miller all taking up roster space, it makes the margin of error thin for those young players in Andreas Athanasiou and Anthony Mantha. Larkin also reports that Holland feels that if a few breaks went the Wings way, perhaps they beat the Blackhawks in 2013 or the Lightning in 2015.
But that misses the point. Hockey is a sport that often comes down to luck. Many would argue that the Wings received their share of fortunate bounces during the years they won the Cup.
The point, made by many fans, is that the Red Wings haven’t been in a spot to even challenge for a Cup. Further, there has been a loyalty given to players in the Wings system or past-their-prime veterans that makes Holland feel like it’s 1999 again. In many ways, it appears that the Wings are committed to a “just barely make the playoffs” mentality and then hoping for the best. Several of Holland’s quotes all but support this.
Larkin takes a bullish view, saying that the Wings have an upside to them. But a prominent voice of Red Wings fans has made a strong point several times this summer–wondering if the financial decisions combined with the insistence on keeping veterans at the expense of younger, hungrier players will doom the team to the very long rebuild Holland loathes. Simply put: what’s the plan and even more terrifying to some fans–what will the result be?
We’ll all see soon.