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Blackhawks Notes: Forsling, Pokka, Schmaltz, Darling

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The Chicago Sun-Times Mark Lazerus writes that defenseman Gustav Forsling could be sticking around with the Hawks for a little bit longer.  The 20-year-old was paired with Brian Campbell during the Hawks’ 2-0 loss against Pittsburgh, and might be a great fill-in should Duncan Keith not be able to play when Chicago expects him to. Lazerus notes that head coach Joel Quenneville has carried as many as eight defensemen in the past, so holding onto the “kid” might not be far fetched. Assistant coach Kevin Dineen says that the Blackhawks are a “performance based organization” that will give the job to the most deserving player. Scott Powers argues that Forsling still won’t see the time he could have due to Campbell signing on the cheap, and Michal Kempny choosing the Hawks. Forsling, he writes, is most likely headed back to Sweden, despite the Hawks sounding like they might be making a place for him. Powers adds that Forsling is certainly NHL ready but that sending him back to Sweden to push his next contract off a year might be incentive enough to keep his off the roster.

In other Hawks news:

  • Powers continues his defensive analysis by writing that Ville Pokka is also not too far away from being a mainstay on the blue line. Though he’s a bit slower in stride and not as gifted athletically as other d-men, Powers believes that his acumen and hockey IQ will more than compensate for an eventual shot with the Hawks. He will have a chance in Chicago–it’s just a matter of when.
  • Chicago is high on Nick Schmaltz for obvious reasons, and Powers writes that his work with fellow rookie Vinnie Hinostroza and Richard Panik certainly garnered attention. The three drove possession and were the “best line” on the ice during the Hawks’ preseason loss. He continues by writing that Schmaltz and Hinostroza stand the best chance of making the roster among bubble players.
  • According to Powers, Scott Darling could be a #1 goalie in the NHL when he’s “at his best.” Where Darling needs to improve, writes Powers, is his consistency. Darling is set for free agency after this season, and if he is interested in playing the role of a starter, Powers notes that he will have to be better between the pipes after having considerable time between starts. During Wednesday’s game, Darling had 33 saves on 35 shots and dazzled during the second period with 23 saves. Should his game continue to be as impressive, Darling could expect a lot of phone calls next summer.

2016-17 Season Preview: Detroit Red Wings

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With the NHL preseason underway, PHR continues to look at every team prior to the regular season. Today, we look at the Detroit Red Wings.

Last season: 41-30-11 (93 points); Finished 3rd in the Atlantic; Lost 4-1 to Tampa Bay in the first round.

Cap Space Remaining: -$4.24MM via CapFriendly.

Key Newcomers: F Thomas Vanek (signed as free agent); F Frans Nielsen (signed as free agent from New York Islanders); F Steve Ott (signed as free agent from St. Louis), F Dylan Sadowy (acquired from San Jose).

Key Departures: D Kyle Quincey (signed with New Jersey).

Player to Watch: Gustav Nyquist and Tomas Tatar: Both saw their numbers fall last season, but a lot of that, after looking at advanced stats and ice time, show a difference in terms of how the two were utilized. Not having two players on the ice who have a knack to score goals is detrimental to their development, confidence, and ultimately, the team’s success. Both Tatar and Nyquist were supposed to have the baton handed to them as Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk slowed. But head coach Jeff Blashill, who admitted his own culpability in their regression, has to be better in deploying the two goal scorers. Nyquist and Tatar, should they see the ice time they were afforded in the past, should return to their true form. Blashill has promised more minutes and a greater insistence on them.

Key Storylines: Will the Red Wings entrust this team to younger, faster, and hungrier players? Looking at teams who have seen success by allowing their younger players to play, the Red Wings are at a critical juncture in the salary cap era. Ken Holland is being scrutinized by fans and analysts for his summer of “the same” where he brought back familiar faces at much higher prices–Darren Helm immediately comes to mind. This makes some fans leery as Holland promised big changes–though he did add Vanek, and Nielsen, players who should improve the scoring woes. Reports from Darren Dreger cite that Holland balked at the asking price for Jacob Trouba and while it can be speculated that either Anthony Mantha or Dylan Larkin were asked for, Holland felt comfortable enough with his defense, though others aren’t as sure. Much was written about the Wings’ need for defense, but Holland apparently is happy with what already sits in the pipeline.

The mindset for the Wings brass seems to be one that is fine limping into the playoffs only to be bounced early. It’s a team that has for too long, relied on veterans in a league that favors the younger, speedier player. Training camp will reveal clues early should Andreas Athanasiou and Mantha both be sent down, or be healthy scratches while Drew Miller, Luke Glendening and Steve Ott play on the fourth line. Will this team learn from the sins of season’s past? Or will the organization still continue its “just do enough” strategy to make the playoffs instead of looking ahead to what could be a very painful future?

Detroit Depth Chart

Snapshots: Dallas Stars, Oilers Captaincy, Cap Compliance Deadline

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News and notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • The Dallas Stars signed undrafted defenseman Ondrej Vala today to a three year ELC. The Czech defenseman played with the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL last season, scoring 4G and 17A in 72 games. Vala also played in the 2016 Traverse Tri-City Tournament this September. It is expected that Vala will play in Kamloops again as continues to develop.
  • The Edmonton Oilers will name a new captain this season, but according to TSN’s Bob MacKenzie, the announcement will not come until Leon Draisaitl and Andrej Sekera rejoin the team after playing in the World Cup of Hockey. The Oilers are expected to make Connor McDavid the next Oiler captain, and his Team North America captaincy only fuels the speculation—especially since Team North America’s GM is none other than Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli.
  • NHL teams will have to be under the salary cap by October 11, 2016 at 5pm, reports TSN’s Bob MacKenzie. Teams are allowed to exceed the salary cap by 10% during the off-season to accommodate free agent signings and injuries, but by Opening night every team has to be cap compliant.

Injury Updates: September 29, 2016

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Many players are nursing off-season, World Cup, or training camp injuries as we get closer to Opening Night. Below are today’s updates for injured players in camp:

  • Arizona Coyotes defenseman Kevin Connauton’s recovery timeline remains the same, reports AZ Central’s Sarah McLellan, but he has been skating on his own throughout the recovery period. Connauton suffered a lower body injury during an informal skate early this month before training camp started. The Coyotes do not see the defenseman missing much time despite failing his physical.
  • Arizona Coyotes defenseman Michael Stone is still recovering from surgery in April that repaired his left ACL and MCL. Stone has not been cleared to practice yet, and will most likely miss the season opener. According to Sarah McLellan, Stone is at home with his wife as they are expecting twins soon.
  • Ottawa Senators forward Clarke MacArthur continues to rehab following a concussion sustained in a training camp scrimmage on September 25. MacArthur has a history of concussions, suffering four of them over an 18 month period, including one that sidelined him for most of last season. Despite concerns, however, reports indicate that MacArther does not plan on retiring.
  • Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Mark Alt is out indefinitely with an upper body injury suffered in camp. Alt scored 4G and 15A in 72 games for the Flyers’ AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

2016-17 Season Preview: Montreal Canadiens

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As the NHL season is now just a few weeks away, we continue our look at each team’s offseason and preview the upcoming year. Today, we focus on the Montreal Canadiens.

Last Season: 38-38-6 record (82 points), 6th in the Atlantic Division.

Remaining Cap Space: $855K as per Cap Friendly (Roster Size of 25)

Key Newcomers: RW Bobby Farnham (free agency, New Jersey), G Al Montoya (free agency, Florida), RW Alexander Radulov (free agency, CSKA Moscow, KHL), D Zach Redmond (free agency, Colorado), RW Andrew Shaw (trade, Chicago), D Shea Weber (trade, Nashville)

Key Departures: RW Mike Brown (PTO, Columbus), C Lars Eller (trade, Washington), D Tom Gilbert (free agency, Los Angeles), G Ben Scrivens (Dynamo Minsk, KHL), D P.K. Subban (trade, Nashville)

[Related: Canadiens Depth Chart from Roster Resource]

Players to Watch: D Shea Weber – Given the magnitude of their June trade with the Predators, the focus will squarely be on Weber as many will compare his performance to Subban’s on a regular basis throughout the season (and likely beyond).

Another intriguing thing to watch will be how he fits in with a lineup that plays a much more conservative style than Nashville did.  How will that affect Weber’s performance and how will the team adapt to working with a different set of strengths and weaknesses after having Subban anchor their blueline for the last several years?  In particular, after having Subban routinely be the one to lead the breakout, how will it change with Weber, a player who often deferred to Roman Josi in that regard over the last few seasons?

RW Alexander Radulov – The off-ice questions about his commitment to playing in North America have been front and center and for good reason having left the NHL twice already.  However, after being a top scorer in the KHL, there’s no denying he has the potential to be the top six forward the team has sought for several years.  Montreal has tried several different players in recent years to fill that void (Daniel Briere, P.A. Parenteau, Thomas Vanek, and Alexander Semin, to name a few) but have had limited success.  Will Radulov be the one to buck that trend?

Key Storyline: After getting off to the best start in franchise history last year, the Canadiens completely fell apart as the season progressed.  Despite that, the coaching staff remains largely intact (aside from the hiring of Kirk Muller as Associate Coach and the departure of Craig Ramsay who was a consultant last season).  Losing the reigning Hart and Vezina Trophy winner Carey Price between the pipes for most of the season with injury problems was widely considered to be the root cause of their collapse but with him being back to full health this year, that crutch won’t be there for management if they get off to a slow start this season.

How much of a leash will Michel Therrien have if the team struggles out of the gate?  While it’s certainly early to speculate on how much rope he’ll be given, he has to be considered to be on the hot seat heading into the season.

Injury Notes: Janmark, Ekblad, Schwartz, Fabbri, Nosek

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Dallas center Mattias Janmark was spotted leaving the arena today on crutches, Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News was among those to report.  No update has been provided on his condition although one is expected later today.

The Stars have been bit hard by the injury bug early on with center Cody Eakin (knee), right winger Ales Hemsky (groin), and center Tyler Seguin (heel) all down already.

Janmark had a solid rookie campaign last season, scoring 15 goals and 14 assists in 73 regular season games while averaging 14:10 per game.  He had a slightly bigger role in the postseason, recording two goals and three helpers in 12 contests while logging 14:41 per night in ice time.

Dallas has one of the strongest and deepest forward groups in the league but it is getting put to the test early on.

Other injury news and notes:

Roster Crunch: Arizona’s Defense Corps

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With training camps well underway, there are plenty of interesting battles for roster spots throughout the league.  One of the more intriguing ones is happening in Arizona as the Coyotes now find themselves with a plethora of defensemen battling for a spot on their back end.  Here’s a closer look at their blueline battle.

Locks

Oliver Ekman-Larsson – He is undoubtedly their number one defenseman and will be used in all situations.  He’s also on a cap friendly deal for a top rearguard coming in with an AAV of just $5.5MM for the next three years.

Alex Goligoski – New GM John Chayka wasted little time with the former Dallas Star.  He acquired his negotiating rights and quickly inked him to a five year, $27.375MM contract to be another anchor for their back end.

Connor Murphy – The former first rounder has seen his ice time increase each season and he surpassed the 20 minute average last year.  He also signed a long-term deal this offseason, getting an average of $3.85MM over the next six years.

Zbynek Michalek – After rejoining the Coyotes last offseason, Michalek spent most of the year in a third pairing role, one he’s likely to reprise this season.  While he could potentially be deemed expendable, he carries a cap hit of $3.2MM which may be difficult to unload in the current market and it’s unlikely that they would bury his contract in the minors given their status as a low-budget team.

Luke Schenn – Chayka brought the 26 year old in on a two year deal this offseason with a decent value at $1.25MM per year.  While he projects as a third pairing player, it’s unlikely he’s going to get pushed off the roster so quickly after signing with the team.

Michael Stone – Stone had a career year last season and spent a lot of time on Arizona’s top pairing.  While he may not have as big of a role this year, he’s a sure fire bet to start in their top four.

That’s six blueliners that are pretty much locks to start the season with the Coyotes, leaving them one or two (at most) spots to fill from a group of six other defensemen who could conceivably make a run at one of those positions.

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Atlantic Notes: Ristolainen, Kucherov, Mantha, MacArthur, Matthews

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Sabres RFA defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen has reported to the team despite being unsigned, notes John Vogl of the Buffalo News.   Both Ristolainen and his agent Mike Liut asked for the 21 year old to be allowed to skate with the team, which has been approved by GM Tim Murray.

Despite this development, it should not be construed as a sign that the two sides are close on a contract.  TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported on Wednesday that the two sides are at least $1MM apart per season on a new deal.  It does, however, remain noteworthy as it is very rare that an RFA will skate with a team despite being unsigned.  Most players simply stay away until a new deal is done.

Last season, Ristolainen had a career year, scoring nine goals while adding 32 assists while playing all 82 games for the first time.  He also logged an average of 25:17 per game in ice time, ranking first on the team.  He is expected to once again by Buffalo’s top blueliner once a new contract is signed.

More news out of the Atlantic Division:

  • Tampa Bay RFA right winger Nikita Kucherov will not report to camp without a contract like Ristolainen is, reports Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. GM Steve Yzerman remains “very hopeful” that a deal will get done although the two sides appear to still be a ways apart on a new deal.  The Lightning have roughly $5.5MM in cap space according to Cap Friendly but it will likely take more than that to get the 23 year old re-signed.
  • Red Wings prospect winger Anthony Mantha was asked to put on weight this offseason and a result, he often ate seven or eight times per day, writes Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. Mantha, Detroit’s first round pick (20th overall) in 2013, completed his second pro season last year, spending most of it with their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids.  He did get into ten games with the Red Wings though, scoring twice while adding an assist.  The 22 year old is expected to contend for a roster spot this season but his waiver exemption could potentially work against him if someone else who is waiver eligible stands out.
  • Despite missing most of last season with concussion problems and suffering another concussion over the weekend, Senators left winger Clarke MacArthur has no plans to retire, reports Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. In a statement released today, the 31 year old stated that he intends to return to the lineup at some point this season.   MacArthur has four years remaining on a five year deal signed back in August of 2014 with a cap hit of $4.65MM.  If he is expected to miss considerable time (which seems likely at this point), he would be eligible to be placed on Long-Term Injury Reserve.
  • 2016 first overall pick Auston Matthews is expected to make his Toronto preseason debut on Friday, notes the Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby. Matthews recently joined the team after suiting up for Team North America at the World Cup of Hockey, where he had three points (2-1-3) in three games.

Training Camp Cuts: 9/29/16

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There were more training camp cuts today as teams continue to pare down their rosters.  Here is today’s list of players that have been cut so far and where they have been assigned to:

Anaheim Ducks (Via Team Release)
D Josh Mahura (Red Deer, WHL)
RW Deven Sideroff (Kamloops, WHL)
C Tyler Soy (Victoria, WHL)
C Sam Steel (Regina, WHL)

Arizona Coyotes (Via Team Release)
D Brandon Burlon (Tuscon, AHL)
C Mark Olver (Tuscon, AHL)
C Matia Marcantuoni (Tuscon, AHL)

Carolina Hurricanes (Via Team Release)
C Janne Kuokkanen (London, OHL)
C Nicolas Roy (Chicoutimi, QMJHL)

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Poll: 2005 NHL Draft Take Two: Seventh Overall Pick

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Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.” Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended. For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.

We’re looking back at the 2005 NHL Draft, which kicked off the salary cap era and ushered in many of the current NHL superstars. The question we’re looking to answer is knowing now what we didn’t know then, how different would this draft look now with the benefit of hindsight?

Here are the results of our redraft so far:

1st Overall: Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)
2nd Overall: Carey Price (Mighty Ducks of Anaheim)
3rd Overall: Anze Kopitar (Carolina Hurricanes)
4th Overall: Jonathan Quick (Minnesota Wild)
5th Overall: Kris Letang (Montreal Canadiens)
6th Overall: Tuukka Rask (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Now we move forward to the seventh pick, which was held by the Chicago Blackhawks.

To recap how this works:

  • We will go through the 2005 NHL Draft and have our readers select, through a voting process, who they think should have been taken with the selection.
  • The entire first round will be redrafted, spanning picks one through thirty. The new selection is chosen by the majority of votes.

Back in 2005, Chicago selected college-bound winger Jack Skille out of the US National Development Team Program.  However, he failed to live up to his draft billing with the Hawks, as he played in just 79 games with the team over four seasons before being dealt to Florida in a package that netted them Michael Frolik.  Over the past several years, he has spent time with the Panthers, Blue Jackets, and Avalanche and is currently on a tryout deal with Vancouver.  For his career, Skille has 75 points in 313 NHL games, which is far from good production from a top ten selection.

With the seventh pick of the 2005 NHL Draft, who should the Chicago Blackhawks select? Cast your vote below!


For Trade Rumors app users on iOS, click here to vote.

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