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Top Ten 2017 UFAs (Part 1)

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With 2016’s free agency frenzy all but over, it’s high time to start looking at next year’s free agent crop. True, some of the following may sign extensions over the course of the year, but others may want to take advantage of the period before July 1st where players can talk with other teams. Another variable in the mix is the expansion draft, and teams may want to hold off of on signing players until after the draft to maximize protection slots. Here are the first five of our top-ten 2017 UFAs:

Brent Burns

Brent Burns is peaking at just the right time. The versatile defenseman scored 27G and 48A in 82 games last season playing over 25 minutes a night. Burns continued his scoring prowess in the playoffs by potting an additional 7G and 17A in the Sharks’ Cup Finals run. It was his best season stat-wise to date, and hockey writers agreed as they placed him 3rd in Norris voting.

Elite defenseman are always a hot commodity in the NHL, and Burns will cash in no matter where he lands. His current expiring contract was a five-year deal worth $5.76MM a year, and he should receive a substantial raise. San Jose understands his value and should lock him up before he reaches free agency, but it is doubtful that Burns takes a hometown discount.

Kevin Shattenkirk

Kevin Shattenkirk is an interesting player to gauge because he plays on a team with two other excellent defenseman: Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester. He scored 14G and 30A in 72 games last season and still managed to play over 21 minutes a night. The American defenseman may not receive all the accolades that Pietrangelo does, but Shattenkirk can hold his own. He has been the subject of trade rumors this offseason, so it will not be a surprise if he walks at the end of the season.

Shattenkirk’s last contract was for four years at $4.25MM a year. He’ll likely receive a nice raise as teams are always in the hunt for top-line defensemen. The market for blueliners precipitously drops after the first few names, so teams will be willing to shell out the big bucks to avoid missing out.

Brad Marchand

Brad Marchand had himself a career year last season, scoring 37G and 24A in 77 games. The Boston Bruins left-winger is looking to build off of that to garner a large contract next off-season, but it might not be with the Bruins. Boston already has four players—Tuukka Rask, Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, and David Backes—signed for $6MM and more each. The team may not be able to afford Marchand’s asking price, and signing Backes this summer may have been a backup plan in case they cannot come to terms.

Look for Marchard to receive Milan Lucic money next season somewhere with a more prominent playing role. Marchand’s a gifted scorer with a bulldog demeanor that excites old-school and new-school fans alike. His skills will be in high demand as long as he maintains his current production.

Joe Thornton

It is unclear whether Thornton will retire after this season, but if he returns his skill set will also be in high demand. The 37 year-old Sharks forward had his best season in years, scoring 19G and 63A while playing all 82 games. He continued to shed his (undeserved) playoff-choker role by potting an additional 3G and 18A in 21 games in the Shark’s Cup Finals run.

Thornton still had gas left in the tank, and any team looking for veteran help and superb playmaking skills would benefit from his presence. The forward is coming off a three-year deal worth $6.75MM a year, and will most likely command similar money for another two or three year deal. Some teams may be wary of Thornton’s age, however, as he is over 35 and any contract he signs remains on the cap if he retires early.

Ben Bishop

Ben Bishop enters this season as the top goaltender with an expiring contract. The Vezina Trophy runner-up had a 2.06GAA and a .926 SV% in 60 starts last season. He posted 8 wins and 2 losses in the playoffs before suffering a knee injury. That knee injury was key as it allowed Tampa Bay’s backup Andrei Vasilevskiy to shine. The Lightning go forward knowing that if they do not re-sign Bishop, they can rely on Vasilevskiy.

Bishop was also the subject of trade rumors this offseason, including a potential draft-day trade with the Flames. Top-notch goaltending is another hot commodity in the league, so look for Bishop to enter free agency with many suitors. Teams with perennial goaltending woes may overpay for a solid starter to provide stability.

The Olympic Qualification Process: What’s Next For Non-Qualifiers?

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With Slovenia, Germany, and Norway officially qualifying  for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea today, some attention should be given to those countries that just missed out on a spot. As much as the IIHF World Championships and the upcoming World Cup of Hockey would like to believe that they are the premier international hockey event, there is no greater stage than the Olympic games. While the debate rages on whether NHL players should be allowed to participate in the event, it is still a matter of national pride to see one’s country represented in the greatest winter sport of all. Pros or not, Olympic hockey will always receive great fanfare, making missing out in qualifications that much more painful for a handful of enthusiastic hockey countries.

Qualification for the Olympics is a much longer process than many realize, beginning a year after the previous Winter Olympic Games. In 2015, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) rankings were calculated and qualification began. A scoring system is used, based on the past five finishes for a country at the annual World Championships (weighted more heavily by the more recent finishes), to rank all 47 countries that compose the IIHF. The top eight countries are given automatic berths into the next Olympics. In 2015, they were Canada, Russia, Sweden, Finland, United States, Czech Republic, Switzerland, and Slovakia, in that order. From there, three rounds of qualification tournaments are scheduled. The number of groupings in each round varies, depending on how many IIHF countries are participating, as well as how many available spots there are for the next Olympics. If the games are being held in an already-qualified country, then there are four berths up for grabs. However, if the games are being held in a non-qualifier, like the 2018 games in South Korea, that team is also given an automatic berth, leaving just three spots. After each round is complete, the group winners advance to the next round until the three or four Olympic qualifiers are determined. In the first round of these qualifiers, which took place in October and November of 2015, nine teams competed. The two bottom ranked teams had a play-in game for the eighth and final spot in group play. Two groups of four proceeded from their, with Estonia and Serbia advancing. In round two, held in February, three groups of competition made winners of Italy, Poland, and Japan, who moved on to the final round. The final qualification round, which took place over the past four days in Minsk, Riga, and Oslo, consisted of three groups with many common hockey countries and even featured many NHL stars including Anze Kopitar for Slovenia and Mats Zuccarello for Norway. In the end, Slovenia, Norway, and Germany walked away as winners, punching their ticket to Pyeongchang.

[More info on Olympic Qualifying]

And what of the losers? Even in the third and final round, the points gaps and scoring differentials show that there are many teams that are still far from legitimate Olympic contention. Italy, Japan, Austria, and Poland were out of place, and France and Kazakhstan put up a valiant effort, but would have been a huge upset had they qualified. Three teams stick out as falling short, and for these three it will be a long four years before they get to fight for an Olympic spot again at the 2022 games in Beijing, China: Belarus, Latvia, and Denmark.

Belarus came the closest to qualifying this time around. An overtime loss to Slovenia in the final game of group play today sealed their fate. The team was led up front by former NHLers Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn, as well as recent Toronto Maple Leafs PTO-signee Roman Graborenko, UMass alum and Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Oleg Yevenko, and American-Belarusian Nick Bailen on defense. On equal footing with Slovenia through each of the teams’ first two games, it came down to a battle for the group today. Unfortunately, they could not find the same magic that they had in the “Salt Lake Miracle” win over Sweden in the 2002 Winter Olympics, despite hosting the tournament in Minsk. Slovenia scored in OT, and that once goal will put Belarusian hopes on hold for a while. The Kostitsyn’s very well might not be around for the next qualification tournament, but with a good young defensive core in place, Belarus will look to bring along some home-grown talent at forward and in net and give it another go in four years.

Latvia too came very close to a trip to Korea in 2018. Going into today’s final game, at home in Riga, Latvia and Germany were both 2-0, creating yet another winner-take-all scenario. Going up against a strong German squad, featuring veteran defenseman Dennis Seidenberg and Christian Ehrhoff and young scorers Tobias Rieder of the Arizona Coyotes and Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers, the Latvians held their own. However, they just fell short, losing 3-2. The future is bright for Team Latvia though, as next time around they will still have top players like the Buffalo Sabres’ Zemgus Girgenson, Vancouver Canucks prospect Rodrigo Abols, and young Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Kristers Gudlevskis, and all three will be more seasoned, and hopefully joined by more young, talented depth. Expect Latvia to again make a strong push when it comes time for Beijing.

Far and away, the most disappointing team in qualifying was Denmark. Playing in the same group as Slovenia and Belarus, Team Denmark had tough competition, but was still the favorite to win. Instead, the team came out flat, losing 5-2 to Belarus and 3-0 to Slovenia. A team featuring new Maple Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen, Canucks defenseman Philip Larsen, and a plethora of forward talent including big free agent signings Frans Nielsen of the Detroit Red Wings and Mikkel Boedker of the San Jose Sharks, top prospects Nikolaj Ehlers of the Winnipeg Jets and Oliver Bjorkstrand of the Columbus Blue Jackets, and reliable veteran Jannik Hansen of the Canucks, surely should have performed better. Had the groups been aligned differently, perhaps the results would also be different, but there is no excuse. Denmark not only should be in Pyeongchang in 2018, but also had the chance to make a splash. Instead, the team will have to try again in four years and hope that they continue to produce talent like they have right now.

Under The Cap Floor: New Jersey Devils

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Technically, the New Jersey Devils are not under the NHL’s salary cap floor of $54MM. At least not yet. CapFriendly currently calculates the Devils’ roster as being at about $60.7MM. However, that includes both the $4.85MM salary of Ryane Clowe and the $4MM salary of Marc Savard. With that duo, whose playing days are over, hitting the injured reserve and their cap hits leaving with them, New Jersey’s true salary number could very well drop below the cap floor, perhaps by several million dollars.

CapFriendly’s numbers are not totally accurate, though. The current Devils roster is listed as having 16 forwards and five defenseman, whereas the final lineup will of course feature at least seven defenseman and a few less forwards. The reason that the current projection is so disjointed is simply because the Devils depth is severely lacking. Roster Resource gives us a look at all of the possible roster players, and there are many clear holes. Behind a strong first line, there is a lack of dependable forwards up front, especially on the wing. The oft-injured Mike Cammalleri and Devante Smith-Pelley, who was good in 2015-16, but in very limited action, are the best of the rest. Many of the bottom six spots are right now being occupied by young, inexperienced players or low-upside veterans. On defense, the situation is even worse. After losing their top two defenseman from last season, Adam Larsson and David Schlemko, the Devils have failed to bring in enough talent to replace them. Newcomer Ben Lovejoy and youngsters Damon Severson and Jon Merrill will be asked to take more responsibility on the back-end than they are likely ready for.

With ample cap space and many needs, the question becomes: Are the Devils really done? With September upon us, it is easy to be underwhelmed by what New Jersey has done this off-season. That is an unusual statement to make when a team completed one of the biggest trades in recent hockey history, acquiring Taylor Hall from the Edmonton Oilers. Hall is going to continue to be one of the NHL’s best scorers on his new team, but even a strong first line of Hall and Kyle Palmieri with either Adam Henrique or Travis Zajac leaves the Devils top-heavy and exposed up front. Additionally, losing Larsson in the trade has created a gaping hole where the Devils would like a top-pair right-shot defenseman to be. In fact, if no further moves are made, it is likely that there will be only two right-handed blue liners on the roster this season.

The Devils have tried to make some moves this summer. They were of course one of the biggest suitors for college super-free agent Jimmy Vesey, but watched as he signed with the cross-town rival New York Rangers. They were also reportedly interested in winger Jiri Hudler, who would have been a good fit on the team, but failed to come to terms with him before he signed with the Dallas Stars recently.

Missing out on talent doesn’t excuse sitting on a lot of cap space with moves to be made though. The Devils are not in the same position as the Carolina Hurricanes, the only other team this off-season who faced legitimate concerns about reaching the cap floor. Carolina is currently in a rebuilding process, which may come as ironic considering they finished the season with a better record than the Devils in 2015-16. While they brought in a few key veterans this summer, the focus has been on young talent, such as the acquistion of Teuvo Teravainen and top prospects looking to earn a spot on the roster like Haydn Fleury, Sebastian Aho, and Aleksi Saarela. Aside from Pavel Zacha, the Devils do not have the same influx of young, NHL-ready talent to keep spots open for. The New Jersey roster contains many players who are in their prime, and the best move for New Jersey likely would have been to bring in more veteran talent in an effort to make the playoffs this season. As currently constituted, that seems like a long shot.

Is it too late for the Devils to improve their roster before the puck drops on the 2016-17 season? They certainly have the cap space, and depending on the exact numbers, they may be forced to sign a player or two. The big question is whether there is value left on the market. The big names remaining in free agency are Kris Russell and Alex Tanguay. Russell was expected to cash in this summer, but his old-fashioned playing style is not being valued as highly as he had hoped. Russell still is a serviceable defenseman, and one of the offers that he is reportedly mulling could be from the Devils. Still likely worth at least $1.5-2MM per season, Russell could help the Devils remain over the cap floor, while also providing great value as a top-four defenseman on their team. His signing would not solve the right-shot defenseman problem, however. Jakub Nakladal, a dark horse who has gained little attention on the market until recently, may be the perfect fit for New Jersey. His contract would be inexpensive, but would add some much needed depth and a high ceiling player. Up front, Tanguay is best available skater right now. The veteran is also currently considering offers, and New Jersey could use his locker room prescence and play-making ability, especially if a return for lifelong Devil Patrik Elias is no longer in the works. A reunion with Tuomo Ruutu, Jiri Tlusty, or Steve Bernier seems extremely unlikely, but the team might be willing to take a chance on a veteran forward like David Jones or R.J. Umberger or a young player like Cody Hodgson, all of which would likely contribute about a $1MM to their cap deficiency. Additionally, the Devils will get a good look at winger Lauri Korpikoski and defenseman Christian Ehrhoff and Dennis Seidenberg at the upcoming World Cup.

None of the players listed has the ability to change the playoff odds of the New Jersey Devils in 2o16-17. If the team wishes only to meet the cap floor, try their luck with the current roster, and likely play for a lottery pick next season, then they should look to free agency or potentially do nothing at all. For a game-changer, they need to peruse the trade market. The Detroit Red Wings are having the opposite kind of cap trouble right now, and may be forced to trade a valuable, high-salary player. The Devils could potentially look into prying Gustav Nyquist out of Detroit. The Philadelphia Flyers have too many men on the blue line, an issue that New Jersey wishes they had, and cap problems and defensive depth issues could be wiped out by trading for Mark Streit, Andrew MacDonald, or maybe even Michael Del Zotto. The Toronto Maple Leafs are in a similar position up front, and could be willing to ship out any number of quality forwards. Finally, the Devils could look at pulling off their second blockbuster deal of the summer, if they could meet the price for disgruntled Winnipeg Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba. The 22-year-old stalwart has reportedly priced himself out of what the Jets are comfortable paying him, but a team with plenty of cap space and not enough defenseman, like the Devils, is the perfect fit to swoop in and either make a trade or sign the young blue liner to an offer sheet.

One way or another, if the Devils want to really compete in 2016-17, and also want to be comfortably over the salary cap floor, moves must be made. It’s been a quiet summer since the Hall-Larsson trade, and the Devils are the most likely candidate for some late summer fireworks before the season is underway.

Snapshots: Blues, Hertl, Moses

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St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock may be heading into his final season behind an NHL bench but he’s certainly not being complacent, writes Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  Hitchcock along with coach-in-waiting Mike Yeo and the rest of the coaching staff have put the finishing touches on their new system in advance of training camp later this month.  In particular, the team is changing the way it plays in its own end, something that should keep both the players and the coaching staff on their toes; Hitchcock added his thoughts about the decision to change:

“For a coach, when you’re secure in the way you play and then all of a sudden you’re going to make changes, it’s pretty dramatic. Coaches don’t view offensive changes as dramatic, but when you’re changing things defensively most coaches view that as pretty dramatic.”

With their plans in place, the coaches are now in the process of presenting it to their leadership core, including new captain Alex Pietrangelo.  Assuming the players are all on board with the changes, then the new system will be unveiled to the rest of the team in training camp.  While it may seem odd to seek approval from the players on the system, Hitchcock added that “There’s no point in putting it together if the players don’t buy into it”.

More from around the league:

  • While Sharks forward Tomas Hertl won’t play at the World Cup, he doesn’t appear likely to miss any NHL action. In a statement from GM Doug Wilson (courtesy of CSN Bay Area’s Kevin Kurz), he noted that Hertl is on track to be ready to start the year and doesn’t want to do anything to jeopardize that.  Wilson also praised Hertl for choosing “to put his commitment to the Sharks and his teammates first”.
  • While his most recent return to North America didn’t go well, left winger Steve Moses hasn’t ruled out giving the NHL another shot down the road, writes Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe. Moses signed a one year, $1MM deal with Nashville last year but didn’t make the team out of camp and was assigned to their AHL affiliate.  After 16 games with that team, his deal was terminated and he returned to the KHL where he remains under contract through 2017-18.  He has flirted with the point-per-game mark in each of his last two years in Russia and if he keeps that up, he should stay on the NHL radar.  However, Moses acknowledges that it will take a richer contract for him to try again as he is making more than the $1MM he was set to earn last season.

International Notes: Czech Roster, Olympic Qualifying

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The Czech Republic named their replacements for the injured Radko Gudas and Tomas Hertl at the World Cup of Hockey on Sunday morning.  Subbing in for Gudas on the blueline is former NHL’er Tomas Kundratek while taking Hertl’s spot up front is former St. Louis draft pick Michal Birner.

Kundratek spent last season in the KHL, his first season back overseas after spending seven years in North America in the system for the Rangers and Capitals.  He has 30 games of NHL experience, all with Washington.

Birner was picked in the 4th round back in 2004 but hasn’t played in the NHL.  He had 39 points in 51 games in the Czech Extraliga last year but has signed on to play in the KHL for 2016-17.

A notable omission from the Czech roster is Dallas winger Jiri Hudler.  Czech GM Martin Rucinsky told media (including TV NOVA Sports’ Roman Jedlicka) that they did call and leave messages but Hudler never responded.  Later on, Hudler’s agent, former NHL defender Petr Svoboda, informed Rucinsky that Hudler did not want to suit up.  As he is one of the highest scoring Czech-born NHL’ers in recent years (only Jakub Voracek and Jaromir Jagr have more points in the last three seasons), he would have given them a much needed scoring boost.

The Czech team has been hit hard by injury these last few days as on top of Gudas and Hertl withdrawing, they also lost the services of David Krejci, who slotted in as a potential top line center.

[Related: Updated Czech Republic Roster and Depth Chart]

More from around the international hockey world:

  • The Olympic qualifying tournaments concluded today with the final three teams gaining entry into the 2018 games which are being held in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Germany, Norway, and Slovenia all won their brackets to earn those final spots.  As a result, the final groups for the Olympic tournament have now been set and are as follows:
  • Group A: Canada, Czech Republic, Switzerland, South Korea
  • Group B: United States, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia
  • Group C: Sweden, Finland, Germany, Norway
  • While we now know which countries will be participating, the fate of the NHL’ers from those nations remains in doubt. Commissioner Gary Bettman noted two weeks ago that a decision on NHL participation has not yet been made; a final decision is expected in December or January.

West Notes: Hanzal, Stone, Malhotra

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The Coyotes are planning to discuss a contract extension with center Martin Hanzal in the coming weeks, Sarah McLellan of AZ Central reports.  GM John Chayka noted that they plan to sit down with Hanzal’s representatives before training camp gets underway later this month.

Hanzal has spent his entire nine year career with the Coyotes.  He had a career year offensively last season, scoring 13 goals and 28 assists in just 64 games, setting career highs in both assists and points in the process.  He also won an impressive 56% of his faceoffs, putting him in a tie for 15th league wide amongst players who took at least 300 draws last season.

The 29 year old is entering the final season of a five year deal that carries a cap hit of $3.1MM with a salary of $3.5MM for 2016-17 and is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent in July.

Hanzal is likely to begin next season in a top six role and a repeat of his 2015-16 campaign would have him in line for a sizable raise should he make it to the open market next offseason.

[Related: Coyotes Depth Chart]

Elsewhere in the West:

  • More from McLellan, Arizona blueliner Michael Stone has begun skating after having surgery to repair his left ACL and MCL back in April. He isn’t yet to participate in any informal scrimmages but is still hoping to be ready for their season opener on October 15th.  Stone is coming off a career year, recording 36 points in 75 games last season which earned him a one year, $4MM deal this offseason.  Like Hanzal, Stone is also eligible to become a UFA in July although the team can’t sign him to any extension until January 1st at the earliest.
  • Fresh off his retirement, Manny Malhotra is looking to get into coaching, writes Jeff Paterson of the Vancouver Province. Malhotra noted earlier this offseason that a couple of teams had reached out to them; one of those is the Vancouver Canucks.  Malhotra spent parts of three seasons with Vancouver from 2010-11 to 2012-13.  GM Jim Benning acknowledged that they are in talks with Malhotra, telling Paterson that, “He was a good player for the team for a number of years, and he’s a guy who had a special set of gifts that he offered on faceoffs and penalty killing.  He was a good leader on those teams that were successful. So we’re currently looking into seeing if there is a fit with our organization.”  

Snapshots: Oilers, Blue Jackets, Tortorella

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In two posts over the weekend (here and here), David Staples of the Edmonton Journal pondered whether the organization’s minor league coaches “thwart the development of their prospects,” by assigning more ice time in key situations to veteran players as opposed to the kids. It’s an important question to ask as developing prospects is the key to sustaining success at the NHL level. But as Staples points out, there are two sides to this discussion.

First, and most obviously, prospects need to be on the ice in meaningful games and playing important minutes to best advance their development. Practice time is important but it’s during games that players can implement what they’re being taught in practice. Essentially, prospects learn by doing better than they would by watching.

Staples also argues that it often does benefit younger players to play with established pros. He cites the example of Jordan Eberle and Taylor Hall each having the opportunity to skate with veteran pivot Shawn Horcoff during their first season in the league. Seeing how Horcoff went about his business day-to-day helped the youngsters learn what it took to become a solid pro player.

On the other hand, most organizations want their prospects to experience success, both individually and as part of the team, while in the minors as a way to better prepare them for potential playoff races in the NHL. Carrying a handful of veteran pros and giving them significant ice time improves the team’s odds for regular season success and subsequently to earn a playoff berth. The experience of postseason games is valuable in the development of a team’s prospects.

It’s a fine line minor league coaches have to walk. Their first obligation is to develop the parent club’s prospects, turning talented kids into quality NHL players. The ideal way to do so is by bringing them through a winning culture. That’s to say nothing of the pressure the coaches feel to win simply to keep their jobs. Just like at the NHL level, if you’re not winning much, you won’t be coaching long.

Ultimately, after analyzing a handful of previously successful AHL coaches who have gone on to earn NHL jobs – including: Jon Cooper, Dallas Eakins, Willie Desjardins, Jeff Blashill, Mike Sullivan, Jared Bednar, John Hynes and Jack Capuano – Staples concludes that Edmonton’s AHL head coaches – Todd Nelson and Gerry Fleming – have distributed ice time in roughly the same proportions as the successful coaches suggesting they have not thwarted the development of the team’s prospects. All together, it’s an interesting read and offers insight into what the thought process is for organizations assembling their minor league teams.

  • Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch writes about the struggle head coach John Tortorella faces dividing his time between the Blue Jackets and Team USA. Due to his commitment to coach the US team at the World Cup of Hockey tournament, Tortorella will miss 10 days of Columbus’ training camp and half of their eight exhibition games. It’s especially difficult for Tortorella, who was hired seven games into the 2015-16 campaign, since this would be his first training camp with the team and the club is expected to integrate several young players to the roster. Columbus has traditionally started the season slowly and if they again struggle out of the gate, it would be fair to wonder how much of a role Tortorella’s absence played. However, on the positive side, many assistant coaches who have designs of one day running their own bench get valuable experience running training camp while their team’s head coach is in Toronto for the World Cup. In the case of the Blue Jackets, the responsibility of taking over the team falls to assistant Brad Larsen. Tortorella also discusses that representing his home country has taken on even more significance with the knowledge his son, 26-year-old U.S. Army Ranger Nick Tortorella, is serving his country and currently deployed in the Middle East.

“I know these are hockey games … but I do look at it like it’s for my country. What Nick is doing by far dwarfs what we do. We’re entertainers; we’re playing a sport.”

“But with my son over there — this might sound selfish — I want to team up with him and help my country. I get pretty caught up in representing my country. There’s nothing like it.”

Tortorella is one of the league’s most polarizing coaches. His intensity and brutal honesty can turn off some players. But, as this piece demonstrates, there is more to Torts than just the firebrand head coach.

Poll: 2005 NHL Draft Take Two (1st Overall Pick)

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Hindsight is an amazing thing.

Piggybacking off an idea from our sister site Hoops Rumors, PHR looks back at the 2005 NHL Draft and how different it would look if general managers knew now what they didn’t know then.

The 2005 NHL Draft was unique in the fact that every team had a chance to select first due to the lockout that wiped out the entire 2004-05 season. To make sure each team had an opportunity, the NHL brass assigned teams one to three ping pong balls for the draft–determined by previous performance–with the worst teams earning three ping pong balls. As history would have it, the Pittsburgh Penguins would select first and went onto draft Sidney Crosby, who would become the cornerstone of the franchise. Two Stanley Cups since then, many would agree that the correct choice was made. From there, it gets interesting.

Looking back, the 2005 NHL draft boasted some big names between the pipes. Carey Price, Ben Bishop, Jonathan Quick, and Tuukka Rask were just a few. There were also some late round steals.  The Blackhawks struck gold taking Niklas Hjalmarsson in the fourth round while the Predators took Patric Hornqvist with the final pick in the draft. The Penguins also benefitted from that pick as well–especially this past season.

The redrafting of the entire 2005 draft will be based upon votes from readers. Below is a list of just over 35 players who went onto have impactful careers since then. If you don’t see a player you feel should be on there, let us know in the comments section. As each pick comes up, it will be the votes of the readers who reshape the draft selections. Throughout the next few weeks, every team will be represented and will “pick” a new player in their slot. We will begin with Pittsburgh, though it seems obvious who will be selected, because it keeps the re-draft concept consistent and complete.

With the first pick in the 2005 draft, who should the Pittsburgh Penguins select?

Manny Malhotra Retires

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Manny Malhotra, a veteran of 991 NHL regular season games, has officially retired today according to a tweet from Elite Prospects. Drafted seventh overall by the New York Rangers in the first round of the 1998 entry draft would eventually see time seven different NHL organizations during a career which spanned 16 seasons. His last action in the league came during the 2014-15 campaign when he made 58 appearances with the Montreal Canadiens.

Malhotra never lived up to the lofty expectations after being drafted by the Rangers but still carved out a respectable career as a top notch faceoff specialist and penalty-killer. For his career, Malhotra won better than 56% of the draws he took. He also scored 116 goals and 295 points in the NHL.

On March 16, 2011 Malhotra was hit by a puck in the left eye while playing for the Vancouver Canucks. He would miss the rest of that season and all but nine games in 2012-13 before the Canucks placed the veteran pivot on IR, citing the danger involved due to Malhotra’s limited vision. Malhotra would return to the NHL, converting an invitation to camp by Carolina into a job with the Hurricanes. He would go on to appear in 69 games that season and tallied 13 points while winning nearly 60% of his faceoffs.

Malhotra attempted to extend his NHL career, accepting a PTO with the Lake Erie Monsters – the Columbus Blue Jackets AHL affiliate – skating in 23 contests and scoring four goals with two assists. He was released from his PTO in March of 2016 and didn’t appear in another professional game.

Potential 2016-17 Impact Rookies: Lindell, Johns, Fiala, Barbashev

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In order to have the opportunity to make an impact as a rookie in the NHL, a player typically must earn a job in training camp – beating out veteran options along the way – and find a way to translate his talents to the ice at the highest level in the world. It’s not often youngsters with little to no NHL experience are guaranteed a role with the big league team but there are exceptions of course. Today we examine four rookies who might find themselves in a position to affect his team’s on-ice fortunes. Two are virtually assured regular playing time while the others will have to impress their teams before seeing any ice time in the NHL this season.

Esa Lindell and Stephen Johns (Dallas) – With the Stars moving on this summer from three of the club’s regular blue liners – Kris Russell, Jason Demers and Alex Goligoski –  Dallas certainly has spots up for competition with Lindell and Johns considered front-runners for those jobs. Both players offer good size – Lindell is 6-foot-3, 215 pounds and Johns is 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds – but bring differing skill sets to the table otherwise.

Lindell is a skilled offensive defender who tallied 14 goals and 42 points while playing 73 games for the Texas Stars of the AHL. The 22-year-old blue liner was Dallas’ third-round pick, chosen 74th overall, in the 2012 draft. After two-plus seasons playing in Finland, Lindell made his North American debut in 2014-15, skating in 5 contests with the Stars AHL affiliate. Lindell also saw his first taste of NHL action with four appearances for the Stars. He is currently slotted as the team’s third LD, behind veterans Dan Hamhuis and Johnny Oduya.

Johns is a more physical blue liner who averaged more hits per game than any other Stars player. He wrapped up his four-year collegiate career with Notre Dame scoring 15 goals and 57 points in 162 NCAA contests. Johns made his pro debut with the Rockford IceHogs, the Chicago Blackhawks AHL affiliate, in 2013-14 and scored five points in eight games. He would return to Rockford the following campaign and recorded four goals and 21 points in 51 contests.

The Blackhawks packaged Johns with Patrick Sharp in a deal with the Stars that returned Ryan Garbutt and Trevor Daley to Chicago. Johns made 55 AHL appearances with Texas and another 14 with Dallas in the regular season. He also saw action in 13 postseason contests with the Stars. Presuming head coach Lindy Ruff will split his two rookies up, the right-handed Johns stands a good chance to get plenty of work opposite either Hamhuis or Oduya in the Stars top-four this season.

Kevin Fiala (Nashville) – Predators GM David Poile held off on adding a top-six forward at the 2016 trade deadline because he was under the impression – mistaken in hindsight – that Jimmy Vesey would sign with the team in time to contribute down the stretch and into the playoffs. As we all know, Vesey had different ideas and elected to wait until August 16th when he would reach unrestricted free agency before choosing his first professional employer. That hole also went unfilled this summer giving a glimmer of hope that Fiala, with an impressive training camp, can break camp with the team and seize a top-six role.

Fiala was Nashville’s first-round selection in 2014 out of the Swiss league and is said to have game-breaking offensive potential. Because he is a native of Switzerland and played his junior hockey in Europe, Fiala was able to be assigned to the AHL once under contract with the Predators. As such, Fiala has already accumulated 99 AHL regular season games and has another six with the Predators. After a slow start, Fiala rebounded last season tallying 50 points in 66 games with the Milwaukee Admirals.

The Predators could choose to get the 19-year-old Fiala more minor league seasoning to further develop his game. Fiala seems to understand that it may take time before he earns a regular role with Nashville but with the Predators on the lookout for more offense, they could elect to give the youngster a chance to show if he can contribute this season.

Ivan Barbashev (St. Louis) – Unlike last season when they successfully integrated LW Robby Fabbri and D Colton Parayko into the lineup, the Blues may simply not have an opening this year for a rookie. The Blues addressed the loss of free agents David Backes and Troy Brouwer by signing David Perron. They also expect Vladimir Sobotka to make his return from the KHL and to fill a regular spot in the lineup. However, even though the odds are probably against it, if the Blues do go to the rookie well at some point this season, expect Ivan Barbashev to be a top contender for the promotion.

Barbashev played his junior hockey for Moncton in the QMJHL and tallied a solid 68 points in 48 games during his draft year. St. Louis would use their second-round pick in 2014 on Barbashev and the skilled winger enjoyed a tremendous 2014-15 campaign with Moncton, potting 45 goals and recording 95 points in 57 games. Barbashev made his pro debut in 2015-16, skating in 65 contests and scoring 28 points for the Chicago Wolves in the AHL.

Barbashev, who doesn’t turn 21 until December, would probably be better off returning to Chicago for another season, giving him the opportunity to fine tune his game further before assuming a regular spot with the Blues. A 28-point campaign in the AHL for a first-year pro isn’t bad but it’s not close to what Barbashev’s talent level suggests he is capable of. More seasoning would likely be a huge benefit for the youngster. But if a need arises, the Blues could turn to the talented young winger to add some skill and offense to the lineup.

 

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