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Archives for November 2016

Snapshots: Anderson, LeBrun’s Power Rankings, Blues

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The Associated Press reports that Ottawa Senators’ net minder Craig Anderson will take another leave of absence to be with his wife during her battle with throat cancer. Anderson will not be available to play Thursday when the Sens take on the Flyers in Ottawa. In turn, the Senators recalled Andrew Hammond and also have Mike Condon ready to go.  Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen writes that Sens’ bench boss Guy Boucher said that there is no timetable for Anderson’s return but that the earliest he could be back is Saturday. Warren added a quote from Condon who said: “I can’t even begin to imagine what he’s going through and I wish him the best.”

In other NHL news:

  • The Chicago Blackhawks remain #1 on Pierre LeBrun’s Power Rankings as the first of December approaches. Though they went 3-3-1 on the annual Circus Trip, the Hawks were able to survive without captain Jonathan Toews, who has missed the past three games. Seated second are the Montreal Canadiens, followed by the New York Rangers, who are tops in scoring in the NHL. Fourth and fifth in LeBrun’s rankings are the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Ottawa Senators jumped six spots to number six, while the Tampa Bay Lightning, St. Louis Blues, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Nashville Predators round out LeBrun’s top ten respectively. In the power rankings basement? The Islanders hold the spot, due to only a pair of wins in November. LeBrun wonders if ownership will still be as patient if similar results follow in December.

  • Despite an earlier report indicating that the St. Louis Blues could be cutting ties with AHL affiliate the Chicago Wolves, KSDK Sports Director Frank Cusumano was contacted directly by a Blues Executive who denied such reports.  NHL.com’s Lou Korac wrote earlier that the Blues were readying to put a new AHL team in Kansas City, and the report, via his blog “In the Slot,” was posted on KSDK’s site.  Though Korac said the Blues have not made the plans official, a source told him that it’s pretty much a “done deal.” That news conflicted with what a Blues executive told Cusumano, saying that, “No decisions are close to being made.  We are talking to a lot of people.” 

Across The Pond: KHL

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Roughly halfway through the Kontinental Hockey League season, things are looking good… for prospective NHL off-season buyers. The majority of the “second best” league’s top scorers thus far are impending free agents and a majority of that subset play for the best team in the league and may be in search of a new challenge should they take home the league championship without much of a struggle.

When SKA Saint Petersberg added Pavel Datsyuk, Viktor Tikhonov, Sergei Plotnikov, and Alexander Khokhlachev this summer, it was assumed that they would be the team to beat in 2016-17. However, no one could have expected that 35 games in they would be 29-2-4 with a goal differential of 99 and a 30-point lead in their division. SKA appears poised to breeze to a league championship this season. Then what? Leading scorer, and a name known to NHL fans, Ilya Kovalchuk has made it known that he would consider returning to the NHL. Kovalchuk is currently second in the KHL in points (to veteran winger Sergei Mozyakin of Mettalurg Magnitogorsk) with 49. The former #1 overall pick is still only 33 years old, and could use Jaromir Jagr as a model of how a few years out of the NHL early in your career can extend your career in North America. For Kovalchuk to rejoin to the New Jersey Devils, the rest of the teams in the league would have to approve of his return from NHL retirement. While they may not want to make a competitor stronger, the decision could also open doors for Kovalchuk’s teammates to follow suit.

Kovalchuk’s linemate, and the fifth leading scorer in the KHL, is Vadim Shipachyov. The 29-year-old skilled center has been on the radar of NHL teams for years, especially after back-to-back seasons of over a point-per-game production and elite postseason performances with SKA. He’s putting on a repeat performance in 2016-17, with a league-leading 30 assists and nine goals in 28 games. Shipachyov could finally make the jump to North America if he follows friend and role model Kovalchuk. Likewise, SKA’s Evgeni Dadonov could join his teammates overseas. The 2007 third-round pick of the Florida Panthers couldn’t stick in the NHL in his first go-round, despite scoring 20 points in 55 games in parts of three seasons, but has dominated the KHL since his return to Russia. The 27-year-old winger is on pace for his best season yet, and could draw the attention of a Florida team that has had more than it’s fair share of struggles so far this season. A small, fast forward, Dadonov has the tools to excel in today’s NHL. Another player in Saint Petersberg having an unbelievable year is Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Nikita Gusev. The KHL’s third ranked scorer with 44 point in 33 games, the 24-year-old was a steal by the Bolts in the seventh round of the 2012 draft. While he’s still signed on in Russia for a couple more years, don’t be surprised to see the talented scorer join Tampa sooner rather than later and make a contender that much more dangerous.

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Metro Notes: Sanford, Vrana, Bennett, Quenneville

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The Washington Capitals have swapped top prospects with their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears. The team announced that they have recalled Jakub Vrana, as well as veteran Paul Carey, from the AHL and re-assigned rookie Zach Sanford.

This is the first call up for the 20-year-old Vrana, the 13th overall pick by the Capitals in 2014 NHL Draft, who could make his NHL debut tomorrow night against the division rival New York Islanders. The young Czech winger is a fast, skilled forward with scoring ability, much like fellow countryman and 2016-17 breakout star David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins. Vrana was nearly a point-per-game player with the Bears last season, but only played in 36 contests due to injury. Off to the same torrid start tho this season, with nine goals and seven assists in 18 games, Washington has decided to give him a chance to prove himself at the highest level. With another skilled winger, T.J. Oshie, currently sidelined with an injury, don’t be surprised to see Vrana slot in to Oshie’s spot tomorrow night.

The demotion of Sanford is nothing for Capitals fans to be discouraged about. As team beat writer Isabelle Khurshudyan points out, Washington is pressed for salary cap space and could not have promoted Vrana without making the corresponding move of exchanging him for the 2013 second-rounder.  A Massachusetts native who starred at Boston College for two years before leaving early, Sanford jumped right into the Washington lineup out of training camp without ever playing a minor league game. Although a strong player at the college level, Sanford’s pro career has gotten off to a slow start with just one assist in 19 games with the Capitals. With his NHL ice time diminishing, Washington likely felt it was the right move to send the young forward down to the AHL, where he can re-discover his scoring touch.

From the Capitals to the Devils:

  • New Jersey has placed Beau Bennett on the injured reserve, retroactive to this past Monday. During practice that day, Bennett suffered a bad cut on his right leg and had to leave the ice. He did not return to practice and was left behind when the team departed on its current road trip. Injuries have been an unfortunate story line in Bennett’s young career, but this one at least appears to be minor. Expect Bennett to be back on the ice when the Devils return home, unless New Jersey wishes to keep him sidelined longer as precaution or to give other players a longer look while he is out. Bennett has just seven points in 20 games so far in 2016-17.
  • In his stead, New Jersey has recalled 2014 first-round pick John Quenneville from the AHL’s Albany Devils. The young forward, who has 17 points in 19 games thus far in his first pro season, will fly out to Chicago to join the team on their road trip. It’s possible that he will make his NHL debut against his own second cousin, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville. The younger Quenneville will look to earn a regular spot on the team during this call-up stint. If he shows the scoring ability he has displayed in juniors and early on in the AHL, he might just stick around long enough to face his uncle, Johnny Boychuk, in February.

Forbes’ 2016-17 NHL Team Valuations

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If you’re looking to buy an NHL franchise, here is your market value. For those who do not know of the world-famous company, Forbes is a leading American business magazine, named for its editor-in-chief, Steve Forbes. The company focuses on financial and business stories in a multitude of industries, including technology, sciences, art, law and, of course, the professional sports industry. Each year, Forbes runs a valuation of sports franchises around the globe, from NFL football in the United States to UEFA “football” in Europe. Today, Forbes released its valuations and rankings of all thirty current NHL teams – with the Vegas Golden Knights not quite ready to be analyzed just yet.

Unsurprisingly, the most successful team in North America’s biggest city reigns supreme over the rest of the league. With deep playoff runs in back-to-back years and a hot start to 2016-17, the New York Rangers are considered to be the NHL’s most valuable franchise with a $1.25B valuation. The Rangers top the chart for the second year in a row, after being denied the top spot for more than a decade prior, and see a 4% bump in their value from last year. Success coupled with some heavy renovations to Madison Square Garden and nearly a nightly sellout rate brings New York the big bucks, as they took in about $219MM in revenue last year, $17MM more than the next in line.

Second and third overall are Original Six Canadian power houses: the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs. Both hold on to their respective places from last year. However, the Maple Leafs held the top spot for an astonishing ten-year stretch from 2005 to 2014, before being bumped down to #3 last year. Having made the playoffs just once in the last decade, as well as seeing a 13-year sellout streak snapped in 2014-15, there is no doubt that the team has lost some value. A $1.1B valuation for a team that has struggled as much as Toronto has is not too shabby though, and is a testament to the city and its fans. Meanwhile, Montreal joins the Rangers as the only team to bring in over $200MM in revenue in 2015-16. The annual leader in attendance among the seven Canadian NHL teams, Montreal is a titan of industry in Canadian pro sports with a $1.12B valuation. Although both the Canadiens and Maple Leafs lost value this past year (5% and 4% respectively), this is most likely due to the weakness of the Canadian dollar. Both teams continue to excel fiscally, worth much more than any other Canadian NHL team or the Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto Raptors, or likely the entire Canadian Football League combined.

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Snapshots: Enstrom, Hall, Landeskog

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The Winnipeg Jets don’t really need it right now, but they’re getting back one of their biggest defensive pieces. While the team has won the last two games over the Predators and Devils, they’ll welcome back Toby Enstrom for tomorrow’s game against Edmonton after the blueliner returned today from Sweden where he’d been dealing with a personal issue.  No word on what the issue was, but it seems like it’s resolved at least for now.

The team has climbed to within one game of .500 on the season with an 11-12-2 record and look to even up with almost a full compliment tomorrow night. According to Ted Wyman of the Winnipeg Sun, Marko Dano, who earlier today tweeted out a photo of the damage done by Kyle Quincey’s stick, has a final appointment tonight to see whether he’s cleared to play tomorrow.

  • Taylor Hall was one of the first Devils players on the ice today for an optional skate according to Andrew Gross of The Record. The superstar winger is working his way back from a knee injury that required surgery earlier this month and was given a 3-4 week timeline for his return. Today is the two week mark, but Hall is hoping a return can come as early as tomorrow evening. Hall had scored 12 points in 14 games before sustaining the injury.
  • The Colorado Avalanche announced that they’re likely putting captain Gabriel Landeskog on injured reserve, clouding the waters surrounding his injury. While it’s not even clear what the forward is suffering from, it’s clear that he won’t be back with the team any time soon as he isn’t even skating with the club. The Avalanche need him back healthy as they’re slipping further and further down the standings. The team now sits in seventh (last) position in the Central Division, five points back of the surging Jets for sixth place.

Dougie Hamilton Rumors “Completely False”

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In what almost seemed like a coordinated attack, the Calgary Flames front office took the national spotlight caused by hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight to explain that Dougie Hamilton is firmly not on the trade block.

When speaking to media prior to the morning skate, GM Brad Treliving said (via Pat Steinberg) the rumors are “completely false”. Brian Burke, team president, was on Leafs Lunch in Toronto to tell the world that the price for Hamilton is “20 first round picks”. He gave some other choice quotes (via Mike Augello):

As soon as one of the teams that’s in the mix for the leaks is the Maple Leafs, it’s an army of leakers. An army of people that have no god damn idea of what they’re talking about.

He’s 6’5″, he weighs 237 lbs, he’s a right shot, skates like a deer. Yeah. Let’s move him. 

Burke believes it all stems from one team who made an “insulting” offer for Hamilton and that he’s almost to the point where he’d name the team publicly. It seems clear that the team is not looking to deal the young defender, however as Mark Spector of Sportsnet points out, teams are still sending their scouts to watch him play.

This would all back up what Darren Dreger said yesterday, that there had been some interest but the team had never had substantial conversations with the Maple Leafs or anyone else about Hamilton. It seems as though the struggling young blueliner will have to find his game in Calgary, because he’s not headed anywhere anytime soon.

Adam Pardy Signed By Nashville, Placed On Waivers To Gain Eligibility

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Adam Pardy is back in the NHL. The veteran of 338 games has been signed to an NHL deal with the Nashville Predators and, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet explains, has been placed on waivers to gain eligibility after spending the early part of the season on a minor-league deal. The team has also placed Anthony Bitetto on IR and sent Miikka Salomaki to the AHL on a conditioning stint.

After the Predators lost Matt Carle recently to retirement, they needed another NHL level defenseman who could fill in at times but also not lose development by sitting in the press box. Pardy, a former member of five different NHL teams is that player. Never mistaken for an offensive threat, Pardy hasn’t scored 10 points in a season since his rookie year (where he scored exactly 10) but can be a strong physical presence in his own end.

Pardy had been playing on an AHL deal for the Milwaukee Admirals this season recording (amazingly) five points in twelve games, including two goals. The 32-year old will now earn an NHL salary again while he tries to help the Predators shore up their back end.

Tampa Bay Recalls Vermin, Bournival From Syracuse

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With Ryan Callahan still nursing an injury and a few other players banged up, the Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled Joel Vermin and Michael Bournival from the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL.

Neither player has suited up for the Lightning this year, however both have had good starts in the AHL. Signed to a one-year, two-way deal this summer, Bournival has 11 points in 17 games for the Crunch. A 24-year old former third-round pick, he has 89 games of NHL experience with the Montreal Canadiens. Expected to be a strong scorer when he was drafted, the next two seasons in Shawinigan were solid but not spectacular, and he’s turned into a bottom-six only type in his short professional career.

For Vermin, this is familiar ground having been called up by the team last season for six games. A smaller Swiss forward, Vermin has shown his capability as an energy guy who uses his speed to force turnovers. The Lightning will need some of that energy, as they’re currently on a three game losing streak and have fallen to third in the Atlantic Division.

Edmonton Oilers Recall Fayne, Move Gryba To IR

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After losing the rematch against the Toronto Maple Leafs on home ice last night, the Edmonton Oilers have decided to make a move. The team has recalled Mark Fayne from the AHL, while moving Eric Gryba to injured reserve.

Fayne was sent to the minors just yesterday after clearing waivers, but will rejoin the team for their upcoming matchup against the Winnipeg Jets. Playing in just one game this season it’s obvious that his favor has soured with head coach Todd McLellan and the entire Oilers organization.

Fayne once wore an alternate captain’s ’A’ for the Oilers, suiting up in 143 games over the past two seasons. The 29-year old was demoted at one point last year and now seems destined to bounce back and forth as a contingency plan. His $3.65MM cap hit prevents anyone from putting in a claim on waivers, so it doesn’t matter much how many times he goes up and down.

On the other, but very similar, hand is Gryba. Another hulking defenseman, Gryba came over from the Ottawa Senators in 2015 and played 53 games for the team last season. Off to a pointless start in fourteen games, he last played for the Oilers on the 17th. The Oilers will likely continue to dress the six other healthy defensemen for the time being.

Injury Notes: Dano, Oshie, Niskanen

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Every hockey player that’s played without a full face-cage has experienced it, that almost-painless moment when you get a stick in the face. The rage boils over you just before the pain rolls in, and you get blood on your brand new gloves. Marko Dano knows it well, after taking a stick from Kyle Quincey in last night’s Winnipeg-New Jersey game. The anger has subsided, and the forward happily celebrated the laceration on twitter today. “Finally look like a real hockey player”.

NHL: New Jersey Devils at Winnipeg Jets

Dano left the game in the first period and didn’t return, and it’s unclear whether he’ll be able to play in the Jets’ next game. In the photo he sent out, his eye is almost swollen shut. The 22-year old has just six points in fifteen games this season, but looks like he’ll be able to contribute more down the road.

  • T.J. Oshie returned to Capitals practice today, but didn’t participate in any contact drills according to Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post. Interestingly, Oshie spent most of the practice paired with Taylor Chorney on defense. Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports that Oshie is unlikely to play this week, although the forward didn’t rule it out himself.
  • More good news from Capitals practice. Matt Niskanen was a full participant today, taking his regular turn with Karl Alzner during all drills. The defenseman has been out since Saturday with a lower-body injury, but seems fully recovered and is expected to play tomorrow when the New York Islanders come to town.
  • With the best news of all, Dave Strader returned to the Dallas Stars broadcast booth last night after being diagnosed with cancer this summer. In a touching video, Strader calls out the starting lineups for the Stars in the dressing room, with the team giving him an encouraging cheer after each name. Strader has been a voice in hockey for almost four decades, and though he says he’s not strong enough to call a game just yet, we can’t wait to hear him again.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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