Versteeg’s Deal With SC Bern Hits Snag
In an unexpected twist, Darren Dreger of TSN tweeted that due to complications regarding insurance, Kris Versteeg is returning to North America and will again be available as a free agent. Dreger followed up on his original tweet suggesting that hip surgery four years ago may have “prevented full coverage in Switzerland,” though the player is currently healthy. Versteeg had previously agreed to a one-year pact with SC Bern in the NLA league roughly six weeks ago. Now it appears his job search will have to continue.
Versteeg began the 2015-16 campaign with the Carolina Hurricanes where he netted 33 points in 63 contests before a trade deadline move sent the veteran forward west to Los Angeles in exchange for prospect Valentin Zykov and a fifth-round choice in the 2016 draft. He would tally four goals and five points for the Kings down the stretch before contributing a goal and an assist during the team’s first-round playoff loss to San Jose.
The nine-year NHL vet has won two cups with Chicago – 2009-10 and 2014-15 – and has appeared in games for six different clubs during his career. Versteeg has scored 131 goals and 313 points in 550 NHL contests.
It isn’t clear if the issues that have apparently derailed his deal with HC Bern – at least temporarily – are insurmountable or if the two sides will have an opportunity to work things out. However, if he can’t come to a resolution with the Swiss club, Versteeg would then immediately become the top free agent forward available for teams on the lookout for scoring depth. Versteeg has never recorded less than 0.4 points-per-game in a full season in the NHL and is versatile enough to contribute anywhere up-and-down a team’s lineup.
Snapshots: Canucks, Avalanche, Nielsen, Donskoi
Many pundits feel the Vancouver Canucks are a team lacking direction. On the one hand, they introduced some much-needed youth to their aging core last season with young forwards Jake Virtanen and Jared McCann given their first extended NHL looks and joining second-year pro Bo Horvat as possible future building blocks. On the other hand, Vancouver failed to advance their rebuild by dealing expiring assets at the trade deadline for draft picks and/or prospects. Trading Dan Hamhuis and/or Radim Vrbata would have netted the Canucks multiple futures to further the team’s roster reconstruction.
Instead, the Canucks surprised many this spring by parting with the aforementioned McCann as part of a package to acquire veteran defenseman Erik Gudbranson in what was clearly a move designed to help the team win now. The free agent addition of winger Loui Eriksson also signals that Vancouver is not committed to a rebuild and will rather try to slowly integrate younger players onto the roster while at the same time attempting to remain in the mix for a playoff spot.
It’s with this mentality that GM Jim Benning continues his search for an impact offensive LW, as Ben Kuzma of The Province writes. Daniel Sedin remains the team’s top port side winger and the team expects young Sven Baertschi – currently listed as the team’s #2 LW – to improve upon his 15-goal output in 2015-16. Beyond those two the Canucks have a few wingers who can line up on either side of center – including Eriksson – but don’t have enough depth to switch a player to the left without creating another hole on the right side.
Kuzma lists several candidates who could fill the role of impact LW, both internal and external. The most interesting might be Anton Rodin, the team’s second-round pick in 2009 and whom the Canucks signed to a one-year deal worth just $950K. Rodin enjoyed an excellent 2015-16 campaign, netting 16 goals and 37 points in 33 contests with Brynas IF of the Swedish Elite League while capturing the league’s MVP award.
As for possibilities currently outside the Canucks organization, Kuzma lists Evander Kane as a potential trade option – a notion we’ve reported on in the past – though he also brings up the off-ice issues surrounding Buffalo’s talented winger and suggests that might limit Vancouver’s interest. Kuzma also opines that the cost to acquire an established player like Kane would likely start with one of Chris Tanev or Horvat, and that’s simply a price the Canucks are unwilling to pay.
Surprisingly, Kuzma writes that the Canucks didn’t view Jiri Hudler as a short-term answer even though the Czech winger is just two seasons removed from a 76-point campaign and ultimately signed a one-year pact with Dallas worth $2MM. Hudler would have been a perfectly reasonable buy-low add for the Canucks. He’s capable of producing at a rate more than acceptable for a top-six forward and would have been a potentially valuable asset to possess at the 2017 deadline with contending teams always looking to augment their scoring depth.
Elsewhere in the NHL on this Labor Day:
- At his introductory news conference last week, new Colorado head coach Jared Bednar confirmed he would be keeping all three assistant coaches – Tim Army, Dave Farrish and Nolan Pratt – from the previous regime, according to Terry Frei of the Denver Post. It’s not much of a surprise given the late hiring of Bednar meant that many coaches he may have considered for positions were already committed elsewhere. Additionally, Pratt worked under Bednar as an assistant with Lake Erie in 2015-16 so there was already a comfort level between the two coaches. After talking with each of his assistants, Bednar is satisfied he has the right mix of experience and knowledge among his staff.
- An unheralded free agent signing by the Sharks in May of 2015, Joonas Donskoi would end up playing a key role for the Western Conference champions in 2015-16, scoring 11 goals and 36 points in 76 regular season games. He would ramp up his performance in the playoffs tallying six goals and 12 points in 24 contests. Now that Donskoi has established himself as an NHL regular, the expectations have been raised going into year two of his career, as Kevin Kurz of CSN Bay Area writes. After establishing solid chemistry with C Logan Couture, both down the stretch of the regular campaign and in the postseason, Donskoi is again likely to slot in on the right side of the skilled pivot. If he takes advantage of his opportunity to play with Couture, it’s conceivable Donskoi could approach 50 points in a full season.
- After losing superstar center Pavel Datsyuk, who chose to return home to Russia to be closer to his family, the Detroit Red Wings were left with a gaping hole down the middle of their lineup. They attempted to address that loss in part by signing solid two-way pivot Frans Nielsen to a lucrative six-year, $31.5MM free agent deal this summer. While he won’t be expected to replace Datsyuk’s offense, he will be counted on to play a responsible game and appear in all situations for the Wings, says Ansar Khan of MLive.com. Nielsen has only ever tallied 20 goals or 50 points on two occasions but is known as an excellent playmaker and someone who should help improve both the Wings PP and PK units. He is also an elite shootout performer who might be worth an extra few standings points a year to Detroit in that area alone.
Frederik Andersen Out 3-4 Weeks
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen will be out 3-4 weeks after suffering an upper body injury in an Olympic Qualifying game with Denmark. Andersen’s expected recovery time still puts him in line to start the season with the Leafs.
Andersen suffered the injury after being barrelled into by his own teammate during Denmark’s 3-0 loss to Slovenia in an Olympic Qualifying match. He then flew to Toronto to be examined by team doctors. Andersen was slated to play for Team Europe in the World Cup of Hockey this fall, and is instead replaced by Washington Capitals goaltender Philipp Grubauer.
The Maple Leafs acquired Andersen as an unsigned RFA from Anaheim for a 2016 1st and 2017 2nd round draft pick. They then signed the Danish goaltender to a five-year, $25MM contract. Andersen was expected to start for the Leafs this season, and with opening night not until October 12, he has ample time to recover. Speculating on the injury’s severity, however, should not be based on the proposed recovery time as many players in the last few days have announced injuries that take them out of the World Cup. Players (and teams) are exercising caution when it comes to injuries, and may not want to aggravate an injury for a pre-season tournament.
Top Ten 2017 UFAs (Part 2)
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 second five of our top-ten 2017 UFAs:
Long-time San Jose Shark Patrick Marleau is entering his 18th season this year, and like teammate Joe Thornton, it is unclear whether the former Sharks captain will retire at its end. Unlike Thornton, however, Marleau’s numbers dropped, though he still managed 25G and 23A in 82 games—and an additional 5G and 8A in 24 playoff games.
He may not be the offensive powerhouse he once was, but Marleau still has a lot to offer. His previous contract was $6.66MM a year for three years but Marleau will most likely take a small pay cut to returns. With Brent Burns and Joe Thornton also needing new deals, however Marleau may be the odd man out in San Jose.
Karl Alzner sits as a top-three defenseman potentially available this summer, and like another potential UFA Kevin Shattenkirk, Alzner’s value is obscured by playing with other very good defenseman. The Washington Capitals have an embarrasment of riches on the blueline with John Carlson, Matt Niskanen, Dmitry Orlov (unsigned RFA), and Brooks Orpik. Alzner held his own, though, and put up 4G and 17A in 82 games while playing over 21 minutes a night.
Alzner’s last contract was for four years at $2.8MM a year. He’ll likely get a significant raise despite his low production because of his age and defensive prowess. He may have to take a hometown discount, however, if he wants to remain with the Caps—a team poised to challenge for the Stanley Cup for the foreseeable future.
Brian Elliott posted excellent numbers last year—a 2.06GAA and a league leading .930SV%—and yet he was shipped off to Calgary to make way for the younger Jake Allen. Elliott has dodged criticism his entire career that his numbers belied his true talent, but he has consistently performed in both Ottawa and St. Louis.
Now that Elliott is the clear starter in Calgary, he has an opportunity to silence his doubters and earn a large pay raise in the offseason. Elliott is in his last year of a three-year, $2.5MM AAV contract, and a strong performance this season should net him a significant raise. If Calgary is prudent they will lock Elliott up midseason if he is performing well.
Alex Steen put up above-average career numbers last season, scoring 17G and 35A in 67 games for the Blues, and an additional 4G and 6A in 20 playoff games. He may not produce like a top line forward but his two-way skills are invaluable in today’s NHL. Steen is a dependable and responsible playmaker that consistently performs.
Steen enters the final year of a three-year $5.8MM AAV contract with the St. Louis Blues and will probably take a small pay cut to stay with the team. St. Louis has enough cap room next year to re-sign both Steen and Shattenkirk, and there’s no glaring reason why the Blues would part ways with their alternate captain.
Ryan Miller may be in the twilight of his career, but the 36 year-old goaltender still has enough to offer teams looking for a one or two year stopgap veteran goaltender. Miller put up a 2.70GAA and a .916SV% in 51 games for the Vancouver Canucks—numbers similar to his dominant years in Buffalo. The Canucks will probably reduce Miller’s playing time this season to make way for future starter Jacob Markstrom, which may hamper his negotiating position come summertime.
Miller, Bishop, and Elliot represent the cream of the free agent goaltending crop next summer, so Miller should find some suitors looking for a starter or 1B goaltender. He will probably take a pay cut from his current three-year, $6MM a year contract as he will be 37 at the start of next season.
Top Ten 2017 UFAs (Part 1)
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 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 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 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.
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 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?
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
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
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
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
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.”