Blues Notes: Coaching, Fabbri, Butler
The St. Louis Blues find themselves in a unique position this season when it comes to their coaching staff. Long-time head coach Ken Hitchcock announced during the offseason that he would be retiring at the end of the year and the team hired Mike Yeo as their coach-in-waiting. Throughout the major North American sports landscape, many teams are hesitant to have a coach in a ‘lame duck’ season with one year left on his contract so it’s particularly noteworthy that St. Louis is openly going with one in Hitchcock this season.
A quick look at the standings would suggest that it seems to be working so far. The Blues find themselves second in the Central Division with a points percentage over .500. However, the team has a negative goal differential, have taken a lot of undisciplined penalties, and are currently struggling on the man advantage. With that in mind, Benjamin Hochman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wonders if the Blues should promote Yeo now to the head coaching spot.
Hitchcock’s teams with St. Louis have in part been defined by their size and physicality, something that isn’t the case this year as power forwards David Backes and Troy Brouwer were replaced by faster, more finesse options in David Perron and Nail Yakupov. So far, the Blues have been hit-or-miss when it comes to playing their desired up-tempo style and that inconsistency – especially on the road – has proven costly as of late.
Given Hitchcock’s track record and the fact that the Blues are currently in a playoff spot, it’s hard to foresee them making the switch behind the bench this quickly. If their recent struggles continue though, promoting Yeo earlier than anticipated could become an option, especially if GM Doug Armstrong isn’t able to make any substantive changes to the roster beforehand.
More from St. Louis:
- As Hitchcock continues to shake up the lineup in an effort to get the team going, left winger Robby Fabbri is the most recent forward to be a healthy scratch. The sophomore has struggled lately with just one point in his last ten games and has only four points (1-3-4) on the season. Fabbri tells Tom Timmermann of the Post-Dispatch that the decision to hit him didn’t come as too much of a surprise: “It’s my first time being scratched ever, so it’s a little bit of a different feeling. Surprised? No. You start getting a feel from them and a feel from how you think you’re playing, and you know there’s a possibility. Once I saw it, I tried to get over it as soon as possible and move on and get ready for what’s coming up.” It appears that Fabbri will get back into the lineup tonight and play along Jori Lehtera and Vladimir Tarasenko, reports Chris Pinkert of the team’s official site.
- The Blues announced that they have re-assigned defenseman Chris Butler to their AHL affiliate in Chicago, just one day after recalling him. As a result, they’re back to just the minimum of six healthy blueliners on the active roster. Accordingly, it wouldn’t be surprising if Butler or another rearguard was to be brought back up before too long.
Snapshots: Duchene, Trouba, Waiver Activity
Winnipeg Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba made his presence felt in his first game of the season. It wasn’t on the scoresheet, however. Just ask Matt Duchene.
Trouba caught Duchene with a high hit to the head, causing the speedy Avalanche center to leave the game. Adrian Dater reported that the NHL’s concussion spotters may have pulled Duchene from the game. Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said post-game that he has no update on his star’s condition.
The two players have been linked before, with some speculation the Avalanche offered Duchene up in a trade for Trouba. With Trouba signing a two-year contract with the Jets before withdrawing his trade request and Duchene leading the Avalanche in scoring, it seems unlikely that anything will come to fruition soon.
- The Florida Panthers have claimed forward Seth Griffith on waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs, according to Chris Johnston. The Leafs had previously claimed Griffith on waivers from the Bruins just last month, but he was held off the scoresheet in just three games in blue and white. The Leafs needed to make a move with Matt Hunwick returning from IR and Josh Leivo coming back from a conditioning stint. As Johnston points out, the young forward will have a much better chance to make an impact in Florida, where the Panthers are dealing with a handful of injuries. Griffith won’t have to wait long to face his former team; the Panthers are in Toronto this Thursday.
- Defenseman Nicklas Grossmann is on unconditional waivers for the purpose of mutually terminating his contract with the Calgary Flames. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggests Grossmann may have an offer to play overseas. He’s been in and out of the Flames lineup after a successful PTO. Shortly after the signing, Christian Roatis of Flames Nation broke down why the Flames signed the aging defenseman to a one-year, league-minimum contract: to boost their LTIR savings on the injured Ladislav Smid.
- Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jakub Nakladal cleared waivers and has been assigned to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. The Hurricanes have called up Matt Tennyson to take his place on the roster. Nakladal is -4 in three games this season; Tennyson has 7 points in 9 AHL games so far. Also clearing waivers was Florida’s Shane Harper who was assigned to Springfield of the AHL. Harper has two goals and an assist in 14 games with the Panthers this season.
Notable NHL Players Who Made Comebacks
In light of Eric Lindros‘ comments yesterday about former Philadelphia Flyers’ GM Paul Holmgren suggesting he attempt a comeback to the NHL in 2012, five seasons after retiring, let’s take a look at few notable NHLers who did come back after some time away:
Richard Zednik and Clint Malarchuk – Zednik and Malarchuk survived two of the scariest on-ice incidents in NHL history. In 1989, Malarchuk, then a Sabres goaltender, had his cartoid artery sliced by a skate. His life was saved by the trainer Jim Pizzutelli, who was a former US Army Medic who served in the Vietnam War. Nineteen years later, Zednik had his exterior cartoid artery sliced by the skate of Olli Jokinen. Both men survived and ultimately returned to the NHL the next season, though neither man played much longer.
Gary Roberts – After playing parts of 10 seasons with the Calgary Flames, Roberts was forced to retire at age 30 because of nerve issues in his neck. However, he began working with a chiropractor on a new form of physiotherapy and was able to return to the NHL after missing the 1996-97 season. The Flames traded his rights to Carolina, where the travel would be better than in the Western Conference, and he played 11 more seasons with a handful of teams before retiring in 2009. He founded the Gary Roberts High Performance Centre and Fitness Institute in Ontario, where he trains several high-end athletes including Steven Stamkos and Connor McDavid.
Saku Koivu – The longest-tenured captain in Montreal Canadiens history made an unforgettable comeback in the 2001-02 season. In September of 2001, Koivu was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. He missed nearly the entire season, but made a triumphant return in the Canadiens’ third last game of the season. He was welcomed back with an eight-minute standing ovation by fans, and had two assists in three games as the Canadiens clinched a playoff spot. They went on to beat the first-seeded Boston Bruins in six games before losing to the upstart Carolina Hurricanes, who were on their way to a Stanley Cup Final appearance. Koivu won the Masterton Trophy that season for dedication to hockey.
Mario Lemieux – Lemieux retired after the 1996-97 season. While he was still dominating the NHL, scoring 50 goals and 122 points in 76 games that season, he stepped away from the game at age 31. He was just a few years removed from his battle with Hodgkin’s Disease, a form of cancer. The Hockey Hall of Fame waived the mandatory three-year waiting period and immediately inducted Lemieux. He was part of a team that bought the Penguins to keep them in Pittsburgh in September 2000. Four months later, the team announced that he would be returning to the lineup. In his second NHL debut, Lemieux had an assist on his first shift and ended up with a goal and two assists versus the Maple Leafs. Lemieux went on to captain Team Canada to gold at the 2002 Olympics and 2004 World Cup. He scored 229 points in 170 NHL games over the next five seasons, including a 91-point performance in 2002-03, before an irregular heartbeat sidelined him once more.
Pacific Division Notes: Sedins, Desjardins, Doan, Flames
We’ve covered the Canucks awful start, which is largely driven by a poor offense, and how the job of head coach Willie Desjardins has been affected as a result. Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province offers additional insight into the situation, relaying this quote from team president Trevor Linden on Desjardins’ job security from an interview yesterday on TSN 1040:
“We know this topic has been widely covered and it’s definitely not something I, or we, plan to debate publicly.”
On the surface that doesn’t sound particularly ominous but as Botchford pointed out, that was no vote of confidence and in the opinion of the scribe the statement was “ice cold.” In the past Linden has been a vocal supporter of his head coach but there wasn’t much support contained in that brief statement.
Botchford expressed the odds around the league were 50/50 whether Desjardins would be relieved of his duties before their current road trip and evidently, he has done nothing to swing the pendulum in his favor.
Whether or not the team eventually does fire Desjardins, it’s unlikely his replacement would be able to do much better unless the players start performing significantly better.
Elsewhere in the Pacific Division:
- From the same piece, Botchford ponders whether the team should trade Henrik and Daniel Sedin, even if the team has to retain half of their salaries to do so. He argues that the twins are still far-and-away the team’s best players and subtracting them would leave the Canucks bereft of quality talent. Botchford finds it difficult to fathom the team could recoup anything close to fair value in a trade, particularly since they would certainly require being dealt to the same team. He also points out that the team really has no succession plan in place. While the Canucks have some quality young talent, both on the big league roster and in the system, they don’t have the type of prospects likely to develop into a franchise-type player. Ultimately Botchford posits that the Canucks would accomplish one of two things by trading the Sedins; either they essentially gut the franchise or they finally provide the needed roster and salary cap flexibility to begin a real rebuild of the organization.
- Craig Morgan, writing for Arizona Sports, delves into Shane Doan‘s early struggles and wonders whether it’s a sign that the longtime Coyotes team captain is nearing the end of a terrific career or if it is just another in what has been a fairly long line of slow starts for Doan. Through 13 games, Doan has just one goal and four points after tallying 28 times in 2015-16. For his part Doan doesn’t believe the early season difficulties will be a portend of things to come, saying: “Not in my mind, it doesn’t. That really hasn’t been something that I’ve even thought too much about. I’m more than capable of being better than I’ve been.” His coach, Dave Tippett agrees: “He’s probably a little like our whole group: up and down a little bit. He just has high expectations for himself. I remember last November he was struggling a little bit and then he scored 28 goals. Some guys just have that make-up where they need to get up and going and it takes a little while.” Morgan points out Doan is seeing less ice time this season, averaging almost two minutes less per game, and that might play a part in the captain’s lack of production.
- After addressing their goaltending situation in the offseason and adding veteran winger Troy Brouwer as a free agent, the Calgary Flames were expected to contend for a playoff spot this year. However a sluggish start suggests the team lacks an identity and needs to find theirs quickly if they want to avoid postseason elimination, writes Eric Francis of Sportsnet. First-year bench boss Glen Gulutzan believes the team is playing well at times but can’t find a way to win games: “We’re finding ways to lose. There are certain things that we’re doing well, but we’re finding ways to lose. We need somebody now to step up and find a way to win, and stop playing the victim.” Francis points to the Flames special teams as a culprit with the team’s penalty-killing unit ranking 29th in the NHL and the man-advantage failing to score a goal at home this season. Both played a role in the team’s latest loss, a 4 – 2 defeat at the hands of Dallas. Dallas’ Jamie Benn potted the go-ahead goal early in the third period while the Flames power play failed to convert a late advantage to tie the contest. It’s not too late for the Flames to find themselves but they’d better get it going soon before it’s too late.
Eric Lindros Talks Career On Eve Of Hall Of Fame Enshrinement
Perhaps no player who has ever suited up in the NHL offered the size-skill combination that former Philadelphia Flyers center Eric Lindros brought to the table. Before ever playing a game in the league Lindros was being compared to some of the game’s greats and had already been given the nickname, “The Next One,” which was a play on Wayne Gretzky’s “The Great One” moniker.
Ultimately, concussions would derail his career, causing him to miss substantial time throughout his playing days. Just once did the big pivot appear in more than 73 games in a single season. Still, Lindros tallied 1.14 points-per-game throughout his career and recorded better than a point-per-game average in each of his first nine NHL campaigns. His accomplishments have finally been rewarded with his election to the Hockey Hall of Fame following a six year wait.
Lindros talked about his career today and among other topics, Dave Isaac writes that at one point in 2012, four years after he initially retired from the NHL, Flyers GM Paul Holmgren talked with the “Big E” about a comeback.
Evidently, while participating in the alumni game just prior to the 2012 Winter Classic, Lindros impressed Holmgren enough that the Philadelphia executive approached him about rejoining the Flyers for the stretch run.
“Yeah, I did place a call to Eric in 2012 to see whether he would consider coming back. He looked that good at the outdoor alumni game. I thought he could help our team.”
Apparently Lindros was unsure if Holmgren was serious or not:
“We were playing in that baseball stadium and I think he had the worst seat in the house. He must have been up in the bleachers or something. I don’t know what game he was watching, but I got a call.”
“I don’t know! He was talking cap space. He was going right into it. I don’t know if he was pulling my leg or not. I don’t know. I think he was pretty serious, but I was laughing. Wow.”
Of course the idea sounds far-fetched today given Lindros would have turned 39 in February of 2012 and hadn’t seen any NHL action since the 2006 – 2007 campaign. But it’s interesting to imagine how Lindros would have fared had he decided on a comeback.
Jacob Trouba Set To Make 2016-17 Season Debut
According to head coach Paul Maurice, recently re-signed defenseman Jacob Trouba will make his 2016-17 season debut tonight against Colorado, tweets Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun. The Jets and the RFA blue liner settled on a two-year, bridge pact on Monday that comes with an AAV of $3MM. Trouba had asked for a trade out of Winnipeg last season but has since rescinded that request.
Of course one of the issues Trouba talked about during the stalemate was the fact he wanted to play on his natural, right side but with Dustin Byfuglien and Tyler Myers on the depth chart above him, those opportunities had been few and far between with the Jets. Maurice did not state whether Trouba would see action on the right side or with whom he would play, saying only: “We’re going to send him out there with a right-handed stick.”
The coach also did not indicate who would be coming out of the lineup tonight to make room for Trouba though Wiebe suggested Paul Postma was the likeliest option. Postma has appeared in 12 games so far this season and has two points for the Jets.
Despite inking a new deal to remain in Winnipeg and pulling back his trade request, rumors linger that the team could still move him. Now under contract at what many might feel is a bargain price, teams interested in Trouba might be more inclined to meet the high asking price the Jets have placed on the young blue liner. During the 2011-12 campaign, Kyle Turris, who shares the same agent as Trouba, signed a short-term deal with the Coyotes only to be dealt days later to Ottawa. It’s possible the Jets could look to do the same with Trouba.
Eric Nystrom Considering Retirement
Earlier today we discussed the likelihood that former Penguins forward Tyler Kennedy would retire given the lack of NHL opportunities that have come his way. Now Adam Vingan of The Tennessean brings us the story of another veteran NHL forward currently contemplating hanging up his skates.
Eric Nystrom, a veteran of 10 NHL seasons, was in camp with St. Louis on a professional tryout agreement but failed to make their final roster and has presumably not received any other offers to his liking. He played the previous three seasons with Nashville but was bought out of the final year of his four-year contract by the Predators on June 29th.
Calgary’s first round pick in the 2002 draft, Nystrom has known for a while the end was drawing near:
“I had been preparing for that the past year or so. It comes quick. After I got released from the (tryout), I just didn’t know really where to go or what to do.”
As Nystrom suggests, it’s not necessarily recognizing when it’s time to leave the game that’s the problem; it’s deciding what to do with your life afterward. Nystrom’s former coach at the University of Michigan, Red Berenson, knows many players find it difficult to transition to a life away from hockey:
“Hockey, it might be in their future, and it might be long-term, but it might be short-term. But nevertheless, there’s life after hockey, and what you want to do about it is the difficult thing.”
Nystrom does have one advantage many NHLers don’t, as Vingan notes. Bobby Nystrom, Eric’s father, appeared in 900 regular season games for the New York Islanders during a career spanning 14 seasons and was part of four Stanley Cup winning teams. Since retiring in 1986, Bobby has moved into the insurance business and should be able to help guide his son into a post-playing career.
It’s always possible a team experiences an injury to a regular contributor and delves into the free agent market looking for experienced depth. At that point Nystrom might be among the more appealing options available. While he never quite lived up to his draft standing, Nystrom has served as a versatile, checking-line winger for a decade at the NHL level and could provide the same to any number of teams as the season wears on.
If this is indeed the end, Nystrom – Eric, that is – will finish his NHL career with 75 goals and 123 points in 593 games across 10 seasons. In addition to appearing with Nashville and Calgary, Nystrom suited up for San Jose and Dallas during his career.
Canes Recall Brock McGinn, Derek Ryan From Charlotte
With the sad news regarding Bryan Bickell‘s health and the assignment of Phillip Di Giuseppe to Charlotte earlier today, the Carolina Hurricanes have recalled forwards Brock McGinn and Derek Ryan from their AHL affiliate, according to a release on the team’s official site.
Ryan currently leads the Checkers in scoring with 13 points through nine games and in six career NHL contests, all of which came last season, the 29-year-old pivot has tallied two goals. He has spent a majority of his pro career playing in Europe, including three years in Austria and another in Sweden. Ryan originally signed with the Carolina organization in June of 2015.
McGinn was drafted by the Hurricanes in the second round of the 2012 entry draft out of Guelph of the OHL. He made his NHL debut last season, appearing in 21 games with the Canes and scoring three goals with one assist. At the time of his recall, McGinn was on a seven-game points streak with Charlotte and ranks third on the team in scoring with eight points.
The moves now leave Carolina with 13 healthy forwards – not including Bickell of course.
Metro Division Notes: Vesey, Smith-Pelly, Kennedy
The New York Rangers are off to a strong 10 – 4 – 0 start and lead the NHL in scoring, averaging 4.14 goals per contest. Their +24 goal differential is also tops in the league. They recently had a five-game winning streak snapped by Vancouver and during that stretch the team tallied five or more goals in each contest. While the Rangers are getting strong performances throughout their lineup, the contributions they are receiving from several rookies and first-year Blueshirts is a primary reason for their early-season success.
One of those rookies, Jimmy Vesey, has been everything the Rangers could have hoped for, with six goals and 10 points through 14 games. But as Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post writes, it appears as if the talented winger is beginning to experience the type of ups-and-downs most first-year pros go through.
For the second time in a week, Vesey found himself benched for an extended period of a game when Rangers bench boss Alain Vigneault sat Vesey for much of the third period in Tuesday’s 5 – 3 loss to the Canucks. Vigneault didn’t single out Vesey, or any other Ranger for that matter, but it was clear he was unhappy with the team’s play Tuesday. The benching of the 23-year-old left wing – along with veteran forward Chris Kreider – clearly suggested the coach found something lacking in the performance of Vesey.
Of course, as Cyrgalis points out, Vesey has never had to navigate through a schedule as condensed as this year’s and it’s only natural for an inexperienced player to see his game tail off at times as they learn to adapt to the rigors of the long NHL season. While at Harvard, Vesey never appeared in more than 37 games in a single session and generally, most games were played on the weekends. He’s no stranger to playing back-to-back games but three contests in four is new for the rookie. Despite his occasional struggles, the Blueshirts will still be more than happy if Vesey can maintain his scoring pace through the season.
Elsewhere in the Metro:
- It was hoped Devante Smith-Pelly would be able to supply some secondary scoring to the Devils lineup this season but instead the 24-year-old winger has been a healthy scratch for each of the last two games and according to Chris Ryan of NJ.com, it’s beginning to get frustrating for Smith-Pelly. The former second round draft pick of the Anaheim Ducks has just one goal and three points on the season. Even worse, Smith-Pelly has been a liability at even strength with a Corsi For % of just 41.6%. He felt he was beginning to get on track following a three-game points streak but after New Jersey dropped their next two in Florida, the team decided to sit Smith-Pelly in back-to-back wins over Carolina. For his part, Smith-Pelly is trying to stay positive: “Not sure I agree with it, but like I said, it’s a coach’s decision, and I’m not going to cause any trouble or anything like that. I’m going to keep working hard and wait for my chance.” According to Andrew Gross of NorthJersey.com, Smith-Pelly is likely to again be a healthy scratch tonight as the team held only an informal skate this morning and based off the lines from yesterday’s full practice he was skating as an extra forward.
- Nine-year NHL veteran Tyler Kennedy, who spent six seasons in Pittsburgh, has resigned himself to the likelihood of retirement, telling Adam Bittner of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “you always as a hockey player want to keep playing as far as you can, but it feels like I’m going to retire, and that’s the thing that’s going to happen, I’m pretty sure. You never know, but I’m almost positive last year was my last year, so I’m kind of settling in. It’s a tough transition to do one thing your whole life and then have to change it. But it’s a good transition and we’ll see what happens.” Kennedy, who also has suited up for San Jose, New Jersey and the Islanders during his career, would finish up his career with 89 goals and 215 points in 527 contests should he decide to call it quits. He appeared in 50 games last season with the Devils but has so far been unable to latch onto an NHL team this season.
Bryan Bickell Diagnosed With Multiple Sclerosis
The Carolina Hurricanes, via their official team website, announced today that forward Bryan Bickell has been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Ron Franics, the team’s Executive Vice President and General Manager, made the announcement.
“First and foremost, the most important thing is for Bryan to take care of himself and our thoughts are with him and his family. He will need to take some time to rest in the immediate future, and we will support him as he takes the necessary steps for his health. We ask that his privacy be respected during the process.”
Bickell was also quoted in the team’s release:
“Since the 2015 playoffs, I’ve been struggling to understand what was going on with my body. Again during the past few weeks, it felt like something wasn’t right. Obviously this is a bit of shock for my family and me, but I am hopeful I will be able to return to the ice and continue playing the game that I love.”
Obviously it’s unclear when or even if Bickell will return to the ice, though as his comments above suggest, he has every intention of suiting up again. The rugged winger was acquired by Carolina in the summer along with forward Teuvo Teravainen from Chicago in exchange for draft picks and salary cap relief. Bickell had appeared in seven games for Carolina netting a single goal and averaging 9:42 of ice time.
Former Minnesota goalie Josh Harding was diagnosed with MS early in the 2013-13 season but would return to the NHL to play in 34 regular season contests with the Wild over the next two seasons. That should offer Bickell some hope of an eventual return.
The Pro Hockey Rumors staff would like to extend our thoughts and well wishes to Bryan and his family during this time.