2016-17 Season Preview: Washington Capitals
As the NHL season is now just days away, we continue our look at each team’s offseason and preview the upcoming year. Next up is the Washington Capitals.
Last Season: 56-18-8 record (120 points), 1st in the Metropolitan Division and Presidents Trophy winners for the most points in the NHL. Defeated Philadelphia 4-2 in Round 1. Lost to Pittsburgh 4-2 in Round 2.
Remaining Cap Space: $1.45MM as per Cap Friendly
Key Newcomers: RW Brett Connolly (free agency, Boston), C Lars Eller (trade, Montreal)
Key Departures: LW Jason Chimera (free agency, NY Islanders), C/RW Michael Latta (free agency, Los Angeles), C Mike Richards (free agency, unsigned), D Ryan Stanton (free agency, Colorado), D Mike Weber (free agency – unsigned)
[Related: Capitals Depth Chart from Roster Resource]
Players to Watch: LW Andre Burakovsky – The 21 year old had a productive sophomore season despite not getting a lot of playing time (17 goals and 21 assists in 79 games while logging just 13:01 per night). There is potentially a top six spot up for grabs depending on what the plans are for Marcus Johansson and it’s likely that Burakovsky will get a look in that role at some point. If the 2013 first round pick can continue his progression, he’ll have a shot at making an already potent lineup that much deeper.
D Dmitry Orlov – Orlov was rumored to be seeking a long-term deal this offseason after an improved 2015-16 campaign. However, he had to settle for a one year, $2.57MM pact late last month instead. He has shown glimpses of becoming an impact blueliner in the past but consistency and injuries have held him back. At age 25, this is Orlov’s chance to prove he can be part of the core moving forward and earn the big term, big money contract he has been coveting.
Key Storyline: After leading the league in points last season, it’s all about getting over the playoff hurdle. The team has made the postseason in eight of the last nine years but has failed to advance past the second round in any of those. Despite routinely being one of the higher scoring teams in the league, the Caps have struggled to score consistently when the playoffs get underway; Braden Holtby’s elite level goaltending hasn’t been enough to carry them to victory on his own.
The core of the team is unchanged from last year and has been together for a while now. As long as they stay healthy, they should pretty much be a lock for the postseason so the main question will be how do they get over the hump this time? In particular, what can they do differently to avoid the repeat struggles of recent years? Will this core get another kick at the can or will GM Brian MacLellan change it up between now and the trade deadline in early March? The measure of success in Washington this season will be determined by their play in May (and possibly June) meaning that it will be quite a while before their key storyline this season gets to play itself out.
Poll: 2005 NHL Draft Take Two: Tenth Overall Pick
Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.” Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended. For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.
We’re looking back at the 2005 NHL Draft, which kicked off the salary cap era and ushered in many of the current NHL superstars. The question we’re looking to answer is knowing now what we didn’t know then, how different would this draft look now with the benefit of hindsight?
Here are the results of our redraft so far:
1st Overall: Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)
2nd Overall: Carey Price (Mighty Ducks of Anaheim)
3rd Overall: Anze Kopitar (Carolina Hurricanes)
4th Overall: Jonathan Quick (Minnesota Wild)
5th Overall: Kris Letang (Montreal Canadiens)
6th Overall: Tuukka Rask (Columbus Blue Jackets)
7th Overall: Bobby Ryan (Chicago Blackhawks)
8th Overall: Marc-Edouard Vlasic (San Jose Sharks)
9th Overall: Ben Bishop (Ottawa Senators)
Now we move forward to the tenth pick, which was held by the Vancouver Canucks.
To recap how this works:
- We will go through the 2005 NHL Draft and have our readers select, through a voting process, who they think should have been taken with the selection.
- The entire first round will be redrafted, spanning picks one through thirty. The new selection is chosen by the majority of votes.
Back in 2005, the Canucks selected defenseman Luc Bourdon. He made his NHL debut just one year later, getting into nine games before going back to junior and it appeared he was ready to become a regular a few years later after he split 2007-08 between the AHL and NHL. Tragically, he was killed the following offseason after his motorcycle collided with a tractor trailer.
With the tenth pick of the 2005 NHL Draft, who should the Vancouver Canucks select? Cast your vote below!
Mobile users, click here to vote.
Atlantic Notes: MacKenzie, Red Wings, Alexandrov
The Florida Panthers have named Derek MacKenzie as their new team captain, the team announced today. He becomes the ninth different captain in franchise history.
MacKenzie has spent the last two seasons with the Panthers, primarily in a fourth line/penalty killing role. Last year, the 35 year old played in 64 games, recording seven goals and six assists. In 453 games between Atlanta, Columbus, and Florida, he has 42 goals and 53 helpers.
This offseason, MacKenzie inked a two year extension that locked him up through the 2018-19 season. The deal will pay him an average of $1.35MM per year, a small raise over the $1.3MM he’s set to earn this season.
It was widely anticipated that 2014 top pick Aaron Ekblad was going to receive the captaincy but instead he will be one of the alternate captains along with veteran forward Jussi Jokinen. Presumably, this was done to allow Ekblad to ease into a leadership role instead of putting the extra pressure on him at just 20 years of age.
Only two teams are without full-time captains for the upcoming season, Carolina and Toronto.
Other news and notes from the Atlantic Division:
- The Detroit Red Wings have placed four players on injured reserve to start the season, notes MLive’s Brendan Savage. Most notably among them is right winger Tomas Jurco, who played in 44 games with the team last year and would likely have been in a depth role at the start of the season. Also placed on IR were center Tomas Nosek and defensemen Vili Saarijarvi and Dan Renouf. Earlier in the week, head coach Jeff Blashill told George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press that the team is expected to carry eight blueliners to start the season, in part due to the uncertainty surrounding Niklas Kronwall’s availability for opening night.
- Before cutting him earlier this month, the Montreal Canadiens offered defenseman Yuri Alexandrov a one year, two-way contract, Slava Malamud reports in a column for the Journal de Montreal (link in French). The 28 year old has spent the last five years in the KHL and decided to return there over signing with Montreal and starting the season in the AHL. Alexandrov has already expressed a desire to make another run at an NHL spot next year. It would appear that the Canadiens’ acquisition of Jonathan Racine from Florida on Saturday fills the spot that they had intended to give Alexandrov.
Training Camp Cuts: 10/9/16
With the opening roster deadline now barely 48 hours away, teams will be making their final cuts in the near future. Here are today’s cuts:
Arizona Coyotes (via Bob McKenzie):
RW Stefan Fournier (on waivers for purposes of AHL assignment)
G Justin Peters (on waivers for purposes of AHL assignment)
Calgary Flames (via team Twitter):
LW Lauri Korpikoski (released from PTO)
(Per The Fan960’s Pat Steinberg, head coach Glen Gulutzan noted that Korpikoski was released to pursue an opportunity with another team.)
Chicago Blackhawks (via team release):
D Dillon Fournier (assigned to Rockford, AHL)
D Ville Pokka (assigned to Rockford, AHL)
D Viktor Svedberg (assigned to Rockford, AHL)
Dallas Stars (via team Twitter):
RW Justin Fontaine (released from PTO)
D Julius Honka (assigned to Texas, AHL)
C Gemel Smith (assigned to Texas, AHL)
Jonathan Huberdeau Out 3-4 Months
October 9: Huberdeau will miss 3-4 months with a lower body injury, reports Harvey Fialkov of the Sun-Sentinel.
October 8: A Panthers-themed day continues, but in the worst way for Florida fans. Star winger Jonathan Huberdeau suffered a leg injury in a scuffle along the boards early in tonight’s preseason match-up against the New Jersey Devils. Huberdeau could put no weight on his leg, and had to be helped off the ice and into the locker room.
Examining what occurred, it looked as if the skate of Devils forward Sergey Kalinin came down on Huberdeau’s left ankle. The way he reacted when he first re-planted his leg could indicate, in a worst-case-scenario, a torn or injured Achilles tendon. Such an injury would be devastating for the Panthers, as it is a long road to recovery when there is damage to the Achilles. The best-case-scenario still seems bleak, as any injury that leaves a player unable to get himself off the ice usually leads to an extended absence.
With top center Nick Bjugstad already out for the first month of the season with a broken hand, the injury to first-line left winger Huberdeau would leave the Panthers seriously short-handed to start the 2016-17 season. The left side on offense already stands as Florida’s weakest position, and without 50-plus-point man Huberdeau, they could have a tough time reaching the high ceiling many have set for them in this upcoming year.
Hurricanes Sign Jakub Nakladal To A One Year Contract
After adding RW Martin Frk off of waivers earlier today, the Carolina Hurricanes continued to add to their roster, announcing the signing of UFA defenseman Jakub Nakladal to a one year, $600K contract.
Nakladal made his NHL debut last season with the Flames, playing in 27 games. He picked up two goals and three assists in those contests, averaging 14:11 in ice time. He also spent time with Calgary’s AHL affiliate in Stockton, suiting up in 35 games while collecting 14 points (2-12-14).
He recently suited up for the Czech Republic at the World Cup of Hockey, playing in all three of their games while being held off the scoresheet. He logged an average of 21:03 in ice time in those matchups.
Calgary, among other teams had shown interest in Nakladal earlier in the offseason but on two-way deals. However, the 28 year old had no desire to sign a two-way pact and intended to head back overseas if he couldn’t secure a one way deal.
With Carolina, it’s likely that Nakladal will battle with youngster Ryan Murphy for ice time on the third pairing. As Murphy is expected to miss the first couple of weeks of the season, Nakladal should be able to get into the lineup pretty quickly with the hopes of making a good first impression.
[Related: Hurricanes Depth Chart]
Hurricanes Claim Martin Frk Off Waivers From Detroit
The Carolina Hurricanes have claimed RW Martin Frk off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings, TSN’s Bob McKenzie was first to report. Detroit had waived Frk yesterday in the hopes of assigning him to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins.
Frk, originally drafted by the Wings in the second round (49th overall) in 2012, has yet to play at the NHL level. Last season was his first full season at the AHL level after splitting the previous two campaigns between Grand Rapids and Toledo of the ECHL. In 2015-16, he played in 67 games for the AHL’s Griffins, scoring 27 goals while adding 17 assists.
This marks the second time in three seasons that the Hurricanes have claimed a young Detroit forward off waivers after they added Andrej Nestrasil via the waiver wire back in 2014-15.
[Related: Hurricanes Depth Chart]
With Carolina, Frk will likely play in a bottom six spot or reserve to start as he works his way up the lineup. The team is expected to have several youngsters on the wings and Frk will battle for one of those spots.
McKenzie adds in a follow-up tweet that there were as many as three teams that put in a claim for Frk but Carolina had the worst record last among those who placed a claim. If the Hurricanes wish to send the 23 year old to the minors, they will have to re-waive him before being able to do so.
2016-17 Season Preview: Columbus Blue Jackets
With the NHL season finally about to start this Tuesday, PHR makes its way towards finishing up our 2016-17 team previews. Next up: the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Last season: 34-40-8 (76 points), 8th in the Metropolitan Division, 15th in the Eastern Conference
Cap Space Remaining: $3.8MM according to Cap Friendly
Key Newcomers: C Pierre-Luc Dubois (draft, 3rd overall), C Sam Gagner (free agency, Philadelphia Flyers), D Scott Harrington (trade, Toronto Maple Leafs)
Key Departures: RW Jared Boll (free agency, Anaheim Ducks), LW Rene Bourque (PTO, Colorado Avalanche), C Michael Chaput (free agency, Vancouver Canucks), D Justin Falk (free agency, Buffalo Sabres), D Michael Paliotta (free agency, New York Rangers), RW Kerby Rychel (trade, Toronto Maple Leafs), D Fedor Tyutin (free agency, Colorado Avalanche)
Player to Watch: Sam Gagner – A once-promising career took an ugly turn after Gagner signed his last contract – a three-year, $14.4MM pact that led to a frustrating end in Edmonton and spanned disappointing stints in Arizona and Philadelphia – and now he looks to right the ship in Columbus with a new contract. The one-year, $650K deal has the makings of an absolute bargain for the Blue Jackets if Gagner can return to his career average of about 40 points. They may need him to do just that too. After trading Ryan Johansen and Artem Anisimov last year, an undeniable void was created at center for the Jackets. While they have high hopes for 2016 first round pick Pierre-Luc Dubois, as well as 2013 first-rounder Alexander Wennberg, Columbus has only Greg Campbell as a veteran option down the middle behind Brandon Dubinsky. Gagner could be asked to center the second or third line this season for the Blue Jackets, and will surely have a top nine role to start the season at least. A career resurgence would be beneficial long and short-term for both sides, but a repeat of his 16-point performance last season will greatly limit what Columbus is able to do on offense this year. Gagner’s contract is low-risk and high-reward, but his role carries far more weight than his contract would indicate. How it all plays out will be key.
Key Storylines: The Blue Jackets are set to begin the season with four former first-rounders on defense. While Jack Johnson has certainly established himself as an NHL star and the leader of the blue line in Columbus, it is the three more recent top picks that will make the difference this year and for years to come. Beginning his first full season with the team is young stud Seth Jones, who signed a six-year extension worth over $30MM this summer and will look to continue his ascent to NHL stardom. His teammate in Columbus and with Team North America is Ryan Murray, Columbus’ 2012 first-round pick. Murray led all Blue Jackets defenseman in points last season, but is still working on developing a complete defensive game. As of now, it looks like 2014 top pick Zach Werenski is set to join the team this season as well, and he too will bring great offensive talent, but will have his fair share of struggles in his own end. If the trio of young defenseman all play to their potential, then the Blue Jackets could have the best young defensive core in the league. However, if they hit a developmental wall, the result would be some major difficulties on the back end this season.
Should the Blue Jackets struggle this season, watch for several big names to potentially hit the trade block. The most predictable deal would obviously be Scott Hartnell, a player that Columbus has been looking to move for a while now. However, with a full re-build in progress, Hartnell is not the only veteran who could bring back some valuable picks and prospects. The aforementioned Johnson is now surrounded by up-and-coming young defensemen and may be seen as expendable for the right price. Cam Atkinson’s name seems to come up at the trade deadline every year, and this could finally be the season that he’s moved. Same goes for Matt Calvert and a potentially-resurgent Sam Gagner. The Blue Jackets are unlikely to be a playoff team this year, so some tough calls await GM Jarmo Kekalainen in 2016-17 about how to move forward with his re-build.
League Notes: Ovechkin, Olympics, Las Vegas, Gudas
Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis is standing by his star player, pledging his support for Alex Ovechkin and his commitment to playing in the 2018 Winter Olympics, regardless of whether the NHL plans to participate. Ovechkin has officially stated that he plans to suit up for Russia in the next Olympics, with or without his NHL peers playing alongside him. In an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Alex Prewitt, Leonsis said that he hopes the NHL and IOC can come to an agreement on the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, but if they can’t, he is okay with Ovechkin or any of his players choosing to participate:
“The Olympics are incredibly meaningful to Alex and his family. So my commitment to them was, I will always do what’s in Alex’s best interest, and I said it 10 years ago, I’ll say it today: If Alex Ovechkin says this is really important to me to go represent and play for my country, I’m going to support him. What’s the worst that could happen? We’ll get fined or something. I hope it doesn’t get to that. But I’ve got to have my captain’s back, and I will.”
The IOC has given the league until January to make a decision on their participation, and with the pressure or high profile players and now an owner in Washington fighting for inclusion, the NHL may have to bite the bullet and commit to the 2018 Games. With Beijing, China and potentially Calgary or Salt Lake City after that as the two Winter Olympics following Pyeongchang, continued NHL participation seems likely, but skipping South Korea continues to be an option for the NHL. However, if many players plan to go regardless in 2018, the league may as well stay the course as Olympic participants.
Other news around the league:
- The Las Vegas expansion franchise is set to finally reveal it’s name to the world on November 11th, according to NHL.com’s Nick Cotsonika. Owner Bill Foley shared that the name has indeed been chosen, as has the logo, and the team’s colors are in the final stages of becoming official as well. Everything will be made public in about a month, as Las Vegas will truly begin to transform from an idea to reality. It was previously reported that the team will likely take up either Golden Knights, Silver Knights, or Desert Knights, but with all the secretive strategy that has surrounded the process, don’t be surprised if another moniker is revealed on 11/11.
- The NHL is reviewing a high, late hit on Bruins roster-hopeful Austin Czarnik in last night’s preseason finale between Boston and Philadelphia by, who else, Radko Gudas. This is the second time already this preseason that Gudas has had a bad hit along the boards reviewed, the first being on Ranger’s rookie Jimmy Vesey. This time though, Gudas seems more likely to be punished by the league, as Czarnik took a shoulder to the face well after he had passed the puck, and was forced to leave the game because of the hit. Bruins coach Claude Julien was especially critical of the hit, saying that “this seems to be happening to (Gudas) every game”. With a strong stance by one the league’s most well-respected coaches adding fuel to the fire, expect Gudas to miss some time and miss quite a few dollars after a decision is handed down this time. The Department of Player Safety offered him an in-person hearing (which allows for a suspension of five or more games) but he declined and will have a telephone hearing on Monday (Twitter links).
2016-17 Season Preview: Carolina Hurricanes
With the NHL season finally about to start this Tuesday, PHR continues to finish up our in-depth looks at each team and the focus now turns to a team that people are greatly under-rating in 2016-17, the Carolina Hurricanes.
Last season: 35-31-16 (86 points), 6th in the Metropolitan Division, 10th in the Eastern Conference
Cap Space Remaining: $16.9MM according to Cap Friendly
Key Newcomers: LW Bryan Bickell (trade, Chicago Blackhawks), G Michael Leighton (free agency, Chicago Blackhawks), RW Viktor Stalberg (free agency, New York Rangers), LW Lee Stempniak (free agency, Boston Bruins), D Matt Tennyson (free agency, San Jose Sharks), LW Teuvo Teravainen (trade, Chicago Blackhawks
Key Departures: LW Nathan Gerbe (free agency, New York Rangers), D Michal Jordan (free agency, KHL), RW Brad Malone (free agency, Washington Capitals), RW Riley Nash (free agency, Boston Bruins), LW Chris Terry (free agency, Montreal Canadiens), D James Wisniewski (free agency, unsigned)
Player to Watch: Victor Rask – The 22-year-old Rask finished just three points behind Jeff Skinner for the team lead in points in 2015-16, and ended up tied with veteran center Jordan Staal. The Hurricanes rewarded him with a six-year, $24MM contract. If Rask continues to trend upward, then that deal will be one of the best bargains in hockey. If not, it could stymie a re-building franchise. All signs point to the former though, as Rask has played big minutes and put up solid numbers in each of his first two NHL seasons. Now expected to center the top line in Carolina, the pressure will be on for Rask to live up to role and lead his fellow young skill players. The Hurricanes have put together a great, young roster, and with Eric Staal gone, Victor Rask has the chance to be the young center that steps in to become the face of the franchise and lead the team to playoff success, just as Staal did over a decade ago.
Key Storylines: No one is expecting much of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2015-16. In fact, Las Vegas odds-maker Bovada has the ‘Canes finishing last in the Eastern Conference, tied for the worst Stanley Cup odds in the league. So really, Carolina has nothing to lose. With few expectations, the pressure is off of the league’s youngest team. But should we really expect them to be bottom-dwellers?
In 2015-16, the Hurricanes finished tenth in the Eastern Conference, just seven points out of a playoff spot. They led the league in overtime losses with 16, meaning that if the goal had gone the other way in even half of those games, Carolina would have been a postseason team. They accomplished all of that while ditching veterans Eric Staal, John-Michael Liles, and Kris Versteeg along the way. Granted, those players helped them get to where they ended up, but the Hurricanes only lost five games in regulation out of the eighteen games following the NHL Trade Deadline. This goes to show that the young players in Carolina are willing and able to win.
Since the end of the season, it’s hard to find any way to say that the Hurricanes have gotten worse. Riley Nash was their only impact player lost in free agency, while they added consummate veteran Lee Stempniak on the open market and made a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks to bring in the young, skilled Teuvo Teravainen, as well as Bryan Bickell, who could get back to his better ways with the change of scenery. Add those difference makers to a top nine that features proven scorers Jordan Staal and Jeff Skinner, great young centerpieces Victor Rask and Elias Lindholm and a potential Calder candidate in Sebastian Aho, and Carolina seems far from a team that will struggle to put up points. On the back end, Justin Faulk leads a young defensive core that features Noah Hanifin, Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce, Ryan Murphy, and likely at least one of top prospects Haydn Fleury and Roland McKeown, while the Hurricanes boast one of the strongest goalie duos in the league in Cam Ward and Eddie Lack.
So where does the doubt come from? The fact of the matter is that only six skaters on the roster are over the age of 25 (Staal, Stempniak, Stalberg, Bickell, Jay McClement, Ron Hainsey) and a lot is riding on players without much NHL experience. Without the same level of veteran leadership throughout the season, that responsibility may show more in the stats and standings. However, the point still stands that this young team has proven they can win. They seem much more capable than the likes of New Jersey and Columbus in the Metropolitan anyway. There is no disputing that the future is bright for the Hurricanes. The question in 2016-17 is simply how close can they get to that success this early in the re-building process. The answer may surprise many. Stay tuned.