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Snapshots: Gaborik, Olsen, Top Prospects

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The Los Angeles Kings will be heading to China to play two preseason games in just over a week, but Marian Gaborik won’t be going with them. Head coach John Stevens confirmed as much to Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider, saying that Gaborik would remain in Los Angeles to continue working on his knee rehab. Gaborik underwent a “non-surgical” procedure on his knee in August, and will try to return at some point in camp.

Stevens did say that Gaborik had been skating already, and that he’s working extremely hard to get back to the point where he can return to practice. The 35-year old has put up just 43 points over the last two seasons combined, but some of that could have to do with the chronic knee injury. If it’s fixed, perhaps some of his noticable decline in speed will be mitigated and he can reclaim some of his goal-scoring prowess. If not, it could be a long four years—the time left on his current contract—for the Kings.

  • Darren Dreger of TSN is reporting that the Calgary Flames have invited Dylan Olsen to training camp on a professional tryout, bringing him back to the NHL for at least a short while. After being selected in the first round and playing 124 NHL contests, Olsen spent last year in a Senior A circuit away from professional hockey. The left-handed defenseman is now 26, and could potentially earn a minor league deal if shows any semblance of his former self. It’s hard to imagine he’ll ever see the NHL, but stranger things have happened in the past.
  • Bob McKenzie of TSN released his annual preseason draft prospect rankings, and like most lists Rasmus Dahlin is at the very top. The Swedish defender has a game that brings both incredible offensive upside and enough strength and size to make him a potential franchise player. Though he’ll have top forwards like Andrei Svechnikov and Brady Tkachuk to fend off—McKenzie’s number two and three prospects—Dahlin could become the first Swedish-born player to go first overall since Mats Sundin in 1989. He’ll play for Frolunda this year in the SHL.

Sakic Speaks On Nikita Zadorov, Matt Duchene

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Before the Colorado Avalanche report to training camp tomorrow, GM Joe Sakic met with the media to discuss various things including Milan Hejduk’s sweater retirement ceremony planned for this season. Inevitably, the conversation turned to the pressing issues of Matt Duchene and Nikita Zadorov, both of whom could miss part of camp with various holdouts. According to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post though, Sakic expects both to be present early on.

Matt DucheneOn Duchene, nothing has changed yet and Sakic expects everyone under contract to report to camp. The 26-year old center has been the topic of continuous trade speculation since before last year’s deadline, and several reports have come out saying that there is a possibility of a holdout. Duchene didn’t report to an optional “captain’s skate” earlier this month, and was one of the only ones not present for the club’s annual charity golf tournament.

Zadorov on the other hand is still negotiating his contract for next season, with the latest reports still having the two sides around $500K apart. For his part, Sakic says that they’re close enough together to expect him to be in camp, though whether that means he’ll be there on day one is still to be seen. While there has been a lot of speculation that Zadorov could return to the KHL this season if a contract can’t be done, it has seemed for a while like the two sides would eventually get something done.

Even though the Avalanche aren’t projected to be Stanley Cup or even playoff contenders this season, having players away from training camp is never a good thing. Having Duchene not report would only weaken Sakic’s position in trade talks, while Zadorov needs as much development time with the team as possible. Both players are already skating on their own, but showing up with teammates tomorrow is an important next step.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Latest On David Pastrnak’s Contract Talks

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David Pastrnak is one of the five remaining unsigned restricted free agents, and easily the most important one to his team. As training camp is set to open tomorrow the Boston Bruins have yet to come to some sort of an agreement with the young sniper, and as agent J.P. Barry told Joe Haggerty of CSNNE there’s “no breakthrough yet.” Pastrnak is still in the Czech Republic, and has decided not to attend camp with the Bruins until a deal is done. Darren Dreger of TSN gets the feeling that something is coming later tonight, but there are definitely still obstacles to overcome.

One such obstacle is the KHL, which has reportedly already given offers to Pastrnak to play in Russia next season. It remains extremely unlikely that he would go there, as he’s maintained all along that he loves Boston and wants to play for the Bruins long-term, but it is still a negotiating tactic his camp can use. The added proposition of playing in the Olympics is just another factor on the KHL’s side, given that Pastrnak would likely be the Czech Republic’s top forward (sorry, Jaromir).

For Bruins fans still wringing their hands with anxiety, remember that holdouts for big name RFAs happen often. Last year, Johnny Gaudreau, Rasmus Ristolainen and Nikita Kucherov all signed just before the season began, with no ill-will between the two sides. Though Hampus Lindholm, Rickard Rakell and Jacob Trouba ended up holding out into the season, there is no reason to think Pastrnak would do the same. Instead, he’s more likely to just miss a few days of training camp before a long-term contract is announced. Dreger reports that they’ve been looking at 5-8 years, though it’s still unclear where they will land.

2017-18 Primer: San Jose Sharks

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With the NHL season now just a month away, it’s time to look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come.  Today, we focus on the San Jose Sharks.

Last Season: 46-29-7 record (99 points), third in Pacific Division (lost in the first round to Edmonton)

Remaining Cap Space: $8.71MM per CapFriendly

Key Newcomers: None.

Key Departures: F Patrick Marleau (free agency, Toronto), D David Schlemko (expansion draft, Vegas), D Mirco Mueller (trade, New Jersey)

[Related: San Jose Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Timo MeierPlayer To Watch: F Timo Meier – The San Jose Sharks didn’t get involved in the free agent sweepstakes this year, instead deciding to focus internally and extend their own key players. Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Martin Jones received huge extensions, and Joe Thornton was brought back on a one-year deal. Because of their lack of newcomers, some of their young players will have to step up and Meier is first on the list.

San Jose’s first-round selection from 2015, Meier made his debut last season but was extremely inconsistent. Armed with the size, strength and shot to be a successful top line winger, he registered just six points in 34 games and was held off the scoresheet entirely in the playoffs. The most important thing to remember about Meier is that he won’t turn 21 until October, and could easily turn the corner into an elite-level player at a moment’s notice.

With Marleau gone to Toronto and Tomas Hertl the leading candidate to slide into the third-line center role, Meier could get an early opportunity to play up in the lineup. It’s not clear how the lines will shake out, but if he’s given more than the 12:28 he averaged last season there could be some early offensive results. If the Sharks are to get back to the playoffs and take another step, players like Meier, Hertl and Chris Tierney will need to start to take some of the load off of the older Sharks core. Thornton, Joe Pavelski and Joel Ward are all at the age where a precipitous drop off could happen at any time, meaning the young depth is more important than ever.

Key Storyline: A few years ago the question of a rebuild was thrown around in San Jose, after the team missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade. Instead, they doubled down with their aging core and made it to the Stanley Cup Finals the next season. Now it seems they’ve done nearly the same thing, though Marleau has moved on to greener (or perhaps bluer) pastures. Brent Burns will turn 33 during this first year of his eight-year extension, while Vlasic will turn 32 during the first season of his (2018-19). Though they clearly have enough talent to compete right now, it could get ugly a few years down the road.

So, when watching the Sharks this season one must understand that their window is happening right now and they’ll need to use the cap room available to them to add at the deadline. The unfortunate thing is that they have already moved their second and third round picks from the 2018 draft, one thought to be exceptionally deep. If they really think they can compete right now, a first-rounder would carry a lot of weight.

It’s not all worry though, as the team has no long-term contracts on the books up front, and could deal with some expensive veteran options on the blueline for the next while. They might not be perfectly positioned for Stanley Cup contention in 2022, but there is still a lot of hockey to play before then. For now, Burns, Vlasic and the rest of the old guard will try to show they still have enough in the tank to play the elite-level hockey they’re known for.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Columbus Still Expects Josh Anderson To Sign Before Camp

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Speaking with the media today, Columbus Blue Jackets’ GM Jarmo Kekalainen reiterated that he thinks Josh Anderson will be signed before training camp starts at the end of the week. Anderson is one of five unsigned restricted free agents around the league, and just this week there was a report from Aaron Portzline of The Athletic that he wouldn’t attend training camp without a contract.

Anderson broke out last year in his first chance at full-time action, scoring 17 goals and contributing in almost every aspect of the game. His physical presence and ability to work up and down the lineup can be very useful for a team like Columbus, who will feature some undersized forwards up front this season. There’s not a clear spot for him at this point, but since Kekalainen also revealed that Boone Jenner is working through a “middle-body injury” and will miss part of camp, there is potential for him to move up a bit.

Columbus has a lineup that could roll four lines every night as long as they get everyone signed and healthy, and Anderson is a big part of that. Though he was just a fourth-round pick in 2012, he showed last year that there might be a bit more upside than first expected. The team could look to Toronto for some comparables, as Anderson’s game falls somewhere in between that of Zach Hyman and Connor Brown—albeit with more size and physicality than either one—who each received multi-year contracts this summer after their first full seasons.

Andrew Desjardins To Attend Rangers Camp

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The New York Rangers have signed Andrew Desjardins to a professional tryout according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, bringing the 31-year old in to compete for a spot. Desjardins is coming off a two-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks, but took a big step backwards last season.

In 46 games, Desjardins registered just a single point and was limited to fewer than ten minutes a night. His role on the team was very diminished, and his play suffered because of it. Still, he does have more than 400 games of NHL experience and was once a pretty effective fourth line center. For a team like the Rangers who have depth issues down the middle, bringing him into camp is a no-risk move.

One of the biggest questions of this offseason is what the Rangers will do at the center position. After trading away Derek Stepan and losing Oscar Lindberg to Vegas, the team has Mika Zibanejad and Kevin Hayes penciled into their top two spots. After that it’s anyone’s guess at this point, as youngster Lias Andersson, David Desharnais, Boo Nieves and Vinni Lettieri are all in contention for some combination of the last two spots. J.T. Miller remains an option if the team wants to move him back to center, but reducing his minutes doesn’t seem like a wise choice.

Morning Notes: Hejduk, Juolevi, Big Question

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The Colorado Avalanche might not have a ton to look forward to, if this year is anything like the last, but one thing on the schedule should bring fans to their feet. On January 6th, before their game against the Minnesota Wild, the Avalanche will raise Milan Hejduk’s number 23 to the rafters and retire it from use.

It will be the sixth such sweater retired, to go along with Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Patrick Roy, Adam Foote and Ray Bourque, all teammates of Hejduk. The franchise also retired Peter Stastny, Michel Goulet, Marc Tardif and J.C. Tremblay before moving from Quebec City. Hejduk ranks second all-time among Colorado (not Quebec) players in most offensive categories, trailing only Sakic. He played his entire career for the organization, scoring 805 points in 1,020 regular season games.

  • Though rumors have been circulating that Vancouver Canucks prospect Olli Juolevi already has a deal in place to play in Europe should he not break camp with the team, Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 caught up with Agent Markus Lehto who quickly shot them down. Juolevi was selected fifth-overall in 2016 but returned to the London Knights to play last season. It’s not clear if the Canucks want to keep him in the NHL this year, or if he could benefit from some more seasoning in either the OHL or Europe. He’s still only 19, and though he still projects as a top defenseman, it would be tough to make the jump right away.
  • Emily Kaplan of ESPN asked a large group of players what one rule change they would institute if they were commissioner, and the resounding answer was to allow players to go to the Olympics. While many of the other responses are both insightful and funny, it’s clear that the majority of the league—even those who would have no chance of playing in the tournament—dislikes the league’s decision.

Vernon Fiddler Announces Retirement

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Vernon Fiddler took to the pages of the Players’ Tribune to announce his retirement, ending a long and interesting career that has taken him to several destinations. Fiddler retires having played 877 regular season games, finishing in Nashville, where it all began.

Fiddler remains one of the best examples of what hard work and perseverance can get you in hockey. Not even drafted into the CHL, Fiddler lucked into a tryout in the WHL and slowly turned every opportunity into a launching pad for the next level. Undrafted again by the NHL he worked his way up from the ECHL to debut with Nashville in 2002, but wouldn’t stick right away. He’d have years of bouncing up and down from the minors, before catching on for good in 2006. He’d score 26 points that season and provide his patented solid faceoff skills and responsible defensive play. He’d receive Selke votes as one of the league’s top defensive forwards in two consecutive years at one point in his career.

Now 37, Fiddler lists the Predators’ recent Stanley Cup run as a “perfect way to finish [his] career,” but that phoning his parents after his first NHL call-up is still the highlight. He’ll now concentrate more on his own family life and kids’ passions. Even if you don’t see Blake on the CHL entry draft list in a few years, don’t count him out—the hockey world already made that mistake a few times with a Fiddler.

Calgary Flames No Longer Pursuing New Arena In Calgary

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Calgary Flames President and CEO Ken King told media today that the organization is “no longer pursuing a new facility” in Calgary (audio link).  King stated that the city and the organization have reached an impasse and that the organization sees no point in continuing talks. The Flames currently play out of the Scotiabank Saddledome which was built in 1983. It remains the second oldest arena in the NHL after Madison Square Garden, but the Garden received a recent billion dollar renovation.

The roadblock between the City and the Flames seems to center on public funding. King would not get into specifics, but he sighted differences in opinion on contributions as the main impediment. It is reasonable to assume—given the proclivity of public stadium financing—that the Flames want the city of Calgary to provide some sort of substantial funding and a specific location. Calgary’s mayor, however, has repeatedly indicated that he will do what’s best for the city.

The timing of this announcement is peculiar for two reasons. One, the current Calgary mayor just started his re-election campaign yesterday, and two, Seattle just announced an agreement to build a $600MM arena. The first means that the NHL may lobby for a mayoral candidate that supports a new arena. King even mentioned the mayor’s re-election campaign numerous times during the press conference. The second—the new Seattle arena—presents an implied and unspoken Plan B for any city who cannot agree on a new stadium.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman weighed in as well, stating that the city and team needs a new arena (audio link). He does state that the Flames are not immediately going to move, but that no new arena will have long-term consequences. Both King and Bettman stressed that they are not trying to pressure the city to build a new arena, but the conversational undertones seem to imply otherwise.

Evening Snapshots: Senators, Letang, Doughty

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News and notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • The Ottawa Senators signed forward Brendan Woods to a PTO this afternoon in the lead-up to training camp opening this Thursday. The Canadian forward was drafted 129th overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes, but has played only seven career NHL games so far. Expect this signing to be more a tryout for Ottawa’s new AHL affiliate Belleville Senators.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins can breathe a sign of relief as Kris Letang is officially cleared for contact, reports the NHL.com’s Sam Kasan. The Penguins expect Letang at training camp, which opens this Friday. Letang says that the contact clearance is just the first step, and that he doesn’t know if he’ll be ready by opening night. The Penguins’ defenseman played only 41 games last season after going down with a herniated disc in February.
  • Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty walked back comments made earlier about potentially leaving the Kings. Initially, Doughty told the Hockey News that he just wanted to win Stanley Cups and that he didn’t care where he played. Today, he clarified those comments by saying he only wants to win a Cup in Los Angeles. Doughty has two more years left on his deal before he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

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