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Islanders Notes: Beauvillier, Rentals, Duchene

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While many are familiar with the nine game rule for junior-aged NHL players, there is a second threshold that some teams believe is even more critical, the 40 game mark.  If a junior-aged player is on an active NHL roster for 40 games, they accrue one season towards unrestricted free agency.  The key here is that games played does not matter here – if they’re on the roster, even as a healthy scratch, it still counts.

The New York Islanders find themselves in this situation with rookie winger Anthony Beauvillier.  He has played just 26 games this year (being scratched the other 13) but their next game against the Panthers will mark number 40, thus giving him an accrued season of service time towards becoming an unrestricted free agent.  (Basically, instead of being UFA-eligible at age 27, Beauvillier will be eligible at age 26.)

Considering the situation the Islanders find themselves in when it comes to the standings (dead last out of 16 teams in the Eastern Conference) and some of the struggles from their veteran players, Brian Erni of Islanders Point Blank argues that they have completely misused Beauvillier.  In a season that looks like it is going to be a losing one, he suggests that the rookie should be seeing a lot more ice time and in the lineup on a regular basis.

The situation draws some parallels to Nino Niederreiter back in 2011-12.  He too was a junior aged player who struggled to find consistent playing time while struggling veteran players were in the lineup on a regular basis.  Eventually the Swiss winger went public with his frustration and wound up being dealt to the Wild that offseason as part of the Cal Clutterbuck trade.

There’s no indication that Beauvillier, who has four goals and five assists this season, is headed down the same path as Niederreiter but his lack of recent usage has been a bit surprising and frustrating for many.  With their second half of the season fast approaching, it certainly will be interesting to see if he gets a longer leash to work with.

Other Islander notes:

  • With the Islanders likely to sell at the deadline, Newsday’s Arthur Staple takes a look at some of the potential rental players in a reader mailbag. He mentions that while goaltender Thomas Greiss may be the most attractive option to other teams, he believes that New York would like to keep him around beyond this season which could take him off the market.  He adds that Dennis Seidenberg would be another candidate to move but that they wouldn’t likely get much in return.
  • Still from Staple, he suggests that of the two Colorado forwards believed to be on the market (center Matt Duchene and winger Gabriel Landeskog), the team has more interest in Duchene despite having a greater positional need on the wing. However, he’s quick to add that the price (which would likely include their first round pick – which is shaping up to be an early one – plus a one or two top youngsters) remains far too high for GM Garth Snow to consider.

Minor Transactions: 1/12/17

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Here is where we’ll keep tabs on today’s comings and goings with the minor leagues:

  • The Islanders announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled defenseman Scott Mayfield from AHL Bridgeport. He will take the place of Travis Hamonic on the active roster, who has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to January 7th.  Mayfield has played in three games with the Isles this season, picking up a goal and two assists.  He has spent the bulk of the season in the minors where he has three tallies and three helpers in 23 contests.
  • Nashville announced the recall of defenseman Alexandre Carrier from Milwaukee of the AHL. Carrier, a fourth round pick of the Predators back in 2015, has had a strong rookie season in the minor leagues, recording 22 points (4-18-22) in 35 games, earning himself a spot in the AHL All-Star Game.
  • With their bye week set to come to an end, the Coyotes announced that they have recalled center Laurent Dauphin and winger Brendan Perlini from their AHL affiliate in Tucson. Dauphin has spent the bulk of the season with Arizona, recording three points in 21 games while producing at a point-per-game clip in 11 minor league contests.  As for Perlini, he has suited up in 15 NHL games, scoring four goals and an assist while adding 19 points (14-5-19) in 17 games with the Roadrunners.
  • After just three games with AHL Hartford, the Rangers have recalled (Twitter link) winger Pavel Buchnevich.  The Russian rookie made an early impact this season, recording four goals and four assists in ten games before back spasms took him out of the lineup for nearly two months.  New York had sent Buchnevich down to get back into game shape and evidently they’re pleased with how performed; he had a goal and an assist in his three minor league contests.
  • Pittsburgh has assigned defenseman Chad Ruhwedel to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL, reports Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link).  He did not get into any action with the Penguins after being recalled on January 6th.  Ruhwedel has suited up in five NHL games this season, recording a goal and and an assist.
  • The Ducks announced that they have assigned center Chris Wagner to AHL San Diego.  The 25 year old has three goals in 25 games with Anaheim this season and cleared waivers back in mid-November.  Recently, the team had experimented with playing him on the wing; that type of versatility may come in handy as he pushes to be the next player recalled from the Gulls.

Canucks Don’t Plan To Trade Draft Picks This Season

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While Vancouver GM Jim Benning has been willing to move draft picks in recent years to bring in younger players, he told TSN 1040 in Vancouver (audio link) that he isn’t willing to do so this season.

Two years ago, the Canucks dealt a second rounder to Calgary for Sven Baertschi while this past offseason, Benning flipped their 2016 second and fourth round picks to Florida as part of the package to acquire Erik Gudbranson.  They also dealt a fifth rounder away in the 2015 summer as part of the Brandon Prust acquisition.

Instead, it’s looking highly likely that the Canucks will remain quiet on the trade front this season.  Vancouver has clawed their way back into a tie for the final Wild Card spot in the West but aren’t expected to be a serious postseason threat which is why Benning is planning to stay the course more than anything else (transcription courtesy of Fan Rag’s Chris Nichols):

“We’re going to just continue to monitor where we’re at going into the trade deadline. But like I’ve said all along this year, we’re happy with the development of our kids. Unless some of our older players with no-trade contracts approach me, we’re going to hold the fort and just go from there.”

Vancouver has quite a few players with no-trade or no-move clauses in their contracts which certainly has the potential to create a challenge in making any deals.  Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin, and Loui Eriksson all have no-move clauses while Alex Burrows, Brandon Sutter, Jannik Hansen, Alexander Edler, and Ryan Miller all have at least partial no-trade protection.

If the Canucks drop out of the postseason picture in the next month or so, it’s likely that Burrows and Miller will start to come up in trade talks despite their trade restrictions.  Burrows is the typical bottom six upgrade that many teams will seek out at trade deadline time and there is some doubt as to whether he’d have a future with Vancouver beyond this season; he’s 35 and a pending unrestricted free agent.

As for Miller, also a pending UFA, Jacob Markstrom is making a push for more playing time while youngster Thatcher Demko is viewed as their goalie of the not-too-distant future which could make him expendable.  However, with a $6MM cap hit and the other goalie options out there, any return for Miller wouldn’t likely be too significant.

On the flip side, if Vancouver is in the playoff picture at the deadline, their unwillingness to move picks will make it more difficult to facilitate any ‘buyer’ deals as well.  Either way, it’s looking like the Canucks won’t be particularly active on the trade market in the next six weeks.

Atlantic Notes: Jagr, Smith, Outdoor Game, Ennis

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At the age of 44, Panthers right winger Jaromir Jagr isn’t lighting up the scoresheet like he did last season (where he posted 66 points) but interim head coach Tom Rowe is quite pleased with Jagr’s overall performance, he told Dave Caldwell of the New York Times:

“He’s done everything we’ve expected. He’s going to get his points — he’s going to end up with 40, 45, maybe 50 points this year. And the fact that he’s in the locker room every day and our young guys have a chance to watch him not just for games but practices as well is a great addition for our roster and a great addition for our young kids.”

Through 43 games this season, Jagr, who turns 45 next month, has just seven goals which puts him on pace for the lowest total of his career.  While part of the reason for his struggles can be attributed to his age, the fact that the Panthers have been without Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov, and Nick Bjugstad – among others – for extended periods of time hasn’t helped either as their injuries have thrust a lot more pressure and responsibility onto Jagr.

The veteran of 1,672 career NHL games is set to be an unrestricted free agent after the season and has suggested in the past that he’d like to try to play until he is 50.  Last year, he opted to forego free agency and signed an extension with the Panthers.  If Florida struggles in the coming weeks, they could potentially entertain the possibility of trading him as a rental player if no new contract has been agreed upon by then as well so his situation will be one to watch in the weeks ahead.

More from the Atlantic Division:

  • The Senators and Zack Smith’s camp have engaged in preliminary discussions regarding a contract extension, writes Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen. Smith is currently making $2.3MM this year (with a cap hit just below $1.9MM) and is slated to be a UFA on July 1st.  The center noted that there’s no rush to get a new deal done and that he feels there is mutual interest in finding a way to keep him around.  Smith has 17 points (9-8-7) in 37 games this year and has a chance at surpassing his career high 36 points from last season.
  • Still with Ottawa, progress continues to be made regarding a potential outdoor game to be held in December, reports Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. While at one point there appeared to be a mid-January deadline to reach an agreement for this game, that deadline no longer is in place.  While there were hopes that this game could be played at Parliament Hill, those talks fell through and as a result, Ottawa’s CFL stadium is expected to host the game which will feature the Senators and the Montreal Canadiens.
  • Buffalo forward Tyler Ennis is getting closer to returning to the lineup after going through some tough skating drills at practice but will not be in the lineup tonight against Tampa Bay, notes Amy Moritz of the Buffalo News. Ennis has been out of the lineup since November 8th after undergoing surgery to repair a sports hernia and has just a goal and an assist in 12 games so far this season, certainly not the type of production they were hoping for from a player with a $4.6MM cap hit.

Hextall: No Shakeup Trades On The Horizon

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After going on a ten game winning streak earlier this year, the Flyers now find themselves mired in a similarly-sized slump, dropping nine of their last 11 games as they get set to host Vancouver tonight.  That has had many wondering if GM Ron Hextall would be willing to make a trade to shake things up but he told Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post that it’s not something he plans to consider:

“I’m not gonna make a trade to send a message. I’m (only) going to make a trade to make us better. ”

“… We’re staying on course. I don’t care if we win every game for the rest of the year or lose every game. We’re staying on course. We set out a course two and a half years ago and we’re not deviating from what we planned.”

Historically, Hextall has done most of his trading in the offseason.  Since taking over from Paul Holmgren in May of 2014, he has only made three in-season trades.  Of those, only one was of particular significance, when he acquired Radko Gudas for a pending UFA in Braydon Coburn, who later re-signed in Tampa.  The other two trades were to shed part of Vincent Lecavalier’s contract to the Kings last season and giving Kimmo Timonen one last shot at a Stanley Cup before he would have to retire due to blood clots, dealing him to Chicago back in 2015.  In other words, history suggests he’s not about to make a core-changing reactionary move.  That hasn’t stopped him from voicing his frustration with their recent play, however:

“It’s driving me nuts. I hope it is everybody else, too. In saying that, it’s a close league. Every night, you have to be on top of your game. You don’t play good, you don’t win. We’re not playing well enough right now. You can’t accept losing.”

With no trades on the horizon, head coach Dave Hakstol acknowledged that he will continue to tweak their lines in an effort to get some more players going.  One of those moves is switching rookie Travis Konecny over to the right wing, a position he played for most of his junior career.  He’s expected to play alongside Claude Giroux on the top line beginning tonight against the Canucks.  The 19 year old got off to a quick start this year but has been much quieter of late, scoring just twice in his last 27 games.

Central Notes: Kero, Stars Mailbag, Suter

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Despite it providing a short lived lead, Tanner Kero’s goal against the Red Wings last night during the Hawks 4-3 victory showed the youngster is fitting in quite well. The Daily Herald’s John Dietz reports that Kero is making the most of his callup, being a stellar fill-in for the injured Marcus Kruger as a third line center. This coming for a player who wasn’t entirely sure he had what it takes to be an NHL player long ago as a freshman at Michigan Tech. With a young wife and child at home, Kero certainly has the stress of being successful beyond just himself. But wife Taylor Kero looks at it as a day-by-day process, one that requires her husband–and their family–to take what opportunities life provides.

“You definitely have to be flexible. That’s what this lifestyle calls for,” Taylor said. “We just take things day by day. We’re grateful and hope for the best, and hopefully this opportunity lasts a lot longer.”

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Alex Ovechkin Registers His 1,000th Point

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Alex Ovechkin continues his march to the Hall of Fame. It’s yet another highlight in what has been an impressive career for the 31-year-old forward. Ovechkin scored just 35 seconds into the game, notching his 1,000th point and being the second fastest player to do so in just 880 games . The player to achieve it faster? Jaromir Jagr. Stephen Whyno writes that he’s the 84th player in NHL history to reach the 1000 point plateau.

It also happened to be Ovechkin’s 545th goal, which is the second most in NHL history through 1,000 points. First belongs to Brett Hull.

Of course it would come against the Penguins, a team that has tortured Ovechkin throughout his career, especially in the playoffs. Not only did the momentous occasion come against a bitter rival, but it also happened on home ice for all of the Capitals’ fans to share in.

It wasn’t the only milestone celebrated in Washington, either. During a stoppage in play, Washington fans gave Nicklas Backstrom a standing ovation for recording his 500th assist against Ottawa last Saturday.

 

 

Snapshots: Burmistrov, Canucks, Ducks

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Since being selected off waivers on January 2nd, Alexander Burmistrov has still yet to make it to Arizona due to work visa issues. Now, according to Dave Vest the team’s director of news content, Burmistrov has his visa and is just waiting to get his passport back from the government. As soon as he does, he’ll fly out to Arizona and join the team.

The Coyotes hope he’ll be ready to play on Friday, when they’ll begin to evaluate what they have. The former top-10 draft pick has just two points this season and hasn’t developed into the dominant two-way center the Jets had hoped for when they selected him. The Coyotes will use the rest of this year to determine if they can find some use for him going forward, or if he’s just another busted prospect.

  • Pierre LeBrun says the Vancouver Canucks will not trade away draft picks for a short-term gain to get them into the playoffs. That would jive with what Frank Seravalli said earlier today when he said that gaining draft picks would probably be the priority for GM Jim Benning. LeBrun does say that if they could acquire a young player capable of contributing for the next few years they’d be open to it, but realistically who wouldn’t?
  • There’s a nasty flu going around the Anaheim Ducks room, reports Adrian Dater of Bleacher Report. That’s not good as starting tomorrow night the team has five games in eight nights and are fighting the San Jose Sharks for the first seed in the Pacific division. Luckily, they’ll face the hapless Avalanche twice during those games, with another one against the Coyotes to boot.
  • Dylan DeMelo will be out a couple of weeks, according to Kevin Kurz of CSN. The defenseman was seen in a cast tonight before the team’s game against the Calgary Flames. With DeMelo out, Tim Heed may work his way in on the bottom pairing at some point.

Frank Seravalli On Canadian Trade Deadlines

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In his latest column, Frank Seravalli of TSN takes a look at the upcoming trade deadlines for each of the seven Canadian clubs. The entire piece is worth a read as he goes into detail on each team, but here are some highlights.

  • The Montreal Canadiens are looking to acquire a center with size, and Arizona’s Martin Hanzal fits the bill perfectly. Even when injured #1 center Alex Galchenyuk comes back, Seravalli points to the decline of Tomas Plekanec as a concern and says the team must add size down the middle. He also mentions Matt Duchene as a different possibility, though doesn’t expect that to happen during the season.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have been beaten on at least two waiver claims over the past few weeks (and possibly a third just yesterday) for Matt Nieto and Ty Rattie, and are still looking for a right-shooting winger (though Nieto is a lefty) to plug into their third line. A right-hand shot defenseman for the powerplay would be a bonus.
  • The Maple Leafs could dangle either James van Riemsdyk or Kasperi Kapanen in trade, but are more likely to stay the course with both players at least during the season. JVR could still end up with the team long-term, and with Kapanen tearing up the AHL (and being best friends with William Nylander) he looks like a future core piece.
  • Calgary may be in a pretty solid position now that Chad Johnson has taken the reins in net, but they need to shore up their blueline a bit for a real playoff run. A second-pairing player is all they need, but may have trouble parting with what he would cost.
  • In Winnipeg, the team is likely to make minor deals if any at the deadline as they’re content with the development of their club. Seravalli points to Mathieu Perreault as a possible trade chip, as he thinks the team could be at risk of losing him this summer in the expansion draft. Drew Stafford is another name that could be moved out to make room for prospect Kyle Connor.
  • The Ottawa Senators need scoring, and they need it bad. If the Maple Leafs weren’t in the same division, van Riemsdyk would be a likely target but they’ll have to look elsewhere for a new top line left winger. Unless of course Clarke MacArthur can come back close to 100% and add depth to their wings.
  • The Vancouver Canucks remain a mystery to media and fans alike, and Seravalli isn’t sure what to expect from them. A scoring winger is an option to help now and down the road, but an improvement in draft picks is what the team really needs. Even though they may miss the playoffs again, they only own five picks at this summer’s entry draft (rounds 1, 2, 3, 4, 7).

Oilers Send Gustavsson To AHL, Recall Laurent Brossoit

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After waiving backup goaltender Jonas Gustavsson on Monday, the Oilers have sent him to the AHL today. In his place, the team will recall Laurent Brossoit, their top goaltending prospect and AHL starter.

Brossoit has played in 21 games at the AHL level this season but isn’t posting his regular stellar numbers. Carrying only a .908 save percentage into the call-up, the 23-year old netminder has taken a step backwards from last year. He does have six games of NHL experience under his belt over the past two seasons, but has yet to record a win. Part of that is the bad Oilers teams he’s played for, but some of it is the ugly .896 save percentage in those games.

For Gustavsson, this might be end of his run in Edmonton. As we wrote yesterday, head coach Todd McLellan didn’t trust him when he was with the team, allowing him to see the ice just seven times. For a once highly regarded prospect, Gustavsson has never been able to put it together in the NHL.

It’s an interesting move for the Oilers, who clearly need to give Cam Talbot some more rest. The starting goaltender is on pace to play 74 games (a top-20 all-time mark for goaltenders) and with the Oilers looking at a possible playoff spot he’ll be needed past the regular season.

A possibility is that the Oilers also put in a claim on Curtis McElhinney, but were beaten by the Maple Leafs who claimed him yesterday. They’ll now turn to their young netminder to give the team a real backup goaltender, at least until they can find an answer somewhere else.

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