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Archives for January 2017

Allen’s Latest: All Star Game, Detroit’s Youth, Top 25 Of All Time

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USA Today’s Kevin Allen wonders if the NHL has found the right formula for the All-Star game. A struggle for many years to make a dent in ratings or generate interest, Allen writes that last year’s shift to a division specific, three-on-three battle was a shot in the arm for the sport and gave NBC its highest ratings for an All-Star game since they signed on with the NHL for coverage. Players also bought into the format, as evidenced by a quote from NBC Sports Executive Producer Sam Flood recalled that one player said, “’I want to be out there. I’m so mad that I’m leaving this building and not playing to win this event.” Flood felt that was “cool” and it showed a turnaround in the perception of the All-Star Game.

More from Allen:

  • Though Detroit is having a rough season, the youth carrying the team has been a positive sign. Allen writes that the production from “kids” Anthony Mantha, Andreas Athanasiou, Xavier Ouellet, and Jared Coreau has gone a long way in breathing some life into what’s been a stale season in Hockeytown. It also shows that Detroit has continued to draft talent that can produce at the NHL level. Though the playoffs could be missed, a silver lining is certainly the development and contribution from the younger players. Allen notes that while the Red Wings have struggled to score goals this season, it’s been the emergence of Mantha and Athanasiou that have given Detroit an uptick in scoring. More interesting, will be if the Red Wings continue to rely on their youth, with a roster and philosophy that always seem to favor veterans.
  • Allen also lists his top 25 of all time and his #1 and #2 are not shocking with Gordie Howe narrowly edging Wayne Gretzky. Bobby Orr, Mario Lemieux, and Maurice Richard round out Allen’s top five.

Trade Candidates: Martin Hanzal

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that are likely to be dealt by March 1st.

The Arizona Coyotes’ Martin Hanzal represents the epitome of the trade deadline rental. Arizona is a non-playoff team with pending free agents, and a smart GM looking to maximize the team’s value through any means necessary. The only variable in this situation is how much Arizona will receive in exchange for the Czech centerman.

Contract

Hanzal is on the final year of his contract worth $3.1MM a year. He will be an unrestricted free agent at the season’s end.

2016-17

Hanzal has not produced as expected during his contract year. After starting the NHL season with a goal and assist, Hanzal went pointless for the next five games. His streaky plan contributes to his underwhelming stat line this year, and those stats may deflate his value come the trade deadline. Hanzal’s saving grace is that he excels in the faceoff dot, averaging above 50% for the fourth straight season. Hanzal also played for the Czech Republic in the World Cup of Hockey, recording 1G and 1A in three round-robin games.

Season Stats

39 games: 10 goals, 8 assists, 18 points. 48.1 CF%, -15, 18:25 ATOI, 55.1% FOW.

Potential Suitors

Any team looking for a depth forward for an extended playoff run. Hanzal’s cap hit is low enough that most competitive teams can afford to add him without too much worry. The Montreal Canadiens are rumored to be interested in Hanzal, but according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Arizona is asking for prospect Michael McCarron, a 1st round draft pick and a conditional draft pick. The steep asking price may limit the number of suitors, but Arizona’s ask is not entirely unreasonable.

A skilled center is a hot commodity at the trade deadline, and players similar to Hanzal have extracted similar returns. Andrew Ladd returned a prospect (Marko Dano) and a first and third round draft pick. Eric Staal returned a prospect (Aleksi Saarela) and two second round draft picks. Both had similar production and similar ages to Hanzal at the deadline last year.

The Columbus Blue Jackets could be dark-horse suitors. The team may want to capitalize on their surprising success, and it has numerous prospects available for trade. Columbus could dangle one of it’s goalie prospects—something Arizona may need after Louis Domingue’s disappointing season so far.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Very likely. Hanzal is the prototypical trade deadline rental. A pending free agent with a decent contract on a non-playoff team. The question is not if, but when. Expect the Coyotes to hold out until the last minute to guarantee they maximize the return.

 

Evening Snapshots: Ducks, Vanek, Rielly

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News and notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • The Anaheim Ducks recalled center Kalle Kossila from the San Diego Gulls today. The Franco-Finnish is having a great year in the AHL, scoring 9G and 18A in 33 games. The Ducks signed Kossila out of the NCAA last spring, but kept him in the AHL until now. Kossila was born in France but moved to Finland at an early age.
  • Detroit Red Wings forward Thomas Vanek returns to action tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs, reports Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. Vanek suffered a lower body injury on Sunday against the New York Rangers, and missed Detroit’s next game against the Boston Bruins. To make room Detroit scratched forward Drew Miller. Vanek has been the lone bright spot on a disappointing Detroit team this year. The Austrian forward is second in team scoring with 12G and 19A in 36 games. That is great production from a forward making only $2.6MM this year. Vanek has a chance to earn much more this summer as he enters free agency at the end of this season. And because of his pending UFA status—coupled with Detroit presumably not making the playoffs—Vanek could be a top trade candidate at the NHL trade deadline.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to be without defenseman Morgan Rielly, reports the Toronto Star’s Kevin McGran. Rielly did not travel with the team to Detroit, and is not expected to be with the team tomorrow night in Philadelphia against the Flyers. Rielly hasn’t played since suffering a lower body injury on January 17th against the Buffalo Sabres. In that time, Toronto is 1-1-0-1, but did shut out the Calgary Flames on Monday 4-0. With the Atlantic Division playoff spots up for grabs, the Maple Leafs need Rielly back as soon as possible.

Could Stars Follow Columbus, Minnesota Blue Print?

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A year after surprisingly capturing a Central Division title and an appearance in the second round of the postseason, the Dallas Stars have stumbled this season to a 19-20-10 start and are currently three points out of a potential playoff berth. While there is still plenty of time to right the ship, it’s nonetheless fair to say the team has failed to meet preseason expectations. It’s at least conceivable that barring a deep postseason run the Stars could look to make some significant changes this summer. However, as Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News writes, the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild may have already provided a solid blue print the Stars could follow in their search for success.

Currently Columbus and Minnesota reside among the best teams in the league, which is a far cry from where the were last year. While the Wild made it to the playoffs, they were eliminated in the first round and looked nothing like a Stanley Cup contender. Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets were once again one of the worst teams in the league and appeared to be at least a few years away from contention. However, as Heika points out, each team has benefited immensely from recent coaching changes – with John Tortorella taking over early last season in Columbus and Minnesota turning to Bruce Boudreau this past summer – and that could provide the Stars with a more palatable option than potentially making wholesale roster changes.

Current bench boss Lindy Ruff has had a long and accomplished career as a head coach in this league, first with the Buffalo Sabres and then for the last four in Dallas. On the heels of what can only be considered a successful 2015-16 campaign it might seem unwarranted to move on from Ruff after a season derailed by injuries to several key regulars. Nonetheless, Ruff is in the final season of his contract and it’s feasible general manager Jim Nill may conclude a fresh voice and approach is needed at this point.

However, despite some calls from fans to make a move now while the current campaign can still be saved, Heika advises against such a decision, and suggests waiting until after the season when more candidates will be available. As the scribe notes, Gerard Gallant certainly qualifies as an appealing option and any team interested in hiring might be best served doing so now with so few jobs open. But as Heika points out, a veteran bench boss like Gallant would require a three or four-year guaranteed commitment and it might be best to wait until after the season instead of caving to immediate pressures to go that direction.

Heika also identifies goaltending as an area the Stars could look to upgrade and while their are long-term options available now – Marc-Andre Fleury jumps immediately to mind – he cautions that the team might be better off trying to identify a young, up-and-coming net minder that represents more of an upside play rather than taking a chance on an expensive veteran. Martin Jones and Cam Talbot are two goalies that the scribe references that fit the former category. With teams looking ahead to the expansion draft, several backup types could be made available at a reduced rate as opposed to potentially losing them for nothing to the Vegas Golden Knights.

There is no questioning the impact that Tortorella and Boudreau have had on their respective team’s fortunes this season and it makes sense that the Stars could look to duplicate that success by bringing in their own new coach. It’s an easier move to make than trying to trade an expensive core player and/or trying to reshape the organization with blockbuster acquisitions. Yet there are no certainties regardless of what direction the Stars take. Hiring a new bench boss could pay off in Dallas as it has for Minnesota and Columbus. Or, as has been the case in Florida, the move may not yield the dividends the team hopes for.

Marchand To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

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The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced today that Brad Marchand of the Boston Bruins will have a hearing for what they refer to as a “dangerous trip on Detroit’s Niklas Kronwall,” during the game last night between the two teams. Marchand, who scored two goals in Boston’s 4 – 3 OT win, was not penalized on the play but it stands to reason a suspension could be looming.

Marchand would qualify as a repeat offender as the pesky forward has been suspended three times since the start of the 2014-15 season. As Joe Haggerty of CSN New England notes, his loss would for any length of time would be a significant blow to a Bruins team fighting for their playoff lives. Marchand leads Boston in scoring with 47 points and is second on the club in goals scored with 19, just one fewer than David Pastrnak’s team-leading total.

The incident in question occurred at the 12:27 mark of the first period and it appears Kronwall avoided injury on the play. The veteran Swede would remain in the game and finish with 17:51 of total ice time. He was in just his second game back after missing 2 1/2 weeks with a groin injury

Pacific Division Snapshots: Jones, Hertl, McDavid, Draisaitl

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With San Jose goaltender Martin Jones scheduled to make his 42nd start of the season tomorrow, Kevin Kurz of CSN Bay Area wonders whether the 27-year-old’s workload has been too heavy. As it stands now, Jones is on pace to start nearly 70 games in 2016-17. The scribe spoke with former Sharks net minder Brian Boucher to seek his opinion on the matter. In Boucher’s estimation, if San Jose is to seriously contend for a Stanley Cup, they need to find a way to cut Jones’ workload, perhaps to something in the neighborhood of 65 games over a full schedule.

Boucher also questions whether the team fully trusts rookie goalie Aaron Dell, who has posted terrific numbers in limited action. Dell, 27, has won six of his eight starts and has posted a S% of 0.930 with a GAA of 1.97. The Sharks are currently in first place in the Pacific Division, 13 points ahead of fourth place Calgary, and assuming they can maintain that cushion it’s quite possible the Sharks will give Dell more time between the pipes in order to keep Jones as fresh as possible for a playoff run. If not, the team might peruse the trade market in search of a quality backup, much like the did a year ago by acquiring James Reimer ahead of the deadline.

Elsewhere in the Pacific Division:

  • Sticking with San Jose, it appears the Sharks are going to be welcoming young forward Tomas Hertl back to the lineup, as Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News reports. Hertl, who has been skating with the team for the last week, missed the team’s last 31 games with a knee sprain. Pashelka is unsure where Hertl will slot into the lineup upon his return but he notes the 23-year-old Czech had been the team’s third-line pivot prior to the injury.
  • David Staples of Postmedia suggests it’s time for the Edmonton Oilers to split up Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, noting that each has become a solid defensive pivot and slotting one on the other’s wing is a waste. The notion represents a possible solution to the club’s third-line center question as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, as solid two-way pivot, would slide down the lineup in this scenario. The flip side, of course, is such a move weakens the team on the wing thus lessening the possibility of the team listening on offers for Jordan Eberle and perhaps increasing the odds Edmonton might rather add a winger prior to the trade deadline.

 

Minor Transactions: 1/25/2017

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PHR will recap the day’s minor roster transactions in this post. Please check back throughout the day for updates.

  • With Stefan Noesen now a member of the New Jersey Devils after being claimed on waivers, Anaheim Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle indicated to The Orange County Register’s Eric Stephens that the team will recall forward Kalle Kossila from San Diego of the AHL. Kossila was inked by Anaheim as an undrafted free agent after completing his senior season with St. Cloud State University. The 23-year-old Finn, who has yet to appear in an NHL regular season contest, has registered nine goals and 27 points in 33 AHL games this season.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed defenseman Steve Oleksy on waivers, according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. The 30-year-old blue liner has seen action in nine games this season with Pittsburgh, tallying a single assist. In 71 career NHL games, Oleksy has recorded three goals and 20 points. Counting Oleksy, the Penguins have seven healthy defenders on the roster. Waiving the four-year veteran could be an indication that Kris Letang, on IR since January 16th, could be nearing a return.
  • To make room on the roster for Noesen, the Devils have placed forward Beau Bennett on IR retroactive to January 20th, reports Andrew Gross of The Record. Bennett, in his first season with New Jersey after an offseason trade with Pittsburgh, has scored three goals and 10 points in 40 contests.
  • Winger Casey Bailey has been reassigned by the Ottawa Senators to Binghamton of the AHL, via the team’s official communications department Twitter account. Bailey has played in five contests this season, going scoreless while averaging just 7:13 of ice time per game. He has 10 goals and 15 points in 33 AHL games with the Baby Sens.
  • According to the AHL Manitoba Moose’s official Twitter account (H/T to Patrick Williams of NHL.com), defenseman Brian Strait has been recalled by the Winnipeg Jets. Strait has not yet seen NHL action this season but has appeared in 182 regular season games with the Jets and Pittsburgh over parts of six seasons.
  • Kevin Kurz of CSN Bay Area reports that the San Jose Sharks have reassigned Timo Meier and Kevin Labanc to the AHL. The scribe refers to the moves as a “paper transaction,” in that the team will bank a bit of cap space with the pair of forwards off the roster and inferring they will be recalled ahead of San Jose’s next game tomorrow night at home against Edmonton.

Panthers Roster Updates: Bjugstad, Petrovic, Reimer, Berra

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The Florida Panthers, who have been without several key regulars for significant portions of the season due to injury, are inching closer to full health, as the Sun Sentinel’s Harvey Fialkov reports via Twitter.

Nick Bjugstad, who has placed on IR retroactive to January 6th because of a lower-body injury, and Alex Petrovic, out since November with an ankle issue, are both slated to return to the team tomorrow. Bjugstad is likely going to fill the Panthers fourth line pivot spot. The 6-foot-6 center has struggled to produce this season with just one goal and two points in 21 contests. In 67 games played during the 2015-16 season, the five-year veteran registered 15 goals and 34 points. Bjugstad earlier this season missed 19 games with a broken wrist.

Petrovic established himself as a useful regular blue liner last season, tallying 17 points in 66 games and finishing with a plus-17 plus/minus rating. In 16 appearances this season, he has five points and is a plus-eight.

Meanwhile, top line center Aleksander Barkov, out the last two months with a lower-body injury, is still at least two weeks away from returning, notes Fialkov. He has been working out with former NHL forward Marco Sturm, the scribe adds. Sturm last appeared in the league five seasons ago, appearing in 48 games with Vancouver and Florida. Barkov has nine goals and 27 points in 36 games for Florida this season.

Finally, the team reassigned goaltender Reto Berra to Springfield of the AHL as James Reimer is rejoining the club after a brief absence. Berra didn’t appear in a game for Florida since the recall. Reimer left the team to be with his wife, who is expecting the birth of their child and it’s possible he will again take a leave of absence should she go into labor.

Trade Candidates: Jordan Eberle

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that are likely to be dealt by March 1st.

After a decade of aimlessly wandering in the wilderness, the Edmonton Oilers are finally on the rise. That means the possibility of buying at the NHL Trade Deadline to bolster their lineup for the playoffs. Because the Oilers aren’t what most would consider to be a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, GM Peter Chiarelli will need to avoid mortaging the future to add a rental player to the current roster. St. Louis Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk has been linked to Edmonton at various times over the past seven months, but his apparent unwillingness to commit long-term in northern Alberta means a deadline deal is somewhat unlikely.

However, if there is a deal to be made that improves the Oilers for this season and the future, then that makes sense for Chiarelli to pursue. One of the names that has been out there for much of the season is Jordan Eberle. He could be an attractive option for a team looking for a scoring winger. The Oilers could use a right-handed offensive defenseman and a top-nine center with offensive ability. Should Leon Draisaitl continue to show great chemistry with Connor McDavid, he could be moved permanently to the starboard side. When you include prospect Jesse Puljujärvi, the Oilers have their top-six right wingers for the next decade. That could make the streaky Eberle available, for the right price.

Contract

Eberle has two more seasons left after this one at $6MM.

2016-17

It’s been a streaky season for Eberle, who has goalless droughts of six (twice), nine, and most recently 18 games. Despite only scoring in eight games this season, he has 11 goals in those eight games. That includes three two-goal games. After breaking the 18-game drought, he has three goals and five points in his last three games. He’s been a consistent 25-goal scorer in his career, and should regress to the mean over the rest of season.

Season Stats

49 games: 11 goals, 21 assists, 32 points. 53.9 CF%, -1, 17:19 ATOI.

Potential Suitors

TSN’s Darren Dreger recently reported (transcribed by Chris Nichols of FanRagSports.com) that the Oilers asking price for Eberle “has always been high, understandably so, because he’s been one of the Edmonton Oilers’ players that is a big part of the core.”

Dreger speculated that if the Oilers decided Eberle was expendable, it would “ignite some kind of short-term market.”

Teams looking for an offensive winger include Anaheim, Buffalo, Minnesota, Montreal, Nashville, the New York Islanders, Ottawa, and Vancouver. Anaheim may be a division rival, but has great defensive depth and could strike a deal based on a package including Brandon Montour. Nashville could offer someone like Craig Smith plus something else; Smith has scoring ability and can play either right wing or center. The Islanders have a glaring need for a winger for John Tavares, whom Eberle has a history with. After a year of Eberle-for-Travis Hamonic rumors, Garth Snow could be ready for a major shakeup.

Likelihood Of A Trade

During the season? Not likely. The Oilers have a 98.9 per cent chance of making the playoffs, according to SportsClubStats.com. The Oilers don’t want to make a big move that will affect their expansion plans or weaken their poor right-wing depth. They’ll look to make adds like they did with Patrick Maroon at last year’s deadline: an NHL player who can contribute beyond this season. It would take a perfect offer to force Chiarelli’s hand mid-season or before the expansion draft.

This off-season? Much more likely. Especially if Draisaitl continues to show well alongside McDavid and Puljujärvi shows improvement. The Oilers’ cap situation will get murky in the coming years, with McDavid, Draisaitl, Darnell Nurse, and Matt Benning all needing new deals in the next two off-seasons.

Devils Claim Stefan Noesen On Waivers

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The New Jersey Devils continue to be active on the waiver wire this season.

The Devils claimed Ducks prospect Stefan Noesen off waivers this morning, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Noesen was placed on waivers for the second time this season yesterday. He has just two points in 12 games (both goals) for the Ducks this season; he’s also played 22 games for the San Diego Gulls of the AHL, where he has 15 points. Overall he has 63 points in 116 games at the AHL level. Noesen has been shuffled back and forth between the NHL and AHL to preserve salary space, but finally cracked 10 NHL games, meaning he needed to clear waivers again.

Noesen was a highly-touted prospect as a junior player. He had 100 goals and 220 points in 215 games with the now-defunct Plymouth Whalers of the OHL. He was a first round pick of the Ottawa Senators back in 2011 but was traded before ever playing a game in the Senators organization. Noesen was traded alongside Jakob Silfverberg and a first round pick to the Ducks for Bobby Ryan back in July 2013.

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