Vancouver Canucks Reassign Alexandre Grenier To Utica
After just a single game during his most recent call up, Alexandre Grenier is headed back to the AHL. The 25-year old minor league forward played just six minutes on Saturday night for the Vancouver Canucks. Perhaps Nikolay Goldobin has recovered enough from the flu to rejoin the lineup tomorrow night against Dallas.
Grenier is an interesting case, as despite being drafted in the third round and excelling at the AHL level he’s only been given nine games in the NHL and more than 13 minutes in a single game just once. The big, playmaking winger was a late-bloomer even early in his career, not reaching the CHL until he was already 19. Perhaps he’ll follow a similar path to the NHL, making an impact in his late twenties.
For now though, he’ll return to the Comets where he has 40 points in 54 games this season and continue his minor league career. Utica is currently in a playoff race with both Toronto and St. John’s, and could use his help. The team has scored just eight goals in three games during his latest absence, and that includes a five goal effort on Sunday against the terrible Binghamton team. They will likely find a little more consistency with arguably their best offensive threat back in the lineup.
Stars Notes: Nichushkin, Expansion, Honka
When Valeri Nichushkin left for the KHL last summer after having trouble with Dallas Stars head coach Lindy Ruff, the team lost one of its best young assets to a rival league. The former 10th-overall draft pick had put up 34 points in his rookie season, then missed most of the next year after hip surgery but came back with another solid 29 point season as a 20-year old last year. He looked like a star (pun intended) in the making in Dallas, ready to break out over the next few seasons.
Well, breakout he did, just on the wrong continent. With 24 points in 36 games, Nichushkin was outstanding for CSKA Moscow when he was healthy. He is under contract for one more season with the Russian team, but Jim Nill was on the radio today saying (via Mark Stepneski of NHL.com) that he would like to bring him back to North America eventually. The now 22-year old would be a nice addition if they could get him under contract, as they’re likely losing Ales Hemsky, Patrick Sharp and Jiri Hudler this year—not to mention Patrick Eaves and Lauri Korpikoski, who they dealt at the deadline.
- According to Stepneski, Nill also said that he likely will protect Nichushkin in the upcoming expansion draft, something that would complicate things quite a bit. Protecting Nichushkin would leave one of Antoine Roussel, Brett Ritchie, Radek Faksa or Cody Eakin exposed, none of whom the Stars could afford losing for nothing. While leaving Nichushkin exposed isn’t perfect, it would be hard to see Vegas taking a swing at him not knowing for sure if he’d ever come back to the NHL. Perhaps the Stars will work out a deal with the Golden Knights on who to take, as they currently look like they’ll lose an effective player in the draft.
- Julius Honka will be back up with the NHL team at some point, to play another 8-10 games with the big club before the end of the season. The top prospect played 10 games earlier in the season for the team, and has thrived at the AHL level for three straight years. There will be no playoff run for the Texas Stars of the AHL this season, as they currently sit in seventh place in their division with a 27-29-4 record.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic Wants To Stay In San Jose
After taking up four different thoughts in Elliotte Friedman’s latest column on Sportsnet, Marc-Edouard Vlasic spoke to Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News about his desire to stay a San Jose Shark for his entire career. 
I like the team, I like the area. We’re competitive every year, and at the end of my contract next year, I’ll have been here 12 years. I guess I do like it here if I’ve been here 12 years. Yeah, if [staying in San Jose] works out, that’d be great. It’s a priority.
Vlasic’s contract is up after next season, when he’ll be 31. Earning only $4.25MM per season on his current deal, Vlasic has been one of the best bargains in the league for the Sharks. A model of consistency, Vlasic has never averaged less than 20 minutes per night for the Sharks, including his rookie season when he was just 19-years old. He draws the tough assignments night in and night out, allowing other players—namely Brent Burns—to feast on the easier matchups.
While Vlasic still will garner very few headlines, his relatively low cap-hit has allowed the Sharks to build a defense corps that is one of the best in the league. Next season when Burns’ eight-year, $64MM extension kicks in the team may need to rework their group if they have any chance of signing Vlasic long-term. Both Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau are unrestricted free agents, and may have to settle for one-year deals if they want to stay in San Jose. If Vlasic is starting a new contract in 2018-19 at the same time Tomas Hertl, Dylan DeMelo and Martin Jones all need raises, there won’t be room for the pair of 37-year olds.
It’s not many players who complete their whole career with one team, but if the Sharks do offer Vlasic a five or six year deal perhaps he will be one of them. His steady presence has been a big part of their success over the past decade, missing the playoffs just once during his tenure. If he ever did hit free agency, there would likely be 30 other teams waiting to knock on his door and bring him into the fold.
Senators Notes: Karlsson, Ryan, Anderson
Though it looked earlier this season like Brent Burns had locked up the Norris trophy by Christmas, Erik Karlsson has been pushing to make sure voters don’t forget about him. Mentioned by both Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet and Travis Yost of TSN today in their latest columns, people have noticed that Karlsson is now just eight points behind Burns and ready to burst into the NHL’s top-10 sooner or later. The defenseman is having another unbelievable season offensively but as Friedman notes, is also doing something else better.
Karlsson leads the NHL in blocked shots this season by a wide margin, easily outpacing his own career-high from last season. Though he may not be producing at quite the same rate offensively—though 62 points in 67 games shouldn’t be shrugged off—his defensive ability has seemingly improved once again. Blocked shots aren’t a very stable result, and shouldn’t simply be taken as evidence of an improved defensive game. But when combined with an increased +/- rating, decreased rate of minor penalties, and increased short-handed play, even the most “old-school” hockey fan should appreciate his defensive improvements.
- Bobby Ryan and Kyle Turris will both return to the lineup tonight, giving Ottawa a nice boost to their top-six after several weeks with uncertainty at the top. Ryan has been out since February 18th with a broken finger, and is having the worst season of his career. With five more seasons on his contract at $7.25MM per year, the Senators need him to turn things around as quickly as possible. Ryan will turn 30 on Friday, and has just 12 goals this season. If he doesn’t produce down the stretch, the Senators might even decide to leave him exposed and hope Vegas takes him off their hands in the expansion draft.
- After Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reported that Craig Anderson wasn’t on the ice at this morning’s practice, thoughts immediately turned to his personal problems that have taken him away from the team several times this season. Turns out, it’s just a lower-body injury for Anderson who will be replaced by Chris Driedger tonight on the bench behind Mike Condon. There is no timetable on Anderson’s return as Garrioch reports, after head coach Guy Boucher said the team would be “checking it out further” later.
KHL’s Bereglazov, Atinpin May Sign In The NHL Before Next Season
In Elliotte Friedman’s latest 30 Thoughts column for Sportsnet, he touches on a pair of names from the KHL that may soon be heading across the pond. Alexei Bereglazov and Viktor Antipin are both currently playing for Magnitogorsk Mettalurg but may be heading to the New York Rangers and Buffalo Sabres respectively at some point in the near future.
Magnitogorsk will play tomorrow night in game four of the Conference semi-finals in the KHL, up 3-0 over Astana Barys in the current series. The team—which includes Alexander Semin—finished first in their division this year with a record of 41-13-6. The two defensemen were a big part of that, ranking second and third in scoring among defenders on the team.
Bereglazov is just 22 and has broken out this year with 19 points in the regular season and six more in seven playoff games. At 6’4″ he has the size to fit into the NHL right away, if someone believes he can adapt quickly enough. Friedman notes that the Rangers should be considered favorites for him this summer.
Antipin is the older of the two at 24 and takes on much more responsibility for Magnitogorsk. Playing well over 20 minutes a night in the playoffs, Antipin has a longer track record of success in the KHL as he debuted in the league at just 19 years old. Standing under six feet tall and around 180-lbs, the Russian defender isn’t as physically imposing as Bereglazov, but contributes offensively at a higher rate. A staple on the powerplay for the past few seasons, he could find a similar niche in the NHL.
The Best Deal Of The Offseason: Brad Marchand
When you think back on any signing season, your mind immediately goes to the big deals handed out to free agents. This season saw over $600MM dollars handed out on the first day of free agency, and was followed by a lucrative summer for tons of players. Because of the lack of a superstar name—thanks Steven, you couldn’t just wait another couple of days?—second-tier all-stars were given incredibly lucrative contracts. Recently, our Zach Leach took a look back at July 1st and the mistakes teams made, handing out term and money to players who were perhaps already over the hill.
But this offseason’s best deal may not have come until much later in the summer. In fact it didn’t happen in the summer at all, but on September 26th just a few weeks before the Boston Bruins would start their season. The Bruins were getting ready for their preseason debut against the Columbus Blue Jackets—a game they would lose in a shootout—while two thirds of their top line was prepping for the World Cup of Hockey final in Toronto.
It was that morning of the 26th that Bob McKenzie of TSN would report that the Bruins had completed a contract extension with Brad Marchand that would see him stay in Boston for another eight years. He would be paid $6.125MM each season with several different clauses attached. Even though he was starring at the World Cup alongside Sidney Crosby—and would score the tournament winning goal just a few days later, shorthanded with 44 seconds left—many people thought the deal was a huge overpay. In fact, the replies to McKenzie’s tweet are mixed at best, with it being hard to understand the value Marchand brought to the Bruins.
Snapshots: Doan, Graovac, Hellberg
Shane Doan will be on all the blooper reels for the next while. The Arizona Coyotes captain is fine after colliding hard with Jakob Chychrun in warm up last night, and missing most of the first period. According to Dave Vest of NHL.com, he team had checked him for a concussion, but ruled that he had just had the wind knocked out of him.
I didn’t know it was him that hit me. I was looking back at [Oliver Ekman-Larsson] and got hit. I had no idea who it was that hit me … I haven’t been hit that hard in a long, long time.
The Coyotes ended up winning a 1-0 game over the Colorado Avalanche in a battle between the worst teams in the NHL. It couldn’t have started in a way more fitting to what was to come, with the next wave of the Coyotes literally checking the old guard out of the way.
- As expected, the Minnesota Wild have officially recalled Tyler Graovac from Iowa of the AHL. After Michael Russo of the Star Tribune reported yesterday that Martin Hanzal was sick with the flu and wouldn’t be with the team for the next two games, Graovac was the easy call up. As Russo points out, it will be interesting to see if Graovac figures into the lineup immediately for one of Jordan Schroeder or Ryan White or if he’s just there for insurance.
- The New York Rangers have sent Magnus Hellberg back to the AHL despite not having two healthy goaltenders at the NHL level. With Henrik Lundqvist out two to three weeks, Hellberg is expected to be the backup behind Antti Raanta for the next little while. The Rangers are off until Friday, but so are the Hartford Wolfpack which makes this move very interesting. It may be just a paper transaction to save Hellberg’s NHL salary for a few days, but either way it will be answered later this week when they make a move to bring someone up.
Ottawa Senators Recall Chris Driedger From AHL
The Ottawa Senators have recalled goaltender Chris Driedger today, with Craig Anderson not on the ice at practice. Bruce Garrioch does report that Mike Condon is present, meaning he will likely get the start tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Anderson has been in and out of the lineup as he continues to deal with issues surrounding his wife’s illness, but had been back with the team for over a month.
The 35-year old Anderson has won six straight starts and is in the midst of his most successful NHL career, if a difficult one off the ice. With a .930 save percentage in 30 starts, he has been a huge reason the Senators find themselves battling for first place in the Atlantic Division. They’ll hopefully get him back sooner than later as they fight to lock up the top seed.
Driedger has been up this year in emergency situations, and got into one game back in November. The 22-year old netminder has spent time at all three levels (ECHL, AHL, NHL) this season, with mixed results at each. A former third-round pick, his future is still bright with the organization after posting a passable season with Binghamton.
Red Wings Notes: Defensive Replacements, Mantha
The Detroit Red Wings don’t plan on calling up any extra defensemen, unless injury beckons writes the Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James. General manager Ken Holland will revisit the decision before they leave Tuesday for a game with Colorado on Wednesday, but as it stands, Detroit can wait and see. With back-to-back games with Colorado and Arizona on Wednesday and Thursday respectively, Detroit can call up an emergency defenseman if needed. Detroit leads the league in man-games lost, as injuries have crippled Detroit all season long. Without roster limitations and the Wings close to being eliminated from playoff contention, Holland may call up younger players to see how they compete when the pressure is off.
- Anthony Mantha was a healthy scratch again Sunday evening, but the Red Wings didn’t fare nearly as well without him in a 4-1 loss to New York. Mantha, scratched for not showing enough effort, should find himself back in the lineup. Interestingly, the Detroit News’ Gregg Krupa wrote about the errors several Red Wings made in the loss to New York.. The young goal scorer, who boosted Detroit’s offense since being called up, has been seen as a scapegoat by many fans when it was announced that he would sit against the Blackhawks on Friday evening. Though Detroit won 4-2, many were still angry when it was announced he would sit again Sunday, especially after the Red Wings made mistake after mistake in the loss to the Rangers.
- MLive’s Ansar Khan reported on the Mantha kerfuffle, writing that the youngster is taking a “chip-on-the-shoulder” approach to his benching. Despite having 33 points (14-19) in 50 games, he’s found himself a healthy scratch for two games due to head coach Jeff Blashill saying it was a “lack of competitiveness” and citing an inability to back check during Detroit’s 6-1 loss to Boston. Blashill has been complimentary to Mantha despite the benching, but it’s still curious since Mantha hasn’t been the only Red Wing to struggle this year. Riley Sheahan, who has yet to score a goal this season, has rarely seen his playing time cut while defenseman Danny DeKeyser has struggled mightily at times. Regardless, Mantha should see playing time on Wednesday unless the Red Wings brass still believe he hasn’t learned his lesson.
Snapshots: Avalanche, Stone, Foligno, Namestnikov
News and notes from around the NHL this evening:
- The Colorado Avalanche announced that they’ve recalled defenseman Anton Lindholm from the AHL San Antonio Rampage. The Swedish prospect is playing in his first season outside of Sweden and has 2G and 10A in 59 games. Lindholm was drafted 144th overall in 2014, and with the Avalanche firmly out of a playoff spot, now is the time to see what the team’s prospects have to offer at the NHL level.
- The Calgary Flames received some good news regarding defenseman Michael Stone. Sportsnet Fan 960’s Pat Steinberg reports that Flames GM Brad Treliving told reporters that Stone’s upper-body injury is not going to be as long as it could’ve have been. Stone has excelled in Calgary since being traded from the Arizona Coyotes. He has 1G and 3A in 8 games, outpacing his 1G and 8A through 45 games in Arizona.
- Columbus Blue Jackets forward and captain Nick Foligno will not play tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers, reports Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch. Foligno is ill and did not practice this morning either. Foligno has 24G and 23A in 65 games this season for the surprising Blue Jackets, who sit just three points out of first place in the NHL. Foligno is not the only prominent Blue Jacket missing tonights game. Defenseman Ryan Murray broke his hand and will miss 4-6 weeks.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning will have forward Vladislav Namestnikov back in the lineup tonight against the New York Rangers, reports Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. Namestnikov hurt his leg Thursday against the Minnesota Wild, but escaped serious injury. The Russian first round draft pick has 9G and 15A in 62 games for the Lightning, and will help close the gap on a playoff berth. The team is only three points out of the second wild card slot in the East.