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Archives for April 2017

Morning Notes: Panarin, Dowling, Bindulis

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Last year Artemi Panarin exploded onto the scene in the NHL, scoring 30 goals and 77 points in 80 games, winning the Calder trophy along the way. With that performance, he achieved all his entry-level bonuses (explained here, using Mitch Marner as an example), meaning the Blackhawks carried a cap penalty over this season. As Chris Hine of the Chicago Tribune points out, the “Breadman” is close to achieving those bonuses once again.

Panarin will easily secure all of his Schedule A bonuses, and is well positioned to activate his Schedule B bonus as well, worth $1.725MM if he should finish in the top-10 in scoring. With 72 points, Panarin sits tied for tenth in the league with Evgeni Malkin and three games left to play. With games against the Colorado Avalanche, Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings left, the sophomore could easily jump a few spots into the top and cause Chicago to suffer another $2MM+ penalty next season.

  • Steven Stamkos won’t play again tonight, in what is the definition of a must-win for Tampa Bay. A regulation loss for the Lightning at the hands of the Bruins, combined with a Maple Leafs win would clinch a playoff position for both Toronto and Boston, and leave only Ottawa as an outside target for Tampa Bay. It’s looking more and more like the captain won’t return this season in time to help his club get back into the playoffs.
  • The Dallas Stars have brought Justin Dowling back up, after just a night in the AHL. The move must have been just a paper transaction, as the Texas Stars didn’t play last night. They’ll take on the Bakersfield Condors tomorrow night, likely without Dowling in the lineup.
  • The Hershey Bears have released Kristofers Bindulis from his amateur tryout, without the NCAA forward actually playing a game for the team. Bindulis was signed to a contract by the Washington Capitals earlier this spring, but will now head to the World Championships for Latvia before starting the first year of his ELC next year.
  • The Bears have also signed Beck Malenstyn to an ATO for the remainder of the year. Selected in the fifth round of the 2016 draft, Malenstyn had been playing for the Calgary Hitmen this season. Having just turned 19, he’ll likely head back to the OHL next season and try again to earn an entry-level deal.

Philadelphia Flyers Recall Samuel Morin From AHL

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Another top prospect is on his way up to the NHL, as the Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Samuel Morin from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The 11th-overall pick in the 2013 draft will make his NHL debut should he make it into the lineup tonight against the New Jersey Devils. With the Flyers eliminated from playoff contention, it is expected they’ll give Morin and Mike Vecchione a look in the last few games to see if they are viable options for next season.

The fact that Morin hasn’t made a mark on the league yet shouldn’t be seen as red flag, as the 6’7″ 227-lbs defenseman needed time to grow into his frame and develop the raw talent he had shown in the QMJHL. After two excellent seasons in the AHL, it looks like he is ready to take that next step. Never an offensive producer, his 15 points in 62 games represent the kind of production he’ll see in the NHL as he is deployed in more defensive situations. Though he make look at first glance like Chris Pronger physically on the ice, it’s clear that he’ll never have the first pass ability or offensive instincts to be that type of defender.

What he can do though, is dominate in his own end with a long reach and immeasurable strength. His body position and footwork has all improved over the past few years, to the point where he should rarely be taken advantage of by quicker players. Instead, he’ll be the one using his size advantage to remove attackers from the front of the net and win the puck back in the corner. In Philadelphia, where Shayne Gostisbehere is the polar opposite of Morin, they’ve been waiting for a big shutdown defender to come in and provide lock down minutes against top competition.

Tom Rowe Will Not Return As Panthers Head Coach Next Season

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According to Harvey Fialkov of the Sun Sentinel, Florida Panthers head coach and general manager Tom Rowe will not return to the bench next season. Rowe took over after the firing of Gerard Gallant, and will likely remain with the organization in another position. Though he still holds the title of GM, Rowe has turned over much of the day to day operations to Dale Tallon and his staff after moving behind the bench. It will be interesting to see if Tallon will continue there, as there have recently been rumors of him being headhunted by other teams around the league.

Rowe took over in November after the team lost an evening match against the Carolina Hurricanes to push their record to 11-10-1. It was a move that shocked the hockey world, as Gallant had taken a young Panthers team to the top of the Atlantic Division just a year prior. Since then, the Panthers have fared much worse going 22-25-10 and falling out of playoff contention. While injuries are to blame for much of that, the team never could turn it around for very long even when their star players returned.

The Gallant-Rowe drama took on a life of its own among hockey fans and media members, playing a surrogate role in the fight between “old” and “new school” hockey analysis. Whether Rowe does represent a more analytical, statistical option it has been his big coaching decisions that have taken a toll. As Fialkov notes, Rowe admits that his decision to put Aaron Ekblad back into the lineup only for the star defenseman to suffer a setback was a mistake. So was publicly critiquing Reilly Smith after a poor defensive effort. While the team wasn’t performing exceptionally under Gallant, there was never much doubt that he was a respected coach and man.

Next year will be a big one for the Panthers to show that the core that they so deftly locked up this summer can be enough to take them to the playoffs. Giving extensions to Ekblad, Smith, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Derek MacKenzie, while signing James Reimer, Jason Demers and Keith Yandle to long-term deals all look tenuous at best after a down season. Each of the players better step up and perform, or the Panthers could be in for a long stint at the bottom of the standings.

Mitch Marner Likely To Hit All Schedule A Bonuses

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Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner hit 60 points tonight against the Buffalo Sabres, and as Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston points out, all but guarantees that Marner hits all his Schedule A bonuses to collect an additional $850K.

The CBA allows for two types of ELC bonuses, creatively called Individual “A” and “B” bonuses. “A” Bonuses are capped at an aggregate total of $850K, and “B” bonuses are capped at an aggregate total of $2MM. Thus, a player could theoretically earn up to $3.77MM in base salary and bonuses. Marner was given no Schedule B bonuses, but is eligible to obtain the max Schedule A bonuses.

Schedule A bonus thresholds are defined in the CBA as:

  • Ice Time: Top 6 Forward / Top 4 Defenseman
  • Goals: 20 FW / 10 D
  • Assists: 35 FW / 25 D
  • Points: 60 FW/ 40 D
  • PPG: .73 FW / .49 D
  • Plus/Minus: Top 3
  • Blocked Shots: Top 2 (D only)
  • Making All-Star game
  • Voted ASG MVP
  • Voted to NHL All-Rookie team

After tonight’s game against the Sabres, Marner has achieved four categories: Ice Time (4th), Assists (41), Points (60), and PPG (.83). Given that most teams award $212,500 per category, it’s almost assured that Marner has earned the max money available for Schedule A Bonuses.

Official Responses to NHL Olympic Announcement

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Earlier today the NHL announced that it would not allow its players to participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics. This announcement came after months of public negotiations involving the IOC, IIHF, NHLPA and the NHL.

The NHLPA released a response to the NHL’s announcement, and we’ve reproduced it in full below:

The players are extraordinarily disappointed and adamantly disagree with the NHL’s shortsighted decision to not continue our participation in the Olympics.

Any sort of inconvenience the Olympics may cause to next season’s schedule is a small price to pay compared to the opportunity to showcase our game and our greatest players on this enormous international stage. ​

A unique opportunity lies ahead with the 2018 and 2022 Olympics in Asia. The NHL may believe it is penalizing the IOC or the players, or both, for not giving the owners some meaningful concessions in order to induce them to agree to go to PyeongChang. Instead this impedes the growth of our great game by walking away from an opportunity to reach sports fans worldwide.

Moreover, it is doing so after the financial issues relating to insurance and transportation have been resolved with the IOC and IIHF. The League’s efforts to blame others for its decision is as unfortunate as the decision itself. NHL players are patriotic and they do not take this lightly. A decent respect for the opinions of the players matters. This is the NHL’s decision, and its alone. It is very unfortunate for the game, the players and millions of loyal hockey fans.”

The NHLPA clearly disagrees with the NHL’s position, and lays the non-participation solely at the feet of the NHL.

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Evening Snapshots: Avalanche, Karlsson, Nylander

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News and notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • The Colorado Avalanche called up two players this afternoon: forward Rocco Grimaldi and defenseman Duncan Siemens. Grimaldi is having a great year in the AHL, scoring 29G and 22A in 51 games for the San Antonio Rampage. He’s on the final year of his ELC, and this opportunity should dictate the terms of his next contract. Defenseman Duncan Siemens—a former 2011 first round draft pick—will play just his second career NHL game. He has 2G and 4A in 68 games in the AHL this season. As AJ Haefele of BSN notes, the callups give the Avalanche a look at how its prospects fit in with the organization.
  • The Ottawa Senators announced that defenseman Erik Karlsson will return tonight against the Detroit Red Wings. Karlsson suffered a foot injury after blocking a shot Tuesday night against the Philadelphia Flyers. He missed the Senators’ next two games, and was in danger of missing a third before his surprise return. The Senators need all the firepower they can muster as they jockey for position in the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spots.
  • Buffalo Sabres forward Alexander Nylander makes his NHL debut tonight against his brother’s Toronto Maple Leafs, reports TSN’s Mark Masters. 2016’s 8th overall draft pick has played in the AHL all season, amassing 9G and 18A in 62 games for the Rochester Americans. In seven World Junior Championship games Nylander scored 5G and 7A. His much anticipated debut is heightened by the fact that it’s against his older brother William Nylander. The older Nylander has 22G and 37A this season, and the Sabres hope that their Nylander follows in his brother’s footsteps.

Snapshots: Lundqvist, Dowling, Smereck, Hextall

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The first reactions are in from the NHL’s announcement to not participate in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, and among them is New York Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. Monday evening he tweeted out his thoughts:

Disappointing news, @NHL won’t be part of the Olympics 2018. A huge opportunity to market the game at the biggest stage is wasted…but most of all, disappointing for all the players that can’t be part of the most special adventure in sports.

Lundqvist has been part of the Olympic experience three times, winning gold in 2006 and silver in 2014 for Sweden. A hall of fame goaltender in the NHL, his thoughts will likely be echoed by stars around the league for the next year as players speak out against the decision. This likely was Lundqvist’s last chance at the Games as he will be just shy of 40 for the 2022 Beijing tournament.

  • The Dallas Stars have sent Justin Dowling back to the AHL after just a two game stint. The 26-year old centerman has suited up for seven games this season, registering two points. Dowling has proven to be an excellent AHL scoring threat, but wasn’t given a chance at the NHL level until this season. If he can continue to win faceoffs and provide some secondary scoring, perhaps he could find a role on an NHL team next season. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
  • The Tucson Roadrunners have signed Jalen Smereck to an amateur tryout now that his Flint Firebirds have been eliminated from the OHL playoffs. The defenseman signed a three-year entry-level deal in October, and will likely join the Roadrunners to start next season. The undrafted 20-year old is a late-bloomer, turning 19 in his first OHL season. He has proved to be quite the offensive player though, with 45 points in 60 games this year.
  • As rumored last week, Ron Hextall has been officially named the GM of the Canadian World Championship team. The Flyers’ GM will take over the duties once the NHL season is over, and will be joined by former NHL goaltender Sean Burke as an assistant general manager. With the NHL not heading to the Olympics, perhaps the World Championships will become a more important tournament to league players. It is usually overlooked by many fans, as it is held during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled Joel Vermin from the AHL, in what amounted to about a seven hour assignment. The forward was sent down earlier this morning, but never left the team. He’ll stay as insurance for the Lightning as they try and get healthy and squeak into the playoffs.

Dalton Prout Suspended Two Games For Interference

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The New Jersey Devils will be without defenseman Dalton Prout for the next few days, as he has received a two game suspension from the league for his hit on Radko Gudas last night. The Department of Player Safety’s video explanation is clear in why Prout was both kicked out of the game and now suspended:

Prout comes off the bench, makes no attempt to join the play in any manner and instead targets a vulnerable player for the sole purpose of exacting retribution for an earlier play.

Prout, acquired at the deadline from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Kyle Quincey, was previously suspended for sucker punching Nikita Kucherov in a game last March. That time, he got just a single game but is now considered a repeat offender. While the league admits this incident wasn’t particularly violent, Gudas isn’t even looking up when he gets hit and could have easily suffered an injury.

Though it doesn’t matter much for the Devils as they struggle through the end of the 2016-17 season, Prout will now be on the list with two suspensions and under an even closer magnifying glass going forward. As he tries to stay relevant in the NHL, that history will make it even more difficult to play the physical brand of hockey he is known for.

NHL Will Not Participate In 2018 Olympics

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The decision is in, and it’s one that has been expected for a while. The NHL will not participate in the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. In a press release, the league explains:

…the NHLPA has now publicly confirmed that it has no interest or intention of engaging in any discussion that might make Olympic participation more attractive to the [NHL] Clubs. As a result, and in an effort to create clarity among conflicting reports and erroneous speculation, this will confirm our intention to proceed with finalizing our 2017-18 Regular Season schedule without any break to accommodate the Olympic Winter Games. We now consider the matter officially closed.

In negotiations between the NHL and NHLPA on the matter, the league tried to trade participation in the Games for a CBA extension, an offer that was almost immediately turned down. Players around the league did not think they should have to make any concessions to go, which effectively shut down the dialogue between the two sides. Recently the IOC had publicly said that the league may not be welcomed at the 2022 Games should they skip South Korea, a tactic that clearly has not worked to persuade owners around the league.

In the statement the league mentions those comments, implying that they were part of the final decision to announce that they wouldn’t go. As they’ve shown time and time again throughout the past few decades, the league will not be threatened or pushed around publicly. Alec Ovechkin

All of this comes as players around the league speak out about going to the tournament, with some—including Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin—saying they would go anyway. While Ovechkin’s owner Ted Leonis has said that he will support his star winger’s decision to play, Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk has stated the opposite in regards to Erik Karlsson.

There is also the issue of what the league will now do for television coverage during the Games. NBC has recently agreed to air the entirety of the Games live, starting their coverage each day at 7pm EST. That means they won’t be able to air any NHL games during the February 9th-25th period, usually one of the most important times of the year. One would expect the league uses this time to install their new bye week system, but it will still pose a problem to coverage in the US.

In all, this has been the stance of the NHL for some time now and shouldn’t be taken as much of a surprise. The next year will be filled with controversy over players leaving their teams to participate anyway, and if they’re even allowed to do so. Losing players like Ovechkin for a few weeks right before the trade deadline is something no team will want to do, especially those in the thick of a playoff race. In fact, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet the league has told teams to not discuss individual players participating until a later time, when they have ruled on whether it will be allowed.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet broke the story just before the league released the statement.

San Jose Sharks Send Timo Meier To AHL

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The San Jose Sharks have struggled over the last few weeks, passed in the Pacific Division by both the Anaheim Ducks and Edmonton Oilers and at risk of dropping into a wild card position. With this in mind, they’ve made a change to their forward group, sending young Timo Meier down to the AHL on Monday afternoon.

Despite having solid analytical numbers, Meier has struggled to contribute offensively since his call up in December.  In February he was sent back to the AHL to work on shot selection after recording just five points in 26 games. Recording just a 4.6% shooting percentage during that time, he was getting forcing the puck to the net just a bit. During his latest stint with the team he generated 16 shots in six games but again failed to score, this time registering just one assist.

The Sharks can’t afford to keep Meier around if he’s not helping them win, and with the recent injury to Joe Thornton sapping them of even more center depth, they’ll have to bring up someone who can play the middle and help them limp into the playoffs. Don’t think this is the last of Meier though, as at just 20-years old he still has a long NHL career ahead of him.

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