Archives for May 2017

Golden Knights Notes: Expansion Draft Targets, Gallant, Yakupov

May 20, 2017 at 10:00 am CDT | by Glen Miller 2 Comments

The NHL purposefully designed the rules regarding the expansion draft to give the league’s newest member the best possible chance to compete right away. Teams have two options in terms of whom to protect from their current roster: they can either choose to protect seven forwards, three defensemen and a goalie or they can go the alternate route of eight skaters and one goalie. Any player with two seasons or less of experience playing professional hockey in North America are exempt. Undoubtedly, many teams will confront some tough choices when it comes to whom they potentially lose to the Golden Knights later next month.

Rob Vollman, writing for ESPN.com, examines who among the four Stanley Cup semi-finalists Vegas GM George McPhee is most likely going to garner significant interest from the veteran hockey executive. From the reigning champion Penguins, Vollman suggests that unless the club can convince Marc-Andre Fleury to waive his NMC and subsequently trade him to another club looking for a #1 between the pipes, one of Pittsburgh’s goaltenders would be the best choice for McPhee and the Golden Knights. However, should the Penguins proactively move one of their ’tenders – almost assuredly Fleury – prior to the expansion draft, Vollman suggests blue liner Brian Dumoulin as the best choice given his penalty killing prowess and ability to play solid defensively.

According to the scribe, Anaheim, barring some shifty maneuvering, may risk losing Josh Manson or Jakob Silfverberg to their new division rivals. Manson, as a right-hand defenseman who can move the puck and plays with bite, would be an excellent addition for Vegas.

Because of their defensive depth, Nashville will likely choose to protect eight skaters, with four being blue liners. This means the Golden Knights will probably have their pick from a group which includes forwards Calle Jarnkrok, Craig Smith and Colin Wilson. Ultimately, Vollman thinks Jarnkrok would be the sensible choice given his affordable cap hit ($2MM annually through 2021-22) and his strong two-way play.

Given the lack of proven goal scorers likely to be available to McPhee in the expansion draft, Vollman wonders whether Vegas could be convinced to take the onerous contract of Bobby Ryan off of Ottawa’s hands. Ryan, who has five years – at which point the winger will be 35 – and an annual cap charge of $7.25MM, has struggled since joining Ottawa four years ago and finished with just 13 goals in 62 contests this past season. However, he has played better in the playoffs recording five markers and 14 points in 16 games. Vollman doubts McPhee would take that hefty contract on without the Senators offering them further incentive to do so but also notes the $7.25MM price tag would make it much easier to reach their targeted floor of $43.8MM in salaries. And at 30, there is hope Ryan can provide at least a few seasons of solid offensive production for a club who will likely struggle to put the puck in the net.

In other Golden Knights news:

The Golden Knights have done well in hiring veteran coach Gerard Gallant to be the franchise’s first bench boss, at least if some of his former charges and current contemporaries are correct. NHL.com’s Brian Hedger penned an article on Gallant, who is currently an assistant with Canada’s entry in the 2017 IIHF World Championship, which included quotes from Michael Matheson and Nick Bjugstad, who each played for Gallant in Florida. Matheson, a young defenseman who rejoined Gallant on Team Canada for this tournament, said: “He’s a tremendous coach and I loved my time with him. He just gives his players a lot of confidence. He realizes that you’re going to make mistakes but that it’s not the end of the world. He’s just going to put you back onto the ice because he has confidence in you.” For his part, Bjugstad said: “He’s one of my favorite coaches ever,” and indicated he was well-liked in the room in Florida. “Everyone respected him. He had a young team with us, and it didn’t take him long to kind of push us to that next level, the next step. There’s no reason he can’t do it with the next team.” Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper also offered up strong praise for Gallant: “I think it’s a great get for Las Vegas. I got to meet Gerard at the [World Cup of Hockey 2016], and that’s a big reason he’s here with us today. He’s extremely knowledgeable about the game, the guys play hard for him and I think he’ll do a [great] job in Vegas.” Gallant’s ability to help develop young players and earn the respect from his charges should do him well in his new position. While the Golden Knights will have access to quality NHL talent via the expansion draft, the organization will still likely rely on building with youth through the draft and it may be a few seasons before they are ready to compete regularly for the postseason.
With the probable lack of proven goal scorers available to Vegas in the expansion draft, the club will likely look for other ways to add offensive talent to the organization. The Golden Knights have already inked free agent center Vadim Shipachyov, a skilled Russian who was expected to draw significant interest from several NHL clubs this summer. He may well slot in as the team’s #1 center to begin the season. But, as talented as Shipachyov might be, he is more of a playmaker than a goal scorer and Vegas will have to add more talent around their new #1 pivot. Luke Fox of Sportsnet suggests that former top overall draft pick Nail Yakupov is just the sort of player Vegas should take a chance on as they search for impact offensive talent. Yakupov, who suffered through the worst season of his career with St. Louis in 2016-17, scoring just nine points in 40 games, has said he has no desire to return home and play in the KHL. Fox believes the 23-year-old winger is worth a short-term, small money deal for Vegas, or for another team starved for cheap offense, perhaps L.A. Signing Yakupov would certainly make a lot of sense for Vegas. The presence of Shipachyov could help ease Yakupov’s adjustment to the desert and provide the talented winger with the type of setup man that could help him thrive.

Offseason Keys: Florida Panthers

May 19, 2017 at 8:55 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

While the expansion draft is set to headline a busy NHL offseason, there are still several other storylines for each team in the months ahead. Here is a closer look at what lies ahead for the Florida Panthers.

After a surprising postseason run in 2015-16, the Panthers removed Dale Tallon from the GM post with Tom Rowe taking over. He signed several core players to long-term extensions but the team failed to perform to expectations and Gerard Gallant was let go as head coach before long with Rowe taking over there as well. The struggles continued and Rowe was relieved of both duties after the season (although he remains with the organization). The reins have been handed back to Tallon after a year of wackiness; here’s what’s on the docket for Florida this offseason.

Hire A Coach

The obvious task is to name a new bench boss to take over from Rowe. Tallon has cast a wide net and has been very thorough so far. Among those known to have interviewed are former Canadiens coach Michel Therrien and Denver (NCAA) coach Jim Montgomery who are believed to have gone through a couple of interviews. The team reportedly has interest in Washington associate coach Todd Reirden as well while Nashville assistant Phil Housley has also been suggested and there are likely others that are flying under the radar at the moment.

While there is no stated timetable to make this hire, presumably Tallon will look to get this wrapped up within the next two to three weeks. It’s reasonable to think that the new coach will want input on any potential moves and the expansion draft (which is likely to really kick start the offseason movement) is now less than a month away.

Jagr’s Future

Although he fell well short of the 66 points he put up a year ago, Jaromir Jagr still had a fairly productive season, picking up 46 points (16-30-46) while playing in every game. Not too shabby for someone who turned 45 back in February. Jagr is slated to become an unrestricted free agent in July and will likely be headed for another one year contract; he has stated that he intends to plan in 2017-18.

Several members of the organization have lauded Jagr’s contributions not only on the ice but off of it as well in terms of mentoring some of their younger players.

However, he is really starting to slow down and we’re seeing more and more how important speed is in the current NHL. If the Panthers are looking to play an up-tempo style, Jagr may not be the best fit for them.

If there is mutual interest in a return, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Jagr take a bit of a pay cut. He earned a base salary of $4MM this season while hitting another $1.5MM in games played incentives. Florida already has a little over $60MM committed to 16 players for next year and they haven’t been a team that has typically spent to the ceiling so slotting him in for another $5.5MM doesn’t seem like a likely scenario at this time.

Reshape The Defense

Last summer, the Panthers transitioned into a team that relied heavily on analytics and in particular, they looked to rebuild their blueline with more emphasis on mobility and puck possession. While the individual acquisitions made sense at the time, the unit as a whole really failed to live up to expectations, especially at the defensive end.

While it’s unlikely that Tallon will completely tear apart the defense corps, it wouldn’t be surprising at all to see him try to bring in more of a prototypical stay-at-home player to give at least one of the pairings a new look. Failing that, adding some grit to their blueliners is another potential move to change things up. However, given their cap situation, they’re probably not going to be looking at the higher-end free agents (or possible trade acquisitions). Any moves made will likely come out as tweaks but that coupled with a new coach may be enough to turn around what is a quality unit, at least on paper. Given that they allowed 34 more goals this year than last, it may go a long way towards getting them back into the playoff picture as well.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Ward, Gomez, Blues

May 19, 2017 at 7:44 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Sharks right winger Joel Ward has undergone successful surgery, the team announced. In their press release, GM Doug Wilson notes that the veteran had the choice to have the procedure done or opt for rehab instead but clearly he opted to go under the knife.

Ward battled with this issue throughout the season which could very well be a contributing factor to his offensive decline. In 2015-16, his first season in San Jose, the 36 year old scored 21 goals while adding 22 assists; his 43 points coming in as the second best output of his career. However, he only tallied 28 points (10-19-29) this season in 78 games.

Ward is expected to make a full recovery and will be ready to suit up once training camp gets underway in September.

Other notes from around the league:

After it was reported earlier this week that Kelly Buchberger is a candidate to join the Islanders’ coaching staff, Newsday’s Arthur Staple reports that former NHL center Scott Gomez is also under consideration for a role on head coach Doug Weight’s staff. Gomez retired back in early September after an NHL career that spanned over 1,000 games. Staple speculates that the 37 year old could potentially be tasked to work on a power play unit that ranked 28th in the league this season with a 14.9% success rate. Gomez is no stranger to power play success as 255 of his 756 career points came with the man advantage.
The Blues are set to have several notable forwards left unprotected in next month’s expansion draft and Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch suggests in a reader chat (fifth panel) that winger Ryan Reaves is worthy of the final protection slot, even if that means exposing a more productive forward like David Perron. He notes that secondary scoring is typically easier to find in free agency than a forward like Reaves, who took some strides forward offensively this year, setting a career high in points. Rutherford adds Dmitrij Jaskin as another candidate to get the last protected spot up front despite only scoring once in 51 games in 2016-17.

Artem Anisimov – Chicago’s Next Cap Casualty?

May 19, 2017 at 6:36 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 2 Comments

There are few certainties around the league but something that is seemingly becoming an annual tradition is the Blackhawks making moves to tap dance under the NHL’s salary cap. There have been no shortage of casualties over the years – Dustin Byfuglien, Brandon Saad, Patrick Sharp, and Andrew Ladd are among the many that have had to go elsewhere – and as Chris Hine of the Chicago Tribune notes, center Artem Anisimov is a candidate to join that ever-growing list.

In a breakdown of which teams could be potential trade partners for Chicago, Hine states that Anisimov has been rumored to be on the trade block despite his strong production and reasonable contract.

Anisimov has four years remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $4.55MM, not exactly a premium price for a second line pivot nowadays. Worth noting, he joined Chicago as part of the Saad deal as a cheaper top six forward, signing his current deal immediately after the trade.

Despite missing 18 games due to various injuries (including a lower body issue that caused him to miss the final 13 regular season contests), he set a career high in points last season with 45. It marked the second straight year that he hit the 40 point plateau after only reaching that mark just once in his first six seasons.

Based on that alone, it would seem like a no-brainer for GM Stan Bowman to want to keep him around. However, they already have over $76MM in payroll committed for next season per CapFriendly while they still to re-sign a few players in defenseman Michal Kempny, winger Tomas Jurco, and center Dennis Rasmussen. The salary cap isn’t expected to go up much beyond the $73MM upper limit from this season so some cuts will need to be made.

Hine adds that the team believes they may be able to use Nick Schmaltz or Tanner Kero in Anisimov’s second line spot which would free the team up to move the soon-to-be 29 year old. Schmaltz just wrapped up his first professional season, recording 28 points (6-22-28) in 61 games while Kero split the season between the NHL and AHL, recording 16 points (6-10-16) in 47 NHL contests. Both players have two years remaining on their contracts with cap hits of $925K and $750K, respectively.

The Blackhawks have been forced to make cost-cutting moves in the past and for the most part have been able to land a quality return. At a time where there are few top six centers available, Bowman could be poised to capitalize on a sellers’ market and bring in some more quality youngsters into the organization, freeing up a sizable chunk of cap space in the process.

Offseason Keys: Dallas Stars

May 19, 2017 at 5:25 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 2 Comments

The season ended only a month ago but already GM Jim Nill has made two significant changes. First was the return of Ken Hitchcock behind the bench to replace former head coach Lindy Ruff. The second was the move to shore up their goaltending situation with the addition of Ben Bishop from the Kings while signing him to a six year, $29.5MM contract. While those are two big elements already taken care of, there are still a few other avenues that are likely to be addressed this summer.

Move A Goalie

The addition of Bishop gives Dallas three goalies on big ticket contracts for next season. Clearly, Bishop’s spot as the starter is locked in but a decision will need to be made on who to keep (if either) of Kari Lehtonen or Antti Niemi.

Both netminders have one year left on their current contracts with Lehtonen carrying a cap hit of $5.9MM and Niemi checking in at $4.5MM. Combined, the duo was the priciest tandem in the league in 2016-17.

It appears that there is going to be a bit of musical chairs when it comes to goaltending this offseason which could potentially present the opportunity for Nill to try to move one of them out in a trade. However, it would seem likely that they would need to take a goalie in return which doesn’t exactly solve the logjam.

As things stand, the expected course of action is that a buyout is forthcoming. If the team opts to buy out Lehtonen, they will eat a cap hit of $2.57MM this season and $1.67MM next year. Niemi’s cap charge if bought out is more uniform, coming in at $1.5MM for each of the next two seasons.

Rebuild The Back End

While their goals against should drop with the addition of Bishop (while Hitchcock is certainly a defensive-minded coach), the Stars are lacking in top four defensemen. John Klingberg took a step back last season but is still their biggest threat but there aren’t many proven options beyond him. Dan Hamhuis isn’t the top pairing player he once was and while the team has high hopes for Esa Lindell and Julius Honka, among others, they’re still developing and aren’t ready for a top role just yet.

It’s not a great free agent market for defenders but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Nill try to be active, particularly when it comes to the second tier. There aren’t many top end options available but there are several players who could slide into a top four role for a year or two while their youngsters continue to develop. Going the trade route is another option but the Stars will have some money to spend which makes it more likely that they’ll skew towards the open market.

Hit In The Draft

Dallas hasn’t had a lot of first round success lately. From 2009-2013 (the last few years are really too early to judge), they’ve missed on just about every pick. Radek Faksa – a pending RFA – is turning into a quality player but Scott Glennie, Jack Campbell, Jamie Oleksiak, and Valeri Nichushkin all have failed to come close to meeting their draft day expectations. The only two left in the organization are Oleksiak and Nichushkin; the former has been in a time share on the back end for the last two years while the latter was in the KHL this season.

The Stars were big winners in the draft lottery as they jumped from eighth overall to third to give them their earliest draft pick in franchise history. After missing on that many first rounders, Nill and his staff simply cannot suffer the same fate this time around. If they keep the pick, they should be able to land a core prospect, something they’ve been lacking for a while now. However, it was reported yesterday that they’ve already had some talks about potentially moving the pick in exchange for an established player in the hopes of getting back into contention quickly.

With Anaheim making the conference final, Dallas picks up their first rounder as well. It’s slated to be somewhere between 28-31 but that will give them a shot at adding another decent prospect or a better trade chip. The Stars haven’t had a lot of draft success as of late but they have a strong opportunity to change that next month.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Ryan Johansen Out 2-3 Months With Left Thigh Injury

May 19, 2017 at 4:14 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 3 Comments

The Nashville Predators not only lost their Western Conference game last night in crushing fashion, but have lost one of their key forwards in the process. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Ryan Johansen required surgery to repair a left thigh injury, the result of which will be a 2-3 month recovery period. The emergency surgery was completed at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Johansen played more than 27 minutes in the overtime game, leading all forwards of either team.

The 24-year old center has developed into the #1 option the Predators were after when they traded Seth Jones for him last year, scoring 61 points during the regular season. His play in the postseason for Nashville has been close to Conn Smythe-worthy, with 13 points in 14 games an an excellent defensive effort every night. Matched against some of the toughest defensive centers in the league, Johansen has found success and helped the Predators become a real potential Cup-winning team. Now, they’ll have to find a way to fill the huge hole in the middle of the ice with someone else.

Mike Fisher is the obvious candidate to take on an even bigger role, but he left game 4 in the third period with an apparent head injury after Josh Manson’s knee collided with it. He didn’t play any of the overtime, registering less than 13 minutes on the night. Calle Jarnkrok has played well this season but has little experience going up against the top checking units of other teams, while Colton Sissons and Vernon Fiddler don’t have the offensive chops to play on the top line. Mike Ribeiro, an option because of his history of offensive production, was the center of a Yahoo! Sports report yesterday speaking about his latest relapse with alcoholism and his current status of rest and rehabilitation. Ribeiro was waived earlier this year after a trade request and finished the season with the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL.

This is a disappointing end to a playoff run for a burgeoning young forward, especially after the war of words he’s maintained with Ryan Kesler throughout the series. The Predators will need to find a way to fill his minutes with productive play, and perhaps this is a chance for another young player to step up and make a difference in the playoffs. Especially after also losing Kevin Fiala earlier in these playoffs, the spotlight will brighten on Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson even more now to carry the offensive load, while hoping that Colin Wilson and James Neal can step up even further.

Stanislav Galiev Ready For “Something Different” Next Season

May 19, 2017 at 2:25 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The writing has been on the wall all season for Stanislav Galiev, who couldn’t make the Washington Capitals out of training camp once again and was expected to be moved at the trade deadline. Today in his exit interview, Galiev told Kyle Mace of Chocolate Hockey—a website dedicated to the Hershey Bears—that he will be trying “something different” next year. Because of the combination of being at least 25, with three professional seasons but less than 80 NHL games, Galiev is a Group VI free agent this summer and able to sign with anyone in the league.

Galiev was a third-round pick of the Capitals in 2010, and progressed nicely during the next season before a wrist injury in NHL training camp robbed him of most of his age-19 season. He did end up dominating in the QMJHL playoffs after returning, leading the Saint John Sea Dogs to a Memorial Cup in 2012, but spent much of the next season in the ECHL. He’s since worked his way to the cusp of an NHL role, but has seen the press box and trainer’s table more times than the ice over the past few seasons. In 56 AHL games this year, he scored 40 points and showed that he still has offensive ability but it will have to be explored somewhere else.

The 25-year old has been in North America for nearly a decade, but there is always the chance that he could return to Russia and play in the KHL. That said, the Russian teams won’t be without competition around the league with teams hoping they can find a diamond in a player that once looked like a promising scoring winger. He has the skill to compete at whatever level he wants, but there does seem to be a lack of consistent effort at times.

Snapshots: Morin, Devils, Balinskis

May 19, 2017 at 1:25 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Travis Morin will be staying in Texas next season, after the Texas Stars captain signed a one-year AHL deal today. The 33-year old forward has been one of the more impressive scoring threats in the AHL for years, and recorded another 55 points this past season. With 468 points in 548 games, you’d think Morin would have gotten more of a look at the NHL, but he’s only spent 13 games there over his career.

Texas finished out of the playoffs this season, but will hope Morin will bring back his offensive touch to a group that should be improved in 2017-18. Mark McNeill, acquired at the deadline from the Chicago Blackhawks, will be an especially important addition should he not be able to crack the Dallas lineup next year.

The New Jersey Devils scouting staff is preparing “like we’re making the No. 1 pick” according to Mike Morreale of NHL.com, though there still does exist the possibility that the team would trade down. The team won’t make that final decision until much closer to the draft, but it’s clear that they have interest in both projected top picks. Paul Castron, the team’s director of amateur scouting, talks about how Nolan Patrick’s injury shouldn’t be held against him, and that Nico Hischier has made a meteoric rise up everyone’s draft boards this season. For a team looking to turn their franchise around quickly, they’ll have to decide whether one of the top two names can help them in the short-term, or if moving down a few spots in exchange for an NHL-ready player makes more sense.
Keep an eye on Uvis Balinskis from Dinamo Riga of the KHL and most recently the Latvian team at the World Championships. He’s now represented by Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey, who claims that the “NHL is next” for his client. Balinskis is “open for business” according to Milstein, and was impressive at the tournament. Balinskis played half the season for Riga after moving up from the MHL, and recorded 5 points in 21 games. The left-handed defenseman is just 20-years old and could have a professional future in North America should he continue to develop his two-way style.

Memorial Cup: How To Watch And What To Look For

May 19, 2017 at 11:56 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) is the top development league in the world for junior-aged players. Comprising of three separate entities—the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Western Hockey League (WHL) and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)—it houses players from all over the world as they pursue their eventual dream of playing professional hockey. Though countries around the world have different development models, the CHL still provides the largest number of NHL-drafted players each season. Last summer, exactly 15 of the 30 first round picks came out of the CHL.

Though each of the three leagues has their own playoff structure, the overall CHL champion is crowned by a 10-day tournament at the end of the year called the Memorial Cup. In it, the winner of each league faces off along with the host city in a round-robin before entering do-or-die one-game playoffs. This season, the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL will host the tournament while the Erie Otters (OHL), Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) and Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL) will represent their respective leagues.

Tonight marks the opening of the tournament with the Sea Dogs taking on the host Spitfires, and there are plenty of reasons to tune in. Here are some of the top players on each team that you should keep an eye on.

Windsor Spitfires

F Gabriel Vilardi – All eyes will be on Vilardi as he plays the last few games before likely going in the top-5 at next month’s NHL Entry Draft. He scored 61 points in 49 games this season for the Spitfires, and is still just 17 years old. His advanced size and strength has given him a leg up on similarly aged players, though his skating does still remain a question mark among certain scouts. A good showing at the Memorial Cup would go a long way to convince #3 Dallas (or whoever ends up with that pick) that he is the best option after Nolan Patrick and Nico Hischier, neither of which will be taking part in the tournament.

D Mikhail Sergachev – The ninth-overall pick from last summer returned to the Spitfires after a short stint with the Montreal Canadiens and followed up his incredible rookie season with another outstanding year. With 43 points in 50 games, Sergachev has made a mockery of the league using his size and offensive ability to dominate almost every shift. He’ll have a good shot at making the NHL next season, making this likely his last chance at a Memorial Cup.

Seattle Thunderbirds

F Mathew Barzal – You can’t mention the Thunderbirds without mentioning Barzal, as the New York Islanders prospect has lit up the WHL since returning from two-game stint in the NHL. With 79 points (including 69 assists) in 41 games, Barzal has shown an elite playmaking ability and is ready for the next level. Turning 20 next week, this is Barzal’s last taste of junior action before moving to professional hockey next season. Defensemen of the other three teams have to be wary whenever the puck is on his stick.

D Ethan Bear – While some may argue that he won’t be able to produce at the next level, watching Bear rack up points in junior is something special. The fifth-round pick of Edmonton scored 28 goals and 70 points in 67 games this season, and had another 26 on the Thunderbirds championship run. His shot release might be the quickest among CHL defenders, and Seattle sometimes even uses him at the top of the circle on the powerplay (think Alex Ovechkin). Don’t get into penalty trouble against the Thunderbirds, or Bear will make you pay.

Erie Otters

F Alex DeBrincat – What else is there to say about DeBrincat? He was named the OHL Most Outstanding Player after scoring 127 points in 63 games, his third straight 100+ point season. He added another 38 points en route to an OHL championship, and is basically unstoppable when skating with Tampa Bay prospect Taylor Raddysh and Arizona forward Dylan Strome. Erie has some of the most potent offensive weapons in the tournament, and are extremely difficult to slow down.

F Ivan Lodnia – Lodnia was looking like he might creep into the first-round at next month’s NHL draft until he was completely shut down in the OHL playoffs. In 22 games with Erie he scored just two points but don’t let that sway your opinion of him. He’s still extremely talented, and should shine when the top line of the Otters all move on to pro hockey next season. Scoring 56 points in 66 games this season, he could really bump his draft stock back up with an impressive performance in the Memorial Cup.

Saint John Sea Dogs

D Thomas Chabot – Chabot has turned into one of the best defensive prospects in the game, by evening out his two-way play while continuing to shine on the biggest stages. At the World Juniors this winter, he was easily Canada’s top defenseman—possibly even top player overall—and he stepped up in the QMJHL playoffs for Saint John. Scoring 23 points in 18 games, Chabot showed he can still put up huge offensive numbers when he needs to. It’s the all-around development that has the Senators so happy, and he’ll likely be matched with some of the top players in the tournament.

F Joe Veleno – Veleno turned 17 just a few months ago, but has already completed two full seasons in the CHL. That’s because he was granted exceptional status when he was just 15. He impressed this year with 40 points in 43 games and put up a solid 11 in the playoffs. While he’s not the top offensive option for the Sea Dogs, it’s important to remember that he isn’t even draft eligible until 2018. Already standing over six-feet tall, Veleno will likely keep growing and turn into a dominant forward next season. A Memorial Cup this year could help him continue a quest to go at the top of the draft next summer.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Morning Notes: Babcock, Maple Leafs, Borowiecki

May 19, 2017 at 10:29 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Toronto Maple Leafs fan base has been abuzz over the last few days after seeing pictures of Mike Babcock at games 3 and 4 between Nashville and Anaheim, even being joined by GM Lou Lamoriello for the latter. His appearance immediately made many think that he was scouting Ducks defensemen eligible for the expansion draft, though Sportsnet’s Luke Fox has an additional theory.

Predators captain Mike Fisher will be a free agent this summer, and though he’s obviously tied strongly to the Nashville community—he’s married to country music star Carrie Underwood after all—the numbers might just not leave enough room for him. Nashville has a busy offseason ahead of them, with both Ryan Johansen and Viktor Arvidsson hitting restricted free agency. If Fisher were to hit the open market, Toronto would likely be interested after the comments Babcock made earlier this year about him.

Maple Leafs fans will also be happy to see the success of their two young stars at the World Championships. Mitch Marner and William Nylander have been some of the best forwards in the tournament thus far, with Nylander especially finding incredible chemistry with playoff-foe Nicklas Backstrom. Nylander and Backstrom have a long history, going back to the latter’s rookie season in Washington when he was welcomed into the home of then-teammate Michael Nylander, William’s father. The two, almost 10 years apart, spent a lot of time together during those first two seasons playing ping-pong in the basement or mini-sticks in the hallway. It seems all that time spent so many years ago has created a sort of familiarity on the ice, that has blossomed into some incredible goals since Backstrom joined the tournament.
The Ottawa Senators won’t get Mark Borowiecki back tonight, though he took the morning skate with the team. According to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia, the bruising defenseman suffered a setback pushing too hard to try and get back on the ice. He still hopes to return in this series, which would stretch to next Thursday should it go all seven games. The Senators will try to take a commanding 3-1 series lead tonight as they take on the Penguins at home.

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