Archives for June 2017

Chicago Blackhawks To Hire Ulf Samuelsson

June 7, 2017 at 8:08 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 2 Comments

According to Craig Morgan of AZ Sports, the Chicago Blackhawks are set to name Ulf Samuelsson as their new assistant coach. The Hawks had been rumored to be after Samuelsson for a few weeks to replace the fired Mike Kitchen. Kitchen had been let go earlier this spring after the Hawks were swept out of the first round, causing many conflicting reports about whether or not Joel Quenneville had been part of the decisions. The head coach and Kitchen are long-time friends who go back to their playing days in the earlier 80s.

Samuelsson on the other hand has been coaching the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL recently, taking the team to a 39-29-8 record this season. It was his first head coaching gig, but he has nearly a decade worth of experience behind an NHL bench, first for the Coyotes and most recently with the New York Rangers. His 1,080 games as a mean-spirited defenseman give him even more insight into the game, and a fiery reputation. Samuelsson recorded 2,453 penalty minutes in his NHL career, and at one point was among the most feared players in the game.

Morgan has also heard that the team is attempting to bring Don Granato aboard in “some capacity.” Granato is currently working at the University of Wisconsin as an assistant coach with his brother, Tony and has previously been a head coach with the US Development Program and two teams in the AHL. His development of young players has been praised many times, perhaps leading to a similar role with the Blackhawks in the future.

Top Performers At The NHL Combine

June 6, 2017 at 9:10 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 1 Comment

While the combine results for top NHL prospects are taken with only a grain of salt relative to their NFL counterparts, combine weekend does allow for teams to pick up some key information about a player’s physical ability that may make a difference as to when their name is called on June 23rd. While there is always a player whose lackluster performance gets the attention of the media – the victim this year was Casey Mittelstadt and his inability to do a pull-up – other players can instead gain the attention of scouts by showcasing their athleticism.

This year, two players stood out above all the rest: Joshua Norris and Morgan Geekie. Norris put on a clinic at the combine, finishing first in the vertical jump (26.19 inches), long jump (118 inches), and shuttle (4.19 seconds), as well as placing near the top of pull-ups and fitness exercises. A 6’1″, 192-lb. center out of the U.S. National Development Program, Norris was ranked 34th among North American skaters in the NHL’s final prospect rankings and has been projected as a second-round pick, but given the athleticism he put on display this weekend, he could be pushing for a late first-round selection. Geekie, also a center and standing at 6’2″, 178-lbs., may not slide into the first, but has surely moved up some draft boards, up from his #45 ranking towards the top of the second round after his performance. Geekie finished third in the long jump (114.5 inches) and also placed near the top of many other workouts including the vertical jump, shuttle, pull-ups, and grip strength measurements. The Tri-City pivot showed a wide range of physical ability.

Others who excelled at combine workouts included several first-round candidates. Kailer Yamamoto was measured as having the top VO2 max of the class, a metric of oxygen consumption and thus stamina, and also finished second in the shuttle (4.2 seconds, 4.38 seconds) and in the top ten of pull-ups and fitness testing. At just 5’8″ and 153-lbs., many have been critical of the Spokane Chiefs right wing, but this showing of strength and athleticism may help to quell some of those concerns over his size. Another smaller player, potential top-ten defenseman Cale Makar, was similarly successful. The 5’11”, 180-lb. UMass-bound blue liner finished third in the shuttle (4.39 seconds) and near the top of both the vertical jump and long jump, displaying the explosiveness in his legs that helps him fly around the ice. On the other side of the size scale, 6’6″, 200-lb. Isaac Ratcliffe was not only measured as having the longest wingspan of the group (81.29 inches), but also finished third in VO2 max and near the top in the shuttle and long jump. A big man with a reach, strong legs, and stamina? The Guelph left winger seems like a lock to be taken in the first round now. Other standout skaters included Sault Ste. Marie center Morgan Frost, who could be hearing his name called on Day One after ranking first in fitness and third in the vertical jump (24.63 inches), Scott Reedy, who was all over the map with the top mark in grip strength (170 lbs. lefty), second-best VO2 max, and a high mark in the shuttle, and Owen Sound lefty Jonah Gadjovich, who had the second best grip with his primary hand (164 lbs.) and also excelled at the bench press and pull-ups. Look out for American prep school defensive prospect Jack Rathbone, who finished at the top of the pull-up charts with 13 and excelled on the bench press as well, and USHL defenseman Mario Ferraro, who had a well-rounded workout finishing among the best in the bench press, pull-ups, grip strength, and shuttles. Though late-round prospects, guys like Rathbone and Ferraro can use the combine to differentiate themselves from other lesser-known names.

A couple of goalies looked to stand out in a deep keeper draft as well, as both Dayton Rasmussen and Ian Scott shown bright at the combine. Rasmussen had the most bench reps of any player in attendance (17) and the second-best vertical jump as well (25.56 inches). Rasmussen, who played in the USHL last year, could use the extra attention. He also placed well in the long jump, but Scott stole his thunder in that exercise. Scott, of the Prince Albert Raiders, is a more well-known prospect, but still one of many good goalies in this class. His size and strength could help to give him an edge though, as displayed by his 117.5-inch long jump, second-best of the weekend, and strong vertical jump, as well as his 78.5-inch wingspan.

What of the draft’s top two prospects, Nolan Patrick and Nico Hischier? Hischier had the highest ranking in any one event, tying Rathbone atop the pull-up charts with 13, but the bigger news was his all-around domination over Patrick. The Swiss center edged out his rival in pull-ups, the long jump, the shuttle, and fitness and VO2 testing and only narrowly lost out in the vertical jump. The only workout where Patrick had a clear advantage was the bench press, where he repped 70% of his 198-lb. frame 12 times while Hischier could only manage seven reps of 70% of his 176 lbs.

Side Deal Dilemma: Beleskey vs. Hayes

June 6, 2017 at 7:31 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 6 Comments

On Sunday, the Boston Herald’s Steve Conroy suggested that the Bruins attempt to sway the Vegas Golden Knights into selecting Matt Beleskey in the Expansion Draft by offering up a third or even second-round pick. Conroy lists Boston’s depth in young left wingers – Frank Vatrano, Jake DeBrusk, Peter Cehlarik, Danton Heinen, and Anders Bjork to name a few, Beleskey’s drop-off in production and injury problems in 2016-17, and simply the three years and $11.4MM remaining on his contract as reasons why the Bruins should push to have the veteran power forward leave town.

Yet, ask most Bruins fans and they would say that the player they would most like to see selected in the Expansion Draft is Jimmy Hayes. The “Pride of Dorchester” has not been very successful during his home town tenure. After Boston swapped Reilly Smith for Hayes with the Florida Panthers in 2015, his scoring fell off from 35 points in his final season with the Panthers to 29 points in his first season with the Bruins and then to a miserable five points in 58 games in 2016-17. At the price of $2.3MM for one more year, Hayes too is a drain on cap space that many would be willing to give up a pick to move.

So which is the greater of two evils? The fact often forgotten when referencing Beleskey is that in 2015-16, his first season in Boston, Beleskey recorded a career-best 37 points. It wasn’t quite the same per-game production as his final season with the Anaheim Ducks, but Beleskey was still a valuable contributor up front. Beleskey’s hit and blocked shot totals also skyrocketed last season, as he played the integral role of replacing the toughness lost when Milan Lucic departed. Beleskey has acknowledged that he struggled with injuries in 2016-17, which was the main reason he registered just eight points in the regular season and was only active for three of the Bruins’ six playoff games. Those numbers are bound to improve in 2017-18, as Conroy himself noted. If Beleskey can get healthy and return to 40-point scoring range and to his dominant physical game, those final three years may be well worth it. However, that is a big if. Hayes has performed much worse in the same two seasons as Beleskey and doesn’t have the injury excuse to fall back on. What he does have is just one year remaining. If the Bruins were to give up a draft pick to persuade George McPhee and the Knights to take one of the two players, it would be a better investment to remove three years and over $11MM if they are unsure about Beleskey than for just one more year of a little over $2MM for Hayes, especially if that investment is a high pick. Boston has prospect depth on the right side as well as the left, as top forward prospect Zach Senyshyn will surely push for a job in camp, but Hayes’ contract doesn’t block development the way Beleskey’s could. The Bruins may be better off simply buying Hayes’ final year out if they really wanted to, but the same can’t be said for what would amount to a six-year hit to cut Beleskey.

It seems unfair to jump to conclusions about Beleskey based on one injury-riddled season and if the question was who is more likely to be the better player moving forward between he and Hayes, Beleskey is the easy pick. The Bruins have even stated that a top-six winger is an off-season priority for the team and Beleskey may be their best in-house solution and certainly better than Hayes. However, the question of who the Bruins should try to pawn off on Vegas, should they go that route, should also be Beleskey, as his contract situation and concerns about his long-term durability outweigh the short-term burden Hayes adds. Conroy may be on track with his predictions, though many fans may be disappointed by losing both Beleskey and a draft pick for nothing, but with so many questions surrounding the Expansion Draft for not just Boston, but all 30 teams, this scenario is far from certain.

James Patrick Leaves NHL To Coach WHL’s Kootenay Ice

June 6, 2017 at 6:11 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

Over the past decade, James Patrick has been the right hand man of one of the NHL’s most well-known coaches, Lindy Ruff. However, Ruff’s future is in doubt after the Dallas Stars declined to extend both he and Patrick. Patrick has embraced the unknown and decided to strike out on his own. The Kootenay Ice of the major junior Western Hockey League announced today that they have hired Patrick as their new head coach. It is a three-year contract for Patrick, as he looks to turn around the team that finished dead last in the WHL in 2016-17.

Patrick is long overdue for a head coaching job. Patrick finished up his long 21-year NHL career after the 2003-04 season with the Buffalo Sabres. He re-joined his former team to work for his former head coach not long after, joining the Buffalo staff ahead of the 2006-07 season. Patrick spent seven seasons in Buffalo under Ruff and then followed him to Dallas for four more campaigns. In addition to his coaching career, Patrick recorded 639 points in 1280 NHL games with the New York Rangers, Hartford Whalers, Calgary Flames and Sabres and was also an NCAA champion at the University of North Dakota in 1982.

While Patrick’s hire is big news, it certainly won’t be the biggest announcement in the Patrick family this June, as his nephew, Nolan Patrick, is one of the upcoming NHL Draft’s top picks and could very easily be picked first overall by the New Jersey Devils. Should Patrick find success as the head coach in Kootenay, he could one day end up coaching his nephew (or against him) at the NHL level.

Expansion Primer: New York Islanders

June 6, 2017 at 4:11 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 1 Comment

Over the next few weeks we will be breaking down each team’s situation as it pertains to the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft. Which players are eligible, and which will likely warrant protection or may be on the block. Each team is required to submit their protection lists by 4pm CDT on June 17th. The full rules on eligibility can be found here, and CapFriendly has provided a handy expansion tool to make your own lists.

When the New York Islanders went out last summer and signed Andrew Ladd, they expected him to be an integral piece of their top six and a veteran who could show the rest of the team what it meant to be Stanley Cup contenders. After all, Ladd had won Cups with both Carolina and Chicago, and the Islanders were coming off two straight 100+ point seasons and a round 1 victory over the Florida Panthers. His season very much mirrored the year for the rest of the team, who started off ice cold and found themselves in last place in the Eastern Conference as the calendar turned to December.

The Islanders would eventually catch fire much like Ladd, who after scoring just two goals in his first 24 games would finish the season with 23. New York, riding a six game win streak to finish the season would push the Maple Leafs to the brink but ultimately fall just a point short of the eighth and final playoff spot. Now, having missed the playoffs and still struggling to find a permanent home, they’ll go into the offseason with much on their minds. Outside of re-signing John Tavares to a long-term deal (which is clearly their focus), they’ll select 15th at the entry draft and navigate the troubled waters of the Vegas expansion draft.

Eligible Players (Non-UFA)

Forwards:

John Tavares (NMC), Andrew Ladd (NMC), Nikolai Kulemin, Anders Lee, Cal Clutterbuck, Casey Cizikas, Josh Bailey, Brock Nelson, Ryan Strome, Jason Chimera, Shane Prince, Alan Quine

Defensemen:

Johnny Boychuk (NMC), Nick Leddy, Travis Hamonic, Thomas Hickey, Dennis Seidenberg, Ryan Pulock, Scott Mayfield, Adam Pelech, Loic Leduc, Matthew Finn, Calvin de Haan, Jesse Graham

Goaltenders:

Jaroslav Halak, Thomas Greiss, Christopher Gibson

Notable Exemptions

Mikhail Grabovski, Anthony Beauvillier, Michael Dal Colle, Joshua Ho-Sang, Mathew Barzal, Jake Bischoff

Key Decisions

The expansion draft for the Islanders hinges on two key decisions: 1) Will Boychuk waive his no-movement clause and accept exposure knowing that Vegas is unlikely to select his long and expensive contract? 2) Knowing the answer on Boychuk, which of the two protection schemes (seven forwards, three defensemen or eight skaters) will they decide to employ?

At forward, the second decision looms large as at least nine players have various cases for protection. It would be tough to expose any of the Tavares-Ladd-Lee-Bailey-Nelson group, as they are the core of the forwards and are all young enough (save for perhaps Ladd) to grow and contribute together over the next several years. Outside of those five Cizikas, Strome, Prince and Quine all carry some mixture of potential and performance. Strome carries the investment of a fifth-overall draft selection despite his recent disappointments, making him a tough name to leave off your list at just 23 years old.

Those final few spots up front will be dependent on how the Islanders feel about their defense core though, as they’re at risk of having to expose a good young defender like de Haan or Hamonic. Even if Boychuk decides to waive his NMC, the eight-skater protection scheme would still likely leave Pulock, a 22-year old former 15th-overall pick exposed along with other options like Hickey or Pelech. It also would leave several interesting players available up front.

In net, Greiss will be the obvious protection choice after he took the net this season and was given a three-year extension. It’s not clear that Greiss is a better goaltender at this point than Halak, but he does come cheaper and will be able to hold the fort until some of the Islanders’ outstanding goalie prospects make it to the NHL. The Islanders could swing a deal with Vegas in order for them to take Halak off their hands, but with the amount of goaltending options the Golden Knights are sure to have, it would cost New York a legitimate asset.

The Islanders don’t have any unrestricted free agents that would interest Vegas in their negotiating window, but one has to wonder whether de Haan would be a perfect candidate for a long-term deal with the Golden Knights if he is left unprotected. As a restricted free agent this summer, the 26-year old de Haan will be allowed to speak with Vegas during the window and after his very good season and impressive performance at the World Championships, he could be a big part of a surprisingly good Golden Knights defense corps from day 1.

It’s important to note that Mikhail Grabovski is ineligible for the draft because of his long-term injury, one which he may never return from. Grabovski last played on March 15th of 2016, when he returned from a concussion suffered a month earlier. After experiencing symptoms again, he wouldn’t for the remainder of that year and spent this entire season on long-term injured reserve. He was listed among the other exemptions like David Clarkson and Nathan Horton earlier this year.

Projected Protection List

F John Tavares (NMC)
F Andrew Ladd (NMC)
F Anders Lee
F Josh Bailey
F Brock Nelson
F Ryan Strome
F Casey Cizikas

D Johnny Boychuk
D Nick Leddy
D Travis Hamonic

G Thomas Greiss

Protecting Hamonic over de Haan would be debatable for years to come, which forces the us back to the first question; will Boychuk waive his NMC? It’s not even that Boychuk is a bad player, quite the opposite. Just that at $6MM per season for the next five years, his contract is likely protection enough to keep him out of Vegas for the time being. The Golden Knights want to acquire bad contracts in exchange for assets, not just take them off team’s hands for free.

The other thing the team might think about is the good young forwards that are almost ready to be added to the group up front, and if that means they could afford to lose one of their current players. Ho-Sang and Dal Colle should make an impact this season, while Barzal is one of the best prospects in the entire league after another outstanding season in the WHL. Room will have to be made for these young players eventually, and perhaps now is as good a time as any. Either way, the Islanders have some big decisions to make over the coming few days as protection lists are due on June 17th. We’ll find out what choices they made the next day.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Derick Brassard, Brandon Dubinsky Require Surgery

June 6, 2017 at 2:35 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Tuesday June 6th: Brassard underwent successful labrum surgery and started in on his four to five month recovery time. While GM Pierre Dorion announced that the Senators “remain hopeful that [Brassard] will be ready for the start of the 2017-18 regular season” it’s now almost exactly four months to opening night, meaning Brassard will at least miss all of training camp.

Tuesday May 30th: Two more forwards have been revealed to have serious injuries, as both Derick Brassard of the Senators and Brandon Dubinsky of the Blue Jackets will be out several months. According to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia, Brassard will undergo surgery to repair a torn labrum and faces a four to five month recovery, while Dubinsky has already had wrist surgery and will be out for three months.

Obviously the news is worse for Brassard, whose timeline will likely cause him to miss at least all of training camp if not the start of the 2017-18 regular season. After being traded from the New York Rangers last summer, Brassard’s offensive production took a step back under notoriously defensive-minded head coach Guy Boucher. With only 39 points in 81 games, Brassard nevertheless put up an excellent possession season as the Senators #2 center.

In the playoffs, Brassard stepped up his game and scored 11 points in 19 games, tied for second on the team among forwards. He currently has just two seasons remaining on his current deal before hitting unrestricted free agency, making any loss of time next season even more painful for the Senators.

For Dubinsky, it will mean a summer nursing his wrist back to full health and trying to get ready in time for training camp. The 31-year old forward had another solid season with 41 points, and once again led the team with 248 hits. His physical style is exactly what the Blue Jackets have modeled their structure after, trying to beat up opponents with four lines of heavy bodies chasing pucks in the offensive zone. He was also the Blue Jackets’ best faceoff man, winning 51.7% of his draws this season. It will be interesting to see how he reacts in the circle next season, as wrist injuries often affect a center’s faceoff ability.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Expansion Primer: Edmonton Oilers

June 6, 2017 at 1:39 pm CDT | by Brett Barrett 1 Comment

After a decade out of the playoffs, the Edmonton Oilers rebounded in a big way with over 100 points and making it to Game 7 of the second round. Connor McDavid lead the NHL in scoring, while Cam Talbot lead all goaltenders with 73 games played. Leon Draisaitl finished top-ten in scoring and cemented his place as the best Oilers forward in the non-McDavid category.

The Oilers made one of the biggest moves of the off-season, trading superstar forward Taylor Hall to New Jersey for Adam Larsson, who played a big role in solidifying the team’s defence. Late off-season free agent signing Kris Russell played top-four minutes. Mid-season, GM Peter Chiarelli traded Brandon Davidson to Montreal for diminutive center David Desharnais.

Their success this season proved to management that their Stanley Cup window is one or two moves away from being a legitimate contender. With one season until McDavid’s upcoming big contract enters the picture, Chiarelli has some freedom to go for it. The expansion draft may create an opportunity to acquire a big name. Here’s a closer look at their situation: