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Who Is On Pace To Score 60 Points In 2017-18?

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In 2016-17, only 42 NHLers hit the 60-point benchmark for the season. It was the lowest total since the 2012-13 lockout-shortened season (obviously), when only Martin St. Louis notched sixty, and down eleven from the 53 players who hit the mark two years earlier in 2014-15. However, with scoring up this season in the NHL, will the league increase it’s number of top scorers? Or will a greater depth and distribution of talent continue to limit players from reaching the high numbers of yesteryear?

As of now, with the 2017 segment of the season about to close, here are the players on pace for 60 points in 2017-18:

  1. Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 54 points in 37 games, Projection: 120 points
  2. Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 48 points in 37 games, Projection: 107 points
  3. John Tavares, New York Islanders – Currently: 49 points in 38 games, Projection: 106 points
  4. Josh Bailey, New York Islanders – Currently: 49 points in 38 games, Projection: 106 points
  5. Jakub Voracek, Philadelphia Flyers – Currently: 46 points in 38 games, Projection: 99 points
  6. Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers – Currently: 46 points in 38 games, Projection: 99 points
  7. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers – Currently: 45 points in 38 games, Projection: 97 points
  8. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche – Currently: 43 points in 37 games, Projection: 95 points
  9. Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg Jets – Currently: 44 points in 39 games, Projection: 93 points
  10. Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames – Currently: 41 points in 38 games, Projection: 89 points
  11. Phil Kessel, Pittsburgh Penguins – Currently: 41 points in 39 games, Projection: 86 points
  12. Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals – Currently: 41 points in 40 games, Projection: 84 points
  13. Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings – Currently: 40 points in 39 games, Projection: 84 points
  14. Anders Lee, New York Islanders – Currently: 39 points in 38 games, Projection: 84 points
  15. Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks – Currently: 38 points in 37 games, Projection: 84 points
  16. Brock Boeser*, Vancouver Canucks – Currently: 38 points in 36 games, Projection: 84 points
  17. Brayden Schenn, St. Louis Blues – Currently: 41 points in 41 games, Projection: 82 points
  18. Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins – Currently: 32 points in 29 games, Projection: 82 points
  19. Jon Marchessault, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 34 points in 33 games, Projection: 81 points
  20. Evgeny Kuznetsov, Washington Capitals – Currently: 39 points in 40 games, Projection: 80 points
  21. Taylor Hall, New Jersey Devils – Currently: 36 points in 36 games, Projection: 80 points
  22. Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers – Currently: 36 points in 38 games, Projection: 78 points
  23. Vincent Trocheck, Florida Panthers – Currently: 36 points in 38 games, Projection: 78 points
  24. Mathew Barzal*, New York Islanders – Currently: 36 points in 38 games, Projection: 78 points
  25. Sean Couturier, Philadelphia Flyers – Currently: 36 points in 38 games, Projection: 78 points
  26. Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins – Currently: 35 points in 35 games, Projection: 78 points
  27. Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues – Currently: 38 points in 41 games, Projection: 76 points
  28. Jack Eichel, Buffalo Sabres – Currently: 35 points in 38 games, Projection: 75 points
  29. David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins – Currently: 34 points in 37 games, Projection: 75 points
  30. Mark Stone, Ottawa Senators – Currently: 34 points in 37 games, Projection: 75 points
  31. Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 34 points in 37 games, Projection: 75 points
  32. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins – Currently: 35 points in 39 games, Projection: 74 points
  33. Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars – Currently: 35 points in 39 games, Projection: 74 points
  34. David Perron, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 29 points in 30 games, Projection: 74 points
  35. Evander Kane, Buffalo Sabres – Currently: 34 points in 38 games, Projection: 73 points
  36. Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers – Currently: 33 points in 37 games, Projection: 73 points
  37. Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche – Currently: 33 points in 37 games, Projection: 73 points
  38. Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers – Currently: 32 points in 34 games, Projection: 73 points
  39. Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs – Currently: 29 points in 29 games, Projection: 72 points
  40. Artemi Panarin, Columbus Blue Jackets – Currently: 34 points in 39 games, Projection: 71 points
  41. Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars – Currently: 34 points in 39 games, Projection: 71 points
  42. Vlad Namestnikov, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 32 points in 37 games, Projection: 71 points
  43. Eric Staal, Minnesota Wild – Currently: 33 points in 39 games, Projection: 70 points
  44. Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks – Currently: 18 points in 15 games, Projection: 70 points
  45. Sean Monahan, Calgary Flames – Currently: 32 points in 38 games, Projection: 69 points
  46. Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings – Currently: 31 points in 37 games, Projection: 69 points
  47. John Klingberg, Dallas Stars – Currently: 32 points in 39 games, Projection: 67 points
  48. William Karlsson, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 29 points in 36 games, Projection: 66 points
  49. Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche – Currently: 28 points in 33 games, Projection: 66 points
  50. Shayne Gostisbehere, Philadelphia Flyers – Currently: 29 points in 35 games, Projection: 66 points
  51. Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals – Currently: 31 points in 39 games, Projection: 65 points
  52. Alexander Radulov, Dallas Stars – Currently: 31 points in 39 games, Projection: 65 points
  53. Patrik Laine, Winnipeg Jets – Currently: 31 points in 39 games, Projection: 65 points
  54. Clayton Keller*, Arizona Coyotes – Currently: 31 points in 40 games, Projection: 64 points
  55. John Carlson, Washington Capitals – Currently: 31 points in 40 games, Projection: 64 points
  56. Reilly Smith, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 28 points in 36 games, Projection: 64 points
  57. Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets – Currently: 30 points in 39 games, Projection: 63 points
  58. P.K. Subban, Nashville Predators – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
  59. Mats Zuccarello, New York Rangers – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
  60. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Edmonton Oilers – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
  61. Teuvo Teravainen, Carolina Hurricanes – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
  62. Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
  63. James Neal, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 27 points in 36 games, Projection: 62 points
  64. Kyle Turris, Nashville Predators – Currently: 27 points in 34 games, Projection: 62 points
  65. Danton Heinen*, Boston Bruins – Currently: 26 points in 33 games, Projection: 62 points
  66. Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings – Currently: 29 points in 39 games, Projection: 61 points
  67. Dustin Brown, Los Angeles Kings – Currently: 29 points in 39 games, Projection: 61 points
  68. Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs – Currently: 29 points in 39 games, Projection: 61 points
  69. Jordan Eberle, New York Islanders – Currently: 28 points in 38 games, Projection: 61 points
  70. Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks – Currently: 26 points in 35 games, Projection: 61 points
  71. Mikael Granlund, Minnesota Wild – 27 points in 34 games, Projection: 61 points
  72. Rickard Rakell, Anaheim Ducks – Currently: 27 points in 34 games, Projection: 61 points
  73. Tyler Johnson, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 27 points in 36 games, Projection: 61 points
  74. Erik Haula, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 25 points in 32 games, Projection: 61 points
  75. Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 27 points in 37 games, Projection: 60 points
  76. Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins- Currently: 25 points in 32 games, Projection: 60 points
  77. Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators – Currently: 25 points in 32 games, Projection: 60 points

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Evening Snapshots: Sabres, Rasmussen, Morin

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The Buffalo News’ John Vogl spent some time with Sabres head coach Phil Housley and reports how Housley believes the Winter Classic is a great way for Buffalo to enjoy an event during what has been a frustrating season. The Sabres’ current stretch sees them going 4-3-4, a positive in what has been a downtrodden season. Housley said that the players “have been doing the right things” even though the results haven’t always been there. Vogl adds that Housley believes that when his team plays their style of play, they have been effective. Since they’re 10-20-8, getting almost half of those wins in their last 11 games is encouraging. The 2018 Winter Classic gives the Sabres a spotlight chance in the midst of a dismal season, and possibly something to build on as the season wears on.

  • The Detroit Red Wings opted to have their latest first round draft pick, Michael Rasmussen, to have his wrist operated on according to The Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James. The surgery will keep Rasmussen out of the lineup for 4-8 weeks, with general manager Ken Holland stating that the 2017 ninth overall pick had been playing in pain for quite some time. Instead of playing through pain, the Red Wings advised Rasmussen to take care of the issue now, and then return for a playoff run and training in the summer. Rasmussen suffered a broken wrist last season prior to the draft, giving the Red Wings some pause as to whether this will be a reoccurring problem. It certainly isn’t good news for a team trying to build through the draft. Rasmussen has played well for the WHL’s Tri-City Americans, potting 16 goals and 31 points in 22 games.
  • The Courier-Post’s David Issac writes that Flyers prospect Samuel Morin has been brought along with patience by Philadelphia and still may be further away than most hope when it comes to patrolling the blue line with the big club. Morin has spent season with AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley and has been hurt through most of it, suiting up just 12 times this season. General manager Ron Hextall admits that the 22-year-old has been fighting through an injury this season. Issac indicates that the hope was for Morin to emulate former Flyers d-man Chris Pronger, who was also known for his intimidating stature and physical presence. Though appeared for the Flyers this season in two games, it appears that recovering from an injury will keep Morin out of Philadelphia for a little bit longer.

Minor Transactions: 12/30/17

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While much of the hockey world’s focus has been on the World Juniors in Buffalo this week, the NHL is still rolling along with the 2017 segment of the season about to end. With six games tonight and another nine tomorrow on New Year’s Eve, teams are still making moves even with a day off for all but the Rangers and Sabres coming on Monday:

  • The Winnipeg Jets announced today that young forward Brandon Tanev has been placed on injured reserve. Coach Paul Maurice told the media that it is a lower-body injury and that Tanev is expected to be out two to three weeks. While Tanev has only ten points thus far, he is enjoying his best NHL season to date, now in his third year with the Jets. His absence only compiles the loss of Mark Scheifele, as another possible depth player who could step up is now out of the picture.
  • However, Winnipeg has responded by calling up highly-touted prospect Jack Roslovic from the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. Last season, Roslovic led the Moose in scoring as a rookie and in 2017-18 is the third-leading scorer in the entire AHL with 35 points. With Scheifele out, now is the time for Roslovic to jump in and show that he can be an offensive force in the NHL as well and is deserving of a roster spot for the remainder of the season.
  • The St. Louis Blues have activated Jay Bouwmeester from his second stint on the injured reserve this season and expect him to suit up tonight for their game against the visiting Carolina Hurricanes. In turn, the Blues have demoted rookie blue liner Jordan Schmaltz to the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL. Schmaltz, 24, has been held scoreless in four games so far this season, but has 19 points to his credit in 24 AHL games.
  • Andy Welinski has been returned to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, the Anaheim Ducks announced. The move comes after a call-up in which Welinski made his NHL debut and recorded his first NHL point and ended a four-game stint with two assists and a +1 rating. The long-time Minnesota-Duluth star may have to wait awhile for another chance in Anaheim, but he made a good first impression.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have brought Michael Chaput back up, according to a team release. Chaput was a  frequent contributor in Vancouver last season, playing in 68 games, but has only three to date in 2017-18. While Chaput is having a good year down in the AHL with the Utica Comets, he would undoubtedly rather stick with the ’Nucks on this recall.
  • CapFriendly reports that the Nashville Predators have recalled forward Frederick Gaudreau from the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, but also notes that this move would put the NHL roster at 24. With the placement of Filip Forsberg on IR, the roster returned to 23.
  • In an on-paper move, the Washington Capitals recalled both forward Jakub Vrana and defenseman Madison Bowey from the Hershey Bears of the AHL. Even though neither player moved anywhere, both were sent down Friday to help ease the team’s tight salary cap situation.
  • The Boston Bruins activated center David Krejci off injured reserve today after having missed the past six games, according to Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald. The 31-year-old Krejci has only played in 18 games this year, having put up five goals and nine assists this year. He scored 23 goals a year ago.

New Jersey Trades Dalton Prout to Calgary

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The New Jersey Devils and the Calgary Flames have completed a trade as the Devils have sent defenseman Dalton Prout to Calgary for goaltender Eddie Lack, according to the New Jersey Devils.

Prout, who cleared waivers on Friday, will report to Stockton of the AHL, according to Elliotte Friedman. The Devils had been carrying nine defenseman and had to move on from the 27-year-old, who had only played four games for the team this year.

“Dalton is a guy we’re familiar with,” Flames general manager Brad Treliving said via Postmedia’s Kristen Odlund. “He hasn’t played a whole lot lately. He’s spent his career in Columbus and was traded to Jersey at the deadline last year. With him getting through waivers that allows him to get up to Stockton and get going.”

Lack will be assigned to the Binghampton Devils. He struggled with Calgary after being acquired in the offseason from the Carolina in limited time as the team’s backup to Mike Smith. He had a 5.29 GAA and a .813 save percentage in five appearances before being placed on waivers on Nov. 23. He cleared waivers the following day and was assigned to Stockton, while youngster David Rittich replaced him in Calgary and played well. The 29-year-old Lack did show some improvement in Stockton as he had a 2.57 GAA and a .916 save percentage with the AHL team.

Prout’s deal has a $1.58MM cap hit, while Lack has a $1.38MM cap hit, which will force Calgary to eat $200K, according to Ryan Pike of FlamesNation.ca. One major reason why Calgary moved on from Lack was because the Flames wanted to promote 2016 second-rounder Tyler Parsons to the AHL from the ECHL. The prospect goaltender had a 3.08 and a .907 save percentage in 11 games this year.

“This gave us an opportunity to give Eddie an opportunity elsewhere. David (Rittich) has played well,” Treliving said via Odlund. “Jon Gillies is playing well in Stockton. This will open up a spot for Tyler Parsons (at the #AHL level).”

Tampa Bay Places Budaj On IR, Recalls Domingue

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The Tampa Bay Lightning will be without their backup goalie for a little while as the team placed Peter Budaj on injured reserve Saturday, according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. The veteran goaltender started Friday and played well, stopping 29 of 33 shots, but needed to be helped off the ice after sustaining an apparent leg injury and was replaced by starter Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Despite playing well Friday behind a struggling defense, the 35-year-old Budaj’s overall numbers have been disappointing. In seven appearances, he has a 3.80 GAA and a .878 save percentage. No one is quite sure how long Budaj will be out, but the veteran was reportedly already walking on his own after the game Friday, according to Smith. He will have to miss the team’s next three games, but could be back on the roster for the Jan. 6 game against the Ottawa Senators.

Louis Domingue has been recalled from the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL to replace him.  Domingue started the year as the backup in Arizona, but struggled with a 4.33 GAA and a .856 save percentage in seven appearances and then was swapped to Tampa Bay for goaltender Michael Leighton and journeyman Tye McGinn. The 25-year-old was sent to Syracuse in hopes of finding his game, which he did. He has a 2.39 GAA in 13 games for the Crunch with a .911 save percentage.

Nashville Places Filip Forsberg On Injured Reserve

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4:41pm: Vingan reports that it is an upper-body injury and there is no timetable for his return.

4:31pm: The Nashville Predators have taken a huge blow as star forward Filip Forsberg was placed on injured reserve today after sustaining an unknown injury in Friday’s game against the Minnesota Wild, according to Adam Vingan of the Tennessean. The winger left the game with 8:40 remaining in the third period.

“He left with a problem,” Predators coach Peter Laviolette said Friday. “We’ll have an update Saturday (probably).”

No update has come across yet. While the impact of the injury is unknown, the loss of Forsberg for any time will be felt. He leads the team in goals scored (15), assists (19) and points (34). Forsberg has been one of the healthiest players in the NHL as he hasn’t missed a game since before the 2014-15 season. He last missed on April 13, 2014 and was one of nine NHL players to have played in every NHL since the 2014-15 season.

The team already made a corresponding move when they recalled forward Frederick Gaudreau from the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL earlier today. Gaudreau has already played 17 games for Nashville this year and has three assists.

Assuming he would be eligible to return within a week and the move is retroactive to Friday, the team would only lose Forsberg for two games, including tonight’s back end of the home-and-home with Minnesota and another game Thursday at Arizona.

2017 Year In Review: October

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2017 has been quite a busy year in the hockey world. There have been several big trades, the first expansion team in over 15 years, and much more. Over the coming days, PHR will take a look back at the top stories from around the game on a month-by-month basis. Next up is a look at the month of October.

Shipachyov Saga: When the Golden Knights signed center Vadim Shipachyov, they were hoping to get a top-six center that could play a big role right away.  Suffice it to say, that didn’t happen.  He was cut in training camp as a waiver-exempt player and was allowed to not report to the minors while waiting to be recalled.  That happened a couple of weeks later but Shipachyov did not make much of an impact in his three games (although he did score a goal).  That resulted in another AHL demotion and this time, Vegas suspended him when he didn’t report.  The team gave him permission to pursue a trade but shortly thereafter, it was announced that he had given up on playing in the NHL and intended to return to the KHL.  It wound up being quite the precipitous drop for Shipachyov in October as he went from a projected key player to effectively out of the league in the span of just a few weeks.

Jack EichelEichel Extension: While his entry-level contract doesn’t expire until the end of June, the Sabres didn’t waste much time getting their franchise pillar signed to a long-term deal, inking Jack Eichel to an eight-year, $80MM pact.  Although the AAV comes in $2.5MM below Connor McDavid (the first overall in 2015, one spot ahead of Eichel) who set a new standard for post-ELC deals this offseason, the money still came as a surprise to some considering he had yet to reach the 60-point mark in each of his two full NHL seasons.  Although Buffalo continues to struggle mightily, Eichel is rewarding management’s faith in him as he is hovering near the point-per-game mark as we near the midway mark of 2017-18.

Jagr To Calgary: It took a while but 45-year-old winger Jaromir Jagr finally found a home, signing a one-year contract with the Flames.  The deal guarantees him $1MM with an additional $700K in games played bonuses and $300K in postseason bonuses.  While he was coming off a 46-point campaign with the Panthers the year before, the future Hall of Famer has yet to be productive in his new home.  Through 21 games, he has just a single goal along with six assists while his 13:06 average ice time is a career-low by nearly four minutes per night.

Eaves Hospitalized: Ducks winger Patrick Eaves was hospitalized and diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a disorder that affects the nervous system and can cause weakness, numbness in limbs, and eventually paralysis.  Fortunately, this was caught fairly early in the process and doctors believe that he will be able to make a full recovery.  There is no timetable on when (or if) the 33-year-old will eventually be able to return to Anaheim’s lineup.

More Big Extensions: Eichel’s deal with Buffalo wasn’t the only notable long-term extension signed in October.  The Jets inked winger Nikolaj Ehlers to a six-year, $42MM deal, one that will make him the second-highest paid forward on the team behind top scorer Mark Scheifele.  Ehlers is coming off a 64-point season and is on pace to reach the 60-point mark once again this year.  Meanwhile, the Panthers raised some eyebrows with their decision to hand defenseman Mark Matheson an eight-year, $39MM deal.  Matheson had just one full NHL year under his belt when this deal was done but clearly, the team is confident that he’ll be able to hold down a top-four spot for the long-term.

Key Injuries: The injury bug wasn’t kind to Minnesota or Los Angeles in October.  Wild winger Zach Parise underwent back surgery that has kept him out of the lineup to this point in the season (although he’s now on a conditioning assignment).  The veteran has averaged at least 0.6 points per game in each of the last six seasons and his eventual return should be a big boost for Minnesota.  Meanwhile, Kings center Jeff Carter sustained a laceration to his left leg that has kept him out of the lineup since then with no update on when he may be able to return.  Carter led Los Angeles in goals last season with 32 and his loss has been a big blow to their offense.  Brooks Laich was signed to take Carter’s spot in the lineup for the Kings but he has since been waived and released.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Jets, 2022 Olympics, Lightning, Alt

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The Jets are hoping to have defenseman Dustin Byfuglien back in the lineup sometime early next month, reports Postmedia’s Ken Wiebe.  The veteran blueliner has been out since suffering a lower-body injury on December 9th.  He has, however, returned to practice and will be a welcome addition when he gets the green light to return as he has once again logged heavy minutes this season, averaging 23:40 per game.

Still with Winnipeg, rearguard Toby Enstrom has also resumed skating although his return to the lineup is still a little further off.  Jets bench boss Paul Maurice told Wiebe that Enstrom is still on pace to meet his original timetable for a return which should have him getting the okay to play around the third week of January.

Other news and notes from around the hockey world:

  • The NHL is in no rush to discuss participating in future Olympic Games, notes John Wawrow of the Associated Press. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly spoke with IIHF General Secretary Horst Lichtner during yesterday’s outdoor game at the World Juniors and acknowledged he was asked about when the NHL would be ready to talk about participating in the 2022 Games in China.  Daly noted that talks won’t begin until the 2018 tournament ends but didn’t pour cold water on the idea, stating that “Obviously, some of the logistical difficulties we have with South Korea will be the same in China. But maybe there are some opportunities in China that aren’t in South Korea”.
  • Lightning winger Ryan Callahan is on schedule in his recovery from an upper-body injury, reports Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. He was initially expected to miss three-to-four weeks after being injured on December 14th but Callahan has already resumed skating.  He’s expected to accompany Tampa Bay on their upcoming five-game road trip that ends on January 7th and he should be close to getting the green light to return by then.  Smith adds that defenseman Anton Stralman, who missed his second straight game Friday with a lower-body issue, is expected to return to the lineup on Sunday.
  • Flyers defenseman Mark Alt has cleared waivers, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link) was first to report. He’s expected to be assigned to their AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley where he had gotten off to a nice start to his season, recording nine points in 16 games.  For perspective, he had just 11 points in 40 contests in 2016-17.

Blues Unlikely To Pursue Rental Players

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While the Blues are believed to be looking for help up front with injuries to Jaden Schwartz and Robby Fabbri, it doesn’t appear that they will be looking to go the rental route to add to their roster.  In an appearance on Sportsnet 590 (audio link), GM Doug Armstrong acknowledged that he would prefer to go after a player with term left on his contract:

“I don’t think we’ll be in the rental market. Anything can change on that but I think if we’re going to make changes, we’re going to do it with someone who can come in and help us for a couple years at least.”

Given that St. Louis has minimal salary cap space to work with (when Schwartz and Zachary Sanford return, they’ll have minimal potential for LTIR usage – just Fabbri’s $894K cap hit), it has been speculated that a rental may make more sense for them where the other team involved could retain salary.  While it’s certainly still an option for a trading team to retain on a player signed beyond this season, those trades aren’t typically as common and often require a bigger return going the other way.

Unless they can find someone willing to retain on a contract for more than this season, the Blues will have to move out some money in a trade.  One possible candidate to move would be defenseman Carl Gunnarsson, who has seen his role diminish considerably in recent years and they could certainly get better value from his $2.9MM deal that runs through 2018-19.

In an interview on Sportsnet 960 (audio link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman links the Blues to Senators winger Mike Hoffman.  Hoffman has two more years remaining on his contract with a cap hit just under $5.2MM but would certainly represent a boost to their top-six.   He does, however, have a ten-team no-trade clause and it’s not known if St. Louis is on there or not.

Because of the financial considerations, it seems more likely that any move that gets made will come closer to the trade deadline even if that means waiting out Schwartz’s injury (he’s expected to miss another four-to-five weeks).  However, it now appears that the trade, whenever it gets done, is more likely to involve someone who can help over the longer-term.

Penguins Recall Daniel Sprong, Assign Dominik Simon To AHL

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In a move that has been anticipated for a while now, the Penguins announced that they have recalled winger Daniel Sprong from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL.  To make room for him on the roster, Pittsburgh has sent center Dominik Simon back to the minors.

Sprong’s first full professional season has certainly been a success.  In 29 games at the AHL level this season, he has 18 goals and 10 assists; his goal total slots him second league-wide.  However, management had said earlier in the season that they wanted him to work on his all-around game before giving him a look with the big club and it appears they’re pleased with the progress he has made there.

This won’t be Sprong’s first stint with Pittsburgh.  He made the team out of training camp back in 2015-16, just months after they drafted him in the second round (46th overall).  He got into 18 games that season, scoring twice before being returned back to junior.

It will be interesting to see where Sprong slots into their forward unit.  As a gifted offensive talent, it stands to reason that it would make sense to use him in an offensive role right away but many teams still start their recalls on the fourth line and ask them to work their way up.

[Related: Penguins Depth Chart]

As for Simon, he has played in six games with Pittsburgh this season, recording two assists while averaging 11:28 per night.  He has been much more productive in the AHL though, tallying three goals and 13 helpers in 20 games.

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