Central Notes: Methot, Hanzal, Hutchinson, Cullen
While both Stars center Martin Hanzal and defenseman Marc Methot have resumed skating, it sounds like both will be out of the lineup for a while yet. Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News notes that Methot (knee surgery) is hoping to get back before the holiday break while Hanzal’s timeline is more uncertain. Having dealt with four different injuries dating back to the preseason (the current one is a hamstring issue), head coach Ken Hitchcock stated that the plan will be for the 30-year-old to “practice for an extended period of time” before they put him back in the lineup. That way, they can ensure that he is indeed fully recovered and that he’ll have a better chance of avoiding any recurrences.
More from the Central:
- Postmedia’s Ken Wiebe reports that several teams around the NHL are looking to add some insurance between the pipes. He suggests that as a result, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Jets deal goaltender Michael Hutchinson soon and lists the Panthers (who are without Roberto Luongo) as a logical landing spot. He’s a nice insurance policy for Winnipeg to have but it’s telling that prospect Eric Comrie is up with the big club while Steve Mason is out. If they’re comfortable with that approach, then Hutchinson certainly becomes expendable.
- Wild center Matt Cullen is expected to be a healthy scratch tonight against Anaheim, reports Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required). His second stint with Minnesota hasn’t exactly gone swimmingly as he has just a single goal in 27 games after recording 16 and 13 the previous two years with Pittsburgh. He’s also averaging a career-low 11:17 of ice time per night. Russo speculates that the Penguins could be a team that might want to keep an eye on this situation as it could make some sense for them to try to reacquire the 41-year-old closer to the trade deadline.
Penguins Notes: Centers, Cole, Kuhnhackl, Murray
Despite acquiring Riley Sheahan earlier in the season, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette suggests in a reader chat that the Penguins are still likely to pursue another third line center. However, instead of looking towards the rental market, he notes that they would prefer a younger player that has years of team control left beyond this one. Mackey singles out Vegas as a team that GM Jim Rutherford could be intrigued by. They have several pivots (Cody Eakin, Erik Haula, and Oscar Lindberg) that are 26 and are signed for one more year beyond this one although Eakin’s $3.85MM cap hit is probably too much for them to take on.
More from Pittsburgh:
- In the same chat, Mackey reports that the Sabres were one of the teams to express interest last month in defenseman Ian Cole. Buffalo joins Vegas, Toronto, and Colorado as teams that have at least inquired about Cole’s availability. However, with blueliner Justin Schultz on the shelf for a little while, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Penguins aren’t as willing to deal him now as they were not too long ago.
- Winger Tom Kuhnhackl is dealing with an upper-body injury, the team announced via Twitter. He’ll be evaluated by team doctors before they give a timeline for how long he might be out. The injury was sustained on Thursday night in a collision with teammate Ryan Reaves in the third period and he did not return to the game afterwards.
- While he isn’t ready to return to the lineup just yet, goaltender Matt Murray has taken to the ice in full equipment and the next step for him is to return to practice with the team in the coming days, notes Jonathan Bombulie of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters that they are pleased with Murray’s progress as he recovers from his lower-body injury sustained back on November 23rd.
Scott Wilson, Erik Gudbranson & The Pointless Players
Last year we saw something incredible in the NHL. Riley Sheahan of the Detroit Red Wings played 79 games and took 106 shots on net without scoring a goal. Stories were written, fans were left in disbelief and Sheahan just had to go out every night and try to get one across the line. Finally, on April 9th in his 80th and final game of the season Sheahan scored—twice.
It’s not like Sheahan had done anything like it before. He’d had seasons of 9, 13 and 14 goals the first three seasons of his career. He actually carried an above-average shooting percentage of 11.9% through that time. He was no sniper, but he could be a solid secondary scoring threat. This year there are several players that can relate with Sheahan, including one that has a solid link to him.
Sheahan didn’t score his first goal this year until a trade brought him to Pittsburgh. He has two now on the year, and eight points in 21 games for the Penguins. The player he was traded for though hasn’t been quite as lucky.
Scott Wilson, traded first for Sheahan and then again to the Buffalo Sabres later in the season, has now played 21 games this season. In those games he’s registered 172 minutes of ice time, including over 14 in his first game with Buffalo. Amazingly, he’s been held completely scoreless. Not a single goal, not a single assist. Wilson leads all scoreless forwards in games played, but there are some other interesting members along for the ride.
Matt Stajan, a two-time 50-point man has played 19 games without a point. He’s played even more minutes, 210, without hitting the scoresheet—well, at least not for scoring. Stajan has taken 10 penalty minutes, something that you can’t say for Wilson. Incredibly, the Buffalo Sabres forward hasn’t even taken a single minor penalty. Other than the 14 shots he’s recorded, he’s basically been a boxscore ghost.
There are other forwards who are on the list, like Zac Dalpe, Torrey Mitchell and Matt Beleskey but none of them hold a candle to the leader when expanded to include defensemen. Erik Gudbranson, the Vancouver Canucks’ rough and tumble defenseman has logged 372 minutes of ice time this season and still has a big fat zero in the points category.
Gudbranson isn’t an offensive player. That much has been obvious his whole career, and it wasn’t why the Canucks went out and acquired him from the Florida Panthers. But this is impressive even for him. He’s always been a lightning rod for the argument between traditional and new analytics, but he’s actually reached a new low in his possession rates. As an unrestricted free agent this summer, some believe he’ll be a sought-after trade deadline commodity.
It doesn’t matter if he has zero points or a handful when the trade deadline comes around, it really doesn’t change the player he is. But for the third-overall pick in 2010 it’s an impressive accomplishment, even if he wouldn’t agree.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Cole Kehler Signs With Los Angeles Kings
On a day where the Los Angeles area is looking more at one of their baseball teams than their hockey clubs, the Kings are trying to carve out a piece of the news. The team has signed free agent goaltender Cole Kehler to a three-year, entry-level contract. Kehler is currently playing for the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL, where he has a .931 save percentage through 22 games.
The soon-to-be 20-year old Kehler went undrafted in the NHL Entry Draft, but has turned a corner in his play this season in the WHL. Possessing the size—Kehler stands 6’3″—and positional awareness, he’s improved his flexibility to the point where he looks like a legitimate professional goaltending prospect.
While the NHL is still a distant goal for the young netminder, signing an entry-level contract at least means he’ll get to take the next step after he finishes his junior career this year. Where that will be isn’t clear, as the Kings already have Jack Campbell and Cal Petersen dominating at the AHL level. All three have been added in the past year and a half, turning what was once a weak spot in the organization to a strength. Even as Jonathan Quick continues to play well in the NHL, the Kings are building a pipeline of talent behind him.
Poll: Which Top Name Would You Rather Spend Free Agent Money On?
John Tavares is still a pending unrestricted free agent. Every team in the NHL is keeping an eye on that situation, eager to know whether free agency will get its biggest star in quite some time (perhaps ever) when the calendar turns to July 1st. Chatter has already begun about the superstar class of 2019, headlined by Drew Doughty, Erik Karlsson, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Tyler Seguin, Logan Couture, Jeff Skinner and many, many more. Those discussions won’t stop anytime soon, as there are sure to be at least a few names that aren’t re-signed early.
Still, after some of the initial dreaming dies down teams have to start realistically figuring out if they can afford a superstar at the UFA premium. Not every team can pay Connor McDavid $12.5MM per season, even if he’s worth every penny. That question has been asked recently about Ottawa in particular, as the team has historically needed to keep player salaries relatively low. If Karlsson pushes the very limit of his value, Ottawa might not be able to afford him.
So, let’s try a hypothetical. If the trio of Tavares, Doughty and Karlsson all hit the market at the same time and were commanding around the same money/term, which one would you go after? Where would you want your money tied up? Vote for the player you’d most want to sign, but then also explain in the comments below the answer to another question. Would you rather spend big (big) money on forwards or defense in free agency?
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Detroit Red Wings Recall Tyler Bertuzzi
Tyler Bertuzzi is getting his first crack at the NHL this year, as the Detroit Red Wings have recalled the young forward from the AHL. Bertuzzi played seven games last season for the club, but is still looking for his first NHL point.
The nephew of former Red Wings forward Todd Bertuzzi, Tyler is an impressive prospect. Since being selected 58th-overall by Detroit in 2013, he’s shown an impressive ability in the minor leagues to play both pest and scoring threat. Coming off a Calder Cup victory with the Grand Rapids Griffins last season—in which he scored 19 points in 19 playoff games, while taking 50 PIM—he’s off to another good start after an early injury with nine points in his first 12.
Detroit came roaring back on Tuesday night against the Jets after getting pummeled by the Canadiens in a home-and-home, and now sit at 11-12-5 on the year. There is some worry in Red Wings land that the team isn’t as good as they showed early on, but Bertuzzi will certainly give them something to cheer for. He’s expected in the lineup on Saturday night in the place of an injured David Booth.
Tyson Jost Could Join Canada’s World Junior Team
Hockey Canada released a list of 32 players invited to the World Junior selection camp this month, as they prepare for the tournament in Buffalo. As we wrote when the list was released, it is possible for several other NHL players could be allowed to join the tournament as well should their clubs release them. Alexander Nylander, for instance, still doesn’t have an answer from the Buffalo Sabres on whether he’d be allowed to leave the Rochester Americans to play for Sweden.
Tyson Jost of the Colorado Avalanche is that player for Canada, and as Adrian Dater of BSN Denver reports it’s likely that he’ll be allowed to leave the team to play in the tournament. Jost’s development has been handled very carefully this season, with him spending time in the AHL to receive more minutes and work on his two-way game.
How can he play in the AHL and still be eligible for the World Juniors you ask?
Jost played in the BCHL before being drafted and heading to the University of North Dakota, meaning he’s not held to the same restrictions as CHL players. Remember, those drafted out of the CHL cannot play in the AHL until they turn 20. Jost is just 19 still, and would be a huge help to the Canadian team.
The 10th-overall pick in 2016, Jost has top-line upside as an all-around center and was part of the 2017 Canadian team that took home the silver medal. Even though the team already has plenty of talent to pick from, getting another returnee—especially one that has captained Canada on the international stage in the past—would increase their chances even more.
Tanner Kero, Tyler Graovac Placed On Waivers
Friday: Kero has cleared waivers and been assigned to the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. The team has recalled Hinostroza in his place. Graovac has also cleared and been assigned to the minor leagues, though no recall has been made in his place.
Thursday: According to Scott Powers of The Athletic, the Chicago Blackhawks have decided to place Tanner Kero on waivers today. Kero has been a healthy scratch for the majority of the season, and has three points in eight games on the year. The Blackhawks have lost five straight games and dropped to sixth in the Central Division at 12-11-5.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet also reports that Tyler Graovac will join Kero on waivers today, placed there by the Washington Capitals. Graovac has played just five games for the Capitals, but has not scored a point yet this season. Greg McKegg, on waivers yesterday, has cleared.
While Graovac isn’t much of a surprise, given that he was acquired as a depth piece for the Capitals anyway and their team should be getting Andre Burakovsky back any day, Kero’s waiving will turn some heads. The 25-year old was an important piece for the Blackhawks last season, scoring 16 points in 47 games at the NHL level. Though he’s by no means a star, he moved up and down the lineup last season with relative success.
Instead, the Blackhawks seem poised to make a call-up from the minor leagues. Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times believes it could be Vinnie Hinostroza, the diminutive 23-year old who seems able to score at will for the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs. Ironically, Hinostroza was actually outscored by Kero last season in a similar number of games (Hinostroza put up 14 points in 49 games).
2018-19 Salary Cap Projected At $78-82MM
At the board of governors meeting today, the league shared projections for next season’s salary cap. According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, that number is set to fall between $78-82MM depending on how the NHLPA uses their escalators. That’s an increase from this year’s $75MM ceiling, giving teams a little extra room in the budget for free agents and contract extensions.
The cap is based on projections of Hockey Related Revenue, a number that does not (and will not) include expansion fees. Those funds are given directly to the owners, and don’t necessarily filter down to the players. Still, it means that overall numbers are up for the league through inflation and growth, and will allow teams to spend a little more next season on their players.
It doesn’t necessarily mean every team will. There are currently eight teams with more than $10MM in cap room, including the Carolina Hurricanes and Arizona Coyotes, who have a combined $50MM in space. They, and others like them, will likely be closer to the salary cap floor once again next year, even with the new ownership in Raleigh.
Amazingly, there are also clubs like the Montreal Canadiens who usually don’t have trouble spending right to the cap but currently sit with over $9MM. While some teams like Toronto, Detroit and Chicago struggle to keep their rosters under the upper limit, Montreal has decided to keep quite a bit of room—perhaps for an offseason free agent pursuit?
The increasing cap will improve player salaries, but it will also make previous deals look more and more reasonable. Even Connor McDavid‘s eight-year, $100MM extension could be surpassed by several players, as the maximum contract at an $80MM cap would be $16MM per season. John Tavares, Drew Doughty, Erik Karlsson and others could all push to be the highest paid player in the league over the next few years.
Minor Transactions: 12/08/17
Jordan Subban heard that he’d been traded when he woke up and saw several text messages. If only he’d been keeping an eye on PHR.
We’ll keep track of all the minor moves around the league right here. Make sure to refresh throughout the day.
- The Nashville Predators have flipped backup goaltenders once again, recalling Anders Lindback and assigning Juuse Saros. Nashville has been swapping the two goaltenders all year long, though Lindback has yet to appear in an NHL game. The team has also placed Ryan Johansen on injured reserve, retroactive to December 2nd.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have sent Jamie McBain back to the minor leagues, likely signalling a return to health for Braydon Coburn or Jake Dotchin (or both). McBain never did get into a game, and will go back to his lead role on the Syracuse Crunch.
- Mike McKenna is on his way back to the AHL after suiting up last night for the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop wasn’t able to go for the Stars with a back injury, so Kari Lehtonen started and had McKenna on the bench counting shots. With the Stars heading home to take on the Golden Knights tomorrow, it will be interesting to see if Bishop is back in net.
- With Radko Gudas set to return after his 10-game suspension, the Philadelphia Flyers have returned T.J. Brennan to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Brennan, known solely for his offensive production from the defense position, never did get into a game with the Flyers.
- The Vacouver Canucks have sent Thatcher Demko back to the minor leagues, now that Derek Dorsett has been moved to long-term injured reserve. Demko’s recall was just a paper transaction to get the Canucks as close to the cap ceiling as possible.
- The St. Louis Blues have moved Carter Hutton to injured reserve, and brought Samuel Blais back up. Blais was sent down quickly when Ville Husso was recalled on an emergency basis, but was never expected to be down for very long. Hutton suffered the injury in practice, and caused the Blues to use a local goaltender for warm-up last night.
- Corey Crawford is back in the Chicago net, activated off injured reserve today and expected to start tonight. That means Jean-Francois Berube‘s time with the team is over for now, as he’s been reassigned to the AHL. Berube cleared waivers at the beginning of October, and has spent most of the season in Rockford.
- The San Jose Sharks have sent Danny O’Regan back to the AHL after eight games with the club, in which he actually recorded four points. O’Regan, a 23-year old center will be back up at some point as he continues to score at every level.
- Curtis McKenzie has been sent to the minor leagues by the Dallas Stars, clearing room for Martin Hanzal and Marc Methot on the roster, who both skated before practice today. Though it’s not clear when either will be ready to come back, the Stars now have two roster spots available.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have sent Greg McKegg to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins after clearing waivers, recalling Dominik Simon to help out up front. Simon has 16 points in 20 games for the AHL club this season, but would be making his NHL season debut if he gets into a game.