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What Your Team Is Thankful For: San Jose Sharks

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will look at what teams are thankful for as the season nears the quarter point of completion. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We take a look at what’s gone well in the first month and what could improve as the season rolls on. So far we’ve covered ANA, ARZ, BUF, CGY, CAR, CBJ, COL, DET, LAK, NSH, NJD, NYI, STL, TOR, WSH, and VGK.

What are the Sharks most thankful for?

After the departure of long-time star Patrick Marleau to Toronto, many believed that San Jose’s might take a step back this season which could force the team to rebuild. The team, however, despite an anemic offense, has played well and are riding a three-game winning streak and are closing in fast on a top spot in the Pacific Division with a 14-8-2 record. A mixture of veterans and younger players, the team still seems to be run well under head coach Peter DeBoar. It probably does help that teams like the Anaheim Ducks and Edmonton Oilers are having their own problems and are floundering in the division.

Who are the Sharks most thankful for?

Two players come to mind as the play of 28-year-old center Logan Couture seems to be taking over as the team’s top player. While the team has struggled in putting the puck in the net, Couture has led the team with 13 goals and 21 points this year in 24 games (no one else has more than seven goals on the team). He leads the team in power play goals and is tied for the team lead in short-handed goals. The team has also gotten magnificent play from goaltender Martin Jones, who sports a 10-5-1 record and a 2.05 GAA with a .930 save percentage. He has also received little support as he has the fifth-lowest goal support on the year. Without these two, it’s likely the team wouldn’t be where they are.

What would the Sharks be even more thankful for?

The team needs the return to form of several of their veterans, especially defenseman Brent Burns, who has struggled this year putting the puck in the net. The 32-year-old blueliner is the catalyst to this offense putting up points and he has just one goal this season as opposing defenses are focusing on shutting him down. If Burns can find a way to start putting the puck in the net, perhaps the offense might start to take that next step and get back on track. Joe Pavelski’s struggles to find the net are also an issue on a team lacking in goal scoring. His five goals in 24 games is no where near last year’s pace where he put up 29 goals. Even 38-year-old Joe Thornton’s numbers are fading.

What should be on the Sharks’ Holiday Wish List?

The team needs scoring and should look into acquiring a goal scorer who might help get the team’s offense back on track. Besides Couture, the team has little else in terms of scoring besides Joonas Donskoi, who just went onto injured reserve. The team needs to replace Marleau and are rumored to be looking at various options, although it is unknown what the team is willing to move to get a goal scorer. A player like Buffalo’s Evander Kane might be the perfect piece to add to this team.

Evening Notes: Division Realignment, Roussel, Engelland, Chychrun

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With the Toronto Maple Leafs making stops in Calgary on Tuesday and Edmonton on Thursday, the rivalry between those Canadian Eastern and Western Conference matchups are off the charts. The Athletic’s James Mirtle (subscription required) wonders if it wouldn’t be a smart idea to change the conferences, especially down the road when the Quebec Nordiques return to the NHL.

The scribe’s suggestion is create an all-Canadian conference to replace the Central Division, moving all eight Canadian teams including the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames and Quebec City in the same division. Non-Canadian Central Division teams would be moved to either the Atlantic Division or the Pacific Division where the Canadian teams left holes.

There would be two key outcomes to this move, including increased revenue as rivalry matchups in 34 out of each team’s 82-game schedule will increase ratings and increase ticket sales. Currently, Canadian teams only play 16 games against in-country rivals. Playoffs would also promote multiple Canada-vs.-Canada rivalries and also would increase TV ratings.

Mirtle mentions some downsides to realigning the divison, which would include increased travel times for other teams such as the Minnesota Wild if they were moved to the Pacific Divison, but still feels the NHL should seriously look into that over the next few years.

  • The Dallas Stars will be without wing Antoine Roussel, who is expected to miss tonight’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks with the flu, according to coach Ken Hitchock. The coach added that Roussel is day-to-day regarding Sunday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. Roussel has three goals and eight points in 25 games for Dallas.
  • Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen writes that Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Deryk Engelland remains day-to-day after suffering an injury to his hand in Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Wild. The 35-year-old blueliner missed last night’s game against the Winnipeg Jets. He has two goals and nine points in 24 games this season and has been a key piece to the expansion team’s successful run so far this year.
  • Craig Morgan of NHL.com tweets that Arizona Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said that defenseman Jakob Chychrun might play Sunday against the Vegas Golden Knights. The 2016 first-round pick hasn’t played this year and is currently on a conditioning stint with the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. He had knee surgery in August and would make a big addition the Coyotes defensive core. He played 68 games for Arizona last year as an 18-year-old.

Sharks Place Donskoi, Heed On Injured Reserve

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The San Jose Sharks have lost two players temporarily as they put Joonas Donskoi and Tim Heed on injured reserve with upper-body injuries Saturday. They moves are retroactive to Nov. 28 and Nov. 25, respectively. The team made two corresponding news as well, as they activated Barclay Goodrow off of injured reserve and recalled forward Marcus Sorensen from the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL.

Donskoi has been having a breakout season of sorts, as he has put up seven goals and five assists this season in 23 games. He tallied just six goals all of last season, so the 25-year-old winger looks to be heading for a career high as he was closing in on his rookie year numbers of 11 goals and 36 points. He suffered his injury Tuesday against the Philadelphia Flyers. He will have to miss Monday’s game against the Washington Capitals and isn’t eligible to return until Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes. Heed is also having a solid rookie campaign. In 18 games, the 26-year-old blueliner has put up three goals and five assists. He was injured against the Winnipeg Jets last week. He can be activated whenever he is ready.

Goodrow has only appeared in six games this year as he has missed seven straight games due to an upper-body injury. The fourth-line face-off specialist has two assists in six games and could put up his best career numbers if he can stay healthy. The 24-year-old winger played 60 games in 2014-15 with 12 points in 60 games, but then played in just 14 and three games in the following two seasons. He should give the Sharks’ fourth line a much-needed boost. Sorensen, a 25-year-old wing, had five goals and nine assists in 17 games for the Barracuda. He played 19 games for the Sharks last year, putting up one goal and three assists. This is the first time he’s been called up this season.

In-Season Extension For Jacob Trouba Unlikely

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It was only a little more than a year ago that there was plenty of speculation surrounding Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba.  He was without a contract into November and had asked for a trade.  No move materialized as instead, he signed a two-year bridge deal and rescinded his trade request.  That contract is up on July 1st, 2018 which makes him eligible to sign an extension at any time.

In an appearance on Sportsnet 960 (audio link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggests that Winnipeg will let the season play out and then try to sign him to a new long-term deal at that time.  Unlike his first time as a restricted free agent, he will have arbitration eligibility this time around.  His qualifying offer will be set at his 2017-18 salary of $3.5MM.

Trouba has made it clear that he does not like shifting to play the left side and Tyler Myers is signed through 2018-19 and Dustin Byfuglien through 2020-21 so that logjam on the right will still be in play for at least another year when the team sits down with him to try to hammer out a new pact.

From a statistical standpoint, the 23-year-old isn’t helping his cause too much.  He has just eight points through 26 games which is his second-lowest point-per-game average of his career.  With Winnipeg having a healthy back end on the right side, he’s also averaging a career-low 21:09 per night in ice time.  With that in mind, it would make sense to wait on extension talks from his perspective even if he were to be approached by management.

While the Jets have a very pricey back end this season (one that costs over $30MM once Mark Stuart’s buyout is factored in), they will have a big chunk of that freed up when Toby Enstrom’s $5.75MM contract expires at the end of the season.  As a result, they should have the money available to sign Trouba long-term if they so desire at a cost that will likely come relatively close to Enstrom’s expiring deal.

Injury Updates: Senators, Blue Jackets, Burakovsky, Hanzal

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While the Senators got some tough news yesterday on the injury front after it was revealed that defenseman Chris Wideman will undergo hamstring surgery on Monday that puts his availability for the rest of the season into question, that’s not the only bad news from their back end.  Head coach Guy Boucher told reporters, including Postmedia’s Ken Warren, that blueliner Mark Borowiecki continues to experience concussion symptoms despite being inactive.  As a result, it’s hard to imagine that he will be able to return to the lineup anytime soon either.  That gives youngsters like Thomas Chabot and Ben Harpur a chance to really solidify a spot on Ottawa’s back end in the weeks and months to come.

More injury notes from around the league:

  • The Blue Jackets have activated winger Matt Calvert off of injured reserve, per a team release. He had missed the last dozen games due to an upper-body injury.  Prior to getting hurt a month ago, Calvert had gotten off to a strong start to his season with three goals and five assists in 14 contests.  To make room for him on the roster, the team placed defenseman Ryan Murray on IR with an upper-body issue of his own.  He has missed the last two games which means they can back-date the placement to late-November.
  • Capitals winger Andre Burakovsky is on pace to return to Washington’s lineup within the next three weeks, reports Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post. He has been sidelined since late October after undergoing thumb surgery.  The original timeline for his return was six-to-eight weeks so he appears to be on right on schedule.  Tarik El-Bashir of NBC Sports Washington adds that Burakovsky was skating earlier today and doing some light shooting which is certainly a good sign as well.
  • Martin Hanzal’s tough year with the Stars continues. After missing time due to a lower-body injury as well as a hand injury already, the center is now listed as week-to-week with a hamstring issue, notes NHL.com’s Sean Shapiro (Twitter link).  When healthy, Hanzal has yet to live up to his three-year, $14.25MM contract he signed back in July; he has just a goal and two assists in 19 games this season.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: New Jersey Devils

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will look at what teams are thankful for as the season nears the quarter point of completion. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We take a look at what’s gone well in the first month and what could improve as the season rolls on. So far we’ve covered ANA, ARZ, BUF, CGY, CAR, CBJ, COL, DET, LAK, NSH, NYI, STL, TOR, WSH, and VGK.

What are the Devils most thankful for?

Patience being rewarded.  New Jersey has slowly added core pieces each year and has quietly transformed from a defensive-oriented trapping team to an up-tempo one that finds themselves in the top-ten in goals.  Instead of being a team that many had earmarked for a place at or near the bottom of the Metropolitan Division, they’re within striking distance of the top spot.

Who are the Devils most thankful for?

Nov 27, 2017; Newark, NJ, USA; New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier (13) celebrates his goal on Florida Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo (1) during the third period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY SportsHaving 2017 first-overall pick center Nico Hischier is a nice centerpiece to build around.  He has adapted quite well to the NHL game already despite there being some concerns about his slender frame heading into the season.  While some teams have opted to play top center prospects on the wing early on in their careers, New Jersey has kept Hischier down the middle and he has more than held his own with 18 points through his first 25 games (although his 39.1% faceoff rate will need to improve over time).  His emergence helped make it easier for the team to trade Adam Henrique to add defenseman Sami Vatanen earlier this week.

While Cory Schneider isn’t mentioned among the top goaltenders in the league, he has provided the Devils with above average goaltending since they traded the ninth-overall pick in 2011 (Bo Horvat) to Vancouver to secure his rights.  He’s on a strong contract at $6MM through 2021-22 which means they should get high-quality performances between the pipes for several years to come.

[Related: Devils Depth Chart from Roster Resource]

What would the Devils be even more thankful for?

Travis Zajac returned to the lineup back on November 16th after returning earlier than expected from surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle and after recording 40 or more points in three of the last four seasons, it was hoped that he would help add another layer to their attack.  That hasn’t happened as he has yet to record a point through his first eight games this season despite averaging 16:46 per night.  It’s still pretty early for him but if he can get going, New Jersey’s offence is going to be quite a bit stronger.

What should be on the Devils’ Holiday Wish List?

This may sound odd coming on the heels of trading for an impact defenseman in Vatanen but they still need some help on that end.  Rookie Will Butcher is off to a strong start but they have been trying to shelter him and limit his minutes while John Moore and Ben Lovejoy are better served as depth defenders.  They’ve taken a big step towards improving their back end but if they could land another top-four blueliner, they could really solidify things there while positioning themselves well to continue to contend in the Metropolitan.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Senators Claim Chris DiDomenico Off Waivers From Tampa Bay

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Chris DiDomenico’s stint in Tampa Bay’s organization didn’t last long.  After being placed on waivers yesterday, the Senators have claimed the winger, per a team announcement (Twitter link).  This comes on the heels of the Lightning claiming him from Ottawa just a week ago.

[Related: Updated Senators Depth Chart from Roster Resource]

In his time with Tampa Bay, DiDomenico only played in the minors on a conditioning stint.  He suited up in three games with their AHL affiliate in Syracuse, scoring once during that span.

DiDomenico initially cleared waivers at the end of training camp but injuries up front gave him a chance to be recalled early on in the season to Ottawa. He initially made quite the impact as he recorded five points in his first five games. However, his ice time decreased after that and he picked up just a lone assist in his final seven games with the Sens before they placed him on waivers last weekend.

If the Senators were the only team to claim the 28-year-old, they will be eligible to send him down to their AHL affiliate in Belleville.  If, however, any other team behind them in the priority list put in a claim, then they would have to re-waive him in order to try to send him back down.

  • In other waiver news on Saturday, Oilers winger Iiro Pakarinen cleared waivers, per Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic (Twitter link).  The team announced via Twitter that he has been assigned to Bakersfield of the AHL.

Brandon Davidson Placed On Waivers

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After all the talk of Brandon Davidson being on the Montreal Canadiens’ trade block and the numerous teams who could have considerable interest in acquiring him, it seems no deal could materialize for the Habs and their hand has been forced. Davidson has been placed on waivers today, as first reported by TVA’s Renaud Lavoie.

With Shea Weber returning from injury, Montreal needs a roster spot and they will get one by placing Davidson on waivers. It seems somewhat unlikely that Davidson will clear waivers, as he is not far gone from being and up-and-coming defender and still plays a solid defensive game. The only roadblock could be his contract, but at just under $1.5MM, it’s far from an albatross for any D-needy team to take on.

Davidson’s absence means greater roles for Victor Mete, Jakub Jerabek, and Joe Morrow moving forward, as the Canadiens look for the right mix to get back on track this season. Montreal is in the bottom third in the league in goals for, goals against, power play, and penalty kill. If coach Claude Julien thinks potentially losing Davidson and giving more ice time to this trio of young defenders is a way to reverse their fortunes in even one of those areas, it is probably worth it.

Minor Transactions: 12/2/2017

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In minor moves today:

  • The floundering Buffalo Sabres have made a move, calling up forward Hudson Fasching from the AHL’s Rochester Americans, per a team report. The Sabres have failed to score a goal in each of their past three games and face the two-time defending Stanley Cup champs, the Pittsburgh Penguins, again today as the second half of a home-and-home. Buffalo could use all the help they can get and Fasching is tied for the team lead in goals in Rochester and uses his big frame to create opportunities around the net. The former University of Minnesota star has not proven himself in the pros quite yet, but could earn a regular role in the NHL if he jump starts the Sabres’ season (or at least scores a goal).
  • The Dallas Stars announced that they have recalled forward Curtis McKenzie from AHL Texas. McKenzie has been back and forth multiple times already in 2017-18, but hasn’t had the opportunity to play for Dallas despite leading the Texas Stars with 10 goals and 68 shots in 19 games. The 2009 draft pick hasn’t exactly been an offensive juggernaut at the next level though; he recorded only five points in his first 39 NHL games, but at least took a step forward last season with 16 points in 53 games. Many expected McKenzie to have a full-time role after gaining so much experience last year, but it hasn’t happened for him just yet. Perhaps a strong showing – should he get the opportunity – on this latest recall could keep him in Dallas for a longer, more involved stay.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers announced that they have recalled defenseman Mark Alt from Lehigh Valley of the AHL.  He sits second on the Phantoms in points by a defenseman with nine through 16 games.  He’s also no stranger to being with the big club as this is his third recall already this season.  He has played in six games with the Flyers, being held off the scoresheet while averaging just over 13 minutes per night.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have promoted defenseman Jamie McBain to the big club, per a team release.  The veteran has yet to play with the Lightning this season but has picked up 11 points in 21 minor league contests.  He has plenty of NHL experience under his belt though with 348 career games split between Carolina, Buffalo, Los Angeles, and Arizona.  His promotion was needed with fellow blueliner Braydon Coburn being listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

The Case For Points Percentage

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It’s not often in sports that there is a need for something as trivial as a change in how standings are listed. Yet, that is the exact situation that the NHL faces. Ever since the league changed its schedule format a few years back so that every team played in every building every year, scheduling has become increasingly difficult and teams play out their seasons far differently from one another. The result, at any given point in the season, is a wide gap in games played between teams across the league – one that has stretched as high as 8 games between the teams with the most and fewest games played.

With a points-based standings system, a games played gap greatly misrepresents the success of teams relative to one another. While anyone can look and see that a 25-5-5 team is superior to a 22-10-11, the problem is that the standings say otherwise – both teams have 55 points – and the average layperson isn’t going to calculate a metric to differentiate the two when just casually looking at the standings. In the end, all teams play 82 games, but for the ease of fans and even some media members to better analyze how teams are performing in-season, and additional metric is needed.

That metric is points percentage, which of course is the amount of points a team has accrued (two-point wins and one-point OT/shoot-out losses) out of how many possible points they could have earned with a win in each game. Similar to winning percentage, the main standings metric for the MLB and traditionally listed on NFL and NBA standings as well, points percentage is an easy way to show how teams are doing relative to a .500 mark and, more importantly, relative to each other. The only problem is that, while very easy to calculate and very useful, no one in hockey is yet using this stat in their standard standings. NHL.com should, above everyone else, at least use points percentage in their standings, especially since it is a metric they have on hand, but they don’t. Instead, users can go to team stats, where it is a searchable statistic, and refine their search by conference and division to see relevant standings. Helpful, right? ESPN, TSN, Fox Sports, and CBS Sports are among the other major sports information outlets who have yet to adopt points percentage for their NHL standings, continuing to leave fans without complete information.

The one site hockey fans should use: the old stand-by Hockey Reference. The reliable stats site lists points percentage right alongside points in its 2017-18 standings, allowing for an easy look at the true performances of teams so far this season. Do yourself a favor, and take a quick look. Points percentage is topical right now, as a perfect case study is playing out in the Atlantic Division. Yes, the season is only a quarter of the way in, but the margin in games played is already skewing the view of the league’s weakest division:

Fans of the struggling Montreal Canadiens are ecstatic to be back in a playoff spot with 27 points in 27 games and fans of the Detroit Red Wings are proud of their club for sticking around with 25 points in 26 games, good enough for fifth place in the division. What about the fourth-place Boston Bruins? Well, the Bruins have 26 points… but in 23 games. Due to the gap in games played between the B’s and the Habs and Wings, it looks like Boston is just another team in the mix. Yet, in terms of points percentage they are a ways ahead. The Bruins are currently at .565, right up there with the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Washington Capitals within the Eastern Conference. The Canadiens are at .500, no better than the Atlantic’s sixth-place squad, the Ottawa Senators, and well outside playoff contention at this point. The Red Wings are at just .481, a success rate much closer to the Florida Panthers than the Bruins.

The whole outlook of the Atlantic is skewed due to the games played gap and points percentage is a clear way to show accurate standings. It is also a straightforward metric to calculate and display. So why haven’t more platforms adopted it? It’s time for the NHL and other sports media outlets to help out hockey’s spectators and format their standings to actually show how the season is going.

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