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Cam Atkinson, Alexander Wennberg Out Four To Six Weeks

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The Columbus Blue Jackets are not having a good holiday season. Brian Hedger of NHL.com confirms that both Cam Atkinson and Alexander Wennberg will miss four to six weeks due to injury. Atkinson’s foot was broken by a Seth Jones shot, while Wennberg will miss time with a back injury.

Alexander WennbergThe news couldn’t come at a worse time for the Blue Jackets, who go on the road for eight of their next 12 games and are trying to fight to stay relevant in the Metropolitan. With the entire division separated by just nine points, losing two of your best forwards for a six week stretch can be devastating. Luckily—if you can call it that—Wennberg and Atkinson had already been struggling this season, forcing other young players to step up offensively.

Last season saw the pair lead the Blue Jackets in almost every offensive category, with Atkinson scoring 35 goals and Wennberg recording 46 assists. They finished with 62 and 59 points respectively, and were deadly threats on the powerplay all season. This year, has been a little different.

The two have combined for just 29 points all season, and were a big part of the Blue Jackets early struggles on the powerplay. While in their offensive funk, the team turned to others like Pierre-Luc Dubois and Oliver Bjorkstrand to lead the way and will now have to again. With Brandon Dubinsky still out with a broken orbital bone, even more pressure will be placed on the young Dubois who has quickly gone from roster afterthought to first-line center.

It will be interesting to see if the Blue Jackets are forced to make a move to help their center group, or if they turn to players like Sonny Milano and Tyler Motte to try and plug the holes. With Artemi Panarin looking like himself again—15 points in his last 12 games—there could be enough offense to still carry the team for the time being.

Toronto Maple Leafs Loan Kasperi Kapanen To AHL

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The Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t wasted any time after Christmas to make a tweak to their roster, sending forward Kasperi Kapanen down to the AHL today. It’s unclear exactly how the Maple Leafs are allowed to make this transaction, as the holiday roster freeze is still in effect. The move must have either actually happened on the 23rd and only been announced now, or is set to take effect on the 28th when the freeze is lifted. According to CapFriendly, the only other way for a move to be made is if the Maple Leafs are activating one of their long-term injured reserve players, which is extremely unlikely since they’re not expected to play again.

Kapanen, 21, continues to be an enigma for Toronto fans, as he’s shown flashes of brilliance during short recalls but hasn’t been able to stick in the lineup on a full-time basis. It seemed as though he’d earned an NHL spot in the playoffs last season, but started the year in the minor leagues once again due to the team’s roster restrictions—Kapanen is waiver-exempt, something several other fringe roster players are not.

Still, he continues to play nearly a point-per-game pace in the minor leagues and wait for his opportunity in Toronto. A big part of the Phil Kessel trade from a few years ago, there is still likely a future in Toronto for the son of former NHLer Sami Kapanen.

Metropolitan Notes: McDonagh, Neuvirth, Islanders

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With the likes of defenseman Erik Karlsson, Drew Doughty, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson highlighting the free agent class of 2019, Rangers blueliner Ryan McDonagh has largely flown under the radar.  However, his deal is also up at that time and he’s sure to garner plenty of interest on the open market if he makes it there.  Accordingly, Larry Brooks of the New York Post suggests that the team will soon need to make a decision on McDonagh’s future in New York.  Do they look to re-sign him at a rate that will certainly be considerably higher than his current $4.7MM cap hit or is he best served as a trade chip in the months to come, either at the trade deadline or the draft?  Given his importance to the team, one thing is certain – they can’t afford to lose him for nothing in free agency so the call on his long-term future with the team will need to be made before long.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Flyers goaltender Michal Neuvirth is expected to be ready to suit up following the holiday break, notes Tom Dougherty of NBC Sports Philadelphia. He has been out since December 6th due to a leg injury and Brian Elliott has logged all of the playing time since then.  Assuming Neuvirth gets the green light to return, Alex Lyon will be sent back to Lehigh Valley of the AHL where he will be looking to rebound from a rough start to his second professional season.
  • While the Islanders were hoping that their goalie tandem of Jaroslav Halak and Thomas Greiss would be a strength this season, the opposite has been the case. They have combined for a save percentage of just .895, 17 points below the league average.  Newsday’s Arthur Staple assesses the potential trade market and notes that GM Garth Snow’s opportunities to improve that position via trade are somewhat limited.  Despite their struggles in goal, the Isles are currently holding down a Wild Card spot but if they can find a way to improve (or Halak/Greiss turn it around), they could become a much bigger threat in the division.

2017 Year In Review: April

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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 April.

Coaching Firings: As is often the case following the end of the season, quite a few teams decided it was time for a change behind the bench.  Those teams were: Los Angeles (Darryl Sutter as well as GM Dean Lombardi), Vancouver (Willie Desjardins), Florida (Tom Rowe – reassigned to advisor while Dale Tallon retook his GM duties), Buffalo (Dan Bylsma plus GM Tim Murray), and Dallas (Lindy Ruff).  As much as there were plenty of changes after the season, the same can’t be said for the early going this year.  This is the first time since 1998 that no head coach was let go between the start of the season and the holiday break.

Coaching Hirings: Not surprisingly, several of the teams who relieved the coaches of their duties hired replacements throughout the month.  Those included John Stevens being promoted to the top job with the Kings, the Canucks bringing up Travis Green from their AHL affiliate, and Ken Hitchcock returning for another go-around with Dallas.  In addition to those, a pair of interim head coaches got their jobs on a full-time basis with Bruce Cassidy in Boston plus Doug Weight with the Islanders.  Plus, the Golden Knights hired their inaugural bench boss in Gerard Gallant, a decision that is certainly paying early dividends.

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 SportsDraft Lottery Yields Big Changes: There are some years where the Draft Lottery results in very little changes to the draft order for June.  This was not one of those years.  The Devils jumped up four spots to pick first overall, the Flyers vaulted up 11 spots to select second, while Dallas got to pick five picks earlier than they anticipated with the third overall selection.  This was certainly frustrating for Colorado who went from first to fourth while the Canucks (second to fifth) and Golden Knights (third to sixth) also dropped three places.  The Devils selected center Nico Hischier with the top selection and he is certainly off to a nice start to his rookie campaign with 21 points (5-16-21) through his first 35 games.

Darling To Carolina: After the tandem of Cam Ward and Eddie Lack struggled last season, the Hurricanes made a move to try to shore up their goalie duo with the acquisition of Scott Darling from Chicago. The early returns haven’t been particularly promising, however.  He has posted a 2.89 GAA with a .896 SV% through 24 appearances, numbers that are below the league average.  As a result, he has started to cede playing time to Ward in recent weeks which basically has Carolina back where they were a year ago.

NHL Won’t Participate In The Olympics: Although this had been speculated on for a while already, the NHL made it official that they would not be stopping their schedule in order to allow players to participate in the upcoming Olympics.  This will be the first time that NHL players won’t be suiting up for their respective countries since the 1994 Games in Lillehammer, Norway.  Unsurprisingly, many players voiced their displeasure about the decision and it’s bound to come up in the next round of CBA talks.  In the meantime, each federation is awaiting a final call from the KHL to see if their players will be allowed to participate as planned on the heels of Russia being barred from the Olympics for doping violations or if they will be rejigging their schedule to eliminate (or reduce) the month-long break that is currently in place.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

PHR Originals: 12/18/17 – 12/24/17

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Here’s a rundown of the original content at PHR over the past week:

Columns

Holger looked at the big decision that the Golden Knights will soon have to make with James Neal.  He was selected in expansion with the idea that he’d be a top rental player at the deadline so should they stick with their original plan or hold on to him for a playoff run?  And if they go with the latter, should they look into a contract extension and how long is too long of a deal?

Our latest mailbag is now available.  I tackled questions regarding trade scenarios for Erik Karlsson and John Tavares, Philadelphia’s streakiness, and what might be on tap for the Blues and Bruins.

Zach evaluated the success (or lack thereof) of some of the veteran contracts handed out in free agency over the summer.  Based on how several of those deals are going so far, it’s likely that the recent trend of teams eschewing marginal veterans in favor of younger players will be continuing next offseason.

Thankful Series

Our What Your Team Should Be Thankful Series wrapped up with a closer look at the following teams:

Dallas Stars
Tampa Bay Lightning
Winnipeg Jets

Polls

While there are several strong candidates for who is the frontrunner for the Jack Adams award as Coach of the Year, it appears that there is one that stands out amongst the crowd.  Make your pick for who should be leading the race here.

Every team should have a Christmas wish list, regardless of where they find themselves in the standings.  What does your team need?  Make your pick here.

The World Junior Hockey Championships are about to get underway.  Analysts are predicting a rather open field and your votes reflect a similar mindset with close to a three-way tie so far.  Make your prediction for who will take home the gold here.

Year In Review

Our look back at what was a busy year around not only the NHL but the hockey world is underway with a look at the following months:

January
February
March

Five Key Stories: 12/18/17 – 12/24/17

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Although the holiday roster freeze shut down the trade market for the majority of the week, there were still several headlines around the league.  Here are the top five.

Oleksiak To Pittsburgh: There were three smaller trades made before the freeze kicked in with the most prominent being the Penguins acquiring defenseman Jamie Oleksiak from Dallas in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2019.  The 14th overall pick in 2011 could never really find his footing with the Stars and had been a frequent healthy scratch this season.  With Pittsburgh, Oleksiak will battle for third-pairing minutes while giving them some extra depth, something they’ve been seeking for a while after being forced to shuffle AHL players back and forth as injuries came up.

Ellis To Return Shortly: Nashville’s big four on the back end have yet to play together this season.  That is set to change in the very near future as Ryan Ellis is targeting a return date of January 2nd.  He underwent knee surgery in the offseason.  Ellis took a big leap forward last season with career-highs in goals (16), points (38), and ice time (23:57 per game) and once he gets back into game shape, he will provide the Predators with another threat from the point while allowing them to shuffle Alexei Emelin back into a third-pairing role.

Mar 25, 2017; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber (6) waves to the crowd as he is named third star of the game against Ottawa Senators at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY SportsWeber Shut Down Indefinitely: If Montreal plans to get back into the playoff picture, they will be doing so without the services of their top defenseman in Shea Weber for the foreseeable future.  He has been shut down indefinitely as a foot injury sustained in the season-opener against Buffalo is not healing as the team hoped it would.  Not only will they miss his presence from the point (particularly his booming shot), they will also be in tough to account for the 25-plus minutes per game he has logged so far this season.  This could also play a role in Montreal’s plans for Victor Mete once he returns from the World Juniors in early January.

Islanders Win Belmont Park Bid: The Islanders got some great news on their arena front as their proposal for a new 18,000-seat arena at Belmont Park has been approved.  This gives the team some long-term stability especially with their current situation in Brooklyn not going as well as anyone had hoped.  Unlike a lot of new facilities, team owner Jon Ledecky stated that this will be built with private funds and not public.  There will still be some short-term decisions to be made as to where they will play for the next couple of years after this one given that the arena will need to be built.  The team can either try to negotiate a short-term agreement in Brooklyn (they’ll opt out of their current deal next month) or perhaps look to return to their old home at Nassau Coliseum instead.

Burmistrov Retires From NHL: Earlier this month, Canucks center Alexander Burmistrov voiced his frustration with his role with Vancouver as he has been primarily a depth player.  It turns out that he has had enough of his time there as he has retired from the NHL with an eye towards going back home to Russia.  He’s expected to sign with Ak Bars Kazan of the KHL in the coming days.  He finishes his NHL playing days with 101 points (37-64-101) in 348 games between Vancouver, Arizona, and Winnipeg/Atlanta.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Borowiecki, Subban, McDavid

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Senators defenseman Mark Borowiecki has missed the last 15 games due to a shoulder injury and it doesn’t appear as if a return is imminent.  Head coach Guy Boucher told Postmedia’s Don Brennan that although he’s getting closer to playing, he’s not expected to suit up until mid-January at the very least.  Considering how long he has sat, it will likely take some time to get his conditioning back as well.  2017-18 hasn’t been a great season so far for the 28-year-old who has only played a dozen games thanks to this injury as well as an upper-body issue that cost him a pair of games in October and an illness that kept him out for five more.  About the only thing that has gone well for Borowiecki so far is the two-year contract extension he inked just before the season got underway.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Vegas GM George McPhee acknowledged to Gary Lawless on the Golden Knights’ team site that they nearly opted to select goaltender Malcolm Subban over defenseman Colin Miller from the Bruins back at the Expansion Draft. They opted to go with the latter with the thought that they could subsequently trade for Subban.  That didn’t happen as planned but they wound up with both anyway after the Bruins waived the netminder after training camp.  It has all worked out quite well for Vegas as Subban has proven to be a solid backup while Miller is their highest-scoring defender with 19 points already, a new career-high.
  • Although Oilers center Connor McDavid left Saturday’s game late being able to put very little pressure on his foot following a blocked shot, indications are that he should be fine. Speaking with the media (including Postmedia’s Jim Matheson) following the game, head coach Todd McLellan indicated that x-rays were negative and that they fully expect him to suit for their next game on Wednesday against Winnipeg.

2017 Year In Review: March

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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 March.

Deadline Dealings: For all of the hype going into the trade deadline, most of the big deals were made in the days leading up to it which made for a quieter deadline day.  A total of 20 trades were made in total with the most prominent names on the move being wingers Jannik Hansen (to SJ), Jarome Iginla (to LA), and Thomas Vanek (to FLA) plus center Valtteri Filppula (to PHI).  For a full run-down of the deals made, here are our breakdowns by division.

Atlantic Division
Central Division
Metropolitan Division
Pacific Division

Jan 28, 2015; Newark, NJ, USA; New Jersey Devils left wing Patrik Elias (26) celebrates his game deciding goal during the shootout at Prudential Center. The Devils defeated the Maple Leafs 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY SportsElias Retires: Long-time Devils winger Patrik Elias had been hoping to come back and suit up at some point last season and had been skating with the team in case he was needed.  That wasn’t required after all so Elias hung up his skates.  He retired as New Jersey’s all-time leader in goals (408), assists (617), and points (1,025) while ranking third in games played with 1,240.  That point total places him second all-time among Czech-born players (behind only Jaromir Jagr).  Unsurprisingly, the team is wasting little time in retiring his #26 with the ceremony to be held two months from now on February 24th, 2018.

Arizona Arena Situation: Just when it looked like Arizona was on track for a new arena, a previously-announced deal that would have seen the team partner with Arizona State University to put an arena in Tempe fell through.  Commissioner Gary Bettman then weighed in, sending a letter to the Arizona Senate and House of Representatives to not only encourage them to vote on a bill that would provide public funding for a new arena (which didn’t happen) but to tell them that the Coyotes “cannot and will not remain in Glendale”.  Unlike the arena situation for the Islanders which was resolved earlier this week, this one just won’t go away.

USNWT Ends Lengthy Boycott: Nearly two weeks after announcing that they would boycott the World Championships, the US Women’s Team reached an agreement with USA Hockey on a four-year deal that would provide a much higher level of financial support than they were receiving previously.  The agreement came on the heels of the NHLPA publicly supporting the women as well as rumblings that American NHL players would consider boycotting the Worlds themselves as a show of solidarity.

Canucks Sign Boeser: Vancouver surprised many when they opted to sign 2015 first-round pick Brock Boeser and burn the first year of his entry-level contract a year early.  It’s safe to say that he has put any questions about his NHL readiness to rest as he leads all rookies in goals with 20 this season, a total that puts him fifth overall league-wide.  Looking ahead, it will be interesting to see if the team pursues an extension with Boeser this coming summer or if they wait to see how he fares in his sophomore season.  Certainly, things are looking up for Boeser who is positioning himself well for a big payday in the near future.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Penguins Looking To Make A Splash, May Be Willing To Trade Kris Letang

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Although they made a couple of smaller deals right before the trade freeze, the Penguins are looking to make a splash in the trade market, reports Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos (video link).  In particular, Kypreos notes defenseman Kris Letang as someone that they may be willing to move, in part to shed some salary.  Letang carries a $7.25MM cap hit through 2021-22.

2017-18 has not been a strong season for Letang, particularly at the defensive end.  While he has 25 points in 37 games (a point-per-game mark slightly above his career average), he has struggled considerably in the defensive zone and is turning the puck over at a higher rate than normal.

Dec 10, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (58) against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the third period at Amalie Arena. Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY SportsWhat would likely be concerning for any potential acquiring team is Letang’s health.  He missed the final 23 games last season as well as the playoffs after undergoing neck surgery and Kypreos adds that the fact they won the Stanley Cup last year without Letang makes the idea of moving him a bit more palatable.  The 30-year-old has also had three concussions since 2011 while he dealt with a heart ailment that cost him 26 games back in 2014.  With that type of injury history and his contract, there is certainly some risk involved although when he is on his game, he can be one of the more dominant defensemen in the league.

If Pittsburgh were to indeed decide to move him, Letang would have a large say in where he would ultimately wind up.  On top of having a full no-move clause, he also has an 18-team no-trade clause throughout the life of the contract.

As for what GM Jim Rutherford might be looking for, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggests in the same segment that they would likely be looking for a pair of forwards in return.  Pittsburgh hasn’t hidden the fact that they’re still looking for a third line center so presumably, that would be one of the pieces they would be asking for.

With the Penguins currently sitting out of a playoff spot, it wouldn’t be surprising at all to see them be active on the trade market soon after the trade freeze lifts on December 27th whether that’s with Letang or someone else.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Tampa Bay Lightning

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With the holiday season in full swing, PHR will look at what teams are thankful for so far this year. 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 few months and what could improve as the season rolls on. So far we’ve covered the following teams:

Atlantic: BOS, BUF, DET, FLA, TOR, MTL, OTT
Metropolitan: CAR, CBJ, NJD, NYI, NYR, PHI, PIT, WSH
Central: CHI, COL, DAL, MIN, NSH, STL, WPG
Pacific: ANA, ARZ, CGY, EDM, LAK, SJS, VAN, VGK

What are the Tampa Bay Lightning most thankful for?

What a difference a year makes. One year ago, the Tampa Bay Lightning failed to reach the playoffs and now the Lightning (aside from perhaps the Vegas Golden Knights) are one of the most talked about teams in the NHL. Their 26-7-2 record is tops in the NHL and with 54 points, they are six points ahead of any other team in the league. The team is ranked first in goal scoring as they average 3.79 goals per game, .29 higher than any other team. The Lightning rank first in power play effeciency, scoring on 28.1 percent of opportunities. They rank fourth in the NHL in goals against, averaging a stingy 2.52 goals. They also rank third in goaltending save percentage at .921. What’s not to be thankful for?

Who are the Lightning most thankful for?

There are too many directions the team could go from the play of Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos (ranked first and second in NHL scoring, respectively) to the impressive play of rookie Mikhail Sergachev, who the team acquired in the offseason. However, perhaps the most impressive is the performance of goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, the team’s goaltender who, at age 23, has changed his label from up-and-coming goaltender to NHL star. The netminder took over the full-time job last year after the Lightning traded away Ben Bishop. He posted a respectable 2.61 GAA in 50 games with a .917 save percentage in 2016-17. However, in 29 games this year, Vasilevskiy has posted a 2.13 GAA and a .932 save percentage. He has 23 wins this year in those 29 games. He had 23 wins all of last season. Throw in four shutouts and he has become one of the best goaltenders in the league.

What would the Lightning be even more thankful for?

There isn’t a lot that Tampa Bay needs, but the team’s continued health and potential return of team veteran and leader Ryan Callahan might be nice. The team has had few major injuries to deal with this season after having several a year ago. Callahan, who crashed into the boards hard in a Dec. 14 game and suffered an upper-body injury, is expected to be out for at least a month and is a major injury to the team. While Callahan’s numbers aren’t that impressive (one goal, five assists in 29 games), Callahan is a key member of the team’s penalty killing unit (which gave up three power play goals to the Vegas Golden Knights earlier last week). The team would love to get Callahan back as soon as possible as his leadership abilities are also sorely missed.

What should be on the Lightnings’ Holiday Wish List?

Again, Tampa Bay doesn’t need much, but while the team has successfully integrated several young players into their everyday lineup from Sergachev, to Yanni Gourde to Jake Dotchin this year, can they continue that trend? General manager Steve Yzerman has already said that the team could easily make some upgrades and several of them will come from the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, including Cory Conacher, Adam Erne, Anthony Cirelli and Alex Volkov, who are all thriving there. Conacher has taken Callahan’s spot and some of the others are likely call ups as the season continues. If the team can find a way to get production out of these youngsters, their depth might be the best in the league.

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