Forgotten Futures: Checking In On Picks 3-5
While Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine have dominated many of the headlines around the NHL since the moment they put on their respective sweaters on June 24th, 2016 there were other names picked that day that have received much less attention. Matthew Tkachuk has burst onto the scene in Calgary, recording an incredible 41 points in his rookie season (including more assists than either of the top 2) while Jakob Chychrun has steadily improved in the desert and is now logging 20 minutes a night as an 18-year old.
There were three other names taken between Laine and Tkachuk, and though their respective fan bases surely haven’t forgotten about their prized assets, drooling over the potential they bring while combing through box scores—that is if anyone combs through box scores anymore—the rest of the league might have. As we head past the trade deadline many teams look towards the future, hoping for a brighter sunrise next season and looking at comparables for their expected draft position this summer.
5th Overall Pick – Olli Juolevi (VAN)
The first defenseman picked in the draft was Olli Juolevi from the London Knights. The smooth skating defender that was heralded as a future #1 who could play in any situation has had an excellent, if a little underwhelming season for the Knights in 2016-17. Playing on a great team in front of a great goaltender, Juolevi has continued to rack up assists while being a main part of one of the stingiest defensive teams in the OHL. The Knights have allowed just 165 goals this season and Juolevi is one of the reasons why.
With 39 points in 49 games, he continues to produce in junior hockey, though a little less can be said about his performance at the World Juniors. Captaining a Finnish squad that was without almost all of their key players—including one we will speak of later—Juolevi didn’t impress much through the preliminary round. After his coach got fired midway through the tournament, Juolevi stepped up a bit but still finished with just two points in six games.
It’s hardly enough to judge him on, but Vancouver Canucks fans were likely hoping to see him take over the tournament all by himself and drag the Finnish team to the medal round. They should however be excited about the prospect that London will be in the OHL playoffs starting later this month, where Juolevi will try for a second crack at the Memorial Cup.
East Notes: Jokinen, Elias, Cammalleri
Today in things you didn’t realize: Olli Jokinen hasn’t officially retired. After last playing in the NHL in 2014-15 for the St. Louis Blues—after stints in Nashville and Toronto earlier that season—the former Florida Panthers captain will officially retire prior to the Panthers game on Tuesday against the New York Rangers. A third-overall pick by the Los Angeles Kings back in 1997, Jokinen suited up for the Kings, Islanders, Panthers, Coyotes, Flames, Rangers, Jets, Predators, Maple Leafs and Blues during his 18 year NHL career.
Now 38, Jokinen scored 750 points in 1231 games and was one of the most consistent producers in the game during his prime. Involved in a handful of huge trades over the year, he and Roberto Luongo were the package sent from New York to Florida after the Islanders drafted Rick DiPietro first overall in 2000. The two would help shape the next decade of Panthers hockey, while DiPietro would suffer multiple injuries and become a cautionary “what if” story.
- Staying with the old guard, Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports that Patrik Elias has been skating on and off this season and will talk to Devils GM Ray Shero next week about the possibility of playing at some point this season. Elias is currently unsigned by the Devils, but would return to the only team he’s ever known in the NHL should he want to hit the ice this season. The 40-year old has 1025 points in 1240 games over his long and successful career.
- Maybe the Devils could use him right now, as Andrew Gross of The Record reports that Mike Cammalleri will be out at least a week with an upper-body injury. The forward will be re-evaluated next week at some point to see when he’ll be able to return. In a down season for the 34-year old Cammalleri, he has just 10 goals in 55 games and is starting to show his age on the ice. With two more years on his contract at $5MM per season, he certainly isn’t performing up to his current deal.
New York Islanders Activate Hamonic, Terminate Emergency Conditions On Ho-Sang
Apparently Josh Ho-Sang did enough to stay with the big club last night, as the team has kept him around even after activating Travis Hamonic from injured reserve. Originally on emergency recall, the Islanders have terminated those conditions and placed him on a regular recall. That means Ho-Sang could last the rest of the season with the Islanders, and why not?
The ridiculously skilled winger played 17 minutes last night alongside Andrew Ladd and Brock Nelson, and didn’t look out of place at the NHL level. After dominating the AHL in his first taste of professional hockey—36 points in 48 games is a good start at any level for a 20-year old—he’ll get a chance to help the Islanders down the stretch and possibly into a playoff spot. The team, desperate for wingers all season has to be excited about the prospect of pairing Ho-Sang’s playmaking ability with John Tavares down the line, even if that will have to wait until next season.
Drafted 28th overall partly because of a belief he was a problem off the ice, the Islanders seem very happy with their newest player. They’ll need all the help they can get tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks, as the team continues a brutal nine game road trip that will see them fly all over the continent. They’re 3-1 on it so far after beating the Dallas Stars last night, but with games against Chicago, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and St. Louis left to go, it will likely decide their playoff fate.
Vegas Golden Knights Given Official Standing In NHL
As expected today, the Vegas Golden Knights have completed all the paperwork and expansion payments and been given official standing in the NHL according to Bob McKenzie of TSN. They are able to make any transactions that do not include active NHL players.
Though discussions were likely to have been going on for weeks about the expansion draft and deals to protect certain teams and players, they could now officially accept a deal. The team can also sign any college free agents like Neal Pionk who was rumored to have as many as 20 teams after him recently.
Expect Vegas to collect as many college players as possible as they try to build a pipeline of talent as quickly as possible. For teams like Pittsburgh, who look like they’ll have Marc-Andre Fleury and Matt Murray on expansion day, they can send draft picks to the team for some extra protection.
Welcome Vegas to the NHL! We now have 31 teams in the best hockey league in the world. We’ll keep track of any deals that go down over the next few months.
Minor Transactions: 03/01/17
While all the big deals will be listed on our deadline transaction tracker, we’ll keep an eye open for any player movement between the NHL and AHL here like always.
- The New York Islanders have brought Josh Ho-Sang back up on the emergency conditions he was recalled on yesterday. Interestingly the team loaned him back to Bridgeport just a few hours after recalling him yesterday to leave room in case they made a deal.
- After acquiring Brendan Smith, the New York Rangers have sent Steven Kampfer back to the Hartford Wolf Pack. Kampfer was up with the team because of the Dan Girardi injury, and logged almost 16 minutes of ice time in the Rangers’ 4-1 loss last night.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have added from the inside today, bringing up Derrick Pouliot from the AHL. The defenseman has played seven games with the NHL club this season.
- According to Mark Divver of the Providence Journal, the Boston Bruins have brought Joe Morrow back to the big leagues. Morrow hasn’t played in an NHL game in over a month, but has 17 under his belt this season.
- The Devils announced that they have recalled forward Kevin Rooney from Albany of the AHL. This will be his first NHL stint after signing an entry-level contract back on Monday. In 57 AHL games this season, he has ten goals and seven assists.
- Dallas announced that left winger Remi Elie was re-assigned to their AHL affiliate in Texas. The 21 year old didn’t get into a game after being recalled on Sunday. In 49 games this season in the minors, he has eight goals and 17 helpers.
- According to Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star, the Maple Leafs have sent Nikita Soshnikov down the Toronto Marlies ahead of the AHL playoff eligibility deadline. The forward was left out of the lineup last night after Brian Boyle joined the team.
Trade Candidates: Valtteri Filppula
With the trade deadline now just days away, we’re wrapping up our profiles of several players whose names are still on the trade block and are likely to be dealt by March 1st.
The Tampa Bay Lightning have been busy, dealing Ben Bishop to Los Angeles, and Brian Boyle to Toronto. Another couple names keep popping up and one of those is center Valtteri Filppula, a player who can offer a playoff team depth down the middle.
Contract
Filppula signed with the Bolts before the 2013-14 season, a five-year, $25MM deal. With two years left on that deal, Filppula and the Lightning have a chance to help one another. The deal includes a no-trade clause which Filppula would have to waive, but should it be to the right team, general manager Steve Yzerman could make a deal to ease the financial strain on his team.
2016-17
Filppula is a defty centerman, known for creating plays and less for scoring goals. He’s only had two 20-goal seasons–once in Detroit and Tampa Bay. But he creates offense and is responsible in his own end, making him a valuable player come playoff time. This season, Filppula has already eclipsed his point total for last year, recording 34 in 59 games this year. He’s currently fifth on the team in points, and valuable in the faceoff circle.
Season Stats
59 GP: 7 goals, 27 assists, 34 points, +1 rating, 17:30 ATOI
Suitors
It’s going to take some creativity on Yzerman’s part to make this trade happen. Less than 24 hours from the deadline, Filppula’s name has been tagged in a number of scenarios, with Bob McKenzie tweeting that of the 13 teams listed on his no trade clause. It makes McKenzie’s tweet that much more interesting since one of the blocked teams could potentially work it out. The Florida Panthers, who have surged lately, could absorb the hit for another season and it would provide more depth. The Toronto Maple Leafs would be another option, reuniting Filppula with Mike Babcock, who he was a Stanley Cup with in 2008. Filppula’s playoff experience, and strong performances during those playoff runs, would make him valuable to a team looking to get that necessary bump in depth. If Tampa is willing to absorb even a little bit of salary, the Edmonton Oilers, or the Nashville Predators could be destinations. Even the New York Islanders, who are knocking on the door, could swing a deal with the right financial plan. The Oilers look less likely, however, after swinging a deal to acquire David Desharnais.
Likelihood Of A Trade
The challenge for Yzerman is getting Filppula to waive his no-trade as well as massaging a deal that doesn’t financially cripple a team. Retaining only half of the deal for an extra season would help, but still require more work as Yzerman has a number of moves to make in the offseason. Shedding the contract would be helpful for Yzerman and the Bolts while Filppula would help a team during a playoff run.
Snapshots: Carter, Crawford, Faulk
The Minnesota Wild have signed forward Ryan Carter to a one-year, two-way contract, according to Michael Russo of the Star Tribune. The deal is worth a pro-rated $575K at the NHL level and $250K in the AHL.
Carter had major shoulder surgery in October to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Many believed this was it for the 33-year-old left winger due to his age and the seriousness of his injury. Carter has been skating with the Wild for the better part of a month, and told Dane Mizutani of TwinCities.com that he couldn’t give up his career without at least trying to come back.
“I wanted to be a part of it, and for awhile it hurt a little bit that I wasn’t a part of it. It’s good to be here now.”
Carter was reportedly in talks with the Wild for the past month, and last week signed a Professional Try-Out (PTO) with the Iowa Wild of the AHL. He is without a point in three appearances with the AHL club.
In a related news item, the Wild have recalled center Zac Dalpe from Iowa. The big forward has three points in nine games with the Wild this season, and two goals in 12 games with their AHL affiliate.
- The Chicago Blackhawks will be without starting goaltender Corey Crawford when they take on the St. Louis Blues this afternoon, according to Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune. Crawford is battling an illness and won’t be able to dress. Coach Joel Quenneville told the media that Crawford does not have the mumps. Chris Hine, also from the Tribune, quoted Quenneville as saying that Lars Johansson will likely get the emergency call up from Rockford to backup Scott Darling.
- The venerable Postmedia reporter Jim Matheson reported that Hurricanes defenseman Justin Faulk is in play at the trade deadline. Faulk is having a poor year with 25 points (just one assist in his last six games), but has a history of being a point-producing defenseman. Matheson cites the play of Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce, and Noah Hanifin as the reason that Faulk is on the market. The Hurricanes would be need a young center in return, Matheson believes. Despite the fact that plenty of teams would be interested in Faulk even though he’s having a poor season, any potential deal may have to wait until after the season; Faulk makes $4.83MM and has three years left on his contract after this season.
Anaheim Ducks Acquire Patrick Eaves For Conditional Second-Round Pick
The Dallas Stars have traded Patrick Eaves to the Anaheim Ducks for a conditional second-round pick. The pick turns into a first rounder should the Ducks reach the conference final with Eaves playing in at least 50% of their playoff games. If that doesn’t happen, the second rounder will be the same pick Toronto sends to Anaheim to complete the Frederik Andersen trade from last summer. That pick is the “middle” one from Toronto’s three seconds—Ottawa, Toronto and San Jose. 
Eaves was profiled by our own Zach Leach recently, who actually mentioned Anaheim as a potential match for the winger while we also listed a top-six winger as the biggest need for Anaheim during our deadline primer series. The fact that Anaheim addressed their biggest weakness without dealing from their group of young defensemen is a huge boost for a team looking to make another deep run in the playoffs. Though a first would be a costly price should the team make it to the third round and lose, a late second is palatable for a player of Eaves quality.
The pending unrestricted free agent signed his third straight one-year deal with the Stars on July 1st this summer, and has paid off in spades for the club. With 21 goals and 37 points in 56 games, Eaves has jumped onto the top line for the Stars and looked right at home. His ice time has reached a career high, and he’s been a deadly weapon on the powerplay, notching 11 goals with the man advantage.
While his history should make the Ducks and their fans a little wary about installing him on their top line right away, he has proven to be a capable defender in the past as well and should help their weakened top-six. With Rickard Rakell recently moving back to center for the suspended Antoine Vermette, there was a hole there for the team to fill. The fact that they’ve done it early gives them a little more negotiating power in any discussions about their young defensemen, as they now don’t need a winger desperately in return.
With the move, Eaves has positioned himself even better for another run at free agency. He was already likely deserved of a multi-year deal after his first half with the Stars, but if he can help the Ducks on a deep playoff run while playing with another exceptional center—whether it be Ryan Getzlaf or Ryan Kesler—he’ll be able to sign one last deal before retirement. He’ll be 33 in just over two months.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Shattenkirk “More And More Likely” To Be Dealt As A Rental
We’ve now seen four trades made in the past week as the trade market picks up before next Wednesday’s trade deadline. On the latest edition of Insider Trading, TSN’s Bob McKenzie, Darren Dreger, and Pierre LeBrun dropped some tidbits about potential trade activity.
The main topic of discussion was the consensus best player available in St. Louis Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. McKenzie believes that the likelihood of Shattenkirk being dealt as a rental is becoming “more and more likely” as the days pass. Beginning with the Edmonton Oilers last June, three teams have had trades fall through because Shattenkirk wasn’t willing to sign long-term. The most recent team to have a deal in place was offering a seven-year, $42MM contract, according to McKenzie.
That’s a hefty price to pay for Shattenkirk, taking into account the acquisition cost. Blues GM Doug Armstrong is not wavering on his asking price of a first round pick, a top prospect, plus “something else.” While some teams may balk at that cost, Dreger reports that teams will continue to kick tires until the deadline. Dreger believes the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, and Tampa Bay Lightning have already been in touch but have concerns about the price.
While Shattenkirk may view himself as a rental, that’s not to say a team couldn’t acquire Shattenkirk with the intention of pitching him on staying beyond this year. As we reported earlier today, TSN’s Frank Seravalli believes that Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli should be confident in his ability to pitch his team to Shattenkirk, as they appear poised to be a top-ten team in the NHL for the next decade.
In other notes from the TSN insiders, the Minnesota Wild, Florida Panthers, and Chicago Blackhawks are all interested in bolstering their forward cores before the trade deadline. Minnesota and Chicago are likely pretty happy with their rosters as they sit atop the Western Conference. While neither team will be looking at making a big splash, both would like to add a depth forward. Specifically, the Blackhawks would like a player with a low cap hit who could be acquired with just a draft pick. That’s not likely to be a high draft pick, however, as Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman wants to keep picks for the upcoming draft, which will be held in Chicago. The suddenly hot Panthers aren’t necessarily buyers, despite winning eight of their last 10 games. If they do make a move, LeBrun believe they would be interested in adding a top nine forward in a rental capacity.
Those three teams will likely have interest in Dallas Stars winger Patrick Eaves. With 21 goals in 59 games and a $1MM cap hit, Eaves is drawing plenty of interest from around the NHL. There are as many as 10-12 teams inquiring about the gritty winger according to Dreger.
[Related: PHR’s profile of Patrick Eaves]
Another forward likely on the move is Martin Hanzal; LeBrun reports that most of the teams inquiring about the 6’6 center are from the Western Conference, but Montreal is one of the most interested clubs. Despite missing nine games this season, Hanzal already has 15 goals, which is one off his career-high from 2010-11. The Coyotes would like to move Hanzal by the end of the weekend, according to LeBrun. Of course, that’s depending of the offers available to rookie GM John Chayka.
[Related: PHR’s profile of Martin Hanzal]
The Vancouver Canucks are among the growing group of sellers, but the player drawing the most interest from rival teams is not a rental. Jannik Hansen has one year left at $2.5MM and has lots of teams interested in acquiring him. However, the Canucks aren’t looking for a draft pick in return; GM Jim Benning is asking for a top prospect or young NHLer in return for the long-time Canuck. That’s a steep price for a middle-six player who’s never scored more than 39 points in a season.
Bryan Bickell Cleared To Return To Professional Hockey
After what has been a long and tough road back for the Carolina Hurricanes’ Bryan Bickell, he has finally been cleared to play and set to the Charlotte Checkers for a conditioning stint. He’s also been placed on waivers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sporstnet because he will need longer than the two-weeks allowed on a normal loan. Bickell was diagnosed with Multiple Scleroris back in November, and immediately announced that he wanted to play hockey again and would work to find a way to continue his career. Now, just a few months later he is returning in what is one of the feel-good stories of the year.
Bickell was traded to Carolina as part of a salary dump this summer along with Teuvo Teravainen, the latest victims of the Chicago Blackhawks cap crunches. Bickell was part of all three Stanley Cup winning teams, though he played a small role as a 23-year old in 2010. Known for his high compete level and relentless forecheck, Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer says that his goal is to play in the NHL again this season. Coach Bill Peters told Alexander to “not bet against him” in his quest.
For the Hurricanes, this is great news after a morning that saw one of their key players shipped off to Pittsburgh to pursue a Stanley Cup. Ron Hainsey was sent out which will likely leave a leadership hole on the team, one that Bickell could fill admirably. Everyone here at PHR wishes him well in his recovery and hopes to see him on the ice again in the NHL soon.