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Archives for January 2018

No Extension Discussed With Evander Kane

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While all eyes are on the Buffalo Sabres as they hold court over the trade deadline, Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News reports something fans are loath to hear: Evander Kane has never been approached to negotiate a contract extension. Instead, he will almost certainly be traded before the deadline for whatever price GM Jason Botterill can get.

Evander KaneKane, 26, was acquired by the Sabres along with Zach Bogosian in February of 2015 as part of a huge deal that sent Tyler Myers, Drew Stafford and a package of prospects and draft picks back to the Winnipeg Jets. He was a former-30 goal scorer that had hit a rough patch in Winnipeg but could help lead the Sabres back to the playoffs. After all, Kane was the fourth-overall pick in 2009 and possessed a sky-high ceiling in terms of talent.

Though he never did turn into that superstar offensive talent, able to carry a squad on his back, he has been excellent for the team. Since 2015-16, his first year in Buffalo, he ranks 26th in the league in goals-per-game and is on his way to another big season with 16 in his first 44 contests. Those come along with physical play, good possession statistics and an ability to log huge amounts of ice time, and paint a portrait of an excellent NHL player.

Still, off-ice incidents have haunted Kane. As Harrington points out, ownership in Buffalo was appalled when he was arrested for harassment in 2016, and his name has been in the news time and again for incidents on social media. While that has all seemed to tone down recently, as Kane plays through what looks to be his final season in Buffalo, there was a recent eruption at practice involving Justin Falk. Everyone involved played down the incident, explaining it was just competitive spirit, but impressions persist.

The Sabres have been reported to be looking for as many as four pieces for Kane on the trade market, though Darren Dreger of TSN partially reeled in expectations by explaining that some teams may not be willing to pay that much. Whatever they do get, it does seem like Kane’s Buffalo tenure only has a few weeks left at most.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Edmonton Oilers Place Nugent-Hopkins On IR, Recall Pakarinen

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The Edmonton Oilers have placed Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on injured reserve, recalling Iiro Pakarinen to fill his roster spot. Nugent-Hopkins was injured in Saturday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights, but was expected to return following the Oilers bye week. Edmonton won’t be back in action until Saturday evening, but have at least brought Pakarinen up to practice with the team in case Nugent-Hopkins is unable to play.

Pakarinen, 26, has played 18 games for the Oilers this season but has been held to just a single point. The Finnish forward was re-signed to a one-year $750K contract last spring, and was expected to take a regular role in Edmonton’s bottom six. That hasn’t exactly materialized, as he’s spent just as much time in the minor leagues as the NHL, scoring 13 points in 18 games for the Bakersfield Condors.

The Oilers will start the unofficial second half of their season against the Vancouver Canucks this weekend, and find themselves still 10 points out of a wildcard spot with several teams ahead of them. Sitting 13th in the Western Conference, their season hasn’t gone anything like what was expected of them after Connor McDavid and Cam Talbot led them to a seventh game of the second round a year ago.

With their third-leading scorer in Nugent-Hopkins now banged up, and just 16 games left before the February 26th trade deadline, the Oilers will have to make a quick decision on whether to sell off several of their assets or try and climb their way out of the gutter with a strong second half. It’s not out of the question that they could make up some ground in the Pacific Division, but pending unrestricted free agents like Patrick Maroon, Mark Letestu and Mike Cammalleri might all be more useful to the franchise going forward as trade bait.

Bo Horvat Medically Cleared To Travel, Will Return Soon

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The Vancouver Canucks have been without their top center Bo Horvat since December 5th, after he suffered a broken foot/ankle and was shut down for six weeks. At the end of that game against the Carolina Hurricanes, the Canucks were 14-10-4 and looking like they could potentially compete for a wildcard spot in the Western Conference. Since then, the team has gone 4-11-2 and dropped almost completely out of the playoff picture, but got some good news today.

Bo HorvatHorvat has been medically cleared to travel and was back on the ice today, and is expected to practice with the team tomorrow. Horvat is “expected to return to the lineup soon” and the team couldn’t need him more. In the 17 games since his injury the team has scored just 41 goals, relying on Brock Boeser almost exclusively up front. Horvat’s return would make them a much more well-rounded team, and at least offer a chance to be competitive again.

The Canucks were better than many expected to start the year, and have the makings of a good young core of players. With Horvat and Boeser already making their marks in the league, and Olli Juolevi, Elias Petterson and Adam Gaudette tearing up their respective leagues, the future is looking better in Vancouver. In fact, Scott Wheeler of The Athletic (subscription required) recently ranked Vancouver as the best prospect pool of the seven Canadian franchises, with Petterson leading the way at the very top.

Vancouver now sits with 42 points on the season, behind the struggling Edmonton Oilers for second-last in the Western Conference. Though this season may not be destined to end in a playoff spot, Horvat’s continued health and development will surely help them get there before long.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Revisiting The January Trade Market

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As front offices around the league call and text trying to find the right fit for their rosters, fans are waiting with bated breath wondering who could be pulling on their favorite sweater in the next few weeks. Will a superstar change hands and take over as the new face of a franchise? Will a veteran finally find his way to the Stanley Cup promised land? The deadline is now less than six weeks away.

We may not have to wait until the very end to answer these questions though, as January has been a busy month for trade action in the past. We’ve already had two moves this year, and several more could be finalized before the calendar turns over. For now, let’s take a look back at the last few years to see what kind of moves are made in the dawn of the new year.

2018:

January 4th: Edmonton acquires Al Montoya from Montreal in exchange for a 2018 conditional fourth-round pick.

January 10th: Chicago acquires Anthony Duclair and Adam Clendening from Arizona for Richard Panik and Laurent Dauphin.

2017:

January 1st: Arizona acquires Mitchell Moroz from Edmonton in exchange for Henrik Samuelsson.

January 11th: Anaheim acquires Jhonas Enroth from Toronto for a 2018 seventh-round pick.

January 13th: Nashville acquires Cody McLeod from Colorado in exchange for Felix Girard.

January 19th: Nashville acquires Andrew O’Brien from Anaheim for Max Gortz.

January 21st: Los Angeles acquires Cameron Schilling from Chicago for Michael Latta.

January 24th: Ottawa acquires Tommy Wingels in exchange for Zack Stortini, Buddy Robinson and a 2017 seventh-round pick.

January 26th: Montreal acquires Nikita Nesterov from Tampa Bay in exchange for Jonathan Racine and a 2017 sixth-round pick.

Obviously 2017 wasn’t filled with the most blockbuster trades in the month of January, but several teams did add small pieces for potential playoff runs. Nesterov didn’t really work out in Montreal, and Wingels couldn’t find his scoring touch in Ottawa.

2016:

January 3rd: Chicago acquires Richard Panik from Toronto in exchange for Jeremy Morin.

January 6th: Los Angeles acquires Vincent Lecavalier and Luke Schenn from Philadelphia in exchange for Jordan Weal and a 2016 third-round pick.

January 6th: Nashville acquires Ryan Johansen from Columbus in exchange for Seth Jones.

January 7th: Montreal acquires Max Friberg from Anaheim in exchange for Dustin Tokarski.

January 8th: Vancouver acquires Emerson Etem from New York in exchange for Nicklas Jensen and a 2017 sixth-round pick.

January 14th: Ottawa acquires Conor Allen from Nashville in exchange for Patrick Mullen.

January 15th: Montreal acquires Victor Bartley and John Scott from Arizona in exchange for Jarred Tinordi and Stefan Fournier.

January 15th: Arizona acquires Victor Bartley from Nashville in exchange for Stefan Elliott.

January 16th: Anaheim acquires David Perron and Adam Clendening from Pittsburgh in exchange for Carl Hagelin.

January 21st: Anaheim acquires Ryan Garbutt from Chicago in exchange for Jiri Sekac.

2016 was a much more active January, with big names like Lecavalier, Johansen and Jones all dealt. While the Nashville-Columbus trade might have had the biggest impact long-term, Pittsburgh’s acquisition of Hagelin was a big part of their Stanley Cup run, as he scored 27 points down the stretch and added another 16 in the playoffs.

There is certainly value to be had in January trades, and it’s clear that teams like Nashville and Anaheim aren’t scared of making an early move. While those two might not be the most watched teams on the trade market this year, don’t rule them out of making tweaks once again.

Minor Transactions: 01/18/18

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The NHL schedule is full with 10 games on tap for tonight, including a rematch of the two best teams in the league. The Vegas Golden Knights travel to Tampa Bay to take on the Lightning, in a matchup of the only two 60-point teams in the league. Though they’re not competing directly for the playoffs, the Lightning are a measuring stick for any team this season, and one the Golden Knights will not take lightly.

Snapshots: Johnson, Crawford, Murray

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Jack Johnson’s not hiding the fact that he asked for a trade in November, but he wanted to make it clear that he’s nowhere near quitting on the Columbus Blue Jackets. In an excellent piece by Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription required), Johnson goes into detail on how he would love to stay with his current club, but is just trying to do what is best for his career and family:

This isn’t a situation that’s normal. Most people, when stuff like this happens, it’s because they don’t want to be where they’re at, or they’re not happy with the team, the city, the coaches, whatever. I’m not … this isn’t a case of any of that.

Johnson is perhaps more concerned with future paydays than the average NHL veteran because of the public bankruptcy he had to file in 2014 thanks to debt his parents created in his name. Still, Johnson only wants to show he’s capable of contributing to a winning lineup, and he’ll get that chance tomorrow night against the Dallas Stars when he’s reunited with David Savard on the team’s second defense pairing. Though he remains a possibility for trade, Portzline perhaps put it best on Twitter when asked if Johnson could play his way into a contract: “rule out nothing.”

West Notes: Kings, Nosek, Avalanche Injuries

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Earlier this season, it was being suggested that the Kings might be willing to part with a defenseman at some point during the year.  Now, it appears that not only are they going to keep the ones they have but add as well.  TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that GM Rob Blake has identified a defender that can shift between the second and third pairings as their top priority heading into the trade deadline.

There is a well-defined top-four for Los Angeles with Derek Forbort sliding in at that fourth spot while averaging 21:04 of ice time.  However, their depth players haven’t established themselves as players that can move up in a pinch and as a result, there is a sizable gap between the playing time for their bottom pairing; Christian Folin checks in at fifth in ATOI at just 15:23 per game.  Acquiring someone that could play on the second pairing would not only give the Kings some insurance in case injuries arise but would also go a long way to stabilizing their third pairing.

Elsewhere in the West:

  • Golden Knights winger Tomas Nosek has returned to Vegas to be evaluated by team doctors for an upper-body injury sustained last night against Nashville, notes Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (Twitter link). The injury came from a hit from Predators defenseman Alexei Emelin.  Nosek has been a regular on the fourth line for the surprisingly-strong expansion team this season, collecting eight points through 41 games.  His absence will open up a spot for one of winger Brendan Leipsic or center Cody Eakin to return to the lineup.
  • Avalanche center Tyson Jost is dealing with a leg issue and won’t play tomorrow night against the Sharks, reports Mike Chambers of the Denver Post. The injury came about when he inadvertently blocked a shot from a teammate on Monday.  Colorado is getting some good news on the injury front, however.  Winger J.T. Compher will play on Thursday after missing the last six games with an upper-body problem.  Meanwhile, defenseman Tyson Barrie (hand) and Semyon Varlamov (groin) have both resumed skating as well so it appears that more help will soon be on the horizon.

Islanders Hoping To Add Top-Four Defenseman

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With the Islanders leading the league in goals allowed while being tied for 28th in team save percentage, some have speculated lately that the Islanders could be looking to improve their goaltending.  Instead, it appears their focus may be on the back end.  In an appearance on TSN 690, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported (audio link) that if GM Garth Snow believes that they can get into a playoff spot, he would like to add a top-four defenseman by the trade deadline.

Heading into play tonight, New York finds themselves out of a Wild Card spot but only by a single point.  Given just how tight the Metropolitan Division is (the Isles are four points out of a tie for second but are only two points up on last place), their fortunes could change either way in a hurry which will make Snow’s decision that much more difficult, especially if they go on a losing streak.

The Islanders haven’t had much go their way on the back end so far this season beyond the play of Nick Leddy.  Veteran Calvin de Haan is done for the year after undergoing shoulder surgery while Johnny Boychuk is also on IR at the moment.  They were hoping that some of their younger defenders such as Scott Mayfield, Ryan Pulock, and Adam Pelech could move into regular roles and the results have been rather mixed.  They’ve each had some good moments but some rough ones as well and it’s reasonable to expect that to continue down the stretch.

[Related: Islanders Depth Chart from Roster Resource]

While New York no longer has Travis Hamonic, they do have several chips to work with as a result of the offseason trade to Calgary last summer in an extra first-round pick plus a pair of second-rounders (one in 2018 and one in 2019).  Selling teams will certainly find those to be appealing while the Islanders may be more open to parting with one since they have close to their full complement of their own draft choices still.

Even if the Islanders start to falter in the coming weeks, there’s a case to be made to still try to add some defensive help to try to make a playoff push.  While pending UFA center John Tavares is saying all the right things publicly, there’s still no guarantee he’ll re-sign by July.  A good playoff run would certainly help their pitch to keep him around.  Between the picks and a strong group of prospects, the Islanders certainly have the pieces to make a move so they are certainly going to be worth watching between now and the February 26th trade deadline.

San Jose Sharks Looking For Depth Center

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According to Paul Gackle of The Mercury News, the San Jose Sharks are “actively shopping” for a fourth-line center. San Jose has been using wingers in the position for various chunks of the season, and need someone as more of a permanent fixture.

The Sharks find themselves in second place in the Pacific Division, but are by no means safe in that position. The Calgary Flames, Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks are all within striking distance, and wildcard spots will be hard to come by with how well the Central is playing this season. The Sharks will need to strike soon if they want to solidify their playoff run, and center depth is the top issue they need to address at the moment.

It’s not like the team doesn’t have the flexibility to get something done. The Sharks are headed to the trade deadline with plenty of cap room and 46/50 roster spots currently occupied. If someone shakes loose from one of the imminent sellers, or perhaps a roster crunch forces another solid player onto waivers, you can be sure the Sharks would jump. Perhaps a player like Dominic Moore from Toronto, who has been a healthy scratch since December (though is expected to get back into the lineup tomorrow night) or Mark Letestu in Edmonton who has seen his role diminished greatly in recent weeks.

With Paul Martin moved to the minor leagues recently, there could be teams interested before long. If the veteran defender can recapture some of his previous performance, he could be used as a trade piece for a center. Unfortunately, the Sharks don’t have their second or third round pick in the upcoming draft, pieces often used to acquire depth centers at the deadline. Giving up any more picks in 2018 could leave them out in the cold come draft day, and weaken any potential negotiations down the road.

2018 Midseason UFA Power Rankings: 11-20

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With the halfway point of the season now behind us and the trade deadline fast approaching, it’s time to take a preliminary look at the UFA Class of 2018.  Here is the first half of our top-20 rankings, based on votes from writers Gavin Lee, Brian La Rose, Nate Brown, Zach Leach and Holger Stolzenberg. We’ll run numbers 1-10 tomorrow, and release an honorable mention group on Friday.

11. David Perron, F, Vegas Golden Knights — When Perron was scoring 20 goals as a 21-year old in St. Louis, he likely wouldn’t have believed that he’d be joining his sixth NHL team just a few days after his 30th birthday. That’s what could happen this summer if Perron isn’t re-signed by the Vegas Golden Knights, and he hits the open market as one of the most consistent forwards available. The winger has 34 points in 37 games and could realistically set a new career-high should he stay healthy down the stretch. For teams looking for secondary scoring from a do-it-all forward, Perron is the easy answer.

12. Joe Thornton, C, San Jose Sharks — Thornton ranked #3 on our midseason list last season, and ended up taking a one-year, $8MM deal to stay in San Jose. This summer could be much of the same, after he proves his seven-goal 2016-17 was just a fluke. Thornton is still one of the great setup men in the league, and has 32 points in 43 games on the year. After playing through torn knee ligaments in the playoffs, he’s shown off inexplicable health once again by suiting up for all 43 games. At 39 next year there is still time for him to bring home that elusive Stanley Cup.

13. Patric Hornqvist, F, Pittsburgh Penguins — We’ve seen the Penguins lose key players to free agency in the past, and if they can’t find the salary room to fit Hornqvist in there won’t be a shortage of teams calling his agent on July 1st. The 31-year old has never scored fewer than 21 goals in a season in which he played at least 64 games, and it doesn’t look like that streak will end this year. A weapon in front of the net on the powerplay and still capable at both ends of the rink, Hornqvist comes with the added bonus of some recent Stanley Cup experience.

14. Tyler Bozak, C, Toronto Maple Leafs — There’s a lot to like in Bozak’s profile, as an elite faceoff man with solid offensive upside, but he does come with some risk. No one would ever claim he’s a defensive specialist, and his game has slowed considerably over the past few seasons. He also will hit the open market at 32, and has seen his minutes diminished this season. Still, a 40-50 point center with plenty of powerplay experience will be an exciting prospect for a team looking to upgrade their depth down the middle.

15. Rick Nash, F, New York Rangers — Nash has certainly not lived up to his $7.8MM cap hit this season (or the last few), but there will surely be some teams convinced they can bring out some of the greatness that was once so apparent. The 427-goal man has just 11 this season, but can still skate well and kill penalties. Like fellow 33-year old Eric Staal, who has found a career renaissance after a stint in New York (albeit a much shorter one), Nash could be a sneaky bargain on the open market for a team willing to take a chance.

16. Thomas Vanek, F, Vancouver Canucks — Vanek was actually #8 on this list last season, but had to settle for a one-year deal with Vancouver after waiting until September to sign. This year, he’s done what he’s always done and continued to find a way to put up points despite obvious red flags in his game. With 32 points in 45 games and nice chemistry building with Brock Boeser, the Canucks could decide to keep him on for another few seasons as they continue their rebuild. If not, his market is about as easy to predict as the lottery numbers.

17. Patrick Maroon, F, Edmonton Oilers — After last year’s breakout playing mostly with Connor McDavid, Maroon looked like a key piece to the Oilers success going forward. Just a few months into the 2017-18 season though, and he looks like a sure-fire deadline rental with an unclear future. Save for the 27-goal output Maroon had last season, he has scored just 45 goals in 264 career games. If those point totals can creep back up in the second half, maybe someone believes he can be a real top-six option on a multi-year deal.

18. Zdeno Chara, D, Boston Bruins — He’ll be 41. He’s lost much of his mobility. He’s on pace for one of the worst offensive seasons of his career. But he’s still 6’9″ and logging more than 23 minutes a night for the Bruins. Chara isn’t the perennial Norris candidate of a decade ago, but there’s no reason why he can’t be an effective option going forward. He’s still a capable defenseman at even strength and one of the top penalty killing options in the league. With a reduced role he could be even more effective. It would be shocking to see him make it to the open market, but stranger things have happened.

19. Jack Johnson, D, Columbus Blue Jackets — The fact that Johnson wasn’t even in the top-20 of two ballots shows just how far he’s fallen in recent years. Once seen as an integral part of the Blue Jackets blueline, with the ability to quarterback a powerplay and log huge minutes, he’s now asked for a trade out of Columbus to get a bigger role somewhere else. At 31, there’s a real chance that his game may have taken a drastic negative turn and teams could stay away from giving him a long-term contract.

20. Daniel Sedin, F, Vancouver Canucks — Interestingly it’s Daniel, not Henrik Sedin that finds himself in the final spot on our rankings despite the latter having more points this season. Though his twin only missed the cut by a few spots, it’s likely Daniel’s better goal total (ten, to Henrik’s two) that makes up the difference. They won’t be going anywhere separately, but it would be a real shame to see them as part of a franchise other than Vancouver at this point in their careers. At 38 to start the 2018-19 season, it might be Canucks or bust.

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