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2018-19 Season Primer: New Jersey Devils

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With the NHL season now just a few weeks away, it’s time to look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Next up is a look at the New Jersey Devils.

Last Season: 44-29-9 record (77 points), fourth in the Metropolitan Division (lost in the first round of playoffs to Tampa Bay)

Remaining Cap Space: $18.16MM per CapFriendly (still need to re-sign F Miles Wood)

Key Additions: D Eric Gryba (free agent, Edmonton)

Key Subtractions: F Brian Gibbons (free agent, Anaheim), F Michael Grabner (free agent, Arizona), F Jimmy Hayes (free agent, Pittsburgh), F Patrick Maroon (free agent, St. Louis), D John Moore (free agent, Boston)

[Related: Devils Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: F Nico Hischier – While winger Taylor Hall will garner most of the attention following his Hart Trophy campaign, Hischier’s progression in his sophomore year will go a long way towards making or breaking New Jersey’s fortunes this coming season.  They’re counting on some of their younger players taking steps forward and the center is certainly at the center of that plan.

The top pick in 2017 held his own down the middle and it wasn’t very long before he was a focal point of their attack.  With Kyle Palmieri missing 20 games due to injury, Hischier actually wound up finishing second on the Devils in scoring with 52 points.

Now with a year of experience under his belt, how will he fare in his sophomore campaign?  While jumping to a point-per-game average may be too much to ask after one season, New Jersey will undoubtedly be hoping that he can get close to the production of a lot of number one pivots around the league (65-70 points).  Expectations are certainly going to be high, especially since they’re coming off a playoff appearance.

Hischier will also be eligible to sign a contract extension in July and a strong showing would go a long way towards bolstering his case if the Devils decide to try to lock him up early.  He has a lot to play for, that’s for sure.

Key Storyline: For the last two years, the Devils have tried to go after a prominent free agent, only to be rebuffed.  Last summer was defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk and this past offseason was winger James van Riemsdyk but both opted to join a division rival instead.  This is notable as their decision to stick with their current core wasn’t necessarily their ‘Plan A’ but rather a fall-back option.

It’s clear that there is a desire to add a core contributor to the roster.  They have more than enough salary cap room to add any player around the league without having to match money; that type of flexibility will come in handy especially early in the year.

Will they be able to land the big fish they’ve been seeking?  If so, they could really make things interesting in the division.  If not, they’re going to be right on the borderline of the postseason.

Overall Outlook: New Jersey was one of the bigger surprises last season as not many were expecting them to make it to the playoffs.  The majority of the core remains intact but they are going to be counting on internal growth to improve.  Hischier should be counted on to take on a bigger chunk of the workload but how many others will?  And will Hall pick up where he left off or take a step back?  The answers to those questions will likely determine whether or not the Devils are playing come mid-April.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Seven Players Placed On Waivers

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Not surprisingly, the waiver wire isn’t quite as busy today after 25 players were on it yesterday.  Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports (Twitter link) that the following seven players have been waived by their respective teams:

G Joe Cannata (Colorado)
D Alex Lintuniemi (Los Angeles)
F Zack Mitchell (Los Angeles)
F Landon Ferraro (Minnesota)
F Cal O’Reilly (Minnesota)
D Hunter Warner (Minnesota)
D Kyle Burroughs (NY Islanders)

Out of the trio from the Wild, O’Reilly is arguably the most notable.  He’s coming off of a very productive season with their AHL affiliate in Iowa with 64 points in 75 games, good for a tie for eighth league-wide in scoring.  However, while he has 145 career NHL games under his belt, only a dozen have come in the past two years.  Ferraro had a quieter season with Iowa, posting just 23 points in 50 contests, his lowest point-per-game average since 2013-14.  He also got into two games with the big club, collecting a single goal.  Warner spent all of last year at the minor league level, picking up a trio of assists in 37 and is entering the final year of his entry-level deal.

Mitchell split last season between Minnesota (23 games, five points) and Iowa (42 games, 33 points) before signing a two-way deal with the Kings this summer.  Lintuniemi wrapped up his entry-level contract last season where he more than doubled his offensive output from the year before (from 10 to 24 points).  That was enough to land him a qualifying offer in the offseason.

As for Cannata, the 28-year-old spent most of last year at the ECHL level with the Colorado Eagles and will likely be headed back to that level for 2018-19.  Burroughs wrapped up his entry-level pact last year with a strong showing with Bridgeport of the AHL where he collected a career-best 25 points along with 99 PIMS.  The Islanders gave him a two-year deal back in July that carries a guarantee of $150K this coming season and $225K in 2019-20.

As for the players on waivers yesterday, 24 of the 25 cleared, per Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press (via Twitter).  The one that didn’t was forward Danick Martel, who was picked up by Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay Claims Danick Martel Off Waivers From Philadelphia

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The first waiver claim of 2018-19 has been made as the Lightning have claimed forward Danick Martel off waivers from Philadelphia, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link).

Martel was a prolific scorer at the junior level, recording 102 points in 64 games in his final QMJHL campaign in 2014-15 which helped land him an entry-level contract with the Flyers in March of 2015.  Through the first three years of his career, he has spent the majority of his time with their AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley and is coming off a strong season that saw him post 25 goals and 15 assists in 59 games with the Phantoms.  He also got into four games with Philadelphia and was held off the scoresheet while averaging 10:13 per game.  That was enough to land him a one-year, $715K deal this summer, one that carries a $65K salary at the minor league level.

It will be interesting to see where Martel fits in with Tampa Bay.  The team hasn’t hesitated to use smaller skilled players in the past and at five-foot-eight, the 23-year-old certainly falls into that category.  He will likely push for a spot at the end of their roster but if they want to send him to their AHL affiliate, he will have to go back on the wire.

Contract Talks Pick Up Between Devils And Miles Wood

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Contract talks have intensified in recent days between the Devils and restricted free agent winger Miles Wood, reports Chris Ryan of NJ Advance Media.  He adds that a new deal could be imminent.

Wood is just one of four remaining RFAs across the league and is coming off a much-improved sophomore campaign.  He posted 19 goals (fourth-most on the team) and 13 assists in 76 games despite averaging just 12:38 per night, giving the team some nice secondary scoring for just $925K.  However, his playing time was slashed in the playoffs as he logged less than ten minutes of ice time.

It wouldn’t be overly surprising if his minutes have played a significant factor in negotiations thus far.  The team is likely looking to pay Wood like a role player given his usage both towards the end of last season and in his rookie campaign while the winger will be arguing that his production is worthy of more substantial money.  Because of that, a bridge contract is the expected outcome.

New Jersey is beginning their season overseas which could actually help escalate discussions between the two sides.  Their final preseason game is being played October 1st in Switzerland before they head to Sweden.  Presumably, the team is going to want Wood on that trip which means they’ll need to get something worked out over the next few days if he’s going to have a realistic chance of suiting up in the season opener.

Toronto Signs Semyon Der-Arguchintsev To An Entry-Level Contract

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The Maple Leafs have inked another one of their 2018 draft picks, announcing the signing of center Semyon Der-Arguchintsev to a three-year, entry-level contract.  Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The 18-year-old was a third-round pick (76th overall) back in June following a much-improved sophomore season with Peterborough of the OHL.  In 68 games with the Petes, he put up 13 goals and 38 assists; his 51 points ranked tied for 11th best among under-18 skaters in the league.

Assuming Der-Arguchintsev doesn’t make the NHL club and play in ten or more games this coming season, his contract will slide a year and will still have three years left on it in 2019-20.  He’s ineligible to be sent to their AHL affiliate so he will have to go back to the Petes, whose regular season just got underway on Thursday.

Washington’s Options At Backup Goalie

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The Washington Capitals have four goaltenders under contract for the coming season, Vezina Trophy-winning starter Braden Holtby and three unproven young backups: Pheonix Copley, Vitek Vanecek, and Ilya Samsonov. The defending Stanley Cup champions do not necessarily need to make any changes to their current depth chart and would most likely be fine this season with a tandem of Holtby and the hot hand among the three prospect keepers, with Copley getting the job initially.

However, championships are built on being prepared to handle the worst. This current iteration of the Capitals, while almost identical to the team that hoisted the Cup just months ago, is not. The only major departure out of D.C. this off-season was backup Philipp Grubauer, who was traded away to the Colorado Avalanche where he could compete for the starting job. Grubauer was far from a typical backup last season; the 26-year-old made 35 appearances, including 28 starts, which was tied for 37th-most in the league, among the NHL’s most active backups. When Holtby went through a rough patch down the stretch, Grubauer took over the reins as the starter and even got the call in the Capitals’ first two postseason contests. His 2.35 GAA was fifth among goalies with 30+ appearances, while his .923 save percentage was eighth among the same group. Grubauer was as solid as they come last season. Meanwhile, Holtby quietly had the worst season of his NHL career. His .907 save percentage and 2.99 GAA were a major deviation from his career performance, as he struggled with streaky play all year long. Without Grubauer, the Capitals likely would have had a worse playoff seeding and potentially would not have won the Stanley Cup.

So what happens if Holtby struggles again? Normally, it would be easy to say that the star goalie will regress positively back to the numbers that made him a top ten NHL stopper. However, after a deep playoff run added 23 appearances to his workload and significantly shortened his summer, it is hard to imagine that Holtby is fully refreshed and ready to be back in Vezina shape. His play last year may not be an indication of what is to come, but it may be a more accurate comparison for Holtby’s probable performance in 2018-19 than would his three prior seasons of dominant play. Without a reliable backup, the Capitals may be hesitant to lessen Holtby’s workload, but if they don’t they could risk another breakdown. Either way, the Washington backup goalie will not be a non-factor this season.

The first option behind Holtby will likely be Copley. Copley, 26, is a career minor leaguer with just two NHL appearances. In contrast, every team in the NHL last season began the year with a backup goaltender that had more than two previous appearances. Copley is also far from a prodigy; his numbers with the AHL’s Hershey Bears last season were poor and he only returned to Washington as nothing more than a toss-in to the Kevin Shattenkirk trade. So far in the preseason, Copley has made 41 saves on 46 shots for a paltry save percentage of .891. While the Capitals have put their faith in Copley to this point to be a serviceable backup, the undrafted free agent out of Michigan Tech has never been considered anything but minor league depth before now. Jumping to a primary backup for a goalie who may need substantial assistance is quite the task. Next up would likely be Vanecek, the Captials’ 2014 second-round pick who has not yet lived up to expectations. Vanecek is still only 22 and has room to improve, but since coming to North America three years ago, he has impressed at the ECHL level and failed to do so in the AHL. Vanecek’s numbers while splitting time with Copley on the Hersey Bears last year were even worse; Copley had an .896 save percentage and 2.91 GAA, while Vanecek had an .888 save percentage and 3.04 GAA. Vanecek has potential, but is not ready to be an NHL backup. Samsonov, in his first season in North America, is easily the most talented of the group. A 2015 first-round pick, Samsonov has been playing significant minutes in the KHL since he was 18. In three seasons with Metallurg Magnitogorsk, Samsonov was the primary backup to Vasili Koshechkin and posted a .925 save percentage or better each year. Some hope that young Samsonov can step in and immediately provide that same level of support for Holtby. However, the adjustment to the NHL – and even AHL – can be a difficult one when coming over from Europe. There is no guarantee that Samsonov’s performance will immediately translate. There is also a question of whether Washington will want to harm their heir apparent’s development by costing him starts as the NHL backup. As such, the Capitals are likely to play it safe with Samsonov this season.

Washington’s in-house options to back-up Holtby are not inspiring. The team could absolutely move forward with this group and hope that Holtby can make 65+ starts without a hitch, but there is ample risk involved with that strategy. Normally, it would be tough to significantly upgrade the goaltender position at this time of year, but not this season. Intriguing names are already available and more soon will be. On the free agent market, veterans Kari Lehtonen and Steve Mason remain unsigned. The Capitals do not have much cap space, but if either is willing to take a show-me deal, they would become a massive improvement on the team’s goalie depth. However, both players have been available for much of the off-season and the Caps have yet to pull the trigger. They may instead have their eye on younger, more affordable options. Michael Hutchinson, a free agent signing of the Florida Panthers this summer, is one possibility, as he was already placed on waivers at the earliest possible time. St. Louis’ Jordan Binnington and Vegas’ Oscar Dansk are other waiver options who may have slightly more upside than Copley. That is just the first subset of the backup goalie market though. Teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs (Curtis McElhinney, Garret Sparks, Calvin Pickard), Philadelphia Flyers (Michal Neuvirth, Anthony Stolarz, Alex Lyon), and Los Angeles Kings (Peter Budaj, Jack Campbell, Cal Petersen) have major logjams in goal that are prime for a trade or waiver claim. Washington could also wait to target one of a number of third-string goalies trying to be slipped through waivers, such as Al Montoya, Eddie Lack, Andrew Hammond, Anton Forsberg, Zane McIntyre, Jared Coreau, or J-F Berube. The opportunities are out there to upgrade at backup goalie. The only question is whether the Capitals make the move before it’s too late and those opportunities have disappeared.

Trade Rumors: Faulk, Bobrovsky, Ritchie, Wood

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When TSN released their off-season Trade Bait List in early July, Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Justin Faulk was ranked #4, among the most likely players to be dealt. A little more than two months later, all three players ranked ahead of him – Erik Karlsson, Max Pacioretty, and former teammate Jeff Skinner – have changed teams, while Faulk remains in Raleigh. But for how much longer? Appearing on TSN Radio 1050 recently, insider Pierre LeBrun revealed that Faulk was a target of the Toronto Maple Leafs this summer and speculated that the team could still move to acquire him this season. LeBrun opines that Faulk, a right-handed shot signed to an extremely reasonable $4.83MM cap hit over two more years, would be a perfect fit for the Leafs. Toronto has long been searching for a top pair defenseman to complement lefty Morgan Rielly and Faulk fits the bill. LeBrun speculates that the Hurricanes are likely asking for a major package in exchange for Faulk, but meeting those demands may not be an impossible task for Toronto. Several Maple Leafs players and prospects could fill gaps in Carolina, such as veteran center Nazem Kadri, promising wingers Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson, and young goalies Garret Sparks and Joseph Woll, as well as a full cabinet of draft picks. There have also been some inclinations that the Hurricanes are preparing to move on from Faulk as well, such as acquiring a new top pair righty in Dougie Hamilton and passing over Faulk, a career ’Cane, for their captaincy. The team is under no pressure to deal their long-time stud defenseman, but if GM Don Waddell receives a strong enough offer, he seems likely to pull the trigger.

  • Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen has been clear that he does not want to trade either Artemi Panarin or Sergei Bobrovsky, but as both remain unsigned and approaching free agency and trade calls continue to come in for Panarin, there has been rampant speculation as to where the star winger may land. After recent comments from Bobrovsky that could be read as implying that his time in Columbus could soon be over, many have begun to predict where he may land as well. In a recent segment for TSN Radio 1200 in Ottawa, Darren Dreger stated his belief that the New York Islanders would be the front runners in a Bobrovsky trade scenario. Dreger adds that there will be more than a few suitors should the two-time Vezina winner hit the trade market or, better yet, the open market. However, Dreger feels that the Islanders and new GM Lou Lamoriello feel more pressure to add a true No. 1 goaltender in their hopes of soon returning to contender status. The Isles currently roster unpredictable Robin Lehner, on a one-year deal, and failed starter Thomas Greiss, as well as two prospects overseas in Ilya Sorokin and Jakub Skarek. Lehner and Greiss do not instill much hope and Sorokin may never make the jump to North America. The Islanders are without a solution in net in the immediate future and could target Bobrovsky at any cost to solve that problem.
  • How long will the Anaheim Ducks and New Jersey Devils wait on contract resolutions with Nick Ritchie and Miles Wood respectively? The restricted free agents continue to hold out for better contracts and miss valuable time in training camp, despite underwhelming numbers through their first three seasons to support their absence. At this time last year, Columbus Blue Jackets RFA forward Josh Anderson – a similar power forward-style player – remained unsigned and was the subject of numerous trade rumors. Yet, Anderson had just 34 points through 96 games in his first three seasons, whereas Ritchie and Wood have more experience and production through the same amount of time. Ritchie, a first round pick in 2014, has 59 points in 186 games. Wood, one of the Devils’ top scorers last season, has 49 points through 137 games. One would think that either team could drum up interest if they began actively shopping their respective RFA, but it hasn’t happened to this point. Wood is not without flaws to his game, but has exceeded expectations and played a major role for New Jersey last season and with more play time has the potential to be even better. In contract, Ritchie has his strengths, but has not lived up to his first-round billing. Between the two, it would be less of a surprise to see Anaheim part with Ritchie.

 

Injury Notes: Coyotes, Blues, Capitals, Sabres

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Although the injuries have not been reported as anything major, fans of the Arizona Coyotes can’t help but feel nervous that two players expected to be major additions to the team’s forward corps this season – trade acquisition Alex Galchenyuk and top prospect Dylan Strome – are currently sidelined with injuries. The Athletic’s Craig Morgan reports that Galchenyuk is currently out with a lower-body injury and has yet to be evaluated and cleared by the medical staff, per head coach Rick Tocchet. Tocchet did not relay when and how the injury occurred and the Coyotes will have to wait for him to be examined to determine the severity and recovery time. Galchenyuk has been a very durable player to this point in his six-year career, but did struggle to return from a knee injury in 2016-17, which ended up costing him 21 games over two stints on the injured reserve. An extended absence to begin his tenure in Arizona would be an unfortunate start for Galchenyuk, who seemed primed to embrace his change of scenery. As for Strome, Morgan writes that he is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury. One of the knocks on Strome, the third overall pick in 2015, is that he has struggled to fill out his 6’3″ frame. The lanky forward can be pushed around – and thus susceptible to injury – far too often for a player of his stature. Arizona needs Strome to get healthy and toughen up if he wants to be an impact player this season.

  • The quantity, not quality, of injuries for the St. Louis Blues is starting to become a concern. With starting goaltender Jake Allen still not ready for game action due to back spasms and Nikita Soshnikov out indefinitely with a concussion, the team also has three key forwards on the sidelines with minor injuries. The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford updated the statuses of David Perron, Tyler Bozak, and Robby Fabbri today. Fabbri’s injury history is well-documented; the undersized winger has had back luck with his knees, missing the final 30 regular season games and all 11 postseason games of the 2016-17 season, only to tear his ACL last preseason and miss the entire 2017-18 season. While Fabbri’s knees seem to be back at full strength, his current injuries could be related to getting back to a game level of skating. Rutherford states that Fabbri did not practice today due to a sore back and hip flexor. Fortunately, these are conditions that the young forward should be able to bounce back from very soon. Meanwhile, veteran free agent additions Perron and Bozak also missed practice today and were pulled from tonight’s preseason roster with matching groin injuries. The experienced forwards, who added significant depth for St. Louis with their signings this summer, have no previous lower-body injury history and should hopefully be back on the ice soon.
  • The Capitals have just three players who have yet to suit up for a preseason game so far: defenseman John Carlson, center Lars Eller, and winger Devante Smith-Pelly. While Carlson and Eller had documented lower-body injuries and are simply being eased back into game action, NBC Sports Washington’s J.J. Regan points out that Smith-Pelly’s absence has been more curious. In speaking with new head coach Todd Reirden, Regan discovered that Smith-Pelly’s conditioning has been an issue and he has been working toward getting back in game shape. Reirden states that the physical forward is not dealing with any injuries, but simply not yet at a level where he would benefit from playing. A short and celebratory summer likely has Smith-Pelly slightly out of shape and fatigued, but it is not an issue that seems likely to impact the regular season and certainly not a Jake Dotchin-type scenario.
  • Injury-prone Buffalo Sabres defenseman Zach Bogosian is taking it easy this preseason. Beat writer Bill Hoppe says that the veteran blue liner is being eased into camp to ensure that he is fully healthy for the start of the regular season. Bogosian has yet to skate in a preseason game and may not see much exhibition action at all. While Bogosian has a lengthy injury history that features IR stints for knees, ribs, groins, wrists, and more, it was his hip that cost Bogosian all but 18 games last year. He missed the final 39 contests after undergoing hip surgery in January. With the Sabres already fighting the injury bug, it is important that Bogosian be given the time he needs to start the season off on the right foot. Hoppe adds that while Conor Sheary appears ready to re-join the team next week, his former Pittsburgh Penguins teammate, defenseman Matt Hunwick will not. Hunwick will not be ready for the start of the regular season due to a neck injury, making Bogosian’s availability all that more important.

2018-19 Season Primer: New York Islanders

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With the NHL season now just a few weeks away, it’s time to look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Next up is a look at the New York Islanders.

Last Season: 35-37-10 record (77 points), seventh in the Metropolitan Division (missed the playoffs)

Remaining Cap Space: $10.56MM per CapFriendly

Key Additions: F Valtteri Filppula (free agent, Philadelphia), F Leo Komarov (free agent, Toronto), F Jan Kovar (free agent, Magnitogorsk, KHL), F Tom Kuhnhackl (free agent, Pittsburgh), G Robin Lehner (free agent, Buffalo), F Matt Martin (trade with Toronto)

Key Departures: D Brandon Davidson (free agent, PTO with Chicago), D Calvin de Haan (free agent, Carolina), G Jaroslav Halak (free agent, Boston), F Nikolai Kulemin (free agent, Magnitogorsk, KHL), F Shane Prince (free agent, Davos, NLA), F Alan Quine (free agent, Calgary), F John Tavares (free agent, Toronto), F Chris Wagner (free agent, Boston)

[Related: Islanders Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: F Anders Lee – It’s rare that a 40-goal scorer largely goes under the radar but that’s the case here with Lee.  He potted 40 for the first time in his career and since his name didn’t start with John and end with Tavares, not many people seemed to notice as the focus was squarely on their now-former captain.

Lee also spent a lot of time playing alongside Tavares so with him out of the picture, how might that affect his production?  Sophomore center Mathew Barzal is no slouch and he will likely ascend to the top line now but there’s no guarantee that the duo will be able to find that same level of chemistry.

The 28-year-old also happens to be entering the final year of his contract so teams around the league will be quite intrigued to see if he can repeat that type of output (or at least come close).  A strong season would cement him as one of the top forwards in the 2019 free agent class but if he falters, his value will take a significant dip, especially considering how some other former Tavares linemates have fared since going elsewhere.  These next few months will have a considerable impact on his value which makes him a player to keep an eye on.

Key Storyline: Most teams around the league have tried to gear their rosters towards more speed and skill.  New Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello went a different route this summer, making an already gritty team a lot more physical with the additions of Komarov and Martin while handing tough guy Ross Johnston, a veteran of all of 25 NHL games, a four-year, $4MM contract.

How is that approach going to work?  They’ve lost a lot of skill with Tavares heading to Toronto and have basically brought in depth players to fill their vacancies so it’s clear that they’re hoping that their extra toughness is going to help compensate for that.

It has been a while since a team has had this much physicality in their bottom six group of forwards so how they fare will be worth watching.  If they exceed expectations, other teams will take notice and perhaps there will be a shift towards more physicality.  If not, will their struggles give pause to other teams who may be pondering this strategy?

Overall Outlook: It’s hard to see the Islanders really being in the hunt for the postseason.  They have significant questions in goal and replacing Tavares with more grit probably isn’t going to work out too well for them.  This is a team that’s probably going to be a seller at the trade deadline and as a result, will have some interesting decisions to make with their pending UFAs (a list that includes Lee, Brock Nelson, and Jordan Eberle).  New York already looks fairly different after their offseason activity but there could be many more changes in the next few months.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Avalanche, Karlsson, Green

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While Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie has been involved in trade speculation for quite some time, it doesn’t appear as if they’re in any rush to move him.  In his latest 31 Thoughts podcast (audio link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that they’re only going to consider a ‘hockey deal’ for the 27-year-old which would take away the idea of a futures-based return.  He adds that Colorado could wind up being fairly quiet on the trade front as they want to get a better read on the young core that they currently have, even if it might result in them taking a step back and missing the playoffs in 2018-19.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • While the Senators stated that they had offered a long-term extension to defenseman Erik Karlsson back on July 1st, the blueliner told Postmedia’s Michael Traikos that he hadn’t spoken to GM Pierre Dorion or owner Eugene Melnyk since November when the team requested his no-trade list. He wound up being flipped to San Jose earlier this month and while no extension has been agreed upon just yet, GM Doug Wilson stated that he’s “very comfortable with the situation”.  If they want to work out a max-term contract though, they will have to wait until after the trade deadline on February 25th.
  • The good news didn’t last too long for Red Wings defenseman Mike Green. Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press notes that the blueliner is dealing with fatigue issues that have resulted in the team shutting him down for the time being.  Head coach Jeff Blashill told reporters, including Dana Wakiji of the teams’ website (Twitter link), that the cause of the fatigue is a virus that has attacked his liver.  As a result, his availability for the start of the season is now in serious question.  GM Ken Holland indicated that four prospects will be pushing for what now appears to be two spots on the opening roster – Dennis Cholowski, Joe Hicketts, Filip Hronek, and Libor Sulak.

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