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Archives for September 2018

Projected Status Of First-Round Picks

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In the NHL, first-round draft picks hold especially high expectations. Selections made in rounds two through seven hold reasonably similar career expectations, meaning that teams are just hoping to find a few hidden gems on the second day of the draft. Those taken in the top 31 though bring real excitement and scrutiny, even just a few months after they join the organization.

Many players will not make the NHL the year following their draft. Some won’t even sign contracts right away, instead taking their talents to the collegiate ranks where they must maintain their amateur status. The NCAA has become more and more competitive through the decades, and is now considered a top development league for some of the most talented players in the world. Delaying your first contract to play in college is almost never a real detriment to a career, and often results in a more well-rounded game when joining the professional ranks.

Some too will return to junior or their respective international league to continue their development. These decisions can come with or without a corresponding professional contract, and can even be made well into the NHL season. Some organizations believe in giving their top prospects a taste of NHL life before sending them back to dominate the junior ranks, allowing them to build up the desire to return to the best league in the world as soon as possible.

For this year’s crop, there are many who will be battling for a full-time role in a few week’s time. Rasmus Dahlin is all but guaranteed a role on the Buffalo Sabres blue line, but several others could make the jump right away and be impact players. Here are the projected landing spots so far for the 2018 first round picks:

  1. Rasmus Dahlin (BUF) – Signed ELC on July 9. Will play in NHL for 2018-19.
  2. Andrei Svechnikov (CAR) – Signed ELC on June 30. Will play in NHL for 2018-19.
  3. Jesperi Kotkaniemi (MTL) – Signed ELC on July 1. Will compete for NHL spot, expected to play in Finland for 2018-19.
  4. Brady Tkachuk (OTT) – Signed ELC on August 13. Will compete for NHL spot, could play in Belleville (AHL) or London (OHL) for 2018-19.
  5. Barrett Hayton (ARZ) – Signed ELC on July 6. Expected to play in Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) for 2018-19.
  6. Filip Zadina (DET) – Signed ELC on July 7. Will compete for NHL spot, expected to play in Grand Rapids (AHL) for 2018-19.
  7. Quinn Hughes (VAN) – Unsigned. Will play at University of Michigan (NCAA) for 2018-19.
  8. Adam Boqvist (CHI) – Signed ELC on July 1. Expected to play in London (OHL) for 2018-19.
  9. Vitali Kravtsov (NYR) – Unsigned. Will play in Chelyabinsk (KHL) for 2018-19.
  10. Evan Bouchard (EDM) – Signed ELC on July 17. Will compete for NHL spot, expected to play in London (OHL) for 2018-19.
  11. Oliver Wahlstrom (NYI) – Unsigned. Will play at Boston College (NCAA) for 2018-19.
  12. Noah Dobson (NYI) – Signed ELC on August 13. Will compete for NHL spot, expected to play in Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL) for 2018-19.
  13. Ty Dellandrea (DAL) – Unsigned. Expected to play in Flint (OHL) for 2018-19.
  14. Joel Farabee (PHI) – Unsigned. Will play at Boston University (NCAA) for 2018-19.
  15. Grigori Denisenko (FLA) – Unsigned. Will play in Yaroslavl (KHL) for 2018-19.
  16. Martin Kaut (COL) – Signed ELC on July 5. Will compete for NHL spot, expected to play in Colorado (AHL) for 2018-19.
  17. Ty Smith (NJD) – Signed ELC on August 20. Will compete for NHL spot, expected to play in Spokane (WHL) for 2018-19.
  18. Liam Foudy (CBJ) – Signed ELC on July 30. Expected to play in London (OHL) for 2018-19.
  19. Jay O’Brien (PHI) – Unsigned. Will play at Providence College (NCAA) for 2018-19.
  20. Rasmus Kupari (LAK) – Signed ELC on July 13. Will play in Finland for 2018-19.
  21. Ryan Merkley (SJS) – Signed ELC on July 18. Expected to play in Guelph (OHL) for 2018-19.
  22. K’Andre Miller (NYR) – Unsigned. Will play at University of Wisconsin (NCAA) for 2018-19.
  23. Isac Lundestrom (ANA) – Signed ELC on August 7. Expected to play in Sweden for 2018-19.
  24. Filip Johansson (MIN) – Unsigned. Expected to play in Sweden for 2018-19.
  25. Dominik Bokk (STL) – Signed ELC on July 11. Expected to play in Sweden for 2018-19.
  26. Jacob Bernard-Docker (OTT) – Unsigned. Will play at University of North Dakota (NCAA) for 2018-19.
  27. Nicolas Beaudin (CHI) – Unsigned. Expected to play in Drummondville (QMJHL) for 2018-19.
  28. Nils Lundkvist (NYR) – Unsigned. Expected to play in Sweden for 2018-19.
  29. Rasmus Sandin (TOR) – Signed ELC on July 16. Expected to play in Toronto (AHL) or Sweden for 2018-19.
  30. Joe Veleno (DET) – Unsigned. Expected to play in Drummondville (QMJHL) for 2018-19.
  31. Alexander Alexeyev (WSH) – Unsigned. Expected to play in Red Deer (WHL) for 2018-19.

Morning Notes: Pacioretty, Peeke, Top 100

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The Montreal Canadiens have been one of the most intriguing teams in the league recently—in the way it’s hard to look away from a car crash—with a very public dispute surrounding the future of captain Max Pacioretty. With reports surfacing about previous trade requests, and Pacioretty’s agent using Twitter to issue strong denials, the entire hockey world is waiting to see whether the team will reach an extension with their talented winger or trade him to a contender for the upcoming season, his last under contract.

Eric Engels of Sportsnet held an impromptu Q&A on Twitter this morning, answering fan questions about the state of the Canadiens. When asked about a potential extension with Pacioretty, he didn’t mince words, saying “unless it is a sign and trade, I don’t see there being any possibility of a long-term extension” and explaining that Mike Hoffman and Jeff Skinner are obvious comparables when it comes to recent trades. With training camps set to open in less than two weeks, the Canadiens don’t have much offseason left to make a move if Pacioretty is truly on his way out.

2006 NHL Draft Take Two: Eighth Overall Pick

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Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.”  Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended.  For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.

Our look back at the 2006 NHL Entry Draft is now in full swing as we poll the PHR community to see who would have been selected in the first round and in what order knowing what we know now.  Through the first seven picks, we’ve already seen potential Hall of Fame players switch teams, and multiple captains move up and down the draft board.

1st Overall: Jonathan Toews (St. Louis Blues)
2nd Overall: Claude Giroux (Pittsburgh Penguins)
3rd Overall: Nicklas Backstrom (Chicago Blackhawks)
4th Overall: Brad Marchand (Washington Capitals)
5th Overall: Phil Kessel (Boston Bruins)
6th Overall: Jordan Staal (Columbus Blue Jackets)
7th Overall: Milan Lucic (New York Islanders)

Lucic edged out original Islanders pick Kyle Okposo for the seventh slot, becoming the second player in our top 10 that was actually drafted outside of the first round entirely. The Bruins, who then selected Kessel with the fifth-overall selection, found both Lucic and Marchand in the later rounds. The big, bruising Vancouver Giants forward had scored just 19 points in his first full season of CHL hockey but would develop his offensive game at an incredible rate over the next few years. Lucic would score a career-high 30 goals with the Bruins in 2010-11, mixing a devastating physical game with underrated offensive skills to be one of the league’s most unique talents. Though his scoring dropped off last season, the Edmonton Oilers are hoping that he’ll be able to find some of that previous magic and earn his current contract.

Now we’ll move forward to the eighth pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, which was held by the then named Phoenix Coyotes.

Back in 2006 the Coyotes were coming off the first season with Wayne Gretzky behind the bench, and had finished with a respectable 38-39-5 record. Though they were still ten points out of playoff contention, a 29-year old Shane Doan and 25-year old Mike Comrie had both provided 30-goal seasons. An aging Curtis Joseph would be part of their regression the next season, but there was plenty of excitement around their selection of potential top-line center Peter Mueller. Mueller had already starred for USA Hockey at the development level and on the international stage, and would do so again after being drafted when he went toe-to-toe against Jonathan Toews in a wildly popular shootout.

Mueller exploded onto the NHL scene in 2007-08 with Phoenix, scoring 22 goals and 54 points as a teenaged-rookie and gave the franchise a lot of hope for the future. Unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be though for the big center, who flamed out quickly and would find himself in Switzerland by the 2013-14 season after failing to make an impression with both the Colorado Avalanche and Florida Panthers. Mueller played in Austria last season, where he recorded 42 points in 38 games and was a point-per-game player in the playoffs.

As we look back, it’s unlikely that the Coyotes would choose Mueller again knowing what we know now. With several other talented players still on the board, will they still try to secure the center position? With the eighth pick of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, who should the Phoenix Coyotes select? Cast your vote below!

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Is Vancouver Looking To Make A Big Splash?

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It is no secret that the Vancouver Canucks do not operate like a typical rebuilding team. Make no mistake, the team has accrued plenty of talented young building blocks over the past few years: Bo Horvat, Brock Boeser, Elias Pettersson, Jonathan Dahlen, Adam Gaudette, Quinn Hughes, Olli Juolevi, Thatcher Demko, Michael DiPietro and the list goes on. However, the team has also gone about business as usual, signing free agents and at times even overpaying to add veterans to the roster. Over the past two off-seasons, Vancouver has taken roster spots away from younger players in order to sign the likes of Erik Gudbranson, Sam Gagner, Michael Del Zotto, Anders Nilsson, Thomas Vanek, Darren Archibald, Jay Beagle, Antoine Roussel, Tim Schaller and more. The moves have put the team no closer to being a contender. The Canucks have not advanced past the first round of the playoffs since their 2011 Stanley Cup Final appearance and have failed to reach the postseason altogether in each of the past three years. It seems unlikely that the trend will change any time soon, either.

The Province’s Ed Willes is worried that things might get even worse. Willes claims that recently departed team president Trevor Linden ” lost his job because he favored a patient, methodical approach to the team’s rebuild”. With Linden gone, the team has been even more aggressive than usual this summer in targeting older players. Vancouver made an offer to John Tavares that was rejected and more recently has been linked to Erik Karlsson. While he isn’t convinced the team has the means to acquire Karlsson, the fear is that some player will come along on the trade market that they can afford and will deplete their promising prospect ranks to acquire. Willes firmly believes that Benning and the Canucks are in the hunt for a cornerstone player, no matter the cost.

Just as it has in recent years, even adding an elite veteran player is unlikely to get the Canucks to where they want to be. As it is currently composed, the team lacks the supporting cast to be a true contender. The greatest strength of the organization is the youth waiting in the wings, with at least two goaltenders, four defensemen, and eight forwards under the age of 25 that are all almost universally expected to be NHL regulars for a long time to come. Yet, the cost of adding a marquee player would be a package of those exact players or upcoming (early) draft picks. The patient approach that Linden fought for could transform the Canucks into one of the league’s top teams in five years time. An impatient acquisition could cost them what progress they have made and, in Willes’ opinion, cost them fans as well. So perhaps the question is not “is Vancouver looking to make a big splash?”, but “should Vancouver be looking to make a big splash?” and the answer seems to be a convincing no.

Sergey Tolchinsky Signs With KHL’s CSKA Moscow

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Sergey Tolchinsky is an enigma, but one commonly found among Russian players. The young forward has loads of talent and ability, but for some reason struggled to put it all together at the pro level in North America. Likely frustrated by the disconnect between his skill and his production over three years with the Carolina Hurricanes organization, Tolchinsky signed a try-out deal back in June with CSKA Moscow of the KHL, the parent club of his former junior team. Today, the league announced that Tolchinsky has earned a roster spot, signing a one-year contract with CSKA.

Tolchinsky, 23, may not be entirely done with the NHL, but at the very least he won’t be suiting up in 2018-19. However, a comeback can never be ruled out for  player with so much natural talent who has previously shown a commitment to the North American game. Although undersized at 5’8″ and 170 pounds, Tolchinsky has proven to be a very capable scorer, albeit streaky in the AHL. Tolchinsky made the trek across the Atlantic early in his development, joining the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in 2012-13 after being selected 12th overall in the CHL Import Draft. In his first North American junior season, the then-17-year-old notched 51 points in 62 games, outscoring teammates like Jared McCann, Darnell Nurse, and Tyler Gaudet. Yet, Tolchinsky went undrafted in 2013. The Hurricanes were quick to jump on the free agent, inking him to an entry-level deal, although he played two more years for the Greyhounds. Tolchinsky led Soo in scoring in each of those seasons, amassing 186 points in 127 games. He entered the pro ranks with high expectations, but struggled to score at the same rate, finishing his first campaign with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers with 36 points in 72 games and a -16 rating. With point totals and games played totals even lower than that in each of the past two seasons since, Tolchinsky simply couldn’t replicate his success in the AHL. Although he managed to contribute a pair of assists in four games with the Hurricanes, his inconsistency in Charlotte prevented any full-time promotion and the disgruntled Russian did not see any NHL action in 2017-18.

Now, Tolchinsky looks re-establish himself back home in Russia. There has never been a question of how skilled the young winger is, but rather can he put it all together. Skating for a CSKA squad that has been almost dynastic in its success this decade, he stands a good chance of producing plentiful points and boosting his image. Tolchinsky will be re-united with Hurricanes teammate Klas Dahlbeck and will also call the likes of Mikhail Grigorenko, Linden Vey, Jannik Hansen, Sergey Kalinin, Anton Slepyshev, Kirill Kaprizov, Nikita Nesterov, Alexey Marchenko, and Ilya Sorokin his teammates. Moscow looks to be dominant again this season and Tolchinsky will be one of many members of the team keeping an eye out for NHL offers next off-season. The Hurricanes chose not to qualify Tolchinsky, a restricted free agent, after he chose to sign with CSKA, meaning he is free to sign with any NHL team when his new contract in the KHL expires.

 

Oilers’ Michael Kesselring Commits To Northeastern University

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Defenseman Michael Kesselring has made his choice of where to attend and play college hockey. The Edmonton Oilers prospect announced today that he has committed to Northeastern University in Boston. The New Hampshire product is set to join the Huskies next year for the 2019-20 season and beyond.

Kesselring, a 2018 sixth-round pick, has been a highly sought-after name for college programs for some time. Prior to his senior season at the New Hampton School, Kesselring initially committed to a different Hockey East school, Merrimack College. However, after big blue liner put together a nearly point-per-game campaign last year, his value skyrocketed and he decided to take aim at a more prestigious program. Kesselring was released from his National Letter of Intent with Merrimack in June and has spent the summer making a decision on his next step, finally landing with Northeastern.

As for this season, Kesselring has joined the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL, a team with which he spent a brief time at the tail end of last season. The Bucs were not the only junior team to draft the multi-talented defender; he was also selected by the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts but opted to continue on the college route. At 6’4″ and still growing, the 18-year-old Kesselring is likely to play a top pair role in Des Moines and could have another big year in store in the USHL before heading to Northeastern next season. Once there, He’ll then be in good company with the Huskies, who have top prospects like goaltender Cayden Primeau (MTL), Jordan Harris (MTL), Jeremy Davies (NJD) and Tyler Madden (VAN) on the roster already and will add Kesselring and Riley Hughes (NYR) among others next season.

Snapshots: Stastny, Hextall, Klefbom

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The Vegas Golden Knights may have lost a pair of high-end forwards in James Neal and David Perron, but the team did bring in an important free agent this offseason when they signed center Paul Stastny to a three-year deal. The 32-year-old center showed off his impressive skills after he was traded to the Winnipeg Jets from St. Louis at the trade deadline. Stastny was given the role of anchoring a line with their star youngsters’ Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers and that line was a key part of the team’s deep playoff run, before being eliminated by Vegas.

Now ironically in Vegas and expected to center the team’s second line, Stastny said he spends a lot of his offseason training much differently considering that he’s entering that portion of a players’ career where a decline begins. Stastny told The Athletic’s Ryan Clark (subscription required) that he spends a lot of time focusing on off-ice things, especially his diet.

“Trying to keep up with your diet, trying to stay lean, trying to stay quick because as you get older, you might lose that step,” Stastny said. “The game’s changed from my first year where it was a lot heavier, stronger, touch and grabbing to know where it’s just not as much physical. A lot more skating and you gotta keep with that endurance as much as you can.”

Stastny, who posted 16 goals and 53 points between St. Louis and Winnipeg, expects to join the team’s second line between Alex Tuch and either Erik Haula or Tomas Tatar.

  • David Isaac of the Courier Post interviewed Philadelphia Flyers head coach Ron Hextall, who said in the Q&A that the team looked into upgrading their bottom-six this year in hopes of improving their penalty kill, which struggled last year, but felt they were unable to do that. The special teams’ unit played better over the final 25 games, according to Hextall, but he would still like to add a penalty killing forward, if possible. “I’m open to it, but it would probably be more of a lateral move on the market rather than a free agent,” Hextall said. “It would be a forward. We’d like to add a penalty-killing forward but to this point there’s been nothing there that’s made enough sense for us to move.”
  • The Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins wonders if this is the year that defenseman Oscar Klefbom puts it all together, especially now that reports are coming in that say he’s 100 percent already with just a couple of weeks before training camp. The 25-year-old had a breakout season in 2016-17 when he tallied 12 goals and 38 points, but struggled through an injury-plagued 2017-18. Now healthy, the scribe believes this is the year he takes that next step.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Montreal Canadiens

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Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2018-19 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Montreal Canadiens

Current Cap Hit: $71,687,975 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Jesperi Kotkaniemi (three years, $925K)
F Nikita Scherbak (one year, $863K)
D Noah Juulsen (two years, $863K)
F Artturi Lehkonen (one year, $839K)
D Victor Mete (two years, $748K)

Potential Bonuses:

Kotkaniemi: $2.5MM
Juulsen: $425K
Mete: $183K
Scherbak: $175K

Total: $3.28MM

It’s too early to tell if the Canadiens intend to thrust Kotkaniemi onto an NHL roster. Most people feel that the third-overall pick from this year’s draft still needs another year to get bigger and develop his skills, but Montreal is desperate for help at the center position and could consider the 18-year-old to make the leap. Regardless, whether he comes to the NHL now of in the near future, the team does have a franchise center they can look forward to placing into the top-six soon.

Mete had a turbulent rookie season after surprising many by making the team out of training camp. The 20-year-old was brought in to complement Weber due to his speed and puckhandling skills, but he struggled at times and eventually was moved out of the top four and was almost sent back to juniors. In the end, the youngster played 49 games, but with a year of experience under his belt, he is expected to take on a top-four role this season. Juulsen is another solid prospect who should get some time, although more likely in a third-pairing situation.

Scherbak could be the most interesting player. The 22-year-old was a point-a-game player with the Laval Rocket in the AHL, but when recalled to Montreal, he was immediately injured and wasn’t able to capitalize on his opportunity. Scherbak didn’t get the minutes once he returned, scoring four goals in 26 games. However, he might get a chance to gain a regular role this year if he can make a strong impression in camp this year.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Max Pacioretty ($4.5MM, UFA)
F Tomas Plekanec ($2.25MM, UFA)
F Joel Armia ($1.85MM, RFA)
F Paul Byron ($1.17MM, UFA)
D Jordie Benn ($1.1MM, UFA)
G Antti Niemi ($950K, UFA)
D Mike Reilly ($725K, RFA)
D Xavier Ouellet ($700K, RFA)
F Charles Hudon ($650K, UFA)

Much has been said about Pacioretty over the past few months and even in the past week, but as of now, it looks like the 29-year-old is going to end up back on the first line, barring a trade. The team captain is coming off a disappointing 17-goal season after five straight years of 30-goal campaigns (not including the strike-shortened season in 2012-13). The team will have to determine whether they believe last year’s season was a fluke or whether he’s beginning to decline. The team has already committed to several major contracts and adding another one could be detrimental to a team who should rebuild. If he can prove his value with a bounce back season, the team may look to lock him up.

The 35-year-old Plekanec returns after the team traded him away at the trade deadline. He lacks the offense from the old days, but Plekanec still provides an excellent presence as a bottom-six center who has the experience and solid face-off skills, although his six goals and 20 assists is a career low. Byron is coming off a pair of 20-goal seasons for the Canadiens, but is expected to miss part of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery in April. However, the 29-year-old has to prove that he can continue his goal-scoring ways.

The team hopes to get a boost from Armia, who came over when the Canadiens took on Steve Mason’s contract from Winnipeg. The 25-year-old got a full season in with a loaded Jets roster and tallied 12 goals and 29 points. With a bigger role in Montreal, he could become a solid 20-goal scorer. The remainder of players will have to prove their value if they want to come back.

Two Years Remaining

F Max Domi ($3.15MM, RFA)
D David Schlemko ($2.1MM, UFA)
F Matthew Peca ($1.3MM, UFA)
F Nicolas Deslauriers ($950K, UFA)
F Jacob de La Rose ($900, UFA)

The Canadiens gave up a quality player in Alex Galchenyuk in order to acquire Domi. The highly-touted winger has struggled in the NHL over the past couple of years and it probably isn’t a good sign that the Arizona Coyotes gave up on the 23-year-old already, suggesting they didn’t feel that he was going to contribute to their team this year. After a impressive rookie season in which he scored 18 goals and 52 points, he has failed to break double-digits in goals in each of the past two seasons since then. Regardless, Montreal is ready to hand him top-six minutes to prove his value and show that he’s better than Arizona thought he was.

Schlemko provides the team with another depth defenseman, but likely isn’t going to play top-four minutes for the team, while the team has high hopes that Deslauriers can duplicate a 10-goal season on the team’s energy line.

Three Years Remaining

D Jeff Petry ($5.5MM, UFA)
F Brendan Gallagher ($3.75MM, UFA)
F Phillip Danault ($3.08MM, UFA)
G Charlie Lindgren ($750K, UFA)

While many players had down years, Gallagher was the bright spot for the Canadiens as the 26-year-old broke the 30-goal mark last season for the first time and has established himself as top right wing on the team. It was a big improvement from his injury-riddled 10-goal campaign the previous year. Suddenly, at $3.75MM over the next three years, his contract is likely the best value on the team. The team also gave Danault a solid three-year extension. The 25-year-old only had eight goals and 25 points, but would be a more ideal third-line center. Unfortunately, with a hole at the second-line center, Danault has been thrust into a role he wasn’t ready for. We’ll see if he can handle that same role this season.

The team is paying a lot of money for Petry, who is one of the team’s most experienced defenseman with the injury to Weber, and the veteran should be able to handle the No. 1 duties for the time being. The 30-year-old blueliner showed off some offensive skills last year, posting a career-high 12 goals and 42 points.

Four Or More Years Remaining

G Carey Price ($10.5MM through 2025-26)
D Shea Weber ($7.86MM through 2025-26)
F Jonathan Drouin ($5.5MM through 2022-23)
D Karl Alzner ($4.63MM through 2021-22)
F Andrew Shaw ($3.9MM through 2021-22)

The timing of Price’s poor season could have been better after the team extended the netminder last offseason. Now after a major drop off in performance after many felt he was the best goaltender in the world, the $10.5MM deal that kicks in this season, suddenly looks quite undesirable. After a season in which he posted a 2.23 GAA and a .923 save percentage in 62 games, Price struggled with injuries and struggled all year behind Montreal’s weakened blueline. He put up a 3.11 GAA and a .900 save percentage in 49 games. The question is which Price will come back this year? If he can bounce back and perform even close to his 2016-17 statistics, that contract wouldn’t look to be quite as bad.

Unfortunately, Weber’s contract is another story. The 33-year-old blueliner still has eight years left on his contract, only managed to play 26 games last season after he was forced to undergo surgery on a torn tendon in his foot and now is expected to miss a large chunk of the season with the possibility of returning in mid-December. While a dominant defenseman when healthy, one has to wonder whether a major foot injury may alter the impact that Weber makes for the rest of his career, considering his advancing age and the way that speed has taken the league over recently. Whether the team can keep him on the ice for another year or two, let alone eight, will be something to closely monitor.

The team has high expectations will be able to bounce back after his struggles to adapt to the center position. Drouin will continue to play there this season and with a full season of experience and a chance to train there in the preseason, Drouin should be much more comfortable, centering the team’s top line. The third-overall pick from the 2013 draft, Drouin has all the talent to make the adjustment and give the team a top-six center. However, his numbers took a hit with the change in positions as he managed just 13 goals and 46 points on the year. The team also has high expectations that Alzner, the team’s big free-agent signing a year ago, will bounce back as well. The veteran defenseman had trouble getting integrated with his new team as well as having to deal with the expectations that came with the contract he signed. However, with a year of experience, he should be able to settle into top-four role this season.

Buyouts

G Mason ($1.37MM through 2019-20)

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Still To Sign

None

Best Value: Gallagher
Worst Value: Weber

(Excluding entry-level contracts)

Looking Ahead

The team has all the contracts of a team trying to rebuild with youth. Unfortunately, it also has two contracts that are going to weigh down the franchise for eight more years, which is a long time, especially when some of the young players begin to develop and will need new contracts of their own. While the contract of Price might not seem as bad if the veteran goaltender can rebound, it’s likely that Weber’s deal will be a major albatross and it’s way too early to even consider trading that contract or buying it out. Regardless, the team needs to rebuild despite their strange salary cap situation. The addition of Kotkaniemi, regardless of when he arrives to the team, is a start to the rebuild, even if the team won’t acknowledge that’s what they’re doing.

Atlantic Notes: Pacioretty, Luongo, Boedker

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If Montreal Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty is being genuine about wanting to stay in Montreal for the rest of his career, the team has a lot of thinking to do whether the 29-year-old winger is worth a long-term deal. Sure, he had posted five straight 30-goal seasons (if you don’t include the strike-shortened 2012-13 year), but after a 16-goal campaign last season and the fact that he’ll be 30 when he starts his new contract, there are a lot of variables that the Canadiens need to consider after the team handed goaltender Carey Price an eight-year, $84MM extension a year ago that’s already starting to look questionable and it hasn’t even started yet.

One obvious way for things to work out perfectly would be if Pacioretty can rebound and put up another banner season. Another 30-goal performance would undoubtedly make the 2017-18 season look like a fluke and would make it a whole lot easier to sign him to a new contract, according to Montreal Gazette’s Pat Hickey. However, the scribe also points out that he must improve on his mental game as well as Pacioretty has a tendency to be streaky and get down on himself when he’s not producing. It’s likely, if the veteran captain can’t make that adjustment, he’ll be heading out of town just like Andrei Markov, Alexander Radulov and P.K. Subban did in past years.

  • NHL.com’s Kevin Woodley writes that veteran goaltender Roberto Luongo is focusing more on his health this year after two injury-plagued campaigns that has kept him out of 89 games. The 39-year-old goaltender, who will turn 40 during the season, still has four years remaining on the 12-year, $64MM deal he signed with Vancouver in 2009. He has spent more than 90 minutes a day of extra time with goaltending coach Robb Tallas, focusing on his surgically repaired hip from 2016 and the groin tear he sustained last season. “Back in the day, I used to show up half an hour before I went on the ice and just throw the gear on, but these are the things I need to do be ready, to be loose and make sure everything is working properly,” Luongo said. “The main thing is I understand what I need to do as far as preparation to be where I need to be to be healthy. After my hip surgery, once I started feeling good, I kind of neglected it. You think you are back to normal, but you are not. You always have to keep on it to make sure you keep it strong and loose.” While he’s missed quite a bit of time, Luongo’s numbers haven’t suffered as he posted a .929 save percentage and three shutouts in 35 appearances.
  • Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that the Ottawa Senators are considering using newly acquired winger Mikkel Boedker as a first-line option alongside Mark Stone and Matt Duchene next season. Boedker, who was acquired as part of the Mike Hoffman trade with the San Jose Sharks, has posted up-and down numbers the last several years, including a 10-goal season in 2016-17 and then 15-goal season a year ago. The scribe writes that putting Boedker on the first line will be a dangerous combination as Boedker isn’t a great two-way player and historically is a player that thrives on the power play, but rarely during even strength.

Vegas’ Nate Schmidt Suspended 20 Games For Violating NHL’s Performing Enhancing Substances Policy

at CDT | by 7 Comments

The NHL has suspended Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt 20 games without pay for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performing Enhancing Substances Program, according to TSN’s Frank Seravalli.

It is a big blow to the second-year franchise which made history last year after going all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. Schmidt, a top-four defender, on the team is allowed to attend training camp and practice, but will not be allowed to dress for any preseason games. Once the regular season begins, he will be suspended without pay for 20 games, which will keep him out until Nov. 18, when he would be eligible to play against the Edmonton Oilers. According to Schmidt’s statement, he has already unsuccessfully appealed the ruling. Seravalli adds that the appeal was heard by impartial arbitrator George Nicolau.

ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski adds that there are two other things to keep in mind with the suspension, including that there is usually more evidence besides a failed test, while the league’s policy on substance abuse comes from the World Anti-Doping Agency’s guidelines for the amount of substance necessary to trigger a ban.

While there is no revelation on what drug was in Schmidt’s system (per CBA rules), the defenseman said in a statement that what was found is considered to be so small that it couldn’t possibly had any effect on his play. He goes on in the statement that an expert on environmental contamination that testified on Schmidt’s behalf, described the amount of the substance as seven billionths of a milligram/ML, which is the equivalent of a pinch of salt in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

“Another expert analyzed a sample of my hair and concluded there was no evidence of intentional use,” Schmidt wrote in the statement. “The Vegas Golden Knights track players’ strength and performance metrics and my results have remained constant over the past year.

Schmidt also wrote he disagreed with the ruling, which will take $482,258.28 in pay away from him.

“While I support having a strong Performance Enhancing Substances Program in place for our sport, it is difficult to accept this suspension. I understand that I will miss these games, but I do not agree with the suspension and I will not accept being labelled a cheater.
“I have worked my whole life to become an NHL player, and I’m extremely proud to be a player in the NHL. I have never cut corners in order to achieve this goal. I am grateful for the support of the entire Golden Knights organization and I can’t put into words how disappointed I am that I will not be on the ice at the beginning of the season to help my teammates work towards another Stanley Cup run.”

The Golden Knights also released a statement defending Schmidt, saying they “strongly disagree” with the ruling.

“We were notified that the NHL has suspended Nate Schmidt for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program. While we respect the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program and are committed to its success, we strongly disagree with the suspension. We firmly believe that the presence of a trace of the banned substance was accidental and unintentional. Based on our conversations with Nate, analysis from independent medical experts and sworn testimony from the parties involved, we believe it is clear Nate was not able to reasonably ascertain how the substance entered his body. Nate is an honest person with high moral character and great integrity. We will stand by him and support him during this time.”

This is Schmidt’s first-run in Performing Enhancing Substances Policy. Schmidt, who played for the Washington Capitals for four years before being selected in the expansion draft, finished last season with five goals and 36 points. Because it’s his first offense, he will also have to enter the League’s Substance Abuse/Behavioral Health Program. A second offense would cost him 60 games, while a third will result in a permanent suspension. Schmidt will lose all his salary up until 10 days prior to the conclusion of the suspension. Then, during the final 10 days of his suspension, he will receive 60 percent of his salary, according to CapFriendly.

 

 

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