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Archives for October 2018

Five Key Stories: 10/22/18 – 10/28/18

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The final full week of October featured a fair bit of news away from the ice which is highlighted in our top stories of the week.

Wilson’s Appeal Denied, Appeals Again: NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman upheld the 20-game suspension issued to Capitals winger Tom Wilson for his hit on Blues center Oskar Sundqvist back in the preseason.  Notable in the 31-page decision is that the NHLPA argued that a suspension was unwarranted and that Rule 48 was not violated.  With that in mind, it comes as little surprise that the appeal has now been made to neutral arbitrator Shyam Das with the hearing slated for Wednesday.

Seattle Realignment Determined: Even though Seattle hasn’t even officially been awarded an expansion franchise yet, the league has already determined its realignment plans for their eventual entry.  As expected, Seattle will go into the Pacific Division but rather than have nine teams in there and seven in the Central, the plan is to move Arizona into the Central.  As things stand, the plan appears to be to have Seattle join the league in 2020-21 although if their inclusion isn’t made official over the next few months, that could still be pushed back a year.

Schmidt Extension: After locking up Alex Tuch and Shea Theodore to long-term deals in recent weeks, the Golden Knights were at it again, this time inking defenseman Nate Schmidt to a six-year, $35.7MM extension.  The deal also contains a ten-team no-trade clause.  Schmidt played an instrumental role in the Golden Knights’ run to the Stanley Cup Final last season and has certainly earned the significant raise on his current $2.3MM salary.  The 27-year-old has yet to play in the 2018-19 season as he continues to serve a 20-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance over the summer.  Vegas now has more than $72MM in committed contracts on the books for next season already.

Namestnikov Garnering Trade Interest: The transition from Tampa Bay to New York has not been kind for center Vladislav Namestnikov.  He went from being a legitimate top-six forward with the Lightning to struggling to stay in the lineup with the Rangers.  Not surprisingly, he is starting to draw some trade interest around the league as he could be an intriguing buy-low candidate.  The 25-year-old is in the first season of a two-year, $8MM deal and will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in the 2020 offseason.  Through ten games this season, Namestnikov has just a goal and two assists while logging just over 11 minutes per night.

Boyle’s Cancer In Remission: Saving the best news for last, Devils center Brian Boyle revealed that his cancer is in “full molecular remission”, just under one year since he returned to action.  The 2018 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy winner is off to a quality start to his year with three goals in eight games and really solidifies their depth down the middle.  While Boyle will still need to take medication to help ensure that it doesn’t return down the road, he appears to be well on his way towards a full recovery.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Edler, Ritchie, Clutterbuck, Eaves

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The test results are in for Canucks defenseman Alex Edler and the team announced (via Twitter) that they will be without their top defender for three-to-six weeks due to an MCL sprain.  Edler has had issues staying healthy in recent years as he hasn’t played a full season since 2010-11 and has missed at least a dozen games to injuries in four of the last five year, a streak that is likely to continue now.  This will likely slow down the trade speculation for the 32-year-old after it was noted earlier this week that there has been an uptick in scouts watching him.  The pending unrestricted free agent has a $5MM cap hit this season and a full no-trade clause.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • While the Stars were missing Brett Ritchie for their game against the Red Wings due to an upper-body injury, they won’t be without him for long. Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News notes (Twitter link) that the winger is likely to return to the lineup on Tuesday versus Montreal.  Ritchie had played in all nine games before today on the fourth line, collecting an assist and 17 hits while logging 9:31 per night.
  • Islanders winger Cal Clutterbuck is dealing with an upper-body injury, reports Newsday’s Andrew Gross (Twitter link). He didn’t suit up earlier today against Carolina but he is expected to accompany New York on their road trip which opens up in Pittsburgh on Tuesday night.  The veteran hasn’t contributed much offensively this season with just a single assist in nine games but as usual, he has been quite physical, contributing 22 hits in the early going.
  • While Ducks winger Patrick Eaves has returned to practice, it doesn’t appear that a return is imminent. Eric Stephens of The Athletic reports (subscription required) that the veteran is still dealing with periodic setbacks with his shoulder and that while he’s being re-evaluated weekly, he doesn’t want to project when he might be able to return.  Eaves hasn’t played in more than a calendar year due to this injury and the illness that cost him all but two games last season.

East Notes: Skinner, Dermott, Duchene

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Sabres winger Jeff Skinner is off to a strong start with his new team after Buffalo acquired him in the offseason from Carolina.  Through his first 11 games this season, he has a dozen points to lead the team in scoring.  While the team is certainly pleased with his performance thus far, Skinner is also bolstering his case when it comes to his next contract.

He currently is making a $6MM salary with a $5.725MM cap hit and is poised to improve upon that as a pending UFA this summer.  Jared Clinton of The Hockey News suggests that the best comparable player may actually be the player he ultimately replaced on the Sabres in winger Evander Kane.  Kane signed a seven-year, $49MM contract this offseason but Skinner has actually been the more productive player in terms of goals per game and points per game over that span.  Fortunately for Buffalo, they have plenty of salary cap space to work with if they want to give the 26-year-old that type of raise as they have just under $55MM committed to 14 players for next season, per CapFriendly.

More from the East:

  • Maple Leafs defenseman Travis Dermott has recovered from the illness that kept him out of the last two games, notes TSN’s Kristen Shilton (Twitter link). However, Toronto plans to give him a little more time to rest and plans to play Martin Marincin for at least one more game in his place.  After making an impact after a midseason recall last year, Dermott has been quieter out of the gate this season with just a single assist through nine games.
  • Despite his trade request and eventual departure from the Avalanche last season, Senators center Matt Duchene hasn’t closed the book on playing in Colorado again down the road. Speaking with reporters, including Postmedia’s Ken Warren, Duchene indicated that he could see himself returning to the Avs one day.  The veteran is a pending unrestricted free agent but it would certainly be surprising to see him head back to Colorado so soon after forcing a trade.

Trade Rumors: Hurricanes, Hayes, Pearson

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The Carolina Hurricanes have been one of the biggest early surprises of the 2018-19 season with a 6-3-1 record that trails only the powerhouse Pittsburgh Penguins in the Metropolitan Division. The team is in the top half of the league in goals for and against, led by top-ten NHL scorer Sebastian Aho and a top-six on defense that rivals anyone in the league. The Hurricanes are certainly not without flaws, special teams and goaltending to highlight a couple, but overall have been very impressive with one of the youngest rosters in the league. Yet, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun writes that new GM Don Waddell is “open for business”. Given the surplus of talented defenseman on the Carolina roster and in the system, Waddell simply has the luxury of fielding offers from D-needy teams and waiting for the right offer. Potentially on the block could be long-time ’Cane Justin Faulk, young Brett Pesce, or reliable Trevor van Riemsdyk. Each of Carolina’s top-six defensemen is signed through at least next season, making these three righties attractive long-term additions. Teams in search of a younger asset could also take a look at AHLers Haydn Fleury or Roland McKeown, long considered by many to be players that should be playing regular minutes in the NHL. Garrioch notes that the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers are among the teams most desperate for help on the right side of the blue line and adds fuel to the fire by reporting that Toronto GM Kyle Dubas was in attendance at the ’Canes last game. It has been rumored that Carolina could be the leading candidate to land disgruntled William Nylander, while Edmonton could be willing to part with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in the right deal. Waddell’s first trade, in which he acquired Micheal Ferland and Dougie Hamilton from the Calgary Flames, has worked out nicely thus far. Can he do it again?

  • It comes as no surprise that New York Rangers center Kevin Hayes is drawing trade interest. Despite his insistence that he would like to remain in New York, the one-year extension he signed this off-season said otherwise. The rebuilding Rangers are likely to deal Hayes, one of many younger centers on the roster, before he has the chance to walk as a free agent. Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos reports that many teams already have their eye on Hayes, implying that he may not last until the NHL Trade Deadline. Kypreos specifically names the Winnipeg Jets as a team in need of a center, after Paul Stastny’s unexpected departure this summer has left them short-handed down the middle. However, the Jets are not alone in that predicament; after losing Riley Nash to free agency and a failed preseason competition for the spot, the Boston Bruins could very much use a rental player at third-line pivot, while the trades of three different centers away from the club this summer has left the Arizona Coyotes thin at the position. These are just three of what is likely to be a list of more than a dozen suitors for the Rangers to choose between. Hayes’ days are numbered in New York.
  • One name that could be a sneaky candidate to be the first notable trade victim of the regular season is Los Angeles Kings forward Tanner Pearson. The Kings are floundering this season, holders of the worst record in the Western Conference, and Pearson has been part of the problem. The 26-year-old winger has just one point through ten games and has looked like a shell of himself. In Pearson’s defense, the Kings have also cut his ice time somewhat and relegated him to the fourth line for a while, but only as a result of his poor performance. Yet, Pearson has totaled 36 points or more in each of the past three year and is quietly a very strong two-way player. It would not be a shock to see Pearson right the ship with a change of scenery, but the Kings would have to ensure that they don’t sell too low on the well-rounded forward. Trade inquiries come with the territory of a basement record though and L.A., needing to shake things up, may soon be tempted to give Pearson away for the right price.

Oilers’ Zack Kassian Granted Permission To Seek Trade

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The Edmonton Oilers are off to a better start this season, out to a 5-3-1 record in the first month of the season. There has been far less controversy surrounding the team so far, as they look to get back to the playoffs following a very disappointing 2017-18 campaign. However, not everyone is feeling the positive effects of the new year. Forward Zack Kassian has been underutilized and unproductive early this season, a continuing trend from last season, and his frustration has boiled over. According to Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman, Kassian requested and has been granted permission to seek a trade to another team. His time in Edmonton could soon be over.

Kassian, 27, is a big, power forward right winger and was once a top NHL prospect. Selected 13th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2009, Kassian was valued not only for his size and physicality, but also his offensive upside after solid production in the OHL. That scoring ability never quite developed and Kassian has made a living in the league – with Buffalo, the Vancouver Canucks, and now Edmonton – as a part-time player used to inject grit and energy into the lineup. That is until 2016-17, when Kassian earned a full-time role with the Oilers, playing in a career-high 79 games, finishing among the top forwards in hits, and contributing 24 points as well.

There was no turning back after that, as Kassian was convinced he had proven himself to be an NHL starter. Rumors of his dissatisfaction began last season, when Kassian saw his ice time slip, unsurprisingly along with his performance. However, the situation has come to a head this year, as Kassian has been a healthy scratch for a third of the Oilers’ games, has skated under ten minutes per night on average, and has been held scoreless to boot. This may simply be the new reality for Kassian, who is better suited as a match-up player to be used when toughness is needed or he’s showing flashes of offense, but it will likely take a change of scenery for him to realize that. With plenty of players who could fill a role on the fourth line, Edmonton has little reason not to take what they can for Kassian and rid themselves of two more years of his nearly $2MM cap hit. With mutual interest in a separation, this seems like a situation that will be resolved via trade in short order, although don’t expect much of a return for the Oilers or a breakout for Kassian with his new team.

Metropolitan Notes: Johnson, Ferland, Boyd, Mayfield

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Ever since the injury to defenseman Justin Schultz, there have been rumors that the Pittsburgh Penguins may have to upgrade their defense if they wanted to make a serious run for a Stanley Cup. Regardless, Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford stated that the team has enough depth to fill the hole in their defense from within.

Yet rumors continued, especially after defenseman Jack Johnson was found to be on the ice for five goals against in their 6-5 overtime victory Tuesday against the Edmonton Oilers. Again, fans began clamoring to get help to lessen the role of Johnson, after he signed a questionable five-year, $16.25MM deal in the offseason. However, head coach Mike Sullivan was quick to come to Johnson’s defense, according to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

“The reality is when you break down the involvement of those goals, he had no responsibility for any of those goals-against,” Sullivan said of Johnson’s performance against the Oilers. “He just happened to be on the ice for them. We try to look at the game a whole lot closer than the fact that guy is on the ice when a goal is scored because a lot can happen in a team game.”

Rutherford furthered that notion by reiterating that the team intends to stand pat with regards to adding more defense.

“I certainly don’t see us having to go get another defenseman with the group of guys we have,” Rutherford said. “We have guys in Wilkes-Barre who can come in and play on top of who we have here.”

  • While the Carolina Hurricanes made a number of moves this offseason, the team may be most happy with the play of Micheal Ferland, who came over in the trade with the Calgary Flames during the offseason. While the team’s main reason to bringing Ferland in was to add some toughness to a team that lacked it a year ago, the team seems to be getting quite a bit more than that out of him, according to Chip Alexander of the News & Observer. Ferland has found a place on the team’s top line with Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen, and has a team-high six goals, along with 10 points. If Ferland keeps that up, he could break his career-high of 21 goals this season.
  • NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti writes Washington Capitals head coach Todd Reirden said that Travis Boyd will have some tests tomorrow to determine the progress of his injury when he sustained a lower-body injury during training camp and was placed on LTIR. Because he was placed on LTIR, he was forced to miss 10 games, meaning he can be activated now if he’s healthy. “We’ll have him checked out again tomorrow and then see how close he is to being able to play as soon as Thursday,” Reirden said (via NBC Sports J.J. Regan). “But we still need to get some tests done and see exactly where he’s at. He’s been coming along and for the most part seems to be fairly pain-free.” Boyd made eight appearances with the Capitals last year and was battling with Nic Dowd for the fourth-line center position, but lost that job after getting injured.
  • New York Islanders head coach Barry Trotz said that perhaps the biggest surprise on the roster has been the play of defenseman Scott Mayfield, according to Newsday’s Andrew Gross. The 26-year-old has a goal and five points in seven games this season, but has really impressed the coach with his play even though Trotz admitted that he got off to a slow start at training camp.

Pacific Notes: Karlsson, Carlyle, Vilardi, Pacioretty

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San Jose Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer broke up the defensive pairing of Erik Karlsson and Marc-Edouard Vlasic in the third period of Tuesday’s game. He then changed up all the defensive lines Friday and Karlsson once again was not playing next to Vlasic. It might seem that the merger of two defensive stars might be done, yet The Mercury News’ Paul Gackle writes that this is nothing more than a bump in the road for the Sharks and their elite pairing.

Gackle writes that DeBoer is well known for shaking up lines, either on offense or defense if the team is struggling, and this is no different. The belief is that for Karlsson to be the offensive force that the Sharks need, they need Vlasic to take a more defensive approach to his game and play more like Marc Methot, the defensive defenseman who was paired with Karlsson for many years in Ottawa.

With just a few weeks of the season underway, DeBoer is well aware that Karlsson needs time to adjust as will Vlasic who they still believe is the perfect complement to Karlsson.

  • Josh Cooper of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that the Anaheim Ducks shouldn’t put too much blame on head coach Randy Carlyle, who has had a successful stint in his second tenure as head coach. However, while Carlyle has done quite a bit with certain key players such as Ryan Getzlaf, Rickard Rakell and Cam Fowler in the last few years, if the team cannot rebound from this, there could be a coaching change in store at some point this season, although the scribe believes that Carlyle will be given every opportunity to right the ship.
  • Fox Sports Jon Rosen writes that the Los Angeles Kings got some good news on the injury front as the team is starting to integrate prospect Gabriel Vilardi into practice last week and although he’s wearing a non-contact sweater, it’s a positive step for the 19-year-old, who missed both training camp and the start of the season with back problems. The team’s 2017 first-round pick struggled through back problems last year at this time and missed the first half of the season before finally being returned to juniors to finish out his season. He contributed 22 goals and 56 points in just 32 games with the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs. With the Kings in desperate need of offense this year, the team hopes that Vilardi can make a seamless transition to the NHL and contribute at some point soon.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have declared winger Max Pacioretty out for Sunday’s game against the Ottawa Senators. Pacioretty, who took a big hit to the head during Friday’s game against Tampa Bay, is listed as day-to-day still. Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen reports that he asked Golden Knights head coach Gerard Gallant whether the 29-year-old was in concussion protocol. Gallant’s response: “He’s got an upper-body injury.” Tomas Hyka will be in the lineup in place of Pacioretty. He has no points in five games.

Los Angeles Kings Activate Dustin Brown Off LTIR

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The Los Angeles Kings announced they have activated winger Dustin Brown off of LTIR Sunday and he is expected to make his season debut against the New York Rangers today. Brown’s return has come at a great time as the Kings have lost six in a row and sit at the bottom of the Pacific Division with a 2-7-1 record. Brown suffered a broken finger during a preseason game on Sept. 29 when he took a shot to his hand from teammate Anze Kopitar.

The 33-year-old Brown is coming off one of his best seasons in a number of years after tallying 28 goals and a career-high 33 assists for a career-high 61 points. Brown has played 1,045 in Los Angeles, but the once consistent 20-goal scorer had failed to break the 20-goal plateau since the 2011-12 season. Regarless, the Kings signed him to an eight-year, $57MM deal ($5.875MM AAV) extension back in 2013, which looked to be one of their worst long-term deals until his big season a year ago.

The team hopes it can get a boost with Brown back into the lineup. The team sent Michael Amadio back to the Ontario Reign of the AHL to make room on the roster for Brown. Amadio did get quite a bit of playing time for Los Angeles, playing in nine games. He averaged 11:07 of ATOI on the ice and had one goal.

According to CapFriendly, the Kings have enough cap room to activate Brown off LTIR and after recalling goaltender Peter Budaj and sending Amadio down, the team still has $347K in projected cap space. 

Vancouver Canucks Place Anders Nilsson On Injured Reserve

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The Vancouver Canucks may have themselves a goaltending issue after the team placed goaltender Anders Nilsson on injured reserve Sunday,  according to Rick Dhaliwal of Sportsnet. While there was no apparent injury during a game, Dhaliwal reports that Nilsson is dealing with a hand injury and had no idea how long he will be out.

It’s a big blow to a young team that has been playing beyond expectations this season as they hold a 6-6-0 record so far this year. Nilsson has been the standout goaltender in net as he has fared better than Jacob Markstrom as the 28-year-old seems to be bouncing back from a rough first year in Vancouver after signing a two-year deal during the summer of 2017. Nilsson has a 2.67 GAA and a .912 save percentage in six games this year, solid numbers for a team that many had picked to be among the bottom teams in the league this year.

While Vancouver has a top-flight prospect goaltender in Thatcher Demko sitting in Utica of the AHL, Demko has been doing just that as he has yet to make his debut this season as he is still suffering from concussion symptoms that he suffered in a Sept. 22 preseason game when he collided with Calgary’s Mikael Backlund. Dhaliwal reported Thursday that Demko has seen a specialist and is doing better, but remains at least a week away before taking the next step in his recovery.

Instead the team recalled Richard Bachman from Utica, who will serve as backup. Unfortunately, the 31-year-old veteran has struggled in Utica so far this year. In five games, he’s posted a 4.23 GAA and a .865 save percentage, suggesting the team may be in trouble if Nilsson is out for any extended time.

 

Injury Notes: Luongo, Dubinsky, Jost, McQuaid

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Not much has gone right for the Florida Panthers this season, but the team hopes that they may have good news on the horizon after goaltender Roberto Luongo was on the ice Sunday taking shots, according to NHL.com’s Jameson Olive. The team lost the oft-injured netminder during the second period of the season opener when teammate Frank Vatrano fell on him, forcing him out of the game with a lower-body injury.

The 39-year-old has fared well when healthy, but he hasn’t played more than 40 games since the 2015-16 season, which isn’t great considering the team is paying him $4.53MM per year for four more years. Head coach Bob Boughner was thrilled to see Luongo back on the ice, but has no intention of bringing him back until he is 110 percent healthy.

“He’s a huge part of this team. And you can see, no slight to anybody else, this team’s missed him,” Boughner said. “We’re a different team when he’s playing.”

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets also had good news as winger Brandon Dubinsky participated in Sunday’s morning skate, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline (subscription required). Dubinsky has been out since Oct. 8 with a partially torn oblique muscle, but there remains no timetable for his return. The original diagnosis for Dubinsky’s injury was four to six weeks. He hasn’t been out three weeks yet, but the 32-year-old said that he’d be disappointed if he didn’t play on the team’s upcoming road trip, starting Thursday and going through Sunday. “I would say I’m ahead of schedule, but I don’t want to come back early and set myself back a few weeks,” Dubinsky said. The veteran had only played in two games before getting injured, but already had a goal and an assist.
  • The Colorado Avalanche may be without one of their top youngsters for a while as BSN’s Adrian Dater reported that the team will be without center Tyson Jost indefinitely. Jost, who suffered a head injury Friday in the third period against Ottawa, has a goal and an assist in 11 games so far this season. The 20-year-old scored 12 goals in his rookie season last year, but had worked his way higher up in the lineup this year.
  • Newsday’s Colin Stephenson reports that New York Rangers head coach David Quinn said that defenseman Adam McQuaid is day-to-day with a lower-body injury he sustained in the first period Thursday. He is not expected to play Sunday against Los Angeles, which could open up another chance for defenseman Anthony DeAngelo, who has only appeared in two games for the Rangers this season.

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