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Archives for November 2018

Edmonton Oilers Recall Jesse Puljujarvi From AHL Stint

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Well, it didn’t take that long after all. After sending 20-year-old Jesse Puljujarvi to the Bakersfield Condors to find his confidence on Nov. 10, the Oilers have announced they have recalled him just two weeks and four AHL games later.

While it’s not likely that Puljujarvi’s four-game stint solved any problems, the fourth-overall pick in 2016 fared well scoring two goals and two assists, but with the recent coaching change in Edmonton, new head coach Ken Hitchcock may feel that his defense-first coaching style can help further develop Puljujarvi to develop into the star the franchise had hoped for when they drafted him.

Unfortunately, Puljujarvi has underperformed in 104 NHL games over the course of his career, despite success in several AHL stints. He has just 14 goals and 29 points in the NHL, including just one goal this season in 11 games, in a year where the team had hoped he could develop into that high-volume scorer. Instead, he bristled at rumors that he might be sent to Bakersfield and made it clear that he would prefer working through his difficulties as a bottom-six option with Edmonton. However, with him getting little ice time, fewer opportunities and spending more time in the press box, the team opted to send the underperforming Puljujarvi as well as teammate Kailer Yamamoto to Bakersfield.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Boston Bruins

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. Let’s take a look at what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Boston Bruins. 

What are the Bruins most thankful for?

Defensive depth.  To say that Boston has been hit hard with injuries on their back end would be a significant understatement as no fewer than eight different blueliners have missed multiple games.  Despite that, they find themselves in sole possession of the top Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference despite icing a defense corps with several minor leaguers as a result of the injuries.  That has them well-positioned to make a run to move up as their regulars return while also giving GM Don Sweeney (and other general managers around the league) a chance to evaluate the development and readiness of some of their younger defenders.

Who are the Bruins most thankful for?

Goaltender Jaroslav Halak was brought in to give them a capable backup that could push Tuukka Rask for starts.  It’s safe to say he has provided that and more so far.  The 33-year-old has vastly outperformed Rask in the early going and has essentially taken over the number one role by posting a stellar 1.98 GAA and a .939 SV%.  Halak has been a significant reason why the Bruins, despite all of their injuries on the back end, have allowed the fewest goals in the league.  His two-year, $5.5MM contract that he signed back in July is proving to be a real bargain so far.

The team also has to be thankful for having one of the elite top lines in the league.  David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, and Patrice Bergeron have been dominant once again, all averaging over a point-per-game.  (Unfortunately for the Bruins, this line will be out of commission for a while with Bergeron expected to miss the better part of a month due to a rib and sternoclavicular injury.)

What would the Bruins be even more thankful for?

More production from their secondary scorers.  On top of their top three forwards, David Krejci has 17 points which is solid but just two of those are goals.  Jake DeBrusk rounds out their top-five scorers up front with 11 points (though only two of those are assists).  After that, however, it drops rather quickly with no other attacker having more than five points.  They were hoping that youngsters Danton Heinen, Anders Bjork, and Ryan Donato would be regular contributors but the trio have combined for just four goals and five assists in 50 games combined with Donato getting dispatched to the minors.  David Backes has just a single helper in 17 contests which is a terrible return for $6MM per year.  Sweeney paid a high price last year to land Rick Nash to boost their attack but they would be a lot better off if some of these scuffling players started to shoulder more of the offensive load.

What should be on the Bruins’ Holiday Wish List?

First and foremost, they need more scoring depth.  They have been on the lookout for help up front (with a preference for a center) dating back to the start of the season and adding someone would boost their middle six while ideally helping some of their struggling forwards get back on track as well.

Given the injuries they’ve had on the back end, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for Sweeney to look to add a veteran defenseman that could be stashed at AHL Providence to give them a little bit more insurance if they happen to have more injury woes as the season goes on.  That way, they won’t necessarily have to call on players that aren’t quite NHL ready if they find themselves in need of help while jockeying for playoff seeding down the stretch.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: McGeough, Luongo, Copp

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Long-time NHL referee Mick McGeough has passed away from a stroke that he suffered last weekend.  He was 62.  McGeough worked as an NHL official for 21 years, spanning more than 1,000 games and was still working with the league in an off-ice capacity as a supervisor of officials.  League Commissioner Gary Bettman released the following statement:

“The National Hockey League lost a true friend of the game last night with the passing of Mick McGeough. As one of the League’s top referees for 21 years from 1987-88 until his retirement following the 2007-08 season, Mick’s passion for the game shone through on a nightly basis. He earned and maintained respect from players, coaches, general managers and his peers throughout his career with a unique style that combined humility and humor with decisiveness and fairness.

Everyone here at PHR extends our condolences to McGeough’s friends and family.

Other news and notes from around the hockey world:

  • While the Panthers received a scare on Friday with goaltender Roberto Luongo being injured late in the first period, the lower-body injury isn’t believed to be too serious, reports George Richards of The Athletic (Twitter link). He’s currently listed as day-to-day.  The 39-year-old has had issues staying healthy in recent years and this marks the second time that he’s on the shelf already.  James Reimer will once again take over the starting nod for the time being and will hope to improve upon a below-average 3.27 GAA and a .896 SV% that he has put up so far this season.
  • Jets forward Andrew Copp left Friday’s game with a head injury, notes Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun. He was slated to go through the concussion protocol but if he clears it without any issues, there’s still a chance that he could play today against St. Louis.  Copp has played in all 21 games so far this season, picking up three points while logging a little less than 13 minutes a night.

Canucks Winger Antoine Roussel Fined For Biting Incident

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Late in Friday’s game between Vancouver and San Jose, Canucks winger Antoine Roussel got involved in a scrum with Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic.  Near the end of it, Roussel appeared to bite Vlasic and the league has completed its review, announcing (Twitter link) that the winger has been fined $5K, the maximum allowable in the CBA.

Roussel is no stranger to supplementary discipline having had a pair of incidents back in the 2014-15 season, one that resulted in a fine for roughing while the other yielded a two-game suspension for an illegal cross-check.  However, despite his history, the league ruled that this particular incident didn’t reach the level of being worthy of a suspension.

This ruling is largely consistent with how they’ve viewed bites in recent years which have yielded either fines or have gone unpunished.  The last suspension handed out for a biting incident was handed out back in 2009 when Senators winger Jarkko Ruutu was given a two-game ban for a bite on Sabres winger Andrew Peters.

Boston Bruins Linked To Minnesota’s Charlie Coyle

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Even before the Boston Bruins’ rash of defensive injuries and the loss of Patrice Bergeron, the team was having early-season issues with secondary scoring. With their No. 1 center and so much talent on the back end now out of commission, that need is now even more exasperated. As The Athletic’s Joe McDonald writes (subscription required), they have zeroed in on a center as their biggest need, one who could presumably make up for Bergeron’s absence for the next four weeks before taking over the third line center slot.

Heading into the season, the Bruins gave prospects Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, Trent Frederic, and Jack Studnicka a shot to win the third line center spot in training camp. When none succeeded initially, Boston then tried Sean Kuraly and David Backes in the role, without any better results. The team has relied on free agent addition Joakim Nordstrom for much of the season thus far and recently recalled Forsbacka Karlsson as well. McDonald believes that “JFK” is the key to what comes next for the Bruins. The 22-year-old has two points in seven games so far this season and has seen his responsibilities grow, capped off by centering Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak last night and matching up against Sidney Crosby when the Bruins faced the Pittsburgh Penguins. McDonald opines that the Bruins are testing Forsbacka Karlsson to see if he could be the in-house solution to their problems, rather than make a trade.

Yet, if it comes to it, it seems that Boston has found their favored trade target. McDonald reports that the Bruins have had conversations with the Minnesota Wild as early as this past summer about Charlie Coyle and have renewed their interest in acquiring the forward. McDonald cites colleague Michael Russo, who recently listed Coyle as one of the Wild’s available players and feels that his ceiling is limited. However, the two-way forward can play both center and right wing and would fit in nicely with what the Bruins need. Coyle has cracked 20 goals in a season just once but is a capable play-maker who could open up the ice for some of Boston’s more natural shooters who have had a hard time getting clean looks this season. Add in that Coyle is a Boston area-native and Boston University alum and it makes sense that the Bruins are intrigued by the familiar name with a solid skill set.

However, McDonald opines that in order to acquire Coyle, the Bruins would likely have to move one of Danton Heinen, Anders Bjork, or Ryan Donato just to get talks started. Understandably, Minnesota is having a strong start to the season and lacks motivation to move Coyle if not properly incentivized. Yet, if the team feels similarly to Russo that Coyle has limited upside and is inconsistent, the possibility remains open that they would be willing to move Coyle and his $3.2MM cap hit in a more affordable trade. Heinen enjoyed a surprise breakout rookie season last year and Donato is considered one of, if not the Bruins’ top forward prospect. Boston would likely hold out hope that a package centered around Bjork or a lesser piece would do the trick. If not, the Bruins will likely continue to weigh the benefits of pursuing the trade or simply sticking with Forsbacka Karlsson for a while longer.

Minor Transactions: 11/24/18

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As the final weekend of November gets underway today, the league presents a slate of eleven games, highlighted by some rivalry match-ups and intriguing story lines. The Capitals and Rangers get the action started with a matinee game, while later on the Jets and Blues, Bruins and Canadiens, and Blue Jackets and Penguins square off. Meanwhile, last season’s Calder Cup-winning tandem of Garret Sparks and Calvin Pickard will face one another when the Maple Leafs host the Flyers. With 22 teams going after a busy day yesterday as well, there will surely be some movement across the league today. Keep up with all the recalls and reassignments right here:

  • Last night, the Edmonton Oilers returned rookie forward Cooper Marody to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. Edmonton had called up Marody early last week and gave him four starts, but Marody still failed to record his first NHL point. Marody has been held off the score sheet through six NHL games thus far in his first pro season, but has ten points in just seven AHL contests. The University of Michigan product has the ability and the Oilers believe in him enough to continue giving him looks, but he’ll need to show some production on his next try at the top level.
  • Trevor Carrick has earned his first call-up of the season, as the Carolina Hurricanes have placed Brett Pesce on the injured reserve and tabbed Carrick as the man to replace his roster spot. Pesce’s IR assignment, retroactive to November 10th, is the result of a lower-body injury. In his stead, Carrick and Haydn Fleury will be the likely candidates to replace him, either directly on the right side or on their natural left side with Trevor van Riemsdyk returning to his natural side. Carrick, 24, played in just one NHL game last year and has played in three total in his five-year pro career. However, the Charlotte Checkers veteran leads all defenseman on the team in scoring this season with 17 points in 19 games and is due for another look in Raleigh.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins announced that they have recalled winger Garrett Wilson from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL.  It’s the second stint with the big club this month for the 27-year-old who got into four games with Pittsburgh in his first go-round.  Wilson has been quite productive in the minors, picking up 11 points in a dozen games but will likely play a fourth line role while on recall.
  • After seeing limited action upon being brought up, forward Michael Dal Colle is on his way back to the minors after the New York Islanders returned him to AHL Bridgeport and recalled winger Tanner Fritz.  Dal Colle played in just two games with New York, logging less than nine minutes per night.  He has been productive in his third full season with the Sound Tigers though, averaging a point per game in 14 contests.  Meanwhile, Fritz has spent most of this season with Bridgeport, amassing ten points in 17 games.
  • With Roberto Luongo injured, the Florida Panthers have brought back goaltender Michael Hutchinson from Springfield of the AHL.  The 28-year-old struggled considerably in his first stint with the team, posting a 4.18 GAA with a .839 SV% in four games with Florida.  He hasn’t fared much better with the Thunderbirds, notching a 3.48 GAA with a .903 SV% in four minor league appearances.  He’ll serve as the backup to James Reimer while Luongo is on the shelf.
  • After being called up Friday by the New York Rangers, the team announced they sent Tim Gettinger back to the Hartford Wolf Pack today. The good news for Gettinger is that he got a chance to make his NHL debut for the Rangers as he played 7:00 of ice time against the Washington Capitals, recording five hits and a blocked shot. The Rangers’ fifth-round pick in 2016, Gettinger has put up solid numbers so far in his first professional season with seven goals and 11 points in 20 games for the Wolf Pack.
  • The Arizona Coyotes announced they have recalled goaltender Adin Hill from the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL as backup goaltender Darcy Kuemper is day-to-day with a minor lower-body injury. The 22-year-old Hill has struggled in four appearances with the team this year, but has a 3.49 GAA and a .891 save percentage. Hill hasn’t fared much better in Tucson as he has a 3.22 GAA and a .871 save percentage in six games.

West Notes: Baertschi, Quick, Kempe, Schwartz

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Canucks winger Sven Baertschi attempted to skate last weekend for the first time since suffering a concussion back in October.  However, he told Marcel Perren of Swiss newspaper Blick that he had to stop after just 15 minutes due to a recurrence of symptoms.  With that in mind, he has been shut down once again and Baertschi indicated to Perren that there’s a chance that he does not return this season.  That would be a significant blow for Vancouver as the 26-year-old is an important part of their attack and was off to a solid start to his campaign with six points in ten games before being concussed.

Elsewhere out West:

  • Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick participated in his first full practice with the team since undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus late last month, notes Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider. Head coach Willie Desjardins doesn’t want to put a firm timetable on when the netminder may be able to return to the lineup but the belief is he’s about a week away from getting the green light to play.  Meanwhile, center Adrian Kempe is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game against Vancouver after suffering a lower-body injury on Wednesday.  If he can’t play, Los Angeles will likely have to bring up a forward from AHL Ontario.
  • The Blues announced that they have placed winger Jaden Schwartz on injured reserve. His roster spot went to winger Patrick Maroon who was activated and played tonight against Nashville.  Schwartz last played on November 16th against Vegas so his placement was likely backdated to then which would allow him to be activated at any time.  The 26-year-old is off to a relatively quiet start to his season with just two goals through his first 15 games.

Montreal’s Charlie Lindgren Drawing Trade Interest

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Several teams have shown interest in Canadiens goaltender Charlie Lindgren, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported in an appearance on Sportsnet 960 (audio link).  The Panthers are among the teams to inquire as to Montreal’s plans for him despite already having Roberto Luongo, James Reimer, and Michael Hutchinson in the fold.

The 24-year-old is in the first season of a three-year, one-way deal that pays $750K per year.  At the time he signed that contract, the belief was that the Canadiens planned to have him serve as the backup for Carey Price this season.  However, they instead opted to keep veteran Antti Niemi around for this season and as a result, Lindgren has spent the entire year in the minors, posting a 2.36 GAA and a .894 SV% in 15 appearances with Laval of the AHL.

Lindgren has had some success at the NHL in the past.  He has played at least once with Montreal in each of the last three seasons, totalling 17 appearances where he has a respectable 2.78 GAA and a .914 SV%.  Some view him as being ready to take on a full-time number two role in the NHL but with him being waiver-exempt this season, their preference was to give him as much playing time as possible in the minors.

Friedman notes that while there are some big-name goaltenders being speculated as potential trade bait, those teams likely don’t want to move those players just yet.  Accordingly, he suggests that Lindgren may be the best goalie that could actually be available at this time, adding that the asking price will be particularly high.

With Price signed for seven more years after this one on the richest deal ever given to a goaltender (it carries an AAV of $10.5MM), the Canadiens are going to have to go with a cheap backup which is part of the allure when it comes to Lindgren as his deal sits just $100K above the league minimum salary.  As the price of quality veteran backups continues to increase, having that type of cost control in Lindgren is certainly important.

Considering that the only other goalie Montreal has under contract between Price, Niemi, and Lindgren is prospect Michael McNiven who has just 31 AHL games under his belt and isn’t close to being NHL ready, they would likely be looking for a goaltender to be part of any return to give them some insurance in case of injury.

Pending unrestricted free agents like Sergei Bobrovsky (Columbus), Jimmy Howard (Detroit), and Semyon Varlamov (Colorado) have drawn most of the attention when it comes to trade speculation so far.  However, it appears that Lindgren needs to be added to the list of those that are at least drawing some trade interest around the league.

Poll: How Will The William Nylander Saga End?

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Toronto Maple Leafs fans were abuzz this morning as reports seemingly came out of every corner of the hockey world concerning William Nylander’s imminent signing. There were those who had apparently spoken directly to Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas, and others who just put out unconfirmed rumors that they’d heard. Venerable insider Bob McKenzie of TSN quickly threw some cold water—perhaps a whole ocean’s worth—on those rumors, explaining that nothing in fact was imminent though negotiations continue between the two sides.

So now just one week remains before a December 1st deadline which would make Nylander ineligible to play anywhere in the NHL this season. The Maple Leafs do still have time to get a deal done with their young restricted free agent, and head coach Mike Babcock certainly seemed optimistic when asked today by reporters including Chris Johnston of Sportsnet:

I’m confident, hopeful. I mean Willy loves hockey. I know Willy good—he’s a great teammate and good person—and he loves hockey. He wants to play that.

But if there is still work to be done on a long-term contract, time is running out quickly. McKenzie suggests that there are two prevailing options, either signing a three-year bridge deal near $5MM per season, or a six-year deal near $7MM. Those are the kinds of numbers that have been speculated on over and over for the past few months, with no real information leaking out of either side. It seems no one really knows where the Maple Leafs and Nylander stand in negotiations, and in fact there are two (or even three) other options that the team could decide to use.

One is to trade Nylander in the next few days, though as it gets closer to the deadline that seems even more unlikely. The acquiring team would need to hammer out a contract of their own with the RFA, and as CapFriendly has explained it would likely come with an increased cap hit this season. That’s a tough thing for most teams to fit in right now, and they would be under a time crunch of their own. Still, if the Maple Leafs want to cash in on their asset for this season that might be the best way to do it if they can’t get a deal done.

The other option would be to stand their ground and just let the December 1st deadline to come and go. Nylander would be ineligible to play this season but he would gain little leverage in any negotiation for the future, and the Maple Leafs could potentially flip him at a later date. A non-playoff team might want to get him into their system even if he can’t play this season, and work under no deadlines to get him under contract.

It’s still not clear at all what will happen in Toronto, but as the Maple Leafs prepare to face the Columbus Blue Jackets this evening we ask you what you think. How will the Nylander saga end, or at least what will be the status of the young forward next weekend?

How will the Nylander saga end?
Traded by Maple Leafs before deadline 30.13% (474 votes)
Signed by Maple Leafs, bridge deal 29.88% (470 votes)
Deadline passes, no contract or trade 23.14% (364 votes)
Signed by Maple Leafs, long-term deal 16.85% (265 votes)
Total Votes: 1,573

[Mobile users click here to vote.]

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Arizona Coyotes

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. Let’s take a look at what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Arizona Coyotes.

What are the Coyotes most thankful for?

The weak start by almost the entire Pacific Division.

Despite sitting at 9-9-2 through their first 20 games and currently holding down seventh spot in the division, the Coyotes are by no means out of the playoff race at this point. In fact, they sit only seven points behind the division-leading Calgary Flames with two fewer games played, and are one of only three teams without a negative goal differential. The Coyotes haven’t played anywhere near their best through the first two months of the season, but still sit in prime position to battle for the postseason because of the middling efforts from former playoff teams like Anaheim, Vegas and Los Angeles.

Who are the Coyotes most thankful for?

Darcy Kuemper.

Anyone that did project the Coyotes to be competitive this season did it with one huge caveat: Antti Raanta must stay healthy. That hasn’t happened through the first quarter of the season, and Kuemper has been forced to start 11 of the team’s 20 games. He’s 4-5-2 in those games, but his .914 save percentage has been more than good enough to keep the Coyotes’ head above water as they await the return of their star goaltender. Raanta was activated off injured reserve today, and if he can return to form immediately the Coyotes actually may have one of the best tandems in the entire league.

While Raanta has the ability to contend for the Vezina Trophy, there’s no doubt that Kuemper will be needed again at some point this season. The 28-year old has now done nothing but provide solid backup play at three Western Conference stops, recording save percentages of .910, .932 and .907 in Minnesota, Los Angeles and Arizona respectively.

What would the Coyotes be even more thankful for?

A little bit of shot luck, and a healthy defense.

It’s a good thing the Coyotes have received solid goaltending from Raanta and Kuemper, because they aren’t scoring enough to win games 6-5. The team has just 50 goals on the season through 20 games, and is shooting a near league-worst 7.9%—only Carolina and Los Angeles are below them. Young forwards like Dylan Strome, Brendan Perlini, Christian Fischer and Lawson Crouse are all shooting under 10% on the season, while the entire defense corps has only combined for five goals.

That defense is where the real issue has been lately, as for a while the team was without Jason Demers, Alex Goligoski and Jakob Chychrun, three of their top four options. While Demers is out for the rest of the season, the other two are back in action and should help the team moving forward. Perhaps they can even chip in a goal or two while the forward group figures out how to put the puck in the net.

What should be on the Coyotes’ Holiday Wish List?

Secondary scoring.

There are lots of teams looking to balance out their forward group with an acquisition or two this season, but luckily there are plenty of options expected to be on the market come the start of 2019. Even with the New York Rangers doing better than expected there will likely be one or two veteran names on the move out of Madison Square Garden, while the Ottawa Senators and Los Angeles Kings could be in fire sale mode by February. It’s not very likely that the Coyotes go after any of the big expensive names, but adding a few wingers who can lengthen out their forward group could do them a world of good down the stretch.

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