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Metropolitan Notes: Flyers Goaltending, Boychuk, Nieves

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When Chuck Fletcher took over general manager duties of the Philadelphia Flyers, he made it clear the one of the top priorities the team needed was some stability in net. Except suddenly things have changed. In the meantime, the team has gotten solid play from rookie Carter Hart which already brings into question whether the team intends to add a goalie to their depleted ranks.

The team’s starter, Brian Elliott, is undergoing medical tests and isn’t expected to be back any time soon. Anthony Stolarz is a few weeks away, while Michal Neuvirth is healthy, but extremely injury prone. However, with Hart performing well in three games so far, Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi writes that Fletcher now has more time to decide if Hart is the real deal and could find himself dealing from strength when the trade deadline comes around.

The scribe writes that Fletcher had a number of interesting goaltending options in front of him with rumors that Edmonton’s Cam Talbot, Los Angeles’ Jonathan Quick and Detroit’s Jimmy Howard (now injured) were available. However with Hart suddenly showing some early success (today’s loss notwithstanding) might allow Fletcher to re-think his plans. Of course, Hart may not be able to keep up his success for a long period of time and may still not be ready to be an NHL caliber goaltender, which could send Fletcher back to Plan A.

  • While it hasn’t been confirmed, Newsday’s Andrew Gross writes that New York Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk will likely miss Sunday’s game against Dallas. The veteran blueliner left the team after Thursday’s game against Vegas to return home to be with his wife for the birth of their third child and with a three-day Christmas break after Sunday’s game, the scribe writes it wouldn’t be surprising if he sat out Sunday’s game which could give Devon Toews a chance to make his NHL debut.
  • Newsday’s Colin Stephenson writes that while Boo Nieves, who returned to the Rangers’ lineup earlier this week after suffering his third registered concussion during the preseason tries not to worry about suffering another concussion and knows he can’t let that affect him when playing. “No, because that’s too much hesitation, and hesitation is what’s going to get you hurt,’’ he said. “So you have to just go into the game like you normally would, and you can’t worry about other things that are out of your control, like guys in your peripheral, and things like that. Things are going to happen, and you just have to be ready for them.’’

Atlantic Notes: Nylander, Miller, Athanasiou, Zadina

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While there was an expectation that the Toronto Maple Leafs would even get better once they signed William Nylander to a six-year, $45MM deal, the team hasn’t gotten the production out of their young star so far as many would have hoped. The 22-year-old sat out for the first 59 days of the season holding out, but has struggled so far since returning to the Toronto lineup.

So far the forward has just two assists in seven games and while he is undoubtedly still trying to shake off the rust after such a long layoff, The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn (subscription required) writes that Nylander has been the worst player on the ice for the Maple Leafs lately, pointing out his most recent performance against Florida was quite sub-par, including making several mistakes, including missing a wide-open shot from Connor Brown at one point, while never taking a single shot against the Panthers. While the scribe believes that Nylander will eventually turn it around, he believes that Nylander could continue his current trend for a bit more.

  • Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Hub reports that defenseman Kevan Miller will not be cleared until Dec. 27 at the earliest. The blueliner has been out since Nov. 26 after suffering cartilage damage to his larynx. The 31-year-old has only appeared in 11 games this season, but have to hope that Miller will be back within a week. The team does hope that Jake Debrusk will play Sunday.
  • The Detroit Red Wings played without Andreas Athanasiou Saturday and could be without him again on Sunday, according to the Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James. The 24-year old expected to play today, but was ruled out with an upper-body injury and he remains questionable for Sunday. Athanasiou is having a breakout year so far with 11 goals in just 32 games. His career-high is 18.
  • When the Detroit Red Wings allowed Filip Zadina to join the Czech National Team for the World Junior Champsionships, the team was well aware that the move could backfire. The Athletic’s Katie Strang (subscription required) writes there is always concern with injury, diminished returns or the potential that Zadina could return to some of his junior league habits, but the team still felt that playing at the World Juniors could be a huge benefit for Zadina’s development to get him ready for the NHL game. “I think that he knows that he’s not quite ready,” Griffins coach Ben Simon said. “He’s close, but he has to work on other aspects of his game. When they call him up they don’t want him to come back here. Their whole plan — I can’t speak for them, but I don’t think they want to give him that thrill of getting called up and have that disappointment of getting sent down.”

 

What Your Team Is Thankful For: New York Rangers

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As the holiday season quickly 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 New York Rangers.  Click here for the other articles in this series. 

What are the Rangers most thankful for?

Long-term salary cap flexibility.  Coming into the season, the thought was that they’re a couple of years away from really pushing towards being a contender once again.  If that is still the timeline, their books are going to be pretty clean.  Only two players are signed beyond the 2020-21 season in center Mika Zibanejad and defenseman Brady Skjei.  New York has always been viewed as a potential contender for prominent free agents and they’re going to have the financial wherewithal to be aggressive on that market to help build around their promising young core.  Meanwhile, the short-term nature of most of their contracts will make it easier for them to make moves if they decide to sell once again at the trade deadline.

Who are the Rangers most thankful for?

While goaltender Henrik Lundqvist could easily get the nod here given his long-term tenure with the franchise and solid play this season, let’s go with Zibanejad instead.  This season, he has stepped up and locked down a top-line role while continuing to log big minutes on the penalty kill.  With 30 points in 33 games heading into play on Saturday night, he’s on pace to blow past his career high of 51 set back in 2015-16.  That’s legitimate top line production for $5.35MM, a salary that second liners are getting with more regularity now.

Their decision to deal Derick Brassard for Zibanejad two years ago is certainly paying dividends.  Brassard didn’t light it up with Ottawa while his time in Pittsburgh has not gone particularly well either.  While he is becoming more of a secondary player, Zibanejad has become a key part of New York’s core.

What would the Rangers be even more thankful for?

Getting more bang for their buck from the back end.  Marc Staal ($5.7MM) has been discussed as a possible buyout candidate the last couple of years and will likely come up in that discussion again in June.  Kevin Shattenkirk ($6.65MM), signed to give the Rangers some offensive pop on their blueline, has just one goal in 29 games, has been a healthy scratch, and is now injured.  Meanwhile, Skjei ($5.25MM) has taken a bit of a step back in the first year of his new deal.  Then there’s Brendan Smith ($4.35MM) who cleared waivers last season and has been a third pairing player this year when he’s been in the lineup.  That’s nearly $22MM in underachieving rearguards and if those players were living up to their deals, New York’s fortunes could look a lot better right now.

What should be on the Rangers’ Holiday Wish List?

First and foremost, finding a resolution one way or another when it comes to pending UFA center Kevin Hayes.  He can sign a new deal in January but if they can’t reach one fairly quickly, they’ll have to pivot towards shopping him.  (Winger Mats Zuccarello is in a similar situation although he’s eligible to sign at any time.)  Knowing what direction they’re going with these players will dictate their future plans.  If they aren’t signing them, they’ll become sellers but if one or both re-sign, it wouldn’t be shocking to see them look for a bargain addition or two.

If they sell, their wish list is likely to consist of young players that are going to be part of the core as players like Brett Howden, Filip Chytil, and Lias Andersson ascend into more prominent roles over time.  Getting prospects that will be ready soon may be preferable than draft picks that will be further away.  If they buy (an unlikely scenario given their stated commitment last year to a rebuild), it’s hard to see them moving picks or prospects of consequence so a depth defender could be a focus there given the struggles of their current players.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Andrej Sekera Likely To Return Next Month

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The Oilers are getting closer to getting one of their top defensemen back in their lineup.  Postmedia’s Jim Matheson reports that Andrej Sekera has been cleared for contact and is eyeing a return to action early next month.

The veteran has missed the entire season after undergoing offseason surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon.  It’s the second straight year that he has missed significant time due to an injury as he underwent ACL surgery back in 2017 as well.  Last season, Sekera opted to not bother with an AHL conditioning stint but he indicated to Matheson that he’d like to do so.  Considering he’s cleared for contact, that assignment may not be too far away and could come shortly after the holiday break.

When healthy, Sekera can be a key part of Edmonton’s back end.  In his previous two healthy seasons, he has been a staple in their top four, logging over 21 minutes a night while collecting at least 30 points.  His ability to play both sides will also be a significant asset for them.

As Sekera is currently on LTIR, the Oilers will need to get back into salary cap compliance before they can activate him which will require some roster movement.  In the short term, Oscar Klefbom could be transferred to LTIR as he’s out until late January or early February but in the weeks to come, it wouldn’t be surprising to see GM Peter Chiarelli try to free up some salary cap space knowing that this is on the horizon.

West Notes: Frolik, Joly, Hanzal

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The Flames announced that they have activated winger Michael Frolik off injured reserve and he will be back in the lineup today against St. Louis. The veteran has missed the last 15 games due to a high ankle sprain.  He has been more productive in the goal scoring department this season with seven tallies in 20 games, a far better pace than last year where he had just ten in 70 contests.  However, his ice time has been slashed considerably as he’s logging just over 12 minutes a night as his role in the lineup has been reduced.  The team also announced that winger Ryan Lomberg has been assigned back to Stockton of the AHL.

Elsewhere out West:

  • Still with Calgary, it has been a weird couple of weeks for Flames prospect D’Artagnan Joly. He left Baie-Comeau on December 12th to await a trade and one week later, that move came as he was sent to Victoriaville.  However, he’s on the move once again as the Rimouski Oceanic announced that they’ve now acquired him from the Tigres in exchange for a 2020 first round pick and a prospect.  The winger was Calgary’s sixth round pick (177th overall) in 2017 and has to sign by the beginning of June or the Flames will lose his rights.  Joly is off to an okay start this season with 26 points in 31 games (but below his point-per-game average of 1.24 last year) but will need to pick it up down the stretch if he wants to earn a contract.
  • Stars center Martin Hanzal will miss tonight’s game due to a sore back, notes Mark Stepneski of Stars Inside Edge (Twitter link). Even though he’s expected to suit up tomorrow, this has to be cause for concern considering he just came back to the lineup earlier this month after undergoing spinal fusion surgery on his back in March.  The veteran is off to a slow start offensively with just two points in six games but has been particularly sharp at the faceoff dot, winning over 61% of his draws.  Jason Spezza (illness) will take Hanzal’s spot in the Dallas lineup.

Bruins Activate Patrice Bergeron Off Injured Reserve

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The Bruins will activate center Patrice Bergeron off injured reserve in advance of their game today against Nashville, head coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters including NHL.com’s Amalie Benjamin (Twitter link).  Center Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson will cede his place in the lineup.

Bergeron had missed the last 16 games due to a rib and sternoclavicular injury sustained last month.  The Bruins fared relatively well in his absence, posting a 9-6-1 record despite having several other key regulars out of the lineup as well and are still holding down a playoff position.  Despite missing that much time, he still sits fourth on the team in scoring with 26 points (9-7-26) in just 19 games; his 1.37 point per game average ranks tied for sixth league-wide.

Boston’s top six is still not at full strength, however, as winger Jake DeBrusk is still dealing with a concussion.  While the Bruins are believed to be looking to add a top-six forward between now and the trade deadline, GM Don Sweeney hasn’t had the luxury of having their full top six intact very often this season so he may want to wait until DeBrusk is also back and assess how things go after that before deciding when to pull the trigger on a trade.

The Bruins were carrying just 21 players on their active roster so they will not need to make any corresponding roster moves in order to activate Bergeron.

Minor Transactions: 12/22/18

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After just three games yesterday, the NHL has a full slate of 14 contests today. Bruins-Predators and Blue Jackets-Flyers begin the day as matinee match-ups, with several more afternoon games on the docket and even more teams squaring off later tonight. The league may be on a roster freeze, but teams are still busy preparing for a loaded weekend ahead of the holiday break. As they do, those minor moves not prevented by the freeze are bound to happen throughout the day:

  • A day after going back to the minors, CapFriendly reports that the Colorado Avalanche have recalled Sheldon Dries from the AHL. Dries, 24, has been frequently reassigned back and forth between the Avs and Colorado Eagles this season. The undersized forward has four points in 16 NHL games and only two points in ten AHL games. He’s set to take the place of Colin Wilson who sustained a shoulder injury on Friday night against Chicago and has been placed on IR.  In addition, the Avs have brought up winger A.J. Greer and goalie Pavel Francouz, per the AHL’s Transactions Page.  Greer has averaged a point per game in 21 contests with the Eagles but is scoreless in four NHL contests.  Meanwhile, this will be Francouz’s first NHL recall after signing with Colorado in May.  The 28-year-old has fared well in the minors, posting a 2.61 GAA and a .921 SV% in 21 games.
  • The San Jose Sharks sent forward Rourke Chartier back to the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda late yesterday, the team announced. Chartier has spent much of the season up with the Sharks but has been very productive in limited action with the Barracuda. in nine AHL games, the 22-year-old has logged eight points and a +8 rating. However, he has just one lone goal and no assists through 13 NHL games. Chartier has had no problem scoring in the minors so far in his pro career but needs to work on translating that ability to the next level.
  • With Jake McCabe and Lawrence Pilut back to full health, the Buffalo Sabres announced that they have returned defenseman Brendan Guhle to the AHL. Guhle, 21, has been a major asset for the Rochester Americans this season with 13 points in 25 games and has especially stepped up alongside vet Zach Redmond since Pilut took on a full-time role in Buffalo. However, in two brief NHL appearances, Guhle has been a non-factor and still seems in need of seasoning in the minors.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks have flipped forwards, announcing that they have recalled winger Jacob Nilsson from AHL Rockford while assigning center Luke Johnson to the IceHogs.  Nilsson signed with Chicago back in May following a decent season in the SHL but he has yet to make much of a mark, collecting just 14 points in 31 minor league games this season.  Meanwhile, Johnson has split the season between the Blackhawks and IceHogs.  He has been productive in the minors with seven points in ten games but has just a single assist in 15 NHL contests.
  • The Ottawa Senators revealed that have recalled goaltender Marcus Hogberg from AHL Belleville.  Craig Anderson took a hard hit on Friday and didn’t finish the game so this appears to be some insurance if he’s unable to dress tonight.  Hogberg has been the backup with Belleville this season, posting a 2.55 GAA with a .906 SV% in seven appearances.  The Sens had an extra roster spot available so they don’t have to designate this as one of their two allowable 48-hour emergency recalls that would have allowed them to exceed the roster limit.
  • When the Los Angeles Kings activated Ilya Kovalchuk today, the team had to free up a roster spot. The team announced they have placed defenseman Dion Phaneuf on injured reserve, retroactive to Dec. 11, with an upper-body injury that he suffered during the team’s game against the Buffalo Sabres on that date. The veteran defenseman has struggled mightily this season after being a significant addition when the team acquired him in a midseason trade from Ottawa. Phaneuf has just one assist in 32 games this season and averages just 14:58 per game this season, well under his career averages.
  • The Nashville Predators announced that they have returned forward Tyler Gaudet to the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL. Gaudet was recalled Thursday and was a healthy scratch today against Boston.

Predators Notes: Sissons, Burakovsky, Fabbro

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The Nashville Predators have taken another hit up front, announcing today that forward Colton Sissons has been placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. While it’s unclear when Sissons suffered the injury, he was not in  the lineup when the Predators faced the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night. The team did not give any timeline for Sissons’ return, but any extended absence will hurt Nashville, who are also still without Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson. Sissons has been a key contributor while those two have been sidelined, recording seven goals and nine assists in 35 games, tied for eighth on the team in scoring. Sissons also has a tremendous +17 rating and is an invaluable defensive presence among the forward corps. For the Predators’ sake, hopefully Sissons will return after the minimum ten days on the IR.

  • With yet another starting forward out of commission, Predators GM David Poile may feel even more pressure to land some help via trade. Nashville was already expected to pursue scoring help before the trade deadline to help out their middling offense and was one of the teams speculated to have interest in Washington Capitals forward Andre Burakovsky, who hit the trade block last week. The Capitals are reportedly looking to make a deal that would bring back a player that can help them immediately this season, of which the Predators have options. Pressed into regular action due to the rash of injuries, Miikka Salomaki and Frederick Gaudreau have both played well at times this season and could be of interest to Washington. The team could even be willing to dangle Calle Jarnkrok if they’re high on Burakovsky. The two teams would seemingly be a good fit for a deal, although there still could be lingering feelings from the last time the Capitals traded a young winger to the Predators (see Forsberg-for-Martin Erat).
  • Speaking of reinforcements, Predators fans should be excited to see defensive prospect Dante Fabbro listed on the Team Canada roster for the upcoming Spengler Cup. The team’s first-round pick in 2016, Fabbro has been a productive member of the Boston University blue line for three seasons now and has even evolved into the Terriers’ captain. However, playing alongside pros at the Spengler Cup is the next step for Fabbro and could give the young defenseman the experience needed to step in to the Predators’ lineup later this season. Although Fabbro has another season of NCAA eligibility remaining, he is heavily expected to leave school when BU’s season is over. A strong showing in Switzerland could convince Poile and company that Fabbro is worth signing and playing immediately this year. The young puck-mover could be a nice depth addition for a Nashville team that is looking to make it back to the Stanley Cup Final this year.

Several KHL Stars Eyeing Return To NHL

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The Kontinental Hockey League is well past the midway point of their season and players are beginning to look ahead to next year. The NHL off-season is still a ways away, but many KHLers are already hoping to get a chance at the highest level next year. While few European pros who would like to play in the NHL actually possess the name value or ability to do so, those with experience in the league stand a far better chance. In his latest “31 Thoughts” article, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman identified three former NHLers currently excelling overseas who have the interest and the talent to end up back in the league next season: Mikhail Grigorenko, Nikita Nesterov, and Victor Antipin.

Of the trio, Grigorenko stands out as truly shining this season in the KHL. The CSKA Moscow star has 34 points through 35 games, leading the team in scoring and in the top ten league-wide in per-game production. Grigorenko looks far better in his second season in the KHL than he did last year and could be catching the eye of NHL teams. The 2012 No. 12 overall pick possesses immense skill, as well as good size and physical ability. However, in stints with the Buffalo Sabres and Colorado Avalanche over five seasons, he could never quite put it all together. Grigorenko was traded away by Buffalo as part of the Ryan O’Reilly trade in 2015 and improved substantially during two seasons in Denver, but nevertheless bolted for his native Russia after he was not qualified by the team and became a free agent two years ago. CSKA is thankful that he did, as Grigorenko’s play has fueled the team to the top spot in the standings as of now. Grigorenko has likely matured as a player  and leader since his NHL days and could be an intriguing option this summer.

Nesterov also has his fair share of NHL experience, skating as the sixth or seventh defenseman for the Tampa Bay Lightning for parts of three seasons before being dealt to the Montreal Canadiens ahead of the 2017 NHL Trade Deadline. Nesterov showed good two-way ability in his limited roles with the Bolts and Habs, but was also prone to poor stretches and bad mistakes. He signed with CSKA the same off-season as Grigorenko, but was able to make an immediate impact in his first season, posting 19 points in 42 games while often playing top-pair minutes. Yet, Nesterov is already about to surpass that mark this season, with 18 points through 35 games. Nesterov is within the top ten defensemen in the KHL in scoring this season and his play is also part of the reason that CSKA has allowed far fewer goals than nearly every other team in the league.

One of few blue liners with more points than Nesterov this season is Antipin, who unlike the other two is just one year removed from the NHL. However, he also has just the one season in the league to his credit and it was far from impressive. Antipin made his NHL debut last year after signing with the Buffalo Sabres. He skated in 47 games with the team, but failed to score a goal and only added ten assists. It was far from a surprise that he left Buffalo to return home this summer. A failed first NHL season won’t stop the hype over the swift skating defenseman though; Friedman reports that the speculation of an Antipin return is fueled more so by interest from NHL teams than the player’s own desire to play in the league. Antipin has 21 points in 40 games this year for Metallurg Magnitogorsk, fourth-best on the team. A balanced two-way game, especially in the offense-heavy KHL, is often a good way to impress NHL scouts and Antipin may get his second chance far sooner than he might have expected.

Re-Signing Matthew Tkachuk Is “Priority One” For Calgary Flames

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Despite their recent two-game losing streak, the Calgary Flames woke up today still comfortably in first place in the Pacific Division, four points ahead of both the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks. The team is also tied with the Winnipeg Jets for the best goal differential in the entire Western Conference, and have bought themselves some time to slowly assess their roster heading into 2019. When looking at their contract situation though, one name sticks out as a pending free agent. Matthew Tkachuk will reach restricted free agency for the first time at the end of this season, and Flames GM Brad Treliving made it quite clear to TSN’s Jermain Franklin that a re-signing the young forward is a focus:

Matthew is a terrific player. He’s on the last year of his contract. We’ve said all along, our goal is to get him signed obviously before the start of next season. Nothing’s changed in that regard, we’re going to continue to see if we can’t get something done. Both Matthew and us know the most important thing right now is the play on the ice of the team, and Matthew’s play. We’re trying to limit any distractions so that the sole focus can stay on the games ahead of us, but certainly it’s priority one for us to get him signed to a new contract, and we will.

Tkachuk, 21, is one of a number of talented players coming up on restricted free agency at the end of the year, and could very well wait to see what his contemporaries sign for before putting ink to paper. The entire league just watched a long negotiation between the Toronto Maple Leafs and William Nylander result in a hefty long-term contract, and most will want to avoid that type of situation. While Tkachuk’s first two seasons didn’t have the same sort of offensive totals that Nylander did, he’s off to an outstanding start in the first half of 2018-19 and could very well set his asking price extremely high.

The physical, talented winger was selected sixth overall in 2016 and had an immediate impact for the Flames, recording 13 goals and 48 points as a rookie. His total increased by just a single point in his sophomore season due to playing just 68 games, but this year Tkachuk already has 41 points in his first 36 games. That kind of output could very well put him in another category of contract, one that the Flames will have to carefully plan over the coming months.

While he may call it a priority, it’s also important to note that Treliving and the Flames have never rushed before in their contract negotiations. Johnny Gaudreau inked his second contract on October 10th, 2016, just two days before the season began and Sam Bennett waited until September 2017 to sign his two-year bridge deal. Perhaps the team will want to avoid that delay with Tkachuk, but won’t put themselves in a place to get pushed around given that they don’t have unlimited cap space going forward. The team already has over $67MM in commitments for next season, which doesn’t include a new deal for Bennett or an extension for one of their current goaltenders.

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