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Pacific Notes: Goldobin, Silfverberg, Chychrun, Kase

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Nikolay Goldobin has found his way back onto the Vancouver Canucks top line next to Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser after having to sit out as a healthy scratch for four straight games and six of the last nine. The Province’s Ben Kuzma writes that one of the key reasons for his return to the first line has been the 23-year-old’s dedication to improving on his shortcomings that has seen him slip out of Travis Green’s good graces.

Goldobin has spent countless hours the last few weeks watching game film and has proven himself to Green to earn his way back to the top line. Kuzma adds that this is not the team’s way to showcase the forward before the trade deadline as his name has surfaced on numerous occasions already.

“That’s not the case,” insisted general manager Jim Benning. “He’s a good kid and wants to do well, and he’s progressing to get better and that’s part of development. It’s also the skill set that makes it worth our time to get that out of him. We’re going to continue to work with him and hope that he can get to where he needs to be.”

While there is no guarantee that his play will be better than it was previously, the Canucks like what they’ve seen from him while sitting in the press box. Goldobin has gone 13 games without registering a point and was struggling when not possessing the puck.

  • TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the Anaheim Ducks and forward Jakob Silfverberg, who will be a unrestricted free agent this summer, are continuing to discuss a new contract. Talks are progressing and LeBrun writes that Anaheim is very interested in locking up the 28-year-old. Silfverberg has 12 goals and 19 points this season in 42 games, but has missed some time due to injury. The team likely will want a deal in place before the trade deadline, suggesting that if the team cannot, the Ducks are likely to move him.
  • The Arizona Coyotes will be without defenseman Jakob Chychrun once again. Head coach Rick Tocchet said that blueliner, out with a lower-body injury, did not accompany the team on their three-game road trip, which started tonight in San Jose, according to NHL.com’s Dave Vest. “He tweaked something and we just want to nip it in the bud,” said Tocchet.
  • The Anaheim Ducks officially placed forward Ondrej Kase on long-term injured reserve today after the team activated both Corey Perry and Patrick Eaves, according to Orange County Register’s Eliott Teaford. Kase has had a tough season as he didn’t appear in his first game until Nov. 12 after suffering a concussion in a preseason game and now has undergone season-ending shoulder surgery. He finished the season with 11 goals and 20 points in just 30 games.

Deadline Primer: San Jose Sharks

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With the trade deadline fast approaching, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? As we begin to examine the Pacific Division, here is a look at the San Jose Sharks.

The moment that the San Jose Sharks traded for star defenseman Erik Karlsson, many people felt that the Sharks would be at the top of the Pacific Division. While no one was expecting the Calgary Flames to be so dominant, the Sharks are solidly in second place and with their impressive play of late, it wouldn’t be a shock if San Jose found their way back during the team’s stretch run. The Sharks have been rolling, having won 10 of 14 games and three of those games were a streak when they were forced to play without Karlsson.

With a number of veteran players trying to hold on for another deep playoff run, including Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Sharks picked up another significant piece to their plans to win this season. The team went out a year ago at the trade deadline and picked up Evander Kane from Buffalo, eventually locking him up long-term and they followed that up by adding Karlsson during the offseason. Throw in the fact that Thornton hasn’t been 100 percent this season and isn’t the same player due to his knee injury and the need for more depth is obvious. No one would be surprised if general manager Doug Wilson tries to pry another major piece.

Record

29-16-7, second in the Pacific Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$6.76MM in full-season cap hit, 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 45/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2019: FLA 2nd, SJS 3rd, SJS 5th, SJS 6th, SJS 7th
2020: SJS 2nd, SJS 3rd, SJS 4th, SJS 5th, OTT 5th

Trade Chips

This is where the Sharks might have some problems. The team has already moved its first-round picks in 2019 and in 2020 as they moved their 2019 pick to Buffalo for Kane and then their 2020 first-rounder for Karlsson (pending multiple conditions that are likely to hold). The team has already unloaded several key young players and prospects in separate deals, including Chris Tierney, Rudolfs Balcers, Danny O’Regan, and Josh Norris. It’s been made clear that the Sharks aren’t interested in moving too many more prospects, leaving the team bare of incoming prospects, but regardless, time is running out for a number of their veterans and with the dominance of several teams, the Sharks will want to keep up with them.

Regardless, the team may have few choices. One player the team could consider moving out would be forward Kevin Labanc, who has five goals and 30 points this season, but hasn’t been able to break into the team’s top six. The 23-year-old still has plenty of promise and might be able to being in a significant return for a player who tallied two 100-point seasons in the OHL. The team also could dip into their prospect pool that has a number of talented players, including 21-year-old goalie Josef Korenar, who appeared in the AHL All-Star game this year, AHL forwards Dylan Gambrell and Francis Perron, as well as highly-touted offensive defenseman Ryan Merkley, and junior forwards Sasha Chmelevski and Ivan Chekhovich.

Five Players To Watch For: G Aaron Dell, F Barclay Goodrow, D Tim Heed, F Kevin Labanc, D Joakim Ryan

Team Needs

1) More forward depth: The team has a solid top-six, but the third line has been average at best and hardly the scoring line the team was hoping for at the beginning of the year. With Thornton ailing, the team could use a sniper, potentially who has some experience manning the center position to improve the bottom-six. Thornton has just 10 goals and 25 points in 43 games this season and looks like he’s heading for his most disappointing season so far. While Marcus Sorensen has shown improvement, the forward has just 17 points this season, while Labanc still hasn’t full proven himself to head coach Peter DeBoer. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Sharks went to the Ottawa well again, having already worked out deals to take Mike Hoffman and Karlsson from the Senators. A rental like Matt Duchene or winger like Mark Stone would force the team to adjust their lines and put some quality offense on their third line.

2) Defensive depth: With an injury, as well as poor play, coming from Marc-Edouard Vlasic, the team may want to bring in a veteran defenseman who could provide the team with some strength behind the blueline. The team has gotten surprisingly good play from defenseman Radim Simek, who the team signed out of the Czech Republic last summer. However, the team needs more help there and don’t have too much help at that position down in the AHL.

Dallas Stars Are Expected To Sign Free Agent Tye Felhaber

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The Dallas Stars are expected to land free-agent prospect Tye Felhaber, according to The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro (subscription required), who reports that the two sides have finalized a deal that will be announced soon.

Felhaber, considered a late bloomer, has been playing as a 20-year-old with the Ottawa 67’s in the OHL and has been lighting it up there this year as he already has potted 51 goals in 50 games and is on pace to break the 70-goal mark, which hasn’t been done since John Tavares scored 72 goals in the 2006-07 season. Shapiro writes that Felhaber has said recently that he has received interest from 20 NHL teams this season.

The 6-foot, 183-pound forward scored 31 goals with Ottawa in the OHL last season and received a four-game tryout with the Laval Rocket of the AHL, but failed to register a point. Felhaber also attended training camp with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but was cut an early casualty. One reason for his recent success is his offseason dedication to his physical part or his game, as he spent the offseason working with Philadelphia Flyers captain Claude Giroux.

Dallas is well known for signing undrafted players as two of their top prospects include Joel L’Esperance and Ben Gleason, while Gavin Bayreuther has already appeared in 19 NHL games this season. Unless Ottawa goes on a deep playoff run in the OHL, Felhaber is expected to join the Texas Stars of the AHL this spring.

Metropolitan Notes: Holtby, Bjugstad, Niederreiter

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The Washington Capitals finally broke their seven-game losing streak, but there still is plenty of concern on whether the Stanley Cup champions can re-establish themselves as top candidates to re-capture the title this season. While many point to fatigue as the team played a lot of extra games in the playoffs last season, there are even bigger concerns, including the goaltending.

Perhaps one of the biggest area of concern, according to The Athletic’s Scott Burnside (subscription required) is the play of their goaltending, most particularly the play of Braden Holtby, who is posting another disappointing regular season. Despite an impressive Stanley Cup championship run during the playoffs, Holtby struggled during the regular season with a 2.99 GAA and a .907 save percentage. This year has been even more disappointing as the veteran has a 3.10 GAA and a .905 save percentage. He ranks 19th, among goalies with 20 or more appearances, at even-strength save percentage with a .918.

“The goalies have just lost it here,” Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said. “They’re flailing away at it, letting in bad goals at bad times, stuff like that.”

  • Seth Rorabaugh of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that the impressive play of Pittsburgh Penguins’ newly acquired center Nick Bjugstad could eventually bring about head coach Mike Sullivan’s dream of spreading out Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel over three lines. The belief is that the additions of Bjugstad as well as Jared McCann should open up multiple possibilities on offense which neither Derick Brassard or Riley Sheahan did. “Nick Bjugstad is a guy that’s shown an ability to score in this league,” Sullivan said of a player whose career season of 2014-15 saw him score 24 goals and 43 points in 72 games. “He’s a 45- to 50-point guy. He has more upside, he’s still young. He brings more size to our team and a whole lot of skill.”
  • News & Observer’s Chip Alexander asks the question ’What was Paul Fenton thinking?’ when referring to what so far looks to be a steal of a trade when the Carolina Hurricanes acquired Nino Niederreiter from Fenton and the Minnesota Wild for Victor Rask. Niederreiter has sparked the team with five goals in five games as the team has gone 3-1-1 in that span, including a big victory over Vegas Friday, while Rask has just one assist in Minnesota over four games. Niederreiter seems to have found a home on the team’s first line next to Sebastian Aho and veteran Justin Williams.

Atlantic Notes: Larkin, Point, Brassard, Condon

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The Detroit Red Wings pulled off a big overtime win over the Toronto Maple Leafs Friday, but suffered an even bigger loss when star center Dylan Larkin had to leave the game in overtime while trying to chase Mitch Marner. He was doubled over and appeared to hurt his rib cage.

Fox Sports John Keating reports that coach Jeff Blashill said that Larkin will miss one to two weeks with a strained oblique muscle, although the team is hoping he will only miss one week. He has already been ruled out for tonight’s game against Ottawa. Andreas Athanasiou is expected to replace Larkin at center on that line.

Larkin has been a key player for the struggling Red Wings. He is having a career-year as he already has 22 goals, just one shy of his career-high and is close to being a point-per game player.

  • In a mailbag article, The Athletic’s Joe Smith writes that Tampa Bay Lightning soon-to-be restricted free agent Brayden Point has made it quite clear that he wants to remain in Tampa Bay for a long time and the scribe suggests that the team might be best offering a five-year deal which might be the perfect compromise between a bridge deal and an eight-year pact. Both sides have agreed to put off contract talks until the summer. With 30 points goals and 65 points already in 51 games, the 22-year-old should receive quite a bump in pay when signing his new deal.
  • Even though the Pittsburgh Penguins were able to get their new acquisitions Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann into their game Friday by giving them a police escort from the airport to the game, the Florida Panthers didn’t do the same thing. The Panthers, who acquired Derick Brassard, Riley Sheahan, three draft picks and future cap room from Pittsburgh earlier in the day Friday, opted to go without the pair Friday and are expected to have the two in the lineup Saturday against Vegas, according to Sun Sentinel’s Wells Dusenbury “I didn’t find out [about the trade] until about 11 [am],” Boughner said. “We were planning on having a different lineup in there tonight and so we built the lineup with what we had and unfortunately [Brassard and Sheahan] couldn’t get in for the game.”
  • The Ottawa Senators continue to be without goaltender Mike Condon, who the team placed on waivers on Oct. 31 who had and still is trying to come back from a hip injury, according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. The veteran goaltender cleared waivers, but has appeared in just one game for the Belleville Senators in all that time. Condon has recently started skating and working out in Ottawa, but there remains no timetable for his return. The hope is that he can make a return to the ice for Belleville March. The team acquired goaltender Anders Nilsson to be their backup goaltender on Jan. 2, who has fared well in eight appearances for Ottawa with a .922 save percentage, meaning that Condon will have a tough time getting back into the goaltending rotation, barring injury.

Snapshots: Matthews, Winnik, Gerrie

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Talks continue between star center Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs in hopes of coming to terms on an extension in the near future. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Matthews’ agent, Judd Moldaver, is expected in Toronto this week to continue negotiations. LeBrun feels that there is still a gap between the two sides, but momentum is pushing them in the right direction. As previously noted, Matthews is not seeking a maximum eight-year term, but rather a five- or six-year extension is his preference, which LeBrun reinforces. Matthews, 21, has 45 points through 36 games this season and is tied for ninth in the NHL with Sidney Crosby in points per game. Since his debut three years ago, the 2016 No. 1 overall pick, Matthews has recorded 177 points in 180 games, among the 20 best scorers in the NHL. That combination of youth and production at center is as rare as they come and Matthews is likely seeking a contract that will meet or exceed in AAV that of new teammate John Tavares, who signed with the Maple Leafs for $11MM per year this summer. Such high-stakes negotiations usually do not come together quickly, so this is likely just another step in a long process for both sides.

  • Veteran forward Daniel Winnik was unable to secure an NHL contract this off-season, but now finds himself as a priority free agent in Switzerland. Winnik ended up signing with Geneve-Servette of the NLA back in October and has been highly productive for the Swiss squad, notching 23 points in 31 games thus far. According to the Swiss Hockey News, head coach Chris McSorely is desperate to bring Winnik back next season and the experienced journeyman is open to an extension. Winnik, who played for the Minnesota Wild last season and joined the Boston Bruins on a PTO this fall, may have slight NHL interest in the off-season, but the 33-year-old is likely better off sticking in the NLA. With Geneve-Servette, not only has Winnik scored more easily than at any point in his eleven NHL seasons, but McSorely also calls him “a real leader and a positive voice in the locker room”.
  • A strong season for the Bowling Green State University Falcons has helped them to net another elite prospect for their program. Bowling Green, ranked No. 12 in the NCAA in the latest Pairwise polls, has received a commitment from 2019 NHL Draft hopeful Keighan Gerrie, per the Superior International Junior Hockey League. Gerrie is currently tearing up the SIJHL with 62 points in 34 games, among the top five scorers in the league and is far and away it’s best U-18 player. Gerrie is currently slated to play in the NAHL next year, but if he continues at nearly a two points-per-game pace this season, he will likely wind up in the USHL instead before joining Bowling Green. As for the NHL, Central Scouting ranked Gerrie at No. 140 among U.S. skaters in their latest rankings, but as his stock continues to rise, he could push to be a fourth- or fifth-round selection, which could make him the Falcons’ top prospect when he finally arrives. Junior goaltender Ryan Bednard, a 2015 seventh-rounder of the Florida Panthers, has been excellent this season but will be gone by the time Gerrie arrives. Sophomore forward and leading scorer Brandon Kruse, a fifth-round pick by the Vegas Golden Knights this past year, could still be on campus to form a dynamic duo with Gerrie in two years, but may have already turned pro by that time. Gerrie could be Bowling Green’s best hope of remaining among the top programs in college hockey moving forward.

Injury Notes: Capitals, Sabres, Blues

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Washington Capitals forward Lars Eller appears to have avoided serious injury on Friday night. Eller left the Caps’ contest with the Calgary Flames early in the second period and did not return, due to an undisclosed lower-body injury. He then did not practice with the team this morning. However, the Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan relays news from head coach Todd Reirden that Eller will simply be a “game-time decision” on Sunday when Washington hosts the Boston Bruins. It seems that he is only nursing a minor injury and should be ready to return to action sooner rather than later. The dependable third-line center is an underappreciated part of the Capitals’ talented team and would have been an unfortunate injury absence.

Khurshudyan also states that defenseman Christian Djoos is nearing his return to the lineup. Djoos has been out since mid-December after undergoing thigh surgery and has missed 23 games this season. However, he has been cleared for contact and has resumed practicing with the team. Reirden did not rule out the possibility that Djoos could head to Hershey on a conditioning stint with the AHL’s Bears, but one way or another should see game action in the near future.

  • The Buffalo Sabres suffered a brutal 7-3 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks yesterday and are no doubt dealing with some injured morale today. However, two of the players that did not suit up on Friday are in fact dealing with actual injuries. The team announced that forward Johan Larsson and defenseman Matt Hunwick are both considered day-to-day with injuries. Larsson, who likely got hurt when he last played on Wednesday, is out with an upper-body injury, while Hunwick, who played in just his third game of the season on Tuesday, probably suffered his lower-body injury during that contest. On top of that, the team also announced that starting goaltender Carter Hutton missed practice today due to illness. The status of all three players is in doubt for the Sabres’ next game against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday.
  • The St. Louis Blues are hoping to stay in the playoff race in the Western Conference and the contributions of rookie Robert Thomas could be key in doing so. The Blues have announced that Thomas has been activated from the injured reserve and will be back in the lineup tonight when the team visits the Columbus Blue Jackets. Thomas has missed the past seven games with a shoulder injury. A 2017 first-round pick, Thomas has just 14 points in 37 games thus far, but has noticeably improved along the way in his first pro season. That trajectory could have him as an impact player for St. Louis down the stretch.

Snapshots: Toffoli, Daley, Thornton, Fines

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Boston’s desire to add scoring depth on the wing is well-known and it appears they’re open to adding a player signed beyond this season instead of necessarily looking at a rental.  In an appearance on WGR 550 (audio link), TSN’s Darren Dreger indicated that Kings winger Tyler Toffoli is someone that the Bruins are believed to have interest in.  The 26-year-old has struggled considerably this season, scoring just eight times in 50 games despite logging a career-high 17:26 per night.  That’s not great value for a player with a $4.6MM cap hit through next season but Toffoli is also someone that certainly could benefit from a change of scenery which makes him an intriguing trade target to watch for.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • Red Wings defenseman Trevor Daley will be out another seven-to-ten days with as he works his way back from a broken foot, notes Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News. The veteran has played in just 31 games this season but a good showing in his return might give Detroit a small chance to move him and get out of the final year of his contract which carries a $3.167MM cap hit.  It’s worth noting that on February 16th, his full no-trade clause drops to a 15-team restriction.
  • Although Sharks center Joe Thornton has been playing regularly since returning from a knee infection and a broken toe, he still is not fully healthy, head coach Peter DeBoer told Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. The 39-year-old is logging just 15:31 per game, his lowest since 1998-99.  If the issues persist, it could force San Jose to look into bringing in some extra depth down the middle between now and the trade deadline.
  • The Department of Player Safety announced (Twitter links) a pair of $5K fines for incidents from Friday night. Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov was fined for a trip on Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield while Senators center Zack Smith was hit with a fine for an elbow on Penguins rearguard Marcus Pettersson.  The amounts are the maximum allowable under the CBA.

Trade Candidate: Mats Zuccarello

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that have a good chance to be dealt by February 25th.

Mats Zuccarello has had a tough season.  Staying healthy has proven to be troublesome for him and as a result, his value around the league appears to have taken a hit.  However, when he has been in the lineup, he has been fairly productive, especially in recent weeks.  The 31-year-old may not be a top liner at this stage of his career but he could very well bolster a second line and provide a contender with a nice offensive boost for the stretch run.

Contract

Zuccarello is in the fourth and final year of his contract, one that carries a $4.5MM cap hit and an identical salary.  He’s slated to be an unrestricted free agent in July.

2018-19

Coming into this season, Zuccarello was one of the more durable players around the league having played in 396 of a possible 410 games over the past five seasons.  However, he missed the better part of a month with a groin injury and just recently missed time with a foot infection.  While he’s back now, the issue is reportedly going to linger for the time being.

The Norwegian winger has been on a nice little run as of late, however, which might help improve his value.  He has picked up at least a point in six straight games to bring his point-per-game average to 0.75 which ties for the second-best mark of his career.  He’s also logging the highest ATOI of his career while taking a regular turn on the penalty kill.  When Zuccarello is healthy, he’s making an impact.

Season Stats

36 GP, 8 goals, 19 assists, 27 points, -12 rating, 22 PIMS, 67 shots, 19:19 ATOI, 48.1 CF%

Potential Suitors

While there are a handful of impact rentals out there, many teams will ultimately be priced out of going after those players and instead will be forced to turn to their Plan B.  There’s a very good chance that a few teams will have Zuccarello as exactly that.

In the East, Boston has been looking for a top-six right winger for a long time and he’d certainly provide them with a more proven option than the youngsters that have been hot or cold in that role.  If Columbus ultimately decides to move Artemi Panarin, they could turn to Zuccarello as a replacement and he has played for John Tortorella in the past.  If GM Jeff Gorton is willing to trade with his state rival, the Islanders could be an intriguing team to watch for as Zuccarello could be someone that’s affordable enough for Lou Lamoriello to take a run at.

While Zuccarello’s stature wouldn’t be viewed as an asset in the more physical West, there will still be interested teams.  San Jose is clearly going for it this season and they don’t have the top picks available to use for the top rentals so this is more the tier they’ll be shopping in.  However, they don’t have the cap room to absorb his full contract.  Nashville could stand to upgrade their winger depth, especially with Austin Watson suspended indefinitely.  With the number of extensions kicking in next season, Vegas will likely be forced to focus on the rental market and considering where they are (only their second season of existence), it’s hard to imagine them being willing to part with top picks or prospects for the best rentals so they will also probably be shopping in this tier.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Zuccarello hasn’t exactly hidden his desire to remain with the Rangers.  However, with New York squarely in the middle of a rebuild, it doesn’t make a lot of sense for them to lock him up now unless he’s willing to take a bargain contract.  That probably isn’t going to be in the cards so unless his foot issue turns into something more significant over the next three weeks, it’s quite likely that he’ll be on the move by deadline day.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Maple Leafs Place Martin Marincin On Waivers

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The Maple Leafs have placed defenseman Martin Marincin on waivers, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link).  A move like this was expected after the acquisition of Jake Muzzin as Toronto was carrying nine defenders on their roster for Friday’s game in Detroit.

Marincin has seen very limited action this season.  Despite being healthy throughout the year, he has played in just ten games with Toronto and has been a scratch the rest of the way.  In those ten contests,  the 26-year-old has a pair of assists while logging 15:07 per night, a career low.  He has a total of 187 career NHL contests under his belt across parts of six seasons but while his 6’5 frame would have been enticing to quite a few teams in the past, the shift towards more mobility on the back end has hurt his stock.

Considering Marincin passed through waivers unclaimed last year and has played only sparingly this season, there’s a good chance he will make it through unclaimed.  If that happens, his entire $800K cap hit will come off of Toronto’s books upon being assigned to the minors.

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