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Archives for March 2019

Ted Lindsay Passes Away At 93

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The hockey world is in mourning to start the week, as Detroit Red Wings icon Ted Lindsay has passed away. Lindsay was one of the league’s earliest superstars, but was perhaps even more important to the game off the ice as a labor leader for players. He was 93.

Born in Ontario in 1925, Lindsay entered the NHL as a teenager in 1944 and made an immediate impact on the Red Wings. Despite his small frame, the 5’8″ 163-lbs forward was determined and feisty, never backing away from a physical challenge and earning the nickname “Terrible Ted.” Eventually he joined Sid Abel and Gordie Howe to form the “Production Line” that dominated the league for several seasons. Lindsay would win the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s top scorer in 1950, and was named a league All-Star nine times. On four occasions he would lift the Stanley Cup over his head with the Red Wings, a key member in each championship team. He finished his career with 851 points in 1,068 games to go along with 1,808 penalty minutes.

Lindsay was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a player in 1966, but he could have very well made it as a builder as well. He was instrumental in the forming of the NHLPA to help players secure higher wages and working rights, changing the game entirely and starting it on the road to the business it is today. He also worked as a broadcaster and front office executive for many years, and saw his number retired by the Red Wings. In 2017 he was named one of the NHL’s 100 Greatest Players.

There’s little doubt that Lindsay’s impact on the game was greater than almost anyone else’s, and he will be sorely missed in Detroit and all across the league. When the Stanley Cup is raised this year and the captain of the winning team skates it around the rink, many will remember that Lindsay was the first to do so—just one of the many moments his influence will be felt for years to come.

Five Key Stories: 2/25/19 – 3/3/19

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The trade deadline has come and gone and while deadline day itself was slow at times, there were still quite a few notable trades.  Those big swaps are highlighted in the top stories of the week.

Stone To Vegas, Agrees To Extension: The Senators tried to keep Mark Stone around but after not being able to agree on an extension with him, they shipped him to Vegas in exchange for blueline prospect Erik Brannstrom, center Oscar Lindberg, and a second-round pick in 2020.  The Golden Knights wasted little time working out an extension with him, one that will pay him $9.5MM per season for eight years when it’s made official.  In Stone, Vegas has added a legitimate top liner who could become the focal point of their attack before too long while his defensive game is also quite strong.  He was the best player to move on deadline day by a considerable margin.  Meanwhile, Brannstrom has emerged as one of the top defensive prospects in the league and will likely give Ottawa a very potent one-two punch alongside Thomas Chabot as soon as next season.

Jets Add Hayes: The Jets had made it known that their first-round pick was available for the second straight year and they found a willing taker in the Rangers as they shipped the pick along with winger Brendan Lemieux to New York in exchange for center Kevin Hayes, the top pivot available.  It’s the second straight season that Winnipeg opted to improve down the middle after picking up Paul Stastny last year.  Hayes along with Mark Scheifele and Bryan Little give the Jets a very strong top three center group and are now even deeper up front.  Meanwhile, the Rangers add another top pick to the fold plus a youngster in Lemieux who should be a fixture in their bottom six for the next several years.

Predators Pick Up A Pair: Seeing Winnipeg’s move, Nashville made two notable swaps to counter it and bolster their chances in the Central.  First, they swapped wingers with Minnesota, acquiring Mikael Granlund in exchange for Kevin Fiala.  Granlund has one year of team control left after this one while Fiala is just wrapping up his entry-level deal so it’s a deal that works reasonably well for both sides with the Preds getting the shorter-term boost while the Wild add another young winger to the stable.  They followed that up by adding rental winger Wayne Simmonds from the Flyers for winger Ryan Hartman and a conditional 2020 fourth-round pick (that upgrades a round if Nashville wins a playoff series).  Simmonds is having a quieter season, he still should reach the 20-goal mark while being a factor on a struggling power play.  Nashville has been a team near the middle of the pack in scoring this season but these moves should help them move up a few spots and give them a more balanced attack heading into the postseason.

There were over 20 trades made in total on trade deadline day.  Click here for the full listing of deadline swaps.

Boucher Fired: Considering Ottawa’s struggles this year, a change behind the bench was likely to come but many expected it to happen after the season.  Instead, GM Pierre Dorion opted to make a change now, firing Boucher while promoting veteran coach Marc Crawford to take over as the head coach for the remainder of the year.  Boucher’s tenure in Ottawa got off to a strong start as they made it to Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Final but it went downhill quickly after that as they missed the playoffs by a considerable margin last year and have been even worse this season.  His tenure with the Sens wraps up with a 94-108-26 record; his 228 games coached rank fourth in franchise history.  Boucher is the seventh coach to lose his job in-season after no coaches were relieved of their duties in 2017-18.

Extension For Staal: Wild center Eric Staal had made it known that he wanted to stay with Minnesota but it was still a bit of a surprise that he didn’t move by the trade deadline.  Instead, it turns out that he had agreed to a two-year, $6.5MM extension to stick around.  The deal represents a small pay cut on his current $3.5MM AAV which was already viewed as somewhat of a team-friendly one.  The 34-year-old is having a down season relative to the 76 points he posted last season but he still should be able to reach the 50-point mark which is still top-six production.  Getting a top-six forward locked up for two more years at that rate is solid value for GM Paul Fenton.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

No Substantial Extension Talks Between Islanders And Brock Nelson

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Earlier this week, it was noted that the Islanders have some concerns about the term that winger Anders Lee is seeking on his next contract.  He’s far from the only notable pending unrestricted free agent that they have but it doesn’t appear they’re rushing to get into discussions with those players just yet either.  Speaking with Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post, center Brock Nelson indicated that he’s yet to have substantial negotiations with the team on a new deal yet, something that doesn’t appear to bother him at this time:

There hasn’t really been any talks or any indication one way or the other. That’s a good thing for all parties, take it day-by-day. Everybody wants to win and we’re in a good spot to do that right now.

The 27-year-old is in the midst of a career season with 20 goals and 23 assists in 65 games so far this season.  Accordingly, he is lining himself up nicely for a raise on the $4.25MM he signed for to avoid salary arbitration back in July.

While Nelson could make a case for a long-term deal, Cyrgalis suggests that a long-term deal is something that GM Lou Lamoriello would like to avoid, hinting that teammate Josh Bailey’s six-year term is considerably longer than he’d like to give Nelson.  In order to get him to take a shorter deal, the Islanders would likely need to up the AAV of the contract which could push his cap hit closer to the $6MM per season range.

Winger Jordan Eberle is also eligible for free agency this summer and like Nelson, there have yet to be any talks of significance on a new deal.  He has 30 points in 61 games this season which won’t help his cause for beating his current $6MM AAV on his next deal.

With less than $48MM tied up in 16 players for next season, the Islanders figure to be big players this offseason.  With that in mind, it wouldn’t be surprising if Lamoriello is willing to slow-play things with his existing UFAs in an effort to see if he has a realistic opportunity at going after some of the top players that are eligible to hit the open market including winger Artemi Panarin and defenseman Erik Karlsson.  After losing John Tavares last summer, the Islanders figure to be much more active in free agency this time around, even if they come to terms with Nelson or others beforehand.

Snapshots: Karlsson, Thompson, Lafreniere, Maple Leafs

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The San Jose Sharks got some good news regarding the status of star defenseman Erik Karlsson, who will miss his second straight game Sunday with a strained groin. Head coach Peter DeBoer confirmed that Karlsson is suffering from the same strained groin injury that kept him out for nine straight games in January and February. However, the injury won’t require surgery, according to NHL.com’s Eric Gilmore.

“It’s a version of the same injury,” DeBoer said after receiving the latest medical test results on the 28-year-old defenseman. “I don’t anticipate it being long term. No surgery, nothing like that. But we’re going to be obviously extra cautious and make sure.”

Karlsson is a key piece to the Sharks’ success this year as they try to overtake the Calgary Flames for the top spot in the Pacific Division. Karlsson has three goals and 45 points in 52 games, but has only played four games since Jan. 16. He re-injured his groin on Feb. 23 against Columbus. DeBoer said that all Karlsson needs is time, but there is no timetable on how long he’ll be out.

Poll: Which Western Wildcard Team Has Best Chance To Reach Playoffs

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The Minnesota Wild pulled off a big victory Saturday when they defeated the Western Conference’s top team in the Calgary Flames. Not only was it a big win, but with five straight victories, it has propelled Minnesota into the final wild card spot for the upcoming Stanley Cup playoffs, something that seemed unlikely just a week ago. Suddenly what looked to already be a contentious race for the final playoff spot, it has become even more muddled as four teams are vying for the final two wild card spots.

The Dallas Stars currently hold the first wildcard spot in the Western Conference with 71 points, while Minnesota owns that second spot with 70 points. However, two other teams are right there, including the Arizona Coyotes who have 69 points, while the Colorado Avalanche have 68 points.

Dallas is the most interesting team as they were buyers at the trade deadline, picking up defenseman Ben Lovejoy and Mats Zuccarello. However, while Zuccarello looked to be a good fit who energized the Stars’ struggling second line after posting a goal and an assist in his first game, he broke his arm late in that first game after blocking a shot and will now miss at least three more weeks. That hasn’t stopped the Stars, however, who have won two in a row and three of their last four.

The Coyotes have also been red hot, having gone from a team that had almost no chance at a playoff spot earlier this year to a team that has won six straight and nine of their last 11 games and actually could catch the Vegas Golden Knights as they are only four points behind them in the Pacific Division. All of this is with a gluttony of injuries to Coyotes’ players. The team is expected to get Jason Demers back from injury on Tuesday and could get Michael Grabner back within the week. Throw in the impressive play of Darcy Kuemper in goal and the team has been hard to beat.

Colorado is the forgotten team, who early on seemed to be the obvious candidate to seize the third seed in the Central Division, but the team bottomed out, struggling immensely throughout December, January and part of February. However, the Avalanche have won six of their last nine and look to be fighting their way back into the playoffs. Armed with some of the best players in the NHL in Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, the Avalanche have every chance to force their way back into the playoffs.

So, which team has the best chance to claim a spot in the Western Conference playoffs?

Pro Hockey Rumor app users, click here to vote.

Metropolitan Notes: Mueller, Patrick, Martin, Flyers, Blackwood

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The New Jersey Devils got some good news on the injury front as defenseman Mirco Mueller was recently released from the hospital after taking a scary hit Wednesday against Calgary, which required him to be stretchered off, according to NJ.com’s Chris Ryan.

Mueller stated that the injury won’t keep him out long-term. Head coach John Hynes stated that Mueller didn’t suffer any significant head or neck injuries and Mueller would likely play again this season. Mueller has played a career-high 47 games this year, putting up a goal and 10 points.

  • With Jakub Voracek already out, the Philadelphia Flyers lost another forward as Nolan Patrick was hit in the head with a shot and is unlikely to return to the game against the New York Islanders, according to Philly.com’s Sam Donnellon. Patrick has had a rough few days as he was boarded by New Jersey’s Kurtis Gabriel Friday, which cost Gabriel a one-game suspension. No word on how serious the injury is.
  • The New York Islanders played without forward Matt Martin today, who is out with an upper-body injury. However, Newsday’s Andrew Gross reports that Islanders head coach Barry Trotz said that the injury isn’t long-term and that he was a real possibility to play today. Martin, a key bottom-six forward, has five goals and 13 points in 52 games this season.
  • One downside to the Philadelphia Flyers trading away the physical Wayne Simmonds is that teams are taking advantage of them more on the ice, according to Sam Carchidi of Philly.com. Nolan Patrick was hit hard into the boards by New Jersey’s Kurtis Gabriel, who got a one-game suspension for the hit, but the team knows it has to show that they are physical even without Simmonds around. “But we’re still the same team. We still stick together,” Travis Konecny said. “I think Simmer left a lot of that with us. He taught us young guys to stick up for our teammates.”
  • With the impressive play of New Jersey Devils goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood, the team might have an opportunity for him to compete for the Calder Trophy next season. Blackwood has appeared in 15 games for New Jersey, but with just 16 games remaining in the season for the Devils, The Athletic’s Corey Masisak writes that if Blackwood plays in 10 or fewer games, he’d be eligible for the Calder Trophy next year.

Central Notes: Byfuglien, Smith, Perron, Read

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The Winipeg Jets got some good news about a pair of their defensemen as head coach Paul Maurice said today that the team expects defensive star Dustin Byfuglien begin skating again later this week, according to Winnipeg Sun’s Ken Wiebe. The 33-year-old has struggled all season with multiple injuries and hasn’t played since Feb. 14 after injuring his ankle. Byfuglien has appeared in just 37 games, but has shown his value in those games as he has four goals and 30 points in that span.

Wiebe also added that defenseman Joseph Morrow skated for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury. He has missed six straight games and is expected to be out Sunday, but could be back later this week. Morrow has six points in 39 games this season.

  • The Nashville Predators may be getting back one of their top forwards for today’s matchup against Minnesota as The Athletic’s Adam Vingan reports that Craig Smith has been activated off of injured reserve and is expected to join Kyle Turris and Mikael Granlund on the Predators’ second line. Smith has been out with a lower-body injury since Feb. 16 and has 16 goals this season in 61 games. The team might need him as the Wild have won five in a row.
  • After scoring no more than two goals per game over their last six, the St. Louis Blues are in desperate need for offense and the team, which has gone 2-3-1 after winning 11 straight. The team truly seems to miss injured forwards Brayden Schenn and David Perron, the latter of which could be ready to return to the lineup soon, according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Tom Timmermann. With the team not playing again for three days, that could be the time they need, especially with Perron, who has looked good in practice lately. More information will come Monday after the team’s practice.
  • The Minnesota Wild got an impressive performance from emergency callup Matt Read, who scored a goal and played an all-around great game Saturday night in Minnesota’s win over the Calgary Flames, according to The Athletic’s Mike Russo (subscription required). Unfortunately, with veteran Zach Parise expected to play Sunday, that could spell the end for Read unless they use one of their official recalls on him.

Pacific Notes: Edler, Burns, Grabner, Veronneau, Hathaway

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A week ago, longtime Vancouver Canucks defenseman Alexander Edler refused to waive his no-trade clause and accommodate a team that was considering moving their veteran defenseman. Edler, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, has made it clear that he wants to remain in Vancouver for the rest of his career. The 32-year-old will be tested as the team will likely expect Edler to take less money after signing a six-year, $30MM contract ($5MM AAV) in 2013, according to Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre.

“I’ve been fortunate to have very good contracts with money,” he said. “But there are other things, too. It’s different when you have a family. There are a lot of factors you have to take into consideration. Those things are important.”

With plenty of cap room and the need for a solid veteran defensemen who could continue aiding the play of young future defenseman like Quinn Hughes and Olli Juolevi, the Canucks might want to bring him back too, but with an upcoming expansion draft, the team doesn’t want to be placed in a situation where they will have to protect Edler and lose a more talented young player, which likely could be the key to negotiations.

  • Despite rumors that he might miss a game, the Mercury News’ Paul Gackle reports that San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns will play Sunday against Chicago. Burns was rumored to be questionable as he had been suffering from the flu and missed a practice. That means that he won’t jeopardize his iron man status of 454 straight games played.
  • The Athletic’s Craig Morgan (subscription required) writes that the Arizona Coyotes may get another player back soon as winger Michael Grabner could be back within the week. Grabner hasn’t played in a game since suffering a serious eye injury on Dec. 1. He has been fitted with a new contact lens, which is helping him eliminate his remaining vision issues, although the scribe adds that his return date could still be altered.
  • Mark Divver of the Providence Journal writes that the Los Angeles Kings are considered the frontrunners to sign Princeton University forward Max Veronneau, who will be an unrestricted free agent once his college team is done playing next weekend. Veronneau, a four-year player, has 13 goals and 36 points this season and has tallied 52 goals in his four-year career. Los Angeles has a history of dipping into the college free agent market, grabbing defenseman Daniel Brickley and forward Sheldon Rempal last year, while signing goaltender Calvin Petersen two seasons ago.
  • The Athletic’s Michael Russ reports that Calgary Flames forward Garnet Hathaway will not receive any supplementary discipline from the Department of Player Safety for driving Minnesota Wild’s Luke Kunin into the boards Saturday in the second period. Hathaway was given a match penalty and a game misconduct, but the league obviously didn’t feel the hit was intentional.

Coyotes Assign Jason Demers To Conditioning Stint

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Sunday: The Arizona Coyotes announced they have already recalled Demers from his conditioning stint after one game with the Roadrunners. He tallied one assist, three shots and had a minus-1 plus/minus. He should be ready to go for the team’s three-game homestand, starting Tuesday against Anaheim.

Saturday: In a season plagued by injuries, the Arizona Coyotes were dealt another cruel blow yesterday with the news that top center Derek Stepan would miss four to six weeks with a lower-body injury. Fortunately, they have been greeted with some good news on the injury front instead today. Veteran defenseman Jason Demers has been cleared for game action and has been reassigned to the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners for a conditioning stint, the team announced.

Demers, 30, has missed almost the entire 2018-19 season thus far with a lower-body injury. Injured in mid-November, Demers had only played 18 games for the Coyotes before a suspected knee injury has cost him the next 46 games and counting. If that was the only serious injury that Arizona was dealt, the absence of the capable defender still would have hurt, but to a much lesser extent. However, Demers injury was followed not long after by that of starting goaltender Antti Raanta, who is expected to be out for the season, and forward Michael Grabner, who remains sidelined. Additionally, Nick Schmaltz and Kyle Capobianco have since suffered season-ending injuries, while Stepan’s year may be over. The Coyotes have had a rough go of it this season in the injury department, with more than 300 man-games lost.

Yet, the team is still very much in the wild card race in the Western Conference, down just one point on the Minnesota Wild for the final playoff spot. With Christian Dvorak and Brad Richardson finally back to full health up front, Demers’ return would add much-needed support on the back end as the ’Yotes can take some solace in the fact that they are getting healthy at multiple positions. Demers could return to the Arizona lineup as early as Tuesday per The Athletic’s Craig Morgan, after a couple games in Tuscon. When he does, Demers brings nearly 600 NHL games worth of experience back to the locker room, as well as his strong two-way possession game. Even in the midst of numerous injuries, the veteran could be the player who puts the Coyotes over the top in their pursuit of a return to the postseason.

Minor Transactions: 03/03/2019

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Yesterday’s slate of games featured several that re-shuffled the playoff picture, including a comeback upset by the Wild over the Flames, an overtime win for the Hurricanes, a disappointing loss for the Blue Jackets, and key victories for the Penguins and Stars against teams they’re fighting with for playoff position. Today, the docket features more of these potential landscape-shifting match-ups, including a battle between trade deadline standouts, Columbus and Winnipeg, and a surprisingly hot Minnesota team facing a cold Nashville squad. Whether preparing for a game today or the coming week at large, expect some moves today by more than a few teams:

  • Ken Wiebe of The Winnipeg Sun reports that goaltender Eric Comrie, currently on recall while starter Connor Hellebuyck was sidelined temporarily, will be reassigned to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose today. Hellebuyck was a full participant in morning skate and is in fact in line to get the start tonight for the Jets. Comrie got in some work with the team this morning as well, but is unlikely to stick around as a third active keeper. The 23-year-old has yet to see any NHL action this season, but has had a heavy workload in Manitoba with 40 appearances already on the year.
  • Christoffer Ehn, who was recalled on an emergency loan by the Detroit Red Wings yesterday morning, did not suit up for the team last night and has now been returned to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. Ehn was called up in case Anthony Mantha, who was battling sickness, was unable to play. When Mantha fought through, Ehn’s emergency conditions were terminated, forcing his demotion back to the minors. Ehn has played in 44 games with the Red Wings this season compared to just 13 games with the Griffins, but for now will have to stick it out in the AHL.
  • Carolina Hurricanes’ project forward Steven Lorentz has again been sent to the ECHL, the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers announced. It’s the fourth demotion of the year for Lorentz, a 2015 seventh-round pick, who has been a victim of the depth in Charlotte. Among all forwards with more than 15 games played in the ECHL this season, Lorentz is twelfth in per-game scoring with 24 points in 20 games for the Florida Everblades. In the AHL, he has five points in 18 games with the Checkers but, despite fair production given his limited role, has been a frequent scratch and reassignment. Rather than being in the ECHL scoring race or a regular in Charlotte’s bottom-six, Lorentz’ season has been torn between the two leagues, making it appear as if he hasn’t made much of an impact at either level. Lorentz still has another year remaining on his entry-level contract, so Carolina has time for more evaluation. An extended stay and regular play time in the AHL in particular could reveal him to be a solid contributor at that level as well.
  • The Anaheim Ducks announced they have recalled forward Kevin Roy from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. Roy, who had spent most of the year on season-opening injured reserve after undergoing offseason wrist surgery, was activated and sent to San Diego on Feb. 16. The 25-year-old had a goal and four points in five games with the Gulls and looks ready to return to action in Anaheim. He played 25 games with the Ducks last year, posting six goals and seven points.

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