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Archives for April 2019

West Notes: Hutton, Ehlers, Haley

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Canucks defenseman Ben Hutton had a nice bounce-back season in 2018-19.  After spending a lot of time as a healthy scratch the year before, he was viewed as a potential trade candidate heading into the season.  Instead, he played a key role on Vancouver’s back end, logging over 22 minutes a night, the second-most on the team.  He played well enough that he may have wound up making himself a trade candidate this summer, suggests Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston.

After looking like a possible non-tender option last summer, Hutton is a safe bet to receive his $2.4MM qualifying offer.  (While he received $2.8MM in salary last season, $400K of that was a signing bonus which isn’t factored into a qualifying offer.)  Johnston notes that Quinn Hughes will be a regular next season while the team intends to bring back Alex Edler.  Prospect Olli Juolevi also figures to be in the mix in the near future which gives the Canucks solid depth on the left side and potentially makes Hutton expendable in the coming months.

More from the West:

  • Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers left Thursday’s Game Five late in the third period after blocking a point shot and he did not take part in today’s gameday skate, notes Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun (Twitter link). While head coach Paul Maurice expressed some optimism that Ehlers would be available to play, Par Lindholm is expected to take the warmup in case Ehlers can’t suit up.  While Ehlers has yet to score in 20 career postseason contests, he still deepens Winnipeg’s attack and gives them another scoring threat after putting up his third straight 20-goal season.
  • Sharks winger Micheal Haley has resumed skating, reports NHL.com’s Nick Cotsonika (Twitter link). However, he did so without his full equipment which suggests he’s still a little while from returning.  Haley sustained an ankle injury in the third game of their first-round series against Vegas and while he was held off the scoresheet, he contributed physically with eight hits in those three contests despite averaging just over six minutes a night of playing time.

T.J. Oshie Likely Out For The Playoffs

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While the Capitals are only saying that T.J. Oshie is out indefinitely, it appears he’s out on a long-term basis.  Isabelle Khurshudyan and Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post report that the winger is unlikely to play again this postseason, no matter how far Washington advances.

The team is calling Oshie’s injury an upper-body issue but he was seen in a sling following Game Four of their first-round series against Carolina after taking a hit from Hurricanes winger Warren Foegele.  While the Caps were hoping for some form of supplementary discipline on the hit, the Department of Player Safety opted not to hand anything down.

Oshie’s loss is a big blow to deal with for Washington.  He played a key role in their Stanley Cup run last year and finished in the top five in team scoring during the regular season despite missing 11 games due to a concussion; his 0.78 point per game average was the second-best of his career.  He’s the second core player to have a premature end to his season after defenseman Michal Kempny underwent surgery to repair a torn hamstring last month.

Of course, the injuries in this series aren’t limited to the Capitals.  The Hurricanes find themselves without wingers Andrei Svechnikov (concussion), Micheal Ferland (upper body), and Jordan Martinook (leg) and none of them are expected to be in the lineup as the series resumes later today.

Several Liiga Champions Looking To Make NHL Jump

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Finland’s Liiga had their own version of the Tampa Bay Lightning this season, only one that has gotten the job done in the playoffs thus far. Karpat, the reigning Liiga champion, has been unstoppable all season long in pursuit of a title defense. Building off the success of their 2017-18 campaign, the team was the regular season champion by 29 points over the next-best competitor and finished with a +106 goal differential while just one other team in the league topped +27. Through the first two rounds of the postseason, Karpat has needed just ten games to dispatch their opponents, all while allowing just 13 goals against. The Liiga Final begins today, as Karpat takes on the No. 5-seeded HPK, a team that they are not expected to have much trouble with.

Given their dominant regular season and early playoff success, it is hard to make a case that Karpat is not undoubtedly the Liiga’s best team this season, regardless of how the final turns out. As usual, the best players on the best team in a major European league are garnering a fair amount of attention. Finnish news source Ilta Sanomat reports that upwards of seven of Karpat’s veteran core players could leave the team for greener pastures. Of that group, the reporter indicates that leading scorer Ville Leskinen and top defensive pair Teemu Kivihalme and Jani Hakanpaa are almost certainly headed to the NHL. The terrific goalie tandem of Veini Vehvilainen and NHL veteran Jussi Rynnas could also be headed to North America. Not mentioned are top NHL prospects Aleksi Heponiemi and Rasmus Kupari, who are both considered likely to join their drafted clubs.

Leskinen, 25, is the big name included on this list as a highly-sought after free agent scorer. An undrafted product who has played in the Karpat system for his entire life, Leskinen’s production has increased exponentially over each of the past few seasons. This year, he tied for the Liiga scoring title and was one of just three qualifying players to finish in the point-per-game range with 57 points in 58 games. He also finished second overall in the league with 29 goals and a +31 rating. He has since added a league-leading five goals in the playoffs to go along with six assists through just ten games. A right-shot winger with decent size and great hands, Leskinen has proven that he can be a star in the Liiga, but is out to show that he can also make an impact in the NHL. Expect many teams to be willing to give him that chance. At 25 years old, Leskinen is still within the laws of the entry-level system, meaning teams will have to find ways other than salary to convince the talented Finn to join them.

Both Kivihalme and Hakanpaa are former NHL prospects who never signed with their teams, but are reportedly going to be in the league after all with deals “in the final stages”. Kivihalme, 23, was curious case due to his commitment to North American hockey. The puck-moving defender spent much of his childhood in Minnesota and even has American citizenship. After a strong high school career, Kivihalme was drafted by the Nashville Predators in 2013 and eventually went on to play for Colorado College. However, he did not complete his NCAA eligibility, opting instead to turn pro in Finland after three years. The Predators let his draft rights expire, so Kivihalme is now very much a free agent who should draw considerable interest as Karpat’s top defenseman. Hakanpaa has a very different game and very different story from his pair mate. The 6’5″, 207 lb. 27-year-old was a fourth-round pick of the St. Louis Blues out of the Finnish junior ranks all the way back in 2010. While he never earned a contract from the team, he appeared at several camps, played in the preseason, and spent parts of three seasons with their AHL affiliates. At the end of the day, the opportunity wasn’t there and Hakanpaa returned to Finland. The solid defensive blue liner has had an awakening offensively over the past two seasons and will be returning to North America as a far more well-rounded product.

Of everyone listed in the report, it is fair to be skeptical of the thought of Rynnas returning to the NHL. Despite incredible numbers in the Liiga this season, they were second only to Vehvilainen, who got the bulk of the starts. It may be a hard sell for the 31-year-old, who has already spent four seasons in North America with the Toronto Maple Leafs’ and Dallas Stars’ organizations, to say that he is ready to try again after being a backup in Europe. Perhaps there is an opportunity – Rynnas did have some good AHL seasons – but more likely than not, he will wait to see what happens with Vehvilainen and may prefer to stay with Karpat as the replacement starter.

As for their other top teammates, their immediate NHL futures are largely predetermined. As most know, Kupari and Heponiemi are recent high draft picks and considered top prospects by their organizations. Kupari was the first-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings last year and played on loan with Karpat this year after signing with L.A. The Kings could desperately use an injection of youthful talent, which gives Kupari strong odds of cracking the roster out of camp. Heponiemi was a second-round selection of the Florida Panthers in 2017 who returned to his native Finland this year after two strong seasons with the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos. One of the best players at the World Juniors this winter, Heponiemi is definitely ready for the NHL and the Panthers could use the affordable production as they project to be low on cap space after a busy summer. What some might not realize is that starting goalie Vehvilainen is also NHL property. Vehvilainen, 22, was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets just last year as an overage prospect. Yet, the sixth-rounder has already proven to have been a smart gamble by the team. Vehvilainen led the Liiga with a .933 save percentage and 1.58 GAA this year, his second straight season of finishing in the top three in both categories. He has also played better in the postseason both years, which is always a plus for a goaltender. The Ilta Sanomat report claims that Vehvilainen will join Columbus if he is at least guaranteed a top-three spot on the depth chart next season. With Sergei Bobrovsky likely to leave, Vehvilainen could join existing keepers Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins as an inexperienced, but high-upside unit next season.

Karpat was an extremely talented team this season and last with several great core players. It will certainly be worth watching how those former teammates perform in the NHL in the future.

Minor Transactions: 04/20/19

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For the first time in NHL history, the top seed in each conference has been eliminated in the first round after the Colorado Avalanche knocked off the Calgary Flames last night in Game Five. The Flames now join the Tampa Bay Lightning in an earlier-than-expected off-season after the two teams combined for one win in nine games. Beyond that, the other two division winners – the Washington Capitals and Nashville Predators – are in the weeds with both series tied 2-2, while the owners of the second-best record in each conference – the Boston Bruins and San Jose Sharks – are on the brink of elimination at 3-2. It’s been a wild Round One thus far and things should only get more interesting moving forward. To prepare for the chaos, teams continue to make minor moves to support their playoff rosters:

  • It’s goalie carousel day in the NHL, as clubs continue to swap out their AHL options in net as emergency third-stringers. The Colorado Avalanche did just that last night, taking Joe Cannata with them to Calgary to close out the Flames. Cannata, a minor league veteran out of Merrimack College, has spent almost all of the past two seasons in the ECHL, but has the AHL experience to provide emergency assistance if needed. With the Colorado Eagles also in the postseason, Cannata should continue to work with the Avs while the AHL tandem stays put.
  • After Josef Korenar accompanied the San Jose Sharks to Vegas for Games Three and Four, it is the more experienced Antoine Bibeau who gets the call for Game Six. Bibeau and Korenar split time evenly with the Barracuda this season, with Korenar having the advantage statistically, but it’s Bibeau and his two NHL appearances that get the call this time around. The Sharks aren’t taking any chances with one more loss ending their season.
  • The Washington Capitals announced today that they have swapped deep keepers ahead of Game Five, sending Vitek Vanecek back to the AHL’s Hershey Bears and recalling young Ilya Samsonov. Samsonov was stellar in Hersey’s playoff debut on Friday, but will use his night off to travel to D.C. rather than back up Vanecek for the Bears.
  • Defenseman Mac Hollowell has been reassigned from his junior team, the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, whose season has ended, to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, who are just beginning their postseason. Hollowell, a fourth-round pick of the Maple Leafs last year, enjoyed a breakout season to end his junior career and Toronto is likely eager to see how he can translate his game to the pro level. The puck-mover should also be a major boost for the Marlies in their Calder Cup title defense.

Jacob Nilsson Signs One-Year Extension

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The Chicago Blackhawks have signed defenseman Jacob Nilsson to a one-year contract extension. Nilsson current deal was scheduled to expire in July and make him a restricted free agent, something that will now be delayed until 2020. The forward will earn $700K next season on the one-way contract.

Nilsson, 25, signed with the Blackhawks last spring after a successful rookie season in the SHL, but ended up playing in the minor leagues for most of the year. In 61 games with the Rockford IceHogs he recorded 32 points and apparently did enough to earn another contract. The versatile forward was undrafted and spent several years playing in Sweden’s second league, now looking like the classic late-bloomer.

In his two games with Chicago he failed to register a point. Next season he will be waiver eligible, meaning if the team wants him to spend time in the minor leagues again they’ll have to make him available for the rest of the league. That will likely be at the end of training camp when rosters are fullest, as they try to sneak him through. That is of course unless the team believes he can be a full-time contributor at the NHL level in 2019-20.

Snapshots: Gagarin Cup, Sorokin, Carr

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The 2019 Gagarin Cup belongs to CSKA Moscow after finishing off their sweep of Avangard today. The club was a powerhouse all season as usual, but finally won their first  championship after getting to the final in three of the last four years. Former NHL forward Mikhail Grigorenko led the way with 13 goals and 21 points in the playoffs for CSKA, while Cody Franson did his best for Avangard with 17 points to lead all defenders.

With the KHL season now officially over, we’ll start to see more and more rumors pop up about the next wave of Russian talent heading to North America. Contracts technically go through the end of April, but even players on CSKA will now be able to negotiate their future in the NHL if they so choose.

  • The winners couldn’t have gotten there without New York Islanders draft pick Ilya Sorokin, who was named playoff MVP. The 23-year old goaltender stopped 36 of 38 shots in the final game giving him a .947 save percentage for the playoffs. The incredible young netminder recorded five shutouts during his 20-game Cup run, showing once again why he is considered one of the best goaltenders currently outside of the NHL. Sorokin’s contract with CSKA extends through 2019-20, and at this point it is not clear when he plans on coming over to North America, if at all.
  • Speaking of outstanding performances from outside of the NHL, Daniel Carr was named AHL MVP today and will receive the Les Cunningham Award. Carr played just 52 games this season for the Chicago Wolves but was an absolutely dominant presence during them. The 27-year old forward recorded 71 points, putting him third in league scoring despite playing 20 fewer games than his contemporaries.  Carr is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and can sign with the team of his choosing, likely looking for another chance at the NHL. The undrafted forward has 35 points in 100 career NHL games.

Detroit Red Wings Hire Steve Yzerman

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2:20pm: The team has officially announced Yzerman as general manager, but also explained that Holland has agreed to a multi-year extension to stay on in his new role as Senior VP. The two will work together for the time being.

8:00am: The Detroit Red Wings are bringing back their boy. The team has set a press conference for this afternoon to introduce Steve Yzerman as the next general manager of the team. Ken Holland, who is currently working in that role, will move to a position called Senior Vice President according to Gord Miller of TSN.

It’s hard to state just how momentous a situation this is for the Red Wings. Not only does the team get to welcome back one of the greatest figures in the history of their franchise, a player who exemplified leadership and success through his 22-year career on the ice, but they also bring in the mastermind behind one of the greatest regular season teams in NHL history. Though Yzerman stepped down from his role as GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning in September, his fingerprints are still all over the roster that just went 62-16-4 to match the NHL record for wins in a single season—one set by Yzerman’s Red Wings in 1995-96.

Obviously things didn’t go the way Tampa Bay had hoped in the playoffs, but Red Wings fans will be more focused on how Yzerman acquired and kept oodles of talent on the NHL roster through various means, building a powerhouse franchise even without the financial might an organization like Detroit brings.

It’s not really like Yzerman ever left, as he kept his family and home in Michigan while working in Tampa Bay. Commuting regularly, wanting to spend more time with his family was one of the reasons he gave when stepping down from the job initially. It appeared likely then that he would find his way back to the Red Wings, though some believed it would have to be after Holland left town. Instead it sounds like the team will keep their long-time GM around in another role, though rumors are already surfacing on what Holland’s next career step may be.

There is already some speculation as well over whether Yzerman will bring some of the Tampa Bay front office with him. Bob McKenzie of TSN tweets that AGM Pat Verbeek’s contract is up at the end of the year and could follow Yzerman back to Detroit, while chief amateur scout Al Murray is a candidate to do the same. None of that is official at this point, but you can bet there will be several names who want to get on board this new Red Wings ride.

Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag

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The NHL playoffs are off and running and they’ve already brought plenty of surprises. The eventual winner of the Stanley Cup is still far from being determined, but it clearly won’t be an easy path as teams turn up their emotion and energy—just ask the Tampa Bay Lightning. For those outside of the playoff chase there is the NHL Entry Draft to look forward to now that the lottery balls have been counted. The New Jersey Devils will have the top pick once again, but will they decide to use it or cash it in for an even bigger package of assets?

With the playoffs in full swing it’s time to run another mailbag. We’ll be answering as many questions as we can this weekend. You can submit your query by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter or by leaving a comment down below.

If you missed the last mailbag you can find it right here. Our Brian La Rose tackled all of your questions including a look at some of the top prospects outside of Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko in the 2019 draft, the New York Rangers rebuild and the Adam Fox situation. Make sure to submit your question early so we can include it.

Morning Notes: Smith-Pelly, Boychuk, Sweden

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The Washington Capitals have recalled Devante Smith-Pelly ahead of their next game against the Carolina Hurricanes. T.J. Oshie “won’t be playing any time soon” according to head coach Todd Reirden after the forward was run into the boards by Carolina’s Warren Foegele last night. Foegele will not receive any disciplinary action from the league for the hit, but the Capitals will still have to find a way forward without one of their leaders up front.

In comes Smith-Pelly, who spent a good chunk of the year in the minor leagues after being waived by the team earlier this year. The 2018 playoff hero had 14 points in 20 games for the Hershey Bears, but will now try to prove that he still belongs on the NHL team. In 48 career playoff games, Smith-Pelly has 13 goals—just one off the highest regular season total of his career.

2019 Masterton Trophy Finalists Announced

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The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is given out annually to the NHL player who exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. The award has been voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association since 1968, and today they announced their nominees for 2019.

Past winners of the award include Brian Boyle (2018), Craig Anderson (2017), Jaromir Jagr (2016), Devan Dubnyk (2015), Dominic Moore (2014) and Josh Harding (2013).

Each team provided a nominee for the award. The finalists this season are Nick Foligno from the Columbus Blue Jackets, Robin Lehner from the New York Islanders and Joe Thornton from the San Jose Sharks.

Foligno, 31, captained the Blue Jackets to a playoff berth and first-round upset of the Tampa Bay Lightning while also dealing with major health scares for two of his children. Twice the veteran forward had to leave the team to deal with family issues, including when his 22-month old son Hudson’s lung collapsed while in the hospital with pneumonia. It’s been an incredibly trying year for the captain, making the Blue Jackets’ playoff success even more deserved.

Lehner, 27, has finally found some balance in his life as part of the Islanders, after battling addiction and mental health issues for years. Lehner wrote a piece for The Athletic in September detailing his bipolar diagnosis and struggles with alcohol while part of the Buffalo Sabres organization. He went on to post an incredible .930 save percentage this season, winning the Jennings trophy as the goaltender for the team with the lowest goals against average.

Thornton, 39, fought back from several major knee injuries over the past two seasons to suit up 73 times in 2018-19. The legendary playmaker ended with 51 points, the 17th time he has broken the 50-point threshold in a season. Even at the late stage of his career he was pushing hard to be healthy and productive for the Sharks, and now has four points through four games in the playoffs.

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