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Archives for November 2019

Five Key Stories: 11/18/19 – 11/24/19

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With pretty much every team now past the first quarter of their season, activity should start to pick up around the league.  There were a few headlines off the ice over the past seven days which are highlighted in our top stories of the week.

Schneider Clears Waivers: Last year was a tough one for Devils goalie Cory Schneider although he picked up his play down the stretch and had a good showing at the World Championships which led to some renewed optimism heading into this season.  However, things have not gone well as anyone would have hoped as he posted a 4.59 GAA and a .852 SV% in six games this season.  New Jersey (or any team) isn’t going to win games with that type of performance so he was placed on waivers and cleared.  The majority of his $6MM cap hit will remain on their books for this season and if he doesn’t show considerable signs of improvement in the minors, Schneider will be a likely buyout candidate this summer.

Three For Hathaway: Capitals winger Garnet Hathaway received a three-game suspension for a spitting incident against Anaheim defenseman Erik Gudbranson.  The ruling was handed down by the Commissioner instead of the Department of Player Safety and Hathaway opted not to appeal.  The suspension created quite a challenge for Washington when it came to roster construction with injuries to forwards Carl Hagelin, Nicklas Backstrom, and Nic Dowd.  Hagelin, who was originally classified as day-to-day, wound up being transferred to LTIR in order for them to call up enough players to ice a full roster.

Babcock Fired: The start of the season has not gone well for Toronto.  They were believed to be a contender but found themselves on the outside looking in at the postseason at the one-quarter mark of the season.  With their cap situation making it difficult for any trade of note to be made, the team opted to make a change behind the bench as they fired Mike Babcock, replacing him with Sheldon Keefe, the head coach of the AHL Marlies.  Babcock was in his fifth season with the team after setting a new benchmark for coaching contracts when he signed an eight-year, $50MM deal.  He’s set to make $5.875MM each season as part of the contract (it wasn’t as frontloaded as originally believed) so if another team looks to hire him, it’s certainly possible that Toronto will still be on the hook for part of his salary even if he coaches elsewhere.

Brouwer To St. Louis: The Blues have been hit hard by the injury bug up front with three regulars out long-term.  With cap space at a premium, St. Louis turned to the free agent market to try to find some help.  They brought in veteran wingers Troy Brouwer and Jamie McGinn on tryout deals and Brouwer did enough to earn a job as he signed a one-year, $750K (pro-rated) contract while McGinn was released to pursue other opportunities.  This is his second stint with the Blues as he spent the 2015-16 season with them before signing with Calgary in free agency on a contract that was bought out.  He has not yet been able to suit up for the team, however, as he still is in the process of securing a work visa.

Grievance For Byfuglien: The strange Dustin Byfuglien saga took another turn as the NHLPA filed a formal grievance on his suspension from the Jets.  The veteran blueliner didn’t report to training camp and was suspended without pay.  At one point, it was believed that he was considering retirement but as it turns out, he was dealing with an ankle injury, one that he ultimately had surgery on but did not consult with team doctors before undergoing the procedure.  There’s no timetable yet in place for when this will be heard by an independent arbitrator.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Anaheim Ducks

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

What are the Ducks most thankful for?

A developing young core with a coach (Dallas Eakins) who has a track record for player development.  While Anaheim has a reputation for being an older group, they have seven players on entry-level deals that have played at least eight games this season (center Sam Steel, wingers Troy Terry, Maxime Comtois and Max Jones, and defensemen Jacob Larsson, Brendan Guhle, and Josh Mahura).  In a season where many don’t expect them to be contending for a playoff spot, the fact that they have this many youngsters already making some sort of an impact can only bode well for their future.  Those players are all under team control for at least four more years and the majority of them will likely form a big part of their core group when they get back into playoff contention.

With Steel as well as recent first-round picks Trevor Zegras and Isac Lundestrom, Anaheim appears to be well-positioned down the middle for the long haul.  Impact center depth is difficult to accumulate and this is one of the stronger young groups around the league.

Who are the Ducks most thankful for?

For most of last season, goaltender John Gibson was the only thing standing between them and the basement to the point where he was a serious Vezina Trophy contender until he struggled down the stretch.  He’s a consensus top-ten goalie in the league and with salaries for top netminders quickly going up, Anaheim won’t have to worry about that for a long time.  Gibson is locked up on a team-friendly eight-year deal with a $6.4MM cap hit.  A franchise goalie can be hard to get but Anaheim has theirs in Gibson and he isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

What would the Ducks be even more thankful for?

More scoring.  The team was dead last in the goals scored department last season which meant they had nowhere to go but up.  The hope was that Eakins, a more offence-minded coach than his predecessor in Randy Carlyle, would help things and while they’re doing a little better in that regard, they’re still in the bottom ten in the league in goals scored and are averaging just 2.7 per game.  That should improve as some of their youngsters get more comfortable with playing at the NHL level but they’ll need more from the likes of Nick Ritchie (three goals) and Ondrej Kase (two goals) as well.

What should be on the Ducks’ Holiday Wish List?

While getting some more scoring help is never a bad way to go, adding an impact defender should be at the top of GM Bob Murray’s to-do list.  There was a time where Anaheim was ripe with impact blueliners but that depth has taken a hit with the departures of Sami Vatanen, Shea Theodore, Brandon Montour, and Marcus Pettersson in recent years.  Yes, there is some hope in the system but right now, they’re pretty thin on the back end, a problem that’s exacerbated with the injury to Josh Manson.  Murray has added veteran depth in the form of Michael Del Zotto and Erik Gudbranson but a more impactful piece will need to be added.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Sabres Acquire Matt Spencer From Lightning

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The Sabres and Lightning have swapped minor league defensemen as Buffalo has acquired Matt Spencer in exchange for Devante Stephens.  Both teams have announced the deal.

Spencer, a second-round pick in 2015, has been limited to just five games this season due to injury and has split that time between AHL Syracuse and ECHL Orlando.  He has spent the bulk of his pro career at the ECHL level and had 15 points in 36 ECHL contests a year ago.  The 22-year-old is in the final year of his entry-level deal and will need to show some improvement if he wants to be qualified in June.  He has been assigned to Cincinnati of the ECHL.

As for Stephens, the 2015 fifth rounder has been limited to a total of three ECHL games this season but showed a bit of offensive upside a year ago with the Cyclones when he posted 25 points in 69 contests.  He’s also in the final year of his entry-level deal and doesn’t appear to be a candidate to receive a qualifying offer as well.

Red Wings To Loan Moritz Seider To Germany For The World Juniors

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While the World Juniors are still a little more than a month away, it hasn’t stopped the Red Wings from making an early decision on their plans for defenseman Moritz Seider.  The German Ice Hockey Federation announced that Detroit will be loaning Seider to participate in the tournament.

The 18-year-old saw his stock rise continually last season to the point where he wound up being selected sixth overall by Detroit back in June.  As he wasn’t selected out of the CHL, he’s not subject to any restrictions about playing in the minors and the Red Wings have taken full advantage of that as he has logged a regular shift with their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids.  He has been particularly productive as well, collecting 11 points in 20 games.  A continued strong showing there coupled with a good performance in the tournament could have him on the radar for a late-season call-up; he can play up to nine NHL games without officially burning the first year of his entry-level deal.

Seider is no stranger to representing his country at the World Junior level.  He has played in the last two World Junior Division A tourneys, one level below the main group.  The German squad won promotion to the top division last year and Seider will play a critical role in trying to help them stay in that top tier next month.

Western Notes: Lehner, Crouse, Bear

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After another shootout loss suffered by the Chicago Blackhawks, it’s blatantly obvious that goaltender Robin Lehner is bad at shootouts. Including Chicago’s 2-1 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars Saturday, Lehner has accumulated 22 shootout losses, allowing 45 goals on 94 shots for a .521 save percentage. Considering the average goalie’s numbers are closer to .700 or .800 on the shootout, Lehner is way below average.

However, The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus (subscription required) writes that swapping out Lehner for Corey Crawford at shootouts isn’t likely to happen either, despite the fact that Crawford boasts a career save percentage of .713 on shootouts. The problem is that on days that Lehner plays, Crawford would be ice cold when the shootout comes around. Not necessarily a much better option.

“That’d be tough,” head coach Jeremey Colliton said. “Listen, Robin played really well. I don’t think it’s fair to talk about the shootout, as well as he played for the rest of the 65 minutes. He was really good.”

  • After colliding into the boards headfirst Saturday, Arizona Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet said that forward Lawson Crouse is sore today and will not be playing Sunday against Edmonton, according to AZSports’ Richard Morin. Crouse got tangled up with Los Angeles Kings defenseman Alec Martinez and slid into the boards at high speed during the third period of Saturdays’ game. Tocchet said that the injury isn’t necessarily a head injury, but he did enter concussion protocol and will continue to be monitored. Michael Grabner will take his place in the lineup.
  • Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal writes that one of the top reasons for the Edmonton Oilers success has come with the emergence of Ethan Bear, who has quickly established himself as a first-pairing defenseman who can consistently transition the puck from the defensive zone to a forward on their way out of the defensive zone. The scribe writes that Bear has already replaced Adam Larsson on that top line and four goals and 21:04 ATOI as a rookie has made quite the difference to the team as the 22-year-old came into camp in the best shape of his career and has taken advantage of every opportunity so far.

Atlantic Notes: Yandle, Mantha, Johansson, Brannstrom

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Any doubt that Florida Panthers fans may have had that defenseman Keith Yandle’s iron man streak could be over after the veteran took a puck to his mouth and lost nine teeth in the process (video here), were relieved this morning. NHL Network’s Ryan Whitney reports that Yandle had dental surgery this morning and is expected to play tonight to keep his streak alive.

Yandle, who currently leads all active NHL players with 820 consecutive games played, took the puck to his face in the first period Saturday, missed the second period, and returned to play during the third period. The 33-year-old Yandle is only 10 games shy of catching Andrew Cogliano, whose streak stopped in 2017 at 830 games and is in fourth place. Doug Jarvis holds the iron man record at 964 games played.

  • NHL.com’s Dave Hogg reports that the Detroit Red Wings will be without forward Anthony Mantha for at least a week with a lower-body injury. It’s a tough injury to swallow for a team with the worst record in the NHL with just 17 points this season. Mantha has been one of the few bright spots this season as the 25-year-old has 12 goals and 23 points in 25 games, which has him on target for career highs. Mantha scored 25 goals last season.
  • The Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski reports that forward Marcus Johansson will miss games today against Florida and Monday versus Tampa Bay with an upper-body injury. Head coach Ralph Krueger said he hopes to get Johansson back early next week. The 29-year-old has four goals and 10 points in 17 games this season, but remains on injured reserve. The team will have to make a move to activate him.
  • The Ottawa Senators should be getting back one of their young talents sooner than later as defenseman Erik Brannstrom is close to returning. The 20-year-old has been out with an undisclosed injury for the past three games, but could still be out another week, according to head coach D.J. Smith. “He’s close,” said Smith. “We just didn’t want to put him through that practice today so he’s going to stay home and he’ll practice with us when we get back. He’s probably within a week.” Brannstrom has two assists in 19 games.

Blues’ Robert Bortuzzo Suspended Four Games For Cross-Checking

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4:24 PM — The Department of Player Safety announced they have suspended Bortuzzo four games for cross-checking Arvidsson, who is now listed as being out for four to six weeks because of the incident. Bortuzzo will sacrifice $67,073.16 in salary.

8:47 AM — Nashville Predators forward Viktor Arvidsson celebrated his 300th career NHL game with just 4:15 of ice time. While he managed to record an assist in that brief period, he left the game early in the first period with a lower body injury as a result of repeated cross-checks from St. Louis Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo. Bortuzzo received a two-minute minor on the play, even though each of the two cross-checks likely deserved its own penalty. However, the league will make up for that on-ice error. The NHL Department of Player Safety announced last night that Bortuzzo will sit for a hearing. It has been scheduled for Sunday, ensuring that there is a decision before he could potentially face the Predators again on Monday night.

The play in question occurred just six minutes into Saturday night’s game (video). Arvidsson, standing in the St. Louis crease as the puck was loose in front of the net, initially receives a forceful check from behind from Bortuzzo, pushing him into the net. Bortuzzo actually turns and complains to the refs about how easily Arvidsson went down, even though the forward was completely blindsided by a hit from a much bigger, stronger player. Bortuzzo then turns back to Arvidsson and hits him with another cross check as he is trying to get up, one that is arguably harder and more dangerous and certainly more intentional. Arvidsson appears to feel this second check even more. For good measure, Blues goalie Jordan Binnington then shoves Arvidsson back into the goal again, although Binnington is not expected to receive any supplemental disclipline.

Few will be surprised to see Bortuzzo’s name linked to a player safety incident. The often-overly aggressive defender is a repeat offender, with his most recent suspension coming just last year after an elbow to the head of Washington Capitals defenseman Michal Kempny. He lost two preseason games and one regular season games for that incident and the league will likely want to dole out a harsher penalty for yet another infraction. Bortuzzo has made his career off of being the biggest and toughest player on the ice, but has been known to lose his cool and end up in the penalty box or in trouble with the league. This was clearly a case of Bortuzzo purposefully committing a dangerous penalty against an opponent with an intent to injure. As such, Player Safety may choose to send a message to a player who clearly has yet to learn his lesson. Expect a suspension of at least two games for the St. Louis blue liner this time around.

Metropolitan Notes: Merzlikins, Letang, Kreider, Koivula

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After a rocky debut, rookie goaltender Elvis Merzlikins looked to have settled in as a solid option in net for the Columbus Blue Jackets and head coach John Tortorella. However, the 25-year-old netminder made a costly mistake late in Saturday night’s game that cost the team a much-needed victory.

With less than two minutes remaining in the game, Merzlikins played a puck and cleared it out through the middle of the ice to no player in particular. The puck was immediately picked off by Winnipeg’s Andrew Copp, who fired it right back at the goal and gave the Jets a 4-3 victory.

After the game, Tortorella immediately told the press that if anyone asked a question about his goalie, he would immediately walk out. However, The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline (subscription required) suggests that a demotion to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL is unlikely. The team has another back-to-back next week, which means Merzlikins isn’t likely to go anywhere as this was a judgement mistake, not a lack of experience mistake.

  • TribLive’s Seth Rorabaugh reports that the Pittsburgh Penguins may be close to getting Kris Letang back in their lineup. The veteran blueliner, who has been out with an undisclosed injury since Nov. 4, returned to practice on Sunday and participated in the full practice in a full-contact jersey, which might suggest he’s closer to ready than most thought. Head coach Mike Sullivan said he’s hopeful that Letang will be available on Monday at home against Calgary, who had Letang practicing with the first power-play unit today. “His practice today was very encouraging,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “We’ll see how he responds overnight but my sense is he’ll be a game-time decision (Monday).”
  • Sportsnet’s Eric Engels reports that there will be no supplementary discipline against the New York Rangers’ Chris Kreider and his hit on Montreal Canadiens forward Tomas Tatar (video here). While initial looks at the hit made it seem like it was a headshot, second looks suggest the hit wasn’t meant for Tatar’s head, rather a shoulder hit.
  • Historically a critic of young players including recent criticism for top prospect Oliver Wahlstrom several weeks ago, New York Islanders head coach Barry Trotz praised another rookie, forward Otto Koivula. Despite seeing a season-low 6:32 of ice time in his fourth NHL game, Trotz still felt that Koivula can be trusted on the ice, especially on the defensive end.  “I trust him in the defensive zone more than anything,” Trotz said. “He’s really sound in the defensive zone. He feels like he’s got more time and space with the puck than probably he really does. If there’s anything that’s gotten him in trouble in the few games, it’s that. But I have a lot of trust in putting him on the ice.”

Nashville’s Viktor Arvidsson Expected To Miss 4-6 Weeks

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The Nashville Predators are already struggling in the standings and now took another hit, literally, as the team announced that forward Viktor Arvidsson is expected to miss four to six weeks with a lower-body injury after being cross-checked by St. Louis’ Robert Bortuzzo during Saturday’s game.

The injury is devastating to team that has been struggling of late, having won just two games in their last 10 as the Predators have slipped to fifth place in the Central Division. Arvidsson has six goals and 15 points in 22 games this year and is an anchor on the wing on the team’s first line. Arvidsson, who was playing in his 300th career NHL game Saturday, is coming off a 34-goal season last year and has averaged more than 30 goals for three straight seasons.

Bortuzzo is believed to be in a hearing with the Department of Player Safety right now, although it is not an in-person hearing which could limit how many games he could be suspended by the league. However, there is plenty of sentiment that the book should be thrown at Bortuzzo, who not only checked Arvidsson into the net, but also followed that up with a second hit, a cross-check into his lower back while he was down (video here).

Toronto’s Kerfoot To Have Hearing For Hit On Avs’ Johnson

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The Toronto Maple Leafs’ Alexander Kerfoot will have a hearing with the Department of Player Safety on Monday for his hit on Colorado’s Erik Johnson, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger.

The incident occurred during the second period of Saturday’s game in which Kerfoot hit Johnson in the back, which propelled Johnson into the boards head first (video here). Johnson, however, stayed in the game and Kerfoot received a two-minute minor for boarding.

Kerfoot has never been in trouble with the Department of Player Safety.

 

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