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Archives for December 2019

Snapshots: Rangers, Lagesson, Maletta

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Back in the summer, it looked as if the Rangers had done rather well for themselves with the acquisition of Jacob Trouba with the centerpiece of the return being the first-round pick they had received from Winnipeg months earlier for rental center Kevin Hayes.  However, Larry Brooks of the New York Post opines that in hindsight, they may have been better off keeping Hayes and signing him at the price he was looking for in the 2018 offseason over acquiring Trouba via trade.

Trouba has done well for New York this season but hasn’t quite lived up to the billing relative to his $8MM price tag.  Meanwhile, Neal Pionk, the player that Winnipeg acquired in the swap, has actually outproduced Trouba offensively by five points so far this season.  There’s still plenty of time for things to change but as of right now, the two Winnipeg trades haven’t quite worked out as well as the Rangers would have hoped, especially with young center Lias Andersson not panning out like they were expecting.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Oilers prospect William Lagesson has switched agencies, reports Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal. The defenseman has joined Allan Walsh and Octagon after previously being represented by Markus Lehto.  The 23-year-old is in the final year of his entry-level contract and has yet to suit up in Edmonton despite being recalled twice already this season.
  • Former Blue Jackets prospect Jordan Maletta has been cleared to return to hockey and is set to enroll at Brock University next semester, notes OHL broadcaster Victor Findlay (Twitter link). The 24-year-old was flipped to Arizona in February of 2018 before being a part of the Marian Hossa trade five months later but Chicago terminated his contract when he was deemed medically unfit to play.  He spent last season as a part-time assistant coach with OHL Niagara but now will unretire and resume his playing career.

2019 Year In Review: January

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2019 has been a very busy year throughout the hockey world.  There have been several big trades and free agent signings (including a record-setting contract), plenty of changes behind the bench, and much more.  Over the coming days, PHR will take a look back at the top stories from around the game on a month-by-month basis.  We begin with a look back at January.

Extension For Hynes: While the Devils were struggling considerably relative to their 2018 postseason appearance, GM Ray Shero saw fit to give John Hynes a contract extension.  The hope was that a return to health for Taylor Hall (who was out for the season by then) and some aggressive offseason movement could help get them back in the right direction under Hynes’ guidance.  They did make some summer splashes, added the top pick in Jack Hughes, and Hall did return.  However, that didn’t result in a step in the right direction as New Jersey struggled out of the gate once again, causing Shero to make a coaching change fairly quickly even though Hynes still had most of this extension remaining on his deal.

Nash Retires: Several teams had been keeping tabs on veteran winger Rick Nash.  He opted not to sign over the offseason due to lingering concussion issues but the hope was that he could be an impact addition down the stretch.  However, the continuing concussion symptoms ultimately forced Nash, the number one pick back in 2002, to retire.  His career ended with 437 goals and 805 points in 1,060 regular season games between the Blue Jackets, Rangers, and Bruins.  Nash is currently the all-time leader in games played, goals, assists, and points for Columbus.

Rask For Niederreiter: In one of the more curious trades from last season, the Wild parted with winger Nino Niederreiter, trading him to Carolina for center Victor Rask.  Both players had underachieved and the hope was that a change of scenery would work for both.  The deal has worked better than expected for the Hurricanes.  Niederreiter has 48 points in 73 games since the trade which is solid production for a second liner.  Rask, meanwhile, has been a frequent healthy scratch with Minnesota and has just a dozen points in 51 games in a Wild uniform.  While Minnesota saved $1.25MM in cap space with the swap, they certainly took the loss in terms of on-ice performance.

Chiarelli Fired: Just days after curiously signing goaltender Mikko Koskinen to a three-year extension, the Oilers fired embattled GM Peter Chiarelli.  He was responsible for several questionable trades including the swap that sent Hall to New Jersey as well as Jordan Eberle to the Islanders; the follow-up swaps resulted in the net return being Sam Gagner, a player who had cleared waivers last season.  His big free agent acquisition in Milan Lucic didn’t work out as intended either.  Keith Gretzky took over the reins for the rest of the season before Ken Holland was brought in during the offseason.

Muzzin To Toronto: While most of the big deadline deals were made in February, the Maple Leafs got an early start, acquiring defenseman Jake Muzzin from Los Angeles in exchange for a 2019 first-round pick (Tobias Bjornfot) plus prospects Carl Grundstrom and Sean Durzi.  Muzzin made an immediate impact with his new team, stabilizing their back end which is something that has continued into this season as Muzzin wasn’t a rental acquisition.  Meanwhile, Bjornfot showed some promise early this season while Grundstrom has spent time with the Kings to give them plenty to be optimistic about when it comes to what they got in the deal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: New Jersey Devils

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As the holiday season is upon us, PHR will continue its look at what teams are thankful for as we get closer to the halfway point. 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 New Jersey Devils.

What are the Devils most thankful for?

A promising young core down the middle.  Jack Hughes, the top pick in June, has shown flashes of the raw offensive upside he showed at the lower levels.  While his numbers aren’t the greatest this season, he is making the unprecedented jump from the USHL; much brighter days are on the horizon for sure.  Nico Hischier, the 2017 top selection, may not be a top-line producer in the end but his all-around game continues to improve.  He’s also under contract through 2026-27 after signing an extension back in October so he’s a piece for the long haul as well.  Pavel Zacha has held down more of a regular role this season as well and at 22, he could still be part of the long-term future.

They also have some other youngsters that aren’t far away from making an impact.  2016 first-rounder Michael McLeod has shown some early promise while the Devils are fond of Nate Schnarr, one of the prospects they added in the recent Taylor Hall deal.

The center position is a tough one to fill outside of the organization.  It’s unlikely the Devils will be dealing with that problem anytime soon.

Who are the Devils most thankful for?

While it would be easy to pick Hughes given his upside, they’re also quite thankful for Kyle Palmieri.  The winger has been a model of consistency since being acquired from Anaheim back in 2015 for a second and third-round pick.  Since then, he has scored at least 24 goals in each season (and he missed 18 games the year he had 24) and is on pace for over 30 this season despite New Jersey being among the lowest-scoring teams in the NHL.  While other players have garnered more attention along the way, he just has been steadily productive for a bargain price tag of $4.65MM.  It’s safe to say that GM Ray Shero will be looking to get a contract extension done when the window to do so opens up in July.

What would the Devils be even more thankful for?

Better performances from their high-paid veterans.  P.K. Subban’s acquisition seemed like a great fit but he has struggled mightily this season and has just seven points in 36 games.  They’re expecting a lot more for someone making $9MM per year.  Veteran goalie Cory Schneider was unable to build upon his good finish to last year and strong showing at the Worlds and is even languishing in the minors, posting a .853 SV% in five AHL games.  They’re expecting a lot more for $6MM.  Wingers Wayne Simmonds (four goals in 36 games for $5MM) and Nikita Gusev (five goals in 33 games for $4.75MM) aren’t getting the job done either.  If any of them could get on track, they’d be thrilled.

What should be on the Devils’ Holiday Wish List?

Long term, another starting goalie is something they’re going to need with Schneider not likely being part of their future plans anymore.  That’s likely an offseason move, however.

In terms of what they should be wishing for between now and the trade deadline, it’s more of what they got for Hall – picks and prospects.  Blueliner Sami Vatanen could yield a strong return if he’s not extended while defenseman Andy Greene could attract some interest as well if he’s willing to waive his no-trade clause.  Simmonds struggled down the stretch and in the playoffs a year ago but he could bring back a draft pick as well.  It’s not overly exciting but having cashed in their top trade chip already, New Jersey’s shopping is going to be quieter between now and late February.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Atlantic Notes: Anderson, Bruins, Larsson

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With the Senators being committed to Anders Nilsson for another season after this one and having multiple young goaltenders in the pipeline that could benefit from some NHL playing time, some expect Ottawa to try and move veteran netminder Craig Anderson.  With that in mind, Postmedia’s Ken Warren suggests that the Panthers could be a team to watch for as a possible trade suitor.

Anderson’s family resides in the area which would certainly be attractive for him while he also spent some time early in his career with Florida.  However, the on-ice fit could make some sense as well with the team currently using Chris Driedger, a 25-year-old with just six NHL appearances under his belt, as the backup to Sergei Bobrovsky.  A veteran like Anderson would certainly give them a capable insurance policy.

The salary cap could make things complicated, however.  Per CapFriendly, Florida has less than $1MM at the moment and while that amount would go up by sending Driedger back down, it still wouldn’t be enough to bring Anderson and his $4.75MM AAV in, even if Ottawa retained half.  As a result, while the fit makes sense, it may have to be a move that gets made closer to the deadline in order to make the money work.

More from the Atlantic Division:

  • Monday’s game was a tough one on the injury front for Boston with defensemen Charlie McAvoy and Torey Krug going down. NBC Sports Boston’s Joe Haggerty notes that the early reports on McAvoy seem to be positive but Krug’s status is not yet known.  The good news for the Bruins is that captain Zdeno Chara is expected to be available on Friday after missing last night following a procedure on his jaw.
  • The Sabres expect to have center Johan Larsson back in their lineup for their next game on Friday, reports Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News. He suffered an undisclosed injury back on Thursday against Philadelphia.  As a result, Lysowski suggests that Buffalo won’t need to call back Curtis Lazar who was among the players sent down immediately following final games before the holiday break.

Mattias Norlinder Signs Extension In Sweden

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The Montreal Canadiens have plenty of questions among their defense corps right now, but it seems as though some answers are coming in the way of top prospects. Alexander Romanov was a second-round pick in 2018 but looks like he’ll be coming over before long, and Mattias Norlinder has already raised his stock considerably since being selected in the third round last June.

Norlinder, 19, has been excellent this season for MODO in the Swedish second league, scoring 14 points in 28 games. He was recently named to the Swedish World Junior team alongside an elite defensive group, and teammates are convinced he’ll make the NHL one day. That won’t be next year though, as Norlinder has signed a one-year extension with MODO to continue his development in Sweden for 2020-21.

To be sure, the Canadiens will be watching his play closely as he takes on more responsibility with his club team. If MODO can win promotion to the SHL all the better, but even without that he has become a prospect to keep your eye on. With Cole Caufield set to star for Team USA at the upcoming World Junior tournament, we may even see some battles between future teammates in the coming weeks.

Latest On Anthony Duclair

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There has been no bigger story on the Ottawa Senators this season than Anthony Duclair (Thomas Chabot’s heavy usage might be a close second). The 24-year old forward was acquired as part of the return for Ryan Dzingel, but frustrating stints with four teams already in his young career made it hard to expect much of him in Ottawa. Instead, Duclair has completely turned things around and now sits with 21 goals through his first 38 games of 2019-20.

That kind of production is an incredible leap for the young forward, but on a one-year $1.65MM deal it also places a ton of intrigue on his future. The Senators are in an obvious rebuild, but Duclair now represents arguably their best offensive weapon and could be a huge part of their future.

When he got off to his hot start this season, many speculated that Duclair could be another trade chip for the Senators to use for future assets. Not so fast says Darren Dreger of TSN, who examined the situation yesterday:

I supposed there could be the threat of trade–again the Ottawa Senators are still very much in a rebuild format, so they could dangle Anthony Duclair out there. But again, given the offensive production of Anthony Duclair this year it makes sense that the Ottawa Senators will do everything they can up to January 1st, maybe soon after January 1st, to get a contract done.

Earlier in the segment, Dreger suggests that a three-year contract extension could work for both sides given that Duclair is two years away from unrestricted free agency. That would buy out a year of open market value on the young sniper, but also provide him with some security that he hasn’t had so far in his young career.

January 1st is the threshold for anything to get done, as Duclair can’t sign an extension until then given he is currently on a one-year contract. That gives him two more games to continue his torrid scoring pace and provide even more leverage, though you can’t get much hotter than 21 goals in 38 games. That is a full-season pace of 45, nearly equaling the entire rest of his career—Duclair had scored 48 goals before coming to Ottawa, and now has 29 in 59 games between this season and the end of last.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Minor Transactions: 12/24/19

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Even though the roster freeze is in full effect and no hockey is scheduled for the next two days, there are still a handful of transactions coming through the AHL wire. As always we’ll keep you caught up on all the minor moves.

  • The St. Louis Blues sent Niko Mikkola down to the AHL without getting him into a single game. Mikkola was recalled on December 14th, but is still waiting to suit up for his first NHL contest. The 23-year old could very well be recalled again later this week.
  • Maxime Lajoie and J.C. Beaudin have been sent to the minor leagues by the Ottawa Senators, as they save some money over the holidays. Ottawa has been decimated by injuries on the blueline, meaning Lajoie is likely coming back as soon as they’re ready to play again.
  • The New Jersey Devils have returned Michael McLeod to the AHL, where he’ll continue to try and get his offensive game on track. The 21-year old is still without a single goal in 25 NHL games and has just four in 24 games with the Binghamton Devils this season.
  • Jordan Gross has been returned to the AHL by the Arizona Coyotes, after playing in his first two NHL games. The 24-year old had an assist but is still looking for his first point at the highest level.
  • Martin Frk and Kale Clague have been sent back to the Ontario Reign, but their stay will likely be short. Clague played nearly 18 minutes in his NHL debut on Saturday and looked like he fit in quite well, even if the boxscore did have him as a -2.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Nashville Predators

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As the holiday season is upon us, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as we get closer to the halfway point. 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 Nashville Predators.

What are the Predators most thankful for?

Cost certainty.

That doesn’t sound like a very sexy thing to be excited about, but the Predators have used long-term deals to create a program that keeps them in the race every year. All six of the team’s top scorers are currently on contracts of at least six years in length, a testament to David Poile’s willingness to extend his players early and often. If Roman Josi was still looking at unrestricted free agency in a few months while on pace for a career-high 30 goals and 77 points, his price tag would only be going up from the $9.059MM average annual value they got him to agree to in October.

That kind of foresight has worked out brilliantly in other cases too, like Calle Jarnkrok who agreed to a six-year deal in 2016 that carried just a $2MM annual cap hit. Jarnkrok has been outstanding this season with 25 points in 35 games, scoring in all situations.

Who are the Predators most thankful for?

That has to be Josi, who is not only scoring at the best rate of his career but is also carrying his best underlying analytics in some time. The 29-year old captain would be a real contender (or perhaps the clubhouse favorite) for the Norris Trophy this season as the league’s best defenseman if it weren’t for the absurdity that is John Carlson’s point production.

It’s hard to know exactly how Josi’s new eight-year, $72.47MM extension will work out in the long run, but at the current $4MM cap hit he carries on the last year of his old deal? He’s one of the biggest bargains in the entire league.

What would the Predators be even more thankful for?

A more consistent bottom-pairing.

Even with the exceptional talents that the Predators boast at the top of their defense group, the team has still allowed 114 goals this season and are barely keeping pace in the tough Central Division. Some of those struggles at least can be pinned on the backs of their depth defenders, including former star Dan Hamhuis who has shown his age this season. The 37-year old was once a rock solid two-way option for the Predators, but may need to be upgraded if the team wants to contend for the Stanley Cup once again.

What should be on the Predators’ Holiday Wish List?

Exactly what it says above, if there’s a way to fit another defenseman into the group right now. The Predators don’t need to add scoring after Viktor Arvidsson returned to the lineup, but tightening up defensively is an absolute must if they want to sneak their way back into the playoffs. With a reliable tandem of Pekka Rinne and Juuse Saros that can handle the net and enviable depth down the middle, a new option on the bottom pairing might be the only thing missing from a late-season run.

Whether they can find that fit will be the question, especially one that doesn’t cost much in the future. Obviously moving Kyle Turris out would clear some room down the road, but with the enigmatic forward seemingly finding his game recently there may be some hesitation to ship him out at this point.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Kapanen, Canucks, Holtby

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The Toronto Maple Leafs roared back to take an afternoon tilt against the Carolina Hurricanes today, scoring eight goals in total (while giving up six against). That kind of offensive firepower is because of the team’s depth up front, even with lineup regulars Trevor Moore and Andreas Johnsson still out with injury. That depth, along with a tough cap situation and defense corps that has struggled has led many to speculate on the future of Kasperi Kapanen, who recently signed a three-year, $9.6MM deal with the team. Pierre LeBrun spoke on TSN radio before the game about Kapanen’s future with the team:

I still talk to some teams that value him and like him. If he were to be made available I don’t think the Leafs would have a hard time gaining value in a trade involving him. In fact, it wouldn’t shock me if they did deal him. I think it’s probably in the offseason that it is before February 24th.

But again, because of the pressure of the cap and the pressure of having to figure out the defense moving forward next year, I think he’ll be one of the expendable parts. Not because I think the Leafs’ front office thinks any different of him, I think it’s just he’s at a certain number and I think they can get cheaper players to play those roles. It wouldn’t shock me if he was involved in a trade in the offseason.

Kapanen, 23, has eight goals and 19 points in 38 games this season. This is the second time recently a major hockey insider has spoken about the ease in which Toronto could trade the young winger, after Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet included a note about Kapanen’s value in his 31 Thoughts column earlier this month. Though there has been no indication that the Maple Leafs are leaning that way at this point, he’ll obviously be a player to watch in the summer.

  • The Vancouver Canucks have gotten standout performances from several young players this season, but as Chris Johnston of Sportsnet points out that may actually have a consequence moving forward. Johnston notes that the performance bonuses of players like Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes and Adam Gaudette could add up to more than $4MM this season, a total that would be carried over against next year’s cap if they don’t have the room on this year’s books. The Canucks already have buyout hits and cap recapture penalties that add up to more than $4MM as well, meaning they could be playing with a much diminished pocket book in 2020-21.
  • Friedman also noted over the weekend that negotiations with Braden Holtby of the Washington Capitals have been put off until after the season is over, something that makes his future with the team even more interesting. Holtby has been a rock for the Capitals for nearly a decade now, winning a Vezina Trophy in 2016 and earning all 16 wins in their Stanley Cup championship in 2018. That said, the team now has young netminder Ilya Samsonov showing what he can do at the NHL level (9-2-1 with a .916 save percentage in 12 appearances) and cap issues to solve with Nicklas Backstrom due for a new deal in 2020 and Alex Ovechkin in 2021. Friedman was clear to point out that the Capitals have extended other players like John Carlson and T.J. Oshie after the season previously, but Holtby may be a different situation entirely.

USA Hockey Announces Preliminary WJC Roster

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December 23rd: According to Corey Pronman of The Athletic, Janicke, Regula and Krygier are the final three cuts for the Americans. Previously the team had been trimmed down to 26, with Johnson, Gruden and Mastrosimone being sent home. Oliver Wahlstrom was added to the group late and will play in the tournament.

December 9th: USA Hockey has followed several other countries in announcing their preliminary roster for the upcoming World Junior tournament. The team will compete for spots at a training camp in Plymouth, Michigan later this month, where a 23-man roster will be selected.

The full camp roster:

Goaltenders:

Spencer Knight (FLA)
Isaiah Saville (VGK)
Dustin Wolf (CGY)

Defensemen:

Ty Emberson (ARI)
Jordan Harris (MTL)
Ryan Johnson (BUF)
Zac Jones (NYR)
Christian Krygier (NYI)
K’Andre Miller (NYR)
Alec Regula (CHI)
Mattias Samuelsson (BUF)
Spencer Stastney (NSH)
Cam York (PHI)

Forwards:

John Beecher (BOS)
Bobby Brink (PHI)
Cole Caufield (MTL)
Jack Drury (CAR)
Parker Ford (2020 eligible)
Jon Gruden (OTT)
Curtis Hall (BOS)
Trevor Janicke (ANA)
Arthur Kaliyev (LAK)
Robert Mastrosimone (DET)
Shane Pinto (OTT)
Jacob Pivonka (NYI)
Nick Robertson (TOR)
Alex Turcotte (LAK)
Trevor Zegras (ANA)

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