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Archives for August 2020

West Notes: Blackhawks, Coyotes Injuries, Gaudreau

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The Blackhawks surprised many with their upset of Edmonton in the Qualifying Round before being ousted quickly by Vegas.  Still, it was a promising step for a team that was going to miss the postseason altogether in a normal year.  Despite the small change in their fortunes, GM Stan Bowman told reporters, including Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago, that he doesn’t foresee much in the way of changes for next season.  The team already has $74MM in commitments for next season with no starting goalie under contract while winger Dominik Kubalik and Dylan Strome need new deals as well.  That doesn’t leave any room to really add to the roster.

When asked about the possibility of buyouts (defenseman Olli Maatta and forward Zack Smith are speculative candidates), Bowman acknowledged that it’s an option.  However, decisions on whether or not to use that route to free up some short-term cap space won’t be made for another month or so.

More from the Western Conference:

  • On top of Nick Schmaltz missing the entire postseason with a head injury, Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider notes (Twitter link) that center Christian Dvorak played through a shoulder injury while winger Conor Garland had a head injury. On top of that, center Brad Richardson has a thumb injury that will require surgery this offseason.  Arizona was able to get by Nashville in the Qualifying Round before falling in five games to Colorado.
  • With Calgary bowing out quickly in the playoffs again after being ousted by Dallas, many expect the Flames to make some notable changes before next season. Sportsnet’s Eric Francis suggests that winger Johnny Gaudreau is a likely candidate to be moved following another quiet postseason showing that saw all but one of his seven points come with the power play.  However, another potential factor is that Gaudreau is one season away from having a significant no-trade clause (a five-team trade list).  At a time where many teams will have to shake things up, the time may be right to test the waters on Gaudreau as well.  He has two years left on his deal with a $6.75MM AAV.

Offseason Keys: Edmonton Oilers

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As teams are eliminated from the Qualifying Round, it means that the offseason has arrived for several more squads.  Having covered the teams that weren’t a part of the NHL’s return, we shift our focus to the ones that have been ousted.  Next up is a look at Edmonton.

With the top two scorers in the NHL on their roster, the Oilers were a popular pick to do some damage in the playoffs.  Instead, they were ousted by Chicago (the 12th seed) rather handily in the Qualifying Round.  The needs in Edmonton have been the same for a while which means GM Ken Holland’s to-do list may look a little familiar.  However, with minimal cap space to work with, finding a way to address everything could be somewhat of a challenge.

Add Proven Scoring Wingers

Draisaitl (110 points) and McDavid (97 points) led the way offensively this season while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was third with 61.  They all have one thing in common – they’re all natural centers.  While it’s great to have that type of depth down the middle, an extreme lack of production from the wing often forced the Oilers to shift Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins to the wing in an effort to jumpstart their offense.  To put into perspective how little scoring from the wing they had, Zack Kassian had the most points of any natural winger with 34 which is basically third line production.

There are internal options but they all have flaws.  Kailer Yamamoto showed some chemistry with Draisaitl in the second half of the season but was shut down easily against the Blackhawks.  James Neal had 19 goals but struggled at times to the point where his role had to be limited at times.  Andreas Athanasiou (more on him later) was hit or miss after being acquired while Alex Chiasson unsurprisingly wasn’t able to duplicate his 22-goal campaign from a year ago.  All of these players have a spot on an NHL roster but none of them are impact scorers and only Yamamoto has a shot at getting there.

Of course, Edmonton has another early draft pick in their system in Jesse Puljujarvi.  While he’s already signed for next season in Finland, that deal has an NHL out clause and as Mark Spector of Sportsnet noted earlier this week, talks between his camp and Holland continue to the point where Spector believes that Puljujarvi will indeed sign with the Oilers for next season.  There could be some upside there or he could be more of a tertiary option as he was in his first stint with them.  They need to add someone more proven than him.

Cheap options and marginal upside plays are quite important in a salary cap environment and they will be even more important now with the Upper Limit flattening out.  However, even with $70MM committed already, Holland needs to bring in at least one legitimate consistent offensive threat on the wing; the centers can’t do it all on their own.

Decide Athanasiou’s Future

Just before the trade deadline, Holland made a move to try to bring in scoring help on the wing when he picked up Athanasiou from Detroit in exchange for a pair of second-round picks.  A year removed from a 30-goal season, the move made some sense, even though he was in the midst of a down season.  Played with McDavid or Draisaitl would surely get him going.  Or so they thought.

Instead of playing and producing more, the opposite happened.  He had just a goal and an assist in nine regular season games before the pandemic while he played just over 12 minutes a game.  In the playoffs, he was held off the scoresheet entirely while logging even less ice time at 10:58 per game.  Stylistically speaking, Athanasiou’s speed makes him an ideal fit for an Edmonton team that’s trying to play at a high tempo but the early results weren’t encouraging.

Part of the season that Edmonton surrendered two high draft picks to get him was the fact that he still has two more years of team control; he isn’t eligible for unrestricted free agency until 2022.  While his $3MM cap hit was a bit high for his production this season, the expected increase in the Upper Limit made him an affordable option.  But then the pandemic threw a wrench into all of that.  Now, a $3MM qualifying offer may be too pricey for them to afford.  Yes, it’s possible that he signs for less than that amount but he’d need some incentive to do so and that’s tricky to offer at this time.  It would be a tough outcome if they wind up non-tendering someone that they dealt two good draft picks for just months ago but it is a real option here.  That decision will need to be made fairly quickly as they’ll need to know whether they need to save $3MM from their other planned spending before they can start trying to address some of their other needs.

Find A Second Goalie

Last summer, Edmonton brought in Mike Smith to give them another option behind Mikko Koskinen.  The intrigue with Smith was that he could log more than a typical backup should the unproven Koskinen struggle.

From that standpoint, Smith’s addition was a success.  He actually wound up making more starts than Koskinen (37-33) and it was telling that he got the nod to start against Chicago.  However, the end results weren’t as strong.  Smith had a 2.95 GAA which was 20 points higher than Koskinen while his .902 SV% was 15 points lower.  Edmonton fans certainly don’t want a reminder of Smith’s numbers against Chicago where he was yanked after coughing up five goals in less than half a period.  All of a sudden, it’s fair to question whether the 38-year-old pending unrestricted free agent should be part of the picture again next season or whether they should go in another direction.

Internally, Stuart Skinner and Olivier Rodrigue have some upside but neither is ready for NHL duty just yet so if they do go in another direction, the new goalie will have to come from outside the organization.

The big question is going to be what type of second goalie are they seeking?  Are they looking for a starter that would push Koskinen into a lesser role?  Do they want a platoon mate, similar to what Smith was for them this season?  Or do they think Koskinen is ready for the number one job where they can go for a cheaper backup?

Presumably, the second one is the likeliest target given Koskinen’s inconsistency; having another goalie that can shoulder the starting workload for bits and pieces of the season would be wise.  Fortunately, there are several of those available in free agency although the best ones will cost more than the $2MM plus games played bonuses that Smith received this season which could limit what they spend to fill other areas.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Panthers RFA Aleksi Saarela Signs In Finland

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While he waits for a contract in the NHL to be completed, Florida RFA winger Aleksi Saarela has signed with Luuko of the SM-liiga, the Finnish team announced.  There is no fixed length of the contract; instead, it will be in effect until Saarela re-signs with the Panthers.

After a productive 2018-19 campaign in Carolina, the 23-year-old was traded to Chicago as part of the Calvin de Haan trade.  However, his time there didn’t last long as less than three weeks into the season, he was flipped to Florida for blueliner Ian McCoshen.

Saarela had a decent season with AHL Springfield, picking up a dozen goals with 19 assists in 43 games which was good enough to sit fourth on the Thunderbirds in scoring.  He also got into four games with the Panthers where he acquitted himself relatively well, picking up two goals and two assists in nine contests while logging a little over 12 minutes a game in ice time.  That should have him in the mix for a full-time roster spot for 2020-21, particularly since he will be eligible for waivers next year.

In the meantime, Saarela returns to a Luuko program that he’s familiar with.  He spent most of 2016-17 with them on loan and did well, tallying 15 goals and 13 helpers in 49 games.  He’ll be able to get into game shape in Finland which should help his push for a role with Florida when next season gets underway.

Columbus Blue Jackets Eyeing Big Splash This Off-Season

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Last off-season, no team took a bigger hit than the Columbus Blue Jackets. The club lost two of their franchise stars in forward Artemi Panarin and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky to free agency, along with expensive rental forwards Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel. Panarin, Bobrovsky, and Duchene were in fact the three largest UFA contracts handed out last summer. No one expected the Blue Jackets to be able to rebound from those losses, but one year later the team knocked out a talented Toronto Maple Leafs team in the qualifying round and gave the Tampa Bay Lightning, one of the NHL’s best, a run for their money in the the first round.

Columbus showed that they still have what it takes to be a contender even with last year’s major losses. The team has discovered not one but two reliable options in net, has one of the top defensive pairs in the league and solid depth behind them, and a mix of youth, experience, skill, and grit up front. If there is one thing that the Blue Jackets still lack, it is what they lost in Panarin and Duchene: elite top-six forwards. While the team has a number of young players who may grow into that role, the club does not appear content to sit in wait, instead hoping to take action this off-season. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline writes that whispers out of the organization is that GM Jarmo Kekalainen is preparing to add at least one if not two high-skill forwards this off-season, with a bona fide top-six center as the priority.

On the surface, this plan makes perfect sense. Portzline notes the Blue Jackets ranked second-to-last in forward scoring this season, which undoubtedly was partially the result of a rash of injuries up front but is still an indictment of the forward corps’ ability to produce. The team also has roughly $68MM committed to 20 players who were regular players this season with just a few restricted free agents to take care of, so there could be cap space to spare on the free agent market.

However, adding impact forwards will be easier said than done. While Columbus has approximately $13.5MM in cap space, should they opt for long-term contracts for budding top-six center Pierre-Luc Dubois and solid young defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, much of that space could be eaten up. On top of that, the team will have to make decisions on re-signing RFA forwards Josh Anderson and Devin Shore as well. If both return, the team will be right up against the cap ceiling without even touching the free agent market. They will also be facing a roster crunch with 17 players already signed to one-way contracts worth $1.6MM or more, including recent KHL import Mikhail Grigorenko but not any of the aforementioned RFA’s.

Even if the team does have space to explore the top names on the open market, they may find that no one fits their top-six center criteria. While the team will surely kick the tires on big names like Taylor Hall, Tyler Toffoli, Mike Hoffman, and Evgenii Dadonov, none of that group is a solution down the middle. The second tier also only offers players that are not necessarily natural centers: Mikael Granlund, Carl Soderberg, or even old friend Derick Brassard. Columbus’ best bet may be to target a younger, more moldable player with some center experience, such as Vladislav Namestnikov, Erik Haula, or Alex Galchenyuk. However, there really isn’t an ideal target to sure up the center position in the top six.

For both internal and external reasons, Kekalainen seems likely to explore the trade market in his efforts to add at least one of his target top-six forwards and most likely at center. Portzline also opines that this is a likely route and that the team could deal from their depth at forward or defense to make a deal. On the blue line in particular, the team will have eight experienced NHL defenseman once Gavrikov is re-signed and will likely have to thin that group. Portzline believes that David Savard would be the easiest to move, while talented but oft-injured Ryan Murray or useful Markus Nutivaara could also draw interest. Up front, the rights to Anderson or Shore could certainly be dealt and the team will likely dangle Alexander Wennberg again this off-season. The real question is whether the team would give up on a top young prospect like Emil Bemstrom, Alexandre Texier, or Liam Foudy. Portzline also believes that teams could come calling on goaltenders Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins, but dealing either one could just create another hole in the lineup.

With plenty of trade chips, the Blue Jackets could cash in on a desperate market. Given both the flat salary cap and the looming threat of the 2021 Expansion Draft, there will likely be many teams open to moving established forwards this off-season and Columbus has a much better chance of finding a true top-six center – and perhaps even another top forward – via trade. One way or another, the club has been inspired by its playoff run and has its sights set on improving immediately, so don’t be surprised to see the Blue Jackets make a big splash this summer.

New York Rangers To Loan Vitali Kravtsov To KHL

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The New York Rangers have decided to send Vitali Kravtsov back to the KHL, at least for now. Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that Kravtsov will be loaned back to Traktor Chelyabinsk for the 2020-21 season.

It’s been a very interesting year for Kravtsov, the ninth-overall pick from 2018. Last September it seemed as though he may challenge for a roster spot in the NHL with the Rangers, but after failing to make the team and being sent to the minor leagues things quickly went awry. Kravtsov was a healthy scratch for the Hartford Wolf Pack and played just five minor league games before exercising his European Assignment Clause to return to the KHL.

Less than two months after arriving in Russia though, he ended up back on a plane to Hartford where he spent the rest of the season. In all, Kravtsov played just 11 games for Traktor (scoring three points) while suiting up 39 times for the Wolf Pack. Splitting 50 games between two different leagues (and continents), while scoring only 18 points certainly isn’t the usual path for a top prospect with as much skill as Kravtsov, but that’s exactly what happened in this case.

Brooks does not specify whether Kravtsov will be back for NHL training camp in a few months, but even if he did there’s no telling for certain at this point. What is important, at least for fans of the Rangers hoping for another top offensive weapon, is that he’s going to be getting into game action quickly and (hopefully) consistently. Still just 20 years old, Kravtsov has a long playing career ahead of him and years of development to go.

Minor Transactions: 08/21/20

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We’re just about through the first round of the NHL playoffs and there is now more than half the league looking towards next season. With that in mind, many free agents are making their decisions on where to play. We’ll keep track of any minor deals or moves right here:

  • Reece Scarlett has been linked to the KHL for next season, with a report indicating he will sign with Dinamo Riga. The long-time minor league defender has spent the last three seasons with the Texas Stars of the AHL, getting the Calder Cup Final with them in 2018. A sixth-round pick of the New Jersey Devils, Scarlett has never gotten a chance to play an NHL game.
  • Axel Andersson has been loaned to Sodertalje SK of the Swedish second league to begin the year, the team announced, returning to Europe after just one year in the CHL. The 20-year-old defenseman was a second-round pick of the Boston Bruins in 2018, but found his way over to the Anaheim Ducks as part of the Ondrej Kase trade earlier this year. Given the Duck’s defensive depth – or lack thereof – in the pipeline, Andersson could be pushing for an NHL job sooner rather than later.
  • Former NHL defenseman Taylor Chorney will not be returning to North America this year, after signing a contract with EC Salzburg. A veteran of 166 NHl games, mostly with the Washington Capitals, Chorney spent the last two seasons with HC Lugano in the NLA.
  • The AHL’s Hershey Bears have announced a one-year extension for big defenseman Eddie Wittchow. Wittchow, a former Florida Panthers prospect, has had an up-and-down pro career and is likely happy to have found a more permanent home. The 6’5″ defender and former University of Wisconsin standout signed with the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds in 2016 and eventually earned an NHL contract from their parent club, the Panthers, the following year. However, another offer did not come and he spent 2018-19 in Finland before landing with Hershey and splitting his season between the AHL and ECHL this year.

Snapshots: Stars-Avalanche, Dubois, Seabrook

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The NHL hasn’t even finished the first round, with two series playing game six tonight, but they’re already moving on with at least one second-round series. The Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars are set to start their battle tomorrow night according to several reports including Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

The league obviously wants to take advantage of a Saturday night, but also is determined to get through the bubble-playoffs as quickly as possible. Both first-round game sevens, should they be needed, are scheduled for Sunday.

  • Pierre-Luc Dubois wasn’t able to carry the Columbus Blue Jackets to a first-round victory but did show that he’s an emerging star in the NHL. That will only help him when he negotiates his next contract this fall. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic examines the young center’s situation, explaining that he believes a three-year deal would make sense. Interestingly though, LeBrun writes that “if Dubois signs longer term, it’s going to be for tangibly more than [William] Nylander.” The Toronto Maple Leafs forward signed a six-year, $45MM deal in 2018.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks are still hoping that Brent Seabrook can be an impact player for them in 2020-21, even after his major surgeries limited him to just 32 games this season and took him out of the postseason. Seabrook, who rehabbed hard to try and be a part of the team in the bubble, will have his role “figured out in training camp” according to Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman, who spoke to reporters including John Dietz of the Daily Herald. The 35-year-old defenseman has four years remaining on his contract.

Brandon Dubinsky Unlikely To Play Again

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The Columbus Blue Jackets were without Brandon Dubinsky for the entire 2019-20 season thanks to a chronic wrist injury, but he does have another year under contract with the team. Unfortunately, at this point, it doesn’t appear as though he will be able to return at any point. Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen told reporters today including Aaron Portzline of The Athletic that Dubinsky will “most likely” not play again because of the injury.

If that’s it for the veteran forward, he leaves the NHL with quite a successful career. A second-round draft pick of the New York Rangers in 2004, Dubinsky was in the NHL before his 21st birthday and never looked back. A heart-and-soul contributor for the Rangers throughout the first five full seasons of his career, he recorded 213 points in 393 regular season games on broadway.

In 2012 he was part of the massive trade that took Rick Nash to New York, heading back to Columbus beside Artem Anisimov and a first-round pick. Dubinsky would sign a long-term extension with the Blue Jackets in 2014, one that will still pay him $5.85MM next season even as he hits long-term injured reserve.

For the Blue Jackets, this actually may be something of a blessing in disguise, despite the leadership role that Dubinsky serves on the club. The team can move him to LTIR and gain a bit of extra cap flexibility instead of seeing his contract—which carries the second-highest cap hit on the team—anchor their finances next season.

Alternatively, because Dubinsky’s contract still owes him a full $5.85MM in salary, the Blue Jackets could move it to another team. Clubs all over the NHL will be looking to cut costs as revenue plummets, leading to an opportunity for those that are still financially stable. Columbus have made moves like this in the past, initially swapping Nathan Horton and David Clarkson’s contracts with Toronto because of a difference in insurance coverage, and then giving up draft picks to Vegas in order for them to take Clarkson’s deal off the books as well.

It is unfortunate how it looks like it will end for Dubinsky, but the 34-year-old can look back and be proud of an 823-game career. He is currently sixth all-time in Blue Jackets scoring, and had 438 points overall.

Joakim Nygard Loaned To Farjestad BK

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The Edmonton Oilers continue to loan players out all over the world as they wait for the 2020-21 NHL season to begin. This time it’s Joakim Nygard, who has been loaned to Farjestad BK in the SHL. While the announcement doesn’t indicate he’ll be back for training camp, you can assume that the 27-year old will come back to North America for his second crack at making the Edmonton roster.

This season, Nygard looked like might be a useful piece for the Oilers to retain given his speed and forechecking ability. The undrafted winger had nine points in 33 games playing almost exclusively in the bottom-six, but ended up breaking his hand in January which finished his season. The Oilers obviously felt as though he should get another chance though, as they signed him to a one-year contract extension just a few days later.

Now returning to Edmonton with just an $875K cap hit, Nygard could be a useful piece for the roster as they try to continue building a speedier group around Connor McDavid. Getting back into game action is crucial for the Swedish winger, given he hasn’t played meaningful hockey in six months.

Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Josh Maniscalco

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have added another undrafted college free agent to their program, signing Josh Maniscalco to a three-year entry-level contract. Maniscalco played just two years at Arizona State University and will forego his junior and senior seasons in order to turn pro. Penguins GM Jim Rutherford released a short statement on the deal:

Josh is a solid puck-moving, offensive defenseman. He jumps into the rush and plays a style that is complementary to our group. We think highly of his character and are happy to add Josh to the organization.

Like they have so many times before, the Penguins hope to turn an undrafted talent into a depth player for the organization that can provide an inexpensive contribution. Names like Conor Sheary, Zach Aston-Reese and Adam Johnson have all turned into NHL players for the club despite not being drafted.

Unlike those forwards however, Maniscalco comes to the Penguins as a high-flying defenseman that put up 32 points in 36 games this season. The 6’2″ right-hander could potentially challenge for a role on the club next season if they make sweeping changes, or be a call-up option over the next few years.

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