Vancouver Canucks Notes: Desjardins, Stecher, Ohlund
Unless the Vancouver Canucks are able to turn their season around, and do so soon, it appears more and more likely the team’s struggles will eventually cost Willie Desjardins his job as head coach. As it stands, Vancouver’s chances of making the playoffs are dwindling by the day with the Sports Club Stats website placing the odds the Canucks will make it to the postseason at just 6.5%. However, as Jason Botchford writes in a piece for the Vancouver Sun, replacing Desjardins behind the bench mid-season is unlikely to make much of a difference on the ice for the Canucks.
First, Botchford notes that head-coach-in-waiting, Utica Comets bench boss Travis Green, is unlikely willing to jump into the NHL on an interim basis and without the benefit of a full training camp to implement his system. Another possible option, current assistant coach Doug Jarvis, has no head coaching experience at the NHL level. Ultimately, as Botchford argues, no available head coaching possibility would represent an upgrade over what the team currently has.
Botchford also discusses the frustration of the teams fan base and how that has already materialized in a lower-than-expected season ticket renewal rate of 80% for the 2016-17 campaign. Expecting a mid-season hire to revitalize the team’s followers and to sell tickets is unrealistic, as Botchford opines.
Taking it even further, Botchford believes the time is fast approaching where the organization is going to have to “sell a different direction, a new hope.” This could result in ownership mandating sweeping changes, and it shouldn’t be surprising if those changes include a shakeup of the front office.
Other Canucks notes:
- One bright spot in Vancouver’s difficult season has been the development of rookie defenseman Troy Stecher, writes David Ebner of The Globe and Mail. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound blue liner was signed by the Canucks as an undrafted free agent following a three-year run at the University of North Dakota. He has only netted one goal with six assists in 21 starts, and has posted a minus-8 +/- rating, but as Ebner notes, Stecher is one of the team’s best puck possession players and averages three shots on goal per game, a figure that ranks among the best in the league for defensemen. He considers himself more of an offensive defenseman saying: “It’s a lot more fun playing offence than defence, so sometimes I don’t really want to look for a pass if I have the lane. I just want to skate it out. One of my strongest assets is my feet, my ability to skate – I think it has to be, with my height.” It may be a small sample but to this point it appears as if Vancouver has uncovered a gem and a solid, top-four blue liner.
- Former NHL defenseman Mattias Ohlund spent 11 of his 13 NHL seasons as a member of the Canucks and tonight the team will add his name to the Ring of Honor at Rogers Arena. Iain MacIntyre writes that Ohlund overcame “the objections of his body” to become arguably the best blue liner in Canucks history. Before beginning his NHL career, Ohlund tore knee ligaments while representing Sweden in the 1994 World Junior Championships. The skilled defender would battle knee problems throughout his career and they would ultimately lead to his premature retirement at the age of 34. “I pushed myself and my body as far as I could. And then one day, after speaking to numerous doctors and trying everything I could, it was just impossible for me to practise and play and travel. My left knee is worse, but both are bad.” Ohlund is the franchise’s all-time leading scorer among defensemen with 325 points in 770 contests with the Canucks. He would spend the final two seasons of his career with Tampa Bay after inking a seven-year deal with the Lightning in the summer of 2009.
Kris Letang Out For Weeks With Lower-Body Injury
Bad news for the Penguins came down today, as head coach Mike Sullivan told Wes Crosby of NHL.com that Kris Letang would miss “a couple weeks” with a lower body injury. As Crosby notes, the Penguins have eight games over the next two weeks before having the entire first week of January off.
It’s not the first time superstar defenseman has dealt with injury this season, as Letang missed much of October as well. Amazingly, he still has 19 points in 25 games this season which puts him sixth in scoring among defensemen. He was logging over 26 minutes a night before the injury, another mark right alongside the league leaders.
For Pittsburgh, his injury means that Steven Oleksy will likely get back into the lineup and that Trevor Daley will have to take on a bigger role. Already logging the second most icetime on the team, Daley has been a huge part of the 20-7-3 record so far for the Penguins. Perhaps 22-year old Olli Maatta will be forced into a tougher role as well, despite his struggles this year.
The biggest place the Penguins will feel Letang’s absence will be the powerplay, where the quarterback racks up assists distributing the puck to the talented forwards down low. Pittsburgh currently holds the league’s 10th best powerplay, a number that will likely go down without Letang on the blueline.
Not seen as a defensive option very often, Letang does also skate on the penalty kill at times, meaning the 27th ranked Penguins will need to find another body for that special team as well. While Daley has played well this season, pushing his minutes up towards 25 a night would be a risk for the 33-year old.
Peter Mueller To Sign AHL Deal With Bruins
After signing a PTO earlier this summer, Peter Mueller will sign an AHL contract with the Providence Bruins for the remainder of the season, according to Mark Divver of the Providence Journal. He also expects Matt Bartkowski to do the same before tomorrow.
Mueller had been playing with Providence on the tryout contract and showed he still has something to give in North American hockey, scoring 14 points in 19 games. The former eighth overall pick has spent the last three seasons in Europe, racking up points in Switzerland and Sweden waiting for an opportunity back home. The world-junior star flamed out of the NHL spectacularly after putting up 54 points as a rookie in 2007-08. Health, consistency and work ethic were all questions he needed to answer, and perhaps he’s done just that this season.
If Mueller has indeed rediscovered what made him such a top prospect, the Bruins may have stumbled into a future NHL piece by giving him a tryout. At just 28-years old still, he still has plenty of youth left for a renaissance in his career.
Bartkowski, a veteran NHL defenseman who played in 80 games for the Vancouver Canucks last season, is a solid piece for the baby-Bruins on the back end. Capable of playing in both ends of the rink, Bartkowski has seven points and 23 PIM in 18 games this season. Still just 28, Bartkowski represents another depth addition to the Bruins system that essentially has cost them nothing to this point.
Roster Moves: Leighton, Andrighetto, Blidh
Michael Leighton is both the starting goaltender for the Charlotte Checkers, and backup for the Carolina Hurricanes. After coming in to relieve Cam Ward on Tuesday, Leighton was sent down for just one day to make the start last night in Charlotte. He fared much better in the AHL match, stopping 33 of 35 shots en route to an overtime win.
Leighton has played in 15 games between the two levels this year, and actually has the best save percentage of his AHL career thus far at .933. While he hasn’t fared as well in the NHL, he’s given the team a veteran option at both levels while Eddie Lack works his way back from a concussion and Alex Nedeljkovic struggles through his first professional season.
- The Montreal Canadiens have made another few moves, bringing Sven Andrighetto and Mark Barberio up for another stint with the NHL team. Both players have spent time with the Canadiens this season, and will now get another chance to impress. Andrighetto, the younger of the two, is still considered a prospect in Montreal circles despite playing in more than half a season a year ago. Just 23-years old, he put up 17 points in 44 games for the Canadiens a year ago and will look to contribute offensively again. Both players are off to wonderful starts in the AHL, with 22 and 19 points respectively. At a point-per-game pace, Barberio is showing that he may deserve more than the occasional callup.
- In Boston, the club has made a swap, calling up Anton Blidh and sending Danton Heinen back to the AHL. Blidh, 21, has played four games for Boston this season, just a year after making the trip to North America. After playing in the Swedish leagues as a teenager, Blidh came over to spend an entire season in Providence last year, registering 14 points in 65 games. Off to a nice start this season with 10 in 21, he’ll likely resume his role on the fourth line with the NHL club. Heinen, 21, has played in eight games for the Bruins this season, registering zero points but logging a fair bit of icetime including a few looks on the powerplay. The former University of Denver Pioneer signed with the Bruins late last season and has scored 15 points in 15 career AHL games.
Edmonton Oilers Activate Eric Gryba, Send Dillon Simpson To AHL
The Edmonton Oilers announced Wednesday that the team will activate Eric Gryba from injured reserve ahead of their matchup this Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. They’ve sent Dillon Simpson back to the Bakersfield Condors to continue his development and see more ice time.
As we wrote after learning that Darnell Nurse would miss up to twelve weeks following surgery, Simpson has been used extremely sparingly by Edmonton during his time in the NHL. The young defender saw just 10:53 of average icetime in his three contests, and is obviously not ready for the higher level.
The team will now look to Gryba to step back into an important role with Nurse out, likely pairing with Andrej Sekera or Kris Russell in his absence. Gryba was logging just over 17 minutes before he was injured last month and was a nice surprise for Edmonton this summer. The former Ottawa Senators defenseman signed a PTO with the Oilers and though he has been held pointless all season, playing tough minutes is more than they were expecting bringing him to camp.
Snapshots: Best Player, Lightning, Darling
Who is the best player in the NHL right now? If you were to ask 100 people, in 100 different cities you might get 100 (okay, maybe you’d get five) different answers. The debate between Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid has been raging since the young Oiler hit the ice last season. Could he immediately take the mantle of the NHL’s top dog?
ESPN posed the question to several other players around the league, and it’s a resounding win for the old-timer. Here is a taste of some of the quotes:
Oh, Sidney Crosby. I’m a Sidney Crosby fan. He’s ultracompetitive. Great speed, great shot, great passer. — Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks
Sid is playing great, but man, Connor McDavid is good, oh my God. But I still think today. … I’ve got to say I still think Sid. It’s tough but I really do. — Zach Parise, Minnesota Wild
I think Sidney Crosby has established himself with what he’s doing right now. It’s amazing to see how he just does whatever he needs to do. — Shane Doan, Arizona Coyotes
While McDavid does get some love, the overwhelming sentiment seems to be that Crosby is still at the top of the NHL food chain. Perhaps in a year or two things will be different, but for now it’s still the soft spoken kid from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia.
- In a piece for the Chicago Sun Times, Mark Lazerus profiles backup goaltender Scott Darling and the Blackhawks upcoming decision on whether they can afford to extend him in the summer. Darling will be an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career, and is showing that he may be ready to be a starter somewhere in the league. While even Darling says Chicago is “bar none, the best place to be” a backup, the intrigue of perhaps becoming “the guy” somewhere else is still there. With Corey Crawford entrenched as the starter in Chicago, and the team needing every penny it can save to re-sign sniper Artemi Panarin this summer, Darling’s time is likely running out.
- Pierre LeBrun of ESPN caught up with Steve Yzerman for his latest piece, discussing the struggling Tampa Bay Lightning and what they may be after on the trade market. While Yzerman knows better than to say exactly what he wants, LeBrun opines that the team is after a top-four defenseman. It doesn’t seem like anything is imminent however, as Yzerman frustratingly tells LeBrun, “as I’ve said time and time again, I’ve got to find someone who’s willing to work with me.” For the Stamkos-less Lightning, it has been a struggle of late, losing seven of their last eight games with only a shootout victory over the Capitals during that stretch. At 30 points, they’re only four points behind Boston for a playoff spot, but also only two from last place in the division.
Roster Moves: Conacher, Witkowski, Gazdic
With just four games on the docket for tonight in the NHL, many teams are taking a long look at their rosters as they head into the Christmas break. We’ll keep you up to date on all the minor moves around the league today:
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have brought Cory Conacher back to the NHL. The veteran forward has played just one game for the NHL club this season after signing with them this summer. In 2015-16, Conacher took his game to Switzerland where he scored 52 points in 48 games, but decided to return to the North American game to play for his old club. In 18 games at the AHL level, Conacher has proven he’s still a deadly offensive force at the lower level, putting up 15 points. As Erik Erlendsson of Lightning Insider points out, Conacher is likely up as insurance after Nikita Kucherov left practice yesterday with an undisclosed injury.
- To make room, the team has sent Luke Witkowski back to Syracuse. The bruising defender has gotten into eight games with the NHL team this season, recording just one assist.
- The New Jersey Devils have recalled forward Luke Gazdic, while sending Yohann Auvitu back to Albany of the AHL. Gazdic will join the team for practice today, but it’s unclear why the Devils need another forward. While Auvitu had been healthy scratched of late, the team is now carrying only six defensemen but several extra forwards. Perhaps there is an injury that has gone unreported or the team simply wants a shakeup after losing three straight (and being outscored 14-3 in those games).
- In Nashville, they’ve flip-flopped their backup goaltender again, as Juuse Saros has replaced Marek Mazanec on the Predators roster. Both have played a handful of games for the club this season, with Saros having much (and we mean much) more success. Mazanec will head to Milwaukee for the interim.
- With the New York Rangers welcoming Rick Nash and Matt Puempel back to practice today, they have assigned Nicklas Jensen back to the Hartford Wolfpack of the AHL. Jensen got into four games with the team but was held pointless. The former first-round pick will look to continue his strong start at the lower level; he currently has 15 points in 21 games with Hartford this season.
- After giving up three goals on sixteen shots in relief of Cam Ward last night, Michael Leighton has been sent down to the Charlotte Checkers to play in tonight’s matchup with the Manitoba Moose. Leighton, a veteran of 110 NHL contests has split his time between the two levels this season.
Boston Bruins Place Matt Beleskey On IR, Recall Matt Grzelcyk
The Boston Bruins have added another rookie to their ranks today, calling up Matt Grzelcyk from Providence. The 22-year old defenseman will join the team in Pittsburgh for tonight’s game, the first of a back-to-back. The team has placed Matt Beleskey on injured reserve to make room, after the winger was given a six-week diagnosis for his right knee injury.
Grzelcyk (pronounced Grizz-lick) was the Bruins third-round pick in 2012 but decided to attend Boston University for four seasons where he flourished as a smooth skating powerplay quarterback. At almost a point-per-game pace in his university years, he joined the Providence team this season and has fit right in. 12 points in 25 games has earned him a callup. It’s not clear where he’ll fit in on the back end as the Bruins were already carrying seven defensemen.
If he gets into a game, it’ll be another entry in the under-six-foot club this season for the NHL. As the game goes further away from bruising physical play, speed and puck skills have come to the forefront. While Grzelcyk is by no means tiny, his smaller frame would have been looked over in decades past. Now, we’ll see if his skating ability will let him transition to the NHL level well enough to stick around for a while. The Bruins have already turned a similarly sized Torey Krug into one of the best young defensemen in the league.
Ottawa Senators Send Down Robinson, Varone
After a weekend that saw the Ottawa Senators outscored 9-2 and lose two games on the west coast, the team has sent both Buddy Robinson and Philip Varone back to the AHL. Both players will head to Binghamton for their Wednesday night matchup against the St. John’s IceCaps.
Robinson and Varone have combined for just eight games for the Senators this season, with neither registering a single point. With 47 games, Varone is the more experienced NHLer but both are not expected to be much more than 13th forwards or injury replacements for their careers. They’ll head back to the AHL where each is having a productive season, and wait for another chance at a big league job.
After Bobby Ryan returned this weekend, Curtis Lazar is expected to be back with the team for Wednesday night against the San Jose Sharks. The team is also expecting Clarke MacArthur‘s return to the ice at some point this season, as the forward was cleared for contact just a few days ago. Both Lazar and MacArthur are coming off concussions, though for the latter it has been a consistent problem. At one point, it looked like MacArthur wouldn’t be able to return to the NHL after suffering his latest head injury in training camp, but through hard work he’s positioned himself for a mid-season return on a team vying for a playoff spot.
Tampa Bay Lightning Recall Slater Koekkoek, Erik Condra
In the midst of a four day break, the Tampa Bay Lightning have decided to recall both Slater Koekkoek and Erik Condra from the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. No word yet on the corresponding roster moves.
For both players this is a return to the NHL, as each have suited up this season for the Lightning. Koekkoek, the team’s first round pick (10th overall) from 2012, has played 17 games for the Bolts this year, registering four points. The 22-year old is waiver-exempt and has been sent up and down several times already this year, as they continue to develop him into a long-term NHL piece.
Condra, a veteran of 355 NHL games has been dominating the AHL through the first part of the season. With 18 points in 19 games, he’s proven why he’s spent the past five seasons entirely in the NHL (excluding some time in Germany during the most recent lockout). While Condra has always been a bottom-six player, he has been an effective one and earned a three-year, $3.75MM deal prior to last season. He is waivers eligible and will require them again if he’s sent back down, but has already cleared once this season due to his price tag.