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Florida Panthers Seeking Upgrade In Goal

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Entering the season, the Florida Panthers’ goaltender trio of Roberto Luongo, James Reimer, and Michael Hutchinson seemed like one of the deepest in the league. As the second month of the season wraps up, the Panthers currently hold the second-worst goals against average in the NHL and their play in the net has been the team’s greatest weakness. As a result, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reports (subscription required) that, despite their considerable depth, Florida is looking for an upgrade behind the injury-plagued Luongo.

Injuries have limited Luongo, 39, to just nine appearances, but even when healthy he has not looked like himself. Luongo holds a 3.07 GAA and a .902 save percentage that, if the season were to end today, would be his career-low. It could be that Luongo’s play is reflective of his poor health, especially considering his strong performance just last year. However, between his injury issues and inconsistent results, Luongo simply can’t be relied upon as a bona fide starter. Of course, that was the reasoning behind the Panthers initially signing Reimer three years ago. Reimer looked the part in his first season in 2016-17, with perhaps his best NHL campaign. Yet, his numbers tailed off last season as he too struggled with injuries and now this year Reimer looks far from a starting option. The 30-year-old leads the Panthers with 14 appearances, but has just four wins, tied with Luongo despite five more showings. His performance has been bleak, with an .895 save percentage and 3.39 GAA. Yet, the injury concerns and inconsistency of Luongo and Reimer is exactly why Florida signed Hutchinson this summer. That has quickly proven to have been a mistake, as the AHL veteran has been out of his depths in four NHL games, sporting a brutal .839 save percentage and 4.17 GAA. Hutchinson has struggled to even perform at an average level in the minors this season.

Nothing has worked out according to plan in Florida, so the team needs to make a move to improve in net. The problem with that plan, as LeBrun points out, is that Reimer still has two years remaining on his contract at $3.4MM. That contract could prove very difficult to move. Luongo is also signed long-term, with three years remaining, but it appears that the team would prefer to hold on to him despite his current struggles, even if they were able to find a take. As such, a long-term solution in net may be difficult to find, unless the team is also able to move Reimer. Nearly any established goalie signed beyond this season would put too much strain on the Panthers’ payroll, which is already close to $2MM from the salary cap. An expensive rental, such as Detroit’s Jimmy Howard, would also be difficult to manage. Cheap rentals, such as New Jersey’s Eddie Lack, Carolina’s Petr Mrazek, Edmonton’s Al Montoya, and recent waiver placement Calvin Pickard, are readily available, but would be unlikely to shift the status quo substantially. The Panthers could make a play for a young, affordable goalie lacking opportunity, such as Montreal’s Charlie Lindgren, Vancouver’s Thatcher Demko, Los Angeles’ Cal Petersen, or Pittsburgh’s Tristan Jarry, but it would come at a cost. The Panthers may want to upgrade their goalie depth, but such a move won’t come easy for the team this season.

Snapshots: Team Canada, Fletcher, Kovar

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Held in the middle of the NHL season, the Spengler Cup in Switzerland is often an afterthought among international events. Yet, Team Canada has put together quite the formidable group to lead their entry into the late December tournament, in pursuit of a fourth consecutive title. Hockey Canada has announced that Sean Burke and Ron Francis will put the Spengler Cup team together as co-GM’s, while Kevin Dineen will lead the selections as the head coach. Not only does that trio have extensive NHL playing careers on their resumes, but each have had success in their off-ice roles as well. Dineen has spent 14 seasons behind an NHL bench, including three as the head coach of the Florida Panthers, and has international coaching experience as well. His assistants, Gordie Dwyer and Mike Kitchen, are no strangers to the job either. Burke, currently a scout for the Montreal Canadiens, is familiar with Team Canada, having served as GM for the 2018 Olympic team, part of the management group for past four IIHF World Championship entries, as well as the GM of the past two Spengler Cup teams. However, it is Francis that sticks out the most. The former Carolina Hurricanes GM is currently considered a candidate for the Philadelphia Flyers’ new vacancy and, should the position remain open through the end of the calendar year, Francis’ efforts to put together a winning Spengler Cup team could be seen as part of his case for the job.

  • Another candidate for the Flyers’ GM vacancy – and perhaps the favorite – is former Minnesota Wild GM Chuck Fletcher. Fletcher was let go by the Wild this off-season and joined the New Jersey Devils as an executive, but is still held in high esteem by most in the game. Many pundits have suggested that he is the front runner for the job and now TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that the wheels appear to be in motion. The Devils have given the Flyers permission to speak with Fletcher, McKenzie says, and reiterates the sentiment that he would be the preferred hire. Although Minnesota was unable to reach the ultimate goal, Fletcher had the team on a six-season postseason streak when he was dismissed and the Wild, currently with the third-best record in the Western Conference, have a core of veteran and young contributors that was by and large put together by Fletcher. The experienced executive would be a more than capable GM for Philadelphia.
  • The Boston Bruins front office may soon be facing a decision, albeit to a much smaller extent. After he appeared to be weighing a return to Europe, Jan Kovar instead finds himself one step closer to his desired destination – another shot at the NHL. The Bruins announced this morning that Kovar, who has been playing with their AHL affiliate in Providence, was up practicing in Boston today. The question remains whether or not Kovar earns a contract with the Bruins, something that Lee Stempniak was unable to do despite ample practice time with the team. Boston is without Patrice Bergeron, but still has David Krejci and has been getting admirable efforts from rookie Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and veteran Joakim Nordstrom in his unnatural position. Yet, the team scratched Sean Kuraly in their last game and is still struggling to get secondary scoring. It may be the exact scenario that Kovar needed to get a second chance after quickly flaming out with the New York Islanders earlier this season.

Brock Boeser To Return For Vancouver Canucks

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The Vancouver Canucks have assigned Reid Boucher to the Utica Comets of the AHL in order to make room for a returning star. Brock Boeser, out since November 2nd, is expected to return tonight and take on the Los Angeles Kings according to Ben Kuzma of Postmedia.

Boeser, 21, has managed just 84 games over parts of three seasons now in the NHL, battling injury several times over the past calendar year. Obviously extremely talented, the Canucks need him to stay on the ice consistently to really be able to rely on him going forward. The team has an exciting group of young players that could usher in the next great era of Canucks hockey, and Boeser can be a huge part of that if he’s healthy enough to contribute. Hopefully this will be the last injured reserve stint for a while, and the league will get to see what he can do for the rest of the year.

With 11 points in 13 games, the Minnesota-born forward is amazingly still sixth on the team in scoring and tied for fourth in goals. That total very well could increase right away given his expected position beside Elias Pettersson and Nikolay Goldobin tonight, two of the team’s most dangerous offensive weapons. That trio just happen to all be 23 or under, meaning they could be together for a long time if chemistry is apparent right away.

Gabe Vilardi Sent To AHL On Conditioning Loan

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When it rains it pours for the Los Angeles Kings, who have experienced periods of abject sorrow this season but are now finally seeing some improved luck. After activating Jonathan Quick from injured reserve, the team has also sent top prospect Gabe Vilardi to the Ontario Reign for a conditioning stint. Though this by no means assures that Vilardi is healthy enough to get back to the daily grind of a professional season, it does mean he’s approaching that level with his rehab and could be back on the ice soon.

In a season that is quickly slipping away from the Kings, Vilardi’s injury rehab is a cause for excitement. The 19-year old forward was selected 11th overall in 2017 but has dealt with troubling back injuries since then that robbed him of much of the 2017-18 season and all of this year so far. One of the most impressive puck-protecting forwards at the junior level, he still managed to record 80 points in 48 games for the Kingston Frontenacs last year and holds incredible NHL potential. Still, there’s work to be done after missing so much key development time in his young career.

Vilardi would actually not be allowed to play in the AHL under normal circumstances given his age and CHL eligibility, but can appear in three games for the Reign under this injury conditioning loan. Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider also adds that the team could petition to have him allowed to stay longer, though at that point there might be good reason to just send him back to junior to have him continue to develop at the lower level.

Others keeping a close eye on the Kings prospect will be the Canadian World Junior management group, who could potentially add him to their squad for the upcoming tournament if he’s healthy enough to compete. Vilardi missed out on that opportunity a year ago, despite obvious interest from the team.

Morning Notes: Pronger, Matthews, Bean

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We heard about another name that the Philadelphia Flyers have interest in this morning when Frank Seravalli of TSN put forward Steve Greeley’s name, but we’re also learning about who won’t be a candidate for the vacant GM position. Paul Holmgren announced that the new GM would be coming from outside the organization and ruled out senior advisor and former Los Angeles Kings GM Dean Lombardi specifically.

Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer adds another name to the pile of those who won’t be interviewed, as he reports that Chris Pronger is not a candidate for the job. Pronger has been open with his desire to eventually become a GM in the league and has ties to the Philadelphia organization, but will not be given this opportunity. Pronger is currently working as an advisor in the Florida Panthers organization.

  • It’s been quite a while since the Toronto Maple Leafs had star center Auston Matthews take part in a full practice, but that’s exactly what happened today when he joined the rest of the team. Shedding the non-contact sweater, Matthews looks poised to return soon from his recent shoulder injury and add another offensive weapon to the potent Maple Leafs attack. As Mark Masters of TSN points out though, the last time Matthews dealt with a shoulder injury he went through two full practices before returning to the lineup. That would put him on track for Saturday’s game in Minnesota, not tomorrow’s against the San Jose Sharks. We’ll have to wait and see how the Maple Leafs play it, but getting a player of his caliber back should only improve their chances in the tight Atlantic Division.
  • While one player hopes for his return, another readies for his debut. Jake Bean is set to play in his first NHL game when the Carolina Hurricanes take on the Montreal Canadiens tonight, a long-awaited occurrence for the young defenseman. Bean, 20, was picked 13th overall in 2016 but was sent back to junior for two more years and has now been playing with the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL for the start of this season. He’s shown his offensive upside there, recording 11 points in 21 games as a rookie, and is just the latest to join an incredibly deep group of defensemen in Carolina.

Pacific Notes: Vegas’ Defense, Boeser, Kovalchuk, Luff, McLellan

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The Vegas Golden Knights have always followed a general philosophy when it comes to pairing up their defensemen. Head coach Gerard Gallant loves to pair a fast, quick-moving offensive defenseman with a bigger defensive counterpart. However, with Nate Schmidt missing the first 20 games of the season with a suspension, Gallant hasn’t had the opportunity to put together his perfect pairing, which included Schmidt matched up with Brayden McNabb, Shea Theodore with Deryk Engelland and Colin Miller paired with Nick Holden.

The Athletic’s Jesse Granger (subscription required) analyzes those new changes which has produced a 3-0 record since Gallant put those pairings together, including a 2-1 overtime win over Arizona and a pair of shutouts over Calgary and San Jose, Friday and Saturday. That’s just one goal allowed in 183 minutes. While it has been made clear that the team missed Schmidt, Vegas’ entire defense missed him as everyone had been shuffled out of alignment without the speedy blueliner. Without Schmidt, the team lacked a third offensive defenseman as the team had to pair Holden with Jonathon Merrill, which struggled throughout the first quarter of the season.

“It adjusted our defenseman because they all played different roles when Nate was out,” Gallant said. “So, everybody is in their spots now and playing pretty well and they are confident.”

  • Rick Dhailwal of Sportsnet reports that he’s heard from a source that Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser is making good progress recovering from his groin injury. The 21-year-old has been out since Nov. 2. The scribe adds that Boeser is getting closer and should be back at some point next week. He has four goals and 11 points in 13 games so far this year.
  • One of the Los Angeles Kings struggles comes from the play of major off-season acquisition Ilya Kovalchuk who has failed to record a point in eight straight games, according to Curtis Zupke of the Los Angeles Times. The 35-year-old, who signed a three-year, $18.75MM contract this summer, has gone from the team’s top winger to a third-stringer and has dropped to the second unit of the power play. The team broke their 0-for-16 slump on the power play Saturday with Kovalchuk on the bench.
  • Fox Sports Jon Rosen writes that the Kings need to get more playing time to rookie Matt Luff, who has played well since being called up from the AHL. The 21-year-old has three goals in eight games after dominating in Ontario. Head coach Willie Desjardins re-teamed him with Carl Hagelin and Adrian Kempe, which found some success for the Kings. The scribe writes that Luff needs playing time and needs to start receiving power play time as well.
  • Rosen also adds that the Kings have no interest in bringing former Edmonton Oilers’ coach Todd McLellan aboard.

Minor Transactions: 11/25/18

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After another busy Saturday night in the NHL that saw some outstanding performances—not to mention a career defining five-goal explosion by Patrik Laine—just four games are on the schedule for today. The action kicks off with an afternoon tilt between the Calgary Flames and Arizona Coyotes, while the Edmonton Oilers travel to Los Angeles to take on the Kings to close out the night. As teams prepare for the upcoming week of action, we’ll be here to keep track of all the minor moves.

  • The Chicago Blackhawks have sent Luke Johnson to the AHL for the time being, assigning the 24-year old forward to the Rockford IceHogs. Johnson has just a single point in 13 games with the Blackhawks this season, his first in the NHL.
  • It wasn’t a long NHL visit for Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Trevor Carrick, who was recalled for just one game this weekend and is now on his way back to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. Carrick, like usual, has been lighting up the minor leagues with his quick first pass and ability to jump into the rush, scoring 17 points in 19 games. The 24-year old can’t seem to establish himself as a full-time NHL player, but is one of the most effective puck-moving defensemen in the AHL.
  • The Anaheim Ducks announced they have recalled defensemen Andrej Sustr and Andy Welinski from the San Diego Gulls and have assigned defenseman Joshua Mahura to the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. For Sustr, he returns after being placed on waivers on Oct. 26 and assigned to the AHL. A veteran of 322 NHL games, the 27-year-old played seven games for the Gulls tallying one assist. The team also brought up Welinski after assigning him to San Diego Saturday, making it a likely paper transaction. As for Mahura, the 20-year-old fared well in his NHL debut. He had been faring well in San Diego, posting eight points in 12 games and had a point in three games for the Ducks.
  • The turntable for Timothy Gettinger continues as the 6-foot-6, 220-pound power forward has been recalled by the New York Rangers after being assigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack Saturday evening after being recalled by the Rangers on Friday. Gettinger, who made his NHL debut Saturday with a 7:00 minute performance, returns to the team. In 20 games for the Wolf Pack, Gettinger has seven goals and 11 points.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes announced they have recalled forward Valentin Zykov and defenseman Jake Bean from the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. Zykov has been recalled after a playing in Charlotte on a conditioning loan posting two goals in six appearances with the AHL squad. Bean will likely replace Carrick who was assigned to Charlotte earlier Sunday (see above). The team’s 13th-overall pick in 2016 will hope to make his NHL debut Tuesday in Montreal. He has three goals and 10 points in 20 games with the Checkers.

Nashville Predators Place Kyle Turris On Injured Reserve, Recall Rocco Grimaldi

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After exiting Friday night’s game following a bit hit from Brayden Schenn, Nashville Predators forward Kyle Turris has been placed on injured reserve. The team has recalled Rocco Grimaldi from the AHL in his place. Turris will be forced to miss at least the next three Predators games, though no update has been given on his timeline.

The Predators were dismantled by the St. Louis Blues in Friday’s game, with Juuse Saros allowing five goals on 15 shots before giving up the net. Nashville will be looking to get back into the win column tonight when they welcome in the Anaheim Ducks, but will now have to do it without another one of their top players. The team is already missing Viktor Arvidsson and P.K. Subban, meaning they’ll have to rely on some of their other talents to carry them through the next little while.

Up front, even more responsibility will likely be heaped onto the shoulders of Nick Bonino, who has been a stalwart defensive presence fr the team but has just three goals and nine points on the year. The 30-year old forward hasn’t had quite the impact that was expected when he signed a four-year $16.4MM deal in 2017 but will get an opportunity to show he can step into an offensive role while Turris is out. Colton Sissons has also seen his role increased recently, playing a season-high 20:19 just a few days ago against the Los Angeles Kings.

Grimaldi meanwhile has played six games for the Predators this season but has just one goal to show for it, instead doing most of his damage at the minor league level. The 25-year old forward has been used in spot duty throughout his career, suiting up just 43 times since signing out of the University of North Dakota in 2014. An extremely talented offensive player, Grimaldi is held back—or perhaps overlooked—at times due to his small 5’6″ frame.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Eastern Notes: Nylander, Zuccarello, Weber, Kovar

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With just over a week remaining in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ deadline to sign William Nylander contract this season, many people are voicing their opinions on the impasse. Among them is Don Cherry, who chimed in on the contract negotiations Saturday on Hockey Night in Canada. The former coach said that Nylander isn’t competing with the contracts of John Tavares or the future deal of Auston Matthews, but Cherry believes he is as good as Mitch Marner and wants to make sure that Marner won’t make more money than him down the road.

“Here’s the deal, it’s not Tavares and it’s not Matthews he’s thinking of, he’s thinking of Marner,” Cherry said. “What happens if he signs a six-year contract and Marner gets another million or million and more? He’s not worried about the other two guys, but he thinks he’s as good as Marner. What he’s worried about is that he signs a contract and Marner signs [for] a couple more million and he’s stuck with the contract.”

Cherry advises Nylander to agree to a bridge deal as he believes that there is no way that Nylander can beat Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas, who must prove to the team and the city that he is worthy of the title and isn’t going to give in to him.

“You’re not going to beat Dubas because for Dubas this is his one shot, he can’t give in on this one,” Cherry said.

  • Newsday’s Colin Stephenson writes that the New York Rangers scratched forward Mats Zuccarello Saturday as a precaution, but head coach David Quinn insists that the 31-year-old veteran is fine. He says that he didn’t want to play him in back-to-back games after recently returning from a groin injury. “Two games, back-to-back, so we’re just being cautious,’’ Quinn said, adding that Zuccarello felt fine after Friday’s game and declared himself available for Saturday. But the plan always had been to not play him in both weekend games. “We kind of chose, get him in, play him [Friday], not go back-to-back.’’
  • As had been rumored earlier, John Lu of TSN reports that Montreal Canadiens captain Shea Weber will make his season debut Tuesday against Carolina, barring a setback, after missing the first half of the season after offseason knee surgery. The team will consider how Weber feels after Monday’s practice, followed by a final assessment by team doctors. Weber hasn’t played in a games since Dec. 16, 2017.
  • Despite a report that Jan Kovar has been contemplating a return to Europe after failing to make the New York Islanders and finally agreeing to a PTO with the Providence Bruins, the 28-year-old has decided to stay with the AHL team for now, according to the Providence Journal’s Mark Divver. The scribe writes that Kovar took some time off to evaluate his options and returned to Providence for Saturday’s game against Lehigh Valley. Kovar has four goals and nine points in 10 games while with Providence, but no NHL team has come forward with an NHL contract.

Anaheim Ducks Return Max Comtois To Juniors

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The Anaheim Ducks have finally decided the fate of rookie Max Comtois, who found himself on the outside of Anaheim’s top-six in recent weeks. Despite having already burned the first year of his entry-level deal and the fact that the team couldn’t send the 19-year-old prospect to the AHL, the team decided to return him to the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the QMJHL, according to TVA’s Mikael Lalancette (translation required).

Comtois provided the Ducks with a young top-six forward at the start of the season when the team was overwhelmed with injuries to many of their veterans, including Corey Perry, Ryan Kesler, Patrick Eaves, Ondrej Kase were placed on injured reserve to start the season. While some of those players starting getting healthy, other players went down after that, including Ryan Getzlaf and Jakob Silfverberg, allowing Comtois to continue his play. The rookie reached the 10-game mark with successful numbers, posting two goals and seven assists, before having to go on injured reserve himself with a lower-body injury. Once returned, the team sent him on a conditioning loan to the AHL where he scored just once in four appearances. However, with most of Anaheim’s veterans returned and the team starting to show success, there was little opportunity for playing time at the NHL level and the team was forced to make a decision about Comtois. While he had already burned the first year of his entry-level deal by one game, the team was not allowed to send him to the AHL permanently. So to guarantee quality playing time, the team had to return him to his junior team.

It’s a big deal for his new junior team, however, as he will return to the QMJHL for his final season there, but now joins the Drummondville Voltigeurs, who gave up a fortune in draft capital to acquire Comtois’ rights from the Victoriaville Tigres back in June. Drummondville gambled on moving their 2018 first and second-round picks as well as their 2019 first and second-round picks to get Comtois only to see him make Anaheim’s roster, which looked like a disaster in October. Instead, the gamble paid off as the Voltigeurs get the star forward after all for a team competing for a title this year as they currently boast the fifth-overall record in the QMJHL.

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