Snapshots: Nightingale, Bass, Schmaltz
The Detroit Red Wings have hired Adam Nightingale as their new assistant video coach, the same role that he held this season with the Buffalo Sabres. Nightingale is currently working with Jeff Blashill at the World Championships for Team USA, likely getting some familiarity before the beginning of next season.
Nightingale joins Blashill as another Michigan native to work in the coaching staff, and previously spent time coaching and playing at Michigan State. The team release doesn’t mention Dave Noel-Bernier who held the video coach position last season for the Red Wings, but he has returned to the University of Nebraska-Omaha as an assistant coach.
- The Nashville Predators have recalled Cody Bass from the Milwaukee Admirals in an interesting move, seeing as he underwent surgery in January that was expected to keep him out the rest of the season. Perhaps Bass has recovered enough for a chance to get into the lineup to add some toughness at some point, but it’s much more likely he’ll just practice with the team and continue to work towards a role next season. The 30-year old is a journeyman enforcer that has more penalty minutes (107) than NHL games (75) in his career and has scored just five points.
- The St. Louis Blues have made a move of their own, sending Jordan Schmaltz back to the Chicago Wolves for their series opener against the Grand Rapids Griffins tonight. Schmaltz is obviously the Blues preferred insurance policy on defense, but want him to stay sharp and help the Wolves in their Calder Cup run. He’s been bounced up and down between AHL game days to serve as the team’s seventh defenseman in morning skates.
Pittsburgh Penguins Recall Josh Archibald, Oskar Sundqvist
After learning earlier today that they would be without both Sidney Crosby and Conor Sheary due to concussions, the Pittsburgh Penguins have decided to call up Josh Archibald and Oskar Sundqvist from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL. Crosby and Sheary are both out indefinitely, though they will each be evaluated every day as they try to come back from their latest head injuries.
Archibald and Sundqvist leave a WBS Penguins team that was just eliminated by the Providence Bruins on Sunday in their first round playoff series, and would have likely come up anyway as “Black Aces”. They’ll now wait to see if they’re inserted into the lineup for Pittsburgh’s game 4 on Wednesday night. If they are, they at least both bring some NHL experience with them from this year. Archibald played in 10 games for the Penguins and scored three goals, while Sundqvist was held pointless in his 10 game stint.
While neither of the call-ups can replace Crosby or Sheary, they are skilled replacements that can fit into the bottom of a lineup. The Penguins will need more contributions from their unheralded youngsters this year, just as they did from Bryan Rust and Sheary himself last spring.
Nashville Predators Recall Five Players
With the Milwaukee Admirals eliminated from the AHL playoffs, the Nashville Predators have called up a group of “Black Aces”. Vladislav Kamenev, Alexandre Carrier, Jack Dougherty, Petter Granberg and Trevor Murphy are all on their way up to skate with the team as insurance against multiple game-time injuries.
Among the call-ups are several interesting prospects. Kamenev was the Admirals’ second-leading scorer this season, putting up 51 points in 70 games as a 20 year old just a few years removed from going 42nd overall in the 2014 draft. Kamenev has turned into about as good of a power forward prospect as you can find, and has transitioned into a center ice role in recent years—though it’s not clear if he’ll continue there at the NHL level. In two games for Nashville this year he was held scoreless.
It also includes Carrier, who has turned from undersized fourth-round flyer in the 2015 draft to dominant AHL offensive defenseman in the span of two years. His 39 points in 72 games puts him fourth in scoring from rookie defenders, and he has a chance of bringing that offensive game to the next level in the future. Carrier won’t turn 21 until October, and still has a long way to go to establish himself as an NHL defenseman, but could be another example of the Predators pipeline of slightly undersized players to find success on the blueline.
In all, it’s unlikely that any of these players get into a game for the Predators during the playoffs, but will learn from their veteran teammates about how to prepare for the postseason after the long grind they’ve already been through. Next year should Nashville return, these players may use this experience while playing every night as a member of the NHL team.
Snapshots: Sabres, Madden, Stephens
The Buffalo Sabres interview list is up to six names now, after an Associated Press report from John Wawrow. Jason Botterill (PIT), Bill Guerin (PIT), Bill Zito (CBJ), Paul Fenton (NSH), Tom Fitzgerald (NJD), and Mike Futa (LAK) have all sat down with the Sabres leadership though a decision still hasn’t been made.
While Terry Pegula deals with his latest front office firing—this time of Doug Whaley of the Buffalo Bills—he says the Buffalo brain trust is close to making a final decision for the Sabres. One would expect the Sabres to put someone in place before the final decisions are made on the expansion draft protection lists, though they’ve already announced that Jeff Crisp will handle the entry draft. It is interesting to note that despite the expected interest, Julien BriseBois (Tampa Bay) and Norm Maciver (Chicago) don’t appear to have interviewed yet for the position.
- Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch confirms the report about Zito, and adds that AHL coach John Madden is a candidate to join Gerard Gallant behind the bench in Vegas next season. Madden was an assistant coach with Gallant in Florida for two seasons, before taking the job left vacant with the Cleveland Monsters by Jared Bednar when he left for Colorado. Gallant recently said that he’d have his assistants chosen and hired within the next month or so.
- The Washington Capitals have recalled Chandler Stephenson once again after allowing him to play the weekend back-to-back for the Hershey Bears. The AHL team ended up needing both games to eliminate the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and move on to their next matchup with the Providence Bruins, even getting a Stephenson assist on the opening goal Sunday. He’ll serve as insurance for the Capitals this week, as Hershey doesn’t open the next series until Saturday evening.
Snapshots: Holtby, Ritchie, Vrana
Washington’s Braden Holtby will get the start for Game 3 in Pittsburgh. He was yanked after surrendering 3 goals on just 14 shots through 2 periods. Philipp Grubauer didn’t fare much better, however, as he let in 2 of 9 himself in the final period. The decision to pull the reigning Vezina trophy winner was maligned following the game by commentators, such as the Washington Post’s Dan Steinberg who believed the move was “a sign of panic”. Holtby has struggled this post-season, not looking particularly strong in the first series against Toronto. His .911 save percentage these playoffs is certainly respectable but also easily his career low. It’s difficult to believe that his massive workload over the course of the season isn’t playing a factor in his drop-off in play. The netminder played an absurd 63 games this past season, which is difficult to defend from a coaching standpoint. His backup in Grubauer performed well above expectations, helping the duo capture the Jennings trophy. Additionally, the Capitals looked to be a lock for the post-season well before April, so why Holtby was subjected to yet another season of heavy lifting seems confusing. At least he didn’t play 73 games, like he did two seasons ago. One has to wonder if Carey Price, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Braden Holtby have all succumbed to fatigue to varying degrees, considering their individual struggles come playoffs. Regardless, Holtby will need to improve if Washington hopes to claw their way back into the series on the road.
- Anaheim forward Nick Ritchie and defenseman Sami Vatanen are both potential options for tonight’s game against Edmonton. Ritchie is out with the flu, and Vatanen has been out with an upper body injury since Game 1 versus Calgary in the last round. Both took the ice for the optional skate this morning, but no further information was provided. Vatanen had been replaced by Korbinian Holzer, who struggled in the season with a very poor 40.4 Corsi For percentage, taking a huge step backwards from the previous season in terms of driving possession. Ritchie had been replaced by Jared Boll, the heavy right-winger who accumulated an abysmal 39.3 CF% on the season – one of the league’s worst – to go along with his 0 goals through 51 games. The re-addition of Ritchie would be huge for a team that has had difficulty penetrating the wall that has been Cam Talbot.
- Washington prospect Jakub Vrana was scratched last night for the Hershey Bears. The 21 year-old left-winger is crafty with the puck and was projected to be an effective offensive force. The Czech has had trouble adjusting his style to the North American game, however. He was drafted 13th overall in 2014 and had a decent sophomore season when he played, earning 21 games up with the Capitals, notching 3 goals and 3 assists in that span. He was held pointless through 3 games in the Bears’ series against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Head coach Troy Mann was displeased with his unwillingness to engage physically and defend on the backcheck. His effort level is remarkably low for a prospect which was considered top-tier. Getting scratched at the AHL level of play doesn’t bode well for his future in the NHL, although stranger things have happened.
Ducks Recall Kase And Kerdiles
Down 2-0 in their Western Conference semifinal series against the Edmonton Oilers, the Anaheim Ducks are bringing in some reinforcements. The team announced that they have recalled forwards Ondrej Kase and Nicolas Kerdiles from the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. Both young forwards have been playing well in the AHL playoffs and will look to help out the NHL club in their efforts to stay alive through their trip to Edmonton.
Both Kase and Kerdiles were rookies for the Ducks in 2016-17, but played very different roles. Kase, 21, suited up for 53 games with Anaheim this season and recorded five goals and ten assists. The Czech winger saw only limited ice time, but showed an effectiveness in many facets of the game. Meanwhile, Kerdiles, a 2012 second-round selection, made his NHL debut on February 22nd against the Boston Bruins, but it would be the only game he skated in for the Ducks this season. The French-American forward missed most of the regular season due to injury, playing in just 27 games with the Gulls as well. However, through three playoff games, Kerdiles has looked like the best player on the ice for the AHL affiliate.
Experienced or not, the Ducks are hoping that an injection of young energy and offensive talent will help them get back into the series. Anaheim has been outscored 7-4 by the Oilers thus far, including a one-goal effort in their Game 2 loss. The team has not yet stated whether Kase or Kerdiles will start Game 3 tomorrow, but look for at least one of them to get the call as the Ducks begin to scramble for a way to change the status quo of the series.
Anthony Stolarz And The Expansion Draft
The Philadelphia Flyers may not be desperate for a goalie, but they’re not in the best of shape either. Heading into the off-season, the Flyers will likely say goodbye to impending free agent starter Steve Mason, but re-signed Michal Neuvirth to a two-year, $5MM extension earlier this season. Behind Neuvirth, Philly has Anthony Stolarz, a 2012 second-round pick who looked great in seven appearances in his rookie season. The Flyers also have promising prospects Carter Hart and Felix Sandstrom in the system, but it seems unlikely that either is ready for NHL action just yet.
So it’ll be Neuvirth and Stolarz next season? That’s not too bad. However, this is the 2017 off-season approaching and nothing is that simple. Both Neuvirth and Stolarz are eligible for the upcoming NHL Expansion Draft and both should be attractive to GM George McPhee and the Vegas Golden Knights. Stolarz is young and under team control as a restricted free agent and could be valuable to Vegas as either an investment or a potential trade chip. Neuvirth is relatively cheap at $2.5MM per year through 2018-19 and was drafted by McPhee when he was with the Washington Capitals. He would immediately provide some veteran presence to a goalie group that is expected to skew very young.
The question then becomes: if Vegas has interest in both, who should Philadelphia protect? At first, the obvious answer seemed to be Stolarz. Not only is he much younger than Neuvirth, but he simply outplayed him when given the chance in 2016-17. Stolarz has just as good a chance to be the goalie of the future in Philly as any of the other Flyers’ keeper prospects. However, there was a wrinkle added to than plan recently when Stolarz was injured in an AHL game, suffering a serious knee injury that required surgery. Now, Stolarz is expected to be sidelined all summer and likely not ready for game action into next season. What that means for the Flyers is, if they stay the course and protect Stolarz, an expansion selection of Neuvirth leaves the Flyers with no goalies to start the 2017-18 campaign.
Is that threat enough for them to potentially lose a top-end young goalie? It might be. The Flyers already have about $60MM committed to just 16 players for their cap payroll next season, and while many of their reinforcements will come from the minor leagues, you can expect GM Ron Hextall to be on the lookout for some veteran assistance as well. That very well may include a goalie, even if they do retain Neuvirth and Stolarz. However, the Flyers may not have the cap flexibility to deal with a potential loss of Neuvirth on top of a Stolarz injury. Such a predicament may force Philly to look at top-end free agents like Ben Bishop or Ryan Miller or may cause them to have to add two mid-level options like Brian Elliott, Jonathan Bernier, or Darcy Kuemper or even a return to Mason. Either of those strategies would severely limit the team’s ability to add anyone else in free agency.
So that’s the situation: will the Flyers’ protect the future (Stolarz) at the possible expense of the present? Or will they play it safe (Neuvirth) and almost surely lose a talented young goalie? McPhee and the Knights would love to have Stolarz, but they may have their eye on Neuvirth as well. Either way, it’s your move Hextall.
Playoff Notes: Stephenson, Bieksa, Predators
The Washington Capitals have sent Chandler Stephenson back down to the AHL ahead of the Hershey Bears back-t0-back games this weekend. The Bears will take on the Lehigh Valley Phantoms Saturday and Sunday needed to win just one game to go through to the second round. Stephenson wasn’t playing for the Capitals anyway, and will likely be back after the AHL series is decided one way or another.
For the Capitals, they won’t mess with their lineup heading into game 2 with the Penguins despite dropping the first game 3-2. Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post talked to Braden Holtby, who admitted some of the blame was on him for the loss. Much of that came when Sidney Crosby scored twice in just 52 seconds to give the Penguins a 2-0 lead. The two teams will face off again tomorrow night.
- Kevin Bieksa won’t play for the Anaheim Ducks tonight after suffering a lower-body injury. The veteran defender will likely be replaced by Sami Vatanen, who has played just a single game in the playoffs this year. Vatanen took the morning skate again today and according to Eric Stephens of the OC Register, sounded like he’s ready to re-enter the lineup. Head coach Randy Carlyle told media that Bieksa would likely be ready for later in the series, though who would come out in that situation would be interesting. If Vatanen is indeed ready to come back, his role is likely without question in the lineup after another big-minute season. Brandon Montour and Shea Theodore have also both showed exceptional play in the postseason, and Josh Manson provides a big physical presence against the heavy Oilers team.
- Adam Vingan of the Tennessean tweets that Craig Smith and Calle Jarnkrok should both be considered game-time decisions tonight, after taking the morning skate with the team. The pair missed game 1 of their series, but will be relied upon to fill in some of the lost offense after Kevin Fiala broke his femur on Wednesday night. While Smith had a down season offensively this year, he’s shown in the past that he can be an effective scoring winger with three straight seasons of 20+ goals. Jarnkrok on the other hand would likely be used back in the middle where he’s played for most of the season. His presence at center would let the Predators reduce some of the stress on Colton Sissons, who played almost 17 minutes in game 1—a mark he broke just once during the regular season.
Western Notes: Mazanec, Schmaltz, Draft Rankings
The Nashville Predators have recalled Marek Mazanec from the Milwaukee Admirals, and will keep him around as an emergency goaltender. The Admirals were eliminated from the AHL playoffs last night, losing 3-2 in overtime to the Grand Rapids Griffins. In a three game series sweep, the Griffins put 10 goals past Mazanec on 106 shots. He’ll practice with the team as a “Black Ace” for the remainder of the playoffs.
Nashville didn’t make any further call ups which is interesting after the news that Kevin Fiala will not be able to return these playoffs. Perhaps Craig Smith or Calle Jarnkrok, who both missed game one after being present in the morning skate will return in time for the next matchup on Friday night.
- The St. Louis Blues have recalled Jordan Schmaltz from the AHL and returned Petteri Lindbohm. Because they are only allowed three rotating callups, they’ll use Schmaltz as their defensive insurance until his next playoff series starts on May 3rd. The Chicago Wolves defeated the Charlotte Checkers in five games, but are still waiting on the other series’—some of which have played just two games—to finish around the league before moving on to face those Griffins that defeated the Admirals. Schmaltz will likely be sent back down, unless an injury were to strike one of the Blues’ defenders.
- Bob McKenzie and TSN have released their latest draft rankings, which will be their second-last attempt at figuring out which amateur player is regarded highest around the league. The ranking still has Nolan Patrick at #1, though it is basically a tie between he and Nico Hischier. The team at TSN had to survey 23 different teams to break the deadlock, when they normally just use 10. Patrick and Hischier are followed by Gabe Vilardi from Windsor, and the late rising Miro Heiskanen, who has forced himself into the conversation for the top three. With the top four lottery teams all being from the Western Conference there is a great chance the first pick (and perhaps the second, third and fourth) will belong to one of them.
Arizona Coyotes Fire Newell Brown, Doug Soetaert
The Arizona Coyotes have fired both assistant coach Newell Brown, and Tucson Roadrunners GM Doug Soetaert. The team has also decided not to renew the contracts for pro scouts David MacLean and Jim Roque. Brown had been with the team since 2013, and in the league as an assistant coach since 1996. The Coyotes, amid a terrible season on almost all accounts, ranked among the league’s worst in both powerplay and penalty kill. The team clearly wanted a different face for next year as they try to turn the franchise around.
Soetaert, put in charge of the Roadrunners when John Chayka was hired last summer, watched the AHL team miss the playoffs by 11 points in their first season. Prior to this year the team had been known as the Springfield Falcons—not to be confused with the current Springfield Thunderbirds, who were previously the Portland Pirates—where they had made it past the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs just once in their last 19 seasons. It’ll be even more turnover at the top next year, when a new GM will be in place.
Arizona GM John Chayka released a statement on the moves:
I’d like to thank Newell, Doug, David and Jim for their contributions to the club. They are all good people but we believe these changes are necessary in order to improve our organization. We wish them the best in the future.
It will be interesting to see where each lands, but even more interesting to see who Chayka brings in to replace them. After hiring Mike Van Ryn and Steve Potvin last summer, as development and skills coaches respectively, perhaps one of them will be on the bench next year alongside Dave Tippett. There will also be a lot of experienced NHL coaches available even after the Sabres and Panthers fill their current vacancies.