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Canucks Activate Roussel, Will Carry 24 Players Until Sunday

October 13, 2018 at 3:05 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning announced the team will  activate forward Antoine Roussel off of injured reserve today and will designate defenseman Alex Biega for assignment, but won’t put him on waivers until Sunday morning, meaning that the Canucks will have 24 players on their roster today.

Due to clause 16.12b of the CBA, according to the Province’s Patrick Johnson, a team that is activating a player off IR, is allowed to declare a player already on the roster, as a “non-roster” player, which is what Vancouver has done with Biega.

Roussel will get a chance to make his Canucks’ debut after the team signed him to a four-year, $12MM deal to add some grit to their bottom-six lines. The 28-year-old has been in injured reserve since the season started with concussion symptoms that he suffered during offseason training. While offense isn’t his primary role (five goals last year in Dallas), he provides the team a spark with his physical play as he racked up 126 penalty minutes a year ago and has accumulated 806 penalty minutes over his career.

The 30-year-old Biega will likely be returned to the Utica Comets of the AHL if he clears waivers. He played 44 games with the Canucks last season and but has been used as a healthy scratch so far this season.

AHL| CBA| Jim Benning| Vancouver Canucks| Waivers Alex Biega| Antoine Roussel

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Anaheim Ducks Place Pontus Aberg On Waivers

October 8, 2018 at 11:40 am CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 2 Comments

Monday: Aberg has cleared waivers according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, an interesting move given that the Oilers could have reclaimed him for their minor league squad. That means Aberg will now be able to go to San Diego should the Ducks decide to send him there.

Sunday: The Anaheim Ducks decided that Pontus Aberg may not be the best fit after all. After claiming him on waivers from the Edmonton Oilers last week, Elliotte Friedman reports that the Ducks have put the 25-year-old winger on waivers Sunday.

Aberg played just one game for the Ducks, who added Aberg due to multiple injuries to their roster, including Ryan Kesler, Corey Perry and Ondrej Kase. Aberg played 20 shifts in the team’s season opener against San Jose and played 13:47, but didn’t register a point. He did have a minus-one rating and picked up two penalty minutes, made one hit and blocked a shot.

There is no guarantee that any team might take a flier on Aberg after being waived after a one-game trial, but if Edmonton opts to claim him back and no one else does, the Oilers can send him directly to the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL without having to re-waive him again. If Edmonton opts not to bring him back and he passes through waivers, he can be sent to the San Diego Gulls of the AHL.

AHL| Anaheim Ducks| Edmonton Oilers| Waivers Corey Perry| Elliotte Friedman| Ondrej Kase| Pontus Aberg| Ryan Kesler

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Salary Cap Deep Dive: Dallas Stars

October 7, 2018 at 2:53 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2018-19 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Dallas Stars

Current Cap Hit: $78,030,832 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Miro Heiskanen (three years, $894K)
D Julius Honka (one year, $863K)
F Roope Hintz (two years, $812K)

Potential Bonuses:

Heiskanen: $2.5MM
Honka: $500K
Hintz: $158K

Total: $3.16MM

The Dallas Stars got a big boost to their defense when they managed to get Heiskanen, the third-overall pick in 2017, to come over to the NHL from Finland. The talented defenseman should be both an offensive and defensive presence for years to come and should be one of the cornerstones of the franchise. The 19-year-old posted 11 goals and 23 points in 30 games in the Liiga last year and has made an immediate impact to the team. And at an entry-level price, should prove to be an even greater impact to the team’s salary cap.

Honka, the team’s first-round pick in 2014, has shown glimpses of being a dominant defenseman as well, but despite his offensive talents, his lack of defense has kept him out of the lineup and has caused him to doubt himself as he is dealing with confidence issues. There was a belief that with new head coach Jim Montgomery around, Honka was starting to develop into that top-four defenseman that the team was hoping for, but he has already been scratched twice, suggesting he’s still not there yet.

A team that lacks offensive depth should be thrilled that Hintz has made the roster. The 21-year-0ld is a 2015 second-round pick and is coming off a 20-goal campaign in his first season of the AHL and could provide some offense from the wing position.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Jason Spezza ($7.5MM, UFA)
D Marc Methot ($4.9MM, UFA)
F Mattias Janmark ($2.3MM, RFA)
D Esa Lindell ($2.2MM, RFA)
F Brett Ritchie ($1.75MM, RFA)
D Roman Polak ($1.3MM, UFA)
D Connor Carrick ($1.3MM, RFA)
F Jason Dickinson ($875K, RFA)
F Gemel Smith ($720K, RFA)

This could be the last season for Spezza, and if not, it will be at a much lower AAV. Spezza is coming off one of the worst seasons in his career when he tallied just eight goals and 26 points last season as the 35-year-old struggled. While more determined to put up better numbers this year, the team likely will have to find top-six offense from someone else down the road. Methot is no different as his almost $5MM in salary could be better used elsewhere with the team’s defensive depth, although like Spezza, they could bring him back on a cheaper deal. The defensive specialist struggled with injuries last year, appearing in just 36 games.

The team may need a lot of that money for Lindell, who has developed into a solid top-four defender in Dallas. His defense has always been solid, but he has improved on offense, posting a career-high of 27 points and needs to be locked up to a long-term deal. The team also might consider locking up Janmark, who has improved each year since joining the team. The 25-year-old put up 15 goals back in the 2016-17 season and followed that up with an 19-goal season last year, suggesting he could be ready to take that next step this year and become that much-needed offensive weapon on their second line.

Two Years Remaining

F Martin Hanzal ($4.75MM, UFA)
F Valeri Nichushkin ($2.95MM, RFA)
G Anton Khudobin ($2.5MM, UFA)
F Devin Shore ($2.3MM, RFA)
F Radek Faksa ($2.2MM, RFA)
F Tyler Pitlick ($1MM, UFA)

The team still has two years of Hanzal remaining, who signed a three-year deal last offseason, but has struggled with back issues. The 31-year-old appeared in just 38 games last season, posting five goals and 10 points and remains injured at the moment. While he has been skating, there remains no timetable for a return. However, if Dallas can get him back healthy at some point this year, he could provide the Stars with some secondary scoring. Although he’s never been a 20-goal scorer, Hanzal adds a physical presence to the team.

Nichushkin is another player who the team has high hopes for after he agreed to return to the NHL after a two year stint in the KHL. The 2013 first-rounder put up just pedestrian numbers in his two years with CSKA Moscow, but the team believes he should fare well on their second line this season and should produce some offense. Khudobin is another important addition to the team as the team fell apart after the team’s starter went down late in the season at a critical moment. Without a solid backup (Kari Lehtonen), the team struggled and failed to reach the playoffs. Khodobin adds that much needed solid netminder who can fill in for Bishop, who has a history of injury issues.

The team also needs offense from Shore and Faksa. Both have shown the ability to produce, at times, on the bottom-six lines, but both have the potential to take their games up a notch if they can find the right chemistry. Shore has scored just 24 goals in two seasons combined, while Faksa, a defensive center, scored a promising 17 goals last year.

Three Years Remaining

F Blake Comeau ($2.4MM, UFA)
D Stephen Johns ($2.34MM, UFA)

The team has little to worry about in three years as it has just the veteran Comeau locked up and Johns. Comeau was brought on board to add a gritty, veteran presence to the team, while the 6-foot-4 Johns put up solid defensive numbers for the Stars and even provided eight goals.

Four Or More Years Remaining

F Jamie Benn ($9.5MM through 2024-25)
F Alexander Radulov ($6.25MM through 2021-22)
F Tyler Seguin ($5.75MM in 2018; $9.85MM through 2026-27)
G Ben Bishop ($4.92MM through 2022-23)
D John Klingberg ($4.25MM through 2021-22)

The team has several of their cornerstone players already locked up, the most significant came this summer when Seguin agreed to an eight-year extension to stay in Dallas long-term. Until he did so, there was plenty of speculation the team might have to move on from him, but with their franchise player locked in, the team can now focus on building the team around him rather than looking for a new franchise player. The 26-year-old posted a career-high 40 goals last year, but many feel that he is ready for a breakout season and might be able break out and take his game to the next level.

Benn is another player who the team counts on quite a bit on that fearsome first line. The 29-year-old is still a major offensive force who posted 36 goals and 79 points last season, bouncing back from a lesser 26-goal season in 2016-17. He continues to be a consistent scoring threat as he has never (strike shortened season excluded) scored less than 22 goals in his entire career. Radulov adds that third element for Seguin and Benn. The 32-year-old winger signed away from Montreal last summer was a perfect linemate on that first line as he tallied 27 goals of his own.

Bishop put up decent numbers last year as he played in 53 games for the Stars and put up a 2.53 GAA with a solid .916 save percentage. However, injuries knocked him out at a critical time and the team needs him to be healthy for a sustained playoff run. Klingberg had a great season for the Stars, despite seeing his goals scored drop to career-low eight. However, his career-high 59 assists suggested that he’s moving to the upper echelon of defenseman in the league and he even garnered some Norris Trophy consideration.

Buyouts

G Antti Niemi ($1.5MM in 2018-19)

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Still To Sign

None

Best Value: Klingberg
Worst Value: Hanzal

(Excluding entry-level contracts)

Looking Ahead

The key to the Stars plan was getting Seguin to sign on the dotted line and despite some early offseason concerns that it might not happen, the two sides were finally able to come to an agreement before training camp started. That allows the team and general manager Jim Nill to continue working towards adding pieces around a core of Seguin, Benn, Klingberg and Heiskanen by adding much-needed depth. The team looks to be in good shape for the extended future. Now they just have to win some games.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Dallas Stars| Jim Montgomery| RFA| Salary Cap Deep Dive 2018 Alexander Radulov| Anton Khudobin| Antti Niemi| Ben Bishop| Blake Comeau| Brett Ritchie| Connor Carrick| Devin Shore| Esa Lindell| Gemel Smith| Jamie Benn| Jason Dickinson| Jason Spezza| John Klingberg| Julius Honka| Kari Lehtonen| Marc Methot| Martin Hanzal| Mattias Janmark| Miro Heiskanen| Salary Cap| Salary Cap Deep Dive

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Los Angeles Kings’ Jonathan Quick Placed On Injured Reserve

October 7, 2018 at 1:04 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 5 Comments

UPDATE: The Kings have in fact placed Quick on injured reserve, per a team release. Quick is thus likely to miss at least a week with the injury. In a corresponding move, L.A. has recalled Budaj from the AHL.

One of the biggest fears for Los Angeles Kings fans would be an injury to their superlative goaltender Jonathan Quick and now the veteran has been deemed day-to-day with a lower-body injury after getting injured in practice Saturday, according to Fox Sports’ Jon Rosen. Quick was not at practice today as Jack Campbell and goaltending coach Bill Ranford covered practice.

Rosen adds Campbell, a Michigan native, is expected to start in goal today against Detroit and the team is expected to recall a goaltender from the Ontario Reign of the AHL shortly. The team has 36-year-old veteran Peter Budaj there as well as prospect Cal Petersen as potential call-ups. The team departs Monday for a four-game road trip through Winnipeg, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. There is no word on whether Quick will join them.

Fans remember that Quick suffered a groin injury during their season opener in 2016 and went to miss more than half the season, crippling their season as they failed to make the playoffs without his presence for much of the season. The team has already suffered numerous injuries early in the season as Dustin Brown is expected to miss time with a broken finger, while Jonny Brodzinski is also on injured reserve after undergoing shoulder surgery. Rookie Gabe Vilardi is also an injured-non roster player due to a back injury.

 

 

AHL| Injury| Los Angeles Kings Cal Petersen| Dustin Brown| Gabe Vilardi| Jonathan Quick| Jonny Brodzinski| Peter Budaj

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Atlantic Notes: Marner, Matthews, Ozhiganov, Stempniak

October 7, 2018 at 12:39 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 3 Comments

With the Toronto Maple Leafs enduring their drawn-out negotiations with restricted free agent William Nylander, it was suggested recently that Toronto try to negotiate deals with future restricted free agents, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, during the season to avoid similar holdouts next season.

Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston on Saturday Headlines, reported that while Marner’s camp sounds uninterested in discussing a contract extension in-season, Matthews camp is open to a deal.

“There were discussions throughout the summer with both Auston Matthews’ camp Mitch Marner’s camp with their extensions. They could’ve done that July 1, but some of those discussions are off,” Johnston said. “Mitch Marner and his camp have called a moratorium on talks throughout the season. They don’t want to see that distraction. I get the sense that Auston Matthews would be willing to work on his extension throughout this season.”

Matthews would be in line for a major contract pay raise as he is likely looking for pay that may even exceed the $11MM that Tavares received this summer. The 21-year-old posted 40 goals in his rookie campaign. That number dropped a little last year when he tallied 34 goals, but Matthews also missed 20 games due to injury last season.

Marner, on the other hand, hopes to get similar money to that of Matthews and The Athletic’s James Mirtle (subscription required) believes that Marner is ready to take his game to another level and believes he will easily manage to average a point-per-game after impressing in Saturday evening’s game against Ottawa. If he has an 80-point season, Marner will have posted 210 points in his three entry-level seasons, which the scribe compares to numbers of Jack Eichel, who signed an eight-year, $80MM ($10MM AAV) deal a year ago. That could prove to be quite costly for the Maple Leafs as well.

  • In a competitive defensive training camp battle, the Toronto Maple Leafs determined that defenseman Igor Ozhiganov was a keeper earlier than most. However, what does Toronto have in the 25-year-old defender who came over from the KHL this summer. The Athletic’s Ian Tulloch (subscription required) breaks down the play of the 6-foot-2 defender, who moves the puck extremely well, although there remain questions on his defense. While many KHL imports have struggled with moving the puck, Ozhiganov has had quite a bit of success so far, albeit in limited time, giving hope that he could develop into a solid blueliner. However, he does have Justin Holl breathing down his neck as a potential replacement.
  • NBC Sports’ Joe Haggerty, in a mailbag piece, writes that Lee Stempniak, who signed a PTO with the Boston Bruins, continues to remain with the team hoping for a chance to work his way into the team’s lineup. The scribe writes that if youngsters Ryan Donato or Danton Heinen fail to impress in their top-six auditions, the team is keeping Stempniak around as insurance. The 35-year-old, who played 37 games for Carolina last season, said that he would prefer to stay in Boston with his family and will continue to practice with the team for now.

Boston Bruins| Injury| RIP| Toronto Maple Leafs| Uncategorized Auston Matthews| Jack Eichel| Lee Stempniak| Mitch Marner| Ryan Donato| William Nylander

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San Jose Sharks Place Joe Thornton On Injured Reserve

October 7, 2018 at 10:53 am CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 3 Comments

The San Jose Sharks placed center Joe Thornton on injured reserve Sunday after the 39-year-old experienced swelling in his surgically-repaired right knee after their 3-2 overtime win over Los Angeles Friday, according to Paul Gackle of the Mercury News. The veteran flew back to San Jose to meet with doctors.

Head coach Peter DeBoer downplayed the injury and said Thornton’s trip to the doctor was just precautionary.

“He had a little bit of swelling after the last game, and rather than continue on the road and risk anything with it, we’re going to take the safe route and get him home and get it looked at,” DeBoer said.

Thornton looked to be recovered from a significant injury as he performed well in his first two games for the Sharks. However, injuries have plagued him for more than a year now. He tore his ACL and MCL in April of 2017 in his left knee. He came back five months later and suffered the same injury in January to his right knee. It’s too early to know if the setback is serious or just a byproduct of returning to the ice after surgery.

“The trainers say it’s fairly common, that it can get some fluid in there sometimes with what he’s gone through,” DeBoer said. “I don’t think anybody is overly concerned. We’re just making sure that we do this right.”

By being placed on injured reserve, however, the earliest that Thornton can return will be next Sunday, Oct. 14 against New Jersey.

The team has activated Dylan Gambrell from the San Jose Barracuda in response to the move. Gambrell signed with San Jose at the end of last season after three years at the University of Denver. He was one of the last player cut from the Sharks’ training camp roster and has only played one game for the Barracuda, but scored two goals and added an assist in that one game.

CapFriendly was the first to report the move.

Injury| Peter DeBoer| San Jose Sharks Joe Thornton

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Minor Transactions: 10/07/18

October 7, 2018 at 10:19 am CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

After the first handful of games and a handful of injuries, many teams should be active as they make changes and/or additions to their roster. Keep checking to see what teams do.

  • The St. Louis Blues announced they have assigned veteran defenseman Chris Butler to the San Antonio Rampage now that Jakub Jerabek has gotten his visa and is ready to join the team. With Jerabek, the team has nine defenseman on the roster, forcing them to send Butler down. The 31-year-old blueliner played in the Blues’ first two games for the injured Joel Edmundson, faring well and even scored a goal. Once an NHL regular, Butler has spent the past few years in the AHL, being utilized as an emergency recall.
  • The Minnesota Wild announced they have assigned forward Luke Kunin to the Iowa Wild of the AHL. That means that Kunin has been cleared to play since he’s been working to return from a torn ACL he sustained on Mar. 4. The team’s 2016 first-rounder, Kunin bounced back and forth between Iowa and Minnesota last season, playing in 19 games for the big-league club before sustaining the injury. He has been rehabbing since and passed coach Bruce Boudreau’s infamous skating test Saturday and looks ready to continue his return.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have recalled forward Laurent Dauphin from his conditioning stint with the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL, the team announced. The 23-year-old played one game there, putting up a goal and an assist and will now return to the Coyotes. Dauphin has been recovering from a lower-body injury he sustained at the end of last season and had been limited at training camp. The hope is he can fill in for injured Coyotes’ such as Alex Galchenyuk and Christian Dvorak.
  • The Los Angeles Kings announced they have recalled veteran goaltender Peter Budaj to be the team’s backup for Jack Campbell for the near future while starter Jonathan Quick sits out after he suffered a lower-body injury in practice Saturday. The 36-year-old Budaj has only played one game for Ontario in the AHL as he allowed five goals, posting a .833 save percentage.
  • With Joe Thornton landing on the IR, the San Jose Sharks have promoted center Dylan Gambrell, per CapFriendly. The first-year pro out of the University of Denver was a perennial point-per-game player in the college ranks and will be looking to live up to his second-round pick billing in his first opportunity with the Sharks.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have promoted center Vladislav Kamenev from Colorado of the AHL in advance of their upcoming road trip, per the AHL’s Transactions page.  The 22-year-old was added as part of the Matt Duchene trade last season but was sidelined shortly thereafter.  In two games with the Eagles so far this season, Kamenev has one assist.

AHL| Colorado Avalanche| Los Angeles Kings| Minnesota Wild| San Jose Sharks| St. Louis Blues| Transactions| Utah Mammoth Chris Butler| Jack Campbell| Jakub Jerabek| Joel Edmundson| Jonathan Quick| Laurent Dauphin| Luke Kunin| Peter Budaj

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Morning Notes: Mason, Van Riemsdyk, Hutchinson, Maroon

October 7, 2018 at 9:29 am CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

While there are a few free agents still out on the market, one may not be coming back. Free agent goaltender Steve Mason may be ready to hang up his skates despite having received an offer from an NHL team looking for a backup, according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston on Saturday Headlines.

“He had a ton of injuries last season, he had concussion and knee issues, he’s been through a lot in his career, and the sense is he may actually be done in the NHL,” Johnston said.

Mason signed a two-year, $8.2MM deal last offseason with the Winnipeg Jets, but was limited to just 13 games due to multiple concussions and a knee injury. He finished the season with a 3.24 GAA and a .906 save percentage. The Jets, looking to free up some cap space, sent Mason, Joel Armia and two draft picks to Montreal for prospect Simon Bourque (who has since been released) to unload him. Montreal bought Mason out not long thereafter, making him a free agent.

  • The Philadelphia Flyers will have to wait until Monday to find out the injury status of marquee free agent James van Riemsdyk, who was hit in his right knee during the first period of Saturday’s game against Colorado and was forced to leave the game, according to Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi. The 29-year-old posted 36 goals last season for Toronto and would be a big loss if he had to miss any stretch of time. “I’m concerned he wasn’t able to come back,” coach Dave Hakstol said. “I don’t know the extent of it.”
  • The Athletic’s George Richards reports that the Florida Panthers intend to recall Michael Hutchinson from Springfield of the AHL at some point in the next few days, but with the team not playing again until Thursday, the team doesn’t have to make an immediate move. The Panthers signed Hutchinson this offseason, who has more than 100 games of NHL experience, as the team’s third-string goalie for this reason as Luongo has a long injury history. Hutchinson played 26 games for the Manitoba Moose of the AHL last season and boasted a .936 save percentage. Due to injuries, however, he only made three appearances with the Jets last year.
  • St. Louis Blues’ Pat Maroon could be playing himself into a long-term extension with his play Saturday night, according to The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford (subscription required). The 6-foot-3, 225-pound power forward dominated the game for the St. Louis Blues, despite eventually falling in overtime to Chicago. Maroon, who signed a one-year, $1.75MM contract to return to him hometown, could walk away with a more lucrative deal after the season is over if he continues to play the way he did Saturday.

Dave Hakstol| Florida Panthers| Injury| Philadelphia Flyers| St. Louis Blues| Winnipeg Jets James van Riemsdyk| Joel Armia| Michael Hutchinson| Steve Mason

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Evening Notes: 2020 World Cup, Luongo, Mantha, Hughes

October 6, 2018 at 8:52 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 2 Comments

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said today that there is a chance there will be a 2020 World Cup, but one major obstacle is the collective bargaining agreement, according to The Athletic’s Corey Masisak.

With the collective bargaining agreement coming up, both the NHL and the NHL Players Association exercise their right to terminate the agreement next year. If either the NHL of NHLPA opts to do that, a World Cup would be “unlikely” to happen.

The last World Cup was in 2016 when Canada defeated Team Europe (a team made up of countries that didn’t make it into the tournament) in a two-game sweep of the best-of-three finals. If they can pull off a 2020 World Cup, it would be the fourth instalment. There was a World Cup in 1996 and 2004.

  • The Florida Panthers may be without their starting goaltender again as Roberto Luongo was forced out of tonight’s game against Tampa Bay. NHL.com’s Corey Long writes that Luongo will not return after a scramble in front of Florida’s net when Panthers defenseman Mark Pysyk and forward Frank Vatrano collided in front of the net with Vatrano falling on top of Luongo’s right leg at 12:21 of the second period. Luongo, who had made 13 saves, needed assistance getting off the ice, which could force the injury-prone goaltender to miss some time again. James Reimer took over for Luongo.
  • Dana Wakiji of NHL.com writes that Detroit Red Wings’ newly acquired veteran Thomas Vanek has been especially impressed by the play of Anthony Mantha and believes that the 24-year-old will develop into a top-line power forward sooner than later. “I think he can become the next power forward in this league,” Vanek said after the Wings’ practice Saturday. “His size, his skill-set, his skating, you don’t see that combination that much. He’s still young. The consistency is probably for all us, still not quite there, but he can become a real good power forward in this league.” The winger posted 24 goals last season and at 6-foot-5, 225 pounds, is capable of doing more. He will play alongside Dylan Larkin this year, which should increase his chances of goal-scoring success.
  • Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News released his list of the Top 75 collegiate players with the Vancouver Canucks and the Colorado Avalanche owning the rights to the top two college players, Michigan defenseman Quinn Hughes and University of Massachusetts defenseman Cale Makar. Hughes, the fifth-overall pick in this year’s draft had 29 points as a freshman for the Wolverines last year, while Makar, the fourth overall pick in 2017, posted 21 points as a freshman last year for the Minutemen.

Colorado Avalanche| Detroit Red Wings| Florida Panthers| Injury| NHL| NHLPA| Team Europe| Vancouver Canucks Anthony Mantha| Bill Daly| Cale Makar| Dylan Larkin| Frank Vatrano| James Reimer| Mark Pysyk| World Cup

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Central Notes: Bishop, Hanzal, Crawford, Kunin

October 6, 2018 at 7:55 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 4 Comments

While Ben Bishop has fared well, when healthy, for the Dallas Stars, there are many reasons for that. One reason is his dedication to watching film. According to The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro (subscription required), Bishop has been watching film every day before games for the last seven years and will watch anywhere from 30 to 60 clips of opponents and their scoring opportunities.

“I like to see where they’re getting their chances from,” Bishop said. “You can kind of pick up on where they’re getting their chances. Is it a lot of odd-man rushes? Is it down low? Is it a lot of point stuff?”

Bishop always puts more emphasis on young players who he knows little about, something he focused heavily on before their season opener against the Arizona Coyotes, a team full of young, talented players. The result: a shutout. Video coach Kelly Forbes said he’s never seen a goalie put so much emphasis on film. Bishop is also an active participant in team pre-scouting as well.

“Even though I play I’m still a big fan,” Bishop said. “And I’m always watching it and I’m always watching the goalies. Everybody has got a different style, I’m sure when I’m done playing I’ll still be watching the goalies.”

  • Sticking with the Stars, NHL.com’s Mark Stepneski writes that Martin Hanzal, who has been on injured reserve as he recovers from back surgery, was skating with the team this morning. Hanzal, who the team signed to a three-year, $14.25MM contract last offseason, hasn’t done much for Dallas so far. He appeared in just 38 games last season, tallying just five goals. There is still no timetable for his return. Valeri Nichushkin, out with a lower-body injury, also skated with the team and remains day-to-day.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks are getting closer to getting back goaltender Corey Crawford into their lineup. Mark Lazerus of The Athletic questioned head coach Joel Quenneville about how carefully the team will use Crawford. “We’ll watch him,” Quenneville said. “Long-term, that’s the goal, is to get him playing. But we’ll see immediately how he’s playing.” In the meantime, offseason acquisition Cam Ward has been filling in as the team’s starter.
  • John Shipley of pioneerpress.com writes that young forward Luke Kunin is getting closer to being medically cleared after suffering a torn ACL injury on Mar. 4 and undergoing surgery. The 2016 first-round pick passed coach Bruce Boudreau’s infamous skate test Saturday morning and the team now must decide whether to keep him with the Wild or send him to Iowa of the AHL. “That’s not my call,” Boudreau said. Kunin practiced Friday with the team’s third line of Jordan Greenway and Charlie Coyle.

Bruce Boudreau| Chicago Blackhawks| Dallas Stars| Injury| Joel Quenneville| Minnesota Wild| Utah Mammoth Ben Bishop| Cam Ward| Charlie Coyle| Corey Crawford| Jordan Greenway| Luke Kunin| Martin Hanzal

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