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NHL Competition Committee To Discuss Offsides Review, Slashing

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The NHL Competition Committee will be meeting tonight and the two hottest topics on their list are slashing and video reviews of offsides’ play calling, according to Sportsnet’s Emily Sadler. Both topics have been issues in the NHL recently throughout the playoffs.

The competition committee will look into video reviews, which could mean eliminating it to changing the way teams can challenge the calls. Offsides calls have played a major factor as it has an impact on game pace and an impact on goals scored. The Predators had a goal taken away in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals after a narrow offsides review. There are plenty of criticisms of the replay, such as the length of time it takes to come to a decision as well as many people don’t think that the review was meant to check offsides calls to the inch.

Slashing has also been an issue as the NHL has been monitoring all slashes, concluding that there are as many as 80 slashes over the course of an average NHL game. While it is said the NHL does not want to send 80 people to the penalty box a game, they will look especially into slashing at players’ hands. The best example of slashing to the hands was the severe finger injury that Ottawa Senators’ veteran defenseman Marc Methot received from a slash by Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby, who was not penalized for the incident. Calgary’s Johnny Gaudreau also suffered a broken finger from repeated slashes from the Minnesota Wild in a game last November.

Among those who are expected to attend the meeting will include NHL executive VP and director of hockey operations Colin Campbell, the NHLPA’s Mathieu Schneider, and several general managers including Edmonton’s Peter Chiarelli and Dallas’ Jim Nill.

Las Vegas Notes: Big Contracts, Ovechkin, Beleskey, Moulson

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Expect the Las Vegas Golden Knights trading to start within the next few days or that’s what general manager George McPhee said yesterday at the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo. The veteran GM of the new expansion franchise said he expects to pick up some big contracts over the next few weeks leading up to the expansion draft as the market to unload expensive contracts is booming.

“We’ll take a few of those, for the right price,” said McPhee, who was constantly being stopped at the combine by other general managers to discuss possible trades.

The Las Vegas Review Journal’s Steve Carp writes that McPhee is looking for draft picks as he still believes the best way to build a dominant franchise is through the draft, despite the fact that his team should benefit greatly from the upcoming expansion draft. And with so many teams in need of salary cap relief, the Golden Knights might be able to not only get a quality player from that team via the expansion draft, they might also be able to bring in plenty of picks to get the franchise off the ground. After all, the team must add salary to their own team as well. So why not get some assets for doing that?

McPhee said the team is already far along in discussions with several teams and some trades may get announced soon. One trade that has already been discussed is that the Chicago Blackhawks are willing to offer Trevor van Riemsdyk to the Golden Knights to unload the contract of Marcus Kruger ($3.08MM over next two years). Another report by Gavin Lee on June 2, had the Columbus Blue Jackets trying to unload the contract of injury-retired David Clarkson ($5.25MM over three years).

  • McPhee did say the team will not look to acquire any marquee names as the general manager wants the face of the Golden Knights’ franchise to be the logo, not a particular player as he shot down the suggestion of trading for Washington Capitals’ star Alex Ovechkin, who McPhee drafted in 2004as the GM in Washington. “We’ll try to get as many good players as we can. But it’s all about building the right team, about chemistry and all those cliches. But that’s real,” McPhee added.
  • Speaking of unloading salary, Boston Herald’s Steve Conroy suggests the Boston Bruins clear some cap space and says the Bruins should offer up veteran Matt Beleskey to Las Vegas along with a third-round pick to take on the winger’s $3.8MM contract over the next three years. Beleskey, who suffered through an injury-plagued season, only put up three goals and five assists over 49 games this past season. The 28-year-old is coming off a 15-goal season in 2015-16 and a 22-goal season with the Anaheim Ducks in 2014-15. Conroy even suggested it might be worth tossing in a second-rounder if the Golden Knights balk at a third-round offer.
  • Jon Vogl of the Buffalo News suggests the Sabres should offer draft picks to the Golden Knights to convince the team to select Matt Moulson and his $5MM contract over the next two years. Moulson has scored just scored 22 goals over the past two seasons with the Sabres and a trade to unload the 33-year-veteran could help improve Buffalo’s cap situation quickly.

Vancouver’s Tanev Would Be Costly In Trade

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With the rebuilding progress underway in Vancouver, there are many rumors the Canucks may be looking to trade off their two veteran defensemen, Alexander Edler and Chris Tanev for prospects and draft picks. While Edler has a no-trade clause and would have to be a willing participant in any deal away from the only franchise he’s ever played for, Tanev would be easier to move. The 27-year-old blueliner wouldn’t provide much offense to any team trading for him, but his defensive ability makes him a top-four defenseman that so many teams covet as the offseason officially approaches.

Reports are that the Canucks are listening to offers, but will only consider it if they are blown away by an offer. After all, Tanev’s presence would be hard to replace on the blueline of a team that has had two poor years in a row.

In fact, Cam Tucker of NBC Sports reports Elliotte Friedman said Saturday night on Sportsnet, “The one thing I’ve heard is other GMs who say they’ve reached out to Vancouver have been told that this is no guarantee. And if Chris Tanev is going anywhere, the price is going to be very high for him. He’s got three more years under contract. He’s a good player at a good price. I don’t think Vancouver is looking to do this unless it’s a great deal.”

The Vancuver Sun’s Ben Kuzma wrote a story suggesting the team should use Tanev in a deal with the Dallas Stars with the hopes of acquiring the #3 pick in draft. Tanev and one of their fourth-rounders would be a solid package to net one of the top centers in the draft, whether it would be Gabriel Vilardi, Casey Mittelstadt or Cody Glass. They can then use their #5 overall pick to draft a young defenseman.

Dallas, who has made it clear that they are serious about moving the third overall pick, are looking for a top defenseman to solve their defensive issues. Tanev would be a perfect fit to their team, according to Kuzma.

Tanev, who like Edler has spent his entire career with the Canucks’ franchise, only put up two goals and eight assists this past year in 53 games. In fact, he’s never scored more than 20 points at any point in his career, but his defensive abilities make his 4.45MM deal over the next three years look reasonable.

Playoff Notes: Neal, Hornqvist, Fisher, Smith

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There is always talk about who came out on the better side of any trade. Who got the best player? Who got ripped off? Well, in the case of the 2014 trade between the two current Stanley Cup participants, it looks like an even trade. Adam Vingan of the Tennessean looks at the trade that sent James Neal from Pittsburgh to the Nashville Predators for Patric Hornqvist and the impact they have had on their respective clubs.

Neal, who was a winger for many top-line centers including Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, went from being a sidekick to a sniper wing. His 90 goals in three seasons (playoff goals included) has been a key to the Predators’ offensive success as they allowed him to be a focal point to their offense. This year, he has put up 23 goals and 18 assists, including another five playoff goals. The Penguins had enough scorers, according to general manager Jim Rutherford. What they wanted was a passionate team leader. Hornqvist turned out to be that guy. He still provides plenty of offense (83 goals in three seasons – playoffs included) and has made an impact on the locker room.

  • Nashville’s Mike Fisher has been cleared to play and is expected to play in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins after suffering from a head injury, according to Adam Vingan of the Tennessean. Fisher, the team’s captain, sat out for the final two games against the Anaheim Ducks since he was inadvertently kneed in the head by Ducks’ defenseman Josh Manson during Game 4 on March 18. The 36-year-old center has been the team’s emotional leader since acquired in 2011 from the Ottawa Senators. His 18 goals and 24 assists continue to be solid, although he has not tallied a point in 14 playoff games so far.
  • Vingan also says that forward Craig Smith is cleared to play in tomorrow’s Game 1 against the Penguins. Smith, who played in just one game in the second and third series due to a lower-body injury, could get into the lineup Monday. The 27-year-old center has scored 12 goals and 17 assists this season.

The Pros And Cons Of Trading Jonathan Drouin

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Due to their tight cap space both now and in the near future, the Tampa Bay Lightning and general manager Steve Yzerman will have to make a big decision soon about the future of young 22-year-old rising star Jonathan Drouin. There has been talk for much of the offseason already that the team might look to trade the young scorer for a top-four defenseman, which has created some outrage about the team trading a player of Drouin’s potential.

Drouin had a breakout year in 2016-17, scoring 21 goals and adding 32 assists for a 53 point season. And he’s likely to have just scratched the surface of his potential. Yes, Drouin chose to sit out games in 2015-16 and both looked selfish for demanding a trade and caused problems for the Lightning, but Drouin and the organization has moved past that, according to Tampa Bay Times writer Martin Fennelly. The scribe writes that under no circumstances do you trade away a top-talent like Drouin. The former third-overall pick in the 2013 draft has the potential to be one of the best players in the NHL if he plays to his potential.

Many people believe that Drouin could be a point-a-game player. Hall of Famer Phil Esposito, the franchise’s founder, compared Drouin to Wayne Gretzky. And that’s why, according to Fennelly, that you don’t trade a potential star. You don’t have to. The scribe suggests trading Tyler Johnson instead. The 26-year-old scored 19 goals last year and should be able to bring in a solid defenseman – perhaps not a star – but a blueliner that can still improve that defense.

However, there are others factors to consider, writes Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times, as the two writers wrote opposing columns. When the team’s disappointing season ended, without a playoff berth, Yzerman didn’t blame all the team’s injuries, but the Lightning’s lack of defense and that is the key to the team’s future success. The team allowed opposing teams too many scoring opportunities due to a weak defense. It’s not like the Lightning can just go out and sign the top free agent defenseman on the market. The team couldn’t afford Kevin Shattenkirk, let alone Karl Alzner. Cap space is the problem.

Smith says the idea of trading Drouin is crazy, but you have to look at all the factors, which includes the defensive problems as well as the cap ramifications. The team must lock up three restricted free agents this year, including Drouin, Ondrej Palat and Johnson (as well as add a back-up goalie) with just $18MM in cap space. That would be a major challenge. The team must also factor in that they must give a big contract to Nikita Kucherov in two years as well.

On top of that, Drouin’s value is at an all-time high. Every team would want to put a package together to get the young scorer. His value would be able to net multiple assets with a top-two or top-four defenseman just the beginning of an offer. The team could net other assets of young talent and/or picks, which could keep Tampa Bay on top for years to come from a trade like this. There are rumors about packages ranging from Los Angeles Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin or Minnesota Wild’s Matt Dumba and Marco Scandella as potential starting points in trades. And if Yzerman waits until just before the expansion protection roster deadline, he may be able to get an even greater package.

However, Fennelly points out that Tampa Bay should be reminded of a similar situation several years ago when the Boston Bruins traded Tyler Seguin to the Dallas Stars in 2013 for a package of players because the Bruins thought Seguin was a problem-child. Seguin now is one of the best scorers in the league. You don’t want to be the team that traded away a star player.

Rangers Ready To Make Major Moves On Defense

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The New York Rangers biggest need might just be acquiring a top defenseman and the Rangers are going to give a long, hard look at Washington Capitals’ blueliner Kevin Shattenkirk. The 28-year old veteran is coming off his best offensive season yet, scoring 13 goals and 43 assists for 56 points for the Capitals and Blues combined. Pro Hockey Rumors reporter Gavin Lee recently said in his PHR Chat on Thursday that he believes that Shattenkirk will end up with the Rangers.

The Rangers need a new presence on defense. They especially need a top-four defenseman who they can pair up with captain Ryan McDonough. Veteran Dan Girardi has struggled mightily of late and at age 33, isn’t likely to have a comeback year. Girardi is more likely to find himself taking a reduced role next season, which means they must acquire a top blueliner. Enter Shattenkirk, who immediately would help the Blueshirt’s power play as the veteran is second only to Ottawa’s Erik Karlsson in power play points by a defenseman.

The only question is can they afford the defenseman? Sean Hartnett of CBS New York writes that he believes that Shattenkirk will cost the team a seven-year deal of at least 6.5MM annually. The team would have trouble fitting that type of contract under their salary cap unless they looked into relieving themselves of a bloated contract, such as Girardi. The defenseman has been with the Rangers for 12 years, but has struggled lately, especially showing his shortcomings in the playoffs against the Ottawa Senators as he showed he could not keep up with their speedy forwards. His four goals and 11 assists was one of his worst seasons yet on offense. Hartnett suggests the team may look into a buyout of Girardi to free up enough money to make a run at Shattenkirk. Unfortunatey, Girardi has three years left at 5.5MM each year. However, if New York wanted to buy out Girardi, they could spread his salary out over the next six years.

The scribe also suggested the team could consider buying out 30-year-old Marc Staal instead, who could have his contract spread out over eight years as he has four years left at $5.7MM. Staal also struggled at the blueline this year and only was able to put up 10 points this season. One final suggestion to fix their aging defensive corps would be to try and trade for Winnipeg’s Jacob Trouba, but that would require a large and impressive package of talent they would have to return, so Shattenkirk might make for a better fit in New York. Either way, it looks like the Rangers will have to do something to fix up that defense.

Fleury’s Tenure In Pittsburgh Almost Over

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With the Stanley Cup about to begin on Monday, it was backup Marc-Andre Fleury who got quite a bit of attention at media day today. The backup goalie, who stepped up in the first two rounds of the playoffs and led the team to victories over the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Washington Capitals before giving way to starter Matt Murray, will almost guaranteed be in a Pittsburgh Penguins’ uniform for the last time after spending the last 13 years with the franchise.

“I try not to,” said Fleury, when asked whether he thinks about the upcoming offseason. “I try to live, day-by-day, go like that. We will see what happens at the end of the season.” The veteran goalie added, via NBCSports, that winning a Stanley Cup again would be one lasting memory he’d like to take away from this final season in Pittsburgh.

Because of the expansion draft, Fleury’s tenure in Pittsburgh is likely over. To begin with, the veteran has a No Movement Clause, which will ironically force the team to move him or buy him out rather than lose Murray, who is younger, cheaper and better. Fortunately for Fleury, his playoff success which included nine wins, a 2.56 GAA and a .924 save percentage in 15 playoff games, makes it easier to trade him as the 32-year-old will still be in high demand. Fleury does have a limited no-trade clause, which allows him to be traded to 18 teams of his choosing. While we have no idea who the 18 teams are, there is a good chance that he might agree to go to the Calgary Flames.

The Flames are coming off a strong season in which they reached the playoffs, but were swept out of the playoffs with much of the blame directed at their goaltending tandem of Brian Elliott and Chad Johnson. Both are free agents on July 1 and the team will be desperate for a starter.

While the Flames would have several options to choose from including Fleury, a veteran might be exactly what Calgary needs as their top two prospects are goaltenders in Jon Gillies and Tyler Parsons. Gillies, 23, just finished up his first full season for the AHL’s Stockton Heat. The former star goaltender from Providence College, finished the season with a 2.93 GAA, but the 2012 third-round pick did make his NHL debut this year. He might be a good backup for next year, but without a doubt isn’t ready for the starting job. Parsons, on the other hand, was a second-rounder in 2016 and isn’t ready for the NHL club yet. So, a veteran like Fleury would be a good fixture in net for the next two years as that’s what’s left of his contract.

Other teams like the Winnipeg Jets may be good fits as well, but there is no guarantee that the Jets are on Fleury’s 18-team list of teams. We’ll know soon enough.

 

Edmonton Oilers Notes: Nugent-Hopkins, Sekera, Bear

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The Edmonton Oilers, coming off a successful season in which they improved by 16 victories, and reached the second round of the playoffs (losing to the Anaheim Ducks in seven games), feel that some of their young players have more to learn and improve on as they look towards the 2017-18 season. Oilers head coach Todd McLellan was quoted recently on NHL.com that he feels that center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins must continue to improve, especially on the offensive end.

The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 draft has already played six full seasons with Edmonton and yet is still only 24 years old. The defensive center, needs to take more chances, according to McLellan and, while the coach praised the young forward for his all-around game, he must learn that it’s OK to take risks, especially now that he has a very talented team around him.

Nugent Hopkins finished with 18 goals and 25 assists for 43 points in 82 games this past season, which was his one his least productive seasons, offensively. He produced 19 goals in 2013-14 and then 24 goals in 2014-15 before only scoring 12 in 2015-16 in 55 games. He was not able to take his game to a new level as he told his coach that he was more focused on his defensive play. His playoff performance this was also disappointing as he didn’t score in 13 games and only finished with four assists.

“… we need him to be a little more productive so we’re going to encourage him to take a little more risk to try and be a little more productive offensively,” McLellan said. “Not at the cost of losing a game or anything like that, but mistakes are going to happen and you have teammates that have to cover for you sometimes.”

  • McLellan also tried to look on the bright side of the loss of their top defenseman Andrej Sekera, who will be out six to nine months after tearing his ACL in Game 5 of the second-round series against the Ducks. The coach said that while the loss is tragic and the team will miss his veteran presence over the first half (or more) of the season, this might allow some young defensemen to get a chance they otherwise would never have gotten. Matt Benning is one name that came up in the interview. Benning, 23, who played in his first season with the Oilers after suiting up for Northeastern University for three years, got increased playoff time after Sekera went down and showed his is up for the challenge. Darnell Nurse, 22, also could see increased playing time as well in the first half of the season.
  • Speaking of young defensive players, Oilers’ defensive prospect Ethan Bear’s season came to an end after his Seattle Thunderbirds were eliminated from the Memorial Cup. The former 2015 fifth-round pick had a breakout year in the WHL, finishing with 28 regular season goals. If you add his 17 playoff games to his totals, Bear finished his season with 34 goals and 62 assists for 96 points. The 20-year-old will now focus on NHL training camp with the hope of sticking with the Oilers. If not, he will be expected to join the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL.

Chicago’s DeBrincat Named CHL’s Player Of Year

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Chicago Blackhawks prospect Alex DeBrincat captured the Canadian Hockey League’s Sportsnet Player of the Year Award after the 2016 second-round pick finished a dominating season for the Erie Otters. The CHL handed out 10 awards, most notably including Nolan Patrick (Top Prospect), Sam Steel (Top Scorer), Nico Hischier (Top Rookie), Michael McNiven (Top Goaltender) and Thomas Chabot (Top Defenseman).

In DeBrincat, the 19-year-old winger scored 65 goals and added 62 assists for 127 points. The former CHL Rookie of the Year helped the Otters capture their second straight season title and the OHL championship to reach the Memorial Cup with 13 goals in 22 playoff games. Despite his offensive success, DeBrincat fell to the second round due to his 5-9, 160-pound size, but he has continued to put up good numbers.

Patrick and Hischier, the likely top two picks in the 2017 NHL draft had different years. Patrick only played in 33 games, but put up 20 goals and 22 assists for the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL. Hischier scored 33 goals and 48 assists in 57 games in his first season in the QMJHL for the Halifax Mooseheads.

Steel, the Anaheim Ducks’ first-round pick in 2016 won the top scorer award after finishing his WHL season with 50 goals and 81 assists for 131 points. Chabot, the top defender, actually got into one game for the Ottawa Senators this year. The 20-year-old 2015 first-round pick (18th overall) put up 10 goals and 35 assists in just 34 games for the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL.

Montreal goaltending prospect McNiven was an undrafted free agent, but signed a three-year entry level deal in 2015 with the Canadiens and flourished this year, finishing with a record of 41-9-2, a league-leading 2.30 GAA and a .915 save percentage for the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack. He was tied for first with six shutouts.

For more on the awards, check out the article on CHL’s website.

 

Snapshots: MacArthur, Rieder, Patrick

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Ottawa Senators veteran wing Clarke MacArthur, who has only played in 27 games in the past two years due to concussion issues, said he will take a couple weeks to re-evaluate himself for next season, according to Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen. The veteran winger, who has been dealing with post-concussions symptoms for 18 months before finally returning Apr. 4 for four regular season games and 19 playoff games, said he is excited about playing hockey again, but wants time to talk with doctors again.

MacArthur finished the playoffs with three goals and six assists, but says his neck doesn’t feel right and wants to get it checked out before committing to next season. The veteran still has three years remaining at 4.65MM and the Senators will be keeping a close eye on the results before they must submit their protection rosters for the upcoming expansion draft.

MacArthur, when healthy, is a solid third-line scorer and his presence proved useful throughout the playoffs, but the team needs him to return to his old self next year to keep the Senators success going. MacArthur had 24 goals in 2013-14 and 16 goals in the 2014-15 season.

  • Arizona Coyotes winger Tobias Rieder underwent successful surgery on the ankle injury he sustained at the IIHF World Championships, tweets Arizona Sports’ Craig Morgan. He is expected to be out of action for 8-12 weeks, but should be ready for training camp. The 24-year-old finished up his third season for the Coyotes, finishing with 16 goals and 18 assists.
  • Currently ranked as the top prospect by many organizations in the upcoming NHL draft, center Nolan Patrick has agreed to do all the physical tests at next week’s draft combine in Buffalo, tweets The Hockey News Ryan Kennedy. Patrick, who was injured for much of the 2016-17 season in which he played in only 33 games for the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings (although he scored 20 goals in that span) is being considered for the No. 1 overall pick by the New Jersey Devils along with center Nico Hischier.

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