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Nylander Wins MVP At World Championships

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The Toronto Maple Leafs must be happy after William Nylander and the gold-medal winning Team Sweden captured the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships over Canada Sunday. Nylander, coming off his first full season with Toronto, was named the World Champion MVP after scoring seven goals in the tournament.

Nylander, the eighth overall pick in 2014, completes an eventful year with that award. He already had been named NHL Rookie of the Month twice (in October and March), helped the Maple Leafs reach the playoffs for the first time since 2013 by scoring 22 goals in his first full season. His success in Germany at the world championships dealt with more than just the seven goals. He tallied seven assists for 14 points. He also finished with the best plus-minus in the tournament (+11) and was named a World Champion All-Star and a Top 3 player on his team.

Nylander capped off the overtime shootout victory by body slamming his own goaltender New York Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist after the victory. His success only further heightens the anticipation of the Maple Leafs’ season next year after he and Auston Matthews teamed up to almost knock off the Washington Capitals in the first round of the playoffs.

Edler’s IIHF Success May Force Vancouver To Move Him

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The Vancouver Canucks may have to expedite their rebuilding plan as Vancouver Sun’s Jeff Paterson suggests with the recent success of Team Sweden in the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championships, veteran defenseman Alexander Edler may re-consider his position in Vancouver. The success of Sweden over the past two weeks and most recently today when they captured the gold medal, may have given the defenseman a will to compete for a Stanley Cup rather than languish with the Canucks who are not anywhere near that level.

Edler, who has spent his entire career in Vancouver, has two years left at $5MM, and at 31 years old, this may be the best time to move on. He finished the season with six goals and 15 assists in 68 games this past season. Paterson writes that Edler must see the success of some of his former teammates such as Ryan Kesler and Kevin Bieksa in Anaheim as well as Alexandre Burrows in Ottawa. And with many teams need for a top-four defenseman, there should be plenty of trade interest if Edler wishes it.

The veteran blueliner does have a No Movement Clause, but that would only benefit Edler as he can have a say to which team he could get traded to. On top of that, with two years left on his contract, any team that trades for him would get him for two post-season runs. Paterson compares Edler to that of Dion Phaneuf in Ottawa, who took a role as a second-line defenseman there and has thrived for the Senators. The same could hold true for Edler.

A trade like this could also be beneficial to the Canucks. While they would likely net a good haul for the defensive-minded blueliner, the team would also open up a spot on their protection roster for the upcoming expansion draft and free up cap space to further enhance their rebuilding process.

Blues Owner Gives GM Vote Of Confidence

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If anyone thought the status of St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong was up in the air after recent coaching turnover and the up-and-down season the Blues endured last year, don’t count on it. In an interview with the St. Louis Post Dispatch, team owner Tom Stillman said he never second-guessed the general manager and even though Armstrong has only one year remaining on his deal, the owner believes that Armstrong is the man for the job.

“No,” Stillman said about whether he was considering replacing Armstrong during the season. “You need to keep a longer view on things like that. You don’t evaluate the performance of a top-level manager based on the latest current losing streak or a rough patch. I felt confident that Doug was making the right decisions and looking at the long-term, and that’s our focus, being competitive not just this year but next year and the following year. In fact, I think Doug is unusual in that he was so focused on the long-term.”

The Blues struggled early in the season, going 24-21-5 which led to the firing of Ken Hitchcock on Feb. 1. Armstrong then promoted Mike Yeo and the team immediately won six of their first seven games. Looking to the future, the team then traded defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk to the Washington Capitals and kept winning, eventually qualifying for the playoffs with a 46-29-7 record, good for third in the Central Division. They then knocked off the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the playoffs, only to fall to the Nashville Predators in six games in the second round.

“I don’t know that it surprised me because when you’re in that situation you know it could go any number of ways, but I will say that it impressed me,” Stillman said. “It impressed me the way the coaching staff performed … the way the players dug in. They were in a tough position and then we made it a little tougher on them by trading a top player and yet everybody dug in. They played for each other, played for the team and carved out a playoff position and played two rounds in the playoffs.”

Stillman continued by saying that promoting Yeo was a key move and the improved play of the team’s youth, including defensive pair Colton Parayko and Joel Edmundson as well as forwards Ivan Barbashev and Zach Sanford were a testament to Yeo’s coaching.

 

 

Coreau’s AHL Playoff Success Creating Detroit Goalie Logjam

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The Detroit Red Wings like what they see in the play of prospect goaltender Jared Coreau, writes Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. The 25-year-old goalie is dominating in the AHL playoffs as he leads the Grand Rapid Griffins in their playoff run. He stopped 26 of 27 stops Saturday to win Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the San Jose Barracuda. In fact, he made 16 saves in the final period to stave off six Barracuda power play opportunities. He has aided the Griffins to an 8-1 record in the playoffs and could be a prime candidate to take over backup duties in Detroit next season.

The team currently has veteran Jimmy Howard in net as the starter and 25-year-old Petr Mrazek as the backup. However, Coreau spent three months with Detroit after Howard suffered a knee injury and played well in spots, even getting the nod to start the Jan. 1 outdoor game against Toronto over Mrazek. His 3.47 GAA in 14 games wasn’t always pretty, but there were shining moments through his stint at the pro level as well.

As reported a week ago, the Red Wings may be looking to move on from the 33-year-old Howard, who has two more years at $5.29MM. Despite his 3.04 GAA in 50 games this season, many believe that Mrazek is ready to move up into a starting role and Coreau’s recent success will only aid the Red Wings endeavors to find a taker for Howard’s contract.

Devils Need To Focus On Fixing Defense

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Already stocked with the first-overall pick, the New Jersey Devils next question is how to repair their sieve of a defense that they had to endure through the 2016-17 season. This might be that year in which they can do that as they also have $21MM in projected cap space, are armed with a key trade chip of Ilya Kovalchuk and have draft assets to move if they want to take part in the expected trade flurry right before the expansion draft.

The team is in desperate need to make some changes, which includes rebuilding that blueline that gave the Devils the sixth-worst goals allowed (2.94) in the NHL last year. The Hockey Writers’ Will Agathis break down some of the current defensemen on the roster and the key is moving to a youth movement. The team’s lone bright spot is 22-year-old Damon Severson, who will be a restricted free agent this year, but started to put everything together in his third year in the league. His three goals and 28 assists highlighted the defense. However the highlights ended there.

One critical aid to the defense would be to begin limiting minutes for veteran Andy Greene and last year’s free agent acquisition Ben Lovejoy. Greene, a 34-year-old blueliner, is still a solid defender but probably is not a top-2 defenseman any longer. The veteran still has three years remaining on his contract at $5MM each. While Greene was never much of an offensive defenseman, his 13 points in each of the last two years are the lowest output since the 2008-09 season. The team will also need a bounce-back season from veteran Lovejoy, who put forth a disappointing season after signing over from the Pittsburgh Penguins last offseason. The veteran still has two years remaining at $2.67MM. It’s also suggested that he may need to move further back in the lineup.

So, who should the Devils rely on?

Agathis suggests the team should put more emphasis on their youth such as Severson and maybe even John Moore. Despite his lack of defensive presence, the 26-year-old still has time to improve on defense and just needs the ice time. He also suggests that Steven Santini and Jon Merrill should be given more ice time to prove themselves. Santini, a former second-round pick in 2013, only played in 38 games last season, but showed promise. Merrill, a second-round pick in 2010, has been inconsistent with injuries throughout his career, but also has shown flashes of promise.

However, the scribe writes the best opportunities for the Devils is to pick up some defenders through free agency and through trades. The Kovalchuk trade chip would be one great way to net a top defender, while waiting for a team to desperately trade one of the unprotected prospects before having to give them up to the Las Vegas Golden Knights for nothing would be another way to find a blueliner. Along with their cap space, the Devils may be able to totally redesign their defense in just one offseason.

Don’t Expect Edmonton To Make Major Move

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Don’t expect the Edmonton Oilers to make any splashy moves this offseason. At least that’s what Edmonton Journals’ David Staples writes about statements that general manager Peter Chiarelli made that the team will stand pat during the offseason, at least when it comes to major deals. And Staples says that Chiarelli is a man of his word, so don’t expect a big deal for a top-four defenseman.

With the loss of Andrej Sekera, who is out till midseason 2017-18, the team would be in need of improved defense. Chiarelli says the team will do everything it can to re-sign Kris Russell in the offseason. However, the possible loss of Russell also makes one wonder if the Oilers might force a trade to upgrade

With the flurry of trades expected before the expansion draft next month, there could be some quality defensemen that might come available as teams realize theyâd be better off trading a player for an asset rather than handing them over to the Las Vegas Golden Knights for nothing. There might be several defensemen who could fill a vital role on the Oilers’ blueline next season. However, the scribe believes that Chiarelli will allow his young nucleus to develop and fill in the holes for a team that made a 16-win improvement from 2015-16. The belief is that he is expecting young defensemen Darnell Nurse and Matt Benning to take the next step until Sekera returns.

  • The Edmonton Oilers have inked Iiro Pakarinen to a one-year contract extension, tweets CapFriendly. Pakarinen, a restricted free agent, agreed to a one-year, one-way contract for $725,000. The 25-year-old winger only played 14 games for Edmonton last year, tallying two goals and two assists. He played in 63 games, scoring five goals in 2015-16.

Gibson Doesn’t Return After Period 1 Of Game 5

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8:23 CT: The Ducks have confirmed that Gibson is questionable to return with a lower-body injury. Bernier saved 10 of 11 shots in the second period.

7:43 CT: Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson did not return to the ice after the first period of their Game 5 matchup with the Nashville Predators. No word yet, although it is assumed that it’s an injury. Jonathan Bernier takes over in net for the Ducks, who last played on May 7 in a mop-up role against the Edmonton Oilers. Veteran Jhonas Enroth is the emergency backup for the Ducks.

Do Maple Leafs Have Too Many Young Contracts?

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Is it possible to have too many young players? That may be the question the Toronto Maple Leafs may be asking themselves this offseason as they look to sign several players and draft picks to contracts, according to thestar.com’s Kevin McGran, who looks at the situation of prospect Dominic Toninato’s future in the NHL.

The former college star and Toronto’s 2012 fifth-round pick can be a free agent on August 16 if he chooses, but he claims that he wants to play for Toronto next year. The Minnesota-Duluth captain who led his team to the U.S. college hockey finals finished his career with 55 goals in four season. The question is, are the Maple Leafs able to sign him?

The NHL Collective Agreement limits teams to 50 pro contracts, not including players who remain in junior hockey. While many teams keep that number to the late 40’s to give them flexibility, Toronto is already at 50. While that number could shrink to 36 or 37 when the offseason officially gets underway, the Maple Leafs have other players to consider as well.

The Leafs have five players from 2015 under contract, but will have to make decisions on forwards Martins Dzierkals (third round) and Nikita Korostelev (seventh round) and defenseman Stephen Desrocher (sixth round). To make matters even more complicated, the team only has two of 11 2016 draft picks under contract and the junior careers of Adam Brooks (fourth round), Vladimir Bobylev (fifth round) and Jack Walker (sixth round) are ending and the team must make decisions on them.

The team would consider the option of signing Toninato to a minor league contract with the Toronto Marlies. Many former teammates at Minnesota-Duluth have done this recently, including 2011 fifth-rounder Tony Cameranesi, J.J. Piccinich, a fourth-rounder in 2014. However, Tonitato’s agent Neil Sheehy says he will not sign a minor-league contract, which may force him to take the free agent route if he wants a pro contract.

Snapshots: Olympics, Johansen, Rakell

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The Pyeongchang Olympics organizing committee president Lee Hee-beom stated that he is still willing to negotiate with the NHL to get them involved with the Olympics. He stated that he didn’t believe the NHL was being “greedy,” and was still open to working out a deal to allow NHL players to play during the Olympics for the 2018 Olympic Games.

The Sporting News writes that Lee stated that he is willing to be flexible and while he doesn’t know what the NHL wants in order to make a deal, “but whatever they ask – if it is acceptable for us – we will do our best.”

The International Ice Hockey Federation has also been willing to discuss options, but it is believed that a “game-changer offer” is needed in order to get the NHL owners to agree to stop the season for three weeks for the Olympics. The IIHF has already agreed to pay players’ travel and insurance costs, but balked at the NHL’s demand for a share of marketing rights to a commercial league.

  • Nashville Predators’ Ryan Johansen was reportedly diagnosed with acute compartment syndrome, according to NHL Network’s Jon Morosi. The team has not confirmed this. He is expected to fully recover. As reported yesterday, Johansen was knocked out of Game 4 against the Ducks and had immediate surgery and was ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs. He was their No. 1 option on offense after putting up 61 points this season. Ian McLaren of theScore writes that captain Mike Fisher will also be out for Game 5 tonight with an undisclosed injury.
  • The Predators may have mounting injuries, but the Ducks are suffering as well. Already without veteran Patrick Eaves, now The Tennessean’s Adam Vingan tweets that the Ducks will be without Rickard Rakell for Game 5 tonight with a lower body injury. The 24-year-old center broke out with 33 goals during the regular season and had seven goals and 13 points during the playoffs.

 

 

 

Should Buffalo Trade For Capitals’ Grubauer?

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The Buffalo Sabres biggest pressing need may not be in goal, yet The Hockey Writers’ Richard Spalding suggests the Sabres best opportunity would be to upgrade their goaltending as acquiring goaltending will be at a premium before next month’s expansion draft. Defense may be the team’s biggest need, but if there is a chance to upgrade in the net, then that is the direction the Sabres should go.

Spalding is quick to point out that current starter Robin Lehner is not the problem as the team’s defense or lack thereof was much to blame for the team’s lackluster season. However, the 25-year-old starter is coming off a tough year in which he had a 2.68 GAA in 59 games. But is Lehner a No. 1 goalie? The scribe suggests that stressful situations have a tendency to get him. His 0-4 record in shootouts during the regular season is discouraging, but his save percentage in those shootout situations is 0 percent. He gave up eight goals on eight shots. While the playoffs have no shootouts, is that the goalie you want as you’re trying to build a team to win a Stanley Cup?

However, if the team can acquire a second goaltender to split time with Lehner, that could only improve the Sabres chances of turning around their fortunes. Spalding suggests the team trade for Washington’s Philipp Grubauer, who the Capitals would likely lose anyway in the expansion draft and therefore might be more willing to move their backup goaltender for something, most likely draft picks. Grubauer, also 25 years old, is coming off as season as the backup in which he had a 2.05 GAA in 23 games and a .926 save percentage.

Of course, the flaw in that plan is that the Sabres would then expose both Lehner and current backup Linus Ullmark to the expansion draft. However, even if one of them were taken by the Golden Knights, which is likely, the team would still have two solid goaltenders to work with next year.

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