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East Notes: Rask, Miller, Lundkvist, Abdelkader

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Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask has had an amazing season so far. He currently has a 2.12 GAA and a .929 save percentage in 41 appearances this year. The 33-year-old is still young compared to many veteran goaltenders. However, Matt Porter of the Boston Globe writes that Rask recently suggested that his time in the league could be over soon.

“I have one year left in the contract, so we’ll see if I even play,” Rask said about retirement. “We’ll see. Always a possibility. The wear and tear of the travel with two, almost three kids now, makes you think. I love to do it. But it’s tough.”

Rask has one more year left on his current contract that pays him at $7MM per season. The team does have a number of young goaltenders in the system who might be ready to step in by that point, including Daniel Vladar and Jeremy Swayman, but at age 34 and with three young kids at home, Rask said he wouldn’t mind being home.

  • The New York Rangers continue to get richer as they have already added defensive prospect K’Andre Miller to their stable of prospects and are expected to also add defenseman Nils Lundkvist, considered to be one of the top prospects, at some point in the offseason. That should bolster the Rangers’ defense for the future. However, the New York Post’s Larry Brooks writes that the Rangers, however, need to keep some perspective and, considering the fact that the Rangers do have some depth on defense at the moment, need to keep both Miller and Lundqvist in the minors for a full season to properly develop them. Miller signed out of the University of Wisconsin and is likely to start the season in the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack despite the fact that many feel he could contribute in New York immediately. Lundkvist, recently ranked as a first-team prospect by The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler (subscription required), has dominated in the SHL and could be loaned back there if the team feels it’s best for his development.
  • The Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James handed out awards for players on the Detroit Red Wings. Listed among the most disappointing forwards for the team were three players, including Justin Abdelkader, Frans Nielsen and Valtteri Filppula. While she noted that Nielsen and Filppula are bounce-back candidates for next season, the scribe wasn’t as optimistic about Abdelkader’s future. The 33-year-old has seen his game decline over the years, but after zero goals and just three points in 49 games this year with Detroit, St. James believes that Abdelkader’s time in the NHL is over and he is likely to be waived and sent to the AHL for the remainder of his contract, which is three more years at $4.25MM.

Stretch Run Storylines: Nashville Predators

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As things stand, the NHL is planning to have games resume at some point over the coming weeks.  Assuming the regular season continues, there will be plenty of things to watch for over the stretch run.  Over the coming weeks, PHR will examine the top stretch run storylines for each team.  We continue our look at the Central Division with Nashville.

It’s been an inconsistent season for the Nashville Predators, who many felt could challenge for the Central Division title this season. Instead, the team struggled out of the gate, which included a six-game losing streak in November and by early January, general manager David Poile made a decision to let go of long-time coach Peter Laviolette and associate coach Kevin McCarthy after the team had a 19-15-7 record. The team replaced him with recently fired coach John Hynes, who took over and saw the team fight its way back into the final wild card spot, but with continued inconsistent play and several teams breathing down their necks, the team will have to fight to remain in the playoffs.

Questionable Offense

When looking at the team’s top four point producers so far this year, the Nashville Predators have two defenseman in their top four, including defenseman Roman Josi, who leads the team in scoring by far with 65 points this season. That is fine when the team runs its offense through its defense. However, the team’s first line players, however, aren’t having great seasons, which has only made things more challenging.

While there is still plenty of time left, assuming the regular season resumes, Filip Forsberg looks to be heading for a career-low in goals. After never posting lower than 26 goals in his tenure with Nashville, the 25-year-old has just 21 goals and 48 points and still hasn’t been able to take his impressive game to that next level and develop into the star that many people had envisioned.

To make matters worse, Poile went out of his way to upgrade his defense by trading away P.K. Subban in the offseason and using that new-found money to sign center Matt Duchene to give the team a second dominant center. Duchene was expected to play the role of a major point producer after posting a 31-goal, 70-point season last year between Ottawa and Columbus. However, that hasn’t translated in his first year in Nashville as he has just 13 goals and 42 points through 66 games.

If Nashville wants to ensure a trip to the playoffs and maybe even surviving a round or two, the Predators must get more consistent play from their forwards. Even Viktor Arvidsson, who has averaged 30 goals for the three previous years has just 15 goals this season.

Goaltending Issues

A year ago, there were plenty of people that would have referred to the Predators’ goaltending tandem of Pekka Rinne and Juuse Saros as one of the best in the league. However, that hasn’t been the case so far this year.

The 36-year-old Rinne started a new two-year, $10MM deal this season, but few expected a major drop-off after he posted a 2.42 GAA and a .918 save percentage in 56 appearances last year. Unfortunately for the Predators, those numbers took a nosedive. In 36 games this season, Rinne has a 3.17 GAA and a .895 save percentage, which has allowed Saros to take an even bigger role, while also leaving questions on how wise it was to give Rinne two more years.

After a slow start, Saros has been much more successful and has taken on the starting role, having appeared in 16 games since February.  The 27-year-old netminder has a pedestrian 2.70 GAA in 40 appearances (a career high), but also has a .914 save percentage, winning 10 of those appearances.

The team needs Saros to continue his conversion into the team’s everyday starter, but also needs to hope that the break rejuvenates Rinne, who the team needs to bounce back and take some of the responsibility off Saros.

Coaching Transition

Often when teams fire their coaches at midseason, like the Predators did with Laviolette in January, the team hopes the change will inspire the team to take their game up a notch and show they are as talented as management had assumed at the start of the season. So far Hynes has the team at 16-11-1, only a slight improvement, yet while the team has been inconsistent since Hynes has taken over, Nashville has three three-game and three two-game winning streaks this year.

One would have to imagine that the layoff could benefit Hynes more than anything as he has more time to study tape and adjust his coaching techniques and lines to improve the team when they get back on the ice.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Golden Knights Sign Zach Whitecloud To Two-Year Extension

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3:28: Puckpedia reports that the deal is a one-way deal, meaning that he will be paid the $725K regardless of whether he’s in the NHL or AHL next season.

1:11 pm: The Vegas Golden Knights announced they have signed defenseman Zach Whitecloud to a two-year, $1.45MM extension ($725K AAV), giving the team some significant flexibility for next season as the team is expected to be right up against the cap once again. It’s actually a pay cut as Whitecloud was making $925K on his entry-level deal.

“We really have seen in his time with the NHL team that he has developed into a real good NHL defenseman,” said Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon. “He has earned the extension. It was a real good free-agent signing by us to be able to put him on our organization.”

Whitecloud, who was heading for restricted free agency this offseason, had taken on a key role with the Golden Knights after the team recalled him on Feb. 1. He has since played in 16 games, offering Vegas a solid defensive-minded third-pairing option and saw his playing time increase over the past five games before the season was suspended. He has one assist in those 16 games, but is averaging 14:19 of ATOI.

The Golden Knights looked to have picked up a big victory in 2018 when they beat out several teams to sign Whitecloud, who was considered to be one of the prize unsigned college free-agents after two impressive seasons at Bemidji State University. Whitecloud has worked on his game with the Chicago Wolves in the AHL where he even showed a little offensive prowess. He had six goals and 28 points that season. Those offensive numbers dipped this year as Chicago has struggled more with just seven points in 35 games. However, it was believed he was ready to take on an NHL role when he swapped places with Vegas rookie defenseman Nicolas Hague.

Whitecloud’s role is likely to increase with both Jonathon Merrill and veteran Deryk Engelland both expected to hit unrestricted free agency. And with salary cap at a premium, the team is likely going to depend more on their young blueliners, including Whitecloud, Hague and Jimmy Schuldt.

IOC To Wait One Month Before Deciding On Olympic Fate

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The International Olympic Committee announced today they are giving themselves a mid-April deadline to decide on the fate of the Olympics which are currently slated to start in Tokyo on July 24 through August 9, according to CBC Sports. There are several options the IOC could choose from, which includes postponing the event due to COVID-19. Sportsnet also reports that cancellation of the event has been ruled out.

That decision could play an instrumental role for the NHL as many believed that the NHL’s decision on how long they could postpone their season might hinge on the Olympic Games. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun made it clear a week ago that the NHL had no interest in putting their playoffs up against the Olympics in late July, leaving the league with a tentative drop-dead date. However, if the Olympics opts to postpone their Summer Games, the NHL may be able to bide more time to push the season back.

LeBrun also noted last week that a possible playoff format has been informally proposed that would push the playoffs into August and September, which then wouldn’t interfere for the 2020-21 season. That scenario could become increasingly more likely if the Olympics is postponed.

Poll: If Season Ends Now, Who Should Win Calder Trophy?

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The NHL has every intention in trying to finish out the regular season and have a playoffs to cap off the 2019-20 season. However, with the unknown nature of the quickly changing COVID-19 virus, the season already has been suspended and could be pushed back further and further to avoid players contracting the virus. There has been talk of a drop-dead date as the league doesn’t want the 2019-20 to interfere with the 2020-21 season, which could make the regular season expendable if things begin to extend further and further into the summer. If the regular season ended on March 11, who would walk away as the league’s top rookie?

At midseason, it looked like an obvious choice as Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar dominated the first half of the season after coming over from UMass-Amherst last season. The 21-year-old had a dominant 11 goals and 37 points in 41 games before the all-star break. While his numbers dipped slightly, Makar has still been impressive in a much more limited second half. He did miss five games with an upper-body injury in late February where Colorado lost three of those five games, yet he still had a goal and 13 points in 16 games since the break. In total, however, Makar currently has 12 goals and 50 points in 57 games, an impressive feat for a rookie blueliner.

While Makar seemed like the inevitable choice early on, Vancouver Canucks rookie defenseman Quinn Hughes came on late to have his own impressive season. Hughes has been a solid addition to a Canucks defense at the end of last season as he came out of the University of Michigan. While he had solid numbers in the first half, with five goals and 34 points in 48 games before the all-star break, he did explode in February with 15 points in 13 games and tallied eight goals and 53 points in 68 points. While Makar might have had a better points-per-game average, it was Hughes who provided the healthier player on the ice.

There are several other candidates who will receive some consideration, including Chicago Blackhawks forward Dominik Kubalik, who scored 30 goals already in just 68 games in his first season in North America. The 24-year-old had spent his entire career overseas in the Czech League and the NLA, but adjusted to North American skating rinks quickly and was a key piece to the Blackhawks’ squad.

Several goalies dominated this season, but New Jersey Devils goalie MacKenzie Blackwood so far has a 22-14-8 record on a struggling Devils team. While he did post a 2.77 GAA, his save percentage suggests that he has been a dominant netminder for the Devils this season at .915.

So, if the regular season ended today, who would be the Calder Trophy winner?

For Pro Hockey app users, click here to vote.

College Notes: Dugan, Zegras, York, Beecher, Ahcan, Chaffee, Richards

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So far when it comes to the college market, the Vegas Golden Knights have been quiet. However, rumors suggested that the Vegas franchise intended to bring aboard Hobey Baker Award finalist Jack Dugan, who wrapped up his sophomore season at Providence College. General manager Kelly McCrimmon confirmed that they will begin negotiations soon with Dugan, who led the NCAA in points this season, according to Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen.

“We’ll have discussions with his representatives here at an appropriate point,” said McCrimmon. “It hasn’t been pressing because there’s no hockey being played. But those are conversations we’ll have here as we move along.”

Dugan, the team’s fifth-round pick in 2017, has driven up his stock in two years at Providence. He had an impressive rookie season where he posted 10 goals and 39 points in 41 games and followed that up with a much more dominant sophomore campaign, scoring 10 goals and 52 points in just 34 games. The 6-foot-2 winger would likely challenge for a role with the Golden Knights if he signs, although the team could send him to the AHL to further develop his skills.

  • In a Q&A, The Athletic’s Eric Stephens (subscription required) writes that from everyone he’s talked to, it’s expected that top prospect Trevor Zegras will leave Boston University and sign with Anaheim at some point during the offseason. Zegras, the ninth-overall pick in the 2019 draft, dominated at the World Junior Championships in December, leading the United States with nine assists in five games. He had 11 goals and 36 points in 33 games. Considered to be one of the top prospects in hockey, Zegras could conceivably make the Ducks squad next year and challenge for the Calder Trophy.
  • Michigan Daily’s Bailey Johnson reports that University of Michigan head coach Mel Pearson said that while he hasn’t had exit meetings with two of his top players, defenseman Cam York and center John Beecher, he expects both players to return to the Wolverines next season. York, the Philadelphia Flyers first-round pick (14th overall) in 2019, had five goals and 16 points in 30 games for Michigan. Beecher, the Boston Bruins first-round pick (30th overall) had nine goals and 16 points in 31 contests for the Wolverines. Pearson said both players are home and he’s giving them time before discussing the subject with them, but he believes both intend to stay in school.
  • AHL reporter Mark Divver reports that the Boston Bruins are expected to be in the mix for two of the remaining top NCAA free agents in St. Cloud State’s Jack Ahcan and University of Massachusetts-Amherst’s Mitchell Chaffee. Ahcan, a 22-year-old defenseman, wrapped up his senior campaign with seven goals and 25 points. Chaffee, who also is 22, scored 16 goals and 29 points in 30 games last season, his junior year, and is rumored to be courted by the Golden Knights as well. Divver adds that University of Minnesota-Duluth center Justin Richards is also on Boston’s radar.

Maple Leafs Likely To Have Greater Cap Issues Due To Cononavirus

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The Toronto Maple Leafs knew they would have some issues with their cap for many years in the future when they signed John Tavares to a seven-year, $77MM ($11MM AAV) contract and then locked up their three future star forwards (Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander) to a combined $29.5MM per season.

General manager Kyle Dubas was already hard-pressed last year when he was forced to send a first-round pick to Carolina to get rid of Patrick Marleau’s final year of his contract. The team also sent off popular center Nazem Kadri to Colorado in hopes of adding some much-needed defense. The team already knew it was going to have to make some tough decisions this offseason even with estimates that the salary cap could increase from $81.5 to anywhere from $84-88.2MM. However, the Maple Leafs’ cap situation may have gotten worse, according to Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun, who writes that with the financial impact that is expected to hit the NHL, that salary cap could flatline and remain at $81.5MM next season.

If that’s the case, then the Toronto Maple Leafs plans may require some major changes as they currently have $77MM committed to just 17 players with a number of restricted free agents they must deal with, including Ilya Mikheyev, Travis Dermott, Denis Malgin and Frederik Gauthier. Both Mikheyev and Dermott each should get significant raises, while the team will want to being back Gauthier. Malgin is a different question. On the unrestricted free agent market, the team was likely going to let Tyson Barrie and Cody Ceci walk anyway, there would be no room to keep either one if they wanted to bring one back. The team must also find some room for Jason Spezza and Kyle Clifford, who have become valued veterans.

With so much salary, the scribe believes that Dubas will guaranteed be forced to trade at least one of their younger top-six forwards, including Kasperi Kapanen ($3.2MM AAV), Andreas Johnsson ($3.4MM) or Alexander Kerfoot ($3.5MM), each of which make more a significant amount of money and likely could bring back a significant package of cheap roster players.

Of course, much of that is dependent on what happens in the next few weeks/months, but the more time that passes is likely worse in Toronto. Throw in the fact that the team must also deal with Frederik Andersen’s contract in two years and they have even more trouble ahead.

Edmonton Oilers Sign Raphael Lavoie To Entry-Level Deal

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The Edmonton Oilers announced they have signed forward Raphael Lavoie to a three-year, entry-level contract. The 19-year-old, who was the team’s second-round pick in 2019, should give the Oilers another solid prospect for the future. The deal with a $70K AHL salary breaks down as follows:

2020-21: $700K salary, $92.5K signing bonus, $133K GP bonus
2021-22: $800K salary, $92.5K signing bonus, $33K GP bonus
2022-23: $833K salary, $92.5K signing bonus

There were scouts who thought that Lavoie could easily go late in the first round before last year’s draft. The 6-foot-4 winger had shown flashes of brilliance in his draft year playing for the Halifax Mooseheads in the QMJHL, but inconsistent play is what held him back to the second round even though Lavoie dominated in last year’s playoffs where he scored 20 goals and 32 points in 23 games.

Regardless, he returned to Halifax this season after going in the second round, scoring 18 goals and 44 points in 30 games before joining Team Canada for the World Junior Championships in December where he had two assists in seven games in a limited role, but helping his team capture a gold medal. Halifax then traded him to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens where he has tallied 20 goals and 38 points in 25 games with them.

Considering that Lavoie will be turning 20 in September, it’s likely that Lavoie will turn pro and join the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL next season in hopes of taking his career to the next level. The Oilers hope that Lavoie can fast track to the NHL sooner than later as Edmonton is always on the lookout for top-six wingers with speed who can help complement Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. If Lavoie can put it all together in the AHL in the next couple of years, he could be a key part to their future.

Islanders Notes: Sorokin, Barzal, Injuries, Belmont Arena

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While there has been positive more than a month ago, many New York Islanders fans have been excited about the team potentially signing top goalie prospect Ilya Sorokin out of the KHL this offseason. However, with the worldwide issues of COVID-19 and little information since, NHL.com released an interview with general manager Lou Lamoriello in which the GM reiterates that the team expects Sorokin to sign a contract for next season.

The 24-year-old goaltender has dominated the KHL the last few years and is considered the best goaltender outside the NHL. He finished the 2019-20 season with a 1.50 GAA and a .935 save percentage in 40 appearances for CSKA Moscow. In the currently suspended playoffs, Sorokin has won all four of his matchups, allowing just three goals so far, with a 0.73 GAA and a .966 save percentage. Sorokin’s contract expires on April 30th, although with the coronavirus suspending play, that date could be pushed back if the KHL intends to continue their playoffs at some point.

  • Another issue that Lamoriello settled is the future contract of young star Mathew Barzal. The 22-year-old will be hitting restricted free agency this summer and the Islanders have made it clear that they intend to lock him up to a long-term deal, there are plenty of concerns that teams may attempt to raid the Islanders’ team by attempting to sign the young centerman to an offer sheet. However, Lamoriello made it clear in that interview, that the team intends to lock him up before free agency arrives and will match any offer sheet. “It is our intention to not allow it to get to that point, but should that happen, the answer is yes,” said Lamoriello. While Barzal’s numbers haven’t been close to what it was in his rookie campaign when he tallied 82 points due to head coach Barry Trotz’s defensive-first system, Barzal was looking to take a step forward this year, already having 19 goals and 60 points in 68 games.
  • The GM also noted that defenseman Johnny Boychuk and fourth-liner Casey Cizikas are both expected to be ready whenever the season resumes. Both were tough losses that affected the teams’ most recent run. Boychuk went down on Mar. 3 when he took a skate to the eye and had 90 stitches. Cizikas has been out since Feb. 11 with a leg injury. Lamoriello also added that defenseman Adam Pelech is expected to be ready for training camp. The defenseman was signaled as lost for the season after sustaining an Achilles injury on Jan. 3.
  • Lamoriello also adds that the Belmont Park Arena, the Islanders’ future home, is still on target to be completed for the 2021-22 season. The team is currently playing in two different stadiums, including the Barclays Center and Nassau Coliseum. The team broke ground back in September of 2019.

Kiefer Sherwood Clears Waivers

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Monday: Sherwood has cleared waivers, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.

Sunday: The Anaheim Ducks have placed forward Kiefer Sherwood on waivers, according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun. While the timing of the transaction is unusual, Sherwood was on the roster of the AHL’s San Diego Gulls on Feb. 24, which means he is eligible to play in the AHL playoffs, if they resume at some point.

CapFriendly notes that Sherwood can remain on the roster for 10 games or 30 days before having to pass through waivers again. With the season currently suspended, Sherwood is likely to remain on the NHL roster and then be reassigned to San Diego immediately if play resumes. Anaheim is just trying to stay ahead.

Sherwood has struggled at the NHL level this year. He has just one assist in 10 games for the Ducks, but the 24-year-old has been a key contributor in San Diego, posting 16 goals and 23 points in 37 games. The Gulls are tied for third place in a struggling Pacific Division and if play resumes, will need Sherwood to help guide them into the playoffs.

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