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Coyotes Hope To Sign Clayton Keller Soon

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The Arizona Coyotes plan to sign highly-touted prospect Clayton Keller as soon as the NCAA season ends, reports the USAToday’s Kevin Allen. The Coyotes drafted Keller seventh overall in the 2016 Entry Draft but have not yet inked him to a contract. Keller currently plays for Boston University in NCAA Division I hockey.

Keller is having a stellar year so far. The 18 year-old has 19G and 21A in 28 games for Boston University as a rookie. More importantly career-wise, however, was Keller’s performance at the World Junior Championships for Team USA. He scored 3G and 8A in seven games on his way to a gold medal and being named a tournament all-star. His success against his peers bodes well for his future in the NHL

Keller’s stock rose dramatically since draft day, and that gives the young American prospect additional leverage to negotiate for bonuses in his ELC. Coyotes GM John Chayka told USAToday that Keller would’ve played in the AHL and given NHL stints as roster spots opened up. That may not sounds like much, but only six players from the 2016 NHL draft have played in the NHL this year, and only four have played for most of the season.

The Coyotes may be anxious to sign Keller after seeing how the Nashville Predators lost Jimmy Vesey through college free agency. Vesey, a 2nd round pick for Nashville, played in the NCAA for four years after being drafted, and chose to pursue free agency instead of sign with the Predators. Nashville’s rights to Vesey—traded to the Buffalo Sabres in the summer—expired on August 15th, and Vesey signed with the New York Rangers.

Aaron Ekblad Out

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Florida Panthers defenseman and captain Aaron Ekblad left tonight’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning after suffering what looks like a head injury. Lightning forward Gabriel Dumont hit Ekblad in the corner and Ekblad immediately went down clutching his head. The Panthers later announced that Ekblad will not return tonight.

Losing Ekblad would certainly hinder the Panthers’ playoff hopes. The team sits 6 points out with 16 games remaining. Ekblad has 10G and 11A in 66 games. The Panthers have some backup with UFA signing Keith Yandle, but Ekblad leads all defensemen in goals, and all players in shots. With four teams to jump, the Panthers need to almost run the table for the rest of the season. Losing Ekblad makes that almost impossible.

The head injury is Ekblad’s second head injury this year, and third in 20 months. In September Ekblad suffered concussion-like symptoms at the World Cup of Hockey that the Panthers eventually called whiplash. Ekblad also suffered a concussion in January 2016. His injury history may worry the Panthers, expecially after signing EKblad to a eight-year, $60MM extension that kicks in next season.

Thoughts On The NHL Expansion Draft List Controversy

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Earlier this week the NHL GMs met in Boca Raton for a series of meetings meant to improve the game. One tentative resolution, as first reported by ESPN’s Pierre Lebrun, is that the NHL will not release the list of exposed players prior to—or even after—the NHL Expansion Draft this summer. This revelation created quite the ruckus amongst fans and media alike, as almost no one expected the NHL to completely deny access to the hotly-anticipated list.

Hotly-anticipated is no misnomer. CapFriendly’s mock expansion draft tool just surpassed 30,000 user-created drafts since its November’s inception. Fan blogs across the web delved into extensive analysis on who teams should protect and expose. Commentary on every transaction so far this year always had the obligatory “how does this effect the expansion draft” question attached to it. Needless to say, the protected list of NHL players will be the hottest commodity come June.

And yet the NHL GMs have tentatively decided to permanently withhold that list, making it impossible for everyone outside the NHL GM community to stage their own mock drafts and analyze GMs’ decisions. The GMs surely have their reasons, but fans and the media have theirs in support of publishing the protected list. The following outlines both sides in an effort to understand the rationale behind both desires.

For releasing the list

The two main arguments for releasing the list are simple: to facilitate mock drafts and to provide context and analysis of both the draft itself and moves leading up to the draft. And more importantly to the NHL, both arguments produce increased exposure. Fans and media clamour for this information, and the NHL should enjoy the attention windfall that follows.

Moreover, it rewards those who follow the NHL closely enough to care about who teams protect and who they expose. The NFL and NBA all have an extensive mock entry draft culture that allows fans almost unlimited imagination as to which players go where. With an event as unique as the expansion draft, the NHL should not deny fans the opportunity to construct their own Vegas Golden Knights using an official list of players.

Against releasing the list

The two main arguments against releasing the list center on the GMs and the players themselves. One, the GMs do not want their decisions scrutinized more than necessary. Two, NHL players may not want the public to know who isn’t worthy of protection, or relatedly, the GMs do not want their players to know who gets exposed.

Protecting themselves against scrutiny may be the low-hanging fruit argument, but it merits attention. The NHL continues to announce NHL contracts without crucial details like amount, conditions, and whether there is a no-trade or no-movement clause. This is despite the popularity of sites like CapGeek, Capfriendly, and General Fanager. The argument is that fans do not need to know these details to enjoy the game, and that scrutiny begets negativity, and—more telling—criticism directed at GMs.

The second argument may have more heft. Players may not want to know that certain players in the locker room were protected while others were exposed. In a skill-based game where ego runs rampant, knowing that a team finds you dispensable may alter the relationship between teams and players. Moreover, players may not want others to know if a team finds them dispensable. In an environment with almost no privacy, players may want to cling to whatever confidentiality they can.

In the end, the pressure from fans and media alike shoud push the NHL to change its mind and release the list. The benefits outweigh the positives, and the increased exposure should be cultivated rather than ignored.

Snapshots: Devils, Blackhawks, Red Wings

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News and notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • The New Jersey Devils face lineup uncertainties before tomorrow night’s game against the Arizona Coyotes. Andrew Gross of the NJ Record reports that backup goalie Keith Kinkaid may not be ready to dress tomorrow night, and that goaltender Ken Appleby will stay with the team as insurance. Kinkaid suffered a right knee injury in Tuesday’s 2-0 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Appleby—an undrafted free agent—has a 2.44 GAA and a .909 SV%  in 27 games with the AHL Albany Devils this year.
  • Staying with the Devils, Andrew Gross also reports that forward Miles Wood should play in tomorrow’s game despite crashing into the board today in practice. Wood is having a decent rookie season—though he did dress for one game last season—scoring 8G and 7A in 47 games. The Buffalo, NY native was taken in the 4th round of the 2013 NHL draft.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks will sit defensemen Johnny Oduya and Niklas Hjalmarsson tonight against the Detroit Red Wings, but Chicago Sun-Times writer Mark Lazerus reports that coach Joel Quenneville is resting the pair rather than holding them out for injury concerns. Tonight’s game is the second game of a back-to-back, and the second of three in four nights. As the playoffs get closer, it is common for coaches to rest their veteran players in anticipation of a gruelling post-season. The Blackhawks known better than any other team the value of maintaining fuel for a long playoff run. The team has a reputation for not playing in its highest gear until the playoffs start.
  • Detroit Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard returns from a long absence tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks. Howard sprained his knee on December 20th against the Tampa Bay Lightning, and then suffered a setback in February on a conditioning stint in the AHL. Howard’s injury came at a grossly unfortunate time as he was posting career-best numbers. In 17 games before his injury Howard had a .934 SV% and a 1.96 GAA. The presumptive backup to start the season, Howard made life difficult for coach Jeff Blashill by outplaying fellow goaltender Petr Mrazek. The Red Wings have to protect one of the two goaltenders, and Howard’s stellar play so far has complicated that decision for management. He will start tonight against Chicago.

Snapshots: Bruins, Blue Jackets, Golden Knights, Devils

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News and notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • The Boston Bruins recalled forward Austin Czarnik from the Providence Bruins, reports Ty Anderson of WEEI. The recall comes on the heels of the Bruins announcing that Ryan Spooner is out indefinitely with a concussion. Czarnik is treading water in his first NHL season, scoring 5G and 8A in 47 NHL games. He also has 2G and 6A in 7 AHL games. The Bruins signed Czarnik out of Miami University (OH) in May 2015 and he’s been with Providence up until the start of this season.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets make two notable additions to its game roster tonight against against the New Jersey Devils, reports the Columbus Dispatch’s Tom Reed. Coach John Tortorella inserts Finnish rookie defender Markus Nutivaara back into the lineup after Nutivaara sat out of Columbus’s last three games. Nutivaara was the odd man out after the Blue Jackets acquired defenseman Kyle Quincey at the NHL trade deadline. The Blue Jackets also replace injured forward Josh Anderson with rookie T.J. Tynan. This will be Tynan’s NHL debut. Right now he has 7G and 23A in 55 games for the AHL Cleveland Monsters.
  • The Blue Jackets also announced that defenseman Ryan Murray is scratched from tonight’s game due to a lower-body injury. The former 2nd overall draft pick has 2G and 9A in 59 games while averaging 18:37 minutes a game. Murray had somewhat of a breakout campaign last year before regressing production-wise. Murray and Nail Yakupov highlight the NHL Entry Draft’s unpredictability as both were drafted with the first two picks, and yet neither has met expectations.
  • Vegas Golden Knights GM George McPhee spoke to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnson today about potential expansion draft selections. While McPhee was coy about specific strategy, he indicated that he’s received calls from many teams —helpful because those calls shape how the Expansion Draft team predicts who may be available at the draft. McPhee also stated that he will not make agreements to avoid drafting an exposed player until closer to the expansion draft itself to maximize the return.
  • The New Jersey Devils have reassigned defenseman Karl Stollery and forward Kevin Rooney back down to the AHL Albany Devils. Stolley has played 11 games for New Jersey so far this season, recording three assists in that timeframe. He’ll rejoin Albany where he has 1G and 13A in 44 games. Rooney failed to record a point in three games for New Jersey, but has 10G and 7A in 57 games for Albany.

Injury Updates: Ellis, Connauton, Okposo

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Injury updates from around NHL games this evening:

  • Tennessean reporter Adam Vingan noted that Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis left tonight’s game against the Montreal Canadiens after suffering an apparent leg injury. Ellis had to be helped off the ice by teammate Vernon Fiddler. An extended injury to Ryan Ellis would dampen Nashville’s playoff chances. Ellis is second in playing time for the Predators, and has 10G and 18A in 55 games.
  • Arizona Coyotes defenseman Kevin Connauton suffered an injury tonight against the Buffalo Sabres, reports the Arizona Coyotes PR rep Dave Vest. Connauton has hit by Sabres forward Marcus Foligno and fell hard onto his left arm. As of writing, Connauton has not returned. The 27 year-old has one assist in 19 games for the Coyotes.
  • Buffalo News columnist Mike Harrington reports that Buffalo Sabres forward Kyle Okposo did not start the third period after being hit by the above-mentioned Kevin Connauton. Okposo appeared to have skated off the injury and played the remainder of the second period, but as of writing has not returned to the game. The Sabres’ star free agent signing has 19G and 22A in 62 games so far this year and leads the team in scoring. The Sabres have now announced that Okposo suffered an upper-body injury and will not return tonight.

Roberto Luongo Injured; Leaves Game

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Update 7:15pm: Luongo has returned to the bench for the Florida Panthers, reports CPSJ’s Flyers reporter Dave Isaac. He is not expected to return to the net this evening.

Florida Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo suffered a lower-body injury tonight in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers and will not return, reports the Sun Sentinel’s Harvey Fialkov. Luongo suffered the injury in the first period after making an awkward save. James Reimer started in goal for the Panthers in the second period. CSN’s Tim Pannacio speculates that Luongo pulled his groin.

Luongo’s injury halts a potential performance upswing for the veteran goalie. Tonight’s game marked the first time Luongo played in back-to-back games in over two weeks. The Panthers had been going with James Reimer as of late due to Luongo’s struggles and Reimer’s ability to right the ship. Luongo is not having his best season, going 17-15-6 in 39 games with a .914 SV% and a 2.70 GAA. Coincidentally, these mark Luongo’s worst stats since his final year with Florida in 2005-06 before being traded to the Vancouver Canucks. Conversely, Reimer has put together a 12-8-4 record in 26 games with a .919 SV% and a 2.47 GAA. Not significantly better numbers, mind you, but in the Eastern Conference’s tight playoff race, every edge matters.

If Reimer suffers an injury, the Panthers have two readily available—if unconventional—options. Goaltending coach Robb Tallas or forward Derek MacKenzie have both been emergency goaltending options in the past for Florida. Expect the Panthers to call up Reto Berra if they expect Luongo to miss some time. Berra currently plays for the AHL Springfield Thunderbirds and has a .910 SV% and 2.53 GAA in 31 games.

Snapshots: Mason, Parenteau, Sweden

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News and notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the Philadelphia Flyers have not negotiated with goaltender Steve Mason’s camp all season. Mason is in the final year of his contract worth $4.1MM a year. In 43 games this season he’s posted a 17-17-6 record with a .903 SV% and a 2.83 GAA. Interesting, the Flyers extended their other goaltender, Michael Neuvirth, to a two-year deal worth $2.5MM a year. Neuvrith has worse numbers than Mason, going 10-9-1 in 24 games with a .887 SV% and a 2.90 GAA. Part of the reason may be that if they signed both Mason and Neuvirth, they would have to expose one to the expansion draft this summer.
  • New Nashville Predators acquisition P.A. Parenteau will miss tonight’s game after “blowing up” his finger, reports Andrew Gross of the NJ Record. Parenteau’s hand was hit by a puck and will require several stitches. The veteran forward was traded from the New Jersey Devils to Nashville in exchange for a 6th round pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Parenteau has 13G and 14A in 59 games so far this season.
  • The New York Times reported that Sweden has reintroduced military conscription affecting those born in 1999 and later. This will impact future incoming Swedish players professional development with the prospects of serving—albeit for 9-12 months—in the Swedish military. The NHL is no stranger to this dilemma though. Finland still maintains mandatory military participation—usually around six months—and all Finnish NHLers have or will have to participate during their career. Most Finnish-born players, like Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta, complete their military requirements during the offseason.

 

Kevin Shattenkirk Reportedly Going To The Washington Capitals

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Update 10:27pm: TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that if the Capitals trade Shattenkirk on or before July 1st, the Blues will receive a draft pick in the next draft. That draft pick depends on what the Capitals receive for Shattenkirk. If the Capitals get a 4th round pick or higher, the Blues will receive a draft pick two rounds later than the earliest pick received in the trade. If its a 5th or lower, the Blues will receive a 7th round pick.

Update 10:20pm: After talking with the league on a trade call for over an hour, the St. Louis Blues announce that the trade terms are: Kevin Shattenkirk (39% retained) and Pheonix Copley for 2017 1st, 2019 conditional 2nd, Zach Sanford, and Brad Malone. ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the 2019 2nd round pick is conditioned on either Shattenkirk signing with the Capitals, or if the Capitals reach the Conference Finals and Shattenkirk plays in 50% of the playoff games in the first two rounds.

Update 9:27pm: The Capitals do not have a 2nd round draft pick in either 2017 or 2018. It is possible that the condition is a 2018 2nd round pick if the Capitals acquire one.

Update 9:05pm: St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jeremy Rutherford confirms that the 2018 2nd round draft pick going back to St. Louis is conditional. Condition terms will follow.

Update 8:54pm: ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Washington is sending St. Louis a 2017 1st round draft pick, a 2018 2nd round draft pick, and forward Zach Sanford. More conditions will follow, but these are the main pieces coming back. This leaves the Capitals with only a 4th, 6th and 7th round pick in the upcoming 2017 NHL Entry Draft. The Blues will also retain some salary, but LeBrun believes it is less than 50%.

The St. Louis Blues are close to trading defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk to the Washington Capitals, confirmed by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, and seconded by Blues beat writer Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Shattenkirk is in the final year of a four-year deal worth $4.25MM a year. He’s scored 11G and 31A in 61 games for the Blues so far this season, and joins a Washington team that is primed for a deep playoff run. Friedman reported that the two sides are working out a few conditions, but barring a total collapse a trade call is expected soon.

The Capitals have just over $563K in cap space, but Shattenkirk will take up an additional $968K, so moving a contract the other way is required. Washington is already the top team in the league and has the fewest goals allowed. Adding Shattenkirk just makes a great team even better. The pending UFA may slide in to the top spot on Washington’s blueline—displacing John Carlson—or man the 2nd pairing with Dmitry Orlov. Either way, the Capitals have an embarrassment of riches on defense.

It isn’t every year that a playoff-bound team trades away a talented defenseman, but the Blues were determined to get something of value from a player they knew would not re-sign in St. Louis. Last year the Blues gambled on keeping pending UFA David Backes for a playoff run only to see him leave the Blues for nothing in return.

The Pittsburgh Penguins were rumored to be involved in a potential deal for Shattenkirk, but TSN’s Craig Custance reports that the Blues’ high price was too high for the Penguins. The Tampa Bay Lightning were also involved in a potential deal six weeks ago, but that fell apart after Shattenkirk refused to sign an extension before hitting free agency.

 

Evening Snapshots: Mumps, Rooney, Josefson

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News and notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • The mumps have spread from the Vancouver Canucks to the Minnesota Wild.  Mike Russo of the StarTribune reports that Zach Parise and Jason Pominville are out with the infectious disease. Players weren’t the only victim, however. Wild assistant coach Scott Stevens is also out with the mumps. TSN’s Darren Dreger tweeted that the NHL sent memos to all teams and medical directors last Friday outlining how to handle any outbreaks.
  • The New Jersey Devils announced that they’ve signed prospect Kevin Rooney to a one-year, two-way NHL contract. Rooney was previously on an AHL contract with the Albany Devils this season after graduating from Providence College. So far he has 10G and 7A in 57 games. Signing Rooney to an NHL contract allows the Devils to call him up between now and the end of the season, implying that the Devils may need bodies after selling at the NHL trade deadline.
  • The need for bodies in New Jersey may have intensified after Jacob Josefson suffered an upper body injury tonight against the Montreal Canadiens. The Devils announced that he is questionable to return. The 25 year-old center has 1G and 7A in 34 games this season. Josefson is in the final year of a $1.1MM a year contract—he’ll become an RFA at season’s end.

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