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NHL Players To Rate Ice Conditions

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The NHL is finally doing something to remedy the increased complaints of bad ice surfaces around the league. According to Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos, the NHL and NHLPA are creating a subcommittee to monitor and address poor ice issues.

The subcommittee—called the  Playing Environment Subcommittee—plans to have players rate ice conditions after every game via surveys. These surveys had worked in the past and the NHL hopes that honest feedback from players will direct the league to the arenas with the most problems. The post-game surveys will ask players about the ice quality in every period to pinpoint specific ice issues.

Poor ice quality affects everything from play speed to player injury. The softer the ice the slower the puck moves and the more it bounces unpredictably. Soft ice is also more prone to ruts and imperfections in the ice that can catch a players blade in an unpredictable and potentially dangerous fashion. It stands to reason that owners have an incentive to provide perfect ice to prevent injuries to their players, but the increased problem says otherwise.

Part of the problem lies in the increase in multi-use arenas. Arenas that undergo constant changes from ice to floor and back suffer from poor quality ice because the ice has to be remade over and over again. It is unclear whether the subcommittee can actually affect change because the draw of multi-use arenas and its additional income to owners.

 

Trade Candidates: Dennis Wideman

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that are likely to be dealt by March 1st.

Calgary Flames defenseman—and pending unrestricted free agent—Dennis Wideman puts the team in a difficult situation. With the Flames hanging on to the final wildcard playoff spot, the team needs to decide whether to keep Wideman for a playoff run and potentially lose him for nothing in the offseason, or trade him and potentially miss the playoffs. It is a situation fringe teams are all too familiar with, and one that wreaks havoc with any trade deadline predictions.

Contract

Final year of a five-year, $5.25MM a year contract with a No-Movement Clause. Will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.

2016-17 Stats

48 GP, 3G, 13A, -1, 30 PIM, 20:08 ATOI, 59 BLK, 51.5 CF%

Season Overview

Wideman mans the second-pairing defensive unit for the Flames and provides much-needed defensive help for the playoff bubble team. After last season ended with a suspension for cross-checking an official, Wideman was probably chomping at the bit to hit the ice and start a new season. He’s played on the second power-play unit this season but is unable to consistently find the net. He has 2 G and 3 A on the powerplay so far.

Potential Suitors

Playoff-bound teams with some cap room. Wideman is an attractive rental asset for any team looking to make a deep postseason run this season. And because Wideman’s contract comes off the books this summer, he won’t restrain any team’s long-term cap situation.

The problem lies with Wideman’s No-Movement Clause. The Flames hope Wideman would waive his NMC to go to any playoff team, but it’s possible that the defenseman chooses to stay close to home. In that case, the Edmonton Oilers appear to be likely suitors. Kris Russell has disappointed this year, and Wideman could step into his place and help Edmonton in the organization’s first playoff appearance 2005–06’s run to the Stanley Cup Finals—coincidentally led by the then newly added defenseman Chris Pronger.

Does Calgary trade Wideman to its most-hated rival and risk seeing Edmonton achieve playoff success? It’s a question team officials must weigh as the deadline approaches.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Any trade depends on whether the Flames decide to sell. Right now they are hanging on to the last Western Conference wild card spot, but anything can happen from now until the trade deadline. As stated above, this puts the Flames brass in a difficult situation. No team wants to lose assets for nothing, but teams also have to consider how selling off assets affects current performance and image. The Flames’ record over the next few weeks will determine whether Wideman is traded.

 

Trade Deadline Updates: Hanzal and Duchene

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The hot stove is on fire as trade deadline rumors heat up. With less than a month to go, the big names on the board are the subject of increased speculation. Today brings new information on two of the biggest names expected to move this season.

Martin Hanzal
ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun reported on TSN’s Insider Trading that the Arizona Coyotes received serious calls from ten teams inquiring about Martin Hanzal. PHR highlighted Hanzal’s appeal earlier this week, and LeBrun’s report only corroborate’s Hanzal’s popularity. Lebrun’s ESPN colleague Craig Custance (insider access) reported earlier today that the Coyotes fielded interest from up to twelve teams, which means almost half the league is chasing the pending unrestricted free agent.

The interest is entirely warranted. Hanzal has a low $3.1MM cap hit, and while his point totals won’t get him top-line duty, he provides excellent depth and insurance for teams looking to make a deep run. With the salary cap making it harder and harder to construct a deep team, adding someone like Hanzal at the deadline is a short-term workaround.

Matt Duchene
It wasn’t too long ago that Matt Duchene was anointed the future leader of the Colorado Avalanche. And yet in 2017 Duchene finds himself embroiled in rampant trade rumors. TSN’s Bob McKenzie stated that the Avalanche established a high asking price somewhere in the range of three or four high-end pieces. The Avalanche are looking for an established player, a top prospect, and a 1st round draft pick—but would settle for two almost-established players for the first piece.

There is no doubt that the ask is high, implying that Duchene may not be moved until the offseason. It will be hard for GM Joe Sakic to significantly decrease his original ask lest he lose bargaining power in subsequent trades. Moreover, while the Avs could use a reboot, they may be better off keeping Duchene if his return doesn’t significantly help the team in the long run.

 

Jonathan Quick Injury Update

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Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick gets closer and closer to a return, reports LA Kings insider Jon Rosen. Quick took to the ice in full gear this morning for the first time since injuring his groin midway through the season opener. He’s spent the last four months recovering off-ice, respecting the injury and wary of progressing too fast. Kings GM Dean Lombardi has gone back and forth on a planned return date, at times stating early March or mid-February. Having Quick on ice in full equipment by February 1st is right on schedule, at least according to Kings coach Darryl Sutter.

Quick’s injury initially spelled doom for the Kings as the organization had no viable backup ready to take the reins. They had signed former Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Jeff Zatkoff—who was relegated in Pittsburgh to a third-string role after Matt Murray’s surprise success—but his play quickly indicated that he was not ready for the starting role.

Luckily for the Kings however, veteran Peter Budaj stepped up and manned the crease admirably. Budaj is putting up the best numbers of his career this season. In 44 games Budaj is 24-14-3 with a .922 SV% , a 2.01 GAA, and 6 shutouts. Not bad for a goaltender on the brink of retirement. Budaj’s performance has kept the Kings in playoff contention, and Quick’s return could solidify its ticket down the stretch.

Budaj’s strong performance also allowed Quick to rehabilitate properly and not rush back to action too soon. Groin injuries are incredibly tricky for goaltenders as they rely heavily on lateral side to side movement. Ensuring that Quick is 100% before starting him significantly reduces the chances of him relapsing.

 

Trade Candidates: Ben Bishop

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that are likely to be dealt by March 1st.

Ben Bishop’s name was at the top of everyone’s “most likely to be traded” list to start the season. And with the trade deadline nearing, talk has only intensified as Tampa Bay Lightning GM Steve Yzerman contemplates a move. Bishop is another goaltending victim of circumstance on a team with expansion draft exposure concerns and upcoming RFA deals. A pending free agent goaltender used to be a hot commodity for teams looking to make a playoff push, but with more and more teams limited by the salary cap, veteran goalies have lost significant trade value

Contract

Bishop is in his final year of his 2-year, $5.95MM a year contract. It’s the 10th highest cap hit for an NHL goaltender.

2016-17

Bishop is not having the greatest 2016-17 season. Tampa Bay platoons its goalies, so Bishop shares time with Andrei Vasilevskiy. But even the reduced workload hasn’t helped increase the worst numbers Bishop has earned since playing backup for the St. Louis Blues in 2010-11. Part of the problem is that the team itself has been disappointing. The Lightning were a popular choice to lead the Atlantic this year, and right now they find themselves outside of a playoff spot. Lacking playoff hopes, however, bodes well for Bishop as the Lightning would be less hesitant to trade him knowing they do not need him for the playoffs.

Season Stats

27 GP, 11-12-3, .904 SV%, 2.83 GAA, 0 SO.

Potential Suitors

Fringe playoff teams or teams beset by goaltending injuries. The former exist, and the latter do not—for now. Most of the established playoff teams are set in net, but a season-ending injury to a starting goalie could do wonders for Ben Bishop’s trade market. Barring injury, though, Tampa has to look to those teams on the brink of playoffs and with little to offer in goal.

The Winnipeg Jets may want somebody more reliable that Connor Hellebuyck and Ondrej Pavelec. Hellebucyk is an RFA after this season, and Pavelec a UFA. The Jets also have ample cap room to work with. St. Louis could also show interest if starter Jake Allen continues his substandard season. The Blues will find it harder to fit Bishop in under the cap, so Tampa may have to either retain some salary or take a contract in return.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Very likely. The writing was on the wall on July 1, 2016 when the Lightning signed Vasilevskiy to a three-year, $3.5MM a year extension. That a trade hasn’t happened yet is the surprising part. Either the market is stagnant or GM Steve Yzerman is waiting for the deadline to maximize his return. With the Lightning potentially missing the playoffs, the team has no reason to keep Bishop beyond the trade deadline.

Nashville Interested In Matt Duchene

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ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun reported today (video link) that the Nashville Predators have expressed interest in the Colorado Avalanche’s Matt Duchene. The Denver center stated publicly that he is open to a trade, but has not formally asked for one.

Colorado’s reported asking price for Duchene is steep. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reported that Colorado is asking for a 1st round pick, a top-four defenseman, and a top prospect. Now, just because Colorado opens with that ask doesn’t mean it won’t budge on the price if there’s a deal to be had. The Avalanche, however, are under no pressure to trade Duchene, and will only do so to kickstart a rebuild or address glaring holes. The Avalanche desperately need help on the back end, and will focus in on acquiring a above-average defender.

Using Garrioch’s report as a template, the Predators may actually have the pieces to get a deal done without hamstringing its future. Goaltending prospect Juuse Saros is stuck behind Pekka Rinne for the next two seasons, and the Predators have maintained their stellar defensive depth. It’s a big price to pay for Duchene, but the Predators have to somehow overcome the highly competitive Central Division to take the next step.

Predators GM David Poile is no stranger to big trades. In the last two years he traded Seth Jones for Ryan Johansen, and then fan favorite Shea Weber for P.K. Subban. Could a trade for Duchene complete the trifecta?

Snapshots: Letang, Carlson, NHL

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News and notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins activated defenseman Kris Letang off of Injured Reserve today. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Jason Mackey tweeted that Letang was on the ice for the Penguins warmup skate before tonights game against the Nashville Predators. Letang suffered a lower-body injury January 14th against the Detroit Red Wings, and has been out ever since. The Penguins did not struggle without him, but adding Letang back into the mix should propel the Penguins higher atop the Metropolitan Division.
  • The Penguins aren’t the only Metropolitan team getting their defenseman back. The Washington Capitals welcome John Carlson back to the ice after the young defenseman missed the last two weeks. Carlson suffered a lower body injury against the Philadelphia Flyers on January 15. Carlson has 5G and 20A in 43 games so far for the Capitals and the leads all Capitals skaters in average ice time.
  • TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that the NHL plans to have two regular season games in Sweden next season, pending NHLPA approval. Dreger says that the Ottawa Senators and Colorado Avalanche will likely play each other in two games in November. Both teams have Swedish captains: Erik Karlsson for Ottawa and Gabriel Landeskog for Colorado. It is unclear whether both games will take place in one city or divided amongst two.

Trade Candidates: Jaroslav Halak

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Update 11:58am: this post is updated to reflect that Jean-Francois Berube could become a Group 6 Unrestricted Free Agent if he fails to play in at least 19 more games this season

With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that are likely to be dealt by March 1st.

Jaroslav Halak is the odd man out in the New York Islanders organization, and the likelihood of the goaltender being an Islander come opening puck drop next season is slim. The Islanders indicated who they want starting in net going forward by signing Thomas Greiss to a three-year contract extension worth $3.33MM a year. Halak’s $4.5MM contract has little place in the Islanders’ plans.

Contract

Halak has one more left on a $4.5MM a year contract. Signed in 2014, Halak’s actual salary increases each year—from $3.5MM in 2014 to $5.0MM next season. The Isles are still on the hook for a $3.55MM cap hit after burying Halak in the AHL. NHL teams only receive up to a $925K cap reprieve for players sent to the AHL.

2016-17

Halak’s stats this year are the worst of his career. In 21 games for the Islanders he sports a .904 SV% and a 3.23 GAA. That’s a far cry from last year’s .919 SV% and 2.30 GAA. Since being sent down to the AHL, however, Halak has posted a .927 SV% and a 2.03 GAA—good for 2nd among goalies with at least seven starts.

It did not help when the Islanders decided to carry three goalies this season. Along with Halak, the Islanders had the aforementioned Thomas Greiss and Jean-Francois Berube. The situation got so tenuous that Allan Walsh, agent for both Halak and Berube, tweeted his displeasure.

Season Stats

21 games: 6-8-5, .905 SV%, 3.23 GAA, 1 SO

Potential Suitors

The market for expensive veteran goaltenders decreases every year as teams realize young replacement level goaltenders provide more upside than goaltenders on a downward trend. That being said, GMs still value proven commodities as insurance in case a starter goes down during a post-season run. The question is whether Halak’s cap hit is too rich for interested teams.

The other option open to the Islanders is a team requiring a goaltender to expose in the NHL expansion draft this summer. Unfortunately for the Islanders, every team but one has already addressed that need. The lone remaining team—the Minnesota Wild—are unlikely to add a $4.5MM goaltender with almost $6MM on the books with two capable goaltenders. Should Devan Dubnyk go down, the Wild have confidence that Darcy Kuemper is up to the task. The Wild will most likely sign Alex Stalock to a contract prior to the draft so the team can meet the exposure requirements.

One option is trading Halak and a draft pick for the cap space. Teams like the Buffalo Sabres and the Calgary Flames could stash Halak on their roster if they received reasonable draft pick compensation for the additional salary obligation. Both teams have no goaltending contracts past this season.

Likelihood Of A Trade

A victim of circumstances, Halak’s stats show a goalie who may provide solid—if not incredible—goaltending for a team willing to take the risk that this season’s performance is an aberration rather than indicative of Halak’s current ability. A trade for any usable returns is unlikely, but a trade could be had if the Islanders want to shed salary and gain cap space.

If the Islanders do trade Halak, they will have to qualify AHL goaltender Christopher Gibson to meet the NHL Expansion Draft goaltender exposure requirements. The requirements state that a team must expose one goalie who is either 1) signed for 2017-18, or 2) an RFA at the end of this season that received a Qualifying Offer.

At first glance, the Isles seem to meet this requirement with Jean-Francois Berube, but an eagle-eyed reader caught that Berube may be eligible for Group 6 unrestricted free agency. Any goaltender 25 or older becomes a UFA if they have three or more years of professional experience but less than 28 NHL games played. And because the CBA only counts NHL games as starts 30 minutes or longer, Berube only has 9 NHL games played in his career. That means Berube will be a UFA if he plays 18 games or less from here on out.

Injury Updates: Larkin, Anderson, Barkov

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Injury updates around the NHL this evening:

  • MLive’s Ansar Khan tweeted this evening that Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin is cleared to play tomorrow night against the New Jersey Devils. The Red Wings placed Larkin on injured reserve on January 23rd with an upper-body injury. Larkin’s numbers this year have declined from last season’s breakout rookie performance. In 47 games Larkin scored 12G and 6A. Last season Larkin has 23G and 22A in 80 games. The Wings hope that Larkin’s return sparks an anemic offense that sits 21st in goals for. Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News believes that Drew Miller will be sent down to Grand Rapids to make room for Larkin’s return.
  • Ottawa Senators goaltender Craig Anderson returns to the team today, and is expected to start tomorrow night against the Florida Panthers, reports the Ottawa Citizen’s Ken Warren. Anderson left the team in December to be with his wife Nicole as she battles cancer. It was the third time Anderson left the team this season, but the latest absence proved to be the longest as Anderson last started on December 5, 2016. The Senators look forward to Anderson’s return as they try and hold down a playoff spot in the NHL’s Atlantic Division.
  • Florida Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov returns to practice for the first time since injuring his back on December 28, 2016. The Finnish forward has 9G and 18A in 36 games so far for the Panthers, and hopes to pick up right where he left off. Despite his absence, however, Barkov is taking it slow and not rushing his recovery. He says there is no timetable for his return, but practicing with the team is always a good sign.

Thomas Greiss Signs Three Year Extension

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Update 6:38pm: Newsday Sports’ Arther Staple reports that the deal is a three-year contract worth $10MM.

The New York Islanders signed goaltender Thomas Greiss to a three-year contract extension today. Islanders beat writer Arthur Staple of Newsday Sports first reported the deal on Twitter. The Islanders have not released any contractual details besides term as of yet.

Greiss was on the final year of his two-year, $1.5MM a year contract. Mired in a goaltender controversy caused by the Islanders holding three goaltenders at the NHL level, Greiss is currently posting a career best .928 SV% and a 2.28 GAA in 25 games. With Jaroslav Halak in the AHL, Greiss looks to be the Islanders’ starting goaltender going forward. Greiss’s numbers dwarf both Halak’s and prospect-goalie Jean-Francois Berube’s.

The extension, however, does not solve the Islanders goaltending conundrum. Halak has another year left on his contract worth $4.5MM a year, and Berube is an RFA after this season. The organization will have to figure out what to do with Halak before the club maintains goaltending stability.

The signing comes as a welcome reprieve to the organization after word leaked today that the Barclays Center—where the Islanders play—may not house the hockey team after 2018-19. Either party may terminate the lease, and it seems that the Barclays Center wants to proceed without the New York Islanders as tenants going forward.

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