Across The Pond: KHL
Roughly halfway through the Kontinental Hockey League season, things are looking good… for prospective NHL off-season buyers. The majority of the “second best” league’s top scorers thus far are impending free agents and a majority of that subset play for the best team in the league and may be in search of a new challenge should they take home the league championship without much of a struggle.
When SKA Saint Petersberg added Pavel Datsyuk, Viktor Tikhonov, Sergei Plotnikov, and Alexander Khokhlachev this summer, it was assumed that they would be the team to beat in 2016-17. However, no one could have expected that 35 games in they would be 29-2-4 with a goal differential of 99 and a 30-point lead in their division. SKA appears poised to breeze to a league championship this season. Then what? Leading scorer, and a name known to NHL fans, Ilya Kovalchuk has made it known that he would consider returning to the NHL. Kovalchuk is currently second in the KHL in points (to veteran winger Sergei Mozyakin of Mettalurg Magnitogorsk) with 49. The former #1 overall pick is still only 33 years old, and could use Jaromir Jagr as a model of how a few years out of the NHL early in your career can extend your career in North America. For Kovalchuk to rejoin to the New Jersey Devils, the rest of the teams in the league would have to approve of his return from NHL retirement. While they may not want to make a competitor stronger, the decision could also open doors for Kovalchuk’s teammates to follow suit.
Kovalchuk’s linemate, and the fifth leading scorer in the KHL, is Vadim Shipachyov. The 29-year-old skilled center has been on the radar of NHL teams for years, especially after back-to-back seasons of over a point-per-game production and elite postseason performances with SKA. He’s putting on a repeat performance in 2016-17, with a league-leading 30 assists and nine goals in 28 games. Shipachyov could finally make the jump to North America if he follows friend and role model Kovalchuk. Likewise, SKA’s Evgeni Dadonov could join his teammates overseas. The 2007 third-round pick of the Florida Panthers couldn’t stick in the NHL in his first go-round, despite scoring 20 points in 55 games in parts of three seasons, but has dominated the KHL since his return to Russia. The 27-year-old winger is on pace for his best season yet, and could draw the attention of a Florida team that has had more than it’s fair share of struggles so far this season. A small, fast forward, Dadonov has the tools to excel in today’s NHL. Another player in Saint Petersberg having an unbelievable year is Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Nikita Gusev. The KHL’s third ranked scorer with 44 point in 33 games, the 24-year-old was a steal by the Bolts in the seventh round of the 2012 draft. While he’s still signed on in Russia for a couple more years, don’t be surprised to see the talented scorer join Tampa sooner rather than later and make a contender that much more dangerous.
Metro Notes: Sanford, Vrana, Bennett, Quenneville
The Washington Capitals have swapped top prospects with their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears. The team announced that they have recalled Jakub Vrana, as well as veteran Paul Carey, from the AHL and re-assigned rookie Zach Sanford.
This is the first call up for the 20-year-old Vrana, the 13th overall pick by the Capitals in 2014 NHL Draft, who could make his NHL debut tomorrow night against the division rival New York Islanders. The young Czech winger is a fast, skilled forward with scoring ability, much like fellow countryman and 2016-17 breakout star David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins. Vrana was nearly a point-per-game player with the Bears last season, but only played in 36 contests due to injury. Off to the same torrid start tho this season, with nine goals and seven assists in 18 games, Washington has decided to give him a chance to prove himself at the highest level. With another skilled winger, T.J. Oshie, currently sidelined with an injury, don’t be surprised to see Vrana slot in to Oshie’s spot tomorrow night.
The demotion of Sanford is nothing for Capitals fans to be discouraged about. As team beat writer Isabelle Khurshudyan points out, Washington is pressed for salary cap space and could not have promoted Vrana without making the corresponding move of exchanging him for the 2013 second-rounder. A Massachusetts native who starred at Boston College for two years before leaving early, Sanford jumped right into the Washington lineup out of training camp without ever playing a minor league game. Although a strong player at the college level, Sanford’s pro career has gotten off to a slow start with just one assist in 19 games with the Capitals. With his NHL ice time diminishing, Washington likely felt it was the right move to send the young forward down to the AHL, where he can re-discover his scoring touch.
From the Capitals to the Devils:
- New Jersey has placed Beau Bennett on the injured reserve, retroactive to this past Monday. During practice that day, Bennett suffered a bad cut on his right leg and had to leave the ice. He did not return to practice and was left behind when the team departed on its current road trip. Injuries have been an unfortunate story line in Bennett’s young career, but this one at least appears to be minor. Expect Bennett to be back on the ice when the Devils return home, unless New Jersey wishes to keep him sidelined longer as precaution or to give other players a longer look while he is out. Bennett has just seven points in 20 games so far in 2016-17.
- In his stead, New Jersey has recalled 2014 first-round pick John Quenneville from the AHL’s Albany Devils. The young forward, who has 17 points in 19 games thus far in his first pro season, will fly out to Chicago to join the team on their road trip. It’s possible that he will make his NHL debut against his own second cousin, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville. The younger Quenneville will look to earn a regular spot on the team during this call-up stint. If he shows the scoring ability he has displayed in juniors and early on in the AHL, he might just stick around long enough to face his uncle, Johnny Boychuk, in February.
Forbes’ 2016-17 NHL Team Valuations
If you’re looking to buy an NHL franchise, here is your market value. For those who do not know of the world-famous company, Forbes is a leading American business magazine, named for its editor-in-chief, Steve Forbes. The company focuses on financial and business stories in a multitude of industries, including technology, sciences, art, law and, of course, the professional sports industry. Each year, Forbes runs a valuation of sports franchises around the globe, from NFL football in the United States to UEFA “football” in Europe. Today, Forbes released its valuations and rankings of all thirty current NHL teams – with the Vegas Golden Knights not quite ready to be analyzed just yet.
Unsurprisingly, the most successful team in North America’s biggest city reigns supreme over the rest of the league. With deep playoff runs in back-to-back years and a hot start to 2016-17, the New York Rangers are considered to be the NHL’s most valuable franchise with a $1.25B valuation. The Rangers top the chart for the second year in a row, after being denied the top spot for more than a decade prior, and see a 4% bump in their value from last year. Success coupled with some heavy renovations to Madison Square Garden and nearly a nightly sellout rate brings New York the big bucks, as they took in about $219MM in revenue last year, $17MM more than the next in line.
Second and third overall are Original Six Canadian power houses: the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs. Both hold on to their respective places from last year. However, the Maple Leafs held the top spot for an astonishing ten-year stretch from 2005 to 2014, before being bumped down to #3 last year. Having made the playoffs just once in the last decade, as well as seeing a 13-year sellout streak snapped in 2014-15, there is no doubt that the team has lost some value. A $1.1B valuation for a team that has struggled as much as Toronto has is not too shabby though, and is a testament to the city and its fans. Meanwhile, Montreal joins the Rangers as the only team to bring in over $200MM in revenue in 2015-16. The annual leader in attendance among the seven Canadian NHL teams, Montreal is a titan of industry in Canadian pro sports with a $1.12B valuation. Although both the Canadiens and Maple Leafs lost value this past year (5% and 4% respectively), this is most likely due to the weakness of the Canadian dollar. Both teams continue to excel fiscally, worth much more than any other Canadian NHL team or the Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto Raptors, or likely the entire Canadian Football League combined.
Snapshots: Ivan Hlinka Tournament, Three Stars, Staal, And More
The Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup is making its way from Europe to North America. Hockey Canada announced today that the premiere under-18 hockey tournament will be hosted by Edmonton, Alberta in 2018, 2020, and 2022. Named after Czech legend Ivan Hlinka, the tournament has been operated by the Czech Ice Hockey Association and the Slovak Ice Hockey Federation since 1991. Traditionally held in August, the eight-nation summer tournament brings together the best of the best in teenage hockey players, as well as fans from around the world. Canada has won the tournament 20 times and will now get it’s first chance to take home the title in front of a home crowd.
In other league news:
- The NHL named it’s 3 Stars of the Week today, pegging Ottawa Senators goalie Craig Anderson, New Jersey Devils winger Mike Cammalleri, and San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns as first, second, and third respectively. Anderson continues to play well this season, despite dealing with the difficult news of his wife’s cancer diagnosis in October. He improved to 12-4-1 this week, including wins over Eastern Conferences forces Montreal, Boston, and the New York Rangers. Returning from injury, Cammalleri potted four goals and added four helpers as well, as the Devils continue to defy expectations. The veteran scorer leads the team with seven goals, despite missing six games. Fresh off of a major long-term extension, Burns contributed six points in four games for the Sharks, including an impressive goal from about center ice.
- Jordan Staal suffered a concussion in the Carolina Hurricanes’ game against the Florida Panthers yesterday, reports ‘Canes beat writer Chip Alexander. GM Ron Francis has yet to issue any more information, and there is currently no timetable for the return of the Carolina star.
- The Colorado Avalanche have a bug going around the locker room. Just a few days after forward Rene Bourque missed practice with an illness, defenseman Erik Johnson has fallen victim to what is believed to be the same sickness, but the team is hopeful that he will be ready for the Avs’ game tomorrow night. Terry Frei of the Denver Post spoke with coach Jared Bednar who said “it’s been going through our team a little bit, but we’ve contained it and it’s only been a 24-hour thing, so (Johnson) should be able to go tomorrow.”
- The Anaheim Ducks have recalled forward Chris Wagner and defenseman Shea Theodore from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. Wagner was just sent down recently and has yet to even play an AHL game. In 19 games in Anaheim thus far, the energy-liner has contributed two goals. Theodore, a 2013 first-round pick, has played in eight games with the Ducks this season, but was demoted as a result of the Hampus Lindholm resolution. With the extraordinary defensive depth of the Ducks, Theodore’s trip to Anaheim may be a short one.
Defensive Shuffling Continues In Dallas
The Dallas Stars are still trying to work out the kinks on the blue line. At 9-8-5, the season has not started as well as the defending Central Division champs would like and an ongoing theme has been the shuffling of personnel on defense. The latest change is the benching of veteran Dan Hamhuis for tonight’s match-up against the rival St. Louis Blues. This is the second time this season that Hamhuis, who signed a two-year, $7.5MM contract with Dallas this summer, has been scratched, as the Stars desperately seek balance and production on the back end. Hamhuis was brought in in an effort to make up for the losses of Alex Goligoski, Jason Demers, and Kris Russell, but to this point has been a disappointment.
Hamhuis will be joined in the press box this evening by Stephen Johns, who was recently recalled from the AHL’s Texas Stars. Johns was given a starting role to begin the 2016-17 season, but had fallen out of favor and been demoted last week. In his stead, more play time has been given to fellow young defensemen Esa Lindell, Patrik Nemeth, and Jamie Oleksiak. However, that trio has also failed to impress as well, delivering just five points total at a combined -6.
The newest member to the platoon is promising rookie Julius Honka. Honka made his NHL debut last week and appears to be sticking around. A player in the mold of star teammate John Klingberg, Honka appears poised to at least bring some more offensive production from the blue line, even if it’s at the expense of team defense. That is the trade-off that Klingberg brings, and Dallas has fallen in love with the 24-year-old defender who put up 58 points last season. If Honka brings that ability, he may be able to bring some roster stability to the Stars as well.
Klingberg is well behing his 2015-16 pace with just 11 points thus far, but is the undisputed leader of the defense. The other two reliable members of the “D” corps have been Johnny Oduya and Jordie Benn, but Oduya was recently placed on the injured reserve with a lower body injury and is out “indefinitely”. A blue line group that is already struggling will have a hard time without the veteran leadership and locker room presence that Oduya brings. However, it will force the Stars young defensemen into bigger roles. If the increased play time and pressure doesn’t break them, it could benefit the team in the long run.
For tonight, the Stars will ride with Klingberg, Benn, Honka, Lindell, Nemeth, and Oleksiak, but expect Hamhuis to return to the lineup for the next game with a fire underneath him. One way or another, the team will have to find a way to maximize the talent they have on the blue line into a cohesive and productive defense. Otherwise, it will be a long season in Dallas.
Atlantic Notes: Hudon, Marchand, Sabres
The Montreal Canadiens announced that young forward Charles Hudon is out indefinitely with a broken sternum. The rookie took a hard shot to the chest in practice on Friday and did not return. Hudon has played in just six NHL games, only three thus far this season, but has been looking strong in his early appearances and has earned an increase in play time as a result. However, a broken sternum is a rare and painful injury that usually recovers multiple months of recovery.
Hudon, a 2012 fifth-round pick, has greatly outplayed his draft slot and become one of Montreal’s top prospects and a major minor league contributor. After a strong junior career in the QMJHL, Hudon has dominated the AHL and was hoping to finally carve out a role for himself in the NHL. With that plan on hold, for the time being Montreal appears to be set to give 2013 second-rounder Artturi Lehkonen a spot back on the team. The rookie has played in 12 games with Montreal this season, but has missed the past few weeks with an injury. His return is well timed with Hudon now out long-term.
In other Atlantic news:
- The Boston Bruins hope that a practice injury like that of Hudon is far from what happened at their practice earlier today. Star winger Brad Marchand blocked a big shot from defenseman Adam McQuaid and went down hard. Marchand left the ice and did not return to practice. The Bruins offense has been anemic of late, other than the contributions of the top line, featuring Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and the upstart David Pastrnak. A long-term absence for Marchand would be difficult for the Bruins to overcome, especially with Zdeno Chara already injured. Stay tuned for more on this developing story.
- The Buffalo Sabres continue to use their promotions and demotions with their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, pretty liberally this season. The team announced that they have sent down William Carrier, Cole Schneider, and Cal O’Reilly, a trio that has been up and down several times already this season.
Brandon Prust Signs In Germany
TSN’s Darren Dreger reported this morning that the rumors of NHL veteran Brandon Prust accepting a deal overseas are indeed true. The veteran agitator is heading to Germany to pursue an opportunity to extend his playing career. While it is currently unknown exactly which team he will sign with, it will more than likely be a team in the country’s premiere league, the DEL. Prust will leave for Germany tomorrow and an announcement is expected in the coming days.
Right up until this decision was made, many expected that Prust could sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 32-year-old forward accepted a PTO deal with the Leafs, but was unable to secure a roster spot in training camp. However, he has continued to practice with the team over the past few months. When Auston Matthews and Tyler Bozak missed time with the flu a few weeks back, Prust went as far as to join line rushes and many speculated that a contract offer was imminent. Just a couple of days ago, Prust’s agent, and a former gritty NHLer himself, Claude Lemieux was reportedly waiting to accept any offer from outside of North America while anticipating a deal with Toronto. However, that opportunity did not arise and Prust has moved on to a new adventure overseas.
A journeyman enforcer, Prust’s days in the NHL appeared numbered when he was demoted to the AHL by the Vancouver Canucks last season. Although never an offensive force, Prust showed an ability to chip in an occasional goal throughout his career. After being traded from the Montreal Canadiens to Vancouver for Zack Kassian last summer, that ability seemingly evaporated and led to Prust playing in just 35 games last season and was part of the reason he was unable to find a guaranteed contract in the off-season. In nine seasons split between the Calgary Flames, Phoenix Coyotes, New York Rangers, Canadiens, and Canucks, Prust recorded 40 goals and 75 assists for 115 points in 486 games. More memorable will be the 1036 penalty minutes he sat for in his career as well. With the league trending away from enforcers, especially those who are on the wrong side of 30, Prust has likely played his last NHL game, but will continue his career by bringing his tough, physical brand of hockey to Germany.
Las Vegas Reveals Name And Logo
At long last, the Las Vegas expansion team finally has an identity. Team ownership and management announced that taking the ice in 2017-18 as the 31st member of the NHL, will be the Vegas Golden Knights. Five months to the day since it became official that Las Vegas would get a hockey team, the announcement tonight comes as the culmination of months of speculation surrounding countless rumors of trademark filings and legal roadblocks.
After all the talk and guesswork as to what the expansion team could be called, it turns out that a report from NHL.com back in August all but spoiled it. It was reported that the team had filed for trademarks for “Desert Knights”, “Silver Knights”, and… “Golden Knights”. Team owner Bill Foley reportedly wanted the team to be named the “Black Knights”, after the Army Black Knights of the U.S. Military Academy, which he attended. The shortened version of just “Knights” seemed like the next best option, but the team had trademark contention with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League and would have faced legal issues in Canada with the moniker. After considering their options, the team has now settled on Golden Knights. While the double entendre of “Las Vegas Knights” won’t be as clean, that is likely what they will referred to as in the shorthand anyway, and the first team called the Knights in major North American pro sports will still be a nice addition to the National Hockey League.
In addition to revealing the team name, Las Vegas also gave fans their first look at the logo. A gold and black helmet, hearkening back to the days of King Arthur, appears to be the primary logo for the new NHL competitor. Although the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins have their claim on various shades of gold and yellow to go along with black, the Western Conference is lacking such a team and the logo looks promising for some good-looking jerseys down the road. Other team colors will reportedly be gray and red.
Although many hoped for a gambling reference with the Las Vegas team name, the NHL made it clear that they did not approve of that. The goal of any professional franchise is to have a nickname that simply makes sense, represents the team, and, above all else, sells merchandise. Any new team usually doesn’t have trouble with the latter, but with a cool logo that is a reference to both bravery and a killer instinct, as well as a classic color scheme, Las Vegas is well on their way to selling out lots of gear.
Pro Hockey Rumors is happy to officially welcome the Las Vegas Golden Knights to the National Hockey League. We look forward to continuing to follow along with the teams further announcements (jerseys, coaching staff, AHL affiliate) and keeping up with all of the rumors surrounding the team’s trades, free agent signings, and, of course, the NHL Expansion Draft in June.
Bruins Notes: Backes, Franchise Goals, Vatrano
David Backes and the Boston Bruins taking on the St. Louis Blues tonight has been a big story around the hockey world today, even with so much else going on. It speaks measures about how much the former Blues captain meant to his former franchise. A second-round pick by St. Louis in 2003, the big power forward quickly established himself as one of the best two-way players in the league, as well as a strong leader in the locker room. Backes ranks in the top ten in Blues’ franchise records for games, goals, assists, points, and penalty minutes and has had a lasting effect on the team beyond just the record books.
With the Blues struggling defensively this season (51 goals allowed vs. 40 by the Bruins), there has been a lot of talk about the negative effects that the loss of Backes has had on the team and questioning the decision to let him walk. So when the two teams lined up at TD Garden in Boston tonight, St. Louis fans could only hope that Backes wouldn’t directly harm them as opposed to his absence indirectly hurting the team against other teams. Fittingly, it was Backes who scored the first goal of the game, early in the first period. Backes had told NHL.com’s Amalie Benjamin that he was worried about shooting on the wrong goal tonight, but got it right when he he jammed home a rebound to put Boston up 1-0.
The goal was also a significant career achievement for Backes, as it officially gave him a goal against all 30 NHL teams. The long-time Blue has been a great addition in Boston, scoring his fourth goal and eighth point of the season early in the game, playing in only his 14th game. A big, strong player, who also wears the alternate captain “A” on the road (and at home tonight for this special personal circumstance), Backes has helped the Bruins to get back to the physical, defensively sound game that led them to two Stanley Cup appearances in three years not long ago, but has been lacking the past couple of seasons.
- Backes’ goal was also a milestone for the Bruins franchise, as it marked 20,000 goals for the team. An Original Six franchise with a winning history, Boston joins their arch-rival, the Montreal Canadiens, as the only two teams to accomplish the feat.
- Although the Bruins are off to a strong start, their is still room for improvement. The top line of Brad Marchand – Patrice Bergeron – David Pastrnak has been excellent, but a lack of consistency and cohesion among their other forward lines has limited an offense that was among the league’s best in 2015-16. The line combinations may finally sort themselves out when Frank Vatrano returns to the lineup and, fortunately for the Bruins, that appears to be coming sooner rather than later. Vatrano injured his foot in off-season conditioning, and was forced to undergo surgery that was expected to keep him out at least through the calendar year. Instead, he took the ice this morning in his first skate with the team and is ahead of schedule to return. The AHL’s leading goal-scorer in 2015-16 (36 goals in 36 games), Vatrano also contributed eight goals in 39 games in Boston last year. The former UMass star was expected to win a top nine job in camp and was a prime candidate for a breakout year. With line chemistry still unclear, a prime spot will surely still be up for the 22-year-old with a knack for finding the back of the net.
The Post-Burns Free Agent Market
Unlike the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Steven Stamkos saga of this past summer, the San Jose Sharks have spared hockey fans the drama and re-signed the top free agent on the market well before the trade rumors or free agency speculation could begin. Brent Burns inked an eight-year, $64MM extension earlier today, removing one of hockey’s most dynamic players from play next summer. So where does that leave the rest of the market?
With the Las Vegas expansion team joining the NHL this year by way of an expansion draft and some special free agency privileges, the 2017 off-season was already shaping up to be unique and unpredictable. However, the one constant that many agreed upon was that if Burns hit the open market, he would be the most sought after player this summer. The Sharks put an end to that potential narrative early on and what’s left is a free agent market filled with mostly question marks.
Regardless of Burns availability, the forward market was already lacking in excitement. Burns’ San Jose teammates Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau are likely the biggest names available, but both are way past their prime at 37 years old. Jaromir Jagr and Jarome Iginla qualify for the “future Hall of Famer with little upside” group as well, and Patrick Sharp and Radim Vrbata may as well join the old-timers too. With Burns gone, is it possible that T.J. Oshie is now up for best player available?
Perhaps goalie Ben Bishop now claims the title of top free agent. He was the only one who could realistically give Burns a run for his money, and now faces little competition. The 30-year-old Tampa Bay keeper is set to hit free agency with his team seemingly committed to the young Andrei Vasilevskiy. With one less player out there to command a top contract, Bishop will now likely cash in with a deal close to the $8.5MM yearly pact given by the New York Rangers to Henrik Lundqvist. Without another all-world player like Burns available for teams to weigh against Bishop, expect him to be signed early, leaving money and interest open for the likes of Brian Elliott, Thomas Greiss, Steve Mason and potentially this season’s early surprise star, Peter Budaj.
Where the Burns signing really makes an impact is among the free agent defenseman. Suddenly Kevin Shattenkirk has been thrust into the position of best available blue liner and will be able to command whatever salary he likes. However, reports this past summer indicated that Shattenkirk only had eyes for the Eastern Conference, specifically Boston and New York. So where do the other 28 teams look? Like the majority of big-name forwards, Andrei Markov presents limited upside at 37 years old, and Mark Streit even more so at 38. Brian Campbell, Johnny Oduya, Ron Hainsey: same thing. Burns absence from open competition is likely to instead benefit some younger defenseman who have yet to establish themselves as bona-fide top pair guys. Dmitry Kulikov, who was traded from Florida to Buffalo this summer, has yet to score a point for his new team but may just end up being the most sought-after defenseman. Injury-prone risk/reward players like Michael Del Zotto and Michael Stone will also draw more interest. Even players who have struggled for a couple seasons now, like Dennis Wideman or Cody Franson, could be in a position for a pay day this summer.
What it boils down to is this: take a weak free agent market and remove it’s best player and things are likely to get messy. With the expansion process removing talent from every NHL roster, the 2017 off-season will be one where nearly every team has a need to address. The re-signing of Brent Burns just changed the free agency market dynamics completely and teams will likely be scrambling to make additions (with several overvalued contracts guaranteed). With a dearth of talent available to sign, there will likely be an active trade market this summer as well. This off-season was already going to be crazy, but the San Jose Sharks just took it to the next level with their massive extension for the best impending free agent.