Bowers Commits To Boston University
Yet another top prospect is joining the Boston University Terriers. Shane Bowers has announced that he will enroll at BU next season, joining a team that is already stacked with early draft picks and has received a commitment from promising defenseman Kasper Kotkansalo as well. Bowers is considered by many to be a first-round caliber talent and is expected to go in the first 31 picks in next June’s 2017 NHL Entry Draft.
In last year’s draft, BU was proud to see both current players and 2016-17 commits selected early in the NHL Draft. Freshman Clayton Keller went #7 overall to the Arizona Coyotes, sophomore defenseman Charlie McAvoy was taken by the Boston Bruins at #14, freshman defenseman Dante Fabbro went soon after at #17 to the Nashville Predators, and almost immediately following that, freshman forward Kieffer Bellows went #19 to the New York Islanders. Yet another freshman defenseman, Chad Krys, was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round.
The school continues to put together an incredible array of talent, as they bring in a hard-working player with a complete game in Bowers. The Halifax native began eyeing an NCAA future last year, when he joined the USHL’s Waterloo Black Hawks. In 56 games in 2015-16, Bowers scored 33 points, and is off to a point-per-game start to the 2016-17 season. Bowers has a complete, 200-foot game and will be able to further develop his skill at Boston University.
Although recent draft speculation questions whether or not Kotkansalo makes it into the firs round, there is a consensus that Bowers will. In a first round that looks to be heavy with Canadian junior players, Bowers is joined by only two other NCAA-bound USHLers as potential first rounders at this point. Eeli Tolvanen has committed to joining BU’s biggest rival, the Boston College Eagles, next year and Casey Mittelstadt has committed to the University of Minnesota. Both players have the makings of top ten picks next June, while Bowers is looking like a a mid to late-round pick.
Bruins Notes: Defense, Rask, Trade Targets
After spending much of the first part of the 2016-17 season shuffling defensive pairs in an effort to protect four different goalies, the return of Adam McQuaid to the Boston Bruins’ lineup has seemingly stabilized their blue line. In their last eight games, the Bruins are 6-2 and have only allowed more than three goals in a game once, a 5-2 loss to the juggernaut New York Rangers. In total, the defense has held opponents to 15 goals total in their past eight games after giving up 14 goals total in just three games prior to that.
The top pair of Zdeno Chara and Brandon Carlo has remained intact all season, with the 6’9″ veteran mentoring the 6’5″ rookie. The duo has worked together perfectly, with each playing major ice time and posting a +11 thus far. With the 19-year-old Carlo presumably looking like the heir apparent to the 39-year-old Chara, the Bruins are unlikely to change up that pair any time soon. The bottom pair of the experienced John-Michael Liles and young Colin Miller has also mostly stayed together and worked well.
It’s McQuaid’s presence on the second pair with Torey Krug that has finally brought the blue line together. A speedy, offensive defenseman, Krug has always meshed well with more solid, defensive defenseman and McQuaid has fit the bill so far this year. Although he has only played for the Bruins in his career and was a member of the 2011 Stanley Cup championship team, he has received much criticism over the past couple years for being injury prone and often a liability. When Kevan Miller established himself as a reliable top-six defenseman last season, many questioned McQuaid’s role on the team. However, a resurgence this season has shown that, at the very least, McQuaid is an upgrade over Joe Morrow or rookie Rob O’Gara and has made everyone forget about the injured Miller.
- Both a beneficiary of the defensive improvement by the Bruins this season and also a main reason for their early success is Tuukka Rask. In ten games thus far, Rask is 9-1 with a .941 save percentage and 1.69 GAA (both top five in the NHL). When Rask has been healthy, and not necessarily even starting, the Bruins have not lost consecutive games. Three of Boston’s six losses came consecutively when Rask was sidelined with a lower body injury and Anton Khudobin, Malcolm Subban, and Zane McIntyre got the call. Rask is obviously superior to that trio, but his performance in 2016-17 has also been much better than those of a dismal 2015-16 season, showing the impact of Carlo, Colin Miller, and a cohesive Bruins defense.
- Even with the defense playing the best they have in perhaps three years, the Bruins have still been rumored to be on the lookout for a top pairing defenseman. With Jacob Trouba signed and off the market and Cam Fowler reportedly no longer on the block either, those options are dwindling. Boston will undoubtedly stay in contact with the St. Louis Blues about impending free agent and former local college star Kevin Shattenkirk, but the Bruins may now be content to stick with their current defensive group, especially with Kevan Miller soon to be healthy and options like O’Gara, Morrow, Matt Grzelcyk, and Linus Arnesson waiting in the wings this season. One thing is for sure: if the asking price for a top defenseman includes Carlo, you can forget about it.
Dennis Seidenberg Suffers Broken Jaw
The injury bug continues to hit the struggling New York Islanders. An already-battered blue line just lost another member, as Dennis Seidenberg took a Michael Matheson shot up high in the Islanders loss to the Florida Panthers yesterday, and early reports are that it resulted in a broken jaw. As Islanders’ bear writer Andy Graziano notes, the Isles are already without Travis Hamonic and Ryan Pulock, and neither one is expected back for weeks. Seidenberg’s injury will likely keep him sidelined just as long.
Seidenberg signed with New York on September 28th, after the World Cup of Hockey and right before the start of the season. After spending the past seven seasons with the Boston Bruins, the more recent of which were injury-riddled and ineffective, many speculated that Seidenberg’s playing days were over. However, he has seen somewhat of a career revival thus far in his 14th NHL season, as he has four goals (his last two seasons in Boston combined) and four assists to begin the 2016-17 campaign. Luckily for the Islanders, a jaw injury should not have any lasting effect on Seidenberg’s game play once he returns, unlike the knee issues that plagued him in Boston. Hopefully he is able to return promptly to an Islanders team that is 15th in the Eastern Conference and in desperate need of assistance.
In the meantime, expect Scott Mayfield to be the next man up. The Islanders had just six healthy defenseman on the roster before Seidenberg went down last night, and with Adam Pelech pressed into action already, big man Mayfield is likely the next call-up. Now down to just four defenseman with considerable NHL experience – Johnny Boychuk, Nick Leddy, Thomas Hickey, Calvin de Haan – it also seems like a strong possibility that the Islanders will explore trades, closely monitor the waiver wire, and potentially even look to sign someone in the coming weeks.
Sabres Send Down Three
Buffalo began a two-day break this morning by demoting three players to their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. The Sabres announced that they have returned forwards Nicholas Baptiste and Cole Schneider and defenseman Justin Falk to the minors. The trio will get some play time right away, as the Americans head to Springfield this afternoon to take on the Springfield Thunderbirds, the Florida Panthers new AHL affiliate.
Baptiste is a somewhat surprising move, as the rookie right winger has played in ten games with Buffalo thus far in 2016-17. Although he averages less than nine minutes of ice time per game, Baptiste has contributed two goals and has looked like a naturals fit on the Sabres’ fourth line with his physical play. A third-round pick in 2013, Baptiste put up strong offensive numbers in the OHL, so if he can re-discover more of an all-around game in Rochester, expect Baptiste to be back in Buffalo shortly.
The demotion of Schneider is more understandable, as the 26-year-old has simply not been able to stick at the NHL level. The UConn product joined the AHL’s Binghamton Senators in 2012 and has been a consistent minor league producer ever since. Schneider excels playing in the crease, using his physical presence to clean up rebounds and put up big points. However, that skill set never earned him a call-up to Ottawa in parts of five seasons, and was traded to Buffalo as part of a seven-player depth swap last February. Schneider finally got the long-awaited promotion late last season, but went scoreless in his two-game tryout. He got another chance this season, but in just two more games had an assist and played in less than 16 minutes total. Schneider is a proven commodity in the AHL, but it remains to be seen whether or not he can put it all together at the highest level.
Journeyman blue liner Falk signed on with Buffalo this summer knowing that his role was that of a #8 NHL defenseman or top pair AHL defenseman. When everyone is healthy, the Sabres have a solid top six and Falk was just brought in to compete for play time should injuries occur. With Dmitry Kulikov and Zach Bogosian having missed time, Falk was able to get into two games in Buffalo thus far, but has yet to record a point or make much of a difference in his own end. Now in his eighth NHL season, the 28-year-old has bounced around the league, spending most of his years (121 games) with the team that drafted him, the Minnesota Wild, who also traded him two separate times. Falk has moved on to Buffalo, but without much of a physical game or offensive ability, it seems likely that he will remain in Rochester unless called upon again due to multiple injuries. Just one year removed from playing 24 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Falk’s NHL opportunities are beginning to run out.
With Evander Kane activated from the injured reserve and Kulikov and Bogosian on the mend, the Sabres felt that using their off days to give some fringe players a game or two in the AHL was the right move. Buffalo has made several call-ups so far in 2016-17, so don’t be surprised to see one or more of these players or other “Amerks” brought back up prior to Buffalo’s road trip on Tuesday.
Devils Acquire Petr Straka From Flyers
The New Jersey Devils have announced that they have made a trade to acquire forward prospect Petr Straka from the Philadelphia Flyers. In return, the Flyers will receive a conditional seventh-round pick in either 2017 or 2018. Straka played in three NHL games in 2014-15, recording two assists and four hits.
A second-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2010, Straka has failed to live up to expectations thus far in his young career. The Czech winger put up strong numbers in his junior career in the QMJHL, beginning with a better than point-per-game first season with Rimouski Oceanic in his draft year and ending with 82 points in 55 games in his fourth and final season in 2012-13 after a trade to the Baie-Comeau Drakkar. Having outlasted his entry-level contract and earned free agent status, Straka chose to sign in Philadelphia. However, the transition to the pro game has not gone smoothly. In his first AHL season, with the now-defunct Adirondack Phantoms, Straka had just 27 points in 60 games. Although his next season was even worse – 24 points and a -20 in 68 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms – Straka earned a call-up to Philadelphia in 2014-15 and showed off his both his speed and grit in an impressive three-game tryout. It wasn’t enough to earn him a full-time role with the Flyers though, as Straka did not see any NHL action in 2015-16. He did see an improvement in his game last season, scoring 37 points and finishing on the right side of +/- for the first time in his AHL career.
Whether due to an undisclosed injury or if he had simply fallen out of favor in the Flyers organization, Straka has yet to suit up for a game this season, a scratch for every single game. Following the trade, Straka has been assigned to the AHL’s Albany Devils where he will hopefully be able to get back out on the ice. While Straka’s skill has not yet fully shown up on the ice at the pro level, he does possess a lot of raw talent, a smooth game, and an invaluable intensity. A change of pace may be exactly what the former top prospect needs to finally get his career back on track. At the cost of a seventh-round pick, the Devils have made a low risk/high reward deal for a player that still has potential.
Top-Performing Impending Free Agents Thus Far
A month deep the 2016-17 season, several key 2017 unrestricted free agents have gotten off to a strong start in their contract years. With many players slated for free agency in a unique off-season, given the addition of the Las Vegas expansion franchise, it may be more important than ever for impending free agents to perform well. With another competitor in the mix, especially one that needs to build a team from scratch, prices will skyrocket for top-end talent. So far, the following players are in line for a hefty contract this June, if they’re not re-signed even earlier or (surprisingly for many) if they choose to retire:
D Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks – 5 goals/7 assists/12 points
C Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks – 2 goals/9 assists/11 points
RW Alexander Radulov, Montreal Canadiens – 3 goals/8 assists/11 points
D Mark Streit, Philadelphia Flyers – 3 goals/7 assists/10 points
D Kevin Shattenkirk, St. Louis Blues – 3 goals/7 assists/10 points
RW Radim Vrbata, Arizona Coyotes – 4 goals/5 assists/9 points
C Brandon Pirri, New York Rangers – 4 goals/5 assists/9 points
C Matt Cullen, Pittsburgh Penguins – 3 goals/6 assists/9 points
LW Thomas Vanek, Detroit Red Wings – 4 goals/4 assists/8 points
D Dennis Seidenberg, New York Islanders – 4 goals/4 assists/8 points
RW Patrick Eaves, Dallas Stars – 3 goals/5 assists/8 points
G Peter Budaj, Los Angeles Kings – 7 wins/1.86 GAA/.919 SV%
G Jonathan Bernier, Anaheim Ducks – 1 win/2.16 GAA/.939 SV%
G Ben Bishop, Tampa Bay Lightning – 5 wins/2.91 GAA/.907 SV%
Disappointments: Martin Hanzal, Brian Elliott, Jarome Iginla, Patrick Sharp, Steve Mason, Patrick Marleau, Drew Stafford
Predators Demote Mazanec And Fiala
The struggling Nashville Predators are making some changes. The team announced today that young forward Kevin Fiala and backup goaltender Marek Mazanec have been sent down to the AHL. In return, they have recalled forward Pontus Aberg and goalie Juuse Saros from the Milwaukee Admirals.
Fiala, the first-round pick of the Predators in 2014, had only played in a handful of games with Nashville over the past two seasons, but was expected to stick in 2016-17 and be an important piece on offense. However, through ten games this season, Fiala has just two points, both of which came in one two-goal game. The Predators hope that he can rediscover his scoring touch in Milwaukee. Meanwhile, the Predators felt comfortable enough in the potential of Mazanec to make him their primary backup for this season and let Carter Hutton walk in free agency. So far, the gamble has not paid off. Mazanec has saved only 29 of the 36 shots that he’s faced in two appearances, for an .806 save percentage and 5.06 goals against average. The 25-year-old Mazanec is not guaranteed to see NHL time again this season if the 21-year-old Saros outplays him.
Saros, who made his NHL debut last season with just one game, was called up a few weeks ago to make a start against the defending-champion Pittsburgh Penguins and allowed only one goal on 35 shots in the win. Meanwhile, he has six wins with a 1.99 goals against average and .929 save percentage for the Admirals this season. Saros actually outplayed Mazanec last season in Milwaukee, where the pair shared starting duties in net, and now appears to be the preferred backup to Pekka Rinne. Fiala’s replacement, Aberg, will be making his regular season debut for the Predators after being called up in the playoffs last season. A 2012 second-round pick, the 23-year-old forward leads the Admirals in points and goals thus far this season after posting 40 points last season in the AHL. If Aberg can continue to produce in his NHL tryout, he has a good chance to remain on the roster for the rest of the season.
The Predators are performing shockingly poorly so far this season, with the league’s second-to-worst point total of just nine in eleven games. Their scoring has been abysmal and their middling defense has been a disappointment as well. Nashville will do just about anything to right the ship, and they hope that Aberg can jump-start the offense and that Saros can provide some reliable relief for an overworked Rinne.
Rangers Trade Dylan McIlrath To Panthers For Steven Kampfer
The New York Rangers and Florida Panthers struck a deal today, swapping disappointing defenseman. Dylan McIlrath is on his way to Florida with Steven Kampfer the return going back to NYC, according to TSN’s Bob McKenzie. The deal also includes a conditional 2018 seventh-round pick going to the Rangers. McKenzie reports that New York will receive the pick only if McIlrath plays in 30 games for the Panthers this season.
McIlrath is a 2010 first-round pick of the Rangers, but was never able to solidify himself as an everyday player at the NHL level. McIlrath played just three games combined in New York in his first two pro seasons, before finally getting the chance to stay on the roster in 2015-16. Last year, he recorded only four points playing about 14 minutes per night in 34 games with the Rangers. Although the two sides agreed to a one-year deal this off-season, going into this season, McIlrath was not guaranteed a roster spot. After the preseason gave the Rangers a chance to look at their depth on the blue line, they made it clear that they were open to dealing McIlrath. Having played only one game with the team to this point, his status within the organization became clear last week when the former top prospect was put on waivers. Now, McIlrath gets a fresh start with the Panthers and will look to show that his lack of production so far was a product of the Rangers depth and system rather than his own inability. Not too far gone from being a first-rounder, McIlrath still has some raw talent that Florida will try to develop further, as well as invaluable toughness.
Returning for a second stint in the Big Apple is Kampfer, who was traded to Florida by the Rangers not too long ago. The University of Michigan product appeared to have a bright future in front of him playing for the Boston Bruins right out of college. However, as his play dropped off, the Bruins sold high on him at the 2012 NHL Trade Deadline in a deal with the Minnesota Wild for Greg Zanon. After two seasons playing in the AHL for the Wild’s affiliates, Kampfer signed with the Rangers prior to the 2014-15 season. After he lost a roster battle to former Bruins teammate Matt Hunwick in training camp, the Rangers shipped Kampfer to Florida for veteran forward Joey Crabb. Kampfer played in 72 games with the Panthers over the past two seasons (with very little production), but had only played in one game so far this season and had requested a trade out of Florida. He got his wish, but has been sent back to a team that traded him before he could play a single regular season game for the organization. This time around, Kampfer will provide some experienced depth for the Rangers, but seems likely to still see significant AHL minutes throughout 2016-17.
Justin Faulk Out “Week-To-Week”
The Carolina Hurricanes announced today that All-Star defenseman Justin Faulk is considered “week-to-week” with an upper body injury. Faulk was injured in the third period of the Hurricanes game against the New Jersey Devils on Sunday and will be out of the lineup for the rematch tonight. Although Faulk has not yet been placed on injured reserve, that does not mean that he will not be out of the lineup long-term. Coach Bill Peters said that more will be known about the undisclosed injury once preliminary MRI results come back.
Carolina’s second-round pick in 2010, Faulk has quickly developed into a star on the blue line in Raleigh. After becoming a regular player at just 19, the 24-year-old now sits in a leadership position as the centerpiece of a young defense core for the Hurricanes. Faulk has 161 points in 337 career games, all while logging top pair minutes. Thus far in 2016-17 he leads the ‘Canes in ice time and is fourth on the team in goals (3) and points (3).
Faulk’s rank among Carolina skaters is a good indication as to how well the team is playing. At 3-5-3, the Hurricanes sit at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division. Not only have they been unable to score, but even with a healthy Faulk the defense has struggled. Carolina is currently allowing 3.5 goals per game, and with Faulk out of the lineup, the pressure is on for youngsters Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce, and Noah Hanifin to prevent that mark from further inflation. Replacing the minutes and production of Faulk is a daunting task, and it seems like more hard times are on the way for the rebuilding Hurricanes.
Jets Notes: Trouba, Myers, Armia
Amid speculation that his re-signing did not mean he wanted to be in Winnipeg, Jacob Trouba has set the record straight. According to Jets beat writer Ken Wiebe, Trouba has rescinded his trade request. The 22-year-old defenseman ended his holdout by agreeing to a new two-year, $6MM contract yesterday, and with it, Trouba insists that he is “committed” to Winnipeg.
What is curious about the situation is that nothing has changed in regards to Trouba’s original complaints. The young righty blue liner felt that he was blocked from playing to his full potential by the depth of Winnipeg’s defense. Fellow right-handers Dustin Byfuglien and Tyler Myers had relegated Trouba to third-pair duty on the right side or off his natural side at left defense, which he was unhappy about. As of now, Byfuglien and Myers are still Jets and Trouba is still looking at less responsibility than he would like. Wiebe does report that head coach Paul Maurice will consider giving Trouba play time on both sides, including top-four time on the right side, to maximize his play time and effectiveness.
While Trouba may have rescinded his trade request, that does not necessarily mean that Winnipeg will stop taking call on him. The potential star is worth more to the Jets on the team than as a trade chip, but given the contentious relations over the past few months and the likelihood that these complaints will continue, they may not want to go through the whole process again in less than two years. Trouba would be worth a lot should the Jets choose to trade him away, and many teams have reportedly been very interested. With a new, affordable deal in place, Trouba could be even more valuable on the market right now. All signs point to both sides being happy with their reunion for now, but don’t be surprised if one side or the other returns to trade talks before the end of this new contract.
In other Winnipeg news:
- Speaking of Tyler Myers and Winnipeg’s D depth, the Jets announced today that they have activated Myers from the injured reserve. The big defenseman was placed on IR retroactively this past Friday after missing multiple games with a lower body injury, but has already been deemed healthy enough to play. In a corresponding move, the team sent Julian Melchiori back to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, after he filled in for Trouba for four games.
- One of the group that came over from Buffalo with Myers in the blockbuster trade a few years ago, Joel Armia, will not be on the ice to see his long-time teammate return. Armia has now been placed on injured reserve, retroactive to earlier in the week, with an undisclosed lower-body injury. Wiebe reports that Maurice does not expect to see Armia or Shawn Matthias (also on IR) back anytime soon. The pair could be out through the end of the calendar year.