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Pacific Notes: Markstrom, Vancouver, Calgary

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Without an official start date announced for the expanded NHL postseason, it is nearly impossible to guess when the Stanley Cup might be awarded this year and when the off-season may begin. All that Vancouver Canucks GM Jim Benning cares about is that by the time the off-season does arrive, goaltender Jacob Markstrom is back under contract. “He’s an important guy for us,” Benning told Ben Kuzma of The Province, adding “My intent is to figure out something that works for him and us. I’m hoping to get him signed.” Markstrom is part of a trio of key free agents for Vancouver that includes defenseman Chris Tanev and forward Tyler Toffoli, but the All-Star netminder appears to be Benning’s priority. The GM has been working to extend Markstrom all year, while Markstrom himself has said multiple times that he would like to remain in Vancouver. All that is left is for the two sides to meet on money in the confines of a potential flat salary cap and the Canucks’ hefty payroll. Markstrom enjoyed a career year in 2019-20 and could still boost his stock even further with a strong playoff performance. If the Canucks don’t pay him, someone else undoubtedly will.

  • The city of Vancouver is hoping to have a first-hand look at the coming postseason. The province of British Columbia has put together a formal proposal, designed and approved by its top healthcare professionals, that recommends Vancouver as one of the two “hub cities” for the NHL’s makeshift playoff format. Per the Canadian Press, this proposal will be presented to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for approval and then finally to the NHL. Vancouver was already on the shortlist of possible locations that the league was considering, but are now taking steps to be a front runner for the event. Whether or not the NHL would allow the Canucks to play at home or instead send the Eastern Conference teams to Western Canada remains to be seen.
  • Working against Vancouver’s odds of hosting a postseason tournament is Canada’s continued insistence on a 14-day quarantine for anyone entering the country. If this policy is still in place once the postseason is ready to commence, it would present a holdup that the NHL cannot afford. Before it even reaches that possible breaking point, the quarantine rule is already impacting training camp plans. Calgary Flames GM Brad Treliving tells TSN’s Ryan Rishaug that the organization already has a plan in place to hold their July training camp in the U.S. if the quarantine rule is not lifted or an exception is not made. “I don’t want guys coming back to Calgary and sitting on their butts for two weeks,” Treliving stated, “It may make more sense for us to have camp in the U.S. so we can have guys together quicker and being productive. The quarantine issue is a big one.” There is no word yet on where exactly this fallback training camp would take place, but hockey-centric cities relatively close to Calgary include Spokane, Washington and Grand Forks, North Dakota.

New Jersey Devils Trim Head Coach Search To Four

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The New Jersey Devils got off to another disappointingly slow start in 2019-20. After missing the playoffs in three of their first four seasons under head coach John Hynes, the team decided not to continue a fifth campaign with their bench boss. Hynes was fired on December 3rd with the Devils 9-13-4 on the season, a points percentage of .423. Assistant Alaine Nasreddine took over as head coach and the team did improve over the rest of the season, finishing with a .493 points percentage and just one win shy of a .500 record. However, the question is whether that improvement of .07 percentage points is enough for Nasreddine to keep his job. Or will the Devils focus more on their last-place finish in the Metropolitan Division and look elsewhere for a new head coach?

According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, Nasreddine is at least still in the mix for the position. Although New Jersey is facing down a very long off-season as one of the seven teams not to qualify for the expanded postseason (ironically Hynes’ Nashville Predators qualified), they are moving quickly in their coaching search. LeBrun reports that the Devils have spoken with eight to ten candidates for the position, but have whittled it down to just four finalists, one of which is Nasreddine. Who the remaining three names might be is unknown, but Gerard Gallant was one of the first to interview and has to be considered a front-runner given his recent success with the Vegas Golden Knights. Other big names available on the coaching market include Peter Laviolette, Mike Babcock, Bruce Boudreau, John Stevens, and Mike Yeo.

Potentially complicating the hiring process could be the status of the GM position. Tom Fitzgerald, like Nasreddine, is another assistant who was promoted but handed an interim tag this season. He has done an admirable job thus far, but his status remains in limbo. The team has reported talked to some outside candidates, including former Canucks GM Mike Gillis, and may be waiting to make a call on head coach until they know who is leading the organization as GM. However, they have plenty of time ahead of them to make these decisions, even though they appear to be making progress on their hunt for a head coach.

Alexis Lafreniere Wins CHL Player Of The Year For Second Straight Season

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When your name is in the running for the first overall pick in the NHL Entry Draft, it doesn’t hurt to have a bullet point on your resume that only Sidney Crosby shares in hockey history. Forward Alexis Lafreniere of the QMJHL’s Rimouski Oceanic is projected to be the top pick in the 2020 draft almost unanimously. Any doubt that he may not take that title was likely put to rest on Wednesday when the CHL announced that Lafreniere had been named the 2019-20 CHL Player of the Year. As if that wasn’t enough of an accomplishment, this is actually the second straight campaign in which Lafreniere has received the award. He was named the CHL’s best player in 2018-19 as well. The only other player honored in consecutive seasons: Pittsburgh Penguins captain and one of the game’s all-time best, Sidney Crosby.

Lafreniere, 18, recorded an eye-popping 112 points in just 52 games this season with Rimouski. His 2.15 per-game scoring rate was the CHL’s best since another NHL mega star, Connor McDavid, was playing juniors. It also marks a sharp increase from Lafreniere’s 2018-19 production of 105 points in 61 games, which was still good enough to take home the CHL’s Player of the Year honors last season. Altogether, Lafreniere registered 72 goals and 217 points in 113 games across his two MVP campaigns and nearly 300 points total in his three junior seasons combined. As a result, there is approximately a 0% chance that he will ever play in the juniors again.

Instead, the presumptive top pick will simply sit and wait to see where his first pro destination will be. The NHL answer could arrive as early as later this month, as the NHL Draft Lottery is scheduled for Friday, June 26th. However, if the nearby Ottawa Senators or the historically bad Detroit Red Wings or one of the other non-playoff teams does not win the first to select first overall, Lafreniere will have to wait even longer. A second lottery later this summer would determine which playoff team eliminated in the knockout round of the NHL’s adapted playoff format would have the first pick. On top of that, there is still some concern that with a possible delayed start to the 2020-21 NHL season that Lafreniere’s pro career may actually begin in Europe. The young star has entertained the thought of getting his first pro season started on time, even if that isn’t with his NHL club. He would of course be expected to return to North America once the new season does begin.

Regardless of where Lafreniere ends up, any team that has him in their lineup will receive a major boost. Lafreniere has shown for several years now that he is a special prospect and his second straight CHL Player of the Year Award puts him in elite company. Is it too early to proclaim him the next Crosby? Of course. That won’t stop the winners of this year’s draft lottery from keeping their hopes up though.

Vision Disorder Contributed To 2019-20 Struggles For Sabres’ Carter Hutton

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In an honest interview with the Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski, Buffalo Sabres’ goaltender Carter Hutton revealed that his career-worst season was not merely due to bad luck or age. While Hutton did face a disproportionate amount of difficult scoring chances while in net for a struggling Sabres squad and at 34 is no longer as equipped to face such a challenge, a medical issue played a major role in his difficulties. Hutton tells Lysowski that he has been battling a vision disorder that has had a destructive impact on his ability.

Hutton has been diagnosed with a condition called convergence insufficiency. In short, Hutton’s eyes do not move at the same time. His left eye moves slower than his right, making for serious struggles with depth perception. As a result, tracking pucks and anticipating shots became extremely difficult. Hutton admits that even simple practice shots were often enough to fool him. Hutton sought treatment and has been working daily to improve his optical strength and visual reflexes in hopes of returning to form. Meanwhile, he was hiding his struggles away from the media as he did not want to be perceived as using the disorder as a crutch for his poor play.

Hutton posted a career-worst .898 save percentage and 3.18 GAA in 31 appearances this season. This included a 12-game stretch from October to November in which he did not record a win and allowed more than four goals per game. Hutton’s struggles were not the only reason that Buffalo also floundered yet again in 2019-20, but even a few wins in that 12-game stretch may have been enough to get the team into the upcoming expanded playoff field. Instead, Hutton and company have a long off-season ahead of them and will face questions next season. Hutton in particular – one season removed from starting 48 games for the Sabres and two seasons removed from posting the NHL’s top marks in save percentage and GAA as the backup for the St. Louis Blues – faces an uphill battle to return to form in a contract year.

Hutton deserves respect for battling this disorder that so greatly impacts his play without using it as an excuse and for continuing to work through treatment on a daily basis in hopes of extending his career. However, if these visual impairments continue despite his dedication to improvement, his playing days are almost certainly numbered.

Joel Persson Returns To SHL

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After a season in the NHL, defenseman Joel Persson is headed back to his native Sweden. In fact, he will return to the SHL’s Vaxjo Lakers, the same team he played with for the two seasons prior to his jump to North America. The team has announced a new three-year deal with Persson that will keep him in Sweden through the 2022-23 season.

Persson, 26, actually signed his first NHL deal with the Edmonton Oilers in 2018. However, he stayed with Vaxjo on loan through the 2018-19 season before inking a one-year extension with Edmonton. He arrived in the NHL this season and recorded two points in 13 games with the Oilers, adding 16 points in 27 games with AHL Bakersfield. Persson was traded to the Anaheim Ducks at the deadline, but did make an appearance with the team and was held scoreless in the minors as well. So while a recent report noted that the Ducks had communicated with all of their pending free agents, it is no surprise that there was no mutual interest in a continued relationship between Anaheim and Persson.

While Persson’s first season in North America was not a failure, it didn’t live up to the expectations set by his meteoric rise in Sweden. Fortunately, he is still young enough to make the decision to return home without it eliminating the chance of an NHL comeback. Persson will be 29 when his new deal with Vaxjo expires. Based off his performance in his first two years in the SHL – 65 points in 101 games and league championship – his stock will likely be even higher at that time. NHL teams will likely be keeping tabs on the talented puck-moving, right-handed blue liner over the next few years. It’s quite possible that this is not the last of Persson in the league.

College Notes: UAH, LIU, Holloway

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The University of Alabama Huntsville recently saved their hockey program with a $500,000 fundraising campaign after it has been cancelled the week prior. However, but the Chargers will not be complete when they return to action. Head coach Mike Corbett has resigned from his position with the team, as first reported by WAFF in Alabama. He was not alone either, as assistant Gavin Morgan will also depart. Remaining assistant Lance West has been named acting head coach for the time being. The staff has clearly opted to go out on their own terms, as the school has been transparent that they have not committed to the program beyond next season. And with the Chargers playing in their final WCHA season next year before becoming independent if they cannot find a new home, the future is certainly in doubt. Corbett and company went 2-26-2 this season, so there is only room to improve in 2020-21. However, Alabama Huntsville is now left scrambling to rebuild their staff before the season is scheduled to begin in October.

  • The newest team to college hockey is Long Island University-Brooklyn. The school surprised many when it announced in April that it would start a men’s program that would compete right away in 2020-21. LIU has been busy lately, hiring inaugural head coach Brett Riley and adding recruits left and right. However, few expect the Sharks to be competitive right away next season. Yet, Mark Divver reports that the program is putting together a strong schedule for their first season. While LIU will be an independent in their inaugural campaign and likely won’t be able to schedule a full Division I slate of games, Divver notes that the team is expected to play their first game against UMass Lowell and square off with Boston College, Boston University, and Wisconsin as well.
  • Speaking of Wisconsin, while almost every member of the 2020 NHL Draft class was negatively impacted by the shortened season, Badgers freshman Dylan Holloway didn’t lose out on any games. His underperforming squad had already been eliminated from the Big Ten Tournament when the college schedule was canceled and were not a candidate to make the NCAA Tournament. Holloway’s season was over and scouts had all the possible data on him, unlike most of his peers. However, Holloway’s season disappointed as his 17 points was just tied for sixth among Wisconsin forwards. Once considered a top-ten pick by many, The Athletic’s draft expert Scott Wheeler ranked Holloway at No. 17 in his final 2020 list. Fortunately for frustrated Badgers fans, Wheeler still believes Holloway is a great talent and should be in line for a breakout next season. He will also undoubtedly be the first college player selected. A top-ten pick? Unlikely.

Anaheim Ducks Sign SHL MVP Kodie Curran

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The Anaheim Ducks have made an intriguing free agency splash by signing defenseman Kodie Curran, the reigning MVP of the Swedish Hockey League. Curran has inked a two-year, one-way contract with the Ducks that carries a $1MM AAV, reports numerous sources including the OC Register.

To say that Curran has had an unconventional path to the NHL would be an understatement. The 30-year-old was never drafted after playing his developmental years with AJHL and USports. He played two seasons in the minors in North America before embarking on a career in Europe in 2016. Over the past four years, he has played in Demark, Norway, and Sweden, dominating in all three countries. He won a championship in each of his single seasons in the top Danish and Norse leagues and was an All-Star and top defenseman each year as well. The highlight of his career came this past season in the SHL, when he recorded 49 points in 48 games for Rogle BK to lead all defensemen in assists and points, to lead all imports in points, and to take home the honors of Defenseman of the Year and MVP.

His greatest challenge will now come in the NHL though and he will face an uphill battle to make the Anaheim roster before he even has a chance at regular action at the top level. The Ducks have six defensemen on one-way contracts already signed for next season, including four making $4MM or more against the cap. This does not include RFA defender Jacob Larsson, who will also be back with the team. They also have young blue liners like Brendan Guhle and Josh Mahura who will push for opportunity. Curran will need to be at his best to make the Opening Night roster and to stick in Anaheim. However, he has shown an impeccable ability to rise to the occasion in recent years and it will be exciting to see if he does so again in his newest venture.

Playoff Notes: Drouin, Domi, Robertson

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Not only did the Montreal Canadiens luck out by even making the NHL’s expanded playoff field, but they already may be winning the injury battle with their play-in opponent, the Pittsburgh Penguins. While the Penguins announced today that forward Nick Bjugstad suffered a setback in his recovery from a herniated disc and required season-ending surgery, the Habs got the opposite news. GM Marc Bergevin revealed today that core forward Jonathan Drouin will be healthy and active for the team’s playoff series. Drouin only saw 27 games this season due to a litany of injuries, so the team will receive a major boost that they did not enjoy for most of the year. In a healthy 2018-19 season with Montreal, Drouin recorded 53 points and in his last playoff experience with the Tampa Bay Lightning, he was a force with 14 points in 17 games. The Canadiens need Drouin to be at his best if they hope to beat the Penguins, but have to be excited at the mere idea that he could be 100% and ready to contribute to their unlikely postseason run.

  • Of course, the Habs also have a serious question to face in the availability of Max Domi. Bergevin spoke to media and noted that the team will put health above all else. What that means is that Domi, a diabetic, may not be able to play if team doctors determine it is unsafe for him to do so. Coronavirus in those with diabetes can cause complications, with WebMD estimating that diabetics are 25% more likely to require hospitalization. Domi has had no prior issues with his Type 1 diabetes during his NHL career, but Montreal will not risk his health regardless. They will need their medical staff to ensure that all necessary measures are being met to make to keep Domi and his teammates safe from infection.
  • An Atlantic Division rival of the Canadiens is anticipating an exciting addition to their lineup. Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas announced today that 2019 top pick Nick Robertson will join the team for their playoff run. Dubas had previously stated that he was excited for Robertson to fight for a spot next season, but that timeline has moved up with the talented prospect earning his way onto the team’s expanded postseason roster. Robertson, 18, is coming off a season in which he recorded 86 points in 46 games for the OHL’s Peterborough Petes and also starred for Team USA at the World Juniors. Whether or not Robertson actually plays for Toronto in the playoffs, his inclusion on the roster will be an interesting glimpse into the future for the Leafs.

Playoff Notes: Player Concerns, Round Robin, Tampa Bay

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It certainly seems like an NHL postseason is on the way, as the NHLPA approved continued talks of a 24-team playoff format on Friday. However, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun echoed the sentiment of the NHLPA’s statement when he reported that there are still concerns among the players. This initial vote was merely to continue making progress on the rough format of a 24-team structure, but there are details that still need to be hammered out. Specifically, LeBrun states that the players would prefer re-seeding after each round rather than the proposed bracket format. Further, the players were told that there is still indecision over whether that initial round of teams 5-12 in each conference would be a best-of-five or a best-of-seven series. The NHLPA will need to re-evaluate a final proposal before the league can make any official announcement.

  • The idea of re-seeding does seem to be a more balanced and fair system for implementing this playoff structure. As currently proposed, the top seed in each conference would play the No. 8 or No. 9 team in the second round, while any of the other three bye seeds could wind up with an easier match-up following a bye in the first round. Especially if the first round is a best-of-five series, which would be more prone to upsets, the bracket format creates equity concerns. As Sportsnet’s Luke Fox describes, it also de-values the proposed round robin games between the top-four bye teams in each conference. This format is also still to be finalized, but the proposal was that the results of this round robin tournament would determine the seeding of those four bye teams. As Fox notes, if there is no real advantage to having the top seed in the bracket structure then there is not much to fight for in the round robin.
  • One of the two teams who voted against the proposed 24-team playoff format was the Tampa Bay Lightning. Alex Killorn, the team’s NHLPA rep, spoke with The Athletic’s Joe Smith about the reasons why the team did not support the decision. Killorn stated that his team did not feel that it was fair for teams that likely would not have made the playoffs under the normal circumstances to not only have a shot in this expanded field, but also to have a better chance of moving on with a limited five-game series. Tampa also took issue with the preparedness of the teams who had earned byes, a point that would be emphasized further if – as LeBrun and Fox warn – the bracket system leads to a round robin for the first-round bye teams that lacks real meaning. These are fair points made by Killorn and the Lightning, but it seems that without the details of the playoff structure formalized yet, these concerns could be quelled by seven-game series in the first-round and re-seeding after the round rather than a bracket structure.

Snapshots: Ozhiganov, Veilleux, Saganiuk

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Standout KHL defenseman Igor Ozhiganov has secured some consistency in his career, at least for a little while. Ozhiganov initially left the KHL and CSKA Moscow after eight years following the 2017-18 season to sign in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs. After a good but not great debut season with Toronto, Ozhiganov opted to return home to Russia, signing with Ak Bars Kazan. However, Kazan traded the top defender for fellow NHL vet Viktor Tikhonov early in the season. Ozhiganov headed to SKA St. Petersburg, where he enjoyed one of the best stretches of his KHL career with 12 points in 35 games. Elite blue liners are often hard to come by in the KHL and SKA has decided not to let Ozhiganov go. The club has announced a new two-year extension that will keep Ozhiganov in St. Petersburg until the 2022 off-season. At that time, Ozhiganov will still be just 29 years old, but an NHL comeback seems unlikely. However, if he continues to perform at a high level with one of the top clubs in the KHL, that could certainly change.

  • The AHL’s Laval Rocket got lucky this season when a midseason tryout turned into one of their more productive players. Quebec native Yannick Veilleux, who had previously played with Laval in 2017-18, re-joined the club mid-year after playing in the ECHL and proceeded to record 12 goals and 20 points in 26 games. It was the 27-year-old forward’s best AHL season by far and has now earned him a second chance. The Rocket have announced a one-year, one-way extension for Veilleux, who finished second only to Riley Barber in per-game scoring for Laval this season. The team hopes he can replicate that success next year, while Veilluex himself hopes another strong season could lead to an NHL contract.
  • The next stage of 17-year-old USNTDP forward Colby Saganiuk’s developmental path will still take place in Pennsylvania, but now with a different team. Saganiuk, who calls Pittsburgh home, was drafted by the nearby Erie Otters last year but was also being pursued by Penn State University as well. Earlier this season, Saganiuk made the decision to join the NCAA rather than the OHL when he committed to Penn State. However, he has now reversed that decision. The Otters have announced that Saganiuk has signed his OHL contract and will join the club next season. While it is possible for a college player to leave for the Canadian juniors, the opposite is not allowed, meaning Saganiuk has given up the option of the NCAA route. This change of decision is likely tied to Saganiuk’s poor 2019-20 season. Considered one of the top players on the USNTDP U-17 squad, Saganiuk instead saw limited action and struggled to produce. Rather than stick with the developmental program for another year before joining the Nittany Lions, it seems Saganiuk has opted for a change of scenery sooner rather than later by committing to Erie. Whether he is able to bounce back next season and revive his draft stock remains to be seen, but Saganiuk will be an interesting player to watch in the junior ranks next season.

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