Michael Lindqvist Drawing NHL Attention
The last few years the NHL has been mining the Swedish Hockey League and other European teams for talent even more than in the past, signing undrafted players and bringing them directly into the NHL. The SHL is full of talented players who may have been overlooked as youngsters, and Michael Lindqvist is just the latest example. The 23-year old is garnering plenty of NHL interest according to Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130, who lists the Vancouver Canucks as one of the many teams pursuing Lindqvist, but wouldn’t put them as a “leading candidate” at this point.
Lindqvist, and undersized but talented forward, was also mentioned in the latest 31 Thoughts column by Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman as one of several Swedish players being scouting by the NHL. Friedman listed the Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, Vancouver and the New York Rangers as teams that had been watching, noting that there were likely even more.
In 32 games this season, Lindqvist has 34 points and is among the league leaders in goals with 20. Ten of those have come on the powerplay, where he sets up as a right-handed shot in the left circle and can beat goaltenders with his quick release. Teams could be viewing him as a potential help to a powerplay in the future, given his success there this season.
According to Friedman, some of the other players being targeted are Lawrence Pilut, Joel Persson and Par Lindholm. As teams continue to try to find competitive advantages, free agents from overseas provide easy additions to the depth of an organization. Whether Vancouver or anyone else will land Lindqvist and others is still unclear, but don’t overlook the impact they could make in the near future.
Snapshots: Sharks, McAvoy, Pesce
The San Jose Sharks have won two games in a row and find themselves in second place in the Pacific Division, and are still on the lookout for a fourth-line center to help out their forward group. Meanwhile, Kevin Kurz of The Athletic (subscription required) has kept track of the scouts attending recent games and one team stands out in particular.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been at three of the last six Sharks games, and also sent a representative to take in a San Jose Barracuda game recently. The expectation is that it was to see Paul Martin, who is still looking for another opportunity in the NHL. Martin has a single point in seven games during his AHL stint, and could be a potential option for a club looking to help their defense down the stretch.
- Charlie McAvoy is out of hospital and on the road to recovery after undergoing a procedure yesterday correcting an abnormal heart rhythm. McAvoy is expected to be out for two weeks, but has avoided a potential long-term problem. The Boston Bruins are one of the league’s hottest teams right now and will have to find a way to replace McAvoy’s minutes internally.
- Brett Pesce has been activated off injured reserve for the Carolina Hurricanes, just in time for their important matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight. The Hurricanes are in last place in the Metropolitan Division but just three points out of a wildcard spot, and will have to pass the Penguins if they’re to make the playoffs this season. Pesce’s return should help them correct what has been a porous defense of late, allowing 27 goals in their last seven games.
Montreal Canadiens “Very Active” As Deadline Approaches
The Montreal Canadiens, losers of four of their last five games including three at the hands of the Boston Bruins, are now 19-22-6 on the season and well out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. In his latest 31 Thoughts column for Sportsnet, Elliotte Friedman reports that GM Marc Bergevin is more active than normal trying to “get something going.”
Friedman lists only Carey Price, Shea Weber, Victor Mete and Jonathan Drouin as unlikely to be traded, making the rest of the roster ripe for speculation. Max Pacioretty has obviously been in the news quite a bit recently, something Alex Galchenyuk has dealt with for years. There are also lesser-known names like Paul Byron, Andrew Shaw and Brendan Gallagher who would all draw interest as well as expiring contracts for Tomas Plekanec, Jakub Jerabek and Antti Niemi.
Montreal has had a season to forget, but Friedman points out that everyone in the league can see what Colorado is doing this year. After putting up historically bad numbers in 2016-17, the Avalanche are now on a ten game winning streak and find themselves right in the thick of the Western Conference playoff run. Montreal knows first hand what that bounce-back can be, after struggling without an injured price in 2015-16 only to return to the playoffs a year later.
If anything, the Canadiens are more likely to reload than rebuild, as Price’s huge extension kicks in next season and there is plenty of other money tied up in Weber, Drouin, Jeff Petry and Karl Alzner. Even if they do move out some significant pieces, you can bet Montreal won’t be tearing down the whole thing.
Charlie McAvoy Undergoes Procedure To Treat Heart Condition
Boston Bruins rookie defenseman Charlie McAvoy underwent a procedure today to treat an “abnormal heart rhythm” that was first noticed after a game on November 26th. McAvoy will remain in hospital overnight, and has a recovery timeline of two weeks.
McAvoy was diagnosed with a supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) and though it was not immediately dangerous, a decision was made to treat it now before any recurrence. The 20-year old had obviously continued to play after the initial diagnosis, but underwent a procedure called an ablation today according to the team.
The Bruins, who have been the hottest team in the NHL for quite some time, will have to adjust to playing without their young Calder nominee, who had been logging big minutes and playing a key role on their blue line. The first-round pick has 25 points on the season and was averaging more ice time than any Bruin not named Zdeno Chara. He was a replacement candidate for Victor Hedman in the All-Star game, but won’t be able to take part now.
Snapshots: Neal, Chara, Berra
Vegas Golden Knights winger James Neal scored his 20th goal of the season last night in the team’s match-up with the Florida Panthers and, while 20 goals in nothing for a former 40-goal scorer, the mark actually puts Neal into quite the impressive group. This is now the tenth season in a row – for the ten-year veteran – that Neal has scored at least 20 goals in a season. From his early years in Dallas through his All-Star seasons in Pittsburgh and several strong campaigns in Nashville, Neal has always had a knack for finding the back of the net and it hasn’t stopped with the expansion Knights. There only five other active players who have scored 20+ goals in each of their first ten seasons: Jaromir Jagr, Thomas Vanek, Alex Ovechkin, Patrick Kane, and Jonathan Toews. That’s some Hall of Fame caliber company that Neal has joined.
- Another player quietly dominating is none other than Zdeno Chara. Sure, the 6’9″ 40-year-old is one of the most well-known players in the NHL, but after a few seasons where the talk was that Chara had lost a step, the Norris Trophy-winner looks like his old self again, even if his play isn’t grabbing headlines. As Sportsnet’s Eric Engel writes, Chara’s success has gone largely unnoticed mostly because of the immediate success of his new pair mate, rookie Charlie McAvoy. With McAvoy in the fold, as well other impact young players like Torey Krug, Brandon Carlo, and Matt Grzelcyk, Chara has been able to play fewer minutes this season, take a backseat role on the power play, and overall focus less on offense. The result has been a rejuvenation of Chara’s elite shutdown game, which pairs perfectly with the smooth-skating puck-mover McAvoy. Less than two months away from turning 41, Chara has played in every game for the Bruins, leads the league with a +24 rating, and is on pace for his most hits in over a decade. He’s back to being one of the most feared opponents in the NHL and it’s no surprise that the Bruins are strongly considering an extension.
- Another player who may have earned an extension – even in just a small sample size – is veteran goalie Reto Berra. Swiss reporter Marc-Andre Berset relays that Berra has received an extension offer from the Anaheim Ducks, who Berra suited up for in four games early this season when backup Ryan Miller was injured. In those four appearances, Berra looked as good as he had in years. The 31-year-old journeyman posted a .932 save percentage and 2.27 GAA and earned a win in his one start. His performance for the AHL’s San Diego Gulls has been slightly less outstanding, but he still remains a solid veteran depth option. While Berra surely would like to be playing a greater role, a multi-year deal in Anaheim could result in his return to a regular NHL role, with Miller’s contract expiring after next season. Playing for his third NHL organization in three years, it would be no surprise for Berra to opt for a long-term situation rather than continue moving around. However, Berset also seems to imply that Berra has options waiting for him back in Switzerland, as NLA club HC Fribourg-Gotteron could come calling with a starting opportunity. Only time will tell what Berra decides to do next with his hockey career.
Atlantic Notes: Danault, Dubois, Hedman, Panthers
Montreal forward Phillip Danault was released from the hospital this morning and is resting at home after he was hit in the head by a 124 kilometers-an-hour slapshot by Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara, tweets Arpon Basu of The Athletic. The 24-year-old was just 10 feet away with 1:37 remaining in the second period when he tried to block the blistering shot only to have it hit him in the head.
Danault was motionless for some time, then slowly tried to get up to the applause of the Montreal fans, only to have him collapse again. With blood all over the collar of his jersey, he was wheeled off in a stretcher and taken to the hospital. While indications after the game was that he was OK, that was confirmed this morning by the team. No word yet on whether he will miss time.
- In the Headlines segment of Hockey Night in Canada, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos says the Montreal Canadiens still have high aspirations to trade for Columbus Blue Jackets center Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Canadiens who have a desperate need for center help on their team have long coveted the former third overall pick from the 2016 draft. While there is talk that Columbus does like Canadiens forward Alex Galchenyuk, Kypreos says Columbus currently has no interest in moving their young center, at least until they find themselves fully healthy. Alexander Wennberg only came back a couple of games ago and the team still has other missing players as well.
- In the same segment, Kypreos also added that with Tampa Bay’s Victor Hedman out for the all-star game, the NHL is considering two replacements for him, including Toronto’s Morgan Rielly and Boston’s Charlie McAvoy.
- The Florida Panthers intend to put a lot of stock into the next 16 games (number of games before the trade deadline) before they determine whether to bolster their roster, according to Sun Sentinel’s Craig Davis. The team, currently six points out of a playoff spot, has enjoyed great success with their top line of Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau and Evgeni Dadonov, but hasn’t seen the same production from their second line despite a solid season from center Vincent Trocheck. The scribe writes the team wouldn’t be against acquiring a winger like it did a year ago when it traded for Thomas Vanek, but general manager Dale Tallon said any deal would have to factor into their long-term plans. One other factor is that Florida has been playing well of late, having gone 6-3-1 over the past 10 games.
Snapshots: USA Hockey, Florida-Boston, Hyka
Recently young Colorado prospect Cale Makar turned down the opportunity to head to Pyeongchang with the Canadian Olympic squad, but as Mike Chambers of the Denver Post reports, Troy Terry didn’t hesitate. Terry will be part of Team USA at the Games in the middle of another exceptional season at the University of Denver.
Interestingly, Chambers notes that USA Hockey was hesitant to select two players from the same college program meaning Dylan Gambrell—also having an excellent season with DU, scoring 27 points in 22 games—won’t be heading overseas. Gambrell, a second-round pick of the San Jose Sharks has scored at better than a point-per-game pace since he entered the NCAA.
- The Florida Panthers-Boston Bruins game that was cancelled due to inclement weather recently has been rescheduled for April 8th, extending the NHL season by one day. The original schedule had all teams finishing by April 7th, while the playoffs are set to begin on April 11th.
- Tomas Hyka has been added to the AHL All-Star roster in place of Brandon Pirri, an impressive accomplishment for the first-year player. Hyka was signed out of the Czech professional league in the offseason, and has 23 points in 26 AHL contests. He earned an NHL call-up in December, but didn’t get into a game for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Bruins Won't Make Trades Involving Their Top Youngsters
As the Bruins continue to work their way up in the Atlantic Division, they’re looking to add a top-six center or a top-four defenseman, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on an NHL Network appearance (video link). However, they are telling teams that they are unwilling to move their top prospects in any deal. That will take away several of their top trade chips although they could conceivably still move future draft picks to get a deal done. Given GM Don Sweeney’s patience for building the team up slowly but steadily though, it be may be more prudent to expect a smaller deal, similar to their acquisition of Drew Stafford at the deadline last year, over a bigger one.
2018 All-Star Rosters
The NHL released the rosters for this year’s All-Star game in Tampa Bay, leading to an inevitable onslaught of discussion over who missed out and who didn’t deserve to go. The event will take place on January 27-28th. The full rosters can be found below:
Atlantic Division:
F Steven Stamkos – Tampa Bay Lightning (captain)
F Nikita Kucherov – Tampa Bay Lightning
F Auston Matthews – Toronto Maple Leafs
F Aleksander Barkov – Florida Panthers
F Brad Marchand – Boston Bruins
F Jack Eichel – Buffalo Sabres
D Victor Hedman – Tampa Bay Lightning
D Erik Karlsson – Ottawa Senators
D Mike Green – Detroit Red Wings
G Andrei Vasilevskiy – Tampa Bay Lightning
G Carey Price – Montreal Canadiens
Head Coach: Jon Cooper
Metropolitan Division:
F Alex Ovechkin – Washington Capitals (captain)
F Taylor Hall – New Jersey Devils
F Sidney Crosby – Pittsburgh Penguins
F Josh Bailey – New York Islanders
F John Tavares – New York Islanders
F Claude Giroux – Philadelphia Flyers
D Seth Jones – Columbus Blue Jackets
D Noah Hanifin – Carolina Hurricanes
D Kris Letang – Pittsburgh Penguins
G Henrik Lundqvist – New York Rangers
G Braden Holtby – Washington Capitals
Head Coach: Barry Trotz
Central Division:
F Patrick Kane – Chicago Blackhawks
F Nathan MacKinnon – Colorado Avalanche
F Blake Wheeler – Winnipeg Jets
F Brayden Schenn – St. Louis Blues
F Eric Staal – Minnesota Wild
F Tyler Seguin – Dallas Stars
D P.K. Subban – Nashville Predators (captain)
D Alex Pietrangelo – St. Louis Blues
D John Klingberg – Dallas Stars
G Pekka Rinne – Nashville Predators
G Connor Hellebuyck – Winnipeg Jets
Head Coach: Peter Laviolette
Pacific Division:
F Connor McDavid – Edmonton Oilers (captain)
F Johnny Gaudreau – Calgary Flames
F Brock Boeser – Vancouver Canucks
F James Neal – Vegas Golden Knights
F Rickard Rakell – Anaheim Ducks
F Anze Kopitar – Los Angeles Kings
D Drew Doughty – Los Angeles Kings
D Brent Burns – San Jose Sharks
D Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Arizona Coyotes
G Jonathan Quick – Los Angeles Kings
G Marc-Andre Fleury – Vegas Golden Knights
Head Coach: Gerard Gallant
Morning Notes: Duclair, Ceci, Bruins-Panthers
We’ve heard previously that the Arizona Coyotes are looking to give Anthony Duclair a “fresh start” somewhere else around the league, and now Craig Custance of The Athletic reports that it is because the young forward requested a trade out of the desert. Duclair hasn’t been able to reproduce his breakout 2015-16 season in which he scored 20 goals and 44 points, but is still young enough to have an impact in the right situation.
The Coyotes, who seem happy with their development even in the face of another wasted season, are again one of the most likely sellers at the upcoming trade deadline. Though Duclair has just seven goals and 13 points on the year, he’s the kind of acquisition who could explode if given an opportunity in the second half. The fact that he’s a restricted free agent with arbitration rights is no small thing, as his future salary is still very much up in the air.
- Darren Dreger was on TSN 1260 radio this morning, and suggested that Edmonton had pursued a Taylor Hall-for-Cody Ceci trade before eventually dealing the winger to the New Jersey Devils for Adam Larsson. For the Ottawa Senators, who have had trouble scoring over the last few years, adding a player like Hall may have changed some fortunes. Still, Ceci is a player who continues to see his name bandied about in trade rumors around the league, despite the Senators being quite happy with his play. If Ceci is dealt this year, surely it won’t be for a piece as big as Hall.
- The game tonight between the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers has been cancelled due to inclement weather, as a huge snow storm is headed for the Boston area. The city could get up to 18 inches of snow, and travel to and from the game isn’t safe. It has yet to be rescheduled.