Is It Time For Boston To Look For Another Starter?
Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask is off to a particularly rough start this season. He has posted a 2.89 GAA and a .897 SV% through a dozen starts and, at least for the time being, has been passed by Anton Khudobin on the depth chart who makes his third straight start tonight. Joe Haggerty of NBC Sports Boston posits that the slow start on top of the last two seasons being below Rask’s usual standard is a sign that he should no longer be considered their goalie of the long-term future.
However, they have Khudobin and Zane McIntyre behind him and neither figure to be the solution either. Rask is signed through 2020-21 with a $7MM cap hit which could make him difficult to trade if he can’t get back to form in the coming weeks unless they want to take a similarly-priced underachieving netminder in return. Accordingly, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Bruins target a young goalie either through the draft or via trade to start to position themselves for the post-Rask era, whenever that day happens to come.
Minor Transactions: 11/21/17
With just three games slated for today, but 15 scheduled for Wednesday, many teams may be looking to shore up their rosters for the next few days. Keep a lookout daily at updates on what teams are up to today:
- The Boston Bruins announced they have recalled defenseman Matthew Grzelcyk from Providence and is expected to practice with the team today and travel with the team to New Jersey for tomorrow’s matchup with the Devils. Grzelcyk made the team out of training camp and played in one game, but was sent to Providence on Oct. 9. The diminutive defenseman has put up four assists in 14 games with 14 penalty minutes and a +4 plus/minus rating. His recall would suggest that Torey Krug will not be returning just yet after meeting with doctors yesterday, according to NBC Sports Joe Haggerty.
- According to the AHL transaction page, Michael Leighton has been loaned to the Chicago Wolves. Leighton was recently traded by the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Arizona Coyotes, but didn’t have a spot at their affiliate Tucson. Instead, Leighton—who had been playing in the minor leagues already with Syracuse prior to the trade—will be the latest netminder in Chicago. The Wolves, who are affiliated with the Vegas Golden Knights but also house some St. Louis Blues prospects, have already had four goaltenders suit up for them this season (including Kasimir Kaskisuo, who actually belongs to the Toronto Maple Leafs—it gets confusing).
- The Minnesota Wild have reassigned both Luke Kunin and Joel Eriksson Ek, calling up Zack Mitchell to replace them. Kunin and Eriksson Ek are both part of the next wave of Wild talent, but haven’t gotten off to quite the start they’d hoped for. The pair has combined for just seven points in 37 games, and would be better off playing big minutes in the AHL. With Charlie Coyle coming off injured reserve, there will be even less opportunity for the pair with the NHL club. Minnesota is right up against the cap and banks as much cap space as they can by riding just 21 players on off days, but Michael Russo of The Athletic doesn’t believe that’s the case this time.
Backes Back On Ice After Only 3 Weeks
- Steven Harris of the Boston Herald writes that just three weeks removed after having part of his colon removed, Boston Bruins’ David Backes returned to practice today in a non-contact sweater. Despite an eight-week prognosis, Backes was skating, shooting and handling pucks. “The doc’s advice (was), if it doesn’t hurt, I can continue to progress and add more workload on,” said Backes. “I haven’t been notified that the timeline has changed at all. So I’m just going to keep putting in the work.”
Bruins, Blackhawks To Meet in 2019 Winter Classic
The NHL announced today that the 2019 Winter Classic will be played at Notre Dame Stadium between the Boston Bruins and the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 1, 2019.
The Bruins and the Blackhawks, two historic Original Six franchises, will meet outdoors for the first time ever. While it is the first time they will meet outdoors against each other, the Blackhawks will be making their fourth Winter Classic appearance. The Bruins have appeared in the annual game three times. It will be the 11th Winter Classic.
The two teams will get a chance to play in the 80,000 capacity Notre Dame Stadium as it’s likely this will have the biggest live audience of any NHL game ever.
The New York Rangers and Buffalo Sabres will be meeting at the 2018 NHL Winter Classic at Citi Field in Queens, New York on Jan. 1, 2018.
Poll: Which Team Needs Help At Forward The Most?
In last night’s Insider Trading on TSN, the panel—comprised of Pierre LeBrun, Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger—spoke about the increased demand for top forwards around the league. According to them, the supply isn’t quite there for all these teams to go out and acquire someone impactful, so it’ll have to come down to the highest bidders.
The list of ten teams that McKenzie gave that are in the market for a forward include some surprises like Tampa Bay—who LeBrun clarified are currently looking for a winger to play with Tyler Johnson and Alex Killorn—and obvious choices like Anaheim and Montreal.
Columbus put together a trade offer for Matt Duchene, and as LeBrun stated on TSN radio yesterday they’re still in the hunt for an upgrade down the middle. There’s no clear option at center as impressive as Duchene (or Kyle Turris, who was included in the same trade), but players are sure to shake loose as the season progresses.
So, who on this list needs the forward help the most this year? While deciding your vote, make sure to not just take in the offensive struggles but the proximity to Stanley Cup contention for each club. Which team will be the most willing to spend at the deadline, and go after the big fish to put them over the edge?
We’ve included all the teams on McKenzie’s list, but if you feel strongly that another should join the pursuit of another forward make sure to leave your comments below.
Which team needs forward help the most?
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Montreal Canadiens 25% (185)
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Boston Bruins 19% (146)
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Anaheim Ducks 16% (122)
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New York Rangers 12% (87)
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St. Louis Blues 9% (69)
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Edmonton Oilers 7% (51)
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Columbus Blue Jackets 6% (42)
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Florida Panthers 3% (21)
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Tampa Bay Lightning 3% (21)
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Ottawa Senators 1% (8)
Total votes: 752
[Mobile users click here to vote!]
Snapshots: Bruins, Sabres, Flames
Some assorted notes from around the NHL this evening…
- The Bruins are going to be missing a pair of weapons for the next several games. Head coach Bruce Cassidy said today that Brad Marchand and Anders Bjork will miss at least the next two games (via Flip Livingstone of The Score). The duo were both injured during the team’s loss to the Maple Leafs on Saturday, although details of the injuries haven’t been disclosed. The pair have combined for 11 goals and 13 assists this season.
- After missing five games with a lower-body injury, right winger Justin Bailey is headed to Rochester. John Vogl of The Buffalo News writes that the Sabres are hoping the 22-year-old can find some consistency in the AHL. The former second-rounder started the season on fire, compiling two goals and three assists in his first four games. However, he had no points in the following three games. “I thought he started out really well the first couple games,” said coach Phil Housley. “I thought his played dipped a little from that, that urgency he had on the forecheck, using his speed and even in providing a physical element…[h]e’s going to go down, work on that, get his timing back.”
- We heard yesterday that the Flames were back to full health, but the injury bug has hit once again. According to Sportsnet 960 The Fan (via Ryan Pike of FlamesNation.ca), goaltender Mike Smith did not travel with the team to Detroit. While Smith hasn’t been placed on injured reserve and may be able to return before the end of the team’s road trip, the Flames are still expected to promote a goalie. Pike points to Jon Gillies or David Rittich as the main candidates to be promoted.
Maple Leafs Notes: Andersen, Rielly, Marner, Rask
The Toronto Maple Leafs started the season scoring tons of points, but still finding it hard to close out games as their defense and their goaltending was under constant scrutiny. Things looked even worse last week when they team wrapped up its road trip and allowed 11 goals in two games against the St. Louis Blues and Los Angeles Kings combined. However, the tide seems to be turning and suddenly the goaltending seems to have shaken their rust off, according to Eric Koreen of The Athletic (subscription required).
The scribe points out that starting goaltender Frederik Andersen has steadied the ship on their recent three-game homestand in which Andersen has allowed just seven goals in three games, a much stronger percentage that previously. With a save percentage hovering well under .900, Andersen seems to have settled down in net this week with a .930 save percentage. Even backup Curtis McElhinney got into the act, putting up a strong performance Saturday against the Boston Bruins, stopping 38 of 39 shots for the win.
Koreen admits that Toronto’s defense has improved, but the goaltenders have had to make quite a few big saves during the games, suggesting that if the goaltenders can keep it up, the team should find itself continually atop of the Eastern Conference standings.
- Howard Berger of Between the Posts praises the offensive play of Toronto Maple Leafs’ Morgan Rielly. He notes that Rielly is the unsung hero of the team as he has quietly put up 16 points in 19 games so far this year. Only John Klingberg, Kevin Shattenkirk and Erik Karlsson have more points for a defenseman that Rielly, who is on pace to amass 74 points on the year, which would be the fourth-highest number for a Toronto Maple Leafs blueliner. Rielly’s highest points total in his career is 36 points, which he attained in the 2015-16 season.
- James Mirtle of The Athletic writes that the Maple Leafs have high hopes that Mitch Marner can get back on track after a quality performance against the Boston Bruins on Friday night. He points out that after 55 games last year, Marner was 22nd in scoring, but then got injured and has never really seemed the same since then. In fact, he’s had just five goals in his last 39 games from that point on. He finished the season with 19 goals and 61 points, but has struggled this season. However, with Auston Matthews down, Marner stepped up and has started to show his skills on the ice. He added his second goal of the season last night, suggesting he might be ready to be a key contributor to the team going forward.
- Lance Hornby of The Toronto Sun writes that the Maple Leafs are beginning to find some success against goaltender Tuukka Rask, best known to be one of the worst trades the team has made in a long time. Rask’s rights (he was a first-round pick in 2005) were traded back in 2006 in exchange for goaltender Andrew Raycroft, who started one year for Toronto and put up a 2.99 GAA that year before taking a backup role the next year. The team, however, has had some success against the now-veteran, 10 years later, as they have bested him in their last four meetings, dating back to last year.
Bruins Unlikely To Shop Zdeno Chara As Rental Player
Although the Bruins currently find themselves on the outside looking in at a playoff spot, it’s not likely to change their plans regarding team captain Zdeno Chara, suggests Joe Haggerty of NBC Sports Boston. Even if they don’t climb their way back into the postseason picture, they’re still expected to attempt to re-sign the 40-year-old for another season and not make him available as a rental player by the trade deadline. Chara is still logging heavy minutes in Boston this season (averaging 23:28 per game) and while he’s slowing down, he still should be able to contribute for at least one more year beyond this one.
Minor Transactions: 11/06/17
As always, we’ll keep an eye on the minor transactions around the league right here. Keep checking back to stay updated on all the movement in the NHL.
- The Boston Bruins have recalled Rob O’Gara from the AHL. The 24-year old defenseman played in one game earlier in the year for the Bruins, but has spent most of the season in Providence. A fifth-round pick from 2011, O’Gara played four seasons at Yale University before making his NHL debut last year.
- The Bruins have also terminated Ryan White‘s professional tryout, ending any chance he had of signing with the team. White will now try to find another opportunity to continue his career, after being unable to find an NHL contract this summer. A veteran of 313 games, White split last season between the Arizona Coyotes and Minnesota Wild, but has never been much more than a fourth-line depth player.
- Boston seems to be the only team making minor moves today, as they’ve also moved David Krejci to injured reserve while recalling Zane McIntyre on an emergency basis. Krejci hasn’t played since October 19th and isn’t expected to be back this week even if the IR stint has been backdated. Anton Khudobin‘s availability is still up in the air, leading to the team needing McIntyre for insurance purposes. Tuukka Rask is still expected to make the start tonight against Minnesota.
- The Winnipeg Jets have activated Adam Lowry from injured reserve after several weeks without the 24-year old forwad. Lowry last played on October 12th and has suited up just four times in totals this season. An important part of their depth down the middle, the Jets nevertheless have gone one a successful run without Lowry. The team now sits at 7-3-3 and are looking like a potential playoff team in the Western Conference.
- The Ottawa Senators have recalled Nick Paul and Marcus Hogberg for their upcoming games in Sweden. Each team is allowed to carry an emergency goaltender on the trip in case of injury, and with Andrew Hammond traded to Colorado (ironically, the team they’ll face in Sweden) Hogberg is next up. It’ll be nice for the Swedish-born goaltender to be with the team in his home country, especially after spending most of this season in the ECHL.
Atlantic Notes: Price, Spooner
Carey Price is day-to-day with a “minor” injury. That was the message Friday after a Montreal Canadiens’ practice. And normally, the fact that the team’s superstar player is out would be a matter of major concern. However, it probably seems that no one is holding their breath like they normally would. Price, who posted a 2.33 GAA in 62 games a year ago and then proceeded to sign an eight-year, $84MM deal, has definitely had his share of problems this year. Through 11 games, Price has a 3-7-1 record with a 3.77 GAA and a .877 save percentage. Not your ordinary numbers for a prized goalie.
Perhaps a break might fix the goaltender. While much can be made about the Canadiens’ porous defense, the team has high hopes their goalie can figure it out and fix a lot of the team’s problems on his own, according to Arpon Basu of The Athletic (subscription required).
“I have no concern about the fact Carey will find his game and will be a big part of our success,” head coach Claude Julien said. “We know he’s going through a tough time, we won’t hide it. No one is hiding from it. But we know what kind of goalie he is. Unfortunately, a forward or a defenseman can go through something like this and it’s always a little harder to tell because he’s not the last person left to stop a goal. So when it’s a goalie, it’s obviously always worse.”
Basu, however, notes that we’ve seen these struggles before out of Price — in fact, it was just last year. From Dec. 22, to Jan. 21 of last season, Price had a 3-5-3 record with a 3.53 and an .877 save percentage — very similar to his present numbers. He allowed 38 goals in that 11-game span and compared to this span, he’s allowed 39 goals.
The scribe writes that the biggest difference is that his present day numbers are at the beginning of the year and you can’t hide those statistics, but he overcame them to have a dominant season. What he did to break out of that slump a year ago is unknown, but maybe a game or two off will make the difference.
- Mike Lofus of the Providence Journal writes that Boston Bruins center Ryan Spooner, who was expected to miss four to six weeks on Oct. 15 after tearing a groin adductor, skated briefly this morning for the first time since the injury. While nothing official has been said, it’s possible me might be closer to the four-week estimate rather than the six-week estimate. Spooner has only appeared in five games this season, putting up one assist. Last year, the 25-year-old put up 11 goals and 39 assists.