Is Malcolm Subban A Bust?
Young Boston Bruins goalie Malcolm Subban, the 24th overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, was pulled from tonight’s 5-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild after giving up three goals in the second period. The first two, a deflection by Charlie Coyle and a wide open chance for Chris Stewart, came just twelve seconds apart early in the period. The third was a soft slap shot by Ryan Suter minutes later that would have been saved by most goalies in the league. With both Tuukka Rask and Anton Khudobin sidelined, the Bruins called up both Subban and Zane McIntyre for the game, and chose to give the latter his first taste of NHL action midway through the game rather than stick with the former any longer.
If Subban’s performance in his 2016-17 Boston debut sounds familiar, that’s because he put on a similarly disappointing performance in his first and only other NHL game back in 2014-15. After shutting out the St. Louis Blues in the first period (albeit facing only three shots), Subban allowed three goals on three shots to begin the second and was promptly pulled from the game with a .500 save percentage. Following tonight’s efforts, Subban’s career percentage at the highest level stands at .750, which, of course, is just awful.
However, you can’t determine the future of a goalie after just two games in the NHL. Many would likely think that Subban’s numbers in the AHL tell a different story. They don’t. In fact, there’s a reason that the 22-year-old has only seen two games of NHL action. The former standout for the OHL’s Belleville Bulls has not been able to put it together since turning pro. While his numbers have not been terrible, they have not lived up to his first-round hype. Subban’s first season with the Providence Bruins in the AHL, in 2013-14, is his best to date. A 2.31 GAA and .920 save percentage in 33 appearances excited the then-hopeful Bruins fan base that they had an elite young net minder waiting in the wings to be the backup to franchise keeper Rask. But those numbers failed to improve in 2014-15, as Subban posted a 2.44 GAA and .921 save percentage in 35 games with Providence, and made his disastrous NHL debut as well. In each of his first two seasons with the P-Bruins, Subban failed to play in more than half of the team’s games, and going into last season, the title of top young Bruins goaltender was still open. Enter former Hobey Baker finalist McIntyre, a sixth round pick of Boston in 2010 who went on to be one of the best goalies in the NCAA for years playing for the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux. Despite miserable numbers in his first pro season, McIntyre was given an equal share in net with Subban, and Subban did not do enough to assert himself as the starter. Subban would eventually suffer a season-ending throat injury in 2015-16, which ended the best streak of his career – a nine-game winning streak with impeccable numbers – but he still ended the season with just a 2.46 GAA and .911 save percentage.
So far this season, it is clear who is now on top in the battle of young Bruins goalies. In three games with Providence, McIntyre has a 0.44 GAA and a .977 save percentage. Subban? A 4.50 GAA and an .846 save percentage in his first four appearances. As The Providence Journal’s Mark Divver points out, Subban has had trouble with giving up quick back-to-back goals like he did tonight on multiple occassions with Providence already this season. Given Subban’s collapse tonight, and McIntyre’s solid performance in relief, it seems that now it is official that Malcolm Subban is no longer the Bruins best young goalie. Is he a complete career bust? It’s still too early to tell. Subban is in the final year of his entry-level contract, and assuming he is not traded or selected by Las Vegas in the Expansion Draft, Subban will be back to work in Providence again next year, potentially with only Daniel Vladar as competition. If he has not been able to make the jump to an NHL regular by the end of his next contract, then it will be fair to call him a disappointment. Perhaps P.K. Subban‘s brother needs a change of scenery as well. It’s no secret that the Subban name is not exactly treated with much love in Boston, and there could be comfort issues with the organization. Maybe he’s still not totally recovered from his injury. A brutal injury to a fragile and exposed area may have shaken his confidence. Or possibly he just needs some more time to develop and will eventually pan out for the Bruins. Subban did start playing the position late and has often been described as more of a raw athlete than a polished net minder. The one thing that is certain right now is that if Subban wants to play in Boston ever again, his play needs to get much better. Until then, it will be hard for Subban to shake the “bust” label.
Anton Khudobin Out Three Weeks
Boston’s goaltending depth is about to get put to the test as the team announced on Tuesday that Anton Khudobin will miss the next three weeks with an upper body injury that was sustained in practice on Monday. This comes at the same time that the team is currently missing starter Tuukka Rask due to general body soreness and there remains no timetable for his return to action.
Khudobin has played in a pair of games this season while subbing for Rask. Both contests were losses with the 30 year old posting a 4.10 GAA and a .849 save percentage.
As a result of the injury, the team will be running with a duo of prospects Malcolm Subban and Zane McIntyre for the time being, the latter being recalled on an emergency basis today. McIntyre leads the AHL in both goals against (0.44) and save percentage (.977) this season while Subban, Boston’s first round pick in 2012, has struggled, being pulled in two starts already while posting a 4.50 GAA and a .846 save percentage. Subban is expected to get the start between the pipes tonight against Minnesota.
The team will also be without center David Backes for that game, who is day-to-day with an unspecified injury, adds Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). However, veteran blueliner Adam McQuaid will make his season debut for the Bruins, the team announced (Twitter link).
The Bruins also assigned defenseman Rob O’Gara to their AHL affiliate in Providence. The rookie has played in three games with Boston this season, logging just over 16 minutes per night in ice time.
Snapshots: Bruins, Demers, Stars
News and notes from around the NHL this evening:
- The Boston Bruins reassigned goaltender Zane McIntyre to the AHL Providence Bruins tonight just one day after recalling him. McIntyre was called up on an emergency basis yesterday morning after Bruins starter Tuukka Rask hurt himself in practice. The Bruins drafted McIntyre in the 6th round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft but have yet to start the prospect in a NHL game. Last season McIntyre posted a 2.67 GAA and a .898 Sv% in 31 starts for Providence. This season, however, he is rocking an incredible 0.44GAA and a .977 SV% in three games. McIntyre’s current hot start is probably why the Bruins recalled him rather than highly-touted prospect Malcolm Subban.
- Former NHL Coach Jacques Demers has been released from hospital following a serious infection. Demers was rushed to hospital yesterday after suffering what was believed to be a stroke before receiving a more accurate diagnosis. Demers previously suffered a stroke in April 2016 and endured over three months of physical therapy as he recovered. Demers last coached in Tampa Bay, but is fondly remembered for bringing the Montreal Canadiens to their last Stanley Cup in 1993.
- The Dallas Stars reassigned forward Jason Dickinson today to the Texas Stars, Dallas’s AHL affiliate. Dickinson surprised the organization last year with a tremendous performance in the AHL, scoring 22G and 31A in 73 games. The young prospect played one NHL game last season and managed to score his first NHL goal in the process. Dickinson—Dallas’s 2013 first round draft pick—is expected to spend the majority of the season in the minors, but Dallas’s mounting injury problem may change those plans quickly.
Morning Snapshots: Backes, Trouba, Rantanen, Boychuk
Former Blues captain David Backes inked one of the richest deals of the offseason when he left the mid-west to join the Boston Bruins on a five-year, $30MM deal. While Backes is an excellent two-way player, many criticized the length of the contract given to the 32-year-old C/RW. However, teams today seem to realize that is an inherent risk of free agency and generally hope to see surplus value in the earlier years of the pact.
Backes is only four games into his Bruins career yet the early returns are solid – two goals and three points. But as the Boston Globe’s Fluto Shinzawa writes, the biggest benefit of the Backes addition may be in how it’s allowed bench boss Claude Julien to balance out his lines to better take advantage of the skill-sets of his other forwards.
With Patrice Bergeron back in the lineup, he joins Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak on the Bruins top line. Backes, meanwhile, is slotted in as the second line RW with rookie Danton Heinen on the left of veteran pivot David Krejci. The left-handed Heinen and right-handed Backes give Krejci two wings who play on their strong side and allow the gifted center to deliver passes to his linemates’ forehands. As Shinzawa notes, Krejci has had some of his best seasons when he’s “had a right-hand strongman clearing space on his wing.” In past years, Nathan Horton, Jarome Iginla and Blake Wheeler have provided Krejci with just that and now he has Backes.
More from around the NHL:
- The Jacob Trouba saga in Winnipeg appears no closer to a resolution, as ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun writes. Trouba and his agent, Kurt Overhardt, recently made public the defenseman’s request to be traded citing a desire to play top-four minutes on his natural, right side. With Tyler Myers and Dustin Byfuglien under contract with the Jets for at least the next three years, that opportunity didn’t appear to be in Winnipeg. For their part, the Jets have understandably placed a high price tag on Trouba, rumored to be a left-handed defenseman of comparable age and talent to the former first-round draft choice. According to LeBrun, the club hasn’t received an offer to their liking and are prepared to wait it out until they do. There is a hard deadline of December 1st; if Trouba is not under contract at that point he won’t be eligible to play this season.
- The Colorado Avalanche appear poised to recall prospect Mikko Rantanen next week from San Antonio of the AHL, writes Mike Chambers of The Denver Post. Rantanen has been with the Rampage since the start of the season in what has effectively been a conditioning assignment as he works his way back from an ankle injury suffered during training camp. The Avalanche used their first-round selection in the 2015 draft to select Rantanen and the Finnish forward debuted in the NHL in 2015-16, appearing in nine games for the Avalanche. Chambers speculates the team will make room on their 23-man roster by placing veteran center John Mitchell on IR or by sending Gabriel Bourque or Ben Smith to San Antonio.
- Zach Boychuk, who has appeared in 127 NHL games over parts of seven seasons with Carolina, Pittsburgh and Nashville, has inked a pact of HC Sibir of the KHL according to this link, re-tweeted by Cap Friendly (original link in Russian). Boychuk was chosen in the first-round of the 2008 draft by Carolina and has scored 12 goals and 30 points during his NHL career. He has had more success in the minors, once tallying 36 goals and 74 points while playing for Charlotte of the AHL during the 2013-14 campaign.
Snapshots: Trocheck, Czarnik, Metropolit
Injuries to LW Jonathan Huberdeau and C Nick Bjugstad have forced Panthers head coach Gerard Gallant to shuffle his forward lines at the start of the season. However, as George Richards of the Miami Herald writes, the one constant Gallant can rely on is the Vincent Trocheck line with Reilly Smith and Jussi Jokinen on the wings. The trio has combined for two goals – both from Trocheck – and five points through three games.
Gallant initially put the line together last December and the trio “clicked from the start,” notes Richards. Trocheck believes the familiarity from last season is a big reason why the line is off to a good start in 2016-17.
“Last year we got used to each other. We got on a roll. Once you have chemistry with linemates, it’s hard to play with anyone else. You know their tendencies. Jokinen is such a smart player, Smith is so skilled; those two guys make it easy.”
Jokinen shares that belief:
“I bounced around on every line and it was nice to find a home. You feel comfortable when you get to play with guys you have chemistry with. I feel like I can now really use my strengths to help this team because we’re all making each other better. I make them better; they make me better.”
With Huberdeau expected to miss 3 – 4 months, the success of the Trocheck line becomes even more important to the Panthers. The three players combined for 68 goals and 163 points last season and will be counted on to provide consistent offense until Huberdeau and Bjugstad return to the lineup.
Elsewhere in the NHL:
- The Boston Bruins demoted third-line pivot Austin Czarnik to Providence of the AHL so that he may rediscover his game, writes Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.com. The 5-foot-9, 160-pound forward made the club out of training camp but as Haggerty notes, since suffering a concussion late in the preseason Czarnik has not played with the energy the team expected. Czarnik was pointless in two games with Boston and posted a -3 plus-minus rating. Last season with Providence, the diminutive center netted 61 points in 68 AHL games and it was hoped he would add some scoring punch to Boston’s bottom-six.
- Glen Metropolit, a veteran of more than 400 NHL games, has agreed to a contract with BC Bolzano of the Austrian Hockey League (EBEL), according to Elite Pro Prospects. Metropolit, 42, has not appeared in the NHL since suiting up for 69 games with Montreal back in 2009-10. He scored 16 goals and 29 points for the Habs. Since departing the NHL, Metropolit has spent four seasons in Switzerland and another two in Germany.
Bergeron Officially Set To Make Season Debut
Patrice Bergeron has gotten healthy just in time for the Boston Bruins home opener tonight against the New Jersey Devils. Coach Claude Julien confirmed the speculation that the career Bruin is healthy and ready to go. The face of the franchise suffered a lower body injury in his final preseason game, causing him to miss the Bruins’ season-opening road trip. Big free agent acquisition David Backes took his place, skating between Bergeron’s partner in crime, Brad Marchand, and the up-and-coming David Pastrnak and the trio combined for 16 points and a +21 rating as Boston went 2-1 in their first three.
However, when Julien was asked if there was any chance that he would stick with the top line while they’re playing so well, thereby separating Bergeron and Marchand, the head coach answered with a definitive “not a chance”. Bergeron led the Bruins in points in 2015-16 with 32 goals and 36 assists, and played alongside Marchand in every game that the pair were both healthy, as Marchand scored a career-high 61 points. The dynamic duo then lit up the World Cup of hockey, playing with Sidney Crosby, and now look to reignite their chemistry and lead the Bruins back to the playoffs.
The alternate captain is expected to jump right in on the current top line for the Bruins, while Backes will likely change lines and positions, switching to right wing on David Krejci‘s line. The Bruins will have to work out some balance in their forward lines, as they are center-heavy with Bergeron, Krejci, Backes, last year’s breakout star Ryan Spooner, and free agent acquisitions Riley Nash and Dominic Moore.
One guy no longer in the mix is Austin Czarnik, who played well in preseason, earning himself an NHL gig while Bergeron was out. Czarnik has been assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins, according to a team release. Czarnik was scratched in the Bruins last game, and the organization felt that getting him play time at any level was more valuable than keeping in Boston without a full-time role. However, Czarnik put up big numbers in the AHL last season, playing with Frank Vatrano and the now-departed Seth Griffith, and is likely to find more success as the center of the P-Bruins top line, between veteran Peter Mueller and 2015 first-rounder Jake DeBrusk, so don’t be surprised to see the Miami University product back on the B’s at some point this season.
Injury Reports: Rask, Girardi
Injury notes from last night’s NHL games:
- Tuukka Rask. The Boston Bruins’ goaltender Tuukka Rask sat out last night’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and it was only after the game that the Bruins admitted to Rask’s injury, reports Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe. The team did not disclose the nature or extend of Rask’s injury—they referred to it as soreness—but it’s believed to be a lower body ailment. The Boston Herald’s Steve Conroy reports that Rask seemed to tweak something in the 3rd period of Thursday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Rask left the ice during a TV timeout but returned for the rest of the game. Backup goaltender Anton Khudobin started in Rask’s place yesterday in the team’s 4-1 loss. It is unclear how long Rask will be sidelined, but if he misses considerable time, the Bruins will compete with the Los Angeles Kings to find a suitable stopgap.
- Dan Girardi. The New York Rangers defensemen suffered a hip flexor injury last night against the St. Louis Blues. Girardi left the ice in the second period and did not return. After the game, coach Alain Vigneault speculated that while he doesn’t know the injury’s severity, he expects it to be more than day-to-day. Losing Dan Girardi is a blow to the Rangers’ blueline, but it gives former first round pick Dylan McIlrath another shot to impress the coaching staff. The Rangers were rumored to be shopping McIlrath earlier this month, but those talks may be on hold until Girari returns.
Snapshots: Rask, Yakupov, Despres
Veteran goalie Tuukka Rask of the Boston Bruins didn’t enjoy his best season in 2015-16, finishing with a 91.5% Save % and a GAA of 2.56. Both those rates constituted the worst of Rask’s career to date but as Joe Haggerty writes, the Finnish goalie is using that experience as a learning tool to prepare for the ups-and-downs likely to come in 2016-17.
With the Bruins in the midst of a transition, Rask is likely going to face more adversity this season but he feels the experiences of a year ago have made him “mentally tougher,” and less likely to let a soft or fluke goal affect his game. Rask has already demonstrated this new approach in the Bruins first regular season contest. As Haggerty notes, the Columbus Blue Jackets scored the game’s first goal, a floater from just inside the blue line, and would tally again later in the opening period, but Rask rebounded by stopping 21 of the final 22 shots he faced to earn the victory. Last season the outcome might have been different, but the work Rask put in on the mental aspect of the game paid off for one night at least.
Elsewhere in the NHL:
- While things didn’t end well in Edmonton for Nail Yakupov, the talented winger is off to a great start with St. Louis and he’s impressing his new head coach and teammates, according to Norm Sanders of the Belleville News-Democrat. Following a two-point performance in the Blues’ 3 – 2 win over Minnesota, Ken Hitchcock had this to say about his newest player: “Much better defensively than I thought. He’s got great outside speed. What I liked more than anything was his conscience. His conscience was there. We’re not trying to overwhelm him by having him do a bunch of things. We’re just going to keep it five on five for the first week to 10 days and see how much he can absorb there.” Veteran scoring forward Alex Steen has been impressed with Yakupov’s decision-making in the early going: “Smart decisions with the puck (and) he’s obviously individually very skilled and makes plays in tight areas. We’re happy to have him.” Yakupov has a ways to go to alter the negative reputation he earned as a member of the Oilers but so far he has done everything the Blues have asked for and may finally be on his way to fulfilling his vast potential.
- The Ducks, already without blue line stalwart Hampus Lindholm, who remains unsigned as a RFA, could be without fellow defenseman Simon Despres as well. Despres left Thursday’s game against the Stars with what is being called an “upper-body-injury,” and his status is unclear, as noted by Eric Stephens of The Orange County Register. Ducks GM Bob Murray said this about Despres: “He was not feeling good last night. We’re trying to figure out what’s going on with him. … Something’s wrong here and we’re going to get to bottom of it here.” Stephens relays that Murray also referenced Despres’ past issues with head injuries, which seems to hint that the Ducks are concerned this may in fact be another concussion.
Trade Suitors For Jacob Trouba
TSN’s Bob McKenzie debuted ‘The Bobcast’ yesterday, weighing in on a variety of topics around the league. Among those was Winnipeg defenseman Jacob Trouba and who has shown interest in him so far. McKenzie highlighted the Avalanche, Bruins, Coyotes, Rangers, and Red Wings as teams that have significant interest. Let’s take a closer look at where Trouba would fit in on those teams and if they have the young left-shooting blueliner that the Jets reportedly are coveting in return.
Arizona: The Coyotes already have a very deep blueline but GM John Chayka hasn’t hesitated to add to their defensive depth since taking over in the offseason. Trouba would conceivably fit in as their top pairing defender alongside Oliver Ekman-Larsson which would give them a pretty dynamic duo as their anchors for years to come.
With Ekman-Larsson and newcomer Alex Goligoski both signed long-term, they’re not going anywhere and those are Arizona’s top two left shot defensemen. Behind them currently are first rounder Jakob Chychrun, Kevin Connauton (injured), and Jarred Tinordi (suspended). The latter two wouldn’t come close to securing a player like Trouba but the Jets are a draft-and-develop type of team and could have interest in Chychrun as a long-term piece, even if he isn’t ready to step into a top four role right away.
Boston: With Zdeno Chara starting to show his age and several blueliners that are better suited as bottom pairing options than top four players, there is a definite need for an impact defenseman and Trouba would arguably slot in as their number one option of the short and long-term. In the short-term, he could play alongside Chara, giving the 39 year old a mobile partner that could help take some of the pressure off of him.
Aside from Torey Krug, the Bruins don’t have the young left shooting defender that the Jets have been looking for. Boston just committed to Krug on a long-term deal this summer and with a cap hit of $5.25MM, he may be too pricey to fit into Winnipeg’s budget moving forward. That said, a power play pairing of Krug along with Dustin Byfuglien could be among the best in the league in a hurry.
Colorado: While the Avalanche haven’t been known for their defensive prowess in recent years, the current right side of their back end is a strength, anchored by Erik Johnson and Tyson Barrie who are signed through 2023 and 2020 respectively. On the surface, this would appear to present Trouba with the same issue he faces in Winnipeg (wanting to play top four on his natural side) unless one of Johnson or Barrie were willing to move to their off-side.
Colorado also doesn’t have a young impact NHL-ready left shot defender readily available either. Their lefties on the blueline currently consist of a veteran (Francois Beauchemin) and a couple of recent castaways from other teams (Fedor Tyutin and Eric Gelinas). Nikita Zadorov and Chris Bigras are two prospects who have some upside that could interest Winnipeg but neither would be ready to play a key role right away.
Detroit: The Red Wings have never really replaced Nicklas Lidstrom since his retirement in 2012 and have been rumored to have interest in pretty much any top four blueliner that has been available since then. Mike Green is Detroit’s top right-shot option so Trouba, a Michigan native, would definitely be able to step into a big role immediately. Continued knee problems for Niklas Kronwall, even though he’s a lefty, may very well be another factor in their interest.
Detroit doesn’t really have a young, impact left-shooting rearguard to move, however. Kronwall and Danny DeKeyser (who is signed through 2022) are their top options while Brendan Smith, who’s next in line, is a pending UFA. Xavier Ouellet has long been viewed as a youngster with NHL potential but he isn’t advanced enough in his development to be a key piece involved in any deal for Trouba.
New York: Their top right handed defensemen are veterans Kevin Klein and Dan Girardi while they are lacking in quality prospects as well which makes them a team that could very much use Trouba. However, they’re already spending over $22MM on their back end and adding another expected sizable salary in Trouba would put them amongst the top spenders in the league at that position and likely force them to move one of their better forwards to make room.
Like many of the other teams that McKenzie singled out, the Rangers don’t really have the young left hander on the blueline to part with. Brady Skjei is a former first rounder with some upside but has all of 13 NHL games under his belt and isn’t ready to play a key role in the NHL just yet. New York does, however, have some young forwards that could potentially move if Winnipeg GM Kevin Cheveldayoff wants to expand his options.
On top of the above squads, McKenzie highlighted several other teams that have shown interest between the offseason and today, the Kings, Lightning, Maple Leafs, Panthers, and Penguins.
Trouba has until December 1st to sign a contract or else he would be deemed ineligible for the remainder of the season. At this time, that seems to be the firm deadline towards getting something done unless Trouba decides to rescind his trade request and re-sign with Winnipeg which doesn’t seem to be a likely option at this point in time.
Snapshots: Bruins Injuries, Crosby, Lindgren, Lindback
Judging by their roster to start the new season, the Boston Bruins’ new colors might be black and blue. Patrice Bergeron, Adam McQuaid, and Kevan Miller will all miss the season opener in Columbus on Thursday night.
While Bergeron and McQuaid are considered day-to-day with lower and upper body injuries respectively, Miller will miss approximately six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a fracture in his left hand.
- Sidney Crosby practiced with the full Penguins this morning. Crosby took a line rush, then changed into a non-contact jersey, according to Jonathan Bombulie of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Crosby’s participation lessened throughout the practice, per Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. Crosby will not play in the Penguins season opener on Thursday.
- With Carey Price expected to miss the Canadiens season opener with the flu, Montreal has recalled goalie Charlie Lindgren to backup for Al Montoya in Buffalo on Thursday night.
- The New Jersey Devils will not be signing goaltender Anders Lindback after his PTO, according to Andrew Gross of the New Jersey Record. Lindback was brought in to cover for Cory Schneider while he was away at the World Cup of Hockey.