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Schedule For Upcoming NHL “Bye Weeks”

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For the third year in a row, the NHL has scheduled a mandated multi-day break for each team in the middle part of the season. Meant to give each team a rest, much like the bye week in the National Football League, this break also includes limits on practice, including several days in which all team activities are prohibited. A seven-day break this season, on paper an increase from the original five-day break, the “bye week” is actually less intrusive this season than it has been in the past despite the longer length. All 31 teams will take their break either right before or right after the upcoming All-Star Weekend, with those two days counting toward the seven and simply extending what has always been a short break for non-participants. Below are the lists of teams who will take leave on one side of All-Star festivities or the other:

Before All-Star Weekend (January 20 – 24)

Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Columbus Blue Jackets
Dallas Stars
New Jersey Devils
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Tampa Bay Lightning
Winnipeg Jets

After All-Star Weekend (January 27 – 31)

Anaheim Ducks
Arizona Coyotes
Calgary Flames
Carolina Hurricanes
Chicago Blackhawks
Colorado Avalanche
Detroit Red Wings
Edmonton Oilers
Florida Panthers
Los Angeles Kings
Minnesota Wild
Montreal Canadiens
Nashville Predators
New York Islanders
Ottawa Senators
San Jose Sharks
St. Louis Blues
Toronto Maple Leafs
Vancouver Canucks
Vegas Golden Knights
Washington Capitals

How each team feels about taking an extended break in the middle of the season generally varies based on situational factors. While many players would enjoy getting to spend some time away with their families, others would rather keep the pedal to the metal mid-season. More specifically, a team that is playing well and stringing together wins would rather keep playing and not lose out on that momentum. Another team may be in a slump or struggling with injuries and desperately in need of a break. Either way, not every team will be in favor of the bye week each season.

There also remains some scheduling flaws with the mandated break, as most teams will only get the actual seven days or an eighth day off for travel, but others are set to go ten or eleven days without a contest. The “bye week” seems to be a move by the NHL that has enough support to continue in future seasons, but the league could work on sharpening the schedule so as to give teams as close to an even break as their competition as possible.

Extensive Power Forward Trade Market Forming

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If the 2019 NHL Trade Deadline is deep at any one type of player, it is power forward. As the February 25th deadline grows closer and teams begin to make tough decisions about who goes and who stays, it is becoming clear that many big, physical scoring forwards are about to be up for grabs before they hit free agency. Just this past week, it was reported that the Philadelphia Flyers’ Wayne Simmonds was likely to be moved and inferred that the Carolina Hurricanes and Micheal Ferland were unlikely to come to terms ahead of the deadline. And that’s just the beginning.

Outside of the 6’2″ Simmonds and 220-lb. Ferland, there are plenty of other names out there that fit the power forward mold. Since this summer, the New York Rangers’ Kevin Hayes has been earmarked for a deadline trade. If they cannot agree to an extension, the Ottawa Senators may be forced to move star Mark Stone. Should the New York Islanders or Colorado Avalanche fall out of the playoff race, Brock Nelson and Colin Wilson – neither of whom look like long-term fits on their respective teams – should be on the block. To some surprise, Patrick Maroon’s time with his hometown St. Louis Blues appears to be already running out. Even role player power forwards like New Jersey’s Brian Boyle and Florida’s Troy Brouwer should draw interest.

Many of these players feature on the trade bait lists from both The Athletic and TSN, as well as some non-UFA power forwards like the Blues’ Brayden Schenn, the Rangers’ Chris Kreider, the Wild’s Nino Niederreiter, and even young Jesse Puljujarvi of the Edmonton Oilers. While it may seem like too many names for too few teams – and it is a buyer’s market this year for sure – The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun mentioned a number of suitors for a power forward who could make a move for one or more of these trade candidates in the coming weeks. At the top, LeBrun sees some of the biggest contenders as likely landing spots, naming the Tampa Bay Lightning, Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets, and Calgary Flames as good fits for Simmonds, Ferland, and the like. He also adds the Boston Bruins and Vegas Golden Knights into that group. Of course, the Bruins and Jets also have needs down the middle and could be more ideal fits for Hayes or Nelson, while the wingers would appeal more to Tampa Bay and Nashville. While LeBrun casts doubt on the Toronto Maple Leafs being interested, if an arms race begins the team could feel pressured to add to their forward corps as well. The Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars, both in need of secondary scoring, could also jump in on the action, while the Patric Hornqvist injury could prompt the Pittsburgh Penguins to make another move.

With so many power forwards potentially available and prices expected to be low, it could be that the majority of playoff-bound teams decide to add a hired gun up front this season. You can never have too much size and grit in the postseason, not to mention scoring touch, and the 2019 deadline could be defined by many players possessing those exact traits heading to new teams. With plenty of talent available, one of the aforementioned players might just end up being the x-factor for the eventual Stanley Cup champions this year.

Minor Transactions: 01/06/19

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Despite many eyes across North America focused on the NFL Wild Card playoffs, the NHL has a busy Sunday scheduled this weekend. Seven games are on tap today, with the Carolina Hurricanes and Ottawa Senators—two teams that are in the rumor mill—kicking things off this afternoon.  As always, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves around the league today.

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have sent goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo back to the minor leagues once again, and could have him dressed for the Toronto Marlies game this afternoon. Kaskisuo has been serving as the backup for Michael Hutchinson while the team deals with injury, but still hasn’t gotten into an NHL game. With Frederik Andersen expected to return soon, he may have to wait for another opportunity.
  • Though the terminology varies on the ECHL and AHL websites, minor league defenseman Nolan De Jong will be playing for the San Jose Barracuda for the time being. With Jacob Middleton recalled by the Sharks, the Barracuda have acquired De Jong to give them some more depth on the back end. The former University of Michigan captain has nine points in 22 games with the Utah Grizzlies of the ECHL this season.
  • The New Jersey Devils announced they have recalled goaltender Cam Johnson from the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. He was recalled with the recent injury to MacKenzie Blackwood, who is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Johnson will serve as the backup today against Vegas. The former University of North Dakota standout has had an up and down season between the ECHL and Binghamton. While he has had quite a bit of success with the Adirondack Thunder, he hasn’t been as successful in 14 AHL games. Johnson has a 3.91 GAA and a .866 save percentage. To make room for Johnson, the team assigned defenseman defenseman Egor Yakovlev to the AHL.
  • The Calgary Flames announced they have assigned forward Dillon Dube and goaltender Jon Gillies to the Stockton Heat of the AHL. Dube has appeared in 23 games with Flames, but if the team is sending him down, it’s likley that forward Andrew Mangiapane is ready to return from injured reserve. And with David Rittich healthy and ready to go, the team didn’t need Gillies, who was serving as an emergency backup. He has yet to make an appearance for Calgary.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have assigned both forward Ben Street and defenseman Jake Dotchin to the San Diego Gulls of the AHL, according to Eric Stephens of The Athletic. Both players had cleared waivers recently. The team also sent defenseman Korbinian Holzer to San Diego. The moves are expected to open up roster spots for the return of center Rickard Rakell and Cam Fowler, who have been on injured reserve. Rackell has been out since Dec. 5 with a ankle injury, while Fowler has been out since Nov. 12 with a facial fracture. UPDATE: Stephens adds that Fowler has officially been activated off of injured reserve.
  • The Edmonton Oilers will get back a key defenseman as they announced they have activated Kris Russell, while placing forward Kailer Yamamoto on injured reserve. Russell has been out since Dec. 11 with a groin injury and has been badly missed in Edmonton, who have since acquired multiple defenseman to add depth to their team. Russell has eight points and a plus-four rating for the Oilers. Yamamoto, the team’s first-round pick in 2017, is still trying to gain a full-time position with the team, but has just a goal and two points in 13 appearances, while having eight points in 11 games in the AHL.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins announced they have recalled Chad Ruhwedel from his conditioning stint with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The 28-year-old defenseman has played the role of the team’s seventh defenseman for several years now, but found himself in the press box for a long stretch of time, since Nov. 19, and the team opted to send him to the AHL to get him back into game shape. Ruhwedel played five games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, posting one goal, five points and a plus-eight.

NHL Names All-Star Head Coaches

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The current formula for determining who coaches each of the four divisional teams at the NHL All-Star game is simple: whichever team leads their respective division in points percentage at the end of the day on January 5th, their head coach earns the All-Star nod. As it so happens, the NHL divisional standings at present time combined with today’s slate of games makes it impossible for any of the current divisional leaders to lose their top spot due to today’s results. As such, the NHL has decided to go ahead and announce ahead of time who will behind the bench at the upcoming 2019 All-Star Game in San Jose on January 25th-26th:

Jon Cooper, head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning (.805), is the obvious choice to lead the Atlantic team, as his Bolts not only lead the division, but the entire league – and it’s not close. Tampa’s current points percentage clip is inhuman, as the Lightning have taken home over 80% of their possible points this season. In that regard, they lead the next-best team, the division rival Toronto Maple Leafs, by 130 percentage points. The Lightning also lead the league in goals for per game and power play success, both by a wide margin, and are top-ten in killing penalties. Cooper has the Bolts rolling on all cylinders and will try to transition that success to his All-Star squad.

Heading up the Metropolitan team is first-year head coach Todd Reirden of the defending champion Washington Capitals. With Reirden taking over for Barry Trotz this season, the Capitals have avoided a Stanley Cup slump, currently leading the division with a .650 points percentage that is also tied for third-best in the league. Like Tampa Bay, Washington is similarly offensively inclined, holding a top-ten spot in the league in goals for per game, power play percentage, and shooting percentage. However, Reirden’s team has had their fair share of struggles defensively, partly contributing to why the Capitals have just a narrow lead on the Pittsburgh Penguins (.634), Trotz’ New York Islanders (.615), and the Columbus Blue Jackets (.613). Reidren will coach players from all three of those competing teams when he leads the Metropolitan unit at the All-Star game.

Tied with Reirden’s Capitals at .650 points percentage are the Winnipeg Jets and bench boss Paul Maurice. Maurice’s Jets have been one of the most impressive teams in the league dating back to the beginning of last season and currently top both the Central Division and Western Conference. Winnipeg is as well-rounded as they come, holding a top-eleven spot in goals for per game, goals against per game, power play, and penalty kill. The Jets are also enjoying some breathing room in the divisional race this season, with the Nashville Predators and Colorado Avalanche currently struggling. Maurice will want to instill his well-rounded style into the Central squad, but no so far as to reignite any of the top players on his rivals.

Right behind the Jets in the conference title race and holding the fifth-best points percentage are the Calgary Flames (.643) and new head coach Bill Peters, who will lead the Pacific Divison’s entry. The former Carolina Hurricanes coach came over to Calgary this off-season and has found immediate success managing the ample talent on the Calgary roster. Of the four teams led by All-Star coaches, none have improved more from this time last year than the Flames, and Peters deserves a lot of credit for that transformation. Calgary is third in goals for per game and tenth in goals against per game, one of just three teams to hold top ten spots in both categories. Yet, special teams has not been as much of strength for the team, perhaps why Peters’ team has yet to pull away from the Vegas Golden Knights (.614) and San Jose Sharks (.607) in the division. Fortunately, special teams should not matter much in a 3-on-3 tournament for the Pacific team and Peters could add an All-Star game win to an already impressive, possibly even Jack Adams-worthy, season.

David Rittich Likely To Return On Saturday

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  • The Flames are expected to have goaltender David Rittich back between the pipes on Saturday, notes Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson. He has missed the last two games due to a lower-body injury.  The 26-year-old has been a key player for them in the first half of the year as he has taken away some starts from veteran Mike Smith and has posted stellar numbers with a .920 SV% along with a 2.39 GAA.

Calgary Flames Looking For Left-Handed Defenseman

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The Calgary Flames have one of the deepest defense corps in the entire NHL, with several young options pushing for regular roles and a captain playing at a Norris-caliber level even late in his career. Still, they are apparently looking to add to the group. Both Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet have recently noted that the Flames are looking for a left-handed defenseman, specifically a rental for the third pairing according to LeBrun.

Calgary currently has four left-handed options on the roster, though T.J. Brodie routinely plays on the right side. That leaves young Oliver Kylington holding down the third pairing left-hand side recently, something that the team may not be fully confident in given their Stanley Cup aspirations. Kylington is a talented prospect, but is still just 21 years old and obviously doesn’t have the full trust of the coaching staff at this point. He’s played fewer than 12 minutes in 11 of his 16 games this season including a low of just 8:21 on December 22nd.

Juuso Valimaki very well could be the answer on the left side, but is still dealing with a high ankle sprain and Friedman notes that the team is unsure of how he’ll respond when back in the lineup. Adding some depth to the roster in that position may be prudent, though it is not clear who they are targeting at the moment. In terms of left-handed rentals, Jay Bouwmeester and Niklas Kronwall stick out as veteran options on struggling teams, though both have trade protection and may not be what the Flames are after.

It is interesting that the Flames apparent search for help on defense comes just as the team is dealing with a situation regarding an expensive, underutilized forward’s agent publicizing his frustration. Michael Frolik’s agent Allan Walsh went to Twitter recently to call out the Flames for scratching the veteran forward, spawning plenty of speculation over his future in Calgary. Frolik carries a $4.3MM cap hit through next season, a number that may be impossible for the team to keep around after handing out new contracts to Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett this summer. Frolik still has plenty of talent left in him—as evidenced by his two-assist performance on Monday after being reinserted into the lineup—and could certainly help someone around the league.

Obviously there is no guarantee the Flames find what they’re looking for, but the simple fact of them asking around about rentals should indicate that they have an appetite to “go for it” this season with their strong core. The team sits in first place in the Pacific Division with a 24-12-4 record and could very reasonably come out as the top seed in the Western Conference. With that kind of positioning halfway through the season, it’s easy to see why they would want to make sure every little roster hole is filled.

Minor Transactions: 01/02/19

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While some fans may very well still be nursing hangovers from their New Year celebrations, the league is back in action with six games scheduled for the second day of 2019. The Colorado Avalanche will try to break their losing streak, while the Edmonton Oilers are just trying to find a way to stay afloat in the Pacific Division. Both teams will take on Western Conference opponents later this evening, and we’ll be here keeping track of moves made by those or any other team today.

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Trevor Moore from the minor leagues under emergency conditions as the team prepares for their game tomorrow night. Moore is currently filling in for injured forwards Zach Hyman and Tyler Ennis, though the former has resumed skating on his own and should be back before long.
  • The Calgary Flames have recalled goaltender Jon Gillies, after David Rittich allowed five goals on 33 shots Monday against the San Jose Sharks. The Flames are back in action today against the Detroit Red Wings, and Rittich is apparently dealing with a lower-body injury.
  • Brian Lashoff is back in the NHL with the Red Wings once again, a transaction that has an air of deja vu given how many times the veteran defenseman has bounced up and down this season. Lashoff has yet to actually play in a game for Detroit this year, but has been involved in six transactions since clearing waivers earlier on.
  • The Montreal Canadiens have sent Michael McNiven back to the minor leagues, indicating that Carey Price is at least healthy enough to serve as backup tomorrow. That is a huge step in the right direction for the Canadiens as they try to continue to compete for a wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference.

Juuso Valimaki Hopes To Return This Month, No Timetable For Michael Stone's Return

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  • In an appearance on Sportsnet 960 (audio link), Calgary GM Brad Treliving indicated that the Flames will be without defensemen Juuso Valimaki and Michael Stone for a while yet. Valimaki has been out since late November with a high ankle sprain and the rookie is targeting the end of the month as a timeline for his return.  Meanwhile, there remains no timetable for Stone’s return to the lineup from the blood clot that has caused him to miss the last 18 games and counting.

Western Notes: Bennett, Pacioretty, Wilson, Vesalainen, Demko

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The Calgary Flames’ Sam Bennett doesn’t have to worry about anything as Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reports that forward will not receive any supplementary discipline from the Department of Player Safety for his hit on Radim Simek Monday night.

With the Flames up 8-5 and with 25 seconds remaining in the game, Simek was passing a puck when he took a hit from Bennett. Simek stayed down on the ice for some time before leaving the game. There was no medical update after the game.

  • The Vegas Golden Knights got some good news as winger Max Pacioretty was on the ice for the pre-game skate, according to SinBin.Vegas. The veteran is not expected to return to the lineup today, but it’s an improvement as Pacioretty hasn’t been on the ice since he was injured on Dec. 17. Head coach Gerard Gallant said Pacioretty remains day-to-day, according to Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen. Pacioretty has missed six games due to his lower-body injury, but the team hasn’t missed beat with Brandon Pirri taking his place in the lineup. The 30-year-old has 10 goals and 19 points in 30 games this season.
  • Adrian Dater of BSN writes that the Colorado Avalanche expect to get back winger Colin Wilson sooner than expected. The winger suffered a shoulder injury and was placed on injured reserve on Dec. 22, but could be ready to play by next week. Wilson was playing well in a middle-six role and has eight goals and 13 goals this season.
  • Winnipeg Jets prospect Kristian Vesalainen was named KHL Rookie of the Month for December, according to Pekka Jalonen of Iltalehti. The 2017 first-round pick started the season with the Jets and played five games, but after eight games in the AHL, opted to exercise a provision in his contract that allowed him to return to the Europe. He has four goals and 10 points in 13 games for Jokerit.
  • Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre writes that after watching the impressive play of New Jersey Devils goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood, who shutout the Vancouver Canucks 4-0 Monday, the Canucks should consider bringing up their own goalie prospect in Thatcher Demko. The 23-year-old is from the same draft as Blackwood and this might be the right time to give him an extended look, especially with the uninspiring play of Anders Nilsson as the team’s backup. Demko did miss the first two months of the season to injury, but he has posted a 2.63 GAA and a .909 save percentage and has little left to prove in Utica. The Canucks could consider moving Nilsson to a team in need of goalie depth before the trade deadline.

NHL Releases Special Events Schedule for 2019-20

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NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced a new schedule for all the special events happening in the 2019-20 season. While it was reported Monday that the 2020 Winter Classic will be in Dallas, Bettman also announced that the St. Louis Blues will host the 2020 Honda NHL All-Star game, Regina will host the 2019 Tim Horton’s NHL Heritage Classic between the Winnipeg Jets and the Calgary Flames, while Colorado will host the 2020 Stadium Series at the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Falcon Stadium.

There is no word yet on who the Dallas Stars will play next year at the 2020 Winter Classic at the Cotton Bowl. The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro reports that the opponent will be determined by the Stars, NBC and the NHL in a group effort and will be made within the next few weeks. However, with no regional rival, there isn’t an obvious opponent, although some are already suggesting that the Minnesota Wild might be a good match. It’s not expected to be the Blackhawks, who played in the event this year and has already played in six outdoor games. This marks the first time that Dallas will play in an outdoor game.

Bettman said that other venues were considered and will continue to be considered. ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski reports that Bettman said that there has been conversations between both Florida teams of a future night game on Jan. 1. The Athletic’s Joe McDonald adds that Bettman said the league will have discussions with the Bruins after their renovations at TD Gardens are complete about receiving another event.

The Blues will host the 2020 all-star game, which will be held on Jan. 24-2. It will be the first time that St. Louis has hosted an all-star game since 1988. It will be the third all-star game in the city as the team also hosted one in 1970. St. Louis hosted the Winter Classic two years ago, but its success only helped the Blues bring in another big event.

“St. Louis was a great host for us for the Winter Classic, and in the final analysis, the total circumstances including the substantial renovation that they’ve done of the Enterprise Center made it the right time to go back. We have no doubt it will be a huge success,” Bettman said (via The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford).

The Winnipeg Jets announced earlier today they will host the Heritage Classic, but the opponent hadn’t been announced. Bettman announced that the Calgary Flames will make their second appearance in the occasionally-held Canadian outdoor game which will be on Oct. 26, 2019.

The Avalanche will get a chance to host their second Stadium Series. They hosted the Detroit Red Wings at Coors Field in 2016. It also marks the second time a game will be at a U.S. service academy. The Washington Capitals hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium at the U.S. Naval Base in Annapolis, Maryland in March last year. Just as with the Winter Classic, an opponent has yet to be named and will be determined in a few weeks.

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