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Calgary’s Challenge With Sam Bennett

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To say things have not gone well for Flames forward Sam Bennett this season would be an understatement.  He finally snapped a season-long pointless streak on Thursday night and is averaging the lowest ice time of his young career at 13:23 per night.  That’s hardly what anyone was expecting from the fourth overall selection back in 2014.

Earlier this week, TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported (video link) that Flames GM Brad Treliving doesn’t necessarily want to move the struggling 21-year-old but at the same time, he isn’t hanging up when other teams inquire about his availability.  Even though he’s off to a terrible start, he’s only a few years removed from being a high-end prospect and players with that type of draft pedigree typically get a few chances if they don’t perform with their original team.

Apr 17, 2017; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames center Sam Bennett (93) skates with the puck against the Anaheim Ducks during the second period in game three of the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY SportsSportsnet’s Rory Boylen examined Bennett’s situation and usage this year and one prominent question comes to mind: When is it the right time to look at trading him?  It’s safe to say his trade value is far from its highest so at first glance, a case can easily be made to hold on in the hopes that he returns to form and restores some value.

However, what if his struggles continue?  Or, perhaps more likely, he rebounds a little bit but remains more of a supporting cast player?  That won’t really help his trade value and perhaps may lower it further.  They may want to avoid the situation that Edmonton had with Nail Yakupov last year where his trade value had all but bottomed out.  Bennett isn’t at that spot yet but that could change by the end of the season if he doesn’t rebound.

At the moment, Calgary isn’t likely to get more than a similarly-struggling young player or a rental player in return for Bennett.  While the latter option would probably be a nice boost to their roster, they’d also be giving up on someone that was believed to be part of their long-term core for a player who may not be there six months later.  Is the short-term gain worth it?  In terms of taking another scuffling forward back, it’s likely that Treliving would rather stick with the player they know.

For the time being, it’s hard to envision Calgary parting ways with Bennett despite his rough start to the year.  If he doesn’t pick it up in the weeks to come, however, he’s a player who is likely going to find himself in trade speculation where talks of him needing a change of scenery will begin to pop up.  If and when that happens, it will be interesting to see if Treliving will hold on to him or cut bait before his situation has a chance to mirror Yakupov’s from a year ago.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Flames, Hammond, Ekman-Larsson

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Tanner Glass has cleared waivers and been assigned to Stockton of the AHL, leaving room for the Calgary Flames to activate Jaromir Jagr prior to their game tonight. Glass signed a one-year, one-way deal with the Flames this summer but is at best a 13th forward used in especially physical matchups. It won’t surprise if the 33-year old is back up before long to serve in that role.

Jagr though will jump back into the lineup after a long layoff, and will look to recapture the early success he had found with his new team. The legendary winger’s already exquisite possession numbers were off the charts in his first five games for Calgary, and he should help the team continue their current win streak. Jagr is just 51 games behind Gordie Howe for the most all-time, a record he could break should he stay relatively healthy for the rest of the year.

  • Andrew Hammond was clearly a salary dump by the Ottawa Senators in their recent trade, to help even out the salary difference between Matt Duchene and Kyle Turris. Now, James Gordon of The Athletic reports that Colorado will look to flip Hammond somewhere else around the league. Hammond will remain with the Belleville Senators on loan until that happens, but it may not be so easy. “The Hamburgler” as he is so affectionately nicknamed, is owed $1.5MM this season and carries a $1.35MM cap hit. Though last year was a struggle for him before going down to injury, he’s played well early on for Belleville.
  • Oliver Ekman-Larsson has somehow become the center of much trade speculation, but Arizona Coyotes GM John Chayka wants to put an end to that. Speaking with Craig Morgan of AZ Sports, Chayka again said he won’t trade the All-Star defenseman, and revealed “I haven’t had a single conversation about Oilver that has lasted more than five seconds.” Ekman-Larsson is a free agent after next season and would be one of the top names on the market.

Tanner Glass Placed On Waivers

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According to Bob McKenzie of TSN, the Calgary Flames have placed Tanner Glass on waivers. Glass signed a one-year minimum salary ($650K) contract with the Flames this summer, but has played just seven games for the team this year.

With Mark Jankowski having done enough to stick around with the NHL club, the Flames roster situation was in quite a crunch. Jankowski and Matthew Tkachuk are the only two forwards with waiver-exempt status, and with Jaromir Jagr expected to be activated from injured reserve before long someone had to go. Glass and Freddie Hamilton, who cleared waivers last week, are the most likely candidates to be assigned to the minor leagues.

Even if they don’t go right away, having the ability to send Glass and Hamilton down for the next month is valuable to the Flames. The team is now on a three-game winning streak, and they’ll do everything to ice the best roster on a nightly basis. That now includes Jankowski even though he’s been held scoreless and is only playing limited minutes. The 23-year old gives the team some depth down the middle and another big body, even if he hasn’t shown any exceptional offensive ability just yet.

The Unleashed: Group VI Free Agency

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Normally in the NHL, players aren’t allowed to reach unrestricted free agency before they turn 27. Even then, most players end up trading away some of their free agent years for pay raises and long-term contract stability. Sometimes though, you end up with a player like Steven Stamkos who in the summer of 2016 was set to become a free agent at the age of 26.

Stamkos debuted in the league at such a young age because of his outstanding talent, that he had already accrued the necessary seven seasons in the league. He actually could have become a free agent in the summer of 2015 had he not signed a contract including the 2015-16 season several years earlier. Almost every star does this, as you can see around the league. Connor McDavid is already locked up until he’s 29, signing away four years of free agency in his recent $100MM extension.

But, there is another way to hit free agency early and it’s at the opposite end of the spectrum. Players that are stuck in the minors and never really given a chance to play in the NHL can become free agents at age-25, as Jordan Weal did this summer. Weal, who dominated for several years in the AHL without ever getting a full-time look in the NHL became a Group VI free agent this summer. To do so, he had to meet three requirements (via CapFriendly):

  1. The player is 25 years or older (as of June 30th of the calendar year the contract is expiring).
  2. The player has completed 3 or more professional seasons – qualified by 11 or more professional games (for an 18/19 year old player), or 1 or more professional games (for a player aged 20 or older). This can include NHL, minor league, and European professional league seasons played while under an SPC.
  3. The player has played less than 80 NHL games, or 28 NHL games of 30 minutes or greater for a goaltender.

Every year there are several players who qualify as Group VI free agents, and 2018 will likely be no different. Here are a few notable candidates.

Mark McNeill – Dallas Stars – 2 GP

Dallas would have had to play McNeill all season long to break the 80-game threshold. The 18th-overall pick from 2011 has been dominant at times in the AHL, but was never given a chance in Chicago. Dealt last season in a move for Johnny Oduya, McNeill will hit free agency and could look for a brand new start somewhere else. Whether another opportunity will ever come in the NHL is a different story, as McNeill has fallen off the prospect map in recent years.

"<strongTyler Wotherspoon – Calgary Flames – 30 GP

Wotherspoon was once considered a top prospect that looked like a lock for a long NHL career, but without showing any real top-four potential the excitement has died in recent years. The 14 games he played with the Flames when he was just 21 would end up being the most he would see in any single season so far, and he’d need to jump into the lineup quite soon (and stick) to avoid being granted free agency this summer.

 

Josh Leivo – Toronto Maple Leafs – 43 GP

Leivo has once again been pulled from the Maple Leafs’ lineup prior to their matchup against the Los Angeles Kings, a feeling he must be getting used to by now. He’s never played in more than 13 games in a single season with the Maple Leafs, and would need to suit up for 47 more this season in order for the team to hold onto his rights. The third-round pick from 2011 has actually fared quite well in his sporadic games, recording 11 points in his last 15 contests.

"<strongStefan Noesen – New Jersey Devils – 53 GP

Noesen has been a solid player for the Devils since being selected off waivers from Anaheim last year, and has played 39 of his 53 games in that time. He isn’t a full-time player for them though, and he was scratched on Wednesday when Brian Boyle returned to the lineup. The question will be can he get into another 27 games this season to crack that 80-game mark, or does the first-round pick—that once was a key part of getting Bobby Ryan to Ottawa—hit the open market this summer.

There are many, many more candidates for Group VI free agency and we’ll be taking a look at some of the others throughout the season depending on how their season progresses. 

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Jagr Expected To Be Activated Off IR On Sunday

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  • Flames winger Jaromir Jagr is expected to be activated off injured reserve on Sunday, reports Postmedia’s Eric Francis. The 45-year-old suffered a lower-body injury last weekend and if he is activated for tomorrow, he will wind up only missing the minimum one week.  It’s likely that center Mark Jankowski, their lone waiver-exempt forward that is also AHL eligible, will be sent back down to open up a roster spot for Jagr.

Mark Jankowski Recalled By Calgary Flames

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In the wake of the Jaromir Jagr injury, the Calgary Flames have recalled Mark Jankowski from the AHL’s Stockton Heat. Jagr was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, and will be out at least a week.

To some, this move was already long overdue. Jankowski, a first-round pick of the Flames from the 2012 draft, has done nothing but excel at the AHL level since graduating Providence College in 2016. The 23-year old had 56 points in 64 games as a rookie in Stockton last season, but earned just a one-game trail in the NHL. This season, despite a solid training camp Jankowski was cut from the team to make room (at least in part) for Jagr and other veterans. It didn’t seem to slow him down, as he posted eight points in six games for the Heat and forced another call-up.

Jankowski is a big, in-your-face center who can grind down defensemen and contribute offensively. His 6’4″ frame will give the team even more size up front, something they already don’t lack in. The plan for where he’ll slot into the lineup is unclear, but with the Flames reeling from consecutive losses it wouldn’t be shocking to see him get in right away. The Flames play in Nashville tomorrow night.

Jaromir Jagr Placed On Injured Reserve

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After leaving Saturday’s game with a lower-body injury, TSN is reporting that the Calgary Flames have moved Jaromir Jagr to the injured reserve list. That will keep Jagr out for at least seven days, and put a damper on his early season performance.

Signed earlier this month to a one-year, $1MM contract, Jagr could make up to $1MM more in performance bonuses. Those bonuses are based on games played and a playoff appearance, meaning time away from the team weakens his chance to cash in the full number. He needs only 50 games (and that playoff appearance) to earn the whole $1MM.

In five games so far this year Jagr hasn’t been outstanding, but still has two assists and strong possession numbers. Though sometimes he looks a step behind, he is still an elite puck protector and was quickly moved up to the team’s top line alongside Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. Whether that spot is his for most of the season still remains to be seen, but there is no reason he couldn’t be moved up and down as the situations change. For now though, he’ll have to nurse whatever the lower-body injury is back to health and get back playing.

Bennett's Struggles Could Invite Change

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  • Kent Wilson of The Athletic (subscription required) answers mailbag questions about Calgary Flames center Sam Bennett, who has zero points after eight games. Wilson writes the lack of offense would be acceptable if he was impacting the game in other ways, but that isn’t the case. Bennett, whose first full season showed a lot of promise two years ago when he finished with 18 goals and 18 assists, took a step down last year when he only had 13 goals and 13 assists. Now his numbers look even more bleak. Wilson suggests the team move the 2014 fourth-overall pick to the wing in hopes of helping the 21-year-old’s success and promoting Mark Jankowski, who is tearing up the AHL right now with five goals and four assists in six games.

Calgary Arena Future Still Up In The Air

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On Monday night, the city of Calgary held their mayoral elections and incumbent Naheed Nenshi was elected to a third term. For the next four years, Nenshi will continue to run the city after accumulating 51.4% of the vote against challenger Bill Smith. This outcome has an important impact on the future of the Calgary Flames, as the team and Nenshi have been in a battle of wills over a new arena funding negotiation.

The Flames threw their support behind Smith wholeheartedly, after negotiations fizzled earlier this month and CEO Ken King said the team was “no longer pursuing a new arena”. The negotiations were highly politicized, but now sit at a disturbing standstill. It seems unlikely that the Flames will go back to the table, hat in hand, to give in to the city’s proposal and as Eric Francis of Sportsnet writes they may not want to wait around either:

The chances of the Flames five-man ownership group, spearheaded by fierce negotiator Murray Edwards, would choose to keep the team in Calgary longer than four years without an arena deal in place are slim.

That is a chilling statement for Flames fans who will now continually look over their shoulder at the hungry Seattle, Houston and Quebec City markets. While obviously nothing is imminent in regards to relocation, there will be growing speculation as long as an arena deal is not made.

Minor Transactions: 10/13/17

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Today’s minor news and notes from around the league:

  • The Florida Panthers have loaned forward Denis Malgin to the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds, per a team release. Malgin, 20, was not expected to play much of a role for the Panthers in 2016-17, but ended up skating in 47 games and recording 10 points. This year, however, Malgin has yet to play to suit up for any of Florida’s first three games. With 2017 first-round pick Owen Tippett in the same boat, the Panthers needed to free up some opportunity and sending Malgin back to Springfield is no surprise. The Swiss forward was nearly a point-per-game player in the minors last season and can continue honing his skills while waiting for another opportunity to arise in Florida.
  • Luc Snuggerud remains sidelined after a preseason upper-body injury, but now he’ll be sitting on the sidelines in Rockford rather than Chicago. The Blackhawks announced today that the young, offensive defenseman has been reassigned to the AHL Ice Hogs. Snuggerud is no good to the ’Hawks injured, but even if he is ready to go by the end of his original three-week prognosis, Chicago has no space in the lineup for him to play next week or any time in the near future. The Nebraska-Omaha product is in his first full pro season, but if he can produce at a similar rate in the AHL as he did in the NCAA, then Chicago will have him back up sooner rather than later.
  • After clearing waivers today, Calgary Flames beat reporter Wes Gilbertson says that Marek Hrivik is on his way to the AHL. The free agent addition will join the Stockton Heat, a squad already full of talented young forwards such as Hunter Shinkaruk, Mark Jankowksi, and Spencer Foo. Hrivek will not only have to find his place on the new club, but also show that he is more worthy of the next Calgary call-up than some of his younger, more exciting new teammates.
  • With the Minnesota Wild facing some major injury questions up front. Marcus Foligno suffered a serious blow to the face in a fight with Chicago’s John Hayden last night, while Zach Parise and Mikael Granlund are day-to-day with lingering issues and the conditions of Charlie Coyle and Nino Niederreiter are also drawing some interest. There’s no easy solution is all five of those forwards are beyond playing condition, but for now the team has announced the call-up of rookie Luke Kunin from the AHL. Defenseman Mike Reilly was demoted to AHL Iowa to make room. Kunin, Minnesota’s 2016 first-round pick, decided to leave the University of Wisconsin after just two years to pursue his pro career and will almost certainly be rewarded with his NHL debut tomorrow. An intelligent, well-rounded center, it should come as no surprise if Kunin impresses in his role as an injury replacement and manages to keep a spot on the team going forward.
  • Another Central Division team has swapped a pair of players, as the St. Louis Blues announced that forward Tage Thompson has been reassigned to the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage, with fellow forward Sammy Blais getting the call-up. The two players are about as different as can be. Thompson is a 6’5″ center from Phoenix, Arizona who was drafted by the Blues in the first round in 2016 and played the past two seasons at the University of Connecticut before jumping right into the NHL this year. Blais is a 5’10” winger from Quebec who was drafted in the sixth round in 2014 and put up outstanding numbers in the QMJHL before playing a full AHL season last year. Yet, it’s Blais getting the call after an impressive preseason and a largely invisible first four games for Thompson. As the season goes on, watch for these two to be switched in and out depending on the personnel and style needs of St. Louis.

 

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