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Flames Have Shown Interest In Zack Smith

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With the Senators struggling mightily this season, it has been expected that they will be sellers in the weeks to come.  One player that has been suggested as a candidate to be dealt is center Zack Smith and Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that Calgary is believed to have shown an interest in his services.

Smith is in the first year of a four-year, $13MM contract he signed last January, foregoing unrestricted free agency in the process.  At the time, he was in the midst of his second straight season with at least 15 goals and 30 points and was providing Ottawa with strong secondary scoring along with his usual gritty style of play.

Mar 28, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators center Zack Smith (15) warms up before playing against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY SportsThings haven’t gone as well for the 29-year-old this season, however.  Smith has battled injury issues, missing time with three separate problems (upper-body, thumb, and shoulder) and when he has been in the lineup, he hasn’t been as productive as he has in recent seasons.  Through 27 games, he has just three goals and six assists despite logging over 16 minutes of ice time per night.

It’s understandable that Calgary would have interest in adding some help down the middle.  Sam Bennett has played well since moving to the wing while there is some uncertainty regarding the future of pending UFA pivot Mikael Backlund.  Matt Stajan, their fourth line center, is also set to be an unrestricted free agent as well so landing someone with several years of team control would make some sense.  Smith’s physicality would also fit in well in the tougher Western Conference.  It’s worth noting that he has a ten-team no-trade clause and it’s not known at this time if the Flames are on that list or not.

Considering his struggles this season, whoever acquires Smith would be taking a bit of a risk that a change of scenery helps get him back to the level he has played over the past couple seasons because if not, he will be an expensive depth player.  However, it’s fair to infer that Ottawa’s asking price can’t be too high given Smith’s struggles so while there is a bit of risk, there is certainly the potential for a higher reward as well if he returns to his 2015-16/2016-17 form.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2018 All-Star Rosters

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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

Poll: Should Your Team Make A Play For Jaromir Jagr?

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All signs have begun to point to a split between the Calgary Flames and legendary winger Jaromir Jagr, with either a trade or mutual termination the likely outcomes. Jagr never did fit in properly with the Flames, unable to find any chemistry in his limited minutes. It’s not clear if there would be any interest from other teams in the NHL, but should there be?

Jaromir JagrJagr, 45, has just seven points on the season with Calgary but there are still reasons to believe he can contribute in the right situation. His ridiculously low shooting percentage of 3.1% on the year doesn’t help his numbers, and he’s actually still a positive possession player—though not quite the dominating presence he’s been down-low throughout his career.

If the reason for his struggles really are the lack of a real training camp, believing there is actually some short-term improvement to come seems plausible. If he’s given a regular role and steady minutes, perhaps the same 45-point player from last season could emerge. That kind of addition could be quite important for a club looking for some depth up front, if they can get past the off-ice eccentricities that come along with the second all-time leading NHL scorer.

Would you want your team to pursue Jagr for a playoff push, or is this the end of his NHL career? Vote below and leave your thoughts in the comments.

Should your team go after Jaromir Jagr?
No, it's over. 52.22% (435 votes)
Yes, he still has something left! 47.78% (398 votes)
Total Votes: 833

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Calgary, Jagr Discussing Possible Exit

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Elliotte Friedman reports that the Calgary Flames and Jaromir Jagr are working towards a split. He reports that the Flames intend to treat the 45-year-old veteran with respect and have told his agent they have their permission for him to seek a trade. There were already rumors Friday about Jagr’s future. Friedman also reports that a European team may also be involved, which could end Jagr’s long-time NHL career.

Jagr, who is in the middle of his 20th NHL season, signed a one-year $2MM deal on Oct. 3, one day before the season started. However, Jagr has struggled with both injuries and production and hasn’t been a great fit with the Flames. He has just one goal and six assists in 22 games this season. Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg tweets that Jagr’s lack of a training camp and a proper offseason of workout is what likely led to his inability to adjust in Calgary.

The Flames haven’t had the season they were hoping for so far as detailed in a story earlier today. The team believed it had the young nucleus of talent to put together a big season with players like Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Matthew Tkachuk. The team went out and made several moves, including trading for defenseman Travis Hamonic and goaltender Mike Smith, as well as adding Jagr as a veteran complement to help out in the bottom lines. Although Jagr had trouble finding a job this year, he did score 16 goals last year and 27 in the 2015-16 season with the Florida Panthers.

Frustrations Boiling Over In Calgary

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The Calgary Flames are 4-4-2 in their past ten games, have a .500 record at home this season, and currently hold down the fifth spot in the Pacific Division with 44 points through 40 games. They’re 20th in goals for, 17th in goals against, 20th on the power play, and 25th on the penalty kill. If the season ended today, they would finish 12th in the Western Conference, three points outside of a playoff spot. By every metric, the 2017-18 Flames have been mediocre.

However, when your team acquires solid defenseman Travis Hamonic for a first-round pick and two second-rounders, expectations are raised. When your team “solves” it’s goalie problem by bringing in respected veteran Mike Smith for a player, prospect, and pick, expectations are raised. When your trio of under-23 star forwards – Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, Matthew Tkachuk – combine for over 160 points the season prior, expectations are raised. Mediocre is not good enough for this Calgary team and now the Flames are feeling the heat.

Head coach Glen Gulutzan appears to be the first one to have reached his limit on the sub-par play. Yesterday at practice, Gulutzan lost his cool and went on a profanity-laced tirade (video). Discernible lines included criticism of the team’s attitude after “one f***ing game”, referring to the team’s upset win over the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday,  and “We’re so f***ing good? You check the f***ing standings?”, which obviously speaks for itself. Gulutzan capped off his outburst by whipping his stick into the stands as words were not even enough to express his frustration and displeasure with his players. After practice, Gulutzan defended his actions, stating that the NHL was not “warm and fuzzy” and that what the media saw was the reality of the bleak situation in Calgary.

While the effort and results in Calgary have been poor all year, this has been the first time that the lack of success has made major headlines. However, if the team continues to struggle, it surely won’t be the last. The Flames are expected to win this season and for seasons to come and, if that doesn’t happen, Gulutzan’s tirade will be forgotten among the many oncoming repercussions.

Next Steps For Jaromir Jagr & The Calgary Flames

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Speculation over Jaromir Jagr’s future has been running rampant for the last few days, with thoughts that he may retire in the face of his latest injury and season-long struggles to fit into the Calgary Flames system. Bob McKenzie of TSN chimed in on Twitter, explaining that it has been long believed that the two sides have an “understanding” that if their marriage wasn’t working they’d mutually terminate the one-year deal Jagr signed at the beginning of October.

Jaromir JagrMcKenzie quickly points out that nothing is imminent for Jagr, but that it could become clear over the next few days one way or the other. An interesting consideration though, is the upcoming Olympic Games. If Jagr feels he can be healthy enough to contribute for the Czech squad, but isn’t fitting in well in Calgary, perhaps a termination to allow him to participate in his sixth Olympics would be a good solution for both sides.

Jagr has seven points this season for Calgary, and has received just over 13 minutes of ice time on average when he is in the lineup. That’s a huge drop-off for a player who has only once averaged fewer than 17 in a season, and still believes that he can contribute.

One thing to remember about any potential Olympic participation, is that the tournament ends just a day before the deadline to be on an NHL roster for the playoffs. That means Jagr could—and one must stress that this is all hypothetical—terminate his contract with the Flames, head to the Olympics, and then re-sign with an NHL team for another chance at a Stanley Cup. Either way, it’s a story to watch over the next few days and weeks as we get closer and closer to the Games.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Arizona Coyotes Claim Freddie Hamilton

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The brothers have been broken up. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Freddie Hamilton has been claimed by the Arizona Coyotes after being waived by the Calgary Flames yesterday, and will have to say goodbye to his brother Dougie as he heads to his next opportunity. In his absence, the Flames have recalled Marek Hrivik from the minor leagues.

It’s an interesting claim by Arizona, who obviously are hoping to unlock the offensive potential Hamilton has shown in junior and the minor leagues. The 26-year old forward has just six points in 67 career NHL games, but has been stuck in the press box as a healthy scratch for much of this season and last. When called upon, he’s been an effective energy player for the Flames but he’ll look to be more than that in Arizona.

Hrivik, 26, had been tearing up the minor leagues for the Stockton Heat, scoring 29 points in 28 games this season. The Slovakian forward became a Group VI free agent in the offseason after the New York Rangers gave him just 21 NHL games during his tenure, and signed a one-year deal with Calgary on July 1st. Earning the minimum, he’ll try to prove that he’s more than just a minor league player and secure a one-way deal for next season.

Calgary Flames Place Freddie Hamilton On Waivers

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The waiver wire has just one name on it today according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, and that name is Freddie Hamilton of the Calgary Flames. It’s an interesting move for the Flames, who only recently recalled the waiver-exempt Andrew Mangiapane when Michael Frolik was placed on injured reserve.

Hamilton, who has only played eight games for the Flames, has been waived twice now this season, originally clearing in early November. He was never assigned to the minor leagues that time, as the Flames waived and demoted Tanner Glass just a few days later instead. On this occasion, Hamilton might not be as safe. Though Mangiapane only played a bit over seven minutes in his debut, the 21-year old is a dynamic offensive player that could work his way into a higher spot in the lineup, similar to the path Mark Jankowski has taken this season.

Hamilton, the older brother of teammate Dougie Hamilton, now has just six points in 67 career NHL games despite a tag of being an offensive player himself when working his way through the system. He’s rarely been given the chance to show that offense at the NHL level, and will have to re-establish himself at the AHL level should he clear and be sent to the Stockton Heat.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Greenway, Parsons

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The NHL named it’s Three Stars of the Month for December today, honoring Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask as the First Star, Islanders surprise scorer Josh Bailey as the Second Star, and Tampa Bay dynamo Nikita Kucherov as the Third Star. All three were immensely successful this month and bear watching as the season continues.

The Bruins were on fire in December, posting a 10-2-2 record and are currently on an eight-game streak without a loss. After early season struggles, Rask was a major part of that success, recording an impeccable .955 save percentage and 1.22 goals against average. Rask allowed more than two goals only once in his eleven appearances and posted two shutouts one either end of December. After that performance, Rask has joined some of the league’s best goalies this season with a top-five GAA and top-ten SV%. The 2014 Vezina winner and the holder of the best career save percentage in NHL history (.923), Rask looked more like his elite self this past month than he has in two years.

Meanwhile, there’s no similar history that could have predicted this surge from Bailey. The long-time Islander had a career-high 56 points last season, but is already only six points away from matching it in 2017-18 and on pace for over 100 points. Bailey’s 50 points trails only Kucherov in the NHL and his 38 assists are tops in the league, feeding his talented linemates John Tavares and Anders Lee. In December alone, Bailey led the league with 22 points, including seven multi-point games and an 11-game point streak. Bailey’s breakout has been great for the Isles, but will be even better for the 28-year-old who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Kucherov’s nod is less of a surprise; the Lightning sniper is well-known as one of the league’s best players. Kucherov has an NHL-best 25 goals and 56 points already this season. After posting a career high 85 points in 2016-17, he’ll easily leave that mark in the dust and could flirt with 120 points this year. The early Hart favorite found the score sheet in all but one contest in December as the Bolts went 11-2-0 and continued to dominate the league. The ceiling is the roof for the uber-talented Russian forward and his Tampa Bay teammates this season.

  • Another player to keep an eye on in the coming months is Minnesota Wild prospect and recently-named member of the U.S. Olympic team Jordan Greenway. As ESPN’s Emily Kaplan writes today, when Greenway suits up in Pyeongchang, South Korea for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, he will do so as the first ever African-American on the U.S. men’s hockey team. In the 98-year history of the men’s hockey tournament, Greenway is the first to don the red, white, and blue – a major step for the inclusiveness of the game. Of course, Jarome Iginla played for Canada in multiple Olympic Games and P.K. Subban made an appearance as well, but no African-American has had the same opportunity for the U.S.A. The big Boston University forward has represented the U.S. on the international stage before at several junior tournaments, but the Olympics are a whole other level. This could just be the beginning for the talented winger as well. By all accounts, Dustin Byfuglien is the best American-born African American in NHL history, with former grinder Mike Grier likely next in line and a ways behind. By the end of his promising pro career, Greenway could be known as the best American-born African-American in NHL history. He gets his start on the big stage in a matter of weeks.
  • One last guy to keep an eye out for is young Calgary Flames keeper Tyler Parsons. The Flames’ recent acquisition of New Jersey Devils defenseman Dalton Prout was not-so-secretly more about ridding themselves of goalie Eddie Lack as it was bringing in an asset. Having solved their logjam in net, Calgary was finally able to promote their 2016 second-round pick from the AHL today, per the ECHL transactions page. The 20-year-old Parsons has been buried since turning pro late last season after leading the United States to a World Junior Championship title. Parsons’ path to the NHL is not without roadblocks remaining though; he still has to prove that he is the heir apparent to veteran Mike Smith by outperforming current big-league backup David Rittich and AHL competition Jon Gillies and Mason McDonald, all of whom are 25 or younger and very well regarded.

Flames Sign Matthew Phillips

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The Flames announced that they have signed prospect forward Matthew Phillips to a three-year, entry-level contract.  Financial terms were not disclosed.  Phillips was Calgary’s sixth-round pick (166th overall) back in the 2016 draft.  Since being selected, the diminutive forward has been a dominant scorer at the junior level, recording a 50-goal season last year while putting up 59 points in just 39 games so far in 2017-18.  The timing of this announcement is noteworthy.  Today was the last day that the Flames could sign Phillips and still have the contract slide a year (so that it won’t begin until 2018-19).  That will result in Phillips’ cap hit ultimately being lower than it is currently as his signing bonus that he receives today won’t count against his cap hit next season.

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