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Snapshots: Hall, Schedule, Kolyachonok

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The Buffalo Sabres could be getting closer to a trade of Taylor Hall, as Darren Dreger of TSN tweets that “there’s a sense talks have escalated.” Dreger doesn’t believe a move is “imminent” but after the New Jersey Devils pulled Kyle Palmieri over the weekend, the precautionary pull is something to watch for.

Hall is one of the top rental targets on the open market and the Sabres need to make sure they get the best package possible before the deadline. Risking him to injury in a lost season doesn’t seem to make much sense.

  • The NHL has issued a schedule update, but it will likely be followed by a further announcement this evening. The change has the Calgary Flames playing against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday April 10, when they are still technically scheduled to meet the Vancouver Canucks. With so many positive test results for the Canucks over the past week—a 17th player was added to the COVID Protocol today—their games on Thursday and Saturday were always unlikely to be played.
  • The Florida Panthers have reassigned Vladislav Kolyachonok from the KHL to the AHL for the rest of the season. The 19-year-old defenseman was a second-round pick in 2019 and became a regular for Dynamo Minsk this season, recording six points in 46 games. He’ll get his first chance of pro hockey in North America, but isn’t a stranger to these parts; Kolyachonok played two years in the OHL for the Flint Firebirds before returning to the KHL this season.

Snapshots: MacKinnon, NHLPA, April Fool’s

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Nathan MacKinnon’s comical misconduct on Wednesday night drew plenty of attention at the expense of Arizona Coyotes forward Conor Garland. Even in the midst of an 8-3 blowout in his favor, the Colorado Avalanche superstar lost his head in a scrum late in the third period, grappling with Garland and then picking up his opponent’s fallen helmet and bowling it back into his face. (video) While the helmet toss itself did not appear to do much damage (and has supplied many a laugh on April Fool’s Day), it was clearly a penalty. MacKinnon was handed a ten-minute misconduct and an ejection, but most expected that he could receive some supplemental discipline for the act. Well, the NHL Department of Player Safety has handed down their decision, but it isn’t what many – especially Coyotes fans – expected or hoped for. MacKinnon has been fined $5,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct, but will not be suspended. This is the maximum fine for that particular penalty, but in the big picture means little to MacKinnon. There has been mounting scrutiny over the league’s handling of egregious penalties committed by its biggest stars and the recent leniency with MacKinnon and Connor McDavid will not help their cause.

  • The NHLPA is adding a pair of noteworthy names to its staff. The Players’ Association announced today that former NHLers Ron Hainsey and Sean Bergenheim have been hired to executive positions. Hainsey, whose hiring seemingly marks his retirement after playing last season and speaking to team’s this off-season, has been named Assistant to the Executive Director for Special Projects and Development Initiatives. Bergenheim, who hung up his skates in 2018 and last played in the NHL in 2014-15, will hold the title of  NHLPA European Affairs Representative. Bergenheim’s 506 career NHL games with four teams is impressive enough, but pales in comparison to Hainsey’s 1,132 career games with seven different teams. The NHLPA adds plenty of veteran hockey know-how with these additions, while both have held administrative roles in their careers as well. As for their specific duties with the Players’ Association, the press release describes each role as follows:

Bergenheim will work closely with NHL players from Europe, and on behalf of the NHLPA on matters relating to international competitions as well as professional hockey in Europe… Hainsey will work on a variety of matters related to the administration of the CBA, media and broadcast partners, and new opportunities for marketing and sponsorship, all with special emphasis on the enhancement of player communication within the NHLPA.

  • For a daily dose of hockey history, it is worth noting that the last time the NHL had a trade deadline date in April was in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. Unlike today, there were a number of April 1 trades that year as well. And it was the Calgary Flames who sadly held the title of April Fools that year. The team dealt star defenseman Jay Bouwmeester to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for prospect forward Mark Cundari, the rights to goaltender Reto Berra, and a 2013 first-round pick. Bouwmeester would go on to play at a high level for seven more seasons with the Blues, going to the postseason six times and winning a Stanley Cup, before retiring this past off-season. As for the Flames’ return? Cundari played eight games over two seasons with Calgary and then never played in the NHL again. Berra played just half a season in Calgary, posting poor numbers, before being traded away for a second-round pick. That second-rounder became Hunter Smith, who played two AHL seasons and two ECHL seasons before retiring, having never seen NHL action. And the first-rounder from the initial deal? That was used to select Emile Poirier, who played just eight games over two seasons with Calgary and is currently playing in Europe. As they say, four strikes and you’re out. This is a trade that the Flames wish had only been an April Fool’s Day prank.

NHL Postpones Calgary-Vancouver Game

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The NHL has decided to ere on the side of caution as a result of Adam Gaudette’s positive COVID-19 test.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that tonight’s game between the Canucks and Flames has been postponed.  The league has subsequently released the following statement:

The National Hockey League announced today that, as a result of two Vancouver Canucks Players (including one Player who was added to the COVID Protocol List after it was released at 5:00 p.m. ET today) as well as a member of their coaching staff entering the NHL’s COVID Protocols, the team’s game tonight against the Calgary Flames will be postponed. The decision was made by the League’s, NHLPA’s and Club’s medical groups. The League will provide a further update tomorrow.

This is a light week on the schedule for Vancouver as they’re just coming off of a week-long break and aren’t scheduled to play again until they begin a seven-game road trip in Edmonton on Saturday.  Clearly, that may not begin as scheduled now.  As for Calgary, they’re also set to play Edmonton next with their next game scheduled for Friday.  With the Canucks being the team with someone on the CPRA list, the Flames could still continue on with their schedule.

The North Division recently had recently undergone a substantial schedule reshuffling as a result of Montreal’s COVID-19 situation with the Canadiens only getting cleared to resume their schedule last night.  With those changes, the regular season was extended to May 11th so the league may need to use that extension to get this game in now although if Vancouver is forced to postpone other games, it could result in another sizable scheduling shakeup over the coming days as well.

Calgary Flames Sign Yan Kuznetsov To Entry-Level Contract

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The Calgary Flames have signed one of their top prospects from the 2020 draft, inking defenseman Yan Kuznetsov to a three-year, entry-level deal. The 19-year-old out of the University of Connecticut will join the Stockton Heat of the AHL.

Kuznetsov was the team’s second-round pick in this past year’s entry draft (50th overall) and already has two years of collegiate experience. The blueliner is best known for his size, standing at 6-foot-4 and 209 pounds, making him pro ready immediately and is known for his physical play on the boards as well as his long reach. He scored two goals and 11 points as a freshman with the Huskies and followed that up with a goal and six points in 16 games this season.

The defenseman will play in the AHL and since he’s 19 years old, he can play for the Heat for the remainder of the season without burning the first year of his entry-level contract. Kuznetsov will have to undergo a seven-day quarantine to join Stockton.

Canadian Government Expected To Approve 7-Day Quarantine

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March 26: Joshua Clipperton of the Canadian Press reports that the 14-day quarantine period has been waived “under national interest grounds” and players coming from U.S. clubs ahead of the deadline will now be required to quarantine for just seven days. The quarantine change also applies to players called up from AHL teams in the U.S.

March 25: One of the biggest hurdles facing the seven Canadian NHL teams in the North Division when it came to the trade deadline next month was the two-week quarantine period any player coming from a U.S.-based team would need to go through. The player would need to complete travel to the new club north of the border, which is a little trickier these days anyway, and then wait 14 days to even join the team in practice. Missing that much time and then jumping back into NHL action could potentially lead to injury, meaning a “ramp-up” phase might also be required after the quarantine but before he actually plays.

With that much waiting around, trading for a player on April 12 didn’t even seem worth it if they were on an expiring contract. Even further, it’s hard to convince a player to waive a no-trade clause just to quarantine in a hotel room for two weeks. It was limiting the rental market teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets, or at least pushing them to get deals done earlier. Now, perhaps they can take a little more time.

David Cochrane of CBC is reporting that the Canadian government will soon approve a seven-day quarantine period for NHL players traded from American teams to Canadian teams. The change will come with added testing for those athletes, but according to Cochrane, has been approved by every province with NHL teams.

If approved, this would be a huge development not only for the Canadian teams but also those looking to sell at the trade deadline. Suddenly the Buffalo Sabres, for instance, have a few more teams that could push hard for rentals like Taylor Hall, Eric Staal, or Brandon Montour, knowing they could have them on the ice in just over a week.

Obviously, as with any other governmental decisions these days, until it is officially instituted this news should not be considered a lock. Things can change at any moment and public pushback could divert the plan. But for weeks now, if not months, Canadian teams have been pushing to try and get the quarantine period reduced to seven days. It seems that pressure has paid off.

Snapshots: Rakell, Karmanos, Prep Hockey Conference

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The Anaheim Ducks aren’t opposed to trading star forward Rickard Rakell, but at their current asking price they might not find any takers. The 27-year-old winger, who has another year on his contract at a $3.8MM AAV, is undoubtedly worth a nice return. Rakell has recorded 19 points through 30 games so far this season, scoring at the same 50+ point pace as he has the past two years amidst some difficult seasons for Anaheim, and has also shown the potential for far more production when the Ducks were in better shape. With more talent around him, the slick, two-way forward could be a highly valuable piece for a contender. However, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the current ask by the Ducks is a young, experienced NHL player and a first-round pick. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman notes that the Calgary Flames inquired on Rakell, but balked at that price. He believes that it may be too rich for the Toronto Maple Leafs’ blood as well. In what is expected to be a buyer’s market, the Ducks may need to lower their ask if they are intent on moving Rakell. However, with another year on his contract and plenty of value left to contribute to Anaheim, the Ducks do not have to make a move if they want to hold out for a more suitable offer.

  • The Buffalo Sabres made a major move today, firing head coach Ralph Krueger and beginning the search for a permanent replacement. However, their next personnel addition may be in the front office rather than behind the bench. GM Kevyn Adams told the media today that he is also searching for an Assistant GM. Friedman reports that one name previously linked to the vacancy is former Pittsburgh AGM Jason Karmanos. In fact, the Sabres have received permission from the Penguins to speak to Karmanos, who was fired this off-season with term remaining on his contract. Karmanos, who was once highly touted as a possible future GM himself, has close ties with Adams and is the likely frontrunner to join the front office.
  • A number of top developmental programs have decided to finally join together in an official capacity. Friedman notes in his latest “31 Thoughts” that many of the prep schools most familiar to hockey fans have come together and formed the Prep Hockey Conference, which will play in its inaugural season next year. They include Culver Academy (Indiana), Mount St. Charles (Rhode Island), Northwood (New York), Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Minnesota), South Kent School (Connecticut), and St. Andrew’s College (Ontario), a group that has contributed to the development of countless NHL stars. The school have long scheduled games against one each other and participated in tournaments together, but now will legitimize their partnership with the formation of the conference. While the geographical differences will force the league to be split into East and West divisions, all the teams will get together at least once during the regular season and will participate in a single-location postseason. The Prep Hockey Conference will immediately rival the New England Prep School Athletic Conference (NEPSAC) and the Minnesota public high school ranks as the top non-junior leagues in all of development hockey.

Prospect Notes: Kravtsov, Zary, Krys

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Vitaly Kravtsov’s KHL team was eliminated from the playoffs today, meaning the New York Rangers prospect can now come to North America to join his NHL club. The 21-year-old winger is already under contract and was just loaned overseas, meaning he could play as soon as his quarantine protocols are over. That’s expected to take up to two weeks, but it could still mean the Rangers have a boost down the stretch.

Kravtsov, the ninth overall pick in 2018, scored 16 goals and 24 points in 49 KHL games this season, a strong offensive showing for a player that had struggled at times in the past. The 6’3″ winger is still an important part of the Rangers’ future and gives them another young forward to build around.

  • With the British Columbia teams in the WHL set to return soon, Connor Zary’s time with the Stockton Heat is finished. The 19-year-old forward has been assigned back to the Kamloops Blazers after scoring seven points in nine AHL contests. Zary was the 24th overall pick in 2020 and is too young for the AHL whenever the WHL is in session, but showed quite well in his first taste of professional hockey. The Calgary Flames prospect had 38 goals and 86 points last season for the Blazers and should be even more dominant now that he has some AHL experience under his belt.
  • Chad Krys, the Chicago Blackhawks second-rounder from 2016, will end his own 2020-21 season after just six AHL appearances. The Rockford IceHogs announced today that Krys underwent successful shoulder surgery yesterday and will be out for the next five to seven months. Hopefully, that leaves him able to compete in Blackhawks training camp for next season, but Krys has a long road back at this point.

Trade Deadline Primer: Calgary Flames

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Although we’re not even two months into the season, the trade deadline is just over a month away.  Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make?  We continue our look around the league with the Calgary Flames.

Expectations were high in Calgary heading into the season.  Goaltending was a concern last year so they went and got the best one on the market in Jacob Markstrom.  T.J. Brodie moved on to Toronto in free agency but Chris Tanev was brought in.  The offense largely remained intact and while they underachieved a bit last season, the talent is there for improvement.  But the results haven’t met the expectations.  One big change was already made behind the bench but GM Brad Treliving will have to decide over the next several weeks if more moves need to happen.

Record

11-12-3, 6th in North Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$1.890MM in full-season space ($4.435MM at the trade deadline), 0/3 retention slots used, 46/50 contracts used per CapFriendly.

(This number fluctuates considerably with Derek Ryan being recalled or sent to the taxi squad on a near-daily basis.  The above amount is with Ryan on the taxi squad, not the active roster.)

Upcoming Draft Picks

2021: CGY 1st, CGY 2nd, CGY 3rd, EDM 3rd, CGY 5th, CGY 6th, CGY 7th
2022: CGY 1st, CGY 2nd, CGY 3rd, CGY 4th, CGY 5th, CGY 6th, CGY 7th

Trade Chips

Sam Bennett’s desire to play elsewhere is well-known after his agent, Quartexx’s Darren Ferris, made that request public late in January.  Since then, he has basically been everywhere from the front line to the press box.  Accordingly, it’s hard to imagine his name not being in play over the next month.  However, the recent coaching change that brought Darryl Sutter throws a wrinkle into things.  The veteran bench boss encourages a grittier style of play, one that would seemingly benefit Bennett more than most on that roster.  Accordingly, it’s not easy to see the 24-year-old stepping up over the next few weeks, potentially taking his name out of consideration in the process.  If not, the pending restricted free agent – who carries a $2.55MM AAV and needs a qualifying offer at that rate this summer – is going to be in plenty of speculation between now and April 12th.

Oliver Kylington has been an interesting player on Calgary’s back end.  After he somewhat shockingly slipped to the end of the second round in 2015 going 60th overall, it was a slow climb to the NHL but he looked to have the inside track for a spot on the third pairing after playing 48 games last season.  However, he cleared waivers back in January, has been sent down to the taxi squad a dozen times, and has played in just three games this season.  Still just 23 and carrying a cap hit of just below $788K, Kylington is a prime candidate to be moved to a team that may be rebuilding and would have more of a willingness to live with the ups and downs of his performance.

Dominik Simon looked like a quality pickup for the league minimum back in October.  After recording 22 and 28 points over his previous two seasons with Pittsburgh, the 26-year-old seemed like a good addition to their fourth line while being someone that could move up if needed.  Instead, he has hardly played, suiting up in only nine games and clearing waivers earlier this month.  He doesn’t have the potential upside that Kylington does but the winger is the type of affordable depth that teams often try to add closer to the trade deadline on the cheap.  The fact he can now be assigned to the taxi squad actually makes him more valuable than he was just a week ago when he was on waivers.

Others to Watch For: F Josh Leivo ($875K, UFA), F Matthew Phillips ($733K, RFA), D Alexander Yelesin ($925K, RFA)

Team Needs

1) Scoring help – Calgary sits 23rd in the NHL in goals per game, a number that stands out even more considering how high-scoring the North Division is; four of the top nine teams in the league in that department are from there.  Johnny Gaudreau is their only double-digit scorer and only four players have 15 points or more on the season.  In a division where many of the teams are high-scoring, the Flames will need to outscore their way out of trouble, not just rely on Markstrom.  A top-six forward would go a long way towards accomplishing that.

2) End of roster depth – Simon and Leivo were among those that Calgary brought in to give themselves some extra depth and be able to roll four lines.  Unfortunately, it hasn’t worked to the point where they’ve rotated several players into that role with Leivo being the only one logging more than 10 minutes a night.  Recent recalls have been in the five-to-eight-minute range.  More is needed from their bottom few forwards.  On the back end, Nikita Nesterov has seemingly won the battle for the sixth spot but hasn’t provided much at either end.  Upgrading on him would also be a boost; a reunion with former Calgary defender Travis Hamonic – a pending UFA – would make some sense but an upgrade in general on the right side would be worthwhile.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Blue Jackets, Islanders, Stastny, Yamamoto

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The Columbus Blue Jackets were forced to trade away center Pierre-Luc Dubois, who demanded a trade. Their return was very good in Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic, however, neither player fulfilled the team’s biggest hole — the one that Dubois left — the No. 1 center. And now, the Blue Jackets are looking for a way to fill that hole, which could be challenging, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline (subscription required).

The team has a history of looking for a No. 1 center in the past as they struggled to find a top center to put next to Rick Nash. Not much has changed as the team has looked like they found their answer in Ryan Johansen and eventually Dubois. However, with Dubois gone and Max Domi playing on the wing at the moment, there again is quite a hole in the top of their lineup. However, Columbus general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said he’s looking outside the organization for help.

“We’ll keep searching and doing our job and building a team. We have some very good potential center ice men growing into that role within our team. But we’re also going to look for ways to strengthen that position from the outside.”

  • The New York Islanders are looking for some help for their third line, according to The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta. The team is looking for a left wing they can pair with Jean-Gabriel Pageau and rookie Oliver Wahlstrom. However, the problem for New York and general manager Lou Lamoriello is that New York has little to no cap space to work with. So, in order to acquire that forward, the team will have to move out equal salary which will be challenging. Up until now, there has been no interest in Leo Komarov. According to Pagnotta, there had been some discussion of swapping Komarov for Brett Connolly, but talks stalled since Florida wasn’t willing to retain some of Connolly’s salary to make the money fit.
  • When asked in his most recent mailbag whether the Winnipeg Jets should consider trading Paul Stastny at the trade deadline, Sportsnet’s Ken Wiebe was quick to answer ’no.’ Stastny, who has moved to the wing and suddenly finds himself next to Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler, has played quite well in that role. With his quiet leadership and stability on the team, Wiebe believes the team will attempt to sign Stastny to a one-year extension to bring him back next year at a cheaper cost rather than trade him away.
  • Edmonton Oilers forward Kailer Yamamoto has been fined $3,854 by the Department of Player Safety for tripping Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson. The fine is the maximum allowable under the collective bargaining agreement. The incident (video here) occurred at 14:12 of the first period when Yamamoto pulled the legs out from underneath Andersson in front of the Flames net. He was assessed a two-minute minor for tripping.

Calgary Flames Fire Geoff Ward

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Late last night, after a huge win, the Calgary Flames decided to make a coaching change. Geoff Ward has been relieved of his duties and will be replaced by Darryl Sutter, who joins the Flames for his second stint behind the bench. Sutter worked with the Flames between 2002-2006 and last coached with the Los Angeles Kings in 2017.

The firing of Ward shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, though the timing does seem a bit odd. The Flames scored seven goals against the Ottawa Senators last night to even their record at 11-11-2, but it wasn’t enough to save the coach. Ward was only just given the full-time position in September when the Flames removed the interim tag. He had taken over last season when Bill Peters was forced to resign and led the team to a 24-15-3 record, but things were quite obviously not the same this time around.

Calgary has been a disorganized mess this season, even after spending a substantial amount of money in the offseason. The team brought in Chris Tanev and Jacob Markstrom on long-term deals but still haven’t figured out the right mix. They’ve had up-and-down performances from their best players, including Matthew Tkachuk who went five games in a row last month without even a point. The team has tried to kickstart Sam Bennett’s game by placing him on the top line, only to see him fail and end up in the press box once again.

In Sutter, they’ll certainly be bringing in a lot of experience. The 62-year-old coach sits 17th on the all-time list for wins with 634 (though also 15th in losses with 467) and won two Stanley Cup championships with the Los Angeles Kings in 2012 and 2014. He also was the Flames coach during their last deep postseason run, when they made it to the Final in 2004.

The team had considered him previously for the opening but obviously felt now a change couldn’t wait. The good thing for Flames fans is that even with their mediocre record, the team is by no means out of the playoff race in the North Division. Calgary sits just two points back of the Montreal Canadiens and four points back of the Edmonton Oilers for the last two playoff spots. If Sutter can squeeze out some wins in the short term, the team will be right back in the fight.

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