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Snapshots: Hughes, Galchenyuk, Edwards

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If you are a fan of the World Junior tournament and want to see the best under-20 athletes on the planet suit up, there may have been something nagging at your brain every time you looked at the NHL standings. All the way down near the bottom of the Eastern Conference are the New Jersey Devils, who just so happen to have one of those under-20 athletes on their roster.

Jack Hughes, the first-overall pick from last June, won’t turn 19 until May and has just 11 points in 24 games through his rookie season. The Devils haven’t had much success at all and appear to be considering trading off Taylor Hall, so what would be the problem with losing Hughes for a few weeks to dominate players his own age? Well, it won’t be happening as Devils interim coach Alain Nasreddine explained to Mike Morreale of NHL.com. “That (idea) was shut down right away, ” Nasreddine told reporters on Friday.

  • Fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins have been dying to see their team at full strength this season, waiting out injury after injury in hopes that the group can pull it together at some point. Perhaps that idea isn’t so exciting for Alex Galchenyuk, who may not even have a spot in the lineup when everyone is back on the ice. That’s what GM Jim Rutherford suggested to Josh Yohe of The Athletic, saying “when we’re totally healthy, he’s going to have to work very hard just to get in the top 12.” Galchenyuk has just two goals and ten points in 19 games this season.
  • The Calgary Flames announced earlier today that Ray Edwards will join the coaching staff as an assistant, replacing Geoff Ward who was bumped up to head coach when Bill Peters was fired. Edwards will maintain his other role of Director of Player Development while helping out the coaching staff, and comes with plenty of experience behind the bench.

Calgary Flames Agree To New Arena Deal

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For the long-suffering Calgary Flames fans that have wondered if the arena dispute would ever end, today brings some respite. City councillor Jeff Davison announced today that the Flames and the city of Calgary have signed an agreement for a new taxpayer-funded arena and event center in Victoria Park.

Scott Dippel of CBC reports that there will be public engagement in January and that construction is set to begin in fall 2021. That would put the estimated completion at fall 2024, though timelines for things projects can obviously vary throughout the process.

The battle for a new arena became extremely political in Calgary, with the Flames and mayor Naheed Nenshi each experiencing frustration with the other side. At one point, Flames CEO Ken King even announced that the organization was “no longer pursuing a new facility” which threw doubt onto the team’s future in Calgary. Things slowly changed before a preliminary proposal was agreed upon earlier this summer.

Calgary would be expected to start the 2024-25 season in the new arena, but obviously we’re a long way from knowing exactly when the doors will be opened. At the very least, this is a good sign for the health and stability of the franchise.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Calgary Flames

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Calgary Flames.

What are the Flames most thankful for?

Strong long-term cap certainty.  With salaries for top-end players rapidly on the rise, Matthew Tkachuk checks in as their top-paid player at a $7MM AAV.  Their other core players are all locked up through at least 2021-22 so that relatively low top mark is going to be in place for a few years at the very least.  While their current salary cap situation is a bit tenuous, there are undoubtedly teams around the league that would love to have that type of ceiling at the top of their salary structure.

Who are the Flames most thankful for?

Mark Giordano has largely flown under the radar in his career.  And let’s face it, even with the 2019 Norris Trophy under his belt, he’s still under the radar.  While it’s true that he likely won’t be a repeat winner this season, he still does an awful lot for Calgary’s back end.  He leads them in minutes played per game by nearly three a night while often logging the toughest defensive assignments.  His offense has dipped a bit relative to last year but is actually above the pace of the previous two seasons.  And he’s doing this at the age of 36.  Usually, there’s some wear and tear on top defenders by that age but that hasn’t really manifested yet for their captain.

What would the Flames be even more thankful for?

More production from the top line.  While the numbers for Johnny Gaudreau (5-16-21) and Sean Monahan (6-15-21) aren’t terrible, they’re still well below their paces from a year ago.  The drop in output has played a large role in Calgary now sitting 26th in the league in goals scored after sitting in second just a year ago.

To be fair, they shouldn’t be singled out alone for the drop off offensively.  Mikael Backlund has just three goals on the season, Michael Frolik has one, and Milan Lucic is still looking for his first.  Those three veterans combine for a $14.4MM AAV; they’re not getting anything near good bang for their buck.  Even if they don’t all start producing relative to their cap hits, any kind of production would certainly go a long way towards deepening their attack.

What should be on the Flames’ Holiday Wish List?

With some of these inflated contracts on the books, their cap space is limited so finding a taker for someone like Frolik who is on an expiring contract would be extremely helpful.  Assuming they have to take a similar contract back, that player may be able to contribute a bit more offensively which would help their scoring struggles as well.

Beyond that, they’d like to get some certainty with regards to pending UFA defensemen Travis Hamonic and T.J. Brodie.  Hamonic doesn’t appear to be open to an in-season extension but GM Brad Treliving will likely circle back on that one before too long to see if there is a chance at getting a new deal done.  Can they keep him and if not, does their focus shift to Brodie or do they continue to wait?  A lot of what Calgary can do beyond this season is tied to what happens here as they basically have to encumber their cap space until these cases are figured out.  Some early answers allowing ample time to try to either accommodate new deals or find a potential trade partner would be something that Treliving would love to have.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Austin Czarnik Assigned To Conditioning Stint

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The Calgary Flames today assigned Austin Czarnik to the Stockton Heat of the AHL on a conditioning stint, signaling that he is nearing a return from the lower-body injury that has kept him out for the last six weeks.

Czarnik, 26, was an important part of the Flames’ bottom-six last season when he was in the lineup, scoring 18 points in 54 games. With the team putting their entire forward group in a blender the last few days to see if they can turn their season around, his skill and speed would be an important addition.

The Flames have won two games in a row, but after two months of struggles and a scandal cost their head coach his job this season has been a disaster. The team that had the best record in the Western Conference a year ago now sits in sixth place in the Pacific Division with a -13 goal differential.

Czarnik is on the second season of a two-year deal that carries a cap hit of $1.25MM, meaning the second half will be just as important for him as it is the Flames. Originally put on long-term injured reserve in late October with a two-month timeline, he’ll have to get back into game shape in the minor leagues before he can help Calgary.

Coach Behavior To Be Main Topic At NHL Board Of Governors Meetings

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It has been a whirlwind few weeks in the NHL coaching ranks. After the Toronto Maple Leafs fired head coach Mike Babcock back on November 20, several former players used the opportunity to criticize the veteran coach’s tactics and the way he treated some of his players. Former NHLer Akim Aliu used these comments as a jumping off point to make his own accusations of mistreatment against former AHL coach and then-Calgary Flames head coach Bill Peters. Aliu’s recollection of racists epithets from Peters while with AHL Rockford were also echoed by stories of physical abuse from former players of Peters with the Carolina Hurricanes and confirmed by current Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’amour. Peters ended up resigning last week. The latest coach to be exposed is Chicago Blackhawks assistant Marc Crawford, who faces allegations of physical abuse from some of his former players with the Los Angeles Kings. Crawford has left the team temporarily while under investigation.

The behavior of coaches has been brought to the forefront of NHL headlines and is not going to be a conversation that disappears quickly. In fact, the NHL Coaches’ Association – which ironically includes Babcock and Peters as executive members – addressed these ongoing issues with a statement earlier today:

We believe the NHL is a league built on hard work, respect, and teamwork. It is a coach’s job to understand how best to motivate players while respecting them as individuals and valuing them as people. Coaching philosophies differ from coach to coach, and season to season, but there are lines that cannot be crossed and there is certainly no room in the NHL, or anywhere else, for abusive behavior of any kind… The NHLCA is committed to working with the NHL and NHLPA to ensure respectful working environments for everyone.

TSN’s Darren Dreger adds that coach behavior will be the biggest topic of conversation among NHL owners at the upcoming Board of Governors meeting in California next week. He believes that coach behavior has never been scrutinized to this extent and that these meetings could produce a substantive change to how coaches are governed by the NHL. Commissioner Gary Bettman has already met with Aliu, who came away from the meeting with a positive reaction and a feeling that changes are coming. One possible shift, suggested by Dreger’s colleague Bob McKenzie, is enhanced vetting when hiring coaches and deeper background checks, including interviews with former players and assistants. One way or another, these incidences and allegations have made clear that there has been an ongoing issue related to coach behavior in the NHL that has flown under the radar but now must be addressed.

Matt Stajan Announces Retirement

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Though he hasn’t played in an NHL game since the end of the 2017-18 season, Matt Stajan officially announced his retirement today. The 35-year old spent last season playing in the German DEL, but will hang up his skates after a long and productive professional career. The former Toronto Maple Leafs and Calgary Flames forward released a long letter through the NHLPA that thanked both organizations as well as his German team. A snippet:

As a kid growing up in Mississauga, Ontario, it was my dream to one day play in the NHL. To have had this dream come true, and have been able to play the sport that I love so much for so many years, is something I feel extremely fortunate and grateful for. The memories that I have made will truly last a lifetime.

Thank you to the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Calgary Flames organizations for giving me the opportunity to play and compete in the best league in the world. I wore both jerseys with great pride, and I will be forever grateful for the experiences that came along with that. Also, thank you EHC Red Bull Munich  it was a great experience to play overseas for such a great organization.

Stajan played 1,003 regular season games in the NHL, but incredibly only made it to the playoffs three times. Not only was he a consistent two-way center for years, but Stajan was extremely well-respected by his teammates and served as an NHLPA player rep for a good chunk of his career. Mark Giordano, Luke Schenn and Matthew Tkachuk all lent their voice to his retirement announcement, each using the phrase “best teammate” in reference to Stajan.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Backstrom, Wilson

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The NHL has released their Three Stars for last week, and a familiar name is at the very top. Nathan MacKinnon finds himself awarded top honors once again after nine points in three games. The Colorado Avalanche center has been carrying the offensive weight without his usual running mates Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog as they deal with injury, but shows no sign of slowing down.

Second and third place go to a pair of goaltenders who have battled hard to stay in their respective roles. David Rittich stopped 95 of 101 shots last week to help the Calgary Flames potentially save their season, while Martin Jones is a huge reason why the San Jose Sharks are back in the playoff race at all. Both netminders have had their share of adversity over the years, but are playing inspired hockey at the moment.

  • It was reported recently that Nicklas Backstrom is representing himself in negotiations with the Washington Capitals, and he confirmed as much today to reporters including Samantha Pell of the Washington Post. Pell reports that Backstrom actually wanted to get an extension done with the team before the season began, but feels he “can be honest” with the organization after so many years together. The 32-year old center is in the final season of a ten-year contract he signed with the Capitals in 2010 and carries a $6.7MM cap hit.
  • Speaking of Colorado injuries, Colin Wilson will undergo surgery on a lower-body injury and is out for a while, according to Ryan S. Clark of The Athletic. Wilson has only played nine games this season and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. It’s not clear exactly how long he will be out.

Toronto Marlies Hire Greg Moore As Head Coach

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Since the promotion of former head coach Sheldon Keefe to the same position with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies have been searching for his replacement. The team has decided to go outside of the organization to tab their next bench boss, a rare move in-season, and have announced that Greg Moore has been named head coach. Moore was hired away from the USHL’s Chicago Steel midway through his second season with the team.

Moore, 35, is very familiar with developmental hockey. A young head coach, Moore was himself an NHL prospect not long ago. The Maine native played for the U.S. National Team Development Program in the early 2000’s and then played his college hockey at home at the University of Maine. He was drafted by the Calgary Flames after his freshman year, but his rights were traded to the New York Rangers before he turned pro. Moore made his NHL debut with the Rangers in 2007-08 overall made ten NHL appearances with the Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets over five pro season in North America. He also played a leadership role with nearly every AHL club he played for. Moore moved to Germany in 2011 and extended his playing career another four years before calling it quits in 2015. He immediately jumped into the coaching ranks, becoming an intern assistant coach with the USNTDP. After two seasons as an intern, he became full-time in 2017-18 only to be named head coach for USHL rival Chicago a year later.

Moore is well-regarded among young NHL coaching prospects. His Steel team went all the way to the Clark Cup in his first season and recorded a 52-25-5 record overall in 82 games with Moore behind the bench. His name had already been in the mix for possible NCAA openings this off-season, but he gets an even better deal with an AHL promotion mid-season. The Leafs organization has seemingly had an eye on Moore for some time, as they invited him to be a guest coach at development camp this summer and worked quickly to hire him just ten days after the firing of Mike Babcock and promotion of Keefe. Moore will be in the spotlight with the Marlies, but has a bright future ahead of him following this major career move.

Five Key Stories: 11/25/19 – 12/01/19

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With the quarter pole of the season in the rear view mirror, teams have had plenty of time to evaluate their rosters and early performances and changes are starting to be made. That has been the overarching story of the week, as some clubs made moves – both long- and short-term – while others are preparing to do so.

Flames Fire Bill Peters: Well, not technically. Calgary accepted the resignation of their head coach, who was mired in scandal following an investigation into allegations of racist comments made while serving as an AHL head coach in the Chicago Blackhawks organization and further accusations of physical abuse while head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes. The league will continue its investigation, but Peters days as an NHL coach are likely over regardless. While the veteran coach offered an apology for the incident in Rockford, the victim of the attack, Akim Aliu, called it “misleading, insincere and concerning”, which was likely the nail in his coffin. Geoff Ward takes over as interim head coach for the Flames, an under-performing team that had enough concerns of their own without dealing with off-ice controversy.

Bruins Extend Coyle And Wagner: The league-leading Boston Bruins signed a pair of local products to contract extensions, inking 2019 trade acquisition Charlie Coyle to a six-year, $31.5MM deal and 2018 free agent addition Chris Wagner to a three-year, $4.05MM deal. The 27-year-old Coyle, who won over the home crowd with a dominant playoff run last year, is now in place to likely succeed David Krejci and/or Patrice Bergeron as a top-six center for the Bruins, unless the versatile forward shifts to the right wing long-term instead. Meanwhile, the Bruins have always shown a willingness to invest in their fourth line and clearly feel Wagner can continue to be an effective checker and penalty killer for years to come. The team can now solely turn their attention to re-signing Torey Krug with these deals complete.

New Jersey Willing To Move Hall: The 2019-20 season has not gone as planned for the New Jersey Devils, who added considerable talent this off-season but have yet to see the on-ice impact. As a result, 2018 Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall, the top impending free agent in this summer’s class, has become the most talked-about name on the trade market. The team is officially listening to offers, with most pundits expecting that he will be traded and perhaps sooner rather than later. Hall has had the misfortune of never playing for a true contender thus far in his career, but could wind up participating in a playoff run this year as a highly sought-after rental target. His former team, the Edmonton Oilers, are considered a possible landing spot, as are the Colorado Avalanche, Montreal Canadiens, and defending champion St. Louis Blues. More teams are sure to be in the running as the Hall sweepstakes heat up.

Dumoulin Out Eight Weeks: The Pittsburgh Penguins suffered yet another injury blow on Saturday as defenseman Brian Dumoulin sustained an ankle injury that required surgery and will leave him sidelined for eight weeks. The Penguins lead the NHL in man-games lost this year and the loss of Dumoulin is a major blow. The underrated defenseman is one of the premier shutdown defenders in the league and allows for pair mate Kris Letang to truly play his game. With Justin Schultz already out, not to mention Sidney Crosby and Nick Bjugstad, and Erik Gudbranson recently traded, Pittsburgh will be shorthanded on the blue line for a while.

Also in the Metropolitan Division, the Columbus Blue Jackets lost dynamic defenseman Zach Werenski to an upper-body injury that will keep him out of action for at least four weeks.

Puljujarvi, Honka Not Playing This Season: The December 1 5:00PM ET deadline came and went and restricted free agents Jesse Puljujarvi of the Edmonton Oilers and Julius Honka of the Dallas Stars had not been signed. As a result, neither young Finn can play in the NHL this year. Both the Oilers and Stars have been trying to find a trade partner for their disgruntled young players, but to no avail. Neither team was willing to give their RFA away, even if that meant potentially not being able to trade them until the off-season. Both Puljujarvi and Honka have yet to live up to expectations in the NHL, but are playing well in Finland this season. This is likely not the last we’ve seen of either player in North America.

Minor Transactions: 12/1/19

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When thinking of the Minnesota Wild and their history, several players may come to mind, but perhaps one of the most significant is Mikko Koivu, who has played his entire career in Minnesota and will be playing in his 1,000th game as a member of the Wild. The 36-year-old has struggled over the last couple of years with injuries and a decline in play (although he remains a solid defensive center), but he hits a major milestone Sunday when the Dallas Stars come to town.

  • The Washington Capitals announced they have re-assigned forward Beck Malenstyn and defenseman Christian Djoos to the Hershey Bears of the AHL. The move is likely a precursor to the team getting back some of their veteran players in the coming days. The team is expected to activate Carl Hagelin off of LTIR prior to Tuesday’s game against San Jose, while center Nicklas Backstrom is also near a return.
  • The Boston Bruins announced the team has assigned defenseman John Moore to the Providence Bruins on a LTIR conditioning loan. Moore has been out all season after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery and now is close to returning. The team also announced that they have assigned forward Jack Studnicka to Providence as well. Studnicka made his NHL debut on Tuesday, picking up his first NHL point. The 20-year-old has nine goals and 18 points in 21 AHL games as well.
  • The Detroit Red Wings announced they have recalled defenseman Jonathan Ericsson from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL and returned goaltender Calvin Pickard there. Ericsson was assigned to Grand Rapids on Saturday, likely a paper transaction, while Pickard can now be returned after the Red Wings acquiregoaltender Eric Comrie in a trade.
  • The St. Louis Blues have assigned defenseman Derrick Pouliot to the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL. The 25-year-old has dominated for the Rampage this year, scoring 18 points in 20 games and appeared in back-to-back games with the Blues this weekend. With Robert Bortuzzo back from his four-game suspension, Pouliot wasn’t needed anymore.
  • With Travis Hamonic nearing a return, the Calgary Flames have returned Alexander Yelesin to the minor leagues. Yelesin has yet to get into an NHL game with the Flames, but has two points in 15 games with the Stockton Heat in his first year of North American professional hockey.

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