Snapshots: Hurricanes, Senators, Fletcher
Carolina Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos has been considering selling the majority of his share of the team for some time, and today John Shannon of Sportsnet confirmed with team President Don Waddell that they are currently in talks with billionaire Thomas Dundon. Chuck Greenberg had previously been linked as a potential buyer, but now it appears Dundon is the prime candidate.
Shannon confirmed that the deal would be for a controlling interest of the Hurricanes but that relocation would not be part of it. While that obviously doesn’t guarantee a long-term future for Carolina, it at least should calm Hurricanes fans for the time being. Dundon is from Texas, though not from the Houston area that has become the hot city in relocation and expansion speculation around the league.
- Another team that has been surrounded by rumors of a potential sale is the Ottawa Senators, and though he can’t definitively deny it won’t eventually happen, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports owner Eugene Melnyk will be not selling anytime soon. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman recently said that a downtown arena is “vitally important” to the Senators’ long-term future in Ottawa, something Melnyk has been trying to convince the city of for years. Currently in discussions over the Lebreton Flats area near downtown Ottawa, a new building would certainly be a step in the right direction for the franchise.
- This morning, The Athletic published a piece by former NHL executive Frank Provenzano about general managers working in the final year of the contract and the dangers that can pose for a franchise. Now, after quite a bit of digging, Michael Russo reports that Chuck Fletcher of the Minnesota Wild is doing just that. Fletcher was quite active at last year’s deadline to try and push the Wild over the edge in the playoffs, only to see his team bow out in the second round once again. Now, stuck near the bottom of the standings in the Western Conference a “lame duck” GM could be pushed do to something drastic. There’s no reason to believe Fletcher would make such a move, but be sure to keep an eye on the Minnesota situation if their struggles continue.
Evening Notes: Skinner, Debrusk, Ducks, Chiarot
One of the hardest things the Carolina Hurricanes have had to deal with is finding the perfect lines, especially for winger Jeff Skinner who has played with quite a few players so far this year. Yet Friday night’s loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs may have suggested that Skinner might have finally found a perfect line as he had one of his best games alongside Derek Ryan and Justin Williams, according to The News & Observer’s Chip Alexander.
Skinner has found himself with almost everyone at different points in the season. The former seventh-overall pick in 2010 had 37 goals last year, but while he has tallied nine goals this year, has had a harder time adjusting. He has found himself playing next to Ryan, Victor Rask, Elias Lindholm, Brock McGinn, Josh Jooris, Phillip Di Giuseppe and Janne Kuokkanen.
With the combination of Ryan, Skinner and Williams on Friday, the line combined for 13 shots and two assists. “It’s a long season and things are going to change,” Skinner said. “You’ve got to be able to adapt and communicate with your linemates and try and find that success and get on a roll.”
- Joe Haggerty of NBC Sports writes that Boston Bruins’ rookie Jake Debrusk has started to look more comfortable out on the ice after head coach Bruce Cassidy made him a healthy scratch a week ago. In four games since, the 21-year-old winger has two goals and five points and was instrumental with a pair of assists in their 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday. “It goes back to the mentality of playing fast,” said Debrusk. “I think that was one of the focuses. And ever since I got scratched, I think that I’ve had some jump in all the games or at moments.”
- Mike Coppinger of The Los Angeles Times writes that the Anaheim Ducks’ biggest problem is the team’s lack of speed. Obviously, the injuries to Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler doesn’t help, but the team is getting outskated. “We have fast players, too,” coach Randy Carlyle said. “I just don’t think we’re playing fast enough for 60 minutes.” The Ducks currently sit in sixth place in the Pacific Division with a 10-9-3 record.
- Scott Billeck of NBC Sports writes that after the NHL’s Department of Player Safety handed down a $3,763.44 fine to Winnipeg Jets’ Ben Chiarot for butt-ending Anaheim’s Corey Perry, Winnipeg fans came to his defense. They have started a GoFundMe to raise the amount of money that Chiarot has been fined with the intention of donating the money to the Christmas Cheer Board, a charity that donates food and toys to children that are less fortunate during the holidays. The fundraiser has already reached half its goal as of earlier today, according to Billeck. Perry has been infamous for pestering Jets’ players for years.
Poll: Who Is The (Second) Best Team In The East?
The 2017-18 NHL season has not gone to plan. Ask any prognosticator from the preseason where their projected standings compare to those today and you’ll get grim looks and uninterested shrugs. The Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild and Montreal Canadiens are all far underachieving, while Vegas, Detroit, Winnipeg, Los Angeles and New Jersey are all showing that they shouldn’t be counted out so soon.
Tampa Bay of course, leads the entire league with 32 points and a whopping +28 goal differential through 20 games. Their dominance this year has led to just three regulation losses, and two early favorites for the Hart Trophy (three, if you think Andrei Vasilevskiy has a shot). Right now most would call them the class of the Eastern Conference, and who would disagree? With the best line in hockey, a stud defenseman entering his prime and an up-and-coming Vezina candidate they’re poised to compete for the Stanley Cup for at least the next few years.
But who does that leave in the second slot? Several teams have claims to stake on the silver podium, but each have their warts. Toronto had a struggling goaltender through the first month of the season, while Columbus can’t get their powerplay working properly. The Penguins have been blown out several times while the Devils have won just three of their last nine games.
Vote below on who you think is the second best team in the east, and make sure to leave a comment if you disagree with the original premise of Tampa Bay as the class of the conference. We’ve included all of the teams within 10 points of the Lightning.
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What Your Team Is Thankful For: Carolina Hurricanes
As the holiday season approaches, PHR will look at what teams are thankful for as the season nears the quarter point of completion. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We take a look at what’s gone well in the first month and what could improve as the season rolls on.
What are the Carolina Hurricanes most thankful for?
Chicago cap issues.
In 2016, the Hurricanes happily took Bryan Bickell‘s $4MM cap hit off the books of the Chicago Blackhawks after the latter were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round. Chicago had once again added at the deadline, but were unable to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions. Now, with Toews and Kane signed to identical eight-year, $84MM contracts the team had to shed money once again from somewhere on the roster.
Bickell was the easy target as the next cap victim, despite his playoff heroism a few years earlier. In order to get Carolina to bite though, the Blackhawks had to include Teuvo Teravainen in the deal. Teravainen, the 18th-overall pick in 2012 was coming off his first full season in the NHL and a solid-if-unspectacular 35 points. The young forward was heading into the last year of his entry-level deal and would eventually need a raise of his own.
After one season in Carolina, Teravainen has turned into a key member of their offense and a point-per-game player through the early going. With 19 points this season he leads a young and upward-trending hockey club, doing their best to compete in the Metropolitan. He looks certain to set career-highs in nearly every offensive category, and will be an important piece going forward for the Hurricanes.
Who are the Hurricanes most thankful for?
Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce.
The Hurricanes aren’t Stanley Cup contenders just yet. There’s no telling how soon it could happen, but it almost certainly will if their current trajectory continues. So much of that success will be based around their incredibly deep defense corps, and how well Slavin and Pesce have progressed.
Selected in the third and fourth rounds, the two young defenders have become legitimate top pairing options for the Hurricanes at the tender age of 23. The fact that Carolina can play them for more than a third of the game (23:53 and 21:38 respectively) could make them players at the deadline. With a pipeline of young defenders in Noah Hanifin, Haydn Fleury, Jake Bean, and Roland McKeown, and a pair of not-so-old veterans in Justin Faulk (25) and Trevor van Riemsdyk (26) the team could be the biggest supplier of defense at the trade deadline should they so choose.
That choice is made a lot easier when you have a pair of horses already on the roster at such a young age. Slavin and Pesce are anything but household names, but they darn well should be.
What would the Hurricanes be even more thankful for?
Above-average goaltending.
Scott Darling was brought in this summer to be the answer in net for the Hurricanes, and immediately given a four-year contract. He was coming off an incredible season as the backup to Corey Crawford, and carried a .923 save percentage in three years with Chicago. That number has dropped significantly this season, and Darling has struggled to provide Carolina with anything but the same uninspiring goaltending they’ve had the last several seasons.
It’s not exactly that Darling has played badly, just that he hasn’t been able to take the team to the next level. Cam Ward has played quite well in a backup role, but is well past his starting prime in the NHL. If Darling could get a bit closer to the level he showed in Chicago, the Hurricanes would be a dangerous playoff team. Otherwise, it’ll be much of the same middle-ground for the club.
What should be on the Hurricanes’ Holiday Wish List?
An offensive, powerplay-minded forward.
The Hurricanes have a glut of young talent, but lack some punch offensively and on the powerplay. Their man-advantage numbers rank 27th in the league, and a dynamic forward could do a lot to help that. While a center would likely fit better into their current roster they could also make room for a winger if that’s all that was available.
Victor Rask has been a real disappointment this season offensively, and though he could obviously help by getting back to his former self the team could do well with a real star up front. Evander Kane, James van Riemsdyk and James Neal would all be interesting rentals for the Hurricanes, if they decide to sacrifice some future assets for a shot at the postseason this year. While they all seem like long-shots at this point, a few more months of hanging around in the Metro could inspire GM Ron Francis to do something splashy.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Hurricanes Make A Trio Of Roster Moves
The Hurricanes announced three separate roster moves today, including the recall of winger Lee Stempniak from his conditioning stint with Charlotte of the AHL. However, the move isn’t a sign that he’s ready to return to their lineup as he was injured in the first period on Friday night and as a result, he could be headed back to injured reserve.
The 34-year-old has yet to play this season as he had been dealing with a hip injury. Once healthy, he should be a nice boost to Carolina’s lineup after recording 40 points in his first season with them last year but his return to the lineup has been held up now.
Also coming up from the Checkers is winger Phillip Di Giuseppe. He sits fourth on the team in points with four goals and eight assists in 14 games. While this will be his first stint with Carolina this season, he has played in at least 36 NHL contests in each of the last two seasons.
He will take the place of winger Patrick Brown on the roster as the team re-assigned Brown back to Charlotte. Despite being recalled back on October 31st, he didn’t get into a game with the Hurricanes and was scratched five times. He had recorded four points and 25 penalty minutes in nine minor league contests prior to being summoned.
July 1, 2017: An Early Retrospect
Brian Burke isn’t one to mince words. The long-time NHL general manager who now serves as president of the Calgary Flames has uttered innumerable one-liners and catchphrases over the years, many of which are meant to entertain but none that are anything but truthful. One of his most common, was that front offices “make more mistakes on July 1 than any other day of the year.” He obviously wasn’t a fan of the free agent frenzy that happens each year as franchises rush to improve their teams.
In 2016, just a few weeks after Pro Hockey Rumors was launched, we saw an incredible number of long-term deals handed out to players that were either already in, or just past their prime. Milan Lucic, David Backes, Loui Eriksson, Kyle Okposo, Andrew Ladd, and on and on all secured huge paydays last year. Each of them have dealt with levels of inconsistency even in their first season, and still have several years of high cap hits left on their deals.
This summer though was different. The free agent cupboard was almost completely bare, save for a few aging legends and controversial defensemen. On July 1st, we saw just four free agents sign contracts that would pay them at least $4.5MM annually, and only one of them was for five years or more. Let’s take a look at those four, and see what the early results can tell us.
Martin Hanzal (DAL) – Three years, $4.75MM AAV
Season stats: 11 games, 1 goal, 0 assists, 1 point, -9 rating, 19 shots, 14:53 ATOI
Hanzal has been a terrible disappointment in Dallas so far, scoring just a single point while carrying some of these worst possession stats in the league. He’s currently out with a lower-body injury, but the Stars will need an immediate improvement upon his return to start recouping the money they handed out.
Dallas spent heavily in free agency this summer, signing Hanzal and Alexander Radulov while inking Ben Bishop before he hit the open market. You’re bound to miss on some of the shots you take, but at 7-6 it isn’t quite the immediate turnaround they were hoping for. Hanzal’s contract isn’t back-breaking, but it’s certainly not helping the situation.
Justin Williams (CAR) – Two years, $4.5MM AAV
Season stats: 11 games, 1 goal, 8 assists, 9 points, -3 rating, 25 shots, 17:25 ATOI
For being 36 with over 1,200 NHL games on his body, Williams looks as fresh as ever. Returning to the place where he won his first (of three) Stanley Cup, Williams has added a different dimension to the Hurricanes. Though Carolina is still off to a shaky start, Williams is tied with Jeff Skinner as their leading scorer and has been as dominant as ever five-on-five.
While it’s unlikely he’ll carry this 67-point pace through the entire season, he’s an incredibly responsible defender and has always been an opportune goal scorer. The Hurricanes are off to a shaky start, but it’s not because of the Williams addition. His contract is so reasonable that it will invariably draw trade speculation if the Hurricanes aren’t in playoff contention at the deadline. It came with trade protection in the form of a 15-team no-trade list.
Kevin Shattenkirk (NYR) – Four years, $6.65MM AAV
Season stats: 14 games, 2 goals, 9 assists, 11 points, -4 rating, 27 shots, 21:33 ATOI
The prize of free agency was Shattenkirk, even with a poor showing in the playoffs for the Washington Capitals. No, he’s not an outstanding defender in his own end and he won’t lead the league in hits anytime soon. What he is though is an elite powerplay quarterback that can log big minutes and provide a positive impact in the possession game.
Shattenkirk has come just as advertised, scoring more in New York than anyone not named Mika Zibanejad or J.T. Miller. His offensive game is among the best in the league, but the Rangers are struggling to keep their head above water at 5-7-2. The 29-year old defenseman could have signed a longer deal somewhere else, but wanted to help New York get over the hump. If it starts to look bad in a few years, remember that it’s so front loaded that he’ll earn just $4MM in the final year of the deal (half of which is owed as a signing bonus).
Karl Alzner (MTL) – Five Years, $4.625MM AAV
Season stats: 13 games, 0 goals, 4 assists, 4 points, -6 rating, 12 shots, 20:28 ATOI
It’s not pretty in Montreal right now with the Canadiens off to a 4-8-1 start. There are many factors that have gone into that record, but Alzner is certainly one of them. For the UFA who signed the longest deal (along with Alexander Radulov) Alzner is sure making a pretty lukewarm first impression.
Alzner’s not without redeeming qualities. He logs a ton of ice time for the Canadiens against some top competition, and is a primary penalty killer. The problem, is that Montreal’s PK is among the worst in the league and they’ve been routinely out shot when he’s on the ice at even strength. He only recently turned 29, but Montreal won’t be able to rely on him for 20+ minutes for the entire length of the contract.
Brett Pesce Placed In Concussion Protocol
- Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce is out indefinitely after being placed in concussion protocol, the team announced. He had to leave practice early on Tuesday after a shot rode up his stick and caught him in the head. The team has already ruled him out of the lineup for their next two games in Colorado and Arizona. Klas Dahlbeck is expected to take his place in the lineup.
Roland McKeown Recalled By Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled Roland McKeown from the AHL due to the concussion suffered by Brett Pesce in practice yesterday. Pesce was hit in the head by a puck, and is not travelling with the team on the current road trip to Colorado and Arizona. It seems unlikely that McKeown will get into the lineup, but if he does it would mark his NHL debut.
McKeown, 21, has turned into another top defensive prospect for the Hurricanes after a trade from the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings sent him along with a first-round pick (which turned into Julien Gauthier) for Andrej Sekera in 2015. Already stocked with talent on the NHL roster, McKeown is part of the next wave that will soon include Jake Bean and Luke Martin as well. In nine games for the Charlotte Checkers this year, McKeown has three points and is close to being ready to make the jump to the next level. Never an elite offensive talent, his two-way game will nevertheless fit in nicely in Carolina where mobility is king. His skating ability charts above most of his peers even at the professional level.
The young defenseman is another reason why so often Carolina is involved in trade speculation. As they’ve shown with Haydn Fleury‘s easy transition this year, the Hurricanes system is stocked full of NHL-caliber defense prospects. Though Pesce is obviously a loss, it’s not like there aren’t several others waiting to step up and take on some of his minutes.
Carolina Hurricanes Recall Patrick Brown
Patrick Brown has been recalled by the Carolina Hurricanes, robbing the Charlotte Checkers of their captain for the time being. Brown, just 25, was named captain last season during his third year with the AHL squad. Known for his leadership and work ethic more than anything else, Brown also wore the captain’s “C” at Boston College before signing with the Hurricanes as an undrafted free agent. That BC team had a ton of talented players including Johnny Gaudreau, Kevin Hayes and Michael Matheson (none of whom were freshmen), but it was Brown who was given the leadership role.
There is no doubt that Brown is a student of the game, and it started a long time ago when his father, Doug Brown, was playing in the NHL. The elder Brown spent 15 years in the league, playing mostly for Detroit and New Jersey and winning two Stanley Cups with the Red Wings. A veteran of 854 career regular season games, Doug Brown would send his son off to follow his footsteps at BC and then to the NHL. Patrick’s uncle Greg Brown also attended the school, captaining the Eagles himself before a short-lived NHL career. Greg is back there now as an associate coach, who also works with the USA Hockey World Junior program.
It’s not the younger Brown’s first time in the NHL, as he’s played 28 games there over the past few years. It is interesting however that he would be called up after Janne Kuokkanen was sent down recently. Apparently the Hurricanes have decided that Kuokkanen’s development is more important, and that Brown can act as a insurance policy while they head out on the road to face Colorado and Arizona. It’s a nice bonus for him, as he’ll get to cash NHL-level checks for the time being. Brown re-signed with the Hurricanes this summer for one-year on a two-way deal that earns the minimum of $650K at the NHL level.
Janne Kuokkanen Sent To Charlotte Checkers
As we noted in our previous looks at rookies whose contracts were eligible to slide this year, the Carolina Hurricanes have the opportunity to send 19-year old Janne Kuokkanen to the AHL instead of returning him to the London Knights. Kuokkanen played last season for the Knights, but was actually drafted out of the Finnish Liiga and thus was eligible for AHL play. That’s exactly what they’ve done according to Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer, putting a halt on his game counter for this year.
Kuokkanen has played just four games for the Hurricanes this season, fewer than the 10 needed for the first year of his entry-level contract to kick in. Minor league games do not count towards this threshold. Though he’s shown an ability to perform at the NHL level, Kuokkanen was given limited opportunities in the Hurricanes’ lineup, often sitting in the press box while Josh Jooris entered the lineup.
While this ends this short chapter of his NHL career, it by no means guarantees Kuokkanen will be in the AHL long. An injury, or some inconsistent play from one of the veterans could easily lead to another callup. For now though, the teenager will have to find his way along the AHL landscape.