Central Division Snapshots: Trouba, Mitchell, Hudler, Dowling
To this point, the only outcomes discussed in the Winnipeg/Jacob Trouba stalemate have involved either the player caving in and signing a new contract to remain with the Jets or a trade sending the RFA defenseman elsewhere. But as Rory Bolyen of Sportsnet writes, there is a possibility Trouba re-signs with the team as a way to help facilitate a trade down the road.
Bolyen references comments made by Nick Kypreos and Elliotte Friedman made yesterday on the Saturday’s Headlines segment. Kypreos states the a signed Trouba may have more value on the trade market than he does currently.
“Kurt Overhardt (Trouba’s agent) met with Kevin Cheveldayoff in Detroit. The feeling is it’s still pretty quiet on that front, but Winnipeg would love to sign this guy. And sign him to that same contract we’ve seen other defensemen get. The perception out there right now is that there is a deal, like a Morgan Rielly deal, for $5 million, six years.
“And that would still come with the thought that it could be tradable if in fact he signs this and starts playing again, that they could be in a position where teams would love the known certainty of Jacob Trouba for the next six years and it would be tradable if that’s the direction they wanted to go.”
Friedman added that Overhardt went through a similar situation with another client, Kyle Turris.
“Just so you know, Kyle Turris when he went through the situation, he signed on November 22, he was traded on December 17,”
Sitting out the season likely would do little to enhance Trouba’s value so getting back on the ice should be a priority. Obviously he would sacrifice the only leverage he possesses as Winnipeg could simply choose to hang onto the young blue liner instead of moving him. But perhaps it would be best for both sides if Trouba signs a new deal and gets back to playing while the Jets continue to pursue a trade to their liking.
Elsewhere in the Central Division:
- The Colorado Avalanche placed John Mitchell on waivers Friday and the veteran pivot, who is in his ninth NHL season, cleared Saturday. Mitchell, who has been held scoreless in five appearances this season, is in his fifth season with Colorado. He has reached double-figures in goals and tallied at least 20 points in each of his first four campaigns with the Avalanche. With only a projected $1.7MM in available cap space, the move was made in order to provide additional cap flexibility for GM Joe Sakic, as Mike Chambers of The Denver Post writes. The club can now send Mitchell down to their AHL affiliate in San Antonio at any point over the next 30 days to open up a spot on the roster for a younger player and/or to clear an additional $950K in salary cap space. Mitchell is in the last season of a three-year deal worth $5.4MM. He is making $1.9MM in actual salary.
- According to Mark Stepneski, who covers the Stars for the team’s official website, Dallas has placed Jiri Hudler on injured reserve due to an undisclosed illness and recalled forward Justin Dowling from Texas of the AHL. Hudler was signed this summer to provide secondary scoring but the 12-year veteran has played in just four games and has so far failed to record a point. Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News adds that since Dowling played both Friday and Saturday in California for the Texas Stars, head coach Lindy Ruff may elect to dress seven defensemen for tonight’s game. According to Ruff (via Heika), the team has no idea what specifically has afflicted Hudler as tests have revealed nothing.
Teenage Superstars On A Historic Pace
The NHL has always been good to its young stars, allowing the top-tier talents to succeed at the earliest of ages. Teenage superstars are not something new, we’ve seen them with every generation. Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Eric Lindros, Mario Lemieux, Wayne Gretzky. All have had huge seasons before they were able to drink (in the US at least).
This year, there is a new crop trying to put their name in the history books. Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine, Zach Werenski, Travis Konecny are all off to blistering starts and look like all-stars already in the league.
There have only ever been 22 seasons in which a teenage player scored at a point-per-game pace (minimum 40 games), but that is what each of these players is close to. Obviously, to keep it up for an entire year is incredibly difficult but it isn’t so long since we’ve seen it happen.
McDavid fought through injury last season to put up 48 points in 45 games, though the second ranked teenage Jack Eichel only had 0.69 PPG. Both teenagers are leaders of their teams already, and expected to lead their franchises to the promised land.
We saw Crosby do it twice, in both 2005-06 and 2006-07. He recorded seasons of 102 and 120 points, actually setting the high mark for his career so far. He was alone though in the teenage group, as Alex Ovechkin lost out on his age-19 season due to a lockout (he’d go on to score 106 points as a 20-year old).
Perhaps the best example of a group this talented, this young, is way back in the early 80’s, when we saw the debuts of Larry Murphy, Denis Savard, Ron Francis, Dale Hawerchuk, Phil Housley and Steve Yzerman, among others. It was an unprecedented youth movement, that defined the game as we know it. While obviously this isn’t quite the same as those all-time greats (especially when speaking after just 10 games), this group should at least compete to have their names put in the all-time teenager lists.
Snapshots: Desjardins, Fisher, Gilbert, Chychrun
Darren Dreger’s been making the radio rounds of late and today, while appearing on Ottawa’s TSN 1200, among many notes the NHL insider discussed was the suggestion that Vancouver bench boss Willie Desjardins could soon find himself on the hot seat if the Canucks can’t right the ship in short order. Dreger was clear that he didn’t believe that was the case as of this moment but the organization believes it has a roster capable of making the playoffs and if the team falls further out of the race, they could decide to make a change behind the bench.
“I’m not suggesting he’s on the hot seat today as we have this conversation. But Jim Benning, the general manager, had a much higher view of where he thought this team was coming out of training camp. He told many that he believed that the Vancouver Canucks are a playoff team and would definitely contend for a playoff spot. And they’re not playing that way right now.”
The Canucks got off to a surprisingly strong start winning their first four games but have since lost five straight to even their record at 4 – 4 – 1. Offense. or rather a lack of, is the biggest issue in Vancouver as the team is last in the league in goal scoring, averaging just 1.78 per contest. Their power play is also among the worst in the NHL converting just 10.7% of their opportunities, which ranks 26th overall.
The team invested heavily in skilled Swedish winger Loui Eriksson, to the tune of a six-year, $36MM contract this offseason but the former Bruin has failed to find the back of the net in nine games with Vancouver. Bo Horvat leads the club in goals with four but only five players have tallied more than once this season. At the other end of the scoring spectrum, the New York Rangers lead the league averaging four goals per contest with 10 players who have at least two markers on the campaign.
Chris Nichols of Today’s Slapshot relays a quote from Pierre LeBrun indicating the Canucks would like to pull the trigger on a deal for a proven 20-goal scorer, assuming they can find a trade partner. They’ve been rumored to be in that market since the summer but aside from inking Eriksson the Canucks have done little in the way of adding impact offensive talent.
Desjardins is in his third season as coach of the Canucks and owns a career mark of 83 – 71 -19. He guided the team to a 101-point season and a second place finish in the Pacific Division in 2014-15, his first as bench boss. Last season, Vancouver dropped 26 points in the standings and placed sixth in their division. Prior to being hired in Vancouver, Desjardins served as head coach of the Dallas Stars AHL affiliate and guided them to the Calder Cup championship in 2014.
Elsewhere around the league:
- Mike Fisher, who was injured in Tuesday’s 5 – 1 win over Colorado, is being listed as day-to-day with an upper-body-injury, tweets Adam Vingan of The Tennessean. Fisher, who replaced Shea Weber as Nashville’s captain, is tied for second on the club in scoring with five points in eight games. Now in his 17th season in the NHL, Fisher has scored 261 goals with 287 assists in 1,024 contests.
- According to the NHL Department of Player Safety (Twitter link) Los Angeles Kings defenseman Tom Gilbert will face a hearing for his hit on Nick Ritchie of the Anaheim Ducks Tuesday night. No penalty was assessed on the play but the league indicated the hearing is for boarding/charging. Eric Stephens of The Orange County Register provides an update on Ritchie and says the big winger won’t be in Anaheim’s lineup tonight as the Ducks host Pittsburgh. Gilbert has appeared in eight of L.A.’s 10 games this season and has recorded three points. Ritchie, meanwhile, has scored two goals and three points in 10 contests with Anaheim.
- The Arizona Coyotes have elected to keep rookie defenseman Jakob Chychrun on the roster instead of returning the 18-year-old blue liner to his junior team, according to Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports. As a result, Chychrun will burn the first season of his three-year entry-level contract. The Coyotes made a trade with Detroit during the 2016 entry draft to move up four spots to select Chychrun and so far has rewarded management’s faith. Chychurn has averaged 17:15 of ice time and has three points in eight games so far.
Ales Hemsky To Miss 5-6 Months
The Dallas Stars will be without Ales Hemsky until at least March, after the skilled right winger underwent surgery to repair a labral tear in his hip this morning.
Stars GM Jim Nill released a statement saying the injury was sustained at the World Cup, where Hemsky represented for the Czech Republic.
The Stars will be without Hemsky and Mattias Janmark for essentially the whole season, with the two wingers combining for one game played this season. Winger Valeri Nichushkin signed for two seasons in the KHL back in September, meaning the Stars are missing three top-nine wingers who were on their roster in August.
The Stars just got Jason Spezza and Jiri Hudler back from injury, but Patrick Sharp and Cody Eakin remain out with a concussion and knee injury respectively.
Hemsky has 565 points in 824 career NHL games, with the Oilers, Senators, and Stars.
Western Conference Snapshots: Eriksson, Baertschi, Stars
After a solid 4 – 0 start to the campaign, the Canucks fortunes have fallen off as they’ve dropped four straight, including back-to-back shutout losses in their last two starts. While not expected to be an offensive juggernaut, Vancouver’s offense has been worse than advertised averaging a measly 1.75 goals per game. In fact, they are the only team in the NHL that tallies fewer than two per contest. The struggles of prized free agent addition Loui Eriksson and skilled youngster Sven Baertschi have played a big role in Vancouver’s offensive ineptitude. But as Steve Ewen of The Province writes, despite not tallying a single goal between them this season, head coach Willie Desjardins still believes in Eriksson and Baertschi.
Eriksson, who inked a six-year pact with Vancouver worth $36MM this summer, adds much more than simply offense to the team, says Desjardins.
“Loui’s been good. He hasn’t scored, but he’s been good. He gives so many things in so many areas. We’d like to see scoring. But I’m not worried. It will come. He gives us a lot.”
Still, $6MM annually is a lot of money for a player who isn’t contributing much offense. Vancouver will need to him to start putting the puck in the net soon to realize a positive return on their investment.
Baertchi, a former first-round pick, seemed to finally put it together in 2015-16, recording 15 goals and 28 points in 69 contests. The Swiss winger has always had talent but prior to last season had tallied just 8 times prior to joining the Canucks as a result of a 2015 trade with Calgary. But through eight games this season he has just a single point and carries a plus-minus rating of -2.
Desjardins has noted the hard work from Baertschi and envisions good things happening for the 24-year-old winger if he maintains this effort.
“Early, he was methodical. Now, he’s crossed a spot where he’s had enough and he’s pushing harder and things are happening for him.”
Vancouver likely isn’t a playoff-caliber team unless a few things bounce their way. However, they’ll have virtually no chance of staying in the race unless they can start putting the puck in the net. Simply put, Eriksson and Baertschi will need to be much better for Vancouver.
Elsewhere in the Western Conference:
- From the same piece, Ewen also notes that the Canucks have lost forward Jayson Megna to an upper-body-injury and the forward is expected to miss at least 10 days. Megna was injured during the second period of Friday night’s loss to Edmonton. In his place, the Canucks could insert Michael Zalewski, himself recently recalled from Utica, or use defenseman Alex Biega up front, writes Ewen. Injured forwards Derek Dorsett and Alexandre Burrows have both started skating again and could return to the lineup soon.
- Earlier today the Dallas Stars activated forward Jiri Hudler from IR. In a related move, the team has reassigned Justin Dowling to the Texas Stars of the AHL. Dowling, 26, made his NHL debut this season and appeared in two games for Dallas, recording an assist and a -1 plus-minus rating. In 264 AHL games across parts of seven seasons, Dowling has netted 67 goals and 187 points.
Snapshots: Injury Updates, Hamhuis
Tampa Bay Lightning right winger Nikita Kucherov spoke to the media today, and provided an update to his status after he left Thursday night’s game versus the Montreal Canadiens. Kucherov took a hit and slammed into the boards in the first period.
Kucherov says he feels better and is considered day-to-day. The Lightning have called up Cory Conacher to replace him. Kucherov is currently tied with Alex Killorn for second among all Tampa Bay players with 7 points in 7 games.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- Julie Dobbs of Fox Sports South West provided an update about some injured Dallas Stars players. Center Jason Spezza (lower-body injury) will be a game-time decision on Saturday night, while Jiri Hudler (illness) also looks likely to play. Hudler was activated off IR on Saturday afternoon. Cody Eakin (knee), Mattias Janmark (knee), and Patrick Sharp (concussion) are all out long-term, but Ales Hemsky (groin) appears to be close to a return.
- Dobbs also noted that Dam Hamhuis appears to be out of the lineup. The 34-year-old defenseman has 2 assists in 7 games. Mike Heika of the Dallas News noted yesterday that head coach Lindy Ruff “doesn’t quite trust” Hamhuis yet. Hamhuis signed a two-year, $7.5MM contract with the Stars in July. It appears that Stephen Johns will replace Hamhuis.
Snapshots: Oduya, Sproul, Trouba, Fowler
Mike Heika writes that the development of Dallas’ young defenseman has been helped by the presence of Johnny Oduya. The four defenseman standing to benefit, Patrik Nemeth, Jamie Oleksiak, Stephen Johns and Esa Lindell, have the two-time Stanley Cup champion defenseman patrolling the blue line. General manager Jim Nill talked about Oduya’s professionalism and dedication to the sport and how it plays a huge role in the development of younger players:
“It’s hard to tell his age, because he’s in such great shape. He’s a consummate professional, and he’s the kind of guy that players naturally attract to. They want to ask him what he’s eating and why. They want to know how he’s working out.”
Oduya was signed as a free agent by the Stars in 2015 and defenseman Stephen Johns followed from Chicago when he was dealt along with Patrick Sharp to the big D. Johns commented on Oduya’s leadership, especially during a rough series for Johns against Minnesota during the 2016 playoffs. Johns said that Oduya’s words of wisdom were instrumental in his confidence growing.
Though the Stars are 3-3-1, the steady Oduya should help the younger defensive corps bring the Stars back to its expected perch as one of the best in the West.
In other NHL news:
- The Red Wings have guaranteed one of their young defenseman an extended stay with the big club writes MLive’s Ansar Khan. Khan answered a number of questions and regarding young defenseman Ryan Sproul, the club has apparently told Sproul to a find a place to live in the Detroit area. Khan reports that Sproul will duke it out with Alexey Marchenko and Xavier Ouellet for a final spot on the blue line when Niklas Kronwall returns from a knee injury. When Tomas Jurco returns, Khan opines that it will most likely be Ouellet as the odd man out, which would mean being exposed to waivers.
- Khan also answers about the Red Wings’ likelihood of obtaining Jacob Trouba or Cam Fowler via a trade, but from the sounds of it, Trouba is still a far fetched option while Fowler might end up staying in Anaheim after all. Khan says that the Ducks may reconsider moving Fowler should their offensive woes continue. Trouba, on the other hand, will simply cost too much for the Wings to trade for, and the young, left handed defenseman the Jets seek in return is something Detroit cannot provide.
Franchise Faceoff: Anaheim Ducks vs Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks have now long been one of the NHL’s preeminent franchises, winning multiple Stanley Cups and sending player after player to the podium to receive NHL awards. They’ve had to sell off young assets to keep their roster together, but seem to continually have a dangerous team capable of winning it all. Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane have developed into one of the most potent duos (though they rarely play together) in the league, and they’re supported by a strong secondary cast.
The Anaheim Ducks on the other hand, have built a powerhouse of their own, only to fall short each time they seem poised to take a long post-season run. Their own franchise duo in Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry have just as many accolades as Chicago’s while their defense corps may be second to none in the league. For some reason though, they just can’t get it done in the playoffs and as many around the league are expecting a trade, Bob Murray has said he wants to “give this group one more shot” before a possible tear down.
[Chicago Blackhawks Depth Chart vs Anaheim Ducks Depth Chart]
With both teams running into cap trouble due to their aging but still effective superstars, they each have good young players to build their next iteration with. After we looked at two rebuilding teams in Toronto and Edmonton, and two teams trying to get back to the playoffs in Calgary and Montreal, we now ask the same thing of two teams who are perennial candidates for the Stanley Cup.
If you were buying a roster (not all the franchise perks that go with it) to build a championship team, which would you take?
Which team would you rather have?
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Chicago Blackhawks 69% (143)
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Anaheim Ducks 31% (63)
Total votes: 206
Snapshots: Bruins, Demers, Stars
News and notes from around the NHL this evening:
- The Boston Bruins reassigned goaltender Zane McIntyre to the AHL Providence Bruins tonight just one day after recalling him. McIntyre was called up on an emergency basis yesterday morning after Bruins starter Tuukka Rask hurt himself in practice. The Bruins drafted McIntyre in the 6th round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft but have yet to start the prospect in a NHL game. Last season McIntyre posted a 2.67 GAA and a .898 Sv% in 31 starts for Providence. This season, however, he is rocking an incredible 0.44GAA and a .977 SV% in three games. McIntyre’s current hot start is probably why the Bruins recalled him rather than highly-touted prospect Malcolm Subban.
- Former NHL Coach Jacques Demers has been released from hospital following a serious infection. Demers was rushed to hospital yesterday after suffering what was believed to be a stroke before receiving a more accurate diagnosis. Demers previously suffered a stroke in April 2016 and endured over three months of physical therapy as he recovered. Demers last coached in Tampa Bay, but is fondly remembered for bringing the Montreal Canadiens to their last Stanley Cup in 1993.
- The Dallas Stars reassigned forward Jason Dickinson today to the Texas Stars, Dallas’s AHL affiliate. Dickinson surprised the organization last year with a tremendous performance in the AHL, scoring 22G and 31A in 73 games. The young prospect played one NHL game last season and managed to score his first NHL goal in the process. Dickinson—Dallas’s 2013 first round draft pick—is expected to spend the majority of the season in the minors, but Dallas’s mounting injury problem may change those plans quickly.
Sunday Evening Review: The Week’s Most Important Posts
Did you miss a post this week? PHR has you covered by highlighting the most important news in the NHL last week:
Top KHL Salaries and their NHL Comparables
KHL insider Aivis Kalnins reported the top 30 KHL player salaries on Monday, and the amounts pale in comparison to their NHL counterparts. The highest paid KHL player is Ilya Kovalchuk, who makes $5.5MM. PHR’s Brett Barrett notes that 99 NHL players make more money than Kovalchuk.
Penguins Goalie Matt Murray Signs Extension
The Penguins signed goaltender Matt Murray to a three-year contract extension worth $3.75MM a year. Murray is currently on the shelf as he recovers from a broken hand suffered in the World Cup of Hockey. The signing signifies the team’s commitment to Murray, and also to moving Marc-Andre Fleury sooner rather than later.
Patrick Sharp Out With Concussion
Dallas Stars forward Patrick Sharp will be out for a significant amount of time after suffering a concussion earlier this week. Sharp was hit by Los Angeles Kings defenseman Brayden McNabb and appeared to hit his head as he fell to the ice. This marks yet another significant injury for the Dallas Stars—Patrick Eaves, Ales Hemsky, and Cody Eakin have yet to start a game this season due to injury.
Douglas Murray Retires
Swedish defenseman Douglas Murray announced his retirement on Friday. The veteran had not received an NHL contract offer this season and did not consider joining another league. He last played in the NHL for the Montreal Canadiens in 2013-14.
Kings Goalie Jeff Zatkoff Injured
The Los Angeles Kings were dealt another goaltending blow as backup Jeff Zatkoff went down with a groin injury. The Kings are already without starter Jonathan Quick, and Zatkoff’s injury means the Kings have to rely on a tandem of Peter Budaj and Jack Campbell. The former is a 34 year-old perennial backup who started one game last season, and the latter was acquired from the Dallas Stars for defenseman Nick Ebert.
Jacques Demers Hospitalized Saturday
Former NHL Coach Jacques Demers was hospitalized yesterday after suffering what appeared to be a second stroke—but was later determined to be an infection. Demers is remembered for coaching the Montreal Canadiens to their last Stanley Cup, and also coached in Tampa Bay, Detroit, St. Louis, and Quebec.
Coyotes Goalie Mike Smith Injured
The Arizona Coyotes are without goaltender Mike Smith again as he suffered a left knee injury in the Coyotes’ loss to the Ottawa Senators. Backup goaltender Louis Domingue will take over the starting duties and the Coyotes will need him to shine if they want to avoid a slow start to the season.