Snapshots: Stars-Avalanche, Dubois, Seabrook
The NHL hasn’t even finished the first round, with two series playing game six tonight, but they’re already moving on with at least one second-round series. The Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars are set to start their battle tomorrow night according to several reports including Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
The league obviously wants to take advantage of a Saturday night, but also is determined to get through the bubble-playoffs as quickly as possible. Both first-round game sevens, should they be needed, are scheduled for Sunday.
- Pierre-Luc Dubois wasn’t able to carry the Columbus Blue Jackets to a first-round victory but did show that he’s an emerging star in the NHL. That will only help him when he negotiates his next contract this fall. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic examines the young center’s situation, explaining that he believes a three-year deal would make sense. Interestingly though, LeBrun writes that “if Dubois signs longer term, it’s going to be for tangibly more than [William] Nylander.” The Toronto Maple Leafs forward signed a six-year, $45MM deal in 2018.
- The Chicago Blackhawks are still hoping that Brent Seabrook can be an impact player for them in 2020-21, even after his major surgeries limited him to just 32 games this season and took him out of the postseason. Seabrook, who rehabbed hard to try and be a part of the team in the bubble, will have his role “figured out in training camp” according to Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman, who spoke to reporters including John Dietz of the Daily Herald. The 35-year-old defenseman has four years remaining on his contract.
Busy Offseason Awaits Chicago After Playoff Exit
The Chicago Blackhawks were the first team eliminated from the 2020 playoffs (obviously not counting the qualification-round losers) when they were defeated by the Vegas Golden Knights last night. An Alex Tuch third period goal proved to be the difference in game five, but the Blackhawks were surprised to even be in that situation in the first place. The expanded return to play format allowed them an opportunity to play postseason hockey despite selling off several expiring contracts at the deadline—including Robin Lehner, the winning goaltender for the Golden Knights.
Those deadline moves aren’t the only tough decisions that need to be made by the Blackhawks before the start of next season.
All of it, as it does so often, comes down to goaltending. As John Dietz of the Daily Herald tweets, the future of Corey Crawford will determine so much of the future of the Blackhawks. The 35-year-old goaltender has dealt with concussion symptoms and inconsistency but still managed to put up a .917 save percentage in 2019-20. He was the obvious choice for the Blackhawks in the qualification and first round of the playoffs, but he’s also set to become an unrestricted free agent when his six-year $36MM deal expires this fall.
Does Crawford come back to the Blackhawks—the only team he’s ever known—on a short-term deal to finish his career? What about Collin Delia, the 26-year old netminder who signed a three-year deal with the Blackhawks in 2019 only to spend this entire season in the minor leagues? Will Malcolm Subban be re-signed to serve as the NHL backup?
All of these questions are where the offseason starts for Chicago, but it won’t stop there. The team also has some extremely important restricted free agents to sign, including Calder Trophy finalist Dominik Kubalik. Unlike many other first-year players, Kubalik turns 25 in just two days and will likely be commanding a long-term deal unless the Blackhawks want to walk him into unrestricted free agency at a relatively young age. He’s already arbitration-eligible, meaning his rookie-leading 30 goals can be used as leverage against the Chicago front office.
There is also Dylan Strome, the third-overall pick from 2015 who reignited his career in Chicago. Though he certainly wasn’t as explosive as 2018-19, he still had 38 points in 58 games and will be looking for a raise of his own.
For those raises, the Blackhawks don’t have a lot of space. If Brent Seabrook comes back from injury and is ready to play, the team has over $74MM committed in salaries for next season. That doesn’t include Kubalik, Strome, or Crawford, three names that would likely eat up the remaining space under a flat $81.5MM ceiling. If that’s the situation they’re in, there may be some trades coming to free up salary.
The name that always seems to come up in those trade talks is Brandon Saad, but this summer could prove to bring about even more chatter. That’s because Saad is heading into the final year of his six-year $36MM deal and a partial no-trade clause will soon kick in. Saad was effective in the playoffs for Chicago, but with the team moving towards a new younger wave of talent is he going to be too expensive to retain?
On defense, the team has already seen what young names like Nicolas Beaudin, Adam Boqvist, and Lucas Carlsson can do. They have Ian Mitchell expected to challenge for a roster spot in training camp after signing his entry-level deal this summer, and other prospects like Dennis Gilbert and Chad Krys pushing for a chance. That means more changes could come on the blueline, which currently has five players earning at least $3.85MM (including Seabrook).
Making it through the qualification round was fun and gave the hockey world another chance to witness what Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane can do in postseason play. But make no mistake this Chicago team is changing.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Blackhawks Sign Cameron Morrison
A total of 21 prospects quietly became unrestricted free agents over the weekend. Chicago has dipped their toes into the market once again as PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that the Blackhawks have signed winger Cameron Morrison to a two-year, entry-level contract. Financial terms of the deal are not yet known.
Morrison was a second-round pick of Colorado back in 2016 (40th overall) out of Youngstown of the USHL where he finished tied for second in league scoring. While his production didn’t entirely carry over to his college career at Notre Dame, he was quite consistent offensively, picking up between 21 and 27 points in each of his four seasons. He saved the best for last, picking up 13 goals and 14 assists in 37 contests this year.
The 21-year-old didn’t reach an agreement with the Avalanche so with his college eligibility now exhausted, he became a free agent although he wasn’t on the market for long. Chicago has a long track record in recent years signing college players and several of them have worked their way into the lineup along the way. On the surface, it’s unlikely that Morrison would crack their roster for next season but he should start with AHL Rockford; as things stand, they’re hoping to start the 2020-21 campaign in December similar to the NHL’s plans.
Drake Caggiula Suspended One Game
The Chicago Blackhawks will be without Drake Caggiula for their next qualification round game. The forward has been given a one-game suspension by the Department of Player Safety for the hit on Edmonton Oilers forward Tyler Ennis yesterday.
As the accompanying video explains:
It is important to note that the head is the main point of contact on this hit. While Caggiula does make some contact with Ennis’ arm, the brunt of the impact on this play is absorbed by Ennis’ head. It is also important to note that the head contact on this play is avoidable. While we acknowledge that Ennis’ body moves slightly while making a play on the puck, he does not materially change the position of his head or body in a way that substantially contributes to the head being the main point of contact.
Caggiula has never previously been fined or suspended, though this one-game ban is especially relevant in a short best-of-five series. He was not penalized on the play, but he’ll have to miss an entire game now as the Blackhawks attempt to upset the Oilers.
Mark Lazerus of The Athletic notes that Dylan Sikura is the likeliest candidate to replace Caggiula in the Blackhawks lineup.
Drake Caggiula To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety
We have our first potential suspension of the NHL playoffs, as the Department of Player Safety has announced Drake Caggiula of the Chicago Blackhawks will have a hearing today. Caggiula hit Edmonton Oilers forward Tyler Ennis during the second period of their game yesterday, appearing to contact the head. Caggiula was not penalized on the play.
There have been several incidents already in the exhibition and early playoff games that could have warranted review from the DoPS, with almost every team trying to engage physically early to get the tempo of games up. Fights have already erupted between players that rarely drop the gloves and huge collisions have become standard, at least early in games.
Caggiula, who came to the Blackhawks from the Oilers last season, recorded nine goals and 15 points in 40 games for Chicago this year. He played a little over 11 minutes yesterday, recording four hits and a blocked shot.
Danny Wirtz Confirms Stan Bowman Has A Multi-Year Contract
- Blackhawks interim president Danny Wirtz confirmed to Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) that GM Stan Bowman has a multi-year contract. There were unconfirmed reports last summer that he had signed a new deal but there was no announcement by the team. Wirtz declined to indicate how long Bowman’s contract runs and didn’t provide a timeline for when the team may hire a replacement for former president John McDonough.
Snapshots: Lightning, Robertson, Blackhawks, Ehlers, Nurse
The Tampa Bay Lightning is traveling to Toronto, but will be doing so without their star defenseman. Victor Hedman will not be traveling with the team, according to The Athletic’s Joe Smith, due to personal reasons at his own request. However, he is expected to meet up with the team on Friday and is expected to participate in all three round-robin games. The blueliner did practice Saturday and is expected to work with strength coach Mark Lambert. He is expected to be tested regularly while in Tampa Bay.
The team did release its roster as NHL.com’s Bryan Burns reports that the team will only bring 28 players with them to Toronto. Including the team’s normal 25-man roster, the team is only adding forwards Mathieu Joseph, Alexander Volkov and goaltender Scott Wedgewood.
Also, head coach Jon Cooper said that Steven Stamkos remains day-to-day and is not expected to participate in the exhibition game, according to Smith. The veteran is hoping to be more involved in practice once the team gets to Toronto. “It’s still in the window of time to get him back,” said Cooper.
- TSN’s Mark Masters writes that if 19-year-old Nick Robertson hopes to get into the Toronto Maple Leafs playoff lineup, he must show that he can be comfortable on the ice in their upcoming exhibition game. The team’s 2019 second-round pick had an impressive junior campaign and has impressed the team enough to keep him on the playoff roster for the upcoming 24-team tournament. What might be more surprising is that the youngster continues to get third-line looks during practice. “He needs to look comfortable,” head coach Sheldon Keefe said. “He needs to make an impact on the game, be it through his work ethic and enthusiasm or his ability to create some offence and capitalize when he gets chances. All those kinds of things … We’re just really looking to see if he can be comfortable and be himself and then see how it all sorts itself out in terms our other players.”
- Brandon Cain of NHL.com reports that the Chicago Blackhawks will take four goaltenders with them to Edmonton for the upcoming 24-team tournament. That is necessary due to the status of veteran Corey Crawford, who recently admitted he tested positive for COVID-19 and missed the first 12 days of training camp. While he has been cleared and participated in a full practice Saturday, that doesn’t mean he’s in game shape for the tournament. The team also will bring Malcolm Subban, Collin Delia and Kevin Lankinen.
- NHL.com’s Mitchell Clinton reports that Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers, who was forced to leave Thursday’s scrimmage due to an undisclosed injury, was back at practice Saturday before the team leaves for Edmonton. He is expected to take on a second-line role with the team after scoring 25 goals in 71 games this year.
- Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins writes that Edmonton Oilers fans don’t need to worry about the fact that defenseman Darnell Nurse was forced to sit out Saturday’s team scrimmage with an undisclosed injury. The scribe described the injury as something he “tweaked” during practice earlier in the week. He’s expected to be ready to go.
Corey Crawford Confirms Positive COVID-19 Test
Corey Crawford‘s absence from the first twelve days of Chicago’s training camp came as a surprise and the team was only able to provide the ‘unfit to play’ designation. Crawford himself revealed the reason, telling reporters, including Scott Powers of The Athletic (Twitter link) that he tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, he had to spend the last couple of weeks in self-quarantine.
The good news for the Blackhawks is that he was cleared to practice today for the first time. Despite the short-term uncertainty surrounding when he’d be cleared to play, he was among the 31 players on Chicago’s eligible player list that was submitted on Friday, reports Sportsnet’s Mark Spector (Twitter link). He’ll now have the next week to get prepared for their Qualifying Round series against Edmonton which begins next weekend.
The veteran will be leaned on heavily against the Oilers. With Chicago trading Robin Lehner at the deadline, Malcolm Subban is now their backup so Crawford should get the chance to run with the starting job. A pending unrestricted free agent, the 35-year-old will be hoping that his play through their return (however long the Blackhawks last) will help propel him to land another starting role, be it in Chicago or elsewhere in October.
Brent Seabrook Won’t Return This Season
The Blackhawks will be down at least one veteran defenseman for their Qualifying Round series against Edmonton as Brent Seabrook told reporters today, including Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link) that he will not be part of the roster that reports to the bubble later this weekend.
The veteran has had a rough year, to put it lightly. He struggled considerably to start the season as his playing time dipped to 18:09 per game, a career low while his offensive output plummeted to just three goals and an assist in 32 contests. At that time, he was shut down for the rest of the season due to injury. Since then, Seabrook has had surgery on both hips and his right shoulder.
He resumed skating recently in the hopes of being available for their series against the Oilers but there would have been some risk in asking him to come back quicker than originally anticipated. Instead, Seabrook will use the rest of this offseason to get ready for the 2020-21 campaign. With training camps for that being roughly three months away as things stand, he should be ready to go. Considering he still has four years left on his contract after this season with a $6.875MM cap hit, Chicago will certainly be hoping that with the extended recovery time, Seabrook will be able to provide more than third pairing minutes moving forward.
Snapshots: Martinook, Toews, Tortorella, Khudobin
The Carolina Hurricanes really don’t like the NHL’s Return to Play plan. After Jordan Martinook and the ‘Canes were one of just two teams to vote against the initial postseason format last month, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Martinook was also one of the two NHLPA representatives who voted against ratifying the Return to Play plan and CBA extension. Martinook has previously stated that he and his teammates felt that the expanded playoff structure was a disadvantage to teams who were safely in the postseason picture, but not within the top four in their conference. It is a fair opinion for Carolina to have; the team has the second-best record of qualifying round contenders and almost certainly would have made the playoffs. Their reward for those regular season efforts? A five-game series match-up with a New York Rangers team that was playing their best hockey down the stretch and has been a tough match-up for the Hurricanes all season. As a result, Martinook tried not once but twice to change the league’s plan, but to no avail. They will face the Rangers in just over a week’s time with a playoff berth on the line.
The other “no” vote against the Return to Play plan was reported to belong to Chicago Blackhawks representative Jonathan Toews. However, Toews has come out today and refuted that report. There is no doubt that Toews asked hard questions about health and safety protocols and gameplay logistics and made the case for why his peers should consider voting against the plan, but he tells Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun Times that at the end of the day he voted “yes”. In fact, he said that he always planned to vote yes but wanted to make sure that there was a thorough conversation before a decision was made. There is no word on who the mystery second “no” vote came from, but it was not the Blackhawks captain.
- Columbus Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella might be re-thinking his teams approval of the expanded postseason plan. While a standard 16-team format would have excluded his team, which was in ninth in the Eastern Conference at the time of the league’s pause, their preparation for the knockout round is not going according to plan. Tortorella told NHL.com’s Craig Merz outright that he does not like what he has seen from his best players. “My concern is some of the people that we are going to need to make a difference for us to win a series, I don’t think they’re ready right now,” the Jack Adams finalist stated. “I don’t think they’re doing the things they need to do right now to get ready for that series… This isn’t getting ready for the regular season and then trying to find your game in 15 games during the regular season. This is a sprint… I don’t want us to fall into this trap of wading in. We need to be ready to go.”
- Anton Khudobin and the Dallas Stars have some extra time to get ready for the postseason as they are one of the four top seeds in the West and will have four round robin games ahead of them before the real competition begins. Although Khudobin may only see action in the round robin and not in the Stars’ postseason series, as starter Ben Bishop will get the nod unless his play warrants a change, Khudobin’s value to Dallas cannot be understated. One of the best backups in the NHL, Khudobin recorded a .930 save percentage and 2.22 GAA in 30 games this season. While these numbers are outstanding, even better than Bishop’s, it doesn’t appear that Khudobin is looking to move on from Dallas to a greater role. He tells Matthew DeFranks of The Dallas Morning News that his preference is to remain with the Stars for a while longer. However, the impending UFA admits that he will let his agent work out the details and find the best opportunity. Khudobin is certainly comfortable and thriving in Texas, but the Stars’ limited cap space and the presences of Bishop and top prospect Jake Oettinger may mean that his current team cannot offer him top dollar. On the other hand, a potentially strong goalie market and Khudobin’s age, not to mention a flat salary cap, may mean that there won’t be the demand on the open market that Khudobin’s performance would normally command. This seems to be the case with another elite backup, Boston’s Jaroslav Halak, who recently signed a one-year extension for less guaranteed money despite another stellar season as the Bruins’ backup after replacing Khudobin himself. Perhaps Khudobin will have to settle for the same fate, especially if he wants to remain in Dallas.