DeBrincat A Bright Spot For Blackhawks' Future
- The Athletic’s Scott Powers reviews Blackhawks rookie Alex DeBrincat‘s season, and the marks are unsurprisingly positive. Powers writes (subscription required) that the Hawks’s first year forward was hoping to just make it out of camp with the team, but 52 points (28 of them coming as goals) was certainly more than anyone could have envisioned. The future is bright for a Hawks squad that missed the playoffs and saw a lot go wrong this season. DeBrincat’s performance is a silver lining, Powers reports, and the 20-year-old had one of the best rookie performances in Blackhawks history. Powers adds that the goal totals could be higher next season should DeBrincat see more time on the powerplay. Last season, he logged the sixth most minutes when the Hawks were on the man advantage, a metric that should certainly rise given his propensity to find the back of the net.
AHL Calder Cup Playoff Matchups
Yesterday, the AHL season came to a close and 16 teams advanced to the Calder Cup Playoffs. Though it’s not exactly like a Stanley Cup pursuit, the AHL playoffs are a battleground created specifically to test the mettle of young players, while providing a chance for glory to veterans who may not get another opportunity in the NHL.
Below are the eight matchups, with some interesting storylines to watch in each one:
All times CST
Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia) vs Providence Bruins (Boston)
Game 1 – Fri. Apr 20, 2018 – 7:05PM | LV @ PRO
Game 2 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 7:05PM | LV @ PRO
Game 3 – Fri. Apr 27, 2018 – 7:05PM | PRO @ LV
Game 4 – Sat. Apr 28, 2018 – 7:05PM | PRO @ LV
Game 5 – Mon. Apr 30, 2018 – 7:05PM | PRO @ LV
While the Flyers and Bruins do battle in their respective NHL playoff series, their AHL affiliates will take each other on in the first round. Phil Varone, fresh off winning league MVP, will try to lead the Phantoms all the way to the Calder Cup finals. He’ll have to go through the previous MVP to do it, as Kenny Agostino heads a diverse Bruins attack.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh) vs Charlotte Checkers (Carolina)
Game 1 – Fri. Apr 20, 2018 – 6:00PM | WBS @ CHA
Game 2 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 5:00PM | WBS @ CHA
Game 3 – Thu. Apr 26, 2018 – 6:05PM | CHA @ WBS
Game 4 – Sat. Apr 28, 2018 – 6:05PM | CHA @ WBS
Game 5 – Sun. Apr 29, 2018 – 2:05PM | CHA @ WBS
Daniel Sprong was the top scorer for the WBS Penguins this season, recording 65 points in 65 games. That kind of production is excellent from anyone, but Sprong is in just his first full season of professional hockey and looks poised to make the jump to the NHL before long. Charlotte has their own talented offensive piece though in Lucas Wallmark, who had 55 points in just 45 AHL contests between NHL call-ups.
Toronto Marlies (Toronto) vs Utica Comets (Vancouver)
Game 1 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 3:00PM | UTI @ TOR
Game 2 – Sun. Apr 22, 2018 – 3:00PM | UTI @ TOR
Game 3 – Wed. Apr 25, 2018 – 6:00PM | TOR @ UTI
Game 4 – Fri. Apr 27, 2018 – 6:00PM | TOR @ UTI
Game 5 – Sun. Apr 29, 2018 – 3:00PM | UTI @ TOR
Toronto had the best goaltending in the league en route to a historically dominant season, but if there was a team that could match them in net it would be Utica. Thatcher Demko put up a .922 save percentage as the absolute MVP of a relatively average Comets team, and could end up stealing a series if the Marlies aren’t careful.
Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay) vs Rochester Americans (Buffalo)
Game 1 – Fri. Apr 20, 2018 – 6:00PM | RCH @ SYR
Game 2 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 6:00PM | RCH @ SYR
Game 3 – Wed. Apr 25, 2018 – 6:05PM | SYR @ RCH
Game 4 – Fri. Apr 27, 2018 – 6:05PM | SYR @ RCH
Game 5 – Sat. Apr 28, 2018 – 6:00PM | RCH @ SYR
Though the Buffalo Sabres didn’t have much fun this season, but their affiliate is headed back to the playoffs for the first time in four years. If the Sabres want to build a different culture for their organization and expose their young players to the idea of winning, having Rochester go deep in the playoffs is the first start. They’ll have to topple one of the league’s best teams to do it, as Syracuse is still loaded with future NHL talent.
Chicago Wolves (Vegas) vs Rockford IceHogs (Chicago)
Game 1 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 6:00PM | RFD @ CHI
Game 2 – Sun. Apr 22, 2018 – 3:00PM | CHI @ RFD
Game 3 – Thu. Apr 26, 2018 – 6:00PM | RFD @ CHI
Game 4 – Sun. Apr 29, 2018 – 3:00PM | CHI @ RFD
Game 5 – Mon. Apr 30, 2018 – 6:00PM | RFD @ CHI
You could call this this All-Chicago series, as Blackhawks prospects will take on the Wolves in a series that spans only about 75 miles. Though technically the Vegas Golden Knights’ affiliate, the Wolves still house several players from the St. Louis Blues including Beau Bennett, who put up 57 points in 60 games this year.
Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit) vs Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg)
Game 1 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 1:00PM | GR @ MB
Game 2 – Sun. Apr 22, 2018 – 1:00PM | GR @ MB
Game 3 – Wed. Apr 25, 2018 – 6:00PM | MB @ GR
Game 4 – Thu. Apr 26, 2018 – 6:00PM | MB @ GR
Game 5 – Mon. Apr 30, 2018 – 6:00PM | MB @ GR
If you think the Winnipeg Jets are good, just wait until the next wave of talent comes up from Manitoba. Sami Niku was named the league’s top defenseman, while Mason Appleton earned Rookie of the Year honors. Both will be on full display when they take on the reigning Calder Cup Champion Griffins.
Tucson Roadrunners (Arizona) vs San Jose Barracuda (San Jose)
Game 1 – Thu. Apr 19, 2018 – 6:00PM | TUC @ SJ
Game 2 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 6:00PM | TUC @ SJ
Game 3 – Wed. Apr 25, 2018 – 6:05PM | SJ @ TUC
Game 4 – Fri. Apr 27, 2018 – 6:05PM | SJ @ TUC
Game 5 – Sat. Apr 28, 2018 – 6:05PM | SJ @ TUC
Like the Americans, the Roadrunners will try to make up for their NHL parent team’s failures this season. The Coyotes minor league team got a huge boost when Dylan Strome was returned, perhaps for the last time in his professional career. Strome is expected to make the jump to the NHL next season, and could put a stamp on what has been a solid year with a long playoff run.
Texas Stars (Dallas) vs Ontario Reign (Los Angeles)
Game 1 – Thu. Apr 19, 2018 – 6:00PM | ONT @ TEX
Game 2 – Fri. Apr 20, 2018 – 6:00PM | ONT @ TEX
Game 3 – Sun. Apr 22, 2018 – 2:00PM | TEX @ ONT
Game 4 – Tue. Apr 24, 2018 – 6:00PM | TEX @ ONT
Game 5 – Mon. Apr 30, 2018 – 6:00PM | ONT @ TEX
If the Los Angeles Kings bow out quickly enough we could see the Reign get a boost for their playoff chances, as Michael Amadio, Paul Ladue, Jonny Brodzinski and Oscar Fantenberg are all eligible for the AHL playoffs. The Kings could be eliminated as soon as tomorrow night, meaning the Reign could welcome back several key names for Game 1.
Early Notes: Barton, Grundstrom, Jokiharju
If you missed it last night, linesman Steve Barton was injured on a play in the Columbus-Washington game after getting his feet tangled up with Josh Anderson. Barton ended up falling awkwardly and couldn’t get up without assistance. The linesman left the game, and today Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports that Barton suffered a dislocated knee cap and torn quadriceps and will need surgery.
Emily Kaplan of ESPN reminds us just how far the NHL officials go to stay in peak physical condition, profiling several in a piece from earlier this year. While Barton is expected to make a full recovery, he won’t be working any more Stanley Cup playoff games this season.
- Carl Grundstrom has made quite an impact since returning to the Toronto Marlies, and according to Scott Wheeler of The Athletic (subscription required) will continue to do so next season. Grundstrom told Wheeler that he’s not going back to Sweden next season, and will attempt to make the Maple Leafs’ roster or suit up for the Marlies in 2018-19. The 2016 second-round pick has developed into an all-around winger with a bit of goal scoring upside, and could potentially replace an outgoing Maple Leafs free agent. With James van Riemsdyk and Leo Komarov still unsigned, Toronto could have a place for the speedy Grundstrom sooner than expected.
- Among 20 notes on the Chicago Blackhawks, Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) examines top prospect Henri Jokiharju in depth and questions the fact that he’s still unsigned by the team. Leaving Jokiharju without a contract this long into his development isn’t usual for the Blackhawks, especially as he could make an NHL impact as soon as next season. Powers confirms that since the 2017 first-round pick was playing for the Portland Winterhawks on loan from his Finnish team, he can go straight to the AHL next year even as a 19-year old. Jokiharju had quite a season for Portland, recording 71 points in 63 games as one of the best defensemen in the entire WHL.
Viktor Tikhonov Not Returning To NHL
With an off-season upcoming in which it is expected that several high-profile KHL players, young and old, could be eyeing the NHL, former Phoenix Coyotes first-round pick Viktor Tikhonov will not be among them. Tikhonov’s KHL team, powerhouse SKA St. Petersburg, announced that they have resigned Tikhonov to a two-year contract extension (link in Russian). The next chance that the two-way forward will have to try his hand overseas yet again will be in 2020, when he will be on the wrong side of thirty.
Tikhonov, now 29, has been a reliable top-nine forward for SKA over the past two seasons since returning from his last stint in the KHL. With so many of his teammates linked to NHL teams, it is no surprise that St. Petersburg jumped at the opportunity to re-sign a player with three-zone ability. SKA’s leading scorer, Ilya Kovalchuk, is yet again flirting with an NHL comeback. Their next-best forward, Nikita Gusev, had his rights traded to the Vegas Golden Knights last year and has surely had conversations with the club as his time to make the jump is running out. Former Coyote and Pittsburgh Penguin Sergei Plotnikov is fresh off of a career year and could be eyeing a second chance overseas. Draft-eligible defenseman Danila Galenyuk is expected to go no later than the third round and could change his developmental path depending on where and to whom he is selected. Even the goaltenders are at risk; Mikko Koskinen is rumored to have a deal in place to return to the New York Islanders while young Igor Shestyorkin looks to be the heir apparent to Henrik Lundqvist for the New York Rangers and could begin the takeover process soon. So, while Tikhonov isn’t considered one the best players on SKA, it makes sense that the team would lock him up in short order as they did, with other high-end talent possibly on the way out.
However, Tikhonov being off the market also presumes that there would have been a market for him in North America this summer. Although Tikhonov came into the league with lofty expectations – the 28th overall pick in 2008 who jumped right into the Coyotes lineup, as well the grandson of a legendary Soviet coach – he cannot be described as anything but a bust in the NHL. The height of his career at the highest level came in his rookie season, when he put up 16 point in 61 games for then-Phoenix. Tikhonov finished the year and began the next in the AHL and soured on the North American experience, returning to Russia. He only made his return a few years ago, in 2015-16, and was completely ineffective, registering six points in 50 games between the Coyotes and Chicago Blackhawks. Even in the KHL, Tikhonov’s numbers have not skyrocketed like many of his compatriots returning home. Tikhonov is of course a highly-skilled and versatile player who was never at his best in the NHL, but it’s fair to be skeptical if anyone would have been interested in giving him a third try had he not re-signed. Now, with a multi-year extension in hand to stay in Russia, it is possible that we have seen the last of Tikhonov in the the world’s top hockey league.
Western Notes: Bennett, Murphy, Girard, Perron, Bieksa, Fowler
The Calgary Flames have a lot of questions this offseason after a disappointing season that leaves them wondering what happened. However, the biggest question probably falls on what to do with Sam Bennett. The former fourth-overall pick in 2014 should be improving every season, but that hasn’t been the case for the 21-year-old who has seen his numbers drop every year.
After putting up 18 goals and 18 assists in a promising rookie season, he has put up only 26 points in each of the last two seasons and his goals have dropped from 13 in 2016-17 to 11 this year. The Calgary Sun’s Wes Gilbertson writes the team must decide whether he can take his game up several notches or whether to use him as trade bait. Of course, you don’t want to be the general manager that trades him away only to thrive with another team, but the team needs production out of the forward and is running out of time to figure out if he is the star they thought they drafted. He has one year left after this one at $1.95MM before hitting restricted free agency again.
- The Chicago Blackhawks think they have found something in defenseman Connor Murphy. The 25-year-old, who was acquired in the Niklas Hjalmarsson trade last season from Arizona, struggled early on in the season with Chicago, according to Chicago Sun Times’ Mark Potash, but was one of the team’s better defensemen in the second half and the team believes he can develop into a top-four defenseman. “If you look at the way he played over the last 30 to 40 games, I think there’s reason for excitement,” said Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman.
- The Colorado Avalanche is without defenseman Samuel Girard today as the young defenseman is out with an upper-body injury sustained in a hit from Nashville’s Filip Forsberg during Thursday’s game. The rookie defenseman is day-to-day.
- Vegas Golden Knights winger David Perron, who has been out since Mar. 26 with an undisclosed injury, says he hopes to play before the series with the Los Angeles Kings is over, but did not give a timetable on a potential return, according to SinBinVegas.
- The Anaheim Ducks expect defenseman Kevin Bieksa to play in Game 2 tonight against the San Jose Sharks, according to Orange Country Register’s Eric Stephens. Bieksa has been out since Mar. 12 after having hand surgery. Stephens also notes that defenseman Cam Fowler is no longer wearing a sling on his shoulder and will resume skating shortly. The blueliner has missed 13 straight games, but no timetable is set for his return.
Chicago Blackhawks Sign Dennis Gilbert To Three-Year Deal
After we saw Jordan Gross sign with the Arizona Coyotes yesterday, another Notre Dame defenseman has decided to turn pro. Dennis Gilbert has signed his three-year entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks, that will take him through the 2020-21 season. Gilbert is headed to the Rockford IceHogs for the remainder of the year on an amateur tryout.
While Gross may have more offensive upside, there is little to dislike in Gilbert’s defensive game. The 6’2″ 200-lbs defenseman is an outstanding athlete, and has taken huge strides to improve his skating over the past few seasons. A feared body checker and shut down player, he was named the Hockey East best defensive defenseman in 2017. That ability in his own end could pave a quick route to the NHL for Gilbert, who is no slouch with the puck on his stick.
Though he doesn’t carry it through the neutral zone as often as some of his contemporaries, he has a good first pass and get the puck out of his own end with possession. Deployed as a shadow of the opponent’s best players this season, he recorded just 10 points, but had 22 assists the year prior. The third-round pick from 2015 is still developing too, and could grow in to a full-time player for the Blackhawks.
2018 NHL Draft Lottery Odds
The regular season is over and for the first time in NHL history there are 15 teams on the outside of the playoff picture. For those squads and their fans, it’s a long wait for anything positive to come, with the 2018 NHL Entry Draft more than ten weeks away, scheduled for June 18th, and the start of free agency another two weeks after that. However, the odds for this year’s NHL Draft Lottery are now set and teams can at least look forward to the ping pong balls being drawn at the end of the month, on Saturday, April 28th. With the teams in the running now set, here are the odds for the #1 overall pick in this years draft:
31st – Buffalo Sabres: 18.5%
30th – Ottawa Senators: 13.5%
29th – Arizona Coyotes: 11.5%
28th – Montreal Canadiens: 9.5%
27th – Detroit Red Wings: 8.5%
26th – Vancouver Canucks: 7.5%
25th – Chicago Blackhawks: 6.5%
24th – New York Rangers: 6.0%
23rd – Edmonton Oilers: 5.0%
22nd – New York Islanders: 3.5%
21st – Carolina Hurricanes: 3.0%
20th – New York Islanders (from Calgary Flames): 2.5%
19th – Dallas Stars: 2.0%
18th – Philadelphia Flyers (from St. Louis Blues (top-ten option)): 1.5%
17th – Florida Panthers: 1.0%
If you are a fan of one of these teams, you can entertain yourself for the next few weeks with this Lottery Simulator from Tankathon.com.
Snapshots: World Championships, Wild, Mariners
Jeff Blashill will once again be the head coach of Team USA at the upcoming World Championships, with Dan Bylsma, Don Granato and Seth Appert joining him behind the bench. Blashill coached last year’s squad to a fifth-place finish, but he’ll be getting some star power this time around.
Patrick Kane has announced that he will suit up for the tournament, and he will serve as captain of Team USA. Alex DeBrincat will also be joining Kane for the US squad, a nice reward after an outstanding rookie season that saw him lead the Blackhawks with 28 goals.
- The Minnesota Wild have recalled Carson Soucy, and expect him to be in the lineup for Game 1 of their Western Conference playoff series against the Winnipeg Jets. They might get another huge boost on the blue line though, as Jared Spurgeon was back on the ice today at practice. Spurgeon hasn’t yet been cleared to return to game action, but was paired with Soucy at practice and will attempt to get into the lineup for Wednesday’s match.
- The New York Rangers have signed an affiliation with the Maine Mariners of the ECHL that will start in 2018-19. The Rangers had previously been affiliated with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, but will now have both of their minor league partners—their AHL affiliate is the Hartford Wolf Pack—located in the northeast.
Chicago Blackhawks Focused On Keeping Young Talent
The Chicago Blackhawks have an interesting summer in front of them, as they try to turn around what was a disastrous season and compete again in 2018-19. The core of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Corey Crawford will all be on the wrong side of 30 by the middle of November, making a rebuild out of the question.
Because of that group and how much cap space is needed to retain them, the Blackhawks have been forced to trade away young talent over the years. That’s not the plan anymore, as GM Stan Bowman explained to reporters today at an end-of-year press conference (via Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times):
Our No. 1 priority as we move forward is to make sure we can keep these young players: [Alex] DeBrincat, [Nick] Schmaltz and [Vinnie] Hinostroza and some other young players. That’s the direction we’re headed.
While it’s true that the Stanley Cup-winning core is heading out of their prime, the young blood that has joined the team is something to look forward to. DeBrincat led the team with 28 goals as a rookie and would be getting more attention for the Calder trophy in a regular year (that is, one without the outstanding crop of first-year players the league has seen) while Schmaltz slid into a role beside Kane and recorded 52 points.
Only Hinostroza, who played only 50 games and recorded 25 points, is scheduled to become a restricted free agent this summer. His deal shouldn’t be financially crippling, especially because of the room afforded by Marian Hossa‘s long-term injury. Bowman spoke on that as well, telling reporters that there is “no indication that he’s going to play next season.”
With the cap increasing by somewhere around $5MM, the Blackhawks should have a little money to play with in free agency if they so choose. As Lazerus reports though, Chicago won’t be handing out any long-term deals—meaning they’ll probably be out of the running on most of the top names. While that may be disappointing, the team has to still think of where their salary structure will sit in a few seasons when Schmaltz, DeBrincat and others do need raises.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Western Notes: Blackhawks, Greenway, Horvat, Dahlen, Kovalchuk
Don’t expect too many changes in the Chicago Blackhawks roster this season. At least that’s what Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times writes as he examines the roster and the team’s salary cap flexibility.
Coach Joel Quenneville admitted that many things went wrong this year, but he believes that if the team comes back and all play better, the Blackhawks should return to the playoffs next season. Factor in the loss of Marian Hossa, the injury to goaltender Corey Crawford and some down years by several key players, perhaps a turnaround is possible.
“If we all collectively have better years in all aspects … I believe we’re very capable of [rebounding],” Quenneville said. “We’ve seen many games this year where we look like we could be a really good team. [It’s] just that consistency, putting that in place.”
Lazerus writes that the team should look into adding a top-four defenseman, but was quick to point out that it’s unlikely the team will go after Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson as that pricetag would be too high even though it looks as if the Blackhawks should have considerable cap space. He also adds the team desperately needs to find a quality backup goaltender to avoid the problems the team had to endure during the second half of this season.
- Sarah McLellan of the StarTribune writes that while the Minnesota Wild’s bottom line of Tyler Ennis, Matt Cullen and Charlie Coyle has been successful of late, but head coach Bruce Boudreau might break it up as it sounds like the coach is leaning towards starting rookie Jordan Greenway over Ennis. “I don’t know where he’s going to play [in the playoffs], but I’m sure I’ll find a spot,” Boudreau said.
- Rick Dhaliwal of Sportsnet tweeted that Vancouver Canucks forward Bo Horvat received an invitation to play for Canada at the upcoming world championships in Denmark this summer.
- Dhaliwal also adds that Vancouver Canucks prospect Jonathan Dahlen will rest for a few days before reporting to the Utica Comets of the AHL. Dahlen, a prospect the Canucks acquired at the trade deadline in 2016 for Alexandre Burrows, has been lighting up the Allvenskan league and helped lead his team Timra to be promoted to Sweden’s top tier league.
- European reporter Alex Nunn tweeted that KHL star Ilya Kovalchuk has confirmed that he will spend the next two or three seasons in the NHL. Kovalchuk will be an unrestricted free agent on April 15, when he turns 35 years old.