Blackhawks Notes: Hudler, Early Season Predictions
Though Chicago general manager Stan Bowman said the roster will remain relatively unchanged, that shouldn’t stop him from still looking to add depth writes CSN’s Charlie Roumeliotis. Though they missed out on Jimmy Vesey and Bowman said in July that the roster would be unchanged heading into camp in a month, Roumeliotis reports that the Hawks have approximately $2.39MM in cap space and could possibly squeeze a goal scorer onto the ledger. One such name is Jiri Hudler, who despite having a productive 2015-16 season, finds himself unemployed. Roumeliotis writes that there is still some hockey “left in the tank” as Hudler is only a season removed from a 76 point campaign. If Hudler doesn’t work out, Roumeliotis throws out Tomas Fleischmann as another backup option. Brandon Pirri, the Hawks former second round pick, is another choice, but Roumeliotis figures Pirri wouldn’t want another go around in Chicago. Despite offering names, Roumeliotis believes Chicago will indeed stand pat, but that some other options–at the right price–are available.
- CSN Atlantic’s Tarik El-Bashir takes a look at what the Hawks have done, and what should be expected for the season. El-Bashir writes that while the Blackhawks lost sparkplug Andrew Shaw via a trade, they added a critical defensive piece in Brian Campbell, who should work well in a system he’s already familiar with. Teuvo Teravainen being moved weakened the Hawks on the wing, and El-Bashir chalks this up to one of the many difficult decisions a championship caliber team makes to keep a core together. Despite those losses, El-Bashir sees Chicago as a formidable threat again in the West, boasting top talent in their Top 6, a rock solid top four on the blue line, and a stellar netminder in Corey Crawford. For all the cap issues the Hawks had, and will have in the future, El-Bashir believes Bowman has navigated the tricky waters well, and expects the Hawks to be dominant again.
Vesey Talks About His Decision To Sign With New York
Now that the Jimmy Vesey sweepstakes have concluded, he took some time to talk about why he chose New York over the other teams interested in his services.
Nick Cotsonika tweeted many of the quotes from the media teleconference that Vesey held following the announcement Friday evening. From Twitter Cotsonika reported that:
- Why the Rangers? Vesey said it was a tough decision, but he was impressed with the Rangers and New York was somewhere he could play.
- Vesey said the thing that jumped out was that the Rangers seemed to really want him.
- Vesey confirmed he met with seven teams, plus Buffalo prior to this week.
- Asked about celebrity tweets, Vesey said they were “pretty funny” and “pretty cool.” He confirmed a couple celebrities were in a NYR video.
- When asked about the entire process, Costonika tweets that Vesey replied: “It definitely took on a life of it’s own. I’m not sure me or anyone else expected that.”
Out of all these quotes, the one that might raise eyebrows is the one about the Rangers “really wanting him” as opposed to the six other teams vying for his attention. In a salary cap world where every team is on an even playing field, and in this case, where said teams were restricted to offering the same amount of money, how could New York possibly stand out from other teams? Pittsburgh sent Crosby. The Blackhawks included Patrick Kane and a slew of recent championships to boast of. What else could it have been?
For one, Vesey added that the Rangers were a fit where he could “plug in right away” according to another tweet from Cotsonika. Stephen Whyno tweets that Vesey called the Madison Square Garden the “greatest arena in the world.” Joe McDonald adds that Chris Drury made “a big impression” when pitching him on playing in the Big Apple. Newsday’s Steve Zipay confirms this tweeting that Alain Vigneault also had a hand in making his mind up. Whyno tweets that Vesey’s lifelong friendship with Kevin Hayes and help throughout the process certainly contributed. Finally, Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton confirmed that Vesey shores up a big hole at forward.
Much like the free agent chase of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, a coveted free agent appears to be signed for two main reasons: need and friendship. Before the Cap, it would have been a handful of teams–maybe three powerhouses of the time like Detroit, New Jersey, Colorado, that would have had the upper hand to gain the services of Vesey. The change shows that parity does rule and it certainly takes more than star power and Stanley Cup rings to secure the services of a coveted free agent.
On Vesey’s comment regarding the process, McDonald tweets that Vesey is glad it’s over. It seems there are many who share that sentiment.
Make sure you check out the updated New York Rangers depth chart.
Central Notes: Shattenkirk, Blackhawks, Spezza
The day so far has belonged to Jimmy Vesey, as we wait for his final decision on where to start his NHL career. The Blackhawks and Rangers are said to be the front-runners, and some reporters are getting a little anxious about the timing. It’s unlikely that, despite tons of tweets today, anyone leaving their phone or computer will hurry Vesey’s signing. With that in mind, take some time to find out what’s being talked about in the Central Division, besides Chicago’s free agent pursuit.
- James O’Brien at ProHockeyTalk writes about Kevin Shattenkirk today. O’Brien believes that trading Shattenkirk would be a mistake for the Blues, and that the team would be better off trying to re-sign him. His analytically based argument suggests that Shattenkirk should really be one of the untouchables on the Blues, and certainly prioritized over the older Alex Steen. The article is interesting, though may ignore what we don’t know for sure. This assumes Shattenkirk is willing to re-sign in St. Louis, and there have been reports to the contrary.
- Scott Powers over at The Athletic has a rundown of the Chicago Blackhawks defensive depth. You can never have too many defensemen, and Chicago’s group is certainly impressive. Earlier, he discussed the players who are more certain to get regular playing time. A team will always feel comfortable being led by Duncan Keith, and they’ve done well enough with their current group to win three Stanley Cups this decade. Adding Brian Campbell to go along with their NHL and minor league defensive depth should go a long way.
- Mike Heika has a profile of Stars forward Jason Spezza, and expects big things from him this year. Spezza may be getting older, but many don’t appreciate just how great he’s been. He’s currently ninth among active players in points per game. He’s also older than several of the players immediately ahead of him, giving him more decline years to weigh down his averages. Heika notes that Spezza’s game being based on hockey IQ may extend his usefulness. Players do decline, and Spezza has to some extent, but he’s a future Hall of Famer, and they don’t fall off the map as fast as other players.
Snapshots: Vegas, Vesey, Yandle
After being previously reported that Night Hawks would be the name of the new Las Vegas franchise, Ken Boehlke of The Sin Bin now reports that name is actually a back-up plan for a different moniker. Fans of the Chicago Blackhawks will be happy to hear it, as many felt the name encroached on their own. The team is still expected to have Night somewhere in the nickname, but is presumably still being vetted by the NHL.
- All day Jimmy Vesey rumors have been running rampant, with a several teams all being crowned the favorites at different instances. Peter Fish, Vesey’s agent, put and end to the speculation, saying that a handful of teams are still involved and that all the rumors of favorites are false. Another member of the Vesey camp, Peter Donatelli, said that the group had only met once yesterday to discuss the options, and that a decision is not likely going to come down today. Earlier today we wrote about why Vesey’s free agency has been such a hot-button issue this summer.
- Keith Yandle is down in Florida already training for his debut with his new team, and George Richards of the Miami Herald caught up with him today. Yandle was looking for the most possible years on the free agent market, a big part of why he signed with Florida after they traded for his rights. The team offered him a seven-year deal, giving him some stability for his foreseeable future. Yandle mentioned how it’s not just him coming down early this summer, after a wonderful season last year from the Panthers: “I can’t wait to meet everyone and get things started. Guys are coming in early so you get to meet guys before training camp even starts. We’ll go out to lunch and dinner; it’s a lot of fun.”
The Vesey Watch Is Coming To An End
This morning one of the most trusted names in hockey journalism finally gave us what we’ve been waiting for – an end. Bob McKenzie of TSN chimed in on the Jimmy Vesey situation for the first time, to tell us that it is coming to and end today, probably. While McKenzie says it may stretch until Saturday, it will go no further than that. Andrew Gross of The Record also hears that it’ll end today, as does Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News.
Arthur Staple of Newsday gives us the latest update on the finalists; he’s heard that it’s down to the New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks, noting that the Islanders made a strong push but fell short.
An amazing amount of proverbial and literal ink has been spilled over the free agency of Vesey, more than most prospects get in their entire amateur careers. Now, with it coming to an end, Vesey will have to start performing immediately or risk the ire of an entire fanbase.
If the Harvard grad struggles, like many prospects before him, he’ll be met with songs of “all that for this guy?” at his home arena and “over-hyped” will be firmly entrenched beside his name in the program. But for all the hype that the media (including PHR) has created, Vesey is none to blame. He’s done nothing but exercise his rights under the current CBA, just as other players have done in the last few days.
Three things have made it into a media whirlwind though: the lack of other hockey news in August, the uncertainty of the level of college hockey in the USA when compared to other amateur leagues, and the relatively poor free agent market after its biggest name re-signed before July 1.
Obviously, as any other year, August is one of the slowest months for hockey news. Teams have built their core, and are waiting for training camp to open. While many fringe free agents remain unsigned, the meat has been almost completely stripped from the bone.
The NCAA still proves to be a hard league to create equivalents from. Because the league has such a spread of talent, and has only started to become respected as a strong development option in the last couple of decades, fans and media alike aren’t sure exactly how to examine base statistics.
In the CHL, it’s common to see top prospects crack 100 points and dominate in their draft year. But the college ranks play less games, and require more of their athletes outside of hockey – indeed, Vesey will graduate with a degree from Harvard University, and to put it in his own words: “College is an ultrastressful environment — we’re balancing school, hockey, internships, our social lives and so many other things.” The fact is that the Frozen Four isn’t as well covered as the Memorial Cup (the CHL championship) is in Canada, and that many fans have never even seen a college hockey game, and they’re just not sure what Vesey really is.
What he isn’t, though, is Steven Stamkos. When Steve Yzerman pulled the unthinkable and re-signed his superstar centerman just prior to him becoming a free agent, the summer lost its biggest story. All of a sudden the best free agent in history was off the market, and we were left with an unspectacular group (despite the amount of money that was spent on it). Vesey represents the unknown, and for at least a handful of teams (a group similar to the ones reportedly “in” on Stamkos) another chance to land the summer’s biggest fish.
PHR Interview With The AP’s Stephen Whyno
Associated Press sports writer Stephen Whyno was kind enough to sit down with PHR and touched on a number of hockey issues. Whyno is based out of Washington, so we also touched on the Capitals and how Washington will fare this year. You can find Stephen’s work here at the AP (he does a great job with other sports as well), and give him a follow at Twitter @SWhyno.
PHR: Barring any significant injuries in the World Cup of Hockey, or in training camp, who do you have as an early favorite this season? What about sleepers?
Whyno: It’s hard not to love the Tampa Bay Lightning, especially in an era in which no NHL team ever repeats. Sorry, Penguins. If Pittsburgh bucks the trend, there’s plenty of talent there to make it happen, but a long way into June makes it tough on Pittsburgh and the San Jose Sharks. A return to the top for the Chicago Blackhawks would also not be all that surprising. Let me throw out the New Jersey Devils as an Eastern Conference sleeper because Cory Schneider is capable of carrying a team to plenty of points and there will be better all-around play with the additions of Taylor Hall and Ben Lovejoy. In the West: How about the Roy-less Avalanche? Give this bunch the right up-tempo system and let the talent of Nathan MacKinnon, Matt Duchene and Co. take over.
PHR: The Capitals had a great season but ran into the Pittsburgh buzzsaw. What do you see out of them in 2016-17?
Whyno: I see a Capitals team that will be far less interested in the odd Tuesday game in November or even the Saturday night in January after losing in the second round with the Presidents’ Trophy. Washington would love to be like the 2014-15 Blackhawks, cruising and then turning it on to win it all. The team is almost the same as last season so there’s no doubt it’s a contender, so as always the proving ground comes in April and May.
PHR: A Canadian team has to make the playoffs…right?
Whyno: Yes. I mean–probably. Assuming Carey Price is healthy for most of the–if not the entire season, the Montreal Canadiens will make it back – P.K. or no P.K. Beyond that, it’s a crapshoot.
PHR: How is Las Vegas doing with their front office work? And who do you think they tap to be the bench boss?
Whyno: George McPhee is turning Las Vegas into Captials West. There is plenty of Washington influence there with the exception of assistant GM Kelly McCrimmon, who had significant NHL interest and is very well-respected in hockey circles. Looks like it’s going well so far but a long time until Las Vegas has even one player. I’d expect someone with a connection to McPhee (Ron Wilson? Dean Evason of the Milwaukee Admirals?) to be among the top candidates as coach. But it will also be a long time until that hire is made.
Vesey Update: 8/18/16
As reported earlier, free agent Jimmy Vesey met with seven teams today as he continues to deliberate where he will sign. The Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Toronto Maple Leafs have joined the Buffalo Sabres on the not-so-short short list of teams that Vesey is officially considering. ESPN’s Joe McDonald learned that no decision will be made today, as Vesey will sit down with agent Peter Fish and other representation, family members, and advisors tonight to discuss options. A decision is expected Friday or Saturday.
There is no clear clubhouse leader among the teams in consideration so far. As could be expected, all of Vesey’s meetings over the past few days were reportedly “great”. Teams can only sway the Hobey Baker winner with their pitches of play time, team success, organizational culture, and more, as Vesey’s contract will be locked in at an entry-level $925K plus bonuses no matter where he chooses to play.
McDonald reports that star power has been in full effect thus far, with Patrick Kane, John Tavares, Cory Schneider, and several Bruins among those in attendance at Vesey’s meetings in Boston. Sidney Crosby has also reportedly reached out, and friends of Vesey’s like Jack Eichel and brothers Jimmy and Kevin Hayes have likely been in his ear all summer.
Those with an inside source within the Vesey meetings and mullings have not been shy about reporting their thoughts. Sportsnet’s Howard Berger says not to be surprised if Vesey signs with the Maple Leafs, but also warns that Buffalo is very much still in the mix. Mike Grinnel of ESPN New Hampshire confirms the theory of colleague Jimmy Murphy that the New Jersey Devils are leading the chase. DJ Bean of Boston’s WEEI hears that the Bruins excelled in their meeting with Vesey and are still considered major contenders, counter to cross-town rival Joe Haggerty of CSN New England who said that Boston is all but out. Many have become skeptical of the Penguins ability to sign Vesey, having just re-signed Matt Cullen and reportedly having reached an agreement with another college free agent, Notre Dame’s Thomas DiPauli. All is quiet on the NYC front as well, with both the Islanders and Rangers considered strong contenders, but little chatter to support either’s position. Perhaps the most accurate “insider information” out there is the Chicago Tribune’s Chris Kruc’s take on Vesey and the Blackhawks, that they are just waiting for a decision from the Harvard star and that no known pecking order is in place.
With all of the noise out there about Jimmy Vesey and his destination, the best move for those following along with the storyline is to sit back and relax. A decision will come in the next couple of days, and no reports by Vesey’s sources (who have been all over the place thus far) will make any difference until the ink has dried on his first contract. In the end, one team will emerge triumphant, and our attention will turn to the seven who lost out and may look for additional scoring support before the start of the new season. Until then, #VeseyWatch rolls on.
Vesey Sweepstakes Reportedly Down To Seven Teams
Update (4:30pm): Make that eight teams. Obviously the Buffalo Sabres are still very much in the mix, but were omitted from the original report because they were not one of the seven teams who met with Vesey today. The Sabres have had months to negotiate with the Hobey Baker winner, after acquiring his rights from the Nashville Predators, but Vesey’s plan has always been to test free agency and hear the pitches of other interested teams. This does not mean that Buffalo is out of the running as a possible destination, only that Vesey has heard their pitch many times and is now considering what other teams have to say as well. It’s eight teams right now, which is hardly narrowing it down, but the next 24 hours should be telling as #VeseyWatch continues.
ESPN’s Joe McDonald reports that the Jimmy Vesey sweepstakes are down to seven finalists. The Blackhawks, Bruins, Devils, Islanders, Maple Leafs, Penguins, and Rangers are all listed as having a shot at the highly sought after winger from Harvard. Five of these teams were previously listed among our own speculative favorites for Vesey, with the Penguins and Islanders making a recent push.
This report would seem to suggest that other teams rumored to have interest, such as the Red Wings, Flyers, Hurricanes, and Blue Jackets, were unable to convince Vesey to join them.
With the exception of the Blackhawks, these are all Eastern Conference teams. Fully half the Metropolitan Division, whose pitches we discussed here, are among the seven finalists. While our above linked preview of Vesey’s free agency discussed what some teams have to offer, the Penguins and Islanders are certainly attractive situations themselves. The Islanders would likely give Vesey an opportunity to play with John Tavares, while beginning his career in New York City. Vesey’s agent, Peter Fish, has spoken positively about the lure of playing in New York. The Penguins on the other hand are the defending Stanley Cup champions, and would give Vesey a very high likelihood of playing regularly with one of Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. It’s never a bad thing to get to start your career on a line with a veteran superstar.
The Vesey camp says that a decision will not come today.
Dallas Stars Notes: Niemi, Lehtonen, Nichushkin
The Dallas Stars surprised many by taking the Central Division crown and finishing with the most points in the Western Conference in 2016-17, just one season removed from missing the postseason entirely. Their success was driven primarily by the most prolific offense in the league as Jamie Benn (41), Tyler Seguin (33) and Jason Spezza (33) led the way with hugely productive seasons. However, while the team had no problem putting the puck in the opposition’s net, they did have plenty of issues keeping it out of their own. Along those lines, Jason Brough of Pro Hockey Talk writes that the club’s “biggest question mark” entering the new season remains between the pipes in Big D.
Antti Niemi and Kari Lehtonen combined to stop just 90.6% of the shots they faced during the regular season a year ago. Lehtonen (90.6%) ranked 38th and Niemi (90.5%) 40th overall among qualified net minders in that category. They were even worse come playoff time with neither goalie able to stop 90% of the shots against.
The Stars were thought to be considering the possibility of acquiring another goalie, with Ben Bishop named as one possibility but it’s not clear whether any substantive talks with the Lightning or any other club ever took place. Nevertheless, Jim Nill seems confident his goaltending tandem will rebound enough to give the club at least capable play between the pipes. Each has had success in the recent past and it wasn’t that long ago that Niemi backstopped the Chicago Blackhawks to a Stanley Cup so there is some reason for Nill’s optimism.
For more on the Stars…..
- In a separate piece for Pro Hockey Talk, Brough identifies Stars winger Valeri Nichushkin as being “under pressure.” Despite playing on the most prolific offensive team in the league, the 21-year-old Nichushkin struggled, netting just nine goals in 79 regular season contests. He followed that up with a lone point, an assist, in 10 playoff games. Nichushkin, the 10th overall selection in the 2013 entry draft, has a ton of ability and as veteran scorers Patrick Sharp and Ales Hemsky each enter the final years of their respective contracts, the club may well need the young Russian to step into one of those spots sooner rather than later.
- Revisiting the goaltending situation in Dallas, Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News addressed a reader’s question on the subject as part of a recent chat. Specifically, Heika was asked how much salary the Stars would need to retain in order to facilitate a trade of one of Niemi or Lehtonen. Heika speculated that any team that would look to acquire either goalie would want Dallas to keep 50% of the player’s salary on their books. On the other hand, Heika says that GM Jim Nill doesn’t seem too keen on the idea and would rather hang on to the duo in the hope that one or both can rebuild value with solid 2016-17 performances. At this point it seems most likely that the Stars will at least open the season with Niemi and Lehtonen manning the net. But should they again scuffle and with plenty of teams perhaps willing to move a goalie prior to the 2017 expansion draft, Dallas could look to upgrade the position ahead of the trade deadline.
Vesey Update: Harvard’s Ted Donato On ESPN Radio
ESPN New Hampshire’s “The Stretch Run” with Pete Sheppard and Jimmy Murphy took #VeseyWatch to the airwaves today, debating the possible landing spots for Harvard star and one-man free agent frenzy Jimmy Vesey. Murphy revealed his prediction to be the New Jersey Devils, based on some inside information, as well as the plethora of USA Hockey connections in the organization and the ample cap space that the Devils have. New Jersey is in a unique situation compared to many of the major players in the Vesey sweepstakes, in that they are well below the NHL salary cap, so the roster that Vesey sees now is unlikely to change due to his signing there, and down the road the Devils could have the space to award Vesey with an expensive, long-term extension.
As a New England station, the pair then predictably analyzed the prospect of Vesey on the Boston Bruins. However, neither felt strongly about the Bruins’ chances. They felt that Claude Julien’s approach of being hard on young players and making them earn their play time, a system that sent Alexander Khokhlachev packing to Russia, may scare away a college free agent like Vesey. They also described the Bruins as a poor fit for Vesey compared to rest of the field, as they could not guarantee him success and playoff experience due to their poor defensive depth, nor could they guarantee him a top six role, with Brad Marchand, Matt Beleskey, and Frank Vatrano in the fold and Julien’s penchant for being tough on young players.
However, when Harvard University head coach Ted Donato, a former Bruin himself, joined the show, the mood towards the Bruins changed somewhat. He acknowledged that Vesey “is and always will be” a Bruins fan, and said that he knows from experience that Boston has a great fan base and strong tradition, and that it is an honor for local kids to play for the team. Donato sounded skeptical about the current Boston team when asked about the state of the Bruins, but seemed optimistic about the moves they have made with an eye toward the future. Whether or not that is an obligatory remark from the father of Bruins prospect Ryan Donato, it seems like Donato considers the Bruins to be very much in the mix for Vesey’s talents.
Donato did stop short of endorsing the Bruins as the destination for Vesey though, and said that he has tried to stay away from that situation. He describes Vesey as being “smart”, “well-spoken” and “humble”, and that he, his family, and his agents are taking a “down-to-earth” and reasonable approach to finding the right spot for the Hobey Baker winner. Donato listed the Rangers and Blackhawks (who Sheppard and Murphy call the “Patriots” of the NHL) as great franchises who are in the mix, and said that every team will have something to offer Vesey and that it will be a difficult choice.
While Donato did not reveal any real insider information about Vesey’s decision, it was a good segment from a guy who knows Vesey very well and has NHL experience and a great hockey mind himself. Listen for yourself and learn more about the young man who already has the entire hockey world captivated.