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Snapshots: Three Stars, Lehtera, Caggiula

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The NHL released the Three Stars for last week, and at the top is a man who has been there before. Patrick Kane, the electric winger for the Chicago Blackhawks comes in at the top spot, after recording five goals in just two games. The Blackhawks haven’t had much to celebrate this season, but Kane provided the fans with two game-winners to get them on the right track around Christmas. Even in an extremely down year for Chicago, Kane is having an outstanding season with 50 points in 40 games. He’s on track to record the second 40-goal, 100-point season of his career, which in 2016 won him the Art Ross, Hart and Ted Lindsay trophies as the league’s best player.

In the other two spots are a pair of youngsters trying to stand up to players like Kane. Second place goes to Mathew Barzal, who finished his week by showing New York Islanders fans that they don’t need John Tavares anymore. Barzal recorded a hat trick while the team demolished Tavares and the Maple Leafs 4-0 on Saturday night. In third is a newcomer to the list, MacKenzie Blackwood. The New Jersey Devils goaltender has exploded onto the scene and posted another shutout this afternoon to improve his numbers even further. The Devils may have found their goaltender of the present, let alone the future.

  • Philadelphia Flyers forward Jori Lehtera has been charged with buying cocaine in Finland, according to Tricia L. Nadolny of the Philadelphia Inquirer, though the NHL denies that he has actually been legally served at this point. Lehtera denies all charges, while the prosecutors are seeking a five-month sentence. Obviously there is more to come in this story, but for now deputy commissioner Bill Daly has told the Inquirer “we will not be intervening at this point and will continue to monitor the legal proceedings.”
  • Drake Caggiula is part of the Chicago Blackhawks organization today, but it could have happened years ago had he made a different decision. According to Charlie Roumeliotis of NBCS Chicago, the Blackhawks pursued Caggiula out of college at the University of North Dakota and were a finalist for his services before he decided to sign and play with his childhood friend Connor McDavid in Edmonton. The team followed his progress and jumped at the chance to acquire him yesterday.

Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman Anticipated Artemi Panarin Free Agency Dilemma

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Pending a change of heart, forward Artemi Panarin is likely to become one of the most hotly pursued NHL free agents in recent memory on July 1st, 2019, with a sweepstakes potentially rivaling even that of John Tavares’ last year. His current team, the Columbus Blue Jackets, have done their best to convince Panarin not to test the free agent waters and instead sign an extension, but thus far it seems like a highly unlikely outcome. As a result, Columbus is saddled with the difficult choice this season of whether to hold on to Panarin for a run at the Stanley Cup and risk losing him for nothing or trade the talented winger for a hefty return while also damaging the team’s title hopes.

However, that dilemma could have instead belonged to the Chicago Blackhawks. Panarin was only traded to Columbus in the 2017 off-season. The Russian dynamo was originally signed by and played his first two NHL seasons in Chicago. However, the Blackhawks decided to deal Panarin away, opting instead to bring back Brandon Saad from the Blue Jackets, as well as young goaltender Anton Forsberg and a mid-round pick. By any metric, it is difficult to say that the Blackhawks won that trade, as Chicago missed the playoffs last season amid a very disappointing campaign for Saad, while Panarin was one of the league’s top scorers for a Columbus squad that performed well all season long. Yet, Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman may have had more than just the trade return in mind when he dealt Panarin to the Blue Jackets.

Speaking with TSN, Bowman claims that he foresaw the “tough spot” that Columbus and colleague Jarmo Kekalainen are in right now with Panarin. The young forward made such an immediate impact when coming to the NHL, that Bowman expected he would test the free agent market as soon as possible, saying ” I saw that coming as a challenge.” This clearly was a major factor that contributed to Chicago’s surprising willingness to trade Panarin. For his part, Bowman does acknowledge that Saad has to play better and has been more than a little disappointing thus far in his second stint with the Blackhawks. Continued poor performance from Saad would make this trade a complete loss, even if Panarin does bolt from Columbus. However, Bowman still stands behind his decision to acquire a talented forward signed long-term at a $6MM cap hit in Saad rather than take his chances with Panarin, who felt was destined to depart in free agency.

Ivan Nalimov Rescinds Trade Request

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Back in June, news broke that Chicago Blackhawks goaltending prospect Ivan Nalimov wanted out of their system in order to receive a better chance at an NHL future. Nalimov requested for his rights to be traded despite not even having a contract with Chicago, hoping for a direct line to playing time in North America. The Blackhawks had Corey Crawford and Anton Forsberg at the time, and have also added Cam Ward since then. According to Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required), Nalimov has rescinded that trade request after speaking with the Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman, and is now focused on spending the 2018-19 season in the KHL.

Nalimov will play for Kunlun Red Star this season after a tumultuous 2017-18 campaign that saw his contract terminated midseason due to the financial struggles of his former team. In 23 games split between Admiral Vladivostok and Salavat Yulaev Ufa though, he was one of the KHL’s best goaltenders with a .938 save percentage. That number is actually slightly better than Mikko Koskinen who signed with the Edmonton Oilers, and New York Islanders prospect Ilya Sorokin who is considered one of the top goaltending prospects in the world.

While Nalimov may not have that kind of world class potential, he’s a very interesting option for the Blackhawks going forward. With Crawford’s health still up in the air and Ward on just a one-year contract, perhaps there could be an opportunity in Chicago during the 2019-20 season. Nalimov is under contract for just one season in the KHL, and hopes to come to North America afterwards. The sixth-round pick could provide an unexpected boost to the Blackhawks going forward, especially if he once again shows his skill in the KHL.

Chicago Prospect Ivan Nalimov Asks For Trade

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It’s not often that a player not under contract requests a trade, but Ivan Nalimov is going for it. The Chicago Blackhawks’ 2014 sixth-round pick has asked for his rights to be dealt to another NHL team, reports The Athletic’s Scott Powers. As one of the KHL’s best young goaltenders, Nalimov feels that he has earned a shot at the NHL next season, but agent Shumi Babaev feels that the opportunity won’t come in Chicago. Nalimov has already terminated his KHL contract for next season and is solely focused on the NHL, but doesn’t want to waste the prime of his career buried in the minors behind the Blackhawks’ many goalies. As a result, the young netminder would like to be moved to a team where he might have a greater chance at play time.

Nalimov, 23, is coming off of a season that was impressive for many reasons. Right away, it is easy to tell that this was a career campaign for the homegrown Russian goaltender and former KHL first-round pick. The big keeper finally put it all together in 2017-18 and posted a .938 SV% and 2.13 GAA in 23 appearances. His save percentage was among the best in the league, fourth among all goalies with 20+ appearances, and his goals against average was in the top 15 of that same group. However, a closer inspection makes those numbers even more impressive, as Nalimov was traded mid-season. Serving behind Igor Bobkov with Admiral Vladisvostok, Nalimov proved himself to be the best backup in the KHL this season with a .942 SV% and 1.98 GAA in 17 games. With his value escalating, he was moved to Salavat Yulaev Ufa to back up Ben Scrivens and hardly missed a beat in six more games there. His numbers fell off slightly, but his performance trumped the team’s existing backup and helped Ufa in their playoff pursuit, earning Nalimov some postseason appearances of his own. Nalimov not only performed at a high level this year, but did so with two teams and was unshaken by the adjustment. It’s understandable why he feels now would be the perfect time to make the ultimate adjustment and try his hand at the NHL.

Yet, Chicago is an unlikely location for that to happen. As Powers writes, the Blackhawks have three NHL-caliber goalies already under contract for next season in starter Corey Crawford and backups Anton Forsberg and J-F Berube, not to mention another pair of prospects signed to pro deals who already seem permanently relegated to the minors next season. In speaking with both Nalimov’s agent and Chicago GM Stan Bowman, Powers states that the ’Hawks really like Nalimov, but perhaps didn’t anticipate that he would develop this quickly or wish to come overseas this soon. They also might have underestimated his ceiling, as Chicago did spend a third-round pick on German standout Wouter Peeters just two years ago. Regardless, the Blackhawks do not have to listen to Nalimov’s request and they can retain his rights perpetually, but this could sour the young goalie on coming to North America altogether. If the decision is between potentially losing Nalimov forever due to a broken relationship or trading him away for at least some type of return, Bowman and company are likely to shop the prospect this summer.

Blackhawks’ Marian Hossa Announces End Of Playing Career

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Chicago Blackhawks star Marian Hossa, who sat out the 2017-18 season due to a skin disorder and the side effects of the medications that came with it, announced that his playing career is officially over to Slovakian site Novy cas, according to Chicago Sun Times’ Mark Lazerus. While Elite Prospects listed him as retired, The Athletic’s Scott Powers (subscription required) does not mention retirement, but adds that Hossa wants to join the Chicago Blackhawks’ front office in three years when his contract expires, suggesting that he will not file retirement paperwork until then, which would allow Chicago to keep the veteran on LTIR for the next three years.

“I will not play hockey anymore,” Hossa said. “I have a valid contract with Chicago for another three years, but I have only one health and it does not allow me to return.”

The 39-year-old played 19 seasons in the NHL, eight of which for the Blackhawks as a key contributor to three Stanley Cup titles. Hossa, a five-time all-star, has had a distinguished career as he’s posted 1,134 points in 1,309 games and has been touted as one of the best defensive forwards of the game. He had a productive season in 2016-17, his last, as he put up 26 goals and 19 assists.

General manager Stan Bowman confirmed at the end of the Blackhawks season last month that Hossa’s situation had not improved.

“What I do know is that his status is unchanged,” Bowman said. “His physical condition hasn’t improved, so at this point there’s no indication he’s going to play next year, either. That’s about all I know at this point. We’ll probably have more discussions on that in the coming weeks, but his medical condition is unchanged.”

Hossa, who has been listed on LTIR for the 2017-18 season, still has three years remaining on the 12-year, $63.3MM deal he signed in 2009, which counts for a $5.275MM cap hit. On LTIR, Chicago only has to pay $1MM in salary per season. Powers writes the team will likely attempt to trade Hossa to free themselves from his contract entirely.

Chicago Blackhawks Focused On Keeping Young Talent

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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

Snapshots: Athanasiou, Sateri, Blackhawks

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Andreas Athanasiou is back. The 23-year old forward that has spent the last few weeks holding out for a new contract, was on the ice for the Detroit Red Wings today, practicing with Frans Nielsen and Darren Helm. While there’s no clear indication when Athanasiou will get back into the lineup, it was a promising sign to have him working with the team.

After a summer that was filled with speculation, rumor and intrigue, the Red Wings will welcome back their talented young sniper. Athanasiou has excellent speed and skill, and had just scratched the surface of his offensive potential last season, scoring 18 goals and 29 points. That number could increase this year even with the lost time, especially if given plenty of powerplay opportunities. The Red Wings, now losers of five straight, could use some offensive punch. They’ve scored just one goal in their last two games.

  • Harri Sateri has been sent back to the AHL by the Florida Panthers, after the team claimed Antti Niemi off waivers yesterday. The 27-year old Sateri didn’t get into a game, and has a slow start in his return to North America. Originally a draft pick of the San Jose Sharks, Sateri left for the KHL in 2014 where he found immediate success. Earlier this summer he turned down an extension with his KHL club in order to try and secure and NHL job, and eventually signed a two-way deal with Florida to essentially be their #3. With a .859 save percentage in the AHL, and now Niemi in the fold, he’ll have to play better if he wants to get a crack at a full-time NHL role (even as a backup) down the road.
  • Shane Doan has found the next chapter in his NHL career, as Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that the former Arizona Coyotes’ captain will join the league’s Hockey Operations group. Working with Colin Campbell, Doan will follow the path set out by other former players like Brendan Shanahan and Rob Blake. Shanahan and Blake of course are now running franchises in Toronto and Los Angeles.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks have made quite a few moves over the years to get their core group under the salary cap, but perhaps never so many as this offseason. The team saw Artemi Panarin, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Marcus Kruger, Trevor van Riemsdyk and Scott Darling all leave through trade, Brian Campbell retire and of course Marian Hossa kept out with a chronic skin condition. That’s a lot of talent to have leave in one offseason, but as GM Stan Bowman tells Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times, he’s pretty happy with how it’s turned out. Chicago is 5-3-2 so far this season, but on most nights still look like a team that could compete for the Stanley Cup. In terms of improvement, Chicago doesn’t have to make a deal, as they have talented players sitting in the press box or AHL most nights. Or, as Bowman puts it: “I’m not, like, itching to make a trade.”

Free Agent Profile: Johnny Oduya

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Johnny Oduya is a name that has fallen off most hockey fanatics’ radar this off-season, and perhaps there is good reason for that. Oduya is 35 years old and came off a brutal playoff performance in their sweep against Nashville. The league is certainly trending in the “what have you done for me lately” direction, so no one should be entirely shocked that he remains unclaimed this deep into July.

That said, it’s still conceivable that he has a bounce back year. For a bargain bin price, he’s worth taking a shot on. Although his dreadful 2016-17 outing had him finish with only 9 points and an uninspiring 46.8% Corsi For, he’d been above the 50% mark the prior 5 seasons. He can lo longer handle a ton of minutes, and he will need sheltering from top competition, as many bottom-pairing defensemen do. He only averaged 18:16 of ice-time through the year, but considering that 59.3% of his zone starts were in the defensive end, he managed to hold his own. As a veteran 6th or 7th defenseman, he may still have something to offer.

Potential Suitors

The Blackhawks are seemingly always looking to re-unite with names from their past glories, but the fit may not be one Stan Bowman is willing to try again. He looked sluggish and out of sorts, and got blown by on numerous occasion by the depth players of Nashville. That said, the team will likely need at least another defenseman on the roster, so it’s not impossible. But with Duncan Keith (34), Brent Seabrook (32), and Michal Rozsival (38) already making up half the defense, do they really want to get older still?

Oduya hasn’t been definitively linked to practically anyone. It’s quite possible he’s holding on to see what opens up as teams enter training camp. Teams like the Washington Capitals, Philadelphia Flyers, and Los Angeles Kings could use another 6/7, and would be on the hunt for a bargain. The New Jersey Devils of course completely lacking on the back-end, and might want a mentor for 22 year olds Mirco Mueller, Damon Severson, and Michael Kapla. In truth, a good 50% of the league that could afford to take a chance on him for a single season, but the question remains, who will?

Ultimately, we aren’t likely to hear much chatter on this front until the arbitration period has passed. Teams want to have their organizational contracts set in stone before offering a contract to what will ultimately amount to a stop-gap defender solution.

Projected Contract

Last month, we projected a one-year, $2.5MM deal for Oduya back with Chicago, but they certainly no longer have him in their plans. We had him ranked at a respectable 32nd in a weak UFA class, but even that may have been overestimating his remaining value around the league. Oduya will likely have to settle for a one-year deal to prove he still “has it”, and the monetary value of that contract will be far less. He could always decide to play in Europe, but at the bare minimum he’ll attract at PTO, much like Cody Franson. If he does sign before the end of summer, it will likely be for under $1 MM, quite the paycut from his 2016-17 AAV of $3.75 MM.

Evening Notes: Blackhawks, Flyers, Palmquist

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The Minnesota Wild have locked up 26 year-old defenseman Zach Palmquist to a one-year, two way contract, per Renaud Lavoie. The NHL value of the contract is $725,000. Palmquist has not yet played an NHL game, but played in 72 games for the AHL affiliate Iowa Wild last season. Palmquist is a low-scoring two-way defender, but at barely 6 foot tall, relies more on his skating and stick-checking to find success. He has a decent, accurate pass but cannot be relied upon for consistent offensive production. Still, he was trapped in a gigantic logjam with the glut of defensemen in the Minnesota system. Perhaps he finally gets his cup of tea as a bottom-pairing defender in 2017-18.

  • Mark Lazarus of the Chicago Sun-Times contemplates the effect the Chicago overhaul will have on on-ice performance next season. He’s quick to point out that the 2016-17 Blackhawks had the second-best record in franchise history, which is quite storied. That said, it seems unlikely that the Hawks will be able to replicate that regular season success with such incredible turnover. Lazarus may be a little premature in his worry about post-season contention or management firings, but GM Stan Bowman and coach Joel Quenneville will undoubtedly start feeling heat if the season starts off on a sour note. Losing Artemi Panarin and Niklas Hjalmarsson in particular have drawn ire from the fanbase, and it will be interesting to see how much faith ownership maintains if Chicago struggles early in the incredibly deep Central division. Although many of the moves were made out of salary cap necessity, the expectation is to win.
  • The Flyers never do seem to fully alleviate their goaltending troubles. Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer is quick to point out that free-agent acquisition Brian Elliott is not the answer to all their woes in between the pipes. He points out with particular concern the unlikelihood of Michal Neuvirth playing a full 40+ game split, which he hasn’t done outside of one season. Ford also attacks the tandem goaltending model, stating that it rarely finds success – though that is certainly a matter of debate. Elliott himself had his best season of his career for the 2011-12 Blues in a tandem with Jaroslav Halak. Ultimately, the franchise seems to be pinning its long-term hopes on either Carter Hart,18  or Felix Sandstrom, 20 – but neither is a sure thing. GM Ron Hextall is still not sold on Anthony Stolarz (even after protecting him in the expansion draft) and will watch his progress closely next season with the AHL Phantoms in Lehigh Valley.

Snapshots: Gagner, Condon, Hamonic

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The Blackhawks are linked to Columbus UFA Sam Gagner, by way of a report from The Athletic’s Scott Powers. The parties have reached out to one another and expressed “mutual interest”. Gagner could be a good fit in Chicago, as he could jump-start an oddly sluggish powerplay, which finished 24th in the league last season. As always, an issue with signing in the Windy City is available cap dollars. Even after parting with Scott Darling, Artemi Panarin and Niklas Hjalmarsson, the team is $2.99 MM over the cap ceiling, Luckily the team doesn’t have any free agents that absolutely need to be re-signed, so they are free to prune a few forwards from the roster to get within acceptable range. Adding another mid-tier contract could complicate matters. The team has already been rumored to move on from center Marcus Kruger, who only makes $3.083 MM himself. Gagner will be looking for a figure around there after his career season, so his acquisition would mean more shuffling from GM Stan Bowman.

Judging by the fan reaction to the Panarin and Hjalmarsson moves, further shuffling might only serve to further shake confidence in the team’s direction. This isn’t even taking into account the Marian Hossa Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) drama, which alone should make for an interesting summer. For what it’s worth, Sportsnet’s Mark Spector believes Gagner will not return to Edmonton, so that eliminates a potential landing spot. Still, there are few available centers with his skill-set and offensive output, so I wouldn’t be shocked to see Chicago out-bid on this particular player.

  • The Flyers are not comfortable with an Anthony Stolarz and Michael Neuvirth tandem heading into 2017-18, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Sam Carchidi. Carchidi goes through the entire UFA selection, including former Flyer Steve Mason, Brian Elliott, Jonathan Bernier, Ryan Miller, and even Keith Kinkaid. Bernier could be a fit, but with his inconsistency I don’t see it being a good one. Mason endured a good deal of fan blame this season, and while a short-term deal is not impossible, it’s a fair assumption he searches for a role in another town. If the Flyers wanted to run a tandem, Neuvirth with Condon could work quite well. The author doesn’t believe that Condon is much of an upgrade over Stolarz, but at 23 and with 2 career wins, Stolarz is simply not at the same level. It’s rare to see a goalie that young be able to take a 40 game (or more) NHL workload with total success. Considering the Flyers’ developing defense, it might be a wise decision on GM Ron Hextall’s part to shelter him in the AHL for another season. Stolarz is definitely their future, and they will look to find a one to two year agreement with whatever stopgap they decide on.
  • A fascinating piece from Newsday’s Arthur Staple details what can only be described as an odd non-deal. The Islanders apparently offered Travis Hamonic and a 1st round pick to Colorado for Matt Duchene, which was subsequently declined by GM Joe Sakic. Isles GM Garth Snow proceeded to move Hamonic for picks while acquiring Jordan Eberle in a separate transaction. Duchene remains in Denver, and apparently his agent Pat Brisson is not happy with the turn of events. Duchene has been linked to trade rumors since nearly the start of the season, which saw his Avalanche finish with an abysmal 48 point dead-last league finish. Sakic was rumored to have a heavy asking price, and this apparent rejection only solidifies those rumblings. Hamonic himself ended up fetching a 1st and two 2nds from Calgary, which is a sizable haul for the Isles. Islanders faithful can’t be too disappointed by the alternative route Snow traversed.

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