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Snapshots: Big Read, Miller, Suspensions

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If you’ve ever wondered how deadline deals come together now that front offices have to go through so many obstacles to make a trade, you’re in luck. Salary caps, international scouting and forced parity are all discussed in Sportsnet’s latest “Big Read” by Gare Joyce. In a piece that goes in detail with two GMs, a scout, an agent and NHL lawyer, fans are brought into a world that is usually closed off to the general public.

I’ve never made or even tried to make a deal face-to-face with another GM. The idea that it’s something that we’ve kicked around at GMs’ meetings or talked about at games—it just doesn’t happen…when you’re making the call, just by making it, you’re telling another GM, ‘I don’t think your team is going to make the playoffs.’

The story reveals some interesting tidbits, like how many deadline deals are actually agreed to in principal weeks prior, only to not be put through to give the buyer some time to make sure his team is still in the hunt come March 1st. All these people will be extremely busy over the next few days, as teams finalize their rosters for the stretch run.

  • Larry Brooks of the New York Post reveals that almost every discussion the New York Rangers are in start with some mention of J.T. Miller—which is a non-starter unless a superstar is involved. At just 23-years old, Miller is already the leading scorer on a very deep New York Rangers team and is on the cusp of becoming a household name in the NHL. Playing on both special teams and dominating at even strength, the Rangers would be crazy to deal him.
  • The AHL has handed down a pair of suspensions, to Greger Hanson and Kurtis Gabriel. Binghamton Senators forward Hanson sent Toronto Marlies player Brett Findlay head first into the boards on Friday, resulting in a boarding penalty and a two-game suspension. Hanson has spent most of the season in the ECHL, and is actually on his fourth minor league team of the year. Gabriel has been suspended indefinitely pending a review of the brawl that continued off the ice on Saturday between the Iowa Wild and Chicago Wolves. Gabriel—who ended up knocked out from a devastating punch—was the one who incited the fight as both players were heading to their respective dressing rooms.

Snapshots: Penguins, Capitals, Jones

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After Jim Rutherford pulled off his latest deadline deal, acquiring Ron Hainsey for a second-round draft pick today, he met the media to answer questions about his team and rest of the trade deadline. At the same time, Washington Capitals GM Brian MacLellan was meeting with media to discuss his team’s aspirations at the deadline. Here are the highlights from both, plus other news from the hockey world.

Snapshots: Memorial Cup, Rozsival, Brodin

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The Maple Leafs announced the four additions to their Legends Row tonight before the start of their game against the Ottawa Senators. Charlie Conacher, Red Kelly, Frank Mahovlich and Wendel Clark will all have statues revealed in the fall alongside the other 10 players.

Brendan Shanahan (via James Mirtle of The Athletic) spoke at the ceremony, saying “it is our sincere hope that we will soon have reason to expand this bench to recognize future Leafs heroes.” One player Leaf fans are hoping will be in that group one day, Mitch Marner, is out tonight and tomorrow with a shoulder injury, forcing the Maple Leafs to shake up their lines. William Nylander is back skating with Auston Matthews, while Connor Brown has been dropped into Marner’s spot.

  • Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet tells us that the 2018 Memorial Cup will be held in Regina, Saskatchewan. The CHL tournament is a huge stage for young players to showcase their skills, and the host city is entered automatically. Hopefully for the Regina Pats, Sam Steel will still be with them next season. The 30th-overall pick by Anaheim at the most recent draft has 103 points in 50 games and is still only 18 years old.
  • According to Chris Hine of the Chicago Tribune, Chicago will be getting a little veteran depth back on the blueline as early as tomorrow. Michal Rozsival, who hasn’t played since January 15th due to a foot injury is set to return to the lineup Sunday against the Buffalo Sabres. The veteran of 955 games gives the Hawks an extra body that can be trusted in a limited role. With the team on their way back to the playoffs, they’ll need all the health they can get.
  • Just before their game started, Michael Russo of the Star Tribune told us the Minnesota Wild activated Jonas Brodin from injured reserve. Brodin hasn’t played since January 17th, and will be a big addition to the Wild as they look to continue their dominance in the Western Conference. The team has 82 points already, easily pacing the west and seven points ahead of the Blackhawks for first in the Central Division.
  • Lou Korac of NHL.com adds that the St. Louis Blues have sent Kenny Agostino back down to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL, despite playing well in his short stint. The Blues have Paul Stastny returning and had a roster crunch up front. Agostino will head back to the AHL where he was the league’s top scorer at the time of his call up—and still is. 60 points in 48 games for the former fifth-round pick, who has turned into an excellent playmaker at the age of 24.

Stars Acquire Goalie Peters From Coyotes

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The Dallas Stars and Arizona Coyotes combined to finalize a trade this afternoon with four minor league players changing hands. Dallas announced the transaction on their official NHL.com website. The most notable name is that of goaltender Justin Peters, who goes from the desert to the Stars organization. He has appeared in 83 career NHL games, posting a GAA of 3.08 and a S% of 0.901 over parts of seven seasons. In three games earlier this season with Arizona, Peters has a loss in his only decision while allowing seven goals on 70 shots against.

Peters will provide experienced depth and a possible upgrade for Dallas’ AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars. Texas goaltenders have combined for a GAA of 3.35 and a S% of 0.890 in 50 games this season. Peters hasn’t had a particularly strong season for Arizona’s Tucson affiliate, recording a GAA of 4.17 and a S% of 0.868, but has posted solid numbers in the past in that league.

Also coming to Dallas is defenseman Justin Hache, who was Arizona’s seventh-round pick in the 2012 entry draft. He has split this season between the Coyotes AHL and ECHL affiliates, tallying one assist in five games for Tucson and nine points in 21 contests for the Rapid City Rush.

Joining the Coyotes organization are forwards Brendan Ranford and Branden Troock. Ranford is the only one of the two to have seen any NHL action, appearing in one game with Dallas last season. The 5-foot-10, 182-pound left wing was originally a seventh-round selection in 2010 by Philadelphia. Since turning pro in 2013-14, Ranford has appeared in a total of 250 games with Texas and has registered a scoring line of 55-105=160 with 89 minutes in penalties.

Troock, a 6-foot-2, 194-pound right wing was chosen by the Stars in the fifth-round of the 2012 draft and has spent the last four campaigns splitting time between Texas and Idaho of the ECHL. In 98 career AHL games, Troock has scored nine goals with 30 points.

It’s unlikely this trade will pay dividends for either team at the NHL level, but it’s possible that the clubs are shuffling some of their minor league depth in order to better facilitate another, more significant deal later. It’s likely the Coyotes will be a seller at the trade deadline and wingers Shane Doan and Radim Vrbata may generate interest in the weeks ahead. Adding Ranford and Troock gives the Arizona organization enough experienced minor league depth at that position to help survive the loss of one or both NHL veterans, should the right offer come along.

 

Eastern Conference Snapshots: Hurricanes, Trocheck, Mantha

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From the outside looking in, the stars seem to be aligned for the relocation of an NHL franchise. The Carolina Hurricanes are up for sale and their attendance figures once again rank near the bottom of the league. And up north, Quebec City, the former home of the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche franchise, has a shiny new arena lacking an NHL tenant. It almost makes too much sense but as Chip Alexander of The News & Observer writes, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman says the league remains committed to the “Triangle.”

“Peter may sell, he may not sell,” Bettman said Saturday. “He may sell all of it. He may sell some of it. He may sell none of it. There’s no formal sale process going on. There’s no imperative for the franchise to be sold on any immediate basis, and the franchise is not moving. I hope that was definitive enough.”

While there is a strong possibility the team will be sold, the NHL sees far too much promise in the Carolina market to abandon it now. As Alexander notes, the Triangle is one of the fastest growing markets in the country and given that the Hurricanes appear to have a bright future with loads of young talent int he pipeline, it may only be a matter of time before the organization turns it around, both on and off the ice.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • First time All-Star Vincent Trocheck is on pace to register a 30-goal season, one year after netting 25 goals and 53 points as a 22-year-old in his sophomore NHL campaign. The former third-round pick has turned heads with his strong offensive production the last two seasons but Trocheck believes he is just scratching the surface of his potential, according to Harvey Fialkov of the Sun Sentinel. Trocheck is contributing more than just offense, as Fialkov points out, taking the fourth highest number of draws in the entire NHL. He also ranks second on the team among forwards in hits and shot blocks. Florida felt strongly enough in Trocheck’s future to ink the youngster to a six-year, $28.5MM contract extension this past July and the early returns have proven positive for the Panthers.
  • The Detroit Red Wings are in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in more than a quarter-century and while that won’t make the fans in Motown happy, the development of the club’s young talent this season could represent a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season. Among the young Wings who are coming into their own is Anthony Mantha, the team’s first-round pick in 2013, as Brendan Savage of MLive.com reports. Mantha enjoyed tremendous success with Val d’Or of the QMJHL, capping off his junior career with a 57-goal season and being named CHL Player of the Year in 2013-14. His pro career got off to an auspicious beginning, due in part to a broken leg his first season with Grand Rapids but the 22-year-old winger is finally showing his promise this year in Detroit. Mantha has recorded 11 goals and 22 points in 34 games this season and is tied for third on the club in goals. Even if the Wings fall short of extending their playoff run, the continued development of players like Mantha will go a long way as the team looks to begin its next streak.

What To Watch For: AHL All-Star Game, CHL Top Prospects Game

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Once all the All-Star festivities in Los Angeles have died down on Sunday, hockey fans will be left facing the worst kind of Monday: one without NHL action. However, those with an eye on the future, interested in watching some future NHL All-Stars, will be happy to know that all is not lost. Both the American Hockey League (AHL) All-Star Game, featuring the best of the best of those on the cusp of being NHL regulars, and the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Top Prospects game, showcasing the top 40 2017 draft-eligible prospects across the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and Western Hockey League (WHL), are set to take place on Monday night. Here is a preview of what to watch for in these two talented contests:

The AHL All-Star Game, in the same mold as the NHL’s new model, includes a skills competition on Sunday night and a 3-0n-3 tournament between divisional squads on Monday night. Many current NHL stars got their start in the minor leagues and found All-Star-caliber success before taking advantage of their opportunities at the next level, and 2017 should be no different. So who are the future phenoms participating? Though he has yet to be demoted by the Pittsburgh Penguins, it is expected that Jake Guentzel will get to participate in the All-Star game and no player has had quite the impact that Guentzel has in 2016-17. Not only an All-Star, but also a first-year pro, Guentzel has made the transition from the NCAA to the AHL (and NHL) a seamless one. After scoring 46 points in 35 games for the University of Nebraska-Omaha a year ago, Guentzel has an almost identical 42 points in 33 games in the AHL this season. A player in a similar position is Guentzel’s Atlantic Division teammate Zane McIntyre of the Boston Bruins. McIntyre was promoted to the backup in Boston due to his amazing AHL success and has yet to be demoted, but is likely to get his chance to shine at the All-Star game. McIntyre is 10-0 in AHL play this season, with a league-best .951 save percentage and 1.41 goals against average in 12 appearances. The other Atlantic Division goalie, and Guenztel’s actual teammate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is Tristan Jarry, who has a .920 SV% and 2.22 GAA in 26 games. Yet another member of the stacked Atlantic team is the Philadelphia Flyers’ Jordan Weal, who has 42 points in 38 games. Outside of the Atlantic, St. Louis Blues prospect Kenny Agostino leads the AHL with 40 assists and 57 points for the Chicago Wolves. The 24-year-old is working hard for another shot at the NHL and will get the chance to further show what he can do at the All-Star game for the Central squad. Danny O’Regan of the San Jose Barracuda, who has gotten a chance to play in a few games this season for the team down the hall, trails only Guentzel in rookie scoring with 36 points in 32 games, while recent Arizona Coyotes call-up Christian Fischer sits in third with 32 points in 31 games and will join him on the Pacific Division team. Finally, keep an eye on defenseman Matt Taormina of the Syracuse Crunch, a Tampa Bay Lightning prospect who leads all AHL blue liners in points and will be dangerous for the North Division unit. The AHL All-Star game brings together the best players who are just an injury or slump away from making a difference in the NHL and it promises to provide a lot of skill and exciting action.

For those looking even further into the future, especially fans of teams with strong lottery chances in this year’s NHL Entry Draft, the CHL Top Prospects Game is for you. Featuring the best players in the CHL, the conglomerate of the three league’s that provide the majority of NHL talent, the All-Star game of sorts guarantees to provide an insight into at least 20 upcoming first-round picks. The game features Team Don Cherry and Team Bobby Orr, comprised of randomly selected players within NHL Central Scouting’s top 40 prospects. Captaining Team Cherry, and getting his first chance at real spotlight after missing much of the early season, is presumptive #1 overall pick Nolan Patrick. The big center has 17 points in 11 games for the Brandon Wheat Kings, but his limited action hasn’t stopped many from naming him the best available player. He’ll be joined by Owen Tippett of the OHL’s Mississigua Steelheads, the top-scoring draft-eligible player in the OHL, historically the best of the three leagues. Another OHL star and suspected top-ten pick, Gabriel Vilardi of the Windsor Spitfires, will skate with team, as will Maxime Comtois of the QMJHL’s Victoriaville Tigres, ranked No. 15 by Central Scouting. Rounding out the squad is defenseman Callan Foote, son of former NHLer Adam Foote and one of the top defenseman available in 2017. Team Bobby Orr will be headed up by Swiss star Nico Hischier, who excelled at the World Juniors and has kept it going with the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads to the tune of 67 points in 39 games. Hischier’s alternate captains will be center Michael Rasmussen of the WHL’s Tri-City Americans, who has flown up the rankings to No. 6 overall, and another top blue line prospect, big Nicholas Hague, also of the OHL’s Steelheads. Other WHL superstars Cody Glass of the Portland Winterhawks and Nikita Popugaev of the Moose Jaw Warriors round out a deep forward group, while the OHL Spitfires’ goalie Michael DiPietro in net presents another potential first-rounder. There will be no shortage of action in this contest, the best option to see top draft prospects prior to their selection in June.

Hayley Wickenheiser Announces Her Retirement

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At the age of 38, Hayley Wickenheiser – arguably the greatest female hockey player of all-time – has decided to hang up her skates. She sent out a tweet Friday night that (fittingly) showed her on a public rink bench with the caption: Hayley Wickenheiser

Dear Canada. It has been the greatest honour of my life to play for you. Time to hang em up!! Thank you! #grateful #graduationday #canada

If you haven’t followed women’s hockey over the past couple of decades, Wickenheiser is a name you need to learn. She is a four-time Olympic gold medalist in consecutive winter games (and add a silver from 1998 for good luck), and the first woman to play full-time professional hockey at a position other than goal.

In 2003, Wickenheiser signed on with a Finnish men’s team and played 23 games with the club that season, breaking a barrier for women around the world. She scored 12 points for the team in those 23 games (including 7 in 11 playoff matches), but left the league after just 10 scoreless games the next season. Years later she would play for a Swedish men’s team, scoring three points in 21 games. In 26 Olympic matches, she scored 51 points.

An incredible athlete, Wickenheiser also represented Canada in softball at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Once offered a contract to play in the ECHL by Phil Esposito (though she would never play for the team), her journey in hockey simply outgrew where the women’s level was at that time.  She will be a no-brainer inductee to the Hockey Hall of Fame, with discussion already beginning on whether the waiting period will be waived for her.

If it weren’t for Wickenheiser, there is no guarantee women’s hockey would be as developed as it is today. She, and other legends like her, inspired a generation of young women to pick up a hockey stick, get on the ice, and challenge the notion that hockey was only for men.

Dear Hayley. It has been a great hono(u)r to watch you play. Thank you.

Junior Notes: Stephens, Salituro, Bracco, Patrick

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With the Ontario Hockey League trade deadline fast approaching, several big deals have gone down today. The first, and arguably the most impactful, is the highly-speculated trade of Saginaw Spirit forward Mitchell Stephens. The 2015 second-round selection of the Tampa Bay Lightning is fresh off of a point-per-game performance for Canada at the World Juniors and has 28 points in 22 games thus far in the 2016-17 OHL season. He now heads to the storied London Knights franchise, the defending Memorial Cup champions and winners of three of the last five OHL titles. The former Spirit captain waived his no-trade clause to go to the Knights, where he’ll join a multitude of fellow elite prospects including Olli Juolevi, Cliff Pu, and Max Jones. The return for Saginaw is four second-round picks and two-third round picks over the next seven years.

After acquiring New York Islanders defenseman prospect Mitch Vande Sompel yesterday and Stephens this morning, the Knights still weren’t done. They’ve also added Columbus Blue Jackets forward prospect Dante Salituro. Salituro has yet to play a junior game this season, signing an entry-level deal with Columbus this summer and bouncing around through the AHL and ECHL so far this year, but the 20-year-old still has his junior eligibility and is expected to join the Knights for the remainder of the season. It was a risk-free trade for his former team, the Ottawa ’67s, who obtained Chris Martenet and a trio of future draft picks (2nd, 3rd, and 5th) for a player who was not even on the roster.

Armed with their three new additions to an already talented lineup, the London Knights should again make a deep run in the OHL playoffs. They currently hold a slim lead on the Erie Otters and Owen Sound Attack in the OHL’s Midwest Division, and trail the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds by just three points for the best record in the league.

In other juniors news:

  • Another big trade today was that of Toronto Maple Leafs prospect and World Juniors standout Jeremy Bracco. After returning to the Kitchener Rangers with a gold medal in hand, the 2015 second-rounder is on the move again, this time to the Windsor Spitfires. Bracco has 51 points in only 27 OHL games this season, and chipped in three goals and two assists for Team USA as well. Bracco is now guaranteed to see some Memorial Cup action this year, as Windsor is set to host the event. They would be a contender to compete regardless, as they boast two 2016 first-round picks on defense in Montreal’s Mikhail Sergachev and Winnipeg’s Logan Stanley, as well as 2017 top prospect Gabriel Vilardi up front. Adding Bracco to Vilardi should boost the offense in Windsor and make them a real threat to unseat the Soo Greyhounds in the West Division.
  • Over in the WHL, the Brandon Wheat Kings probably feel as if they have made a huge trade themselves, as they announced that presumptive #1 overall pick in 2017, Nolan Patrick, is ready to return this week. The big center has missed all but six games this season – though still has nine points – but has finally recovered from his upper body injury. Expect the top prospect to put up big-time points down the stretch for the Kings, as he looks to shake off any skepticism stemming from his absence and re-assert himself as the definitive top pick this June.

 

“Major” Juniors Trades: Dubois, Gauthier, Popugaev

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The Pierre-Luc Dubois trade has been completed. Nearly a month after it was originally reported that the 3rd overall pick in the 2016 draft would be moved to another QMJHL team, the details of the deal have finally been formalized, and on the league trade deadline no less. Dubois will move from the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, whom he has played for in parts of three seasons, to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. In exchange, Cape Breton will receive 16-year-old forward Mathias Laferrière and the Armada’s first round draft pick in 2017 and second round pick in 2018.

The Columbus Blue Jackets prospect is quite a haul for Blainville-Boisbriand. Though Dubois had a less-than-stellar World Junior experience with Team Canada and has yet to find his rhythm since returning to juniors, he remains one of the top young two-way forwards in Canadian juniors. Dubois racked up a whopping 99 points in just 62 games with the Screaming Eagles last season, and his physical style earned him 112 penalty minutes as well. He’ll now bring that unique combination of high-end skill and grit to an Armada team that currently sits in second in the QMJHL’s West Division, just two points behind the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.

  • Another QMJHL team getting much better on deadline day is the Maritime Division-leading Saint John Sea Dogs, who have acquired 2016 first-round forward Julien Gauthier. Gauthier comes over from the Val-d’Or Foreurs, who sit in last place in the West Division, at the price of a third-round pick in 2017, two second-round  picks in 2018 and a first rounder in 2019, as well as prospect Nathan Cyr-Trottier. It’s a steep price for the Sea Dogs, but well worth it for one of the junior league’s best power forwards. The 21st overall pick by the Carolina Hurricanes this June, Gauthier is back on his better than a point-per-game pace this year that he finished the season with in each of his first two campaigns with Val-d’Or. He’s also fresh off of a five-goal effort for Team Canada at the World Juniors. Joining fellow top prospects Thomas Chabot, Jakub Zboril, and Matheiu Joseph, Gauthier completes a formidable roster for Saint John, now likely the favorite to win the QMJHL this season.
  • Over in Western Canada, the WHL is approaching their own Trade Deadline on Tuesday and the Prince George Cougars have mad a major move. Headed to the B.C. Division leaders is 2017 top-ten hopeful Nikita Popugaev. The 6’6″ scorer already has 51 points in 40 games for the Moose Jaw Warriors in his second major junior season, good enough for a place in the top ten in scoring. The move is somewhat of a surprise as the Warriors sit in second place in the East Division, with just three points less than the Cougars on the season. However, Moose Jaw is getting their fair share in return, as  Prince George sends 18-year-old forward Yan Khomenko, 17-year-old forward Justin Almeida, a second-round pick in the 2018 Draft and a fifth-round pick in the 2017 Draft back in return.

 

Mirco Mueller Recalled By Sharks…Again

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In what has become one of the more amusing stories of the season so far, Mirco Mueller has been recalled once again by the San Jose Sharks. The team has moved Marc-Edouard Vlasic to injured reserve to make room.

For the eighth time this year, Mueller will be involved in a transaction between the NHL and AHL. There was a period in December that saw the defenseman called up and sent down three times in a single week.

Amazingly, Mueller has still yet to play in a single game for the Sharks, instead just helping the team practice and then sitting in the press box. He has however played in 25 games for the San Jose Barracuda between all the moves, registering eight points.

The former 18th-overall pick is having a strange season, but from all accounts a strong one for the AHL team, as he continues to develop into a two-way defenseman. With both Vlasic and David Schlemko absent from practice today, perhaps he’ll get into his first game with the Sharks this season on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Kings.

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