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Poll: Can The Predators Make The Playoffs?

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Matt Duchene, the Nashville Predator’s blockbuster free agent addition of this past summer, remains very confident in his new team, despite how their season is going. Duchene, in the first season on a seven-year, $56MM contract, is one of a number of under-performing players on the Nashville roster. The team has not played up to expectations this year, which has already cost head coach Peter Laviolette his job and now threatens to cost the team a trip to the postseason. Yet, Duchene believes the team has what it takes to turn their season around and qualify. He told the media on Monday that he feels that Nashville is a playoff team and, to double down, he does not think they need to make a move ahead of the forthcoming NHL Trade Deadline.

It’s a mighty big prognostication from a player who has been part of the problem and not the solution for the Predators this year. Duchene is on pace for just 56 points this season, which would be among the worst years of his career, when he was supposed to be shine on a talented Nashville roster. He’s not alone; Filip Forsberg (59 points), Ryan Johansen (47), Viktor Arvidsson (40), Kyle Turris (36), and Mikael Granlund (30) are all on pace to finish well below what has come to be expected of them. On top of that, veteran starter Pekka Rinne and young backup Juuse Saros are both experiencing the worst campaigns of their careers. Nearly all of Nashville’s key pieces outside of Roman Josi have disappointed to this point in the season, leaving them in the basement of the Central Division and among the worst teams in the league in a number of categories.

Yet, maybe Duchene has a point. A closer look would imply that perhaps Nashville is more than their current last-place position in the Central Division. With substantial games in hand on Minnesota, Chicago, and Winnipeg, the Predators’ .543 points percentage before Monday night’s game is actually fourth-best in the division. Beyond that, while the Preds currently trail the Vegas Golden Knights by six points for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference, they are really just .005 points percentage points behind. Nashville actually seems to be well-positioned to compete for a spot. Also strange is the seeming lack of correlation between the number of underachieving core producers on the Predators and the actual state of their offense. At 3.30 goals for per game, the team is tied for seventh-best in the league in offense so far this season, even if only Josi is among the top scorers at his position.

With all that said, there is no hiding the fact that the Predators have been poor defensively and on special teams this season, their goaltending situation is shaky at best, and their best forwards have not risen to the occasion all year. Will the returns of Ryan Ellis and Colton Sissons be enough to boost the team? Can their struggling stars turn things around without help?

We already know how Duchene would vote, but what say you? Can the Predators make the playoffs?

[Mobile users click here to vote]

Trade Deadline Primer: Edmonton Oilers

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With the trade deadline now less than a month away, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?  Next up is a look at the Edmonton Oilers.

After two disastrous seasons, there was little hope that the Oilers might be able to compete for a playoff spot, especially considering the fact that new general manager Ken Holland didn’t make major changes to the team. They added James Neal and brought in a few overseas players in hopes of filling in the holes in their middle six, but instead, the Oilers have risen to the challenge under new head coach Dave Tippetts, holding the top spot in the division at several points in the season and still remain near the top of a competitive Pacific Division.

Record

26-18-5, tied (with three other teams) for second in the Pacific Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$5.851MM in a full-season cap hit (using LTIR), 1/3 used salary cap retention slots, 48/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2020: EDM 1st, EDM 2nd, EDM 3rd*, EDM 4th, EDM 5th, EDM 6th, EDM 7th
2021: EDM 1st, EDM 2nd, EDM 3rd, EDM 4th, EDM 5th, EDM 6th, PIT 6th, EDM 7th

*- Calgary will receive Edmonton’s third-round pick as part of the Neal/Lucic swap if Neal scores 21 or more goals and Lucic has at least ten goals less than him at the end of the season.  Neal is currently at 19 so he will likely get to 21 while Lucic is at four goals.

Trade Chips

With a number of young defensemen already in Edmonton and several others not far off, the Oilers would love to unload a defenseman, preferably someone who has a big contract such as Adam Larsson or Kris Russell. Whether they can convince anyone to take either of those is a whole different question. The team does have a few other third-pairing options it could move, including William Lagesson and Keegan Lowe, but the team has made it clear that top prospects Evan Bouchard and Philip Broberg are off the table in trade talks. Perhaps a team could pry away Dmitri Samorukov.

While the team many NHL options, Holland still has a full complement of draft picks, minus the team’s third-rounder, which is likely to change hands to Calgary. The team’s first-round pick could easily be in play for the right piece.

Five Players To Watch For: F Sam Gagner, D William Lagesson, D Adam Larsson, D Kris Russell, D William Lagesson, D Dmitri Samorukov

Team Needs

1) Scoring Help: The team still has holes in its top-nine. While the Oilers seem to have recently found some success on their second line with Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Kailer Yamamoto, Edmonton still has holes on its first line and third line and could, without a doubt, use one more significant scoring piece at the trade deadline. While there was plenty of talk about acquiring Taylor Hall back in December, that was quite unrealistic considering their cap situation. However, there are a number of options that could interest them, including a third-line center on the market — Ottawa’s Jean-Gabriel Pageau. He would fill a significant need on the third line or, if needed, could step into a top-six role on the wing. Another option would be adding Los Angeles’ Tyler Toffoli, whose name has been thrown around trade rumors quite a bit the last month or two. Toffoli might be a cheaper option, who could fill a top-nine role for the team and prove to be a better player than Alex Chiasson or Joakim Nygard.

2) Goaltending Depth: Yes, the team has Mikko Koskinen and Mike Smith, but the 37-year-old Smith hasn’t been that consistent this season and often sees his second-half numbers decline. The team has already used Smith quite a bit this year (26 appearances) and could use a more impactful player that can be used in tandem with Koskinen. Smith currently has a 2.96 GAA and a .901 save percentage, numbers that could be replaced if they wanted to go out and acquire an Alexandar Georgiev or swap Smith for a more consistent option.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pacific Notes: Oilers Offseason, Green, Hughes, Gretzky

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The Edmonton Oilers are still trying to put together a impact top-six. The team seems to have formed a new No. 2 line between Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Kailer Yamamoto, but the team is still trying to find partners for their No. 1 line centered around Connor McDavid.

The Athletic’s Allan Mitchell (subscription required) writes that throughout his career McDavid has always had a physical winger with him he wonders if that is even necessary any more. While the team is limited in its current options, this summer is likely to be a different story. The scribe writes that general manager Ken Holland will be looking to spend some money this offseason with names such as Taylor Hall and perhaps a more likely candidate could be Mike Hoffman, who might be the perfect linemate for McDavid if the two were paired together.

  • While Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning said recently that the team will wait until the summer to discuss a possible contract extension with head coach Travis Green, The Athletic’s Rick Dhaliwal (subscription required) writes that the team needs to lock up Green, considering the work he has put in over the last few years and how the team currently sits in first place in the Pacific Division. Of course, with four teams just one point behind them, Green’s extension could be tied with the team making the playoffs (especially considering the team traded their first-round pick to Tampa Bay to get J.T. Miller this summer). However, the scribe points out that the team needs Green locked up, not dealing with a new coach next season.
  • In a seperate tweet, Dhaliwal notes that Vancouver’s Quinn Hughes finds himself in a good position for an extension on July 1. Agent Pat Brisson said they will deal with it as they get closer to July 1. Hughes has had an impressive rookie year, which includes a trip to the All-Star game and could score quite an extension if Benning is willing. “We can start talking with Canucks on July 1st,” said Brisson. “We will cross that bridge when we get there. He is sure building a case as a strong asset. We will see how it goes.”
  • As rumored, Pacific Division’s head coach Rick Tocchet, who agreed to take over for fired Gerard Gallant at the All-Star game today, has got NHL icon Wayne Gretzky to serve behind his bench as an assistant coach, according to The Athletic’s Craig Morgan. Gretzky served as head coach of the Coyotes from 2005 to 2009,

PHWA Announce 2019-20 Midseason Awards

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Though they have no bearing on the eventual winners, each season the Professional Hockey Writers Association vote for the Midseason Awards to give fans an idea of who is leading the charge around the NHL at the halfway point. Today those ballots have been tallied and the midseason trophies were given out:

Hart Trophy – Most valuable player

1. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
2. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
3. David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins

Norris Trophy – Best defenseman

1. John Carlson, Washington Capitals
2. Roman Josi, Nashville Predators
3. Dougie Hamilton, Carolina Hurricanes

Selke Trophy – Best defensive forward

1. Sean Couturier, Philadelphia Flyers
2. Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins
3. Ryan O’Reilly, St. Louis Blues

Calder Trophy – Best rookie

1. Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
2. Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks
3. Victor Olofsson, Buffalo Sabres

Lady Byng Trophy – Sportsmanship & gentlemanly conduct

1. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
2. Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
3. Ryan O’Reilly, St. Louis Blues

Vezina Trophy – Best goaltender

1. Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
2. Ben Bishop, Dallas Stars
3. Darcy Kuemper, Arizona Coyotes

Jack Adams Award – Best coach

1. Mike Sullivan, Pittsburgh Penguins
2. John Tortorella, Columbus Blue Jackets
3. Craig Berube, St. Louis Blues

Jim Gregory GM of the Year Award

1. Joe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche
2. John Chayka, Arizona Coyotes
3. Doug Armstrong, St. Louis Blues

Rod Langway Award – Best defensive defenseman

1. Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes
2. Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
3. Roman Josi, Nashville Predators

Comeback Player of the Year Award

1. William Nylander, Toronto Maple Leafs
2. Anthony Duclair, Ottawa Senators
3. Max Pacioretty, Vegas Golden Knights

East Notes: Trade Bait, Red Wings, Bruins

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Trade season is starting to heat up, and Frank Seravalli of TSN has put together his latest Trade Bait board for all those who want to know who might be on the market. The top name on the list is Chris Kreider of the New York Rangers, but he’s not the only Eastern Conference player that might be on the move.

In fact, eight of the first ten assets on Servalli’s board are from the east, with only the Los Angeles Kings taking a couple of spots away. The Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, New Jersey Devils, Detroit Red Wings and Carolina Hurricanes all have pieces near the top.

  • Speaking of the Red Wings, with the playoffs already out of the question, it is hard to get excited about their games on a daily basis. That apathy is only amplified when top players are out of the lineup, as will be the case for the next several weeks. Anthony Mantha is “still a ways away, a month maybe” according to head coach Jeff Blashill, who also told reporters today that Mike Green will also be out “a couple weeks” with an upper-body injury.
  • With only a handful of games left before the All-Star break, the AHL transaction page hasn’t been as busy as usual this week. The Boston Bruins did make a move today however, recalling Jeremy Lauzon and assigning Steven Kampfer to the minor leagues. Lauzon will skate on a pair with Matt Grzelcyk, playing in an NHL game for just the second time this season.

Snapshots: Gallant, KHL Cross-Over Series, Kovalchuk

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Gerard Gallant spoke to the media for the first time since being relieved of his duties as head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights for two and a half years, along with his longtime assistant in Mike Kelly, and made it clear that he intends to return to coaching, according to Jason Simmonds of the Journal Pioneer.

“I’m far from done,” said Gallant, 56. “I enjoy coaching. If an opportunity comes up I will definitely look at it – myself and Mike. Mike is a big part of what I do too and sometimes people forget about the assistant coaches. Mike is a good man, we have been together for a long time. It’s not just me, Mike is part of that, too. We will get ready and hopefully, something comes up.”

Despite being shocked and disappointed that his tenure in Vegas ended so suddenly, the longtime coach still has good feeling about his time with the team.

“The 2 ½ years were incredible,” said Gallant. “That first year was a magical season. If we could have capped it off winning the Stanley Cup it would have been incredible. The second year was a really good year, too. We made the playoffs, battled hard. Up until I got fired, I had 2 ½ years of being really happy in Vegas. It’s a good organization, a good team and I was excited.”

  • There has been high hopes that the NHL and KHL might be able to produce a cross-over event between the two leagues. However, ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reports that possibility now remains unlikely after an interview with KHL president Dmitry Chernyshenko. “Everyone dreams of having a series, but it’s a matter of schedules,” said Chernyshenko. “What’s convenient for us is not convenient for them.” Kaplan said that Chernyshenko sat down with NBC to try to work out a time period that both leagues might get together, however, they failed to come up with dates to make it work.
  • The Montreal Gazette’s Jack Todd writes that Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin needs to sign forward Ilya Kovalchuk to an extension now. Currently on a one-year deal with the Canadiens, the 36-year-old has been impressive in his first eight games with the franchise, posting four goals and four assists. The scribe suggests that with the window closing for players like Carey Price and Shea Weber, the team needs veteran players to aid an already young locker room. He also notes that while often players struggle when they reach Montreal and the pressure that comes with it, Kovalchuk has thrived, suggesting he’s a perfect fit for the Canadiens and needs to be retained rather than moved at the trade deadline or worse, hope that he’ll sign a new deal in the summer when other teams can lure him away.

Central Notes: Bowness, Johns, Fiala, Kubalik

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The Dallas Stars were placed in a tough position back on Dec. 11 when they fired head coach Jim Montgomery due to off-ice, personal issues. The team installed assistant coach Rick Bowness in as interim coach, but general manager Jim Nill recently said that despite there being several big-name coaches available suddenly after a number of firings, he has no intention of making a second coaching change during the season.

However, The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro (subscription required) wonders whether Nill and the Stars might reconsider that stance with their bye-week coming up now that former Vegas coach Gerard Gallant has become available, as well as others like Mike Babcock and Peter Laviolette. The scribe writes that while it might create more unrest in the locker room, the team might not be able to resist a coach like Gallant, while Bowness might be OK with returning to his assistant coach role regardless.

  • Sticking with Dallas, Stars defenseman Stephen Johns fared well in his debut after missing 22 months due to post-concussion headaches. He played 18:29 against the Minnesota Wild with two shots on goal, two hits and a blocked shot, but told NHL.com’s Mike Heika that he intends to treat the upcoming bye-week and all-star break as his own training camp to get back into form. “I’m going to treat this bye week like a training camp for me,” said Johns. “Obviously, I need to get in better shape, I was breathing pretty hard out there today. It’s not really a break for me, which I’m fine with. I’ve had a long break.”
  • Sarah McLellan of the Star Tribune writes that almost a year after coming over from Nashville via trade, Minnesota Wild forward Kevin Fiala has found himself trying to develop himself as a complete player. While he has great offensive potential, he has often found himself as a healthy scratch due to his in-game mistakes and has made it clear he wants to change the way he plays. “I want to be a package, the full package, for sure,” Fiala said. “[But] I want to be me. I want to be offense.”
  • The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus (subscription required) writes that Chicago Blackhawks forward Dominik Kubalik has forced his way into the Calder Trophy discussions after scoring nine goals in the last seven games. The 24-year-old, whose rights came to Chicago in a trade with Los Angeles a year ago for a 2019 fifth-round pick, arrived from the NLA this summer and currently leads all rookies with 20 goals. Of course Colorado’s Cale Makar is the obvious first choice for the Calder, but the scribe writes that Kubalik is getting comfortable in the NHL now and might continue to improve.

Nashville’s Austin Watson Moved From Healthy Scratch To First Line

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It has now been a week and a half since John Hynes replaced Peter Laviolette as the head coach of the Nashville Predators. In that time, it has been a mixed bag of results. Hynes lost his debut mere hours after his hire became official, but it came at the hands of the Boston Bruins, one of the league’s best teams. The Predators then scored a convincing win over the Chicago Blackhawks and a hard fought two points against the Winnipeg Jets. Just when it looked like the coaching change could be paying immediate dividends, Nashville dropped their past two games to the Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks.

Hynes has apparently decided that major lineup changes may be in order to get the team to play up to their expectations and he plans to begin those experiments on Saturday night against the Buffalo Sabres. After already demoting Viktor Arvidsson to the third line, Hynes is set to roll out another major lineup change. Austin Watson goes from healthy scratch for four of the five games of Hynes’ young tenure to the first line, joining Ryan Johansen and Calle Jarnkrok. He replaces Craig Smith, who is set to fall all the way to the fourth line with Kyle Turris and Colin Blackwell, with Yakov Trenin getting the healthy scratch due to Watson’s addition.

Hynes’ thinking with this move may not be as focused on offense as it is on defense. In fact, while many Nashville forwards have been disappointing on an individual basis this season, the team is tied for eighth in the NHL in goals for per game. The same can’t be said for goals against, where the Predators are ranked 24th. Nashville simply has not been a difficult team to play against this season and the loss of Colton Sissons has only exasperated that fact. There has been an obvious lack of physical response and energy from the forward group many nights. As they struggle to get a more balanced, two-way effort out of their forwards, Hynes may be hoping that a refreshed Watson, who leads the team in hits by a wide margin despite sitting six games (and Sissons is in second) can add some punch to the top line. Meanwhile, Smith can bring some experience and scoring threat to the fourth line, where maybe he can even get Turris re-energized.

Perhaps more important than strategy is that this moves by Hynes sends a message that no one’s role is safe under the new coach. The effort has to improve and no one is irreplaceable if they don’t perform. If the team continues to lose, don’t be surprised to see GM David Poile send the same message to his roster by the trade deadline.

Snapshots: Williams, Tryamkin, Sorenson, Luukkonen

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The Carolina Hurricanes are close to getting their former captain back as Justin Williams is expected to return to the ice on Sunday against the New York Islanders, according to News & Observer’s Chip Alexander. While head coach Rod Brind’Amour did state that Williams will go through pre-game warmups before he made a decision on whether to play Williams, the scribe writes that everyone, including Brind’Amour believes that Williams will make his debut on Sunday.

“I’m nervous before every game I play so I’m going to have nerves,” Williams said. “But the one thing you never question is your ability and that’s one thing I’m never going to question. I’m going to go out there and work my tail off and let my instincts take over.”

The 38-year-old Williams signed a one-year deal 11 days ago and has been working with the team trying to get into game shape. Williams is coming off a solid season in which he scored 23 goals and 53 points last season and likely will take a bottom-six role to start.

  • The Vancouver Canucks still remain hopeful they can bring back defenseman Nikita Tryamkin, who left the team three years ago after his dissatisfaction with his playing time and refusal to play in the AHL. The Canucks have hoped to bring back the 6-foot-7, 265-pound blueliner back after several successful seasons in the KHL. The 25-year-old might be open to coming back, according to his agent, Todd Diamond (via TSN’s Rick Dhaliwal. “It’s very much on the table, the goal and desire is to sign in Vancouver, that’s what we have had discussions about,” said Diamond. “I don’t want to disrupt his season. There is plenty of time to talk when his season is over.”
  • San Jose Sharks head coach Bob Boughner changed up the lines of his team, which also included listing forward Marcus Sorensen as a healthy scratch. Boughner used the word “message” when addressing the media, according to The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz, suggesting he needs more “relentlessness” and for him to play “more on the inside.” After a 17-goal campaign, the 27-year-old is struggling this season with just five goals and has just one point in the last 19 games.
  • Buffalo Sabres goaltending prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made his season debut in the AHL Saturday, stopping 24 of 27 shots in the Rochester American’s 4-3 shootout loss to the Cleveland Monsters. The Buffalo News’ Bill Hoppe writes that the plan has been to allow Luukkonen to stay with the team for a week before they return the top prospect to the ECHL, where he will play in their all-star game. The team may give him one more start before sending him back.

Vegas Golden Knights Fire Gerard Gallant, Hire Peter DeBoer

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Thursday: Gallant was supposed to coach the Pacific Division All-Star team at this month’s event, but will be replaced by Rick Tocchet of the Arizona Coyotes.

Wednesday: In shocking news this morning, the Vegas Golden Knights have decided to fire the first coach in franchise history, Gerard Gallant, and replace him with Peter DeBoer. Gallant’s assistant Mike Kelly has also been relieved of his duties. General manager Kelly McCrimmon released a statement on the move:

In order for our team to reach its full potential, we determined a coaching change was necessary. Our team is capable of more than we have demonstrated this season. We would like to thank Gerard and Mike for their service to the Vegas Golden Knights. They were both instrumental to the success we have enjoyed in our first two-plus seasons and we wish them all the best moving forward. In Peter DeBoer, we have a proven, experienced head coach who we believe can help us achieve our ultimate goal. We are excited to welcome Peter and his family to the Vegas Golden Knights organization. We look forward to a strong finish to the 2019-20 season with Peter at the helm and a successful tenure in the seasons to come.

Gallant was hired to lead the Golden Knights into their first season in 2017, and did more with a roster of misfits and castoffs than anyone expected. The expansion club got off to a fast start and never looked back, riding strong goaltending and breakout performances all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. Though they would lose in five games to the Washington Capitals, a 51-24-7 season was considered an unparalleled success for the expansion franchise and proved that Vegas was already a contender in the Western Conference.

That expectation of success only continued last season, when the Golden Knights once again made the playoffs with a 43-32-7 record. While that was a step backwards, the team still had 93 points and was within a goal of going to the second round after a brutal loss to the San Jose Sharks. This season saw more of that success, though a four-game losing streak now has the Golden Knights sitting just outside the playoff picture, tied with the Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets but having played two more games.

Perhaps it is that losing streak that did him in, as Gallant’s dismissal has been called completely “performance based.” The team has regressed in terms of points percentage since they started, but how much you can blame that on the coach is unclear. It’ll be DeBoer’s opportunity to show that he can turn things around, with a third of the season still remaining.

Speaking of DeBoer, he gets a new job after only being fired himself a month ago. The former Sharks bench boss is back in business after being let go earlier this season, and will start in with his fourth team. The two-time Stanley Cup finalist has never won the ultimate prize, but does have a .550 winning percentage across 855 career games behind the bench.

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