Snapshots: Luongo, Wilson, AHL
The Florida Panthers have sent Michael Hutchinson back to the minor leagues, indicating that Roberto Luongo is ready to get back into the crease. The veteran goaltender has been dealing with a lower-body injury, and is a huge part of the Panthers’ chances of competing for a playoff spot this year. When he’s healthy and on the ice the team looks almost completely different, despite his .902 save percentage.
Luongo is just 19 games behind Patrick Roy for second on the all-time games played list, and just nine behind Ed Belfour for third on the wins list. Those kind of numbers are going to make him a lock for the Hall of Fame, but it’s the Stanley Cup that remains just out of reach. Luongo will turn 40 in April, but has amazingly only been to the playoffs seven times and has just 70 postseason appearances under his belt. If that number is to increase the Panthers are going to have to put it together in the second two-thirds of the season.
- As expected, the Philadelphia Flyers have hired Rick Wilson as an assistant coach for the remainder of the season. Wilson, a long-time NHL assistant, had previously been hired by new GM Chuck Fletcher in his previous job for Minnesota. Head coach Dave Hakstol‘s job appears to be safe for now, but it seems likely that Fletcher will re-evaluate the entire staff after the season.
- Two players have earned suspensions in the AHL. Dennis Gilbert of the Rockford IceHogs has been suspended three games for an illegal check to the head, while Alex Gallant of the Chicago Wolves is out for the next two games after earning a match penalty in Sunday’s game. Gallant, a 25-year old undrafted forward, has been suspended multiple times in the past by the AHL and doesn’t have a single point yet this season. Gilbert on the other hand is a third-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in his first professional season.
Anthony Mantha Out Four To Six Weeks
Not much has gone right for the Detroit Red Wings this season, but at least Anthony Mantha had developed into a legitimate top line option for the team. Unfortunately, that development will be put on hold for the time being, as head coach Jeff Blashill told reporters today that Mantha will be out four to six weeks with a hand injury. The big forward will undergo surgery today according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.
Mantha injured the hand while fighting with Patrik Nemeth of the Colorado Avalanche, in a game that hearkened back to the old Detroit-Colorado rivalry of the past. A suspension of Tyler Bertuzzi also came out of the game, though his two-game ban is nothing compared to the loss of Mantha for more than a month. The 24-year old has 14 points in 27 games this season and has used his 6’5″ frame to create room for himself and his linemates on a regular basis.
The Red Wings lost the game as well and have dropped to seventh place in the Atlantic Division, a stone’s throw away from the bottom of the Eastern Conference. While the team wasn’t expected to compete for the Stanley Cup this season, plenty of hope grew out of the early performances from some of their young core forwards. Mantha, Bertuzzi, Andreas Athanasiou, Dylan Larkin, and Michael Rasmussen have all looked like they can be parts of the next wave of Red Wings success, and with others like Joe Veleno and Filip Zadina on the way there was plenty of reason to be excited for the future.
That excitement should still exist, though this outcome is far from ideal. While the team wants Mantha to get involved physically and defend his teammates, losing a big chunk of a developmental season could have tough consequences. The team will have to hope he can jump right back into the action once he returns in the New Year.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: Columbus Blue Jackets
As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. Let’s take a look at what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
What are the Blue Jackets most thankful for?
There has been a dark cloud around the Blue Jackets at the start of the season with two of their best players suggesting they would rather be elsewhere (I’ll talk about that later) and then a significant injury to top defenseman Seth Jones, who tore a ligament in his knee during the preseason and missed the first month of the season. Throw in a disappointing season the previous year from players such as Zach Werenski, Alexander Wennberg, Brandon Dubinsky and Boone Jenner and many wondered whether the franchise might take a step back this season.
Instead, the Blue Jackets have played quite well and stand in second place in the Metropolitan Division with a solid 15-9-2 record this season. Several players have stepped up and the team has gotten solid goaltending. With a solid defense and lots of offense, the Blue Jackets look like a team that will contend and hopefully can make a deep push into the playoffs as the franchise hasn’t gotten out of the first round since the 2008-09 season.
Who are the Blue Jackets most thankful for?
Not more than a year ago, Columbus handed Cam Atkinson a seven-year, $41.1MM extension and he responded with a disappointing season, posting a pedestrian 24 goals and 46 points, the lowest of his career since the 2014-15 season. With a number of veterans struggling after being handed long-term deals (Dubinsky, Wennberg), many wondered whether the Blue Jackets made a mistake when they inked the then 28-year-old to such a long extension.
Fast forward one year and Atkinson is proving his value with a banner season so far. He has already scored 16 goals and 27 points in 25 games and looks to be developing into a point-per-game player, which would blow away any previous career highs. His team-leading five power play goals and two short-handed goals prove he has become the team’s most valuable player on the team so far this season amongst a large number of big names.
What would the Blue Jackets be even more thankful for?
While the team has got some secondary scoring, the team keeps hoping to turn some players’ careers around. The team signed Anthony Duclair to a one-year deal in hopes of developing him into the player everyone thought he would develop into. The Blue Jackets also had high hopes that Oliver Bjorkstrand would develop into a top-six player. While Duclair has already put up eight goals this season, he’s fallen into head coach John Tortorella‘s doghouse and is has only scored one goal in the last eight games. Bjorkstrand, on the other hand, has struggled all year having scored just two goals along with two assists. Both are now fighting it out between each other for who gets a spot on Columbus’ third line. Hopefully, one of those player can distinguish themselves and take their game to a new level.
What should be on the Blue Jackets Holiday Wish List?
The team has a pair of major concerns on their roster with Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky about to hit unrestricted free agency at the end of the year. Both players have expressed a desire to play elsewhere, which could be devastating to the franchise. With the team unwilling to trade them off if they are in the hunt as the team values taking the team on a deep playoff run over trading them both off and rebuilding their roster again, there is a good chance the team will hold onto them. Panarin has expressed a desire to be in a bigger city, while Bobrovsky is looking for a record-breaking contract even bigger than that of Carey Price‘s eight-year, $84MM deal that he signed last summer.
General manager Jarmo Kekalainen hopes that a winning culture can convince each of them to remain with the team so the team can finally make a Stanley Cup run that the franchise needs for its fans. Even if the team can retain one of them, that would be a big boost for the franchise which would likely fall flat without both of them.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Kings’ Kovalchuk To Miss A Month After Ankle Procedure
The Los Angeles Kings just can’t get things going on the injury front as the team suffered another setback as they announced that winger Ilya Kovalchuk will miss four weeks after undergoing an ankle bursectomy procedure this morning. Head coach Willie Desjardins said that injury is more of an infection of the bursa sacs, according to Fox Sports’ Jon Rosen. The procedure deals with bursa sacs, which are fluid-filled sacs that cushion high friction areas such as joints. Those sacs have become infected and required a surgical procedure to correct.
Kovalchuk had been struggling lately with the Kings as he had been demoted from a top-line player to the bottom-six for the last few games as many questions had started to arise surrounding new head coach Willie Desjardins sudden benching. Whether the injury had anything to do with it is unknown, but Kovalchuk, who has just five goals and 14 points in 25 games this season. While those numbers are respectable, he has failed to register a point in the past 11 games, quite unlike the 35-year-old star. Throw in the fact that the Kings have just four wins in the last 12 games and none of the team’s losses provided them with even a point and the team sits in last place in the NHL standings.
The surgery could explain the team’s claiming of Nikita Scherbak earlier today as the team is up against the cap and have Carl Hagelin on LTIR currently. The team was expected to have some serious cap issues once Hagelin was to be activated (he’s out three to five weeks with a lower-body injury), the team would have trouble getting below the cap. Scherbak’s contract wasn’t going to improve things in L.A. However, with Kovalchuk going on injured reserve, the team may have some extra means of staying ahead of the cap.
Snapshots: Nylander, Hextall, Pilut
Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock did nothing to curb his outspoken nature when asked about William Nylander again today, telling reporters including Jonas Siegel of The Athletic that he still believes that the young forward will be on the team but the organization won’t beg him to return. Meanwhile, Frank Seravalli of TSN tweeted this morning that the Philadelphia Flyers had been in touch with Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas in his recent “last call” for trade offers. TSN broadcaster Gord Miller also heard that from a source in Philadelphia, and detailed what those talks were about:
This was the previous regime that was contacted by the Leafs on the weekend, and the Leafs asked for—they wanted to tap into the Flyers’ young D. Right away the Flyers said “Ivan Provorov? Not touchable.” So Provorov, who scored 17 goals last year is not on the table. Now again, this is the old regime. So the focus turned to Shayne Gostisbehere.
When Miller references the “old regime” he is speaking about former Flyers GM Ron Hextall, who was let go this week along with assistant GM Chris Pryor. The conversation regarding a fit between the Flyers and Nylander continues, but is highly speculative at that point especially given the changes in the Philadelphia front office since this apparent negotiation happened. Still, it only lends credence to the idea that Dubas and the Maple Leafs have been doing their due diligence in preparation for the deadline tomorrow, when there will finally (hopefully) be a conclusion one way or the other regarding Nylander.
- Speaking of Hextall’s recent firing, the former Philadelphia GM spoke with the media today and expressed his shock at the entire situation. Hextall did not see his dismissal coming, and was “stunned” when team president Paul Holmgren delivered the news. Hextall is of course a legend in Philadelphia from his playing days, including being one of the rare players to ever win a Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP despite losing in the Stanley Cup Finals. Still, his tenure as GM had not yet resulted in any deep playoff success and upper management had grown tired of waiting.
- With all eyes still on the Buffalo Sabres as they continue their fight for the Atlantic Division crown just a year after finishing last in the NHL, a new face will be scrutinized under the lights. Lawrence Pilut will make his NHL debut according to Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News, despite the recent recall of Matt Tennyson. That gives Buffalo fans another highly anticipated Swedish defenseman to watch, and one that brings plenty of offensive upside. Pilut had 22 points in 16 games for the Rochester Americans before his call-up, and is still just 22 years old.
Is There A Market For Karl Alzner?
It’s been a brutal 17 months for Montreal Canadiens defenseman Karl Alzner. Well, the first few months after Alzner signed a five-year, $23.125MM contract on July 1st, 2017 were probably okay. Once he actually took the ice with the Habs last season though, it was all downhill. Alzner had capitalized on a weak free agent market – one in which even we here at PHR considered him the third best name – which had inflated his value far beyond what it should have been. Alzner was a solid defenseman for many years for the Washington Capitals, consistently healthy and capable of eating significant minutes. However, he lacked much in the way of offense and in retrospect his defensive abilities were amplified by the copious talent around him on the eventual Stanley Cup champions. Transitioning to a weaker roster in Montreal, Alzner was exposed when asked to play a key role on the Habs’ blue line. Carrying the puck more often, Alzer became a turnover machine. Facing tougher assignments, he was far less effective on defense and took a career high in penalties. And per usual, he contributed just twelve points and was a non-factor on offense.
Entering this season, Alzner and Canadiens fans alike hoped that he could turn it around and return to the shutdown player they felt they had signed for top dollar. However, the organization and coaching staff had other plans. Alzner was a healthy scratch in season opener and to date has only played in eight games with a major drop-off in ice time. Alzner was placed on waivers and subsequently cleared earlier this week and it was fair to wonder whether he had played his last game in Montreal just over a season into his five-year deal. That became much more probable yesterday, when the Canadiens gave Alzner and his agent permission to seek a trade.
Yet, permission to seek a trade is not the same as having concrete interest and willing suitors. Although the Habs have little reason not to accept any deal brought to them – barring an unreasonable amount of retained salary requested – that is just one side of a trade which obviously needs multiple teams. But is there even a market for Alzner? Two years ago, there was ample interest in him on the free agent market, but after a year in which he was exposed as having a game dependent on the talent of the players around him, he’s no longer the prize he once was. Then there’s also the matter of his contract, a relative albatross of four more years at $4.65MM. His stock is the lowest it has ever been, while his price is at it’s highest. That’s a tough combination to sell to a team. Alzner went untouched on waivers, meaning any team interested in acquiring him would also expect the Canadiens to retain some salary or otherwise add another piece to the deal.
Clearly, Alzner is not a player that can do much to help a rebuilding team. His cost also makes him a difficult addition for any team close to the salary cap ceiling. This leaves a narrow group of potential suitors who have talented rosters but are in comfortable salary cap shape and have a long-term need for a defensive blue liner. Any come to mind? It’s not a common occurrence, at least not currently. The Toronto Maple Leafs, although dealing with the William Nylander saga and long-term salary cap planning as is, would make some sense. The team is likely to lose Ron Hainsey and Jake Gardiner to free agency this summer and could use a long-term physical presence on the blue line at the right price. Their preference would certainly be to add a right-handed defenseman, but might not be picky if they feel Alzner would excel in their system. Barry Trotz‘ new uber-conservative New York Islanders could also be a fit for Alzner, as they could stand to upgrade their blue line depth and have the existing talent to ease Alzner into his natural stay-at-home role. Alzner would seem to be a perfect fit for the Isles’ current system that emphasizes physicality and patient pace. The Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild have fallen short of the ultimate goal despite strong recent campaigns and have the cap space to add a luxury piece like Alzner, who would be a bottom-pair defender for either team, albeit a needed depth addition. Finally, there are the Chicago Blackhawks who, despite shedding salary this summer, refrained from using their newfound cap space. Chicago had interest in Alzner when he was a free agent in 2017, considered by many the favorite to land the physical defender. The team could still use more talent and especially more shutdown play on the back end. However, with one of hockey’s worst contracts in Brent Seabrook already on the roster, could they really risk adding a similarly disappointing and overpaid defenseman in Alzner?
Those are just five teams who could potentially have interest in Alzner. There could be more, if some teams feel that Alzner’s play in Montreal has been a misrepresentation of his ability. Yet, there also could easily be less, as Alzner has done nothing in the past year plus to prove that he is anything more than a replacement level checking defenseman. Given his contract status, Alzner may find it difficult to match up with a new team and put together a successful trade out of Montreal. It is certainly a possibility, but the only team Alzner is likely going to be playing for in the near future is the AHL’s Laval Rocket.
Latest On William Nylander, Toronto Maple Leafs
It’s hard to get through a day of hockey radio right now without hearing multiple takes on the ongoing negotiations between William Nylander and the Toronto Maple Leafs, but with just over 48 hours left before the December 1st deadline, there should be a conclusion of some sort very soon. The last unsigned restricted free agent must be under contract with an NHL team before 4pm on Saturday or will be forced to sit out the entire season, something that neither side can possibly hope for at this point. Still, there has been little reported about an impending deal between the two sides since Chris Johnston of Sportsnet told viewers of Hockey Night In Canada that they were “believed to be rather close” to a deal that could pay Nylander around $6.9MM on a long-term deal.
Today, with nothing bubbling up about an imminent contract, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported that Toronto has circled back with interested teams and instructed them to submit a sort of final trade offer. That due diligence is required in a situation like this, in which Toronto could be left holding a valuable asset as the clock strikes a figurative midnight on Saturday. It certainly doesn’t mean that Nylander will be traded in the next two days, but does perhaps lend credence to the idea that there will be a conclusion one way or the other.
For his part, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet believes that whether or not a trade or contract happens in the next few days, Nylander will not play for the Maple Leafs after the 2017-18 season, instead being traded by the draft even if he is under contract. It is important to remember that Nylander cannot be given a no-trade clause in negotiations until his free agent years, which would prevent him from forcing the Maple Leafs into corner over the next few months. Regardless of the length of the contract signed, the team could decide to move on from him at any point over the next several years.
That’s not what the Maple Leafs are planning on doing however, if you believe head coach Mike Babcock. Today, speaking to reporters including Johnston, Babcock explained that the organization believes Nylander will be with the club for a long time:
We think Willy’s going to be here and we think Willy’s going to be here a long time. We think Willy’s going to be a career Leaf.
According to Kristen Shilton of TSN, Babcock told people looking from the outside of the negotiations to not “confuse opinion with fact,” once again reminding many that there is little known about the actual inner workings of the dialogue. The Maple Leafs have never publicly shamed Nylander for his current position, and in fact he’s gotten quite a bit of support from his teammates over the first quarter of the season. The team obviously wants him back playing, but at this point nothing is certain.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Auston Matthews Set To Return For Toronto Maple Leafs
The decision has been made, and the Toronto Maple Leafs will get one of their superstars back tonight. Head coach Mike Babcock confirmed this morning that Auston Matthews will return to the lineup against the San Jose Sharks after a four-week absence. Matthews will have to be activated from injured reserve, but the Maple Leafs were already operating with a 22-man roster and have room to fit him in.
Matthews, 21, was off to an incredible start to the season with 10 goals in his first 11 games before being injured by a hard check from Winnipeg Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba. Suffering a shoulder injury on the play, he’s been out since October 27th leaving the Maple Leafs’ offensive attack in the hands of John Tavares and Mitch Marner. That pair has done just fine alongside contributions from others like Kasperi Kapanen and Nazem Kadri, leading the Maple Leafs to a 9-5 record without Matthews in the lineup.
Still, getting back a player of Matthews’ caliber can only help Toronto as they try to catch the suddenly exceptional Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres are on a 10-game win streak and have taken over first place in the entire NHL. The Maple Leafs are just two points behind them, but it’s clear that the Atlantic Division is setting up to be a meat grinder for the entire season and could force a legitimate Stanley Cup contender into a wild card position. Getting Matthews back and healthy will go a long way to helping Toronto secure one of those top three spots.
Central Notes: Bowman, Bishop, Laine, Edmundson
While he may not be the most popular person in Chicago lately, Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman sat down with The Athletic’s Scott Powers (subscription required) in an in depth interview, going over the state of the franchise. While Bowman is aware of fans’ displeasure with the recent firing of coach Joel Quenneville as well as the state of the team’s salary cap over the past few years, Bowman said he must remain focused on the present.
“It definitely comes with the job,” Bowman said. “When you take this job, you understand that part of it is the fans have a passion for the team, which I wouldn’t want any other way. So, yeah, I don’t follow it in the sense that whatever people say, they’re going to say, and I need to do what I think is right because I believe in it. If I start getting into the weeds and trying to follow it, then it can just distract me from I have a job to do.”
Bowman did say that although many fans feel that he waited too long to trade the contract of Marian Hossa to Arizona this summer (the trade happened on July 12), but that was the first time that the Coyotes agreed to take on Hossa’s contract. Regardless, fans were upset that the team wasn’t able to use the extra $4.5MM in cap space created by that trade as most offseason work was already done by teams at that point. Bowman said he intends to be patient in using that cap space.
“The one thing you don’t want to do is just use it to just to get somebody who doesn’t really fit, and it’s going to preclude you from doing something else later,” Bowman said. “I’m not sitting on it to sit on it, but nothing has come along. Like there’s been potential trades, but the guy’s got two more years on his deal. Like he could help us in the short term, but we’re going to be able to do better than that. You just got to be patient. That’s the thought process.”
- Mike Heika of NHL.com writes that the Dallas Stars may be close to getting back starting goaltender Ben Bishop who has been out for almost a week with a lower-body injury. Heika writes that Anton Khudobin is expected to start Tuesday in Edmonton, followed likely be Landon Bow on Wednesday in Calgary. However, the scribe writes that Bishop might be ready for the team’s game in Vancouver on Saturday. Bishop is having a impressive season with a 2.33 GAA and a .923 save percentage in 15 games.
- Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun writes that while Patrik Laine knew he’d break out of his 19-game five-on-five scoreless slump earlier this season, it did weigh on him as it wore on. However, after scoring eight of his 11 goals this week on five-on-five, Laine feels more confident than ever, but credits his new linemates’ Bryan Little and Kyle Connor for much of his success. Much of Laine’s success has been with his recent chemistry with Little. The two struggled connecting for the past two years, especially last season. Those five-on-five struggles disappeared after the team added Paul Stastny at the trade deadline, but the Laine and Little finally seem to have found that connection this year.
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Tom Timmermann writes that St. Louis Blues defenseman Joel Edmundson has been working hard lately to avoid penalties. In his last 11 games, Edmondson has been called for a penalty in eight of those games and the 25-year-old leads the team with 29 penalty minutes. “I think I’m getting a little wild with my stick,” Edmundson said. “Sometimes the game gets the better half of me and I take out my frustrations. I’m looking to be smarter in that department. Sometimes I get worked up a bit and anger takes over. Coach (Berube) has talked to me. I just have to settle down a bit.”
What Your Team Is Thankful For: Buffalo Sabres
As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. Let’s take a look at what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Buffalo Sabres.
What are the Sabres most thankful for?
Can Sabres’ fans be any more thankful for the fact that the team, the same team that finished last in the standings one season ago, is currently in first place in the entire NHL with 34 points. That may be short lived as several teams just beneath them play before the Sabres go for their 10th straight win on Tuesday, but few could have predicted the success for second-year general manager Jason Botterill and head coach Phil Housley this season.
The Sabres shook up their entire roster from a year ago and made critical additions at every level, which included adding Jeff Skinner to their top line on offense, adding a number of solid players to their depth chart including Vladimir Sobotka, Patrik Berglund, Casey Mittelstadt, Conor Sheary and Tage Thompson, while adding 2018 first-overall pick Rasmus Dahlin (who has been as good as advertised) on defense. That doesn’t include the team’s success in goal. Those moves have stabilized the team’s defense as they ranked sixth in the league in goals against this year as well as having one of the best penalty killing units in the league as well.
Who are the Sabres most thankful for?
While it would make sense to put Skinner and his 18 goals in this spot, we can save him for later. The tandem that has really impressed this year has been the play of the Sabres goaltenders Carter Hutton and Linus Ullmark. The team, which struggled a year ago with Robin Lehner and Chad Johnson has thrived this year. Much of that could be the improvement of the team’s defense, but at the same time both goalies have been better than anyone had expected.
While Hutton was the top goaltender on the market this offseason, most people felt that Hutton was not capable of being a No. 1 goaltender, often comparing him to Carolina’s Scott Darling. However, Hutton has been better than advertised, already netting 11 wins and posting a solid 2.53 GAA and a .919 save percentage in 18 appearances. The untested Ullmark also has looked good, although the team has been careful to not overwhelm the 25-year-old. However in five appearances, he’s also posted a 2.52 GAA and an even more impressive .926 save percentage.
What would the Sabres be even more thankful for?
More production from their youth. The team is very young and is loaded with talent at the AHL level as well. And while players like Dahlin have been impressive, the team could take another step in the right direction if they can develop some of their young core even quicker. Dahlin has played well sharing No. 1 defenseman duties with Rasmus Ristolainen, but he’s capable of even more. The team has gotten just four goals from Mittelstadt and would like to see him develop into a consistent presence in the top six at some point.
Others like Thompson, who has suddenly starting showing off some offense with three goals in his last four games, as well as Evan Rodrigues need to continue to develop as well to allow the team to reach peak efficiency both now and in the future. The team is also loaded with a number of prospects including defensemen Lawrence Pilut and Brendan Guhle, while they have several potential options at forward as well in C.J. Smith, Daniel O’Regan and Alexander Nylander waiting for an opportunity.
What should be on the Sabres’ Holiday Wish List?
The team has made it clear they intend to work on an extension with Skinner next month, but the team really needs to make sure it can lock down the 26-year-old who leads the team in scoring this year and is only six goals away from beating his 24 goals from last season with Carolina. Skinner’s deal will be the main contract the team must deal with this offseason as the team has just three unrestricted free agents (Jason Pominville and Matt Moulson being the others). Skinner’s pairing with Jack Eichel has produced a powerful top line in the NHL and should only get better as the two continue to get comfortable with each other.
With the expiring contracts of Moulson and Pominville, although the team may want to attempt to retain the latter, there should be plenty of money to lock up Skinner now, so they won’t have to worry about him losing him this summer.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.