Red Wings Notes: Rebuilding, LCA, Parenteau, Athanasiou
After 25 years of sustained success where the team didn’t miss the playoffs, the Detroit Red Wings are entering a new phase of reality—and it will be painful writes the Athletic’s Corey Pronman. There is an entire generation of Detroit fans who didn’t know the playoffs without the Red Wings in them, but that will become a harsh truth as Detroit attempts to restock a steady–but hardly elite cupboard of talent. Pronman identifies Dylan Larkin, Anthony Mantha, and Andreas Athanasiou as the pillars of hope for Detroit, but they are hardly the likes of Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov or Nicklas Lidstrom, players the Red Wings rode into Stanley Cup glory two decades ago. Pronman continues, writing that it’s not a knock on the players but instead, shows just how hard it is to win consistently in the NHL. Additionally, he reminds Wings fans looking for a full teardown that there is only a 25% chance that tanking will garner a #1 pick–which may not even pan out. Regardless of the path they take, Detroit is surely in for bumpy times ahead.
- The Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James quotes Wings coach Jeff Blashill calling the new Little Caesars Arena the “Ritz Carlton” of hockey arenas. After years of playing at the hastily constructed and outdated Joe Louis Arena, the Red Wings step into a state of the art facility that houses a practice rink and mammoth 25,000 square foot locker room.
- St. James also writes that P.A. Parenteau, who signed a PTO with the Red Wings has the best chance of getting a permanent spot by boosting the Red Wings powerplay. Last season, Detroit was dreadful with the man advantage and Parenteau has made a career of potting powerplay goals and it may be a perfect match for both the Wings and the nine-year veteran.
- The Red Wings are “standing firm” on their contract offer to forward Andreas Athanasiou, putting a two-year, $3.8M deal on the table. TSN’s Bob McKenzie cited progress between the camps and TSN reported that general manager Ken Holland expects to make a move in order to get cap compliant.
2017-18 Primer: New York Rangers
With the NHL season now less than a month away, it’s time to look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Today, we focus on the New York Rangers.
Last Season: 48-28-6 record (102 points), fourth in Metropolitan Division (lost to Ottawa in second round)
Remaining Cap Space: $3.05MM per CapFriendly
Key Newcomers: D Kevin Shattenkirk (free agency, Washington), F David Desharnais (free agency, Edmonton), D Anthony DeAngelo (trade, Arizona), G Ondrej Pavelec (free agency, Winnipeg), D Alexei Bereglazov (free agency, KHL)
Key Departures: D Dan Girardi (buyout), D Kevin Klein (retirement/Europe), F Derek Stepan (trade, Arizona), G Antti Raanta (trade, Arizona), F Oscar Lindberg (expansion, Vegas), F Brandon Pirri (PTO, Florida),
[Related: New York Depth Chart From Roster Resource]
Player To Watch: D Kevin Shattenkirk – As much as rookies Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil are drawing a lot of the press this preseason, the biggest key to the Rangers offseason remains Shattenkirk. The former St. Louis Blues powerplay specialist was extremely sought after before going to Washington, where some of the weaker spots of his game were exposed. Shattenkirk remains a near-elite offensive defenseman, but will need to be more than just a second-pair guy in New York.
Ryan McDonagh will obviously still be the rock on the Rangers’ blueline, but with several question marks behind him—even though the front office and head coach Alain Vigneault seems determined to add some more mobility and youth there, getting rid of Girardi and forcing Marc Staal to compete for a roster spot—Shattenkirk was paid $6.65MM per season to be their #2. He’ll have to skate against some of the opponent’s best players, and do more than he showed in the playoffs with Washington.
Key Storyline: The Rangers had one of the best records in the NHL last season, but still finished just fourth in the Metropolitan division. Even if Washington takes a step backwards like many are predicting, the Metro is still a meat grinder. Pittsburgh and Columbus may be the class of the Eastern Conference, while the Hurricanes, Devils and Islanders could easily all take big steps forward.
The Rangers have been competitive for some time now, making the playoffs in 12 out of the last 13 seasons but a certain era may be coming close to an end. Henrik Lundqvist will turn 36 this season, and saw his play take a slight step backwards last year. With Raanta no longer in town, there isn’t a clear succession plan should Lundqvist falter. Pavelec has shown the ability to start in short spurts before, but shouldn’t be relied upon for Stanley Cup contention.
Even if their window is closing slightly, this is still an extremely talented team. With a group of core forwards and a relatively overhauled defense, no one would be surprised if they made it deep in the playoffs once again.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Rangers Notes: Skjei, Kreider, Lundqvist
New York Rangers Brady Skjei isn’t relying to just continue on after his rookie season. Afterall, the 23-year-old came off a solid rookie year in which he put up 39 points, yet still found himself sitting on the bench when the team was down. That especially was evident in the playoffs against Ottawa when the team sat him at the end of Games 2 and 5 to preserve one goal leads (unsuccessfully).
According to New York Post’s Larry Brooks, Skjei is determined to work on his defensive game and, in particular, working on his net-front play. “I’ve got to be physically stronger in front of the net and make the right plays when they’re there.” Brooks writes that Skjei spent the summer working with Ryan McDonagh on his defense and his conditioning, which received praise from head coach Alain Vigneault.
“I mean, Mac’s testing scores were over the roof and you could tell the influence and impact of Brady working out with him,” Vigneault said. “In my time here, Brady’s testing has improved, improved and improved and now he’s right near the Mac level as far as fitness scoring.”
Skjei’s improvements should bode well on a team with one of the best defenses in the league. After adding Brendan Smith at the trade deadline a year ago, the team signed top free agent Kevin Shattenkirk to the defense. However, with Skjei’s skating and offensive skills, he should thrive in New York as his 39 points last year was the second-best for a rookie defender in the league behind Columbus’ Zach Werenski.
- In the same article, Brooks adds that Vigneault is putting a lot of pressure on the Rangers’ Chris Kreider to step up even more this year. Kreider led the team in goals scored last year with 28, but the head coach would like to see more consistency out of him. Vigneault refers to the third period of Game 6 against the Ottawa Senators last year when Kreider scored a goal 53 second into the period to narrow their deficit. The coach referred to Kreider as a “beast” and would like to see that more often. Kreider finished fourth on the team in points as he had 53 total. Now about to enter his prime, Vigneault believes he can take his game up to another level. “Like I said [on Thursday], he’s not a kid anymore. It’s his turn now. He’s got to become a real good voice in the room. We expect more from him and I know we’re going to get it.”
- Dan Rosen of NHL.com writes that Henrik Lundqvist is more enthusiastic about this season after he helped lead Team Sweden to a gold medal at the IIHF World Championships earlier this summer. The positive experience was better than having to sit home all summer thinking about the team’s early playoff exit and his struggles last season. “I think going into this year, ending on that high note [at the Worlds], that’s definitely something I bring with me to start this year, feeling good about what I did,” Lundqvist said. “I use it as energy and motivation and a boost of confidence.”
Afternoon Notes: Yakupov, Stralman, Scandella, Lazar
Nail Yakupov‘s story is quite well known. Edmonton’s first-overall pick in the 2012 draft, who started his career off right with 17 goals in a 48-game strike-shortened season, started a downward spiral that led to him getting traded to St. Louis and then finding himself getting benched and sitting in the press box not long after coach Mike Yeo took over. Now, signing a one-year “prove it” deal with the offensively challenged Colorado Avalanche, the 23-year-old is out to show that he still belongs in the NHL.
After that 17 goal season in 2012-13, his numbers tapered off, dropping to 11, then up to 14 and down to eight. His three goals in 40 games was a sign that he may be running out of time. However, according to AJ Haefele of BSN Denver, Yakupov is doing everything he can to resurrect his career in Colorado. “This is a chance I have to take,” the normally chatty Yakupov said succinctly.
Early reports say that Yakupov’s effort and skills are showing in training camp. During today’s scrimmage, BSN’s Adrian Dater tweeted that Yakupov was diving in front of pucks and showed his hunger. He had two assists in the scrimmage. The Avalanche need the youngster to rebound as the team finished last with 165 goals and managed just 48 points as a team. He is currently partnered with Matt Duchene and while that matchup is likely not going to stick, he looks like he is heading for regular minutes again.
- Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times writes that Tampa Bay veteran defenseman Anton Stralman missed his third straight practice today with an undisclosed injury, but he did skate and stickhandle on his own. The 31-year-old defenseman had a down year with just 22 points, but is still considered to be a top-pairing defenseman.
- Another defenseman who is also missing time is Buffalo’s Marco Scandella missed practice, according to John Vogl of the Buffalo News. The 27-year-old blueliner, who came over from Minnesota this offseason had arthroscopic surgery on his left hip in May was forced to take a day off. After putting up 13 points in limited minutes with the Wild a year ago, the Sabres hope Scandella can take that next step this year.
- Kristen Odland of the Calgary Herald writes that Curtis Lazar is ready to make the Calgary Flames roster. The 22-year-old center and former 2013 first-round pick of the Ottawa Senators had mononucleosis last year, missing all of training camp and the early part of the season and was never able to regain his form, prompting a trade from Ottawa to Calgary. According to Odland, he has regained the weight he lost from the illness and bulked up and has looked good in camp so far.
Mrazek Ready To Bounce Back For Red Wings
One goaltender who has a lot to prove this season is Detroit’s Petr Mrazek. After struggling for the past year and a half to eventually losing his job to Jimmy Howard to being left exposed for the expansion draft (due to attitude issues) and then not even taken, the 25-year-old once franchise goaltender finds himself at a crossroad. Either Mrazek rediscovers his game or he will slowly disappear into a permanent backup role.
However, according to MLive’s Ansar Khan, the goaltender has been working hard all offseason to return to form. Now with just one year remaining on his $4MM deal, Khan writes that Mrazek has been humbled by recent events and has come into camp hungry to perform. His numbers must be improved on. While his 2015-16 numbers are respectable (2.33 GAA, .921 save percentage), his second half was not that good, while his 3.04 GAA last year and .901 save percentage were both the worst percentages of any in his career at any level.
Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said that Mrazek struggled through the boredom of working on his basic skills, comparing it to basketball players who get bored just constantly throwing free throws — however, those skills are critical to success. Blashill says that Mrazek has begun to get back to the basics and worked hard to fix his game, especially when it comes to his moving around in the crease. The goaltender struggled to stay calm in the net and has often made simple saves look challenging. He has spent hours watching video every day in hopes to make changes to his current play.
“Not to be flying in the net, just stay calm and stop as many pucks as I can,” Mrazek said Saturday, following the second day of training camp at Centre I.C.E.
However, according to Blashill, it’s his work ethic that has changed as well as his attitude. Since being exposed in the expansion draft in favor of 33-year-old Jimmy Howard, who Vegas would never have had any interest in, Mrazek has seen the light. While he must win back the starting job from Howard this season, he is also playing for his future. A poor season will not only limit his potential earnings next season, but will likely force him to accept a backup position, while a big year could net his a long-term deal with Detroit or another franchise.
“The season wasn’t the season I wanted to have, so I’m happy I’m back,” Mrazek said. “I have lots to give back to Detroit. We all know they gave me a chance to play my first NHL game and gave me a chance to play (144) games. So, I have lots to prove and give them back.”
Zach Sanford Injured In Camp, Out “A Couple Weeks”
One of the key pieces in the return for Kevin Shattenkirk last season, Zach Sanford was ready to play a much greater role for the St. Louis Blues in 2017-18, assumed to be his first full season in the NHL. That may still happen, but Sanford could now be fighting an uphill battle to make the Blues’ Opening Night roster. Blues beat writer Chris Pinkert spoke to head coach Mike Yeo, who informed him that Sanford was injured in practice on Friday and is expected to miss “a couple weeks”. That timeline could prove problematic with the regular season also set to start in just over two weeks. Sanford is rumored to be out for the remainder of camp, putting his roster spot in jeopardy.
Even though training camp is not exactly adversarial, there are teammate-on-teammate injuries such as Sanford’s every year. This time, it was a battle along the boards between Sanford and Dmitrij Jaskin, who’s hard check into the boards delivered the shot that injured Sanford’s shoulder and forced him out of the scrimmage. The long-term prognosis was much worse than missing one practice though; Sanford will be out “weeks” and will miss critical time to work with his new teammates and find a fit for himself on one of the forward lines. Come Opening Night, even if Sanford is back at full health, he may find himself in the AHL rather than NHL in a Blues organization that is deep in forward talent. Sanford struggled with inconsistency in his first pro season and could have used a strong camp to kick off the 2017-18 campaign.
Yeo admitted to Pinkert that he had been speaking with his coaches about just how good Sanford had looked mere minutes before his injury. At some point this season, the young winger, a third-round pick of the Washington Capitals in 2013 and a former BC Eagle, is bound to see some major minutes with St. Louis. However, the extent of his shoulder injury and the time it takes for him to rehab and return could play a major part in determining when exactly he takes over that role.
“Talks Have Stopped” Between Josh Anderson, Columbus Blue Jackets
Just yesterday we heard that there was a “vast” gap between Josh Anderson and the Columbus Blue Jackets on the young forward’s next contract, and now it seems negotiations have come to a halt altogether. Adam Jardy of the Columbus Dispatch quotes Anderson’s agent Darren Ferris, who says talks have stopped and that they are evaluating their options.
Anderson of course is a restricted free agent coming off his entry-level contract, but up until recently it had seemed like everything was progressing towards a new deal. The Blue Jackets have begun camp without him, and head coach John Tortorella has been clear that he could lose his spot if he misses enough time. Though it’s hard to see Anderson actually being left out of the lineup after scoring 17 goals last year, Tortorella is notoriously loyal to the players who work hard for him and show up on a daily basis. It’s not exactly Anderson’s fault that he’s not in camp, but every day he misses gives a chance to someone else.
In his absence, young players like Sonny Milano, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Tyler Motte will all get a chance to establish themselves alongside some of the regulars, and impress Tortorella enough to keep them around. While Anderson provides a different game than any of those three, he’ll have to fight hard to re-establish himself whenever the contract negotiations do end.
Evening Snapshots: Hischier, Hitchcock, Leafs’ Captaincy
The New Jersey Devils’ top pick in the 2017 Entry Draft told NHL.com’s Mike Morreale that it would be a “disappointment” if he didn’t make the Devils’ roster following training camp. General manager Ray Shero called him a “special talent,” and that if there’s a spot, it’s his to win. Teammate Taylor Hall reminisced about his first season with the Oilers, when the 2010 #1 overall pick learned a lot from then captain Shawn Horcoff. He added how important it was for younger players to have a veteran presence to “bounce things off of,” when beginning a career after being a first overall pick. Hischier is certainly saying all the right things–it’s just a matter of time if the youngster get a shot as a regular.
- It’s the return of Ken Hitchcock in Dallas, and it’ll be the “new adventures of old Ken Hitchcock,” writes the Dallas Morning-News’ Mike Heika. The veteran coach and Dallas’ all-time winningest coach has promised a camp that “no one has ever seen before.” Heika adds that Hitchcock has to rein in an offensively “supercharged” team that failed to defend in its own zone. Unlike his 90’s teams or even more recently in St. Louis, “Hitch” plans to attack in the offensive zone while being responsible with the puck in their own zone. Center Tyler Seguin believes the team has more than enough offense to score goals and that it’s just a matter of being better defensively. Should the Stars stay healthy, they could certainly be a favorite in the West.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs will once again go without a captain, and opt for three alternates reports the Toronto Star’s Kevin McGran. General manager Lou Lamoriello sees no reason to name a captain, citing a number of leaders in the room with no rush to name one player as the captain. McGran speculates that the C will eventually be sewn onto Auston Matthews‘ jersey, but believes that keeping any additional pressure off of the second year forward may be the team’s motive for not bestowing that honor yet.
Snapshots: Gaborik, Olsen, Top Prospects
The Los Angeles Kings will be heading to China to play two preseason games in just over a week, but Marian Gaborik won’t be going with them. Head coach John Stevens confirmed as much to Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider, saying that Gaborik would remain in Los Angeles to continue working on his knee rehab. Gaborik underwent a “non-surgical” procedure on his knee in August, and will try to return at some point in camp.
Stevens did say that Gaborik had been skating already, and that he’s working extremely hard to get back to the point where he can return to practice. The 35-year old has put up just 43 points over the last two seasons combined, but some of that could have to do with the chronic knee injury. If it’s fixed, perhaps some of his noticable decline in speed will be mitigated and he can reclaim some of his goal-scoring prowess. If not, it could be a long four years—the time left on his current contract—for the Kings.
- Darren Dreger of TSN is reporting that the Calgary Flames have invited Dylan Olsen to training camp on a professional tryout, bringing him back to the NHL for at least a short while. After being selected in the first round and playing 124 NHL contests, Olsen spent last year in a Senior A circuit away from professional hockey. The left-handed defenseman is now 26, and could potentially earn a minor league deal if shows any semblance of his former self. It’s hard to imagine he’ll ever see the NHL, but stranger things have happened in the past.
- Bob McKenzie of TSN released his annual preseason draft prospect rankings, and like most lists Rasmus Dahlin is at the very top. The Swedish defender has a game that brings both incredible offensive upside and enough strength and size to make him a potential franchise player. Though he’ll have top forwards like Andrei Svechnikov and Brady Tkachuk to fend off—McKenzie’s number two and three prospects—Dahlin could become the first Swedish-born player to go first overall since Mats Sundin in 1989. He’ll play for Frolunda this year in the SHL.
Afternoon Notes: McDavid, Draisaitl, Letang
The Edmonton Oilers will continue to try to experiment with the lines and their two stars in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who have previously played together. However, many feel that the two young stars should be separated with the idea of eventually having two elite lines instead of the one. McDavid, who put up 100 points (including 70 assists) last year, should still be able to produce big numbers without Draisaitl, who has been playing wing up until now. Even as a wing, Draisaitl put up 48 assists of his own. But who could take the place of Draisaitl on that number one line? McDavid and Patrick Maroon have several options, according to The Athletic’s Allan Mitchell.
The scribe writes (subscription required) that there are a number of candidates that could fill that role and many questions will obviously be answered in training camp. Regardless, he lists Drake Caggiula as the top candidate for that first line. The 23-year-old forward is coming off his rookie year in which he played 60 games, scoring seven goals and 18 points on the season. However, Mitchell writes that Caggiula and McDavid had some chemistry in the time they played together and might be the best fit. He adds that Caggiula struggled through injuries early in his rookie year and the real player may not have been evident until late in the year. It’s true, he did put up three goals in 13 playoff games for Edmonton, so the former University of North Dakota star might surprise many this coming year if he gets the job.
While Mitchell lists eight candidates, it’s quite obvious that Edmonton is as clueless as anyone so far about what will happen. One of those eight candidates is Draisaitl himself, who Mitchell believes will be thrown back onto that first line the moment that McDavid’s line struggles. This may not be the year for Edmonton to make this change. One sleeper that should be considered is the team’s top pick in this year’s draft, Kailer Yamamoto. The 22nd overall pick in the draft is considered to be a high volume shooter, and his speed and talent may work perfectly with McDavid, but at 18 years of age, 5-foot-8 and 153 pounds, the youngster might need another year of development before leaping onto the Oilers’ number one line.
- Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said that he did not ask defenseman Kris Letang to change to a more conservative style of hockey, writes Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Sullivan says that he asked him to use better judgement while playing. Letang has missed a lot of time over his career due to his often reckless play and managed to only play in 41 games last year when he needed surgery on his neck and missed the team’s championship run in the playoffs. “There might be an assumption that we’re trying to change the way “Tanger” plays the game. That’s not what the message has been to Kris,” Sullivan said. “It’s been more about making more calculated decisions on when there simply isn’t a play to be made.”