Snapshots: Review Timer, Grundstrom, Vegas
As the GM Meetings came to a close today, we had several bits of news leak out. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported something that wasn’t touched on earlier, the idea of review timers. Next season, the officials have been instructed to drop the puck immediately after the review process ends. Don’t go to the bench, don’t explain anything to the coaches or let them argue for five minutes.
Friedman also includes that a set time limit is being discussed and could be instituted, though hasn’t been decided on. With reviews periodically taking as many as 8-10 minutes, the league will try to do everything it can to keep them short.
- John Shannon of Sportsnet is hearing that the Toronto Maple Leafs have signed Carl Grundstrom to an entry-level contract, and will announced the deal soon. The 57th-overall pick in last summer’s draft, Grundstrom has 12 goals and 18 points for Frolunda in the Swedish Elite League this year. Playing at the highest level, the tenacious winger has shown his professional capabilities. The 19-year old should come over to North America soon enough and could make his NHL debut as soon as next year.
- Kevin Allen of USA Today penned a piece regarding the Vegas Golden Knights and the unique opportunity for GM George McPhee. Only a handful of people have experienced the expansion process, and McPhee has enjoyed it more than he even expected. “I’ve read about analytics for two years,” McPhee said when asked about where the Golden Knights will fall on the scouting-analytics scale. He makes it clear that it will have a big part in the new franchise, but not at the cost of the scouting department. We’ll likely see exactly where they stand on expansion draft day, when there are decisions like Chris Wideman or Mark Borowiecki to be made.
Canucks Non-Committal On Willie Desjardins’ Future
The job security of Canucks head coach Willie Desjardins has been in question dating back to last season and it appears those questions will last for a little while yet. In a recent interview on TSN 1040 in Vancouver (audio link), team president Trevor Linden didn’t exactly give Desjardins a glowing vote of confidence but certainly didn’t rule him out from returning either:
“I think we’re going to take our time and look at our options at the end of the season. I’ll have to do a full assessment of our organization, as I always do, and we’ll move forward from that point.”
It’s worth noting that around this time last year, Linden was unequivocal when answering a similar question about Desjardins, clearly stating that the decision had already been made to bring him back at that time.
The 59 year old is in his third season behind the Vancouver bench and has a 107-97-26 record through his first 230 games. He’s been tasked with guiding a Canucks team that is at the end of their window of legitimate contention and are likely headed towards a rebuilding (or at least a retooling) process.
However, some of his decisions have been called into question and there is some cause for criticism for the way some of the young players have been handled, even though the likes of Bo Horvat and Troy Stecher, among other youngsters, have progressed this season. If Linden has concerns about the way some young players are being deployed, the time may be right in the offseason to make a move. That said, Desjardins has spent plenty of time working with young players at the junior level (plus one year in the AHL) so he should have a good handle on the situation the team is heading for.
If he were to be let go, TSN’s Darren Dreger suggested on TSN 1040 that there would likely be a market for him, going as far as noting that at least one team has already asked him about what he thinks will happen (transcription via Fan Rag’s Chris Nichols):
“But you know what’s interesting about that is I’ve actually had other teams – and I can’t be specific to the team or teams who have asked me – but I have been asked about Willie’s future and whether or not the sense is that Vancouver will go in a different direction. And the reason I’ve been asked is there are teams out there who see him as a prime candidate. He’s a respected coach from an NHL perspective.”
Given Linden’s statements about waiting until the end of the season before making a decision, it’s safe to say that Desjardins should be around through to mid-April so the questions about his future should get a short reprieve though only for a few weeks.
Snapshots: Team Canada, Labanc, Draft Rankings
Despite falling to the United States in the gold medal game at the latest World Junior Championships, Dominique Ducharme and the entire Team Canada coaching staff will return for 2017 according to Tim Wharnsby of CBC. The former head coach of the Halifax Mooseheads and current bench boss and GM of the Drummondville Voltigeurs, Ducharme is considered an excellent upcoming prospect in the coaching ranks.
The Team Canada job is one that is often a stepping stone for future NHL coaches, and has been held by names like Mike Babcock, Willie Desjardins, and Claude Julien over the years. Obviously there is no guarantee that Ducharme is headed for the NHL, but at just 43 years old he has a long career ahead of him.
- The San Jose Sharks have sent Kevin Labanc to back to the AHL according to Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News. With Jannik Hansen finally arriving to practice with the team today, Labanc no longer had a spot. The young winger has played 49 games for the Sharks this season, scoring 19 points and generally auditioning well for a full-time spot next season. At just 21-years of age, he’s already progressed much faster than any sixth-round pick is expected to.
- Speaking of draft picks, Jeff Marek of Sportsnet has released his latest prospects rankings for the upcoming draft. While he still has Nolan Patrick of the Brandon Wheat Kings at number one—and calls him Jonathan Toews-lite—Nico Hischier has climbed over Timothy Liljegren into the number two spot. Mississauga’s Owen Tippett jumps up to fourth, while Klim Kostin drops more than 11 spots due to his season-ending shoulder surgery. One to watch is Nicolas Hague of Mississauga, who will get a chance to show his all-around ability in the OHL playoffs soon enough.
Central Notes: Elie, Blackhawks’ Success, Jurco
The Dallas Morning News’ Mike Heika lists a number of quotes from Stars bench boss Lindy Ruff regarding rookie Remi Elie. Out of all the quotes, the one regarding Elie’s staying power with the big club was probably the most telling. Ruff via Heika:
“Well, I look at what we need on the road to be a better team, a harder team to play against. I think that he fits what I think can help us. I thought the line of Eakin, him and Hemsky did a real good job. You look at the number of chances he created, the duress he put their defense under and the fact that he’s a physical player. I think there’s been some situations where we haven’t been hard enough to play against. You take Roussel of our lineup and I think that’s a good replacement to continue down that path where we’re hard to play against.”
The Stars’ second round pick in 2013, Elie has appeared in only two games for the Stars, but from the sound of it, may be lacing up for more. Ruff said more about the rookie, saying that his speed is something Dallas has “missed” in its lineup and that with “more polish” in his game, Elie is the perfect fit for the Stars’ style of play.
- CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin details how the Chicago Blackhawks have hit their stride later in the season. Calling it “no surprise” that the Hawks are surging in early March, Benjamin points to a couple stalwarts upping their game, Jonathan Toews, and Patrick Kane. Kane has tallied 21 points (14-7) while Toews has added 20 points of his own during Chicago’s 12-1 run. Corey Crawford, according to Benjamin, has been stellar in net while the Hawks have been “resilient” during a season that’s tested them with injuries to key players, and a defense that hasn’t included the dominant pairings of years past. Regardless, Chicago has been one of the better teams in the West this season and is certainly working itself into a good position for the playoffs.
- In other Blackhawks news, newly acquired forward Tomas Jurco is starting to acclimate himself with his new surroundings. Though head coach Joel Quenneville calls him a “work in progress,” CSN Chicago’s Tracey Myers reports that Jurco is “thankful” to have a chance with the Blackhawks and that Jurco isn’t putting a time table on getting comfortable with his new team. Instead, the young forward has the backing of his coach and the front office, who are more than willing to give the promising 24-year-old more than enough time to catch on in Chicago.
Canucks Notes: Goldobin, Markstrom, Tryamkin
The Vancouver Canucks will welcome the Montreal Canadiens to town tonight as they look to stay relevant in the playoff race. The team currently sits six points back of St. Louis and though it is a very outside possibility, they want to stay in it as long as possible. They’ll have to shake up their lineup tonight, as Loui Eriksson will be out for “a week to two weeks” according to Willie Desjardins. In his place, the newly acquired Nikolay Goldobin will get a chance to skate with Bo Horvat and Sven Baertschi on the team’s second line. He’s excited about the prospect, and amazed at the amount of media talking to him prior to the game; “It wasn’t like this in San Jose!” he said before going on to say how happy he was to be in Vancouver.
- The team also relayed the news that Jacob Markstrom is still “at least a week away”, but did skate before the practice by himself. Markstrom hasn’t played since February 16th but would be a big help to the Canucks down the stretch if he can get back. The 27-year old goaltender looks like he’ll get a shot at the starting job next year as Ryan Miller is a free agent this summer. Markstrom’s extension will come into play next year, which will see him paid $3.67MM per year for the next three seasons.
- 22-year old Nikita Tryamkin has been a revelation for the Canucks this season, as he’s shown his capability to be a part of their defense going forward and showcased his big-hit ability early in the season. He has been out since February 19th though, and still isn’t quite ready to return. Despite skating earlier this morning with the team, he’ll miss his sixth straight game.
Atlantic Notes: Cassidy, Radulov, Plekanec, Carrier, Kulikov
The Bruins have played their way right back into the thick of the postseason chase under interim head coach Bruce Cassidy, going 8-2 in his first ten games behind the bench heading into play on Monday night. Accordingly, CSN New England’s Joe Haggerty suggests that the time is right for GM Don Sweeney to lift the interim title and make him the full-time head coach.
Shortly after the trade deadline, Sweeney told reporters that he’s open to lifting the tag at the end of the season although he left the window open to do so later this season if he feels the time is right. Haggerty argues that if the GM is already content with the idea of making the change more of a permanent one, it should be done sooner than later so there’s no opportunity for a distraction during the stretch run.
This is Cassidy’s second stint as a head coach after holding the job for parts of two seasons with Washington more than a decade ago.
More from the Atlantic:
- The Canadiens announced via their Twitter account that Alexander Radulov is likely to miss his second straight game against the Canucks tomorrow with a lower body injury sustained after blocking a shot last week. The Russian right winger has returned to the NHL with a bang this season and sits second on Montreal in scoring with 46 points in 63 games; his 31 assists lead the team. Additionally, the team noted that center Tomas Plekanec is listed as day-to-day although the nature of his injury is undisclosed.
- Sabres left winger William Carrier is set to miss his 17th straight game tomorrow against the Flyers, notes John Vogl of The Buffalo News. It doesn’t appear a return is imminent either as he has yet to start skating as the bruise on his knee is not hearing anywhere near the rate the team was hoping for. Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov is also expected to sit that game out with a concussion.
Snapshots: Offsides, Chayka, Eriksson
As we reported yesterday, the GM Meetings have begun in Florida with many things on the agenda. One of them, the definition of an offside play, is one of the most splintering. While some believe that you shouldn’t mess with a rule that has existed for a long time, others realize that if video review is going to continue to take upwards of five minutes just to result in an inconclusive call, something needs to be done. Yesterday, we wrote that there may be a solution changing the definition of possession, but as Dan Rosen of NHL.com writes it may be a different change on the table.
The league is considering going to an NFL-like blue line “plane” which the player just has to have a part of his body in to be considered onside. Currently, because the rule limits a player to having a skate blade on it, it’s often impossible for the referees to determine during the review. If it was just a part of his body—like the ball crossing the goal-line—it would be much easier to tell, and hopefully reduce the review times.
- John Chayka has been doing things a bit differently than his peers, but doesn’t want to be called a trailblazer. As Rosen writes in another fantastic piece for NHL.com, the league’s youngest GM thinks leaning towards his analytical approach is just the next step in the pursuit of reliable information. He knew, Rosen writes, that young forward Christian Dvorak would turn it around at some point because of the amount of time he had the puck on his stick even when he was struggling. After scoring just 13 points in the first half, Dvorak has 11 in his past 16 games. At just 27-years old, Chayka definitely has a concrete plan when rebuilding the Coyotes, and believes the team can compete in just two years.
- Loui Eriksson left last night’s Vancouver Canuck game with a lower-body injury, but head coach Willie Desjardins liked the way his players stepped up. If Eriksson is held out for a few games, it will be another great chance for the young Nikolay Goldobin to move up in the lineup and make an impact right away. While Mikael Granlund has shown all season he’s deserved of his role on the top line, Goldobin could potentially stake a claim to the top-six as early as next season.
- The Minnesota Wild have assigned Tyler Graovac to the AHL today as they get completely healthy. The young forward has played 49 games for the club this season, registering eight points. Though just 23-years old, Graovac has already far surpassed his expectations as a seventh-round pick. While he’s likely never going to be a key contributor to Minnesota’s forward group, he could play a role as they look for a deep playoff run this season.
Upcoming Agenda At The Florida GM Meetings
Tomorrow marks the start of the annual GM meetings in the NHL, where for three days leaders of the league’s teams will get together and discuss how to make the game better. As Sportnet’s John Shannon reports, there are several things being discussed at the meetings and we’ll go through some of the more important points.
Coach’s Challenge
The lengthy offside challenges this season have been a cause of much debate, as some have taken as long as 10 minutes to determine the call. Though the theory of the rule is good—that is, getting the correct call in all situations—the implementation leaves something to be desired. When the play is extremely close as it has been at several times this season, many fans, players and coaches would just as well have it ruled on the ice instead of watching the referee’s examine a small screen for several minutes, effectively interrupting any flow of the game that has been established.
As Shannon points out, the issue being discussed though isn’t with the length of the review. Instead, it likely has to do with when a coach can initiate a challenge, and how many he has during the game. Currently, a coach can only challenge offside plays resulting in a goal, and interference with the goaltender that results in a goal.
Defining Offside
Going hand-in-hand with the challenge discussion is the definition of the play itself. Since so many of the calls have been inconclusive because of the reading that it’s not offside until it touches his stick inside the blueline, the league is likely considering a change that would include some sort of “possession” reading. If the player carries it across, but isn’t actually in contact with the puck it could still be ruled offside. Many traditionalists may hate this interpretation should it come to pass, but it likely would help the referees make a determination on the replays more easily.
Bye Weeks
This has been another hot-button topic this year, as teams have done extremely poorly coming out of their mandated rest period. Because of the perception that a team coming off the rest is at a disadvantage to one in the swing of playing every other day, the league has been considering moving to a two-week system where half of the league breaks at a time. Coming out of the break, everyone would be playing another squad that had the same bye-week for their first game back. The problem is, obviously, what to do with 31 teams in this scenario.
Shootout
An interesting inclusion at the end of Shannon’s list, is that of the shootout. While some (many) fans want it abolished all together, Shannon notes that they may be considering a change that would allow a team to choose anyone after the third shooter. It’s this way in international events, and have resulted in some extremely memorable moments like T.J. Oshie at the Olympics, or the battle between Jonathan Toews and Peter Mueller at the World Juniors.
Should the league move to this method, it does (slightly) strengthen the idea of having a shootout specialist on your bench. While there is obviously no room for someone who can only perform in the shootout, teams already carry forwards who see less than 10 minutes of ice time a game. Should a young player show excellent skills in the shootout, it’s not unfathomable that a team could bring him up a little sooner as a sort of secret weapon.
Rangers Notes: Klein, Grabner, Glass
Part of the reason the New York Rangers went out and traded for Brendan Smith from Detroit was his versatility on the back end. Despite being left-handed, Smith is experienced on both sides of the ice and has been playing with Ryan McDonagh to start his Rangers career. With both Kevin Klein and Dan Girardi out, New York has been playing five left-handed defenders.
There was hope that Kevin Klein would return sooner than later, but he won’t travel with the team as they head out on a four-game road trip according to Brett Cyrgalis of the NY Post. Head coach Alain Vigneault told Cyrgalis he’s “not really sure what’s going on there” when speaking about Klein, who hasn’t played since February 21st.
- The Rangers have also been without Jesper Fast and Michael Grabner recently, but got some good news on one of them today. Grabner will travel with the team and test his hip tomorrow morning before their game in Tampa Bay—though he’s not expected to play. The team’s leading goal scorer, Grabner has had an unbelievable season with 26 markers. That’s his highest total since 2010-11 when he broke into the league with 34 as a 23-year old.
- Despite many fans fears that Tanner Glass will get into tomorrow’s game at the expense of a young forward, Vigneault hasn’t made up his mind yet. Glass was recalled along with Steven Kampfer this morning, and would be making his 2016-17 debut for the Rangers if he got into the lineup. The 33-year old Glass is know for his bang-and-crash style, recording no fewer than 130 hits in any of his full NHL seasons. The Rangers’ current leader in hits among forwards is Chris Kreider with 102, with no one else breaking 100.
New York Rangers Recall Tanner Glass, Steve Kampfer
Apparently an angry Alain Vigneault is all that was needed for some changes to happen in New York. The Rangers have called up Tanner Glass and Steve Kampfer after their 4-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens last night. After being manhandled by the new size of the Habs, the Rangers have brought up a little toughness to inset into their lineup.
While it’s unclear if the pair will get into the lineup right away, Glass and Kampfer don’t appear to be improvements on anyone in the Rangers lineup. Both players are borderline NHL players at this point in their careers and may just be around to keep the players accountable in practice. One possible scratch would be the super talented but still raw Pavel Buchnevich, who has only played 28 games this season and been bounced up and down between leagues.
The fourth line of Brandon Pirri, Oscar Lindberg and Matt Puempel played sparingly last night, and could be broken up with the insertion of Glass. If the 33-year old plays, it would be his first game in the NHL this season. Last year he suited up 57 times for the Rangers, registering seven points and 66 penalty minutes.