Nathan MacKinnon Out Two To Four Weeks
The Colorado Avalanche have announced that their star forward Nathan MacKinnon will be out two to four weeks with an upper-body injury. MacKinnon was injured in a game against the Vancouver Canucks, and will have to put his MVP-caliber season on hold.
MacKinnon was leading the Avalanche back to relevancy this season, and had them within a single point of the playoffs in the Western Conference. With 61 points in 43 games, the 22-year old is still expected to crush his previous career-high in scoring, and has even already tied his highest goal mark with 24.
Though two weeks would only keep him out of the lineup for seven games, four would push his return past the trade deadline and into March. That makes adding at the deadline tough, especially if the team takes a step backwards with MacKinnon out of the lineup.
In his place, players like Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog will need to take even more offensive burden upon their shoulders. Alexander Kerfoot, now the team’s most offensive-minded center, will take MacKinnon’s spot on the top line according to Adrian Dater of BSN Denver.
Central Notes: Predators, Avalanche, Jets
Yesterday, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) wrote about the Central Division and how each team is handling the pre-trade deadline stretch. First, he spoke with David Poile who admitted that he’d be most interested in adding up front. The Predators have long been known for their strength on defense, and with Alexei Emelin now added to a group that still includes P.K. Subban, Ryan Ellis, Roman Josi and Mattias Ekholm, their blue line is stronger than ever.
It’s not like Poile isn’t used to adding up front. Earlier this season he landed Kyle Turris in a three-way deal, and last season the Predators added Cody McLeod, Vernon Fiddler and P.A. Parenteau as depth options as they headed towards a postseason run. While none of those players are game-changing entities, they could be similar to any move the team makes this year, avoiding the big splash and hoping their core group can take them all the way.
- In Colorado, things are much different than a year ago. After dealing away Matt Duchene earlier this season, suddenly the Avalanche find themselves in a competitive position in the Central Division, just six points out of third place. LeBrun has been told by a source that if they’re in a playoff spot come the deadline, Colorado might just go out and acquire a top-nine forward to help this young group reach its potential. That’s a far cry from being a historically-bad team in 2016-17 and trying to sell just about any piece that wasn’t bolted down.
- Winnipeg may be the most interesting team to watch, now that they’ve lost Jacob Trouba for six to eight weeks and are still without Mark Scheifele. The Jets are a legitimate contender this season, and LeBrun reports that there is “no question [GM Kevin Cheveldayoff] is ready to deal some futures in the right deal.” That could be a whopping deal, seeing as the Jets are still loaded with prospects and picks ready to be flipped for impact talent. Sitting in first place is a new feeling for head coach Paul Maurice and his team, and it’s surely not one they’re going to want to give up anytime soon.
Final Standings Projections At The Mid-Way Point
It’s impossible to tell exactly how the remainder of the 2017-18 season will shake out, but with the NHL set to resume it’s unofficial second half of the season tomorrow, there’s no better time to look at the current state of the league. The final standings could look much like they do now or they could differ greatly, depending on whether or not the status quo shifts over the next few months. The trade deadline, rookie wall, and the health rigors of an 82-game season can all change the course of the campaign for many teams, but as of now, this is what the final standings and 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs will look like:
Atlantic Division
- Tampa Bay Lightning – 119 points
- Boston Bruins – 115 points
- Toronto Maple Leafs – 98 points
- Detroit Red Wings – 79 points
- Montreal Canadiens – 77 points
- Florida Panthers – 77 points
- Ottawa Senators – 68 points
- Buffalo Sabres – 62 points
Metropolitan Division
- Washington Capitals – 105 points
- New Jersey Devils – 96 points
- Columbus Blue Jackets – 95 points
- Philadelphia Flyers – 94 points
- Pittsburgh Penguins – 92 points
- New York Islanders – 90 points
- New York Rangers – 90 points
- Carolina Hurricanes – 87 points
Eastern Conference First Round Playoff Match-ups:
#1A Tampa Bay vs. #2W Pittsburgh
#1M Washington vs. #1W Philadelphia
#2A Boston vs. #3A Toronto
#2M New Jersey vs. #3M Columbus
Central Division
- Nashville Predators – 113 points
- Winnipeg Jets – 108 points
- St. Louis Blues – 101 points
- Dallas Stars – 98 points
- Colorado Avalanche – 97 points
- Minnesota Wild – 95 points
- Chicago Blackhawks – 89 points
Pacific Division
- Vegas Golden Knights – 116 points
- San Jose Sharks – 101 points
- Calgary Flames – 97 points
- Los Angeles Kings – 95 points
- Anaheim Ducks – 93 points
- Edmonton Oilers – 79 points
- Vancouver Canucks – 74 points
- Arizona Coyotes – 54 points
Western Conference First Round Playoff Match-ups:
#1P Vegas vs. #2W Colorado
#1C Nashville vs. #1W Dallas
#2C Winnipeg vs. #3C St. Louis
#2P San Jose vs. #3P Calgary
The biggest takeaway from this current outlook? It won’t take 100 points to be a playoff team this year, but the vast number of mediocre teams opens the door for some last-minute playoff drama. The Islanders, Rangers, Wild, and Kings all project to be just one win outside of a playoff berth. These races could come down to the wire. It should be a fun second half.
Which Teams Would Have Flexibility In Another Expansion Draft?
Midway-through the 2017-18 NHL season, it is nearly impossible to predict what rosters could look like following the 2019-20 season, more than two years away. Trades, free agency, and much more shape teams often in ways that no one sees coming. With that said, it seems like another Expansion Draft is coming to add the league’s 32nd team, the Seattle __________, and the timeline most are suggesting is a June 2020 draft date. Like it or not, the general managers of the other 31 NHL need to be keeping that in the back of their mind with each move they make over the next two seasons.
However, it could be that some have already made decisions that could impact their roster protection plans more than two years from now. The structure of the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft will the remain the same, allowing for teams to protect seven forwards, three defensemen and one goalie or eight skaters regardless of position and one goalie from being selected. The one caveat that threw more than a few teams for a loop last June was that all players with No-Movement Clauses (NMC) in their contracts had to be protected, unless the players voluntarily chose to wave them i.e. Marc-Andre Fleury. So, with that one aspect of the expansion process in mind, it is possible to look ahead at certain long-term contracts to see, assuming those players don’t waive them ahead of time, who could be locked in for protection in 2020 or which teams will have more flexibility without any such players:
Total Flexibility
Arizona Coyotes (0) – The only NMC players on the Coyotes are defensemen Alex Goligoski and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Hjalmarsson will be a free agent in the summer of the projected Expansion Draft and Goligoski’s clause will have shifted to a Modified No-Trade Clause. Arizona will likely have complete flexibility.
Buffalo Sabres (0) – Kyle Okposo‘s NMC expires after this season and Jason Pominville‘s contract expires after next season. Buffalo won’t have any restrictions on their protection scheme as of now.
Calgary Flames (0) – There is no one on the roster with a NMC and no one that will predictably get one by the end of the 2019-20 season. Kudos to GM Brad Treliving.
Los Angeles Kings (0) – Kings’ captain Anze Kopitar in their only NMC player right now and even his clause will have shifted to No-Trade by 2020. L.A. is free and clear.
Nashville Predators (0) – GM David Poile does not seem to be a fan of NMC’s in his recent long-term deals and in the new NHL expansion era, that’s a good thing.
New Jersey Devils (0) – see Calgary Flames
New York Islanders (0) – The Andrew Ladd and Johnny Boychuk contracts already look bad for the Isles. They would be much worse if their NMC’s didn’t expire soon. With John Tavares and Josh Bailey both candidates for NMC’s should they re-sign in New York and a defense that needs a re-haul, the Islanders could lose some flexibility, but they should be fine.
Toronto Maple Leafs (0) – The Leafs have no NMC players under contract beyond 2019-20 right now. That could easily change with Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander in need of extensions, but Toronto should still be in a good spot. After all, those are players that would protected regardless.
Vancouver Canucks (0) – Loui Eriksson‘s NMC shifts to a No-Trade Clause following this season and will be an afterthought by 2020. It’s fortunate, as Eriksson’s tenure in Vancouver has not gone according to plan.
Vegas Golden Knights (0) – The Golden Knights didn’t sign or trade for any players with NMC’s and only drafted two – Marc-Andre Fleury and David Clarkson – who already had them and they both expire before the Knights would be set to become the NHL’s second-newest team. With that said, the current Knights’ roster will see a lot of turnover in the next two years and they may struggle to avoid NMC’s completely.
Washington Capitals (0) – GM Brian MacLellan has avoided NMC’s in any of his recent mega-deals. If he can do it again this summer in his attempt to re-sign (or replace) John Carlson, then the Caps will be in good shape for another round of expansion drafting.
Winnipeg Jets (0) – The NMC in Bryan Little‘s contract will both kick in and expire between now and June 2020. The Jets should be left with a fully flexible lineup.
Some Flexibility
Boston Bruins (2) – There’s little concern that Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron will still be playing at a high level in two years. Their NMC’s should be a non-factor for Boston. If David Krejci and, especially, David Backes still had their NMC’s too at that time, there would be a real logjam up front. However, both will have shifted to Modified No-Trade Clauses by then, potentially saving the Bruins from making tough decisions about their many talented young forwards.
Carolina Hurricanes (1) – As important a job as he’s had in Carolina, Jordan Staal will never be the star forward that finally puts them over the top. If his NMC causes a problem in 2020, he could easily be traded to a contender to play a complementary role. The Hurricanes need to retain as many promising young forward assets as they can in hopes of one day finding that true superstar.
Colorado Avalanche (1) – There are mixed opinions on Erik Johnson, but he has a leadership role for the Avalanche and will be key in grooming a strong crop of up-and-coming defensive prospects. The Avs won’t lose sleep about having to protect him in expansion, especially if he’s still one of their top-pairing guys in two years.
Columbus Blue Jackets (1) – The Blue Jackets were one of the biggest losers in the most recent Expansion Draft. They might be smart to sell off Nick Foligno if there’s any risk that history repeats itself.
Dallas Stars (3) – Call it optimism about his play in his first season in Dallas, but the NMC for Alexander Radulov doesn’t seem like it will be a major issue even after a couple more years. Of course, Jamie Benn‘s NMC will also be a non-factor. Ben Bishop on the other hand may not be the goalie the Stars would prefer to keep in two years. As of now, there’s no immediate competition though.
Detroit Red Wings (1) – Detroit only has one NMC player who will still be under contract in 2020-21 (and another season after that), but it’s Frans Nielsen, who has been a major disappointment for the team since coming over from the New York Islanders. He could throw a wrench in their plans if he continues his downward trend over the next two seasons.
Minnesota Wild (2) – The Ryan Suter and Zach Parise mega-deals will still be making an impact in 2020, but with most of the core locked up throughout that season and no other NMC contract likely on their way, Minnesota should be okay in the Expansion Draft.
Montreal Canadiens (2) – Even if the Canadiens continue to struggle through two more seasons, there will be few Habs fans that blame superstar goalie Carey Price. His NMC won’t be an issue because the team would never dream of leaving him exposed. Jeff Petry on the other hand could be a problem. Luckily (?), it doesn’t look like Montreal will have many defenders worth protecting even in the next couple of seasons.
Ottawa Senators (2) – Some things never change. The NMC’s for Bobby Ryan and Dion Phaneuf were problems for the Senators in this past Expansion Draft and they’ll likely be problems again next time around. If Phaneuf is traded between now and then, that alleviates some concern for Ottawa. Good luck moving the Ryan contract though.
Philadelphia Flyers (1) – Only Claude Giroux has and predictably will have an NMC come June 2020. That’s a pretty safe situation for Philly.
San Jose Sharks (1) – Marc-Edouard Vlasic plays a confident, stay-at-home defensive game that often ages nicely. He looks to be the only NMC in San Jose in 2020, which shouldn’t cause a stir.
St. Louis Blues (1) – Patrik Berglund will be on the wrong side of 30 and still under a NMC when the potential 2020 draft rolls around, but with the rest of their core signed long-term without NMC’s, the Blues should be pretty safe.
Tampa Bay Lightning (2) – Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman may be the two safest NMC contracts in the NHL. Fortunately, Ryan Callahan‘s otherwise-problematic NMC expires just prior to projected 2020 Expansion Draft.
Little Flexibility
Anaheim Ducks (3) – Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, and Ryan Kesler will all be 35+ and still be NMC-protected in 2020. That’s a large chunk of your protected forwards to dedicate to players in the twilight of their careers. Some up-and-coming young talent could leave Anaheim again in this next Expansion Draft a la Shea Theodore.
Chicago Blackhawks (4) – The downside to signing all of your core players to long contracts with NMC’s could hit the Blackhawks hard in the next Expansion Draft. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews will be well past 30 and Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith will be in their mid-to-late 30’s during the 2020-21 season, but all four will need to be protected ahead of that season, which could force other promising younger players out of Chicago’s protection scheme. At least they’ll narrowly avoid having an issue in net with Corey Crawford‘s contract expiring prior.
Edmonton Oilers (2) – Milan Lucic and Kris Russell. Each two years older than they are now. Those aren’t exactly players that a team wants to be forced to keep. It’s foreseeable that one or both could have a negative impact on the team’s protection plan.
Florida Panthers (3) – The Panthers probably won’t mind having three players locked up come Expansion 2.0. The team knew what they were doing when they signed Keith Yandle long-term. Even in his mid-30’s, Yandle will be a reliable player and a leader for the young Florida defensive core. Sure, they considered asking him to waive his NMC this past June, but they never actually did. Yandle won’t be a major issue in two years unless his play falls off considerably. There should be no concern whatsoever over Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov, whose NMC’s kick in later on in their contracts. The same might not be true about Evgeni Dadonov, whose been somewhat underwhelming so far in Florida, but luckily his contract runs out just prior the probable draft date.
New York Rangers (4) – Although they will have near total control over their forwards, outside of Mika Zibanejad, the Rangers could be in a tough position with their protection schemes in net and on the blue line in 2020. Then-38-year-old Henrik Lundqvist will require protection, as will underachieving defensemen Kevin Shattenkirk and Marc Staal. New York is apparently readying themselves for somewhat of a rebuild, which could mean some of those players are traded beforehand. Otherwise New York could face quite the dilemma.
Pittsburgh Penguins (4) – It seems unlikely, even years from now and in their mid-30’s, that the NMC’s for Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, or Phil Kessel would cause trouble for the Penguins. Injury-prone defenseman Kris Letang could be different though. Being forced to protect him after another two seasons of hard minutes could be difficult to swallow. Pittsburgh also has some work to do filling out the forward corps between now and 2020. GM Jim Rutherford would be well-served to avoid acquiring or handing out any further NMC’s.
Trade Candidates: Jason Demers
With the trade deadline approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that have a good chance to be dealt by February 26th.
With another dismal season in the desert, the Arizona Coyotes will once again attempt to unload their veteran players with the hopes of picking up some draft picks and opening roster spots so the team can promote some of their young talent in the minors. While the team may want to hold onto some of their offseason trade acquisitions a bit longer like Derek Stepan or Niklas Hjalmarsson, there are others such as defenseman Jason Demers, who the team will likely shop in hopes of finding a taker.
Contract
One reason Arizona was able to get Demers for such a cheap price (for Jamie McGinn) was that the Coyotes were willing to eat his contract. The 29-year-old defenseman still has three years remaining on the five-year, $22.5MM ($4.45MM AAV) deal he signed in 2016 with the Florida Panthers. However, the Panthers will retain $563K for each of the next four years, which brings his salary down to just under $4MM per year.
2017-18
While the Coyotes had high hopes that with the addition of Demers and Hjalmarsson to go with Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Alex Goligoski and second-year defenseman Jakob Chychrun, the team’s defense and new goaltender Antti Raanta might stabilize their defense. That hasn’t happened, although Demers has played well with the Coyotes and been a consistent defensive presence all season. While his offensive numbers have been modest at best (three goals this year compared to nine last year), he has played well defensively and is averaging a solid 21:06 of ice time.
Season Stats
50 GP, 3 goals, 13 assists, 16 points, -11 rating, 29 PIM, 21:46 ATOI, 51.1 CF%
Potential Suitors
While Demers is no rental player, the team has to hope a team is willing to take on three more years of his contract for a trade to work. Even if they were willing to retain some of his salary, finding a taker might be challenging. While the Toronto Maple Leafs have shown interest in Demers in previous years and might be looking for a defenseman, the likelihood they would be willing to take on his contract for three more years when their cap situation ready to explode at that time suggests they aren’t a great match. Perhaps a team with ample cap space such as the San Jose Sharks, the Colorado Avalanche or even the Winnipeg Jets might be willing to take on that contract. The New York Islanders also could use some defense, but would likely have to send some salary back to make a deal work.
Likelihood of a Trade
Arizona is likely more than willing, but again, it all comes down to whether any team wants to take on the three years remaining on his salary and how much Arizona might be willing to retain. Demers isn’t that high priced, but the defenseman is hardly that great player that will change a team’s playoff fortunes around. Yet, he is a solid, respectable defenseman who might make a solid pickup to a team’s defensive rotation.
All-Star Skills Competition Assignments Released
With the All-Star game one day away, many NHL fans often get more excited for the 2018 GEICO NHL All-Star Skills Competition, which will be tonight. The NHL released the list of who will be participating in each of the six competitions with the winner of each receiving $25K.
Enterprise NHL Fastest Skater – Each skater is timed for one full lap around the rink.
Brayden Point (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Rickard Rakell (Anaheim Ducks)
Noah Hanifin (Carolina Hurricanes)
Josh Bailey (New York Islanders)
Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche)
Jack Eichel (Buffalo Sabres)
Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers)
Dunkin Donuts NHL Passing Challenge – Requires three skills over one round, including Target Passing (making four passes to a target that light up randomly), Give-and-Go (must complete four successful passes through a course in the neutral zone) and Mini Nets (must complete four passes over barricades and into mini-nets).
Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Claude Giroux (Philadelphia Flyers)
Brayden Schenn (St. Louis Blues)
Oliver Ekman-Larsson (Arizona Coyotes)
Eric Staal (Minnesota Wild)
Alex Pietrangelo (St. Louis Blues)
Kris Letang (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Drew Doughty (Los Angeles Kings)
GEICO NHL Save Streak – Goalies attempt to win by making the most consecutive saves against an opposing division on a minimum of nine shots.
Henrik Lundqvist (New York Rangers) vs. Central Division
Connor Hellebuyck (Vancouver Canucks) vs. Pacific Division
Pekka Rinne (Nashville Predators) vs. Metropolitan Division
Marc-Andre Fleury (Vegas Golden Knights) vs. Atlantic Division
Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay Lightning) vs. Central Division
Gatorade NHL Puck Control Relay – A timed event that involves three skills, including Stickhandling (where a skater must control a puck through a series of eight pucks in a straight line), Cone Control (where a skater controls a puck through a series of eight cones in a zig-zag formation) and Gates (where a skater must shoot or choose to guide the puck through a lighted rung of a gate).
Johnny Gaudreau (Calgary Flames)
Aleksander Barkov (Florida Panthers)
Erik Karlsson (Ottawa Senators)
John Tavares (New York Islanders)
Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers)
Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Tyler Seguin (Dallas Stars)
Patrick Kane (Chicago Blackhawks)
PPG NHL Hardest Shot – Over two rounds, each player will attempt two shots measured in miles per hour with the highest speed recorded.
John Klingberg (Dallas Stars)
Alex Ovechkin (Washington Capitals)
P.K. Subban (Nashville Predators)
Brent Burns (San Jose Sharks)
Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Honda NHL Shooting Accuracy – A timed event in which a skater is positioned 25 feet behind the goal line and must shoot at five LED targets in the goal. A target will light up and the players has three seconds to hit it.
Brian Boyle (New Jersey Devils)
Blake Wheeler (Winnipeg Jets)
James Neal (Vegas Golden Knights)
Brock Boeser (Vancouver Canucks)
Brad Marchand (Boston Bruins)
Anze Kopitar (Los Angeles Kings)
Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Minor Transactions: 01/26/18
The All-Star break is upon us, and players all over the league will be flying away to get a few days of rest and relaxation. For some, the destination will be Tampa Bay to suit up and represent their team among the best of the best. For others, the minor leagues might be at the end of that flight, with no rest awaiting them. Many waiver-exempt players will be sent down this weekend, though not all of them will actually suit up for their AHL squads. We’ll keep track of all the minor movement right here.
- The Carolina Hurricanes have sent Haydn Fleury to the minor leagues, where he’ll be able to suit up tonight and tomorrow before likely returning to the NHL. The 21-year old defenseman has played 39 games for the Hurricanes this season, recording six assists but still looking for his first NHL goal.
- Minnesota, who have used every opportunity to bank cap space this season, have sent Kyle Rau and Joel Eriksson Ek to the AHL for the time being. Both players have spent time in the minors this season, but are expected to get the call back up to the NHL after the weekend.
- The Colorado Avalanche have three players on their way back, sending A.J. Greer, Dominic Toninato and David Warsofsky to the minor leagues today. The surprising Avalanche are hoping to get a few healthy bodies back after the break, which might mean a longer stint for a few of the above players.
- Michael Dal Colle, Tanner Fritz and Ross Johnston are all on their way back to the AHL, the New York Islanders announced today. Dal Colle, the fifth-overall pick in 2014 is still looking for his first NHL point through four games with the club.
- The Buffalo Sabres have returned Matt Tennyson to the AHL, as he’s still able to be demoted without clearing waivers. Tennyson hasn’t had much of an impact on the Sabres this season, playing in just 14 games.
- Anthony DeAngelo, Peter Holland and Vinni Lettieri are all on their way to the minor leagues, though whether they’ll actually play for the Hartford Wolf Pack isn’t certain. All three should be back up with the New York Rangers following the break.
- The New Jersey Devils have sent Kevin Rooney and Mackenzie Blackwood back down, and with Cory Schneider and Keith Kinkaid coming closer to returns Blackwood likely won’t be back. The young goaltender will have to wait for his next opportunity in the NHL.
- The Calgary Flames have returned Andrew Mangiapane, Marek Hrvik and Ryan Lomberg, and you can expect at least two to return after the break. Mangiapane has been quite the find for the Flames, drafted in the sixth round but showing he could be a legitimate NHL open down the road. Though he’s still scoreless through his first eight games with Calgary, the 21-year old has 35 points in 30 AHL contests.
- Ottawa has sent Erik Burgdoerfer, Colin White and Chris DiDomenico to the minor leagues, though all three will likely return after the break. The Senators roster may look very different in the coming weeks, which could provide an opportunity for White, a top prospect, to take hold of a bigger role.
- Troy Grosenick has been sent down by the San Jose Sharks, and Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News reports that Martin Jones should be ready after the break. Even though Aaron Dell has been one of the league’s best stories, getting Jones back only strengthens a beat up Sharks team.
- David Booth has been brought back up by the Detroit Red Wings, while Dominic Turgeon is on his way to Grand Rapids. That’s probably to get Turgeon into some games over the break, but it is interesting that Booth is back up. On a two-way deal, he earns more money while in the NHL.
- Samuel Montembeault is on his way back to the AHL, leaving the Florida Panthers without actually getting into a game. The 21-year old goaltender could be back up if James Reimer isn’t ready to go after the break.
- Dillon Heatherington, Jason Dickinson and Julius Honka have all been loaned back to the Texas Stars, a huge upgrade for the team if the trio all play this weekend. Heatherington has shown that he might be a surprise option for the Dallas Stars on the blueline this season, while Honka and Dickinson both still hold huge upside.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have loaned defenseman Rinat Valiev back to the minor leagues, and he might not get a chance to come back if either Morgan Rielly or Nikita Zaitsev are ready to come off injured reserve after the break. As James Mirtle of The Athletic points out, short stints have huge financial ramifications for minor league players two-way contracts, even if they don’t get into any games.
- The Winnipeg Jets have swapped goaltenders, recalling Jamie Phillips and sending Michael Hutchinson back to the AHL. Hutchinson will stay sharp with some games for the Manitoba Moose during the break, and then likely return to backup Connor Hellebuyck while Steve Mason deals with a concussion. The team has also returned Brendan Lemieux to the AHL for the time being.
- According to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, Markus Hannikainen, Dean Kukan and Joonas Korpisalo are the Columbus Blue Jackets on their way down, with Jeff Zatkoff coming up to fill roster requirements. The trio will all likely be back up after the weekend.
- Pittsburgh has sent Jean-Sebastien Dea to the minor leagues, where he has 23 points on the season. Dea scored his first NHL goal just a few days ago, and has played in four games now for the Penguins.
- Not long after calling him up to replace the suspended Brad Marchand, the Boston Bruins announced that they have returned Anders Bjork to the AHL. Although Bjork was bumped down the lineup out of Marchand’s top line spot in the Bruins’ game last night, chances are he will be called back up after the All-Star break with Marchand set to sit for four more games.
Trade Notes: Rangers, Avalanche, Predators
Despite the trade deadline being more than a month away, rumors are flying around the NHL. TSN’s Darren Dreger, Pierre LeBrun, and Bob McKenzie appeared on Insider Trading this evening to discuss the rumblings they’re hearing from around the league…
- Rangers wingers Rick Nash and Michael Grabner are expected to be highly sought after prior to the deadline, and Dreger says the Rangers are “leaning towards being open for business.” Of course, the reporter cautions that it would take a lot for a team to acquire Nash, who has yet to be asked for his 12-team trade list. The 33-year-old has 13 goals and 10 assists this season, while the 30-year-old Grabner has compiled 20 goals and four assists.
- There’s also a lot of trade speculation surrounding Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh, but it’s believed the veteran won’t be moved until the offseason. The 28-year-old has spent his entire NHL career in New York, and he’s on pace to set a career high in assists this season.
- Many fans thought Colorado would end up being a seller prior to the deadline, but the Avalanche are currently riding a 10-game win streak. The team could ultimately be buyers prior to the deadline, but general manager Joe Sakic is debating whether he wants to disrupt team chemistry by adding another player to the roster.
- The Canadiens predictably won’t be adding add big names prior to the deadline, and the team is still finalizing their trade deadline strategy. However, it’s believed the team could be active in trade talks as they look to improve their roster for next season.
- The Predators are looking to add a top-six winger to their roster, but they’re willing to wait before jumping on a trade. LeBrun mentions Max Pacioretty, Mike Hoffman, and Evander Kane as potential targets.
- The Red Wings are telling teams that defenseman Xavier Ouellet is available. The former second-round pick has been a bit underwhelming this season, compiling only four goals and four assists.
Montreal Canadiens “Very Active” As Deadline Approaches
The Montreal Canadiens, losers of four of their last five games including three at the hands of the Boston Bruins, are now 19-22-6 on the season and well out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. In his latest 31 Thoughts column for Sportsnet, Elliotte Friedman reports that GM Marc Bergevin is more active than normal trying to “get something going.”
Friedman lists only Carey Price, Shea Weber, Victor Mete and Jonathan Drouin as unlikely to be traded, making the rest of the roster ripe for speculation. Max Pacioretty has obviously been in the news quite a bit recently, something Alex Galchenyuk has dealt with for years. There are also lesser-known names like Paul Byron, Andrew Shaw and Brendan Gallagher who would all draw interest as well as expiring contracts for Tomas Plekanec, Jakub Jerabek and Antti Niemi.
Montreal has had a season to forget, but Friedman points out that everyone in the league can see what Colorado is doing this year. After putting up historically bad numbers in 2016-17, the Avalanche are now on a ten game winning streak and find themselves right in the thick of the Western Conference playoff run. Montreal knows first hand what that bounce-back can be, after struggling without an injured price in 2015-16 only to return to the playoffs a year later.
If anything, the Canadiens are more likely to reload than rebuild, as Price’s huge extension kicks in next season and there is plenty of other money tied up in Weber, Drouin, Jeff Petry and Karl Alzner. Even if they do move out some significant pieces, you can bet Montreal won’t be tearing down the whole thing.
NHL Trade Deadline Trends
With two (albeit minor) trades today, it seems as if the annual pre-NHL Trade Deadline flurry of activity is underway. NHL analytics guru Rob Vollman was ready for it yesterday, releasing some new, interesting statistics related to trade deadline trends. With the last day to make deals this season coming up on Monday, February 26th, these correlations may indicate what we can expect in the coming weeks.
Vollman’s first chart shows the distribution of deals made in the month leading up to the trade deadline. On average, there have been close to 41 trades in the month leading up to the deadline since 2005. There tends to be nearly a trade per day beginning 30 days prior to the deadline and going throughout the month, with the numbers increasing exponentially in the final three days. In 2016-17, there were five trades made in the month of January, which slowed down the early February pace somewhat. However, deals came with a more torrid pace beginning in the middle of the month, leading to a total of 41 trades made in the month – on par with the trend over the last decade plus. On average, one can expect 12 trades over the next month leading up to 29 swaps over the final two days prior and deadline day combined. On the 26th, it would be reasonable to see more than 20 trades made, as that has been the trend of late.
So who will be making those deals? Vollman’s second chart shows the frequency that each NHL team has made trades since 2005. The Anaheim Ducks stand out as having made far more deals in that time than any other team in the league, including quite a few deals prior to deadline day. Could the Ducks make a deal this deadline season? Of course, although GM Bob Murray and company may need some more clarity on the Western Conference playoff picture before deciding to be buyers or sellers. The last-place Arizona Coyotes, also common deal-makers, aren’t in that position, but with no impending free agent rentals outside of Brad Richardson, Luke Schenn, and maybe Antti Raanta, there may not be many trade options for GM John Chayka unless he makes some bigger splashes. Eastern Conference contenders Tampa Bay, Toronto, and Washington have all been known to make a few trades, so don’t expect anything different this season. On the other hand, the Red Wings, Stars, and Predators have a history of being hesitant to make moves. If Dallas does make a deal, expect it to come early, as they have far more trades made earlier in February than at the deadline. Conversely, the Avalanche often wait until the last minute, which should be no different in 2017-18 with Colorado being a team that could benefit from a clear look at the Western race.
The trading mania is about to begin, so even if John Ramage, Jeff Zatkoff, or even Anthony Duclair don’t interest you, don’t fret, more moves are on their way.