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Avalanche Rumors

Snapshots: Therrien, Enstrom, Lazar, Varlamov

February 16, 2017 at 12:15 pm CDT | by Ben Levine 2 Leave a Comment

Following his sudden firing from the Canadiens earlier this week, former head coach Michel Therrien released a statement (via the Montreal Gazette):

I would first like to thank the Montreal Canadiens organization, especially Geoff Molson and Marc Bergevin, for the experience of five remarkable years. The Montreal Canadiens have always been a great organization, and recent events in no way change my perception of the team and its management.

Being an NHL coach is a tough job: it is gratifying on many levels but it can also quickly become a thankless task. When a team is experiencing difficulties, any head coach knows his job is on the line. I understand and accept this reality.

I would like to thank fans in Montreal and across Quebec, as well as members of the media. I also salute the coaches and staff I have worked with over the years and, above all, the many players whom I had the privilege of coaching.

I leave with my head held high: I am very proud of the work accomplished over the past five years. The current team can aspire to great honours, and I wish my colleague Claude Julien every success in the future.”

Let’s take a look at some other notes from around the NHL:

  • The Jets announced (via Twitter) that defenseman Toby Enstrom had surgery yesterday on “an existing lower body injury.” The 32-year-old is expected to be sidelined for two-to-three weeks. In 55 games this season, the 10-year veteran has collected one goal and 13 assists.
  • Curtis Lazar is set to return to the Senators lineup tonight, and Mike Halford of Pro Hockey Talk writes that the return could help boost the forward’s trade value. The 22-year-old’s agent is set to meet with the team’s front office, and Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen believes the player could ask for a trade. In 29 games this season, the former first-round pick has compiled a single assist.
  • Following reports that Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov was set to miss the rest of the season, general manager Joe Sakic said the organization is hoping the 28-year-old will return to full strength for next season. “I expect him to be fully healthy next year,” Sakic said (via Terry Frei of the Denver Post). “He’s had the problems with his groin the last couple of years, and this year, but he’s a worker, he cares, he’s a guy who puts a lot of pressure on that area the way he plays.” In 24 games (23 starts) this season, Varlamov has gone 6-17 with a .898 save percentage.

Colorado Avalanche| Michel Therrien| Ottawa Senators| Winnipeg Jets Curtis Lazar| Semyon Varlamov| Toby Enstrom

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Joe Sakic On Avalanche: “We Still Have To Get Younger”

February 15, 2017 at 7:45 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 6 Comments

Colorado Avalanche GM Joe Sakic is perhaps the most sought after interview in the league these days, as rumors swirls about his two star forwards Gabriel Landeskog and Matt Duchene. It seems like half the league has been in contact with Sakic, who confirmed to Terry Frei of the Denver Post that he has been getting calls on the pair. Sakic disputes though that they’re on the block, saying that “I’m not going to make a deal just to make a deal,” and that he’s not the one spreading the rumors.

Sakic later says that he knows “we still have to get younger” and that “we’re going to free up some cap room and try and keep building up the younger guys.” While this makes sense for any rebuilding team, it’s interesting that Duchene and Landeskog would not be included in that youth movement. Landeskog is only 24, and currently the team captain, while Duchene is 26 and a former 30-goal scorer. Most teams would kill for their core to be that young and talented. In fact, Frei reports that when Sakic was speaking about the untouchables on the team, he only mentioned Nathan MacKinnon (21), Mikko Rantanen (20) and Tyson Jost (18).

The team only has a handful of older players, and even fewer that play important minutes for them. The idea of getting younger is always a good one—especially in an NHL that is continually shifting towards speed and skill—but not always possible. The second part of the statement is one that holds more weight, that they are looking to clear out cap room. If they are looking to get younger, it’s not clear who they would need that cap room for. The team has a handful of contracts coming off the books next season, and only a couple of important RFAs to sign. Perhaps it’s just a commentary on the contracts of Duchene, Landeskog and even Tyson Barrie who are all not performing to their standards.

If Sakic is truly looking to move age and money out, Jarome Iginla, Francois Beauchemin and Carl Soderberg are all on the wrong side of 30 and carry hefty cap hits (for at least the rest of this season). Perhaps those are the names he’d be floating if he had the choice.

For now, Avalanche fans should expect more of the same at the bottom of the NHL standings. “Getting younger” usually doesn’t result in immediate upgrades to the big-league roster (Toronto Maple Leafs be damned).

Colorado Avalanche| Joe Sakic| NHL| NLA| Players| RFA| Toronto Maple Leafs| Uncategorized Francois Beauchemin| Gabriel Landeskog| Jarome Iginla| Matt Duchene| Mikko Rantanen| Nathan MacKinnon

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Senators GM Confirms Trade Talks With Avalanche

February 14, 2017 at 8:38 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 4 Comments

With the trade deadline approaching, Senators general manager Pierre Dorion confirmed yesterday that he has had trade talks with Avalanche general manger Joe Sakic (via Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun). However, Dorion noted that the Avalanche’s current asking price is too high.

“I’ve talked to (Sakic), as I’ve talked a lot of my other counterparts, and maybe some names aren’t out there,” Dorion said during an appearnce on TSN 1200. “It’s the right thing to do to kick tires to find out what’s available and what’s not available from their team.

“I don’t think the reports are always accurate and sometimes it’s better to hear from the horse’s mouth. Joe and I talked and, at this point in time, I can’t see us going in that direction. It wouldn’t make sense. We want to do something to try to improve the team and making deals is very difficult to do.

“We’re second after Florida as far as making deals but I can’t see us mortgaging everything in the future and some stuff in the present to get one or two or whatever players are out there. I think we have to be realistic that we want to improve but to give up three, four or five assets would be something that would be very difficult to do.”

Dorion didn’t mention which players were discussed, but Garrioch assumes the general manager was eyeing Avalanche forward Gabriel Landeskog, who is believed to be on the trade block. The writer notes that Colorado would presumably want defenseman Cody Ceci, a first-round pick in 2017, one of the Senators’ top prospects (Thomas Chabot or Colin White) and other pieces in exchange for the veteran. Landeskog’s been having a below-average season, scoring 11 goals and collecting 11 assists in 43 games.

The Senators made a deal for former Sharks forward Tommy Wingels last month, and Dorion has noted that he’d welcome an additional forward or defender.

Colorado Avalanche| Joe Sakic| Ottawa Senators| Pierre Dorion Gabriel Landeskog

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Atlantic Notes: Maple Leafs, Bruins, Canadiens

February 13, 2017 at 5:08 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

For the Maple Leafs, the past calendar year has been one of wild swings. In the last 12 months (and a few days) the team dealt team captain Dion Phaneuf to Ottawa for cap relief, finished last in the NHL, drafted the future face of the franchise and vaulted themselves into playoff contention. In the last few weeks though the team has held on tight as the roller-coaster has tilted up on two wheels.

The team currently sits tied with Philadelphia for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot, but has had trouble keeping the puck out of their own net in recent weeks. After two back-to-back shutouts over Calgary and Detroit in late January, the team has allowed 30 goals in eight games and gone 2-4-2. Kristen Shilton of TSN reports on their mediocrity and where the team’s mindset is as they try to turn things around. One of the positive notes has been the play of William Nylander, who after an early season demotion to the fourth line has recharged his defensive tanks and become a leader on a shutdown line with Nazem Kadri and Leo Komarov.

The team has no time to settle in though, with a condensed schedule and eight games in the fifteen nights remaining in February. They’ll take on the New York Islanders tomorrow on home ice.

  • The Boston Bruins are 3-0 with their new head coach, getting a boost from the new voice of Bruce Cassidy behind the bench. They tore apart their rival Montreal Canadiens last night 4-0 and have put some space between them and the struggling Maple Leafs. Perhaps the coaching move was the right choice, but they’re in for a tough road trip when they come back off their mandated bye-week. The team will hit the road on the west coast with matchups against San Jose, Anaheim, Los Angeles and Dallas out of the break—a tough schedule for anyone.
  • Montreal could do with a little of that coaching magic, writes Michael Traikos of the National Post. While the Bruins surge, the Canadiens flounder at the top of the Atlantic Division, now only six points ahead of the Ottawa Senators despite having played five more games. For what at one point looked like a lock for the top see in the division, Montreal now faces a tough final stretch of games. Traikos opines that Michel Therrien should be fired like his Boston counterpart, despite still holding onto that top seed. For now he remains with the team an they’ll come out of their break against the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday.
  • Hopefully they will return with some help, says Ken Campbell of The Hockey News. In his latest column, Campbell examines the Canadiens need for some secondary scoring help behind the top duo of Max Pacioretty and Alexander Radulov. After Colorado Avalanche GM Joe Sakic and AGM Chris McFarland were seen in attendance at the Bruins-Habs matchup on Sunday, hope sprung in Montreal about a possible addition of one of the two young players on the Avalanche trade-block. Both Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog would provide a nice punch to the second line for the Habs, though the asking price remains as high as ever.

AHL| Boston Bruins| Colorado Avalanche| Joe Sakic| Joe Sakic| Michel Therrien| Minnesota Wild| Montreal Canadiens| NHL| New York Islanders| Ottawa Senators| Players| Toronto Maple Leafs| Waivers| Winnipeg Jets Alexander Radulov| Devin Setoguchi| Dion Phaneuf| Gabriel Landeskog| Matt Duchene| Max Pacioretty| Nazem Kadri| William Nylander

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Bruins And Avalanche Talking Trade

February 13, 2017 at 11:44 am CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

After Colorado Avalanche GM Joe Sakic was seen speaking with Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney during the second period of the Bruins’ 4-0 shutout of the Montreal Canadiens last night, the internet has exploded with speculation of a potential deal in the works. The expectations are not unprecedented; it was reported earlier this season that the Bruins were interested in the captain of the last-place Avs, available winger Gabriel Landeskog. However, they balked at the asking price of a package including impressive rookie defenseman Brandon Carlo and those talks apparently had fallen apart.

They seem to be back on now though. The Boston Globe’s Fluto Shinzawa writes this morning that both executives are under immense pressure and have been in constant communication lately. Sakic’s squad is one of the worst in recent memory, while Sweeney’s team has missed the playoffs two years in a row, despite a deep and talented roster, and just fired the best coach in team history in an effort to get back to the postseason. While many Bruins fans would like to see the team refrain from making any desperate moves, as trading young players has not worked out for them over the last decade (see: Joe Thornton, Kris Versteeg, Blake Wheeler, Tyler Seguin, Johnny Boychuk, Dougie Hamilton, ect.), Boston undoubtedly needs some scoring help, both this year and in the future, as Sweeney said himself recently.

With lots of talent in the system, both up front and on the blue line, Boston has the pieces to make a major trade if they so choose. What they lack, is immediate help at left wing. Brad Marchand and Frank Vatrano have top left side spots locked up long-term, but Matt Beleskey has had a down year after career-highs in 2016-17 and Tim Schaller is not a top-nine option.  Rookie Peter Cehlarik, recently recalled from the AHL’s Providence Bruins where he has been the best player all year long, played great in front of Sakic last night, but is a pass-first player on a team in search of a sniper. Former college star Danton Heinen failed to make a difference in his Boston tryouts earlier this year and 2015 first-rounder Jake DeBrusk has failed to earn his first career call-up yet. The Bruins most promising left wing option in the system may be Marchand clone Jesse Gabrielle or Notre Dame star Anders Bjork.

Thus, the desire to acquire Landeskog, if that is Sweeney’s intention, makes sense. However, the cost could be too high. Shinzawa believes that the likes of Cehlarik, center Ryan Spooner, or defenseman Colin Miller may not be enough for the Avalanche and that they are stuck on the Colorado-native Carlo. The Bruins first instinct to reject even the thought of moving the young blue liner is correct though. At just 20 years old, the 6’5″ Carlo has played major minutes, both regular strength and special teams, all season long and has learned under one of the best, Zdeno Chara. He has size, strength, skating ability, and now experience at a very young age. Would the Bruins really trade a player with the makings of a top-pair defenseman for the next decade? Shinzawa does note that they have top prospect Charlie McAvoy, perhaps the only untouchable in the system, waiting in the wings and three NHL-caliber defenseman on the right side in Colin Miller, Kevan Miller, and Adam McQuaid. However, he acknowledges that the upcoming Expansion Draft may strip them of one of those three. An argument can also be made that Kevan Miller is  top-six defenseman in Boston by necessity, not talent. The Bruins are right to consider McAvoy as a non-starter, but Carlo should be in that group too, and originally was. The Bruins have been on the hunt for a top-pair replacement for Chara as well, as the big man has one year remaining on his contract before he surely retires, and moving Carlo would deny them of what could be the perfect in-house replica. Unless Sweeney had a change of heart, perhaps he is trying to entice Sakic with a combination of a potential replacement for Landeskog on the left side (Spooner, Cehlarik, Beleskey, Heinen), another top defensive prospect like World Junior standouts Jakub Zboril, Jeremy Lauzon, or Ryan Lindgren, and one of a plethora of strong center prospects – another major need for the Avs – like Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson, Trent Frederic, Ryan Donato, or Ryan Fitzgerald. In fact, Sakic will reportedly take in the Beanpot Tournament final tonight in Boston, featuring Boston University and Harvard, and will get to see Bruins prospects Forsbacka-Karlsson, Donato, McAvoy, and Wiley Sherman in action. Could that ties into the deal?

There are a lot of question marks remaining about the targets of both teams. After all, the Carlo asking price may have Sweeney moving on to other Colorado targets like former Bruin Jarome Iginla, winger Blake Comeau, or rental defenseman Fedor Tyutin.  A deal is far from a sure thing, but the Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche are definitely talking trades with about two weeks remaining before the March 1st NHL Trade Deadline. Keep an eye on these two teams moving forward.

Boston Bruins| Colorado Avalanche| Don Sweeney| Joe Sakic Blake Comeau| Brandon Carlo| Colin Miller| Frank Vatrano| Gabriel Landeskog| Matt Beleskey| Peter Cehlarik| Trade Deadline Previews

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Snapshots: Rust, Chara, Maple Leafs

February 10, 2017 at 5:24 pm CDT | by Mike Furlano 1 Comment

News and notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust will miss Saturday’s game against the Arizona Coyotes, reports KDKA’s Bob Pompeani. Rust suffered an injury midway through last night’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. Avalanche defenseman Mark Barberio hit Rust in front of the Colorado net and Rust did not return after leaving the ice. In Rust’s stead comes Josh Archibald, fresh off of a recall from the AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, as reported by the Tribune-Review’s Jonathan Bombulie. Archibald has 11G and 11A in 48 games so far with WBS. This will be Archibald’s second game ever in the NHL.
  • Boston Bruins defenseman—and captain—Zdeno Chara should return tomorrow afternoon against the visiting Vancouver Canucks. Chara missed Thursday’s game with an illness he has been battling for weeks. In 49 games this season Chara has 4G and 11A, but more remarkably still leads all Bruins skaters in average ice-time. Details about the illness are scarce, but Chara spoke to NHL.com and implied that he was generally fatigued and under the weather.
  • ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun pointed out that the Toronto Maple Leafs have not yet used any LTIR space, and could get $13.5MM in cap relief should they have to hit the cap ceiling. Stephane Robidas, Joffrey Lupul, and Nathan Horton all remain sidelined indefinitely with various long-term injuries. If they want to bring in a experienced rental to further mentor their young prospects, they have the cap space to do so.

Boston Bruins| Colorado Avalanche| Pittsburgh Penguins| Toronto Maple Leafs| Utah Mammoth| Vancouver Canucks Bryan Rust| Joffrey Lupul| Mark Barberio| Nathan Horton| Stephane Robidas| Zdeno Chara

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Minor Transactions: 2/10/2017

February 10, 2017 at 1:01 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

The flip-flop of young backups continues in Columbus. The Blue Jackets announced today that they have demoted Joonas Korpisalo to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters and recalled Anton Forsberg to take his place. The 22-year-old Korpisalo won both of his last two starts, but was unimpressive, allowing a combined ten goals in the process. He did relieve Sergei Bobrovsky recently with 13 minutes of shutout hockey, but it was not enough to keep him around. Korpisalo has an .893 SV% and 3.57 GAA in five appearances this season. Ironically, Forsberg has not done much better. In his first and only game with Columbus in 2016-17, the 24-year-old allowed four goals on 27 shots in a loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. With both young keepers set to go unprotected in the upcoming Expansion Draft, perhaps it is GM Jarmo Kekalainen’s strategy to not allow either to get hot at the NHL level in an effort to dissuade the Vegas Golden Knights from damaging the Blue Jackets’ future in net.

Columbus also sent Oliver Bjorkstrand down to the AHL. The 21-year-old Danish winger was expected to have a much greater role with the Blue Jackets this season, but to this point has just one point in five games. Bjorkstrand has spent almost the whole season with the Monsters, scoring 14 goals and nine assists in 35 games.

Elsewhere across the league:

  • Last night, the Edmonton Oilers recalled defenseman Jordan Oesterle and forward Anton Lander from the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. The pair have been sent back-and-forth frequently of late while Edmonton balances their lineup. Lander has been demoted recently during struggles to make a difference with the Oilers, only to dominate the AHL level with 28 points in 18 games. On the flip side, Edmonton has tried inserting Oesterle into the lineup recently due to his 18 points in 26 games to lead all Condors defensemen.
  • Eric Gelinas has been reassigned to the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage by the struggling Colorado Avalanche. The Avs are desperate for defense, but Gelinas has not been the solution. The former New Jersey Devils top prospect was traded to Colorado at the deadline last year, and has been a major disappointment. After playing a prominent role for the Devils, he has just one point in 33 games for the Avalanche.
  • One of the main reasons that the Winnipeg Jets placed defenseman Julian Melchiori on waivers earlier today was to make room for fellow blue liner Ben Chiarot. The Jets announced that they have activated Chiarot from the injured reserve today. Chiarot has been out since early January for the Jets, and his presence will be much-welcomed with Tyler Myers still sidelined.
  • Buffalo announced via Twitter that they have sent forward Evan Rodrigues back to AHL Rochester.  He has played in just four career NHL games – two this season – but is having a strong season at the minor league level with nine goals and 18 assists in 43 contests with the Amerks.
  • The Sharks have made a series of roster moves, announcing that they have recalled defenseman Tim Heed and winger Kevin Labanc from San Jose of the AHL while assigning blueliner Joakim Ryan and center Ryan Carpenter to the Barracuda.  Heed and Labanc have been shuffled back and forth routinely as the team looks to free up extra cap space and will be available for a matinee game against the Flyers tomorrow.
  • Dallas has assigned blueliner Julius Honka to their AHL affiliate in Texas, reports Mark Stepneski of Stars Inside Edge (Twitter link).  Honka has played in ten NHL games this season, recording four assists.  The move suggests that Jamie Oleksiak could be ready to return from his hand injury; he has been out of the lineup since January 11th.

AHL| Buffalo Sabres| Colorado Avalanche| Columbus Blue Jackets| Dallas Stars| Edmonton Oilers| San Jose Sharks| Transactions| Waivers| Winnipeg Jets Anton Forsberg| Anton Lander| Eric Gelinas| Evan Rodrigues| Joonas Korpisalo| Jordan Oesterle| Julian Melchiori| Julius Honka| Kevin Labanc| Oliver Bjorkstrand| Tim Heed

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Avalanche Update: Bourque, Martin, Barrie

February 9, 2017 at 7:00 pm CDT | by Mike Furlano Leave a Comment

The Colorado Avalanche released a flurry of roster updates this evening that are detailed below:

  • Injured forward Rene Bourque may return during the Avalanche’s current road trip. Bourque is day-to-day with a head injury. The fiery forward has 9G and 4A in 43 games, and zero points since the start of the new year. Bourque is having a mild resurgence year, though he hopes to regain his scoring touch as soon as possible.
  • The Avalanche have sent down goaltender Spencer Martin to the San Antonio Rampage for at least this weekend—but coach Jared Bednar says Martin could stay in San Antonio for longer. Martin was sent down to get more playing time as a starter. So far the young goaltender—who is currently only 21—has a .912 SV% and a 2.72 GAA in 28 games. The Avalanche replace Martin with Jeremy Smith, who has a .911 SV% and a 2.57 GAA in 17 AHL games.
  • Defenseman Tyson Barrie is slated to return to the Avalanche’s lineup very soon. Barrie suffered a lower body injury over a week ago. Barrie skated today, but will not suit up tonight against the Pittsburgh Penguins. As the Denver Post’s Mike Chambers points out, Barrie misses his third straight game and seventh in the past nine. It hasn’t been an ideal year for Barrie, who has 3G and 20A in 44 games but a league worst -27.

Colorado Avalanche| Jared Bednar Rene Bourque| Tyson Barrie

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Trade Candidate: Gabriel Landeskog

February 9, 2017 at 2:00 pm CDT | by Glen Miller 2 Comments

With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that are likely to be dealt by March 1st.

The Colorado Avalanche are one of only two teams – Arizona being the other – that currently identify as certain deadline sellers and in the midst of a disappointing campaign it’s believed the team is willing to consider dealing anyone not named Nathan Mackinnon as they try to find the right blend. Colorado may consider moving winger Gabriel Landeskog and he represents the type of player you don’t often see come available. Landeskog is a four-time 20-goal scorer and at just 24, the Swedish winger is still comfortably within his prime. He also has four more seasons left of team control at a price that’s quite fair for a solid, two-way top-six winger. Sure, Landeskog isn’t having a particularly strong season but there would still likely be plenty of interest in acquiring his services if he was truly available.

Contract

As noted above, Landeskog has four years left on a deal that comes with an AAV of $5.57MM. His deal contains neither a NMC nor a NTC, putting the Avalanche in the driver’s seat in terms of trade talks.

2016-17

Landeskog has tallied just nine goals and 20 points in 40 games this season, a scoring rate well below his career average of 0.67 points-per-game. Part of that is likely a function of Colorado icing the league’s lowest scoring attack, averaging just 2.06 goals-per-game. He’s generating shots at a rate not much below that of his career norm and his conversion rate of 10% is right in line with his career average. His 95.5 PDO is indicative of bad puck luck and a regression could be in order.

Season Stats

40 GP, 9 G, 11 A, 20 Pts, -13 plus/minus rating, 44 PIM, 19:12 ATOI

Suitors

The Los Angeles Kings and Boston Bruins have both previously been rumored as potential landing spots for Landeskog. Both make a ton of sense as they tend to favor bigger forwards who can play a physical forechecking style. At 6-foot-1 and 215-pounds, Landeskog certainly brings good size. Colorado reportedly asked Boston for a package headlined by rookie blue liner Brandon Carlo but the Bruins balked at the asking price. The Kings will have nearly $7MM in deadline cap space meaning they can afford to add the winger without moving salary, however such a transaction would complicate their salary cap situation in seasons ahead. Anaheim, with their blue line depth would seem to make for a natural match for the Avalanche, and the Ducks also appreciate size and physicality in their forwards. Considering the term remaining on his deal, any team in the league could show interest in Landeskog should they be willing to meet Colorado’s understandably high asking price.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Blockbuster trades involving multiple pieces are complicated and are rarely able to be completed during the season. Prior to the 2012 trade deadline, the New York Rangers worked feverishly to acquire winger Rick Nash from Columbus and even though Nash’s market was severely limited due to his willingness to go to only a few teams, a deal wasn’t completed until after the season. The Rangers ultimately sacrificed a package of talent similar to what they offered at the deadline, but then Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson still held out, hoping the market would improve.

It’s likely the Landeskog negotiations will play out similarly. Considering their ask of a young, top-four blue liner, a prospect and a first-round pick, a deal of this nature is easier to make in the offseason when the salary cap plays less of a role in the proceedings.

Anaheim Ducks| Boston Bruins| Colorado Avalanche| Columbus Blue Jackets| Los Angeles Kings| New York Rangers| Players Brandon Carlo| Gabriel Landeskog| Nathan MacKinnon| Salary Cap| Trade Candidate Profiles

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Friedman’s Latest: Julien, Ducks, Bolts, Avalanche, Vrbata

February 9, 2017 at 10:20 am CDT | by Glen Miller Leave a Comment

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet published his latest “30 Thoughts” column and like always it’s worth a read in its entirety. However, here’s a brief roundup of some of the column’s highlights.

  • Friedman reiterates what many others in the industry have said on Claude Julien, suggesting he “will be unemployed as long as he wants to be unemployed.” Julien of course joined Ken Hitchcock as former Stanley Cup winning head coaches now on the unemployment line this week when Boston decided to pull the plug after a nearly 10-year run behind the Bruins bench. Ultimately, while Julien’s tenure was mostly successful, Friedman argues that the relationship between the coach and ownership was never strong. While the Blues had already established a succession plan in anticipation of Hitchcock’s retirement at the end of the season, there are still three jobs potentially available to Julien – Vegas, New York Islanders and Florida. All three should be expected to show interest in hiring Julien to run their respective clubs. Additionally, with Julien available, it’s at least plausible other teams who may not be 100% sold on their current bench boss might reach out to the veteran head coach to gauge his interest in leading their program.
  • Joe Sakic and Steve Yzerman, the GM’s of Colorado and Tampa Bay respectively, both attended a recent Anaheim game, leading the scribe to conclude they were there to scout some of the Ducks defenders. Anaheim is blessed with excellent blue line talent, both at the NHL and minor league levels, and it’s been suggested the team could flip a defender to add scoring help up front. Of course Colorado and Tampa Bay each need defensemen but as Friedman notes, the two GM’s may have different preferences. Friedman writes that the Avalanche are looking for young blue liners with term remaining on their contracts while the Lightning need a more established, top-four presence. Speculatively, Colorado may prefer either Brandon Montour or Shea Theodore, two rookies with loads of upside, while Cam Fowler could represent an ideal fit for the Lightning, assuming they can find a way to make the cap hit work. It’s not clear to Friedman who the Ducks might be interested in from either potential trade partner.
  • Good news for any team that might have designs on acquiring veteran winger Radim Vrbata from the Arizona Coyotes. Vrbata’s one-year deal with Arizona contains a $500K bonus if the winger reaches either 20 goals or 40 points. With 35 points in 51 games, Vrbata is closing in on that bonus. His deal also provides for up to $1.25MM based on his team’s playoff success. Friedman had originally reported that Arizona would not be able to retain any bonus money not already earned by the player, meaning any team looking to trade for him would be on the hook for a significant chunk of change potentially. With the salary cap likely to remain flat next season, any interested suitor for Vrbata might be unwilling to chance assuming the balance of his contract since any bonuses earned would apply to next season’s salary cap. However Friedman provides an update and based on his understanding, if, for example, the Coyotes agree to retain 50% of Vrbata’s contract, that would apply not only to his remaining salary but also to any unearned bonuses as well. This is welcome news for any team tight against the cap ceiling and looking for scoring help on the wing as Vrbata now remains an intriguing option.

 

Anaheim Ducks| Boston Bruins| Claude Julien| Coaches| Colorado Avalanche| Joe Sakic| NHL| New York Islanders| Rookies| St. Louis Blues| Steve Yzerman| Tampa Bay Lightning| Utah Mammoth Brandon Montour| Cam Fowler| Elliotte Friedman| Radim Vrbata| Salary Cap| Shea Theodore

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    Jets’ Adam Lowry Underwent Hip Surgery, Out 5-6 Months

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