Central Notes: Zuccarello, Honka, Perlini, Fabbro
Despite earlier rumors that the Dallas Stars and unrestricted free agent Mats Zuccarello have mutual interest to get a deal done, it looks like it might not be as easy as it seemed. Dallas general manager Jim Nill said that Zuccarello has decided he wants to test the open market before deciding, according to NHL.com’s Mike Heika.
That doesn’t mean a deal will come about as both sides could be interested in what Zuccarello could fetch on the open market. At 31 years of age, the Stars may be hesitant to give him anything more than a four-year deal, but if both teams are truly interested in staying together, they could just be looking to see what other teams offer him first.
“We’ve talked a little bit with his agent, but he wants to test the free-agent market and he’s got that right,” Nill said. “So they going to look into the market and see what else is out there and then we will swing back and see where he’s at. We’ve got an interview period that starts Sunday, so we’ll start talking to other people and he’ll do the same thing and we’ll see where things go.”
Zuccarello came to Dallas in a trade deadline deal with the New York Rangers for a 2019 second-round pick, which turned out to be defensive prospect Matthew Robertson, and a conditional first-round pick, meaning if Dallas does sign Zuccarello to an extension, the Stars would give the Rangers a 2020 first-rounder. If not, they would give New York a third-round pick instead. However, Zuccarello looked to be a good fit, helping Dallas fill out its second line. Despite suffering a broken arm in his first game with the Stars and only playing two regular season games, the 31-year-old scored four goals and 11 points in 13 playoff games before the Stars fell to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Blues.
- Sticking with the Stars, The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro (subscription required) writes that the trade value of Dallas defenseman Julius Honka has increased since the NHL announced the salary cap to be set at $81.5MM for the 2019-20 season. Despite the struggles that Honka has had in finding a role with the Stars, several teams should be looking for an inexpensive defenseman with potential. Honka, a restricted free agent, requires a qualifying offer of $874K, and could be valuable to teams such as the Toronto Maple Leafs and the San Jose Sharks, who might need some solid depth options on their defense. Shapiro, however, indicates, that the return for Honka still wouldn’t be that significant.
- Mark Lazerus of The Athletic reports that Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman confirmed the team will give a qualifying offer to forward Brendan Perlini. The 23-year-old struggled after initially coming over from Arizona in November, but started to improve late in the season, finishing with 12 goals and 15 points in 46 games with the Blackhawks. Bowman did admit that the Blackhawks might let some of their restricted free agents walk, although newly acquired John Quenneville will be signed as well.
- The Tennessean’s Paul Skrbina writes that one reason that Nashville Predators general manager David Poile felt comfortable trading defenseman P.K. Subban Saturday was because of the play of Dante Fabbro. The 21-year-old, the team’s first-round pick from 2016, signed with Nashville after completing his junior season at Boston University and played in four regular season games, as well as six playoff games, scoring one goal and one assist in those 10 combined games. Fabbro is the likley candidate to take over Subban’s minutes next season.
2019 NHL Entry Draft Results
The day has arrived. Friday night kicks off the 2019 NHL Entry Draft with the first round, as the first 31 prospects will hear their names called. Saturday afternoon will bring the remaining six rounds and another 186 NHL hopefuls. This is considered an above average draft class, with strong prospects available well into day two. Below are the picks for the ongoing or completed rounds, with updated selections:
Round One
- New Jersey Devils – F Jack Hughes, USNTDP (USHL)
- New York Rangers – F Kaapo Kakko, TPS (Liiga)
- Chicago Blackhawks – F Kirby Dach, Saskatoon (WHL)
- Colorado Avalanche (from OTT) – D Bowen Byram, Vancouver (WHL)
- Los Angeles Kings – F Alex Turcotte, USNTDP (USHL)
- Detroit Red Wings – D Moritz Seider, Mannheim (DEL)
- Buffalo Sabres – F Dylan Cozens, Lethbridge (WHL)
- Edmonton Oilers – D Philip Broberg, AIK (Allsvenskan)
- Anaheim Ducks – F Trevor Zegras, USNTDP (USHL)
- Vancouver Canucks – F Vasily Podkolzin, St. Petersburg (KHL)
- Arizona Coyotes (from PHI) – D Victor Soderstrom, Brynas (SHL)
- Minnesota Wild – F Matthew Boldy, USNTDP (USHL)
- Florida Panthers – G Spencer Knight, USNTDP (USHL)
- Philadelphia Flyers (from ARI) – D Cam York, USNTDP (USHL)
- Montreal Canadiens – F Cole Caufield, USNTDP (USHL)
- Colorado Avalanche – F Alex Newhook, Victoria (BCHL)
- Vegas Golden Knights – F Peyton Krebs, Winnipeg (WHL)
- Dallas Stars – D Thomas Harley, Mississauga (OHL)
- Ottawa Senators (from CLB) – D Lassi Thomson, Kelowna (WHL)
- Winnipeg Jets – D Ville Heinola, Lukko (Liiga)
- Pittsburgh Penguins – F Samuel Poulin, Sherbrooke (QMJHL)
- Los Angeles Kings (from TOR) – D Tobias Bjornfot, Djurgardens (SHL)
- New York Islanders – F Simon Holmstrom, HV71 (SuperElit)
- Nashville Predators – F Philip Tomasino, Niagara (OHL)
- Washington Capitals – F Connor McMichael, London (OHL)
- Calgary Flames – F Jakob Pelletier, Moncton (QMJHL)
- Tampa Bay Lightning – F Nolan Foote, Kelowna (WHL)
- Carolina Hurricanes – F Ryan Suzuki, Barrie (OHL)
- Anaheim Ducks (from SJS via BUF) – F Brayden Tracey, Moose Jaw (WHL)
- Boston Bruins – F John Beecher, USNTDP (USHL)
- Buffalo Sabres (from STL) – D Ryan Johnson, Sioux Falls (USHL)
Round 2
32. Ottawa Senators – F Shane Pinto, Tri-City (USHL)
33. Los Angeles Kings – F Arthur Kaliyev, Hamilton (OHL)
34. Philadelphia Flyers (from NJD via NSH) – F Bobby Brink, Sioux City (USHL)
*PHI acquires pick from NSH for Nos. 45 and 65
35. Detroit Red Wings – D Antti Tuomisto, Assat (Jr. Liiga)
36. Carolina Hurricanes (from BUF) – G Pyotr Kochetkov, St. Petersburg (VHL)
37. Ottawa Senators (from NYR via CAR) – G Mads Sogaard, Medicine Hat (WHL)
*OTT acquires pick from CAR for Nos. 44 and 83
38. Edmonton Oilers – F Raphael Lavoie, Halifax (QMJHL)
39. Anaheim Ducks – D Jackson LaCombe, Shattuck St. Mary’s (MN HS)
40. Vancouver Canucks – F Nils Hoglander, Rogle (SHL)
41. Vegas Golden Knights (from PHI via SJS) – D Kaedan Korczak, Kelowna (WHL)
*VGK acquires pick from SJS for Nos. 48 and 82
42. Minnesota Wild – F Vladislav Firstov, Waterloo (USHL)
43. Chicago Blackhawks – D Alex Vlasic, USNTDP (USHL)
44. Carolina Hurricanes (from FLA via SJS and OTT) – F Jamieson Rees, Sarnia (OHL)
45. Nashville Predators (from ARI via PHI) – F Egor Afanasyev, Muskegon (USHL)
46. Montreal Canadiens – D Jayden Struble, St. Sebastian’s (MA HS)
47. Colorado Avalanche – D Drew Helleson, USNTDP (USHL)
48. San Jose Sharks (via VGK) – F Artemi Knyazev, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
49. New York Rangers (from DAL) – D Matthew Robertson, Edmonton (WHL)
50. Los Angeles Kings (from CLB via VGK and MTL) – F Samuel Fagemo, Frolunda (SHL)
*LAK acquires pick from MTL for Nos. 64 and 126
51. Winnipeg Jets – D Simon Lundmark, Linkoping (SHL)
52. Florida Panthers (from PIT) – D Vladislav Kolyachonok, Flint (OHL)
53. Toronto Maple Leafs – F Nicholas Robertson, Peterborough (OHL)
54. Detroit Red Wings (from NYI via VGK) – F Robert Mastrosimone, Chicago (USHL)
55. San Jose Sharks (from NSH via NJD) – F Dillon Hamaliuk, Kelowna (WHL)
*SJS acquire pick from NJD for Nos. 82 and 91
56. Washington Capitals – F Brett Leason, Prince Albert (WHL)
57. New York Islanders (from CGY) – D Samuel Bolduc, Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)
58. New York Rangers (from TBL) – F Karl Henriksson, Frolunda (SHL)
59. Minnesota Wild (from CAR) – G Hunter Jones, Peterborough (OHL)
*MIN acquire pick from CAR for Nos. 73 and 91
60. Detroit Red Wings (from SJS) – D Albert Johansson, Farjestad (SuperElit)
61. New Jersey Devils (from BOS) – D Nikita Okhotyuk, Ottawa (OHL)
62. St. Louis Blues – F Nikita Alexandrov, Charlottetown (QMJHL)
Round Three
63. Colorado Avalanche (from OTT) – F Matthew Steinburg, St. Andrew’s (CAN HS)
64. Montreal Canadiens (from LAK) – D Mattias Norlinder, MODO (Allsvenskan)
65. Nashville Predators (from NJD via EDM and PHI) – F Alexander Campbell, Victoria (BCHL)
66. Detroit Red Wings – F Albin Grewe, Djurgardens (SHL)
67. Buffalo Sabres – G Erik Portillo, Frolunda (SuperElit)
68. New York Rangers – D Zachary Jones, Tri-City (USHL)
69. Florida Panthers – D John Ludvig, Portland (WHL)
70. New Jersey Devils (from ANA) – D Daniil Misyul, Yaroslavl (MHL)
71. Tampa Bay Lightning (from VAN) – G Hugo Alnefelt, HV71 (SuperElit)
72. Philadelphia Flyers – D Ronnie Attard, Tri-City (USHL)
73. Carolina Hurricanes (from MIN) – F Patrik Puistola, Tappara (Liiga)
74. Pittsburgh Penguins (from CHI via ARI) – F Nathan Legare, Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)
*PIT acquire pick from ARI for Nos. 98, 151, and 207
75. Minnesota Wild (from FLA via NSH) – F Adam Beckman, Spokane (WHL)
*MIN acquire pick from NSH for 2020 third-round pick
76. Arizona Coyotes – F John Farinacci, Dexter (MA HS)
77. Montreal Canadiens – D Gianni Fairbrother, Everett (WHL)
78. Colorado Avalanche – F Alex Beaucage, Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL)
79. Vegas Golden Knights – F Pavel Dorofeyev, Magnitogorsk (MHL)
80. New Jersey Devils (from DAL) – F Graeme Clarke, Ottawa (OHL)
81. Florida Panthers (from CLB) – F Cole Schwindt, Mississauga (OHL)
*FLA acquire pick from CLB for Nos. 104 and 114
82. New Jersey Devils (from WPG via VGK and SJS) – D Michael Vukojevic, Kitchener (OHL)
83. Carolina Hurricanes (from PIT via VGK and OTT) – D Anttoni Honka, JYP (Liiga)
84. Toronto Maple Leafs – D Mikko Kokkonen, Jukurit (Liiga)
85. Edmonton Oilers (from NYI) – G Ilya Konovalov, Yaroslavl (KHL)
86. Vegas Golden Knights (from NSH) – D Layton Ahac, Prince George (BCHL)
87. Los Angeles Kings (from WAS) – G Lukas Parik, Liberec (Czech Jr.)
88. Calgary Flames – F Ilya Nikolayev, Yaroslavl (MHL)
89. Tampa Bay Lightning – F Maxim Cajkovic, Saint John (QMHJL)
90. Carolina Hurricanes – D Domenick Fensore, USNTDP (USHL)
91. Washington Capitals (from SJS via NJD) – F Alexei Protas, Prince Albert (WHL)
*WAS acquire pick from NJD for Nos. 118 and 129
92. Boston Bruins – F Quinn Olson, Okotoks (AJHL)
93. St. Louis Blues – G Colten Ellis, Rimouski (QMJHL)
Round Four
94. Ottawa Senators – D Viktor Lodin, Orebro (SHL)
95. Los Angeles Kings – D Jordan Spence, Moncton (QMJHL)
96. New Jersey Devils – F Tyce Thompson, Dubuque (USHL)
97. Detroit Red Wings – F Ethan Phillips, Sioux Falls (USHL)
98. Arizona Coyotes (from BUF via PIT) – F Matias Maccelli, Dubuque (USHL)
99. Carolina Hurricanes (from NYR via BOS and MIN) – D Cade Webber, Rivers (MA HS)
100. Edmonton Oilers – F Matej Blumel, Waterloo (USHL)
101. Anaheim Ducks – D Henry Thrun, USNTDP (USHL)
102. Buffalo Sabres (from VAN) – F Aaron Huglen, Roseau (MN HS)
*BUF acquire pick from VAN for Nos. 122 and 175
103. Philadelphia Flyers – D Mason Millman, Saginaw (OHL)
104. Florida Panthers (from MIN via ARI and PIT) – D Eric Hjorth, Linkoping (Allsvenskan)
105. Chicago Blackhawks – F Michal Teply, Liberec (Czech)
106. Florida Panthers – D Carter Berger, Victoria (BCHL)
107. Arizona Coyotes – F Alexander Darin, Yaroslavl (MHL)
108. San Jose Sharks – F Yegor Spiridonov, Magnitogorsk (MHL)
109. Nashville Predators (from COL) – D Marc Del Gaizo, UMass (NCAA)
110. Vegas Golden Knights – F Ryder Donovan, Duluth East (MN HS)
111. Dallas Stars – D Samuel Sjolund, AIK (Allsvenskan)
112. New York Rangers (from CBJ) – D Hunter Skinner, Lincoln (USHL)
113. Winnipeg Jets – F Henri Nikkanen, Jukurit (Liiga)
114. Columbus Blue Jackets (from PIT via FLA) – F Dmitri Voronkov, Kazan (MHL)
115. Toronto Maple Leafs – F Mikhail Abramov, Victoriaville (QMJHL)
116. Calgary Flames (from NYI) – Lucas Feuk, Sodertalje (SuperElit)
117. Nashville Predators – D Semyon Chistyakov, Ufa (MHL)
118. New Jersey Devils (from WAS) – D Case McCarthy, USNTDP (USHL)
119. Los Angeles Kings (from CGY via MTL) – D Kim Nousiainen, KalPa (Jr. Liiga)
120. Tampa Bay Lightning – D Max Crozier, Sioux Falls (USHL)
121. Carolina Hurricanes – F Tuukka Tieksola, Karpat (Jr. Liiga)
122. Vancouver Canucks (from SJS via BUF) – F Ethan Keppen, Flint (OHL)
123. Chicago Blackhawks (from BOS) – F Antti Saarela, Lukko (Jr. Liiga)
124. Toronto Maple Leafs (from STL) – F Nick Abruzzese, Chicago (USHL)
Round Five
125. Ottawa Senators – F Mark Kastelic, Calgary (WHL)
126. Montreal Canadiens (from LAK) – D Jacob LeGuerrier, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
127. New Jersey Devils – G Cole Brady, Janesville (NAHL)
128. Detroit Red Wings – D Cooper Moore, Brunswick (CT HS)
129. New Jersey Devils (from BUF via DET and WAS) – F Arseni Gritsyuk, Yastreby (MHL)
130. New York Rangers – F Leevi Aaltonen, KalPa (Jr. Liiga)
131. Montreal Canadiens (from EDM) – F Rhett Pitlick, Chaska (MN HS)
132. Anaheim Ducks – F Trevor Janicke, Central Illinois (USHL)
133. Vancouver Canucks – F Carson Focht, Calgary (WHL)
134. Winnipeg Jets (from PHI) – F Harrison Blaisdell, Chilliwack (BCHL)
135. Vegas Golden Knights (from MIN) – G Isaiah Saville, Tri-City (USHL)
136. Florida Panthers (from CHI via MTL) – F Henry Rybinski, Seattle (WHL)
137. Florida Panthers – F Owen Lindmark, USNTDP (USHL)
138. Montreal Canadiens (from ARI via CHI and LAK) – G Frederik Dichow, Vojens (Denmark)
139. Vegas Golden Knights (from MTL) – F Marcus Kallionkieli, Sioux City (USHL)
140. Colorado Avalanche – F Sasha Mutala, Tri-City (WHL)
141. Vegas Golden Knights – F Mason Primeau, Guelph (OHL)
142. Dallas Stars – F Nicholas Porco, Saginaw (OHL)
143. Buffalo Sabres (from CLB via DET) – F Filip Cederqvist, Vaxjo (SHL)
*BUF acquire pick from DET for Nos. 177 and 191
144. Winnipeg Jets – G Logan Neaton, Prince George (BCHL)
145. Pittsburgh Penguins – F Judd Caulfield, USNTDP (USHL)
146. Toronto Maple Leafs – D Mike Koster, Chaska (MN HS)
147. New York Islanders – F Reece Newkirk, Portland (WHL)
148. Nashville Predators – G Ethan Haider, Minnesota (NAHL)
149. Minnesota Wild (from WAS via MTL) – F Matvei Guskov, London (OHL)
150. Calgary Flames – F Josh Nodler, Fargo (USHL)
151. Arizona Coyotes (from TBL via CHI and PIT) – F Aku Raty, Karpat (Jr. Liiga)
152. Carolina Hurricanes – F Kirill Slepets, Yaroslavl (MHL)
153. San Jose Sharks – D Martin Hugo Has, Tappara (Jr. Liiga)
154. Boston Bruins – D Roman Bychkov, Yaroslavl (MHL)
155. St. Louis Blues – F Keean Washkurak, Mississauga (OHL)
Round Six
156. Vancouver Canucks (from OTT) – G Arturs Silovs, Riga (MHL)
157. Los Angeles Kings – D Braden Doyle, Lawrence Academy (MA HS)
158. New Jersey Devils – F Patrick Moynihan, USNTDP (USHL)
159. Detroit Red Wings – F Elmer Soderblom, Frolunda (SuperElit)
160. Buffalo Sabres – F Lukas Rousek, Praha (Czech)
161. New York Rangers – F Adam Edstrom, Mora (SuperElit)
162. Edmonton Oilers – F Tomas Mazura, Kimball Union (MA HS)
163. Anaheim Ducks – D William Francis, Cedar Rapids (USHL)
164. San Jose Sharks (from VAN) – F Timur Ibragimov, St. Petersburg (MHL)
165. Philadelphia Flyers – F Yegor Serdyuk, Victoriaville (QMJHL)
166. Minnesota Wild – D Marshall Warren, USNTDP (USHL)
167. Chicago Blackhawks – G Dominic Basse, Selects (USPHL)
168. Florida Panthers – F Greg Meireles, Kitchener (OHL)
169. Philadelphia Flyers (from ARI) – D Roddy Ross, Seattle (WHL)
170. Montreal Canadiens – F Arsen Khisamutdinov, Nizhnekamsk (MHL)
171. Colorado Avalanche – F Luka Burzan, Brandon (WHL)
172. Minnesota Wild (from VGK) – F Nikita Nesterenko, Lawrenceville (NJ HS)
173. Dallas Stars – D Ben Brinkman, Minnesota (NCAA)
174. Arizona Coyotes (from CLB) – F Danil Savunov, Penza (VHL)
175. Vancouver Canucks (from WPG via BUF) – F Karel Plasek, Brno (Czech)
176. Arizona Coyotes (from PIT) – F Anthony Romano, Sioux Falls (USHL)
177. Detroit Red Wings (from TOR via BUF) – D Gustav Berglund, Frolunda (Allsvenskan)
178. New York Islanders – F Felix Bibeau, Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL)
179. Nashville Predators – F Isak Walther, Sodertalje (Allsvenskan)
180. Vancouver Canucks (from WAS) – F John Malone, Youngstown (USHL)
181. Carolina Hurricanes (from CGY) – F Kevin Wall, Chilliwack (BCHL)
182. Tampa Bay Lightning – D Quinn Schmiemann, Kamloops (WHL)
183. Carolina Hurricanes – F Blake Murray, Sudbury (OHL)
184. San Jose Sharks – D Santeri Hatakka, Jokerit (Jr. Liiga)
185. Boston Bruins – F Matias Mantykivi, SaiPa (Jr. Liiga)
186. Anaheim Ducks (from STL) – D Matthew Hill, Barrie (OHL)
Round Seven
187. Ottawa Senators – D Maxence Guenette, Val-d’Or (QMJHL)
188. Los Angeles Kings – F Andre Lee, Sioux Falls (USHL)
189. New Jersey Devils – F Nikola Pasic, Linkoping (SuperElit)
190. Detroit Red Wings – F Kirill Tyutyayev, Yekatirinburg (MHL)
191. Detroit Red Wings (from BUF) – G Carter Gylander, Sherwood Park (AJHL)
192. Boston Bruins (from NYR) – F Jake Schmaltz, Chicago (USHL)
193. Edmonton Oilers – F Maxim Denezhkin, Yaroslavl (MHL)
194. Chicago Blackhawks (from ANA) – D Cole Moberg, Prince George (WHL)
195. Vancouver Canucks – F Aidan McDonough, Cedar Rapids (USHL)
196. Philadelphia Flyers – F Bryce Brodzinski, Blaine (MN HS)
197. Minnesota Wild – G Filip Lindberg, UMass (NCAA)
198. Tampa Bay Lightning (from CHI) – F Mikhail Shalagin, Moscow (MHL)
199. Florida Panthers – F Matthew Wedman, Seattle (WHL)
200. Arizona Coyotes – D Axel Bergqvist, Leksands (Allsvenskan)
201. Montreal Canadiens (from PHI via MTL) – F Rafael Harvey-Pinard, Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL)
*MTL acquires pick from PHI for 2020 seventh-round pick
202. Colorado Avalanche – G Trent Miner, Vancouver (WHL)
203. Pittsburgh Penguins (from VGK) – F Valtteri Puustinen, HPK (Liiga)
204. Toronto Maple Leafs (from DAL) – D Kalle Loponen, Hermes (Mestis)
205. New York Rangers (from CLB) – F Eric Ciccolini, Toronto (OJHL)
206. Montreal Canadiens (from WPG) – D Kieran Ruscheinski, Calgary (AMHL)
207. Arizona Coyotes (from PIT) – F Valentin Nussbaumer, Shawnigan (QMJHL)
208. Toronto Maple Leafs – G Vadim Zherenko, Moscow (MHL)
209. New York Islanders – F Cole Coskey, Saginaw (OHL)
210. Nashville Predators – F Juuso Parssinen, TPS (Jr. Liiga)
211. Pittsburgh Penguins (from WAS via SJS) – D Santeri Airola, SaiPa (Jr. Liiga)
* PIT acquire pick from SJS for 2020 seventh-round pick
212. Columbus Blue Jackets (from CGY via OTT) – F Tyler Angle, Windsor (OHL)
213. Tampa Bay Lightning – F McKade Webster, Green Bay (USHL)
214. Calgary Flames (from CAR) – G Dustin Wolf, Everett (WHL)
215. Vancouver Canucks (from SJS) – F Arvid Costmar, Linkoping (SuperElit)
216. Carolina Hurricanes (from BOS via NYR) – F Massimo Rizzo, Penticton (BCHL)
217. St. Louis Blues – F Jeremy Michel, Val-d’Or (QMJHL)
Coaching Notes: Playfair, Barnes, Schubert
The Edmonton Oilers have hired an associate coach to join Dave Tippett‘s staff, bringing Jim Playfair on board. The former defenseman was actually a first-round selection of the Oilers back in 1982, but ended up playing just two of his 21 career NHL games with the organization. After his retirement as a player in 1992, Playfair jumped into the coaching ranks and found success in the ECHL, AHL and NHL. He last worked in the league under Tippett in Arizona in 2016-17.
More coaching notes:
- The Dallas Stars have not renewed the contract of Stu Barnes according to Sean Shapiro of The Athletic. Barnes will not be part of the coaching staff next season, after serving as an assistant the last two seasons. Barnes had a long career in the NHL including several years with the Stars, and has two different stints coaching for the team. It’s unclear whether head coach Jim Montgomery will bring someone else in, after recently adding John Stevens to the staff.
- Former NHL defenseman Christoph Schubert has announced his retirement, and will join the coaching ranks now that his playing career is over. The German Olympian was forced out due to a shoulder injury but had already become something of a player-coach with the Hamburg third division team. Schubert played more than 300 games in the NHL for the Ottawa Senators and Atlanta Thrashers, and was an international staple for Germany for many years.
Minor Notes: O’Brien, Sholl, Lacouvee
Minor league forward Jim O’Brien will be taking his talents overseas, as the 30-year old has signed with the Nuremberg Ice Tigers of Germany’s DEL. It’s been a tough road back for the veteran forward, after severing a tendon in his right leg during a game in late September last year. O’Brien finished with just three points in 11 games for the Belleville Senators and will see his contract with Ottawa expire in a few weeks.
Originally selected in the first round by the Senators back in 2007, it never has quite worked out at the NHL level for O’Brien. The two-way center was a star in the WHL but got off to a rocky start in his professional career, and rarely got an opportunity at the highest level. In 77 NHL games he has just 13 points, a number he’ll obviously try to eclipse this season with Nuremberg.
- The Texas Stars have signed Tomas Sholl to an AHL contract for 2019-20, keeping the former Bowling Green State goaltender in the organization for another year. Sholl has played the majority of the last two seasons in the ECHL where he has been one of the league’s best goaltenders, posting a .928 save percentage in 2018-19. He very well could return to that league this season, unless the Stars believe he’s ready for more advanced competition in the AHL.
- Speaking of minor league goaltenders, the Laval Rocket have re-signed Connor Lacouvee for another season. The 25-year old will be on an AHL contract and hope to get a bigger opportunity this season. Bouncing around between the ECHL and AHL, Lacouvee ended up playing 37 games in total but was a surprisingly effective option for the Rocket. With the Montreal Canadiens likely graduating Charlie Lindgren to the NHL they have just two other goaltenders in the organization. Lacouvee, while technically not under contract with Montreal, will be able to help out their minor league system while trying to show he’s ready for even more responsibility.
Anaheim Ducks Name Dallas Eakins Their Next Head Coach
Monday: As expected, the Ducks have now officially announced Eakins as head coach. Despite a more drawn-out selection process than anticipated, Murray spoke glowingly of his new hire in the team’s release, stating “Dallas is an outstanding head coach who has worked well with our players since joining the organization four years ago. He is a tremendous leader and strategist, and deserves this opportunity.” The challenge now for Eakins is in trying to replicate his success with the Gulls with a Ducks team that seemed unmotivated for much of last season. The team has an aging, injury-ridden core, but are not without talent. If Eakins can find ways to re-energize the lineup with strong play from the younger players, it’s not out of the question that Anaheim could turn things around as early as next season.
Sunday, 4:00pm: The Athletic’s Eric Stephens and Josh Cooper confirmed that Eakins will be the next coach and he will be formally announced as the Ducks’ tenth coach in franchise history on Monday.
Sunday, 2:00pm: The Anaheim Ducks look like they have finally made a decision on their head coaching job as Dallas Eakins looks to be the “last man standing” and, according to TSN’s Frank Seravalli, the Ducks intend to formally announce him as head coach some time next week. The Orange County Register’s Elliott Teaford adds that he expects the announcement to be made Monday or Tuesday.
Eakins, who has been coaching the San Diego Gulls, the Ducks’ AHL affiliate, for the last four years, has always been considered the lead candidate for the job. However, Anaheim general manager Bob Murray chose to undergo an extensive search to evaluate other possibilities. The process had been delayed, as Eakins led the Gulls to the AHL Western Conference Final, before eventually being eliminated by the Chicago Wolves. He finished with a 154-95-15 record over those four years with San Diego and worked with many of the team’s young players, making him a solid candidate to lead the team’s rebuilding project. He does have some NHL experience as the 52-year-old coached the Edmonton Oilers, but didn’t last long as he was fired after 18 months and a 36-63-14 record.
The team interviewed a number of candidates including New York Islanders assistant Lane Lambert, Dallas Stars assistants Todd Nelson and Rick Bowness, Manitoba Moose head coach Pascal Vincent, and University of Minnesota-Duluth coach Scott Sandelin. However, one by one, the candidates were told they were out of the running, with Eakins and Sandelin the last two coaching candidates standing. Sandelin recently signed an extension with Duluth, possibly taking him out of the running.
Anaheim is coming off a disappointing season that saw them not make the playoffs, finish 35-37-10, and force Randy Carlyle out of a job mid-season with many pointing the team’s lack of effort throughout the year. Murray took over the reins himself for the rest of the year in hopes of getting a better understanding of what the team would need this off-season.
Offseason Keys: Dallas Stars
With the postseason now finished, the activity is about to pick up with the draft now just days away. What storylines lie ahead around the league in what is shaping up to be a likely busy NHL offseason? Next up in our Offseason Keys series is a look at the Dallas Stars.
After narrowly missing out on the playoffs, the Stars went a different direction last offseason, bringing in a first time NHL coach in Jim Montgomery as their new bench boss. The hope was that he’d make them a better all-around team. That didn’t exactly happen. Instead, their offense actually dropped to 29th overall. However, their defensive performance improved as well while they received top-notch goaltending. That was enough to get them back into the postseason and through the first round after dispatching of Nashville but there is still more work to be done. Here are the keys to their offseason.
Add Defensive Depth
With Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell, and John Klingberg all signed or under team control for at least the next three seasons, the Stars have a good core group in place. However, things start to go downhill fairly quickly after that.
Jamie Oleksiak was brought back from Pittsburgh and quickly fell down the depth chart down the stretch. He then suffered a knee injury in the opening round. He’s signed for two more years but it’s hard to place him in more than a sixth role at this point. Veteran Roman Polak was re-signed but he’s also someone that is best suited to be on the third pairing. The organization once had high hopes for restricted free agent Julius Honka but he was a healthy scratch more often than he actually played so he’s probably not in the mix as well while Stephen Johns’ concussion trouble present questions about whether or not he’ll be able to play again. At the very least, they can’t count on him returning.
As a result, GM Jim Nill would be wise to add a top-four defender at the very least as well as some extra depth. Finding someone that can play on the second pairing would allow them to take some pressure off the likes of Polak and Oleksiak and keep them in roles they’re better suited for. In terms of adding depth, bringing back Taylor Fedun would be a good place to start after he impressed upon being acquired from Buffalo. Some improvements to the back end have been made in recent years but there is still more work to be done.
Zuccarello Decision
Mats Zuccarello seemed like a great fit for Dallas when they acquired him from the Rangers. Yes, he was injured in his first game with the team but he came back and tied for the team lead in scoring in the postseason. While he’s an unrestricted free agent next month, he seems like a no-brainer to bring back.
However, it’s not quite so simple. As part of the trade with New York, the 2020 third-round pick that Dallas is set to give up becomes a first rounder if Zuccarello re-signs. While he acquitted himself quite well with his new team and has several good years left in him, is it justifiable to part with a first-rounder to keep him around where there are other top-six wingers that will be available in a couple of weeks on the open market?
It will also be worth watching to see what type of raise the 31-year-old will covet. He made $4.5MM on his previous contract and as someone who averaged 56 points in the previous five years before 2018-19 (and played at a 68-point pace this past season), he’s going to be in line for a notable raise. When you put everything together, it’s shaping up to be a pretty expensive price to pay to keep Zuccarello in Dallas and Nill will need to decide whether it’s justifiable to pay it or look elsewhere.
Bring In Scoring Help
Regardless of what they do with Zuccarello, more help up front is required. As a team, Dallas scored just 210 goals in 2018-19, good for 29th in the NHL. Their top line for most of the season (Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and Alexander Radulov) combined for 89 of them, or more than 42% of their goals as a team. While it’s great to have a strong number one line, asking one trio to shoulder that much of the scoring load is tough.
The good news for the Stars is that Jason Spezza’s $7.5MM contract comes off the books. That type of money being freed up will allow them to go after some of the more prominent forwards on the open market. Another impact forward on the roster full-time would go a long way towards giving them a second line that’s capable of doing some damage. That would either free up more room for the Seguin unit or give them the ability to split things up into two strong groups.
On top of that, some more secondary scoring is also needed. Radek Faksa was the only other full-time Dallas forward to reach the double-digit mark in goals. Teams with eyes on contending need a few more of those on the roster. Fortunately for Nill, there are quite a few of those players available in free agency and that’s something they should be able to add without much difficulty. It’s going to be hard to ask the goaltending to be as successful as Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin were this past season and getting some more offense would go a long way towards giving them a lot more margin for error for 2019-20.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Central Notes: Binnington, Zuccarello, Avalanche
The St. Louis Blues have spent the afternoon celebrating at their downtown parade, but soon will have to deal with eight unrestricted free agents and another 12 restricted free agents. While there are few major deals the team must negotiate, there is one unique case in Jordan Binnington, who will be a restricted free agent this summer.
In fact, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun (subscription required) writes that it’s quite a unique case. The 25-year-old walked onto the scene midway through the season and immediately became a sensation, putting up 1.89 GAA and a .927 save percentage in 32 regular season games and then led the Blues to the Stanley Cup with a 2.46 GAA and a .914 save percentage. All this while making $650K last season, while his backup, Jake Allen, makes $4.35MM.
However, with a half-year of experience, how much does he deserve to get? He has only two years before he becomes an unrestricted free agent, so term is critical as a short-term deal could cause even more problems. However, if he can’t repeat his amazing season, the team could be stuck with him if they sign him to an expensive long-term deal.
- On his 31 Thoughts article, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman notes that there is mutual interest between the Dallas Stars and winger Mats Zuccarello to get a deal done. Dallas acquired Zuccarello at the trade deadline for a 2019 second-round pick and a 2020 conditional third-round pick, which would turn into a first-round pick if Dallas signs the 31-year-old to a new deal. Zuccarello only played two regular-season games after suffering an arm injury after one game, but was an integral piece to the team’s playoff run, when he tallied four goals and 11 points in 13 games. Friedman writes that the negotiations are taking its time, but there is a good chance that Dallas ends up keeping Zuccarello who made quite a difference to the team’s second line.
- The Colorado Avalanche aren’t expected to retain unrestricted goaltender Semyon Varlamov this offseason as the team intends to annoit Philipp Grubauer as the team’s No. 1 starter next season. However, the Denver Post’s Mike Chambers writes the team might choose to sign a veteran backup, even though they have AHL all-star, Pavel Francouz, signed to a one-year, $950K guaranteed deal. Due to his lack of NHL experience (two games), Chambers writes it wouldn’t be surprising if the team goes after veteran Curtis McElhinney or former No. 2 Calvin Pickard for next year.
- Sticking with the Avalanche, A.J. Haefele of BSN Denver reports that the Avalanche will not be buying out anyone this week. That’s not a big surprise, considering the team has few long-term deals with few veteran players making too much money. The team also has $37MM in cap room to work with even though they have to sign several key restricted free agents, including forward Mikko Rantanen, J.T. Compher and Alexander Kerfoot.
Poll: What Should The Stars Do With Valeri Nichushkin?
Valeri Nichushkin’s time with Dallas has certainly been a bumpy road, to say the least. After being the tenth overall pick in 2013, he made an immediate impact that season, posting 34 points in 79 games and it looked like the Stars had a top-six power forward in the making. However, things have only gone downhill from there.
Injuries marred his sophomore season while he only had nine goals and 29 points in his third season while seeing his ice time drop. Nichushkin’s frustration with his role ultimately led him to go back to Russia for two years with CSKA Moscow of the KHL. He didn’t exactly light it up over there but he did play relatively well and did enough to earn a two-year, $5.9MM deal from Dallas last offseason.
While the hopes that he could be a top liner were gone, the hope was that he could provide the Stars with some much needed secondary scoring for 2018-19. It didn’t happen. Instead, he managed to go the entire season without scoring a single goal, recording just ten assists in 57 games. While he had a few minor injuries over the year, he also spent a lot of time as a healthy scratch. That’s certainly not what anyone was expecting from him and isn’t anywhere close to enough production for his $2.95MM price tag.
GM Jim Nill is now faced with a decision that a year ago would nearly seem unfathomable considering that they waited two years to get him back in Dallas. Is it time for the Stars to part ways with Nichushkin?
As the winger is only 24, his buyout cost is considerably cheaper than the standard two-thirds cost. The team would only be responsible for covering one-third of his deal, meaning that he’d only count against their salary cap for $700K for next season and $450K for 2020-21. That would free up more than $2MM in cap room for 2019-20 and the Stars could certainly find someone that could be more productive than what Nichushkin brought to the table for that price tag. u
On the other hand, there’s no denying that he still has some upside. Sure, he’s probably not going to be a top scorer in the NHL but physicality with a bit of offensive punch still carries a lot of value around the league. Giving up on Nichushkin so quickly (via buyout or trade) could be a decision that they come to regret down the road.
What should the Stars do with Nichushkin? Have your say by voting in the poll below.
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Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Overseas Notes: Tomek, Johansson, Avangard
A difficult and winding developmental path will now take Philadelphia Flyers prospect Matej Tomek back to his native Slovakia. The 22-year-old goaltender, a third-round pick in 2015, has had a tough go of it in North America. Initially selected out of the NAHL, after dominating the second-tier U.S. junior league in his first season, Tomek has since struggled to find his place. Tomek first spent two seasons at the University of North Dakota, but made zero appearances as a freshman and had just two poor outings as a sophomore. He opted to leave the program in search of more opportunity, spending the following season with the USHL’s Waterloo Blackhawks, where he regained some confidence but still left scouts wanting more. Tomek made his return to the college ranks this past season, playing for the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Yet, again Tomek fell into a backup role and disappointed with an .845 save percentage and 4.73 GAA in five games. Likely the smart move, Tomek has decided to take a break from North American hockey for a while and HK Dukla Trencin of the Slovak Extraliga has announced a one-year contract with the young, local product. Although 22 already, Tomek’s rights belong to the Flyers until August of 2021, so one or two good seasons in Slovakia could keep his NHL hopes alive despite his recent struggles.
- The Swedish Hockey League regular season champs are watching as their core is dismantled this off-season by NHL signings. Farjestad BK, who surprisingly lost in the semifinals despite dominating the regular season, have already seen their top two scoring forwards, Oskar Steen and Joakim Nygard, sign with Boston and Edmonton respectively, prospect Fabian Zetterlund join New Jersey, and goaltender Adam Werner inked with Colorado. Now, a fifth name could also depart for North America. Hockey News SE reports that two-way center Linus Johansson has been drawing NHL attention and at least one unnamed team has made a concrete offer. The big 26-year-old forward is expected to make his decision in the coming days. Johansson is actually not a stranger to North America, having played a season in the NAHL back in 2011-12. The late-blooming forward was never considered an NHL prospect coming up through junior hockey and only debuted in the SHL in 2016. However, he has impressed in three seasons as a well-rounded player and physical force and now must decide if he wants to try taking his game to the highest level.
- Give the KHL’s Avangard Omsk some credit; the team is not short on confidence as they approach this off-season. Insider Igor Eronko writes for Sport-Express that free agent targets include veteran UFA Jason Spezza, as well as RFA’s Sven Andrighetto, Teddy Blueger, and Zemgus Girgensons, and recent Calder Cup winner, Tomas Jurco. While there has been some speculation that the Colorado Avalanche may not qualify Andrighetto, it’s hard to imagine that he wouldn’t be able to find an NHL opportunity if that is his priority. There has been nothing to imply that either Blueger or Girgensons are looking to leave their respective teams. Spezza, while coming off a disappointing stint with the Dallas Stars, is a former standout NHL center who easily remains top-50 free agent this summer. Jurco may be the only realistic name on the list, but kudos to Omsk for putting those names out there and being aggressive on the NHL free agent market. We’ll soon see how that works out for them.
Buyout Watch: Most Likely Candidates As Buyout Window Nears
At this time next week, there could already be a few notable additions to the impending unrestricted free agent class. The NHL’s buyout window is set to open on Saturday, June 15th, after which teams will have 15 days to buy out unwanted contracts before the month ends and free agency begins on July 1st. This year in particular, there seem to be a surplus of teams upset with their current salary cap position and itching to remove a contract from their books that has not yielded the expected results. Yet, at a cost of two-thirds of the remaining salary and double the remaining term (in most cases), as well as the side effects of pay and bonus structure, it may not always be the best route. The following are some of the top names that could be bought out later this month and the cost to do so:
Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks
Contract Remaining: Two years, $8.625MM cap hit
Buyout Cost (each year): $2.625MM/$6.625MM/$2MM/$2MM
The most recent name to hit the buyout rumor mill, Perry’s contract is undoubtedly an albatross and it is difficult to see him getting back to the pace and production that initially warranted his high cap hit. A buyout would give the Ducks immediate relief this year and $2MM in years three and four is not bad. However, the 2020-21 cost is not ideal. However, it’s hard to see anyone trading for Perry’s contract with so many unknowns about his game, so this could be the only choice for Anaheim.
Dion Phaneuf, Los Angeles Kings
Contract Remaining: Two years, $7MM cap hit
Buyout Cost (each year): $2.917MM/$5.417MM/$1.417MM/$1.417MM
The Kings want to get younger and faster and want some cap space to improve. Moving Phaneuf accomplishes all of that, and L.A. has good blue line depth to fall back on in the short-term. Like Perry, this buyout hurts in year two, but is otherwise tolerable. The Kings will try to trade Phaneuf and may succeed, otherwise this is a likely buyout scenario.
Scott Darling, Carolina Hurricanes
Contract Remaining: Two years, $4.15MM cap hit
Buyout Cost (each year): $1.233MM/$2.333MM/$1.183MM/$1.183MM
One of the earliest reported buyout rumors was that of Darling, and for good reason. The former star backup has not panned out as a starter for Carolina, a team that made it to the Eastern Conference Final with a tandem of a UFA flier and a veteran waiver claim. The Hurricanes may not have any experienced goalies under contract for next season yet besides Darling, but that won’t stop them from moving on and going back to the free agent market or their talented pipeline for answers, especially with this very palatable buyout and few cap concerns.
Ryan Callahan, Tampa Bay Lightning
Contract Remaining: One year, $5.8MM cap hit
Buyout Cost (each year): $2.667MM/$1.567MM
Callahan won’t be in Tampa one way or another next season. The team is facing a difficult cap crunch and there’s no room for the veteran, who has played little role in recent years. A buyout doesn’t give the Bolts the full savings they’d hope for this upcoming season and a trade likely remains preferable, but Callahan’s stock is not high and a buyout remains the more likely resolution.
Valeri Nichushkin, Dallas Stars
Contract Remaining: One year, $2.95MM cap hit
Buyout Cost (each year): $700K/$450K
Nichushkin’s age makes his buyout fall under the second category of buyout wherein only one-third of the remaining salary is accounted for. As such, his buyout would mean almost nothing for Dallas’ cap calculations. The young winger failed to score a goal last season as a regular player and both sides would seemingly benefit from a split. It’s not certain that the Stars will move on, but should they choose to, a buyout is a painless option.
Brendan Smith, New York Rangers
Contract Remaining: Two years, $4.35MM cap hit
Buyout Cost (each year): $971K/$3.146MM/$1.146MM/$1.146MM
Smith has been a disaster in New York and certainly not the player that the Rangers saw perform well in the postseason as a deadline addition in 2016-17. It’s hard to see a fit for Smith moving forward, even more so than other unfriendly defense contracts like Marc Staal and Kevin Shattenkirk. It’s even more difficult to see him having any trade value, so the team would have to go the buyout route. It’s not a terrible option, but as frequently happens, the year one savings come back to bite with a hefty year two increase.
Karl Alzner, Montreal Canadiens
Contract Remaining: Three years, $4.625MM cap hit
Buyout Cost (each year): $1.069MM/$4.194MM/$2.194MM/$1.069MM/$1.069MM/$1.069MM
Alzner had one point in nine games with Montreal last season, which is enough to say he’s not in the Canadiens’ long-term plans. He could be on their books for a long time to come with a potential six-year buyout structure, but at a relatively low cost most years. Alzner needs a fresh start and it’s fair to assume that Montreal will give him one.
Milan Lucic, Edmonton Oilers
Contract Remaining: Four years, $6MM cap hit
Buyout Cost (each year): $3.625MM/$5.625MM/$4.125MM/$5.625MM/$625K/$625K/$625K/$625K
Loui Eriksson, Vancouver Canucks
Contract Remaining: Three years, $6MM cap hit
Buyout Cost (each year): $5.556MM/$5.556MM/$3.556MM/$556K/$556K/$556K
Lucic and Eriksson have been tied together by rumors all off-season and one more thing they share: poor buyout possibilities. As bad as Lucic’s contract is, based on his drop-off in performance, his buyout is still very expensive for four more years and then extends another four years beyond that. The Oilers would be better off continuing to search for some way to trade him, no matter how slim the chances. As for Eriksson, his front-loaded contract makes a buyout pointless. The Canucks would pay almost the same amount in each of the next two years as if he was still on the team, then would have the cap penalty for another four years after that. Vancouver and Edmonton are likely stuck with these players, unless of course they swap them for each other.