Injury Notes: Bortuzzo, Mason, Matthews
The St. Louis Blues are getting some reinforcements on the blue line, as they have activated Robert Bortuzzo from the injured reserve. Bortuzzo has been sidelined for more than two weeks with a knee injury suffered against the Dallas Stars back in mid-February. The big defenseman had played in 55 games with the Blues up to that point and should jump back into the starting lineup sooner rather than later. According to The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford, that could even be tonight in a re-match with the Stars with crucial divisional points on the line. The Blues then take four days off ahead of a season-defining road trip against Western wild card contenders: San Jose, Los Angeles, Anaheim, and Colorado. If St. Louis is still alive in the playoff race after these next five games, they could look forward to another addition on defense in the return of Joel Edmundson. In the meantime, Bortuzzo will be looked upon to step up in his return.
- Another Central Division squad is getting deeper at a key position. After nearly two months of dealing with concussions symptoms, Steve Mason is on his way back to the Winnipeg net and just in time for the stretch run. The Jets announced today that they have assigned Mason to their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, on a conditioning stint. The Moose in turn announced that Mason will get the start tonight against the Iowa Wild. With just 11 appearances and two head injuries to his name this season, Mason may need some time in the minors to get back in the swing of things and a week plus in the AHL would not be a surprise, but he will eventually make his return to Winnipeg. However, his role has changed dramatically over the course of this season. Signed to a two-year, $8.2MM starter-value contract this summer to presumably bridge the gap to Connor Hellebuyck, Mason instead has performed poorly and missed considerable time, while Hellebuyck has flourished. Mason will settle for a backup role down the stretch, supplanting Michael Hutchinson, and likely next year as well.
- Auston Matthews isn’t quite ready to return to the Toronto lineup, but he is getting closer. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston, in speaking with Leafs head coach Mike Babcock, says that Matthews has been skating regularly. Johnston adds that the fortunate part of an upper-body injury, in this case a separated shoulder, is that it doesn’t stop one from skating and keeping up with his conditioning. Matthews is known for his work ethic and has surely been skating hard while on the sidelines. Whenever the Leafs’ doctors give his shoulder the okay, he should be back at full force for Toronto. Sadly, that approval won’t be coming ahead of today’s outdoor game between the Leafs and Washington Capitals at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Matthews will miss his fourth straight game and fourteenth game due to injury in 2017-18.
Injury Notes: Schneider, Hanzal, McDonagh
The New Jersey Devils went out and bought at the trade deadline, to try and help Taylor Hall and company into the playoffs for the first time since losing in the Stanley Cup Finals six years ago. Adding Michael Grabner and Patrick Maroon however might have not meant anything if they couldn’t rely on their goaltending, a position that will get a huge boost tonight.
Though Keith Kinkaid has been excellent of late, Cory Schneider will return to the crease for the first time January 23rd tonight when the Devils take on the Florida Panthers. Schneider hasn’t had the Vezina-caliber season he’s capable of, but is still likely the team’s best option in net down the stretch and into the playoffs. The 31-year old goaltender has little experience in the postseason, starting just six games for the Vancouver Canucks during the early part of his career.
- Martin Hanzal had been dubbed “day-to-day for the rest of the season” by the Dallas Stars, but now things may be even worse for the big-bodied center. Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News reports that Hanzal’s back injury is now “week-to-week” and that he’s not skating with the team. That’s a tough blow for a team that didn’t do anything at the deadline to improve their center depth, and currently sits in danger of falling out of a playoff spot. Dallas is in the top wildcard position in the Western Conference, but have four teams within three points behind them.
- Ryan McDonagh hasn’t made his debut with the Tampa Bay Lightning after being acquired just before the deadline passed, but was skating with the team today according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. To many fans surprise, Andrej Sustr will likely remain in the lineup when the Lightning take on the Stars tonight, a spot that is being held warm for McDonagh when he returns from his minor injury. Though they obviously would love his help to try and secure the top seed in the Atlantic Division, McDonagh was acquired for his potential impact in this year’s playoffs. In 96 career playoff games, McDonagh has averaged nearly 26 minutes a night, recorded 223 blocked shots and put up 41 points.
Stars Looking To Add Scoring Help, Intend To Not Spend All Of Remaining Cap Room
- Although the Stars have the ability to take on roughly $4MM in a full-season cap hit (per CapFriendly), GM Jim Nill told Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News that they would like to only spend about $2.5MM of that in order to preserve some flexibility for any late-season recalls in case injuries strike. Heika suggests that Dallas is okay with their center situation despite the frequent injuries to Martin Hanzal but that Nill would like to add some scoring help up front.
Deadline Primer: Colorado Avalanche
With the trade deadline now just a few days away, we continue our closer look at the situation for each team. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? Next up is a look at the Colorado Avalanche.
Well, it’s been a great run for the Colorado Avalanche this season. Really, who could have expected that the worst team in the NHL in 2016-17 would have still been competing for a playoff spot in February? The team has nothing to be disappointed in: they got a great return for Matt Duchene earlier this year, watched Nathan MacKinnon embrace his superstar role, and exceeded expectations as a group all year long. However, they were never supposed to be a playoff team this quickly and, barring a miraculous stretch run, they won’t be. Colorado has quickly fallen behind in the Western Conference playoff race in recent weeks. Since their ten-game win streak ended in January, the Avs are 5-7-2 and just barely sticking around the conversation for a playoff spot. They are sixth in the Central Division, with teams ahead of them like the Minnesota Wild and the Dallas Stars getting hot at the right time, making it difficult to see Colorado winning a divisional berth. Over in the Pacific, the resurgence of the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings, on top of the Stars, Wild and St. Louis Blues, also puts a wild card spot nearly out of reach. While it may not be the storybook ending some hoped for, it’s time for the Avalanche to cut ties with their rental players, if the right deal comes along, and move on, with eyes towards taking another step forward next year.
Record
32-23-5, sixth in the Central Division
Deadline Status
Seller
Deadline Cap Space
$37,680,931 in deadline cap space
44/50 contracts per CapFriendly
Draft Picks
2018: COL 1st, COL 2nd, NSH 2nd, COL 3rd, COL 4th, COL 5th, COL 6th, COL 7th
2019: OTT 1st, COL 1st, COL 2nd, OTT 3rd, COL 3rd, COL 5th, COL 6th, COL 7th
Trade Chips
Even if GM Joe Sakic and company decided they still wanted to keep pushing for a playoff spot, their deadline plans would be more or less the same. Colorado does not have a firm enough seat in the Western playoff race to warrant buying, but there is little difference between standing pat and “selling”. The team has only a few impending unrestricted free agents and Sakic will move them if the right deal comes along. If not, he will likely be happy to keep them as the Avs’ own “rentals” and, in some case, may even have extension talks. Headlining the group of available Avs are goaltenders Jonathan Bernier and Andrew Hammond, either of which could be expendable whether Colorado is a traditional “seller” or not. Bernier, who is currently sidelined with an injury but expected back soon, has been a great value addition to the team this season, outplaying incumbent starter Semyon Varlamov and forcing a near-even split in net. Bernier, if healthy, could be an attractive addition for a team in need of a more reliable backup goalie for the postseason. He could always re-sign in Colorado even if he is dealt. Hammond, on the other hand, has not seen any NHL action this season, but could be affordable added insurance for a playoff-bound squad. Blake Comeau, a former 20-goal scorer and consistent bottom-six contributor, will likely get the most attention as the deadline draws closer. Comeau would be a nice depth addition for any number of contenders. To a much lesser extent, Gabriel Bourque and Joe Colborne could also draw some interest. Colin Wilson has been a huge disappointment in Denver, but if the team is willing to eat some of his near-$4MM salary in 2019, they could easily trade the veteran forward away less than a year after acquiring him from Nashville.
Players to Watch: RW Blake Comeau, G Jonathan Bernier, D Mark Barberio, LW Gabriel Bourque, G Andrew Hammond
Team Needs
1) Picks and prospects
Again, the success that this team has achieved is a total surprise. They are still very much in a rebuild and, like all rebuilding teams, simply need to stock up on draft picks and prospects. The team got a great return for Duchene earlier this year, including a first-round pick and player selected with a first-round pick last year, and simply want to continue to accumulate those franchise building blocks. Given the pieces they’re willing to move, the Avs won’t be getting much back outside of mid-round picks and middling prospects anyway. If the Avalanche walk away from the trade deadline with some combination of third- and fourth-round picks and a prospect scoring winger or two, it will be a major success.
Minor Transactions: 2/18/18
With a full slate of games last night, the Vegas Golden Knights continued their winning ways. With their victory over the Montreal Canadiens, the first-year expansion team has become the NHL points leader once again as the team now has 82 points so far this season. With a seven-game matchup today, many NHL teams will be making moves today. Check back in as those moves are made throughout the day.
- The New York Rangers announced they have assigned goaltender Brandon Halverson to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL. He was recalled Saturday to serve as backup to starter Henrik Lundqvist against the Ottawa Senators. However, due to Lundqvist’s struggles against Ottawa, Halverson did manage to make his NHL debut last night, allowing one goal and saving five shots in 12:33 of action. Halverson was a second-round pick in 2014. With backup Ondrej Pavelec out with a strained MCL, the team had called up Alexander Georgiev from Hartford, but he was out Saturday with the flu. Halverson’s assignment would suggest that Georgiev should be ready for the team’s next game on Thursday.
- The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz tweets that the San Jose Sharks have recalled forward Daniel O’Regan from the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL for today’s game. The scribe suggests that Tomas Hertl might not be ready to play yet after leaving Tuesday’s game with an undisclosed injury when he crashed into the boards. He already missed one game. O’Regan has been up and down for much of the season. He has played 17 games for the Sharks this year and has four assists. O’Regan has seven goals and 18 assists in 30 games with the Barracuda.
- The Dallas Stars announced that they have sent forward Jason Dickinson to Texas of the AHL. He has played in 13 games with Dallas this season, averaging 9:19 per night while being held off the scoresheet. He has been more productive at the minor league level though, recording 22 points in 33 contests.
Trade Candidates: Thomas Hickey
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.
Thomas Hickey‘s name is not one that has been heard often this year: not in regards to trades, not in regards to his impending free agency, not in regards to his performance, not at all, really. Yet, the question is not why, but why not? Hickey is arguably enjoying his best NHL season and is a main reason why injuries didn’t tear the New York Islanders apart. Hickey has come a long way from being a fourth overall pick with chronic injury issues given away on waivers; it’s time to give him his due credit. Hickey is a dark horse candidate to be traded by the deadline if another team realizes his value and the Islanders decide they are better off trading him than keeping him.
Contract
Hickey is in the final season of a three-year, $6.6MM contract signed in 2015. The deal carries a $2.2MM cap hit – which will be count for under $600K by the deadline – and has no trade protection.
2017-18
It’s no secret that allowing goals – a league-high 214 (and it’s not close) – is what separates the New York Islanders from many other similarly skilled contenders. Yet, things could be much worse. Calvin de Haan suffered a season-ending injury in December and Johnny Boychuk has missed more than 20 games due to injury; those injuries could have broken the Isles. Add in Nick Leddy‘s struggles in his own zone and the declining play of Dennis Seidenberg and, without Hickey, this could very well be a team far outside of the player picture. Instead, New York currently holds the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference and are very much in the mix to keep it. Hickey has been a solid two-way presence for the Islanders all season. Beginning the campaign as a frequent healthy scratch to now the third-leading defenseman in total ice time, behind Leddy and Adam Pelech, Hickey’s role has transformed as his performance has improved. Hickey now leads the team in plus/minus by a significant margin, is third among defensemen in scoring, and has claimed a spot on the team’s top penalty kill unit. Hickey also has the second-most defensive zone starts, again behind only Pelech, as he has been relied on for sound defensive play in his own end and his great ability to see the ice and make an outlet pass. On the personal side, Hickey is on pace for 21 points this season, which would be his third-most in the NHL and the best points-per-game rate of his career. Hickey has quietly been very impressive this season, even if the score sheet or the eye test doesn’t seem to point to a star player and, beyond that, has been incredibly valuable to the Islanders.
Season Stats
47 GP, 3 goals, 11 assists, 14 points, +15 rating, 63 shots, 18:07 ATOI, 46.2 CF%
Potential Suitors
Hickey has stepped up and played great for the Islanders in 2017-18. With that well-established, New York is also a team with many injuries on the blue line. Hickey cannot play a bigger role down the stretch for any other team than he has for the Isles. Like more talked-about names such as Nick Holden or Ben Hutton, Hickey will be a depth addition for a contender if he’s traded; a luxury No. 6, 7, or 8 defender. So who needs depth on the left side? The Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning, both vying for the President’s Trophy, are both eager to add another body to their respective blue lines, but may be unwilling to pay the price for a top name. Hickey would seem to fit nice on either top contender. The Metropolitan rival New Jersey Devils could also greatly benefit from another body on the blue line, but the Isles may be hesitant to trade him to a team also in contention for an Eastern wild card spot.
The best chance for the Isles to both trade Hickey and also not hurt their own Stanley Cup odds would be to look west, where the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets would both like to add another defenseman on the left side, especially one who plays a confident game in his own zone. Either destination would be a good fit for Hickey, where he could work his way into a starting role.
Likelihood Of A Trade
Unlike the aforementioned Holden and Hutton, Hickey is not on a team that is a bona fide seller. The Islanders are still fighting for a playoff spot and, more importantly, to show impending free agent John Tavares that they have a bright future. Hickey has played such a key role for New York, that no one will blame them that if they use him as their own “rental” in order to maintain some semblance of a team that can prevent the opposition from scoring.
However, there are two scenarios in which Hickey becomes far more likely to move. The first is if, over the next nine days, the Islanders’ playoff hopes take a major hit. New York plays its next three games against likely playoff teams, including the Devils, and anything less than two points in that stretch could see their playoff hopes slip away. The second scenario is that, as has been rumored, the Isles acquire one of the top defensemen on the trade market. While that would be a sign that they are all in for this season, even if their acquisition has term on his contract, it could also mean that they hedge their bet by trading away Hickey for the best offer.
If the deafening silence surrounding Hickey means anything, the Islanders are not keen on moving him. Yet, things can always change around the deadline. A loss of playoff odds, a big trade, or even just an overwhelming offer could cause GM Garth Snow to rethink his plan. Give it a 50/50 chance that Hickey is dealt.
Luke Glendening Drawing Trade Interest
The Detroit Red Wings are one of the expected sellers at this year’s trade deadline, with Mike Green leading the way in terms of players they could move. Another name, Luke Glendening, may be getting some interest as Frank Seravalli of TSN reports that both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Dallas Stars have asked about the forward.
Glendening, 28, would represent the depth center that we listed recently as a potential need for the Maple Leafs and Stars, and could give both teams another penalty kill option. Signed to a four-year contract extension in 2016, he has three years left on the deal that carries a cap hit of $1.8MM per season. That number is more than reasonable for a fourth-line option, even if Glendening doesn’t offer much in terms of offense.
In 337 career games—many of which came under Toronto coach Mike Babcock when he was still with Detroit—Glendening has just 74 points. It’s his impact in the faceoff circle that is more impressive, as he’s won 53.1% of his draws throughout his career, including 57.8% this season.
Toronto has had a revolving door of sorts at the fourth-line center position for the last few years, with Dominic Moore staking the latest claim. Though Moore has done relatively well in that role lately, he’s an unrestricted free agent in the summer and will turn 38 in the summer. Frederik Gauthier, the heir apparent to the role, has struggled at times in his short NHL stints, and could be falling out of favor with the organization.
Dallas has had similar problems with their center depth this season, uncertain of the consistency Jason Spezza can provide and dealing with injuries to Martin Hanzal. Though Radek Faksa has emerged as a quality checking center, the team could still use an addition to strengthen their group for a potential playoff run. Glendening doesn’t come with a ton of playoff experience, but could likely fit into Ken Hitchcock’s system with ease.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Minor Transactions: 02/16/18
The trade book got another couple of entries yesterday, as the Toronto Maple Leafs sent Nikita Soshnikov away and the Ottawa Senators took a risk on Ville Pokka. Today could bring much of the same, but for now we’ll just focus on the minor transactions teams make around the league.
- As expected, the Dallas Stars have recalled Jason Dickinson from the AHL. Dickinson was sent down on Monday because the team had nearly the whole week off, but was always a likely candidate to come back up in time for tonight’s game. Dickinson is still looking for his first point of the season in the NHL, but has shown off his scoring ability in the minor leagues with 16 goals in 33 games.
- The Ottawa Senators have made three moves, recalling Max McCormick, activating Gabriel Dumont off injured reserve and sending Colin White back to the AHL. The Senators are preparing for an afternoon tilt against the New York Rangers tomorrow, but have decided that White is better off in the minor leagues for now. The first-round pick has three points in 15 games with the Senators this season.
- Vinni Lettieri has been reassigned to the minor leagues by the New York Rangers, which could indicate a return before long for Pavel Buchnevich. Chris Kreider is also skating with the team but still remains out for the time being following his blood clot scare. Kevin Hayes was missing from practice, but is uninjured and just taking a maintenance day.
- The Rangers have also recalled goaltender Brandon Halverson from the AHL, as Alexandar Georgiev is dealing with an illness. Halverson will likely backup Henrik Lundqvist tomorrow when they take on the Senators.
- The Boston Bruins have recalled Jordan Szwarz under emergency conditions, likely to help out while Frank Vatrano and Anders Bjork deal with injuries. Szwarz has played 10 games with the Bruins this season, recording just three assists.
- Sonny Milano has been activated from injured reserve, and immediately sent to the minor leagues. The Columbus Blue Jackets will play tonight without Milano, who could be up later in the season as he fully recovers. Milano has struggled at times this season for the Blue Jackets, but does have 13 points in 35 games and has shown flashes of his offensive potential.
Snapshots: Carter, Stars, Kamenev
The Los Angeles Kings changed the look of their defense corps with the acquisition of Dion Phaneuf, but are reportedly still interested in bringing in a forward to help them increase their offense. That offense has struggled for much of the season, and sits 17th in the league in terms of goals for. Luckily, that all could change very soon even without an outside addition.
According to Josh Cooper of LA Kings Insider (temporarily at least) Jeff Carter is hopeful to return to practice after the Kings’ current road trip, which ends after their Tuesday matchup in Winnipeg. If Carter is able to get back in the lineup soon after that, he will give the team a huge offensive boost up the middle. The 33-year old center is coming off three straight 60+ point seasons, including leading the team with 32 goals in 2016-17. He’s played just six games this year, and is probably the best trade deadline acquisition the Kings could make.
- The Dallas Stars’ AHL affiliate has announced extensions for both head coach Derek Laxdal and assistant coach Karl Taylor, guaranteeing them another year with the Texas Stars. The team is 25-18-7 this season, but has graduated several players to the NHL in the past few years. Laxdal, a former NHL forward, has coached teams at both the ECHL and WHL levels to championships and won a Calder Cup as a player.
- Adrian Dater of BSN Denver reports that Vladislav Kamenev has been activated and will head to the San Antonio Rampage to start playing again. Kamenev broke his arm in his first game with the Colorado Avalanche after being acquired in the Matt Duchene deal, but is a good two-way forward prospect for the team that could help down the stretch. With Colorado still fighting for a playoff spot, a player like Kamenev could make a name for himself with some big contributions over the next few months.
Trade Candidates: Nick Holden
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.
The New York Rangers are selling. That much is well-established. While the main focus of the media is on big names like Ryan McDonagh and Mats Zuccarello, the reality is the only deals that are more likely than not include the team’s impending unrestricted free agents. One such player, and the only Rangers defenseman that fits that description, is Nick Holden. While Holden is not the swift, puck-moving defenseman emphasized by today’s NHL, he still holds value in many facets of the game. In fact, it’s fair to say that Holden has been routinely under-rated throughout his career (at least Patrick Roy thought so). New York knows this too, after acquiring him from Colorado for just a fourth-round pick back in the 2016 off-season only to watch him play a key role on the blue line the past two seasons. Now that they’re on the other side of the table looking to trade him away, they’ll try not to make the same mistake. However, with a “fire sale” potentially about to begin for the Rangers, Holden seems destined to be shipped out for the best offer.
Contract
Holden is in the final season of a three-year, 4.95MM contract extension signed with the Colorado Avalanche in 2014. His cap hit in 2017-18 is $1.65MM, but will count for under $500K at the deadline.
2017-18
Nothing that Holden does on the ice jumps out, though for a defenseman, that can be a good thing. In no way does Holden play a flashy, offensive possession game and his numbers this season prove that. He has just a few goals and a handful of assists on the year, below average Corsi numbers, and almost no role on the power play. Perhaps the most telling detail of his playing style is that the casual hockey fan likely has never heard of him, as his play rarely garners attention. Why then is he playing top-four minutes for the Rangers this year and playing top-pair minutes last year? Holden simply has a solid, no-nonsense game. He plays a safe, dependable style in his own end and can thus be relied on for major minutes without risking a breakdown on defense. Holden is also a physical, but clean player. He has led the Rangers in hits in back-to-back seasons, but does so while taking few detrimental penalties. When given the chance, Holden also has quite the shot and led all Blueshirt blue liners in goal-scoring in 2016-17. It’s easy to say that Holden has taken a step back this season. His offensive totals are way off his pace set last year and his plus/minus and ice time are down as a result. However, as for the hallmarks of his game, Holden is playing just as physical, is blocking more shots, and has improved greatly in turnovers, with fewer giveaways and more takeaways. Holden’s 2017-18 season would give no team any reason to think that he is a game-changer or the answer to all of their problems, but could he be a reliable asset to a contender? Absolutely.
Season Stats
51 GP, 3 goals, 7 assists, 10 points, +4 rating, 12 PIM, 48 shots, 19:00 ATOI, 45.0 CF%
Potential Suitors
Holden fits the bill of a player who gets traded every deadline season – a responsible depth defenseman who can play reliable hockey when called upon. Every season contenders seems to add a player like this simply out of convenience rather than necessity. Holden is not the type of player who will radically change the fortunes of a contender, but – especially at that cap hit – he is one worth the asset investment as he can provide reliable defense if necessary. Look for the top teams in the league to take a look at Holden in the next two weeks. The Atlantic trio of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs could all use depth on the blue line and while at times they have all been connected to bigger targets, surely one or more will decide to settle for a lesser addition. In the Metro, the Washington Capitals could really use some defensive depth and experience and the New Jersey Devils could particularly use a more safe, reliable defender given their current goal-tending crisis. In the Pacific, the Los Angeles Kings would make a nice fit, so long as their playoff position is a little firmer by the deadline.
However, the best fit for Holden seems to be the Central’s Dallas Stars. The Stars have little cap space to work with and have admitted that they won’t be major buyers, but the affordable contract of Holden paired with the responsible, hard-nosed game that head coach Ken Hitchcock appreciates makes for a nice match. Dallas is in good position to at least clinch a wild card spot this season and perhaps play spoiler in the postseason, but regardless of the status of Marc Methot, the team is known to be looking for a defenseman and Holden fits the bill for the type of guy they want and can afford to acquire.
Likelihood of a Trade
If the Rangers are serious about their fire sale, then a Holden trade is nearly a certainty. There has been no word on any extension talks, meaning Holden’s days in New York are numbered; no point in keeping him around just to fade away into free agency at the end of the season. The Rangers got Holden for a fourth-rounder in the off-season two years ago and now, two solid campaigns later and at deadline prices, they should be able to get at least that back. If the fire sale is on, they should take what they can get and move on.