Return To NHL For Valeri Nichushkin Still Up In The Air
Despite having a year left on his contract with CSKA Moscow of the KHL, Mike Morreale of NHL.com relays from Joe McDonnell, the Stars director of amateur scouting that it is still “50/50” if Valeri Nichushkin returns to the NHL for next season. Any return would need a buyout or mutual termination of the final year of his contract in Russia, because of the unwritten agreement between the two leagues to respect each other’s contracts.
Nichuchkin would be a big bonus to the Stars if he found a way to return, as they try to bounce back from a disappointing season and compete again. The 22-year old winger put up 24 points in 36 games in the KHL this season and is starting to really take advantage of his huge 6’4″ frame. After selecting him 10th overall in the 2013 entry draft, Nichuchkin left for Russia last summer after perceived tension with head coach Lindy Ruff. Ruff is gone, Ken Hitchcock is the bench boss now, and the Stars have room up front to hand out some important minutes.
In the upcoming expansion draft, it is almost a given that the Stars will decide to protect the young Russian whether he has plans on returning now or in a year’s time. Meanwhile, CSKA will be trying as hard as they can to extend him and keep him in the KHL long-term. Nichushkin is a restricted free agent in the NHL, and should he come back would need a new contract with Dallas. Even if he doesn’t return this summer, you can bet he’ll be a topic of conversation if the Stars are headed for the playoffs next spring, just as Vladimir Sobotka was this year.
Exclusive Negotiating Rights Of 33 Players Expire
The deadline for signing draft picks has come and gone, and unless more deals come in after the fact, 33 players will see their exclusive negotiating rights expire. With it they will either re-enter the 2017 draft for the final time or become free agents, depending on their age. None of the selections were made any higher than the fourth round, though even that is an unfortunate loss for a team hoping to hit a late-round stud. Below is the full list of players:
Buffalo Sabres
Giorgio Estephan (6th round, 2015)
Gustav Possler (5th round, 2013)
Calgary Flames
Riley Bruce (7th round, 2015)
Chicago Blackhawks
Roy Radke (6th round, 2015)
Colorado Avalanche
Wilhelm Westlund (7th round, 2013)
Nolan Patrick, Nico Hischier To Take Part In All Combine Testing
Just yesterday our Zach Leach provided a comprehensive breakdown on the NHL Scouting Combine and the effect it may have on players draft stock. Especially in a year that there is no consensus throughout the first round, the performance in the physical tests and team interviews may have a big impact on how the draft shakes out. Details are already leaking out about how many interviews certain players have, like Eeli Tolvanen who has an amazing 28 meetings scheduled according to Mike Morreale of NHL.com. Also from Morreale, the exciting news that Nolan Patrick and Nico Hischier will both take part in all the physical testing, provided that Patrick is medically cleared.
Patrick and Hischier are both still in real competition for the first-overall pick, even as New Jersey takes calls on a possible trade. While there is no indication that Ray Shero and the Devils will deal the selection, the top two players will take 13 and 14 interviews respectively, way more than usual for the top of the draft. That does lend some credence to the idea that they might be available, and also to the idea that Miro Heiskanen or someone else could be a draft-day surprise and find his way into the top 2.
We already know that the Stars are considering moving the third-overall pick, and with Heiskanen putting on a late push to be considered among the top players perhaps some think Hischier or Patrick will fall to third. For what it’s worth, Grant McCagg of Recrutes.ca now has Heiskanen as his top available player. While it would be a huge draft-day surprise to see Heiskanen go first (or Patrick fall out of the top two), the intrigue continues to build. The players will undergo the fitness testing on Saturday, June 3rd after a week full of interviews with teams. It’s busy for teams too, as Pierre LeBrun of TSN reports that Peter Chiarelli and the Oilers front office spoke with 20 players just today.
Evening Notes: Navy Outdoor Game, #3 Pick, Blue Jackets
Prior to Gary Bettman’s official league announcement on the news sure to come Monday, it has been revealed by AP’s Steve Whyno that Washington will host Toronto at an outdoor game next season. The affair will take place on March 3, 2018 at the Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The contest will be the first outdoor affair held at a venue utilized by a branch of the armed forces. Considering the large amount of folks in the greater D.C. area with government employment ties, and the dear respect for veterans around the country, such an arrangement makes a great deal of sense for the National Hockey League. Whether outdoor games are becoming a novelty or not, opportunities such as these are almost certain bets to make money for the league. The Capitals and Maple Leafs are certainly not historic rivals, but both undoubtedly draw revenue.
- Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman believes the Stars’ Jim Nill is serious about moving the #3 pick. If they decide to do so, he says their focus will assuredly be on acquiring a dynamic defender. The Ducks’ dire injury situation likely takes them out of such discussions temporarily, which leaves Columbus and Minnesota as the most likely trade partners. 30 year-old Jack Johnson is entering the final year of his contract, and 23 year-old Ryan Murray will need to re-negotiate after 2017-18. Murray is obviously more enticing, and the fit is certainly there for a deal’s foundation. However, if neither intrigues the Stars, David Savard could be a target – if GM Jarmo Kekalainen is willing to add. His $4.25 MM salary is reasonable and he is still a young defender with room to improve. It’s difficult to see the Jackets moving on from either Zach Werenski or Seth Jones (so recently acquired). The Wild would likely need to move the dynamic Mathew Dumba or stalwart Jonas Brodin, neither of which seems particularly likely. Marco Scandella simply isn’t going to get the job done, and something substantial would need to be added to Jared Spurgeon for Dallas to accept. Of course, it’s always possible a dark horse team enters the discussions if they really like a player at that drafting position.
- Speaking of Kekalainen, Friedman also secured some interesting soundbytes from Columbus’ astute manager. He confidently stated that he “expect(s) zero problems (with the cap) next year.” Considering how close the team is to the ceiling, and RFA center Alex Wennberg needing a new contract, there isn’t a ton of room to maneuver. It does seem like a trade could be on the horizon. Offensive flair is their most glaring need at the moment, and they will not be the only team on the hunt for a marquee scorer. There is help on the way from Grade A prospects Pierre-Luc Dubois and Oliver Bjorkstrand, both of whom look physically ready to successfully enter the league next season. Bjorkstrand in particular will be under additional pressure to perform, as this will be the final year as his Entry-Level Contract. The ability of Columbus to draft and develop consistently well has placed them in the enviable position of all-around depth as they look towards future transactions.
West Notes: Braun, Dallas Goaltending, Berube, Therrien
This offseason could be one of change for San Jose. Two long-term veteran forwards in Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton are both eligible for unrestricted free agency and if both walk, there are going to be some holes to fill offensively.
On the flip side, the Sharks have strong defensive depth not to mention a lot of money tied into their back end; they have nearly $27MM committed to their top seven for next season. (That amount is expected to jump considerably for 2018-19 as well assuming the team can get a deal done with Marc-Edouard Vlasic.)
Accordingly, CSN Bay Area’s Kevin Kurz anticipates that GM Doug Wilson will deal from his blueline to try to add some offensive help and brings up Justin Braun as a player who could be dealt. Braun has been paired up with Vlasic in a shut-down role in the past and fared well while he has a decent cap hit of $3.8MM for three more seasons that will likely intrigue some teams.
The Sharks do have some depth on the back end with players like Mirco Mueller, Tim Heed, and the recently-signed Radim Simek waiting in the wings so if they do trade from their position of strength, it shouldn’t force them to spend big in free agency to replace whoever gets moved.
Other notes from the Western Conference:
- Stars GM Jim Nill noted to Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News that he has yet to decide who will back up recently-acquired Ben Bishop next season. The team has two pricey veterans in Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi who each have one year remaining on their contracts. If they aren’t able to find a taker for one via trade or expansion in the coming weeks, a buyout is a likely outcome. Lehtonen has had the better numbers of the two so despite the fact he has the higher cap hit of the two ($5.9MM versus $4.5MM for Niemi), the early expectation is that he’ll stick around while Niemi will be let go.
- Chicago Wolves head coach Craig Berube is the top candidate for the lead assistant coaching job with the Blues, reports Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The fit is a logical one given that the Wolves will no longer the primary AHL affiliate for them starting next season. However, he is in the running for the head coaching job with Buffalo. Rutherford notes that former Canadiens head coach Michel Therrien is also a candidate for the role but they don’t appear to be interested in former Buffalo bench boss Dan Bylsma.
Expansion Primer: Dallas Stars
Over the next few weeks we will be breaking down each team’s situation as it pertains to the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft. Which players are eligible, and which will likely warrant protection or may be on the block. Each team is required to submit their protection lists by 4pm CDT on June 17th. The full rules on eligibility can be found here, and CapFriendly has provided a handy expansion tool to make your own lists.
The Dallas Stars enter the offseason with more questions than answers. Failing to make the playoffs caused consternation in a season where the team was expected to compete. But unlike some teams, the Dallas Stars do not have to worry about losing a significant piece in the expansion draft. The Stars are one of a few teams that will be relatively unaffected by the expansion draft, though some may see that as indicative of a team lacking quality depth.
Jamie Benn, Jason Spezza, and recently acquired goaltender Ben Bishop all have NMCs that mandate protection, and outside of Tyler Seguin, represent Dallas’s best players. Rather, the Dallas Stars may be hoping for some salary relief—though they are not in imminent cap trouble—if the Vegas Golden Knights take one of Dallas’s remaining goaltenders.
Offseason Keys: Dallas Stars
While the expansion draft is set to headline a busy NHL offseason, there are still several other storylines for each team in the months ahead. Here is a closer look at what lies ahead for the Dallas Stars.
The season ended only a month ago but already GM Jim Nill has made two significant changes. First was the return of Ken Hitchcock behind the bench to replace former head coach Lindy Ruff. The second was the move to shore up their goaltending situation with the addition of Ben Bishop from the Kings while signing him to a six year, $29.5MM contract. While those are two big elements already taken care of, there are still a few other avenues that are likely to be addressed this summer.
Move A Goalie
The addition of Bishop gives Dallas three goalies on big ticket contracts for next season. Clearly, Bishop’s spot as the starter is locked in but a decision will need to be made on who to keep (if either) of Kari Lehtonen or Antti Niemi.
Both netminders have one year left on their current contracts with Lehtonen carrying a cap hit of $5.9MM and Niemi checking in at $4.5MM. Combined, the duo was the priciest tandem in the league in 2016-17.
It appears that there is going to be a bit of musical chairs when it comes to goaltending this offseason which could potentially present the opportunity for Nill to try to move one of them out in a trade. However, it would seem likely that they would need to take a goalie in return which doesn’t exactly solve the logjam.
As things stand, the expected course of action is that a buyout is forthcoming. If the team opts to buy out Lehtonen, they will eat a cap hit of $2.57MM this season and $1.67MM next year. Niemi’s cap charge if bought out is more uniform, coming in at $1.5MM for each of the next two seasons.
Rebuild The Back End
While their goals against should drop with the addition of Bishop (while Hitchcock is certainly a defensive-minded coach), the Stars are lacking in top four defensemen. John Klingberg took a step back last season but is still their biggest threat but there aren’t many proven options beyond him. Dan Hamhuis isn’t the top pairing player he once was and while the team has high hopes for Esa Lindell and Julius Honka, among others, they’re still developing and aren’t ready for a top role just yet.
It’s not a great free agent market for defenders but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Nill try to be active, particularly when it comes to the second tier. There aren’t many top end options available but there are several players who could slide into a top four role for a year or two while their youngsters continue to develop. Going the trade route is another option but the Stars will have some money to spend which makes it more likely that they’ll skew towards the open market.
Hit In The Draft
Dallas hasn’t had a lot of first round success lately. From 2009-2013 (the last few years are really too early to judge), they’ve missed on just about every pick. Radek Faksa – a pending RFA – is turning into a quality player but Scott Glennie, Jack Campbell, Jamie Oleksiak, and Valeri Nichushkin all have failed to come close to meeting their draft day expectations. The only two left in the organization are Oleksiak and Nichushkin; the former has been in a time share on the back end for the last two years while the latter was in the KHL this season.
The Stars were big winners in the draft lottery as they jumped from eighth overall to third to give them their earliest draft pick in franchise history. After missing on that many first rounders, Nill and his staff simply cannot suffer the same fate this time around. If they keep the pick, they should be able to land a core prospect, something they’ve been lacking for a while now. However, it was reported yesterday that they’ve already had some talks about potentially moving the pick in exchange for an established player in the hopes of getting back into contention quickly.
With Anaheim making the conference final, Dallas picks up their first rounder as well. It’s slated to be somewhere between 28-31 but that will give them a shot at adding another decent prospect or a better trade chip. The Stars haven’t had a lot of draft success as of late but they have a strong opportunity to change that next month.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Snapshots: Morin, Devils, Balinskis
Travis Morin will be staying in Texas next season, after the Texas Stars captain signed a one-year AHL deal today. The 33-year old forward has been one of the more impressive scoring threats in the AHL for years, and recorded another 55 points this past season. With 468 points in 548 games, you’d think Morin would have gotten more of a look at the NHL, but he’s only spent 13 games there over his career.
Texas finished out of the playoffs this season, but will hope Morin will bring back his offensive touch to a group that should be improved in 2017-18. Mark McNeill, acquired at the deadline from the Chicago Blackhawks, will be an especially important addition should he not be able to crack the Dallas lineup next year.
- The New Jersey Devils scouting staff is preparing “like we’re making the No. 1 pick” according to Mike Morreale of NHL.com, though there still does exist the possibility that the team would trade down. The team won’t make that final decision until much closer to the draft, but it’s clear that they have interest in both projected top picks. Paul Castron, the team’s director of amateur scouting, talks about how Nolan Patrick‘s injury shouldn’t be held against him, and that Nico Hischier has made a meteoric rise up everyone’s draft boards this season. For a team looking to turn their franchise around quickly, they’ll have to decide whether one of the top two names can help them in the short-term, or if moving down a few spots in exchange for an NHL-ready player makes more sense.
- Keep an eye on Uvis Balinskis from Dinamo Riga of the KHL and most recently the Latvian team at the World Championships. He’s now represented by Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey, who claims that the “NHL is next” for his client. Balinskis is “open for business” according to Milstein, and was impressive at the tournament. Balinskis played half the season for Riga after moving up from the MHL, and recorded 5 points in 21 games. The left-handed defenseman is just 20-years old and could have a professional future in North America should he continue to develop his two-way style.
Nashville Notes: Hockey Hotbed, Preds’ Speed
USA Today’s Kevin Allen is one of many writing about hockey mad Nashville as the Predators continue their quest to hoist the Stanley Cup. Qualifying for its first conference final in franchise history, the organization that once sweated out season tickets find itself one of the hottest draws in town. From Allen:
Ten years ago, people were holding rallies to save the franchise, and now the Predators are the hottest ticket in town. On eBay on Thursday, someone was selling two tickets for Game 4, 15 rows from the Plexiglass, for $10,000.
“When they started winning, everyone went crazy,” said fan Dan Harrell, a retiree and a Nashville-area resident since 1967.
Allen adds that the Predators dominate talk radio, and have brought a unique angle to the sport, showing that the game can truly catch on in a non-traditional hockey market. Additionally, the National Anthem has become its own spectacle, with different stars taking their turns singing while the opportunity to smash a car with the colors of opposing playoff teams have become a favorite.
The Tennessean’s Jason Gonzalez caught up with the fan who heaved a skinned duck onto the ice after Nashville notched the game winning goal Tuesday evening. Sure he would be thrown out, the duck landed on the ice without a security guard batting an eye.
- ESPN’s Andrew Knoll writes that the Predators speed certainly has the Ducks on their heels. And according to former star Bernie Nicholls, he doesn’t think the Ducks can handle it. Knoll reports that as the series continues on, it favors Nashville and Nicholls believes that the Predators have the speed and tenacity that propelled the Pittsburgh Penguins to a Stanley Cup. Knoll warns, however, that the Ducks have the propensity to storm back after being down in a series. Anaheim Left Wing Jakob Silfverberg believes that success will follow if the Ducks show “more confidence” in their game.
John Nyberg Signs Three-Year Deal With Dallas Stars
The Swedish pipeline continues, as this time the Dallas Stars have signed a defender out of the SHL. John Nyberg has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the team today. Nyberg was selected in the sixth round of the 2014 entry draft.
Nyberg made his full-time SHL debut this year for Frolunda, skating in 49 games in the professional league. It was the first time he didn’t spend any time in the Allsvenskan, and he rewarded the team with 15 points. The smooth-skater can contribute at both ends of the rink, and it’s actually the play in his own end that has impressed.
Sean Shapiro of NHL.com linked his scouting report on the 20-year old defenseman:
He does have some of the raw tools to develop into a true offensive defenseman. He makes smart passes out of his own zone, while he has a heavy shot from the point.
Those offensive skills make his upside something to consider, but it’s the stability he’s given Frolunda in the defensive zone that could be interesting right away to Dallas. The left-handed defenseman played mostly on the right side this year, and has a real shot at making the NHL one day.