Atlantic Division Snapshots: Marchand, Julien, Toronto
Brad Marchand has avoided a suspension for his “dangerous trip” of Detroit Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall in a recent game between the two clubs, the NHL Department of Player Safety has announced. Instead the pesky forward was assessed a $10,000 fine, the maximum allowed under terms of the CBA.
Given his history with the DoPS – he’s been suspended four times overall in his career and on three separate occasions since the start of the 2014-15 campaign – it seemed likely Marchand would be suspended. However, the fact Kronwall showed no apparent ill-effects from the incident may have saved the Bruins leading scorer from that outcome. Ultimately, not losing Marchand for any length is certainly great news for a Boston club fighting desperately for a postseason berth.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:
- In an ESPN Insider piece (subscription required), Rob Vollman makes an argument utilizing analytics for the Boston Bruins to refrain from terminating embattled head coach Claude Julien. Vollman compares the season-to-date performance of Boston to that of the New York Islanders, who dismissed head coach Jack Capuano recently. On the surface, the two are quite similar but an analysis of shot-based metrics reveal a different outcome. The Bruins have the league’s best shot attempt differential with a plus-488 while the Islanders were a minus-293 at the time of Capuano’s firing. He also compares the career accomplishments of the two coaches, and again Julien holds a decided advantage. Ultimately Vollman concludes it would be foolish to let Julien go. While the scribe makes a compelling case, it is known every coach has a shelf life and Julien is in his 10th season as the head man in Boston. If Bruins management concludes the bench boss has lost his team, or that his message simply isn’t getting through anymore, it may be best to move on.
- Craig Custance, also of ESPN, believes the time is now for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the team’s management to add experienced talent to take advantage of the young guns currently on ELC’s. Custance compares the current Leafs roster with that of the 2007-08 Chicago Blackhawks. That happened to be the year both Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane debuted in the NHL. As Custance points out, even with the two talented young superstars leading the way, it wasn’t until Chicago added Brian Campbell (2008) and Marian Hossa (2009) did the team ultimately develop into a Stanley Cup contender. He maintains that the addition of Campbell helped turn the team’s defense corps into a quicker, more efficient puck-moving unit. Hossa, Custance adds, showed the team’s young stars how important it is to play smart, two-way hockey. The scribe suggests the Leafs should pursue a similar strategy and while there may be no player available comparable to Hossa, Kevin Shattenkirk could certainly fill the role for Toronto that Campbell did for Chicago. Shattenkirk might well be available via trade, though unless Toronto was able to ink the mobile defender to a contract extension, it would qualify as a risk to sacrifice the assets necessary to convince St. Louis to strike a deal.
Could Stars Follow Columbus, Minnesota Blue Print?
A year after surprisingly capturing a Central Division title and an appearance in the second round of the postseason, the Dallas Stars have stumbled this season to a 19-20-10 start and are currently three points out of a potential playoff berth. While there is still plenty of time to right the ship, it’s nonetheless fair to say the team has failed to meet preseason expectations. It’s at least conceivable that barring a deep postseason run the Stars could look to make some significant changes this summer. However, as Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News writes, the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild may have already provided a solid blue print the Stars could follow in their search for success.
Currently Columbus and Minnesota reside among the best teams in the league, which is a far cry from where the were last year. While the Wild made it to the playoffs, they were eliminated in the first round and looked nothing like a Stanley Cup contender. Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets were once again one of the worst teams in the league and appeared to be at least a few years away from contention. However, as Heika points out, each team has benefited immensely from recent coaching changes – with John Tortorella taking over early last season in Columbus and Minnesota turning to Bruce Boudreau this past summer – and that could provide the Stars with a more palatable option than potentially making wholesale roster changes.
Current bench boss Lindy Ruff has had a long and accomplished career as a head coach in this league, first with the Buffalo Sabres and then for the last four in Dallas. On the heels of what can only be considered a successful 2015-16 campaign it might seem unwarranted to move on from Ruff after a season derailed by injuries to several key regulars. Nonetheless, Ruff is in the final season of his contract and it’s feasible general manager Jim Nill may conclude a fresh voice and approach is needed at this point.
However, despite some calls from fans to make a move now while the current campaign can still be saved, Heika advises against such a decision, and suggests waiting until after the season when more candidates will be available. As the scribe notes, Gerard Gallant certainly qualifies as an appealing option and any team interested in hiring might be best served doing so now with so few jobs open. But as Heika points out, a veteran bench boss like Gallant would require a three or four-year guaranteed commitment and it might be best to wait until after the season instead of caving to immediate pressures to go that direction.
Heika also identifies goaltending as an area the Stars could look to upgrade and while their are long-term options available now – Marc-Andre Fleury jumps immediately to mind – he cautions that the team might be better off trying to identify a young, up-and-coming net minder that represents more of an upside play rather than taking a chance on an expensive veteran. Martin Jones and Cam Talbot are two goalies that the scribe references that fit the former category. With teams looking ahead to the expansion draft, several backup types could be made available at a reduced rate as opposed to potentially losing them for nothing to the Vegas Golden Knights.
There is no questioning the impact that Tortorella and Boudreau have had on their respective team’s fortunes this season and it makes sense that the Stars could look to duplicate that success by bringing in their own new coach. It’s an easier move to make than trying to trade an expensive core player and/or trying to reshape the organization with blockbuster acquisitions. Yet there are no certainties regardless of what direction the Stars take. Hiring a new bench boss could pay off in Dallas as it has for Minnesota and Columbus. Or, as has been the case in Florida, the move may not yield the dividends the team hopes for.
Roster Notes: January 23, 2017
- For the second straight game, Blues starting goaltender Jake Allen will be a healthy scratch. Tom Timmerman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that backup Carter Hutton will get the start tomorrow night after third-stringer Pheonix Copley started last game; Copley will back up Hutton. Allen is scheduled to start on Thursday, after what coach Ken Hitchcock called a week of “tech workload.” Allen has really struggled this season, with his SV% dropping below 0.900 after posting a 0.920 in 47 games last season. Allen begins a four-year, $17.4MM contract extension next season.
- Staying in the Central Division, the Dallas Stars announced via Twitter that Radek Faksa will miss the next two games with a lower-body injury and superstar center Tyler Seguin is questionable for tomorrow’s game with an illness. Seguin has quietly had a good season so far, with 45 points in 48 games. Meanwhile, Faksa has improved his point totals in his sophomore season with 22 points in 48 games, after posting 12 points in 45 games in his rookie year.
- A day after clearing waivers, Drew Miller has been loaned to the Grand Rapids Griffins. However, as Dana Wakiji of DetroitRedWings.com writes, Miller could be back up with the big club quickly because of recent injuries to Dylan Larkin and Thomas Vanek. Miller has has five goals and an assist in 34 games with the Red Wings, after re-signing him to a one-year, $1.025MM contract in July.
- The San Jose Sharks will get rookie Timo Meier back after missing two games with an upper-body injury. The 2015 ninth-0verall pick will play with Melker Karlsson and Tommy Wingels on the Sharks’ fourth line, according to Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. Meier has two goals and four points in 15 games with the Sharks, and 15 points in 17 game with the San Jose Barracudas of the AHL. Meanwhile Tomas Hertl is travelling with the team but will not play tomorrow night.
Player Of Interest: Patrick Eaves
With just over a month left before the NHL trade deadline, teams have started scouting in earnest to see who they can add for a playoff run. Usually the deadline is filled with struggling teams unloading expiring contracts for prospects or picks, and this year looks like it will be no different.
One name that hasn’t been talked about enough, is that of Patrick Eaves. The 32-year old Eaves is in the midst of a career season, scoring 17 goals through the first 47 games, the most since his 20-goal rookie season. Thought of usually as a defensive forward, Eaves has very rarely been given the opportunity he’s received this year.
That is, to skate alongside two superstars in Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn for long stretches this season. The trio have accounted for an amazing 35% of the Dallas Stars’ goals this season, with Eaves actually leading the way one ahead of Seguin. Though he doesn’t play quite as much as those two, he is logging more than 16 minutes a night, easily a career-high for him.
While the Stars aren’t nearly out of the race yet, their slow start has really made it a tough climb out of the gutter of the Western Conference. Sitting at 19-20-9 they’re chances of really making a run at the Stanley Cup is basically none, even if they were to squeak into the playoffs. At this point, selling off assets to build for the future seems prudent.
In the case of Eaves, not only is he on an expiring contract but only has a cap hit of $1MM – a prorated version of which would be possible for basically any team in the league. Though he doesn’t have a long track record of offensive success, the ability to play with high level talents like Seguin and Benn doesn’t come easily.
For a team like Chicago, who has desperately searched for winger help for Jonathan Toews, Eaves may be an inexpensive upgrade should they be locked out of the more prized deadline additions. Even if he doesn’t score another 17 in the second half, his defensive acumen and strong possession numbers would be an addition on any line.
Teams like Nashville, Edmonton and even Ottawa, where Eaves started his career, may also be interested in adding him should they choose to buy at the deadline. With other rentals perhaps commanding a hefty price, Eaves may be a sneaky addition that would help a team lengthen out their lineup. His 76 career playoff games, including a six point effort last year for Dallas in nine games, would also be attractive.
While he’s not going to make anyone a cup contender overnight, Eaves may find himself playing in another city come March 1st. He’ll definitely be an interesting player to watch in the summer, as he looks for a multi-year deal coming off this career season.
Stars Place Oduya On IR, Recall Honka
A difficult season for the Dallas Stars continues, as the team announced today that defenseman Johnny Oduya has been placed on the injured reserve again with the same lower-body injury that has plagued him all year. The team’s alternate captain and the veteran leader of its defensive corps, Oduya is of great importance to the Stars and his absences have been felt this season as Dallas has struggled to replicate its 2015-16 success and is currently outside the playoff picture. To replace Oduya, the Stars have recalled rookie defenseman Julius Honka from the AHL’s Texas Stars.
Now in the second year of a two-year, $7.5MM deal signed with Dallas in 2015, Oduya has struggled with injury and the standard wear-and-tear of being a 35-year-old hockey player throughout this season. In 36 games, Oduya has just one goal and six assists, as a well as only 20 hits, and has not looked much like himself. Although his offensive ability and aggression have fallen off somewhat, Oduya continues to play a key role in a very young Dallas defensive unit, as a leader in shot-blocking and short-handed time on ice. Still a strong skater with great hockey sense, Oduya’s presence on the ice is of great value to Dallas, and his second stint on the IR already this season will not help them get back to where they’d like to be in the Western Conference playoff race.
[RELATED: Dallas Stars Depth Chart]
In his stead, the Stars hope the exciting, young blue liner Honka can get the job done. In eight games thus far, Honka has just three assists and has struggled in his own end. However, he brings a high-energy, fast-paced style to the team, much like top defenseman John Klingberg. Honka has 21 points in 30 AHL games in 2016-17, and hopes to translate that production to the next level on this stint in Dallas. Unfortunately, the Stars’ problem is not in goal scoring, but in goal prevention, where they rank 28th in the NHL with over three goals allowed per game. Honka is still developing his defensive game, as are many others on “D” in Dallas, so until Oduya returns the team will have to tighten up or will likely continue their struggles.
Evening Snapshots: Oduya, Watson, Fast, Puempel
It appears that Dallas Stars defenseman Johnny Oduya has experienced a recurrence of the lower-body injury which cost the veteran blue liner 10 games earlier this season, according to Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News, via Twitter. The 11-year veteran will miss Thursday’s contest on the road against the Islanders but it’s unclear if he will be sidelined beyond that.
The 35-year-old Oduya and Dan Hamhuis, 34, provide veteran experience to a predominantly young Stars blue line spearheaded by 24-year-old Swede John Klingberg. Oduya has appeared in 782 NHL regular season games and another 102 postseason contests during his career. He was part of two Stanley Cup winning teams while with the Blackhawks and has also spent time in the New Jersey and Winnipeg/Atlanta organizations.
Elsewhere in the NHL:
- Generally speaking, high expectations are attached to any prospect chosen in the first round of his respective entry draft. However, history has taught us that a prospect’s development is not linear and in many cases the player never fully lives up to his advanced billing. As Adam Vingan of The Tennessean writes, that has certainly proven to be true for Austin Watson of the Nashville Predators, who the team chose with the 18th overall pick in the 2010 draft. After three seasons spent mainly in the AHL and a stint on waivers in October, Watson appears to finally be carving out a regular role in the NHL six years after embarking on his pro career.
- The New York Rangers announced today that checking winger Jesper Fast will be out from seven to 10 days with an upper-body injury. Steve Zipay of Newsday adds that it appears to be an issue with his left shoulder. Though left wing Matt Puempel, out since December 31st with a concussion, is nearing a return and practiced with the team today, he won’t travel with the club. Instead it will be Oscar Lindberg, a healthy scratch last night with Mika Zibanejad‘s return, drawing back into the lineup in place of Fast.
Central Notes: Landeskog, Lehtera, Stars
Colorado left winger Gabriel Landeskog has seen his name pop up in trade rumors over the past few weeks. Despite that and the continued struggles that the team is having, he made it very clear to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post that he’s hoping to stick around:
“I want to be an Avalanche, to stay an Avalanche and be in Denver for a long, long time.”
It’s certainly easy to see the appeal that Landeskog would have league-wide. He’s just 24 years of age, at one point was the youngest team captain in NHL history, and already has four seasons of 50 points or more under his belt.
However, this year hasn’t gone particularly well, something that can pretty much be said for just about every Colorado player. Through 31 games this year, he has just eight goals and six assists, production that is comparable to the worst year of his career back in 2012-13.
Young power forwards with top six upside (or in this case, proven production) are hard to come by so GM Joe Sakic’s asking price has been quite high despite Landeskog’s struggles. Including this season, he has five years left on his contract with a cap hit of $5.57MM, an amount that may be difficult to fit in on another team given that many teams are in cap trouble. Accordingly, some have wondered if the better time to make a move with him would be the offseason when there could be more teams with the cap space to fit him in.
In the meantime, Landeskog is trying his best to not let the speculation get to him:
“Whether my name is floating around or not, I’m still approaching the game the same way. And that is to spread energy, be a good teammate, work hard and try to get better every day. Me being in trade rumors, that’s nothing I can control.”
More from the Central:
- When it comes to the surprising lack of production of Blues center Jori Lehtera, count GM Doug Armstrong among those that can’t quite put a finger on it, writes Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Lehtera has spent the bulk of the season alongside winger Vladimir Tarasenko. The Russian winger sits sixth in league scoring with 44 points in as many games yet Lehtera has just 13 points on the season in 39 outings. Armstrong isn’t focusing on the negative when it comes to Lehtera’s play, however: “All I know is Tarasenko is in the top three or four in scoring and Jori is the centerman. So there’s something happening positive with Jori and Vlad. Obviously the point total is the point total, but when he’s not producing points, he doesn’t hurt you defensively and that’s something I don’t think maybe a lot of people focus on. But we try and focus on that.”
- The penalty kill for the Stars has dropped drastically in recent weeks, notes Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News. After killing just one of three power plays last night against the Sabres (the fifth time in their last eight games that they’ve allowed multiple goals on the penalty kill), they’ve now dropped to dead last in the league in success rate at just 74.4%. While speculation is starting to heat up about who GM Jim Nill may consider dealing, it’s quite likely that he’ll be on the lookout for some help defensively, either on the back end or up front. Dallas is just four points out of the last Wild Card spot and shoring up their penalty kill would go a long way towards trying to help close that gap.
Central Division Snapshots: Blackhawks, Avalanche, Korpikoski
The Chicago Blackhawks roster still boasts many of the key contributors who have led the team to three Stanley Cup championships since 2010. And as long as Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Corey Crawford are healthy, the Hawks will be on the short list of Western Conference contenders even as the front office constantly juggles the rest of the roster to augment that core while remaining compliant with the salary cap.
That doesn’t mean the Blackhawks aren’t in need of reinforcements as the March 1st trade deadline approaches, however. Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun Times argues Chicago desperately needs a top left wing in order to help pull Toews out of his season long scoring slump. For his career, Toews has averaged 0.86 points/game but so far this season he is nearly three-tenths-of-a-point behind that rate. Lazerus believes that the acquisition of a proven top-six winger would allow Vinnie Hinostroza to slot into the team’s bottom-six, further bolstering that group. In conjunction with the expected return of Marcus Kruger, the Blackhawks would be able to ice four solid and balanced lines in this scenario.
Lazerus lists Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog, who have both been frequently mentioned in trade rumors of late, as two potential options. Though given the team’s current salary cap situation – $65.7MM in commitments to just 14 players – it’s far more likely that Chicago will stick to shopping in the rental bin as opposed to adding a player with term remaining beyond this season.
James van Riemsdyk was also listed by Lazerus as a possibility though Toronto would likely hold onto the winger as long as they remain in the hunt for a playoff spot. He also has one more year remaining on his deal, representing an additional sticking point in this scenario. Jarome Iginla is undoubtedly available but at 39 and with just five goals through 41 games this season, Chicago would probably exhaust other alternatives before pivoting in this direction.
If Dallas decides to sell at the deadline, former Blackhawk Patrick Sharp could represent an interesting option, though that is just my speculation. Sharp has missed time this season on two separate occasions with concussions and has just two goals on the season but tallied 20 last year for the Stars. He’s in the final year of his contract with a cap hit of $5.9MM and given Chicago will only have roughly $3.3MM of available space at the deadline, the Stars will either have to retain salary or take back a contract to facilitate a trade.
Elsewhere in the Central Division:
- The Colorado Avalanche, in the midst of a second straight dismal season, appear to be on the verge of a major shakeup, whether that occurs at the trade deadline or during the summer. Multiple high-profile players could be shipped elsewhere as management attempts to fix what ails the roster. The Denver Post’s Terry Frei compiled a comprehensive listing of the moves the team has made since Joe Sakic took over as the organization’s top decision-maker and the results are as you would expect given the current state of the team. Like many teams, the Avalanche have blundered when it comes to the term offered to unrestricted free agents. Among the players acquired either as a free agent or via trade and then subsequently extended were Brad Stuart, Jarome Iginla, Francois Beachemin, and Carl Soderberg. All were at least 30 when added to the Avalanche roster and only Soderberg was younger than 34. Needless to say, those deals haven’t worked out as the team had anticipated.
- A late free agent addition that has panned out far better than expected was the Dallas Stars October signing of forward Lauri Korpikoski, as Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News writes. The Finnish forward had been bought out of the final year of his deal with Edmonton and was later released from his PTO with Calgary. In need of forward depth following the loss of Ales Hemsky and Mattias Janmark, the team inked Korpikoski to a one-year, $1M deal. While he hasn’t exactly lit up the score sheet, the nine-year veteran has contributed six goals and 15 points in 43 games. That’s solid production for a bottom-six winger and a relative bargain given the minimal investment the Stars undertook. Additionally, Stars head coach Lindy Ruff appreciates Korpikoski’s all-around game, saying: “He’s a solid contributor who is good on both sides of the puck. You’ve got a guy who is pretty diligent and plays the game the right way.” With five of his fellow forwards also set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer, it’s at least possible Dallas considers an extension with Korpikoski.
Ranger Injury Updates: Raanta, Staal, Puempel
Like many teams in the NHL this season, the New York Rangers have had their fair share of injuries. Star sniper Rick Nash has missed 12 games with a troublesome groin issue. Key offseason acquisition Mika Zibanejad has missed the last 25 games due to a broken fibula. And just last Saturday, goaltender Antti Raanta was forced to leave after the first period of the Rangers 5 – 4 loss to Montreal with what was called a lower-body injury.
Fortunately for the Rangers, Raanta is expected to only be out sometime between seven and 10 days, as the team announced today via their official Twitter account. Raanta has had an excellent season as Henrik Lundqvist’s backup winning 10 of his 14 decisions, while posting a GAA of 2.24 and a S% of 0.923. With 17 appearances already this season, the four-year veteran is well on his way towards besting his previous career high of 25, accomplished both last year and in his rookie campaign in 2013-14.
Meanwhile, in Raanta’s absence, the Rangers have recalled Magnus Hellberg from the Hartford Wolf Pack. Hellberg, who has yet to appear for the Blue Shirts this season has just two games of NHL experience, both coming in relief. In 25 games with the Wolf Pack, the 25-year-old goalie has a 10-9-1 record, a GAA of 2.91 and a S% of 0.905.
The loss of Raanta likely means the Rangers will rely primarily on Henrik Lundqvist in the interim, and that might not be a bad thing. Lundqvist has traditionally been at his best when given a heavy workload and with Raanta seeing more time than usual between the pipes this year, The King has not performed up to his admittedly lofty standards. Perhaps increased use leading up to the All Star game will allow Lundqvist to find his rhythm and get back on track.
Earlier today, Blue Shirts bench boss Alain Vigneault indicated that Zibanejad would be back in the Rangers lineup tomorrow when the team hosts the Dallas Stars. The 23-year-old pivot, acquired in the offseason from Ottawa in exchange for Derick Brassard, was off to a terrific start on Manhattan, tallying 15 points in his first 19 games. His return will naturally push someone to the press box and if today’s practice is any indication, it appears Oscar Lindberg will be the one to come out of the lineup.
Additionally, Marc Staal and Matt Puempel, both of whom are in the NHL’s concussion protocol, skated this morning prior to the team’s practice. This suggests both players are progressing in their respective recoveries though of course it doesn’t provide any clarity on a timeline for their return.
Garrioch’s Latest: Coyotes, Snow, Devils, Bishop, Van Riemsdyk
Things aren’t going so rosy in Arizona right now. Not only do they find themselves miles out of a playoff spot, the frustration is spreading to within the dressing room as well, reports Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun in his latest Insider Trading column. The decision to go to a more analytics-based decision making process hasn’t worked (so far, at least) and Garrioch adds that it’s not yet known what the fate of head coach Dave Tippett will be when the season comes to an end.
In the meantime, the focus will shift to who they can move prior to the trade deadline, particularly where it comes to the rental players. We took a closer look at their situation earlier today. The recent mention that Shane Doan could be willing to consider a trade in the right situation is drawing some attention; Garrioch notes that San Jose is a team that has shown some interest in the 40 year old over the last couple of years but obviously nothing came to fruition.
Garrioch also tackles several other topics from around the league. Here are some of the highlights, though the full column is worth a read:
- With the New York Islanders scuffling through the first half, he suggests that GM Garth Snow’s job may be in jeopardy. His decision to allow right winger Kyle Okposo and center Frans Nielsen to depart in free agency hasn’t exactly panned out with both players being named All-Stars earlier this week. Left winger Andrew Ladd (signed to replace Okposo) hasn’t panned out and with six more years left on his contract with a cap hit of $5.5MM, that’s a near-impossible contract to move right now while John Tavares heading into his walk year is something that will need to be addressed sooner than later as well. Accordingly, the team will have to make a decision as to whether he’s the right manager to try to fix things up and get Tavares locked up.
- The Devils haven’t thrown in the towel on trying to make the playoffs yet but if they do, they could be a team to watch for. Only two teams have more cap space than New Jersey does which sets up the possibility of them becoming a clearinghouse for contending teams to free up some cap space. GM Ray Shero could be open to doing so, provided he picks up some quality draft picks and/or prospects for doing so.
- Dallas has inquired about the availability of pending UFA goalie Ben Bishop. Bishop, who ranked fifth in our UFA Power Rankings this week, isn’t expected to return to Tampa Bay next season with Andrei Vasilevskiy expected to take over as the starter. The Stars already have the highest goalie cap hit in the league but have not received much bang for their buck so far. However, GM Steve Yzerman’s asking price is quite high as it’s certainly quite possible that the Lightning will want to keep him around for their postseason push as well.
- Toronto’s recent success may make their decision regarding left winger James van Riemsdyk that much more difficult. Garrioch reports that the team is fielding inquiries on him but he is a key piece in the Leafs’ lineup and if they plan to make a run at a playoff spot, they’ll likely want to keep him in their lineup. The 27 year old has one year left after this season at a manageable cap hit of $4.25MM so it’s not a typical rental player situation while it’s also worth noting that van Riemsdyk has a modified no-trade clause.