Snapshots: Seguin, Kucherov, Lundqvist
Tyler Seguin has tallied better than a point-per-game in each of the last three seasons as the Stars #1 center and has also totaled 107 goals during that time. It would seem foolhardy to move the skilled pivot to any other position but Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News thinks the idea might have some merit.
In a recent chat, Heika fielded a question on Seguin and suggested he will be watching the six-year veteran to see how he plays at RW for Team Canada at the World Cup. With 11 natural pivots on the Canadian roster, several centers obviously will be forced into duty on the wing and it appears Seguin will be among those. Heika feels if Seguin performs well on the wing it might prompt the Stars to move him off the center position and elevate Cody Eakin into a more prominent role.
Eakin scored 16 goals and 35 points in 82 games for the Stars in 2015-16, while averaging nearly 16 1/2 minutes of ice time per contest. It was the third straight campaign Eakin recorded at least 16 goals and 35 points. Jason Spezza, fresh off a 33-goal, 63-point performance, is also likely slated to fill a slot on the top two lines giving the Stars plenty of depth at the center position.
It’s worth noting that Dallas also boasts plenty of offensive talent elsewhere among the forward group, meaning the club has no real need to move Seguin to the wing. The Stars recently inked Jiri Hudler to a one-year deal and he will join Jamie Benn, Patrick Sharp, Ales Hemsky, Valeri Nichushkin and Mattias Janmark in giving Dallas all kinds of options on the wing. Time will tell, of course, but the ability to role out Seguin, Spezza and Eakin, in that order, gives the Stars a strong group of pivots and one few teams can match in terms of talent. It simply wouldn’t make much sense to break that unit up.
Elsewhere in the NHL:
- Even though RFA RW Nikita Kucherov remains unsigned, Tampa Bay GM Steve Yzerman remains confident a deal will get done prior to the 2016-17 season kicking off, as Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times writes. There is no understating how critical Kucherov is to the success of the Lightning, particularly given how good he has been in the playoffs. Kucherov has contributed 21 goals and 41 points in 43 postseason games over the last two seasons, helping the Lightning to a Stanley Cup Finals berth in 2014-15 and an Eastern Conference Finals appearance this season. He’s also posted seasons of 66 and 65 points over the last two regular seasons. The Lightning are in a bit of a pinch in terms of the salary cap with just less than $6.3MM in space remaining and only 12 forwards, six defensemen and two goalies under contract. Smith points out that Filip Forsberg and Vladimir Tarasenko, two players he identifies as possible comparable cases, each signed deals recently that come with annual cap charges of $6MM and $7.5MM respectively. Given the situation, it’s plausible the Lightning will have to make a trade to clear some cap space if that’s the range Kucherov is looking to land in, and Smith singled out Ben Bishop, Valtteri Filppula and Jason Garrison as players the team could look to move if necessary.
- Despite stories – including this one which is in Swedish, and this one – suggesting New York Rangers superstar goalie Henrik Lundqvist had sustained an injury while golfing, Larry Brooks of the New York Post reassures the team’s fans that “the King” is just fine. Brooks tweet does indicate that Lundqvist took a puck to the ribs and is “sore” but it’s nothing to be concerned about. Of course any rumor regarding Lundqvist’s health is sure to grab the attention of Rangers fans everywhere. “Hank,” has been the backbone of the team since he debuted all the way back in the 2005-06 season and the five-time Vezina finalist gives the Blueshirts a chance to compete every year. If he were to miss significant time due to injury, the Rangers playoff chances would drop considerably.
Kevin Allen’s Latest: Early Predictions, Pivotal Players
Kevin Allen writes that the Detroit Red Wings are one of five teams in danger of missing the playoffs this season. Similar to his reports while speaking with PHR, Allen lists a questionable defensive corps, inconsistent goaltending and whether or not goal scorers like Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist will find the net as they should as reasons why they may not make it back for a 26th straight season. Though he could see them sneaking in, the Wings are more vulnerable than ever before. It all depends on youth and everything coming together.
Allen also lists the Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders, and St. Louis Blues as candidates to possibly miss. With the Kings, Allen believes that the Calgary Flames and Arizona Coyotes, if better, could push the Kings who lost Milan Lucic to Edmonton. The Flyers, a surprise team in the playoffs last season, will have more competition in the Metropolitan Division while the Canadiens, who struggled after Carey Price‘s injury, will also be better in the Atlantic, making the Eastern Conference a lot tougher.
The Islanders, Allen writes, lost some key players in Frans Nielsen, and Kyle Okposo. Though he calls it “sinful” to bet against a John Tavares led team, he still wonders if they grabbed enough to compensate for their losses. Finally, with the Blues, Allen reports that they took a “half step” back while division foes Chicago, Minnesota, and Nashville all improved. Further, Arizona and Calgary are better, crowding the already tight Western Conference. Losing David Backes, Brian Elliott, and Troy Brouwer also doesn’t help for depth purposes.
- Earlier in the week, Allen also compiled a list of the ten most pivotal players heading into the season. Number one on that list is Kari Lehtonen, who will make an early push to be the primary option between the pipes for the Stars. Though he has struggled in the past, he has the opportunity to backstop a potential Stanley Cup contender. Should he not, the Stars have been an oft-reported team to land Ben Bishop should he be available. Other names Allen included were Brian Campbell, a player he believes could solidify the Blackhawks defense, and Elliott, who could finally give the Flames a strong goaltending option.
Front Office Promotions In Dallas
The Dallas Stars today announced the promotions of three key front office members. Les Jackson was named Senior Advisor to General Manager Jim Nill, while Scott White and Mark Janko will fill Jackson’s former role and serve as Nill’s right hand men, having each been named Assistant General Manager.
Jackson, whose time with the organization extends all the way back to their North Stars days, will move to more of a “big picture” role in his new position, working closely with the GM and overseeing much of the team’s operations. A veteran of 29 years with the Stars, there is perhaps no one who understands the ins and outs of the team more than Jackson.
White has more than earned his promotion, having worked as both the Director of Hockey Operations in Dallas for the past three years and as the General Manager of the AHL-affiliate Texas Stars as well. Having led both teams to success – a Calder Cup championship for Texas in 2o14 and a Central Division title for Dallas in 2016 – White will now get the chance to work directly with Nill and have his input heard on all manners of player evaluation and acquisition.
Janko, the former Director of Hockey Administration for the Stars, has been working in Dallas for the past 17 seasons, with the last eight spent in operations. He will continue to play a major role in negotiations and communications, but will see his responsibilities expand even further in his new position as Assistant GM.
Five Questions With USA Today’s Kevin Allen
The USA Today’s Kevin Allen was kind enough to sit down with PHR and survey the hockey landscape as the season is just under a month away from starting. Allen takes a look at early contenders, whether the Red Wings are in as much as trouble as some think, and of course, some insights on Jimmy Vesey.
Allen has written for the USA Today since 1986, and won the Lester Patrick Award in 2013 and the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award in 2014. He was also inducted into the USA Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013 and the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014. Make sure to give Kevin a follow on Twitter @bykevinallen. You can also catch up on Allen’s coverage here.
PHR: Very early predictions: Who do you see as contenders for the upcoming season, barring any unforeseen injuries?
Allen: The Tampa Bay Lightning are my early pick to win it all. With Steven Stamkos now healthy and not worrying about his future, I foresee him uncorking a monster season. This team has all the necessary ingredients to win it all, and Jonathan Drouin will make the Lightning stronger by having a breakthrough season. Don’t be surprised if Andrei Vasilevskiy becomes the No. 1 goalie. That might allow GM Steve Yzerman the opportunity to deal Ben Bishop at the trade deadline to add another piece for his puzzle. I’m also not discounting the Pittsburgh Penguins, although we all know how challenging it is to repeat. Also, the Washington Capitals will be right there again. The Montreal Canadiens, with a healthy Carey Price, and the addition of Andrew Shaw, Alexander Radulov and Shea Weber, will be much improved. Radulov is not Alexander Semin.
In the West, I like the Chicago Blackhawks because Brian Campbell will make their defense whole again. The erosion of their depth does, however, concern me. I have the high-scoring Dallas Stars number two because I believe they will deal for a goalie near the trade deadline. Wouldn’t Bishop be a good fit for them? I have the Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks in my next grouping. The Predators’ have more potential than fans seem to realize. P.K. Subban is a much better fit for coach Peter Laviolette’s attacking offensive system than Weber was. The Sharks will be the same force they were last May and June.
PHR: Concern seems to be rising about the Detroit Red Wings–everything from contract terms, direction, and what seems to be an aversion to invest in the youth of the team. Do you think that concern is warranted?
Allen: Yes, only because we simply have no idea how effective their younger players are going to be. The Red Wings are a hard read because there are too many variables. Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist seemed to take a step back last season, and it’s anybody’s guess whether Anthony Mantha will be an impact player. How sharp will Petr Mrazek be this season? The Thomas Vanek signing was a good roll of the dice, and Frans Nielsen will be a quality No. 2 center. But the Red Wings are the league’s mystery team. It wouldn’t be surprising if they missed the playoffs by 10 points, and it wouldn’t be shocking if they were the No. 4 or No. 5 team in the Eastern Conference.
PHR: Who do you feel had the best offseason?
- New York Rangers: Jeff Gorton improved the team speed with the addition of Michael Grabner. Nathan Gerbe is also quick. He signed skillful Pavel Buchnevich out of the Kontinental Hockey League. They stunned plenty of people by landing Jimmy Vesey and they changed their look by trading finesse center Derick Brassard for bigger and younger center Mika Zibanejad; Defenseman Nick Holden also wasn’t a bad pick-up.
- Montreal Canadiens: Addressed many problems. They will be more difficult to play against now because of the addition of Andrew Shaw and Shea Weber. In the long-term, the Canadiens will lose the Subban-for-Weber trade. But in the short term, Weber is the perfect fit for this team.
- Arizona Coyotes: Young GM John Chayka added Alex Goligoski, Jamie McGinn, Radim Vrbata and a few prime prospects. I like the addition of Lawson Crouse and Jakob Chychrun.
PHR: How will Jiri Hudler fit in with Dallas? Do you see a season closer to 2014-15 or 2015-16?
Allen: It’s a nifty pick-up by GM Jim Nill who knows Hudler well from their days together in Detroit. This merely adds to the team’s already strong offense. He still has magic in his hands. He should be a 55 to 60-point guy.
PHR: After all the hoopla with Jimmy Vesey, how do you see him fitting in with the Rangers?
Allen: He may play on a line with his buddy Kevin Hayes. Obviously, there are several examples of major college free agents not panning out. But scouts believe Vesey will be a quality NHL scorer. Depending upon whether he receives power play time, he might be a 20-goal guy this season.
Snapshots: Seguin, Injury Impact On Red Wings Roster
Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin believes the Stars window to win is wide open writes The Hockey News’ Ryan Kennedy. A healthy Seguin makes Dallas a favorite Kennedy reports and with Jiri Hudler now in the fold, the Stars are quietly stronger.
Seguin believes that the second round loss to St. Louis will only intensify the “appetite” for the team to win. From Kennedy:
“A lot of it has to do with that experience,” he said. “Getting that taste in your mouth of winning a playoff round, losing a playoff round, getting closer and knowing what that feels like. Knowing the atmosphere. We’ve got that taste now.”
Seguin’s health comes at a crucial time as Jamie Benn is currently recovering from his own injury. Kennedy writes that the key to the Stars’ success comes with both Benn and Seguin being on the ice together.
Speaking of injuries:
- The Detroit Red Wings crossed two names off the list for the near future as Niklas Kronwall and Tomas Jurco are both injured and will most likely not be ready for the beginning of the season. Jurco has a back injury, aggravated during off season work outs and aside from the 4-6 weeks off and then shelved for another month following. Jurco’s absence creates a roster spot in the Red Wings current logjam at forward. Without Jurco until what appears to be late October or early November, it provides a chance for a young forward to step up in his place. While Jurco is still young himself, the winger struggled last season to find his footing on the roster. More interesting in all of this injury talk is that after speaking with Dan Rosen, Ken Holland felt that Kronwall was healthy and feeling better. Then came today’s news of Kronwall not playing in the World Cup of Hockey, and perhaps sitting longer. This provides an interesting situation for the Red Wings, a team apprehensive to place trust in younger players. Without Kronwall, and without making a deal to grab the top four defenseman Holland seeks, the Wings are now forced to consider younger players like Xavier Ouellet and Ryan Sproul to step into the spot.
Hudler Agrees To Deal With Stars
It appears Jiri Hudler‘s long wait is finally over as the 11-year veteran winger has reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with the Dallas Stars. Sonny Sachdeva of Today’s Slap Shot – the hockey division of Fan Rag Sports – initially broke the news via Twitter after receiving the word directly from Hudler’s agent, former NHL defenseman Petr Svoboda. Sachdeva later tweeted that Hudler would receive $2MM for the 2016-17 season.
Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News has confirmed the agreement and the terms, indicating only that the contract has yet to be officially signed.
Hudler was one of the top remaining unrestricted free agents on the market ranking 18th on Pro Hockey Rumors’ Top-50 List. He netted 10 goals and 25 assists in 53 games with Calgary in 2015-16 before being dealt to Florida for two draft choices at the trade deadline. He would then contribute six goals and 11 points in 19 regular season contests with the Panthers but would struggle in the postseason, recording a single assist in Florida’s six-game first-round playoff loss to the Islanders.
His 2015-16 campaign was a step down from his performance the previous year when Hudler tied for eighth in scoring with a career best 76 points. He made $4MM in the final year of the four-year deal he inked with Calgary and will see his salary cut in half with his new contract.
The Stars may seem an odd fit for Hudler on the surface as they already boast one of the league’s best offenses and after losing three regular defensemen – Kris Russell, Alex Goligoski and Jason Demers – to free agency, it would have made more sense if any late summer addition was made on the blue line. But clearly Stars management is comfortable allowing a few of their young players to compete for regular roles on defense. Plus the opportunity to add a skilled winger of Hudler’s caliber on the cheap had to be appealing.
Dallas has Tyler Seguin and Jason Spezza slotted as their numbers one and two centers with Hudler likely to line up next to one of the talented pivots. He’s also a good bet to see plenty of power play time for the Stars and could be set up for a nice bounce-back season playing with all of the talent in Dallas. A good campaign with the Stars would put Hudler in a better position to hit the free agent market next summer in search of a multiyear deal.
Our friends at Roster Resource have already updated the Stars depth chart based on the reports of the signing.
Central Division: Remaining RFAs
We are less than a month away from the start of the World Cup and training camps. However, there are still 15 restricted free agents remaining, and many of them are not who you would expect to be unsigned at this point. Two NHL teams’ leading scorers, four top-four defensemen, and several other high quality players are still looking for new deals.
Let’s continue our break down of the remaining RFAs by taking a look at the Central Division:
Dallas Stars – $7.98MM in cap space, according to Cap Friendly – The Stars have yet to re-sign their first round pick from 2013, Valeri Nichushkin. As we reported yesterday, the Stars and Nichushkin are continuing to talk. A trip to the KHL was speculated earlier in the off-season after Nichushkin said he would “perhaps consider” leaving the NHL because he felt head coach Lindy Ruff didn’t trust him to play big minutes. Nichushkin scored 34 points in his rookie year, 2013-14, but has only posted 30 points in the two seasons since, having missed all but eight games of his sophomore season.
Winnipeg Jets – $9.37MM in cap space, according to Cap Friendly – The right-handed defenseman is one of the hottest commodities in the NHL these days, so the Winnipeg Jets have quite a nice problem on their hands. Jacob Trouba is a big, mobile, two-way defenseman who is right handed and should be making huge steps forward in the coming seasons. However, he’s blocked from playing big minutes by other big right-handed defensemen Dustin Byflugien and Tyler Myers. Trouba can play the left side, but performs better on his natural right side. According to Gary Lawless of TSN, Trouba feels he should be playing bigger minutes, and negotiations aren’t going well – the two sides are apart on “everything”. Despite all that, Lawless said a trade was unlikely; no team is likely to want to pay the asking price to acquire Trouba after a down season. Trouba will be playing for Team North America in the next month’s World Cup of Hockey, so like Johnny Gaudreau, expect both sides to try get this resolved before then.
Nashville Predators – $5.41MM in cap space, according to Cap Friendly – The Predators NHL roster appears to be set, but they still have one last minor league signing to go; Stefan Elliott is without a contract. The Predators acquired him from Arizona as part of a bizarre three-way trade that sent Pacific Division All Star Captain John Scott to Montreal. Elliott played 21 games in the big leagues last year, but figures to be a solid AHLer who can step in to the NHL if injuries arise.
Related: our reviews of remaining RFAs in the Pacific and Atlantic Divisions.
Alex Nylander To Use AHL Loophole
According to OHLInsiders, Alex Nylander is expected to use a loophole in the AHL agreement to head to Rochester and play for the Buffalo affiliate next season. Nylander, 18, was drafted from the Mississauga Steelheads of the OHL, and would normally not be allowed to join the minor-league until he turned 20. He’s not a normal OHL player however, as according to The Hockey News he played all of last season on loan from his original Swedish club. Nylander then qualifies as a European player, and is allowed to become a professional whenever the Sabres want him to.
The tweet compares the situation to a similar one in Dallas two years ago, when the Stars sent their first round pick, Julius Honka, to the AHL the season after his draft. Just 18 at the time, Honka had played his draft year with the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL on loan like Nylander.
Alex’s brother William Nylander, currently playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs, also entered the AHL as an 18-year old two seasons ago after coming over from MODO in Sweden. He made his debut last season at just 19, something Alex will try to match – he already matched William’s draft number at 8, why not follow his older brother’s path to the NHL, at least somewhat.
For Buffalo, sending Nylander to Rochester will allow him to test his game at a professional level against men, instead of dominating the junior ranks. He could also still head back to his native Sweden to play in the Elite League, another option where he would be playing against older competition.
Snapshots: ELC Bonuses, Neal On Subban, Nichushkin
The contact of the newest member of the New York Rangers is now confirmed. Jimmy Vesey will make the maximum allowable salary for a rookie: a base salary of $925K with $2.85MM in signing and performance bonuses. Vesey is just the fifth college player to sign for the maximum amount, according to Cap Friendly. The other four are Tyler Bozak with the Maple Leafs in 2009, Justin Schultz with the Oilers in 2012, Corban Knight with the Flames in 2013, and Vesey’s soon-to-be teammate Kevin Hayes in 2014.
There are 22 total players who have signed the maximum rookie contract since the first salary cap was instituted more than a decade ago. In addition to the five college players, the list includes all 13 first overall picks since Alex Ovechkin, notable second overall picks Evgeni Malkin and Jack Eichel, and two players who came from the KHL in Evgeni Kuznetsov and Sergei Plotnikov.
Here are some other notes from around the NHL:
- Predators sniper James Neal is looking forward to playing with his new teammate P.K. Subban, instead of against him. Neal told the Predators website that Subban is “a guy that gets under your skin, and plays the game well when he’s under a guy’s skin.” Neal is entering his third season with the Predators, having scored 54 goals and 95 points in his first two seasons.
- Mark Stepneski, writer for the Dallas Stars official website, reports that negotiations between the team and restricted free agent (RFA) winger Valeri Nichushkin are continuing. Nichushkin has struggled to build on a decent rookie season; he tallied 14 goals and 34 points in 79 games, but has only posted 30 points in the next 87 games after missing all but eight games of his sophomore season.
Retained Salary in 2016-17: Central Division
As a new season fast approaches, it’s always nice to look back and reminisce on years and players gone by. Unfortunately for most NHL teams, those feelings of nostalgia are usually cut short by the realization that some of those past players are still on the team’s payroll. Retained salary is a fact of life in the National Hockey League, as buyouts have become commonplace and retaining a portion of an outgoing player’s cap hit is often a deal-breaker in many trades. Retained salary can last long past the playing days of a former player or can simply be for just one year. One way or another nearly every NHL team has at least one guy who’s still being paid without having to perform. We’ve already examined the Metropolitan and the Pacific; below is a list of all the retained salary in the Central Division in 2016-17: