Red Wings Assign Jimmy Howard On Conditioning Stint
The Detroit Red Wings have assigned goaltender Jimmy Howard to their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids for a conditioning stint, the team announced on Saturday.
It’s been a tough stretch for Howard, who hasn’t played in the NHL since December 20, 2016. He left that game midway after a pileup in his crease. Howard missed several weeks before returning. He appeared in two conditioning games with Grand Rapids, but was injured in the second game and has been out since. He’s eligible to spend two weeks with the Griffins.
Detroit could definitely use Howard back in their lineup. He leads the NHL with a 0.934 SV% and is second with a 1.96 GAA. It’s been a bounce-back year for Howard; this is the first time his numbers have been above league average since 2012-13. That season earned him his current contract, which pays him $5.29MM for two more seasons.
Howard subsequently lost the starters job to Petr Mrazek until this season. Mrazek has struggled with a 0.903 SV% and 2.95 GAA in 39 games. Third-stringer Jared Coreau hasn’t been great either, playing in 13 games with an 0.893 SV% and 3.27 GAA.
The playoffs are out of reach for the Red Wings, but Howard’s return to form could inspire the Vegas Golden Knights to select him in the expansion draft, clearing valuable cap space for the Red Wings to rebuild with. Despite his poor numbers this season, Mrazek is just 24-years-old compared to Howard, who’s 32. Detroit would likely prefer to keep Mrazek and hope he returns to his prior form.
Snapshots: Konecny, Duclair, Oilers-Red Wings
After missing nine games with an injured knee and ankle, Philadelphia Flyers rookie Travis Konecny will return to the lineup on Saturday night. That’s according to Tim Panaccio of CSN Philly.
It’s an early-than-expected return for Konecny, who was expected to miss 4-6 weeks when he was placed on IR three weeks ago. The rookie has seven goals and 22 points in 51 games so far this season, while averaging almost 15 minutes per night with solid possession numbers. His 22 points were good for fourteenth in rookie scoring when he was injured back in February. He’s now dropped to twentieth, having been passed by fellow Flyers rookie Ivan Provorov among others.
It’s not yet known who Konecny will line up with in Washington this evening. Forward Jordan Weal was called up to replace Konecny, and though he has just one goal in six games, he’s been lining up on the Flyers’ top line with Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds. The Flyers also added center Valtteri Filppula at the trade deadline, so the forward core looks slightly different than the one Konecny left last month.
- Much-maligned sophomore Anthony Duclair played his first NHL game in six weeks last night. He had been sent to the AHL in mid-January to find his scoring touch, which had been missing all season. Duclair scored 20 goals and 44 points in his rookie year, but has just three goals and nine points in 42 games this season. The main culprit appears to be his shooting percentage, which has gone from 19% down to 5.2%. It’s not as if Duclair lit up the AHL either, with just one goal and eight points in 16 games. However, it appears he’s back with the NHL club for the rest of the season. Sarah McLellan of AZ Central quoted Coyotes bench boss Dave Tippett as saying the rest of this season is Duclair’s chance to “re-establish himself as an NHL player.” The Coyotes clearly want to take a closer look at Duclair before making a decision on him this summer when he’s an RFA.
- It will be a tale of two teams heading in completely different directions when the Detroit Red Wings visit the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night. The Oilers are comfortably in a playoff spot for the first time in a very long time, and the Red Wings are about to miss the playoffs for the first time since 1989-90. The last time the Oilers finished ahead of the Red Wings was the following year; twelve members of tonight’s Oilers were not yet born. In addition, this will be David Desharnais‘ first appearance in blue and orange since being acquired before the trade deadline, and he’ll line up Anton Slepyshev and Zack Kassian.
Snapshots: Coyotes, Glass, Nestrasil
The Arizona Coyotes are in a fight in the standings of their own. Even though the players aren’t giving up, they front office is likely desperately hoping they finish in the bottom two once again and get the chance to select a top prospect. They got some bad (or good, I’m unsure at this point) news today when Dave Vest of NHL.com reported that Kevin Connauton should be considered week-to-week with an upper-body injury suffered last night.
- Vest also passed along a few choice quotes from Dave Tippett on the future of Anthony Duclair, who will get back into the NHL lineup tonight. “We want him to play to his potential. He set a standard for his play last year that he has to get back to,” said Tippett who is not alone in hoping Duclair gets back to his 2015-16 form. Coyotes fans everywhere were hoping to see more of the 20-goal man that was around last season, instead of the 9-point Duclair they’ve seen this year. Despite being rumored in trades all year, the Coyotes will hang onto the former New York Ranger for at least the rest of the season, hoping he can regain his form. Expect his name to be thrown around plenty at the expansion and entry drafts.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled recently signed goaltender Jeff Glass from the Rockford IceHogs today, and will be the backup tonight against the New York Islanders. Both Corey Crawford and Scott Darling took part in practice today and seemed fine, though apparently Darling will be held out with an upper-body injury of some sort.
- The Detroit Red Wings have some goalie news of their own, as Ansar Khan of MLive reports that Jimmy Howard will be loaned to Grand Rapids Griffins on a conditioning stint and will start Saturday for the AHL squad. The netminder is trying to work his way back from an injury that has kept him out of NHL action since late December due to multiple setbacks.
- The Carolina Hurricanes have assigned forward Andrej Nestrasil to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL today, after using him in Wednesday’s loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 26-year old forward has played 19 games for the Hurricanes this year, registering five points.
- The Philadelphia Flyers may have Travis Konecny back sooner than expected, as Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post reports. Konecny says he’s ready to go and that he’s hoping to get back into the lineup on Saturday against the Washington Capitals. Out since February 6th, the 19-year old Konecny has been a revelation for the Flyers this season with 22 points in a 51 games. In any normal year, that would be extremely impressive from a teenager in the NHL.
Friedman’s Latest: Deadline Dealing
In his latest 30 Thoughts column, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet gets into some of the details of trade deadline day. It’s a wonderful read as always, from one of the most connected men in hockey.
Friedman reports that there was a lot of interest in Detroit Red Wings forward Riley Sheahan before they ultimately decided to keep him. Sheahan has zero goals this season and has been part of the problem in Detroit, but could be part of the solution too. The former-first round pick still has excellent upside and could be a huge part of a Red Wing rebuild. With another year on his current deal and a restricted free agent afterwards, Detroit wasn’t pressured to move him now.- The Boston Bruins were in on both Radim Vrbata and Dmitry Kulikov before eventually settling for just Drew Stafford on deadline day. Arizona essentially dug in their heels at a certain asking price—Friedman thinks a second-round pick—and were happy to keep him.
- The Calgary Flames are mentioned in association with both Ben Bishop and Marc-Andre Fleury, though obviously both never materialized. The situation in Calgary is an interesting one, as Brian Elliott has turned around his play recently and muddled the situation once again for this summer. If they think it was just a comfort thing, perhaps they will look to get back into a contract negotiation with the 31-year old netminder.
- Friedman also touches on Kelly Hrudey‘s rant about the way trade deadline coverage has evolved, making note of a player who texted him upset about potentially being involved in a deal. In the Maple Leafs game last night, the broadcast crew also touched on how it looked as though James van Riemsdyk had a piano lifted from his back after two weeks of constant rumor. As Greg Millen of Sportsnet put it after a particularly good shift from van Riemsdyk: “If you don’t think it affects these players, you’re wrong.”
Trade Deadline Summary: Winners & Losers Of The Atlantic Division
The NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone, and while it wasn’t the most exciting deadline day in recent memory, there were quite a few notable moves. Here are the winners and losers of the neck-and-neck Atlantic Division:
Winners
Boston Bruins:
- Acquired Drew Stafford from Winnipeg Jets for conditional 2017 sixth-round pick
GM Don Sweeney did not want a repeat of 2016, when he gave up second, third, fourth, and fifth-round picks for Lee Stempniak and John-Michael Liles, only for the team to miss the playoffs. In 2017, he succeeded in bringing in a reliable depth player and goal-scorer, Stafford, without having to pay the price of a top pick or any of Boston’s numerous high-end prospects. Sweeney deserves credit for not panicking when his divisional rivals all began making multiple moves, holding to his word of not overpaying and eventually getting a last-minute deal done at a bargain price for a good player.
Detroit Red Wings:
- Acquired 2017 third-round pick from Chicago Blackhawks for Tomas Jurco
- Acquired 2017 third-round pick and 2018 second-round pick from New York Rangers for Brendan Smith
- Acquired 2018 sixth-round pick from Montreal Canadiens for Steve Ott
- Acquired 2017 third-round pick and Dylan McIlrath from Florida Panthers for Thomas Vanek
As hard as it is to imagine, the Red Wings are going to miss the playoffs and were in a complete fire sale at the deadline. For as long as it has been since they were in such a position, the team did pretty well. GM Ken Holland may have been able to get a better deal for Vanek earlier in the season, but getting two high picks for Smith and anything at all for Ott was nice maneuvering. The Red Wings in essence added five picks for four players that were unlikely to be on the team in 2017-18 anyway. Could they have dealt Riley Sheahan and Drew Miller too? Possibly, but they did enough as is.
Detroit Red Wings Trade Thomas Vanek To Florida Panthers
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet is reporting that Thomas Vanek is headed to the Sunshine state. The Detroit Red Wings will trade the winger to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Dylan McIlrath and a third-round pick. The Red Wings will also retain 50% of his salary for this season. Darren Dreger reports that if the Panthers make the playoffs, the pick will be Arizona’s third-round selection, not Florida’s. 
Earlier this month Dale Tallon told the media that he’d like to add something on the powerplay, and Vanek surely fills that need. The former 40-goal scorer has 129 career tallies on the PP and still has the ability to score from anywhere below the hash marks.
The 33-year old is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season after signing just a one-year deal this summer with the Red Wings. At $2.6MM he already didn’t cost very much from this point in the season, and with Detroit retaining half the Panthers will be paying less than $1MM to add him.
Many Detroit fans may be disappointed with the return, as a third-round pick is the same thing they got for Tomas Jurco in a previous deal. Vanek is obviously much more established than Jurco, but the questions about his defensive ability have haunted him for a long time.
McIlrath is a former 10th-overall pick, but was never expected to go that high. He very predictably hasn’t become a defenseman you can trust with much more than a fight, despite several chances in the NHL. Perhaps Detroit believes they can turn his career around, just as Florida did earlier this year.
Vanek was the first domino to fall today (unless you count the deals last night) and should push along the markets for Radim Vrbata and Jarome Iginla. Vrbata stands as probably the best option for a top-six left on the market, which isn’t saying much.
Detroit Red Wings Trade Steve Ott To Montreal Canadiens
Despite being after midnight on the east coast, the Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Canadiens are still working. The Wings have sent Steve Ott—who was scratched from tonight’s game in a telling move—to the Montreal Canadiens for sixth-round pick in 2018. 
While the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs both added a little more toughness yesterday with their acquisitions of Alex Burrows and Brian Boyle respectively, the Montreal Canadiens have done the same late tonight. Ott is by no means the equal to either of those players on offense, but may be as big of a pest as either. He has made a career out of getting under other team’s skin and providing a physical presence in the corners.
The Canadiens have now acquired a handful of players and seem poised to make an even bigger deal at some point before the deadline. After winning again tonight in overtime against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Montreal has extended their lead in the Atlantic Division to six points. While they are no guarantee for the playoffs just yet, they are a good bet.
Ott will help them in that department, as he lends his experience and leadership to any room. His 55 games of playoff experience will be welcomed into a room that will be relying on certain players without much. The Canadiens top line of Max Pacioretty, Alex Galchenyuk and Alexander Radulov (if put together again) has a total of 72 postseason games combined.
For Detroit, moving another expiring veteran for a draft choice is a positive, regardless of the round. They’ve now moved out relatively small pieces and gained some valuable selections to start a rebuild with, and still have some much bigger named players yet to move if they choose.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Tuesday Evening Snapshots: Vanek, Ott, Trotz, Forsberg
Prior to the Red Wings game against Vancouver, several reporters tweeted that Steve Ott was scratched while potential trade target Thomas Vanek was scheduled to be on the ice–meaning that Vanek is still a Red Wing for at least another night. Vanek, who many thought would be scratched to avoid injury prior to the deadline, will play limited minutes according to a tweet from the Red Wings’ Dana Wakiji. Ott, meanwhile, has been another name linked to trade discussions, and his absence, after being in the lineup over the past several games, certainly raises eyebrows. Ott is beloved by teammates and coaches for his “grit” and “locker room presence,” so it remains to be seen if Ott is shipped off to another team.
In other snapshots:
- Washington bench boss Barry Trotz notched his 700th career win after the Capitals knocked off the Rangers 4-1. He was denied the other night by his former team, the Nashville Predators, and sits at #6 on the all-time-wins list for coaches. He’s behind only two active head coaches: Joel Quenneville, and Lindy Ruff.
- Filip Forsberg continues his tear, and NBC Sports’ James O’Brien writes that Preds defenseman P.K. Subban believes Forsberg is the best player in the league right now. Forsberg has four three-point games in his last six contests for a cumulative total of 14 points (10-4). The Tennessean’s Adan Vignan writes that Forsberg finished February with 11 goals and 17 assists in just 13 games. It’s the type of stride the Preds need, still sitting third in the Central but certainly not having a desirable cushion.
New York Rangers Acquire Brendan Smith From Detroit Red Wings
The New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings have agreed to a deal that will send Brendan Smith to New York in return for Ottawa’s 2018 second-round pick—received in the Derick Brassard–Mika Zibanejad deal—and a 2017 third-round pick in the upcoming draft. The Rangers don’t have their second round pick for the 2017 draft as they dealt it last season for Eric Staal.
Just this morning we wrote how the Rangers would be looking for defense help after Dan Girardi went out for 10 days with an ankle injury, and despite calling up Steven Kampfer for tonight’s game, they look like they’ll be getting a more permanent solution. 
Smith is another player who will be a free agent at year’s end, and though the Red Wings have tried to come to an extension agreement with him the reported return is definitely worth it for the rebuilding club. The 28-year old defenseman has been a dependable role player for Detroit through the years, and has shown the ability to take on a larger role. An analytical darling, Smith has always had excellent possession numbers despite his limited minutes and point production.
Even though Marc Staal has a much bigger contract and name recognition, Smith would likely become the Rangers second best option on the left side immediately behind captain Ryan McDonagh, and actually lengthen out their defense corps quite nicely. Yes, Kevin Shattenkirk would have been a bigger upgrade but Smith is no slouch. It’s not clear exactly where he would fit in, but helps the Rangers keep pace in the Metropolitan as the Penguins and Capitals both made additions to their back end. The nice thing about Smith is that he has experience on both sides and could fit in wherever the Rangers needed the help most.
Currently making $2.75MM, McKenzie tweeted today that he would be looking for at least a three year deal at $3.5MM if extended by the Red Wings. If the Rangers believe he could fit into their plans for longer than just the next few months, a similar extension would be tough to fit into their current cap situation with raises due for Jesper Fast, Mika Zibanejad and several others.
The pair of picks the Rangers gave up are a hefty price for Smith, but at least they haven’t dealt their first-round selection so far. The team hasn’t picked a player in the first round since 2012, when they chose (somewhat fittingly) Brady Skjei, a player Smith may be replacing in some sense. The Rangers keep moving out picks at the deadline, and yet have remained competitive in recent years. They are currently in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division but could easily end up anywhere in the top four.
For Detroit, getting two fairly high picks is a great return for Smith that they likely should take even if he was willing to sign an extension. After Michael Stone garnered a third, and Ron Hainsey a second, getting both in this deal seems like larceny. He’ll be a solid addition to the Rangers, but the Red Wings now have nine selections in the first three rounds the next two drafts. Sure, they’re headed for their first postseason drought in decades but collecting draft picks is the way to turn it around and start towards another consecutive playoff streak.
Bob McKenzie of TSN was first to break the deal on Twitter, and gave the details as the trade call was finishing.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Deadline Notes: Rangers, Red Wings, Coyotes
The New York Rangers missed out on Kevin Shattenkirk last night when he went to their division rival—and opponent tonight—the Washington Capitals. The team has been rumored to be after a right handed defenseman and may be in even more dire straits as Dan Girardi is out tonight following an ankle injury. Dan Rosen of NHL.com reports that with him out and Kevin Klein still dealing with a back injury, the Rangers are down to just five healthy defensemen with the team. They’ll bring up Steve Kampfer for tonight’s game, but may need a more permanent solution.
While the Rangers may not have acquired Shattenkirk, they have been linked to Brendan Smith of the Detroit Red Wings and could look within their division for a player like Kyle Quincey. Though neither bring the level of play the new Capitals’ defenseman does, both could help provide depth as they get healthy.
- Bob McKenzie of TSN mentioned Smith today on Twitter, saying that it is decision day for the Red Wings. If they do want to extend him, McKenzie believes it would take at least three years at $3.5MM. The Wings recently extended Nick Jensen for two more seasons and have said they want to do the same with Smith. If they can’t get it done today though, they should seriously consider moving him and trying to bring him back in the summer. That team needs as many assets as possible going forward, and with the defense market getting pretty thin, they might do quite well.
- Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports writes that though Shane Doan is still available, he is unlikely to move before the deadline. According to Morgan, teams only view him as a 13th or 14th forward, instead of the capable winger he still believes himself to be. While obviously anything can change in the next 28 hours, perhaps he will finish his career with the franchise (but not team) that drafted him.
- McKenzie also mentions that the Tampa Bay Lightning have likely approached Valtteri Filppula and asked to waive his no-trade clause. Filppula poses a real problem for the Lightning both with their cap crunch and expansion draft plans.