Snapshots: Vegas, Howard, Flyers
As the March 1st trade deadline approaches, so does the start of the Vegas Golden Knights capacity to make deals around the league. While he won’t be able to make any moves for active players, he can start shaping the future of the Golden Knights in just over a week. Michael Russo of the Star Tribune caught up with Vegas GM George McPhee and talked to him about the kind of team he’d like to build.
I’ve built high-flying teams in the past, offensive, entertaining teams and would like to do the same thing. What we do with the expansion draft hasn’t been settled yet because until we see the entire universe of what teams want to do, who they want to protect and expose, we don’t know which way we’re going to go.
Indeed, McPhee did build the high-flying Washington Capitals that featured some of the highest goal totals in recent memory. If he constructs the Vegas team the same way, it will be fun to watch at the very least as it likely struggles through its first few seasons. If McPhee wants speed, perhaps a certain Colorado Avalanche centerman who is on the block would be of interest this summer.
- Jimmy Howard, out since before Christmas with a sprained MCL was seen taking shots today before practice by Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News. Howard—who turns 33 on March 26th—carries a hefty cap hit and two more years on his contract. While the Red Wings would love to move him for some cap relief, he’ll have to get back onto the ice and prove the start of his season wasn’t a fluke.
- Chris Johnston of Sportsnet tells us that Hall of Fame winger and current Kings’ President of Business Operations Luc Robitaille has taken over as chairman of the board for Eisbären Berlin, a German hockey team that plays in the DEL. While under Robitaille’s leadership, the Los Angeles Kings played in Berlin back in 2011 when the NHL was testing out different markets with regular season games.
- Sam Cardichi of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports on the Flyers and their quickly sinking ship going into the deadline. After benching Andrew MacDonald in a Sunday night win over the Vancouver Canucks, the team is looking to get Michael Del Zotto more ice-time and are still considering their options for the trade deadline. Cardichi includes he thinks the team will be in sell mode come March 1st.
Where Do The Dallas Stars Go From Here?
In a couple pieces written about the Dallas Stars, The Dallas Morning News’ Mike Heika and Fan Rag’s Carolyn Wilke both look at what has gone wrong with the Stars and how best to reverse course. Heika calls them “toast,” recognizing that a 1-7-0 run sunk the Stars chances at the playoffs. Heika notes that though the Stars have missed the playoffs six out of the last eight seasons, it isn’t often in February that their season obituary could be written. While some fans may think it’s unfair to write the Stars off so early, he shows that unless the Stars go 18-5 the rest of the way, it’s pretty hopeless.
Heika offers advice, noting that the Stars need to evaluate their young defensemen, determining which ones should be kept since the expansion draft is around the corner. He also believes they need to assess their best veterans, seeing if they should take a flier on Ales Hemsky, Lauri Korpikoski, Adam Cracknell and Jiri Hudler beyond this season. It would also be best if the Stars chose one goaltender between Antti Niemi and Kari Lehtonen since it’s leading to a financial impasse.
Wilke takes a different look, wondering if the coaching staff is to blame, and takes the approach that Ruff simply cannot be the sole blamed for the season they’ve endured. A roster decimated by injury didn’t help matters, she writes, but Ruff can still shoulder some blame with his playing decisions and deployment, not to mention an anemic penalty kill. But going in Ruff’s favor is a lack of coaches on the market, none of whom seem a good fit for the young and fast Stars. Wilke sees the Stars selling off and warns fans to wave goodbye to some of their favorite players. She also asks some questions about Jim Nill’s job.
PHR’s Glen Miller wondered a few weeks ago if the Stars are going to follow in Minnesota and Columbus’ footsteps, finding success only a year after a throw away season. Injury is certainly the greatest factor in Dallas’ fall. Further, coaches or front office executives don’t suddenly become geniuses or buffoons over one season’s time. Nill sat a little too long on the goalie issue, as Wilke points out, but without Nill, the Stars don’t have last season’s successes. His aggressiveness and eye for talent, especially with prospects, will pay dividends for the Stars. Further, looking at Jim Rutherford, who made a few tweaks to a Penguins roster and shuttled a coach, suddenly found himself hoisting a Stanley Cup six months later.
There is no secret formula. Teams like the Detroit Red Wings have shown that not everything can last forever, especially with a loyalty that has been one of the strongest in the NHL Rutherford’s example shows that sometimes it takes a few changes to win. Others, like the Avalanche, struggle to find success no matter how many changes they make.
The Stars have the roster to compete. It may just be a few Rutherford-like moves that shows this season was an anomaly.
Red Wings Notes: Vanek, Larkin, Mantha, Holland, Howard
The Red Wings have had a few discussions with Thomas Vanek’s agent Steve Bartlett regarding a possible contract extension, reports ESPN’s Craig Custance (Insider required). However, it will take a no-move clause for Vanek to consider signing prior to the trade deadline.
The reason for that is the upcoming expansion draft. Bartlett wants to avoid a scenario where he signs now and then is left unprotected in that draft, creating the risk that he could wind up with the Golden Knights; a full no-move clause would alleviate that but also force Detroit to leave another forward exposed. From the Red Wings perspective, that may not be the best move especially considering they appear to be heading towards selling at the deadline. With that in mind, Custance argues that GM Ken Holland would be wise to move Vanek now even though he has expressed a willingness to remain with the Wings beyond this season.
[Related: Vanek’s trade candidate profile]
Other news and notes from Detroit:
- Skating is an area of focus for a pair of young players but for entirely different reasons, writes Dana Wakiji of the Wings’ team site. Head coach Jeff Blashill noted that they’ve been working with center Dylan Larkin to stop more often instead of just playing with speed at all times. While Larkin’s speed was a major weapon early on last season, he has been guilty of trying to play too quickly at times this year which have contributed to some struggles. On the flip side, Blashill noted that they’re working with winger Anthony Mantha to skate more frequently instead of stopping and watching or slowing the play down.
- In a reader mailbag, MLive’s Ansar Khan suggests that Holland is likely to retain his job beyond this season. With the team set to miss the playoffs for the first time in a quarter-century, some have wondered if the timing would be right to turn the team over for someone else to build; Holland has held the GM title since 1997. Khan also doesn’t expect a decision to be made regarding Blashill’s future and the rest of Detroit’s coaching staff until after the season.
- Goalie Jimmy Howard was on the ice today but won’t be available to play before the Wings hit their bye week on February 22nd, reports George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). Howard suffered a setback earlier this week as he continues to recover from a sprained MCL. It’s expected that Howard will return to Grand Rapids of the AHL during the bye week with the hope that he’ll be able to get into another game down there.
Trade Candidates: Gustav Nyquist
With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that are likely to be dealt by March 1st.
Gustav Nyquist made the news for all the wrong reasons after a nasty slash earned him a six-game suspension yesterday. Nyquist, who has struggled to score goals this season, has also seen his name pop up in trade rumors throughout the season. As such, we take a look at what Nyquist would bring to the table for another team.
Contract
Nyquist is in the second year of a four-year, $19MM contract. The AAV is $4.75MM.
2016-17
Once seen as a prolific scorer, Nyquist has seen his numbers crash since putting up 28 goals in 57 games back in 2013-14. He followed it up with 27 goals, and from there, his goal numbers plunged. He put up 17 last season and through this week, he has seven goals. Though he’s paid to light the lamp, Nyquist’s value as someone who creates chances and leads to scoring opportunities is often overlooked. This is an extremely important point as being acquired by a contender would certainly give him better scoring opportunities.
Season Stats
56 GP; 7 goals 22 asssists, 29 points; -4; 49.9 CF%; 16:48 TOI
Suitors
Though the contract is on the expensive side, Nyquist would be a great addition to any team looking for an offensive spark. Between his deployment in Detroit and the nature of the Red Wings’ struggles, Nyquist’s numbers would certainly see an uptick with a playoff bound team. One team interested is the Chicago Blackhawks, though acquiring Nyquist would cause either Detroit to absorb salary since there would still be two seasons left. However, Nyquist would fit nicely on a line with Jonathan Toews, or opposite Marian Hossa, which would benefit the Blackhawks greatly. Another possibility? Toronto. The Leafs have the cap room and Mike Babcock knows Nyquist well from his days in Detroit. Nyquist also had his two best seasons with Babcock behind the bench. One other possibility? Edmonton. Again, cap room and another offensive threat who could provide depth in a competitive Western Conference.
Likelihood Of A Trade
No one knows what Ken Holland is thinking. After making a number of questionable signings in terms of length and cost, the Wings could deal Nyquist to get breathing room. Though his numbers are lower and might fetch less than before, he’s still one of the Red Wings’ best assets. Should the right deal come along, which would be something shoring up the blue line, Nyquist could very well be on his way out in Detroit. But Holland, despite the Wings current five game losing streak, has made it clear that he could very well stand pat without selling. Nyquist, while a good bargaining chip, will most likely remain a Red Wing, unless Holland gets a can’t miss offer.
Snapshots: Setoguchi, Lazar, Howard, Tropp
News and notes from around the NHL this evening:
- The Los Angeles Kings assigned forward Devin Setoguchi to the AHL Ontario Reign today, reports Elliott Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News. This is in concert with the Kings’ previous recalls of Adrian Kempe and Paul Ladue. Setoguchi cleared waivers on the 13th but was not immediately sent down to the AHL. Rumors buzzed that Setoguchi would not report to Ontario, but the forward told the Ontario Reign’s web reporter that the story was pure conjecture.
- The Ottawa Senators plan to meet with Curtis Lazar‘s agent J.P. Barry this Saturday, reports the Ottawa Citizen’s Ken Warren. Lazar becomes an RFA at the end of the season but both sides hope that a deal comes together before then. The Senators are reportedly listening to teams interested in Lazar, but the asking price is high. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reported that Ottawa is asking for at least a 1st or 2nd for the young forward.
- Detroit Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard suffered a set back two days ago, reports MLive’s Ansar Khan. He will need at least another week of recovery followed by a few games with the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins to get up to speed. Howard puts the Red Wings in the precarious position of determining which goaltender the team protects in the NHL Expansion Draft. Before this season, the clear answer was Petr Mrazek. Howard had lost the net and his contract did not align with his performance. This season, however, has Howard performing better than Mrazek, and Detroit now has a much more difficult decision to make.
- The Anaheim Ducks announced that they’ve recalled forward Corey Tropp from the San Diego Gulls. Tropp replaces Antoine Vermette who is expected—but not yet confirmed—to receive a 10 game suspension for hitting an official with his stick. Tropp leads the San Diego Gulls in scoring with 12G and 25A in 42 games, and should adequately replace Vermette’s offence.
Gustav Nyquist Receives Six Game Suspension
Bob McKenzie of TSN was first to report on Twitter that Detroit Red Wings forward Gustav Nyquist has been given a six-game suspension for his high stick on the Minnesota Wild’s Jared Spurgeon this weekend. This comes after Nyquist waived his right to an in-person hearing that came with an expected minimum of six games. Because the Red Wings have a mandated bye-week starting a week from today, he’ll be eligible to return March 4th against the Edmonton Oilers.
Chris Johnston of Sportsnet tweets that it will cost Nyquist $158,333.33 in salary, though that amount will still count against the Red Wings’ cap. 
His suspension comes on the heels of Antoine Vermette receiving a ten-game ban for a much less violent stick infraction. That incident came with a automatic minimum suspension of 10 games, because it involved an official. The six game suspension is tied for the second longest suspension this season with Radko Gudas for his late, high hit on Austin Czarnik back in October. Gudas was a repeat offender, while this is Nyquist’s first interaction with the Department of Player Safety.
Many fans will be surprised by this outcome, given what looked like intent to injure on Nyquist’s part. He seemed to be looking right at Spurgeon when he attacked him in a retaliatory manner—Spurgeon had cross checked him into the boards moments prior.
In the league’s official video report, the Department said that it was “not an accidental or inadvertent high stick”. Nyquist said during his phone hearing that he was trying to get his stick around Spurgeon’s body to deliver a cross check of his own. In the report, they do include that since there was no injury sustained on the play (Spurgeon would return to the game quickly after receiving stitches in the dressing room) and he had no prior history of discipline, he was given a lesser suspension.
As Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports, Ken Holland will not appeal the suspension. It sounds like Nyquist admitted fault in the hearing and will accept his punishment. Perhaps it is true that he wasn’t attempting to high-stick him, but he has to control his stick at all times. It could have easily resulted in a much more severe injury for Spurgeon.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Trade Candidates: Brendan Smith
With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that are likely to be dealt by March 1st.
As the Detroit Red Wings slip deeper into the Eastern Conference basement, their hopes of a 26th consecutive playoff appearance slip away as well. Brendan Smith is one of many names rumored to be shipped out of Hockeytown.
Contract
Final season of a two-year, $5.5MM deal. $2.75MM AAV.
2016-17
Smith has been somewhat of an enigma in Detroit. On one hand, it’s never seemed like he got a fair shake in the Motor City. On another, when given chances this season, Smith has not been at his best. Fighting injury and other defensemen for ice time, Smith is in the final year of his contract and is destined to be wearing a different jersey next season.
Season Stats
GP 29; 2 goals, 3 assists, 5 points; -1; 18:19 TOI; 50% CF
Suitors
Depth on the blue line is one of the greatest assets come playoff time. A promising playoff run can be derailed by injury, especially due to the grueling nature of the NHL playoffs. Smith’s affordable contract and offensive upside could be an asset looking for a top six defenseman. Though Smith would fill in best as a fifth or sixth defenseman, he could still bring value to a team.
The Chicago Blackhawks could squeeze him in, should they not acquire anyone else, especially since there are rumors tied to them about having interest in Thomas Vanek as well. Should the Red Wings be willing to eat salary, the Blackhawks could offer a mid round or lower end pick. Or, they could get creative in terms of trading players that can match up monetarily. The Los Angeles Kings are another option, always looking for defenseman to strengthen their blue line. In the east, Montreal would be an option, while the Columbus Blue Jackets could bring him into the fold to help its depth. While Smith won’t garner much in the way of prospects, getting a draft pick instead of losing him as a free agent is certainly a better option.
Likelihood Of A Trade
General manager Ken Holland has indicated that selling is becoming the more realistic option as Detroit’s playoff hopes fade. Smith offers a chance to snag a draft pick or a prospect, depending on the trade partner. With Smith being in the final year of his contract, it’s a high probability that he’s shipped out.
Deadline Primer: Detroit Red Wings
With the trade deadline now just weeks away, we’re taking a closer look at each team. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?
It’s been quite the purgatory for the Detroit Red Wings. Mike Ilitch, who transformed the Dead Wings into a four time Stanley Cup Champion, passed away on Friday. As if losing the owner who many current and former players considered to be a father figure wasn’t enough, the Wings 25-year playoff streak may end at a quarter century. Struggling to piece wins together, Detroit has a historically bad power play, a team besieged by injury, and a horrible return on investment from several players inked to expensive, long term deals.
For the first time since the early 90’s, the Red Wings are sellers. And yet, while it looks that the playoffs are slipping away, general manager Ken Holland may “stand pat” instead of selling off assets.
Record
22-24-10; 54 points. Last in the Atlantic; Last in the Eastern Conference.
Deadline Status
Seller
Deadline Cap Space
Draft Picks
2017: ( 9 Total) DET 1st, DET 2nd, DET 3rd, TOR 3rd, DET 4th, DET 5th, DET 6th, FLA 6th, DET 7th
2018: 7 Total) DET 1st, DET 2nd, DET 3rd, DET 4th, DET 5th, DET 6th, DET 7th.
Trade Chips
There are a number of players to choose from but topping the list is Thomas Vanek, who has been linked to the Chicago Blackhawks among other teams. Should he stay healthy (he’s currently battling an ankle injury), he could fetch some prospects or a draft pick. Mike Green has been another name, though he seems less likely to be moved as the Wings are trying to upgrade on the blue line–and he has been good for them this season. Gustav Nyquist and Tomas Tatar were also mentioned, targets by the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek, though it seems odd since he has struggled and was just signed to a deal in the offseason, could also be shopped. Finally, Brendan Smith, in the final year of a contract, could be moved as well.
Team Needs
1) #1 defenseman. Good luck. Almost every team in the NHL seeks that top pair defenseman, the Red Wings truly haven’t had one since Nick Lidstrom retired. Worse, their young defensemen have regressed while the veterans are broken down versions of their once steady selves (Niklas Kronwall comes to mind). The problem in getting the top pairing defenseman they seek is two fold. First, only a young player with team control could garner the top d-man, be it Anthony Mantha, Dylan Larkin, or Andreas Athanasiou. But those are players the Red Wings aren’t willing to give up. Second, the salary cap situation is a mess being that Holland has handed out expensive, long-term contracts to players like Justin Abdelkader, who hasn’t scored a goal since November. To add and retain a top pair defenseman, a team needs salary cap space. The Wings are in trouble for years to come unless they can shed those contracts. Until the Red Wings fix the blue line, their slide will continue and only get worse.
2) An elite, generational player. In all of the seasons for the Red Wings to fall off, it would be the season where there isn’t a clear cut one and two option. Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine were all clear cut options in the last two drafts. Now? While Nolan Patrick, Nico Hischier, and Tim Liljegren are all great options, scouts are having a hard time agreeing on a clear cut favorite. Holland could trade draft picks and players to go after former top picks, like Matt Duchene, Nathan MacKinnon or Gabriel Landeskog, but that seems pretty far fetched. Plus, Holland has been gun shy during the Cap era when it comes to trades. But this year’s draft is not as certain as in previous seasons, and that doesn’t bode well for a team who desperately needs a top tier talent to get back on the right track. Larkin, Mantha, and Athanasiou are great starts as building blocks, but they are at least one, if not two, generational players away from getting back to the top of the hockey world again.
Nyquist Gets In-Person Disciplinary Hearing
Detroit Red Wings forward Gustav Nyquist will receive an in-person hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety, reports Sportsnet’s Chris Johnson. An in-person hearing means that Nyquist could—and probably would—receive a suspension lasting at least six games. Sportsnet’s John Shannon tweets that the hearing is set for Tuesday February 14th.
Nyquist dangerously high-sticked Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon during today’s game between the two teams (Yahoo Sports video link). Spurgeon received stitches but returned to finish the match. The optics on this play are bad—Spurgeon knocks Nyquist down into the boards during a battle for the puck, and Nyquist gets up and immediately raises his blade into Spurgeon’s face.
In-person hearings generally mean that the player will receive at least a six-game suspension. A phone hearing is reserved for suspensions less than six games, while in-person hearings can result in much longer sentences. As Chris Johnson points out, Nyquist would forfeit $26,388.89 per game of his suspension.
The suspension length will be affected by both Nyquist’s clean disciplinary history, and that Spurgeon did not suffer any serious injury. Nyquist has never been suspended before, which may lessen the punishment’s severity. Nevertheless, expect Nyquist to receive between 5-8 games because of the NHL’s focus on injuries to the head.
Snapshots: Carlo, Nyquist, Dumba
After winning their last two games against the San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks, the Boston Bruins are undefeated since firing their long-time head coach Claude Julien. While they’re certain to lose another game this season, the strong play into their bye week (which starts after taking on the Montreal Canadiens at home tonight) has them still in the thick of the playoff race and potential buyers at the trade deadline.
That’s what has Sportsnet’s Ryan Dixon worried, as his latest column speaks to the dangers of trading young Brandon Carlo at the deadline for a short term boost. With Carlo’s emergence this season the Bruins might have a potential top pairing defenseman on their hands and should look no further than his defense partner for a reason not to deal him. Zdeno Chara was traded by the Islanders for immediate scoring help at the draft back in 2001, which looks like one of the worst trades in the team’s history. If the Bruins end up dealing him, they better be very sure that what they bring back can help the team for more than just the immediate future.
- In today’s Minnesota Wild-Detroit Red Wings game, there were quite a few physical incidents but none more vicious than Gustav Nyquist‘s disturbing high stick on Jared Spurgeon. Spurgeon would get a few stitches and return to the game, but all the talk after the game was about possible league discipline. As Michael Russo of the Star Tribune reports, Bruce Boudreau wasn’t happy about the attack on his star defenseman. “Two inches closer, the guy could have speared his eye out,” Boudreau told Russo in his post game scrum. We’ll see what kind of suspension comes down tomorrow from the league. Nyquist for his part says that he didn’t mean to do it at all and is happy Spurgeon is okay.
- In other Wild news, Russo reports that Mathew Dumba is still day-to-day and hopes to get back on the ice in the next few days. Dumba finished the game on Friday against the Lightning, but had injured himself on a hit from Ondrej Palat early in the game. Dumba’s absence was notable today, especially when Spurgeon was getting his face stitched up. Getting him back soon is important for the Wild, who continue to lead the entire Western Conference with 80 points.