NHL All-Star Selections Announced
Although it took some time, with each individual team rolling out their own selections, the final rosters for All-Star Weekend have come into focus. Below are each of the four divisional team, set to face off in the Skills Competition on Friday, January 24th and the All-Star Game on Saturday, January 25th:
Atlantic Division
G Frederik Andersen, Toronto Maple Leafs
G Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins
D Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
D Shea Weber, Montreal Canadiens
F Tyler Bertuzzi, Detroit Red Wings
F Jack Eichel, Buffalo Sabres
F Anthony Duclair, Ottawa Senators
F Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers
F Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
F David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins (C)
Metropolitan Division
G Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals
G Joonas Korpisalo, Columbus Blue Jackets
D John Carlson, Washington Capitals
D Dougie Hamilton, Carolina Hurricanes
D Seth Jones, Columbus Blue Jackets
F Mathew Barzal, New York Islanders
F Jake Guentzel, Pittsburgh Penguins
F Travis Konecny, Philadelphia Flyers
F Kyle Palmieri, New Jersey Devils
F Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers
Central Division
G Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues
G Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
D Roman Josi, Nashville Predators
D Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues
F Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks
F Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche (C)
F Ryan O’Reilly, St. Louis Blues
F Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg Jets
F Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars
F Eric Staal, Minnesota Wild
Pacific Division
G Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights
G Darcy Kuemper, Arizona Coyotes
D Mark Giordano, Calgary Flames
F Logan Couture, San Jose Sharks
F Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
F Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings
F Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers (C)
F Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks
F Jakob Silfverberg, Anaheim Ducks
F Matthew Tkachuk, Calgary Flames
Additionally, each divisional squad will have one more addition as decided by the Last Men In fan vote. Voting opens on January 1st and closes on the 10th. Here are the candidates:
Atlantic Division – Patrice Bergeron, Rasmus Dahlin, Dylan Larkin Aleksander Barkov, Max Domi, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Steven Stamkos, Mitch Marner
Metropolitan Division – Teuvo Teravainen, Nick Foligno, Nico Hischier, Brock Nelson, Mika Zibanejad, Claude Giroux, Kris Letang, T.J. Oshie
Central Division – Jonathan Toews, Cale Makar, Jamie Benn, Ryan Suter, Matt Duchene, David Perron Patrik Laine
Pacific Division – Ryan Getzlaf, Clayton Keller, Johnny Gaudreau, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Drew Doughty, Tomas Hertl, Quinn Hughes, Max Pacioretty
Pacific Notes: Markstrom, Hjalmarsson, Nygard
The Vancouver Canucks are locked into a battle to hold onto one of the final playoff spots in the Western Conference. The team is tied with the Edmonton Oilers with 44 points for the final playoff spot and much of the team’s success has fallen on starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom.
The 29-year-old netminder has been solid with a 13-11-3 record with a 2.63 GAA and an impressive .919 save percentage and has been critical in stealing victories for a team desperate to make the playoffs. The Canucks have a challenge approaching them this summer as the goalie hits unrestricted free agent this summer. With backup Thatcher Demko posting an inconsistent season and salary cap concerns, the team has made it clear that locking up Markstrom to a long-term deal is a priority for the team.
NBC Sports’ Adam Gretz looks at what it might cost to sign Markstrom, finding several comparison goaltenders, pointing to Ottawa’s Craig Anderson and Detroit’s Jimmy Howard. Both goalies, when they signed their long-term deals years ago, were comparable players to Markstrom, who has gone from middling prospect, to solid backup, to impressive starter. If you take fast forward their deals to the current salary cap structure, it would come out somewhere between $5-6MM, something the team should be able to afford.
- The Athletic’s Craig Morgan (subscription required) writes that the Arizona Coyotes are close to getting back a key defenseman. Niklas Hjalmarsson, who has been out since Oct. 12 after breaking his left fibula on a slapshot from Colorado’s Erik Johnson, worked out on his own Friday, but is expected to return to practice soon, according to head coach Rick Tocchet. Hjalmarsson was projected to miss 10-12 weeks with the injury and it has now been 11 weeks, suggesting his return is close.
- Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid is considered to be one of the fastest skaters in the NHL, but the skilled forward lost to teammate Joakim Nygard in the Faster Skater competition at the Oilers Skills Competition Sunday, the team announced. Nygard, signed out of the SHL during the offseason, skated 14.014, beating McDavid, by three one-hundredths of a second, who finished with a 14.041. Nygard has served most of his time in the bottom-six. He has two goals and six points in 24 games this year.
Edmonton Oilers Interested In Chicago’s Brandon Saad
The Edmonton Oilers are not getting much offense from their other lines and desperately need help. Almost all of the team’s offense has come from their top line of Connor McDavid (22-41-63), Leon Draisaitl (22-39-61) and Zack Kassian (13-13-26). James Neal has chipped in 16 goals, but after that, the Oilers just don’t have the top-six players they need. However, the team is trying to rectify that by the trade deadline as Edmonton has shown interest in Chicago Blackhawks forward Brandon Saad, according to Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins.
The Oilers and Blackhawks might be a good match as Chicago is looking for defensive prospects, something that Edmonton is loaded with. The Oilers’ top two prospects are blueliners in Evan Bouchard and Philip Broberg, although neither are likely to be included in a trade for Saad. However, the team has a number of secondary prospects that could interest Chicago, including William Lagesson, Caleb Jones and Dmitri Samorukov to name a few. Saad might make a good fit as well for Edmonton as he would slot onto the team’s second line and could shift Neal back to the right side, where he has been more successful. The only problems for Edmonton is Saad’s salary, which is at $6MM for the next two years. While the Oilers might be able to make Saad’s salary work for this year, next year’s salary could prove more challenging for the team.
Chicago, meanwhile, has $72.5MM invested in just 15 players next season with several significant free agents, including goaltenders Robin Lehner and Corey Crawford as well as forward Dylan Strome and defenseman Erik Gustafsson. The team might be willing to unload Saad in a cost-cutting effort for next season. Saad is currently out for three weeks due to an ankle injury, but should have been back on the ice for a month by the time the trade deadline rolls around.
Edmonton hopes that prospects might be enough to persuade Chicago to trade Saad as Edmonton general manager Ken Holland has shown an unwillingness to move draft picks, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
“I’ve been told the Oilers internally feel that they have given up way too many draft picks,” Friedman said on 630 CHED radio in Edmonton on Friday. “And as you look back in (their) last five drafts, in four of them, (they’ve) had holes in how many players they could take. So, I think two picks for (Taylor) Hall, that was one of the reasons why (they) didn’t want to do it.”
Friedman also suggests that the Oilers have expressed interest in Tyler Toffoli of the Kings, but Los Angeles would be looking for picks, which could be a stumbling block for the Oilers.
Edmonton Oilers Recall Kailer Yamamoto, William Lagesson
When the Edmonton Oilers placed Markus Granlund on waivers yesterday, it raised some questions over who would be recalled to fill his spot on the active roster. Those questions were answered today after Granlund cleared and was assigned to the minor leagues. Kailer Yamamoto, one of the team’s top prospects, will get another chance at the NHL level after being recalled today along with William Lagesson. Brandon Manning, who was also waived yesterday, has also been sent to the AHL.
The 21-year old Yamamoto has had short stints with the Oilers in each of the last two seasons, but is still looking to establish himself as a full-time NHL player. Selected 22nd overall in 2017, he has just five points in 26 games with the Oilers but has been better of late in the minor leagues. Due to injuries he has been limited to just 50 AHL contests in his short career, scoring 34 points.
While there are still high hopes for Yamamoto, the question now becomes whether he can develop into the kind of top-six option the team desperately needs to find. Edmonton has relied so heavily on their top few forwards this season and are still getting almost nothing from the rest of the roster. Zack Kassian‘s 26 points in 38 games are good for third on the team in scoring, while other names like Alex Chiasson have been extremely disappointing.
It’s not just Yamamoto that will bring some excitement to the NHL team though. Lagesson too has become an interesting prospect for the Oilers after being selected in the fourth round way back in 2014. After a year in the USHL, two at UMass and one in Sweden, it was a long road for Lagesson to join the Oilers’ organization before last season. He was worth the wait though, as he recorded 27 points in 67 games for the Bakersfield Condors, while racking up a +25 rating (the highest among defensemen).
Four Players Clear Waivers
Sunday: All four players have cleared waivers, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Comrie was quickly sent to the AHL.
Saturday: Today is the first day that players can be placed on waivers following the roster freeze and it’s a busy day on the wire. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter links) that Markus Granlund (Edmonton), Brandon Manning (Edmonton), Andy Andreoff (Philadelphia), and Eric Comrie (Winnipeg) have all been put on waivers.
Granlund is in his first year with Edmonton after joining them in the summer when he was non-tendered by Vancouver. The hope was that he could provide some secondary scoring along with some positional flexibility and while he has given them the latter, he hasn’t produced much as he has just three goals and one assist in 31 games this season while averaging a career-low 11 minutes per night of ice time. Nonetheless, with a $1.3MM deal that expires at the end of the season, there could be some interest from a team looking for some depth.
As for Manning, this marks his second time on waivers already this season. He went unclaimed at the beginning of the season but was never sent down as instead, the Oilers kept him up in a reserve role. He has only played in nine games this year but since he has been up for more than 30 days since clearing waivers, he needed to be put back on the wire to be sent down. He carries a $2.25MM cap hit which is likely too high for anyone to want to add. Assuming he does clear, Edmonton would get $1.075MM in cap relief and the same would apply if Granlund clears which would give them a bit of cap relief.
Andreoff is also on waivers for the second time this season. He cleared early in training camp and was sent to AHL Lehigh Valley where he picked up eight points in 14 games, earning himself a recall in early November. He was shuffled back and forth a couple of times to free up some cap room but now that he has played in ten NHL games (where he collected an assist), he has to go back on waivers to be sent down. He’s in the first year of a two-year, one-way deal that pays him $750K per year.
Comrie is no stranger to the waiver wire himself. He was placed on waivers by the Jets at the end of training camp and was claimed by Arizona to serve as injury depth. He didn’t see any action with them aside from a four-game AHL conditioning stint before he was dealt to Detroit who needed a short-term backup option. He got into three games with them before being waived again and picked up by the Jets. If he makes it through this time, he’ll be able to be sent to Manitoba of the AHL. Comrie is in the first season of a two-year contract that carries a $700K AAV. This season is a two-way pact before converting to a one-way deal for 2020-21.
NHL Draft Picks Participating In The World Junior Championship
The 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship is underway from Ostrava and Trinec in the Czech Republic. The tournament began today and will run through the championship game on January 5th. Each of the NHL’s 31 teams has at least one representative at the WJC. Five teams have only one draft pick participating, while the Los Angeles Kings (9) and Arizona Coyotes (7) each have more than those teams combined. However, it only takes one player and one moment to make history at the WJC. Check out which future NHLers will have that chance this year:
Anaheim Ducks (2):
G Lukas Dostal, Czech Republic
F Trevor Zegras, USA
Arizona Coyotes (7):
F Barrett Hayton, Canada
F Jan Jenik, Czech Republic
F Matias Maccelli, Finland
D Aku Raty, Finland
D Victor Soderstrom, Sweden
F Valentin Nussbaumer, Switzerland
D Ty Emberson, USA
Boston Bruins (3):
F Jakub Lauko, Czech Republic
F John Beecher, USA
F Curtis Hall, USA
Buffalo Sabres (4):
F Dylan Cozens, Canada
F Matej Pekar, Czech Republic
G Erik Portillo, Sweden
D Mattias Samuelsson, USA
Calgary Flames (1):
G Dustin Wolf, USA
Carolina Hurricanes (5):
D Anttoni Honka, Finland
F Lenni Killinen, Finland
F Patrik Puistola, Finland
F Dominik Bokk, Germany
F Jack Drury, USA
Chicago Blackhawks (2):
F Antti Saarela, Finland
F Michal Teply, Czech Republic
Colorado Avalanche (4):
D Bowen Byram, Canada
G Justus Annunen, Finland
F Sampo Ranta, Finland
D Daniil Zhuravlyov, Russia
Columbus Blue Jackets (4):
F Liam Foudy, Canada
F Kirill Marchenko, Russia
F Dmitri Voronkov, Russia
D Tim Berni, Switzerland
Dallas Stars (3):
F Ty Dellandrea, Canada
F Oskar Back, Sweden
F Albin Eriksson, Sweden
Detroit Red Wings (5):
D Jared McIsaac, Canada
F Joseph Veleno, Canada
D Moritz Seider, Germany
F Jonatan Berggren, Sweden
F Jesper Eliasson, Sweden
Edmonton Oilers (4):
F Raphael Lavoie, Canada
G Olivier Rodrigue, Canada
F Matej Blumel, Czech Republic
D Philip Broberg, Sweden
Florida Panthers (3):
Justin Schutz, Germany
F Grigori Denisenko, Russia
G Spencer Knight, USA
Los Angeles Kings (9):
F Aidan Dudas, Canada
F Akil Thomas, Canada
F Lukas Parik, Czech Republic
F Rasmus Kupari, Finland
D Kim Nousiainen, Finland
D Tobias Bjornfot, Sweden
F Samuel Fagemo, Sweden
F Arthur Kaliyev, USA
F Alex Turcotte, USA
Minnesota Wild (1):
F Alexander Khovanov, Russia
Montreal Canadiens (4):
D Alexander Romanov, Russia
D Mattias Norlinder, Sweden
F Cole Caufield, USA
D Jordan Harris, USA
Nashville Predators (1):
D Spencer Stastney, USA
New Jersey Devils (5):
D Kevin Bahl, Canada
D Ty Smith, Canada
D Daniil Misyul, Russia
F Nikola Pasic, Sweden
G Akira Schmid, Switzerland
New York Islanders (2):
F Jacob Pivonka, USA
F Oliver Wahlstrom, USA
New York Rangers (5):
D Nico Gross, Switzerland
F Karl Henriksson, Sweden
D Nils Lundkvist, Sweden
D Zachary Jones, USA
D K’Andre Miller, USA
Ottawa Senators (3):
D Jacob Bernard-Docker, Canada
D Lassi Thomson, Finland
F Shane Pinto, USA
Philadelphia Flyers (4):
F Egor Zamula, Russia
D Adam Ginning, Sweden
F Bobby Brink, USA
D Cameron York, USA
Pittsburgh Penguins (1):
D Calen Addison, Canada
San Jose Sharks (1):
Santeri Hatakka, Finland
St. Louis Blues (2):
G Joel Hofer, Canada
F Nikita Alexandrov, Russia
Tampa Bay Lightning (3):
F Nolan Foote, Canada
F Maxim Cajkovic, Czech Republic
G Hugo Alnefelt, Sweden
Toronto Maple Leafs (3):
D Mikko Kokkonen, Finland
D Rasmus Sandin, Sweden
F Nicholas Robertson, USA
Vancouver Canucks (4):
F Karel Plasek, Czech Republic
D Toni Utunen, Finland
F Vasily Podkolzin, Russia
F Nils Hoglander, Sweden
Vegas Golden Knights (3):
F Pavel Dorofeyev, Russia
F Ivan Morozov, Russia
G Isaiah Saville, USA
Washington Capitals (2):
F Connor McMichael, Canada
D Martin Has, Czech Republic
Winnipeg Jets (2):
F David Gustafsson, Sweden
D Ville Heinola, Finland
William Lagesson Switches Agencies, Joins Octagon
- Oilers prospect William Lagesson has switched agencies, reports Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal. The defenseman has joined Allan Walsh and Octagon after previously being represented by Markus Lehto. The 23-year-old is in the final year of his entry-level contract and has yet to suit up in Edmonton despite being recalled twice already this season.
NHL Announces All-Star Captains
The 2020 NHL All-Star captains were revealed today as three of the names remain the same from last season as Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin, Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid and Colorado Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon headline the captains for each division as picked by the fans. The new name on the captain’s list is Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak.
Pastrnak replaces Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews who was captain at the 2019 all-star game. The 23-year-old is having a dominant season with Boston this year. Having scored a career-high 38 goals last season, Pastrnak is already closing in on that number in almost half that time. The winger already has 28 goals and 50 points in just 36 games as he heads for another career-high this season. Last year was Pastrnak’s first year as an all-star, who was also the “accuracy shooting” winner.
McDavid continues to improve every year. The 22-year-old has continued to put up more and more scoring each year and is on pace to have a career-high in points once again this year. McDavid has 20 goals and 59 points this season through 38 games. MacKinnon is also have another impressive season for the Avalanche, boasting 21 goals and 53 points so far in 35 games this year. The veteran of the group, Ovechkin will make his 11th all-star appearance this season as the 34-year-old has 22 goals this season.
The all-star game will be in St. Louis this season, which will be Jan. 24-26.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: Edmonton Oilers
As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Edmonton Oilers.
What are the Oilers most thankful for?
Getting out of the Milan Lucic contract with minimal long-term repercussions ($750K per year is much more palatable than carrying a $6MM AAV on a buyout-proof contract). That alone was decent work by GM Ken Holland.
What truly makes them thankful for the move is what they got in the trade from Calgary. Their cap dump, winger James Neal, has fit in surprisingly well with Edmonton’s attack. Neal ranks third on the team in goals with 15 already; for perspective, he has all of seven last season while Lucic had 16 in the previous two years combined. Yes, his $5.75MM cap hit means they’re not saving money but the Oilers are at least getting a lot more bang for their buck. As a team with very limited financial flexibility, that’s huge.
Who are the Oilers most thankful for?
Who else? They have arguably the best player in the league in Connor McDavid and he’s signed through 2026. On top of that, his running mate in Leon Draisaitl is also locked up through 2025. The duo are the top-scoring pair in the league with McDavid (59 points) and Draisaitl (57 points) sitting first and second in points heading into play on Tuesday. Their combined 41 goals account for 38% of Edmonton’s offense while they each log over 22 minutes a night which; they’re the only forwards in the league playing that much. They have arguably a generational player in McDavid and a franchise player in Draisaitl. Those are two pretty strong building blocks to have in place.
What would the Oilers be even more thankful for?
Scoring beyond the top line. Add in Neal’s goal total to McDavid’s and Draisaitl and all of a sudden, that trio accounts for more than half of their goals. It is difficult to have success in this league when their secondary scoring is basically non-existent. Zack Kassian is providing some value beyond those three but Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (six goals) and Alex Chiasson (four goals) have both underachieved relative to what they’ve provided in the past. Despite the one-line attack, Edmonton is holding onto first place in the Pacific Division but someone stepping up and giving them a second line that’s a threat would really go a long way towards bolstering their chances of holding onto that spot.
What should be on the Oilers’ Holiday Wish List?
With Draisaitl spending a lot of time with McDavid, that has left Edmonton’s center depth thinned out. Riley Sheahan and Gaetan Haas are serviceable players but both are better suited for fourth line duties. If Nugent-Hopkins is staying in the top six, the Oilers are going to need a third-line pivot.
Adding more defensive depth is also something they could stand to do. Joel Persson hasn’t been able to lock down a regular role while Brandon Manning and Caleb Jones are passable recalls but not full-fledged regulars either. A top-four player would be ideal but with very limited cap room, Holland is likely going to be shopping for bargains which means a third pairing upgrade (or even a seventh defenseman improvement) will be what he winds up shopping for.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Oilers Wouldn't Part With Unprotected First Rounder For Taylor Hall; Extension Talks For Zack Kassian Have Started
Before yesterday’s trade that saw Taylor Hall go to Arizona, the Oilers were suggested as a team that would be interested in bringing back the winger. Speaking with reporters including Postmedia’s Jim Matheson, GM Ken Holland acknowledged that he was involved with New Jersey in trade talks. However, the element that caused them to withdraw from the talks revolved around their first-round pick. Holland didn’t want to give up the selection unprotected which is something that Arizona came close to doing (the pick they gave up is only top-three protected). Making the finances work also would have been a challenge as even with the Devils retaining half of Hall’s $6MM price tag, Edmonton would have still needed to clear some salary to make the move.
- Still with Edmonton, the Oilers met yesterday with Rick Curran, the agent for winger Zack Kassian, to kick off preliminary talks regarding a contract extension, reports TSN’s Bob McKenzie in the latest Insider Trading (video link). The veteran is off to a very strong start to his season and will likely surpass his previous career highs in goals and points over the next few weeks which should give him some leverage in discussions. He currently carries a $1.95MM cap hit and should be in line for a raise on his next contract.