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Morning Notes: McDonagh, Ekman-Larsson, Kane

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The New York Rangers haven’t encountered this type of season often before, if ever. The team seems to be a bubble team with no true chance of making a deep playoff run or even winning a Stanley Cup. Yet, the team also finds itself with a handful of expiring contracts who could be utilized as key trade chips to refuel their retooling process.

New York Post’s Larry Brooks writes the Rangers need to think about dealing players like Rick Nash, Michael Grabner and Nick Holden and get what they can for them. The scribe believes that general manager Jeff Gorton will have one of the biggest challenges in front of him in a long time as he will have to make a decision on which direction the team should go. Could Nash bring back a first-rounder in next year’s draft and if they can, would it be worth his value anyway? What can they get for Grabner? Should the team go full in and start shopping captain Ryan McDonagh now?

The latter claim, Brooks writes, might make the most sense. The Rangers should be able to bring in a huge haul for McDonagh, who is still in his prime, is locked up until 2019 and is one of the top defensemen in the league. As there are quite a few playoff teams in need of defense, like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers and the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Rangers could truly change the way the franchise is heading at the trade deadline.

New York wouldn’t be better off without McDonagh, but with long-term deals already having been handed out to Kevin Shattenkirk, Marc Staal and Brendan Smith and the young talent the team has on defense in Brady Skjei, Neal Pionk and Anthony DeAngelo, the team should be able to survive without him if they can get a talented scorer in his place.

  • Hidden among yesterday’s stories was TSN’s Bob McKenzie refuting rumors that the Arizona Coyotes are thinking about dealing defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson to the Toronto Maple Leafs for William Nylander. McKenzie writes that as of Sunday, there had not been one conversation between the two teams about Ekman-Larsson. He also points out that since most teams do not view Nylander as a center, he wouldn’t bring enough of a return for Ekman-Larsson as just a sniper. However, from what McKenzie can see, the Coyotes are not willing to discuss moving Ekman-Larsson as of now. The Atheltic’s Sean Tierney tweeted today that with general manager John Chayka in charge, it’s hard to see the team trading Ekman-Larsson at all.
  • John Vogl of The Buffalo News writes that frustration is hitting in Buffalo as the 5-12-1 Sabres continue to struggle, yet one player is thriving in Evander Kane. Dating back to last year, the 26-year-old wing has scored 40 goals in his last 79 games. He also has 11 points in the last 11 games. Kane added his 12th goal of the season Monday in the team’s 3-2 loss to Columbus. The secret to his success? Shooting the puck. He leads the team with 96 shots on goal this year.

Pacific Notes: Oilers, Theodore, Brodzinksi, Miller

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What has gone wrong with the Edmonton Oilers? After a 7-11-2 start to the season, fans have to wonder what is going on with their team who many expected to be competing for the top spot in the Western Conference. Instead, the team who has two of the top young franchise players in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are floundering.

Allan Mitchell of The Athletic (subscription required) details what has gone wrong for the storied franchise this year, pointing to the team’s success in achieving their goal of locking up both McDavid (eight years, $100MM) and Draisaitl (eight years, $68MM), but to their lack of success to bringing in more talent to help this squad. The scribe points out that while Jordan Eberle was moved to the New York Islanders for spare parts to solve cap issues, that deal could have been delayed a year as their cap problems weren’t going to be an issue until the 2018-19 season.

He also suggests that Edmonton general manager Peter Chiarelli took numerous gambles with few of them coming up gold so far this year. He put a lot of faith in youngsters ranging from Ryan Strome, Jesse Puljujarvi, Anton Slepyshev, Kailer Yamamoto, Matt Benning and Drake Caggiula, all of which haven’t worked out as expected, although Caggiula’s two-goal performance Saturday could change things if he can continue that success. Possibly. Regardless, the Oilers have no choice but to continue putting out their youth, hoping some of them might figure things out and assist a struggling squad.

  • Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen writes that Vegas Golden Knights’ defenseman Shea Theodore has needed more time than expected to adjust to the NHL game, despite playing a chunk of the season last year with the Anaheim Ducks. The scribe adds that after Theodore’s strong performance against the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday, he might be starting to turn the corner and become a key cog on Vegas’ defense.
  • Much of the Los Angeles Kings success has been in thanks to the team’s careful infusion of youth into their veteran lineup. The Los Angeles Times’ Curtis Zupke writes that Jonny Brodzinski scored his first NHL goal Saturday and is the fifth player to pick up their first NHL goal, including Kurtis MacDermid, Michael Amadio, Oscar Fantenberg, and Alex Iafallo. Much of the credit, according to Zupke goes to Ontario Reign coach Mike Strothers, who has worked hard to develop players who could work with the Kings’ quick-movement style of play.
  • Anaheim Ducks backup goaltender Ryan Miller, who has looked good in four appearances since being activated a couple of weeks ago, might miss more time. While the veteran goalie was on the ice this morning taking shots, Miller (lower-body injury) was unable to practice, according to the Orange County Register’s Eric Stephens. Coach Randy Carlyle hopes he might be available next week, but with five games in the next seven days, the team may have to consider starting Reto Berra.

Poll: Which Team Needs Help At Forward The Most?

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In last night’s Insider Trading on TSN, the panel—comprised of Pierre LeBrun, Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger—spoke about the increased demand for top forwards around the league. According to them, the supply isn’t quite there for all these teams to go out and acquire someone impactful, so it’ll have to come down to the highest bidders.

The list of ten teams that McKenzie gave that are in the market for a forward include some surprises like Tampa Bay—who LeBrun clarified are currently looking for a winger to play with Tyler Johnson and Alex Killorn—and obvious choices like Anaheim and Montreal.

Columbus put together a trade offer for Matt Duchene, and as LeBrun stated on TSN radio yesterday they’re still in the hunt for an upgrade down the middle. There’s no clear option at center as impressive as Duchene (or Kyle Turris, who was included in the same trade), but players are sure to shake loose as the season progresses.

So, who on this list needs the forward help the most this year? While deciding your vote, make sure to not just take in the offensive struggles but the proximity to Stanley Cup contention for each club. Which team will be the most willing to spend at the deadline, and go after the big fish to put them over the edge?

We’ve included all the teams on McKenzie’s list, but if you feel strongly that another should join the pursuit of another forward make sure to leave your comments below.

Which team needs forward help the most?
Montreal Canadiens 24.60% (185 votes)
Boston Bruins 19.41% (146 votes)
Anaheim Ducks 16.22% (122 votes)
New York Rangers 11.57% (87 votes)
St. Louis Blues 9.18% (69 votes)
Edmonton Oilers 6.78% (51 votes)
Columbus Blue Jackets 5.59% (42 votes)
Florida Panthers 2.79% (21 votes)
Tampa Bay Lightning 2.79% (21 votes)
Ottawa Senators 1.06% (8 votes)
Total Votes: 752

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Kings, Oilers Swap Mike Cammalleri, Jussi Jokinen

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The Kings and Oilers have swapped veteran forwards. Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet Hockey Night reports (via Twitter) that the Oilers have acquired Mike Cammalleri for Jussi Jokinen. As NHL Network’s Chris Johnston points out (on Twitter), the two players hold a similar cap hit ($1MM for Cammalleri, $1.1MM for Jokinen), indicating that the two teams may have simply been looking to change things up.

Cammalleri, 35, joined the Kings on a one-year contract this past offseason. It was a reunion of sorts for the veteran, as Cammalleri had spent the first five seasons of his NHL career in Los Angeles. While the forward was a consistent 20-goal threat during his first stint with the organization, Cammalleri has shown signs of wear in 2017. In 15 games this season, the veteran has compiled only three goals and four assists. As Roster Resource shows, Cammalleri was skating on the Kings’ fourth line alongside Brooks Laich and Michael Amadio. Bob Stauffer of 630 CHED tweets that this isn’t the first time the organization attempted to acquire Cammalleri, as they had made a play for the veteran back in 2008.

Jokinen joined the Oilers this past summer after being bought out by the Panthers. While he had collected at least 20 points in each of his first 12 NHL seasons, the 34-year-old had only compiled a single assist in 14 games this season. Roster Resource had the veteran skating on Edmonton’s third line with Ryan Strome and Iiro Pakarinen. Helene Elliott of the LA Times believes the Kings are looking to “stir the offense.”

Pacific Notes: Nugent-Hopkins, Gaborik, Subban, Engelland

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With the Matt Duchene trade in the books for a week now, The Hockey News’ Lyle Richardson writes that the Edmonton Oilers are one of three teams to watch over the next couple of months when it comes to making a big move. Citing the league’s need for playmaking centers, the scribe suggests the team could try and move center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and his large contract ($6MM AAV through the 2020-21 season) and try to get a much-needed wing.

Richardson cites Edmonton as well as the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Buffalo Sabres as the three teams most likely to make the next big trade in the league. In fact, he suggested the Oilers attempt to move Nugent-Hopkins to Columbus, who were the losers in getting either Duchene or Kyle Turris via trade. However, could the Blue Jackets fit Nugent-Hopkins under their salary cap without Edmonton retaining some of that salary? The suggestion was the Oilers would either require Cam Atkinson or Josh Anderson in return to make that deal work.

Nugent-Hopkins has been playing well this year as he’s put up six goals and six assists this season. Known as a defensive forward, the former No. 1 overall pick could be a key asset for Columbus or any other team needing a center.

  • Los Angeles Times’ Curtis Zupke writes that veteran forward Marian Gaborik got his first full practice under his belt Saturday after having knee surgery back in April. The 35-year-old is not expected to be activated soon as the Kings are taking a cautious approach with the injury-prone winger, who has had knee and foot issues over the last two years, which has seen him play 110 games in the past two-plus seasons. “I felt pretty good,” he said. “Things have been getting into flow. Obviously I’ve missed a lot of time so [I need to] get used to everything — my legs, just the whole body as a hockey player, to get back into things, and to just keep going and ramping things up, and get my timing back. It’s pretty much the whole package I have to get back.”
  • Vegas Golden Knights’ goaltender Malcolm Subban was spotted skating at City National Arena today, tweeted SinBin. Subban, who went down with a lower-body injury, was deemed out for four weeks on Oct. 22, so it looks like he might be on target for a return within the next couple of weeks. The team has been forced to use their fourth-string goaltender, Maxime Lagace, for the past two weeks as the team has been decimated by injuries to Marc-Andre Fleury, Subban and Oscar Dansk.
  • Sticking with the Golden Knights, The Canadian Press’ Darren Haynes points out that Vegas defenseman Deryk Engelland has more points (2-7-9) than quite a few defensemen, including San Jose Brent Burns, Nashville’s Roman Josi and Calgary Mark Giordano. Engelland, who played for the old Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL earlier in his career and made Las Vegas his home from that point on, has never put up more than 17 points in a season. Always known as a defensive player, the 35-year-old has been reborn in Las Vegas, who is just eight points away from a career-year.

Metropolitan Notes: Santini, Ho-Sang, Hunwick, Niskanen, Vesey

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The New Jersey Devils got back into the win column Saturday after failing to win their previous four games. Despite that fact, New Jersey remains in first place with a 10-4-2 record in a tough Metropolitan Division. Yet, the team’s 2-1 victory Saturday against the Florida Panthers was a defensive effort in which many players praised the play of unheralded defenseman Steven Santini, according to The Record’s Andrew Gross.

The physical 22-year-old defenseman only played in 38 games a year ago, but is a mainstay on the team’s defense this year. The former second-round pick from 2013, showed off his physicality against Florida with big hits, most notably a hit in which he dumped the Panthers’ Aleksander Barkov into his team’s own bench in the second period. Santini got plenty of ice time with 23:42, was credited with four hits and was smart enough to avoid a penalty when challenged by Panthers’ enforcer Micheal Haley in the third period.

  • New York Islanders Joshua Ho-Sang made the most of his emergency recall Saturday when he scored a goal against the St. Louis Blues last night, according to Arthur Staple of Newsday. Ho-Sang, the team’s first-round pick in 2014, had played six games with the Islanders to start the season, but was sent down to work on improving his in-game mentality — knowing when to drive to the net and when to dump the puck. Ho-Sang had put up two goals and four assists in six games during that span with the AHL Bridgeport Sound Tigers, but with Anthony Beauvillier day-to-day, Ho-Sang got his chance to redeem himself. He can stay up on an emergency basis for 30 days or 10 games, but the team could always officially recall him as well.
  • Jonathan Bombulie of The Trib Live writes that Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Matt Hunwick, who has already missed 12 games due to a concussion diagnosed on Oct. 17, has hit a plateau in his recovery and will be held off the ice for a few more days. “He’s been having a tough time getting over that last hurdle, and so they want to take a little bit of a different approach to try to get him over that last hump,” coach Mike Sullivan said.
  • NBC Sports Tarik El-Bashir writes that Washington Capitals defenseman Matt Niskanen will travel on the team’s upcoming road trip to Nashville and Colorado, according to head coach Barry Trotz. Niskanen, who has been on LTIR since Oct. 14 due to an upper-body injury, will not suit up tonight against the Edmonton Oilers, but could be ready to suit up for one or both of the away games this week. The Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan tweets that Niskanen has been cleared for contact, but is not “full go” and may or may not be ready for games this week. A key veteran defender, the team’s defense would get a big boost upon his return.
  • New York Rangers forward Jimmy Vesey went straight to the dentist after Saturday’s victory over the Edmonton Oilers, according to Newsday’s Steve Zipay. The 24-year-old wing took a Zack Kassian skate to the mouth in the second period. Two of Vesey’s teeth had to be removed from his lip. Despite the injury, Vesey returned for a shift in the third period and wore a protective plastic cage attached to the lower part of his helmet. He is day-to-day.

Edmonton Oilers Recall Jesse Puljujarvi

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The Edmonton Oilers have decided it’s time for Jesse Puljujarvi to get another shot. The team has recalled the top prospect from the AHL and placed Anton Slepyshev on injured reserve to make room. Puljujarvi was sent to the minor leagues to begin the year, where he has five points in ten games.

Selected fourth-overall in 2016, Puljujarvi was expected to make an impact quickly in Edmonton. Instead, he struggled to find ice time and was eventually sent down last season after scoring just a single goal. In all, he played in 28 games for the Oilers and registered eight points, though his results at Bakersfield were more promising. In 39 minor league contests last season, the big Finnish winger scored 28 points and generally grew into one of the better players on the team. With huge upside, he’ll now have a chance to prove that the Oilers didn’t make a mistake when they took him ahead of others that have already made an NHL impact.

Edmonton was able to sneak by New Jersey last night with a 3-2 overtime win, and have started to turn their ugly start around with three wins in their last four games. They’ve still had plenty of trouble scoring goals, and Puljujarvi will be tasked with giving them some secondary scoring from the wing. It’s likely that he’ll jump right into the fire alongside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Milan Lucic when the team takes on the New York Rangers tomorrow afternoon.

Owen Tippett Sent Back To OHL

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The Florida Panthers—taking a page out of the Edmonton Oilers book—have sent 18-year old Owen Tippett back to his junior club. Tippett had played seven games with the Panthers, scoring one goal, but will now return to the Mississauga Steelheads of the OHL. He will not burn a year of his entry-level contract as he played fewer than ten games. With the announcement, GM Dale Tallon released a statement:

Owen was impressive in his time with our club and has a bright future with the Panthers. This was a tough decision, but we think it’s best for his long-term development.

It’s hard to argue that this isn’t the best move for Tippett’s development, especially given what will likely transpire over the next few months. While Mississauga has gotten off to a slow start, they do have plenty of talent still and could turn things around enough to at least make the OHL playoffs. What will be very interesting though is Tippett’s international play. He’ll almost certainly be taken by Team Canada to the World Junior tournament in Buffalo after attending the Summer Showcase this year, but there could be an even more intriguing option.

Canada’s Olympic management team has already had discussions with the CHL on taking junior players to Pyeongchang, with Elliotte Friedman reporting on the negotiations. Friedman mentioned Jordan Kyrou as a possibility, but Tippett’s name would likely be added to that list. Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press reported earlier this summer that junior players would be eligible even if they’d already signed their entry-level contracts, and further to that even if they’d already played in the NHL. In specific, Whyno told PHR “if someone’s on a slide, in theory he’s eligible.” That would include Tippett (and Edmonton’s Kailer Yamamoto for the United States), making him an interesting player to watch over the next few months.

Kailer Yamamoto Assigned To WHL

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The Edmonton Oilers have made the decision to not keep rookie Kailer Yamamoto past the nine-game threshold. The team announced today that they’ve sent their diminutive forward back to the WHL for additional season, thus retaining the first season of his entry-level contract. Yamamoto’s deal will now slide and kick in next season. In his place, the team has recalled Brad Malone from the AHL.

Removing Yamamoto from the mix was likely a tough decision for the Oilers as they continue to struggle this season. Now at 4-8-1 and coming off a decisive 4-0 loss at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings, removing a talented youngster from the forward rotation doesn’t seem prudent. Still, sending Yamamoto back to the WHL where he can receive top line minutes and continue to develop his game is likely the correct move long-term, as he had played sparingly recently and looked over-matched at times. He’ll rejoin a Spokane team that could really use his scoring ability, and try to vault them back into the playoffs.

Mark Spector of Sportsnet expects the Oilers to sign Chris Kelly now that there is another roster spot available, though the recall of Malone obviously fills that spot for now. Kelly has been practicing with the Oilers since appearing on a professional tryout through training camp and could earn a contract like Roman Polak and Brooks Laich have already in Toronto and Los Angeles. Kelly doesn’t provide much in the way of offense, but is an experienced forward who has always been known for his defensive prowess.

Pacific Notes: Boeser, Sedin, Yamamoto, Jones

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Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser’s hat trick in Saturday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins proved one thing — they can’t hide him any longer. The Vancouver Sun’s Jason Botchford writes that no matter how much this team tries to protect him, there is no point — he’s the becoming the new face of the franchise and the team better make sure they allow him to flourish.

The scribe writes that there hasn’t been much talk all year of Boeser being a Calder Trophy candidate, but after putting up his third, fourth and fifth goals of the season Saturday, maybe they should be talking about that. He was always supposed to be one of the team’s top scorers, but after last night, Boeser now leads the team in scoring with 13 points after 13 games. Keep in mind, he was a healthy scratch for the first two games of the season and he missed one game due to injury.

The timing almost seems fitting as TSN’s Jeff Patterson notes that Henrik Sedin’s role in the third period found him opening the door from the bench for the younger players. The scribe notes this is what the Sedin brothers have always hoped for, for the team to develop while they are still there, but that comes at the cost of reduced roles. Sedin has just three assists in 13 games, while his brother Daniel Sedin has two goals and three assists. With a  5-1-1 record in the last seven games, this might be the right time for Boeser to take that next step.

  • Edmonton Oilers rookie Kailer Yamamoto played today in his ninth NHL game, now one shy before the Oilers burn the first year of his entry-level deal, according to Sportsnet’s Mark Spector. The question for the 19-year-old winger is whether that’s the end of the road for him this season. Will the Oilers hold onto the young scorer, who has three assists in nine games? Or will he be returned to his junior team?
  • San Jose Sharks goaltender Martin Jones has now gone eight straight games of allowing two goals or less this year after Saturday’s 2-1 shootout win over the Anaheim Ducks, according to Kevin Kurz of The Athletic (subscription required). The steady goalie made several key saves in the second period on his way to the victory. The 27-year-old who has always been steady in net for the Sharks currently boasts a 1.98 GAA in 10 games and a .930 save percentage.

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