Trade Notes: Veleno, Hutchinson, Penguins
Few junior-level trades draw the attention of any NHL teams outside of those teams who have drafted players involved. However, when it comes to “exceptional player” and presumptive 2018 top ten pick Joe Veleno, a new team is a whole new opportunity to evaluate his talent. Veleno, a member of the 2017 QMJHL champion Saint John Sea Dogs, has been traded to the Drummondville Voltigeurs for three first-round picks and two second-round picks, per Sportsnet. The Sea Dogs lost top prospects Thomas Chabot (OTT), Jakub Zboril (BOS), and Julien Gauthier (CAR), as well as 2016-17 leading scorers Matthew Highmore (CHI), Mathieu Joseph (TB), and Spencer Smallman (CAR) to the pros this season, resulting in a massive drop-off in success. Veleno and Edmonton Oilers 2017 selection Ostap Safin have been point-per-game scorers this season, but it hasn’t been enough to keep Saint John out of the basement of the QMJHL’s Maritime Division. Veleno, the first and only player awarded early entry to the QMJHL under “exceptional player status”, will now head to Drummondville and hook up with an overachieving Voltigeurs squad that is tied for the most points in the league, despite having few high-end prospects outside of 2018 eligible defenseman Nicolas Beaudin. How Veleno adjusts to not only joining a new team, but stepping in and immediately becoming the most talented player on the roster could be extremely telling for scouts. Veleno is projected by most to be selected somewhere between #5 and #10 overall in June, so success in Drummondville could be enough to ensure that he is a top five pick, while struggle could knock him out of the top ten altogether.
- Back in the NHL, trade talk surrounding goalies is the hot topic right now. According to Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos (video), the Edmonton Oilers are focused in on Winnipeg Jets goalie Michael Hutchinson and are hoping to make a deal soon. With Cam Talbot injured, Edmonton has been on the hunt for help in net and Hutchison – who is buried in Winnipeg – appears to be their first choice. As Kypreos states, the only delay on the deal is the health of Jets backup Steve Mason. Mason is on his way back from a concussion and Winnipeg wants to take their time with his evaluation before trading away their goalie depth. Although it is Eric Comrie, not Hutchison, currently backing up Connor Hellebuyck, GM Kevin Cheveldayoff holds all the power in the negotiation and clearly wants to play it safe.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins are also thought to be in the hunt for backup goaltending. Although starter Matt Murray appears to be back to full health and ready to return, there are doubts about the play of young Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith behind him. Jarry was pulled from last night’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs after allowing three goals on 16 shots and DeSmith allowed the game-winner on one of the only nine shots he faced. Jarry has been okay overall this season, especially as a 22-year-old rookie, but DeSmith has struggled mightily in his two brief appearances and cannot be relied upon at this point in time. With Murray also not playing his best hockey thus far – he has a save percentage just north of .900 and a goals against average just south of 3.00 – the Penguins may want a more seasoned, dependable #2 or #3 behind him, something they tried and failed to find with Antti Niemi.
Oilers Notes: Strome, Goaltending, Davidson
It’s safe to say that Edmonton’s offseason trade of Jordan Eberle to the Islanders for Ryan Strome hasn’t worked out as well as the Oilers had hoped. Eberle is off to a strong start with his new team, posting 21 points (12-9-21) in 28 games. However, Strome hasn’t fared anywhere near as well, collecting only 11 points (4-7-12) over that same stretch. He has found himself moved down the lineup at times and as Postmedia’s Jim Matheson notes, he could be out of the lineup entirely tonight against Montreal. He was in a rotation of wingers in practice on Friday (which isn’t too ideal for someone who has been deployed as a center for the majority of the season) and a final decision on whether or not he’ll suit up will come later in the day. The fact it has even come to this further cements the thought that this trade is one that GM Peter Chiarelli may want a mulligan on.
More from Edmonton:
- David Staples, also of Postmedia, argues that the Oilers need to make a move to bring in another goaltender as soon as possible. Presently, backup Laurent Brossoit is getting the starts with Cam Talbot on the shelf with an upper-body injury but he has not fared well, posting a save percentage of just .871 in his first three appearances as the interim starter. With Edmonton already eight points out of a playoff spot and Brossoit struggling, another week or two without Talbot could prove to be devastating in the standings so bringing in someone that’s a bit more proven would certainly be beneficial. Our Zach Leach took a look at some of their options earlier this week.
- Recently reacquired blueliner Brandon Davidson is likely to make his first appearance against his former team in Montreal, notes Paul Gazzola on the Oilers’ team website. Davidson was claimed off waivers a week ago today but has been a healthy scratch for the two games since then. Presumably, it would be Yohann Auvitu ceding his spot after playing less than 11 minutes on Wednesday night.
Red Wings Notes: Rebuild, Holland, Blashill
Despite a 5-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets Tuesday night, the Detroit News’ John Niyo writes that fans or the front office shouldn’t buy into the mirage: the Detroit Red Wings needs to rebuild. Though Detroit impressively bounced back from a 10-1 shellacking against Montreal the previous Saturday, Niyo cautions that this team is not a playoff contender and shouldn’t be viewed as one, despite an impressive victory after six straight losses where two were especially bad. The course, Niyo continues, should be what owner Chris Ilitch’s other team (the Detroit Tigers) did: selling off bigger names to get better and younger. While hockey is a different setup than baseball, the Red Wings have a higher mountain to climb because of the contracts loaded down with term and dollars that few teams–if any–would ever consider taking. But selling off players with value could stockpile picks and help chart a future course that could net players that would get Detroit back into the higher echelon of the league.
- Niyo continues on about general manager Ken Holland, who after 20 years at the helm, may be seeing it come to an end. Working without a contract after this season, extension talks haven’t begun, and Holland has stated that his decision on whether to sell or buy will be determined after the next 10-15 games. This seems curious, since the Red Wings are clearly not in contender status and have posted two six-game losing streaks this season–and it’s only December. Niyo adds that ownership ultimately has the final say–but that neither the proud past or the present, namely a few wins here and there, should get in the way of building for the future.
- MLive’s Ansar Khan takes a different route, writing that the Wings posted their best performance of the season on Tuesday and now have a crucial five-game stretch where they can turn their fortunes around. Head coach Jeff Blashill noted that the team played more on their toes than their heels, and it was echoed by a number of players who felt Detroit limited its mistakes, and played at a high level for a full sixty minutes.
Options In Net For The Edmonton Oilers
Things went from bad to worse for the Edmonton Oilers’ 2017-18 season when dependable starting goaltender Cam Talbot went down with and upper body injury and landed on IR and could remain out through December. His replacement, Laurent Brossoit, is struggling and that’s putting it gently. In 8 appearances, Brossoit has one win, an .872 save percentage, and a 3.80 GAA. Neither of the backup options, Nick Ellis or Eddie Pasquale, has any NHL experience, nor has either been given a chance to gain any just yet, nor has either played remarkably well in the AHL as well. It’s a dire situation for a team that is desperate for wins, or else the face a familiar possibility of finishing as one of the league’s worst teams this season.
So what are the options? TSN’s Frank Servalli believes that Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli is scouring the trade market for help in net. Servalli lists Buffalo’s Chad Johnson, Winnipeg’s Michael Hutchinson, Philadelphia’s Michal Neuvirth, Toronto’s Calvin Pickard, and Detroit’s Petr Mrazek as the top targets for Edmonton.
Johnson, of course, is known to be on the trade block courtesy of the Sabres’ own struggles and seems to be the best fit of these options as a reliable veteran on a one-year deal. Servalli even states that Johnson, along with Neuvirth, were among the Chiarelli’s free agency targets to be Talbot’s backup. However, as Servalli points out, there could be other suitors for Johnson, which could drive the price up.
More affordable assets to acquire could be Hutchinson or Pickard, due to their teams’ depth in goal. The Maple Leafs acquired Pickard from the Vegas Golden Knights earlier this year, but with Frederik Andersen playing well, a veteran backup in Curtis McElhinney, and other promising young goalies in Garret Sparks and Kasimir Kaskisuo in line, Pickard is expendable. So too could be McElhinney or Sparks as well, if Chiarelli favors those Toronto alternatives. In Winnipeg, the thriving Jets are doing just fine with Connor Hellebuyck, rookie Eric Comrie, and expensive free agent acquistion Steve Mason as their net rotation. A solid goaltender with ties to Chiarelli from the Boston Bruins, fourth-string Hutchinson seems like a likely target.
Mrazek and Neuvirth less so. Mrazek is still young, is making $4MM, and will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season. It is likely that he would be costly to acquire and costly to re-sign, when the Oilers really just need a stopgap. Neuvirth, who has a year remaining at $2.5MM, could replace Brossoit as the long-term backup to Talbot if Chiarelli so chooses, but also seems like an unlikely acquisition. AHL goaltenders from both the Red Wings and Flyers – Jared Coreau and Alex Lyon – might actually make more sense.
Other options: Eddie Lack or David Rittich from the rival Calgary Flames, Colorado’s Andrew Hammond, Anaheim’s Reto Berra, L.A.’s Jack Campbell or Jeff Zatkoff, and several more. The options are there, so the pressure is on Chiarelli to find a fair deal and to do it soon. Edmonton may simply lose upcoming games regardless of who is in net, but if the team continues forward with only Brossoit, the blame will fall on the front office for not doing something to at least increase their chances.
Snapshots: Hakstol, Svechnikov, Backup Goaltenders
The Philadelphia Flyers have now lost 10 games in a row, and find themselves at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division. With just eight wins and 23 points on the year, they sit only ahead of Buffalo and Arizona in the overall standings and are nearly at a breaking point in terms of playoff contention. Despite all that the team is not considering a coaching change, as Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. GM Ron Hextall told Carchidi that Dave Hakstol would be coaching for the rest of the season “and beyond,” ending any speculation that he may be on the chopping block.
This is Hakstol’s third season as head coach of the Flyers, and after getting knocked out in the first round in 2015-16 the team missed the playoffs entirely last year. They were lucky enough to move up in the draft lottery and get the chance to draft Nolan Patrick, but have once again been a disappointing team this year. Brian Elliott, brought in to try and stabilize the goaltending situation has been less than what was hoped for and the team has scored just 70 goals all season. Whatever Hextall says, heat from the Philadelphia fan base will continue if they can’t turn their streak around soon.
- As the World Junior tournament approaches—Canada and the USA will release their potential rosters over the next couple of days—Andrei Svechnikov is about to get back onto the ice. A potential first-overall pick in 2018, Svechnikov has missed the last six weeks with a hand injury. Bob McKenzie of TSN reports that he’s expected back in the Barrie Colts lineup on Friday, and will almost certainly be named to the Russian roster soon after that. Team Russia released a list of players that will compete for the final roster, but only included those playing in Russia at the moment. Those skating in North America will still be added over the next week.
- The Edmonton Oilers are actively looking for a backup goaltender according to Frank Seravalli of TSN, and the scribe details potential options around the league. With Cam Talbot on the shelf for at least two more weeks and Laurent Brossoit struggling in the starting role, the Oilers could be forced to make a move or watch their playoff chances slip away. Chad Johnson, a player who the Buffalo Sabres have already received interest in, tops the list and could be an option for the Oilers over the next few days. There’s no guarantee he’d be an upgrade though, as Johnson has struggled this season in his return to Buffalo.
Oilers Return Ryan Stanton To Bakersfield
- The Edmonton Oilers assigned defenseman Ryan Stanton to the Bakersfield Condors to make move for Brandon Davidson, who was claimed off waivers this morning. Stanton, a 28-year-old defender, has spent most of the season going back and forth between Bakersfield and Edmonton, serving as an emergency backup on defense. He has not made an appearance for the Oilers this year. He has one assist in 11 games for the Condors this year.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: Edmonton Oilers
As the holiday season approaches, PHR will look at what teams are thankful for as the season nears the quarter point of completion. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We take a look at what’s gone well in the first month and what could improve as the season rolls on. So far we’ve covered ANA, ARZ, BUF, CGY, CAR, CBJ, COL, DET, LAK, NSH, NJD, NYI, SJS, STL, TOR, WSH, and VGK.
What are the Oilers most thankful for?
The fact that they have already locked up Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to long-term deals and don’t have to worry about them wanting to leave after the team’s disappointing start to the season. Not much has gone right for Edmonton as many of their moves have not worked out well and the team sits in seventh place in the Pacific Division (when most people expected them to win it this year) with a 11-14-2 record. The team has had trouble on defense and even have had trouble putting the puck in the net as they have relied too heavily on wings that have not produced. Much of the blame falls to general manager Peter Chiarelli who has made several questionable moves, including trading winger Jordan Eberle for Ryan Strome. Eberle has 10 goals and 19 points for the New Yorkk Islanders, while Strome has managed four goals and 11 points.
Who are the Oilers most thankful for?
McDavid. It doesn’t matter how much the team overall has struggled. That just hasn’t been the case for the team’s star player. McDavid has 11 goals and 32 points and been that one positive player to focus around. McDavid, who still makes just $925K, however, will get a nice pay raise next season when his eight year, $100MM extension kicks in, meaning McDavid will be with Edmonton for a long time. He should be in contention for the Hart Trophy again and if he can get a nice hot streak going, perhaps McDavid can beat his 100 points total that he had a year ago.
What would the Oilers be even more thankful for?
Some of their defensive depth to improve. Injuries on their defensive end have not helped with the Oilers struggles this year. The biggest injury was when the team lost Andrej Sekera in May after tearing his ACL. He should be back in a few weeks, although there have been no official updates. Sekera was a critical piece to the team’s defensive success last season. The team has also just lacked depth this year. The team has added former Oiler Brandon Davidson back to the team today after claiming him off waivers from Montreal and expect Adam Larsson to return soon from injury, but the hope is the return of Sekera should give the team the depth it really needs.
What should be on the Oilers’ Holiday Wish List?
Finding a trade partner that can get the team a not too pricey wing solution. The team has tried to put its faith into young wingers like Anton Slepyshev (one goal), Drake Caggiula (four goals), Jujhar Khaira (three goals), Jesse Puljujarvi (four goals), Kailer Yamamoto (one goal and returned to junior team), Iiro Pakarinen (no goals and just waived and sent down to the AHL), Zack Kassian (two goals) and Jussi Jokinen (no goals and traded to the Los Angeles Kings). Many might still have some potential, but none of them seem to be players who could be in the team’s top-six. The team is loaded with centers, but can’t seem to find anyone to consistently put the puck away. A move must be made at some point if they want to salvage their season.
Edmonton Claims Davidson Off Waivers
The Edmonton Oilers have claimed defenseman Brandon Davidson off waivers from the Montreal Canadiens today, according to Elliotte Friedman. This will mark Davidson’s second stint in Edmonton as the Oilers were the team to draft him back in 2010.
Davidson played 91 games for the Oilers until he was traded in February of last season to Montreal for David Desharnais. Davidson was considered a promising young defenseman a few years ago with excellent defensive skills, but never fully developed in Edmonton. After being traded to Montreal, however, he never seemed to be in the coaching staff’s plans too often as he only played 23 games for the Canadiens since February. This season, Davidson has one assist in 13 games.
Now reunited with his previous team, Davidson should immediately jump into their lineup with their injuries on the blueline to Adam Larsson and Andrej Sekera. However, Larsson is eligible to come off injured reserve on Wednesday, and if he does, the team will have to make another defensive decision then, as they will have eight players on the blueline. However, Davidson might be a preferred option to defenseman Yohann Auvito, who has a history of taking a lot of risks on offense.
Assuming he stays with Edmonton after that, he could get a matchup with his old team on Saturday in Montreal.
Evening Notes: Division Realignment, Roussel, Engelland, Chychrun
With the Toronto Maple Leafs making stops in Calgary on Tuesday and Edmonton on Thursday, the rivalry between those Canadian Eastern and Western Conference matchups are off the charts. The Athletic’s James Mirtle (subscription required) wonders if it wouldn’t be a smart idea to change the conferences, especially down the road when the Quebec Nordiques return to the NHL.
The scribe’s suggestion is create an all-Canadian conference to replace the Central Division, moving all eight Canadian teams including the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames and Quebec City in the same division. Non-Canadian Central Division teams would be moved to either the Atlantic Division or the Pacific Division where the Canadian teams left holes.
There would be two key outcomes to this move, including increased revenue as rivalry matchups in 34 out of each team’s 82-game schedule will increase ratings and increase ticket sales. Currently, Canadian teams only play 16 games against in-country rivals. Playoffs would also promote multiple Canada-vs.-Canada rivalries and also would increase TV ratings.
Mirtle mentions some downsides to realigning the divison, which would include increased travel times for other teams such as the Minnesota Wild if they were moved to the Pacific Divison, but still feels the NHL should seriously look into that over the next few years.
- The Dallas Stars will be without wing Antoine Roussel, who is expected to miss tonight’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks with the flu, according to coach Ken Hitchock. The coach added that Roussel is day-to-day regarding Sunday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. Roussel has three goals and eight points in 25 games for Dallas.
- Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen writes that Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Deryk Engelland remains day-to-day after suffering an injury to his hand in Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Wild. The 35-year-old blueliner missed last night’s game against the Winnipeg Jets. He has two goals and nine points in 24 games this season and has been a key piece to the expansion team’s successful run so far this year.
- Craig Morgan of NHL.com tweets that Arizona Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said that defenseman Jakob Chychrun might play Sunday against the Vegas Golden Knights. The 2016 first-round pick hasn’t played this year and is currently on a conditioning stint with the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. He had knee surgery in August and would make a big addition the Coyotes defensive core. He played 68 games for Arizona last year as an 18-year-old.
Iiro Pakarinen Clears Waivers, Assigned To Bakersfield
- In other waiver news on Saturday, Oilers winger Iiro Pakarinen cleared waivers, per Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic (Twitter link). The team announced via Twitter that he has been assigned to Bakersfield of the AHL.