Morning Notes: Thornton, Jokinen, Panarin
When Joe Pavelski slid the puck past Nikolaj Ehlers and into the empty net at the end of the San Jose-Winnipeg game last night, it sealed more than just the win. Since it had been Joe Thornton who broke the play out of his end, he registered the secondary assist and the play would go into the history books. That play would be Thornton’s 1000th assist of his career, a feat only previously accomplished by twelve other men in the history of the NHL.
Thornton, now 37 years old, is in the midst of arguably the worst offensive season of his career with only five goals and 41 points through 65 games. The Sharks are in first place with a bullet in the Pacific Division though, and the pending free agent has still been a big part of it. If he wants to play another few years, teams will certainly take one of the greatest passers of all-time into the mix as Thornton hunts down the next name on the assist-list. Joe Sakic is next with 1016, while Wayne Gretzky is still the untouchable leader at 1963.
- If you asked Florida Panthers fans about their greatest player, they might say Olli Jokinen who leads the franchise in goals and points. As reported this weekend, the Finnish forward has signed a one-day contract with the club to retire tonight as Panther. In 567 games, Jokinen scored 419 points and captained the team for several years.
- In the latest piece from Chris Hine of the Chicago Tribune, Artemi Panarin apologizes for his comments back in 2012 on Russian TV. A clip from the show had surfaced around corners of the internet and featured Panarin using some racially charged comments. He and the team immediately responded to Hine’s story and apologized for any harm the comments may have made. The 25-year old winger has never been involved in anything like this during his short time in the NHL, and seems to genuinely regret having made the comment.
Atlantic Notes: Leafs’ Struggles, Zetterberg, Bjugstad
The Maple Leafs are in need of a run after a poor showing in California writes the Toronto Sun’s Terry Koshan. After an 0-2-1 record following their California trip, Koshan calls “frustration and disappointment” the co-passengers on the flight back to Toronto. The Leafs, who face the Red Wings on Tuesday, hardly sound downtrodden, despite sitting a point out of a playoff spot, with the New York Islanders having a game in hand. The Panthers, and Flyers are both nipping at the Leafs’ heels, only behind by a point, and three points respectively. Regardless, head coach Mike Babcock old his team that as it gets more competitive during a playoff chase, it’s important to “play right.”
In other Atlantic Division news:
- The Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James reports that the Red Wings still believe they have a chance at sneaking into the playoffs. Though a tall order, St. James writes that Justin Abdelkader, and Darren Helm have both played strong and the return of Gustay Nyquist could bolster a lineup missing Thomas Vanek, and Brendan Smith, who were both offensive threats traded at the deadline. St. James tweeted Friday that bench boss Jeff Blashill believes that Detroit can make the playoffs because of Henrik Zetterberg‘s strong play. St. James explains that Blashill realizes the mountain the Red Wings have to climb in order for that to happen, but he believes that if anyone can will a team into the playoffs, it would be Detroit’s captain.
- Speaking of Vanek, he could be the tonic to Nick Bjugstad‘s struggles writes The Miami Herald’s David Neal. Vanek was acquired at the trade deadline Thursday and will be counted on to provide timely for scoring as he did in Detroit. Bjugstad has mirrored his team’s struggles at home, and the hope is that Bjugstad’s game can be rejuvenated by Vanek. Jonathan Marchessault will flank Bjugstad on the wing with Vanek, and head coach Tom Rowe believes that the trio can account for some much needed scoring.
East Notes: Jokinen, Elias, Cammalleri
Today in things you didn’t realize: Olli Jokinen hasn’t officially retired. After last playing in the NHL in 2014-15 for the St. Louis Blues—after stints in Nashville and Toronto earlier that season—the former Florida Panthers captain will officially retire prior to the Panthers game on Tuesday against the New York Rangers. A third-overall pick by the Los Angeles Kings back in 1997, Jokinen suited up for the Kings, Islanders, Panthers, Coyotes, Flames, Rangers, Jets, Predators, Maple Leafs and Blues during his 18 year NHL career.
Now 38, Jokinen scored 750 points in 1231 games and was one of the most consistent producers in the game during his prime. Involved in a handful of huge trades over the year, he and Roberto Luongo were the package sent from New York to Florida after the Islanders drafted Rick DiPietro first overall in 2000. The two would help shape the next decade of Panthers hockey, while DiPietro would suffer multiple injuries and become a cautionary “what if” story.
- Staying with the old guard, Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports that Patrik Elias has been skating on and off this season and will talk to Devils GM Ray Shero next week about the possibility of playing at some point this season. Elias is currently unsigned by the Devils, but would return to the only team he’s ever known in the NHL should he want to hit the ice this season. The 40-year old has 1025 points in 1240 games over his long and successful career.
- Maybe the Devils could use him right now, as Andrew Gross of The Record reports that Mike Cammalleri will be out at least a week with an upper-body injury. The forward will be re-evaluated next week at some point to see when he’ll be able to return. In a down season for the 34-year old Cammalleri, he has just 10 goals in 55 games and is starting to show his age on the ice. With two more years on his contract at $5MM per season, he certainly isn’t performing up to his current deal.
Florida Panthers Recall Reto Berra On Emergency Basis
After Roberto Luongo was injured in last night’s game, the Florida Panthers have recalled Reto Berra from the AHL on an emergency basis. According to Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press, Luongo will be out at least a week.
As it is an emergency recall due to injury, the Panthers will not burn one of their four remaining recalls. Berra will need to be returned when Luongo becomes healthy enough to play, but can stay as long as he needs. The former Colorado Avalanche netminder has played in 31 games for Springfield this year, registering a .910 save percentage. Since coming over from Switzerland in 2013, Berra has played in 64 NHL games and put up a .906 save percentage.
This is exactly why the Panthers went out and signed James Reimer in the offseason, in order to protect themselves from any potential injury to their 37-year old netminder. Reimer will now take over the crease full-time until Luongo gets back, presenting a great chance for him to prove that he’s capable of being a standalone #1 goaltender in this league. The Panthers are currently just a single point behind both the Maple Leafs and Islanders for the final playoff spot, and have be playing well as of late.
Reimer actually has better numbers than Luongo this season, leading some to believe he should have been in the net all season long. The Panthers do have four back-to-back situations remaining, including next weekend against the Minnesota Wild and Tampa Bay Lightning.
Roberto Luongo Injured; Leaves Game
Update 7:15pm: Luongo has returned to the bench for the Florida Panthers, reports CPSJ’s Flyers reporter Dave Isaac. He is not expected to return to the net this evening.
Florida Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo suffered a lower-body injury tonight in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers and will not return, reports the Sun Sentinel’s Harvey Fialkov. Luongo suffered the injury in the first period after making an awkward save. James Reimer started in goal for the Panthers in the second period. CSN’s Tim Pannacio speculates that Luongo pulled his groin.
Luongo’s injury halts a potential performance upswing for the veteran goalie. Tonight’s game marked the first time Luongo played in back-to-back games in over two weeks. The Panthers had been going with James Reimer as of late due to Luongo’s struggles and Reimer’s ability to right the ship. Luongo is not having his best season, going 17-15-6 in 39 games with a .914 SV% and a 2.70 GAA. Coincidentally, these mark Luongo’s worst stats since his final year with Florida in 2005-06 before being traded to the Vancouver Canucks. Conversely, Reimer has put together a 12-8-4 record in 26 games with a .919 SV% and a 2.47 GAA. Not significantly better numbers, mind you, but in the Eastern Conference’s tight playoff race, every edge matters.
If Reimer suffers an injury, the Panthers have two readily available—if unconventional—options. Goaltending coach Robb Tallas or forward Derek MacKenzie have both been emergency goaltending options in the past for Florida. Expect the Panthers to call up Reto Berra if they expect Luongo to miss some time. Berra currently plays for the AHL Springfield Thunderbirds and has a .910 SV% and 2.53 GAA in 31 games.
Trade Deadline Summary: Winners & Losers Of The Atlantic Division
The NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone, and while it wasn’t the most exciting deadline day in recent memory, there were quite a few notable moves. Here are the winners and losers of the neck-and-neck Atlantic Division:
Winners
Boston Bruins:
- Acquired Drew Stafford from Winnipeg Jets for conditional 2017 sixth-round pick
GM Don Sweeney did not want a repeat of 2016, when he gave up second, third, fourth, and fifth-round picks for Lee Stempniak and John-Michael Liles, only for the team to miss the playoffs. In 2017, he succeeded in bringing in a reliable depth player and goal-scorer, Stafford, without having to pay the price of a top pick or any of Boston’s numerous high-end prospects. Sweeney deserves credit for not panicking when his divisional rivals all began making multiple moves, holding to his word of not overpaying and eventually getting a last-minute deal done at a bargain price for a good player.
Detroit Red Wings:
- Acquired 2017 third-round pick from Chicago Blackhawks for Tomas Jurco
- Acquired 2017 third-round pick and 2018 second-round pick from New York Rangers for Brendan Smith
- Acquired 2018 sixth-round pick from Montreal Canadiens for Steve Ott
- Acquired 2017 third-round pick and Dylan McIlrath from Florida Panthers for Thomas Vanek
As hard as it is to imagine, the Red Wings are going to miss the playoffs and were in a complete fire sale at the deadline. For as long as it has been since they were in such a position, the team did pretty well. GM Ken Holland may have been able to get a better deal for Vanek earlier in the season, but getting two high picks for Smith and anything at all for Ott was nice maneuvering. The Red Wings in essence added five picks for four players that were unlikely to be on the team in 2017-18 anyway. Could they have dealt Riley Sheahan and Drew Miller too? Possibly, but they did enough as is.
Devils, Panthers Swap Minor Leaguers
The second-to-last deal announced on deadline day was a minor deal between the New Jersey Devils and Florida Panthers. The Devils will receive forward Shane Harper, while going the other way to the Panthers is defenseman Reece Scarlett.
Though 28 years old, Harper is in his rookie season in the NHL and had three points in 14 games with Florida this season. An undrafted free agent out of the WHL’s Everett Silvertips, Harper worked his way through the minors to finally get his NHL shot and now will get to show that he should stay at the highest level when he joins the Devils.
After trading away Dylan McIlrath earlier in the day, the Panthers have filled his spot in the organization with Scarlett. A 2011 sixth-round pick, the 23-year-old blue liner was never given an NHL shot in New Jersey, despite years of decent offense in the AHL, and is likely happy to get a change of scenery.
Detroit Red Wings Trade Thomas Vanek To Florida Panthers
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet is reporting that Thomas Vanek is headed to the Sunshine state. The Detroit Red Wings will trade the winger to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Dylan McIlrath and a third-round pick. The Red Wings will also retain 50% of his salary for this season. Darren Dreger reports that if the Panthers make the playoffs, the pick will be Arizona’s third-round selection, not Florida’s. 
Earlier this month Dale Tallon told the media that he’d like to add something on the powerplay, and Vanek surely fills that need. The former 40-goal scorer has 129 career tallies on the PP and still has the ability to score from anywhere below the hash marks.
The 33-year old is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season after signing just a one-year deal this summer with the Red Wings. At $2.6MM he already didn’t cost very much from this point in the season, and with Detroit retaining half the Panthers will be paying less than $1MM to add him.
Many Detroit fans may be disappointed with the return, as a third-round pick is the same thing they got for Tomas Jurco in a previous deal. Vanek is obviously much more established than Jurco, but the questions about his defensive ability have haunted him for a long time.
McIlrath is a former 10th-overall pick, but was never expected to go that high. He very predictably hasn’t become a defenseman you can trust with much more than a fight, despite several chances in the NHL. Perhaps Detroit believes they can turn his career around, just as Florida did earlier this year.
Vanek was the first domino to fall today (unless you count the deals last night) and should push along the markets for Radim Vrbata and Jarome Iginla. Vrbata stands as probably the best option for a top-six left on the market, which isn’t saying much.
The Latest On Radim Vrbata
At least five teams have expressed an interest in Arizona right winger Radim Vrbata according to ESPN’s Craig Custance (Twitter link). The Bruins, Flames, Islanders, Panthers, and Penguins are all interested in the services of the 35 year old, who is expected to be one of the more prominent forwards dealt today. TSN’s Darren Dreger adds (via Twitter) that the Canadiens are among the teams that have the most interest in him as well.
Vrbata is in the middle of a strong bounce back season in his third stint with the Coyotes. Through 62 games this year, he has 15 goals and 32 assists to lead the team in scoring. That type of production would fit in well on just about any contender so GM John Chayka should be able to line up a nice return for the veteran.
Part of the allure for Vrbata is his contract which carries a cap hit of just $1MM and he will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. However, it’s worth noting that he has playoff-based incentives in his deal as well: $250K if his team makes the postseason plus an additional $250K for each round that team wins and the acquiring team will be responsible for absorbing those onto their cap either this year or next season as a bonus overage penalty.
Atlantic Notes: Playoff Push, Carrick, Panthers
The Atlantic is the most exciting division in hockey right now, and not necessarily for the product on the ice. Often thought of as the weakest in the league this season due to the low point totals, three teams made deals today to strengthen their squads, while another continued their sell off of expiring assets. The Maple Leafs acquired Brian Boyle from Tampa Bay, Ottawa brought in Alex Burrows from Vancouver, and Montreal swapped defenseman to get Jordie Benn into the fold.
With just five points separating first and fourth place in the division, the last 20 games are sure to be full of fireworks. With Boston the only squad of the four yet to make an acquisition, time will tell if they feel the pressure of the other three and move to improve their team in the coming hours. We’re now less 46 hours away from the deadline, and things are heating up in the Atlantic.
- The Maple Leafs received some further good news today when they had Tyler Bozak and Mitch Marner back as full participants at practice. Both players are expected to suit up tomorrow against the San Jose Sharks alongside the newly acquired Boyle. To make room for Marner coming back off injured reserve, defenseman Connor Carrick has replaced him there according to Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun. If Boyle makes it in time, the team will have to send down another player—likely Frederik Gauthier—before the game.
- Craig Custance of ESPN reported earlier that phones have been ringing in Buffalo after their terrible weekend. Whether anything gets done is still yet to be decided, but Custance assures fretting Sabres fans that at least no Evander Kane conversations were taking place.
- Custance also says that though Radim Vrbata looks like a great fit for the Bruins, “as many as ten teams” are in on the Arizona winger, making it a tough call to project where he’ll end up. After the deals today, perhaps Boston is a little more pressured to acquire a scoring winger like Vrbata.
- The Florida Panthers shouldn’t be ruled out of the playoff picture either, as they’re only three points back of the Maple Leafs for the final wildcard spot. Executive Dale Tallon had a Q&A with NHL.com today, admitting that he is a buyer this year (as is his hope every year). Tallon recently told the media that he wanted to address his powerplay if they were to do something, a unit that has fallen to 25th in the league at just 16%.