Los Angeles Kings Sign Brad Morrison To Entry-Level Contract
The Los Angeles Kings have signed free agent forward Brad Morrison to a three-year entry-level contract. Morrison was originally a draft pick of the New York Rangers, but became an unrestricted free agent last June when he failed to sign with the club.
Back in 2015 when he was taken in the fourth round, Morrison was just an average offensive player in the junior ranks with a lot of speed and questionable upside for the NHL. Now, after an incredible playoffs with the Lethbridge Hurricanes that saw him register 37 points in 16 games the Kings may believe he’s something more.
It’s not the first time that Morrison has generated interest around the NHL. He attended Calgary Flames development camp last summer but didn’t earn a contract, instead going back to dominate in the WHL. The scouting report on the relatively small Morrison was never that he was unwilling or afraid to go to the tougher areas of the ice, or work hard to retrieve pucks and create opportunities, just that some had doubts he would be able to do it at the next level on a regular basis.
Now he’ll get that chance as he starts his professional career with the Kings next season. He’ll likely head to the Ontario Reign and try to prove that his doubters were wrong about his NHL upside. The Kings have been very clearly trying to add more skill into their organization, and Morrison is just the latest signing to bring that in spades.
Morning Notes: Denisenko, Pedan, Ferreira
One of the more interesting names to watch in the upcoming draft is Grigori Denisenko, an extremely talented young player from Russia. The 17-year old winger was ranked seventh among international skaters by the NHL’s Central Scouting, but carries the same risk many young Russians do. Namely, there is a chance he could decide not to come over to North America and instead play in the KHL for a large portion of his career.
Igor Eronko of Sport-Express reports that Denisenko will come to the NHL draft combine however, which could assuage some of those fears. The young winger told Eronko that “almost every” team has contacted him already, a good indication of just how highly he is thought of by the front offices around the league. He has two years left on his current contract in the KHL, but has a high offensive ceiling and should go in the first round.
- Eronko also reports that Andrey Pedan has signed with Ak Bars of the KHL, meaning he won’t be back with the Penguins next season. Pedan was part of the return for Derrick Pouliot earlier this season, and recorded 26 points in 52 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins down the stretch. The big Lithuanian defenseman hasn’t been able to break into the NHL full-time, and will now take his talents to Russia. Scheduled to become a restricted free agent in the NHL, if the Penguins issue a qualifying offer this summer they will retain his exclusive rights.
- The Minnesota Wild have interviewed Paul Fenton extensively for their vacant GM position, and Jeff Marek of Sportsnet is hearing that if he does get the job he’ll be bringing Jack Ferreira from the Los Angeles Kings up north with him. Ferreira was famously the first GM of both the San Jose Sharks and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, and would bring plenty of experience to the table for the Wild.
- Martin Necas has been added to the Czech roster for the World Championship, giving the team another young talent to try and keep up with the other nations. Necas was an absolute force at the World Juniors earlier this year, scoring 11 points in 7 games. The Carolina Hurricanes prospect will likely play in the NHL next season, meaning this tournament is a good warm up for what he’ll see on a regular basis.
Poll: Who Was The NHL’s Most “Outstanding” Player In 2017-18?
The release of the Hart Trophy finalists each year is always guaranteed to result in discontent. Three fan bases – and the majority of unbiased observers – are happy with the decision, while those who support the players that narrowly missed out on a nomination feel the need to criticize the process and establish why their favorite player should have been picked. This phenomenon can be attributed to just the sheer number of elite players worthy of recognition in the NHL, but more than anything it is due to the continued confusion over what the award actually represents.
The Hart Trophy is awarded to the “player judged most valuable to his team”, or in even simpler terms, it is the NHL’s MVP award. In 2017-18, it is hard to argue that any player was more “valuable” to his team than one of Nathan MacKinnon, Taylor Hall, and Anze Kopitar. Without those three, the Colorado Avalanche, New Jersey Devils, and Los Angeles Kings, respectively, would not only have missed the playoffs, but may have been among some of the worst teams in the league. Yet, the Connor McDavid supporters like to point out that he not only led the league in scoring with 108 points, but was far-and-away the best player on the Edmonton Oilers. This is undeniably true, but the Oilers also finished with just 78 points, a whole 17 points back of MacKinnon’s Avs for a playoff spot and closer to the worst record in hockey than the postseason. Was McDavid valuable to the team? Yes, but at the end of the day, his contributions really only cost his team in NHL Draft Lottery odds.
Yet, even experienced journalists like the Edmonton Journal’s David Staples continue to misinterpret the award. He specifically refers to McDavid as the league’s “overlooked most outstanding player” and breaks down the league’s scoring leaders without regard for the context, or value, of that scoring to each team. Staples’ sentiment is shared by many teams and the criteria he uses in his article to determine his Hart finalists is valid, except for the fact that it is not a “most outstanding player award”; that’s the Ted Lindsay Award, and yes McDavid is a finalist for that.
So here is a forum for all the frustrated fans who want to argue about who the best player in the NHL is. It’s hard to make a case that the PHWA got the Hart nominees for this season wrong, but there are many cases to be made for who the best player in the NHL was this season. Have at it.
Who Is The NHL's Most "Outstanding" Player?
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Taylor Hall 21% (114)
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Nathan MacKinnon 19% (99)
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Connor McDavid 18% (98)
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Anze Kopitar 13% (67)
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Claude Giroux 6% (30)
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Sidney Crosby 6% (30)
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Nikita Kucherov 5% (26)
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Evgeni Malkin 2% (12)
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Blake Wheeler 2% (11)
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Patrice Bergeron 2% (11)
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Brad Marchand 2% (10)
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Alexander Ovechkin 2% (9)
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Other - leave comment 1% (7)
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John Tavares 1% (5)
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Ryan Getzlaf 1% (3)
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Steven Stamkos 0% (1)
Total votes: 533
NHL Announces Hart Trophy Candidates
Who is the most valuable player in the NHL? In 2018, it will be one three forwards who finished in the top seven in scoring. However, it won’t be any of the names at #1-#4. Instead, the league announced that the finalists for the Hart Trophy are the Colorado Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon, the New Jersey Devils’ Taylor Hall, and the Los Angeles Kings’ Anze Kopitar, who finished fifth through seventh in points this season, respectively.
The three nominees, as voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association, will come as no surprise. All three were considered top candidates for the award this season after outstanding campaigns. MacKinnon and Hall each notched 39 goals en route to leading their teams back from the basement of the league last season to unlikely playoff berths. MacKinnon’s 97 points in 74 games was second only to Connor McDavid in per-game production among full-season players, while Hall’s 93 points – 41 more than the next-best player in New Jersey – was the largest proportion of team points in the league. Meanwhile in L.A., Kopitar bounced back from a down 2016-17 season personally with 92 points, while also playing Selke-caliber defense.
As always, there were deserving candidates who did not get the nod as a Hart finalist. McDavid obviously stands out as the reigning MVP and the league’s top scorer at 108 points. However, the struggles of McDavid’s Edmonton Oilers made it unlikely he would get a second consecutive shot at the award. The other top-four scorers – the Philadelphia Flyers’ Claude Giroux, the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov, and the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin – did not share those same struggles, but their Hart resumes weren’t helped by the other talented players on their teams, such as top-15 scorers Jakub Voracek, Steven Stamkos, Phil Kessel, and Sidney Crosby. Other snubs include Rocket Richard winner Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, NHL assists leader and the captain of the upstart Winnipeg Jets, Blake Wheeler, and a player who may have pushed McDavid for the scoring title if not for injuries and suspensions, the Boston Bruins’ Brad Marchand. However, it is hard to argue that the three finalists picked by the PHWA are not the three most deserving players to be up for the Hart this season. The winner of hockey’s MVP award will be revealed at the NHL Awards on June 20th.
Los Angeles Kings Sign Matthew Villalta
The Los Angeles Kings have added another interesting goaltending prospect to the organization, signing Matthew Villalta to a three-year entry-level contract. Villalta is currently playing for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the OHL’s Western Conference Final.
Villalta, 18, was selected in the third round in last June’s draft and led the OHL in wins this season with 40. Though his other numbers took a slight step backwards, ending with a .908 save percentage and 2.58 GAA, he’s still expected to grow into a formidable goaltending prospect in the coming years. Originally listed at 165 lbs, the Kings now have Villalta all the way up to 181 in their press release and there could be even more size coming as the 6’2″ goaltender continues to mature physically.
The Kings have placed a huge emphasis on their goaltending pipeline in the recent years, acquiring Jack Campbell from the Dallas Stars organization, signing Cal Petersen after he failed to reach an agreement with the Buffalo Sabres, and inking Cole Kehler earlier this season out of the WHL. Though there is no doubt that Jonathan Quick is the starter for the foreseeable future, he’ll turn 33 next season and can’t be relied on forever.
Villalta will almost certainly return to the OHL next season where he and the Greyhounds should still be among the best teams in the league. If they aren’t able to secure a Memorial Cup berth this season, there’s no reason to believe they can’t next year.
Snapshots: Lottery, Hischier, Brown, Bruins
The NHL Draft Lottery is scheduled for this Saturday, but it won’t happen all at once. According to Bob McKenzie of TSN, picks 4-15 are set to be revealed between 6:30-7:00pm CT, while the last three will be unveiled during the first intermission of the Vegas Golden Knights-San Jose Sharks game.
Remember that three teams are picked in the draft lottery, and can potentially move up all the way from 15th to 1st. The full odds have the Buffalo Sabres as the most likely to select first overall, and the Florida Panthers the least likely. Though the first pick will get the right to draft Rasmus Dahlin, there are still exceptional players available in the next few slots.
- Nico Hischier played all season with a left wrist/hand injury according to the New Jersey Devils, who announced that he would not need surgery but won’t be heading to Denmark to take part in the World Championships. Both Hischier and Pavel Zacha were invited, but will be nursing injuries for the next two to four weeks. The pair of young forwards are integral to the Devils progression from playoff surprise to Stanley Cup hopeful, and will be expected to take on an even heavier load in 2018-19.
- Speaking of injuries, Dustin Brown of the Los Angeles Kings had shoulder surgery today but is expected to be ready for the regular season according to Jonathan Davis of NHL Network. Brown was one of the many Kings players shut out in the postseason, assisting on just one of the team’s three goals in their first round series. The 33-year old nevertheless had an outstanding bounce back campaign that saw him record 28 goals and 61 points (a career-high) in 81 games. The physical forward is under contract for another four seasons, but has turned himself from a buyout candidate to an important piece for the Kings once again.
- When the Boston Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs last night, it meant that the conditional fifth-round pick that they sent to Chicago for Tommy Wingels was converted into a fourth-round selection in 2019. That’s a small price to pay for success in the postseason, but will help Chicago (if only slightly) restock their cupboards even more.
Slava Voynov Hoping To Return To The NHL
Monday: Russian news outlet Sport-Express reports that there is interest in five NHL teams, listing the Florida Panthers, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, New York Rangers and Winnipeg Jets as Voynov’s preferred landing spots. The Los Angeles Kings are not interesting in bringing Voynov back, which, as explained below, complicates his potential return.
Sunday: The elimination of SKA St. Petersburg earlier in the KHL playoffs brought an end to defenseman Slava Voynov’s contract in the KHL, paving the way for him to seek reinstatement to the NHL which he is expected to pursue in the coming months. Voynov has been suspended from the NHL indefinitely after he faced domestic violence charges back in October of 2014.
The 28-year-old last suited up with Los Angeles and while his original contract was terminated at the time of his departure, the Kings still hold his rights. Team president Luc Robitaille told Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider that there have been no discussions on him possibly rejoining the team as the league would first have to rule him as eligible to play.
Despite recent reports that Voynov is seeking a return, there is nothing clear about his current status. It’s out of our hands. It’s between the league and Slava and his agent. If and when something happens, we’ll discuss it then.”
GM Rob Blake acknowledged that he has received phone calls from teams seeking clarification regarding Voynov’s situation but not necessarily to inquire as to whether or not they would trade his rights.
Voynov played in 39 KHL games this past season, recording 23 points while contributing six more in six Olympic contests. If he is able to get reinstated by the NHL (which would require a hearing with Commissioner Gary Bettman), he would give the Kings another top-four option on their back end or a trade asset if they decide to flip him elsewhere. With Los Angeles already having more than $70MM in contracts committed for 2018-19, the latter option may be the more likely scenario although given how he originally left, the interest elsewhere may not be as robust as it otherwise could have been.
Snapshots: Doughty, Lehner, Myers
There will continue to be speculation surrounding Los Angeles Kings superstar Drew Doughty until an extension is signed and filed, but it doesn’t sound like he expects to go anywhere in free agency when it rolls around in 2019. Doughty spoke today with the media and made it clear that he wants to stick around. Doughty’s comments via Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider:
It’s not that they have to show me or prove to me anything for me to sign here. I’ve always wanted to be an LA King and stay an LA King.
Doughty has been clear all along with the fact that he loves playing in Los Angeles, but like with Erik Karlsson and John Tavares, contract extensions for superstar players are tricky. Doughty will be just 29 when he hits the open market and is likely looking to become the highest paid defenseman in the league. A deal like that isn’t one you hand out easily, even to a player of his caliber. He can officially sign an extension on July 1st.
- Robin Lehner‘s time with the Buffalo Sabres is coming to an end, at least that’s what John Vogl of the Buffalo News examines in his latest piece. After Jason Botterill listed just Linus Ullmark as one of the goaltenders for next season, Lehner’s future is unclear in Buffalo. He’s a restricted free agent this summer and could be moved to another team looking to take a chance on the 26-year old. Vogl looks at other options for the Sabres as a partner to Ullmark, including goaltenders like Carter Hutton, Anton Khudobin and Jonathan Bernier.
- Tyler Myers is expected to play tonight for the Winnipeg Jets, after taking morning skate and feeling good enough to go. That means Sami Niku likely won’t get his playoff debut, but gives the Jets an even better chance to eliminate the Minnesota Wild. Steve Mason left practice with an apparent injury, but Connor Hellebuyck is expected to start anyway.
NHL Announces Selke Trophy Finalists
The Professional Hockey Writers’ Association has spoken, as the NHL has announced that three forwards have been nominated for the 2018 Frank J. Selke Award. The Selke Award, or as some call it “the Bergeron Award”, is given each year to the top defensive forward in the league. To the surprise of very few, Boston Bruins top center Patrice Bergeron is again among the finalists, a record seventh consecutive nomination. Bergeron is the reigning champ and the winner in four of the past six seasons. However, Bergeron faces stiff competition for his fifth Selke, going up against 2016 winner and two-time runner-up, Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar, and breakout Philadelphia Flyers star Sean Couturier, who earns his first Selke nod.
While the Selke is perhaps up to the eye test more than any other major award, there are some key statistics to look at to determine the odds-on favorite. The original measure of a players’ two-way success is plus/minus, which would favor Couturier. His +34 rating was good enough to tie for third in the NHL behind only Vegas Golden Knights linemates William Karlsson and Jon Marchessault. Meanwhile, both Bergeron and Kopitar were +21, tied for 28th. However, possession metrics may be the best way to evaluate two-way ability, in particular a player’s Corsi For %, which shows the proportion of shots for relative to shots against. By this standard, Bergeron was firmly in the lead. His 57.56 CF% led all forwards who played in at least 50 games this season. In comparison, Couturier was 59th and Kopitar was 93rd among that same subset. Bergeron also edges out the other two in face-off percentage, short-handed time on ice, and takeaways; Couturier gets the nod in hits, while Kopitar had the most blocked shots. It again looks as if Bergeron would be the favorite, but one thing to consider is that Bergeron played in just 64 games this season, averaged the least amount of time on ice of the trio, and benefited from playing alongside another two-way dynamo in Brad Marchand. Bergeron may have been the best defensive forward in the league this year – and at this point might be the best all-time – but there’s a strong case that the two-way play of Kopitar and Couturier had a greater impact in 2017-18.
As for snubs, many out there will fight for the cases of Minnesota Wild captain Mikko Koivu, dynamic young Florida Panther Aleksander Barkov, and even the aforementioned Marchand. However, unlike the debated results of the Vezina voting, it seems that the correct trio of players were selected and any one would be worthy of taking home the hardware at the NHL Awards in June.
Los Angeles Kings Assign Four Players To AHL
The Los Angeles Kings have been eliminated from the playoffs, but the season isn’t over for four of their players. Today the team announced that Jonny Brodzinski, Michael Amadio, Oscar Fantenberg and Paul Ladue are all on their way back to the Ontario Reign to help in their AHL playoff run.
All four are eligible for the playoffs because they were on the AHL roster—or at least involved in paper transactions—at the trade deadline, and will give a huge boost to the Reign when they take on the Texas Stars tomorrow. Brodzinski and Amadio were both point-per-game players this season in the AHL, while Ladue and Fantenberg can log huge minutes on defense.
It’s a tough end to the season for a team like Los Angeles, after fighting all year to just make it into the playoffs. The four game sweep at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights will leave a sour taste in the mouths of the players and front office, and likely lead to changes this summer. While Brodzinski and Amadio are both under contract for next year, Ladue and Fantenberg are two of the team’s several restricted free agents and will be looking for new deals. Both should be back on relatively cheap contracts, but don’t expect either to have a guaranteed role on the NHL club next season.