Brandon Wheat Kings’ Nolan Patrick Returns To Ice
In the upcoming entry draft, there are a couple of players who are considered locks to be in the top few picks. One of them has only played six games this season, yet remains the consensus number one option.
Nolan Patrick, the Brandon Wheat Kings’ superstar center, has been out since the early part of the season after re-aggravating the area that needed surgery in the summer. Patrick had sports hernia surgery after Brandon was eliminated from the playoffs, and admittedly came back a little early.
Though he hoped to have been ready for the World Juniors, he missed that deadline and is now just trying to work his way back to help Brandon this season. He got another step closer to that today as he took the ice just after practice. He’s skated on an off for a while now, testing the injury at times with varied results.
As Perry Bergson of the Brandon Sun has said for a while, the rumors of Patrick not reporting back to the Wheat Kings were fabricated. While the team may still consider a trade of the young superstar – the team is 18-15 and a long way from winning a Memorial Cup – he will return to the team soon.
It’s an odd year for draft prospects, with Patrick basically absent all year and Timothy Liljegren, the expected second pick, struggling before being loaned to the lower Swedish league just yesterday. After those two, the field opens up to players like Maxim Comtois, Gabriel Vilardi and Nico Hischier, among others.
For Patrick, getting back on the ice won’t do much for his draft stock, but it would do loads for his development. Missing the majority of your draft year is never good for any prospect looking to make an impact in the NHL right away. Hopefully he’ll be back lighting up rinks very soon.
Mirco Mueller Recalled By Sharks…Again
In what has become one of the more amusing stories of the season so far, Mirco Mueller has been recalled once again by the San Jose Sharks. The team has moved Marc-Edouard Vlasic to injured reserve to make room.
For the eighth time this year, Mueller will be involved in a transaction between the NHL and AHL. There was a period in December that saw the defenseman called up and sent down three times in a single week.
Amazingly, Mueller has still yet to play in a single game for the Sharks, instead just helping the team practice and then sitting in the press box. He has however played in 25 games for the San Jose Barracuda between all the moves, registering eight points.
The former 18th-overall pick is having a strange season, but from all accounts a strong one for the AHL team, as he continues to develop into a two-way defenseman. With both Vlasic and David Schlemko absent from practice today, perhaps he’ll get into his first game with the Sharks this season on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Kings.
Snapshots: Bickell, Alumni, Finland
Bryan Bickell opened up to Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun Times and other reporters tonight for the first time since his announcement that he has multiple sclerosis, a disease that attacks the nervous system and can cause a wide array of debilitating symptoms. For anyone, the diagnosis would be life-shattering, but for Bickell it came at least as an explanation.
Before I was, like, frustrated in my game and things. But you’re relieved, knowing how I was feeling. Something wasn’t right. … The circumstances kind of suck, but to have it known — knowing you can move on is the biggest thing.
Bickell is determined to get back to the NHL, despite having to undergo intravenous drug treatments monthly. He’s obviously no where near returning, but is taking it one step at a time.
It’s going to take steps. It’s not a sprint, it’s going to be a marathon, and it’s going to take some time to get things right, ideally, to get me back on the ice. That’s what I’m hoping for. … It could be a month, it could be a couple months to get back on the ice.
We wish Bickell well on his recovery, and hope he makes it back to the NHL sooner than later. Here are some other notes from around the league:
- Outdoor games are becoming something of a regularity in the hockey world, with the Maple Leafs and Red Wings set to square off this Sunday in Toronto, and the World Juniors announcing that Canada and the USA will play outside at next year’s tournament in Buffalo. The AHL is getting in on the action, as the Ontario Reign (the Kings’ affiliate) and the Bakersfield Condors (Oilers) will play an outdoor game on January 7th. The teams will have an alumni game the day before, featuring a long list of NHL greats. Wayne Gretzky, Kevin Lowe, Luc Robitaille, Rob Blake and even Bernie Nicholls will play in the event, making it one not to miss if you live in the San Joaquin Valley.
- Amazingly, Team Finland will have to play in the relegation round at this year’s World Junior Championships, despite winning the tournament last year. It’s the first time in the history of the even that a defending champion will have to fight to stay in the event. With the Swiss team beating Denmark today in a shootout, Finland was guaranteed a last place finish in their group. In a surprising move, the team has fired head coach Jukka Rautakorpi and his three assistants mid-tournament. Jussi Ahokas has taken over the coaching duties.
Edmonton Oilers Recall Jordan Oesterle, Assign Mark Fayne To AHL
After the Edmonton Oilers beat the Los Angeles Kings 3-1 last night to improve their record to 4-1 in their last five games, the team has recalled Jordan Oesterle from the AHL Bakersfield Condors. In addition, the team has activated Mark Fayne from injured reserve and assigned him to the minor league team.
According to Mark Spector of Sportsnet, the team is claiming that Andrej Sekera is sick and may not be available for Saturday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks. Sekera took a shot off his foot in his final shift on December 23rd and apparently hasn’t been seen around the team since – including missing the Kings game last night.
If Sekera is out for any length of time the Oilers defense will take a big hit, as the veteran blueliner has been logging close to 22 minutes a night for the club. He was also anointed as the team’s No. 1 defender just a few days ago by head coach Todd McLellan.
Oesterle hasn’t played with the NHL club this year but has gotten into 23 games over the past two years. An undrafted free agent out of Western Michigan University, the 24-year old has turned into an excellent puck moving defenseman in the minors. With eight points in fourteen games this season, he’s continued his strong play and deserves another chance in the NHL.
Fayne on the other hand has fought injury all season, playing in just four games thus far. Gone are the days of him logging big minutes for this team now that they’ve improved the right side immensely. He’ll head down to Bakersfield to try to get back into game shape and be ready for the next injury. A veteran of almost 400 career games and owner of a $3.625MM cap hit this season (and next), it’s surely not the last we’ve seen of him in the NHL.
Pacific Notes: Sekera, Kings, Stoner, Vatanen, Montour
After an up-and-down first season in Edmonton, Oilers defenseman Andrej Sekera has played a significant role in their turnaround this year, suggests Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal. Signed to a six year, $33MM contract in the summer of 2015, he was asked to carry too much of the load last season but with the additions of Adam Larsson and Kris Russell this past offseason, their ‘by-committee’ approach to the back end is working a lot better. While Sekera isn’t a prototypical number one defender, head coach Todd McLellan doesn’t hesitate to call him Edmonton’s best:
“He’s our No. 1. He’s playing his game in our system and when players do that they don’t over-extend themselves. He’s healthy and a year in and he understands what the organization is about. He has more experience with our team, not just experience in the league. He knows language and situations better. He’s playing to his strengths in our structure.”
On top of the extra familiarity with this being his second season with the team, Sekera’s offensive game has taken a step forward as of late. He has 12 points in his last 13 games and is more than halfway towards besting his 2015-16 point total (30).
While most top teams have a franchise blueliner, the Oilers are trying to buck the trend and succeed with a group that’s greater than the sum of its parts. With Edmonton sitting second in the division coming out of the holiday break, it’s safe to say that their blueline strategy is working so far.
More from the Pacific:
- In an effort to try to spark their offense, the Kings are reuniting a veteran trio that played a key role in their Stanley Cup victory back in 2014, notes Helene Elliott of the LA Times. Head coach Darryl Sutter has put Marian Gaborik alongside Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown in what could be called a line of underachievers. The trio has combined for just eight goals so far this season over 73 games, not the type of production Los Angeles was expecting from three players that cost over $20MM on the salary cap, accounting for more than half their total spending on forwards as their roster currently stands.
- Anaheim defenseman Clayton Stoner underwent surgery on December 21st and will miss four to six weeks, Ducks coach Randy Carlyle told reporters, including Elliott Teaford of the Southern California News Group (Twitter link). Curtis Zupke of the LA Times adds via Twitter that the procedure was performed around the abdominal area. Stoner has been out of the lineup since mid-November and has played in just 14 games this season, recording three points (1-2-3) while adding 35 hits. The 31 year old cleared waivers (in large part due to his $3.25MM cap hit) back in early October but remained with the big club.
- The Ducks announced that they have recalled defenseman Brandon Montour from their AHL affiliate in San Diego. He has been added because fellow blueliner Sami Vatanen has the flu and did not travel with the team to Calgary today. Montour has 21 points in 25 minor league games this season and leads the AHL in shots on goal with 113.
Poll: 2005 NHL Draft Take Two: Twenty-Sixth Overall Pick
Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.” Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended. For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.
We’re looking back at the 2005 NHL Draft, which kicked off the salary cap era and ushered in many of the current NHL superstars. The question we’re looking to answer is knowing now what we didn’t know then, how different would this draft look now with the benefit of hindsight?
Here are the results of our redraft so far:
1st Overall: Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)
2nd Overall: Carey Price (Mighty Ducks of Anaheim)
3rd Overall: Anze Kopitar (Carolina Hurricanes)
4th Overall: Jonathan Quick (Minnesota Wild)
5th Overall: Kris Letang (Montreal Canadiens)
6th Overall: Tuukka Rask (Columbus Blue Jackets)
7th Overall: Bobby Ryan (Chicago Blackhawks)
8th Overall: Marc-Edouard Vlasic (San Jose Sharks)
9th Overall: Ben Bishop (Ottawa Senators)
10th Overall: James Neal (Vancouver Canucks)
11th Overall: T.J. Oshie (Los Angeles Kings)
12th Overall: Keith Yandle (New York Rangers)
13th Overall: Paul Stastny (Buffalo Sabres)
14th Overall: Marc Staal (Washington Capitals)
15th Overall: Patric Hornqvist (New York Islanders)
16th Overall: Niklas Hjalmarsson (Atlanta Thrashers)
17th Overall: Anton Stralman (Phoenix Coyotes)
18th Overall: Jack Johnson (Nashville Predators)
19th Overall: Matt Niskanen (Detroit Red Wings)
20th Overall: Justin Abdelkader (Florida Panthers)
21st Overall: Martin Hanzal (Toronto Maple Leafs)
22nd Overall: Andrew Cogliano (Boston Bruins)
23rd Overall: Kris Russell (New Jersey Devils)
24th Overall: Darren Helm (St. Louis Blues)
25th Overall: Cody Franson (Edmonton Oilers)
Now we move forward to the 26th pick, which was held by the Calgary Flames.
To recap how this works:
- We will go through the 2005 NHL Draft and have our readers select, through a voting process, who they think should have been taken with the selection.
- The entire first round will be redrafted, spanning picks one through thirty. The new selection is chosen by the majority of votes.
Back in 2005, the Flames took defenseman Matt Pelech from the Sarnia Sting. Since being drafted, Pelech played a total of 13 games in the NHL, tallying four points (1-3). Of those 13 games, Pelech spent five with the Flames and the other eight with San Jose. During the 2013-14 season, Pelech spent time in the ECHL with the Utah Grizzlies after playing for both San Jose and its AHL affiliate Worcester. A season later, Pelech recorded 39 games with the Rochester Americans. Last season, Pelech appeared in 49 games for the Schwenningen Wild Wings in the DEL (Germany) and has played the current season with Graz EC in the Austrian league.
With the 26th pick of the 2005 NHL Redraft, who should the Flames select? Cast your vote below! Mobile users, you can vote here!
Nashville Predators Recall Reid Boucher From Conditioning Stint
After claiming Reid Boucher from the New Jersey Devils earlier this month, the Nashville Predators sent him on a conditioning stint after playing just one game. That stint is now over as the team has recalled him from Milwaukee late Friday night.
Scoring four goals and an assist in the five game stint, Boucher showed why he’s ranked out of the AHL. The former 60-goal OHL scorer has shown an aptitude for finding the twine at every level thus far including the NHL. Never with the big league club for very long at any one time, the 23-year old has put up 29 points in 83 games.
The Predators could use an offensive pick-me-up after being shut out by the Kings last night. For the 15-13-5 Preds, any help is much appreciated.
Snapshots: Parise, Franson, Toffoli
News and notes from around the NHL this evening:
- Minnesota Wild forward Zach Parise missed tonight’s game against the Montreal Canadiens. Minnesota Wild Digital Content Coordinator says that Parise has been battling strep throat for weeks, and it is the cause of tonight’s scratch. Parise is off to a slow start this season with only 5G and 8A in 24 games, and on pace for his worst statistical season since his rookie year.
- Buffalo Sabres defenseman Cody Franson was a late scratch in tonight’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Franson was initially pencilled into the lineup and even skated during the warmup drills, but must have suffered an injury before the game started. Justin Falk, who was initially scratched, replaces Franson in the lineup.
- The Los Angeles Kings announced that Tyler Toffoli is considered day-to-day with a lower body injury, reports Helene Elliot of the LA Times. Toffoli has had a decent season so far, scoring 8G and 12A in 32 games. The Kings forward is in his final year of his RFA deal which pays him $3.25MM a year. Toffoli is eligible for arbitration, but with approximately $60MM on the books already for next year, it’s unclear whether the Kings have the resources to Toffoli any sort of raise.
Garrioch’s Latest: Vegas Coaching Candidates, Leafs, Kings, Hanzal
The NHL’s roster freeze kicks in tonight and as Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun writes, it’s likely that there won’t be any sort of significant movement between now and then. Multiple league executives told Garrioch that the sense is that teams are content to get through the holidays before really starting to entertain any potential trades.
Part of the problem right now is that cap space is at a premium for a lot of teams (16 teams either have someone on LTIR or are less than $1MM under the cap which doesn’t allow for much wiggle room) while only a handful of teams could be classified as sellers as things currently sit in the standings. Add those two elements together and it’s not difficult to figure out why the trade market is quiet at this stage.
Garrioch also provides some other notes from around the league:
- The Vegas Golden Knights are looking at former Philadelphia head coach Craig Berube (currently the head coach with AHL Chicago) and current Montreal associate coach Kirk Muller as potential options to be their inaugural bench boss. Garrioch expects that GM George McPhee will be looking for a good communicator to work with their roster and both of those coaches fit that bill. He also suggests Rick Bowness, the associate coach in Tampa Bay, as a potential option and notes that his experience with an expansion team (Ottawa) would be an asset.
- Add the Toronto Maple Leafs to the list of teams looking for an impact defenseman. The problem for the Leafs (and any other team) is that as many as half the teams around the league are looking for blueline help. Given where Toronto is in the standings as well as where they are in their rebuilding process, it’s more than likely that they’d be looking for a longer-term fit than a rental player.
- The Kings are looking to add another goaltender with Jonathan Quick still out for several months but haven’t discussed Ondrej Pavelec with the Jets since the GM meetings. Ottawa’s Andrew Hammond was also on their radar a while back but doesn’t appear to be now. GM Dean Lombardi told reporters last week that he won’t overpay to bring in another netminder. They have about $1.5MM in cap space at the moment per CapFriendly.
- Arizona has been looking to move center Martin Hanzal but teams remain unsure about what the Coyotes are looking to get in a return. Hanzal, a pending unrestricted free agent, has 10 points in 26 games this season and would slide in as a third option on a lot of teams. Garrioch notes that the sense is that the price will involve a quality prospect and at least a second round pick if a deal gets done. With a cap hit of $3.1MM, Hanzal is likely to be one of the cheaper impact rental players on the block which should help draw interest from several teams.
Pacific Division Notes: Brown, Gaborik, Bieksa
Former Los Angeles Kings team captain Dustin Brown was scratched from this afternoon’s road contest in Boston. According to Jon Rosen of L.A. Kings Insider, Brown is battling an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.
Brown, who was stripped of the captaincy and replaced by Anze Kopitar this last summer, has had a moderate bounce-back campaign after the worst season of his career in 2015-16. Through 30 games Brown has contributed 14 points to the Kings attack and he’s already halfway to his points total from last year when he tallied 28 in 82 games. He is a five-time 20-goal scorer and netted 18 in the strike-shortened 2012-13 season.
With the expansion lurking around the corner, it’s been wondered whether the Vegas Golden Knights would gamble and take Brown, who is almost assuredly going to be left exposed by the Kings. While he is still capable of playing a physical role on a team’s third-line and obviously would provide the new franchise with veteran leadship, Brown has another five seasons left on his pact with an AAV of $5.875MM. Some have suggested the price tag would simply be too high for Vegas but if the Kings were willing to retain salary then it’s at least feasible the two sides could work out a trade following the expansion draft.
Elsewhere in the Pacific Division on this Sunday:
- Rosen also pointed out that it appeared right wing Marian Gaborik would be a healthy scratch today for the Kings based on what he saw at this morning’s warm-ups. That premise was confirmed by Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). Gaborik, who has been prone to injuries throughout his career, has missed all but nine games this season after hurting his foot while representing Team Europe in the recent World Cup of Hockey. He has potted just a single goal to go along with three helpers in those nine appearances and it could be that Kings head coach Darryl Sutter is growing impatient waiting for the Slovakian sniper to find his offensive game. Gaboriak is averaging just 14:28 of ice time per game, a rate that is 3 1/2 minutes below his career average. Like Brown, Gaborik is in the midst of an expensive, long-term contract that has four seasons remaining beyond 2016-17, and comes with a cap charge of $4.875MM.
- Kevin Bieksa has spent the vast majority of his 11-year career as a reliable, two-way top-four blue liner. Now in his second season with Anaheim, the 35-year-old Bieksa is averaging less than 20 minutes of ice time per game for the first time since his 39-game debut campaign in 2005-06 while with Vancouver. As Eric Stephens of The Orange County Register writes, Bieksa is not only adjusting to a lesser role but he is adapting his playing style to mask the fact he is no longer a player in his prime. Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle has encouraged the veteran blue liner to embrace the adjustments: “I think every player has to become somewhat of a chameleon,” Carlyle said. “You have to change with the game and what’s going on with it. I coached Kevin Bieksa when he was in his first year pro out of college. He was not a player, I can tell you, that many people would have believed was going to be an NHL prospect. He worked and he committed. “His personality is one that he’s a striver. And he’s done that and he’s done very well. He’s had a great career. … There’s never ever been a doubt that this guy’s not going to try. He’s going to give you everything he’s got.” As Stephens noted, Bieksa has played less than 15 minutes in each of the team’s last two contests and is skating on the third-pair. Bieksa understands the situation he is in, and as always is willing to whatever it takes to help his team: “To be a good teammate, sometimes you have to take a role that maybe you don’t like,” he said. “But if that’s what they think is in the best interests of the team, you take it, accept it and you do the best that you can.” With a plethora of NHL-caliber defenders in the organization and little cap space available to upgrade the roster elsewhere at the deadline, there have been some suggestions the team could look to move Bieksa, who has one year left at $4MM, to create added flexibility. He does possess a NMC, which adds a further layer of complexity to making a deal beyond his salary and age, however.