Kevin Shattenkirk Suspended Two Games
2:15 pm: Shattenkirk has been suspended for two games, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced (video link). He will miss the games against the Ducks and Wild and will be eligible to return to the lineup on Thursday. Shattenkirk will forfeit a little over $47K in salary as a result of the suspension.
11:59 am: Following last night’s Capitals-Kings contest, NHL Player Safety announced that Washington defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk would have a disciplinary hearing over the phone with league officials following his charge against Los Angeles defender Kevin Gravel. With the Capitals in California on a west coast trip and scheduled to play the Anaheim Ducks tonight, the league acted quickly to schedule the hearing and is expected to make a swift decision prior to puck drop. This is Shattenkirk’s first career disciplinary review and the first for any Capitals player this season.
In the game, a 4-2 Kings win, Shattenkirk was called for a charge late in the third period after a check on Gravel and was given a minor two-minute penalty. Shattenkirk swung around the L.A. net as Gravel played the puck and, after the pass had been made, followed through on his hit, seemingly launching himself shoulder-first at the head area of Gravel. Gravel hit the boards and then fell to the ice, before exiting the ice and heading to the locker room for the short remainder of the game. There has been no word on whether or not Gravel suffered a head injury or other impairment as a result of the impact.
Shattenkirk, the prize of the 2017 NHL Trade Deadline, has played well since he was acquired on February 27th, recording four assists and over 20 minutes of ice time a night in six games. However, the Capitals have not been so lucky in that time. The NHL points-leaders are just .500 with Shattenkirk in the fold, having won their first three games after he was acquired, but then losing their last three. This recent stretch is the first time all season that the team has lost three games in a row in regulation time, and face a significant threat of dropping their fourth straight tonight in Anaheim, especially if Shattenkirk is out of the lineup. The Capitals may wrap up this tough west coast road trip tonight, but that doesn’t necessarily mean things will get right back on track, as they host the Minnesota Wild and Nashville Predators upon their return to D.C.. The team would again greatly benefit from having Shattenkirk, a player with knowledge of Central Division competition, in the lineup for those contests. A suspension seems likely based on the visuals of the hit, but anything longer than a game or two may be a stretch. However, we won’t know for sure until the hearing later on today. Stay tuned.
Playoff Puzzle: Western Goaltending Experience
Corey Crawford must feel like an old man these days. When the Chicago Blackhawks goaltender looks around at the creases of his main rivals in the Western Conference, one thing is constant: inexperience. He knows it well, from when he took on the Vancouver Canucks in 2011 as a rookie. At the other end of the rink was a 31-year old Roberto Luongo, who had already been through three playoff runs and was about to win the Jennings trophy for dominating in the regular season.
Crawford and the Hawks would lose in seven games, but it was an important step towards their cup win in 2013 when he would post a .932 save percentage—still the best mark of his career. It’s not easy to backstop a team to the Stanley Cup, even if you do have an excellent group in front of you. Just ask Martin Jones, who actually played his best hockey last year in the Finals against Pittsburgh, despite losing. It took a while for him to really find his groove and even then it wasn’t enough.
So when Crawford sees the standings and notices a trend among the biggest contenders, it might make him even more confident heading into this year’s tournament. Perhaps even if he is a bit older, that experience will pay off in the toughest two months of any sport.
Los Angeles Kings Sign Clague, Wagner To Three-Year Contracts
The Los Angeles Kings have gotten into the entry-level contract fun. The team has signed both Kale Clague and Austin Wagner to three-year, entry-level deals. Both players are coming to the end of their CHL seasons, and will now start on their professional journey.
Clague was the Kings’ second-round pick in the 2016 draft, and is another in the growing trend of slightly-undersized but tremendously skilled defenders. Finally out of the shadow of Ivan Provorov for the Brandon Wheat Kings, he has become the team’s top defender and produced like it all season. 38 points in 43 games during what has been a shortened season due to injury and the World Juniors, Clague is one of the best skaters in his draft class and can move the puck efficiently and calmly under pressure.
For the Kings, he represents the next piece in the pipeline they’ve created for defenders. While he may not get to the NHL for a few more seasons, the future looks bright for the 18-year old. His development is made all that more important for the club since they dealt Eric Cernak away to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Ben Bishop.
Wagner was a fourth-round selection in 2015, and has continued to put up solid point numbers for the Regina Pats. His 60 points in 58 games represent a career-high pace, but it’s his strong defensive work that stands out for scouts when watching him. Responsible in his own end and willing to use his size on the forecheck, his offensive upside may be limited at the next level. He’ll turn 20 this summer and will debut with the Ontario Reign of the AHL next season.
Vegas Golden Knights Sign Reid Duke As First Player In Franchise History
It’s not a big name, but it will be remembered forever. Reid Duke of the Brandon Wheat Kings has been signed by the Vegas Golden Knights to a three-year entry-level contract and with it, becomes the first player in the history of the organization. The deal will carry a cap hit of $770K with performance bonuses that could raise the AAV to $925K, per CapFriendly. As we’ve hinted at in the past few days, the Golden Knights will likely dive deep into the pool of over-aged CHL players and NCAA free agents leading up to the draft, as they will eventually have to fill out their minor league affiliates as well as NHL team.
Duke is a 21-year old center from Calgary, Alberta who has been playing for the Wheat Kings—where Vegas AGM Kelly McCrimmon worked for years and still owns—and was eligible to be signed by any team in the league. Originally selected by the Minnesota Wild in the sixth round of the 2014 draft, the team lost his rights after not signing him by June 1st of last year. With 67 points in 54 games this season, Duke might not look like a promising prospect to new fans, but McCrimmon has a different message.
When we project Reid, we think his game will evolve as he becomes a pro. We believe he’s going to be an NHL player. I think what’s impressive with Reid is a real high skill level and yet a guy that’s able to play a big, strong, heavy game.
Duke will finish his season in Brandon before attending the inaugural Golden Knights development camp this summer, along with many other future players. Even if he never does make it to the NHL, he’ll always be able to say he was the first player in the history of an NHL franchise.
Pacific Notes: Shore, Nolan, Dell, Marchant
After leaving Thursday’s game against Toronto due to an upper body injury, Kings center Nick Shore is listed as day-to-day for the time being but was seen with his arm in a sling today, reports Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider. He will be evaluated further on Saturday. Shore is in his second full season at the NHL level and recently passed his career high in points last week; he has 12 on the year in 63 games.
Still with the Kings, left winger Jordan Nolan didn’t skate with the team at practice today and he is also listed as day-to-day. The 27 year old has missed the last three games with a leg injury and the fact he didn’t skate today would put his status for tomorrow’s game against Vancouver in serious doubt.
Elsewhere in the Pacific Division:
- The Sharks are planning to play backup goaltender Aaron Dell more often down the stretch, notes CSN Bay Area’s Kevin Kurz. Dell has made just 11 starts through 63 games this season and as a result, starter Martin Jones is on pace to play in nearly 70 games which many believe is too high of a workload. To his credit, Dell has been more than solid in his limited body of work this year, posting a 1.88 GAA and a .935 SV% when he does get to play. San Jose has five back-to-back games in March (the first set coming this weekend) so there’s a good chance Dell will get to play more regularly in the weeks ahead.
- The Ducks recently added former NHL center Todd Marchant to serve as an assistant coach for the remainder of the season although he will remain their Director of Player Development. Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register outlines his role with the team, which will involve serving as an ‘eye in the sky’ during games while working with the team on faceoffs and the penalty kill. That role should come as no surprise as Marchant was a strong penalty killer for much of his 17 year NHL career.
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.
Trade Deadline Summary: Winners & Losers Of The Pacific 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 upstart Pacific Division:
Winners
Anaheim Ducks:
- Acquired Patrick Eaves from Dallas Stars for conditional second-round pick
The Ducks had one real need at the deadline and that was another top six winger. By getting ahead of the market and making the deal for Eaves earlier this week, Anaheim was already a winner at the deadline. The conditional second-rounder, which can become a first, is a steep price. However, given that Eaves is having a career year, the market value had yet to be set, and the Ducks desperation had grown due to the Antoine Vermette suspension, they were right to swing a deal when they had the chance. It was a quiet deadline day in Anaheim, but this is still a team that could make a lot of noise down the stretch.
Arizona Coyotes:
- Acquired 2017 third-round pick and conditional 2018 fifth-round pick from Calgary Flames for Michael Stone
- Acquired 2017 first-round pick, 2018 second-round pick, conditional 2019 fourth-round pick, and Grayson Downing from Minnesota Wild for Martin Hanzal, Ryan White, and 2017 fourth-round pick
- Acquired Teemu Pulkkinen from Minnesota Wild for “future considerations”
- Acquired Joe Whitney from Colorado Avalanche for Brandon Ranford
The Coyotes messed up by not trading Radim Vrbata (and might have been able to get more for Stone), but put that aside and what they were able to get from the Minnesota Wild is pretty extraordinary. The team wanted to re-sign Hanzal, but when talks fell apart, it became a foregone conclusion that he would be moved. Yet, that inevitability never drove the prices down and the Wild ended up offering an amazing deal for the career Coyote. The Avalanche should take note because this is how you work the trade deadline as one the league’s worst teams. In exchange for impending free agents who were not coming back in Hanzal and Stone, Arizona ends up with five picks and two prospects (assuming, as it often does, that “future considerations” means nothing) and the team has suffered almost no loss. If GM John Chayka has decided to deal Vrbata, he likely would have added another pair of good picks to that mix, but as it stands, the Coyotes still did pretty well.
Los Angeles Kings Acquire Jarome Iginla From Colorado
Jarome Iginla has waived his no-trade clause and agreed to go to the Los Angeles Kings. In return, the Avalanche will receive a conditional fourth-round draft pick in 2018. The Avalanche will also retain half of Iginla’s salary for the remainder of the season. If the conditions—which are still unknown at this time—aren’t met, the draft pick could actually disappear entirely.
As we wrote recently, Iginla might still have something in the tank for another run at the Stanley Cup this season. While he’s no longer a top-line player, he can likely still contribute in a smaller role. Darryl Sutter, the head coach of the Kings spent three seasons coaching Iginla in Calgary over a decade ago, which included heading to the Cup final in 2004.
The 619-goal man will try to find some of his old style in Los Angeles, as he has completely lost his game this season. With just 18 points in 61 games, it is by far the worst season of his career. The Kings will hope they get last year’s version of Iginla, the one that scored 22 goals and was deadly on the powerplay.
Los Angeles currently sits just outside the playoff picture in the Western Conference, battling with the St. Louis Blues and Iginla’s old Flames. In fact, Iginla will have to play Calgary three times down the stretch to try and knock them out of a playoff spot. The Kings obviously believe that Iginla can help them more than Dwight King, who they shipped out to Montreal minutes earlier for the same return.
For Colorado, getting anything back for the expiring veteran is a good thing. While a fourth-round pick isn’t a game changer for the franchise, it does help them restock and rebuild. If the team does decide to trade Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog, they’ll likely be going for a slow-burn on their future, stockpiling picks and teenage prospects.
Pierre LeBrun of TSN was first to report the deal was being finalized, while Darren Dreger of TSN gave us details on the return.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Los Angeles Kings Trade Dwight King To Montreal
The Los Angeles Kings have moved big winger Dwight King to the Montreal Canadiens for a conditional fourth-round pick in 2018. The pick can become a third-round selection should King re-sign with Montreal this summer. No salary will be retained in the transaction. 
King is another expiring contract, earning $1.95MM in the last season of a three-year deal. The 27-year old is a huge bottom-six player capable of giving the Canadiens a little more punch in the corners. He’s not an offensive presence, but is capable of scoring 10-15 goals and chipping in here and there.
After bringing in Steve Ott last night, the Canadiens will be a much harder team to play against for the rest of the season. They’ve been the most active team so far, bringing in Brandon Davidson and Jordie Benn as well. After a brilliant start to the season on the back of what was some of the best goaltending the league had ever seen, the struggles the team has faced have clearly sparked something in Marc Bergevin.
A fourth-round pick isn’t much for the team to give up, especially when they still have five second-round selections over the next two years. They won’t miss the mid-round pick much, especially if King helps them win a playoff round.
For Los Angeles, moving out King’s salary will open up a bit more room to add if they want, and the fourth-rounder is a nice return. If they are indeed going after Jarome Iginla at the deadline, they’ve just opened up a spot for him.
John Shannon of Sportsnet was the first to report the deal, with Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports giving us the details on the pick.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Kings Interested In Jarome Iginla
The Los Angeles Kings have expressed some interest in Colorado right winger Jarome Iginla, TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports via Twitter. Iginla holds a full no-trade clause but is open to lifting it to move to a contender and McKenzie adds that the interest may be mutual.
The Kings are looking for some help up front as they are one of the lowest scoring teams in the Western Conference. However, Iginla has tailed off offensively this season and is on pace for the worst offensive numbers in his career. In 61 games this year, the 39 year old has just eight goals, ten assists, and a -21 rating while averaging a career low 14:45 per game.
However, perhaps a change of scenery would result in a bit of a spark for the veteran. The Kings wouldn’t exactly represent a contending team, however, as they remain on the outside looking in at a playoff spot (they are one point behind the Blues for the last Wild Card spot but St. Louis has a game in hand).
Iginla is in the final year of his contract with a cap hit of $5.33MM. It’s likely that Colorado will have to retain a significant portion of the deal if a trade is agreed upon.