Snapshots: Kovalchuk, Sabres, Kings
Could former NHL star Ilya Kovalchuk be looking to follow in Alexander Radulov‘s footsteps next summer?
KHL analyst Aivis Kalniņš believes Kovalchuk wants to return to the NHL. The Russian sniper retired from the NHL back in 2013 in order to play in the KHL after 11 seasons in North America. He was just three seasons into a controversial 15-year, $100MM contract when he retired.
Kalniņš reported that CSKA has begun contract talks with former NHLers Kovalchuk and Viktor Tikhonov; while Tikhonov is considered close to an extension, Kovalchuk is not. It’s a similar situation to Radulov, in that CSKA attempted to sign him but he chose to leave money on the table to give the NHL another go.
Whether or not the NHL allows Kovalchuk to return is another question. Because he signed his voluntary retirement papers, all 30 NHL teams would have to approve the move. It’s unlikely that 29 teams would approve a competitor’s bid to sign a former consistent 30-plus goal scorer.
- Brayton J. Wilson of WGR 550 in Buffalo reported a hard-to-believe stat about the Sabres. With their win over Minnesota, the Sabres are now 4-3-2, or one game over 0.500. Wilson reported that this is the first time the Sabres have been over 0.500 since the third game of the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. That’s 299 games ago, and a sign of the harsh realities of being a struggling franchise in the NHL.
- After being shut out for the third consecutive game, Los Angeles Kings coach Darryl Sutter told reporters his message to the team was “there’s nobody coming in on a white horse to play goal for us or score goals or to come up [from the minors].” The Kings have approximately $1MM in salary cap space, despite placing the injured Jonathan Quick on LTIR. While Quick’s injury does give them some space in the interim, that would go away when he returns in three months, which rules out trading for Jaroslav Halak and likely Ondrej Pavelec too.
Kings Call Rob Scuderi Up From Ontario
The Los Angeles Kings have called up veteran defenseman Rob Scuderi from Ontario tweets Joe Rosen. Kings writer Elliott Teaford confirmed the move as well. Teaford writes that Scuderi is a call up after Brayden McNabb suffered an upper body injury in Sunday’s game and was placed on injured reserve. Teaford points out that Scuderi has not played a game for the Kings or Reign this season, and was cut from the Kings’ training camp just a few weeks back.
Last season was a whirlwind for Scuderi, who was dealt from the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Chicago Blackhawks in a deal that involved Trevor Daley. Scuderi was then spun off by the Blackhawks to the Kings for Christian Ehrhoff. In 63 games with the Penguins, Blackhawks, and Kings, Scuderi had 10 assists. Scuderi suited up for all five of the Kings’ playoff games but registered no points.
Snapshots: McNabb, Kings, Ott
News and notes from around the NHL:
- The Los Angeles Kings have officially placed Brayden McNabb on injured reserve after the defenseman suffered an upper-body injury Saturday night against the St. Louis Blues. McNabb got tangled up with St Louis’s Colton Parayko in the second period and fell awkwardly into the boards. McNabb has two goals this season and is considered one half of the 2nd best defensive pairing in the league (with Drew Doughty). The Kings have slated Matt Greene to replace McNabb tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks.
- Continuing with the Kings, the team has scratched forwards Nick Shore and Teddy Purcell tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks. Shore has only one assist so far eight games this season. Teddy Purcell—signed in the offseason to a one-year, $1.6MM deal to minimize the loss of Milan Lucic—has rode the bench for seven straight games after starting the season’s first two. Both the team and the player hope that Purcell rediscover whatever made him so effective in the past.
- The NHL fined Detroit Red Wings Steve Ott $2,222.22—the maximum allowed under the CBA—for spearing Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara last night. Ott speared Chara a mere thirty seconds into the game, but the infraction went unnoticed by referees. Instead, both players received unsportsmanlike penalties for the resulting battling after Ott’s spear.
Snapshots: Murray, Sceviour, Plager
Matt Murray is finally going to make his 2016-17 debut, it might just have to wait a few more days. Even though the goaltender has been “going full-speed now for almost two weeks” he won’t start this Saturday versus the Philadelphia Flyers. Instead, according to Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Murray will get one of the west coast back-to-back games on Wednesday and Thursday. The Penguins visit the Ducks and then the Kings in some inter-conference action.
Murray is coming back from a broken hand he suffered during the World Cup when he backstopped the young guns (Team North America) in the tournament. While the Penguins claimed Mike Condon off waivers earlier in the season to replace Murray, they’re hesitant to lose any of the three solid pieces they have in net. They view them all as considerable assets, and don’t want to lose any for nothing.
- Colton Sceviour will be moved up in the lineup according to George Richards of the Miami Herald. After getting a season-high 15 minutes in the Panthers latest loss at the hands of the Maple Leafs on Thursday night, the former Dallas Star will replace Kyle Rau on the second line. The Panthers are without Jonathan Huberdeau, Nick Bjugstad and Jussi Jokinen due to various injuries and have had to move pieces in and out of their top-six in recent games. While Jon Marchessault is thriving on the top line, the unit of Rau-Trocheck-Smith weren’t as effective against the Maple Leafs.
- The St. Louis Blues will retire number 5 in honor of Bob Plager this season. Plager has been with the club for almost 50 years since his addition as a player on June 6th, 1967, holding almost every position possible: player, head coach, director of scouting, director of player development and others. Plager’s #5 will join Al MacInnis (#2), Bob Gassoff (#3), Barclay Plager (his brother and #8), Brian Sutter (#11), Brett Hull (#16) and Bernie Federko (#24) among retired numbers for the Blues.
Kings To Sign Anders Lindback To PTO
The Los Angeles Kings are nearing a contract with unrestricted free agent goaltender Anders Lindback according to a report from Sport-Expressen’s Henrik Sjoberg (link in Swedish). Lisa Dillman of the LA Times reports (Twitter link) that it’s a PTO deal and that he will start in the AHL.
With Jeff Zatkoff also out for a few more games, the team currently has a goaltending tandem of Peter Budaj and Jack Campbell and as a result, there has been plenty of recent speculation that the Kings were going to be on the market to add some depth between the pipes.
Lindback was most recently with New Jersey back in training camp but failed to land a contract with the team as the Devils opted to keep Keith Kinkaid as their second string goalie.
The 28 year old has bounced around in recent years in various backup roles and was in Arizona last season, posting a 5-7-1 record with a 3.11 GAA and .894 save percentage, both well below the league averages. The emergence of youngster Louis Domingue also played a role in the Coyotes not renewing his contract.
In his career, Lindback has played in 130 games with Nashville, Tampa Bay, Dallas, Buffalo, and Arizona. He has a lifetime 45-58-8 record with a 2.87 GAA, a .904 SV%, and three shutouts.
Sunday Evening Review: The Week’s Most Important Posts
Did you miss a post this week? PHR has you covered by highlighting the most important news in the NHL last week:
Top KHL Salaries and their NHL Comparables
KHL insider Aivis Kalnins reported the top 30 KHL player salaries on Monday, and the amounts pale in comparison to their NHL counterparts. The highest paid KHL player is Ilya Kovalchuk, who makes $5.5MM. PHR’s Brett Barrett notes that 99 NHL players make more money than Kovalchuk.
Penguins Goalie Matt Murray Signs Extension
The Penguins signed goaltender Matt Murray to a three-year contract extension worth $3.75MM a year. Murray is currently on the shelf as he recovers from a broken hand suffered in the World Cup of Hockey. The signing signifies the team’s commitment to Murray, and also to moving Marc-Andre Fleury sooner rather than later.
Patrick Sharp Out With Concussion
Dallas Stars forward Patrick Sharp will be out for a significant amount of time after suffering a concussion earlier this week. Sharp was hit by Los Angeles Kings defenseman Brayden McNabb and appeared to hit his head as he fell to the ice. This marks yet another significant injury for the Dallas Stars—Patrick Eaves, Ales Hemsky, and Cody Eakin have yet to start a game this season due to injury.
Douglas Murray Retires
Swedish defenseman Douglas Murray announced his retirement on Friday. The veteran had not received an NHL contract offer this season and did not consider joining another league. He last played in the NHL for the Montreal Canadiens in 2013-14.
Kings Goalie Jeff Zatkoff Injured
The Los Angeles Kings were dealt another goaltending blow as backup Jeff Zatkoff went down with a groin injury. The Kings are already without starter Jonathan Quick, and Zatkoff’s injury means the Kings have to rely on a tandem of Peter Budaj and Jack Campbell. The former is a 34 year-old perennial backup who started one game last season, and the latter was acquired from the Dallas Stars for defenseman Nick Ebert.
Jacques Demers Hospitalized Saturday
Former NHL Coach Jacques Demers was hospitalized yesterday after suffering what appeared to be a second stroke—but was later determined to be an infection. Demers is remembered for coaching the Montreal Canadiens to their last Stanley Cup, and also coached in Tampa Bay, Detroit, St. Louis, and Quebec.
Coyotes Goalie Mike Smith Injured
The Arizona Coyotes are without goaltender Mike Smith again as he suffered a left knee injury in the Coyotes’ loss to the Ottawa Senators. Backup goaltender Louis Domingue will take over the starting duties and the Coyotes will need him to shine if they want to avoid a slow start to the season.
Snapshots: Westpoint, Kings’ Goaltenders, Lindholm
On tonight’s Hockey Night In Canada broadcast, the Sportsnet team revealed some interesting tidbits about stories around the league. One of which, coming on the heels of today’s hugely popular alumni game in Winnipeg (which the Jets won 6-5 on the back of Teemu Selanne‘s five points and last second penalty shot goal), is that the league is considering non-conventional venues for upcoming outdoor games.
The military academy Westpoint is one of these out-of-the-box ideas, but seems to have legs. Elliotte Friedman says the league is considering it for next season. The New York Rangers would play in the game, but wouldn’t necessarily be the home team. Friedman also mentions South Bend (home of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish) as another possibility.
- Friedman talks about the goaltending situation in Los Angeles, which got even more dire today when Jeff Zatkoff went down with a groin injury. Peter Budaj, expected to be the AHL starter this season, may get an extended chance with the big club due to the contracts or trade demands of other goaltenders around the league. The Kings have reportedly looked into Ondrej Pavelec, Steve Mason, Reto Berra, Mike Condon but haven’t found a fit. Friedman opines that Jonathan Bernier may be an option for the team, due to his familiarity with the organization and expected availability.
- Kelly Hrudey thinks that Brian Elliott isn’t fazed by his recent struggles for the Calgary Flames. Elliott isn’t starting tonight for the Flames, but that doesn’t mean that he’s in any danger of losing the #1 job in Calgary. If anything, his poor start might just buy the Flames a few dollars in their ongoing negotiations with the netminder.
- A final point from Friedman was on the Hampus Lindholm situation in Anaheim and the Winnipeg negotiations with Jacob Trouba. Apparently Anaheim wants Lindholm to sign for less than $5.4MM per season, while the player wants more than that. On Trouba, apparently the asking price of Kevin Cheveldayoff hasn’t dropped any even with the holdout lasting into the season. If Trouba is moved, it will be for the big return that the Jets’ GM has been looking for all summer.
Jeff Zatkoff Suffers Injury; Jack Campbell Recalled
According to Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times (via Helene Elliott), goaltender Jeff Zatkoff has suffered a lower-body injury at practice, and will be unable to play against the Vancouver Canucks tonight. The team has recalled Jack Campbell to take his place on the roster for the game.
With Jonathan Quick already on the shelf for months, any injury in the Kings’ crease weakens their cause even further. Peter Budaj will likely be in net tonight against the Canucks, but the 34-year old hasn’t been an effective NHL starter in years now. For a team who is still in win-now mode, the defense will need to tighten up even further for the next few days at least. As Jon Rosen of FOX Sports reports, Zatkoff’s groin ‘tightened up’ after stopping a shot in practice. While it may not be a major injury yet, groin injuries often linger longer than initially expected.
Campbell, a former 11th overall pick by the Dallas Stars, has never been able to establish himself in the NHL. The 24-year old split the last two seasons between the AHL and ECHL, where he found mixed results. If Zatkoff stays on the shelf for very long, the Kings will need a combination of Budaj and Campbell to keep them competitive. The team sits at 1-3-0 through four games, and sixth in the Pacific Division.
LeBrun’s Latest: Lindholm, Fowler, Murray, Fleury, Condon
Earlier today we referenced an item regarding the status of the Jacob Trouba trade discussions in Pierre LeBrun’s recent Rumblings column on ESPN.com. As it turns out, LeBrun covered a number of other worthwhile topics in his piece, which should naturally be read in its entirety. But in the meantime, we’ve got several of the highlights for your reading pleasure.
- There’s been a lot of talk of late regarding the potential availability of Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler, in large part due to the team’s need to re-sign RFA Hampus Lindholm and Anaheim’s precarious salary cap situation. As it stands, the Ducks have less than $400K in space according to Cap Friendly. With Lindholm expected to receive in excess of $5MM annually on a new deal the team certainly has their work cut out for them. Dealing Fowler would clear $4MM in cap space, assuming of course they don’t take an NHL contract back in any trade. Anaheim also has Brandon Montour and Shea Theodore, both of whom appear to be NHL-ready, or close to it, and that could step into the vacancy should the club move Fowler – or any other defenseman for that matter. LeBrun, however, doesn’t believe trading Fowler is a “front-burner issue” and believes the club could keep Fowler. He suggests Anaheim could create some salary cap space and buy more time by placing Simon Despres on LTIR. Despres has been out since leaving the team’s first game with what is believed to be a concussion. Despres accounts for $3.7MM against the cap so the Ducks would likely have to make at least one more move to create enough space once Lindholm is re-signed.
- Speaking of Lindholm’s contract talks, LeBrun believes the two sides continue to move closer on a new pact, with the defenseman likely using the recent extensions inked by Seth Jones and Rasmus Ristolainen – six years, $5.4MM AAV – as a comparable and the Ducks possibly countering with Morgan Rielly – six years, $5MM AAV. A six-year deal would buy out two of Lindholm’s potential free agent seasons, whereas the Jones and Ristolainen contracts only bought out one. That likely serves as justification for Lindholm’s pursuit of something more than $5.4MM annually.
- Matt Murray‘s recent extension with Pittsburgh shines the light on the decision the team will have to make ahead of next June’s expansion draft. LeBrun notes the team believes Marc-Andre Fleury‘s NMC will force the Penguins to protect him, assuming he’s still on the roster. Assuming the Penguins decide Murray is their long-term answer between the pipes, the team would still have several options, as LeBrun writes. In addition to the NMC, Fleury’s contract contains a modified no-trade clause which allows him to list 18 teams to which he would accept a trade. The Penguins could attempt to move him to one of those clubs to whom the goalie would agree to go to. Or the Penguins could buy out Fleury’s contract after the season. Pittsburgh also might try to work out a separate deal with the Las Vegas franchise ensuring they don’t select Murray if the team is required to protect Fleury. The scribe did say he doesn’t believe the team has decided on a course of action as of yet. Whatever they decide, however, LeBrun believes the team will make sure Fleury is on board as they “greatly respect” their longtime #1 netminder.
- Once Murray returns from injury, the team is likely to waive goalie Mike Condon with the intent of sending him down to the AHL. LeBrun believes he could be claimed and one interested party could be the Kings. With Jonathan Quick out for up to three months, Los Angeles may eventually look for a short-term upgrade between the pipes and they might conclude Condon fits the bill. Condon’s contract expires at the end of the season and currently makes just $575K. LeBrun suggests that Pittsburgh could call up the Kings and offer Condon in a trade with the idea that adding a late round draft pick would be better than losing the young goalie for nothing on waivers.
Minor Transactions: Adam, Bastian, Cernak, Kravchenko
After struggling to carve out a role for himself in the NHL, veteran winger Luke Adam is headed overseas. A second-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres in 2008, Adam had undeniable toughness and was a strong presence along the boards and in front of the net. Unfortunately, he was unable to ever put it all together for a complete season of production at the top level. Adam debuted with Sabres at the age of 20, deemed big and strong enough to match up at a young age. In his first four seasons, split each year between Buffalo and their AHL affiliate, the Portland Pirates and then Rochester Americans, Adam had just 26 points and was -11 in 84 games at the NHL level. He only managed to score a point apiece in limited time in his last two seasons with the Sabres. Meanwhile, his numbers in Portland and Rochester failed to impress as well. He recorded 161 points in 210 games (62 in 57 in his first season), never once leading the team in scoring and seeing decreasing returns each year. Disappointed in the production and lack of development out of their former high pick, Buffalo traded Adam to Columbus in a mid-season deal in 2014-15. He played in just three games with the Blue Jackets, but failed to score and played just over six minutes per game. He spent most of the season with the AHL’s Springfield Falcons, putting up just marginal numbers. Columbus flipped Adam to the New York Rangers prior to last season, but he spent all season in the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack. Adam tried one last shot at the NHL dream last month, attending Calgary Flames camp on a PTO, but failed to make the team. Having given North American pro hockey his best effort, Adam is now headed to Germany, where he has signed with Adler Mannheim of the DEL. However, like many who make the trip across the Atlantic, don’t be surprised if the 26-year-old Adam attempts an NHL comeback in the future.
In other minor moves:
- The New Jersey Devils signed 2016 second-round pick Nathan Bastian to an entry-level contract today. Although the big forward has already been sent back to the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads for the season, New Jersey now has him locked up should a recall be necessary. Bastian had a breakout season in 2015-16, putting his big frame to work and establishing himself as one of the top power forwards in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. A potential steal at #41 overall, the Devils signed Bastian to the maximum value, three-year ELC and look forward to his NHL debut in the near future.
- Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Kings have sent one of their up-and-coming young players back to junior, as defenseman Erik Cernak was assigned to the OHL’s Erie Otters after spending the first week of the season with the Kings. Although Cernak did not take the ice for L.A., the team though enough of him to keep him around in case the possibility arose. With goalie Jonathan Quick going down with injury, the team likely felt that this was not the right time to throw a a 19-year-old rookie into the fire. Cernak was a second-round pick of the Kings in 2015, and at 6’3″ and over 200 lbs. he has the size and strength to play at the highest level. However, Cernak’s skating and puck-moving don’t quite match his defensive ability and another season with the high-scoring Otters should help him work on his offensive game.
- The Philadelphia Flyers’ AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, signed former UMass hockey star Dennis Kravchenko to a minor league deal. In a move that may seem like just another minor league signing, the Phantoms actually added a player who outscored Bruins breakout star Frank Vatrano at UMass in 2014-15. The last Minuteman to leave early for a pro deal, Vatrano was a revelation last season, leading the AHL in goals with the Providence Bruins and providing an unexpected boost in Boston. Meanwhile, Kravchenko was having another strong season in Amherst, and will now look to replicate the success of his former teammate with Lehigh Valley in 2016-17. Don’t be surprised if Kravchenko ends up an official Flyer sooner rather than later.