Snapshots: Three Stars, Rinaldo, Barrie, Niederreiter
The NHL released their three stars of the week, and Boston Bruins’ Tuukka Rask has top honors after starting three games last week, going 3-0 with a 1.30 GAA and a .954 save percentage. He made 16 saves in a 7-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, and then followed that up with a 37-save performance (along with three shootout saves) to lead the Bruins past the Winnipeg Jets, 2-1, Thursday. Saturday, he made 30 saves to defeat the Detroit Red Wings, 3-1. He is 11-8-3 on the season with a 2.28 GAA and a .918 save percentage.
Mathew Barzal and James Reimer rounded out the top three amazing performances for the week. Barzal led the New York Islanders with a six-point performance for the week, including four goals in three games. His hat trick against the Winnipeg Jets Saturday was the first of his career. The 20-year-old leads all rookies with 23 assists and 35 points. Reimer stopped 106 out of 110 shots on goal in three games to lead the Florida Panthers to three victories. He posted a 1.33 GAA and a .964 save percentage for the week as he has been filling in for injured starter Roberto Luongo.
- The Department of Player Safety announced that it has offered Arizona Coyotes forward Zac Rinaldo an in-person hearing for throwing a punch at an unsuspecting opponent. During the second period of Saturdays’ game against the Colorado Avalanche, Rinaldo laid a hit on Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon. In response, Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard confronted Rinaldo, who subsequently sucker-punched him. Rinaldo has been suspended four times in his NHL career for a total of 19 games. The veteran has two goals and one assist in 31 games this year with 32 penalty minutes.
- Mike Chambers of the Denver Post writes that Colorado Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie fractured a bone in his right hand in Saturday’s game against the Arizona Coyotes. He blocked a shot from Coyotes’ defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson in the first period that deflected off his hand. A timeline for his recovery has not been announced. Barrie is having a solid year with Colorado, with four goals and 23 assists in 34 games, ranking third in the league with 27 points for defensemen.
- Sarah McLellan of the Star Tribune writes that Minnesota Wild winger Nino Niederreiter‘s status remains unclear after he suffered a lower-body injury on Friday. He did not play Saturday and is day-to-day. “I don’t know if the puck hit him or if his foot banged against the boards,” said Boudreau, who figured Niederreiter was bruised on the play. The 25-year-old already missed six games earlier this season due to an ankle injury.
Veteran Free Agent Contracts Not Working Out Well In 2017-18
There is no doubt that the game of hockey is getting faster and, as a result, younger. Yet, in 2016-17 that didn’t stop 44-year-old ageless wonder Jaromir Jagr from outscoring his age, 40-year-old Matt Cullen and 37-year-old Chris Kunitz from contributing to a second straight Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup title, 39-year-old Zdeno Chara from skating in more than 23 minutes per game, or 36-year-old Henrik Zetterberg and 37-year-old Joe Thornton from finishing among the league’s best in assists. Several teams who witnessed the impact that older players had on their teams last year went out and signed older free agents this summer in hopes of a repeat performance. It hasn’t happened for most of those teams. The majority of players age 36 and older who signed with new teams this off-season have struggled to meet expectations.
Jagr, of course, is the poster boy of the anti-youth movement. The 28-year NHL veteran has somehow remained consistent throughout his career even into his mid-40’s, but despite a 46-point campaign last year, got little attention this summer and it looked like his illustrious career was over. However, the Calgary Flames swooped in at the last minute, signing Jagr to a one-year deal in early October. At $2MM for the year, it was a low-risk, high-upside singing. Yet, through 36 games, that upside has not shown up. Jagr has only been healthy for 19 games, in which he has only one goal and six assists. Even if Jagr was magically healthy for each of the Flames remaining games this season, he would be on pace for a career-worst 24 points. It seems that Jagr’s days are finally done.
He’s not alone though. The Penguins aging role players also decided to leave Pittsburgh this off-season, with Cullen heading home to Minnesota to join the Wild and Kunitz chasing a fourth Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Both players have been nothing short of a disappointment so far. Cullen, who was a major contributor to the Pens’ success last year as a dependable checking center and 30-point scorer. So far with the Wild, Cullen has been a non-factor offensively (7 points) and defensively (team worst -11) through 35 games and was even a healthy scratch earlier this month. Despite the incredible talent around him, Kunitz has just 10 points this season, a pace which is a far cry from his recent back-to-back 40-point seasons.
Who else is on the list? Defenseman Mark Streit was a complete disaster in Montreal, released by the Canadiens after just two games. Journeyman goalie Michael Leighton hasn’t done much better, already on his third team in 2017-18 and without an NHL appearance thus far. Despite the time-tested theory that Radim Vrbata always performs his best in Arizona, the aging scorer bolted the Coyotes for the Florida Panthers, who so far have only received 12 points and 29 games from the signing.
The jury is still out on a few veterans. Francois Beauchemin returned home to Anaheim this summer and many expected him to improve his game back on a familiar roster. While Beauchemin’s 7 points through 30 games pale in comparison to the better seasons of his career, it’s similar to the production he showed last year with the Colorado Avalanche. With the Ducks struggling as a team, it seems fair that Beauchemin’s play has also been a bit lacking. That hasn’t been the case for Ryan Miller, another aging addition in Anaheim. His .928 save percentage and 2.23 GAA has been very good. However, Miller has only gotten the win in four of his ten appearances and missed much of the early season due to injury. Miller has performed better than the rest of his team, but had he been healthy it may have reversed the Ducks’ fortunes early on. Matt Hendricks has already matched his point total with the Edmonton Oilers last season now with the Winnipeg Jets last season. He’s playing a valued energy role and the Jets likely don’t have many gripes. With that said, Hendricks needed only seven points to match that total from a down year in 2016-17 and has a been playing a less-physical game than he has in the past. Hendricks hasn’t been bad, but Winnipeg would undoubtedly rather see 2014-15 Hendricks, who posted 16 points and 220 hits.
The one team who has had great success with veteran signings in 2017-18 is the Toronto Maple Leafs. San Jose Sharks legend Patrick Marleau chose to sign in Toronto, leaving the only team he had ever played for, but the Leafs had to give him three years and $18.75MM to get it done. So far, it hasn’t been a bad investment. Marleau has 19 points in all 36 games, including 12 goals, and the 38-year-old should easily reach 40 points for the 18th time in his career. However, the real breakout veteran performance has been from the 36-year-old Ron Hainsey, whose signing was initially panned by many. Yet, Hainsey is on pace for one of, if not the best offensive campaigns of his career with 15 points so far. Forming a dynamic duo with Morgan Rielly, Hainsey seems rejuvenated late in his career and it has shown in an improvement on Toronto’s back end. But even the Leafs weren’t perfect though; the signing of Dominic Moore has been a disappointment. Moore has only nine points and has been a frequent scratch after a season with the division rival Boston Bruins in which he put up 25 points and played in all 82 games.
The NHL has been an increasingly difficult place for mediocre older players to find work. There has been a movement toward younger rosters, with veterans settling for minimum contracts, tryouts, or simply heading to Europe. Yet, exceptions continue to be made, especially for some talented older players. After the results this elderly free agent group has shown, veteran signings – especially those demanding big money and term – will surely become even less frequent.
Mike Reilly Now Waiver-Eligible
- Mike Reilly’s inclusion in the lineup tonight for the Wild is notable as Michael Russo of The Athletic points out (Twitter link) that he is now waiver-eligible. Minnesota had sent him down on three separate occasions this season for short-term salary cap savings and roster reasons. Obviously, that will no longer be an option for the cap-strapped Wild as they won’t want to risk losing him on waivers moving forward. Center Joel Eriksson Ek is now the lone regular that they can shuttle back and forth without going through the waiver wire.
Injury Notes: Spurgeon, Devils, Matthews, Couture, Josefson, McQuaid
The Minnesota Wild activated defenseman Jared Spurgeon today off of injured reserve and is expected to play tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required). Spurgeon had been rumored to be returning after having missed nine games with a groin injury. The team had already sent defenseman Ryan Murphy back to Iowa yesterday to make room for Spurgeon.
The 28-year-old blueliner has three goals and 12 assists in 23 games this year. He is not expected to rejoin partner Ryan Suter right away, however. Mathew Dumba filled in for Spurgeon while he was out and the combination of Suter and Dumba has worked well for the Wild as Dumba’s play has improved since the change.
- The New Jersey Devils are closing in on being fully healthy, according to northjersey.com’s Andrew Gross. Both Taylor Hall and Kyle Palmieri are expected to play in Monday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks. Hall has missed the past two games with a knee contusion, while Palmieri will be activated off of injured reserve after missing 12 games with a broken right foot. There is also a possibility, although Gross said it’s slim, that winger Marcus Johansson could also play Monday after missing three games with an ankle bruise. If not, then he will be expected to return on Thursday against the New York Rangers. All three players practiced Sunday.
- Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews (possible concussion) is starting to slowly work his way back. The 20-year-old center skated for 20 minutes Sunday, but did not practice with the team, according to TSN’s Kristen Shilton. She added that coach Mike Babcock is not sure when he’ll be able to play, but added there are no plans to shut him down for a stretch either.
- The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz tweets that San Jose Sharks leading scorer Logan Couture will miss Monday’s game against Edmonton at minimum after sustaining a head injury in Friday’s game against Vancouver. The Mercury News’ Paul Gackle tweets that head coach Peter DeBoer confirmed Couture suffered a concussion and remains day-to-day. In a separate story, Gackle writes the team will be in trouble if Couture injury keeps him out of the lineup for an extended period of time.
- NHL.com’s Jourdon LaBarber writes that Buffalo Sabres center Jacob Josefson practiced today with the team and hopes to be ready to play soon after missing 24 games with an ankle injury. Josefson did attempt to come back on Nov. 22 and played two games before re-injuring his ankle. The 26-year-old has only managed to play in nine games for Buffalo after signing a one-year, $700K deal in the offseason. Coach Phil Housley said he will be re-evaluated on Monday. Josefson has one goal and one assist in the nine games he’s played in.
- Boston Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid might be ready as soon as Monday from a broken fibula he suffered on Oct. 19, according to NHL.com’s Michael Tolvo. The veteran has missed 24 games since then. “I don’t know if Monday he’ll be cleared, but he is close,” added head coach Bruce Cassidy. “He is getting close. He has practiced with us, so it is imminent for him. I just don’t want to pinpoint an exact date.”
Minor Transactions: 12/16/17
It’s an action-packed day in the NHL with eleven games on tap, including the NHL 100 Classic, an outdoor re-match of the first game in NHL history back in 1917 between the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators. With some teams focused on games tonight, others focused on preparing for the upcoming week, and a pair of teams focused on what will likely be their most important game of the season, there promises to be some transaction action across the league today:
- The New Jersey Devils have reassigned Nick Lappin to the AHL’s Binghamton Devils in a move that likely means more than its face value. Lappin played in two games with New Jersey on this most recent recall – his first two NHL games of the season – and looked impressive in both outings. Lappin was involved in the offense, even contributing a goal in last night’s win over the Dallas Stars, and played well in an energy role. The former Brown Bear has also been on fire in the AHL, with 12 goals in 23 games. His demotion, if not for performance, must be an indication that the Devils are adding another healthy body to the lineup. With Taylor Hall, Kyle Palmieri, and Marcus Johansson all banged up, the loss of Lappin is likely good news that one or more of that talented trio is ready to return.
- The Dallas Stars announced they have sent forward Jason Dickinson to the Texas Stars of the AHL today. He was called up on Dec. 10 and has played a total of five games this season for the Stars with all the injuries the team has dealt with recently. Dickinson hasn’t scored any points, but has been praised for his enthusiastic play for the Stars. He has 13 goals in 20 AHL games, and is a great depth guy when Dallas needs him. The team has recently gotten back both Martin Hanzal and Antoine Roussel from injury, so the need for the 22-year-old has waned.
- The Minnesota Wild announced after their game today against the Edmonton Oilers that they have assigned defenseman Ryan Murphy to the Iowa Wild of the AHL. Despite playing well, the move is most likely due to the fact that the team intends to activate defenseman Jared Spurgeon, who has been out for the past nine games with a groin injury. Murphy, a first-round pick in 2011, is expected to get more minutes while in Iowa. He has had one goal and one assist in nine games so far this year.
Injury Notes: Blues, Coburn, Spurgeon, Carrier, Franson, Rutta, Jagr
Injury news seems to be a daily affair in St. Louis as the St. Louis Blues are dealing multiple injuries at once, especially after the team learned that defenseman Jay Bouwmeester is expected to miss the weekend after he was put on injured reserve Friday with an unspecified injury, according to Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Now, Chris Pinkert of NHL.com writes that the team has a new injury to worry about as the team’s fourth-line center, Kyle Brodziak, is likely to miss Saturday’s game and is day-to-day with an unknown injury.
“He’s a little dinged up, that’s why he didn’t practice yesterday. We were hoping he could come in and feel better today, but that wasn’t the case,” Blues head coach Mike Yeo said. “Hopefully he feels better tomorrow.”
Timmerman adds in a tweet that defenseman Alex Pietrangelo is making progress, but his status for Sunday’s game (the first game he is eligible for against the Winnipeg Jets is unknown. The scribe points out, however, that since it’s the second game of a home-and-home against the Jets, it’s unlikely the team would carry just six defensemen for two straight games, which suggests the team is confident that Pietrangelo will likely play on Sunday. Another factor on defense was the status of veteran defenseman Carl Gunnarsson, whose status was questionable Friday after taking a shot off his right leg, which forced him to leave practice yesterday. Pinkert adds that he’s OK and is expected to play Saturday.
Other injury notes in the NHL:
- Tampa Bay Times’ Joe Smith tweets that defenseman Braydon Coburn is likely to return tonight against the Avalanche. Coburn has missed seven games and hasn’t played since Nov. 29 with a lower-body injury. The 32-year-old veteran has seven assists in 25 games this season.
- With Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon not playing in today’s matchup against the Oilers, The Athletic’s Michael Russo tweets that it’s likely that Spurgeon will return to the Wild for tomorrow’s matchup with the Blackhawks. He has missed nine games for Minnesota with a groin injury. The 28-year-old has three goals and 12 assists in 23 games this season.
- Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Steve Carp tweets that winger William Carrier, who has missed nine straight games with an upper-body injury, continues to practice in a non-contact jersey, but a return could be coming soon. Carrier’s presence and toughness has been missed. He has one goal and one assist in 20 games.
- The Chicago Tribune’s Chris Hine tweets that Cody Franson and Jan Rutta could be back on the ice soon, possibly even tomorrow, according to coach Joel Quenneville. Franson has missed three games with an upper-body injury, while Rutta missed Thursday’s game against Winnipeg with an apparent head injury.
- Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson tweets that Jaromir Jagr is expected back into the lineup today after missing the past six games with a lower-body injury. He is expected to play on the team’s fourth line tonight.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: Minnesota Wild
As the holiday season approaches, PHR will look at what teams are thankful for as the season nears the quarter point of completion. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We take a look at what’s gone well in the first month and what could improve as the season rolls on. So far we’ve covered the following teams: ANA, ARZ, BOS, BUF, CGY, CAR, CBJ, COL, DET, EDM, FLA, LAK, NSH, NJD, NYI, NYR, PHI, PIT, SJS, STL, TOR, VAN, VGK and WSH.
What are the Minnesota Wild most thankful for?
A deep prospect pool.
When the Wild approached the expansion draft last year, they were in trouble. They had too many assets that needed protection, and were destined to lose an excellent player. In order to sway the Vegas Golden Knights’ decision in a certain direction, they gave up prized prospect Alex Tuch. Though the team had drafted Tuch in the first round just a few years prior, his upside and potential impact wasn’t seen to be as high as some of their other prospects.
Well, six months later and Tuch is starring alongside Erik Haula (the other player lost in the expansion process) in Vegas, and the Wild are struggling to stay relevant in the playoff picture. Surely they’d like to have Tuch back, but luckily those other high-end prospects still remain.
Though the relationship with Kirill Kaprizov—or lack thereof—makes the Russian a complete wildcard, there are others who should have Minnesota fans excited for the next few years. Joel Eriksson Ek and Luke Kunin have both played roles in the NHL this season, while Jordan Greenway continues to dominate players even older than him in the college ranks. Ivan Lodnia was just signed after a blistering start in Erie, and the team has four picks in the top three rounds this upcoming draft.
Who are the Wild most thankful for?
General managers around the league must be hitting themselves over not pursuing Staal in the summer of 2016. Coming off a horrible season, in which he was traded from the team he’d been drafted by and captained for seven years, Minnesota happily scooped him up on July 1st. Much was said about how Staal might be on the way out of the game, until he immediately found success in Minnesota to the tune of 28 goals and 65 points.
The three-year, $10.5MM contract that he signed was just $1MM more in total than he’d earned in 2015-16 alone. Minnesota got a legitimate number one center, and borderline Hall of Fame candidate for the price of a third or fourth-line player. You can still hear Chuck Fletcher laughing to himself somewhere in St. Paul.
Staal has been everything for the club this year, leading the team in points with 26 through their first 30 games and coming through with one of the best possession seasons of his career. Playing nearly 19 minutes a night and hitting the ice in all circumstances, Staal’s contract is one of the best in the entire league. While now 33 years old, he’ll still be exceptionally valuable in the final year of his deal next season.
What would the Wild be even more thankful for?
Some “puck luck” for Mikko Koivu.
Despite still being an excellent possession player, used in all situations, Koivu can’t seem to get much going offensively this season. Coming off another one of his patented solid-if-not-spectacular seasons with 58 points, he only has 15 in his first 30 games and eight of those are on the powerplay. He’s now been held pointless in his last eight games despite being on the ice for more than 147 minutes, and hasn’t found the back of the net himself since October.
Amazingly, a lot of that has to do with pure bad luck. Koivu is carrying a pathetic 5.1% shooting percentage this season, far below his career average. Though he’s never been a sniper that carries a high percentage, he’s due for some luck going his way at some point. During his 21-game goalless streak he’s fired 58 shots on net without a single one trickling through.
He’s not only used for his offense, but a bounce here or there would be a big help for the Wild as they try to claw their way back into the playoff picture.
What should be on the Wild’s Holiday Wish List?
Another center.
When the Wild lost Haula and let Martin Hanzal walk in free agency, their center depth was tested. Though they brought in Matt Cullen, who has done a fine job for them so far, their unyielding ability to throw an effective center over the boards every single shift has left them. Charlie Coyle can play the position but the team likes him better on the wing, and Kunin isn’t quite ready for a full-time role.
There is the possibility that when Zach Parise eventually returns from injury they’ll move Coyle back to the middle, but an addition would be the best option. It’ll be tough, as the Wild are pressed right up against the cap thanks the the hefty cap hits of Tyler Ennis and Marcus Foligno, both who’ve been healthy scratches at times this year. That fact may force them to go with what they have right now, but it will be interesting to see if they find a way to get involved as the deadline approaches.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Minor Transactions: 12/14/17
The Ottawa Senators got off the schneid last night, defeating the New York Rangers 3-2 for just their second regulation win in 14 games. Perhaps that can build them a little bit of momentum as they head into the NHL 100 Classic on Saturday night, outside against the Montreal Canadiens. As the Senators and the rest of the league prepares for an eventful weekend, we’ll keep track of all the minor movement right here. Check back throughout the day.
- The Minnesota Wild have recalled goaltender Steve Michalek for tonight’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Devan Dubnyk is out with a lower-body injury suffered earlier this week, meaning Alex Stalock will get the start against his former (albeit for a short time) team. Dubnyk underwent an MRI, meaning more information should be released today on the extent of his injury.
- The Winnipeg Jets have moved Dustin Byfuglien to injured reserve, while recalling Julian Melchiori from the AHL. Melchiori played 18 games for the Jets last season, recording two points, but has been stuck in the minor leagues this year.
- Michael Leighton is on his way back to the Tucson Roadrunners, after being a salary cap call-up for the last few days. Both Antti Raanta and Scott Wedgewood are healthy, but the Arizona Coyotes flirt with the cap floor all season long and sometimes need to call up players just to make their roster acceptable.
- With Chris Tanev unavailable due to injury, the Vancouver Canucks have called up Ashton Sautner from the AHL. Sautner would be making his NHL debut should he get into a game, after spending the last two-plus years with Utica. The 23-year old has three points in 21 games this season.
Devan Dubnyk Ruled Out For Thursday
- Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk has been ruled out of playing on Thursday against Toronto as a result of a lower-body injury sustained on Thursday night, head coach Bruce Boudreau told Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press. Dubnyk told his bench boss that he doesn’t think it’s a particularly bad injury although an MRI will ultimately determine the extent of it. Unless they think Dubnyk can dress as the backup, Minnesota will have to call up a goaltender before puck drop tomorrow, likely one of Niklas Svedberg or Steve Michalek, their current tandem with AHL Iowa.
Contract Totals A Limiting Factor For Minnesota, Toronto
In the NHL, a team is allowed to have 50 Standard Player Contracts signed at any one time. That includes all players on the active roster, in the minor leagues or on long-term injured reserve. Players under the age of 20 who’ve been loaned back to their junior or European clubs are exempt, giving the team some flexibility on signing draft picks during the year.
Teams generally try to leave themselves a few open slots in case an opportunity arises—through waivers, trade or free agency—to add a useful player. Two teams don’t currently have this luxury as CapFriendly points out, as Minnesota and Toronto both have hit the 50-contract cap. They’ve come about it in different ways.
Minnesota was at 49 contracts for much of the season, until they claimed Nate Prosser off waivers from the St. Louis Blues at the end of last month. Prosser’s addition pushed them right up against the cap, likely a contributing factor in their search for a landing spot for Kyle Quincey. They could use the cap space from a Quincey trade—he’s still causing a $225K cap hit while in the minor leagues—but being at the 50-contract mark limits them in other ways.
As referenced above, they can still sign draft picks to entry-level deals, as they did recently with Ivan Lodnia. The bigger issue is that they can’t go after any other players on waivers, or negotiate a trade without sending bodies out the other way. Ridding yourself of contracts isn’t as easy as it sounds. Waiving or assigning players to the minor leagues doesn’t move them off the list, meaning you have to either agree to a mutual termination (very unlikely with the vast majority of players) or trade them away.
Toronto recently filled up in a different way. To start the season, Carl Grundstrom‘s contract didn’t count towards the limit because he was 19 and playing in Sweden. Earlier this month he celebrated his 20th birthday, and became ineligible for the SPC exemption. The fact that Toronto had already traded for Calvin Pickard earlier in the year had brought them closer to the limit, with Grundstrom pushing them right up against it.
The Maple Leafs have been cognizant of this situation in the past, even allowing Dominic Toninato to hit free agency after his college career because they didn’t have a contract slot for him. Toninato signed with the Colorado Avalanche and even made his NHL debut this season. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the team move out a contract before long to recapture some flexibility, though it’s not clear who that would be.
Either way, it’s something to watch out for when the Maple Leafs or Wild are involved in a transaction. The two teams have to carefully navigate their contract limits, or end up missing out on a possible opportunity.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images