Pacific Notes: Horvat, Nieto, Thornton
In Vancouver, a recent surge has many fans thinking playoffs once again. The team is just three points out of a wildcard spot, after winning their last four games and going 6-3-1 in their last ten. Pierre LeBrun thinks that adding a rental doesn’t make sense for the team. It’s true, that adding a veteran likely won’t improve the Canucks chances of winning a Stanley Cup, but as Vancouver attendance and revenues have fallen over the past few years it may be a mandate from ownership to try and earn some playoff income.
Ben Kuzma of The Province says that the focus from the front office remains on Bo Horvat and locking him up long term. It’s much more important to their future to get Horvat under a reasonable contract, and the longer they wait the more he’ll likely demand. Horvat is already deep into a career season and on pace to blow last year’s 16 goals and 40 points out of the water. Kuzma compares Horvat to Florida’s Vincent Trocheck, who received a six year, $28.5MM deal this summer. Trocheck was coming off a similar season to Horvat but was older and didn’t have nearly the pedigree that the former ninth-overall pick does.
As Horvat turns just 22 this April, he’s already set to take a crack at a similar deal that escalates through the years. If the Canucks want to lock him up even further into his free agent seasons, it will likely cost them upwards of $5MM.
- David Staples of the Edmonton Journal suggests that the Edmonton Oilers should take a swing at the recently waived Matt Nieto. Staples thinks that since Jesse Puljujarvi isn’t getting regular minutes or linemates, the team should send him down to the AHL to play on their top line, and fill his spot (or that of Benoit Pouliot) with the 24-year old Nieto. Even though he only has two points this season, and 17 last, he did score 24 and 27 points in his first two seasons in the NHL. Perhaps he could find a new home in Edmonton and add to their young core.
- LeBrun went on to talk about Joe Thornton and his upcoming free agency. Thornton will turn 38 a day after free agency opens, and is apparently looking for a three-year deal. While that seems ridiculous in a vacuum, a closer look at his numbers may lend credence to the idea. Thornton scored 82 points last season, his highest mark since 2009-10 and is on pace for another 50+ season despite an unsustainably-low shooting percentage. He remains an elite set-up man and is still among the league leaders in assists. As Darren Dreger adds on Twitter, he hasn’t heard much chatter from either side on a Thornton extension.
Examining Recent January Trades
It’s been abnormally quiet on the trade front this season with completed deals primarily involving depth and/or minor league players switching teams. A combination of most clubs having limited cap space and so few far enough out of the playoff race to be considered obvious sellers has severely limited activities through roughly half of the 2016-17 schedule. It’s likely we’ll have to wait until the week of the March 1st deadline to see a thaw in trade discussions but if recent history is any indication, there is a good chance at least one trade of significance will be made in the month of January.
Here’s a brief rundown of notable transactions completed in January from the past three seasons:
- 1/16/2016 – Pittsburgh acquired Carl Hagelin from Anaheim in exchange for David Perron and Adam Clendening. The addition of Hagelin, one of the game’s swiftest skaters, helped pave the way for Mike Sullivan to implement a speedier attack that helped lead the Penguins all the way to a Stanley Cup championship. He has another three-years on his contract with an AAV of $4MM and has established himself as a key contributor in Pittsburgh’s top-nine. Perron, meanwhile, added some offense to Anaheim’s lineup, tallying 20 points in 28 games down the stretch last year but left the team as an unrestricted free agent in the summer, inking a two-year deal with St. Louis. Clendening was essentially a throw-in and didn’t see any action with Anaheim. He too left as a free agent, joining the New York Rangers in the offseason.
- 1/6/2016 – Nashville sent Seth Jones to Columbus for Ryan Johansen. This was a rare “hockey trade” that most considered a win-win for both teams at the time the deal was consummated. Columbus desperately needed a #1 defenseman and Jones has the potential to be just that player. Along with rookie blue liner Zach Werenski, Jones has added skill, quickness and puck-moving to the Blue Jackets back end. Johansen, meanwhile, addressed Nashville’s longstanding need for a top center and since the trade has registered 61 points in 79 contests in a Nashville sweater. To this point it’s fair to say this move has worked out just the way both parties planned it.
- 1/14/2015 – The Minnesota Wild added goaltender Devan Dubnyk in a deal with Arizona, sending a 2015 third-round pick to the Coyotes. Dubnyk was Edmonton’s first-round pick in 2004 but had yet to win a full-time starting gig until arriving in Minnesota, where he has evolved into one of the league’s top goalies. He won 27 of 39 starts following the trade and placed third in Vezina voting after the season. So far this year Dubnyk leads the league in both Save % (0.941) and GAA (1.75) and is 19 – 7 – 3 in 29 games. Arizona, who could certainly use Dubnyk between the pipes this year, ultimately chose left wing Brendan Warren with the draft choice acquired from Minnesota. Warren is in his sophomore season at the University of Michigan and has five points in 18 games.
- 1/22/14 – The New York Rangers dealt Michael Del Zotto to Nashville in exchange for fellow blue liner Kevin Klein. The Rangers, looking to balance their defense corps by adding another right-handed shot, got good value with Klein. The veteran defender had just begun the first year of a five-year, $14.5MM extension and for the most part he has been a good fit on the Rangers second pairing. He has struggled some this season but set or tied career highs in goals, assists and points in each of his first two full campaigns on Broadway. Del Zotto was brought to Music City for his offensive and puck-moving capabilities but didn’t perform well in Nashville, tallying just five points in 25 games as a Predator. He was not tendered a qualifying offer that summer and became a free agent, eventually signing in Philadelphia where he has been a solid producer for the Flyers the last three seasons.
Minor Transactions: 1/3/17
Joining whirlwinded New Jersey Devils winger Reid Boucher on waivers today is St. Louis Blues forward Ty Rattie. The 2011 second-round pick has been trying to carve out a role for himself at the NHL level for years, but to this point has just eight points in 30 games with the Blues over the past four seasons. After finally showing some pro potential with four goals and two assists in 13 games in 2015-16, coupled with the loss of David Backes and Troy Brouwer up front for St. Louis, many expected Rattie would finally take over as a starter in 2016-17. However, halfway though this campaign, Rattie has dressed for just four games, averaging about seven minutes of ice time, and has been held scoreless to boot.
The Blues are hoping to move Rattie through waivers and get him some playing time at the AHL level with the Chicago Wolves. It may not be that simple though. The shine of Rattie’s early draft status may have worn over the last five years, but at this point in the season with injuries piling up and under-performing depth causing frustration, teams are likely to give the two-way right winger some consideration. Rattie had 231 points combined in just two seasons to finish his junior career with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks, and has followed that up with three straight 40+ point AHL seasons to begin his pro career. It’ s no question that Rattie (4 NHL games, 3 AHL games) desperately needs some play time this season, but if a team can commit to letting him see the ice, they may just find that he rekindles his scoring touch. Insiders from the Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, and Boston Bruins have already speculated that their teams may be interested.
In other minor transactions:
- Rather than dress an equipment manager again, the Carolina Hurricanes have recalled goalie Daniel Altshuller from the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL to serve as the backup to Cam Ward while Eddie Lack remains sidelined. Altshuller, a 2012 third-round pick, has been called up to the NHL level before, but has yet to make his debut. Since turning pro, Altshuller has spent time in both the AHL and ECHL. While his ECHL numbers have been impressive, he has yet to perform at the AHL level. So far in 2016-17, Altshuller has an .884 SV% and 3.44 GAA when playing with the Checkers. Those uninspiring numbers indicate that that Altshuller is unlikely to make his first NHL appearance this time around. His call-up is likely just as much about having a body on the bench as signing the equipment manager was. However, 2014 second rounder Alex Nedeljkovic has been even worse than Altshuller this year, and veteran Michael Leighton has been far from reliable in his few appearances for the ‘Canes. If Lack remains out, Altshuller may be forced into service to relieve the overworked Ward.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have demoted forward Tyler Motte to the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs. Motte was expected to step in and be an impact rookie this season, but has fallen short of those expectations. He has played in 33 games for the Hawks, but has just seven points in one of the league’s most prolific offenses. Chicago hopes that a trip to the minors helps Motte to rediscover the instincts that excited fans this preseason and made him nearly a goal-per-game player at the University of Michigan last year. For now, Spencer Abbott has been recalled to replace Motte. The former UMaine star currently leads the Ice Hogs in points this season.
- The Minnesota Wild have brought forward Kurtis Gabriel back into the fold, after sending him down to the Iowa Wild of the AHL last week. Gabriel is a cut-and-dry energy line player, but brings a welcome tenacity and checking ability to the Minnesota lineup.
- Chris Wagner is headed back to the Anaheim Ducks yet again. The veteran forward has been shuffled between the Ducks and the AHL’s San Diego Gulls all season, with a move seemingly every week. With Ryan Getzlaf expected to be out for a game or two, Wagner will draw into the lineup. He has two goals in 21 games with the team this season.
- The New York Ranger have recalled winger Nicklas Jensen from their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. The young Danish forward was set to take a starting job with the Rangers this season, but was pushed out by free agent depth additions. Jensen has played in four games in New York this season, but has been held scoreless. Jensen showed flashes of a bright future when he was in Vancouver, but has been used sparingly since arriving in the Big Apple.
Johan Larsson Out For Season
In a new report from John Vogl of the Buffalo News, Johan Larsson admits that his season is over. The Buffalo forward dislocated his elbow and wrist on Saturday and had originally just been reported as out for a few weeks. He underwent surgery while in a Boston hospital, and will miss the remainder of the regular season.
The 24-year old Larsson has been a solid contributor for the Sabres the past couple of years, adding some secondary scoring and a strong defensive game. Playing over 16 minutes a night this season, he ranks second among Buffalo forwards in blocked shots and has taken the second most faceoffs on the team.
Larsson was picked in the second round by the Minnesota Wild in 2010 before being included in the trade that brought Jason Pominville west. Pominville would go on to post a 30-goal season for the Wild the following season, while the other player involved in the deal Matt Hackett struggles in the Anaheim minor league system.
Developing Larsson into a solid NHL player is key to scraping any value out of that trade, and it looked like he was well on his way with six goals and eleven points in 36 games this year. That’s only slightly behind Pominville, who only has 14 points this season and has seen his ice-time drastically reduced. There will be no more development this season though, as he’ll rehab his arm and get ready for next season.
Blackhawks Notes: Kruger, Hossa, Winter Classic
After leaving the ice in a hurry on Friday night, Marcus Kruger won’t be returning for the Chicago Blackhawks any time soon. According to Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun Times, the team will be without their defensive center for at least three weeks. An ‘upper-body injury’ is all we know about what ails Kruger, who has been the Hawks shutdown defender for the last few seasons.
While he’s not by any means an offensive dynamo, Kruger is responsible defensively and is a solid faceoff man (although with Jonathan Toews, the Hawks don’t have any problems in that area). As head coach Joel Quenneville admits, “That’s a big loss for us.”
- At least it’s not all terrible news on the injury front, as Marian Hossa skated on Sunday morning and has a chance to play on Thursday against Buffalo. Hossa has been out for the last four games and will miss the Winter Classic tomorrow against the St. Louis Blues. The Blackhawks retain the lead in the Central Division even after the 12-game win streak by Minnesota. They have, however already played 39 games, the most in the league and three more than the Wild.
- Today at the Centennial Classic in Toronto, the teams had to wait as weather (sun, as it happens) delayed the start of the game. It looks like there might be a similar situation in St. Louis, where the forecast calls for rain all afternoon on Monday. With the team not knowing when the start time will be, they began making jokes about what they’ll do during the wait. “I don’t know. Batting cages, maybe?” said Corey Crawford to Tracey Myers of CSN Chicago.
Snapshots: Blue Jackets Win 15th Straight, Jagr, Subban
Not even the Minnesota Wild could defeat the red-hot Columbus Blue Jackets. The Wild, winners of 12 straight heading into Saturday’s contest, lost 4-2 to Columbus. The Jackets ran their winning streak to 15 games. Yahoo’s Jen Neale called it the “Unsustainabowl” as both teams went into the game with franchise record winning streaks. With the win, the Jackets now hold the second longest winning streak in NHL history while also wrapping up an undefeated December. Aaron Portzline reports that the Jackets tied the 1981-82 New York Islanders and the 2012-13 Pittsburgh Penguins with their 15th consecutive win. The 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins hold the all-time record, winning 17 straight. That team was coming off back to back Stanley Cup wins. Portzline writes that after yesterday’s triumph, several Blue Jackets players finally acknowledged that they want to usurp the NHL record. Portzline quoted Brandon Saad as saying:
“It’s pretty hard to fathom actually,” said wing Brandon Saad, a Pittsburgh native. “What a team that was and we all know what it (the streak) is at and we’re looking to take over. We’re continuing one game at a time and we have some tough tests coming, but this has been fun to be a part of.”
- A member of that 92-93 Penguins squad continues to rack up accomplishments of his own. Jaromir Jagr tied Paul Coffey for fifth all time on the assist list when he set up Vincent Trocheck‘s goal Saturday night. Jagr also scored his 756th goal in the Panthers’ 3-1 victory over Dallas. The accomplishments for the 44-year-old winger continue as in addition to moving up on the career assists list, Jagr is second all time in points (1,891) and third all time in goals.
- After a report that P.K. Subban may have a herniated disc, the Tennessean’s Adam Vingan writes that the loss of Subban for an extended amount of time would be “problematic” for a team that hasn’t lived up to the preseason expectations of being a Stanley Cup contender. Vingan adds that the Predators’ defensive depth should be able to absorb such a loss.
Blue Jackets vs. Wild: History In The Making
At this time last year, a match-up between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild would have gone largely unnoticed. Columbus was underachieving, setting themselves up for their eventual place near the bottom of the 2015-16 NHL standings. Minnesota was cemented as the fifth best team in the tough Central Division and was simply holding out hope that they could lock up the eighth and final spot in the conference. The NHL Expansion Class of 2000 was still trying to figure things out. Jump to December 31st, 2016 and this game is a whole different story. Tonight’s Jackets-Wild game is a historic battle, not just in hockey, but in North American pro sports altogether.
When the puck drops in Minnesota tonight, it will be the first ever game between two pro teams on winning streaks of 12 or more games. The Blue Jackets have been the surprise of the season, leading the league with 54 points and currently on a 14-game winning streak. The stretch is tied for third longest in NHL history and has catapulted the team ahead of their rival, and defending Stanley Cup champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins. Meanwhile, it was the Wild who led the league early on this season, and still sit comfortably out West with 50 points, due to their 12-game winning streak.
However, one team will end their streak tonight. It took the Blue Jackets into March last season to win their 26th game, so they have that intrinsic benchmark on the line, as well as keeping their slim lead over the Penguins in the cutthroat Metropolitan Division. The Wild have been waiting years to claim the Central from the perennial favorite Chicago Blackhawks and, with four games in hand, can take the division lead back from Chicago with a win tonight. So who comes out the victor in one of the biggest regular season games in recent league history? Both teams have been stout defensively behind stellar goaltending. Minnesota and Devan Dubnyk lead the league with just 2.00 goals allowed per game, but Columbus and Sergei Bobrovsky are right on their tail in second with 2.06 goals allowed per game. Bobrovsky leads the NHL with 23 wins, but Dubnyk tops the list at goals against average and save percentage with a 1.67 GAA and .944 SV%. As a whole, the Wild are a superior defensive team, and Ryan Suter, Jason Zucker, and Jared Spurgeon as 1-2-3 in NHL +/- is evidence of such. But this game will come down to offense. In addition to being solid in their own end, Columbus leads the league with 3.44 goals for per game. Minnesota sits in fourth with 3.14 goals per game. Both teams have received scoring from throughout their lineup, with unlikely candidates like Wild free agent import Eric Staal and Blue Jackets gamble Sam Gagner leading the charge. Whichever team is able to put together a more complete, balanced offensive effort tonight will likely hold on to their impressive winning streak.
Columbus Blue Jackets Recall Markus Hannikainen
Amid a 14-game win streak and prior to taking on another streaking team in the Minnesota Wild, the Columbus Blue Jackets have decided to bring a rookie back up. Markus Hannikainen has been recalled by the team Saturday morning ahead of their New Year’s Eve faceoff with the Wild. The two teams have combined to win 26 games in a row, a streak that will end for one of them tonight.
Hannikainen has been up with the team earlier this season, suiting up for five games at the end of November. Undrafted, the Finnish winger burst onto the professional hockey scene in 2014-15 as a 21-year old in Finland’s highest league. After bouncing between the junior and senior circuits in years prior, he played 60 games for JyP Jyvaskyla and recorded 46 points.
The Blue Jackets signed him to a two-year entry level contract that summer, and he spent most of last season with the Lake Erie Monsters, eventually winning a Calder Cup. His 20-point regular season showed some growing pains with the North American game, but he put it all together in the playoffs, tallying 10 points in 16 games.
It’s not clear where exactly he fits into this lineup as they continue to roll, but is a solid depth option for coach John Tortorella.
Injuries And Recalls: December 29
Injury Updates:
- 4:20pm: The Kings have activated defenseman Brayden McNabb off IR, Elliott Teaford of the Southern California News Group relays. He last played on October 29th before suffering a collarbone injury.
- 1:20pm: The Devils announced that center Jacob Josefson has been activated off of injured reserve. He had missed the last five games with a concussion and has two assists in 14 games this year.
- 11:17am: The Lightning announce that rookie forward Brayden Point will miss the next four-to-six weeks with an upper-body injury. Point has 15 points in 36 games so far this season.
- 10:28am: After leaving last night’s game, Florida Panthers center Sasha Barkov will undergo an MRI. This is according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, who says Barkov’s injury does not appear to be serious at this time. Barkov has been one of the Panthers’ few bright spots in an otherwise difficult year, with 27 points in 36 games. He will not be in the lineup on Thursday night when the Panthers host the Montreal Canadiens.
- According to Bill Hoppe of the Buffalo Times-Herald, Sabres defenseman Dmitry Kulikov will be out of the lineup on Thursday night. Kulikov aggravated a prior back injury and will be replaced by Cody Franson, who is returning from a mid-to-lower-body injury. Kulikov was one of the Sabres’ bigger additions this past summer, but only has one assist in 20 games, and that came on Tuesday night.
- Also via Hoppe, Tyler Ennis is once again skating with the team seven weeks after undergoing surgery. His initial timeline was around six weeks. There is no timetable for his return.
- Oilers winger Iiro Pakarinen is skating, according to Mark Spector. Pakarinen has yet to play a game this season after suffering an ugly knee injury in a pre-season game versus the Kings on October 2. He has 16 points in 80 games over the past two seasons with the Oilers.
Recalls:
- 5:20pm: The Minnesota Wild announced that they have demoted forward Kurtis Gabriel to the AHL’s Iowa Wild. The 2013 third-round pick recorded his first NHL point while on recall, an assist in an early December win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, but has failed to build on that. He has just the one point in 13 games with Minnesota over the past two seasons. The fourth liner was averaging just under six minutes of ice time so far this season. Not known for his offensive ability, the 23-year-old Gabriel will have to prove in the AHL that he is an NHL-caliber checker to earn another shot.
- In light of Point’s injury, the Lightning have recalled Erik Condra and Yanni Gourde from Syracuse. Condra has played seven games for the Bolts so far this season, but has been held pointless. He does have 19 points in 21 AHL games. Gourde has just two NHL games under his belt, both last season. He has 26 points in 29 AHL games so far.
- Columbus has recalled left winger Markus Hannikainen as they look to win their fourteenth straight game. He’s not expected to be in the lineup on Thursday night versus the Jets. Hannikainen has no points in five NHL appearances this season, but has 13 points in 23 AHL games in Cleveland.
- The Panthers have recalled Michael Sgarbossa to fill Barkov’s roster spot, according to NBC Sports. The Panthers originally acquired Sgarbossa last month from the Ducks. He has 12 points in 14 games for the Panthers’ AHL affiliate.
New Jersey Devils Place Vernon Fiddler On IR
After suffering a lower-body injury on Tuesday night against Pittsburgh, the New Jersey Devils have placed Vernon Fiddler on injured reserve. The team has recalled Luke Gazdic from Albany to replace him on the roster.
Earlier today it was reported that Fiddler will miss 3-4 weeks. That would keep him out of at least 11 games for the Devils, who at 13-15-7 are already in trouble this season. The team is already 11 points behind the Philadelphia Flyers for the last wildcard spot, and find themselves last in the conference. For a team that traded for Taylor Hall and signed several free agents (including Fiddler) the season has been a massive disappointment.
The 36-year old Fiddler has been a solid contributor throughout his long career, scoring at least 20 points in eight of his ten full seasons. He’s taken a step back this year though, with only three points through 35 games. His presence is mostly felt on the penalty kill and in the faceoff dot, where he’s winning a career-high 55.3% of his draws.
Gazdic has played in four games for New Jersey this season and 140 in his NHL career. The hulking winger will add some toughness to the fourth line if he gets into the lineup. Since Hall will also miss Thursday’s game, he probably will.