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Poll: Which Teams Will Buck The Thanksgiving Playoff Trend In 2019-20?

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Just how important is playoff position in just the second month of the regular season? Very, if you look at recent results. Over the past six years, more than 70% of teams in a playoff position at American Thanksgiving have held on to their spot. While last year was slightly below the mark – 11 of 16 teams (69%) in a playoff position on November 22 qualified – the standings at the time were even more predictive than usual. The Lightning, Predators, Flames, Maple Leafs, Jets, and Sharks all finished in the same divisional seed that they occupied at Thanksgiving.

So who were the outliers in 2018-19? Obviously, the St. Louis Blues’ return from the basement of the league standings to win the Stanley Cup is a story that will stand the test of time. However, four other clubs also turned their seasons around: the Islanders, Penguins, Hurricanes, and Golden Knights. And the teams whose seasons took a turn for the worse: the Sabres, Wild, Rangers, Canadiens, and Ducks. Ironically, the Canadiens were narrowly inside the playoff window on Thanksgiving and ended up just barely outside in the spring. Meanwhile, the Ducks, Oilers, and Coyotes were all tied for the lowest playoff-qualifying record on Thanksgiving, with the Ducks getting the tiebreaker at the time, and all three failed to qualify for the postseason.

This season has gotten off to an unpredictable start, which could potentially threaten to derail the Thanksgiving trend. Several teams considered Cup contenders are currently outside the playoff picture, while multiple surprises currently occupy a spot. With Thanksgiving arriving tomorrow, this is the current status of the NHL standings (reminder – points percentage is the ideal way of viewing NHL standings):

Eastern Conference

M1 New York Islanders (.773)
A1 Boston Bruins (.771)

M2 Washington Capitals (.740)
M3 Carolina Hurricanes (.646)

A2 Tampa Bay Lightning (.619)
A3 Florida Panthers (.604)

W1 Pittsburgh Penguins (.625)
W2 Philadelphia Flyers (.604)

Outside the Playoff Picture: Montreal Canadiens (.563), New York Rangers (.545), Columbus Blue Jackets (.522), Buffalo Sabres (.521), Toronto Maple Leafs (.520), Ottawa Senators (.479), New Jersey Devils (.435), Detroit Red Wings (.327)

Western Conference

C1 St. Louis Blues (.680)
P1 Edmonton Oilers (.673)

C2 Dallas Stars (.615)
C3 Colorado Avalanche (.609)

P2 Arizona Coyotes (.620)
P3 Vancouver Canucks (.560)

W1 Winnipeg Jets (.604)
W2 Nashville Predators (.543)

Outside the Playoff Picture: San Jose Sharks (.540), Chicago Blackhawks (.521), Anaheim Ducks (.500), Vegas Golden Knights (.500), Calgary Flames (.481), Minnesota Wild (.480), Los Angeles Kings (.417)

2018-19 playoff teams jump off the page as potential candidates to disrupt the status quo. Particularly in the Pacific Division, it is hard to image none of the Golden Knights – who beat the Thanksgiving odds last year – the Sharks or the Flames will make the playoffs, especially as they look up at the Oilers, Coyotes, and Canucks.  There could also be hope in West for the Ducks and Blackhawks, who sit at .500 currently. Over in the East, the Maple Leafs stick out like a sore thumb among non-playoff teams and could be line for improvement following their coaching change. But will it be enough given their difficult start? The Canadiens will also hope for a reverse of fortunes from last year, going from first team out in the conference at Thanksgiving to in the postseason come April. The Sabres have started hot and collapsed two years in a row, but there is still time for them to turn things back around. All three Atlantic clubs see a Panthers team with plenty of problems ahead of them in the standings right now. Meanwhile, the Rangers and Blue Jackets will look to make an unlikely run to the postseason as they chase down the Flyers.

What do you think? Which of these teams will find their way into the playoff picture and which will fall victim to the Thanksgiving postseason trend? Select as many teams below as you like, but remember that for every addition, there has to be a subtraction of a current playoff team.

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New Jersey Devils’ Tom Fitzgerald To Serve As Assistant Coach

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November 25: After a little more than a month serving as assistant coach, Fitzgerald will move back upstairs to serve as assistant GM once again.

October 16: The New Jersey Devils haven’t fired their head coach, but they have made a change behind the bench. Assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald will be joining John Hynes’ staff as an assistant coach, obviously putting even more pressure on the head coach.

Fitzgerald actually has experience with this kind of situation, previously serving as an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins while still holding his AGM title. This move will give Devils’ GM a sort of inside-man, but will also lend a hand to Hynes as the team tries to turn around their early season struggles.

The Devils are off to a dreadful start, allowing an Eastern Conference-leading 29 goals through six games and putting up a 0-4-2 record. First overall pick Jack Hughes still hasn’t recorded a single NHL point, while P.K. Subban has struggled to make the sort of impact the team had hoped.

With more than 1,000 NHL games played, Fitzgerald can lend his expertise and leadership to a group that is floundering at the moment.

Minor Transactions: 11/24/19

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Saturday was a full day of exciting, close games, as 14 match-ups yielded a combined margin of victory of just 24 goals.  This included eight one-goal games, five of which needed extra time to decide, and another four two-goal games. Sunday will be much quieter, with just six teams in action, but could feature more close finishes, with evenly-matched divisional contests in Sabres-Panthers and Oilers-Coyotes. For the other 25 teams not competing, watch for today to be used for evaluation of the week that was and preparation for a new slate of upcoming games. Follow along with all of the roster transactions right here:

  • The New Jersey Devils recalled forward Brett Seney late yesterday afternoon from AHL Binghamton and added him to the lineup right away for their Saturday night tilt with the Detroit Red Wings. The Merrimack college product has been tearing up the minors with 11 goals and 18 points in 19 games, but received just 8:45 in ice time last night. Seney played in 51 games with New Jersey last season, but appears to still have work to do to re-claim a regular role again this year.
  • The Washington Capitals announced that Michael Sgarbossa has been returned to the AHL’s Hershey Bears, which could indicate that another forward is ready to return to the NHL lineup. Injuries to Nicklas Backstrom, Carl Hagelin, and Nic Dowd and the suspension of Garnet Hathaway forced the Caps to recall multiple forwards just to ice a full group up front, so Sgarbossa’s demotion could mean one of those three injured forwards is set to return. However, the team is also off until Wednesday, which could make the move a cap decision or simply a chance to give Sgarbossa real ice time with the Bears in their game today. Sgarbossa’s play in Hershey this year has been strong, but his role has been severely limited while with Washington.
  • Filip Zadina is back up with the Detroit Red Wings. The team announced that veteran defenseman Mike Green has been moved to the injured reserve and that the 2018 sixth overall pick has taken his place on the roster. Zadina, who only played in nine games with Detroit last year and has yet to see NHL action this season, will hope to make an impact on this recall, assuming he gets into the lineup. The Czech winger has strong AHL numbers, but Detroit has been hesitant to give him an extended look at the top level. Green’s IR placement is retroactive to November 19, so the clock is already ticking for Zadina to prove he is worthy of a longer stay in the NHL.
  • The Florida Panthers have recalled defenseman Riley Stillman ahead of their game later tonight with the Buffalo Sabres. Stillman, 21, has played in three games with the Panthers already this season and has not looked out of place. Florida is far from deep on the blue line, especially after last month’s trade of Ian McCoshen, and they hope that Stillman can work his way into a regular NHL role soon.
  • It looks like the Montreal Canadiens will continue to move forward Charles Hudon back and forth a while longer. According to the AHL transactions page, the Canadiens have assigned Hudon to the Laval Rocket of the AHL, but only as a paper transaction to save cap space. The team is expected to recall him before Tuesday’s game.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have assigned forwards A.J. Greer and Jayson Megna to the Colorado Eagles, the AHL team announced. Megna has seen eight games of action with the Avalanche but has failed to register a point. However, the 29-year-old has fared much better with the Eagles, scoring three goals and five points in nine AHL games. Greer still hasn’t made his season debut with the Avalanche. He returns to the Eagles where he has two goals and 44 penalty minutes in nine games. The team also announced they have recalled defenseman Calle Rosen from the Eagles as well. Rosen, who came over in the Tyson Barrie–Nazem Kadri trade this summer, has fared well in 15 games with the Eagles, posting a goal and eight points. The recall might suggest that defenseman Erik Johnson could be out of the lineup after getting injured Saturday.
  • The New York Rangers announced they have recalled forward Boo Nieves from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL, while returning forward Timothy Gettinger to the minors. Nieves, who appeared in 43 games with the Rangers last season, will be up for the first time this season with the Rangers. He has one goal and eight points in 20 games with Hartford this year. He appeared in two games recently for the Rangers, even picking up an assist on Friday, his first NHL point of his career.
  • The St. Louis Blues have announced a trio of roster moves.  They have recalled defenseman Derrick Pouliot and winger Nathan Walker from AHL San Antonio.  To make room on the roster, they have designed Troy Brouwer as a non-roster player until he receives his work visa.  Pouliot has been quite productive in the minors so far, leading all blueliners with 18 points in 20 games while Walker is averaging over a point per game with 22 in 20 contests.

Minor Transactions: 11/21/19

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Even though a lot of hockey media will be closely monitoring Sheldon Keefe’s debut as head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, there are a number of other teams suiting up tonight for games just as important. 25 others in fact, as 13 games are scheduled for tonight including Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl back in action against the Los Angeles Kings. As teams prepare for the big night, we’ll track all the minor moves right here.

  • After last night’s game, the Montreal Canadiens sent Charles Hudon back to the AHL. The team seems likely to recall him again for their game on Saturday night, saving a few cap dollars in the process.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Zach Trotman from the minor leagues after Justin Schultz missed practice yesterday. It’s not clear if Schultz will miss any real time, but the team obviously needed an insurance plan.
  • Matt Martin has been activated from injured reserve by the New York Islanders, who will have him back in the lineup tonight against the Penguins. Martin has been out for nearly a month but is expected back beside Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck.
  • Kevin Rooney meanwhile has been moved to injured reserve by the New Jersey Devils. The move is retroactive to November 13th, meaning the team can activate him at any time.

Cory Schneider Placed On Waivers

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Tuesday: Schneider has cleared waivers and can now be assigned to the minor leagues.

Monday: The New Jersey Devils have announced that Cory Schneider will be placed on waivers today with the intention of sending him to the minor leagues. The team recalled Louis Domingue earlier today, who joins MacKenzie Blackwood in net for the Devils.

Domingue, who was acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning earlier this month, will cost the Devils a 2021 seventh-round pick if he plays in seven games. That apparently was worth it for a team that continues to flounder at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division standings. The Devils do have two wins in their last two games, but are now 16 points behind the division-leading Washington Capitals.

With Schneider, the team simply couldn’t wait for him to figure out his game. The 33-year old hasn’t been very effective since the 2015-16 season, recording a .904 save percentage in parts of four seasons since then. That has culminated in his horrendous .852 number this season in six appearances, all losses.

The Devils already have some cap space, but moving Schneider to the minor leagues would give them an additional $1.075MM in buried savings. The veteran goaltender is carrying a $6.0MM cap hit through the end of the 2021-22 season and now looks like he may be an anchor for the organization.

That contract will almost certainly mean that Schneider clears, giving him the opportunity to try and rebuild his game in the minor leagues.

Minor Transactions: 11/18/19

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Just two games grace the NHL schedule as teams continue to get a little rest after a busy Saturday, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t hockey chatter going on all across North America. As we head into the second quarter of the season coaches are already feeling their seat get a little warmer, while pending free agents should start becoming available for trade. As the hockey world continues to turn, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.

  • The Ottawa Senators have recalled Max Veronneau, the young forward that signed out of Princeton at the end of last season. The 23-year old suited up for 12 games down the stretch for Ottawa but is getting his first chance of this season.
  • Brendan Gaunce and Urho Vaakanainen have both been recalled by the Boston Bruins after the team sent three players (including Vaakanainen) down yesterday. After an incredible start the Bruins have looked mortal lately, going just 5-2-3 in their last ten games.
  • The New Jersey Devils have recalled Louis Domingue, giving them three goaltenders on the roster for the moment. That’s a curious development and one that will make the waiver announcements today something to watch. Cory Schneider has struggled mightily this season, with an .852 save percentage through six appearances.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have sent Joel Persson to the minor leagues, giving them just six defensemen on the active roster for the time being. That should soon be fixed by the return of Adam Larsson, who will be activated off long-term injured reserve.
  • Steven Santini and Mathieu Olivier have been recalled by the Nashville Predators, adding some more youth to their group as they prepare to face the Winnipeg Jets tomorrow night. Olivier was an undrafted free agent signing out of the QMJHL and has seven points in 17 games for the Milwaukee Admirals this season.

Minor Transactions: 11/17/19

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Most of the NHL is at rest today after the huge number of Saturday games, meaning just four teams are in action. The Buffalo Sabres travel to Chicago to take on the Blackhawks, while the Calgary Flames and Vegas Golden Knights get reacquainted in Sin City. As teams prepare for the next week of action, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.

  • Noah Gregor has been returned to the AHL after playing in ten games for the San Jose Sharks. The 21-year old center failed to register his first NHL point but at least got his feet wet and saw what would be required of him at the next level.
  • Former NHL goaltender Justin Pogge has found a new home for this season, signing a one-year deal with Sodertalje SK in Sweden’s second league. The 33-year old netminder has spent the last several seasons overseas after a North American career that saw him quickly turn from top prospect to AHL afterthought. In seven career NHL games, Pogge posted an .844 save percentage and 4.36 goals against average.
  • Miikka Salomaki has been assigned to the minor leagues by the Nashville Predators after five games with the team. The 26-year old was recalled on October 19th, meaning he’s close to needing waivers again. Sending him to the AHL now leaves the Predators with some extra roster flexibility.
  • The Boston Bruins have returned three players to their AHL affiliate, according to the AHL transactions page. The website reports that the Bruins have sent forwards Paul Carey and Trent Frederic and defenseman Urho Vaakanainen to Providence. Carey played Saturday in their shootout loss to Washington, receiving 6:22 of playing time. Frederic played back-to-back games Friday and Saturday, but was held scoreless, while Vaakanainen played in three games, playing 19:19 on Saturday.
  • The Athletic’s Darren Haynes reports that the Calgary Flames have recalled forward Dillon Dube from the Stockton Heat of the AHL. Dube, who has dominated in the AHL, but struggled last year in his first taste of NHL action, was brought in to spark the team, which has been struggling with offense recently. Dube has four goals and 13 points in 13 games with the Heat. Sportsnet’s Eric Francis adds that forward Alan Quine was sent to Stockton in a corresponding move.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights announced they have assigned forwards Brandon Pirri and Nicolas Roy to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. Pirri cleared waivers and has already been reported to have been sent to Chicago, while Roy has been up and down multiple times this year as a fourth-line option for Vegas. The 22-year-old has fared well in six games, posting a goal and three points.
  • The Dallas Stars announced they have re-assigned center Rhett Gardner to the Texas Stars of the AHL. The 23-year-old had appeared in eight games for Dallas but failed to register a point. He had eight shots on goal over that span. With no game until Tuesday, it could just be a paper transaction to save some cap space.
  • The Detroit Red Wings announced they have assigned defenseman Joe Hicketts to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. Hicketts has appeared in five games for the Red Wings, which included picking up his first point of the season Saturday in their shootout loss to the San Jose Sharks.
  • The New Jersey Devils announced they have assigned defenseman Colton White to the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. White was recalled Friday by the team but served as an emergency defenseman for Saturday’s game against Montreal.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled forward Eetu Luostarinen from the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL, according to a Checkers’ release. The 21-year-old Luostarinen was recalled 10 days ago, and appeared in three games for the Hurricanes, registering one assist, before being returned to Charlotte. The 2017 second-round pick has looked good in the AHL with five goals and eight points in 12 games.
  • After being sent back to the minors following Saturday’s game, the Canadiens announced that they’ve recalled winger Charles Hudon from AHL Laval.  He played less than eight minutes yesterday in his season debut but with Paul Byron and Jonathan Drouin both injured, Montreal was down to just 11 healthy forwards.
  • The Rangers have decided to give Lias Andersson some more playing time as they’ve assigned him to Hartford of the AHL per a team release.  The seventh pick in 2017 has just one assist in 17 games this season while playing less than ten minutes per night.  Winger Tim Gettinger has been recalled to take his place on the roster.

Minor Transactions: 11/15/19

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It was the Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl show again last night as the pair combined for 11 points against rookie goaltender Adam Werner and the Colorado Avalanche. The Edmonton Oilers sit in first place in the Pacific Division and seem unstoppable when their big line is on the ice. As teams try to figure out a way to slow them down, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves around the league.

  • The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Rasmus Asplund from the minor leagues (yes, another Rasmus), giving him his first opportunity in the NHL. The 21-year old forward has eight points in 13 games for the Rochester Americans and could be the answer the team is looking for as a top-nine addition.
  • Colton White has been recalled by the New Jersey Devils, after they placed Sami Vatanen on injured reserve (retroactive to November 8th). White, 22, played in three games for the Devils last season but is still looking for his first NHL point.
  • Tyler Lewington has been recalled once again by the Washington Capitals, given his extremely low cap hit. The Capitals don’t have a lot of breathing room at the moment and Lewington’s $675K cap hit is what they can afford, even if it means they’ll have to play with just 11 forwards tonight.
  • The Detroit Red Wings are close to getting Luke Glendening back into the lineup, so Givani Smith has been returned to the AHL. Smith has played in five games, but is still without his first point.

The Case For The Devils To Add An Impact Goalie

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The start of the season for the Devils has not gone well, to put it mildly.  Their new acquisitions haven’t been particularly productive and neither has Taylor Hall whose contract situation is on the front burner of the hockey hot stove.  Perhaps even worse, their goaltending, which actually was pretty strong down the stretch last season, has struggled mightily as New Jersey ranks 30th in the league in goals allowed heading into Thursday’s action.

Latest On New Jersey’s Taylor Hall

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The New Jersey Devils have been concerned for quite a while that they might have trouble re-signing Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall to an extension. Despite recent rumors that New Jersey management and Hall were going to discuss a possible new contract, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman poured some cold water on that during Saturday night’s Hockey Night in Canada segment, suggesting that an extension in New Jersey appears bleak.

“I think the Devils now know it’s unlikely they are going to be able to get a contract done during the year,” said Friedman. “I think it’s up to (Devils GM) Ray Shero who is going to have to decide what the Devils’ course of action here is going to be, because I think it’s very unlikely he agrees to sign with them during the year.”

Hall, who won the Hart Trophy in the 2017-18 season, after posting 39 goals and 93 points and almost single-handedly leading New Jersey into the playoffs, has said in the past that he wants to play on a playoff contender before his star status begins to fade. The Devils are currently in last place in the Metropolitan Division with a 4-7-4 record, not exactly what the team envisioned when it went out and brought in Jack Hughes, P.K. Subban, Wayne Simmonds and Nikita Gusev. Hall has fared well, scoring close to a point per game this year with two goals and 14 points in 15 games, but is far from his Hart Trophy season two years ago.

Hall’s agent, Darren Ferris, is also known for advising his clients to wait until as late as possible to truly gauge the market for his clients’ services. If that’s the case, the Devils cannot take a chance that Hall might opt to walk away on July 1 for nothing, meaning the team will likely have to consider a trade to a team that Hall is willing to sign with. That trade could come sooner than later with it being more unlikely the team would wait until the trade deadline to make a decision.

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