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Early Notes: Lehner, Matthews, Nylander

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Last season went down as the worst statistical season Robin Lehner had during his time as a Buffalo Sabres goaltender, registering just a .908 save percentage while putting together a 14-26-9 record. His struggles weren’t just localized in the crease though, as the 27-year old explained in an incredibly open and honest piece for The Athletic today. Lehner revealed struggles with mental health and alcoholism that he has dealt with for some time, and only just started getting help for.

Though his departure from the Sabres at the end of the year may have been surprising given the team invested a first-round pick in him a few years earlier when they acquired him from the Ottawa Senators, Lehner explains it was anything but contentious. Sabres GM Jason Botterill has apparently stayed in touch with Lehner all offseason to make sure things were trending in the right direction for him, and the New York Islanders have embraced him as part of their squad for this season.

  • Auston Matthews doesn’t have a long-term extension with the Toronto Maple Leafs yet, but that doesn’t mean he’s not committed to being with the team for a long time. Newcomer John Tavares confirmed as much in an interview alongside Matthews, telling Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman that the young forward’s commitment was part of the selling process on Toronto. The two star centers seem comfortable with each other already and easily deflected any questions about the Maple Leafs captaincy going forward.
  • Matthews’ teammate William Nylander on the other hand is still not under contract and won’t be at the start of training camp as he continues his negotiations. Head coach Mike Babcock and GM Kyle Dubas both downplayed the situation by indicating that there are many players who go through this process around the league, but wouldn’t give an update as to when the Maple Leafs can expect Nylander on the ice. The young forward is looking for a long-term contract to secure his future in Toronto but there have been reports of a substantial gap between the two sides.

Minor Transactions: 9/10/18

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With training camps soon to open and PTO offers heating up, the race is on for players to make a decisions on their careers and if and where they will play this season. Here are some of the minor moves made in the past 24 hours:

  • Former Vancouver Canucks goaltender Michael Garteig has signed with the ECHL’s Newfoundland Growlers for the upcoming season, the league’s newest team announced today. While Garteig will likely be given the bulk of the starts in the coming season as the Growlers’ presumptive starter, the contract marks a continued decline in the former Quinnipiac University standout’s pro career. A top collegiate goaltender in his three years as a starter for the Bobcats, Garteig held the opposition under two goals per game at the NCAA level. An undrafted free agent out of Quinnipiac, Garteig signed a one-year deal with the Canucks and entered the 2016-17 season as the team’s fourth-string goaltender. Despite spending time in both Vancouver – although he did not make an appearance – and in the AHL with the Utica Comets, Garteig spent the majority of his first season in the ECHL. The Canucks did not make him a qualifying offer and he opted to return to Utica last year on a two-year AHL contract. Again, he made most of his appearances in the ECHL. Now, it appears that he could be there permanently, at least for the coming season, after signing with Newfoundland.
  • After recently noting that it was somewhat strange that elite college goaltender Tanner Jaillet had signed in Germany, it comes as even more of a surprise that he has failed to turn a temporary contract with Grizzlys Wolfsburg of the DEL into a full contract. The club reports that team leadership were not happy with the fit and that Jaillet failed to meet expectations. He has been released from his temporary contract to search for a new opportunity. Wolfsburg worked quickly to replace him, announcing that they have signed American keeper David Leggio to a one-year contract. Leggio, 34, was a member of the U.S. Olympic team last year has played for EHC Munchen of the DEL for the past three seasons as the team has taken home the German title each year. Prior to that, Leggio had played in the AHL for six years, most notably as one of the league’s top goalies with the Rochester Americans in 2012-13. He now faces a new challenge with the Grizzlys and is hoping for a fourth straight DEL championship.
  • One of the best names in hockey has decided to hang up his skate. According to beat writer Michael Fornabaio of the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers, Kane Lafranchise has decided to retire. Last season, at age 29, Lafranchise finally received his first NHL contract, a two-way deal from the New York Islanders, after seven seasons in the AHL and ECHL. Although he played a full season in the AHL for just the second time in his minor league career, Lafranchise did not see any NHL action and felt that both a need to move on and health concerns meant that the time had come to call it quits. Fellow Tigers defenseman Patrick Cullity, a nine-year minor league veteran in his own right, also decided to retire and move on with a new career.

Luca Sbisa Skating With New York Islanders

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12:30pm: Sbisa confirmed that he will join Islanders camp on a professional tryout.

10:30am: Though it’s not clear if a professional tryout (or even a full contract) is incoming, Arthur Staple of The Athletic reports that free agent defenseman Luca Sbisa is present at the New York Islanders veteran skate today. Sbisa is one of the more interesting free agents left on the market, and the Islanders have already shown a willingness to bring in veteran defensemen to battle for spots in camp after inviting Dennis Seidenberg in recent days.

Sbisa, 28, dealt with another injury plagued season in 2017-18 and suited up for just 30 games with the Vegas Golden Knights. He did record 14 points in those games though, which was incredibly his highest total since the 2011-12 season. That production carried over to the postseason where he recorded four assists in 12 playoff contest, but wasn’t enough to prove he deserved an extension with Vegas.

That’s been the theme of Sbisa’s career to this point after being selected 19th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2008. There have been just two seasons in which he played at least 80 games, and though that isn’t entirely due to injury there has been a problem staying in the lineup at each of his stops.

The Islanders though could be a fine stop for him as they look for a way to replace their outgoing minutes on the blue line. Though Thomas Hickey re-signed, Calvin de Haan took his talents to Carolina and other peripheral players like Brandon Davidson and Seidenberg won’t be in the mix. There could be an opportunity for a player like Sbisa to sign a short-term deal and rebuild his value, showing that the increased offensive production last season is sustainable if given the chance.

Metropolitan Notes: Beauvillier, Bratt, Svechnikov, Hart

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Despite the loss of star John Tavares, the New York Islanders still are coming off a season in which the team was tied for seventh in goals scored. Throw in a Stanley Cup winning coach in Barry Trotz and don’t be surprised if the Islanders are competitive after all this year. While many players will have to deal with the task of making up for the loss of Tavares’ offense, one player that the team is counting on to take that next step will be Anthony Beauvillier, according to The Athletic’s Arthur Staple (subscription required).

The 21-year-old found his game in the second-half of his second season last year. After struggling early on last year, posting just seven points in the first 31 games of the season, he was demoted to Bridgeport of the AHL for the five-day break to work on his game. When he came back, his game took off as he scored 17 goals and 29 points in the final 40 games of the season when he was placed on the second line alongside Mathew Barzal.

While his success could have a lot to do with Barzal’s magnificent season, he replaced veteran Andrew Ladd, who scored just seven times in the first half of the season. Staple writes that if Beauvillier can find himself on the top line this year with Barzal and Eberle, the youngster could be in line for a breakout year.

  • Corey Masisak of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that New Jersey Devils forward Jesper Bratt needs a strong camp to prove to the team that he deserves a top-six spot in their lineup this year. After shocking many in the league by winning a spot on the Devils’ roster out of training camp last year, Bratt finished the season with 13 goals and 35 points. Now, the 20-year-old must prove he belongs and can build on a solid rookie campaign. However, the question is whether he can get enough playing time to better this season. Bratt scored 10 points in his first 10 games and then picked up 29 in his first 42 games. However, his offense disappeared on the injury return of Travis Zajac as well as other crippling injuries to Marcus Johansson and Kyle Palmieri. The team also added Patrick Maroon and Michael Grabner at the trade deadline as Bratt was actually often a healthy scratch.
  • It hasn’t taken long for Carolina Hurricanes’ winger Andrei Svechnikov to get a lot of attention. The second-overall pick in this year’s draft hit the ice at the Traverse City Prospects tournament, and the 18-year-old showed off his quickness and readiness to step right into the NHL, according to NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. In two games for Carolina, he’s posted a goal and a couple of assists along with 2017 first-rounder Martin Necas. Despite their compatibility together, the team expects to break up their two rookies when training camp begins, however. “Probably a little harder in the NHL to put the two young players like that together,” Carolina general manager Don Waddell said. “Down the road I can see it, but I think right now [coach Rod Brind’Amour’s] plan is probably to break them up in camp, let them play with some veteran players.”
  • Philadelphia Flyers’ prospect Carter Hart hopes to convince the team that’s he’s ready to make the leap to the NHL and give the Flyers a cure to their goaltending issues, according to NHL.com’s Bill Meltzer. The 20-year-old goaltender dominated juniors for the last two years, and was named the CHL’s Goaltender of the Year for two straight years, a feat no goaltender has ever accomplished before. Of course, winning a job in the NHL would be quite a challenge as most feel he’ll spend the year in the AHL, but if he could do it, he’d have to beat out Brian Elliott, Michal Neuvirth, Alex Lyon and Anthony Stolarz.

Poll: Who Will Win The Metropolitan Division In 2018-19?

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We’re less than a month away from the 2018-19 NHL season, and players are hitting the ice with teammates to start forming chemistry. All over the league there are individual workouts underway, with rookie tournaments kicking off to showcase the young players in the organization. The excitement for the upcoming season is starting to bubble up to the surface, and even the smallest NHL news has fans in a frenzy.

Recently, Bovada released their over/under numbers for each team’s point totals and there are some interesting results. Though these aren’t to be taken exactly as predictions for the upcoming season—since betting odds also take into account popularity trends and other factors—fans of the Tampa Bay Lightning should still be extremely satisfied to see their club at the very top with an over/under of 107.5 points. The Lightning are expected to be Stanley Cup contenders once again in 2018-19, and have brought back nearly their entire roster.

We ran a poll asking the PHR community to decide who will win the Atlantic Division, and the Lightning came out on top with nearly 37% of the vote. The Toronto Maple Leafs finished in second place, but the big surprise was the Detroit Red Wings in third with 15% of all voters. While our readers have more confidence in the Red Wings than the odds makers, we’ve seen stranger things in the past.

Next we asked the PHR community to vote on the Pacific Division, and while things were a little more evenly distributed the San Jose Sharks were still the clear favorite. With more than 26% of the vote, the Sharks came out ahead of the Los Angeles Kings (16%), Vegas Golden Knights (14%) and Calgary Flames (13%). The Arizona Coyotes and Vancouver Canucks haven’t done enough to inspire much confidence, earning just a handful of votes each.

The Metropolitan Division might be the most difficult to predict, but perhaps the most important given that it has taken home the last three Stanley Cups. The Pittsburgh Penguins are the only team with an over/under above 100 at 103.5, but the Philadelphia Flyers (98.5), Washington Capitals (98.5) and Columbus Blue Jackets (97.5) are all right in the mix. It might be tough for the other teams to jump all the way to the top, but there is real talent still in Carolina and both New York teams. The New Jersey Devils, despite making the playoffs last year, have just a 91.5 over/under and find themselves right on the bubble of the postseason predictions.

Who do you think will come out on top of the Metropolitan Division? Can Washington keep the motor running and ride their Stanley Cup high all the way to another division title? Will the Penguins reassert themselves as a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference? Can Philadelphia stay healthy enough to challenge for the crown? Cast your vote below and explain how you think the season will play out in the comments!

Who will win the Metropolitan Division in 2018-19?
Pittsburgh Penguins 33.55% (363 votes)
Washington Capitals 25.42% (275 votes)
Philadelphia Flyers 12.66% (137 votes)
Columbus Blue Jackets 8.41% (91 votes)
New York Rangers 6.01% (65 votes)
New York Islanders 5.73% (62 votes)
New Jersey Devils 5.08% (55 votes)
Carolina Hurricanes 3.14% (34 votes)
Total Votes: 1,082

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Islanders Notes: Seidenberg, Skarek, Soderstrom

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The New York Islanders may have a familiar face join them in training camp, as Arthur Staple of The Athletic tweets that Dennis Seidenberg is expected to sign a professional tryout. Though there has been nothing confirmed from the team, bringing Seidenberg back makes some sense for an Islanders team that currently only has seven defensemen on one-way contracts. After losing Calvin de Haan and Brandon Davidson this summer, the team could potentially bring the 37-year old Seidenberg back as a depth option.

Seidenberg played just 28 games for the Islanders last year before captaining Germany at the World Championships, and doesn’t have anywhere near the upside he once carried. A rock solid two-way defender for parts of his NHL career, he actually had a sort of renaissance in 2016-17 with the Islanders when he recorded 22 points. That kind of performance can’t be expected, but if new GM Lou Lamoriello wants to bring back some experience to guide a club that is heading into the season without their long-time captain, there could be a fit.

  • Andrew Gross of Newsday reports that goaltender Jakub Skarek won’t be staying in North America long, and is expected to head back to Finland in the coming days. Skarek, a 2018 third-round pick, signed his entry-level contract earlier this offseason but will play in the Finnish Liiga this season. The Czech goaltender is an interesting prospect in a pipeline that is filling up quickly with talent, something the Islanders have lacked at the NHL level for the last few years.
  • Speaking of that goaltending pipeline, Linus Soderstrom may not be available for Islanders camp according to Gross. The 22-year old Soderstrom is expected to play in the AHL this season but is still recovering from surgery and is considered “day-to-day” at the moment. The 6’4″ Swedish netminder struggled last season in the SHL, but has previously posted huge numbers there and was named the World Junior Championship top goaltender in 2016.

No Extension Talks Between Jordan Eberle, New York Islanders

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The New York Islanders experienced what it was like to lose a big name to free agency this summer when they were spurned by John Tavares and his decision to join the Toronto Maple Leafs. That doesn’t mean that new GM Lou Lamoriello is rushing into any other extension talks. Speaking with reporters including Brian Compton of NHL.com, Jordan Eberle indicated that he hadn’t yet spoken to the Islanders about a potential extension as he enters the final season of his current contract:

To be honest I haven’t had any conversations with anybody. Going into the summer I was trying to focus on me and being the best I can be, and come into the camp the best I can be. Once that happens you start trying to fill a role and try to make this team as good as it can be.

Eberle, 28, has been an extremely consistent offensive performer through his career and recorded 25 goals and 59 points last season for the Islanders. After coming over in a trade from the Edmonton Oilers, the talented winger posted his fifth consecutive 20+ goal season and earned his $6MM cap hit. Still, as he heads into the last year of his deal he has a lot to prove about whether he can be a part of a playoff contender. During his seven years in Edmonton, Eberle reached the postseason just once and was held goalless in 13 games. After missing the postseason tournament again last season with the Islanders, there will be some who doubt his worth as a top-six player in the league.

Still, with Blake Wheeler signing an extension today the crop of talented 2019 UFA forwards got a little smaller. Artemi Panarin and Tyler Seguin are still the big headliners of the group of pending free agents, but Eberle could find himself near the top of the heap after a few more extensions this season. For one thing he’ll still be just 29 when he is scheduled to hit the open market, and has shown a 30-goal ability in the past. James van Riemsdyk, who has just 11 more career goals than Eberle in 21 more games, received a five-year $35MM deal from the Philadelphia Flyers when he reached free agency this summer at age-29. A contract like that is certainly possible, but the Islanders forward would do himself a world of help if he dragged New York to the playoffs this season.

The Islanders do have a few big decisions to make up front, given that Eberle, Brock Nelson and Anders Lee will all be unrestricted free agents next summer. With long-term deals handed out to Andrew Ladd, Josh Bailey, Cal Clutterbuck and Leo Komarov, the Islanders are already somewhat locked into this group being the one that has to take them to the next level. Handing out extensions may not be the most prudent thing to do at the moment even if Eberle and Lee are key parts of the offensive attack.

2006 NHL Draft Take Two: Seventh Overall Pick

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Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.”  Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended.  For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.

Our look back at the 2006 NHL Entry Draft is now in full swing as we poll the PHR community to see who would have been selected in the first round and in what order knowing what we know now.  Through the first six picks, we’ve already seen potential Hall of Fame players switch teams, and multiple captains move up the draft board.

1st Overall: Jonathan Toews (St. Louis Blues)
2nd Overall: Claude Giroux (Pittsburgh Penguins)
3rd Overall: Nicklas Backstrom (Chicago Blackhawks)
4th Overall: Brad Marchand (Washington Capitals)
5th Overall: Phil Kessel (Boston Bruins)
6th Overall: Jordan Staal (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Now we’ll move forward to the seventh pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, which was held by the New York Islanders.

In 2006, the Islanders opted to take winger Kyle Okposo following a strong season with Des Moines of the USHL where he finished sixth in league scoring.  While it took a couple of years for him to become a regular (he spent a season and a half at the University of Minnesota and half a year with their AHL affiliate in Bridgeport), Okposo quickly became an impact player and had several strong years alongside now-former Islander John Tavares.

Two years ago, he inked a seven-year contract with Buffalo in free agency and while he hasn’t played like a top-line player, Okposo has still been relatively productive with 89 points in 141 games.  That has helped him climb to ninth overall in scoring among players selected in 2006.

It’s safe to say that Okposo’s selection was a good one but with the benefit of hindsight, was his pick the right one or was there a better option for New York to take?  With the seventh pick of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, who should the New York Islanders select?  Cast your vote below!

2006 NHL Draft Take Two: Seventh Overall Pick
Milan Lucic 29.54% (213 votes)
Kyle Okposo 14.70% (106 votes)
Erik Johnson 12.48% (90 votes)
Derick Brassard 10.12% (73 votes)
Bryan Little 7.77% (56 votes)
Semyon Varlamov 7.21% (52 votes)
Artem Anisimov 4.44% (32 votes)
Nick Foligno 4.30% (31 votes)
Jonathan Bernier 1.25% (9 votes)
Steve Mason 0.97% (7 votes)
Patrik Berglund 0.97% (7 votes)
Michael Grabner 0.97% (7 votes)
Michael Frolik 0.83% (6 votes)
Jeff Petry 0.83% (6 votes)
James Reimer 0.69% (5 votes)
Mathieu Perreault 0.69% (5 votes)
Cal Clutterbuck 0.69% (5 votes)
Nikolay Kulemin 0.42% (3 votes)
Jiri Tlusty 0.42% (3 votes)
Trevor Lewis 0.28% (2 votes)
Michal Neuvirth 0.14% (1 votes)
Shawn Matthias 0.14% (1 votes)
Chris Stewart 0.14% (1 votes)
Jamie McGinn 0.00% (0 votes)
Total Votes: 721

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NHL Rookie Tournaments Set For Early September

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8/31: The Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders have joined to fray, as their rookie camps will clash in prospects game on September 12th at the Isles’ practice facility, the teams announced. This leaves only the Florida Panthers without a competition for their rookies in the coming weeks.

8/24: Before team training camps open up for veterans, the rookies get some work in each year with various rookie tournaments and exhibition games taking place around the continent. This is where you can catch your favorite team:

  • The most well-known preseason rookie tournament is obviously the Traverse City NHL Prospect Tournament. The annual tournament hosted by the Detroit Red Wings is in its 20th year of existence. The format consists of two four-team “divisions” who play a round-robin tournament with the winner of each group earning a berth in the championship game. Featured this year are the Red Wings, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, New York Rangers, and St. Louis Blues. The games run from September 7th to September 11th.
  • Buffalo is again set to host the Sabres’ Prospect Challenge Tournament. Running from September 7th to 10th, it is a single group round robin tournament with the Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils, and Pittsburgh Penguins joining the Sabres on their home ice. This will be the first game action for top overall pick and preseason Calder Trophy favorite Rasmus Dahlin.
  • Across the border, the three eastern Canadian teams are set to square off in Laval, Quebec, the home of the Montreal Canadiens’ AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket. The Habs announced a set of three games featuring themselves, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Ottawa Senators on September 7th, 8th, and 9th.
  • On the other side of the country, a previous rookie tournament has been split in half. The NHL Young Stars Tournament, held in Penticton, British Columbia, will now contain only the Winnipeg Jets and Vancouver Canucks, as well as a pair of collegiate teams in a three-day series of games from September 7th to 9th. The Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames chose not to participate this year and will instead face-off in one singular game in Red Deer, Alberta on September 12th.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights are set to host the first of a revolving tournament among U.S.-based Western Conference teams. Nicknamed the Vegas Rookie Faceoff, Sin City will be the location of this year’s tournament which also features the Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks. It will be a three-day, nine-game series taking place on September 8th, 9th, and 11th. The tournament is expected to head to Anaheim next year.
  • Finally, the NHL’s southeastern squads will square off in Estero, Florida at the home of the ECHL’s Florida Everblades. The Prospect Showcase will be four days of games between the Nashville Predators, Tampa Bay Lightning, and defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals, taking place from September 8th to 11th.

For all updates on rookie tournament rosters, check in with Roster Resource and their running tracker of roster announcements.

Atlantic Notes: Point, Athanasiou, Halak, Alzner

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With his entry-level contract set to expire at the end of this season, Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point may only get better as he looks towards a bigger contract next season. In only his second season, the 22-year-old quickly and quietly moved into the No. 2 center position last season and went from 18 goals and 40 points in his rookie campaign to 32 goals and 66 points in his sophomore campaign last year.

Now armed with the incentive to take another big step in his development as he will get a chance to earn himself a hefty raise next season, don’t be surprised if Point takes that next step to become a point-per-game scorer in the league, according to NBC Sports Scott Billeck. Point likely wouldn’t be in this position had it not been for the unfortunate injury of Steven Stamkos in 2016-17 as Point received the roster spot in wake of Stamkos’ injury. He has made the most of it. One other reason, his growth is likely to continue is because of his impressive playoff performance last year where he posted seven goals and 16 points in 17 games.

  • MLive’s Ansar Khan writes that Detroit Red Wings winger Andreas Athanasiou could find himself a trade candidate in the coming months if he can’t prove to be a more consistent player. The 24-year-old is coming off a disappointing season in which he went from an 18-goal scorer in 2016-17 to a 16-goal scorer last season, even though he played seven more games. However, Khan writes that missing training camp and the first 10 games of the season due to a contract impasse last year might have a lot to do with his struggles. If the team was going to trade him, Khan believes the team wouldn’t be interested in draft picks as they were when they moved out Tomas Tatar to Vegas at the trade deadline. Instead, the Red Wings may be on the lookout for a defenseman, who can help their struggling defense.
  • Don’t be shocked if Boston Bruins’ new backup Jaroslav Halak turns in a solid season this year behind starter Tuukka Rask and maybe fights him eventually for the starting job. NBC Sports Joe Haggerty writes the 33-year-old may have struggled immensely the past two years with the New York Islanders, but he should be in a much better situation, defensively, in Boston. While never having been a backup before, Halak is expected to eat into some of Rask’s playing time this year. He is likely to be asked to play between 30-35 games this year, which should give him a easier workload as opposed to the 54 games he played in New York. Behind the Islanders shaky defense, Halak finished with a 3.19 GAA and a .908 save percentage. The starting job in the future may depend on how each goalie fares this year.
  • NHL.com’s Matt Cudzinowski interviewed Montreal Canadiens defenseman Karl Alzner who signed with the team last offseason, but struggled in Montreal in his first season there. The 29-year-old said he was disappointed in his play in the first year and attributed much of it to needing time to get comfortable and adjust to the way the Canadiens play. “There were definitely some growing pains,” Alzner said. “It wasn’t a very fun year of hockey. People maybe had some expectations for me that were a little bit unrealistic. I know what I can bring to this team when I’m playing well. I just need to stay under the radar and do the right things, do the little things right. That’s success for me.”

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