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Metropolitan Notes: Halak, Greiss, Devils

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Here are the latest news and notes from the Metropolitan Division:

  • Islanders goaltender Jaroslav Halak is fully recovered from the groin injury he suffered late last season that caused him to miss the entire postseason, writes Newsday’s Arthur Staple. Not only is he back to full health, he has been skating for the last five weeks.  He should be ready to reclaim the starting job for the Islanders and battle with Toronto’s Frederik Andersen (who is expected to play despite leaving an Olympic qualifying game Friday due to injury) for the top spot on Team Europe’s entry into the World Cup of Hockey.
  • More from Staple, he spoke with Islanders netminder Thomas Greiss about his decision not to suit up for Germany in this week’s Olympic qualifying tournament. Greiss noted that it would be difficult to jump into games without a training camp which is why he passed on the opportunity to suit up.  He will, however, be a part of Team Europe for the World Cup, likely as the third string goalie despite a very strong playoff effort where he posted a 2.46 GAA and a .923 SV% in 11 games.
  • Count New Jersey goalie Cory Schneider as a fan of the Devils’ moves this offseason, as NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti notes. “Ray (Shero) has done a good job of clearing out some older guys. You loved playing with all of those guys, but he wanted to make us younger and faster, and I think he’s been doing that.”  The team ranked dead last in goal scoring last year, averaging just 2.22 per game but have added some extra scoring depth in Vernon Fiddler and Beau Bennett while also bringing in a legitimate top line threat in Taylor Hall.  While the team lost Adam Larsson in the Hall deal, Schneider believes the offensive improvements should be enough to help vault New Jersey back into the playoff hunt, especially as they continue to shift towards more of a speed-based attack.

Kevin Allen’s Latest: Early Predictions, Pivotal Players

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Kevin Allen writes that the Detroit Red Wings are one of five teams in danger of missing the playoffs this season. Similar to his reports while speaking with PHR, Allen lists a questionable defensive corps, inconsistent goaltending and whether or not goal scorers like Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist will find the net as they should as reasons why they may not make it back for a 26th straight season. Though he could see them sneaking in, the Wings are more vulnerable than ever before. It all depends on youth and everything coming together.

Allen also lists the Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders, and St. Louis Blues as candidates to possibly miss. With the Kings, Allen believes that the Calgary Flames and Arizona Coyotes, if better, could push the Kings who lost Milan Lucic to Edmonton. The Flyers, a surprise team in the playoffs last season, will have more competition in the Metropolitan Division while the Canadiens, who struggled after Carey Price’s injury, will also be better in the Atlantic, making the Eastern Conference a lot tougher.

The Islanders, Allen writes, lost some key players in Frans Nielsen, and Kyle Okposo. Though he calls it “sinful” to bet against a John Tavares led team, he still wonders if they grabbed enough to compensate for their losses. Finally, with the Blues, Allen reports that they took a “half step” back while division foes Chicago, Minnesota, and Nashville all improved. Further, Arizona and Calgary are better, crowding the already tight Western Conference. Losing David Backes, Brian Elliott, and Troy Brouwer also doesn’t help for depth purposes.

  • Earlier in the week, Allen also compiled a list of the ten most pivotal players heading into the season. Number one on that list is Kari Lehtonen, who will make an early push to be the primary option between the pipes for the Stars. Though he has struggled in the past, he has the opportunity to backstop a potential Stanley Cup contender. Should he not, the Stars have been an oft-reported  team to land Ben Bishop should he be available. Other names Allen included were Brian Campbell, a player he believes could solidify the Blackhawks defense, and Elliott, who could finally give the Flames a strong goaltending option.

Minor Transactions: 08/30/16

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Here is where we will keep track of the day’s minor transactions:

  • The Carolina Hurricanes will sign notorious forward Raffi Torres to a professional tryout, according to Aaron Ward. Torres is coming off a season that saw him suspended for more games than he played at any level, after he was given a 41-game ban for his hit on Jakob Silfverberg in the preseason. He did get into six games for the San Jose Barracuda, but was held scoreless. Torres was recently quoted as saying “The show or no”, referring to a possible retirement if he doesn’t make the NHL this year.
  • The Manitoba Moose have signed two players to one-year deals. Patrice Cormier and Kevin Czuczman will be suiting up for the Winnipeg Jets affiliate next season. Cormier played for the Moose last season and got into two games with the big club, not scoring a point. Czuczman is a defenseman who made his NHL debut in 2013-14 with the Islanders, but hasn’t made it back since. He scored 15 points in 74 games with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers last season.
  • The New York Rangers’ AHL affiliate Hartford Wolfpack have signed Boston University defenseman Ahti Oksanen. Oksanen finished his BU career with 115 points in 150 games, including 35+ points in each of his junior and senior seasons. His 36 points last year ranked him second on BU, ahead of first-round pick Charles McAvoy and second-rounder Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson.
  • The Toronto Marlies have signed Jon Jutzi to an AHL contract, after inviting him to their rookie development camp in July. Jutzi, 25, played four seasons at Minnesota State University alongside Predators draft pick Zach Stepan, cousin of Derek Stepan. Jutzi got into six games with the Manitoba Moose this spring after graduating, where he was held pointless.

Metro Notes: Tavares, Capuano, Bednar, Rangers

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John Tavares is undoubtedly one of the top players in the game today, but even the best athletes work hard every day to improve their game. Arthur Staple of Newsday writes about what Tavares is doing this summer to try to avoid the lengthy slumps in production he experienced during parts of the 2015-16 campaign.

Tavares tied for 10th in the NHL in goals with 33 so it’s not as if his performance should be described as disappointing. But this summer he’s implemented a new workout schedule trying to find ways to stay fresher during the rigors of a long regular season. Tavares offered up this explanation for the change:

“I got sick really early in the season and I felt like I was overcoming some fatigue a little bit still after that. I just tried to manage this summer a little differently, making sure I got some really good recovery, some really good rest. I actually started training pretty early but I didn’t kick it into high gear for a little while. I tried to be on the ice a bit more, but just tried to make sure my quality was really high, that I didn’t try to do too much. So just to change up some things, stay fresh, stay healthy, work on some things you want to improve on in your game.”

Within the same post, Staple relays comments from head coach Jack Capuano, who wants his defensemen to generate more offense this season. Even though the team’s blue liners finished the 2015-16 season with nearly as many points as the previous season, Capuano felt the unit simply wasn’t as “dynamic” as they were the year before.

The Islanders did see a drop off in overall team goal scoring, falling from 252 goals in 2015-16 to 232 this past campaign. If Capuano can find a way to squeeze more production from his blue line corps, they should return to being one of the more prolific offenses in the league.

Elsewhere in the Metro……

  • Despite suggestions that the New York Rangers would be among the busiest teams in the league this offseason, the club’s foray into free agency was minimal with Michael Grabner and Jimmy Vesey – who represented a unique case – being the only outside free agents to be given multiyear deals. On the trade front, the team did move top-line pivot center Derrick Brassard but acquired a suitable long-term replacement in Mika Zibanejad in exchange. For a team that has been in “go-for-it” mode for the last several years and consequently moved a ton of futures in deals to acquire veteran players – such as Martin St. Louis, Eric Staal and Keith Yandle – this summer has been strangely devoid of blockbuster acquisitions. But as Matt Larkin of The Hockey News writes, the team’s philosophy this summer was to inject youth and speed into the lineup and it appears general manager Jeff Gorton has been able to do so without making the kind of splashy moves expected.
  • The Colorado Avalanche hired Jared Bednar this week to be the team’s new head coach, filling the void created when Patrick Roy abruptly resigned from his post. Bednar was formerly employed by the Blue Jackets organization and had been the head coach of the team’s AHL affiliate the last two seasons. But as Terry Frei of the Denver Post notes, Bednar was not the only candidate with Columbus ties that the Avalanche considered for their coaching vacancy. Frei points out that current Colorado assistant general manager, Chris MacFarland, formerly held the same position for Columbus. Part of his responsibility with the Blue Jackets was overseeing the team’s minor league organizations which would have put him in direct contact with Bednar. Additionally, the Avalanche interviewed Bob Boughner, who spent a single season as an assistant in Columbus while MacFarland was employed with the club. Scott Arniel, who was head coach in Columbus for a year-and-a-half, and current Blue Jackets assistant Brad Larsen were also both considered to some level for the job.

Islanders Hire Chris Lamoriello As Director Of Player Personnel

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The Islanders have brought in a famous hockey name to join Garth Snow in the front office. Chris Lamoriello, son of Toronto Maple Leafs’ GM Lou Lamoriello has been hired as the new director of player personnel in New York.

The younger Lamoriello had been part of the New Jersey Devils organization since 1995, as a vice president of hockey operations (since 2001) and the general manager of their AHL affiliate Albany. He resigned from the club last September after his father left. During his time running Albany, the team never won a Calder Cup, in fact only making the playoffs on a handful of occasions.

On Lamoriello, Snow said “Chris brings a tremendous amount of knowledge to our organization. He has more than 20 years of experience in the industry and we are thrilled to have him on board.”

The Islanders are coming off back-to-back 100+ point seasons and are primed for another strong campaign on the back of captain John Tavares. If Lamoriello can work some magic and bring in some additional pieces or young talent, the somewhat-homeless Islanders could see themselves back in the Stanley Cup final before long.

Hudler Agrees To Deal With Stars

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It appears Jiri Hudler’s long wait is finally over as the 11-year veteran winger has reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with the Dallas Stars. Sonny Sachdeva of Today’s Slap Shot – the hockey division of Fan Rag Sports – initially broke the news via Twitter after receiving the word directly from Hudler’s agent, former NHL defenseman Petr Svoboda. Sachdeva later tweeted that Hudler would receive $2MM for the 2016-17 season.

Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News has confirmed the agreement and the terms, indicating only that the contract has yet to be officially signed.

Hudler was one of the top remaining unrestricted free agents on the market ranking 18th on Pro Hockey Rumors’ Top-50 List. He netted 10 goals and 25 assists in 53 games with Calgary in 2015-16 before being dealt to Florida for two draft choices at the trade deadline. He would then contribute six goals and 11 points in 19 regular season contests with the Panthers but would struggle in the postseason, recording a single assist in Florida’s six-game first-round playoff loss to the Islanders.

His 2015-16 campaign was a step down from his performance the previous year when Hudler tied for eighth in scoring with a career best 76 points. He made $4MM in the final year of the four-year deal he inked with Calgary and will see his salary cut in half with his new contract.

The Stars may seem an odd fit for Hudler on the surface as they already boast one of the league’s best offenses and after losing three regular defensemen – Kris Russell, Alex Goligoski and Jason Demers – to free agency, it would have made more sense if any late summer addition was made on the blue line. But clearly Stars management is comfortable allowing a few of their young players to compete for regular roles on defense. Plus the opportunity to add a skilled winger of Hudler’s caliber on the cheap had to be appealing.

Dallas has Tyler Seguin and Jason Spezza slotted as their numbers one and two centers with Hudler likely to line up next to one of the talented pivots. He’s also a good bet to see plenty of power play time for the Stars and could be set up for a nice bounce-back season playing with all of the talent in Dallas. A good campaign with the Stars would put Hudler in a better position to hit the free agent market next summer in search of a multiyear deal.

Our friends at Roster Resource have already updated the Stars depth chart based on the reports of the signing.

Latest On Maple Leafs Roster Crunch

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James Mirtle of the Globe and Mail joined TSN 1050 today to speak about a few Toronto Maple Leafs topics including Mark Hunter’s new title and Mitch Marner’s shot with the team. He also was asked about the “log-jam” at the forward position going into this year.

I think there is going to be a trade coming. You remember last year there was that deal where they gave up five prospect type players to the Islanders for Michael Grabner right during training camp. That could be the kind of deal the Leafs need to make, where they just get rid of contracts.

There are so many forwards there that will need waivers to go down to the minors – you can debate whether they’ll be claimed or not – but there is definitely going to be a real battle there…not all those guys are going to be able to make the team.

After the Maple Leafs signed Brandon Prust yesterday to a PTO, they’ll now have at least 23 forwards in camp with NHL experience and a legitimate claim for a roster spot. While obviously many of these players could head back to the AHL (or in Marner’s case, the OHL), perhaps the Maple Leafs would want to move a few of the older bodies out in order to make room for their younger players.

Tyler Bozak, Joffrey Lupul and Milan Michalek all carry fairly substantial cap-hits, but also provide experience and some level of offensive ability. There are also names like Peter Holland, Colin Greening and Byron Froese who all have shown the ability to contribute in the bottom-six at the NHL level and carry much smaller salaries. If a deal is made – and even if one isn’t – expect Marner to stay with the club all season, after some strong words of confidence from his head coach recently.

Tim Jackman Retires From NHL

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According to Elite Prospects, long-time journeyman Tim Jackman has decided to hang up his skates and retire from professional hockey. Jackman played 483 games across parts of twelve seasons, suiting up for the Blue Jackets, Coyotes, Kings, Islanders, Flames and Ducks along the way.

Now 34-years old, Jackman was originally picked in the second round of the 2001 draft, and would contribute 75 points and over 800 penalty minutes across his career. The North Dakota native got into nine playoff games in 2014-15 with the Ducks, his first taste of NHL postseason.

Playing with the San Diego Gulls of the AHL last season, Jackman put up two points (1-1) and 33 penalty minutes in 22 games. Don’t be surprised to see Jackman’s name in a coaching staff in the future, as often tough guys and journeymen find success behind the bench after their playing days are over.

Potential 2016-17 Impact Rookies: Zacha, Barzal, Pulock, Provorov

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Last week Pro Hockey Rumors began profiling first year players who have both a solid chance of making their respective teams and of also impacting their club’s on-ice fortunes this season. We started with four Metro rookies and today we finish up with four more from the same division.

Pavel Zacha (New Jersey) – Zacha, a skilled 6-foot-3, 210-pound pivot, was the Devils first-round choice in the 2015 entry draft, selected sixth overall from the Sarnia Sting of the OHL. In his draft year, Zacha tallied 34 points in 37 games for the Sting and followed that solid performance with a stronger 2015-16 campaign, scoring 28 goals and 64 points in just 51 contests. His terrific play led to the Devils electing to suit him up for the team’s season finale where Zacha recorded two assists in nearly 17 minutes of ice time.

Zacha also appeared for the Devils AHL affiliate in Albany, netting three points (one goal, two assists) in three regular season games and another three points in five postseason contests. Ultimately, Zacha would find himself sidelined due to a hip pointer which knocked him out of the postseason and also prevented him from participating in the team’s summer development camp.

Even after acquiring LW Taylor Hall this summer, the Devils could certainly use additional offensive firepower up front and Zacha’s potential could earn him a spot in training camp. He’s already listed as the the third LW on the team’s depth chart over at Roster Resource, suggesting there isn’t a lot of experienced NHL talent he’ll have to beat out for a spot. Given his level of skill and the opportunity he should be presented with in New Jersey, there’s a reasonable chance Zacha could quickly become one of the Devils top offensive performers.

Matthew Barzal (New York Islanders) – It’s not often a player selected in the middle of the first round make their NHL debuts little more than a year after the draft. But the Islanders need for a scoring line pivot following the loss of Frans Nielsen to Detroit in free agency and Barzal’s skill could lead to a scenario where the 19-year-old center makes the club out of camp.

Barzal made a great impression in camp last year  and was one of the team’s final roster cuts. He returned to his junior team, the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL, and got off to a blazing start with seven goals and 40 points in just 22 games. He finished with 88 points in 58 contests with Seattle.

The Islanders made what looks to be in hindsight a brilliant trade to acquire the draft choice used to select Barzal by sending defense prospect Griffin Reinhart to Edmonton for #16 overall along with a 2015 second-round pick. Reinhart had trouble cracking the Oilers lineup despite the dearth of competent defensemen in Edmonton. Meanwhile, Barzal is one of the game’s top prospects and could flourish with the Islanders as soon as this season.

Ryan Pulock (New York Islanders) – Drafted 15th overall by the Islanders in the 2013 entry draft, Pulock is a strong defenseman already with NHL size and a good, hard shot. He made his NHL debut in 2015-16 scoring two goals and 4 points in 15 regular season games. Pulock would also appear in six postseason contests tallying another three points.

Pulock also has extensive pro experience playing for the Islanders AHL affiliate in Bridgeport. In 108 games with the Sound Tigers, Pulock has netted an impressive 24 goals and 30 assists.

The Islanders do boast a solid contingent of top-four blue liners with Nick Leddy, Johnny Boychuck, Calvin de Haan and Travis Hamonic expected to see the lion’s share of defensive work. But there would appear to be an opening on the third pair opposite Thomas Hickey and Pulock should be a near lock to earn that spot. It’s possible playing a sheltered role while receiving some second unit power play time, where his big shot would be quite useful, that Pulock could prove to be a valuable asset on the club’s blue line.

Ivan Provorov (Philadelphia) – In an ideal world the Flyers would likely prefer Provorov to return to Brandon of the WHL for more seasoning. Philadelphia GM Ron Hextall wants young players to be ready for the rigors of the NHL and they simply need to be better than what the team already has on the roster. However, the Flyers currently list both Andrew MacDonald and Mark Streit among their top six defenders leaving open the possibility that a great camp could propel Provorov to a spot with the Flyers.

MacDonald was demoted to the minors to start the 2015-16 campaign despite the minimal cap savings the move created. He was only recalled in February when injuries to several regulars crippled the Flyers blue line depth. Assuming his standing in the eyes of the organization is much the same as it was a year ago, MacDonald shouldn’t prove to be much of an impediment toward Provorov’s chances of sticking with the Flyers.

Streit has had a wonderful career in the NHL but turns 39 in December and is in the final year of his contract with Philadelphia. It wouldn’t be much of a surprise if at some point this season the club moved on from Streit to open up a spot on the blue line for a younger player like Provorov.

The Flyers do boast a lot of prospect depth among their defense corps and it’s possible the team would rather give one of Samuel Morin, Mark Alt, Travis Sanheim or Robert Hagg – all of whom already have professional experience – the first crack to make the team out of camp. However, Provorov has the most upside of the team’s defensive prospects and could force his way into the lineup with a solid preseason performance. While he likely wouldn’t have the same impact as last year’s breakout rookie, Shayne Gostisbehere, Provorov has plenty of talent himself and could provide a boost to the team’s blue line.

 

Snapshots: Islanders, Benning

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Despite their starting goalie’s concerns on the situation, the New York Islanders look to be once again carrying three goaltenders to start this season. Last July, the Islanders signed Thomas Greiss to a two-year contact to back-up Jaroslav Halak. They followed that up by claiming promising young netminder J-F Berube off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings in early October. Because a player claimed on waivers must stay in the NHL or be put through waivers again, the Islanders kept him up. Berube played just seven games in 2015-16. Halak was hurt for extended time and only played 36 games. Backup-in-name-only Greiss made 41 appearances and lead the team through the playoffs, including their first round series win against Florida.

This summer, the Islanders extended Berube for another season. In an interview with NHL.com’s Brian Compton, head coach Jack Capuano said “whether you have eight defensemen or three goalies or 15 forwards … they’re all good players back there, all three of them can help us. We’ll see how it pans out… they’re all quality goaltenders.”

Related: Islanders’ depth chart

Here are some other snapshots from around the NHL:

  • Staying with the Islanders, Compton lists finding Frans Nielsen’s replacement as one of big questions surrounding the team in training camp. There’s a handful of in-house options, including Ryan Strome. The fifth overall pick in 2011 had a successful rookie campaign in 2014-15, posting 50 points, before taking a major step backward last season with 28 points and an eight game stint in the AHL. Capuano said Strome will get a shot in the middle and that he’ll be looking “for big things from Ryan”. Strome is currently a restricted free agent.
  • Despite the biggest name college free agents being signed already, there remains at least one more player who’s attracting some attention from around the NHL, according to Bob Stauffer from the Oilers Radio Network. Matthew Benning was the Bruins’ sixth round pick in 2012. He was playing in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) at the time, then went on to play one year in the USHL and then three seasons with Northeastern University. The 22-year-old right-handed defenseman posted 56 points in 110 games with Northeaster. Stauffer believes the Oilers, Kings, and Canucks all make sense as destinations for Benning: all three teams are looking to add right-handed defensemen, he’s an Edmonton-native who was drafted by current Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli, and his uncle is Canucks’ GM Jim Benning.

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