Why The Rangers May Be Better Off Keeping Kevin Hayes; Mats Zuccarello Remains Day-To-Day
While many expect Rangers center Kevin Hayes to be dealt between now and the trade deadline, Larry Brooks of the New York Post believes that they would be better off re-signing him unless they can get a young core winger or defenseman back. While adding more depth to their prospect pool is still beneficial, he argues that they’d be better off re-signing him over acquiring a pick or prospect that could reach Hayes’ current level several years down the road.
The question is how much is it going to take to get the 26-year-old to sign long-term? Brooks suggests a six-year, $6MM deal could be a fair amount as it would represent a small raise on his current $5.25MM deal while beating what Adam Henrique got on his extension with Anaheim this past summer. The Rangers aren’t eligible to officially re-sign Hayes until January 1st and GM Jeff Gorton acknowledged that there haven’t even been preliminary talks on an extension just yet.
- Still with the Rangers, although they held Mats Zuccarello out of the lineup tonight once again due to groin issues, head coach David Quinn told reporters, including Newsday’s Colin Stephenson, that the winger remains day-to-day. Zuccarello has now missed eight of the last ten games with this problem and the team has acknowledged that his recovery has not gone as well as anticipated. The 31-year-old is one of New York’s more notable potential trade chips this season but teams that may be interested are going to need to see that this won’t be a lingering problem before trying to make a move.
Minor Transactions: 11/25/18
After another busy Saturday night in the NHL that saw some outstanding performances—not to mention a career defining five-goal explosion by Patrik Laine—just four games are on the schedule for today. The action kicks off with an afternoon tilt between the Calgary Flames and Arizona Coyotes, while the Edmonton Oilers travel to Los Angeles to take on the Kings to close out the night. As teams prepare for the upcoming week of action, we’ll be here to keep track of all the minor moves.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have sent Luke Johnson to the AHL for the time being, assigning the 24-year old forward to the Rockford IceHogs. Johnson has just a single point in 13 games with the Blackhawks this season, his first in the NHL.
- It wasn’t a long NHL visit for Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Trevor Carrick, who was recalled for just one game this weekend and is now on his way back to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. Carrick, like usual, has been lighting up the minor leagues with his quick first pass and ability to jump into the rush, scoring 17 points in 19 games. The 24-year old can’t seem to establish himself as a full-time NHL player, but is one of the most effective puck-moving defensemen in the AHL.
- The Anaheim Ducks announced they have recalled defensemen Andrej Sustr and Andy Welinski from the San Diego Gulls and have assigned defenseman Joshua Mahura to the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. For Sustr, he returns after being placed on waivers on Oct. 26 and assigned to the AHL. A veteran of 322 NHL games, the 27-year-old played seven games for the Gulls tallying one assist. The team also brought up Welinski after assigning him to San Diego Saturday, making it a likely paper transaction. As for Mahura, the 20-year-old fared well in his NHL debut. He had been faring well in San Diego, posting eight points in 12 games and had a point in three games for the Ducks.
- The turntable for Timothy Gettinger continues as the 6-foot-6, 220-pound power forward has been recalled by the New York Rangers after being assigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack Saturday evening after being recalled by the Rangers on Friday. Gettinger, who made his NHL debut Saturday with a 7:00 minute performance, returns to the team. In 20 games for the Wolf Pack, Gettinger has seven goals and 11 points.
- The Carolina Hurricanes announced they have recalled forward Valentin Zykov and defenseman Jake Bean from the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. Zykov has been recalled after a playing in Charlotte on a conditioning loan posting two goals in six appearances with the AHL squad. Bean will likely replace Carrick who was assigned to Charlotte earlier Sunday (see above). The team’s 13th-overall pick in 2016 will hope to make his NHL debut Tuesday in Montreal. He has three goals and 10 points in 20 games with the Checkers.
Eastern Notes: Nylander, Zuccarello, Weber, Kovar
With just over a week remaining in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ deadline to sign William Nylander contract this season, many people are voicing their opinions on the impasse. Among them is Don Cherry, who chimed in on the contract negotiations Saturday on Hockey Night in Canada. The former coach said that Nylander isn’t competing with the contracts of John Tavares or the future deal of Auston Matthews, but Cherry believes he is as good as Mitch Marner and wants to make sure that Marner won’t make more money than him down the road.
“Here’s the deal, it’s not Tavares and it’s not Matthews he’s thinking of, he’s thinking of Marner,” Cherry said. “What happens if he signs a six-year contract and Marner gets another million or million and more? He’s not worried about the other two guys, but he thinks he’s as good as Marner. What he’s worried about is that he signs a contract and Marner signs [for] a couple more million and he’s stuck with the contract.”
Cherry advises Nylander to agree to a bridge deal as he believes that there is no way that Nylander can beat Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas, who must prove to the team and the city that he is worthy of the title and isn’t going to give in to him.
“You’re not going to beat Dubas because for Dubas this is his one shot, he can’t give in on this one,” Cherry said.
- Newsday’s Colin Stephenson writes that the New York Rangers scratched forward Mats Zuccarello Saturday as a precaution, but head coach David Quinn insists that the 31-year-old veteran is fine. He says that he didn’t want to play him in back-to-back games after recently returning from a groin injury. “Two games, back-to-back, so we’re just being cautious,’’ Quinn said, adding that Zuccarello felt fine after Friday’s game and declared himself available for Saturday. But the plan always had been to not play him in both weekend games. “We kind of chose, get him in, play him [Friday], not go back-to-back.’’
- As had been rumored earlier, John Lu of TSN reports that Montreal Canadiens captain Shea Weber will make his season debut Tuesday against Carolina, barring a setback, after missing the first half of the season after offseason knee surgery. The team will consider how Weber feels after Monday’s practice, followed by a final assessment by team doctors. Weber hasn’t played in a games since Dec. 16, 2017.
- Despite a report that Jan Kovar has been contemplating a return to Europe after failing to make the New York Islanders and finally agreeing to a PTO with the Providence Bruins, the 28-year-old has decided to stay with the AHL team for now, according to the Providence Journal’s Mark Divver. The scribe writes that Kovar took some time off to evaluate his options and returned to Providence for Saturday’s game against Lehigh Valley. Kovar has four goals and nine points in 10 games while with Providence, but no NHL team has come forward with an NHL contract.
Minor Transactions: 11/24/18
As the final weekend of November gets underway today, the league presents a slate of eleven games, highlighted by some rivalry match-ups and intriguing story lines. The Capitals and Rangers get the action started with a matinee game, while later on the Jets and Blues, Bruins and Canadiens, and Blue Jackets and Penguins square off. Meanwhile, last season’s Calder Cup-winning tandem of Garret Sparks and Calvin Pickard will face one another when the Maple Leafs host the Flyers. With 22 teams going after a busy day yesterday as well, there will surely be some movement across the league today. Keep up with all the recalls and reassignments right here:
- Last night, the Edmonton Oilers returned rookie forward Cooper Marody to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. Edmonton had called up Marody early last week and gave him four starts, but Marody still failed to record his first NHL point. Marody has been held off the score sheet through six NHL games thus far in his first pro season, but has ten points in just seven AHL contests. The University of Michigan product has the ability and the Oilers believe in him enough to continue giving him looks, but he’ll need to show some production on his next try at the top level.
- Trevor Carrick has earned his first call-up of the season, as the Carolina Hurricanes have placed Brett Pesce on the injured reserve and tabbed Carrick as the man to replace his roster spot. Pesce’s IR assignment, retroactive to November 10th, is the result of a lower-body injury. In his stead, Carrick and Haydn Fleury will be the likely candidates to replace him, either directly on the right side or on their natural left side with Trevor van Riemsdyk returning to his natural side. Carrick, 24, played in just one NHL game last year and has played in three total in his five-year pro career. However, the Charlotte Checkers veteran leads all defenseman on the team in scoring this season with 17 points in 19 games and is due for another look in Raleigh.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins announced that they have recalled winger Garrett Wilson from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL. It’s the second stint with the big club this month for the 27-year-old who got into four games with Pittsburgh in his first go-round. Wilson has been quite productive in the minors, picking up 11 points in a dozen games but will likely play a fourth line role while on recall.
- After seeing limited action upon being brought up, forward Michael Dal Colle is on his way back to the minors after the New York Islanders returned him to AHL Bridgeport and recalled winger Tanner Fritz. Dal Colle played in just two games with New York, logging less than nine minutes per night. He has been productive in his third full season with the Sound Tigers though, averaging a point per game in 14 contests. Meanwhile, Fritz has spent most of this season with Bridgeport, amassing ten points in 17 games.
- With Roberto Luongo injured, the Florida Panthers have brought back goaltender Michael Hutchinson from Springfield of the AHL. The 28-year-old struggled considerably in his first stint with the team, posting a 4.18 GAA with a .839 SV% in four games with Florida. He hasn’t fared much better with the Thunderbirds, notching a 3.48 GAA with a .903 SV% in four minor league appearances. He’ll serve as the backup to James Reimer while Luongo is on the shelf.
- After being called up Friday by the New York Rangers, the team announced they sent Tim Gettinger back to the Hartford Wolf Pack today. The good news for Gettinger is that he got a chance to make his NHL debut for the Rangers as he played 7:00 of ice time against the Washington Capitals, recording five hits and a blocked shot. The Rangers’ fifth-round pick in 2016, Gettinger has put up solid numbers so far in his first professional season with seven goals and 11 points in 20 games for the Wolf Pack.
- The Arizona Coyotes announced they have recalled goaltender Adin Hill from the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL as backup goaltender Darcy Kuemper is day-to-day with a minor lower-body injury. The 22-year-old Hill has struggled in four appearances with the team this year, but has a 3.49 GAA and a .891 save percentage. Hill hasn’t fared much better in Tucson as he has a 3.22 GAA and a .871 save percentage in six games.
Minor Transactions: 11/23/18
The NHL was off yesterday while America celebrated Thanksgiving, but is back with a bang today with 30 of 31 teams taking part. The action gets kicked off this afternoon with the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers battling in a Metropolitan Division matchup. With all the action there might not be a ton of minor moves, but we’ll keep track of them either way.
- The Minnesota Wild have recalled Kaapo Kahkonen from the minor leagues to backup Alex Stalock today, as Devan Dubnyk is dealing with an illness. The young goaltender was up under emergency conditions and was sent back to the Iowa Wild following the game.
- The opposite has happened for the Arizona Coyotes, as they’ve sent Hunter Miska back to the minor leagues. That’s because Antti Raanta has been activated off injured reserve, a huge turn of events for the Coyotes as they chase a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
- Eric Gryba has been reassigned to the AHL by the New Jersey Devils, as Sami Vatanen and Brian Boyle have been activated by the team. Joey Anderson, who suffered a lower-body injury earlier this week, has taken their place on injured reserve.
- The New York Rangers have brought up winger Tim Gettinger from Hartford of the AHL. The 20-year-old is off to a solid start to his first professional season, tallying seven goals and four assists through 20 games with the Wolf Pack.
- Following their game against Edmonton, the Anaheim Ducks returned defenseman Andy Welinski to San Diego of the AHL. The 25-year-old has split the season between the NHL and AHL, picking up an assist in nine games with Anaheim while logging just over 15 minutes per game. He has been more productive in the minors with five points in seven contests with the Gulls.
- Lawrence Pilut‘s NHL debut will have to wait. The Buffalo Sabres announced that they’ve returned the defenseman back to Rochester of the AHL following their victory over Montreal. His first season in North America has been a productive one as tied for the AHL lead in points with 22 in just 15 games but the Sabres opted to not give him a shot after being recalled earlier this week.
Snapshots: Ottawa, Weber, McLeod
The Ottawa Senators plan to build a new arena in the Lebreton Flats area near the downtown core has hit a snag, as the National Capital Commission has given a January deadline to fix what they call “internal partnership issues” among those looking to develop the land. Ottawa mayor Jim Watson was relatively blunt in his assessment of the situation and message to the Senators and Trinity Development Group:
A lot of work has gone into all of the preparatory documents, remediation, first nations consultation, the work that our city planning department has put into the whole exercise. So there’s a sense of disappointment and also a sense of frustration in the two groups that make up RendezVous LeBreton.
As I said in the board meeting, they have to get their act together plain and simple. Otherwise I think we’re going to have to move on in January.
The Senators currently play quite a bit outside the city center at an arena that is difficult for many fans to access, and have proposed a move closer to downtown for years. This announcement has to be taken as an extremely disappointing outcome at this stage, and will put a damper on any excitement that the project had built. The team now has just a few weeks to get their leadership in order, or risk losing the project altogether.
- In Montreal, things are looking much brighter. The Canadiens are expecting captain Shea Weber to make his season debut very soon, and could even see him join the lineup on Tuesday night. That’s quite a bit before the mid-December timeline that Weber was initially given, and should give the team a huge boost. Montreal has already exceeded expectations to start the year, and will now welcome back their best defenseman for a playoff push that seems much more realistic now than it did a few months ago. As we examined this morning, Weber’s return could also mean that the team has to move someone else out. Who that will be is still to be decided.
- Cody McLeod scored a goal last night for the first time since joining the New York Rangers, but subsequently injured his hand in a fight later in the game. That injury has now been revealed to be a fracture, meaning he’ll be out indefinitely. The team will be without his toughness and physicality as he deals with the injury.
Snapshots: Outdoor Game, Penguins, Patrick
The 2019 NHL Winter Classic is still more than a month away and the 2019 NHL Stadium Series game even further, but that hasn’t stopped discussions about where the league could turn next for an outdoor game. Today, BSN Denver’s Adrian Dater reports that the Colorado Avalanche are likely to be an outdoor game host “sooner rather than later.” In talking with deputy commissioner Bill Daly, Dater learned that the league is very interested in placing a game at the nearby Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, where Falcon Stadium normally plays host to the Air Force football team and a capacity crowd of close to 47,000. Given the success of the NHL’s last foray into an outdoor game in Colorado – the 2016 showdown at Coors Field in Denver – and their special interest in games played at American military institutions, such as last year’s game at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, not to mention the successful Division I hockey program at Air Force, the school seems like a great fit to host a gme. For now though, the league remains focused on their next contest at a college football venue, when the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks square off at Notre Dame on New Year’s Day.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins hope that their team is in much better shape when they take part in their outdoor game later this season, a match-up with the rival Flyers at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on February 23rd. The team continues to struggle and, even after his acquisition of forward Tanner Pearson, GM Jim Rutherford remains open for business per numerous sources. However, the next move might not be just a simple one-for-one to land a role player. TSN’s Bob McKenzie raised the stakes on the latest “Insider Trading” segment, stating that “anything and everything is on the table” in Pittsburgh. McKenzie says that the Penguins’ list of untouchables is rather short – just Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. McKenzie believes that anyone else could be move, perhaps adding fuel to the fire of recent rumors that Phil Kessel, Derick Brassard, Olli Maatta, and Matt Murray are among the names that could be on the move if things don’t improve.
- The Penguins did make a noteworthy move today, announcing that legendary executive Craig Patrick has re-joined the team as a pro scout. The 72-year-old Hall of Famer served as Pittsburgh’s GM for 17 years, from 1989 to 2006. Patrick was the architect of the 1991 and 1992 Stanley Cup-winning Penguins teams and much of the 2009 championship team and beyond were the products of Patrick’s regime, including Crosby and Malkin. Many will also recognize Patrick as an assistant coach to Herb Brooks on the famed “Miracle” 1980 U.S. Olympic team, while he also served as both coach and GM for the New York Rangers over a nine-year span in the 80’s. The extent of Patrick’s role is unclear, but particularly in the midst of a difficult season, this is a great hire by the Penguins if only for the wisdom and guidance of an experienced hockey guru.
Pacific Notes: Quick, Raanta, Chychrun, Oilers, Miller
The Los Angeles Kings could use some good news with their goaltending issues and they got some Sunday as NHL.com’s Kevin Weekes reports that Jonathan Quick skated today in full gear, which is the next step in his recovery after undergoing surgery on Oct. 31 to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.
Weekes reports that Quick just worked on his crease work, but did not go down and did not take any pucks. Regardless, that has to be good news for L.A. who are without both Quick and his backup, Jack Campbell, who went down with the exact same injury. Instead, the team is going with the AHL tandem of Peter Budaj and Calvin Petersen. However, the team would much prefer to see Quick return to the lineup as new head coach Willie Desjardins continues to try to turn around the Kings after a poor start.
Fox Sports’ Jon Rosen adds that Quick could take on a heavier load in practice on either Wednesday or Friday.
- Cat Silverman of The Athletic reports that the Arizona Coyotes had two injured players return to practice Sunday as goaltender Antti Raanta and defenseman Jakob Chychrun both practiced. Raanta’s practice was a short one, but he did participate in full drills while he was there. He was placed on injured reserve on Nov. 7 with an undisclosed injury. Chychrun recently returned to the team after recovering from offseason surgery and then immediately was placed on injured reserve after one game with an upper-body injury. He was a full participant in practice today and with full contact. Both are considered likely to play Wednesday against Vegas.
- Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson writes that it’s unlikely the Edmonton Oilers will get involved in the William Nylander sweepstakes with the Toronto Maple Leafs as the team would likely have to send back defenseman Adam Larsson, which the Oilers would not be willing to do. Instead Matheson believes the Oilers’ best course of action would be to wait for the trade deadline and make a play for the New York Rangers Mats Zuccarello, who will be a unrestricted free agent next year, but could be a good fit in Edmonton.
- The return of Nate Schmidt to the Vegas Golden Knights Sunday is good news for defenseman Colin Miller, who has been forced to take over Schmidt’s role as a No. 1 defenseman, always in charge of facing opposing team’s top line. That has been a challenge for Miller, who is better off as a second-pair defenseman, according to SinBin’s Steve Carp. That role has altered the way Miller thinks as he has had to focus on defense first and put offense on the back burner. Miller, who had 10 goals and 41 points last season, currently has no goals and six assists in 20 games. However, with Schmidt taking his previous role starting tonight and expected to be paired with Shea Theodore, Miller can return to his old role, which could result in an offensive boost for Vegas.
New York Rangers Have Interest In William Nylander
With now less than two weeks remaining before the December 1st deadline for signing restricted free agents, the pressure is on in Toronto to come to a conclusion with William Nylander. While there seems to be a growing feeling that the team will not cave even if it means having him sit out the entire season–Nylander must sign by December 1st or be deemed ineligible to play at all this year—other front offices are surely circling like vultures waiting for an opportunity to acquire the young forward.
The Carolina Hurricanes have long been considered a team that will show immediate interest if Nylander is truly put out for sale, but others including the Vegas Golden Knights, Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers have been linked, however tenuously, throughout the process. The latter’s interest is confirmed by Larry Brooks of the New York Post, who writes that while they should not be considered front-runners they also shouldn’t be ruled out just yet.
In fact, Brooks argues that the potential ask of young defenseman Brady Skjei in return should not deter the Rangers from pursuing Nylander at all. Though he discusses how Skjei doesn’t match exactly what the Maple Leafs are rumored to be looking for, he also points out that the Rangers shouldn’t back away from the table if his name is brought up. The 24-year old defenseman was recently scratched by the team after struggling this season, and hasn’t been able to quite replicate his outstanding 2016-17 rookie season so far.
If any team in the league is serious about prying Nylander away from the Maple Leafs, it will likely take an elite talent that can step into the Toronto lineup immediately. While defense—especially right-handed defense—remains the most obvious need, it’s not clear exactly what GM Kyle Dubas and the rest of the front office has in mind if they do make a deal. Reports have surfaced that they’ve asked teams to indicate who they wouldn’t trade, but very little has come out about the players who have been offered, if it has come to that at all.
It’s now November 18th, and the Maple Leafs are among the league leaders in several categories while finding themselves near the top of the Atlantic Division. Things have gone smoothly so far for them, but it’s getting down to crunch time on one of the biggest decisions of the year. You can bet the Rangers aren’t the only team hoping they make the call to sell.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Minor Transactions: 11/18/18
After an outstanding Saturday filled with exciting finishes and huge comebacks the NHL is relatively quiet today with just five matches scheduled. Things get kicked off this afternoon between the Dallas Stars and New York Islanders, but first there will be roster moves around the league. We’ll be here to keep track of those moves:
- The New York Rangers have reassigned Vinni Lettieri to the minor leagues, after he seemingly got benched yesterday for much of their game. Lettieri took a two-minute penalty in the first period, but ended up seeing the ice for just 4:29 in total. The 23-year old has been held scoreless in all 14 of his opportunities this season, and now will have to rediscover his game in the AHL. They announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled center Steven Fogarty from AHL Hartford to take Lettieri’s place. He’s off to a strong start to his third full professional campaign, collecting 14 points through the first 18 games of the season. (For reference, his career high is 20.)
- CapFriendly reports that the Florida Panthers have recalled veteran forward Micheal Haley from a conditioning loan with the Springfield Thunderbirds after spending the first part of the season in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. Now ready to return, the veteran played two games with Springfield, putting up a goal and an assist and now is ready to return to Florida. The 32-year-old had three goals and nine points in 75 games last year. CapFriendly also reported they have recalled Dryden Hunt from Springfield, who was tearing up the AHL with eight goals in 15 games. The team countered those moves by assigning two players to Springfield, including Maxim Mamin and Denis Malgin. Mamin has played seven games with no points, while Malgin has been more successful with a goal and five points in 14 games.
- The Los Angeles Kings announced they have recalled forward Austin Wagner from the Ontario Reign of the AHL to help fill in for injured veteran Trevor Lewis who is out week-to-week. The 21-year-old has already played eight games with Los Angeles and has no points, but has a pair of goals in five games with the Reign. The team also assigned goaltender Cole Kehler to Ontario.
- With the Boston Bruins currently missing six defensemen due to injury and icing a starting six that includes four players expected to spend the majority of the season in the AHL, the Providence Bruins are also suffering from a dearth of defenders. The team currently rosters just three defensemen signed to NHL contracts, one of whom – Cody Goloubef – is also out with an injury. As a result, the team today brought in some reinforcements in the form of ECHL loans. Veteran pro Kyle Cumiskey of the Newfoundland Growlers and young Chris Carlisle of the nearby Manchester Monarchs have been added by Providence, per the ECHL. They join Boston-area native Desmond Bergin of the Adirondack Thunder as three on-loan players competing for ice time among a total of just seven healthy defensemen.
- With John Gibson feeling sick, the Anaheim Ducks announced that they’ve recalled goaltender Kevin Boyle from San Diego of the AHL. The 26-year-old has posted a .920 save percentage so far this season, ranking sixth among AHL netminders.