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Snapshots: Interference, Minnesota, Defensemen

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The change in decision making on goaltender interference challenges has been approved, and will go into effect for tomorrow’s games. The final decision will now lie with the situation room, which will now include a retired official. According to Mark Spector of Sportsnet, the officials who will be on hand in the situation room will be a rotation of Don Van Massenhoven, Rob Shick, Bill McCreary, Paul Devorski and Stephen Walkom.

The interference rule has been the target of much frustration this season from coaches, players and fans alike, as there seemed to be no level of consistency in the decisions. That will hopefully improve under this new process, as the decisions will be handled by a much smaller group of people.

  • After long-time head coach Don Lucia stepped down from his position at the University of Minnesota, it wasn’t clear who would be taking his place. We won’t have to wait any longer to find out, as the program announced that Bob Motzko would take over the duties after a 13-year stint with St. Cloud State. Motzko was an assistant with Minnesota when they won back-to-back National Championships in 2002 and 2003, and has built St. Cloud State into one of the most successful programs in the country. It will be interesting to see what this means for players like Jimmy Schuldt and Ryan Poehling, who both could decide to turn pro and leave St. Cloud State early.
  • Shea Weber is healing faster than expected, and shouldn’t miss much of his offseason training after undergoing foot surgery earlier this month. Weber spoke to the media today, and admitted that he’d been playing through injury for most of the season just to try and help the team. The 32-year old defenseman should be ready for the start of the Montreal Canadiens training camp in a few months.
  • Though it doesn’t come as much of a surprise, both Chris Tanev and Kevin Shattenkirk will not return this season for their respective teams. With just a handful of games left, there is no reason to rush back either defenseman from injury since both the Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers are out of the playoff race.

Rangers Officially Recall Lias Andersson And Filip Chytil

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  • The Rangers have promoted their top two center prospects, announcing that they’ve recalled Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil from Hartford of the AHL. The two players were New York’s first-round picks back at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.  The timing is particularly noteworthy – the Rangers have seven games left which means neither player will reach the ten game mark to burn the first year of their entry-level deals; while this will be Andersson’s first taste of the NHL, Chytil played in two games at the beginning of the season.

Snapshots: Andersson, Chytil, Gaudette, Sikura

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The New York Rangers rebuild might continue at a new level next week as NHL.com’s Dan Rosen writes that Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault, general manager Jeff Gorton and assistant general manager Chris Drury will talk later today about promoting 2017 first-round centers Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil.

Both first-round picks have fared well this season. Andersson, the seventh overall pick last year, started the season in the SHL, where he put up seven goals and seven assists in 22 games. He played in the World Junior Tournament and helped Sweden to a silver medal and then came to the U.S. and joined the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL. There he’s put up five goals and 14 points in 23 games. Chytil, on the other hand, started the season in New York and played two games before the team decided to assign him to Hartford. There in 44 games, Chytil, the No. 21 pick last year, has put up 11 goals and 20 assists.

Rosen said if the Vigneault, Gorton and Drury agree, the two prospects could be inserted into the Rangers’ lineup as soon as Monday.

  • With the elimination of Northeastern University from the NCAA tournament, that could be good news for the Vancouver Canucks who will try to pry prized prospect Adam Gaudette from his collegiate team now that his season is over. In fact, Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal tweets that he’s heard from a source that says contract negotiations are expected to heat up tomorrow. The college junior was the Canucks fifth-round pick in 2015 and has put up 56 goals and 56 assists in his last two seasons with Northeastern. TSN’s Bob McKenzie also adds that the Canucks are expected to make a strong pitch to the 21-year-old center who is a top Hobey Baker Award candidate this year. Gaudette is expected to meet with his family/advisor soon.
  • Also, as reported earlier today, Northeastern’s elimination also fuels the report that the Chicago Blackhawks and Dylan Sikura will be coming to an agreement soon. Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times has a new update in which a league source has confirmed that Sikura will be in a Blackhawks uniform on Thursday.

New York Rangers Sign Ryan Lindgren To Three-Year Deal

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As expected New York Rangers have signed prospect Ryan Lindgren to his three-year entry-level contract. When Lindgren was acquired from the Boston Bruins at the deadline, it wasn’t clear whether he would sign this season or return to the University of Minnesota for another year. The Rangers have convinced him, and he’ll begin his professional career after just two seasons with the Golden Gophers.

Lindgren was one of the big prizes of the Rick Nash deal, coming to New York as a potential top-4 defenseman who could jump into their system quickly. Like GM Jeff Gorton said recently, the Rangers had a gap in talent due to their lack of first-round picks the last few years and are trying to fill it with prospects during the early part of their rebuild. Lindgren, selected 49th-overall in 2016, does just that as he leaves Minnesota after failing to qualify for the NCAA tournament. Long-time head coach Don Lucia left the program recently, which could have been an additional factor in Lindgren choosing to turn pro after just two seasons in college.

Though he’s not the biggest body on the ice, Lindgren rarely loses physical battles due to his squat, wide based skating stride. His mobility is excellent, and he can shut down rushes quickly before they even get into the zone. That’s his calling card, as the offense never really did materialize in college like some though it would. Through two seasons, Lindgren recorded just 16 points but was an excellent defender who could be relied on even against the opposition’s best. Though the defensive ability will likely carry him to the NHL quickly, it’s unlikely he will be a real impact player unless his offensive instincts improve.

The Rangers though will take the solid defensive potential, as they’ve had trouble finding players in recent years who they could rely on in their own end. The Brendan Smith experiment failed miserably this season, while the old guard have basically all been shipped out. Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi are now together with the Tampa Bay Lightning, while Marc Staal isn’t a player to build around any longer. Lindgren could be a nice compliment to a more offensive talent like Kevin Shattenkirk, though where he fits into the NHL plan is still clearly undecided. He’ll head to Hartford for now to play on an amateur tryout this season, and show what he can do in professional hockey.

Snapshots: Smith, Schenn, Laine, Holtby

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Brendan Smith signed a four-year, $17.4MM contract in the offseason with the New York Rangers after an impressive run last season, but hasn’t been anything close to what the team had hoped for. After struggling through 44 games with the team, he was eventually waived and sent to the minor leagues to toil with the Hartford Wolf Pack despite his huge salary.

That might have built some frustration in the 29-year old, who according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post has broken his hand while fighting teammate Vinni Lettieri in practice on Sunday. That puts an end to Smith’s season, and perhaps his career in New York if the team decides a buyout is the only course of action.

  • Brayden Schenn will not face any supplementary discipline for his hit last night on Boston Bruins forward David Krejci, despite his history of charging in the league. Schenn was given a two-minute minor penalty for the hit which had substantial—but according to the league unavoidable—contact to the head. The St. Louis Blues forward has been suspended twice in the past for charging, but escaped without further penalty this time.
  • Patrik Laine suffered just a bruise to his foot after blocking a shot, but the Jets are still going to be precaucious with their superstar teenager. Laine isn’t expected to play for at least the next two games, and Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun gives a rough estimate of 4-14 days before he’ll be back in the lineup. Laine is in a race for the Maurice Richard trophy as the league’s leading goal scorer, but is a key part of the Jets chances to take home the Stanley Cup.
  • Braden Holtby has tweaked something and is dealing with a minor injury, meaning the Washington Capitals have called up Pheonix Copley to back up Philip Grubauer tonight. Holtby isn’t expected to miss much time though, as he didn’t even leave practice today according to Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post. Copley was re-acquired as part of the Kevin Shattenkirk deal last season, but hasn’t played for the Capitals yet this year.

New York Rangers Open To Trading First-Round Pick

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The New York Rangers were busier than any other team at the trade deadline, tearing down their old core by trading players like Rick Nash, Nick Holden, Michael Grabner, J.T. Miller and of course Ryan McDonagh. Those moves came with the benefit of stockpiling draft picks, but that’s not necessarily where the work finishes.

Speaking with Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) at the GM meetings in Florida, Rangers’ GM Jeff Gorton admitted he’s open to trading away one of the first-round picks he holds in the upcoming draft. New York has their own pick—which with every loss is getting higher and higher—along with those of the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning. Both of those picks will be closer to the end of the round.

Custance’s piece goes in depth on several other subjects from the meetings, but one thing remains clear. This Rangers rebuild isn’t going to be a long project. With the additions of prospects like Libor Hajek, Brett Howden and Ryan Lindgren, and promotions of some of their other young players, the Rangers could be just a few years from competitiveness. That’s good news for Henrik Lundqvist, who just turned 36 and has three years remaining on his current contract.

The Rangers have just 13 players in the NHL who are signed through next season, meaning this summer will bring many more decisions on who will be retained to be part of the solution. Players like Ryan Spooner, Kevin Hayes and Vladislav Namestnikov are all restricted free agents, and are already in the middle of their twenties. Gorton will be one of the most popular men on the draft floor, with many teams trying to mine his roster and draft stockpile for assets.

NCAA Notes: Lucia, Canucks, Lindgren

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It’s the end of an era for the University of Minnesota, as head coach Don Lucia has stepped down after 19 years with the program. Those years included back-to-back National Championships in 2002 and 2003, and guiding a long pipeline of talent to professional hockey. Superstar talents like Blake Wheeler and Phil Kessel played under Lucia during their time at Minnesota, and most recently top prospect Casey Mittelstadt has taken huge strides under his guidance.

Though obviously the program will continue without Lucia, it is interesting to watch what Mittelstadt does this summer. The Buffalo Sabres have already reached out about potentially signing the 19-year old phenom, and the departure of the legendary coach could impact his decision.  If Mittelstadt feels ready for professional hockey, perhaps this is the last straw that pushes him to sign his entry-level deal and join Jack Eichel in Buffalo next season. Either way, this will be a huge change for the Golden Gophers, who were the highest ranked team not to make it into the NCAA tournament this season.

  • Another one of those changes could be in the form of Ryan Lindgren, who according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post is considering turning pro now that the Minnesota season is over. Lindgren was acquired by the New York Rangers as part of the Rick Nash trade earlier this year, but was always expected to return to Minnesota for another year. Perhaps the depature of Lucia has affected those plans, though Brooks is clear to point out that the defenseman is just weighing his options at this point. If the Rangers can coax Lindgren out of college, he would be another solid addition to a young prospect group that is quickly positioning New York for future success.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have been mining the NCAA ranks for talent recently, and Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 reports they have their eyes on two more players. Brady Keeper from the University of Maine and Colton Poolman from the University of North Dakota are both expected to take part in Vancouver’s development camp this summer according to Dhaliwal. The defensemen are both undrafted and can still return to school if they can’t find a professional contract this offseason. The college ranks are giving more and more talent to the NHL every season, and players like Keeper and Poolman could be diamonds in the rough.

Tavares Notes: Potential Suitors, Rangers, Deadline Moves, Snow

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The worse the New York Islanders play as their recent struggles continue, the more NHL teams are salivating at the chance to steal away a star player, which is a rare thing, according to the Toronto Sun’s Steve Simmons. The last significant star free agent that signed with another club dates back to 2006 when the Boston Bruins signed Zdeno Chara away from the Ottawa Senators. However, usually franchise free agents sign with their former team like Steven Stamkos did back in 2016.

Simmons writes that the San Jose Sharks and the St. Louis Blues are the two teams that are thought to be at the top of the list of suitors for Tavares. He adds that several teams with cap space might also be interested in attempting to lure Tavares to their team as they lack that superstar player, including the Vegas Golden Knights, New Jersey Devils and the Vancouver Canucks. Other teams like Montreal, Detroit, Carolina and even Toronto might also attempt to make a stab at acquiring the 27-year-old center.

  • It doesn’t look like the New York Rangers are expected to go after Tavares, according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post. With the Rangers rebuilding their franchise, it just doesn’t seem to make sense that Tavares would sign with them. Considering Tavares is fueled by team loyalty, it seems unlikely he would sign with the Rangers who could offer only seven years, while the Islanders can offer eight years and are much closer to reaching the playoffs.
  • The lack of trade deadline moves might also count against the New York Islanders in their quest to re-sign Tavares, according to Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos. While saying that he would not move Tavares, Islanders’ general manager Garth Snow also said he would not make moves for rental players. In the end, the biggest acquisition the team made was trading a third-round pick for defenseman Brandon Davidson, who had been placed on waivers only months earlier. Now after seven losses since the deadline, Kypreos questions whether Snow’s moves were the right ones. Certainly bolstering the team for a playoff run might have shown Tavares how committed the team is to winning. Instead the losing could easily drive the soon-to-be free agent away. The team is sitting in last place in the Metropolitan Division, well out of range of a playoff spot. “It almost feels like this thing is snowballing away from the Islanders and Tavares,” said Kypreos.
  • Arthur Staple of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that co-owners Scott Malkin and Jon Ledecky have some tough decisions to make in the next few weeks. The scribe writes that they chose to keep Snow last offseason because he and then-new head coach Doug Weight were close with Tavares. However, with fans calling for Snow’s head, ownership may want to make a change before Tavares hits free agency. Even if they don’t make an immediate move, Snow’s job may come down to whether Tavares stays or goes. “It’s out of my control,” Tavares said regarding Snow’s job status. “I’m here to play hockey, be the best player I can be for the Islanders. Those things are above my head. I just try to have the right attitude every day, not take this for granted, enjoy the group we have, the staff we have. Ever since I’ve been here I’ve been treated great, just tried to come out and give everything I can. We wish we’d have more success, but anything that happens, anything that has happened is out of my control.”

 

Ryan Spooner Hoping To Avoid Arbitration This Offseason

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While it’s obviously far too early for the Rangers and recently-acquired center Ryan Spooner to really discuss a new contract, the 26-year-old is already making his preference known.  Speaking with Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post, Spooner indicated that he would like to avoid the process he went through last summer with Boston.  Back then, the two sides got to the brink of an arbitration hearing before settling on his current one-year, $2.825MM contract that will also represent his qualifying offer this summer.  New York will be quite busy this offseason with their list of arbitration-eligible free agents, one that also includes forwards Vladislav Namestnikov and Kevin Hayes as well as defenseman Brady Skjei, among others.

Snapshots: Coaching Changes, Marchand Fine, McDonagh Debut

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Buried in the news of Ron Francis being replaced as GM of the Carolina Hurricanes was the fact that it was the first major personnel decision of the 2017-18 season. It’s March, well beyond the three-quarter mark of the season, and there has been just one general manager fired (but promoted) and still no coaches. It’s rare to see so much inactivity, but it can likely be linked to the fact that the league’s worst teams – Arizona, Buffalo, Ottawa, Vancouver, and Montreal – all have first- or second-year coaches: Rick Tocchet, Phil Housley, Guy Boucher, Travis Green, and Claude Julien respectively. Unsurprisingly, USA Today’s Kevin Allen lists the head coaches of four of the next five worst teams as being on the hot seat as the end of the season approaches. That includes the Edmonton Oilers’ Todd McLellan, the Detroit Red Wings’ Jeff Blashill, the New York Rangers’ Alain Vigneault, the Chicago Blackhawks’ Joel Quenneville, and the Carolina Hurricanes’ Bill Peters. The most obvious inclusion on this list is Peters, who has an owner looking to make changes and soon a new GM, and has also struggled to get the most out of his talented roster. Quenneville would be the biggest news, should he be removed, as the longest-tenured coach in the NHL, since 2008, and a three-time Stanley Cup champion. The last name on the list who doesn’t quite fit the pattern is the Washington Capitals’ Barry Trotz. Trotz has yet to be offered a contract extension and his future could depend on the Caps’ playoff success this season. However, as Allen states, Trotz would be the prime coaching candidate this summer if he isn’t retained by Washington. As of right now, all of these coaches are safe, but things could change quickly with the season coming to a close. In the meantime, if you would like to apply for the open Hurricanes GM position, here you go.

  • One thing that there has been plenty of in the league this season has been punishment handed down by the NHL Department of Player Safety, as the league has focused on cracking down on certain penalties. A player who has gained plenty of attention, fair or not, has been Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand. Marchand has finally spoken out after his most recent hit, a $2,000 fine for diving. Marchand spoke to the media, saying things like “it’s a small amount of money”, “it’s a joke”, “it’s pretty stupid” and “I don’t care about this.” He did go a step further though, adding “how are they (Player Safety) to tell …they go from being players to management and running the league pretty quickly and forget how to play the game.” While Marchand doesn’t seem to care much about a very minor fine, he is making a point that any fine for diving, the most subjective call in the game, is somewhat unreasonable, especially when the call comes from those who were not even present at the game.
  • While the Bruins are continuing to win behind three straight game-winners from Marchand, their rivals in the Atlantic Division and the President’s Trophy race, the Tampa Bay Lightning, continue to win as well. They’ll get even better starting tonight, as their huge trade deadline acquisition, Ryan McDonagh, is set to make his debut with the team tonight against the Montreal Canadiens. Head coach Jon Cooper told beat writer Bryan Burns that McDonagh is ready to go, after dealing with an upper-body injury for more than a month. McDonagh’s addition to the Bolts blue line makes them a scary team for anyone to go up against and that includes the Bruins, who play Tampa three more times this season and could very well meet them in the second round of the playoffs.

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