Poll: Which Team Needs Help At Forward The Most?
In last night’s Insider Trading on TSN, the panel—comprised of Pierre LeBrun, Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger—spoke about the increased demand for top forwards around the league. According to them, the supply isn’t quite there for all these teams to go out and acquire someone impactful, so it’ll have to come down to the highest bidders.
The list of ten teams that McKenzie gave that are in the market for a forward include some surprises like Tampa Bay—who LeBrun clarified are currently looking for a winger to play with Tyler Johnson and Alex Killorn—and obvious choices like Anaheim and Montreal.
Columbus put together a trade offer for Matt Duchene, and as LeBrun stated on TSN radio yesterday they’re still in the hunt for an upgrade down the middle. There’s no clear option at center as impressive as Duchene (or Kyle Turris, who was included in the same trade), but players are sure to shake loose as the season progresses.
So, who on this list needs the forward help the most this year? While deciding your vote, make sure to not just take in the offensive struggles but the proximity to Stanley Cup contention for each club. Which team will be the most willing to spend at the deadline, and go after the big fish to put them over the edge?
We’ve included all the teams on McKenzie’s list, but if you feel strongly that another should join the pursuit of another forward make sure to leave your comments below.
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Metropolitan Notes: Santini, Ho-Sang, Hunwick, Niskanen, Vesey
The New Jersey Devils got back into the win column Saturday after failing to win their previous four games. Despite that fact, New Jersey remains in first place with a 10-4-2 record in a tough Metropolitan Division. Yet, the team’s 2-1 victory Saturday against the Florida Panthers was a defensive effort in which many players praised the play of unheralded defenseman Steven Santini, according to The Record’s Andrew Gross.
The physical 22-year-old defenseman only played in 38 games a year ago, but is a mainstay on the team’s defense this year. The former second-round pick from 2013, showed off his physicality against Florida with big hits, most notably a hit in which he dumped the Panthers’ Aleksander Barkov into his team’s own bench in the second period. Santini got plenty of ice time with 23:42, was credited with four hits and was smart enough to avoid a penalty when challenged by Panthers’ enforcer Micheal Haley in the third period.
- New York Islanders Joshua Ho-Sang made the most of his emergency recall Saturday when he scored a goal against the St. Louis Blues last night, according to Arthur Staple of Newsday. Ho-Sang, the team’s first-round pick in 2014, had played six games with the Islanders to start the season, but was sent down to work on improving his in-game mentality — knowing when to drive to the net and when to dump the puck. Ho-Sang had put up two goals and four assists in six games during that span with the AHL Bridgeport Sound Tigers, but with Anthony Beauvillier day-to-day, Ho-Sang got his chance to redeem himself. He can stay up on an emergency basis for 30 days or 10 games, but the team could always officially recall him as well.
- Jonathan Bombulie of The Trib Live writes that Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Matt Hunwick, who has already missed 12 games due to a concussion diagnosed on Oct. 17, has hit a plateau in his recovery and will be held off the ice for a few more days. “He’s been having a tough time getting over that last hurdle, and so they want to take a little bit of a different approach to try to get him over that last hump,” coach Mike Sullivan said.
- NBC Sports Tarik El-Bashir writes that Washington Capitals defenseman Matt Niskanen will travel on the team’s upcoming road trip to Nashville and Colorado, according to head coach Barry Trotz. Niskanen, who has been on LTIR since Oct. 14 due to an upper-body injury, will not suit up tonight against the Edmonton Oilers, but could be ready to suit up for one or both of the away games this week. The Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan tweets that Niskanen has been cleared for contact, but is not “full go” and may or may not be ready for games this week. A key veteran defender, the team’s defense would get a big boost upon his return.
- New York Rangers forward Jimmy Vesey went straight to the dentist after Saturday’s victory over the Edmonton Oilers, according to Newsday’s Steve Zipay. The 24-year-old wing took a Zack Kassian skate to the mouth in the second period. Two of Vesey’s teeth had to be removed from his lip. Despite the injury, Vesey returned for a shift in the third period and wore a protective plastic cage attached to the lower part of his helmet. He is day-to-day.
Boo Nieves Set To Return On Saturday
- Rangers center Boo Nieves will return to the lineup today after missing the last three games with a stomach virus, Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post reports. The youngster has made a good impression since being recalled on October 24th as he has a trio of assists in four games while logging a regular shift on New York’s fourth line.
Despite Lack Of Playing Time, Brendan Smith Still Happy In New York
Brendan Smith’s first full season with the Rangers has not gone as expected. After being a top-four option down the stretch and in the playoffs, he has been a healthy scratch for four straight games and six times already this season. That’s not good for someone that the team committed four years and $17.4MM to back in June. Neither side has to be thrilled with how things have gone so far making it fair to wonder if there could already be buyer’s or seller’s remorse from New York or Smith.
Larry Brooks of the New York Post spoke with Smith’s agent, Anton Thun, who made it clear that the Rangers’ defender has no regret about signing despite the lack of playing time: “I’m not sure who’s the buyer and who’s the seller in this case, but there are no regrets at all from Smitty. And while I don’t want to speak for the Rangers, I talk to Jeff (Gorton) pretty regularly and I’ve never gotten that impression from him. This is where he wanted to be and this is where he wants to be.”
Alexei Bereglazov Loaned To KHL
Last we heard on Alexei Bereglazov, a decision was to be made in early November on whether the would utilize his out clause and return to the KHL. The New York Rangers defender has been playing in the AHL all season after being a sought-after free agent this summer. Now here we are in early November, and the head coach of Magnitogorsk has told Alexei Shevchenko of Sport-Express that Bereglazov will be heading back to his former Russian team while Larry Brooks of the New York Post confirms the assignment with the team.
Bereglazov, 23, was one of several KHL players to come over this summer in hopes of making a name for themselves in the NHL. He joined the likes of Jakub Jerabek, Victor Antipin and Vadim Shipachyov as undrafted players who suited up in Russia last season, only to be pulled over to North America. That group is obviously a mixed bag, with only Antipin playing more than a handful of NHL games so far.
The Rangers will maintain rights to Bereglazov, and could bring him back next season. For now, he’ll technically play as a loan to Magnitogorsk, burning the first year of his entry-level contract. While it hasn’t worked in New York so far, this is better news than a potential termination or retirement like the Shipachyov situation.
Stamkos, Killorn, Hayes Fined By NHL
The punishment doesn’t always fit the crime, especially in the NHL’s fine system. In early October, some fans were outraged when St. Louis Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo received a fine of just over $3,000 for repeated cross check to the back of New York Islanders forward Brock Nelson. The fine was the maximum amount prescribed by the NHL collective bargaining agreement, but many felt that such a relatively small amount of money was not nearly enough for a fairly brutal showing by Bortuzzo.
Now, the script has flipped. Tampa Bay Lightning forwards Steven Stamkos and Alex Killorn and New York Rangers counterpart Kevin Hayes have all been fined $5,000 for a conspiracy of… water squirting? TSN reports that in Thursday night’s game the trio all engaged in what the league has defined as unsportsmanlike conduct. Hayes got the affair started when he sprayed Killorn with water from the Rangers’ bench prior to the pair taking the ice. On the ensuing face-off, Killorn retaliated with multiple jabs directed at Hayes, for which he received a slashing penalty. In defense of the perceived wrong to his teammate, Stamkos went the “eye for an eye” route and sprayed water at the Rangers bench. All three were determined to be equally guilty in the affair, while J.T. Brown and Steven Kampfer, whose fight was heavily endorsed by their respective benches, received no share of the blame.
Objectively, it seems silly for water squirting to warrant a $5,000 fine, even if that amount is equivalent to roughly $5 for the majority. However, in the context of Bortuzzo’s maximum $3,000 fine for cross-checking, it seems that the league has their priorities out of alignment. A re-haul to the fine structure in the CBA may be need to be addressed at the table during the league’s next bargaining, if not sooner.
July 1, 2017: An Early Retrospect
Brian Burke isn’t one to mince words. The long-time NHL general manager who now serves as president of the Calgary Flames has uttered innumerable one-liners and catchphrases over the years, many of which are meant to entertain but none that are anything but truthful. One of his most common, was that front offices “make more mistakes on July 1 than any other day of the year.” He obviously wasn’t a fan of the free agent frenzy that happens each year as franchises rush to improve their teams.
In 2016, just a few weeks after Pro Hockey Rumors was launched, we saw an incredible number of long-term deals handed out to players that were either already in, or just past their prime. Milan Lucic, David Backes, Loui Eriksson, Kyle Okposo, Andrew Ladd, and on and on all secured huge paydays last year. Each of them have dealt with levels of inconsistency even in their first season, and still have several years of high cap hits left on their deals.
This summer though was different. The free agent cupboard was almost completely bare, save for a few aging legends and controversial defensemen. On July 1st, we saw just four free agents sign contracts that would pay them at least $4.5MM annually, and only one of them was for five years or more. Let’s take a look at those four, and see what the early results can tell us.
Martin Hanzal (DAL) – Three years, $4.75MM AAV
Season stats: 11 games, 1 goal, 0 assists, 1 point, -9 rating, 19 shots, 14:53 ATOI
Hanzal has been a terrible disappointment in Dallas so far, scoring just a single point while carrying some of these worst possession stats in the league. He’s currently out with a lower-body injury, but the Stars will need an immediate improvement upon his return to start recouping the money they handed out.
Dallas spent heavily in free agency this summer, signing Hanzal and Alexander Radulov while inking Ben Bishop before he hit the open market. You’re bound to miss on some of the shots you take, but at 7-6 it isn’t quite the immediate turnaround they were hoping for. Hanzal’s contract isn’t back-breaking, but it’s certainly not helping the situation.
Justin Williams (CAR) – Two years, $4.5MM AAV
Season stats: 11 games, 1 goal, 8 assists, 9 points, -3 rating, 25 shots, 17:25 ATOI
For being 36 with over 1,200 NHL games on his body, Williams looks as fresh as ever. Returning to the place where he won his first (of three) Stanley Cup, Williams has added a different dimension to the Hurricanes. Though Carolina is still off to a shaky start, Williams is tied with Jeff Skinner as their leading scorer and has been as dominant as ever five-on-five.
While it’s unlikely he’ll carry this 67-point pace through the entire season, he’s an incredibly responsible defender and has always been an opportune goal scorer. The Hurricanes are off to a shaky start, but it’s not because of the Williams addition. His contract is so reasonable that it will invariably draw trade speculation if the Hurricanes aren’t in playoff contention at the deadline. It came with trade protection in the form of a 15-team no-trade list.
Kevin Shattenkirk (NYR) – Four years, $6.65MM AAV
Season stats: 14 games, 2 goals, 9 assists, 11 points, -4 rating, 27 shots, 21:33 ATOI
The prize of free agency was Shattenkirk, even with a poor showing in the playoffs for the Washington Capitals. No, he’s not an outstanding defender in his own end and he won’t lead the league in hits anytime soon. What he is though is an elite powerplay quarterback that can log big minutes and provide a positive impact in the possession game.
Shattenkirk has come just as advertised, scoring more in New York than anyone not named Mika Zibanejad or J.T. Miller. His offensive game is among the best in the league, but the Rangers are struggling to keep their head above water at 5-7-2. The 29-year old defenseman could have signed a longer deal somewhere else, but wanted to help New York get over the hump. If it starts to look bad in a few years, remember that it’s so front loaded that he’ll earn just $4MM in the final year of the deal (half of which is owed as a signing bonus).
Karl Alzner (MTL) – Five Years, $4.625MM AAV
Season stats: 13 games, 0 goals, 4 assists, 4 points, -6 rating, 12 shots, 20:28 ATOI
It’s not pretty in Montreal right now with the Canadiens off to a 4-8-1 start. There are many factors that have gone into that record, but Alzner is certainly one of them. For the UFA who signed the longest deal (along with Alexander Radulov) Alzner is sure making a pretty lukewarm first impression.
Alzner’s not without redeeming qualities. He logs a ton of ice time for the Canadiens against some top competition, and is a primary penalty killer. The problem, is that Montreal’s PK is among the worst in the league and they’ve been routinely out shot when he’s on the ice at even strength. He only recently turned 29, but Montreal won’t be able to rely on him for 20+ minutes for the entire length of the contract.
Morning Notes: Fines, Froese, Fraser
Three fines were handed out by the Department of Player Safety for an incident in last night’s Tampa Bay Lightning-New York Rangers game. Kevin Hayes, Alex Killorn and Steven Stamkos have all been fined $5,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct.
The incident occurred when Hayes squirted water from the bench towards Killorn, who then retaliated by swinging his stick towards the bench. After a scrum ensued, Stamkos also squirted water towards the New York bench (h/t Shayna Goldman of Hockey Graphs for the clips). The Rangers would win the game in overtime.
- Byron Froese has been named the first captain of the Laval Rocket, Montreal’s new AHL franchise. Froese made his NHL debut with the Maple Leafs a few seasons ago, playing 56 games in 2015-16. Since then he hasn’t been able to find a full-time NHL role, playing just six games last season between Toronto and Tampa Bay. He signed a two-year deal with the Canadiens this summer which will turn into a one-way deal next season.
- Terrible news out of the league site today, as long-time referee Kerry Fraser shares his diagnosis of cancer. Anyone who watched hockey prior to 2010 remembers Fraser as one of the household-named officials in the league, and as one of the most beloved and reviled refs in Los Angeles and Toronto respectively (not really, but talk of “Gretzky’s high stick” seems to live on forever around the league). Fraser, 65, shared his story as part of Hockey Fights Cancer month in the NHL, and PHR would like to send our thoughts to him and his family. If you’d like to donate to the league’s cause, the link can be found here.
Latest On Canadiens And Rangers Trade Speculation
While there has been a lot of speculation following the Rangers having four scouts (including former GM Glen Sather) watching Monday’s game between the Canadiens and Senators, TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported in an appearance on TSN 690 (audio link) that there doesn’t appear to be any imminent trade on the horizon:
“You’ve got to be a little bit careful too and not jump to the conclusion that just because they were there that something is imminent. Last I heard, and again it’s always subject to change with one phone call, but it wasn’t front-burner, pot-boiling, ready to make a transaction as much as it was two teams that are on really hard times talking to each other about some possibilities.”
Both teams have been viewed as underachievers through the first month of the season. Montreal sits sixth in the Atlantic Division while New York moved into a tie for seventh in the Metropolitan Division with their victory against Vegas on Tuesday night.
Larry Brooks of the New York Post reported early Tuesday that Canadiens winger Andrew Shaw is someone that the Rangers have interest in as his ability to play center (he has spent a bit of time there in the past), as well as his physical style of play, have endeared him to management. Last week, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman noted that Shaw is someone that Montreal GM Marc Bergevin could be interested in moving while perhaps retaining part of his contract to get a deal done. The 26-year-old is signed through 2021-22 with a $3.9MM cap hit, certainly a sizable contract for anyone to consider trading for.
Alex Galchenyuk has been a subject of trade speculation for a while now even with the three-year, $14.7MM contract he signed over the summer. Brooks called him someone that could be of interest to the Rangers while McKenzie noted during his radio appearance that there have been discussions about him between the two teams.
While the two Montreal players have been identified as players that would be of interest to the Rangers and GM Jeff Gorton, it remains to be seen who or what they would be willing to give up. The Canadiens’ defensive concerns have been well-documented but New York has had some concerns on that end as well which likely rules that out. With the Rangers having the ability to add a player making just shy of $3MM as of today (per CapFriendly), they would have to clear out some money in order to get a deal done.
While it certainly doesn’t sound like any sort of trade is near completion for now, it will be interesting to see if talks pick up if one or both team carry over their struggles into November and beyond.
New York Rangers Could Be Sellers This Year
When the New York Rangers selected Lias Andersson seventh-overall in the 2017 NHL draft, it was a long time coming. The Rangers hadn’t selected in the first 40 picks for four consecutive drafts, and had just one top-10 pick (Dylan McIlrath at #10 in 2010) in the previous twelve. To get Andersson, they’d had to move Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta, two extremely important pieces of their 2016-17 season. They had sold assets for the first time in many years, and now Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet seems to think they may not be done. In his latest “31 Thoughts” column, Friedman writes that New York is not interested in just being an average NHL team, and could be heading towards a partial rebuild with an appetite for prospects and draft picks.
Speculation from this opening salvo will surely run rampant around the hockey world, with players like Mats Zuccarello and Ryan McDonagh both listed outside of the perceived untouchables. The Rangers have several pending unrestricted free agents and others with just one year remaining on their deal after this season, including the above mentioned duo. Zuccarello and McDonagh would be huge trade deadline additions if the Rangers don’t right the ship entirely, and with a 4-7-2 record they have an early fight on their hands for relevancy in the Metropolitan Division.
If the Rangers are truly committed to a quick rebuild led by Andersson and fellow first-round pick Filip Chytil, you have to wonder where Rick Nash will find himself playing down the stretch. The 33-year old winger has just four points through 13 games, but is carrying an incredibly low 4.3% shooting percentage that is sure to rebound to somewhere closer to his career average of 12.2%. Nash has a partial no-trade clause, but perhaps a bigger impedance for a trade is his salary. Not only does he carry a $7.8MM cap hit, but Nash is owed $8.2MM in salary this season and none of it was paid out in signing bonuses. Finding a team that has both the cap space and available real cash will be tricky, and might require the Rangers to retain some salary.
Still, the team will be one to watch all season for how they react to a poor start. They actually have quite a reasonable schedule coming up this month, without a single back-to-back situation and four instances of at least two days in a row off. If they take advantage of that, it might not look so dreary as they head into winter and really start discussing trades.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images