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Trade Rumors: Coyotes, Canadiens, Jets, Islanders

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In all likelihood, the recent three-way trade that sent Matt Duchene to the Ottawa Senators and Kyle Turris to the Nashville Predators will be the biggest deal made this season. Yet, that hasn’t stopped the whispers of an bustling trade market, especially this early in the season. At the quarter pole of the 2017-18 campaign, it’s been an unpredictable season, prompting an unexpectedly active market. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch has had his ear to the ground and has plenty of input on who the buyers and sellers are right now:

  • To no one’s surprise, Garrioch states that the floundering Arizona Coyotes are “willing to talk about pretty much every player on their roster”. That of course doesn’t include Calder-hopeful Clayton Keller or many of their other 21-and-under starters, but the rest of the roster may as well be up for grabs. The big off-season acquisitions of Derek Stepan, Antti Raanta, Niklas Hjalmarsson, and Jason Demers have done nothing to change this team’s ability to win hockey games. At some point, GM John Chayka is going to go from “up-and-coming” to “up-and-went” and that pressure could force him to make some major moves as he rethinks his rebuild. While impending UFA’s like Raanta, Brad Richardson, and Luke Schenn would be the easiest pieces to move, the stakes are high for a Coyotes team whose core has done next to nothing for years and key pieces like Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Max Domi, Anthony Duclair, and Tobias Rieder could soon be on their way out.
  • Perhaps the only team more disappointing than Arizona in 2017-18 is the farthest team from them across North America: the Montreal Canadiens. Under new head coach Claude Julien, the Habs have fallen apart. However, the newly-signed coach isn’t going anywhere, putting GM Marc Bergevin, who Garrioch calls ” the NHL’s most active GM”, on the hot seat. Bergevin may be willing to make a big move to save his job, and of course the first name that comes to mind is young forward Alex Galchenyuk, who has predictably struggled under the defense-first Julien. Galchenyuk seems lost in Montreal, without an identifiable position, role, or spot in the lineup, and could use a change of scenery. However, he is not wholly to blame for the Canadiens’ struggles. Tomas Plekanec has long been on the block and if the team truly commits to a rebuild, big names like Max Pacioretty, Shea Weber, and (if anyone is willing to take on his monstrous new contract) even Carey Price could soon join the list.
  • Garrioch mentions both the Winnipeg Jets and New York Islanders as possible sellers, but given the surprising success of both clubs thus far, neither is likely rushing to trade pieces away unless they can make their teams better this season. Impending Jets UFA’s Shawn Matthias and Matt Hendricks may draw interest, but if Winnipeg is in playoff position come deadline time, they would want veteran depth for themselves. It seems more likely that GM Kevin Cheveldayoff could use his overflow of young forwards like Marko Dano, Joel Armia, Andrew Copp, Adam Lowry, or Brandon Tanev as trade bait to bring in another top-six forward for a team that doesn’t shoot the puck nearly enough. As for the Islanders, Garrioch singles out first-time UFA Calvin de Haan as the player to watch. Yet, de Haan is one of, if not the best shot-blocker in the NHL, can play major minutes, and is reliable in both ends. If the Isles can resign him, wouldn’t they? Obviously, John Tavares is the main focus and the team thinks highly of younger options like Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock, but the loss of a player like de Haan, especially with Travis Hamonic now in Calgary, could cripple a playoff-bound Islanders squad. Odds are de Haan sticks around, at least as long as New York remains playoff-bound.
  • So who’s looking? Garrioch mentions the Florida Panthers, Calgary Flames, Columbus Blue Jackets, and the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins as suitors for forward help, with the Dallas Stars potentially looking to make another big blue line trade to turn their season around. With that many buyers and several disappointed sellers, the trade NHL trade market may not wait until 2018 to heat up.

Snapshots: OHL, Sedlak, Gudbranson, Gaborik

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The Ontario Hockey League has always been one of the premiere talent factories for the NHL, churning out elite prospects every season. Like every year, the talented folks over at OHL Prospects have put together a consensus ranking of the 2018 draft eligible players, with contributions from various scouting gurus like Mike Morreale (NHL.com), Scott Wheeler (The Athletic) and Dan Stewart (Future Considerations).

In this ranking of OHL prospects—like any other you’ll find—Andrei Svechnikov tops the list. He was first on all 22 contributing scouts’ lists, with several implying that he could jump right to the NHL already. Svechnikov had 14 points in 10 games for the Barrie Colts before injuring his hand, should return to the lineup at some point in mid-to-late December. He’s a near lock to go in the top three selections next June.

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have activated Lukas Sedlak from injured reserve, giving them some more depth at center. The Blue Jackets have used Nick Foligno in the middle for much of this season, but could move him back to the wing where he is much more experienced now that they have another healthy body. The team could still obviously use another center, but have several options with how to deploy their lineup.
  • Jason Brough of TSN has heard that the Florida Panthers have at least some interest still in Erik Gudbranson, even though we had previously heard otherwise. Brough also reports that “a few other teams” have interest in the Vancouver Canucks’ defenseman which would mesh with the report that the Toronto Maple Leafs have poked around. Gudbranson will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
  • Marian Gaborik is nearing a return for the Los Angeles Kings, and head coach John Stevens spoke with Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider on the progression of the 35-year old sniper. The Kings continue to lead the Pacific Division, and it will be interesting to see if Gaborik can find a role on the team after several years of sub-par performance.

Russia Attempting To Pass Bill To Forbid KHL Players From Olympics

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Already with the NHL not participating in the Olympics, a new report has surfaced today from NHL.com’s Igor Eronko that the Russian parliament is preparing a bill for the KHL that would allow the league to forbid its players to participate in the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. That would also include players in the league from other countries as well, suggesting that Russia doesn’t want any national team to use KHL players.

That could put a damper on any hopes of Canada and the United States from putting together competitive teams as both squads were expected to dip into the KHL for players on their respective teams. TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that this new development could get sticky as both the United States and Canada teams believe that U.S./Canada players in the KHL are there on IIHF transfers and the IIHF has sanctioned Olympic participation.

The news comes on the heel of news that International Olympic Committee will decide on Dec. 5 whether Russia will be allowed to compete in the Pyeongchang Winter Games due to state-backed doping at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

If this bill goes through, it could also start an uproar from former NHL players like Andrei Markov, who went overseas with the intention of playing in the Olympics. With the NHL already having decided long ago they will not participate in next year’s Olympic Games, Russia was considered to be the favorite since they would have the best players outside of the NHL. Perhaps not.

 

 

Suspension Sunday: Gudas Gets 10 Games, Watson Gets Two

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Following a dangerous slash on the Winnipeg Jets’ Mathieu Perreault, Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Radko Gudas was suspended for ten games per the NHL’s Department of Player Safety. A video of the incident, including an explanation and rationale for the suspension was released as well. TSN’s Frank Seravalli tweets that the suspension will cost Gudas $408,538.60.

This isn’t the first time that Gudas finds himself on the wrong side of the NHL’s law. In 2016, Gudas was suspended for six games following a vicious hit on Boston’s Austin Czarnik. In December of 2015, he was suspended for three games after head hunting Mika Zibanejad.

Ejections and misconducts have been a staple of his play, and the ten game suspension is a loud message from the NHL’s Safety Department. With a game that is under the microscope for head hits in a CTE aware world, Gudas’ two-handed slash to Perreault’s head, who has a history of concussions, was an easy call for a long suspension. While Gudas claimed it was “accidental,” the department of player safety indicated that as  repeat offender under the terms of the CBA, he was suspended for ten games.

There are some who feel the suspension wasn’t heavy enough, in light of Gudas’ history targeting the head. If Gudas doesn’t learn from this suspension, next time may be even longer, more costly for the wallet and possibly his employment.

  • In other suspension news, the Nashville Predators’ Austin Watson received a two-game suspension from the NHL Department of Player Safety for his hit on Colorado’s Dominic Toninato. Video of the hit and explanation can be found here. Watson hit Toninato after the Avs’ forward chipped the puck out of the zone. His back turned and in a defenseless position, Tonianato was boarded by Watson and because of no prior history of suspensions, fines, or unsportsmanlike hits, Watson received a two-game suspension.

NHL Considering Changes To Minor Penalties

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All 31 NHL general managers met in Montreal on Friday for the annual GM Meetings to discuss important league policies and procedures. Despite little conversation on the topic arising beforehand, Sportsnet insiders Christ Johnston and Elliotte Friedman report that one of the major issues discussed was potential changes to minor penalties, specifically the length of certain minor penalties and the length of minor penalties in overtime.

What exactly was discussed? While the league has expressed its pleasure with the cleaner game this season as a result of tighter penalty calls, it has now come to the attention of all GM’s that perhaps not all minor penalties are worthy of the same penalty. The solution debated Friday was instituting one-minute minors. Johnston reports that two-minute minor penalties in overtime, where each and every second is amplified, are perhaps too punitive in regards to a five-minute period. A one-minute minor for all minors in OT would still allow for the drawing team to have an advantage, without eliminating the scoring chance of the penalized team for nearly half of the overtime frame. Friedman continued that besides the situational OT one-minute minors, GM’s discussed cutting a pair of controversial minor penalties in half during regular time as well. Unsurprisingly, these two penalties are delay of game and face-off violation. The delay of game penalty for putting the puck over the glass has been criticized since its inception for unduly harming a team for what is almost always a pure accident. The new face-off violation penalty has also been seen as unworthy or penalty status, though the frequency of the call has dropped off substantially from the preseason to the regular season.

A change in penalty time in the overtime period would be a novel move for the NHL; something unseen in most major sports. The change in time for specific minor penalties though would not be unlike lacrosse, in which most leagues use a wide range of different penalty lengths depending on the infraction. It is an intriguing idea that is just in its infancy, but variable minor penalty times could serve to benefit the NHL.

Bruins, Blackhawks To Meet in 2019 Winter Classic

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The NHL announced today that the 2019 Winter Classic will be played at Notre Dame Stadium between the Boston Bruins and the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 1, 2019.

The Bruins and the Blackhawks, two historic Original Six franchises, will meet outdoors for the first time ever. While it is the first time they will meet outdoors against each other, the Blackhawks will be making their fourth Winter Classic appearance. The Bruins have appeared in the annual game three times. It will be the 11th Winter Classic.

The two teams will get a chance to play in the 80,000 capacity Notre Dame Stadium as it’s likely this will have the biggest live audience of any NHL game ever.

The New York Rangers and Buffalo Sabres will be meeting at the 2018 NHL Winter Classic at Citi Field in Queens, New York on Jan. 1, 2018.

Snapshots: Jagr, Iginla, Tatar

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The Prime Time Sports Management Conference, which was held in Toronto the past two days, featured several big names in the world of hockey including Commissioner Gary Bettman, IIHF President Rene Fasel, and of course, Calgary Flames President Brian Burke. With such a wealth of hockey knowledge and experience in one room, the interesting opinions and stories were constantly flowing. Yet, two tales stood out above the rest:

  • Burke, unsurprisingly, was the author of one of them. Burke told the crowd that Jaromir Jagr and Jarome Iginla, two future Hall of Famers who seemingly spent the summer with little attention paid to their free agent statuses, were in facts targets of the Flames all summer long. As we now know, Jagr was the end choice, as the 45-year-old signed on in Calgary in early October. Burke stated that the team evaluated and monitored both storied veterans throughout the off-season, waiting to see how things played out. Burke stated that, in the end, the team felt that Jagr had a much stronger 2016-17 season and brought a “charisma” to the team that they desired. It is no surprise that the team considered long-time captain Iginla, but after a difficult campaign where he looked lifeless at times, no one can blame the Flames for instead going with the ageless Jagr. In eight games thus far, Jagr already has a goal and four assists, as well as a +5 rating in Calgary.
  • The second intriguing story came from player agent Ritch Winter through sources at the NHL Players’ Association. It seems as though the current contract between forward Tomas Tatar and the Detroit Red Wings came much closer to not getting done than even the arbitration hearing time line indicated. The two sides went to salary arbitration this summer and were one of only a handful of cases to actually go to hearing. Yet, the two sides struck a deal prior to the arbitrator’s award – a four-year, $21.2MM bargain that even includes a no-trade clause beginning next season. Well, according to Winter, the fax from the arbitrator with his binding one-year decision came in to the NHLPA office mere minutes after the contract was signed. A few minutes earlier and any late agreement between the two sides would have been rendered null and void. It would come as no surprise if the Red Wings wish it had. Detroit filed at $4.1MM in arbitration, while Tatar’s side countered with $5.3MM. The eventual contract holds a $5.3MM AAV, meaning anything but an absolute finding for Tatar by the arbitrator would have resulted in a lesser cap hit than what the Wings are paying now. And what of the future? Yes, the long term deal keeps Tatar in Detroit longer, but with seven points in 18 games, the soon-to-be-27-year-old is on pace for the worst full season of his NHL career. The Red Wings may regret their long-term commitment and knowing they were only minutes ahead of a disqualifying decision only adds to the sting.

Poll: Who Is The NHL’s Best Team Right Now?

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As we approach the quarter mark of the season, there have been a number of surprises this season. The strong play of New Jersey. Edmonton’s struggles. The Blackhawks inability to score goals. The Rangers winning six in a row after playing poorly out of the gate. Expectations have also been met, such as the Lightning being tops in the East.

Who do you think the best team is right now?

Evening Snapshots: Red Wings, Mantha, Slumping Blackhawks

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Heading home for a stretch where they play 13 of 15 at Little Caesars Arena, Detroit Red Wings bench boss Jeff Blashill says there is “zero excuse” for not winning tonight writes MLive’s Ansar Khan. After getting pushed around by Calgary Thursday night, Detroit looks to get back on track against a Columbus team mired in a four game winless streak. The goal for the Red Wings are to return to the playoffs after a one-year hiatus, and this stretch of hockey with games predominantly at home serves as the best chance to get a good jump on it. Currently sitting 8-8-1, impressive forward Anthony Mantha added that the team needs have at least a .750 or .800 mark during the stretch at home.

  • Speaking of Mantha, Khan reports that the goal-scoring forward is developing into a more complete player in his second NHL season. Dogged early in his career for lack of effort, Mantha has risen to the occasion, leading the Red Wings in goals and points through Friday. Blashill says that the 22-year-old is very motivated and is skating harder now than he had previously with the team.
  • The Chicago Tribune’s Chris Hine writes that the Blackhawk faithful are keeping their hopes up that Chicago will turn things around soon. Hine likens the current slump to a “crisis of faith” as they’ve struggled to score goals, registering just 12 goals in the last seven games. The culprit, Hine writes, are the “big money” players not getting on the score sheet regularly. He singles out captain Jonathan Toews (4-6-10), Brandon Saad (6-3-9), Patrick Kane (5-9-14), Duncan Keith (0-8-8), Brent Seabrook (1-4), and Patrick Sharp (2-2) as those players. Kane hasn’t scored in seven games while Saad is goal-less in his last ten games. Head coach Joel Quenneville has been toying with lines, trying to find the right combination to break the scoring drought.

Minor Transactions: 11/08/17

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Last night saw a full slate of games around the NHL, with 18 teams going at it all across the league. The Edmonton Oilers escaped New York with two points, while the Vegas Golden Knights continued their recent skid. Tonight, there are just three matchups to keep an eye on. Teams may use this off day to make some minor transactions, and as always we’ll keep track of them right here.

  • The Montreal Canadiens recalled Byron Froese after their game last night, sending Michael McCarron back down to the minor leagues. McCarron played fewer than seven minutes for the Canadiens last night, and has been limited in every game he’s played so far. Perhaps Froese—who was actually named the first captain of the Laval Rocket recently—is a better fit for that fourth-line role.
  • Alan Quine’s conditioning stint has been terminated, meaning the New York Islanders will welcome him back from Bridgeport. The 24-year old forward scored once for the AHL team in four games, and will try to get back to the solid bottom-six player he showed last season as a rookie. In 61 games for the 2016-17 Islanders, he scored 18 points.
  • With Alex Stalock expecting the birth of his second child, the Minnesota Wild have recalled goaltender Niklas Svedberg for their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight. Svedberg returned from the KHL this season and has been starting for the Iowa Wild, registering a .904 save percentage so far. He’ll backup Devan Dubnyk tonight.
  • The Florida Panthers have reassigned forward Chase Balisy to Springfield of the AHL.  This comes just two days after being recalled back on Monday although he did get into a game with the Panthers during this stint as he played just over ten minutes on Tuesday night against Carolina.
  • After starting the season on season-opening reserve due to a concussion, the San Jose Sharks have activated forward Rourke Chartier and assigned him to the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda, reports Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News.  Chartier had a strong rookie season with 35 points in 67 games with the Barracuda last year and will look to build on that once he gets the green light to play.

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