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NHL Releases Official Draft Lottery Odds

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The NHL has released the official odds for the upcoming draft lottery, which determines the order in which each team outside the playoffs will select in this year’s entry draft. The Colorado Avalanche lead the way with an 18% chance of winning, while the Vegas Golden Knights will be given the same odds as the third worst team this season, the Arizona Coyotes at 10.3%. The lottery will be held in Toronto on April 29th. The full odds are as follows:

Colorado Avalanche: 18%
Vancouver Canucks: 12.1%
Vegas Golden Knights: 10.3%
Arizona Coyotes: 10.3%
New Jersey Devils: 8.5%
Buffalo Sabres: 7.6%
Detroit Red Wings: 6.7%
Dallas Stars: 5.8%
Florida Panthers: 5.4%
Los Angeles Kings: 4.5%
Carolina Hurricanes: 3.2%
Winnipeg Jets: 2.7%
Philadelphia Flyers: 2.2%
Tampa Bay Lightning: 1.8%
New York Islanders: 0.9%

In the draft lottery, three teams actually “win”, and have the chance to move up from their finishing position. This means teams currently slotted 1-12 can only move a possible three spots down in the order, and only if teams behind them are selected. Last season, the Maple Leafs were selected first and retained their top spot, though the Columbus Blue Jackets and Winnipeg Jets hopped from fourth and sixth to third and second respectively. Vancouver, who had the third highest odds, dropped to fifth overall.

One will also remember the lottery that gave the Edmonton Oilers Connor McDavid, despite the Buffalo Sabres and Arizona Coyotes both having worse records. It wasn’t the first time Edmonton won a draft lottery, but it looks like it will be the last for at least the next few years, as they’re in the playoffs and will pick in the back half of the first round for the first time since 2005-06.

This year, the top prize is Nolan Patrick who retained his crown as the top rated skater in today’s final release of the NHL Central Scouting rankings. Though he’s not McDavid, every team on this list will be hoping to win the lottery and have the chance of drafting a future #1 center.

Chris Johnston of Sportsnet was the first to tweet out the full odds, though TSN and HockeyViz.com had correct unofficial numbers over a month ago. 

Winnipeg Jets Sign Jansen Harkins To Three-Year ELC

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The Winnipeg Jets have signed second-round pick Jansen Harkins to a three-year, entry-level contract worth $925K each season in the NHL. The team also announced that he will join the Manitoba Moose for the remainder of the year on an amateur tryout. Perhaps the Jets front office were reading PHR yesterday, when we pointed out that Harkins was the highest drafted player whose exclusive negotiating rights would expire on June 1st.

The big center has completed his fourth year with the Prince George Cougars of the WHL, where he bounced back from a disappointing 2015-16 campaign. With 72 points in 64 games he once again topped the point-per-game mark, though it likely wasn’t his offensive development that the Jets were happiest with. Harkins has shown flashes of an excellent defensive game, and projects as a solid two-way center for the team down the line should he continue on his current development path.

Harkins joins Kyle Connor and Jack Roslovic from the 2015 draft for the Jets, who are quietly stockpiling young talent and creating a pipeline of forwards to go along with their strong defense core. Perhaps even with their recent crowning as the worst free agent destination, they’ll be able to create a winning tradition in a city that desperately hungers for it.

Clarke MacArthur Will Return To NHL Action

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After missing nearly two full seasons with concussion problems, Clarke MacArthur will return to the lineup tonight for the Ottawa Senators. MacArthur last played a regular season game in the NHL on October 14th, 2015. Senators GM Pierre Dorion says that multiple doctors cleared him over a week ago, and that the team wanted his first game to be at home. Even his teammates were surprised to see his name in the lineup, as he was still expected to miss the entire season. "<strong

MacArthur suffered his fourth concussion in an 18-month period when he was hit in training camp by prospect Patrick Sieloff, a collision that sparked a brawl between teammates. MacArthur was then shut down in January when it was deemed that it was too dangerous to return to hockey this season. Many people believed that his career was over, though MacArthur would never admit that and always maintained that he would return this year. With the Senators barely holding on to a playoff spot and the Tampa Bay Lightning breathing down their necks, MacArthur’s return could pay off if he can return to his previous form.

A three-time 20-goal scorer, MacArthur was an extremely effective possession winger who could fit in alongside almost any type of play style and find success. Moving up and down the lineup, he’s been considered a solid two-way player mainly because of how easily he could retrieve and move the puck. He’s also an effective powerplay player, which he will be put on right away tonight. 34 of his 133 career goals have come on the powerplay, something the Senators have had trouble with this season—they rank 23rd in the league in PP%.

While his return is a heartwarming story, it will bring the brain injury discussion to the forefront once again as a player returns earlier than expected. Despite installing their concussion protocol and spotters in every rink, the NHL is embroiled in a legal battle about brain injuries and the possible development of CTE. While they fight that battle in the courtrooms, every hit MacArthur takes will make fans and league officials alike wince and hope for no further injury. With Aaron Ekblad recently returning “too soon”, it would be a blow to the NHL should MacArthur suffer a setback now.

Official Responses to NHL Olympic Announcement

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Earlier today the NHL announced that it would not allow its players to participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics. This announcement came after months of public negotiations involving the IOC, IIHF, NHLPA and the NHL.

The NHLPA released a response to the NHL’s announcement, and we’ve reproduced it in full below:

The players are extraordinarily disappointed and adamantly disagree with the NHL’s shortsighted decision to not continue our participation in the Olympics.

Any sort of inconvenience the Olympics may cause to next season’s schedule is a small price to pay compared to the opportunity to showcase our game and our greatest players on this enormous international stage. ​

A unique opportunity lies ahead with the 2018 and 2022 Olympics in Asia. The NHL may believe it is penalizing the IOC or the players, or both, for not giving the owners some meaningful concessions in order to induce them to agree to go to PyeongChang. Instead this impedes the growth of our great game by walking away from an opportunity to reach sports fans worldwide.

Moreover, it is doing so after the financial issues relating to insurance and transportation have been resolved with the IOC and IIHF. The League’s efforts to blame others for its decision is as unfortunate as the decision itself. NHL players are patriotic and they do not take this lightly. A decent respect for the opinions of the players matters. This is the NHL’s decision, and its alone. It is very unfortunate for the game, the players and millions of loyal hockey fans.”

The NHLPA clearly disagrees with the NHL’s position, and lays the non-participation solely at the feet of the NHL.

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Evening Snapshots: Julien, Compher, Thornton

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Fresh off of a clinch of a playoff spot, the Montreal Gazette’s Stu Cowan explains why Canadiens fans should be toasting the new bench boss who guided the team to the postseason with a steady hand. Claude Julien was hired immediately following the Habs’ firing of Michel Therrien, and with Julien in charge, Montreal experienced a surge that carried them into the playoffs. Cowan writes that the Canadiens are 13-5-1 since Julien took over and following his first practice with the team, Julien said this:

“Guys had to go on the ice today feeling good about themselves. I made sure that happened. Guys want hope. Guys want excitement. Guys want positive messages. It’s easy for a new coach coming in to give those positive messages. I wanted them to know how good I think the team is. We’re in first place, OK? There’s no need to panic, but there’s a need to fix.”

With the team for at least five seasons, and for the job he’s already done in his first few months on the job with the Canadiens (again), Cowan believes the coach deserves to be the toast of Montreal.

In other NHL news:

  • The Avalanche may have had a tough year, but there are still silver linings. One of those come in the form of center J.T. Compher, who Denver Post writer Terry Frei reports has been a welcome addition after general manager Joe Sakic called up the kids. Compher, a University of Michigan product, has three goals in 16 games and has centered a line with Gabriel Landeskog, and Matt Duchene. For Compher, it’s about learning “consistency” after being called up following the Avs’ trade of Jarome Iginla, and also finishing the season strong. With the Avalanche looking to win the draft lottery and build upon its young core, Compher figures to be an essential building block in what needs to be an efficient and swift rebuild after such a crushing season.
  • The Sun-Sentinel’s Craig Davis writes that while Shawn Thornton is known for his tough guy persona on the ice, it’s his “nice guy” persona off the ice that earned him a Bill Masterson Trophy nomination for the Florida Panthers. Thornton’s self-named foundation works to raise research funds in the fight against Parkinson’s and cancer. In addition to doing community outreach, Thornton also holds an annual charity golf outing. Though he made headlines recently for his furious quotes regarding Alexei Emelin, Davis highlights the side of hockey where the compassionate side of hockey players take precedence.

Flyers’ Michal Neuvirth Leaves Game After Collapsing On Ice

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7:28pm: The Philadelphia Flyers tweet that per general manager Ron Hextall, Neuvirth is “awake and alert” and being taken for further observation to Pennsylvania Hospital and that more information will follow tomorrow.

7:14pm: TSN’s Frank Seravalli tweets that Flyers defenseman Radko Gudas relayed to the Flyers’ broadcasting crew that Neuvirth is “fine.”

6:44 pm: A terrifying moment in Philadelphia as Flyers netminder Michal Neuvirth collapsed in the crease . NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti tweets that a faceoff was outside the Flyers’ blue line when Neuvirth inexplicably collapsed, and that no action near the net caused him to fall.

Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Sam Carchidi tweeted a picture of the scene and the capacity crowd was silent as medical experts worked on the goaltender. Positive news emerged as Neuvirth left the ice on a stretcher conscious and Carchidi tweets  that the crowd gave a standing ovation as he exited. The Flyers, already without Steve Mason who is ill, put Anthony Stolarz into the game. As of 6:55pm, Gulitti reports there are still no updates.

We join everyone else in wishing Neuvirth the best in what could only be described as a scary situation for his friends, family, and fans.

 

Minor Transactions: 4/1/2017

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There may be just a little more than a week remaining in the NHL regular season, but teams are still making roster moves. We’ll track all of the days minor league call-ups and reassignments in this post.

  • Philadelphia Flyers GM Ron Hextall announced this morning that the team has recalled forward Colin McDonald from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL. McDonald, 32, has yet to appear in the NHL this season but has 145 NHL games on his resume, a vast majority coming as a member of the New York Islanders. He is expected to be in the team’s lineup tonight as the Flyers are set to host their Metro Division rivals, the New Jersey Devils. McDonald, the Phantoms captain, has tallied 23 goals with 18 assists in 67 AHL games and has helped the team to the third best record in the league. The recall of McDonald seems strange on the surface, as Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post notes via Twitter. The team has plenty of healthy options and a lengthy stay in Philadelphia may have a negative impact on the Phantoms AHL playoff chances. Perhaps it’s a reward for the veteran pro, who has had a strong season, giving him a chance to earn a larger paycheck while in the NHL, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him returned to Lehigh Valley after tonight’s game.
  • Joel Vermin continues to rack up the frequent flyer miles as the 25-year-old native of Switzerland was again reassigned to Syracuse of the AHL, according to Lightning GM Steve Yzerman. Vermin has been called up seven different times this season, only to be reassigned each time. In 16 games for Tampa Bay, Vermin has tallied three assists in 10:00 of ice time per night. Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times suggests the reassignment bodes well for Nikita Kucherov, who missed the Lightning’s victory over Detroit Thursday night due to an illness, but would appear set to return to the ice tonight.
  • The St. Louis Blues announced via Twitter that they have recalled defenseman Petteri Lindbohm from the Chicago Wolves of the AHL on an emergency basis. Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch adds that fellow blue liner Robert Bortuzzo was hurt in last night’s 2 – 1 shootout loss to Colorado and may not be able to play tomorrow. Additionally, Carl Gunnarsson is still out, thus necessitating the call up of Lindbohm. In five earlier appearances this season with the Blues, Lindbohm is pointless with four penalty minutes while averaging under 13 minutes of ice time a night.

Coyotes Exploring Ownership Restructure

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It was reported earlier today that Randy Frankel, a minority shareholder for the MLB’s Tampa Bay Rays, was considering buying into the Arizona Coyotes. Sportsnet’s John Shannon believed that Frankel could be a potential partner for the ’Yotes current majority owner, Andrew Barroway, as some part of larger shakeup. However, an article released later in the day by Arizona Sports’ Craig Morgan reveals that there are much bigger dealings afoot.

Morgan reports that the minority owners in Arizona have extended an offer to Barroway to buy out their shares of the organization. Barroway allegedly has until June 6th to raise the capital for a takeover and become sole owner of the Coyotes or at least leader of a new ownership group. As Shannon noted, Frankel is in the mix as a potential financial backer of the sale, as is his fellow Rays minority shareholder Tim Mullen. Morgan adds that, if Barroway chooses not to take advantage of the option, the minority owners will then be given the opportunity to buy out Barroway’s majority stake. It is also possible that neither sale occurs.

It is no surprise that the Coyotes are an organization in flux, as they have had highly-publicized issues for years with the state of Arizona. After the city of Glendale, their current home, recently terminated the team’s long-term arena lease, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman made it clear that the “Arizona Coyotes must have a new arena location to succeed. The Coyotes cannot and will not remain in Glendale.” Bettman has been poignant in his remarks about how arena relations have gone for the Coyotes in Arizona, and has reached out to state leadership directly to discuss alternative options. So far, his efforts have been futile. A plan to construct an arena complex with Arizona State University in Tempe fell through, a privately-funded offer to build a new arena on an Indian reservation outside of Scottsdale has failed to gain steam, and most recently the team had been exploring the option of building a new home alongside the MLB’s Chicago Cubs’ spring training facility in Mesa. As always, there have been continuing rumors about relocation outside of Arizona as well, most of it geared toward a move up the west coast to Portland, Oregon or Seattle, Washington.

One thing is certain: finding a new home would be the core objective of any new majority ownership group for the Coyotes. Their relationship with the city of Glendale is ruined and the team ranks last in the Western Conference in attendance. An organization that is loaded with skilled, young talent has a bright future ahead of them, but can only maximize that success in a new location. This is a story that won’t be going away any time soon.

Canucks To Sign Top Prospect Brock Boeser

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Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman tweeted this morning that he has heard the Vancouver Canucks are making a concerted effort to sign Brock Boeser in advance of the team’s game this afternoon in Minnesota. He added in a subsequent tweet that Boeser is at the team’s hotel, suggesting the two sides are nearing a deal that could lead the 20-year-old forward to make his NHL debut today.

Brad E. Shlossman, who covers college hockey for the Grand Forks Herald and would seemingly be in a position to know, replied to Friemdan’s initial tweet, saying that Boeser will indeed sign with Vancouver.

The Canucks appear to have confirmed the signing by tweeting a picture of a Vancouver sweater with Boeser’s name stitched on the back hanging from a locker stall.

Boeser, selected by Vancouver in the first round of the 2015 draft, 23rd overall, recently wrapped up his sophomore season at the University of North Dakota. He scored 16 goals and 34 points in 32 NCAA games this season. The 6-foot, 190-pound right wing was even better as a freshman, tallying 60 points in 42 games. North Dakota’s season ended following a thrilling 4-3 double-OT loss to Boston University last night.

Even though playing Boeser in meaningless games down the stretch will burn a year off his ELC and allow the young forward to reach free agency sooner, Vancouver likely sees the value of adding the skilled prospect to the organization now as worth the downside. If nothing else, Boeser’s debut will add an element of excitement to what has otherwise been a down year in Vancouver.

Morning Notes: Crosby, Patrick, Cangelosi

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Last night, during the Pittsburgh Penguins-Ottawa Senators game, Sidney Crosby delivered a hard slash across the hands of Marc Methot resulting in one of the nastiest injuries this season in the NHL (*WARNING: GRAPHIC*). Senators’ head coach Guy Boucher said after the game that Methot would be out “weeks” with a “destroyed” and “shattered” finger, and owner Eugene Melnyk was upset about it this morning on TSN 1200 (via Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia and Frank Seravalli of TSN):

You hammer these [players who slash], you take away their money, and you say you know what? You are done for 10 games.  We all know who [Crosby] is. The guy is a whiner beyond belief. You do this kind of stuff—I don’t care who you are in the league, I don’t care if you’re the number one player in the league—you should sit out a long time for this kind of crap.

Melnyk said that he was sure the league would be looking at it, but Pierre LeBrun of ESPN reports Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly will not be evaluating it further. Crosby will receive no discipline for this incident, just as he faced no penalty for his spear in an unfortunate area of Ryan O’Reilly’s lower body.

  • For anyone hoping to catch Nolan Patrick in the first round of the WHL playoffs, you might have to wait a few days. Mike Morreale of NHL.com reports that the projected top pick in the upcoming entry draft won’t play in game one due to a lower-body injury. The Brandon Wheat Kings take on the Medicine Hat Tigers in the first round of the WHL playoffs.
  • The Calgary Flames have sent Garnet Hathaway back down to the Stockton Heat. The 25-year old forward didn’t play in his most recent call up, after Micheal Ferland returned earlier from his mumps quarantine. With Matthew Tkachuk now eligible to play after serving his two-game suspension, the need for Hathaway has lifted. Playing in 26 games for Calgary this season, Hathaway registered five points in under 10 minutes a night.
  • Similarly, the Minnesota Wild have sent Gustav Olofsson down to the minors, liking meaning Christian Folin is ready to return to game action. Olofsson has played in 13 games for the Wild this season, but will have to wait until next year to really make his mark at the NHL level. The 22-year old will try to help the Iowa Wild make the postseason for the first time in their short history.
  • Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports that the Albany Devils have signed Austin Cangelosi to a two-year AHL contract. The 22-year old forward just graduated from Boston College where he had back-to-back 20-goal seasons the past two years. The 5’7″ forward will try to prove that his size won’t stop his skill from shining through at the professional level, as he moves up to the next challenge in his hockey career.

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