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Metro Division Notes: Wennberg, Vesey, Schenn, Raffl

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The Columbus Blue Jackets are one of the league’s biggest surprises this season under head coach John Tortorella. The team’s points-percentage is #1 in the league, and they boast the NHL’s top-ranked man-advantage unit as well. While the play of rookie defenseman Zach Werenski and goaltender Sergei Bobrovski is garnering much of the attention, third-year center Alexander Wennberg has played a vital role in the team’s surge this season.

Wennberg debuted in 2014-15 and tallied 20 points in 68 games as a rookie. He would double that points total in 69 contests in his sophomore campaign but is in the midst of a breakout season in 2016-17 with 25 points in 28 appearances. If he maintains that pace he would finish with more than 70 points. According to Tortorella via Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch, Wennberg, now in his third professional season, has embraced the added responsibility that comes with experience.

“Before camp started, we talked about responsibility as a third-year pro,” Tortorella said. “He’s not a rookie anymore. He’s not feeling his way through the league anymore. He needs to take responsibility with his play, and he’s done that.”

For his part, the young pivot believes his physical development has allowed him to improve in all aspects on the ice.

“I’m bigger now, stronger,” Wennberg said recently. “It’s a hard league, the best in the world, and I was a young guy when I got here. Of course it’s tough. I do feel different this year. I know Torts better and he knows me better, too. So it’s good.”

Although known more for his skill, Wennberg recently had occasion to show he isn’t afraid of physical play. Friday night he dropped the mitts with Flames rookie Matthew Tkachuk after the latter delivered a big hit on Brandon Saad in the Jackets defensive zone. He may not have fared particularly well in the engagement but he certainly earned the respect of his teammates and his coach.

“I’ve talked since I’ve been here that I think Wenny needs to be more involved,” Tortorella said. “Not to fight, but to be more involved in the inside part of the game, and he’s done that this year.

“For him to stand in there – right in front of the bench – that’s important for camaraderie and the tightness of the bench to see that guy stand in there.”

Elsewhere in the Metro Division:

  • Jimmy Vesey spurned several teams when he agreed to terms with the New York Rangers this summer as an unrestricted free agent. Chief among them was the club who originally drafted the skilled winger in the 3rd round of the 2012 draft, the Nashville Predators. Of course everyone knows the story by now. Nashville GM David Poile thought Vesey would sign with the club upon the completion of his senior season at Harvard but Vesey had other ideas. Once it became clear the Predators would not be adding the young winger, the team pivoted and traded his rights to Buffalo in exchange for a third-round pick. Buffalo also failed to secure Vesey’s name on a contract and it was the Rangers who would add the talented prospect to their organization. Vesey is off to a strong start with the Blueshirts, registering 10 goals and 17 points in 31 contests. He’s already played against the Sabres in Buffalo and received a cold reception. Tonight, however, Vesey and the Rangers travel to Nashville where Adam Vingan of The Tennessean expects Vesey will receive a hostile welcome from Predators fans. Vesey certainly expects one and is looking forward to getting it over with: “I kind of have been knowing it was coming. It’s going to be the worst of it, and once this game is done with, maybe it’ll settle down.” Rangers bench boss Alain Vigneault doesn’t expect the atmosphere to distract the rookie: “I think this is the third time this is happened. He hasn’t shown at all that he’s been at all influenced by it. If the fans get their money’s worth, then I guess fine for them, but I know it’s not going to bother the young man at all.”
  • The Philadelphia Flyers had their 10-game winning streak broken today in Dallas, but the stretch of winning hockey has elevated the Flyers from a .500 club to one that comfortably holds a playoff spot. Coincidentally, their streak began at the same time Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol moved Brayden Schenn to center from wing, replacing him with Michael Raffl on the top line, as Sam Carchidi of Philly.com writes. Schenn initially centered the fourth-line for two games but has spent the past eight on the second-line and that trio has combined for 12 goals and 22 points since.

Daley Week-To-Week With Upper-Body Injury

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Already down Kris Letang for at least two weeks, the Pittsburgh Penguins are going to have to make due without another important blue liner as well. According to Christine Simpson of Sportsnet, Trevor Daley has an upper-body injury and is considered week-to-week.

The 13-year veteran has registered three goals and 11 points in 30 appearances on the season, averaging 20:40 of ice time per game. His acquisition from Chicago last season, along with a few other savvy moves made by the Penguins, keyed a resurgence in Pittsburgh that culminated in the team claiming the Stanley Cup in June. Pittsburgh was 15 – 11 – 3 when they dealt Rob Scuderi to the Blackhawks for Daley. After the trade the Penguins went 33 – 15 – 5 and skated off the ice with Lord Stanley’s trophy.

Pittsburgh recalled Chad Ruhwedel from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL earlier today when the club placed Letang on IR. Ruhwedel gives the Penguins seven healthy blue liners and it likely means the club will not need to make another call-up in Daley’s absence.

This is the 26-year-old Ruhwedel’s first season in the penguins organization after spending the previous four years with Buffalo. The native of San Diego, California has appeared in 33 NHL games, all with Buffalo, netting two points and four penalty minutes.

Senators Dealing With Declining Attendance

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Despite owning the second best record in the Atlantic Division at 16 – 11 – 3, the Ottawa Senators are struggling to draw fans to their home games and as Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun writes, team owner Eugene Melnyk is not happy about it. According to Garrioch, the Senators are averaging 15,357 fans through 17 home games this season. In 2015-16, the Senators drew just more than 18,000 per home contest.

The steep decline in attendance is obviously disappointing but Melnyk is mindful that Ottawa’s recent postseason absence plays a role.

“I’m hoping now that we’re doing very well on the ice (attendance will increase) and I hope we continue to do well and remembering we’ve been out of the playoffs two of the last three years and that one year we lasted a round. We have to turn that around and become a playoff team every year and then you’ll see (fans) come back.”

Melnyk bristles when asked whether ticket prices might help explain the decrease in paid attendance:

“The prices are not too high. We are one of the lowest prices in the league. It’s a fair price.”

Obviously a drop in attendance will have a direct affect on team revenues and subsequently could lead to a decrease in player payroll as early as next season. According to Cap Friendly, the Senators currently have around $68.7MM in salary commitments to 25 players in 2016-17. In 2017-18, the club already has $59.15MM devoted to player salaries with 10 players coming off the books. If the organization decides they need to trim payroll it might make it difficult to replace or re-sign players with expiring contracts this summer.

It’s also possible if attendance doesn’t improve this season that it could alter the Senators trade deadline strategy. If the Senators are still in the playoff hunt in February, the front office could be prevented from adding another scorer to a roster that ranks 26th in the NHL averaging just 2.33 goals-per-game.

Melnyk still appears to be positive about the team’s situation, both in the near and the long term. Garrioch mentions the progress made in the RendezVous LaBreton bid to build a new arena for the Senators.

“This is something that will be (good for) the next 30 to 40 years and it’s OK to take that extra time to make it perfect.”

Pacific Division Snapshots: Kings, Meier, Coyotes

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Like many teams in the league, the Los Angeles Kings have battled their fair share of injuries. Star sniper Marian Gaborik has appeared in just nine games this season and has posted just one goal and four points. Anze Kopitar, one of the league’s top, two-way centers has missed some time. And perhaps most importantly, Jonathan Quick has been out since season’s first game, forcing the team to rely on a combination of Jeff Zatkoff and Peter Budaj to hold down the fort until he returns. It’s not an ideal situation but the Kings have hung tough in the standings, as Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times writes, and currently hold one of two wild card slots in the Western Conference.

Because of injuries to Zatkoff, it’s been Budaj that has seen most of the action between the pipes for L.A. Originally signed to be the team’s third goalie, Budaj has posted a career-best 2.17 GAA while winning 14 of his 26 starts. While he’s had his ups and downs, Budaj has been good enough most nights to keep the Kings in games.

As Elliott notes, the team has managed to stay afloat thanks in large part to their work ethic. Now, the Kings are close to full health, though Quick is still expected to be out until February, and are just five points behind the San Jose Sharks for first place in the Pacific Division with one game in hand. Assuming Budaj can continue to play adequately enough, or the team finds a better stopgap option, and Gaborik can rediscover his scoring touch, the Kings have a good chance to again qualify for the postseason. Once there, anything can happen.

Elsewhere in the Pacific Division:

  • Highly-touted rookie Timo Meier made his debut with the San Jose Sharks last season and by all accounts it was a huge success, as Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News recounts. Meier scored his first career NHL goal on his first shot last night and the Sharks erupted for three goals in the first period of their 4 – 2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Meier would finish with three shots on net in just more than 10 minutes of ice time. That’s exactly the type of spark the Sharks were hoping for when calling up the 2015 first-round draft pick. Meier’s insertion into the lineup pushed veteran forward Joel Ward to the press box last night and while it’s certain the first-year pro will remain in the San Jose lineup for the immediate future, it’s less clear how that fact will impact the rest of the Sharks forward group. As long as Meier produces, DeBoer will undoubtedly find a way to mix and match his forwards.
  • Desperate for help up the middle, the Arizona Coyotes recently acquired Peter Holland via trade from Toronto and added Josh Jooris off of waivers from the New York Rangers. Veteran center Brad Richardson is out indefinitely with multiple fractures in his right leg while rookie Dylan Strome failed to find consistency at the NHL level; two factors which created a need for Arizona. While it’s only a small sample, just two appearances for each player, the additions are already paying off for Arizona, writes Sarah McLellan of The Arizona Republic. Holland tallied two helpers in his Coyotes debut and scored the shootout winner in his return to Toronto. Again, it’s only to games but Holland’s play has helped the team to their first winning streak since late November; a stretch which saw the Coyotes earn just five of a possible 16 standings points.

Department Of Player Safety Hands Down Suspensions

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It’s been a busy day for the NHL’s Department of Player Safety. Ottawa’s Mike Hoffman and Dallas’ Cody Eakin both had scheduled meetings with the DoPS today—Hoffman for a cross-check to the back of Logan Couture’s head and Eakin for running heavily into Henrik Lundqvist – and the two have each received their penalties.

According to John Shannon of Sportsnet, Hoffman received a two-game ban for his infraction and will forfeit $57.6K in salary. Meanwhile, Eakin has been suspended for the next four contests, according to Mark Stepneski, who covers the Stars for NHL.com. Eakin’s suspension will cost the six-year veteran more than $85K in forfeited salary.

Additionally, Marc-Edouard Vlasic was fined $5K, the maximum allowed under terms of the CBA, for spearing Ottawa defenseman Erik Karlsson. Vlasic speared Karlsson in the second period of the same game where Hoffman crosschecked Logan Couture.

Injury Updates: Crawford, Palat, Kucherov, Vatrano, Honka

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Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford underwent an emergency appendectomy back on December 3rd and it was said then that he was likely to miss two-to-three weeks as a result. Thirteen days later, the 31-year-old is back on the ice skating with his team, reports Tracy Myers of CSN Chicago. Myers adds that Crawford also took some shots today and head coach Joel Quenneville is waiting to see how their #1 net minder is doing when the team returns home from their current road trip.

The team has fared pretty well in Crawford’s absence. After dropping his first two games, Crawford’s understudy, Scott Darling, has won four of his last five starts, allowing just six goals during that time. He is likely at this point to get the call in both of Chicago’s weekend games, at St. Louis on Saturday and in Chicago against the Sharks on Sunday.

Elsewhere on the injury front:

  • Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times reports that the Lightning will be without forwards Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov for tonight and likely for the team’s game tomorrow as well (Twitter link). Additionally, Ryan Callahan is not going to play tonight as Tampa Bay travels to Vancouver to take on the Canucks. In a follow-up tweet, Smith adds that Palat is considered day-to-day while Kucherov has not been placed on IR, suggesting he is also day-to-day. While it’s never a good thing to be without three regular forwards, even if it’s just for a game or two, a prolonged absence of Kucherov would be especially bad news for the Lightning. The fourth-year winger leads the team in both goals (13) and points (30) this season and also topped the club in scoring last season. Palat has tallied 13 points in 30 games for Tampa Bay, while Callahan has added just four points in an injury-marred campaign for the gritty veteran winger.
  • Frank Vatrano, who has been out since September with a foot injury, was activated by Boston and assigned to Providence of the AHL, according to Joe Haggerty of CSNNE. Haggerty states that the young winger needs to play to get back up to speed. Vatrano exploded on the scene as a prospect last year after registering 36 goals in just 36 AHL games and earned his first call up to Boston. While not as successful in the NHL, Vatrano did net eight goals in 39 games for the Bruins, demonstrating the ability to be a solid performer at this level.
  • Finally, the Dallas Stars activated defenseman Julius Honka from IR and reassigned the young Finn to Texas of the AHL, the team announced today. Honka had missed the last five games with an upper-body injury. The team’s first-round draft choice in 2014, the 21-year-old blue liner made his NHL debut this season and in eight games recorded three points. In 16 contests earlier this year with Texas, Honka tallied three goals and 12 points. Dallas already has a roster full of capable NHL defensemen, leading one to wonder when or if the team will recall Honka, as some have suggested the constant shuffling on the back end has contributed in part to the Stars struggles this season.

Pacific Division Snapshots: Meier, Ward, Theodore, Gagner

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In an effort to spark a struggling offensive attack, the San Jose Sharks promoted their 2015 first-round pick, Timo Meier, to the big league team where it is expected he will make his NHL debut tonight, as was reported earlier today. Meier has appeared in 17 games for the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL and has tallied nine goals and 15 points in his first professional campaign. One consequence of inserting the rookie into the lineup, as Kevin Kurz of CSN Bay Area writes, is that it creates more competition and at least for tonight, respected veteran Joel Ward will be the odd-man out of the lineup.

Ward is off to a slow start this season with just two goals and nine points through 30 contests but is just one year removed from a 21-goal, 43-point campaign. He also adds value on the penalty kill, where the 10-year veteran ranks 4th among San Jose Sharks forwards in shorthanded ice time.

Sharks bench boss Peter DeBoer admits it isn’t easy to make the decision to scratch Ward, saying “those aren’t easy conversations.” But as Kurz points out, the Sharks rank just 21st in the league in scoring and after qualifying for the Stanley Cup Final last season, the pressure is on to take the next step. In order to do so, it’s evident DeBoer wants to generate more offense and is willing to tinker with the lineup to accomplish that goal.

“We’re 30 games in,” DeBoer said after Friday’s morning skate at Bell Centre. “We were good last year. We had a great season, but we weren’t good enough. It’s clear the mandate here is to take another step this year. 

“Guys build up equity on what they did last year to a certain point, and then…we have to see some results. We’ve got a lot of depth here, and a lot of young guys knocking on the door. That’s the message.”

Elsewhere in the Pacific:

  • Defenseman Shea Theodore has been one of the Anaheim Ducks top prospects since the moment he was drafted in the first-round of the 2013 draft. He saw his first NHL action a season ago and registered three goals and eight points in 19 contests but saw his production and ice time dip in the playoffs. Nonetheless, he was expected to challenge for a regular role in training camp but after failing to do so, Theodore was reassigned to San Diego of the AHL to start the season. However, the 21-year-old blue liner has earned another opportunity, and as Eric Stephens of The Orange County Register reports, Theodore is working hard to take advantage of it. Theodore has appeared in nine straight games and 11 of the last 12 for the Ducks. Anaheim head coach Randy Carlyle is a “no-nonsense type,” and it can be difficult for young players to earn his trust, as Stephens notes. But, Cam Fowler earned his stripes as a 19-year-old blue liner while playing under Carlyle and it’s feasible Theodore is able to do the same. Stephens adds that because both Clayton Stoner and Simon Despres remain out, the latter expected to be on the shelf long term with concussion-related symptoms, Theodore is likely to stick in the lineup for the immediate future.
  • Forward Sam Gagner burst onto the scene as an 18-year-old fresh out of junior hockey, scoring 49 points in 76 games as a rookie for the Edmonton Oilers during the 2007-08 season. But in the eight full seasons since his flashy debut, Gagner failed to improve upon his rookie performance and bounced around from Edmonton to Arizona and then on to Philadelphia – although he did register at least 37 points in each campaign through 2014-15. Last season was a disaster, however, as he recorded just eight goals and 16 points in 53 games with the Flyers and found himself skating in the AHL at one point. In large part because of that disappointing performance, Gagner received little interest as a free agent this offseason, but ultimately landed on his feet, signing a one-year deal with Columbus. As Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Sun argues, the match between the former Oiler and the Blue Jackets couldn’t have worked out any better for the two parties. Gagner already has 12 goals and 21 points in just 26 games and is a key contributor to the Jackets #1 ranked power play unit. The 27-year-old forward is thoroughly enjoying his time in Columbus: “I’ve gotten a great opportunity to play some important minutes. I’m out there at important times of the games and I really relish that opportunity. And it’s a winning team, we’re all playing well. That’s something that’s been really fun for me.” If Gagner continues to produce at his current pace, he’ll finish with 30+ goals and around 60 points. That would prove to be an excellent return on Columbus’ minimal investment.

 

Leafs Recall Enroth; Reassign Bibeau To AHL

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The Maple Leafs have recalled goaltender Jhonas Enroth from their AHL affiliate in Toronto and reassigned fellow netminder Antoine Bibeau to the Marlies, according to James Mirtle of The Atlantic (Twitter link). Enroth struggled out of the gate for the Leafs after signing a free agent deal with the team in the offseason, posting a 3.94 GAA and a 0.872 Save % in six games. He was sent to the AHL after clearing waivers 10 days ago and has appeared in just one contest with the Marlies, stopping 24 of 27 shots in a Toronto win.

Bibeau made one start for the Leafs, backstopping the Leafs in a 3 – 1 loss to Colorado in the young net minder’s NHL debut. He allowed just two goals on 28 shots. Mirtle reports that the move is likely designed to get Bibeau more game action as the Leafs have just four games over the next 11 days and with Frederik Andersen playing well, it’s assumed the Danish goalie will get all of those starts.

The Leafs also added veteran Karri Ramo on an AHL PTO with the idea he would ultimately replace Enroth as Andersen’s understudy. However Ramo has struggled with the Marlies in three appearances in the minors. Ramo spent the summer recovering from major knee surgery and may simply need more playing time to round his game into shape.

Vancouver Canucks Notes: Desjardins, Stecher, Ohlund

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Unless the Vancouver Canucks are able to turn their season around, and do so soon, it appears more and more likely the team’s struggles will eventually cost Willie Desjardins his job as head coach. As it stands, Vancouver’s chances of making the playoffs are dwindling by the day with the Sports Club Stats website placing the odds the Canucks will make it to the postseason at just 6.5%. However, as Jason Botchford writes in a piece for the Vancouver Sun, replacing Desjardins behind the bench mid-season is unlikely to make much of a difference on the ice for the Canucks.

First, Botchford notes that head-coach-in-waiting, Utica Comets bench boss Travis Green, is unlikely willing to jump into the NHL on an interim basis and without the benefit of a full training camp to implement his system. Another possible option, current assistant coach Doug Jarvis, has no head coaching experience at the NHL level. Ultimately, as Botchford argues, no available head coaching possibility would represent an upgrade over what the team currently has.

Botchford also discusses the frustration of the teams fan base and how that has already materialized in a lower-than-expected season ticket renewal rate of 80% for the 2016-17 campaign. Expecting a mid-season hire to revitalize the team’s followers and to sell tickets is unrealistic, as Botchford opines.

Taking it even further, Botchford believes the time is fast approaching where the organization is going to have to “sell a different direction, a new hope.” This could result in ownership mandating sweeping changes, and it shouldn’t be surprising if those changes include a shakeup of the front office.

Other Canucks notes:

  • One bright spot in Vancouver’s difficult season has been the development of rookie defenseman Troy Stecher, writes David Ebner of The Globe and Mail. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound blue liner was signed by the Canucks as an undrafted free agent following a three-year run at the University of North Dakota. He has only netted one goal with six assists in 21 starts, and has posted a minus-8 +/- rating, but as Ebner notes, Stecher is one of the team’s best puck possession players and averages three shots on goal per game, a figure that ranks among the best in the league for defensemen. He considers himself more of an offensive defenseman saying: “It’s a lot more fun playing offence than defence, so sometimes I don’t really want to look for a pass if I have the lane. I just want to skate it out. One of my strongest assets is my feet, my ability to skate – I think it has to be, with my height.” It may be a small sample but to this point it appears as if Vancouver has uncovered a gem and a solid, top-four blue liner.
  • Former NHL defenseman Mattias Ohlund spent 11 of his 13 NHL seasons as a member of the Canucks and tonight the team will add his name to the Ring of Honor at Rogers Arena. Iain MacIntyre writes that Ohlund overcame “the objections of his body” to become arguably the best blue liner in Canucks history. Before beginning his NHL career, Ohlund tore knee ligaments while representing Sweden in the 1994 World Junior Championships. The skilled defender would battle knee problems throughout his career and they would ultimately lead to his premature retirement at the age of 34. “I pushed myself and my body as far as I could. And then one day, after speaking to numerous doctors and trying everything I could, it was just impossible for me to practise and play and travel. My left knee is worse, but both are bad.” Ohlund is the franchise’s all-time leading scorer among defensemen with 325 points in 770 contests with the Canucks. He would spend the final two seasons of his career with Tampa Bay after inking a seven-year deal with the Lightning in the summer of 2009.

Kris Letang Out For Weeks With Lower-Body Injury

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Bad news for the Penguins came down today, as head coach Mike Sullivan told Wes Crosby of NHL.com that Kris Letang would miss “a couple weeks” with a lower body injury. As Crosby notes, the Penguins have eight games over the next two weeks before having the entire first week of January off.

It’s not the first time superstar defenseman has dealt with injury this season, as Letang missed much of October as well. Amazingly, he still has 19 points in 25 games this season which puts him sixth in scoring among defensemen. He was logging over 26 minutes a night before the injury, another mark right alongside the league leaders.

For Pittsburgh, his injury means that Steven Oleksy will likely get back into the lineup and that Trevor Daley will have to take on a bigger role. Already logging the second most icetime on the team, Daley has been a huge part of the 20-7-3 record so far for the Penguins. Perhaps 22-year old Olli Maatta will be forced into a tougher role as well, despite his struggles this year.

The biggest place the Penguins will feel Letang’s absence will be the powerplay, where the quarterback racks up assists distributing the puck to the talented forwards down low. Pittsburgh currently holds the league’s 10th best powerplay, a number that will likely go down without Letang on the blueline.

Not seen as a defensive option very often, Letang does also skate on the penalty kill at times, meaning the 27th ranked Penguins will need to find another body for that special team as well. While Daley has played well this season, pushing his minutes up towards 25 a night would be a risk for the 33-year old.

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