Lightning Recall Conacher From Syracuse Of AHL
With Jonathan Drouin listed as day-to-day and questionable for Tampa Bay’s game against Florida Monday, the Lightning have recalled forward Cory Conacher from the club’s AHL affiliate in Syracuse, according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. Conacher has made one appearance for the Lightning, failing to record a point in 13:26 of ice time. The 5-foot-8, 180-pound winger has scored three goals and eight points in seven games for the Syracuse Crunch.
Drouin, meanwhile, was hurt on a huge hit from Calvin de Haan of the New York Islanders. The Isles defender was given a five-minute major for interference on the play. Drouin has missed the two games Tampa Bay has played since, a shootout loss to Boston and a victory of New Jersey.
Conacher also refuted reports that he was considering a jump overseas to join HC Lugano, telling Syracuse.com that he had not heard from anyone representing the Swiss League club.
“I haven’t talked to anyone from Lugano. They like to talk and start rumors. I’m sure at some point throughout the year they’ll reach out. But as of right now, I haven’t had any contact with anyone in Switzerland, other than the fact that I keep updated with some of the guys in Bern.”
Although nothing seems imminent on that front, Conacher didn’t dispel the notion that a move to Switzerland could be an option at some point this season.
“You always have to keep your options open. But right now, my mindset’s with Tampa. If I wanted to listen right now, I’d be in Switzerland. I’m doing everything I can to get back up there (Tampa Bay). I think, down the stretch, when either injuries happen or they need guys up, I’m going to be the guy that steps in and helps them win.”
Conacher played for Bern SC last season before inking a one-year, one-way pact with the Lightning that guarantees the veteran of 142 NHL contests $575K. He finished seventh overall in the Swiss-A League in both goals (22) and assists (30) while ranking fourth in scoring with 52 points. It’s easy to see why there would be plenty of interest in his services from clubs in Switzerland.
Morgan’s Latest: Rangers, Montoya, Yakupov
Craig Morgan tackled a variety of topics today in his latest “Craig’s List” column on Today’s Slapshots. Among them, Morgan questions whether the New York Rangers’ hot start is sustainable. He cites the home-heavy early schedule that has seen the Rangers play eight of their first 12 games at MSG as one reason to doubt that the Blueshirts can maintain their level of play.
Additionally, as Morgan also notes, the team has received a lot of production from unexpected sources. Michael Grabner, for instance, already has seven goals and 10 points through 12 contests for the Rangers. Last season in Toronto, Grabner tallied just nine times in 80 games and has failed to crack the 20-goal mark in four years. It’s certainly unlikely Grabner will continue his torrid pace.
Morgan also singles out rookie winger Jimmy Vesey, who has six goals for the Blueshirts, as another player whose production is almost sure to fall off as the season wears on. Vesey never played more than 37 games in a single season while at Harvard and at some point will hit the proverbial “rookie wall.”
Finally, Morgan writes that the Rangers PDO (a combination of team’s shooting and save percentages) is likely set for regression. New York currently owns the 4th highest five-on-five PDO in the league at 104.29, buoyed in large part by a ridiculous 11.72% shooting percentage, tops in the league. However, it should be noted the Rangers also led the NHL in shooting percentage in 2015-16, converting 9% of their shots on goal at five-on-five into goals. Even if the Blueshirts shooting percentage regressed to that 9% figure, they’d still be among the highest scoring teams in the league.
Plus, while Morgan highlights several players whose production is probably unsustainable over the course of a full season, there are a few Rangers who have yet to play up to their potential. Derek Stepan, who has averaged 0.25 goals/game throughout his career, has just one through 12 to start this season. Mika Zibanejad is averaging nearly three shots on goal per contest but only two have found their way into the back of the net. His career shooting percentage is 10.6% suggesting if he was converting at his normal rate he’d have more goals on his ledger.
Naturally the Rangers should not be expected to win three out of every four games but this is a team that plays fast and has four lines that can score. Add to that one of the best goalies in the game in Henrik Lundqvist, and this Rangers team has the look of Stanley Cup contender. The question is, will they look like one next spring.
More from Morgan:
- Apparently, leaving Al Montoya in for all 10 goals in Montreal’s 10 – 0 loss Thursday night was not well received within the goalie community. Not surprisingly, no active tender expressed his opinion publicly but former NHL netminder Corey Hirsch was not shy about his feelings: “I just thought it was disrespectful to Montoya. It’s basically saying we care about Carey Price. We really don’t care what happens to you. It’s not like they’re scratching for their playoffs lives. It’s October, they were 9-0-1 and this is a guy who helped get them there when Price was out at the start of the year. For me, it took away from the team concept you try to build. If I’m a teammate, I’m looking around and saying ‘I guess he’s not afraid to throw one person to the wolves. Maybe I’m next.’” According to Morgan, several other former NHL goalies agreed with Hirsch’s sentiments though none wished to be quoted on the subject. Of course Montreal is no stranger to this type of controversy. Back in 1995, then Canadiens bench boss Mario Tremblay allowed Patrick Roy to remain in a game against Detroit in which the Hall of Fame goalie would eventually allow nine goals before being removed. As he stormed off the ice, Roy told team president Ronald Corey that he had played his final game for Montreal. He was dealt a few days later to Colorado and the rest is history.
- When the St. Louis Blues acquired Nail Yakupov from Edmonton it was expected they would be patient with the enigmatic but talented winger. That patience may already be starting to wear thin, however, as Morgan notes Yakupov was a healthy scratch Saturday night. Head coach Ken Hitchcock tried to deflect that line of thinking by pointing out the team has 14 forwards on the roster and he was just trying to get everyone in. “We’ve got lots of choices. We’ve got 14 forwards and everybody is going to play this weekend, so we’ll just figure it out from there. If he doesn’t play (Saturday), he’ll be back in (Sunday), so it’s not a big deal.” Evidently Hitchcock changed his mind as Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweeted earlier that the Blues were going with the same lineup as Saturday night with Yakupov and Ty Rattie scratched. Perhaps it’s a sign that Yakupov is falling out of favor already in St. Louis or maybe it’s just a tactic to try to motivate the former top overall draft pick.
Panthers Notes: Jagr, Kampfer, Kindl, Injury Updates
The Florida Panthers were widely expected to challenge the Tampa Bay Lightning for supremacy in the Atlantic Division but through 12 games this season they boast a 5 – 6 – 1 record and have dropped five of their last seven decisions. Injuries to several key players have obviously played a part in the team’s slow start but help may not be far off as a couple of players are nearing a return. As Tom Gulitti of NHL.com writes, the Panthers just need to hold it together and stay afloat for a while longer until those reinforcements arrive.
Jaromir Jagr is the latest to join the ranks of the wounded, sitting out the final two periods of Saturday’s 4 – 2 loss to Washington due to groin soreness. According to Florida bench boss Gerard Gallant, the injury to Jagr isn’t considered serious and the ageless wonder is listed as day-to-day.
Florida has been without the services of Nick Bjugstad (broken hand) and Jonathan Huberdeau (Achilles) all season while veteran winger Jussi Jokinen has been out since October 20th with a lower-body-injury. Gallant indicated Bjugstad and Jokinen may be able to return this week. While it might be understandable to do so, the coach won’t use the plethora of injuries as an excuse for his team’s early season woes.
“You can’t make excuses for injuries because everybody has them. But obviously with the depth of our hockey team it’s really testing us right now. The guys are working hard and competing. Sometimes you make mistakes. When you play against a great team like Washington, they’ll take advantage of your mistakes and we just made too many.”
While the absences have likely contributed to Florida’s recent slump, they have also allowed for two unheralded offseason additions to see more ice time and impress the organization. Jonathan Marchessault has potted six goals and has 12 points in 12 games while Colton Sceviour has five goals and eight points. While neither player is likely to maintain that scoring pace throughout the campaign, their early-season contributions have certainly been welcome and also represent hope for a balanced scoring attack upon the return of Florida’s top-six forwards.
While unlikely to change the team’s fortunes, the Panthers did place defenseman Steven Kampfer on waivers, according to Elliotte Friedman. To take his spot, presumably, the team has recalled fellow blue liner Jakub Kindl from Springfield of the AHL, as George Richards of the Miami Herald reported on Twitter. Kampfer appeared in just one game for Florida, going scoreless and taking two minor penalties in 16:48 of ice time. Kindl has recorded three points in nine minor league games this season. If Kampfer goes unclaimed, he will likely head to Springfield with Kindl assuming the role of seventh defenseman.
Islanders’ Hamonic To Miss 4 – 6 Weeks
The New York Islanders announced via their official Twitter account that defenseman Travis Hamonic would miss the next 4 – 6 weeks due to an upper body injury. Arthur Staple of Newsday originally reported that Hamonic had exited the Islanders shootout loss to Edmonton after blocking a shot with his right arm.
With Ryan Pulock already sidelined with a broken foot, Staple believes it’s likely the team will recall Adam Pelech from Bridgeport of the AHL to cover for the absence of Hamonic. Pelech has a goal and four points in 10 games so far this season for the Sound Tigers.
Hamonic has tallied two goals and five points in 12 games this season despite averaging a career-low 19:47 of ice time per game. He leads the team in penalty minutes with 23 and has the worst plus-minis rating on the club at a -7.
The injury to Hamonic is yet another setback for a team that not only had playoff aspirations but expected to make a deep postseason run. Offseason free agent signings Andrew Ladd and Jason Chimera have combined for just four points – all assists – in 12 games this season while the players they were signed to replace, Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen, have totaled seven goals and 14 points for their new clubs.
The Islanders are also dealing with controversy surrounding their three goalie system which makes it difficult to find adequate practice time for their netminders. Allan Walsh, who represents Jaroslav Halak and Jean-Francois Berube, criticized the arrangement and the Islanders subsequently announced Halak was available via trade. Berube, ostensibly the team’s third goalie in each of the last two seasons, has seen action in just seven NHL games and five AHL contests – all coming last season – during that time.
New York is currently in seventh place in the Metro Division, just one point ahead of Carolina, who has two games-in-hand on the Islanders. Obviously it’s way too early in the season to completely write the Isles off just yet but this is clearly not the start the team was hoping for or expecting.
Central Division Snapshots: Trouba, Mitchell, Hudler, Dowling
To this point, the only outcomes discussed in the Winnipeg/Jacob Trouba stalemate have involved either the player caving in and signing a new contract to remain with the Jets or a trade sending the RFA defenseman elsewhere. But as Rory Bolyen of Sportsnet writes, there is a possibility Trouba re-signs with the team as a way to help facilitate a trade down the road.
Bolyen references comments made by Nick Kypreos and Elliotte Friedman made yesterday on the Saturday’s Headlines segment. Kypreos states the a signed Trouba may have more value on the trade market than he does currently.
“Kurt Overhardt (Trouba’s agent) met with Kevin Cheveldayoff in Detroit. The feeling is it’s still pretty quiet on that front, but Winnipeg would love to sign this guy. And sign him to that same contract we’ve seen other defensemen get. The perception out there right now is that there is a deal, like a Morgan Rielly deal, for $5 million, six years.
“And that would still come with the thought that it could be tradable if in fact he signs this and starts playing again, that they could be in a position where teams would love the known certainty of Jacob Trouba for the next six years and it would be tradable if that’s the direction they wanted to go.”
Friedman added that Overhardt went through a similar situation with another client, Kyle Turris.
“Just so you know, Kyle Turris when he went through the situation, he signed on November 22, he was traded on December 17,”
Sitting out the season likely would do little to enhance Trouba’s value so getting back on the ice should be a priority. Obviously he would sacrifice the only leverage he possesses as Winnipeg could simply choose to hang onto the young blue liner instead of moving him. But perhaps it would be best for both sides if Trouba signs a new deal and gets back to playing while the Jets continue to pursue a trade to their liking.
Elsewhere in the Central Division:
- The Colorado Avalanche placed John Mitchell on waivers Friday and the veteran pivot, who is in his ninth NHL season, cleared Saturday. Mitchell, who has been held scoreless in five appearances this season, is in his fifth season with Colorado. He has reached double-figures in goals and tallied at least 20 points in each of his first four campaigns with the Avalanche. With only a projected $1.7MM in available cap space, the move was made in order to provide additional cap flexibility for GM Joe Sakic, as Mike Chambers of The Denver Post writes. The club can now send Mitchell down to their AHL affiliate in San Antonio at any point over the next 30 days to open up a spot on the roster for a younger player and/or to clear an additional $950K in salary cap space. Mitchell is in the last season of a three-year deal worth $5.4MM. He is making $1.9MM in actual salary.
- According to Mark Stepneski, who covers the Stars for the team’s official website, Dallas has placed Jiri Hudler on injured reserve due to an undisclosed illness and recalled forward Justin Dowling from Texas of the AHL. Hudler was signed this summer to provide secondary scoring but the 12-year veteran has played in just four games and has so far failed to record a point. Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News adds that since Dowling played both Friday and Saturday in California for the Texas Stars, head coach Lindy Ruff may elect to dress seven defensemen for tonight’s game. According to Ruff (via Heika), the team has no idea what specifically has afflicted Hudler as tests have revealed nothing.
What’s Next For The Vancouver Canucks?
Last season the Vancouver Canucks reached their lowest point in more than fifteen years. They finished with 75 points, better than only the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers, and missed the playoffs by a mile. As many believed that Daniel and Henrik Sedin were slowing down (as people do when they turn 35), the team looked like they should start a rebuild around some young forwards, and sell off assets for this season. After all, they were likely to get a top-three draft pick and already had Bo Horvat as a potential superstar.
Instead, they dropped to fifth in the draft and missed out on the big forwards, and then had an extremely confusing offseason period. First they traded one of their young prospects, Jared McCann for Erik Gudbranson, a still-young but much more expensive player who many in the analytics community believed was steady but mostly ineffective. McCann is off to a slow start in Florida (no points in eleven games), but still looks like he’ll eventually be a solid NHL centerman.
Next they signed Loui Eriksson, one of the summer’s biggest free agents to a huge six year, $36MM deal that will pay him through his age-36 season. Eriksson is a solid player, but hasn’t found any amount of success in Vancouver; he hasn’t scored a goal in 11 games after notching 30 last year.
Making a financial commitment of that level is usually reserved for teams looking to compete for a Stanley Cup in the near future, but Vancouver doesn’t seem like they’re poised to do that. They’re 4-6-1 this season, and are currently down 2-1 and being out-shot by those same Maple Leafs who finished lower than them last year. While Ryan Miller is having a solid year splitting time with the younger Jacob Markstrom, he’s a free agent next year (and 37 years old).
So what do the Canucks do now? Tearing down a team a few months after committing tens of millions in free agency isn’t a strong plan, but it may be what they have to do. Unfortunately for him, we’ll probably see the ousting of head coach Willie Desjardins, as is usually the case when things go downhill.
Calgary Flames Recall Hunter Shinkaruk From AHL
After learning that Kris Versteeg would be out a few weeks, the Calgary Flames have recalled Hunter Shinkaruk from the Stockton Heat. Versteeg was injured was placed on injured reserve with a groin injury that he suffered last night, giving Shinkaruk a chance with the big club.
A former first-round pick by the Vancouver Canucks, Shinkaruk was traded to the Flames this February in exchange for Markus Granlund. The winger is off to a great start in the AHL this season with eight points in seven contests. After making his NHL debut last season he’ll try to show that he belongs full time at this level.
For Versteeg, it’s exactly the reason he was only able to score PTO’s this year. For a talented forward who has always been able to put up points, he’s never been able to stay consistently healthy or in the lineup. While he hasn’t suffered a huge setback in a few years, he’s often out with nagging injuries for at least a few games each year. It’s clear he can contribute offensively – he’s scored at least 35 points in almost every one of his seasons – but disappears on occasion and can’t be relied on as core piece.
The Flames have broken up their dynamic duo of Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau, but perhaps injecting a little more youth in the form of Shinkaruk can spark their offense. He scored 51 points in 62 AHL games last year, and is still just 22-years old.
Rookie Notes: Laine, Werenski, Marner
After writing yesterday about the incredible group of teenagers that inhabit the NHL right now, they continued to show why they deserve to have ink spilled every night about them. Patrik Laine, playing in his 12th NHL game scored his seventh goal (while seemingly practicing his golf game) which is the fastest since it took Evgeni Malkin just six games in 2006. The Finnish sniper now has 9 points in those 12 games, and is showing why he was drafted so high.
The Jets are obviously pretty high on Laine, as he’s averaging over 19 minutes a night which leads all rookie forwards this season. As fans watch him play, they must be reminded of another Finnish scoring winger that made an impact as a rookie once upon a time – Teemu Selanne‘s amazing rookie season started with 11 goals in his first 12 games, and ended with 76.
- The idea that defensemen take longer to develop than forwards is being thrown out the window in Columbus, as Zach Werenski continues to dominate in his rookie season. The Blue Jackets are currently tearing the Montreal Canadiens apart (8-0 as this article is written), and Werenski is a big part of it. Though he has just one assist tonight, he’s also the quarterback of an effective powerplay that has gone 4/5 in the game. This 19-year old blueliner was drafted eighth overall in 2015 and is providing huge dividends already for the Blue Jackets; they’ll be 5-3-1 after tonight, with Werenski scoring (at least) nine points.
- Though Mitch Marner wasn’t included in the original post, he probably should have been. His start with the Maple Leafs has been overshadowed slightly by Auston Matthews, but the former fourth-overall pick has played extremely well in his own right. Two goals last night led the Maple Leafs to victory in Buffalo, a place they’ve had trouble winning in for years. Though Marner now has eight points in eleven contests, it’s his defensive play that is repeatedly mentioned by head coach Mike Babcock. The diminutive winger has nine blocked shots on the season, which leads all Toronto forwards.
Jaromir Jagr’s Quest For Second Place
If you were a hockey fan in the early 90’s, you probably remember watching Rock’em-Sock’em tapes and being amazed by the different goals and saves from each year. One of the standouts each time, was none other than the mullet-donning Pittsburgh Penguin winger Jaromir Jagr. He was a star of the videos not just because Don Cherry couldn’t pronounce his name correctly (Yammy, for those who don’t remember) but because he was constantly scoring highlight goals.
Now, two decades later and the ageless wonder is still going strong. Who would have known back then that we were watching a player who would go down as one of the greatest offensive players in the history of the NHL. We all knew he was great, but exactly how great was a lesson still to come.
After notching an assist last night, Jagr is now just 14 points behind Mark Messier for second place all time in NHL scoring at 1873. He ranks third in goals with 750, and sixth in assists. This season he’ll turn 45 years old, something only Gordie Howe and Chris Chelios have accomplished while still playing in the NHL, and if he stays healthy he’ll play in his 1700th career game (he currently ranks sixth all time in GP with 1640).
Canada: The New Championship Drought To Watch For
The Chicago Cubs won the World Series on Wednesday night, their first since 1908, snapping a 108-year championship drought, the longest by any team in North American professional sports history. Back in June, the Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA Championship, snapping a 52-year drought for a city with three major pro sports teams. So what’s next on the drought-busting checklist?
Sure, there are a few teams and few cities still struggling. The NBA’s Sacramento Kings organization has not won a title in 65 years and never since their move to California. Wednesday night’s losers, the Cleveland Indians, haven’t taken home the hardware in 68 years. Ten NFL teams still have yet to win it all in the Super Bowl era. Yet, with the Cubs and Cleveland off the books, it seems like there’s a void in the championship drought department right now.
It’s time that attention turns not to any one team or city, but to the country of Canada. Canadian teams have combined to go 199 straight seasons without winning a major North American title. In 1993, the country was championship central, with both the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Blue Jays winning their respective leagues. Since? Nothing.
It’s been 23 years now for the Blue Jays since they were MLB champs. They have come close over the years, but have failed to even take home an American League pennant. Playing in a division that has been one of the strongest in baseball over the past decade plus, which has housed four New York Yankees championship teams and three Boston Red Sox championship teams since 1993, it’s been an uphill battle for the Blue Jays. Meanwhile, the Montreal Expos, title-less since their inception in 1969, were forced to relocate to Washington, D.C. in 2004 (where the drought continues to this day).
The Toronto Raptors are still seeking that elusive NBA championship. It’s been 21 years since the Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies brought pro basketball to Canada in 1995, and neither team has been able to get it done. The Grizzlies moved to Memphis in 2000, where they too have yet to find glory. In a league that is unquestionably the most competitively unbalanced, a Raptors team with a lot of talent are still annual underdogs against the likes of the Cleveland Cavaliers and other Western Conference powerhouses.
Of course, the biggest drought-magnifier is the NHL. With seven teams competing in a 30-team league, Canada should have close to a 25% chance to win the Stanley Cup every season. Alas, no such feat has been accomplished in 23 seasons. The odds of that happening: less than 1%. The Toronto Maple Leafs are tied with the St. Louis Blues for the longest championship drought in the league at 48 years. The Vancouver Canucks, established in 1970, have never won the Cup. After Alberta went back-to-back in 1989 and 1990, the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers have not won since. The Ottawa Senators, the 1992 NHL expansion team, has also never gotten it done, and their first season, 1992-93, was the first and last time that they even saw a Canadian champ, with Montreal taking the crown. Both iterations of the Winnipeg Jets are also without a Stanley Cup and Quebec Nordiques fans sat and watched their team move to Denver and establish the Colorado Avalanche dynasty at the turn of the century.
To make matters worse, no Canadian team even qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs last year, and the Oilers have a league-high ten-year drought of even making the postseason. Canada’s NHL teams are in need of some puck luck, and the Blue Jays and Raptors will take some as well. With the two biggest drought story lines in sports now over, it’s time that North American sports fans turn to the northernmost of the two participating countries. Canada needs a championship, and they need one soon.
If there’s any consolation, the only more tortured fan base than the country of Canada is their closest neighbor to the south, Buffalo, New York. Misery loves company.