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Drew Shore Returns From Europe, Signs With Canucks

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Monday: According to CapFriendly, Shore has cleared waivers and is now eligible to play though it’s not yet clear when he would debut.

Sunday: Former-NHLer Drew Shore is a current-NHLer once again. Shore is on entry waivers today and has signed with the Vancouver Canucks for the remainder of the season, per a team announcement. Shore makes his way back from Europe after playing this season with EHC Kloten of the Swiss National League A (NLA).  It is because he played overseas this year while not being on Vancouver’s reserve list that he has to clear waivers before he can join the team.

Rarely does leaving the NHL work out as well for one’s hockey career as it has thus far for Shore. A second-round pick of the Florida Panthers back in 2009 and the brother of the L.A. Kings’ Nick Shore, Kings’ minor-leaguer Quentin Shore, and 2017 draft-eligible Baker Shore, a lot was expected of the eldest of a talented hockey family out of Denver, Colorado. However, Shore struggled to find his footing in the NHL early on, scoring just 20 points in 67 games with the Panthers over the course of his first two pro seasons. In 2014-15, Shore had not played a single NHL game by mid-January, when he was dealt to the Calgary Flames. The trade made matters worse, as Shore was only given 13 games with Flames in a season and a half with the organization and scored only four points in that time. Tired of the minors and his lack of production at the highest level in North America, the 26-year-old center signed with Kloten in Switzerland this summer. In the NLA, Shore seemed to finally find his game, recording 24 goals and 24 assists in 50 games. His 24 goals ranked third in the league, while his 48 total points finished sixth. Shore achieved these numbers on a team that was significantly less talented than most of its competition and featured only one other former NHL forward, James Sheppard. Shore carried the squad and helped them to avoid relegation.

Now that Shore has re-established his game, at least in what many consider the second-best hockey league in Europe, he is going to try his hand at the NHL once more. His signing with Vancouver is yet another shrewd move to add to the recent streak of GM Jim Benning. Shore is still young and spent the last year dominating talented competition and developing the open, offensive European game that the Canucks try to implement. The team is out of playoff contention – though Shore would not have been eligible to compete anyway – but can still take the rest of the season to assess their new asset for his future fit. Gambling on Shore is a low-risk, high-reward investment for Benning as well as something for disheartened Vancouver fans to follow for the remainder of the season. Little downside for the team, fans, or player in this scenario.

Los Angeles Kings Acquire Jarome Iginla From Colorado

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Jarome Iginla has waived his no-trade clause and agreed to go to the Los Angeles Kings.  In return, the Avalanche will receive a conditional fourth-round draft pick in 2018. The Avalanche will also retain half of Iginla’s salary for the remainder of the season. If the conditions—which are still unknown at this time—aren’t met, the draft pick could actually disappear entirely.Jarome Iginla

As we wrote recently, Iginla might still have something in the tank for another run at the Stanley Cup this season. While he’s no longer a top-line player, he can likely still contribute in a smaller role. Darryl Sutter, the head coach of the Kings spent three seasons coaching Iginla in Calgary over a decade ago, which included heading to the Cup final in 2004.

The 619-goal man will try to find some of his old style in Los Angeles, as he has completely lost his game this season. With just 18 points in 61 games, it is by far the worst season of his career. The Kings will hope they get last year’s version of Iginla, the one that scored 22 goals and was deadly on the powerplay.

Los Angeles currently sits just outside the playoff picture in the Western Conference, battling with the St. Louis Blues and Iginla’s old Flames. In fact, Iginla will have to play Calgary three times down the stretch to try and knock them out of a playoff spot. The Kings obviously believe that Iginla can help them more than Dwight King, who they shipped out to Montreal minutes earlier for the same return.

For Colorado, getting anything back for the expiring veteran is a good thing. While a fourth-round pick isn’t a game changer for the franchise, it does help them restock and rebuild. If the team does decide to trade Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog, they’ll likely be going for a slow-burn on their future, stockpiling picks and teenage prospects.

Pierre LeBrun of TSN was first to report the deal was being finalized, while Darren Dreger of TSN  gave us details on the return.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Ottawa Senators Sign Chris DiDomenico To One-Year Deal

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Tuesday: The team has officially announced the deal as a two-year, two-way contract that will pay DiDomenico the prorated version of $575K/$150K for the rest of this season, and $650K/$190K for 2017-18. The forward will go on waivers today.

Monday 8:21am: The Ottawa Senators have looked outside the NHL for some help up front. The team completed a one-year deal with forward Chris DiDomenico today, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet. Johnston reports that it is a one-way deal for the remainder of the 2016-17 season.

DiDomenico had been playing with the Langau Tigers of the NLA (Switzerland) where he had 38 points in 48 games. You’re forgiven if you don’t remember DiDomenico from his brief stint in the AHL after originally being selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the sixth round of the 2007 draft. After being traded to Chicago as part of the package that brought Kris Versteeg to Toronto, DiDomenico played 74 games over two seasons with the Rockford IceHogs but never found his way.

After a short stint in the ECHL, DiDomenico headed to Italy where he dominated the professional leagues before moving on to Switzerland. Working his way up through the system there, he has spent the last two seasons at the highest level and has been quite successful.

Once thought of as too small for the NHL, DiDomenico may have been unfairly judged because of his thin frame. Though he is by no means an intimidating center, he does have strong faceoff skills and at one point was thought of as an excellent penalty killer. We’ll see in what capacity the Senators use him this season, but perhaps he’s made the decision to come back to North America full-time. At just 28, he surely still has something to offer.

Predicting The Next “Bartkowski Deal”

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The genius that was the Matt Bartkowski signing should not be understated. By now, the extension for the purpose of Expansion Draft exposure has become commonplace, but what GM Brad Treliving and the Calgary Flames did was unique. They went outside the organization to sign a player to a multi-year deal who fulfilled the criteria of having played in 40 games this season or 70 games over the past two years. Except Bartkowski hadn’t played a single NHL game this season; he had been on a minor league contract with the AHL’s Providence Bruins. What that means is Bartkowski had to have played in over 70 games last season alone, and indeed he had skated in 80 games with the Vancouver Canucks in 2015-16. In fact, Bartkowksi was the only defenseman on the planet who played in over 70 games last season yet was not signed to an NHL contract this season. Therein lies the genius that was the unassuming signing of Bartkowski. The Flames picked up the only player on the market who could automatically fill their need for an exposure-eligible defenseman.

With a reportedly quiet trade market this season, there are bound to be teams facing expansion protection problems after the March 1st Trade Deadline comes and goes, whether it’s on the blue line or up front. Will someone follow in Treliving’s footsteps and scoop up a player who played in 70 or so games last season but remains unsigned as of now? The short answer is probably not.

Looking at the short list of players who meet the games played criteria, it very well could be that Bartkowski stands alone as an unsigned player looking to continue playing hockey, even if that means signing a two-year, two-way contract and likely logging major AHL minutes. Especially on defense, a team like the Carolina Hurricanes is likely out of luck if they want to replicate the Bartkowksi maneuver. The only unsigned player who qualifies for exposure is Matt Carle, who played in 64 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning last year and six earlier this year with the Nashville Predators. However, Carle announced his retirement in November when he cleared waivers and was likely going to be moved to the AHL. Carle seems content with collecting buyout checks from the Lightning and almost certainly would have no interest is returning to hockey with a two-year, two-way deal. There are really no other defensemen that even have a reasonable chance of meeting the 40/70 criteria. Bartkowski was essentially it.

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Can The Colorado Avalanche Be Fixed?

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Patrick Roy quit unexpectedly. The team has just 35 points. And Nikita Zadorov is out for the year after getting hurt in practice. The 2016-17 season has been an unmitigated disaster for the Avalanche and as the season slips away, there has to be a new blueprint for a once proud organization that once won two Stanley Cups in six seasons. Though that feels like a lifetime ago, hope isn’t all lost as the Avs have several pieces in place to build around. The real problem is what route is best when it comes to rebuilding a team in shambles?

The Denver Post’s Mike Chambers indicates that the Avs are in full sell mode. That’s pretty obvious when Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations/General Manager Joe Sakic has been honest in his assessment of making players available. It’s been widely reported that the asking price is high for anyone the Avs are willing to trade, whether it be Matt Duchene, or Gabriel Landeskog. Chambers includes Jarome Iginla, Fedor Tyutin, John Mitchell, Andreas Martinsen  Rene Bourque, and Cody Goloubef as pieces to trade off since they’re all set to be unrestricted free agents.

Though they could fetch a number of draft picks and prospects, especially if Landeskog or Duchene are moved, it might be something else the Avs should look at. Especially since the return on those trades are absolutely crucial.

Jun 27, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Colorado Avalanche executive vice president of hockey operations Joe Sakic arrives at the Westin Hotel for the NHL Board of Governors meeting. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

I asked about Joe Sakic’s role in all of this back in December, and nearly 73% of our readers thought he should be shown the door. But is it that easy? Would firing Sakic really change a team in turmoil? If anything, perhaps Sakic goes out and instead of green lighting someone from the “glory days” when he played, grabs a knowledgeable former general manager or up and coming assistant that could help sort out the mess. Outside of opinion pieces, there hasn’t been anything to suggest that Sakic is feeling heat. As one of the leaders of the organization, hiring another pair of eyes to help, whether it be in a scouting or management capacity, would help Sakic and the organization most. Especially if there is no urgency from ownership when it comes to firing him.

Aside from the 2013-14 season, the Avalanche haven’t seen a lot of success since getting bounced during the 2010 playoffs. Since then, they’ve only returned once, and that one time was with Sakic in charge. Even if he begins selling off assets to rebuild, it takes keen eyes to pull of a successful rebuild. They take time, patience, and a lot of smarts. Look at Toronto.

Fixing the Avalanche begins with ownership taking a good hard look at what task is in front of them. Keeping Sakic works if he’s surrounded with more experience. Otherwise, it’s nothing more than an organization living in the past while flailing in the present, and inevitably, the future.

 

Joe Sakic On Avalanche: “We Still Have To Get Younger”

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Colorado Avalanche GM Joe Sakic is perhaps the most sought after interview in the league these days, as rumors swirls about his two star forwards Gabriel Landeskog and Matt Duchene. It seems like half the league has been in contact with Sakic, who confirmed to Terry Frei of the Denver Post that he has been getting calls on the pair. Sakic disputes though that they’re on the block, saying that “I’m not going to make a deal just to make a deal,” and that he’s not the one spreading the rumors.

Sakic later says that he knows “we still have to get younger” and that “we’re going to free up some cap room and try and keep building up the younger guys.” While this makes sense for any rebuilding team, it’s interesting that Duchene and Landeskog would not be included in that youth movement. Landeskog is only 24, and currently the team captain, while Duchene is 26 and a former 30-goal scorer. Most teams would kill for their core to be that young and talented. In fact, Frei reports that when Sakic was speaking about the untouchables on the team, he only mentioned Nathan MacKinnon (21), Mikko Rantanen (20) and Tyson Jost (18).

The team only has a handful of older players, and even fewer that play important minutes for them. The idea of getting younger is always a good one—especially in an NHL that is continually shifting towards speed and skill—but not always possible. The second part of the statement is one that holds more weight, that they are looking to clear out cap room. If they are looking to get younger, it’s not clear who they would need that cap room for. The team has a handful of contracts coming off the books next season, and only a couple of important RFAs to sign. Perhaps it’s just a commentary on the contracts of Duchene, Landeskog and even Tyson Barrie who are all not performing to their standards.

If Sakic is truly looking to move age and money out, Jarome Iginla, Francois Beauchemin and Carl Soderberg are all on the wrong side of 30 and carry hefty cap hits (for at least the rest of this season). Perhaps those are the names he’d be floating if he had the choice.

For now, Avalanche fans should expect more of the same at the bottom of the NHL standings. “Getting younger” usually doesn’t result in immediate upgrades to the big-league roster (Toronto Maple Leafs be damned).

Kings Place Devin Setoguchi On Waivers

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One of the 2016-17 season’s biggest reclamation projects just took a turn for the worse. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman is reporting that the Los Angeles Kings have placed Devin Setoguchi on waivers today. The veteran winger was back in the NHL after spending the majority of the 2014-15 season in the minors with Calgary’s AHL affiliate, the Adirondack Flames, and then went overseas to play in the NLA with HC Davos in 2015-16. Setoguchi joined the Kings in training camp on a PTO and was able to earn a contract and a roster spot with an impressive preseason display. However, things have gone downhill since then.

The eighth overall pick by the San Jose Sharks in 2005 and a three-time 20-goal scorer, the Kings expected more of a scoring punch from Setoguchi. Instead, he has struggled to bring much to the table with just four goals and eight assists through 45 games and a -5 rating. Setoguchi does not play a fourth-line checking game, but is also not producing top-nine numbers; it’s a narrative that we have seen before from him. Setoguchi ran himself out of Minnesota, Winnipeg, and Calgary by not scoring enough and also not having the ability or willingness to play a grittier, high-energy style. Setoguchi has been a non-factor on the King’s checking line recently; he has three assists in his last five games but has not scored a goal since mid-December. Despite L.A.’s lack of forward depth, they have decided to move on, likely planning to use AHL prospects until they can acquire a veteran or two at the Trade Deadline.

This is the second time Los Angeles has put a veteran winger on waivers this season. Ironically due in part to Setoguchi’s surprising performance and early-season success, the team posted Teddy Purcell after he had played in just 12 games with the team. Purcell has been on fire in the AHL and is now a trade candidate for the Kings. Perhaps they are hoping Setoguchi follows in his footsteps, but it seems doubtful. Purcell has a track record of consistent NHL success, while Setoguchi does not. Purcell’s demotion was a setback, while Setoguchi’s could signal the end of his NHL career.

Minor Transactions: 2/7/2017

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It’s shaping up to be a quiet day overall with no new additions to the waiver wire the last couple of days. But as always, there are still some minor league recalls and reassignments to note. We’ll track all of the day’s transactions in this post.

  • The Nashville Predators have announced (via Twitter) that they have placed winger Harry Zolnierczyk on IR and in a corresponding move have recalled center Pontus Aberg from the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL. Zolnierczyk, who spent all but three games combined over the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons in the minors, has earned a regular spot on Nashville’s fourth line and contributed three points in 15 contests. Aberg has seen action in 11 games for Nashville this season with one goal and two points.
  • Boston has called up forward Peter Cehlarik from Providence and have placed fellow forward Austin Czarnik on IR, the team revealed today. Cehlarik, in his first professional season, leads Providence with 18 goals. He was originally selected by the Bruins in the third round of the 2013 entry draft, 90th overall. Czarnik has recorded five goals and 13 points in 47 contests during his rookie NHL campaign.
  • Brandon Tanev has been reassigned by the Winnipeg Jets to their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, reports Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun via Twitter. The 25-year-old winger has appeared in 39 games with the Jets, netting two goals and four points. Winnipeg inked Tanev late last season after the left wing completed his senior season at Providence College.
  • According to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, the Maple Leafs have released Karri Ramo from his AHL PTO to continue his rehab in Finland. The netminder played in three games for the Marlies, allowing 11 goals and recording an .880 save percentage.

NHL Names Top 100 Players Of All Time

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Last night on the NBC Sports Network, the NHL released the top 100 players of all time and the debate, which has raged long before this was released, will continue on. Hosted by actor Jon Hamm, the ceremony honored players by decade, and categorized them by goalies, defensemen, and forwards.

The first thirty-three were released on New Years Day during the Centennial Classic in Toronto. The players named in the first thirty-three were active between 1917-1966. The rest, named last night, have played from 1967 to the present day.

There were a number of story lines:

  • Jonas Siegel of the Canadian Press wrote that Mario Lemieux, Bobby Orr, and Wayne Gretzky agree that Gordie Howe is the greatest hockey player of all time. Gretzky added that while Sidney Crosby is the greatest in the game today, Connor McDavid is making the case to “chase him” as the next in line.
  • Speaking of Crosby’s generation, the selection of the more recent players to the top 100 caused quite the debate around the hockey world. The arguments boil down into a couple ways: either include more current players by subtracting players from other decades or be more selective in the current generation. The six on the current list were Jaromir Jagr, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Crosby, and Alex Ovechkin.
  • The Score’s Sean O’Leary thinks that Evgeni Malkin, Jarome Iginla, and Joe Thornton should have “cracked” the list. O’Leary believes that Malkin is a lock for the top 100, while Iginla, though never winning a Cup, was a dominant force in the league, scoring 617 goals in his long (and still active) career.
  • Curtis Pashelka also wonders why Joe Thornton isn’t included on the list. His stats alone seem to qualify him for the top 100, but the lack of a Stanley Cup makes Pashelka think that it kept Thornton out of the illustrious club.
  • Finally, Puck Daddy’s Greg Wyshynski includes his list of snubs which name the aforementioned Iginla, Malkin, and Thornton. But Wyshysnki also lists Zdeno Chara, Ed Belfour, Dale Hawerchuk, and Pierre Pilote as players deserving of inclusion.

 

Central Division Snapshots: Blackhawks, Avalanche, Korpikoski

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The Chicago Blackhawks roster still boasts many of the key contributors who have led the team to three Stanley Cup championships since 2010. And as long as Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Corey Crawford are healthy, the Hawks will be on the short list of Western Conference contenders even as the front office constantly juggles the rest of the roster to augment that core while remaining compliant with the salary cap.

That doesn’t mean the Blackhawks aren’t in need of reinforcements as the March 1st trade deadline approaches, however. Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun Times argues Chicago desperately needs a top left wing in order to help pull Toews out of his season long scoring slump. For his career, Toews has averaged 0.86 points/game but so far this season he is nearly three-tenths-of-a-point behind that rate. Lazerus believes that the acquisition of a proven top-six winger would allow Vinnie Hinostroza to slot into the team’s bottom-six, further bolstering that group. In conjunction with the expected return of Marcus Kruger, the Blackhawks would be able to ice four solid and balanced lines in this scenario.

Lazerus lists Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog, who have both been frequently mentioned in trade rumors of late, as two potential options. Though given the team’s current salary cap situation – $65.7MM in commitments to just 14 players – it’s far more likely that Chicago will stick to shopping in the rental bin as opposed to adding a player with term remaining beyond this season.

James van Riemsdyk was also listed by Lazerus as a possibility though Toronto would likely hold onto the winger as long as they remain in the hunt for a playoff spot. He also has one more year remaining on his deal, representing an additional sticking point in this scenario. Jarome Iginla is undoubtedly available but at 39 and with just five goals through 41 games this season, Chicago would probably exhaust other alternatives before pivoting in this direction.

If Dallas decides to sell at the deadline, former Blackhawk Patrick Sharp could represent an interesting option, though that is just my speculation. Sharp has missed time this season on two separate occasions with concussions and has just two goals on the season but tallied 20 last year for the Stars. He’s in the final year of his contract with a cap hit of $5.9MM and given Chicago will only have roughly $3.3MM of available space at the deadline, the Stars will either have to retain salary or take back a contract to facilitate a trade.

Elsewhere in the Central Division:

  • The Colorado Avalanche, in the midst of a second straight dismal season, appear to be on the verge of a major shakeup, whether that occurs at the trade deadline or during the summer. Multiple high-profile players could be shipped elsewhere as management attempts to fix what ails the roster. The Denver Post’s Terry Frei compiled a comprehensive listing of the moves the team has made since Joe Sakic took over as the organization’s top decision-maker and the results are as you would expect given the current state of the team. Like many teams, the Avalanche have blundered when it comes to the term offered to unrestricted free agents. Among the players acquired either as a free agent or via trade and then subsequently extended were Brad Stuart, Jarome Iginla, Francois Beachemin, and Carl Soderberg. All were at least 30 when added to the Avalanche roster and only Soderberg was younger than 34. Needless to say, those deals haven’t worked out as the team had anticipated.
  • A late free agent addition that has panned out far better than expected was the Dallas Stars October signing of forward Lauri Korpikoski, as Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News writes. The Finnish forward had been bought out of the final year of his deal with Edmonton and was later released from his PTO with Calgary. In need of forward depth following the loss of Ales Hemsky and Mattias Janmark, the team inked Korpikoski to a one-year, $1M deal. While he hasn’t exactly lit up the score sheet, the nine-year veteran has contributed six goals and 15 points in 43 games. That’s solid production for a bottom-six winger and a relative bargain given the minimal investment the Stars undertook. Additionally, Stars head coach Lindy Ruff appreciates Korpikoski’s all-around game, saying: “He’s a solid contributor who is good on both sides of the puck. You’ve got a guy who is pretty diligent and plays the game the right way.” With five of his fellow forwards also set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer, it’s at least possible Dallas considers an extension with Korpikoski.

 

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