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Snapshots: Three Stars, Greenway, Parsons

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The NHL named it’s Three Stars of the Month for December today, honoring Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask as the First Star, Islanders surprise scorer Josh Bailey as the Second Star, and Tampa Bay dynamo Nikita Kucherov as the Third Star. All three were immensely successful this month and bear watching as the season continues.

The Bruins were on fire in December, posting a 10-2-2 record and are currently on an eight-game streak without a loss. After early season struggles, Rask was a major part of that success, recording an impeccable .955 save percentage and 1.22 goals against average. Rask allowed more than two goals only once in his eleven appearances and posted two shutouts one either end of December. After that performance, Rask has joined some of the league’s best goalies this season with a top-five GAA and top-ten SV%. The 2014 Vezina winner and the holder of the best career save percentage in NHL history (.923), Rask looked more like his elite self this past month than he has in two years.

Meanwhile, there’s no similar history that could have predicted this surge from Bailey. The long-time Islander had a career-high 56 points last season, but is already only six points away from matching it in 2017-18 and on pace for over 100 points. Bailey’s 50 points trails only Kucherov in the NHL and his 38 assists are tops in the league, feeding his talented linemates John Tavares and Anders Lee. In December alone, Bailey led the league with 22 points, including seven multi-point games and an 11-game point streak. Bailey’s breakout has been great for the Isles, but will be even better for the 28-year-old who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Kucherov’s nod is less of a surprise; the Lightning sniper is well-known as one of the league’s best players. Kucherov has an NHL-best 25 goals and 56 points already this season. After posting a career high 85 points in 2016-17, he’ll easily leave that mark in the dust and could flirt with 120 points this year. The early Hart favorite found the score sheet in all but one contest in December as the Bolts went 11-2-0 and continued to dominate the league. The ceiling is the roof for the uber-talented Russian forward and his Tampa Bay teammates this season.

  • Another player to keep an eye on in the coming months is Minnesota Wild prospect and recently-named member of the U.S. Olympic team Jordan Greenway. As ESPN’s Emily Kaplan writes today, when Greenway suits up in Pyeongchang, South Korea for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, he will do so as the first ever African-American on the U.S. men’s hockey team. In the 98-year history of the men’s hockey tournament, Greenway is the first to don the red, white, and blue – a major step for the inclusiveness of the game. Of course, Jarome Iginla played for Canada in multiple Olympic Games and P.K. Subban made an appearance as well, but no African-American has had the same opportunity for the U.S.A. The big Boston University forward has represented the U.S. on the international stage before at several junior tournaments, but the Olympics are a whole other level. This could just be the beginning for the talented winger as well. By all accounts, Dustin Byfuglien is the best American-born African American in NHL history, with former grinder Mike Grier likely next in line and a ways behind. By the end of his promising pro career, Greenway could be known as the best American-born African-American in NHL history. He gets his start on the big stage in a matter of weeks.
  • One last guy to keep an eye out for is young Calgary Flames keeper Tyler Parsons. The Flames’ recent acquisition of New Jersey Devils defenseman Dalton Prout was not-so-secretly more about ridding themselves of goalie Eddie Lack as it was bringing in an asset. Having solved their logjam in net, Calgary was finally able to promote their 2016 second-round pick from the AHL today, per the ECHL transactions page. The 20-year-old Parsons has been buried since turning pro late last season after leading the United States to a World Junior Championship title. Parsons’ path to the NHL is not without roadblocks remaining though; he still has to prove that he is the heir apparent to veteran Mike Smith by outperforming current big-league backup David Rittich and AHL competition Jon Gillies and Mason McDonald, all of whom are 25 or younger and very well regarded.

USA Hockey Announces Olympic Rosters

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During the second intermission of today’s Winter Classic matchup between the New York Rangers and Buffalo Sabres, USA Hockey took the opportunity to announce the Olympic roster for the upcoming Pyeongchang Games. The full roster for the men’s and women’s teams can be found below:

Men:

F Mark Arcobello
F Chris Bourque
F Bobby Butler
F Ryan Donato
F Brian Gionta (captain)
F Jordan Greenway
F Chad Kolarik
F Broc Little
F John McCarthy
F Brian O’Neill
F Garrett Roe
F Jim Slater
F Ryan Stoa
F Troy Terry

D Chad Billins
D Jonathon Blum
D Will Borgen
D Noah Welch
D James Wisniewski
D Bobby Sanguinetti
D Ryan Gunderson
D Matt Gilroy

G Ryan Zapolski

Women:

F Monique Lamoureux-Morando
F Meghan Duggan (captain)
F Haley Skarupa
F Kelly Pannek
F Brianna Decker
F Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson
F Gigi Marvin
F Hannah Brandt
F Hilary Knight
F Amanda Pelkey
F Dani Cameranesi
F Kendall Coyne
F Amanda Kessel

D Sidney Morin
D Lee Stecklein
D Cayla Barnes
D Megan Keller
D Kali Flanagan
D Kacey Bellamy
D Emily Pfalzer

G Nicole Hensley
G Alex Rigsby
G Maddie Rooney

Morning Notes: Vilardi, Montoya, Wisniewski

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The OHL trade of Los Angeles Kings’ prospect Gabe Vilardi is now official, and also includes New York Rangers draft pick Sean Day. The pair will head from the Windsor Spitfires to the Kingston Frontenacs in exchange for 16-year old Cody Morgan and eight draft picks that stretch all the way to 2028. Windsor is tearing apart the program a year after hosting and winning the Memorial Cup, a common practice in the CHL.

Vilardi, the 11th-overall pick in 2017 has recently been cleared to return to game action after a back injury kept him out for the first half of the season. He’ll bring an intense offensive presence to the Frontenacs, while Day gives them a veteran defenseman with good two-way upside. Day was allowed into the OHL at just 15 years old, but hasn’t found quite the same heights as his fellow “exceptional talents” like John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad and Connor McDavid. The pair should make Kingston a tough team to face as the league heads towards the playoff push.

  • Al Montoya was back at Montreal Canadiens practice today for the first time since being ruled out with a concussion on November 9th. As Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports, the injury had occurred several days earlier, but symptoms developed slowly. The Canadiens currently employ Antti Niemi as their backup to Carey Price, but could potentially waive the netminder once again when Montoya is ready to return. Niemi has played for three teams already this season, and could find himself on the move again.
  • The official roster for Team USA at the Pyeongchang Olympics will be announced today during the Winter Classic in New York, but apparently former NHL defenseman James Wisniewski has made it. That’s according to former teammate R.J. Umberger and TSN’s Darren Dreger, who both tweeted congratulations to the 33-year old. Wisniewski spent last season split between the AHL and KHL after attempting a comeback, and skated in the DEL’s second tier this year in his attempt to make the Olympic squad. A former 51-point defenseman for Columbus, Wisniewski was once a deadly powerplay quarterback and could assume that role again in the February Games.

Snapshots: Dahlin, Tanev, Zaitsev, Ellis

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While Nico Hischier used the World Junior Championships a year ago to propel him to be the top pick in the 2017 draft, that hasn’t been needed for Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, the consensus No. 1 overall pick for the upcoming 2018 draft. However, no matter how secure Dahlin has that spot locked, he has done more than enough in this tournament to prove his worth, according to TSN’s Frank Seravalli.

On the final day of preliminary-round play, Dahlin is tied for the lead in points in the tournament with six and that’s as a 17-year-old. Most of the top players are 19. However, his play is what has garnered the most attention.

“Rasmus Dahlin is to a franchise what McDavid and Matthews have meant to the Oilers and Maple Leafs,” TSN director of scouting Craig Button said. “He is to defencemen what those two guys are to centremen. He is a No. 1, elite defencemen who can play in the NHL right now. Right now.”

Seravalli adds that while Team Canada won’t decide until Jan. 11 whether to use major junior players for the Olympics, Dahlin could be the first player to go from the World Juniors to the Olympics since Eric Lindros did it in 1992.

  • The Providence Journal’s Mark Divver tweets that Winnipeg Jets winger Brandon Tanev will be out two to three weeks with a lower-body injury. The 26-year-old Tanev has been a regular for the Jets, having put up three goals and 10 points in 39 games so far this season.
  • Jonas Siegel of The Athletic tweets that Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said that defenseman Nikita Zaitsev might return by Jan. 16. The team needs help on defense after falling 6-3 to the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday. “The reality is whoever you play on a nightly basis has to be able to play and sometimes when you play quick teams (like) tonight some guys get exposed and that was evident,” Babcock said.
  • Adam Vingan of the Tennessean writes that now that the Nashville Predators have assigned Frederick Gaudreau to Milwaukee of the AHL, the team has an open roster spot. He adds that defenseman Ryan Ellis, who has been out all season after undergoing knee surgery, has been cleared to play and the team may have opened up a roster spot for his return. It was reported earlier that Ellis’ targeted return was on Jan. 2.

Snapshots: Jets, 2022 Olympics, Lightning, Alt

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The Jets are hoping to have defenseman Dustin Byfuglien back in the lineup sometime early next month, reports Postmedia’s Ken Wiebe.  The veteran blueliner has been out since suffering a lower-body injury on December 9th.  He has, however, returned to practice and will be a welcome addition when he gets the green light to return as he has once again logged heavy minutes this season, averaging 23:40 per game.

Still with Winnipeg, rearguard Toby Enstrom has also resumed skating although his return to the lineup is still a little further off.  Jets bench boss Paul Maurice told Wiebe that Enstrom is still on pace to meet his original timetable for a return which should have him getting the okay to play around the third week of January.

Other news and notes from around the hockey world:

  • The NHL is in no rush to discuss participating in future Olympic Games, notes John Wawrow of the Associated Press. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly spoke with IIHF General Secretary Horst Lichtner during yesterday’s outdoor game at the World Juniors and acknowledged he was asked about when the NHL would be ready to talk about participating in the 2022 Games in China.  Daly noted that talks won’t begin until the 2018 tournament ends but didn’t pour cold water on the idea, stating that “Obviously, some of the logistical difficulties we have with South Korea will be the same in China. But maybe there are some opportunities in China that aren’t in South Korea”.
  • Lightning winger Ryan Callahan is on schedule in his recovery from an upper-body injury, reports Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. He was initially expected to miss three-to-four weeks after being injured on December 14th but Callahan has already resumed skating.  He’s expected to accompany Tampa Bay on their upcoming five-game road trip that ends on January 7th and he should be close to getting the green light to return by then.  Smith adds that defenseman Anton Stralman, who missed his second straight game Friday with a lower-body issue, is expected to return to the lineup on Sunday.
  • Flyers defenseman Mark Alt has cleared waivers, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link) was first to report. He’s expected to be assigned to their AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley where he had gotten off to a nice start to his season, recording nine points in 16 games.  For perspective, he had just 11 points in 40 contests in 2016-17.

Hockey Canada Names Spengler Cup Roster

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The Canadian Olympic team is coming into view, with the announcement today of the roster for the Spengler Cup, the last tune-up of the year. The Spengler will begin on Christmas Day, December 25th in Switzerland. The roster is as follows:

F David McIntyre
F Mason Raymond
F Curtis Hamilton
F Jay McClement
F P.A. Parenteau
F Nick Spaling
F Jake Evans
F Andrew Ebbett
F Christian Thomas
F Matt D’Agostini
F Dylan Sikura

D Brandon Hickey
D Jeff Schultz
D Cody Goloubef
D Maxim Noreau
D Jeremy Davies
D Victor Bartley

G Kevin Poulin
G Barry Brust

Of note is the appearance of Sikura (CHI), Hickey (CGY), Evans (MTL) and Davies (NJD), all collegiate players that have been drafted by NHL teams—though Hickey’s draft rights have since been traded from Calgary to the Arizona Coyotes as part of the Mike Smith deal. Sikura especially is an interesting prospect, after dominating as a junior last season for Northeastern. He technically could become an unrestricted free agent in the 2018 summer after graduation, but is expected to turn pro and sign with the Blackhawks when his season is over.

There are also some familiar minor league names on the list, including Thomas, Schultz and Goloubef, who have been playing for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, San Diego Gulls and Stockton Heat respectively this season on AHL deals. Players with AHL-only contracts will be allowed to compete in the Olympics.

While it’s far from an exciting group, the Canadian team is going for a three-peat at the Spengler, having won the tournament the previous two years. Perhaps some chemistry can be developed among a group that has now been mostly playing together for some time. They’ll need it when they go up against the expected powerhouse that is the “Olympic Athletes from Russia” team in Pyeongchang.

Poll: Which Would You Watch First–World Juniors Or Olympics?

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The U20 World Junior Championships start on December 26th, and camps have already started to determine the final rosters that will be heading to Buffalo this year. USA, Canada, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Belarus and Switzerland will have dozens of scouts keeping a close eye on the next wave of hockey stars, as they do battle in what has turned into one of the premiere international tournaments available.

This year, the World Juniors will be followed by the Olympic Games in February. With the NHL not allowing their players to head to the tournament, rosters are filled with former prospects and older professionals looking to represent their country one last time. Many have expressed outrage at the NHL’s decision, but many others have a new excitement over the tournament. Some of the best Olympic hockey moments in history were performed by amateurs, and though this tournament will be filled mostly by European professionals, it could have its fair share of intrigue.

So which will you watch with more fervor? Which would you stay up late to watch? What tournament are you more excited for? Vote below and make sure to share your feelings in the comments section.

Which would you watch first--World Juniors or Olympics?
World Juniors 67.07% (440 votes)
Olympics 14.63% (96 votes)
Both 14.48% (95 votes)
Neither 3.81% (25 votes)
Total Votes: 656

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Snapshots: Three Stars, Team Canada, Junior Snubs

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The NHL released its three stars of the week today, with Brayden Schenn leading the group. Schenn has found brilliant success since being traded to St. Louis, already with 37 points in 31 games. Always possessing elite talent, some believed Schenn would never become the dominant presence he was projected to be when the Los Angeles Kings took him fifth-overall. He’s already been traded twice in his career, but looks ready to obliterate his previous career-high of 59 points and become an integral part of any St. Louis success.

Jake Allen and Brian Elliott round out the stars of the week, both posting perfect records and incredible save percentages. Allen and Elliott were teammates just two seasons ago, when the Blues went to just their second Conference Finals in nearly 30 years. With zero Stanley Cup victories in their history, Allen and Schenn will look to change the franchise fortunes this year.

Russian Olympic Athletes Forced To Compete Under Neutral Flag

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The IOC announced its decision today on Russian athletes for the upcoming 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Games. They have suspended the Russian Olympic Committee from any influence on the games, but will allow clean Russian athletes to compete under the Olympic flag itself.

It’s unclear exactly what that means for the Russian hockey players, as they would need to play on a neutral team instead of for their country. The KHL has warned that they will potentially pull out entirely if a decision like this was made. The decision to pull all KHL players out would affect every country attending, and likely mean that both Hockey Canada and USA Hockey would need to turn to younger players to fill out the roster.

The IOC based its decision on the Schmid Commission which looked into “the systemic manipulation of the anti-doping rules and system in Russia” and found there was widespread corruption when it came to doping for Russian athletes in Sochi 2014.

In 1992, the men’s hockey event was won by a “Unified Team” of the countries which made up the former Soviet Union. They played under the Olympic flag, and took home the gold medal over Canada. That team included familiar names like Sergei Zubov, Alex Zhamnov, Dmitry Yushkevich, Alex Kovalev and others. It seems unlikely that a similar Russian team would play under the Olympic flag this time around. If they did, they would be known as “OAR” or “Olympic Athletes from Russia.”

Bob McKenzie of TSN spoke with IIHF President Rene Fasel, who will wait “24 to 48 hours to see where things are at.” The IIHF will likely wait for the KHL to make a decision before commenting on how this ruling will affect the Olympic hockey tournament, both for men and women.

International Notes: CHL Players In The Olympics, Expansion, Ryder Cup

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With NHL players not participating in the Olympics and the availability of KHL players now in the air, the focus has shifted to availability for junior-aged players.  TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that Hockey Canada had a conference call with the heads of each of the three CHL leagues to discuss the potential for their players to be made available.  Currently, junior teams are reluctant to grant permission for their players to participate at both the World Juniors and the Olympics as not only will that be a lot more wear and tear on their top players, it will also keep them out of their regular lineup for the better part of two months.  A one or the other idea has been floated by the CHL leagues but that’s something Hockey Canada isn’t believed to be content with at this time.  Once the availability of KHL players is determined (which should be next week), a decision on this should soon follow.

More notes on international play:

  • While some have wondered if the NHL might look across the pond at some point for expansion, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman told ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski that an international-based NHL team is still a long way away. He cites the logistical challenges as well as arena sizes as a couple of barriers while also indicating that he’s not looking to compete with existing teams and leagues in those markets with the NHL looking to still grow the game internationally.
  • In that same interview, Bettman suggested that the league is looking into a Ryder Cup-styled event but will likely wait until an announcement is made for the next World Cup before really looking into that. He added that all talks involving those go through the NHL Players Association and that he has urged them to “pick up the pace” on those discussions.

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