Canucks Notes: Schenn, Dermott, Brunette
The Vancouver Canucks won last night against the Buffalo Sabres, hanging on for a 5-4 win despite being outshot 15-5 in the third period. While Bo Horvat led the way again with three points, it was Luke Schenn who received the team’s victory belt in the dressing room. Today, when speaking about the veteran defenseman, Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV explained that he expects the Canucks to get plenty of calls about Schenn as the trade deadline approaches.
The Canucks could talk with Schenn’s agent along with a trade partner to see if he’s a rental or a re-signing. Don’t believe they’ve talked to his agent yet about a new deal. Last year’s deadline, the Canucks got a ton of calls on Schenn. They’re going to get a ton of calls on Schenn again, this is a player that is coveted. I’m already hearing about Schenn and some teams.
The 33-year-old defenseman leads the league in hits by a wide margin, racking up 76 through 17 games while logging over 17 minutes of ice time for the Canucks each night. No Vancouver player has seen the ice more while short-handed, and as a right-shot defenseman with Stanley Cup experience, it’s easy to see why he might be valued by contenders. The fact that he makes just $850K against the cap only helps.
- While Schenn’s leadership in the room might not be what the Canucks want to give up, they do have a bit of a roster crunch coming. As Dhaliwal goes on to say, Travis Dermott will be returning at some point – potentially in the near future – giving the team nine NHL defensemen. Already the Canucks are scratching names like Riley Stillman and Jack Rathbone, meaning a trade might end up making sense much sooner than the deadline.
- Even though they did win, there’s still plenty of speculation on the future of head coach Bruce Boudreau. This morning, Darren Dreger of TSN reported that the Canucks spoke with Andrew Brunette before he joined the New Jersey Devils as an assistant this summer. Interestingly, he also pointed out that Brunette actually has a clause in his current deal that would allow him to “entertain outside interest for head coaching vacancies.” Brunette went 51-18-6 with the Florida Panthers as a first-time head coach after Joel Quenneville resigned.
Marc-Andre Fleury Out With Upper-Body Injury
4:30 pm: The Wild have recalled McIntyre, while moving Fleury to injured reserve. Hunter Jones has been recalled to the AHL’s Iowa Wild in a corresponding move.
12:10 pm: The Minnesota Wild will be recalling a goaltender from the minor leagues, as Marc-Andre Fleury has sustained an upper-body injury. Michael Russo of The Athletic reports that the veteran netminder is undergoing an evaluation today and the team does not yet have a timeline for his return.
Fleury, who will turn 38 in less than two weeks, has started 12 of Minnesota’s 16 games this season and has a .906 save percentage. Filip Gustavsson, the team’s backup, actually has some better numbers but has lost four of the five games he has appeared in.
The likely candidate to take over the starting role is Gustavsson, but there is at least some intrigue over who will come up to join him. The team has Zane McIntyre as a veteran minor league option, but he hasn’t appeared in the NHL since the 2016-17 season.
There is also Jesper Wallstedt, the 20th overall pick in 2021 and a top goaltending prospect. Wallstedt only turned 20 years old a few days ago and has four games of experience in North America, but did start on a regular basis in the SHL the last two seasons. In 22 appearances for Lulea HF last year, he posted a .917 save percentage with a goals-against average of just 1.98. The young netminder also won Best Goaltender at the World Juniors, and took Lulea to the SHL Finals.
While it may not be his time yet, Wallstedt is the team’s future in net and there will be cries for his recall if the team loses Fleury for a substantial amount of time, or Gustavsson struggles in his place.
Patrik Laine Moved To Injured Reserve; Daniil Tarasov Recalled
The Columbus Blue Jackets continue to be ravaged by injury. This time, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports that Elvis Merzlikins, Jake Bean, and Emil Bemstrom were all having medical tests completed this afternoon to determine the extent of their various injuries. With Merzlikins out, the team has recalled Daniil Tarasov from the minor leagues under emergency conditions. Patrik Laine has been moved to injured reserve, as he is expected to miss quite a while with a sprained ankle.
Merzlikins left last night’s game with an undisclosed injury and wasn’t present at practice today, leaving Joonas Korpisalo as the only professional netminder on the ice (the other goal was tended by Reid Robertson, who is in their hockey ops department, according to team reporter Jeff Svoboda).
These three new injuries are in addition to the absences of Laine, Zach Werenski, Jakub Voracek, Justin Danforth, Nick Blankenburg, and Adam Boqvist, who are all on injured reserve as well. Things are unraveling in Columbus, and yet they still squeaked out an overtime win last night against the Philadelphia Flyers to climb to 5-9-1 on the year.
Tarasov, 23, has already appeared in five games for the team this season, posting a .893 save percentage. The young netminder has shown promise but is limited by inconsistency (as many young netminders are). Still, with Korpisalo an inconsistent enigma himself, they may end up sharing the workload should Merzlikins end up on the shelf for a while.
Latest On Sale Of Ottawa Senators
While most of the attention regarding the potential sale of the Ottawa Senators has gone to Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds, there are plenty of interested parties lining up for their shot at an NHL franchise. Today, Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports that Michael Andlauer, owner of the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs and Rocco Tullio, owner of the Oshawa Generals, have formed a partnership for an attempt to by the Senators.
In fact, this isn’t the first time Tullio has tried to buy the team. Garrioch reports that he offered former Senators owner Eugene Melnyk $650MM last year. That is close to the figure the Senators were recently valued at by Sportico, though the upcoming sale price is expected to rise much higher.
Andlauer, meanwhile, has very deep pockets and already owns a portion of the Montreal Canadiens – something he would have to sell if he took over the Senators. The two combined could likely put up a massive offer, and have a history of success in hockey already with the OHL clubs.
That’s not all, though. Garrioch reports several other interested parties, as the sale of the Senators has drummed up plenty of excitement. The team started the process earlier this month by hiring Galatioto Sports Partners, after the Melnyk daughters, Anna and Olivia, decided to sell following their father’s death in March.
The sale is likely to be tied closely with the development project at LeBreton Flats, which the Senators are the preferred bidder for. A new sports complex would offer the team the chance to move closer to downtown and out of their current location, 40 minutes outside of the city center.
Snapshots: Soderholm, Maple Leafs, Chychrun
One of the ongoing debates in the hockey world is when the NHL will start to broaden coaching searches outside of North America. The league has only really had two European head coaches in its history, and every summer there is talk about how someone like Rickard Gronborg could be an interesting candidate.
Well, take at least one name off the list for the time being, as Toni Soderholm has signed a contract to coach SC Bern in the Swiss National League until 2024. The 44-year-old Finn had been the head coach of the German national team for the last several years but used an out clause to terminate the deal and join Bern. Like most of the candidates that are brought up in this discussion, Soderholm has ties to North American hockey already, having played and even captained UMass.
- While the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrate their win over the Pittsburgh Penguins last night, the rest of the hockey world seems to be focused on finding them a new defenseman. Another piece came out today, this time from Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, detailing several candidates to replace Jake Muzzin. One name that is listed is Vladislav Gavrikov of the Columbus Blue Jackets, a name that has also been brought up by The Fourth Period in relation to the Maple Leafs. Toronto has some additional cap flexibility due to the injury to Jake Muzzin, which is keeping him out indefinitely and could end his career.
- One of the names that is always brought up for defense-needy teams is Jakob Chychrun, and today he officially rejoined the Arizona Coyotes for practice. Speaking with Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong once again implied that he will not drop the asking price for Chychrun, which – according to LeBrun – is a package including two first-round picks.
Mason Appleton Expected To Miss 8-12 Weeks
12:05 pm: Head coach Rick Bowness has confirmed wrist surgery for Appleton, and said he is expected to miss eight to 12 weeks.
10:40 am: Winnipeg Jets forward Mason Appleton was forced out of Sunday’s game against the Seattle Kraken early, and it sounds like he’s going to miss quite a while. Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun reports that Appleton will miss at least eight weeks with an upper-body injury that requires surgery.
Appleton, 26, has six points in 14 games and has actually seen time on the team’s first line this season, averaging more than 16 minutes a night. After losing him to Seattle for the first part of last season through the expansion draft, Winnipeg sent a fourth-round pick to get him back at the trade deadline. A versatile forward that can move up and down the lineup, he has ten points in 33 games since returning.
Now, with Appleton out for two months, the Jets would normally be in a bit of a pickle. Luckily, they had Nikolaj Ehlers back on the ice today, albeit in a solo session while donning a non-contact jersey. Ehlers’ return date is still unclear but when he does come back, he’ll be able to slot directly into the top six to give the team a bit more scoring punch.
The Jets still won that game against the Kraken, and now sit second in the Central Division with the best winning percentage in the group. Having only allowed 33 goals through 14 games, even a slight uptick in scoring would have them playing at an incredibly high level.
Colorado Avalanche Recall Andreas Englund, Jayson Megna
The Colorado Avalanche are hitting the road, and they’re bringing some extra players with them. Andreas Englund and Jayson Megna have both been recalled today, joining Anton Blidh who was brought up last night. The team is heading to Carolina to play the Hurricanes tomorrow, with stops in Washington and Dallas before returning home.
Englund, 26, got into his first game with the Avalanche a few days ago in place of the injured Kurtis MacDermid and played just over 10 minutes. That was his first NHL appearance with any organization other than the Ottawa Senators, and the 6’3″ defenseman did rather well in his limited exposure. Whether he stays in the lineup is still to be determined but that long reach and physicality fit in nicely whenever he was put on the ice.
Megna, meanwhile, has already played five games for Colorado this season, but hasn’t cracked the eight-minute mark in any of them. The 32-year-old forward hasn’t scored an NHL goal since 2016-17, despite a handful of appearances every year. Given how little the team has played him even when he does dress, don’t expect much from the minor league veteran.
Sampo Ranta, who has been a regular call-up recently, was not included in this latest round. The youngster is still looking for his first NHL point and will have to wait for his next opportunity.
Montreal Canadiens Recall Rem Pitlick; Jonathan Drouin Out 4-6 Weeks
The Montreal Canadiens will be without Jonathan Drouin for the next four to six weeks, as he continues to deal with an injury suffered earlier this month. The veteran forward has actually been playing through it, after first suffering it against the Vegas Golden Knights on November 5. In the three games since Drouin posted two points.
To take his place, the Canadiens have recalled Rem Pitlick, who recently cleared waivers and was with the Laval Rocket. The 25-year-old Pitlick had three points in three games with the AHL squad after going scoreless through seven NHL contests to start the year. A surprise last season when he had 26 points in 46 games for Montreal, Pitlick should get another chance to play, especially after the 5-1 teardown the Canadiens experienced last night.
The team is now 8-7-1 on the year, and really only has a few players to count on for offensive contributions. If Pitlick can add a bit of scoring punch, he’ll likely find his way into the lineup on a regular basis.
Drouin has officially been placed on injured reserve to bring the roster back down to 23.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: Arizona Coyotes
As Thanksgiving and the holiday season approaches, PHR will be taking a look at what teams are thankful for in 2022-23. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Arizona Coyotes.
Who are the Coyotes thankful for?
There was a time in which Clayton Keller looked more like a quality top-six player than a truly elite talent. Like someone on the bubble of first-line talent level, but without the production to back up that assessment. Those days are over. Despite suffering a gruesome lower-body injury that prematurely ended his season last year, Clayton Keller has picked up right where he left off and is cementing himself as a true face-of-the-franchise offensive talent.
Last season was a breakout of sorts for Keller. While he scored 65 points in 2017-18 as a rookie, he struggled to reach those heights in subsequent years, finishing in the 40-point range for the next two seasons and then scoring at a 51-point pace in the shortened 2020-21 season. In 2021-22, Keller reached another dimension of production, scoring 63 points, leading the Coyotes in point production despite playing in just 67 games.
This year, Keller has 17 points in 15 games and looks every bit like the elite offensive play driver he was last year. Still just 24 years old, Keller has put himself in a position to be the centerpiece of the Coyotes’ forward corps for many years to come.
Back in 2019, Keller signed an eight-year, $7.15MM AAV extension. While it was a deal that some at the time viewed as an overpayment, it now looks to be an extremely shrewd investment, seeing as the going rate for point-per-game offensive play drivers is $8MM AAV or higher.
For a franchise that has dealt with so much uncertainty over the past few years, having Keller productive and locked into a team-friendly long-term extension is the sort of thing any Arizona fan should be extremely thankful for.
What are the Coyotes thankful for?
The 2023 Draft.
As was mentioned in the first edition of our Big Hype Prospects series, the 2023 draft class at the moment looks absolutely loaded with quality talent. That sentiment is especially true at the top of the draft, since there are four players whose current prospect profiles compare quite favorably to the first-overall picks from the 2021 and 2022 drafts.
Connor Bedard needs no introduction for most hockey fans, while University of Michigan forward Adam Fantilli is authoring the most productive freshman NCAA season since Jack Eichel tore Hockey East apart as a Boston University Terrier. Russian forward Matvei Michkov shattered junior scoring records in his home country and is currently scoring at an above-point-per-game rate in the VHL. And then there’s Swedish center Leo Carlsson who has burst onto the scene with 12 points in 17 games for Orebro in the SHL.
The Coyotes haven’t been among the NHL’s worst teams yet this season, but they are widely expected to find their way to the bottom of the NHL’s standings by the time the season runs its course.
If that ends up being the case, and the Coyotes end up finishing last in the NHL standings, they will not only have the highest odds of landing the draft’s top selection, (thereby securing themselves their choice from this top tier of prospects) they’ll also have guaranteed themselves a top-three selection, meaning they will, at worst, potentially have their choice of Michkov or Carlsson.
Since the Coyotes are a franchise that is looking to build for the long term and add as many talented prospects as possible, Coyotes fans should be extremely thankful that the crop of 2023 draft-eligible prospects looks to be so talented at this early stage.
What would the Coyotes be even more thankful for?
A clearer long-term home.
The Coyotes’ arena situation has gotten significant media attention in recent years, and that attention hasn’t always been positive. At the moment, the Coyotes are currently sharing Mullett Arena with the Arizona State University Sun Devils hockey program.
While some might point out that Mullett Arena is a brand-new, state-of-the-art facility that provides a more intimate experience than any other NHL arena, it’s important to remember that the experience is only “intimate” because the arena’s capacity hovers around the 5,000 mark.
Mullett Arena is definitely a unique venue that provides some interesting opportunities for the team to pursue, but it’s unfit to be the Coyotes’ long-term home. The team is seeking a long-term arena solution in Tempe, although the likelihood of the team’s proposal becoming reality is unclear. The issue could potentially be decided via a referendum, which is hardly the sort of slam-dunk green light the franchise is definitely hoping for.
While the future on the ice is looking bright for the Coyotes, Arizona fans would have a lot more to be thankful for if the team’s off-ice future was more settled and concrete.
What should be on the Coyotes’ holiday wish list?
A busy trade market.
One of the single largest advantages Arizona has over other teams is their considerable war chest of cap space. While most NHL teams are counting their pennies in order to remain cap compliant, the Coyotes, per CapFriendly’s calculations, are on pace to have over $74MM in cap space accumulated by the trade deadline.
As a result, the Coyotes will have the bandwidth under the salary cap to act as a “broker” for any potential trades between cap-strapped teams. What this means is that the Coyotes will be able to act as a financial facilitator for other teams’ trades, in exchange for draft pick compensation. They have the ability to retain salary on two players in advance of this year’s trade deadline and may be able to charge higher prices for that retention than in prior years thanks to the leaguewide lack of cap space.
The Coyotes already have a stockpile of draft picks amassed for the 2024 draft, but their 2023 is looking comparatively thin. With the ability to add draft picks from other teams in exchange for their cap space, the Coyotes should definitely be hoping that the trade market has a lot of activity so that the demand for their cap space is as high as possible.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Detroit Red Wings Activate Tyler Bertuzzi
The Detroit Red Wings are getting a huge piece back healthy tonight for their matchup against the struggling Anaheim Ducks. Forward Tyler Bertuzzi has been activated off injured reserve, according to the team Tuesday night. To make room on the roster, the team placed forward Elmer Soderblom on injured reserve retroactive to November 8.
Bertuzzi played in just two games this season before sustaining a broken hand, registering an assist. He’s expected to return to his top-line role alongside Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond.
Detroit has still managed to get off to a 7-5-3 start without him, staying competitive in the Eastern Conference wild-card race. If Bertuzzi can capture last year’s form, where he scored 62 points in 68 games, he’ll fortify what’s already been a strong top six and help them keep pace.
In Bertuzzi’s absence, though, Dominik Kubalik has done a spectacular job providing depth scoring behind Larkin – if you can even call it depth. After going unqualified by the Chicago Blackhawks last offseason, Kubalik has 18 points through his first 15 games as a Red Wing to lead the team.
Soderblom has missed the team’s last two games and is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. He is eligible to return at any time, given the seven-day waiting period on IR retroactively expires as of tonight, but the team will need to make a corresponding roster move to create an open space.