Snapshots: First Round Picks, Pouliot, Stoll, Streit
With more and more teams getting tighter to the salary cap, draft picks have become quite an important commodity. In recent years, most teams have been unwilling to part with their first rounders as those picks are expected to serve as cheap talent before too long. As a result of what’s expected to be a weaker draft class, that may not be the case this season, suggests ESPN’s Craig Custance (Insider required).
A pair of executives suggested to Custance that they’d be willing to part with their first round pick this year but only if they’re getting someone under contract or team control beyond this season.
Last year, only one first rounder was dealt at the trade deadline when Chicago dealt theirs to Winnipeg as part of the return for rental forward Andrew Ladd, a move that didn’t exactly pan out well for them. If some players with term left on their deal get moved by the deadline, we could see more first rounders changing hands over the next month or so.
Other tidbits from around the league:
- In a reader chat, Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes that the Penguins would be willing to move young blueliner Derrick Pouliot in a trade, something that wasn’t the case earlier. The former first round pick has not yet progressed to the point where he can be called a regular NHL defender and is in the final year of his entry level contract. He has eight points in 18 AHL games this season and has been held off the scoresheet in seven NHL contests.
- Although center Jarret Stoll is currently working in a player development capacity with the Kings, he emphasized to Puck Daddy’s Josh Cooper that he has not retired. The 34 year old split last season between the Rangers and Wild and attended training camp with the Blue Jackets on a PTO but was unable to secure a deal. However, given his prowess on the penalty kill and at the faceoff dot, he could be a serviceable replacement forward should a team get hit with some injuries up front.
- The Flyers have not made any decisions regarding their pending unrestricted free agents, GM Ron Hextall told Wayne Fish of the Burlington County Times. If Philadelphia falls out of the playoff race between now and the trade deadline, a potential rental option would be blueliner Mark Streit. While he agrees there’s not much point in opening extension talks at the moment, he indicated that he’s hoping to remain with the team: “At this point, I just want to play and I want to make it into the playoffs with the Flyers. That’s on my mind. I love it here, love playing for the Flyers.” Streit carries a cap hit of $5.25MM and has a list of ten teams that he would accept a trade to as part of his modified no-trade clause.
Breaking Down Potential Landing Spots For Kevin Shattenkirk
The trade deadline is just over a month away, and there will be a lot of names brought up as potentially on the move. Expiring contracts are the easiest to move, as teams go for a Stanley Cup run while others rebuild. The most talked about name all year and likely for the next month is Kevin Shattenkirk. The defensemen topped our mid-season list of 2017 UFAs and is having another excellent season.
It was recently reported by Darren Dreger that Shattenkirk would have interest in signing a long-term deal with Anaheim, Boston, Colorado, Detroit, New York (Rangers), San Jose, and Toronto this summer and many have suggested that one of these teams would be willing to be the top bidder at the deadline if they were able to work out an extension with him prior to the deal.
It doesn’t really make sense for some of these teams to make the deal, though the way the Eastern Conference is so tightly packed, everyone might think adding an elite right-handed defenseman would push them into a playoff spot.
A similar deal was made two years ago, when Keith Yandle was dealt to the Rangers. Though Yandle had one more year on his deal, he was a similarly productive offensive defensemen who logged huge minutes. The Rangers had to give up a young sniper in 19-year old Anthony Duclair, a (conditional) first-round pick and a second-round pick. The Rangers would go all the way to the Conference Finals that year, but get bounced out the next in the first round. Recouping some of their lost assets, they dealt Yandle’s rights to Florida where he signed long-term.
For Shattenkirk, imagine a slightly reduced package (unless an extension is reached) but still with substantial assets. Here are some Eastern Conference options for the Blues’ alternate captain.
New York Rangers
Would the Rangers go after another big-named defenseman at the deadline? Shattenkirk is from the area and many people believe they’re the early front-runners for his services this summer. The Rangers haven’t selected a player in the first-round since 2012, and if they go after the Blues’ defenseman they likely won’t this year either. Shattenkirk would look nice skating alongside captain Ryan McDonagh, but the team may not want to part with any young talent or high draft picks again this year.
Boston Bruins
The Bruins are slumping hard, losing again today 5-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Acquiring Shattenkirk may be a fun idea, but it likely wouldn’t be enough to fix everything that’s going wrong right now. It’s unclear who they’d even waive as bait, with Brandon Carlo being their best trade chip. Moving out a young right-handed defenseman for a rental doesn’t sound like the best managing.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs surprised everyone this year by being in the playoff hunt through the first half. Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner have played better than anyone expected in their rookie seasons, and their secondary scoring has been consistent. They do have a huge hole on the right side of their defense, but all signs point to Brendan Shanahan and company sticking to the rebuild and not giving up young assets. They may be a player in the summer for his services, but it would be shocking to see them move a pick or prospect for him in-season.
Philadelphia Flyers
If Philly wants to make the playoffs this year, they have to do something with their defense corps. After a scorching hot start, they’ve been one of the worst teams in the league the last month or so and can’t seem to keep the puck out of their own net. Shattenkirk would perhaps help them more than any other team, as currently Radko Gudas is their only right-handed defenseman.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Yes, the Penguins already have a stud who plays on the right side, but Kris Letang has been injured for much of the year. A team who often makes a big splash at the deadline for the playoffs, they currently have Justin Schultz, Chad Ruhwedel and Steve Oleksy playing the right side. Though Schultz is having a career season, the playoffs are a different story. The Penguins shouldn’t be considered anything more than a dark horse in the Shattenkirk sweepstakes, but it would be an interesting fit to be sure.
Metro Division Snapshots: Capuano, Dumoulin, Morin
It would seem that less than a week after being fired as head coach of the New York Islanders, Jack Capuano is already garnering interest from at least one other NHL club, as Arthur Staple of Newsday reports. Two sources have indicated that one team has already reached out to the team seeking permission to interview Capuano, who was relieved of his duties after nearly 500 games behind the Islanders bench. Aside from the Isles, the only other teams that would appear to be in the market for a new bench boss are Florida, who discharged Gerard Gallant from his duties nearly two months ago, and the Vegas Golden Knights, who have yet to make their first head coaching hire.
Before assuming his current position as GM of the expansion Golden Knights, George McPhee spent the 2015-16 campaign in an advisory position with the Islanders, a connection Staple notes in his column. That relationship would likely be enough to warrant at least an interview, but ultimately Cappy will be one of many candidates the team considers.
Ironically, the Islanders reportedly asked for permission to speak with Gallant, and as Staple writes, that request evidently came prior to the team officially terminating Capuano.
Elsewhere in the Metro Division:
- Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin, out since December 27th due to a broken jaw, has returned to practice and has officially been cleared for contact, writes Stephen Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. There is still no timetable for his return to game action but the fact he is back on the ice with no limitations suggests it shouldn’t be much longer. In fact, Nesbitt’s Post-Gazette colleague, Dave Molinari, relays that Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said the blue liner could return prior to next weekend’s All-Star break. He was originally expected to miss from four to six weeks and as Nesbitt notes, Dumoulin is in the fourth week of rehab. Dumoulin has seven points, all assists, in 35 games this season and averages 19:45 of ice time per game for the Penguins.
- With the Philadelphia Flyers struggling in the goal-prevention department – they have allowed the fourth highest total in the NHL – Sam Carchidi of Philly.com suggests the team’s blue line could use some bite. Carchidi’s recommendation is to call up young defenseman Samuel Morin, the team’s first-round pick in 2013, and who the scribe likens to former Flyer Chris Pronger. When Philadelphia acquired Pronger via trade, then-GM Paul Holmgren said he was targeting someone who “would make life miserable for the other team,” and Carchidi sees that same potential in Morin. Obviously, any comparison to a Hall of Fame defenseman is premature, but Carchidi thinks the 6-foot-6 blue liner can provide that same level of toughness and snarl that Pronger did throughout his career. Even if the team elects not to promote Morin to the big league team, it’s conceivable the Flyers will look to add some toughness to their blue line ahead of the deadline.
Poll: 2005 NHL Draft Take Two: Twenty-Ninth Overall Pick
Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.” Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended. For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.
We’re looking back at the 2005 NHL Draft, which kicked off the salary cap era and ushered in many of the current NHL superstars. The question we’re looking to answer is knowing now what we didn’t know then, how different would this draft look now with the benefit of hindsight?
Here are the results of our redraft so far:
1st Overall: Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)
2nd Overall: Carey Price (Mighty Ducks of Anaheim)
3rd Overall: Anze Kopitar (Carolina Hurricanes)
4th Overall: Jonathan Quick (Minnesota Wild)
5th Overall: Kris Letang (Montreal Canadiens)
6th Overall: Tuukka Rask (Columbus Blue Jackets)
7th Overall: Bobby Ryan (Chicago Blackhawks)
8th Overall: Marc-Edouard Vlasic (San Jose Sharks)
9th Overall: Ben Bishop (Ottawa Senators)
10th Overall: James Neal (Vancouver Canucks)
11th Overall: T.J. Oshie (Los Angeles Kings)
12th Overall: Keith Yandle (New York Rangers)
13th Overall: Paul Stastny (Buffalo Sabres)
14th Overall: Marc Staal (Washington Capitals)
15th Overall: Patric Hornqvist (New York Islanders)
16th Overall: Niklas Hjalmarsson (Atlanta Thrashers)
17th Overall: Anton Stralman (Phoenix Coyotes)
18th Overall: Jack Johnson (Nashville Predators)
19th Overall: Matt Niskanen (Detroit Red Wings)
20th Overall: Justin Abdelkader (Florida Panthers)
21st Overall: Martin Hanzal (Toronto Maple Leafs)
22nd Overall: Andrew Cogliano (Boston Bruins)
23rd Overall: Kris Russell (New Jersey Devils)
24th Overall: Darren Helm (St. Louis Blues)
25th Overall: Cody Franson (Edmonton Oilers)
26th Overall: Benoit Pouliot (Calgary Flames)
27th Overall: Vladimir Sobotka (Washington Capitals)
28th Overall: Devin Setoguchi (Dallas Stars)
Now we move forward to the 29th pick, which was held by the Philadelphia Flyers.
To recap how this works:
- We will go through the 2005 NHL Draft and have our readers select, through a voting process, who they think should have been taken with the selection.
- The entire first round will be redrafted, spanning picks one through thirty. The new selection is chosen by the majority of votes.
Back in 2005, the Flyers selected Downie, an undersized power forward out of Windsor of the OHL. It wasn’t long before some controversy started as a well-publicized hazing incident with the Spitfires eventually resulted in Downie being suspended by the team and ultimately getting dealt.
He made quite the impression in his rookie season at the professional level, putting up 17 points in 21 AHL games while getting into 32 games with Philadelphia. It wasn’t all good news though as Downie also received a 20 game suspension for an illegal hit in that preseason. He didn’t last too much longer with the Flyers as in November of 2008, he was dealt to Tampa Bay as part of a trade to bring the recently-retired Matt Carle to Philly.
Downie spent parts of four seasons with the Lightning and had the best season of his career in 2009-10, collecting 46 points. In 2012, he was flipped to Colorado for blueliner Kyle Quincey (who was immediately flipped to Detroit with Tampa landing a first rounder that was used on goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy) where injuries really started to take their toll.
After being traded back to Philadelphia in 2013, Downie started to bounce around. He finished that season with the Flyers before moving to Pittsburgh where he lasted one season before joining the Coyotes. Downie cleared waivers last season, finishing the year in the minors and did not sign anywhere this past summer.
Although his career is largely remembered for a lack of discipline at times (on top of the suspensions, he had over 1,000 penalty minutes), Downie is currently the 19th highest scorer from this draft class, collecting 196 points in 434 career games.
With the 29th pick of the 2005 NHL Redraft, who should the Flyers select? Cast your vote below!
With the 29th overall pick, the Philadelphia Flyers select...
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Mason Raymond 25% (106)
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Steve Downie 23% (99)
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Sergei Kostitsyn 22% (93)
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Jakub Kindl 9% (39)
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Nathan Gerbe 9% (37)
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Jared Boll 5% (21)
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Jack Skille 4% (19)
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Gilbert Brule 3% (11)
Total votes: 425
Mobile users, click here to vote.
What’s Next For The Philadelphia Flyers?
On December 15th, exactly one month ago, the Philadelphia Flyers woke up on a ten-game winning streak and safely headed for the playoffs. All the talk around the league was how both Eastern Conference wildcard spots had already been locked up, the Metropolitan division having five teams that were guaranteed a spot in the playoffs.
Now, on January 15th as they lose 5-0 at the hands of the Washington Capitals, the story is very different. Since that 10th win in a row on December 14th, the Flyers have gone 3-8-3 and find themselves in real trouble of falling out of the wildcard spot. Carolina, Ottawa, Toronto and Florida are all within two points of the Flyers, with everyone having games in hand (the Leafs and Senators have 5 each).
As the Flyers head into their mandated bye-week – the team won’t play until next Saturday – they must find an answer to their recent problems. The question for this team isn’t up front, as they have scored 132 goals, good for 5th in the conference. It’s the back end that has so many question marks.
Their goaltending tandem of Steve Mason and Michal Neuvirth that started so well have both taken huge steps backwards, highlighted by the four goals in five minutes allowed by Mason today against the Capitals before he was pulled from the net. Both netminders have a save percentage under .900, which is unacceptable in the NHL.
On defense, the team scratched last year’s rookie of the year candidate Shayne Gostisbehere yesterday for the second time this year, upset with his play in his own end. While that might be a development tactic, other blueliners like Andrew MacDonald and Michael Del Zotto haven’t played well enough for the team this year either.
The team has some excellent young players; Ivan Provorov and Travis Konecny are both playing well as rookies, but disappear periodically (as rookies tend to do) and are still an unknown as the season stretches out.
If the front office believes this team could compete in the playoffs should they make a move or two, expect it to come on the back end and in net. With Mark Streit, Del Zotto and Nick Schultz all unrestricted free agents this summer, the team could also decide to sell off some expiring assets and give younger players more freedom.
In goal, acquiring a real NHL netminder is paramount, except it leaves the problem of Anthony Stolarz. The young netminder is almost ready to make an impact at the NHL level, and is exposed at the upcoming expansion draft. If the team were to acquire a goalie to help long term, they’d be at risk of losing him or Stolarz. This, by the way already may happen – the team currently must leave Stolarz exposed as he’s the only netminder under contract past this year.
It will be an interesting week for the Flyers front office, who need to start making decisions on this roster now. If they go another few games without turning this ship around, it might be too late. For now, they’ll crawl home and lick their wounds, hoping the unofficial second half brings more fruitful rewards.
Lineup Notes: Neal, Gostisbehere, Predators
News and notes from around the NHL this afternoon:
- The Nashville Predators have activated forward James Neal from the injured reserve, reports the Tennesean’s Adam Vingan. Neal has been out since January 3rd with an upper body injury. So far this season Neal has 14G and 6A in 33 games for Nashville, but went pointless in his last five games before his injury. Neal’s return is good news for the Predators as they continue to battle injuries elsewhere. P.K. Subban, Roman Josi, and Colin Wilson are all out right now as the Predators struggle to stay afloat in the NHL’s Central Division
- Philadelphia Flyers scratched defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere once again this season, as first reported by the Courier-Post’s Dave Isaac. This is the sophomore’s second healthy scratch this season, but it comes off of a decent performance against the Vancouver Canucks. Points-wise Gostisbehere performs fine—4G and 15A in 42 games—but his defensive play leaves coach Dave Hakstol wanting more.
- The Nashville Predators announced that they called up defenseman Petter Granberg and reassigned forward Pontus Aberg to the AHL Milwaukee Admirals. The move makes room for the returning James Neal, and also shores up Nashville’s bleeding blue line. Nashville plays the Colorado Avalanche tonight riding a two game winning streak.
- The San Jose Sharks have recalled Ryan Carpenter prior to their game tonight against the St. Louis Blues. Carpenter has 18 points in 28 AHL games this season. Kevin Kurz of CSN thinks that it’s a sign that Joonas Donskoi, who missed yesterday’s practice, will be out for tonight.
Waivers: Terry, Gordon
The Montreal Canadiens placed Chris Terry on waivers this morning. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Flyers’ forward Boyd Gordon clears waivers. Both were first reported by ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun. Gordon was subsequently assigned to the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
The Flyers forward Boyd Gordon has struggled to make a mark in Philadelphia this year. He has only one goal in 13 games, and is on track for his second straight season without achieving double-digit points. Last season Boyd scored 2G and 2A in 65 games for the Arizona Coyotes. The move coincides with the Flyers officially activating defenseman Mark Streit from the long-term injured reserve list.
The Canadiens forward Chris Terry has fared better. In 14 games with the big club, Terry has tallied 2G and 2A, alongside 26 points in 20 AHL games. Terry is merely a victim of scarce roster sports as both Alex Galchenyuk and Andrew Shaw return to the Canadiens lineup tonight. Because of Terry’s excellent AHL numbers, expect to see him back in Montreal soon.
Flyers Waive Boyd Gordon
The Philadelphia Flyers have placed center Boyd Gordon on waivers, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link).
Gordon is in his first season in Philadelphia after signing a one year, $950K contract on the first day of free agency. However, he has struggled with the Flyers and has played in just 13 games this year due to an upper body injury that cost him 18 games while he also spent considerable time as a healthy scratch. This season, he has just a single goal while averaging only 8:11 of ice time per night.
The 33 year old is in his 13th NHL campaign, having spent time previously with the Capitals, Coyotes (twice), and Oilers. He has 161 career points under his belt (56-105-161).
While those offensive numbers don’t stand out, Gordon has carved out a niche for himself as a faceoff specialist. He has a career 56.9% success rate at the dot and there are typically teams who are comfortable with carrying a high end faceoff player on their fourth line.
The Flyers needed to clear up some cap space in order to activate defenseman Mark Streit off LTIR. GM Ron Hextall confirmed to CSN Philly’s Tim Panaccio (Twitter link) that Streit has been activated and that removing Gordon off the roster (either by a waiver claim tomorrow or being sent to the minors) is the only roster move required to get back into compliance on the salary cap.
Biggest One-For-One Trades Of The Past 10 Years
For the first time since his shocking trade last June, Taylor Hall is facing off in Edmonton on Thursday night.
The Oilers-Devils trade was one of two major one-for-one trades that took place that day, the other being P.K. Subban for Shea Weber just 17 minutes later. Despite the evidence of June 29, one-for-one trades are exceedingly rare in today’s NHL.
In honor of Hall’s return to Edmonton, let’s take a look at some of the more notable one-for-one swaps of the past decade:
February 26, 2008 – Andrew Ladd for Tuomo Ruutu — The Chicago Blackhawks and Carolina Hurricanes swapped former top-ten picks at the 2007-08 trade deadline. Nearly nine years later, the trade can be classified as a win for the Blackhawks: Ruutu did score 216 points in 378 games with the Hurricanes but the team only made the playoffs once in his tenure there. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks were just two years away from winning the first Stanley Cup of their modern dynasty; with a Stanley Cup already under his belt, Ladd played a key role in helping the young Hawks learn how to win. Ladd scored 99 points 184 games in Chicago before being sacrificed to the Salary Cap Gods after their 2010 championship.
July 3, 2011 – Dany Heatley for Martin Havlat — Heatley and Havlat were both superstars of the early 21st-century, but neither player was at that level in 2011 when the Sharks and Wild made this trade. The Sharks were looking to improve their roster with hopes of getting to the Stanley Cup Finals after yet another playoff disappointment, but Havlat appeared in just eight playoff games over three years in San Jose. He never played more than 48 games in a season, or scored more than 27 points. Heatley had 82 and 64 points in his two years in San Jose, but was unable to consistently score in Minnesota, finishing his three-year stint with a 28-point season, his last full season in the NHL. Heatley also caused salary cap troubles, as he was unable to be bought-out after his second season due to injury, costing the Wild their last chance to use a compliance buyout on the declining Heatley.
June 23, 2012 – James Van Riemsdyk for Luke Schenn — Maple Leafs fans hoping for their team to trade Van Riemsdyk for a top defenseman may want to look at the trade that brought the power winger to Toronto. Then-GM Brian Burke traded Schenn, a right-handed third-pairing defenseman just four seasons removed from being the fifth-overall selection. Both players were coming off down seasons, as Schenn struggled in a third-pairing role while Van Riemsdyk scored 24 points in 43 games after a 40-point sophomore season. The trade was a clear win for Toronto, as Van Riemsdyk has 211 points in 289 games as a first-line winger while Schenn scored 42 points in 213 games in Philadelphia as a below-average possession player. Schenn was traded last season and signed a cheap show-me deal with Arizona as a UFA. The trade is yet another example of the trade values of average defensemen and scoring wingers.
January 6, 2016 – Seth Jones for Ryan Johansen — The major trade was the first big one-for-one trade in nearly four years, and was a sign of things yet to come in 2016. While it’s too early to declare a definitive winner, as both teams look like they got what they needed with the swap, the early results put Columbus slightly ahead. Jones has 38 points in 75 games so far with the surprising Blue Jackets, who currently sit in first place in NHL standings. The Predators haven’t been as successful as they would have hoped, though Johansen has 63 points in 83 games in Music City. He’s growing into a legitimate first-line center on a contending team, which is what the Predators hoped for when they made the swap. Nashville GM David Poile was initially criticized for trading his young defenseman as Shea Weber showed signs of regression, but that was addressed by on of the below trades.
June 29, 2016 – Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson — The decision to trade Hall was not popular at the time, and is still the most talked-about trade in Edmonton since Chris Pronger asked for a trade in 2006. The Oilers have finally turned the corner and currently sit in third in the Pacific Division. Larsson is a big part of the much-improved defense core, but has just seven points in 43 games. Hall is leading the Devils in scoring with 25 points in 32 games, but the Devils’ offense has not been able to outscore their defensive issues. It must be frustratingly familiar for Hall, who was in a similar situation in Edmonton for six seasons. While the Oilers gave up value, it could be argued that the Devils miss Larsson’s defensive ability more than Edmonton misses Hall’s offence.
June 29, 2016 — Shea Weber for P.K. Subban — After a tough 2015-16, changes were expected in Montreal. But few expected Subban to be the one to go. Like the Hall-Larsson trade made 17 minutes earlier, the Canadian team was panned initially. However, Weber is on pace for a career-high in points while the Canadiens have rebounded to lead the Atlantic Division at the half-way point. Unfortunately for Subban, he’s been injured for much of the season and may require surgery. The Canadiens are the winners of this trade six months in, but considering the four years Weber has on Subban, the verdict will slowly change over the next few years. If either one of these teams win a Stanley Cup in the next few years, that would likely be the deciding factor in naming a winner.
Hextall: No Shakeup Trades On The Horizon
After going on a ten game winning streak earlier this year, the Flyers now find themselves mired in a similarly-sized slump, dropping nine of their last 11 games as they get set to host Vancouver tonight. That has had many wondering if GM Ron Hextall would be willing to make a trade to shake things up but he told Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post that it’s not something he plans to consider:
“I’m not gonna make a trade to send a message. I’m (only) going to make a trade to make us better. ”
“… We’re staying on course. I don’t care if we win every game for the rest of the year or lose every game. We’re staying on course. We set out a course two and a half years ago and we’re not deviating from what we planned.”
Historically, Hextall has done most of his trading in the offseason. Since taking over from Paul Holmgren in May of 2014, he has only made three in-season trades. Of those, only one was of particular significance, when he acquired Radko Gudas for a pending UFA in Braydon Coburn, who later re-signed in Tampa. The other two trades were to shed part of Vincent Lecavalier’s contract to the Kings last season and giving Kimmo Timonen one last shot at a Stanley Cup before he would have to retire due to blood clots, dealing him to Chicago back in 2015. In other words, history suggests he’s not about to make a core-changing reactionary move. That hasn’t stopped him from voicing his frustration with their recent play, however:
“It’s driving me nuts. I hope it is everybody else, too. In saying that, it’s a close league. Every night, you have to be on top of your game. You don’t play good, you don’t win. We’re not playing well enough right now. You can’t accept losing.”
With no trades on the horizon, head coach Dave Hakstol acknowledged that he will continue to tweak their lines in an effort to get some more players going. One of those moves is switching rookie Travis Konecny over to the right wing, a position he played for most of his junior career. He’s expected to play alongside Claude Giroux on the top line beginning tonight against the Canucks. The 19 year old got off to a quick start this year but has been much quieter of late, scoring just twice in his last 27 games.