NHL Teams With Prospects On Both USA and Canada
The United States and Canada face off in the World Junior Championships gold medal game tonight. Each team is loaded with NHL draft picks, and it is inevitable that some teams have players from both teams. While these players may be part of the same organization, there is no love lost when the two countries play each other. Below are all the NHL teams who have prospects on both Canada and USA tonight:
Arizona Coyotes
F Dylan Strome (CAN) vs. F Clayton Keller (USA)
Boston Bruins
D Jeremy Lauzon (CAN) vs. D Ryan Lingren* and D Charlie McAvoy (USA)
*Lingren was a late scratch before the gold-medal game
Calgary Flames
F Dillon Dube (CAN) vs. G Tyler Parsons and D Adam Fox (USA)
Nashville Predators
D Dante Fabbro (CAN) vs. F Patrick Harper (USA)
New Jersey Devils
F Michael McLeod and F Blake Speers (CAN) vs. F Joey Anderson (USA)
New York Islanders
F Matthew Barzal (CAN) vs. F Kieffer Bellows (USA)
Ottawa Senators
D Thomas Chabot (CAN) vs. F Colin White (USA)
Philadelphia Flyers
G Carter Hart and D Phillipe Myers* (CAN) vs. F Tanner Laczynski (USA)
*Myers was injured in the CAN vs. USA preliminary game and was unable to play in the gold-medal game.
Minor Transactions: 1/5/17
Here are today’s minor transactions around the hockey world:
- Forward Jared McCann has been recalled by the Florida Panthers from their AHL affiliate in Springfield, the team announced this afternoon. McCann started the season with Florida and appeared in 17 games, tallying one goal and three points during that time before a reassignment to Springfield. In 15 AHL contests McCann registered four goals and six points.
- The Avalanche announced via Twitter that they have assigned goaltender Jeremy Smith to San Antonio of the AHL. This suggests that Semyon Varlamov, who has been out since December 23rd with another groin injury, is nearing a return to action. Smith didn’t see any game action with Colorado and has played just seven minor league games this season, going 1-4-0 with a 2.60 GAA and a .903 SV%.
- Philadelphia placed defenseman Mark Alt on waivers according to TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie (Twitter link). The 25 year old suffered an upper body injury late in training camp and had been out ever since. He has one career NHL game under his belt, back in 2014-15 and recorded 19 points in 72 AHL contests last season. As CSN Philly’s Tim Panaccio notes, it’s likely that the Flyers will recall center Roman Lyubimov from Lehigh Valley after Alt’s waiver period expires on Friday.
- New Jersey announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled defenseman Seth Helgeson from their AHL affiliate in Albany. He’s an insurance policy for fellow blueliner Andy Greene who left Tuesday’s game against Carolina after being hit by a puck in the first period. Helgeson has played in two games with New Jersey this season while recording two goals and three assists in 30 AHL contests.
- The Rangers have recalled netminder Brandon Halverson from Hartford of the AHL, per a team release. Halverson is in his first pro season and has a 3-5-0 record with a 3.59 GAA and a .867 SV% in eight appearances with the Wolf Pack.
- The Islanders announced via Twitter that they have summoned blueliner Adam Pelech from AHL Bridgeport. Pelech had been sent down late last week after being activated off injured reserve having recovered from an upper body injury. In nine games with New York this season, he has a goal and two assists while logging 15:26 per night in ice time.
- With the vacancy on the roster created by losing Matthew Nieto to Colorado on waivers, the Sharks announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled defenseman Tim Heed from San Jose of the AHL. The 25 year old Heed has yet to play in the NHL but has been one of the top offensive threats in the minors this year with nine goals and 21 assists in 27 games.
Getzlaf Day-To-Day With Lower-Body Injury
Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf will miss tonight’s game versus Detroit with a lower-body injury suffered Sunday against the Flyers, according to Eric Stephens via Twitter. Fortunately for Anaheim, it doesn’t appear as if they will be without their #1 pivot for long since the team considers Getzlaf day-to-day at this point.
Getzlaf was on the ice for just one third period shift in Sunday’s 4 – 3 SO win over the Flyers and was replaced on the Ducks top line by Rickard Rakell. Rakell, who has 16 goals and 23 points in 28 games this season, was in that spot at practice yesterday and would likely remain there as long as Getzlaf is out. The team is also likely to insert Chris Wagner, recalled yesterday from San Diego, into the lineup.
Now in his 12th NHL campaign, Getzlaf has scored five goals and 30 points in 36 games this season but has tallied just one goal in the last five. His current plus/minus rating of -8 puts him on pace to register the worst rating of his career. Despite not having his best season to date, Getzlaf is still among the top centers in the game and the hope is he will be back in the lineup sooner rather than later.
Examining Recent January Trades
It’s been abnormally quiet on the trade front this season with completed deals primarily involving depth and/or minor league players switching teams. A combination of most clubs having limited cap space and so few far enough out of the playoff race to be considered obvious sellers has severely limited activities through roughly half of the 2016-17 schedule. It’s likely we’ll have to wait until the week of the March 1st deadline to see a thaw in trade discussions but if recent history is any indication, there is a good chance at least one trade of significance will be made in the month of January.
Here’s a brief rundown of notable transactions completed in January from the past three seasons:
- 1/16/2016 – Pittsburgh acquired Carl Hagelin from Anaheim in exchange for David Perron and Adam Clendening. The addition of Hagelin, one of the game’s swiftest skaters, helped pave the way for Mike Sullivan to implement a speedier attack that helped lead the Penguins all the way to a Stanley Cup championship. He has another three-years on his contract with an AAV of $4MM and has established himself as a key contributor in Pittsburgh’s top-nine. Perron, meanwhile, added some offense to Anaheim’s lineup, tallying 20 points in 28 games down the stretch last year but left the team as an unrestricted free agent in the summer, inking a two-year deal with St. Louis. Clendening was essentially a throw-in and didn’t see any action with Anaheim. He too left as a free agent, joining the New York Rangers in the offseason.
- 1/6/2016 – Nashville sent Seth Jones to Columbus for Ryan Johansen. This was a rare “hockey trade” that most considered a win-win for both teams at the time the deal was consummated. Columbus desperately needed a #1 defenseman and Jones has the potential to be just that player. Along with rookie blue liner Zach Werenski, Jones has added skill, quickness and puck-moving to the Blue Jackets back end. Johansen, meanwhile, addressed Nashville’s longstanding need for a top center and since the trade has registered 61 points in 79 contests in a Nashville sweater. To this point it’s fair to say this move has worked out just the way both parties planned it.
- 1/14/2015 – The Minnesota Wild added goaltender Devan Dubnyk in a deal with Arizona, sending a 2015 third-round pick to the Coyotes. Dubnyk was Edmonton’s first-round pick in 2004 but had yet to win a full-time starting gig until arriving in Minnesota, where he has evolved into one of the league’s top goalies. He won 27 of 39 starts following the trade and placed third in Vezina voting after the season. So far this year Dubnyk leads the league in both Save % (0.941) and GAA (1.75) and is 19 – 7 – 3 in 29 games. Arizona, who could certainly use Dubnyk between the pipes this year, ultimately chose left wing Brendan Warren with the draft choice acquired from Minnesota. Warren is in his sophomore season at the University of Michigan and has five points in 18 games.
- 1/22/14 – The New York Rangers dealt Michael Del Zotto to Nashville in exchange for fellow blue liner Kevin Klein. The Rangers, looking to balance their defense corps by adding another right-handed shot, got good value with Klein. The veteran defender had just begun the first year of a five-year, $14.5MM extension and for the most part he has been a good fit on the Rangers second pairing. He has struggled some this season but set or tied career highs in goals, assists and points in each of his first two full campaigns on Broadway. Del Zotto was brought to Music City for his offensive and puck-moving capabilities but didn’t perform well in Nashville, tallying just five points in 25 games as a Predator. He was not tendered a qualifying offer that summer and became a free agent, eventually signing in Philadelphia where he has been a solid producer for the Flyers the last three seasons.
Minor Transactions: 1/4/2016
A day after calling up Daniel Altshuller from Charlotte of the AHL, the Carolina Hurricanes have returned the goaltender to the Checkers, according to the team’s official Twitter account. Meanwhile, the club has recalled veteran net minder Michael Leighton from their top minor league affiliate to serve as the team’s back-up between the pipes behind starter Cam Ward.
Altshuller did not see action in last night’s 3 – 1 loss to Carolina and has yet to make his NHL debut. The 22-year-old was selected in the third-round of the 2012 draft, 69th overall, by the Hurricanes and has appeared in 33 contests across the last two seasons with Charlotte, posting a record of 11 – 12 – 5.
Leighton, 35, has seen action in three games with Carolina this season, starting two, and has a 2 – 1 – 0 record with a GAA of 3.53 and a Save % of 0.875. He has appeared in 109 games over parts of 10 NHL seasons, spending time in the Chicago, Nashville, Philadelphia and Hurricanes organizations during that time. He famously backstopped the Flyers to a surprising berth in the 2009-10 Stanley Cup Final, ultimately losing to the Blackhawks in six games.
- The Florida Panthers have loaned blue liner Dylan McIlrath to the Springfield Thunderbirds on a conditioning assignment, the team announced on their website. McIlrath, a first-round pick of the New York Rangers in 2010, has appeared in four games with the Panthers since joining the team after being acquired from New York in a November trade for fellow defenseman Steven Kampfer and a seventh-round pick in 2018. The hulking defender has tallied a single goal and has 14 penalty minutes on the season, while averaging just 9:39 of ice time per game.
- Yanni Gourde was reassigned by the Tampa Bay Lightning to their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, tweets Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. The 25-year-old pivot made two appearances this season, failing to register a point while seeing about nine minutes of action per night. The Lightning welcomed veteran forward Ryan Callahan back into the lineup last night and his return allowed the team enough roster flexibility to send Gourde to the minors.
- In a procedural move necessitated by the activation of goaltender Michal Neuvirth from IR, the Philadelphia Flyers have placed blue liner Mark Streit on LTIR, according to CSN Philly’s Tim Panaccio. Streit last played on December 11th and is expected to be out until sometime later this month due to a shoulder injury. By placing the veteran defender on LTIR, the Flyers are temporarily able to clear his $5.25MM cap hit from their ledger, thus allowing for the activation of Neuvirth. Had the transaction not been made, Philadelphia would have been over the salary cap by around $682K.
Metro Division Notes: Blue Jackets, Read, Hurricanes
The Columbus Blue Jackets last night extended their remarkable winning streak to 16 games and the team undoubtedly qualifies as one of the league’s biggest surprises of the 2016-17 season. Expected to have a better chance of contending for the top pick in next June’s draft than a playoff spot, the Jackets currently have the best record in the NHL and sit at or near the top in a number of statistical categories. It’s gotten to the point where Michael Arace of The Columbus Dispatch wonders, “who are these guys?”
As Arace notes, the team is getting balanced scoring from throughout the lineup, excellent play between the pipes from Sergei Bobrovsky and have the ability to employ a stifling defense. The common refrain among Blue Jackets players, however, is hard work and a dedication to improving every day is the secret behind their success.
“The key thing is everyone works hard and for the team,” goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky said. “The leaders push the key players, and (it filters down). The most important thing is we work hard for each other.”
The team’s captian, Nick Foligno, who has 33 points in 34 games, concurs.
“We have won by hard work and continuing to play to an identity,” Foligno said. “You don’t win 16 by luck. That is something the guys in here can hang their hat on, but also know it has to continue.”
“We can’t just sit on it now. That’s what I’ve seen as the big difference in here. We’re not a team that is content with that. We want to be a better team. … We know who we are and we’ve played to that for the first 30 or so games, and it has to continue for the next 40.”
Head coach John Tortorella, much-maligned and thought to be on the hot seat following a horrible showing by Team USA’s entry in the World Cup of Hockey, is proving to again be among the top coaches in the game with his deft guidance of the Blue Jackets and should garner plenty of support for the Jack Adams trophy if Columbus can parlay their outstanding start into a playoff berth.
Elsewhere in the Metro Division:
- Not long ago, the Philadelphia Flyers found themselves in the midst of a 10-game winning streak and comfortably residing in a playoff spot in the competitive Metro Division. However, after dropping six of seven with their lone win coming via shootout, the Flyers are clearly scuffling and in need of a spark. As Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post writes, the team is hopeful that winger Matt Read, recently activated from IR, can help get the Flyers back on track. Read returned to the lineup Sunday in the team’s shootout loss to Anaheim and was held off the score sheet while skating on a line centered by Sean Couturier and with Dale Weise on the other side. Head coach Dave Hakstol liked what he saw from his reconstituted third line: “I like that group the other night,” coach Dave Hakstol added. “I thought Dale Weise played, the last two games, really well. In Anaheim he was in on forechecks. He was in and heavy on pucks. That whole line was. I thought that line was effective the other night.” As Isaac notes, the Flyers have roughly 40 games left on their 2016-17 schedule but with other team’s in the division playing well, the team needs to start stringing some wins together.
- Ron Smith, who spent seven seasons coaching in the Carolina Hurricanes minor league system, recently passed away at the age of 72. Luke DeCock of The News & Observer details the impact Smith had not only on the Hurricanes organization, but on the development of video analysis and statistical tracking. Smith helped develop Erik Cole, Eric Staal, Mike Commodore and Craig Adams, players who would be go on to help Carolina win a Stanley Cup in 2005-06. He also tracked scoring chances for and against long before anyone had heard of possession metrics such as Corsi or Fenwick, as DeCock notes. After his coaching career ended, Smith spent another decade as a pro scout for the Hurricanes before retiring from hockey altogether.
Michal Neuvirth Activated From IR
Philadelphia Flyers’ GM Ron Hextall announced today that goaltender Michal Neuvirth has been activated from the injured reserve. In a corresponding move, his replacement, Anthony Stolarz, has been returned to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Neuvirth has been out since mid-November with a knee injury, but has been deemed healthy enough to return to NHL action.
The move is likely bittersweet for the Flyers and their fans. While Neuvirth is likely the superior goalie to Stolarz and, for stretches of time, has been better than starter Steve Mason over the past two seasons, Philadelphia has seen anything but struggles since Neuvirth went on IR. The Flyers are 13-7-3 since Neuvirth’s injury, including winning ten straight in the first half of December. Admittedly, one win in their last seven games has not been as impressive, but the team overall has improved. Much of this success has occurred in net as well. The Flyers were the worst team in the league in goals against average before Neuvirth’s injury, but rose to nearly 20th before this recent bad stretch, during which they’ve fallen back down into a tie for 27th. Mason has improved on his poor start, sporting a .904 SV% and 2.78 GAA which, believe it or not, are much better than his early numbers. In relief, Stolarz has been excellent. He has a .938 Sv% and 1.79 GAA in four appearances for the Flyers. As he heads back to the minors, Hextall and company have to feel confident that they have found a solid future pro in Stolarz.
However, it would be a stretch to assume that Stolarz would continue to outplay a healthy Neuvirth for the remainder of the season. Despite a dismal (read: awful) .859 SV% and 3.54 GAA in nine games so far in 2016-17, Neuvirth is good NHL goalie. Although he has bounced around to several organizations, overall Neuvirth has provided reliable production along the way. He has a career save percentage of .912 and goals against average of 2.69, but his numbers have improved each year since his early days with the Washington Capitals. Perhaps the highlight of his nine-year pro career was his 2015-16 season in Philadelphia, during which he again split time with a streaky Mason and posted career highs with a .924 SV% and 2.27 GAA in 32 games. Though he was out with injury, Neuvirth has had time to refocus mentally and a rejuvenated performance in the second half of the year would not be a surprise. Neuvirth may not be the future in net for the Flyers, but he is a free agent at the end of the year and will be working for a job nonetheless.
Flyers Activate Matt Read From IR
Sometimes injury timelines prove to be more than just educated guesses. The Philadelphia Flyers have announced the return of veteran forward Matt Read to the lineup, after they called for an early January return following the original injury. It doesn’t get an earlier than January 1st, as the Flyers welcome back their long-time right wing.
Read suffered an oblique strain early in December, five games into Philadelphia’s eventual ten-game winning streak to start the month. However, the Flyers’ fortunes have reversed of late, as they have lost five of their last six. Although Read has been skating for a couple of weeks now, he is only now in game condition and the timing is perfect for a Philly team that needs an injection of energy and grit.
While Read has never been able to replicate his success from his breakout rookie season in 2011-12, in which he scored 47 points, he has been able to play a key role for Philadelphia ever since. Facing criticism after a down year in 2015-16 – just 26 points and an eventual loss of ice time and special teams responsibilities – Read was heading towards a better season prior to his injury. He had six goals (only 8 and 11 in the two seasons prior) and ten points in 27 games. However, after missing a month of games, Read will have to get his legs under him quickly to return to form and prove he still has an offensive touch. If Read wants to avoid being exposed in the upcoming NHL Expansion Draft, he needs a strong second half. Otherwise, he would be a likely selection by Las Vegas as a key role player.
In a corresponding move, the Flyers sent forward Taylor Leier back down to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Leier has just two points in ten games with Philadelphia this season, and has been shuffled back and forth from the minors several times.
New Jersey Devils Place Vernon Fiddler On IR
After suffering a lower-body injury on Tuesday night against Pittsburgh, the New Jersey Devils have placed Vernon Fiddler on injured reserve. The team has recalled Luke Gazdic from Albany to replace him on the roster.
Earlier today it was reported that Fiddler will miss 3-4 weeks. That would keep him out of at least 11 games for the Devils, who at 13-15-7 are already in trouble this season. The team is already 11 points behind the Philadelphia Flyers for the last wildcard spot, and find themselves last in the conference. For a team that traded for Taylor Hall and signed several free agents (including Fiddler) the season has been a massive disappointment.
The 36-year old Fiddler has been a solid contributor throughout his long career, scoring at least 20 points in eight of his ten full seasons. He’s taken a step back this year though, with only three points through 35 games. His presence is mostly felt on the penalty kill and in the faceoff dot, where he’s winning a career-high 55.3% of his draws.
Gazdic has played in four games for New Jersey this season and 140 in his NHL career. The hulking winger will add some toughness to the fourth line if he gets into the lineup. Since Hall will also miss Thursday’s game, he probably will.
Snapshots: Canada, Peca, Bailey
While it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, Team Canada is dominating at the World Juniors.
After a hard-fought win over Russia on December 26, Canada easily beat Slovakia 5-0 on Tuesday night. The Canadian goalie, Lightning prospect Connor Ingram, had a six-save shutout. Bruins defensive prospect Jérémy Lauzon, who began the tournament as Canada’s seventh defenseman, scored a goal and an assist in the second period to spark the offence and begin the onslaught.
However, another Canadian defenseman has been getting some love as an underdog story. Philippe Myers went undrafted in 2015, but earned an entry-level contract after attending Philadelphia Flyers training camp on an amateur tryout. Myers then had a 45-point campaign in the QMJHL and has 18 points in 19 games this season. The 6’5 right-handed defenseman is now playing on Canada’s top pairing with 2015 first-round-pick Thomas Chabot.
As for why Myers was passed over in the draft, with the value of right-handed defensemen at an all-time high, that’s something that Flyers GM Ron Hextall would like to know. Hextall told Postmedia’s Mike Zeisberger that he didn’t ask his scouting staff why they didn’t take him, but instead wanted to learn from the experience. With Myers tracking well, all 30 NHL teams will be wondering how Myers slipped through the draft. “I’m more trying to figure out how the hell that happened,” Hextall added.
Myers gave advice for all other undrafted players, saying “it’s all about your attitude and your mindset. If you see yourself playing at the bigger levels and you really believe it and you put the work in, everything’s possible. That’s what happened with me.”
- Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Matthew Peca (no relation to Michael) will make his NHL debut tonight at home versus the Montreal Canadiens. According to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times, Peca centered J.T. Brown and Michael Bournival at practice this morning.The 2011 seventh-round-pick has 17 points in 28 games with the Syracuse Crunch this season. Meanwhile, Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat are both considered “probable” for the Lightning after missing the past two weeks or so.
- With Zack Smith sidelined by an upper-body injury, the Senators have recalled Casey Bailey, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet. Smith left Tuesday night’s game against the Rangers. Bailey has 14 points in 28 games with the Binghamton Senators so far this season, but has been held pointless in two NHL games. Bailey was acquired by the Senators as part of the Dion Phaneuf trade.