Penguins Notes: Fleury, Sullivan, Hagelin
The Washington Post’s Jesse Dougherty believes that Marc-Andre Fleury should be a-ok with an unpredictable series against the Washington Capitals. After starter Matt Murray went down with an injury, Fleury, the former #1 overall pick in 2003, has been stellar between the pipes for the Penguins. Once considered trade bait, Fleury is now the calm in the middle of the playoff storm Dougherty writes. The decision for the Penguins to hold onto Fleury, instead of trading him at the deadline, seems to be yet another great decision by general manager Jim Rutherford. Whether Fleury ends up leaving down the road is one thing, but for now, his steady play has the Penguins on a path to a possible second consecutive Stanley Cup.
- Chase Williams of WPXI quotes Pittsburgh head coach Mike Sullivan as saying that the team needs to remain “hungry” as they face the Capitals against tonight for game two. Williams says that Sullivan expects the desperation level from the Capitals to be higher and Williams believes another victory gives the Penguins a stranglehold on the series.
- Williams and Dougherty both list forward Carl Hagelin as a “game-time” decision tonight. Dougherty reports that Hagelin was not on the ice for an optional skate this morning, and while Sullivan dismisses it by saying “it doesn’t mean anything,” the truth is that Hagelin hasn’t played since March 10. Hagelin did skate before game one, with Dougherty describing him as “zipping around” the ice. He adds that reinserting Hagelin to the lineup would pose another mismatch for the slower Capitals, who have struggled to corral faster players. Dougherty adds that should he play, Hagelin will be a player who capitalizes on Washington’s sloppy zone exits. Because of his speed, Hagelin would be another speedy forward disrupting the Caps, and causing defensive zone mistakes that could turn into Pittsburgh scoring chances, and ultimately, goals.
Anthony Stolarz And The Expansion Draft
The Philadelphia Flyers may not be desperate for a goalie, but they’re not in the best of shape either. Heading into the off-season, the Flyers will likely say goodbye to impending free agent starter Steve Mason, but re-signed Michal Neuvirth to a two-year, $5MM extension earlier this season. Behind Neuvirth, Philly has Anthony Stolarz, a 2012 second-round pick who looked great in seven appearances in his rookie season. The Flyers also have promising prospects Carter Hart and Felix Sandstrom in the system, but it seems unlikely that either is ready for NHL action just yet.
So it’ll be Neuvirth and Stolarz next season? That’s not too bad. However, this is the 2017 off-season approaching and nothing is that simple. Both Neuvirth and Stolarz are eligible for the upcoming NHL Expansion Draft and both should be attractive to GM George McPhee and the Vegas Golden Knights. Stolarz is young and under team control as a restricted free agent and could be valuable to Vegas as either an investment or a potential trade chip. Neuvirth is relatively cheap at $2.5MM per year through 2018-19 and was drafted by McPhee when he was with the Washington Capitals. He would immediately provide some veteran presence to a goalie group that is expected to skew very young.
The question then becomes: if Vegas has interest in both, who should Philadelphia protect? At first, the obvious answer seemed to be Stolarz. Not only is he much younger than Neuvirth, but he simply outplayed him when given the chance in 2016-17. Stolarz has just as good a chance to be the goalie of the future in Philly as any of the other Flyers’ keeper prospects. However, there was a wrinkle added to than plan recently when Stolarz was injured in an AHL game, suffering a serious knee injury that required surgery. Now, Stolarz is expected to be sidelined all summer and likely not ready for game action into next season. What that means for the Flyers is, if they stay the course and protect Stolarz, an expansion selection of Neuvirth leaves the Flyers with no goalies to start the 2017-18 campaign.
Is that threat enough for them to potentially lose a top-end young goalie? It might be. The Flyers already have about $60MM committed to just 16 players for their cap payroll next season, and while many of their reinforcements will come from the minor leagues, you can expect GM Ron Hextall to be on the lookout for some veteran assistance as well. That very well may include a goalie, even if they do retain Neuvirth and Stolarz. However, the Flyers may not have the cap flexibility to deal with a potential loss of Neuvirth on top of a Stolarz injury. Such a predicament may force Philly to look at top-end free agents like Ben Bishop or Ryan Miller or may cause them to have to add two mid-level options like Brian Elliott, Jonathan Bernier, or Darcy Kuemper or even a return to Mason. Either of those strategies would severely limit the team’s ability to add anyone else in free agency.
So that’s the situation: will the Flyers’ protect the future (Stolarz) at the possible expense of the present? Or will they play it safe (Neuvirth) and almost surely lose a talented young goalie? McPhee and the Knights would love to have Stolarz, but they may have their eye on Neuvirth as well. Either way, it’s your move Hextall.
Jason Botterill Latest To Be Linked To Sabres GM Search
The Buffalo Sabres are deep into a search for the next GM of their franchise, and Pierre LeBrun of TSN believes that Jason Botterill has already interviewed for the job. Botterill is currently the associate GM of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and has been with the team since 2007. While the New York Rangers denied access to Chris Drury, the Penguins would have had to allow Buffalo to contact Botterill for a chance at the job.
Sabres owner Terry Pegula made it clear in his earlier press conference that the team would be after someone with experience, and though Botterill has never had a full-time general manager job, he did serve as the interim GM for the Penguins between the Ray Shero and Jim Rutherford leadership, and has now worked under both of them. Botterill also previously worked for the NHL and Dallas Stars in a scouting capacity.
For the Sabres, interviewing top assistants seems to be the first path of evaluation as they apparently have not approached the Los Angeles Kings for permission to interview Dean Lombardi. The team has already interviewed Bill Guerin (another Pittsburgh AGM) while Botterill, Drury, Norm Maciver (Chicago), and Julien BriseBois (Tampa) all represent long-standing assistants that are expected to get a chance heading an NHL franchise eventually. Toronto whiz-kid Kyle Dubas, Calgary alum Craig Conroy and others have also been linked, though just through speculation.
When Rutherford decided to keep Botterill on as associate GM in 2014, he had this to say about him:
Jason is one of the top young executives in the NHL, and I’m pleased to promote him to the role of Associate General Manager. Jason knows our organization top to bottom, including all players, prospects and staff, and his detailed understanding of the CBA and salary cap make him a major asset to the Penguins. I look forward to working with him closely.
That kind of high praise is exactly why the Sabres are after him, but it will be interesting to see if he would leave the Penguins for the job. Rutherford turned 68 this year, and likely won’t be wanting to keep up the grind of an NHL GM for very much longer. If that’s true, Botterill—and likely Guerin—would likely be a candidate to take over one of the NHL’s most successful franchises.
Morning Notes: Guerin, CTE, Fiala
The Buffalo Sabres at down with another big name yesterday, bringing in Penguins’ assistant GM Bill Guerin for an interview according to Pierre LeBrun of TSN. Pittsburgh is Guerin’s first job in management since his retirement in 2010, but he has a ton of experience to fall back on; the 1263 NHL games in which he scored 856 points give him a built-in respect.
Guerin was first hired to work in the Penguins’ development team, and he has still had his hands in the recruitment and development of many NCAA players such as Conor Sheary and Zach Aston-Reese. He himself went to Boston College before entering the NHL, so can relate to the journey college players go on.
- The NHL has lost its latest court battle in the war over brain injuries and CTE, reports TSN’s Rick Westhead. The last we heard the league had issued a subpoena to try and get Boston University to hand over all documents and communication related to their research—an ask that would certainly bury the study in paperwork for years. Now, as Westhead writes, a federal judge in Minneapolis has denied the subpoena agreeing that it would be a “staggering” task for the university. This hopefully will allow BU to continue their research unimpeded, which will now include the brain of recently-deceased former NFL football player Aaron Hernandez as well as more than 400 others.
- Kevin Fiala was taken to hospital last night after crashing hard into the boards and being removed by stretcher. The team provided just the update that he was stable but had suffered a leg injury. Fiala’s legs went first into the boards and it looked as though the injury was extremely serious, likely taking him out for the remainder of the playoffs. If that’s true, it’s a big blow to the Predators who had come to rely on Fiala as a part of their top-six. Colin Wilson moved up in his absence, and will likely be asked to do so again on Friday night.
Allen’s Latest: Playoff Surprises, Second Round Predictions
The USA Today’s Kevin Allen listed his playoff surprises as teams advanced into the second round. His biggest surprise is a take shared by many: the four game sweep of the Chicago Blackhawks. He wonders if they’ve “run out of magic” and comments that the team looked worn out. He also believes that Stan Bowman will be a man of his word and certainly look to tweak the roster. The house cleanings in Buffalo, and Los Angeles certainly caught Allen (and others) by surprise. He believes that the recently fired Dean Lombardi may be just what Buffalo needs to get over the hump. Allen underscores the importance of Jake Allen in the Blues’ first round triumph, and notes that Alexander Radulov should get a hefty payday after playing well with Montreal. Allen also sees Ryan Johansen as the #1 center the Predators envisioned him to be when they dealt for him last season.
- Allen mentions Johansen again when he points out the five reasons Nashville shocked Chicago in four games. Besides getting the best of Chicago defensively, he notes that Pekka Rinne rose to the occasion and was next to impossible to beat between the pipes. Rinne posted a staggering .976 save percentage and gave up just three goals in four games. Allen adds that the Predators were also a much deeper team than the one who faced Chicago back in 2015. Finally, strategic moves by head coach Peter Laviolette played a key role in Chicago’s inability to contain the Preds. Focusing on speed, by placing Harry Zolnierczyk and Pontus Aberg into the lineup made the Blackhawks lives miserable trying to keep up.
- In terms of who will advance to the conference finals, Allen is the only one of his staff who sees the Penguins getting past the Capitals. He believes the Penguins speed will cause matchup problems for Washington, and result in yet another Washington-Pittsburgh tilt that sees the Penguins triumph. Allen has the Rangers meeting the Penguins in the Eastern Conference Final, dispatching the Senators in six games. Over in the West, Allen forecasts an Anaheim-Nashville Western Conference Final, though he thinks both matchups will see seven games, writing that the Nashville-St. Louis series is most likely a toss up.
RFAs Looking For Playoff Payouts
Every post-season, players look to make their mark. Relative unknowns break onto the scene, rookies steal the show, and goaltenders go from backup to fan-embraced starter. Contracts are always in the back of management’s thinking, however, and a strong post-season showing for a player can cost a team in dollars. Here are some restricted free agents who could stand to earn a more lucrative deal depending on how far their teams go and how bright they shine individually.
Ryan Johansen – NSH
Johansen will look to get a slight raise from his current $4.0 MM cap hit. A large determinant for whether he will see a take-home pay ($6.0 MM) decrease or not will be his performance in these playoffs. Johansen’s past two seasons have been fruitful in terms of points, 60 in 15-16 and 61 in 16-17, but not quite the numbers of the marquee offensive star Nashville fans were hoping for. This is a player who scored 33 goals in the 13-14 season, and was projected to consistently flirt with 80 points. Johansen’s imposing frame and play-style is a challenge for opposing centers, and he has undeniably improved his defensive prowess. Johansen only potted 14 goals this year, but it is fair to say his game has become more well-rounded. His Corsi For % took a massive hop from last season, taking a solid 52.3% to a remarkable 55.9% this past outing. Considering his quality of competition and his ability to provide solid two-way play, Johansen will be looking to prove his worth this post-season with a deep post-season run with the Predators.
Evgeny Kuznetsov – WAS
Washington’s Kuznetsov should definitely be considered part of the team’s core. At 24 years old, the center has already tallied a 77 point season and had a 5-goal playoff run. His inconsistency in terms of production could hinder his payday, however, as he struggled to regain his footing in what was essentially his third full season. He returned to form on the backend of the season, totaling a respectable if unremarkable 59 points. The flashy forward already has 3 points through 5 games against Toronto, and a strong playoff showing can only help his position. With Nicklas Backstrom taking first-line duties and the red-hot Justin Williams on his wing, Kuznetsov could easily find himself in the spotlight again. Whether his next contract is a bridge deal at a lower cost or a long-term lock-down, Kuznetsov is certain to see a raise from his measly $3 MM.
Leon Draisaitl – EDM
Anyone who has watched Edmonton this season in hopes of catching a glimpse of Connor McDavid has undoubtedly been shocked and/or awed by the dominance of his 21 year-old linemate Draisaitl. Draisaitl’s vision with the puck and dogged determination make him a beautiful sight to behold. He accumulated an absurd 77 points this season, 29 goals and 48 assists, in what was only his second full season. The forward is already flirting with a point per game, and has shown remarkable chemistry with the generational talent McDavid. His flexibility in being able to shift from center to wing only makes him that much more valuable to the franchise. The Oilers will obviously pay whatever price is needed to lock up Draisaitl long-term, but the deeper the team goes, the better his bargaining position. He’s obviously going to get a fair deal more than his current $3.4 MM, likely upwards of $6 MM.
Conor Sheary – PIT
Conor Sheary had an incredible breakout season that practically no one, even Penguins fans, expected. On Sidney Crosby‘s wing, the short-statured winger made himself absolutely invaluable. The chemistry the two showed together hadn’t really been seen since the likes of Hossa in Pittsburgh’s Finals run of 2007-08. Sheary is in a bit of a bind, however, as Jake Guentzel has shown equal or even greater chemistry with the league’s marquee center since being placed on the top line. Sheary struggled to find his groove in the first round series, even being demoted to the third line in favor of Patric Hornqvist. Sheary is a good bet to string together solid showings in the next round, but if he does not, perhaps it impacts his case for a long-term contract. Regardless, Sheary will look to eat up a large portion of the money allocated this offseason in Pittsburgh, as his current $0.925 MM cap hit is one of the best bargains in the league. His 53 points in 61 games placed him at 23rd in the league in points per game, ahead of the likes of Phil Kessel and John Tavares.
Mika Zibanejad – NYR
The Rangers organization loves this player, and it is easy to see why. His point totals had steadily increased the past three seasons, and he was looking to do so again if he did not miss so many games to injury. Zibanejad is a strong center who takes pride in his two-way ability. He has a solid shot, although he might be criticized for under-utlizing it, and is often deployed against opposing team’s top players. Considering that New York gave up the solid veteran Derick Brassard to acquire his skillset, they are nearly certain to double down on Zibanejad’s continued improvement. His role will only expand as the leadership of the team ages and he will be expected to fill some of the leadership void left behind. Zibanejad is up for a new contract, and will look for a sizable raise over his current $2.625 MM. There is perhaps still untapped offensive potential left in Zibanejad’s game, but will he display it in these playoffs? He has already potted 4 points in 6 games in the team’s successful series against Montreal, including an overtime winner.
Penguins Injury Updates
The Pittsburgh Penguins took care of business in the first round, beating the Columbus Blue Jackets in five games. They did so without several players in the lineup, including their starting goalie.
Coach Mike Sullivan spoke with the media on Saturday, and gave updates on several players (per Wes Crosby of NHL.com):
LW Carl Hagelin – suffered lower-body injury on March 11 – Hagelin likely broke his foot in early March against the Edmonton Oilers. The preliminary estimate was four weeks, but that deadline passed ten days ago. Sullivan reports that Hagelin is undergoing off-ice rehab. It’s still not known when he might return to the lineup.
LW Chris Kunitz – suffered lower-body injury on March 31 – Kunitz has made “significant progress” and skated today.
D Kris Letang – Out of the lineup since late February, Letang underwent season-ending surgery on a herniated disc in his neck earlier this month. Sullivan had no update.
G Matt Murray – suffered lower-body injury before Game 1 vs Blue Jackets – Murray has not skated since leaving the pre-game warmup on April 12. Sullivan says Murray has been rehabbing his injury off-ice, and his return date is not known. Center Evgeni Malkin told Crosby that he expects Marc-Andre Fleury to start when the second round begins.
D Chad Ruhwedel – suffered upper-body injury on April 11 – Similar to Kunitz, Ruhwedel has made progress and is skating.
The Penguins will be watching closely on Sunday night, when the Washington Capitals can eliminate the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 6 and clinch a third Capitals-Penguins playoff series in the Sidney Crosby–Alex Ovechkin era.
Morning Notes: Lorentz, Penguins, Datsyuk, Setoguchi
The Carolina Hurricanes have added a talented young forward to their prospect ranks, inking Steven Lorentz to a three-year entry-level deal. The contract will pay him $650K in the first two years, and $700K the third season—contingent on him staying in the NHL. At the AHL level he’ll earn just $60K, but does receive a healthy $185K signing bonus. Not bad for a seventh-round pick in 2015 who despite being looked over in the draft has exploded onto the scene in the OHL playoffs, recording 15 points in 9 games and leading the Peterborough Petes to the third round.
Lorentz has the size and scoring ability to make an impact at the professional level, and will try to continue his playoff dominance against the Mississauga Steelheads. He’s got a long way to go to see the NHL, but he’s already outgrown his draft status.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have returned Josh Archibald, Tom Sestito and Cameron Gaunce to the AHL to help the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in their first round series with the Providence Bruins. Pittsburgh is off for a few days following their elimination of the Columbus Blue Jackets last night, and will nurse any wounds while waiting for the victor of the Capitals-Maple Leafs series.
- Despite Pavel Datsyuk not being healthy enough to play in the clinching game in the Gagarin Cup, he intends to play in 2017-18 for SKA St. Petersburg. Dan Milstein, Datsyuk’s agent, tweeted that the 38-year old will also be looking forward to the 2018 Olympics, where he will presumably be selected to participate for Russia. Datsyuk found great success with SKA this season, scoring 34 points in 44 games while being much closer to his family in Russia.
- Devin Setoguchi has signed with Adler-Mannheim of the German Hockey League, inking a two-year deal to continue his hockey career overseas. Setoguchi made an impressive comeback this year, making the Los Angeles Kings out of camp and recording 12 points in 45 games. The former 30-goal man has a long troubled history in the league but continues to work his way back to health and happiness. He’ll join several former NHL players including Carlo Colaiacovo, Marcel Goc and Drew MacIntyre with the Eagles next season.
Evening Snapshots: Hartman, Kase, Bonino, Werenski
To the surprise of many, Chicago Blackhawks forward Ryan Hartman will not face any supplemental punishment from the NHL after receiving a game misconduct in Game Two of the ‘Hawk’s first-round series against the Nashville Predators. Hartman was tossed near the end of the game on Saturday night after checking Predators winger Craig Smith, a fully legal hit, but then then appearing to punch or cross-check Smith in the face while he was down, which is obviously not so legal.
Hartman’s motives were clear: the Blackhawks were down 5-0 with just over a minute to go and about to fall into an 0-2 hole as the top seed in the Western Conference. Hartman was frustrated with the circumstances, as his teammates surely were as well, but Hartman’s actions were an unacceptable way of exercising that frustration. However, NHL Player Safety deemed that it was not bad enough to warrant a fine or suspension and Hartman will be back in the Chicago lineup tomorrow for Game Three as the Blackhawks grasp for some semblance of hope against a suddenly dominant Nashville squad.
- Ondrej Kase will also be one the ice tomorrow for some Western Conference playoff action, or at least for morning skate. The Anaheim Ducks announced that they had recalled the young forward from the AHL’s San Diego Gulls and that he will join the team ahead of their Game Three contest in Calgary. The Czech left winger skated in 53 games with the Ducks in 2016-17 and recorded five goals and ten assists. There is no word yet on whether or not Kase’s recall was the result of any injury concerns among the Anaheim forwards or if they simply wanted to add another depth option up front, seeing as Jared Boll was the only extra forward for the first two games of the season.
- Both Nick Bonino and Zach Werenski avoided potentially serious injuries Sunday night when the Pittsburgh Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets squared off in Game Three. Both players took pucks to the face early on in the game, but no long-term harm appears to have occurred. Bonino was struck right in the jaw and immediately dropped his stick and gloves and skated to the bench and down the tunnel. The initial thought was a broken jaw, but Bonino returned to the ice not much later with a jaw guard as the only notable change to his appearance. Werenski was not as lucky; the young defenseman took his shot square in the face and dropped to the ice for nearly 30 seconds (while the Penguins scored a goal). When Werenski finally got up and skated away, he left a trail of blood in his wake. Werenski returned later in the game with stitches on his face where a large cut once was and wore a full cage for the remainder of the game. Werenski also saw a major drop-off in ice time for the rest of the game and did not take a single shift in overtime, presumably due to the swelling around his eye. The Penguins went on to win 5-4 in OT.
Morning Notes: Flames Burn Out, Toronto’s Unlikely Hero, Looking Ahead
Saturday April 15th was a riveting evening of hockey for any fan of the sport. The Blackhawks were dominated 5-0 by the Predators in Game 2, but the other three games were all nail-biters. The Flames looked to take the lead after climbing out of a 2 goal deficit in the 2nd period, but the call on the ice of goalie interference against John Gibson kept the game tied. The Ducks would go on to get a bizarre ricochet goal from the stick of Ryan Getzlaf with just 4:46 remaining in regulation to secure an ugly win, and go up 2-0 in the series.
- The Leafs’ Kasperi Kapanen has not been in the spotlight – the likes of Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and Auston Matthews have been so phenomenal that he is easily forgotten in the mix. The promising young crafty forward was the centerpiece of the Phil Kessel deal, which until now, had undoubtedly looked to favor the Penguins. Serving 4th-line duty, the forward had only scored one goal in his 8 games up with big squad this season. In the second overtime of Saturday’s Game 2 versus the Capitals, the forward crept in to the back post as Brian Boyle used his lanky frame to fool the netminder into sealing the near post in anticipation. The result was a gorgeous finish to a game where an unlikely hero was desperately needed. If the forward can build on this huge goal, perhaps he can become an X-factor in a series where they are the underdogs. He seems to be confident in the team’s chances.
- The Senators would not go down quietly. Down 2 goals through 40 minutes, the squad rallied to tie the game with tallies from Chris Wideman and Derick Brassard. As mentioned in an earlier post, Chara’s late regulation delay-of-game penalty proved quite costly, as the Senators capitalized on the powerplay’s momentum and ended the overtime quickly. Dion Phaneuf hammered one home after the team had hit two posts previously in quick succession. The series has been incredibly tight, but surely Bruins fans will lament the lost opportunity, especially in light of their badly bruised defensive squad.
- Four games will take place this Sunday. The Wild will try to avoid going down 3-0 in hostile territory, the Blue Jackets will hope to dodge a similar fate with cannons firing, and the Sharks and Rangers look to go up at home after splitting the first two on the road.