Eastern Notes: Toronto’s Defense, Prospects, Butcher
The Toronto Maple Leafs have received plenty of attention this offseason with their moves, including the surprising signing of San Jose veteran Patrick Marleau to a three-year deal. Add Marleau to the young cast of offensive weapons the team already has like Auston Matthews, Nazem Kadri, James van Riemsdyk, William Nylander and Mitch Marner, the team has hopes of making a run towards a Stanley Cup Finals this season.
However, Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun is quick to point out that the Maple Leafs need to emphasize defense too. He writes that many people have forgotten that the team finished 22nd in goals against last year. Every team that finished behind them didn’t make the playoffs. And when you look at the moves the team made, very little of it was to help the defense. The team did sign 36-year-old Ron Hainsey, but how much will that help? He’s 36 years old.
Simmons writes that Toronto leadership knows the importance of defense. Coach Mike Babcock, who has won a Stanley Cup in 2008 with the Detroit Red Wings, had a team that was first in goals against that year. General Manager Lou Lamoriello won his last Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 2003, they were also first in goals against.
However, the team’s defense should be stronger. The team boasts a number of young, developing defensemen like Nikita Zaitsev, who is just 25 years old. Morgan Rielly is only 23 years old. Jake Gardiner is 27. Martin Marincin is 25 as well, while Connor Carrick is 23. That’s a young defense and maybe a major reason why the team brought Hainsey in. However, even with a year of development, how much better can this defense be?
- With rookie camps just a week away for many teams, Fanrag’s Craig Morgan put together a detailed list of rookies who could make an impact on the team. While it has the usual candidates like Nico Hischier, Nolan Patrick and Clayton Keller, there are quite a few lesser known ones as well. Players like Washington’s Jakub Vrana, New York Islanders’ Ryan Pulock and Columbus’ Pierre-Luc Dubois are players rarely mentioned who could make an impact this year.
- Sports Illustrated featured New Jersey Devils Will Butcher after he chose the Devils last weekend. Butcher claims he sees similarities in his game to three NHL players including Chicago’s Duncan Keith, Boston’s Torey Krug and New Jersey’s Andy Greene. ”If I was fortunate to make the big team, he would be a great mentor to me, just because he does everything,” Butcher said of Greene. ”He penalty kills, power play, all situations. He is a smart player, not necessarily the biggest guy, but he uses his abilities to defend well and play the game of hockey.”
Salary Cap Deep Dive: New Jersey Devils
Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2017-18 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.
New Jersey Devils
Current Cap Hit: $57,037,501 (under the $75MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Nico Hischier (Three years remaining, $925K)
D Will Butcher (Two years remaining, $925K)
D Michael Kapla (One year remaining, $925K)
F Pavel Zacha (Two years remaining, $894K)
Potential Bonuses
Hischier: $2.85MM
Butcher: $2.85MM
Zacha: $850K
Total: $6.55MM
It turned into a solid summer for the Devils as they won the draft lottery and used that first-overall pick to select Hischier, a talented Swiss center, who put up 38 goals and 86 points in 57 games for the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL. He is expected to break camp with the team and have an immediate impact. With recent injuries, Hischier could take over as the second-line center and start his career in a great position. The hope is he will help lead this team to the playoffs sooner rather than later.
Butcher has been a more recent signing sensation as the Devils also won the offseason bidding for the Hobey Baker Award winner after he became a free agent several weeks ago. Butcher picked the Devils with the hopes of getting immediate playing time, since no one is truly sure if he is an NHL impact player. The 22-year-old blueliner put up outstanding numbers as a junior and senior at the University of Denver, but chose not to sign with the team that drafted him, the Colorado Avalanche. With the Devils biggest weakness being their defense, the team is thrilled to bring him on board.
Zacha, the sixth overall pick in the 2015 draft, finished his first full season in New Jersey, playing in 70 games, while putting up eight goals and 16 assists for the year. While those numbers look disappointing, he didn’t play a lot of minutes last year (14:18) and didn’t play with much talent next to him, although he looked good playing alongside Taylor Hall at points during the season. He should take that next step this year. Kapla, like Butcher arrives to join the team’s defense from college. He played four years for the University of Massachusetts – Lowell and signed a two year deal immediately after ending his senior year. That first year consisted of five games. Already on year two of his deal, Kapla must prove he is an NHL defenseman this year.
One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level
F Ryane Clowe ($4.85MM, UFA)
D John Moore ($1.67MM, UFA)
D Dalton Prout ($1.575MM, UFA)
F Drew Stafford ($800K, UFA)
F Stefan Noesen ($660K, RFA)
The group is not filled with impact players, so the Devils have little to worry about in the short term. They will likely rejoice once’s Clowe’s contract comes off the books. The veteran signed a five-year deal back in 2013 and only played two years, before being forced to retire due to concussion issues. Moore is an offensive defenseman (22 points in 63 games last year), but is totally inept on the defensive end. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the team went in a different direction on defense next year.
Prout, who the team picked up at the trade deadline for veteran Kyle Quincey, only played 14 games for the Devils and it might take all season to determine whether or not he has value. Stafford, who just signed recently to a one-year deal, could easily be a bargaining chip at the trade deadline. After putting up 21 goals two seasons ago while with the Winnipeg Jets, his value dropped as he scored just eight goals between the Jets and the Boston Bruins last season. The Devils, however, are counting on a bounce-back season, which could eventually net them some more young talent. Noesen, who signed a one-year, two-way contract will try to make the roster this year after scoring six goals in 32 games for New Jersey last season.
Free Agent Profile: Dennis Wideman
Recently, PHR has been shining some light on remaining free agents in a very quiet market, with players like P.A. Parenteau, Daniel Winnik, Brian Gionta, Jarome Iginla, and Drew Stafford getting some extra attention. The one thing that those players have in common is that there is not a defenseman among them. The last defenseman profiled was Johnny Oduya, who signed with the Ottawa Senators the next day and remains the last major UFA to have signed an NHL deal. Meanwhile, veteran Andrei Markov left for Russia, while big blue liner Cody Franson remains in limbo (and should consider investing in some real estate there).
Why have no other defenseman garnered attention, both from NHL teams nor the PHR team? There are simply few quality defenders left on the market. Outside of Franson, one lone defenseman remains unsigned from PHR’s list of the Top 50 2017 Free Agents: Dennis Wideman. Wideman was the last man to make the list, ranking 50th overall and 14th among defenseman. At 34 years old and coming off back-to-back seasons that could both be considered the worst of his career, Wideman wasn’t exactly a hot commodity. However, it was still projected that Wideman would find work based on a long track record of being able to play major minutes and put up points, even if just on a short-term inexpensive deal.
Luckily for Wideman, that is still a distinct possibility even in mid-August. The free agent market, for not only defenseman but for all players, is all but dead, yet opportunities remain. Signings have been few and far in between, but Wideman faces only Franson for any open blue line spots and brings a very different skill set. Wideman is an 11-year veteran with 387 points in 815 NHL games and was once considered one of the top puck-movers in the game. Wideman even drew Norris Trophy votes in 2008-09 with the Boston Bruins and turned his impressive resume into a five-year, $26.25MM contract with the Calgary Flames in 2012. Wideman is far from that player today, but still carries the pedigree of a possession defenseman capable of playing big minutes when needed and helping out on the power play.
Even if Franson signs a new contract first, Wideman’s chances of landing a deal of his own are still fair. In each of the past two years, two legitimate NHL defenseman have signed contracts late in free agency. Last year, it was Dennis Seidenberg going to the New York Islanders and Kyle Quincey signing with the New Jersey Devils. Seidenberg looked rejuvenated in Brooklyn and earned himself an extension, while Quincey proved to be a valuable veteran and trade chip for the Devils and has already signed with the Minnesota Wild this summer. In 2015, it was Franson himself, ending up with the Buffalo Sabres on a two-year deal, and David Schlemko, yet another one-year value deal for the Devils.
Potential Suitors
If the pattern isn’t clear yet, a one-year “show me” deal for Wideman with the New Jersey Devils remains a very real possibility. For the third season in a row, the Devils could greatly benefit from adding a talented veteran on the cheap. Although the team has a pair of consummate pros in captain Andy Greene and veteran Ben Lovejoy, as well as some exciting young players like Damon Severson, Mirco Mueller, and John Moore, the team is lacking in depth. Bringing in Wideman, who has become accustomed to a part-time role in Calgary over the past few years, to be a spot starter, capable injury replacement, and mentor to the young offensive blue liners would be a savvy signing by GM Ray Shero.
Another team that is going to be rumored to be in on a top-four defenseman until they actually go out and get one is the Colorado Avalanche. With just three defenseman currently signed to one-way deals and a depth chart lacking in legitimate NHLers, the rebuilding Avs are desperate for help on the blue line. It would not come as surprise if Colorado ended up signing both Wideman and Franson if their “D” corps looks as bad in camp as it does on paper.
Other interested parties that may be looking for affordable veteran depth – and specifically keyed in on a right-handed shot – include the Columbus Blue Jackets, Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings, or a return to the Washington Capitals.
Expected Contract
The original speculation for Wideman was that he would sign a one-year deal worth $1.5MM. At this point in the off-season and given Wideman’s age and the substantial wear on his tires, a one-year pact is all but certain. The $1.5MM? That isn’t out of the question. Wideman’s past two seasons with the Flames were none toof inspiring and Calgary fans were happy to see him go. However, that doesn’t mean that Wideman can’t return to form with a change of scenery and is just two years removed from a career-high 56 points. He may still be able to command a seven figure salary. The longer he goes unsigned though, the more and more likely he ends up under $1MM. Wideman seems unlikely to take the absolute minimum, $650K, and will hold out hope that he can get somewhere in the neighborhood of the $1.25MM deals that Quincey signed last year and this year. In the end, he may have to settle for only a bit more if he wants to extend his NHL playing career. One way or another, Wideman will be making much less and will have a very different role with his next contract versus his last.
New Jersey Devils Must Focus On Defense
The New Jersey Devils team struggled on all aspects last season, so general manager Ray Shero concentrated the offseason on upgrading its offense and they did that successfully. They selected Nico Hischier with the first-overall pick in this year’s draft and expect him immediately contribute as a center. They traded with the capped-out Washington Capitals to acquire 26-year-old winger Marcus Johansson for a couple of draft picks. They even signed veteran Brian Boyle to add a little scoring punch on the back lines. And with some of their young players slowly emerging, the Devils offense looks to be heading in the right direction.
Not so much on defense. Their defense, which struggled on giving up shots last year, hasn’t changed at all. The team still has Andy Greene, Ben Lovejoy, Damon Severson and John Moore as their top-four defenders — the same guys who tied for sixth in most goals allowed (2.94) and finished 10th in shots allowed (31.4). With no changes on defense, don’t be shocked if those numbers don’t improve too much. To make matters worse, there is expected to be little improvement among these regulars as most of them are getting old. Greene is turning 34 and starting to slow down. Lovejoy, 33, struggled last year and was demoted off the top line. Moore had a career-high 12 goals, but struggles on defense. Only the 22-year-old Severson has future promise.
However, what options remain? According to CBS New York’s Steve Lichtenstein, Shero is “keenly aware” that the team needs to upgrade their blueline. With all their promising youth and development on offense, the team seems to have few defensive prospects at all.
Despite the team’s $19.4MM in available cap space, via CapFriendly, there isn’t much available on the free agent market. The team failed to bring over Kevin Shattenkirk at the onset of free agency. Their attempt failed as he instead inked a long-term deal with the rival Rangers. The best possibility remaining at this point would be Cody Franson, but according to Lichtenstein, he is not on Shero’s radar. Perhaps a trade can fix their defense. Vegas has too many defenders and one might be able to be had for cheap. One of them is former Devil Jonathon Merrill, who they lost to Vegas in the expansion draft, but how much of an improvement would he be if he was part of the problem in New Jersey last year. Hopefully, New Jersey has a plan.
Devils Need To Focus On Fixing Defense
Already stocked with the first-overall pick, the New Jersey Devils next question is how to repair their sieve of a defense that they had to endure through the 2016-17 season. This might be that year in which they can do that as they also have $21MM in projected cap space, are armed with a key trade chip of Ilya Kovalchuk and have draft assets to move if they want to take part in the expected trade flurry right before the expansion draft.
The team is in desperate need to make some changes, which includes rebuilding that blueline that gave the Devils the sixth-worst goals allowed (2.94) in the NHL last year. The Hockey Writers’ Will Agathis break down some of the current defensemen on the roster and the key is moving to a youth movement. The team’s lone bright spot is 22-year-old Damon Severson, who will be a restricted free agent this year, but started to put everything together in his third year in the league. His three goals and 28 assists highlighted the defense. However the highlights ended there.
One critical aid to the defense would be to begin limiting minutes for veteran Andy Greene and last year’s free agent acquisition Ben Lovejoy. Greene, a 34-year-old blueliner, is still a solid defender but probably is not a top-2 defenseman any longer. The veteran still has three years remaining on his contract at $5MM each. While Greene was never much of an offensive defenseman, his 13 points in each of the last two years are the lowest output since the 2008-09 season. The team will also need a bounce-back season from veteran Lovejoy, who put forth a disappointing season after signing over from the Pittsburgh Penguins last offseason. The veteran still has two years remaining at $2.67MM. It’s also suggested that he may need to move further back in the lineup.
So, who should the Devils rely on?
Agathis suggests the team should put more emphasis on their youth such as Severson and maybe even John Moore. Despite his lack of defensive presence, the 26-year-old still has time to improve on defense and just needs the ice time. He also suggests that Steven Santini and Jon Merrill should be given more ice time to prove themselves. Santini, a former second-round pick in 2013, only played in 38 games last season, but showed promise. Merrill, a second-round pick in 2010, has been inconsistent with injuries throughout his career, but also has shown flashes of promise.
However, the scribe writes the best opportunities for the Devils is to pick up some defenders through free agency and through trades. The Kovalchuk trade chip would be one great way to net a top defender, while waiting for a team to desperately trade one of the unprotected prospects before having to give them up to the Las Vegas Golden Knights for nothing would be another way to find a blueliner. Along with their cap space, the Devils may be able to totally redesign their defense in just one offseason.
Snapshots: Sopel, Sproul, Greene
In what has become a regular occurrence since they launched, The Players’ Tribune has released another unbelievably open and revealing article about a former NHL star. Brent Sopel pens a memoir of his time in the league and the struggles he faced growing up and well into his adult life. The article touches on his very late diagnosis of dyslexia, and ends with a call to action to help Sopel and his organizations get children the help they need growing up.
Like Corey Hirsch‘s incredible story about the depression he battled throughout his NHL career, and the revealing stories of Devin Setoguchi, Jordin Tootoo and the link between hockey and alcohol, Sopel allows the reader inside the life of a professional hockey player for a moment or two and shows it’s not just what is seen on the ice every night.
- According to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, it’s the end of the line for Ryan Sproul this season, who has an ACL injury and will decide in two weeks whether it needs surgery. His season is over either way, meaning that recently recalled Robbie Russo will get an extended look for the Red Wings on defense. Russo will make his NHL debut tonight against the Maple Leafs.
- Though he missed practice yesterday, the Red Wings will have Gustav Nyquist in the lineup tonight. The forward returned from his six-game suspension on Saturday night, but played less than 14 minutes for the team. With just 29 points in 57 games this season, it looks like the 27-year old Nyquist will take a step back this season after posting three consecutive years with at least 17 goals and 43 points.
- Thoughts go out to New Jersey Devils captain Andy Greene and his family, as the defenseman is at home following the passing of his father. Andrew Gross of The Record reports that he’s expected to be back with the team on Thursday, though obviously it’s still undecided.
Devils-Bruins Notes: Lappin, Prout, Stafford, McPhee
Ahead of tonight’s road match-up with the Boston Bruins, the New Jersey Devils have recalled rookie winger Nick Lappin on an emergency basis from the AHL’s Albany Devils. Lappin is expected to get the call tonight, as the 24-year-old forward has worked his way back into the lineup. Lappin has four goals and three assists in 35 games with New Jersey this season, but was sent down to the minors on January 12th and had yet to return to the lineup. While in Albany, Lappin was nearly a point-per-game player, with nine goals and eleven assists in 24 contests. Lappin is in just his second pro season since leaving Brown University, and no matter how many games he plays for the Devils down the stretch, he will not be eligible for exposure in the Expansion Draft. GM Ray Shero will have to look elsewhere on the roster for the solution to his coverage problem.
- A pair of deadline day acquisitions will make their debuts tonight. With Andy Greene out of the lineup for personal reasons, Dalton Prout will get a chance to show the Devils what he brings to the table. The 26-year-old tough guy had only played in 15 games for the Columbus Blue Jackets this season before being traded for Kyle Quincey at the deadline, but brings a physical game and hard-nosed presence to any game that he is a part of. With another year left on his contract, Prout is looking to impress his new team and carve out a role for himself in the future. In the short-term, he is likely trying to play well enough tonight to get into the Devils’ lineup tomorrow, against his former Blue Jackets team.
- On the other side of the ice, Drew Stafford will get into his first game with the Bruins since being acquired on Wednesday. It has been a tough season for Stafford with the Winnipeg Jets, as injuries have limited him to just 40 games, and he has managed to score just 13 points in that sample size. However, Boston knows all too well how dangerous Stafford can be when he’s on his game. As a member of the Buffalo Sabres, Stafford was a consistent goal-scoring threat and tended to have some of his best games against the Bruins. Coach Bruce Cassidy hopes that Stafford can get back to his productive ways skating on a line with Ryan Spooner and Frank Vatrano, who have both been on fire since the coaching change.
- With the trade deadline over with, Vegas Golden Knights GM George McPhee is out scouting with a clearer picture of who might be available to his team on June 21st when the new expansion team will be picked. Tonight, he’ll be taking in the Devils vs. Bruins in Boston, likely with an eye on defenseman. Although Boston and New Jersey are not exactly known for their blue line depth, neither team looks to have many attractive options up front to be exposed in the Expansion Draft. Instead, the Devils will have to pick four of Greene, Prout, Damon Severson, John Moore, Ben Lovejoy, and Jon Merrill to expose, while the Bruins can only protect one of Adam McQuaid, Colin Miller, and Kevan Miller to go along with Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug.
Deadline Primer: New Jersey Devils
With the trade deadline now just weeks away, we’re going to start taking a closer look at each team. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?
The New Jersey Devils are not a playoff team this season. Did anyone expect them to be? Probably not. Las Vegas odds-maker Bovada predicted they would finish 13th in the Eastern Conference with 83 points and they’re currently 12th and on pace for 85 points, so at least there’s been some improvement over the projections. However, New Jersey trails the New York Islanders, Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, and Florida Panthers for the final wild card slot in the Eastern Conference, with little chance of catching any of them. And that’s okay.
The Devils have great young forwards in Taylor Hall, Kyle Palmieri, and Adam Henrique locked-up long term at a reasonable rate. They also have invaluable veterans Travis Zajac, Mike Cammalleri, and Andy Greene in the fold for a while longer, along with star goalie Cory Schneider. Youngsters Damon Severson, Pavel Zacha, and Miles Wood have all had solid seasons too and more help is on the way soon in high-end forward prospects John Quenneville, Michael McLeod, Nathan Bastian and goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood. The future is bright in New Jersey, and it will only grow brighter with the Devils’ whopping 14 picks in the first four rounds of the next two drafts and $22MM in salary cap space going into next season.
As far as this year goes, New Jersey can be content with getting what they can from their pending unrestricted free agents (as they already did with Vernon Fiddler) and dealing struggling depth players as they continue to stockpile picks and prospects and have another lottery pick in their sights.
Record
23-21-10, 7th in the Metropolitan Division
Deadline Status
Seller
Deadline Cap Space
Draft Picks
2017: NJ 1st, NJ 2nd, BOS 2nd, COL 3rd, SJ 3rd, NJ 4th, NSH 4th, NJ 5th, NJ 6th
2018: NJ 1st, NJ 2nd, FLA 2nd, NJ 3rd, TOR 3rd, NJ 4th, NJ 5th, NJ 6th, NJ 7th
Trade Chips
In what may end up being the shrewdest move by any NHL GM this season, Ray Shero picked up P.A. Parenteau off of waivers from the rival Islanders prior to puck drop on the 2016-17 season. The Isles signed Parenteau to an affordable one-year deal this summer, only to cut him in camp. Not only has he been one the Devils’ best offensive players this season, with 12 goals and 12 assists in 52 games, but he came free and will almost surely be dealt away for a nice return. That’s called turning a profit for Shero. Last year, the Islanders netted 2nd-round and 4th-round picks from the Boston Bruins for Lee Stempniak, who had 41 points at the deadline. Expect Parenteau, who should have 30+ points by March 1st, to go for a similar price in what is very much a seller’s trade market. A similar situation could be had for Kyle Quincey, who was a last-minute free agent addition to the team on a cheap one-year contract, but is quietly having his best season since leaving the Colorado Avalanche in 2012. Quincey won’t bring back the same return as Parenteau, but holds value to teams in need of veteran depth on the blue line. The $1.25MM cap hits (worth less than $400K at the deadline) will only help in moving both players.
Jacob Josefson, Sergey Kalinin, and Seth Helgeson all appear to have hit a wall in their development. If the Devils can find takers for any and all of them, don’t be surprised if they jump at the opportunity to move on from disappointing investments.
Players To Watch
RW P.A. Parenteau, D Kyle Quincey, G Keith Kinkaid, C Jacob Josefson, C Sergey Kalinin
Team Needs
1) Top-Pair Defenseman – As good as New Jersey’s forward core and forward prospect depth is shaping up to be and as solid as they are in net, this team will never be a contender without major changes on the blue line. The 22-year-old Severson has been a pleasant surprise this season and the always-reliable captain Greene is a mainstay, but beyond that the Devils are hopeless on defense. Severson has been great, but doesn’t project to be a star without help. Greene has slowed down and become injury-prone. Ben Lovejoy, John Moore, and Jonathon Merrill are serviceable players, but not top-four defensemen on many teams. Steven Santini is still developing and Helgeson appears to have stopped developing. The entire prospect system is void of any really promising defensive prospects. If a young, high-ceiling defenseman or an established All-Star caliber player hits the trade market this month and the Devils have the pieces to get such a player, don’t expect Shero to hesitate in pulling the trigger. One potential candidate: a sign-and-trade scenario with the St. Louis Blues to get Kevin Shattenkirk.
2) More Defensemen – For all of the reasons above, if the Devils are offered defensive prospects for players like Parenteau, Quincey, Kincaid, or others, they should jump on them. The blue line needs reloading and it starts at the development stage. New Jersey may have a top-ten pick on the horizon that they can use on a defenseman, but it never hurts to add some depth where there is an obvious lack of talent.
3) Bottom-Six Forward – In a preview of this week’s “Expansion Issues“, the Devils are currently short on qualifying forwards to expose in the upcoming Expansion Draft. Without adding another player to the mix, they risk having to expose a veteran like Zajac or Cammalleri. Josefson or Beau Bennett would qualify for exposure if given an extension, but the Devils may want to trade (or protect) one or both. Adding a throwaway bottom-six forward who they can expose to the Vegas Knights and then likely send to the AHL next year is a likely move.
Injury Updates: Avalanche, Malkin, Ducks, Devils, Hansen
The Colorado Avalanche are set to get a boost to their lineup tonight in Anaheim as they have activated defenseman Tyson Barrie and winger Rene Bourque off of injured reserve, reports Mike Chambers of the Denver Post (Twitter link).
Barrie missed the last four games due to a lingering lower body issue. He leads all Avalanche blueliners in scoring with 23 points (3-20-23), a mark that puts him third on the team overall. On the flip side, his -23 rating is tied with New Jersey defenseman Damon Severson for last in the league.
As for Bourque, he has made the most of his successful training camp tryout, scoring nine goals for the Avs this season which is tied for the third most on the team. He had missed the last three contests with a lower body injury and if he can stay healthy over the next month, he’s a potential candidate to be dealt given his low cap hit of $650K.
Other injury news and notes from around the league:
- While Pittsburgh center Evgeni Malkin won’t play tonight against the Predators, head coach Mike Sullivan told Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he is making “significant progress” from a leg injury that caused him to miss their last game before the All-Star break as well as the All-Star Game itself. There is no firm timetable for his return but the fact he skated before practice would suggest that Malkin, who sits third overall in NHL scoring with 54 points (22-32-54) in 47 games, is nearing a return.
- The Ducks will also have some reinforcements tonight against the Avalanche as they will have center Nate Thompson and right winger Jakob Silfverberg back in their lineup, notes Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register (Twitter link). Thompson has missed the entire season after tearing his Achilles’ tendon during the offseason although he got into three AHL games on a rehab stint last week. Silfverberg missed the last three contests with a head injury and is tied for fourth in team scoring this season.
- New Jersey blueliner Andy Greene is targeting Friday’s game against the Flames as a return date from his arm injury, writes Fire and Ice’s Andrew Gross. He took part in the full morning skate today but isn’t quite ready to suit up tonight. Greene has missed the last 11 games as a result of the injury. Gross adds that winger Beau Bennett (lower body) skated on his own the last two days while blueliner John Moore (concussion) has undergone testing the last couple of days but hopes to skate on his own as soon as tomorrow.
- Via the Canucks’ Twitter feed, right winger Jannik Hansen isn’t likely to play on Thursday against the Sharks but is getting closer to returning to the lineup. He has been out since late December after suffering a knee injury. Hansen hasn’t played a whole lot this season but has made an impact when he has been healthy, collecting nine points (5-4-9) in 18 games.
Minor Transactions: 1/27/2017
As is customary over the NHL’s All-Star weekend, many teams have begun the day with sending waivers-exempt players down to the minors for some salary cap savings over the next few days. No team has been as enthusiastic to move some bodies as the New Jersey Devils, who announced that nearly half of their defensive corps will take a short trip to Albany to visit the AHL Devils. Joining the recently demoted Yohann Auvitu this weekend will be Steve Santini, Seth Helgeson, and Karl Stollery. Although the trio has only played in a combined 26 games in 2016-17, Santini and Stollery have formed the bottom pair for the Devils of late with Auvitu, Andy Greene, and John Moore sidelined with injuries. Helgeson has generally been the seventh defenseman this season, spending most games in the press box, but getting to see the ice in five contests. The 29-year-old journeyman Stollery has played in just eight games, but is already having the best season of his NHL career, recording his first big-league points and playing about 16 minutes per night.The rookie Santini has shown promise so far in the first half, skating in 13 games and scoring two goals and three assists while playing a sound defensive game as well. Expect Santini and at least one of Stollery and Helgeson to be back up in New Jersey after a brief break.
Elsewhere in minor moves:
- Another Metropolitan team has moved a majority of one position down to the AHL, but it should come as welcome news to the fans. The Carolina Hurricanes announced that, after a long hiatus dealing with concussion symptoms, goalie Eddie Lack has been activated from the injured reserve and has been assigned to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers for a rehab stint. With Cam Ward having played in 41 of 48 games for the ‘Canes, including 22 of the last 24, he, the organization, and the fans will be happy to have Lack back in the fold as soon as possible. Joining him in the minors will be his recent replacement, veteran Michael Leighton, whose demotion could be more of the permanent variety this time around. However, Leighton, who is the AHL’s all-time leading goalie in games played, will at least get to participate in the AHL All-Star Game upon his return.
- The Washington Capitals have reassigned forward Chandler Stephenson to the Hershey Bears of the AHL for the time being. Unlike his last call-up to the Caps, Stephenson got to see some game action during this last trip. Though the young center was held scoreless and is still looking for his first NHL point through 11 games, Stephenson played confidently in the past two contests and has earned another promotion in the near future.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have again returned forward Markus Hannikainen to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. The big Finnish winger, playing in just his second season in North America, scored his first NHL goal in the Jackets’ 3-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes last Saturday, his only game action on this trip to Columbus.
- The Buffalo Sabres announced that defenseman Casey Nelson has been assigned to the Rochester Americans of the AHL. Nelson has done his best to help Buffalo out with their rash of blue line injuries this season, but has struggled to make much of a difference in nine scoreless games.
- After his recent NHL debut and first career goal, the Arizona Coyotes’ Christian Fischer gets to continue his highlight-reel week by heading to the AHL All-Star Game. The Coyotes announced his demotion, but more than anything the move allows the AHL to honor the league’s top rookie in the first half of the season before he likely heads back to the NHL for the second half.
- In addition to placing Michael Bournival and Gabriel Dumont on waivers, the Tampa Bay Lightning have demoted forward Erik Condra to the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, which has become common this season. The bottom-six groupings are set to change drastically following the All-Star break.
- The Ottawa Senators have activated Andrew Hammond from the injured reserve, and in a corresponding move and have sent down Chris Driedger to the Binghampton Senators of the AHL. However, this only partially helps the Sens’ logjam in net. Mike Condon has taken over as the starter with Hammond out and Craig Anderson on leave since early December, but with both soon back in the fold, Ottawa will still be carrying three goalies. Expect another move sooner rather than later.
- The San Jose Sharks are using All-Star weekend to get a whole group of guys some play time. The team announced that Barclay Goodrow, Kevin Labanc, Timo Meier, and Tim Heed have all be reassigned to the AHL Barracuda and will join the team in Michigan tonight for a game against the Grand Rapids Griffins.
- After just recalling Ivan Barbashev to replace the injured Kyle Brodziak, the St. Louis Blues have returns the AHL All-Star to the Chicago Wolves for this weekend. Expect he, or fellow All-Star Kenny Agostino, or possibly both, to be right back with the Blue after the break.
- The Boston Bruins have recalled goalie Anton Khudobin from the Providence Bruins and reassigned rookie keeper Zane McIntyre to the AHL. While McIntyre’s demotion was expected, as he has been the best goalie in the AHL this year and a highlight of the AHL All-Star Game, the subsequent recall of Khudobin could signal that the Bruins are ready to return to the veteran as their backup to begin the second half of the season.
- The Winnipeg Jets returned Brian Strait to the Manitoba Moose of the AHL, one day after recalling the six-year veteran defenseman from the minors, the team announced via Twitter. Strait was a healthy scratch last night as the Jets took a 5-3 decision from Chicago. The 6-foot-1, 206-pound blue liner has yet to see action in the NHL this season but has appeared in 182 regular season contests over parts of six seasons with the Pittsburgh and New York Islanders organizations.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets continue to flip-flop backup goalies, sending Joonas Korpisalo to Cleveland of the AHL and recalling Anton Forsberg from the same affiliate. The team announced the corresponding transactions via Twitter. Forsberg has made just one appearance this season for Columbus, allowing four goals on 27 shots in a 5-3 loss to Carolina. Korpisalo has won two of his three starts and has appeared in four games overall.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have sent Carter Rowney back to the AHL after just a day with the big club. The forward came up last night with Evgeni Malkin out, but didn’t make it into the game against the Boston Bruins. Rowney will need to wait for his next shot with the big club.
- The Anaheim Ducks have signed some depth between the pipes, inking ECHL netminder Ryan Faragher to a one-year deal. The 26-year old Faragher has been in their system since 2014, but wasn’t under a pro-deal until now. He’ll earn $575K if he should ever make it to the NHL (which he most likely will not, unless something drastic happens in Anaheim) and $50K in the AHL.