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Ben Hutton

Vancouver Canucks Struggling To Move Ben Hutton

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The quietest stretch of the NHL off-season is upon us, but at least one team is still working the phones and trying to make some noise on the trade market. In a piece previewing the 2018-19 season for the Vancouver Canucks, The Athletic’s J.D. Burke includes a note on defenseman Ben Hutton, who he claims the team has actively been trying to unload. Unfortunately, there just don’t seem to be any takers.

In fact, Burke claims that internal trade discussions regarding Hutton’s future with the Canucks have been ongoing since early last season. While there was reportedly interest from several teams back in February, ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline, no deal came together and Hutton continued to struggle over the remainder of the season. Burke cites a downward trend in production over the past two years, as well as a corresponding loss of ice time, as reasons why Vancouver wants to move on and perhaps why no other team wants to jump in. The former UMaine defenseman surprisingly nabbed a roster spot in 2015-16 and impressed as a rookie, recording 25 points and immediately showing an innate ability to block shots and smother offensive chances in his own zone. Hutton didn’t seem to improve noticeably in his sophomore campaign, recording only 19 points and failing to grow his puck-moving ability, but he did find the back of the net four more times than the year prior and continued to be a shot-blocking asset and smart defender in increased play time. There was no such silver lining last season though; Hutton played in ten fewer games, saw more than two minutes less ice time per night, dropped to just six points for the year, and even slipped in his defensive game.

Yet, Burke still opines that the analytics show that Hutton is still a strong defensive player and a positive presence for the Canucks and even goes so far as to say that he should still be playing a prominent role on the blue line, perhaps even paired with Chris Tanev. With first-round pick Quinn Hughes headed back to school and young Olli Juolevi yet to earn a roster spot, Hutton is unquestionably still one of the top seven defenseman on the Canucks. Despite some regression, he would be penciled in as a starter if he isn’t moved and his $2.8MM cap hit, while steep, is not an issue for a team with ample space. Why then is Vancouver so eager to move him? Burke also claims that Hutton has simply fallen out of favor with coach Travis Green. As such, Hutton is clearly in need of a change of scenery and the Canucks are trying to provide him with just that. Hutton could play a bottom-pair or depth role on many teams in the league and Vancouver could bank of Juolevi as a replacement or take advantage of a free agent market still stocked with capable defenders. It thus makes sense that both sides would want a trade. The only question now is whether they will find one. So far, it hasn’t been an easy task.

Canucks Notes: Hughes, Utica Comets, Schaller, Defense

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Earlier today, the University of Michigan announced that defenseman Quinn Hughes, the Vancouver Canucks 2018 first-round pick, will return to the team, crushing hopeful fans of having the smooth-skating blueliner from starting the season with the Canucks.

Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that he interviewed Hughes’ agent and father, Jim Hughes about the decision the Hughes family had to make last night about him returning to college for another season.

“Quinn talked to Jim and Travis last night, everyone was on the same page. Because we were travelling so much in last month, finally we got together and made the call,” said Jim Hughes. “Quinn went back and forth, he struggled with the call to go to the NHL, every kid wants to get there fast but we did not rush. 1 more year in college will not hurt him, he wants to get stronger and pack on some pounds.”

TSN’s Ray Ferraro suggests the team take a similar approach to Quinn Hughes to the direction that Boston took when they drafted Charlie McAvoy in the first round back in 2016. The Bruins allowed him to return to Boston University, then play at the World Juniors and then after his college season signed him and brought him in to play in six playoff games for them.

  • Ben Birnell of the Observer-Dispatch wonders how the resignation of Trevor Linden, the Canucks president of hockey operations, will affect the team’s long-term standing with their AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets. Linden has been a supporter of Vancouver’s affiliation with the Comets over the years despite the distance between the two cities and with the six-year affiliation agreement between the two teams up in less than a year, there are questions whether Linden’s departure could end their long-time affiliation. Utica has been home to many of the Canucks top prospects and will likely be a focal point for the team’s depth at the forward position as several key prospects are likely going to be headed for Utica this season.
  • JD Burke of The Athletic (subscription required) takes a look at what forward Tim Schaller will bring to the Canucks, especially pointing to the veteran’s ability to play high-quality defensive hockey. Schaller, who was one of three bottom-six forwards to sign on July 1 to multiple-year contracts along with Jay Beagle and Antoine Roussel, was the one with the most reasonable deal. He signed a two-year, $3.8MM deal and might be worth that money, according to the scribe, who breaks down the 27-year-old’s positive qualities, which also include solid penalty killing skills.
  • TSN’s Jason Brough reports that while the loss of Hughes is likely going to keep the team’s defense the same, he wouldn’t be surprised if Vancouver makes a move to improve a below average defense that at the momemt is made up of Alexander Edler, Chris Tanev, Erik Gudbranson, Michael Del Zotto, Ben Hutton and Troy Stecher.

Snapshots: Stars, Hutton, Couturier

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The Stars don’t appear to be in a hurry to find a replacement for Ken Hitchcock behind the bench.  GM Jim Nill told Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News that he plans to pare down his list of candidates in the coming weeks and then begin interviewing his short list in May.  That would appear to take them out of the running for Carolina bench boss Bill Peters, whose opt-out in his contract expires on Friday.

Nill acknowledged that he won’t necessarily be looking for a veteran behind the bench which would be a change of direction from his recent hires (Hitchcock and Lindy Ruff).  He’s open to bringing in someone without any NHL experience although he was quick to admit that some of the people he’d like to speak with are still in their respective postseasons.  It sounds like the Stars are casting a wide net to find their new bench boss but that means it may be a while before they find the right fit.

More from around the league:

  • Despite the fact that Canucks defenseman Ben Hutton spent plenty of time as a healthy scratch this season and was publicly criticized by head coach Travis Green at times, he has not asked for a trade, his agent Andy Scott told Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma. The blueliner, who turns 25 on Friday, recorded just six assists in 61 games in 2017-18 after putting up a total of 44 points over the previous two years.  With a cap hit (and salary) of $2.8MM next season that will also represent his qualifying offer in the summer of 2019, Hutton will need a bounce-back season to avoid potentially becoming a non-tender candidate.
  • Although he didn’t skate with the team at practice, Flyers center Sean Couturier could still play on Friday night against the Penguins, notes Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post. The pivot skated on his own before the team did and travelled with them to Pittsburgh.  His return would a boost to a Philadelphia squad who finds themselves facing elimination in Game Five.

Snapshots: Hutton, Jarnkrok, Stone

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Just a couple of years ago, Canucks defenseman Ben Hutton was viewed as a key cog in their future plans.  Fast forward to today and the 24-year-old is coming off a campaign where he failed to score a goal in 61 games and spent considerable time as a healthy scratch.  Following their loss on Saturday, he acknowledged to Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province that “a restart button would be nice”.

While the implication in the article is that Hutton would welcome a fresh start with Vancouver next season after being called out on multiple occasions by head coach Travis Green, Botchford notes that many around the team have Hutton pegged as a possible trade candidate this summer.  He carries a cap hit of $2.8MM through next year which also serves as his qualifying offer in June of 2019 and if his role doesn’t change with the Canucks for next season, he’d certainly be a non-tender candidate.  Accordingly, it may make sense for the team to look to move him this offseason even though they’d be selling low.

More from around the league:

  • The Predators are getting closer to getting one of their forwards back, potentially in time for the start of the playoffs. GM David Poile told reporters, including NHL.com’s Robby Stanley (Twitter link) that center Calle Jarnkrok is making progress and is now listed as day-to-day.  The 26-year-old has been out for nearly a month due to an upper-body injury.  His eventual return should boost an already-deep Nashville lineup that heads into the postseason as the Presidents’ Trophy winners.
  • While many are wondering if the Senators will be spending big on a possible contract extension for defenseman Erik Karlsson, that’s not the only big-money decision they’ll have to make. Winger Mark Stone is heading for restricted free agency this summer and is coming off his third 60-plus point season in the past four years.  What’s particularly noteworthy about that mark this year is that he recorded 62 points (20-42-62) in just 58 games.  Accordingly, Postmedia’s Ken Warren speculates that a new deal for Stone could approach $8MM per year which would represent a significant jump on the $4.5MM salary he earned this season (with a cap hit of $3.5MM).  He is one year away from unrestricted free agency eligibility so the team won’t be able to use multiple RFA years to lower the cap hit a little bit.

Injury Notes: Winnipeg Injuries, Tkachuk, Kuznetsov, Hutton, Kamenev

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Despite just having lost defenseman Dmitry Kulikov to injury, the Winnipeg Jets look to be gaining several other names back. The team, which seems to have been hampered by multiple injuries over the past couple of months, could be getting three players back on Sunday.

JetsTV’s Jamie Thomas tweets that forwards Mark Scheifele and Adam Lowry along with defenseman Toby Enstrom are likely to play if they feel good tomorrow. Scheifele has missed five games due to an upper-body injury, while Lowry’s upper-body injury has prevented him from playing in a game since Feb. 1. Enstrom has missed eight of his last nine games with the Jets with what is believed to be a lower-body injury.

Thomas also mentions that the team’s goalie situation isn’t improving as quickly. Backup goaltender Steve Mason, who had his knee scoped earlier this week is still on a tw0 to three-week timeframe and is not likely to return until April. He has just played in 12 games so far this year due to multiple injuries. Michael Hutchinson, out with a concussion, is active and riding a stationary bike, but there is no timetable yet for his return.

  • Sportsnet’s John Shannon tweets that Calgary Flames winger Matthew Tkachuk did not join the team for their two-game road trip to Las Vegas and Arizona Sunday and Monday. The 20-year-old had already missed the past two games and is not expected to be back until at least Wednesday. He has been out with a possible concussion he sustained Sunday against the New York Islanders.
  • The Washington Capitals announced that center Evgeny Kuznetsov will be out Sunday with an upper-body injury and will be listed as day-to-day. He was injured in Friday’s game against the New York Islanders after being tripped by Thomas Hickey. The 25-year-old has been one of the key constants for the Capitals as he already has a career-high in goals scored with 21 and is closing on his career-high for points.
  • The Vancouver Canucks will be without defenseman Ben Hutton Saturday as he will miss the game due to a foot infection, according to Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal. The third-year blueliner has played 59 games this season and averages 18:27 ATOI.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have placed forward Vladislav Kamenev on injured reserve, according to CapFriendly, after he has spent the last three games playing for the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL. No word on if he re-injured his arm, which he broke back in November.

Trade Candidates: Thomas Hickey

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With the trade deadline approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that have a good chance to be dealt by February 26th.

Thomas Hickey’s name is not one that has been heard often this year: not in regards to trades, not in regards to his impending free agency, not in regards to his performance, not at all, really. Yet, the question is not why, but why not? Hickey is arguably enjoying his best NHL season and is a main reason why injuries didn’t tear the New York Islanders apart. Hickey has come a long way from being a fourth overall pick with chronic injury issues given away on waivers; it’s time to give him his due credit. Hickey is a dark horse candidate to be traded by the deadline if another team realizes his value and the Islanders decide they are better off trading him than keeping him.

Contract

Hickey is in the final season of a three-year, $6.6MM contract signed in 2015. The deal carries a $2.2MM cap hit – which will be count for under $600K by the deadline – and has no trade protection.

2017-18

It’s no secret that allowing goals – a league-high 214 (and it’s not close) – is what separates the New York Islanders from many other similarly skilled contenders. Yet, things could be much worse. Calvin de Haan suffered a season-ending injury in December and Johnny Boychuk has missed more than 20 games due to injury; those injuries could have broken the Isles. Add in Nick Leddy’s struggles in his own zone and the declining play of Dennis Seidenberg and, without Hickey, this could very well be a team far outside of the player picture. Instead, New York currently holds the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference and are very much in the mix to keep it. Hickey has been a solid two-way presence for the Islanders all season. Beginning the campaign as a frequent healthy scratch to now the third-leading defenseman in total ice time, behind Leddy and Adam Pelech, Hickey’s role has transformed as his performance has improved. Hickey now leads the team in plus/minus by a significant margin, is third among defensemen in scoring, and has claimed a spot on the team’s top penalty kill unit. Hickey also has the second-most defensive zone starts, again behind only Pelech, as he has been relied on for sound defensive play in his own end and his great ability to see the ice and make an outlet pass. On the personal side, Hickey is on pace for 21 points this season, which would be his third-most in the NHL and the best points-per-game rate of his career. Hickey has quietly been very impressive this season, even if the score sheet or the eye test doesn’t seem to point to a star player and, beyond that, has been incredibly valuable to the Islanders.

Season Stats

47 GP, 3 goals, 11 assists, 14 points, +15 rating, 63 shots, 18:07 ATOI, 46.2 CF%

Potential Suitors

Hickey has stepped up and played great for the Islanders in 2017-18. With that well-established, New York is also a team with many injuries on the blue line. Hickey cannot play a bigger role down the stretch for any other team than he has for the Isles. Like more talked-about names such as Nick Holden or Ben Hutton, Hickey will be a depth addition for a contender if he’s traded; a luxury No. 6, 7, or 8 defender. So who needs depth on the left side? The Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning, both vying for the President’s Trophy, are both eager to add another body to their respective blue lines, but may be unwilling to pay the price for a top name. Hickey would seem to fit nice on either top contender. The Metropolitan rival New Jersey Devils could also greatly benefit from another body on the blue line, but the Isles may be hesitant to trade him to a team also in contention for an Eastern wild card spot.

The best chance for the Isles to both trade Hickey and also not hurt their own Stanley Cup odds would be to look west, where the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets would both like to add another defenseman on the left side, especially one who plays a confident game in his own zone. Either destination would be a good fit for Hickey, where he could work his way into a starting role.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Unlike the aforementioned Holden and Hutton, Hickey is not on a team that is a bona fide seller. The Islanders are still fighting for a playoff spot and, more importantly, to show impending free agent John Tavares that they have a bright future. Hickey has played such a key role for New York, that no one will blame them that if they use him as their own “rental” in order to maintain some semblance of a team that can prevent the opposition from scoring.

However, there are two scenarios in which Hickey becomes far more likely to move. The first is if, over the next nine days, the Islanders’ playoff hopes take a major hit. New York plays its next three games against likely playoff teams, including the Devils, and anything less than two points in that stretch could see their playoff hopes slip away. The second scenario is that, as has been rumored, the Isles acquire one of the top defensemen on the trade market. While that would be a sign that they are all in for this season, even if their acquisition has term on his contract, it could also mean that they hedge their bet by trading away Hickey for the best offer.

If the deafening silence surrounding Hickey means anything, the Islanders are not keen on moving him. Yet, things can always change around the deadline. A loss of playoff odds, a big trade, or even just an overwhelming offer could cause GM Garth Snow to rethink his plan. Give it a 50/50 chance that Hickey is dealt.

Snapshots: Mrazek, Rangers Injuries, Hutton, Vegas

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The Flyers turned down a trade proposal from the Red Wings that saw Detroit request a third-round pick in exchange for goaltender Petr Mrazek, reports Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.  This comes on the heels of Philadelphia losing Brian Elliott for more than a month which has them going with a current tandem of Michal Neuvirth and Alex Lyon between the pipes.  As a result, many have expected Philly to add another netminder at some point before the February 26th trade deadline but it appears GM Ron Hextall isn’t prepared to do so just yet or has more of a depth goalie in mind.

More news and notes from around the league:

  • It’s a case of good news and bad news on the injury front for the Rangers. Larry Brooks of the New York Post notes that winger Pavel Buchnevich will return to New York’s lineup tonight against the Senators after missing the past seven games with a concussion.  However, center Kevin Hayes is unlikely to play due to a lower-body issue that has been lingering since the All-Star Break.
  • The Canucks continue to receive trade interest in defenseman Ben Hutton, Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 reports (Twitter link). The blueliner has been a frequent healthy scratch of late and has another year left on his contract after this one at a $2.8MM cap hit which is a bit pricey for someone who is on the outside looking in at playing time.  In a separate tweet, Dhaliwal adds that Vancouver has inquired about the asking price for Coyotes center Max Domi and winger Tobias Rieder but notes that the price is quite high.
  • Vegas has been keeping tabs on the Sabres lately, notes Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News. David Conte, special advisor for hockey operations for the Golden Knights, has attended multiple Buffalo games over the past week while also watching their AHL affiliate in Rochester.  While they are probably not a likely suitor for winger Evander Kane, they could be interested in adding some of Buffalo’s depth players in an effort to shore up their roster before the deadline.

Vancouver Canucks Receiving Interest In Ben Hutton

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Wednesday: Dhaliwal now reports that the Boston Bruins are one of the teams with interest in Hutton, and that the club had a scout watching the Canucks in Florida last night.

Tuesday: For Vancouver Canucks fans excited by the team’s early season success, the trade deadline will come as a bitter reminder at how far the organization still has to climb. After injuries broke a streak of success in the first few months of the season, Vancouver now finds themselves 28th in the league only ahead of Ottawa, Buffalo and Arizona. They’re obvious sellers as they continue their rebuild and hope to win one of the lottery spots.

Ben HuttonNow though they’ll need to decide where the cutoff is for assets that can help them down the road. Can a 24-year old defenseman signed for a reasonable amount next season help them more than another prospect or package of draft picks? That’s the question surrounding Ben Hutton, who according to Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130, is generating a fair amount of interest around the league. Dhaliwal reports that the Canucks are certainly not shopping their young defenseman, but are willing to listen.

Hutton, a fifth-round pick of the Canucks in 2012, has developed into a relatively effective two-way option for the club. Though his career-high of 25 points set as a rookie looks like it might be near the top end of his offensive potential, logging 19-20 solid-if-unspectacular minutes is no small feat.

The decision though is whether Hutton, who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2019-20 season if he isn’t signed long-term, is a piece to build around on the back end or an asset to flip at some point. Turning 25 in April, there is certainly time for him to contribute to the squad as they try to turn from rebuilding to contending, but if that value can be used more effectively right now he could easily be on the move.

Vancouver has more obvious trade deadline bait in players like Thomas Vanek and Michael Del Zotto, but as teams around the league move away from rentals or short-term options, players like Hutton become even more valuable in trade. If someone out there believes he can improve their blue line right away and for the next few years, the Canucks could decide to pull the trigger. There is certainly enough interest.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Pacific Notes: Vancouver’s Defense, Kane, Muzzin, Sekera

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The Vancouver Canucks have been hurting for offense for quite some time. Yet despite adding veteran Thomas Vanek and rookie sensation Brock Boeser to the team’s lineup, the team is ranked 27th in the league in scoring. The Vancouver Sun’s Jason Botchford writes that the main reason is due to the defense’s inability to move the puck forward and help create offense.

Vancouver lacks a true offensive defenseman as the team seems to have little, but defensive blueliners in their rotations. The team’s top offensive defenseman is offseason acquisition Michael Del Zotto, who has 12 points this year, but Botchford says that the 27-year-old has rarely been the answer this season. The teams had hoped that third-year defenseman Ben Hutton might improve on his rookie year’s 25 points. Yet he has no goals and just six assists so far this year. Alexander Edler also has failed to improve on his offense as well.

Botchford says the team does have one possibility in AHL’s Philip Holm, who has seven goals and 19 points in 30 games this year in Utica. However, the team has not used him this year despite their need for an offensive spark. The team has a logjam of defenders and a trade deadline deal to move out Erik Gudbranson might be the best thing for the Canucks as it would allow the team to start playing the 26-year-old Holm.

  • The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz (subscription required) writes that while he believes that San Jose Sharks might be interested in acquiring Buffalo Sabres forward Evander Kane at the trade deadline, there are definitely some issues with doing that. While Kane would provide the Sharks an immediate top scorer (his 35 points would make him San Jose’s top point-getter) which could offer the Sharks the depth needed to field three solid lines, there are other factors San Jose would have to consider before making a trade. The current asking price by Buffalo is a first-rounder, a top prospect and a conditional pick. The team lacks resources as they attempt to retool their franchise, so moving those three assets would be tough to do. On top of that, the team would have to have confidence to re-sign Kane to a long-term deal and would they want to do that. He has a history of concerning incidents in his past, including a recent scuffle with teammate Justin Falk. Would the team want to sign him to a seven or eight year deal?
  • Los Angeles Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin is listed as doubtful, according to Fox Sports’ Jon Rosen. Muzzin, who had played in a consecutive 281 games, broke that streak last Saturday when he missed a game against Nashville with an undisclosed injury. He is not expected to play tonight against the Ducks, but is making progress.
  • Bruce McCurdy of the Edmonton Journal grades the performances of all the Oilers after Friday’s victory over Arizona and points out the defenseman Andrej Sekera has improved every game he’s played since returning and is already looking more as himself since returning from a torn ACL.

Pacific Notes: Dell, Duclair, Hutton, Sekera

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The Sharks aren’t expected to trade any of their young forwards for a scoring upgrade before the trade deadline, notes Paul Gackle of the Mercury News.  The one exception to that is if they acquire a young core player in the trade which doesn’t seem likely to happen unless they’re willing to include other future assets in a deal.  Accordingly, Gackle makes a compelling case to trade netminder Aaron Dell.  The 28-year-old is having himself a strong season and while he provides an above-average insurance policy behind Martin Jones, it’s unlikely that San Jose will be able to afford to keep him around for next season with Dell hitting the open market this summer.  With the young forwards off the table, Dell is the one trade chip they can use to bring in someone of consequence to help solidify their hold on a playoff spot.  If they were to do so, they would presumably then have to turn around and make a follow-up move to bring in someone else to play behind Jones.

Elsewhere in the Pacific:

  • Coyotes winger Anthony Duclair was a healthy scratch against Washington last night. Head coach Rick Tocchet told Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic that since he wasn’t going to be used in a top-six role, there wasn’t much point to playing him as he’s unable to handle the defensive responsibilities that players in the bottom-six are expected to do.  Unfortunately for Duclair, his production so far this season (7-6-13 in 27 games with three of those goals coming in one game) hasn’t been good enough to justify consistent top-six playing time so this may continue for a little bit.
  • The Canucks have scratched defenseman Ben Hutton twice over the past week but Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province argues that despite the fact his offensive game hasn’t progressed like many had hoped, Hutton is still their top option on the penalty kill. At 24, Hutton is still young enough to be considered part of their long-term future which makes the decision to sit him down for depth defender Alex Biega a bit surprising.  Hutton has just four assists in 34 games but is averaging a career-high 20:50 in playing time per night.
  • Although Oilers defenseman Andrej Sekera needed treatment yesterday on his recently-repaired knee following his season debut on Thursday, he will be able to suit up tonight against Montreal, reports Postmedia’s Jim Matheson. The treatment was just precautionary.  After playing 16 minutes in his first game, it will be interesting to see if he gets a bigger workload tonight or if they wait until after the holiday break; he has logged more than 21 minutes per night in each of the last five seasons.

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