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Hynes, Boudreau Not In “Imminent” Danger

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Both the Minnesota Wild and New Jersey Devils have started slowly this season, leading to much speculation regarding their head coaching situations. In Minnesota, Bruce Boudreau was inherited, not hired, by new GM Bill Guerin and has his team off to a 1-4 record to start the year. John Hynes and the New Jersey Devils are off to an even worse 0-4-2 record even with all of the hype surrounding the team after big offseason changes. Despite the struggles, Pierre LeBrun and Bob McKenzie report that neither is in imminent danger of being fired on the latest edition of Insider Trading for TSN.

In fact, LeBrun notes that Guerin will be patient with the entire Wild organization, taking full stock of what he has before making any major changes. Minnesota made Kevin Fiala a healthy scratch tonight in Toronto, sending a message to the young forward that no job is secure at the moment.

The Wild made sweeping changes to their core under former GM Paul Fenton, trading away Nino Niederreiter, Mikael Granlund and Charlie Coyle while adding Mats Zuccarello to a lengthy free agent deal. None of those moves have really panned out as of yet, meaning Guerin still has lots of work to do in Minnesota.

The Devils are in a much different situation. The team has made the playoffs just once in the last seven years, missing it three times under Hynes since he was hired in 2015. An 0-4-2 start may have been acceptable in some of those other years as they worked through a rebuild, but after adding Jack Hughes, P.K. Subban, Wayne Simmonds and Nikita Gusev in one summer the team had big expectations.

Even if GM Ray Shero isn’t ready to make a change behind the bench right now, it’s hard to imagine that it wouldn’t happen at some point if the Devils continue to struggle. Hynes has just a 141-150-43 record as head coach of the team.

Snapshots: Boyle, Penguins, Stuetzle

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After Patrick Marleau ended up signing with the San Jose Sharks after an offseason of uncertainty, heads are now turning to other still unsigned veteran forwards as potential options. Bob McKenzie of TSN reported last night on Insider Trading that Brian Boyle is drawing interest from several teams, and could be signed soon. McKenzie points out that the interested clubs may need to clear roster spots or cap space in order to fit Boyle in.

The 34-year old Boyle actually scored 18 goals last season and has been an extremely versatile player over the years. Able to play both center and left wing, he could give a boost to a club dealing with injuries or one needing a little punch of playoff experience in the lineup. Boyle has played in 114 playoff games over his career, getting to the postseason in each of the last nine years.

  • While there has been no indication that the Pittsburgh Penguins would be a club interested in Boyle, they certainly fit into the category of a team needing some more depth at forward. Not only are Evgeni Malkin, Nick Bjugstad and Bryan Rust out long-term, but today both Alex Galchenyuk and Patric Hornqvist missed practice with injuries and are listed as day-to-day. The Penguins lost to the Winnipeg Jets last night and are already six points behind the 4-0 Carolina Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division. Though there is obviously tons of hockey left to be played, Pittsburgh may not be able to afford such a slow start in a division that should be much more competitive than last year.
  • Tim Stuetzle is a name you’ll be hearing plenty over the next several months according to Gord Miller of TSN, who points out the 17-year old forward already has eight points in nine games playing in Germany’s top league this season. Miller suggests he could be a top-10 pick in the 2020 draft, and there’s little doubt that he will be in that conversation next spring. The young forward has effortless speed and offensive skill, but as with so many players around the world there will be questions about his size and ability to hold up in the North American game. One thing to note about Stuetzle’s future is that he was selected 19th overall by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the 2019 CHL Import Draft, a team he could potentially end up with if whichever NHL team drafts him wants him over right away.

Injury Notes: Larsson, Prout, Raanta

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The Edmonton Oilers have internal options to replace top defender Adam Larsson, who unfortunately suffered a major injury – a fractured fibula – in the very first game of the year. The team has recalled promising prospect Evan Bouchard and could also turn to another prospect in Caleb Jones or veteran Brandon Manning, who both remain with AHL Bakersfield. However, none of those three will be a seamless fit as Larsson’s stand-in and Edmonton will feel his absence even if the rest of their defense corps steps up. Facing a six-to-eight week prognosis, the Oilers may need to look elsewhere if they want to avoid a rocky start through the first two months of the season. TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that the team is not necessarily looking for a trade already, but is not opposed to going outside the organization to try to replace Larsson. McKenzie opines that a similar defender, one who can log major minutes and play a shutdown role, is not exactly available though. The one name McKenzie mentions as an affordable acquisition is recently-waived veteran Thomas Hickey of the New York Islanders, but McKenzie doubts that Hickey could adequately fill the role left by Larsson and feels his three-year contract is not worth the gamble. It seems the team is most likely going to work with their current group for the time being, with Kris Russell the most likely candidate to move up to the first pair, and will wait to see if an addition is truly needed. Of course, if the Oilers decide to truly try to replace a player of Larsson’s ability via trade, Jesse Puljujarvi remains the organization’s biggest trade chip.

  • Ahead of the San Jose Sharks’ season opener, it seemed that the final blue line spot was a decision between rookie Mario Ferraro and veteran Dalton Prout. However, both defenders ended up playing as Erik Karlsson missed the game for the birth of his child. The decision won’t be very difficult moving forward though. After missing the team’s morning skate, The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz has confirmed that Prout is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury suffered in the opener. There is no timeline for his return, meaning Ferraro could have plenty of time to assert himself as a regular member on the San Jose blue line. Additionally, the team has recalled defenseman Jacob Middleton to add some more depth on the back end.
  • It looked like Antti Raanta would be healthy to begin the season for the Arizona Coyotes, but the team opted not to rush him back, likely in light of how Darcy Kuemper played in his stead last season. Raanta began the season on a conditioning stint with AHL Tuscon, but it was unclear if he would actually see action or simply treat the experience like an extended training camp. Wonder no more, as beat writer Alexander Kinkopf reports that Raanta will actually get the call for the Roadrunners in their season opener tonight. Kinkopf relays word from Arizona head coach Rick Tocchet, who says that Raanta wanted to “sharpen his game” with live action before returning to regular NHL duty and he will get that opportunity tonight. It remains unclear how long the Coyotes expect to be without Raanta as he’s on a conditioning stint, but with the recently-extended Kuemper and recently-claimed Eric Comrie in the mix, with a serviceable third-string in Adin Hill around as well, the team may be looking to make a trade from their goalie depth upon Raanta’s return.

Trade Rumors: Honka, Hickey, Eriksson, Schenn

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Julius Honka is the last remaining unsigned restricted free agent and it doesn’t seem like the Dallas Stars are in any hurry to come to terms on a new deal. However, they may have to wait a while longer to find a trade partner as well. In separate radio appearances today, TSN’s Bob McKenzie and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman both confirmed that the asking price for Honka remains high. Stars GM Jim Nill is seeking a second- or third-round pick or a young player with a similar early-round pedigree. The 23-year-old is himself a first-round pick and was once a highly-regarded prospect, but given his lack of production over the past few years has seen his stock plummet. Honka played in just 29 games with Dallas last season and recorded only four points. Without any guarantee that he can be more than that at the NHL level, teams will likely wait for the price to drop to take a chance on trading for Honka.

  • A surprise placement on the waiver wire today was New York Islanders defenseman Thomas Hickey. Hickey is a career Islander who just signed a four-year, $10MM extension with the team last summer. Yet, just one season into the contract, he’s now a candidate to be buried in the AHL if not claimed. To many, this somewhat of a betrayal came out of the blue. However, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports that New York has been trying to trade Hickey since last season. The 30-year-old veteran was relegated to a part-time role last year, playing in just 40 games, and now has seemingly been forced off the roster altogether by the emergence of top prospect Noah Dobson. Should Hickey clear waivers, he still remains a prime candidate to play elsewhere this season via trade. In all likelihood the relationship between player and team has been tarnished beyond repair.
  • Many in Vancouver are commiserating with Hickey’s situation given the equally shocking waiver placement of Sven Baertschi. A fixture in the top-six for the Canucks for several seasons (when healthy), many had Baertschi pegged for the same role this season, now that he has returned from battling concussions. However, Vancouver opted to place Baertschi on waivers due to both a roster and salary cap crunch. Meanwhile, Loui Eriksson remains on the team despite clashes with the coaching staff and poor production on a hefty contract. The Canucks were working to trade Eriksson all summer and it is likely their failure to do so that forced out Baertschi. If Baertschi or Nikolay Goldobin are indeed claimed on waivers, it could also make Eriksson a necessary piece for the team this season, all but ending their attempts to trade him. That’s not to say that GM Jim Benning won’t still listen to offers though.
  • Meanwhile, the Canucks opened up a roster spot by waiving three players today and there is some thought that they could be looking to bring back a familiar face. Responding to colleague Rick Dhaliwal’s pondering, Sportsnet’s Satiar Shah reports that the team is considering a waiver claim for defenseman Luke Schenn. Schenn was acquired in-season last year by the Canucks and played well in a shutdown role for the team down the stretch. Vancouver tried to retain his services, but Schenn opted to chase a title with an affordable deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, he failed to make the opening night roster in Tampa and is up for grabs. Vancouver is well-staffed on the blue line and Schenn would seemingly be no better than the No. 7 or 8 defender, but that might not stop them from taking a chance on him yet again.

West Notes: Kane, Kunin, Boeser

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After his incident with the linesman this weekend, San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane could potentially be facing a lengthy suspension. As Darren Dreger of TSN reports, the abuse of an official penalty that Kane received brings with it an automatic 10-game suspension. Different from those given out by the Department of Player Safety however, this suspension will have to be enforced by the commissioner’s office, something that Dreger does not expect until at least tomorrow.

If Kane does face the full 10-game suspension he would be out until October 25th when the Sharks face the Toronto Maple Leafs, something that has led some to speculate on the possibility of bringing in former franchise icon Patrick Marleau who remains unsigned. Of course, there is also the possibility that the team uses the time to evaluate a young player in the lineup.

  • Speaking of suspensions, Luke Kunin will not receive any supplementary discipline for his hit on Bryan Little according to Bob McKenzie of TSN, who reports that the league has deemed it an accidental collision. Kunin collided with Little in front of the Winnipeg Jets’ net, taking him out of the game with an undisclosed injury. Jets’ head coach Paul Maurice didn’t like the hit, but the Minnesota Wild forward won’t face any punishment.
  • The Vancouver Canucks put some interesting names on waivers today when they decided to risk Sven Baertschi and Nikolay Goldobin to the rest of the league, but will at least have another goal-scoring forward in the lineup on opening night. Brock Boeser has been cleared to return to action after his concussion from earlier in the preseason and will be on the ice when the Canucks take on the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night. Oscar Fantenberg, who was dealing with a concussion of his own, has also been cleared.

Latest On Kyle Connor, Winnipeg Jets

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After the Tampa Bay Lightning signed Brayden Point to a three-year deal earlier today, fans in Calgary, Winnipeg and Colorado may have received a boost of hope that their own restricted free agent standoffs would be resolved soon. Not so for the Jets apparently, as both Bob McKenzie of TSN and Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) report that things aren’t close with Kyle Connor. Connor’s agent Rich Evans told LeBrun that any speculation that the two sides are close to a deal is “just not true.”

Connor, 22, was considered a more straightforward RFA negotiation than teammate Patrik Laine by many thanks to his consistent production through the first two-plus years of his NHL career, but things have obviously not progressed as quickly as expected. The 17th overall pick from 2015 has 65 goals over the last two seasons and is an extremely important part of the Jets’ offense, but is now at risk of missing all of training camp and perhaps even the start of the regular season.

While Connor would likely not command the near $11MM cap hit that Mitch Marner pulled in on a six-year term, he also wouldn’t come cheap for the Jets if they were buying out unrestricted free agent years. That puts the team in a bit of a pickle given the uncertainty around their cap situation right now. Not knowing what Laine will come in at and with no decision yet on Dustin Byfuglien’s playing career, Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is in a tough negotiating position. If they knew for sure that Byfuglien wouldn’t come back at some point they might be able to reach a little further into their pocketbooks for Connor and Laine, but right now he’s holding $7.4MM in cap space hostage. Suspended by the team, Byfuglien’s deal is currently not counted towards the cap ceiling, but that would change if he returned.

LeBrun also notes that things get even trickier for the Jets (and Flames too) if these negotiations last into the season. While the daily cap charge on a multi-year contract doesn’t change if signed in-season, the year-long charge does as we saw with William Nylander last year. When the Toronto Maple Leafs finally signed Nylander at the end of November, his prorated annual cap hit for 2018-19 shot up to almost $10.3MM. Though there are CBA machinations to allow the Jets some flexibility when it comes to that increased hit, it still makes things more complicated once the season begins.

 

Winnipeg Jets Suspend Dustin Byfuglien For Failing To Report

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With a need to protect their roster and salary cap flexibility, the Winnipeg Jets have suspended defenseman Dustin Byfuglien for not reporting to camp, according to TSN’s Bob McKenzie. An expected move for the Jets, the team will lose his cap hit until the veteran blueliner reports.

McKenzie reports that the paperwork has been filed to suspend Byfuglien, but it can be reversed at any time. McKenzie adds that Byfuglien is aware of the Winnipeg transaction and it is just looked at as a formality as the team waits for the blueliner to decide on his future in the league. The 34-year-old asked Winnipeg at the start of training camp for a leave of absence although no reason was given. However, three days ago, it was revealed that the veteran was actually contemplating his future and retirement is certainly an option for him.

Injuries did play a part for Byfuglien last season as he dealt with a concussion amongst several injuries and only appeared 42 games last season. He has two years remaining on a five-year, $38MM contract that pays him $7.6MM per year. With the suspension in place, the team will not have his cap hit affect the team, which CapFriendly now projects at $23MM in available cap space. The team might need that money, however, as the team still has two key restricted free agents looking to sign, including Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor. Both are asking for a major pay raise, which in theory, could now be paid out with the available cap space the Byfuglien has given the team.

Of course, Byfuglien could opt to return at any point and then the Jets would have to lift their suspension and then would be responsible for fitting that $7.6MM into their cap.

Dustin Byfuglien Contemplating NHL Future

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When the Winnipeg Jets announced recently that Dustin Byfuglien was taking a leave of absence from the team but it was not due to injury, eyebrows raised all around the league. Support poured out for whatever Byfuglien was dealing with, hoping that it would not affect his playing status for this year. According to Bob McKenzie of TSN, it might. McKenzie reports that the Winnipeg Jets defender is “using the time to ponder his NHL future” and explained there is no timetable for a decision.

Byfuglien is currently on the fourth of a five-year contract and is set to earn $8MM this season and $6MM next, all in salary. Retirement would forfeit all of that and remove one of the Jets’ most consistent defensemen from the team right before they are expected to contend for the Stanley Cup again. Winnipeg has already seen Jacob Trouba, Tyler Myers and Ben Chiarot leave through various methods this summer, meaning a loss of Byfuglien would sting even more.

Of course, there is also a potential silver lining for the Jets, who are still without Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor as they negotiate new contracts. The team doesn’t have a ton of cap space to fit the pair in if they wanted to go for long-term contracts, a problem that would be alleviated if Byfuglien retired. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic also suggests that the team could then pursue either Rasmus Ristolainin or Justin Faulk in trade to try and replace some of what Byfuglien brings, though that is just speculation at this point.

Snapshots: Draft Rankings, Konecny, Laine

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With training camp underway and the 2019-20 regular season just around the corner, Bob McKenzie of TSN has released his annual preseason draft rankings. This list is compiled from the opinions of ten active scouts around the league and given context by McKenzie, who will update throughout the year. It comes as little surprise to find Alexis Lafreniere leading the group, though none of them listed him as “in a class by himself.”

That may raise some eyebrows after Lafreniere took home the CHL Player of the Year award following his 105-point season with the Rimouski Oceanic, but it speaks to the strength of the players behind him. Those nipping at Lafreniere’s heels? They include power forwards, pure goal scorers, talented playmakers and even a potential franchise goaltender.

  • After the trio of high profile restricted free agents all signed contracts over the past week, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) examines what that will mean for next year’s crop. Mikhail Sergachev and Thomas Chabot are the focus of his musing, each in very different situations in Tampa Bay and Ottawa. LeBrun also gives an update on the ongoing negotiations with Philadelphia Flyers Travis Konecny, noting that there is “at least a path ahead” and giving a potential comparable of Bo Horvat’s $5.5MM average annual value. Horvat signed a six-year, $33MM deal in September 2017 following his first 20-goal campaign.
  • Patrik Laine has begun practicing with SC Bern of the Swiss NLA as expected, explaining that he knew the coaching staff and thought it was a perfect place to stay in shape. The team’s head coach is Kari Jalonen, who had Laine on the Finland World Championship roster in 2016 where they won a silver medal. Laine was named the Most Valuable Player of that tournament, scoring seven goals in ten games.

Boston Bruins Sign Charlie McAvoy To Three-Year Deal

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With two of the major RFA defensemen already signed, many eyes are looking at Boston Bruins blueliner Charlie McAvoy. TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that the deal is done with McAvoy signing a three-year deal with a $4.9MM AAV. That is actually slightly less than the deal that Columbus Blue Jackets’ Zach Werenski signed six days ago. He signed a three-year deal with a $5MM AAV.

However, McKenzie notes that McAvoy can make up the difference in three years as his third year salary and qualifying offer base will be $7.3MM, which is $300K more than the $7MM salary that Werenski is scheduled for in three years. The deal looks to be a steal for the Bruins who have inked a top-line defenseman for three more years at a reasonable price.

CapFriendly reports the breakdown of the contract as follows:

2019-20: $1.2MM base salary, $2.5MM signing bonus
2020-21: $2.7MM base salary, $1MM signing bonus
2021-22: $7.3MM base salary

In the end, two of the three big-name RFA defensemen signed bridge deals in McAvoy and Werenski, while Philadelphia was the only team to lock up a player long-term, as they inked Ivan Provorov to a six-year, $40.5MM contract.

McAvoy, the team’s 14th-overall pick in 2016, has shown impressive skills, especially on offense, but has struggled staying healthy in his two seasons. He only appeared in 54 games last season and played in just 63 in his rookie campaign. In 117 games over two seasons, McAvoy has tallied 14 goals and 60 points and if he can stay healthy, could be in line for a bigger output this season.

Regardless, Boston looks at McAvoy as the team’s future No. 1 defenseman and his offensive skill is evident when he’s on the ice, but with plenty of cap concerns, the Bruins might be better off with a short-term deal in hopes of having more cap room available at that time. That could easily happen, however. The team will have a number of contracts coming off their books in the next couple of years, including the $7.25MM they owe David Krejci for the next two years, the $6.88MM they owe a then 37-year-old Patrice Bergeron in three years as well as the $6MM they owe David Backes over the next two years.

The signing now leaves Boston with $3.2MM in projected cap space and the Bruins still need to find cap space to fit their other restricted free agent, Brandon Carlo, to a contract.

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