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Pacific Notes: Pavelski, Donskoi, Quick, DiPietro

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The San Jose Sharks are expected to get back a key forward for Game 5 on Saturday, but it won’t be captain Joe Pavelski. The veteran forward, who has been out after hitting his head on the ice in Game 7 of the first-round of the playoffs after taking a hit from Vegas’ Cody Eakin, has been skating more often this week, but is still not ready to return, according to Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. “Getting better. Starting to skate regular,” head coach Peter DeBoer said of Pavelski, but added “Not in tonight.”

However, the Sharks are expected to be getting back Joonas Donskoi, who has missed the last five games with an undisclosed injury after taking a hit from Vegas’ Brayden McNabb in Game 6 in the first round. The winger said he’s available to play, although DeBoer said that Donskoi will be a game-time decision. The 27-year-old has appeared in just three playoff games this season with no points. Donskoi was a healthy scratch for the first three games of their first-round series to allow Micheal Haley to play. If Donskoi does go in, he would likely replace Lukas Radil and join the team’s third line along with Tomas Hertl and Evander Kane. Haley is expected to play on the fourth line regardless.

  • The Athletic’s Lisa Dillman (subscription required), in a mailbag column, suggests that the Los Angeles Kings would be better off holding on to veteran goaltender Jonathan Quick. With the team moving towards a rebuilding project, many feel that trading Quick makes the most sense, especially considering the success that Jack Campbell and Calvin Petersen had this season. However, Dillman writes that with four years remaining on his contract at $5.8MM AAV, there will likely be few takers for Quick considering his poor numbers last year (3.38 GAA, .888 save percentage). She writes that it would be better for the Kings to hold onto him and hope he can bounce back and increase his value ahead of the trade deadline or next off-season.
  • Vancouver Canucks prospect goaltender Michael DiPietro got injured Saturday in the OHL playoffs, according to Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal, who adds that he hears it is a high-ankle sprain, which could end his season early. The 19-year-old star goalie prospect, who is expected to join the Utica Comets next season in the AHL, is 13-0 in the playoffs with a 2.24 GAA and a .917 save percentage. The injury should not affect his availability to begin next season.

Central Notes: Hartman, Crawford, Davidson, Dickinson

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The Department of Player Safety announced they have fined Nashville Predators forward Ryan Hartman $1,000 for spearing Boston Bruins’ Chris Wagner Saturday with less than a minute left in the second period.

Hartman has been in trouble with the Department of Safety before as he was suspended for one game on Apr. 19 for an illegal check to the head against Colorado’s Carl Soderberg and then was fined for $2,320 for slashing Brayden McNabb in Oct. of 2017 against Vegas.

  • The Chicago Blackhawks may get a better idea today of where starting goaltender Corey Crawford is at after he sustained another concussion on Dec. 16. According to NBC Sports’ Charlie Roumeloitis, head coach Jeremy Colliton confirmed this morning that Crawford was in the building, but still hadn’t talked to the coach. “As far as I know he’s still in the protocol. He is here, so that’s a positive,” Colliton said. Crawford missed quite a bit of time when he suffered a concussion last year in December as he still wasn’t ready to return at the start of this season. The team hopes Crawford can return much earlier this time.
  • John Dietz of the Daily Herald reports that defenseman Brandon Davidson says that he should be ready to return to the Blackhawks lineup in 7-10 days. The blueliner underwent surgery on Nov. 27 on his right knee and was expected to be out for six to eight weeks, which suggests he could be ready at the six-week mark. The 27-year-old has only appeared in seven games for Chicago this year.
  • The Dallas Stars may have lost one of their own Saturday when forward Jason Dickinson was forced out of the second period of Dallas’ game against Minnesota with an upper-body injury, according to NHL.com’s Mark Stepneski. Head coach Jim Montgomery said that Dickinson was doubtful for their game today against the Islanders. The 23-year-old has been a mainstay for Dallas on the bottom-six as he has five goals and 11 points in 34 games.

 

Pacific Notes: Vegas’ Defense, Boeser, Kovalchuk, Luff, McLellan

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The Vegas Golden Knights have always followed a general philosophy when it comes to pairing up their defensemen. Head coach Gerard Gallant loves to pair a fast, quick-moving offensive defenseman with a bigger defensive counterpart. However, with Nate Schmidt missing the first 20 games of the season with a suspension, Gallant hasn’t had the opportunity to put together his perfect pairing, which included Schmidt matched up with Brayden McNabb, Shea Theodore with Deryk Engelland and Colin Miller paired with Nick Holden.

The Athletic’s Jesse Granger (subscription required) analyzes those new changes which has produced a 3-0 record since Gallant put those pairings together, including a 2-1 overtime win over Arizona and a pair of shutouts over Calgary and San Jose, Friday and Saturday. That’s just one goal allowed in 183 minutes. While it has been made clear that the team missed Schmidt, Vegas’ entire defense missed him as everyone had been shuffled out of alignment without the speedy blueliner. Without Schmidt, the team lacked a third offensive defenseman as the team had to pair Holden with Jonathon Merrill, which struggled throughout the first quarter of the season.

“It adjusted our defenseman because they all played different roles when Nate was out,” Gallant said. “So, everybody is in their spots now and playing pretty well and they are confident.”

  • Rick Dhailwal of Sportsnet reports that he’s heard from a source that Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser is making good progress recovering from his groin injury. The 21-year-old has been out since Nov. 2. The scribe adds that Boeser is getting closer and should be back at some point next week. He has four goals and 11 points in 13 games so far this year.
  • One of the Los Angeles Kings struggles comes from the play of major off-season acquisition Ilya Kovalchuk who has failed to record a point in eight straight games, according to Curtis Zupke of the Los Angeles Times. The 35-year-old, who signed a three-year, $18.75MM contract this summer, has gone from the team’s top winger to a third-stringer and has dropped to the second unit of the power play. The team broke their 0-for-16 slump on the power play Saturday with Kovalchuk on the bench.
  • Fox Sports Jon Rosen writes that the Kings need to get more playing time to rookie Matt Luff, who has played well since being called up from the AHL. The 21-year-old has three goals in eight games after dominating in Ontario. Head coach Willie Desjardins re-teamed him with Carl Hagelin and Adrian Kempe, which found some success for the Kings. The scribe writes that Luff needs playing time and needs to start receiving power play time as well.
  • Rosen also adds that the Kings have no interest in bringing former Edmonton Oilers’ coach Todd McLellan aboard.

Shea Theodore, Golden Knights Far Apart In Negotiations

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Much like fellow Pacific Division restricted free agent Nick Ritchie and the Anaheim Ducks, promising young defenseman Shea Theodore and the Vegas Golden Knights remain far from a resolution in contract talks. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun writes that the two sides are currently not close to a deal. While he adds that the status quo can change quickly, he does not presently see an end to the impasse. This comes in conflict with GM George McPhee’s recent statement that a deal would be completed soon.

With Golden Knights training camp opening up today, Theodore’s absence becomes much more apparent. The team, entering just its second season, will begin preparations for the regular season without a player that was likely slotted to begin the season on the top pair. Following the revelation of Nate Schmidt’s 20-game suspension, Theodore would presumably be the best candidate start on the left side for the first quarter of the season, ahead of the likes of Brayden McNabb, Jon Merrill, Brad Hunt, and free agent addition Nick Holden. Until he is re-signed, one of that group will be forced into the top pair. Theodore’s continued absence also hurts Vegas’ blue line depth. Although they all remain unsigned, the team did lose considerable depth in the departures of Luca Sbisa, Jason Garrison, Clayton Stoner, and Philip Holm. With Schmidt on the sidelines and Theodore still unsigned, the team is slated to begin the year with just four defenseman who played in 50+ NHL games last season and only eight with any NHL experience at all.

As such, one would expect the team to do what it takes to get Theodore under contract before the puck drops on the new season. Theodore has not given the Golden Knights any reason to doubt his future effectiveness, as the 22-year-old scored 29 points in 61 games last year while skating in over 20 minutes per night. Theodore trailed only Schmidt in average time on ice and defensive scoring and led all Knights defenders in goals, assists, points, and shots in the postseason. On top of that, if Theodore’s shooting percentage regresses positively – as it should – in a full-season role, he should be even more productive moving forward. While the team can no longer treat the salary cap as a non-factor and thus don’t want to dramatically overpay their young defenseman, Vegas has too many reasons not to resolve these contract talks as soon as possible.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Vegas Golden Knights

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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 2018-19 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.

Vegas Golden Knights

Current Cap Hit: $70,812,500 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Alex Tuch (One year remaining, $925K)
D Zach Whitecloud (Two years remaining, $925K)

Among the many things that went right for Vegas was the play of Tuch, who was a surprise in training camp and quickly earned himself a full-time role. The 6-foot-4, 222-pound winger had an impressive rookie season with the Golden Knights, scoring 15 goals and 37 points with much of his playing time coming with the team’s third line. He only improved over time, showing an ability to get into the corners and extend offensive opportunities for the team. He tallied six goals in the playoffs as well, which allowed the Golden Knights to let go veterans James Neal and David Perron, knowing that the 22-year-old Tuch is ready to take his game to the next level. With one year remaining on his entry-level deal, expect him to become a key restricted free agent for the team next season.

Potential Bonuses

Tuch: $93K
Whitecloud: $93K

Total: $186K

One Year Remaining, Non Entry-Level

F William Karlsson ($5.25MM, RFA)
D Nate Schmidt ($2.23MM, UFA)
F Oscar Lindberg ($1.7MM, UFA)
D Deryk Engelland ($1.5MM, UFA)
F Pierre-Edouard Bellemare ($1.45MM, UFA)
F Tomas Nosek ($963K, RFA)
F Ryan Carpenter ($650K, UFA)
D Brad Hunt ($650K, UFA)
G Malcolm Subban ($650K, RFA)

The most important piece the Vegas Golden Knights need to lock up is Karlsson, who just signed a one-year deal with Vegas Saturday. However, now the team has just one year to lock up Karlsson, the team’s top scorer, to a long-term extension. Less than a year, actually, as the team can’t agree to an extension until Jan. 1, 2019. That gives Vegas time to see how 25-year-old will respond in his second year. After piling up 43 goals last season (and seven more in the playoffs), the team wants to see that he can put up similar numbers before handing him a major deal considering the most he’s ever scored in his NHL career was nine goals.

The team will also have to lock up the speedy Schmidt, as well to a long-term deal at some point. The 27-year-old was a key figure on the Golden Knights defense, posting career highs of five goals and 36 points, but also showed his mettle in the playoffs, putting up another three goals and seven points. He could easily get a similar deal to the one that Miller signed with the team (four years, $15.5MM) earlier in the offseason. With an influx of prospects likely to hitting the team for the 2019-20 season, several veterans will have to prove they deserve new contracts this coming  year, including Lindberg, Bellemare, Engelland, Carpenter, Hunt and Subban, although unless someone has a breakout year, none should cost the team too much.

Two Years Remaining

F David Clarkson ($5.25MM, UFA)
F Cody Eakin ($3.85MM, UFA)
F Ryan Reaves ($2.78MM, UFA)
F Erik Haula ($2.75MM, UFA)
D Nick Holden ($2.2MM, UFA)
D Jonathon Merrill ($1.38MM, UFA)
F William Carrier ($725K, RFA)

The team likely will have to pay up if they want to keep Haula. The team’s second-line center may move to the third line now that the team locked up Stastny to a free agent deal. However, if Huala can continue to produce like he did last season, the 27-year-old should be able to fetch a nice contract. He had a career-high in goals last season as he scored 29 and 55 points.

The team should also recoup some of their losses as well in two years as Clarkson’s deal will expire, so that will free up $5.25MM for the team as the team currently has to wait till the start of the season before they can place his contract on LTIR. Others like Eakin and Reaves will likely have to earn another deal over the next two seasons. Both had solid showings for Vegas this year, but will have to prove their consistency. While Reaves deal looks overpaid on paper, the team opted to give him three years worth of money as long as he only signed for two years.

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Kuznetsov To Warm Up With Capitals, Likely To Play

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6:42: Kuznetsov is on the ice for the Capitals during warmups. Whyno reports that general manager Brian MacLellan said that if he gets through warm-ups, he’ll be in. He’s still a game-time decision.

4:37: It looks like Evgeny Kuznetsov will be considered a game-time decision tonight for Game 3 between the Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights at Capital One Arena, but speculation of whether the Washington Capitals leading scorer will play continues. With 25 points in this postseason, the star center has more points than any player in this year’s postseason, but after suffering an apparent wrist injury to his left arm that forced him to leave Game 2 early after a hit from defenseman Brayden McNabb, his status has been up in the air.

However, Kuznetsov participated in an optional skate with the team Friday and then again today for the team’s morning skate, which allowed the Associated Press’ Stephen Whyno to speculate that all signs point to a Kuznetsov return tonight, pointing out that the fact that he participated in line rushes alongside Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson and did not have any visible arm brace.

“It feels better every day,” Kuznetsov said. “In these type of games you always want to play, but you have to do better for your team and you have to understand it doesn’t matter who you are, what kind of player, you have to understand can you help the team or no. That’s the biggest part. You have to understand it and you have to communicate with the coaches, doctors and everybody, can you help the team?”

However, Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston adds that while it might look like Kuznetsov is expected to play, don’t assume that. The possibility of subterfuge is a legitimate possibility with the hopes of throwing off the Golden Knights’ game plan for Game 3. Johnston points to Kuznetsov’s offbeat humor when asked if he could help give Washington the advantage for Game 3.

“I don’t know. We’ll see if I’m in,” he said. “I definitely can help in the morning skate, no? More people. Less time you have to go.”

Johnston also points out that while Kuznetsov did participate in all drills, he didn’t look comfortable out there, pointing out that he gritted his teeth when taking shots, which is not standard for the team’s points leader. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until right before the start of Game 3 to find out if he’ll be out there.

Evgeny Kuznetsov “Day-To-Day” With Upper-Body Injury

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Friday: Amazingly, Kuznetsov is on the ice at the Capitals option skate this morning. No word on whether he’ll play tomorrow, as Trotz still claims he has not been cleared to return to game action.

Thursday: The Washington Capitals came away with a big road win in Game Two of the Stanley Cup Final last night, but they also lost a key contributor in the match-up. The postseason’s leading scorer, Evgeny Kuznetsov, was forced out of the game early after he was the recipient of a hip check into the boards from Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb. Speaking to the media earlier, head coach Barry Trotz offered no update on Kuznetsov’s condition, other than to say that he is “day-to-day” with an undisclosed upper body injury, reports Isabelle Khurshudyan of The Washington Post. Trotz seemed unsure if Kuznetsov would be available for Friday’s practice as he deals with this injury, but hopes to give a more educated update tomorrow.

The hit in question (video) seems to show the brunt of the impact landing on the right elbow and forearm area of Kuznetsov. If Kuznetsov suffered a break of any kind in that area, it would severely limit his stick-handling ability and would likely mean the end of his season. If he cannot return in the series, it would be a major blow to Washington’s Cup hopes. Kuznetsov has 25 points this postseason, including eleven goals, and had been on an 11-game point streak as well. Should the Capitals go on to win the series, the 26-year-old center would likely be one of the favorites to win the Conn Smythe Trophy.

For what it’s worth, Kuznetsov’s teammates do not seem overly concerned about his availability. Alexander Ovechkin told Khurshudyan that he’s “sure he’s going to be fine”, while Nicklas Backstrom offered an open-ended “We’ll see what happens”. If Kuznetsov does miss any time, it is also comforting to Washington players, personnel, and fans alike that Lars Eller performed well when he was forced to take over Kuznetsov’s ice time last night. Eller’s tenure in Washington has not been without bumps in the road, but he has taken his play to a new level in these playoffs. It would not be easy to fill the shoes of the postseason’s most dangerous forward, but Eller seems to be up for the task if called upon.

Pacific Notes: Quick, McNabb, Oilers, Vanek

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Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick will not participate in the All-Star Game this weekend, Sportsnet’s John Shannon was first to report (Twitter link).  He’s dealing with a nagging injury and will take the time to rest.  Per league rules, Quick will be ineligible to dress for the first game after the break since he is still slated to dress as the backup for their game tonight against Calgary.  Shannon adds that Flames netminder Mike Smith is expected to be named to the All-Star Game as Quick’s replacement.

More notes from the Pacific Division:

  • Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury that was sustained in Tuesday’s game against Columbus, notes Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He’s expected to be out for their game on Thursday versus the Islanders.  Blueliner Jason Garrison has been recalled from AHL Chicago and is expected to play in his first NHL game since October 13th.
  • Even though they’ve already made a move to add a goaltender in Al Montoya, James O’Brien of NBC’s Pro Hockey Talk makes the case that the Oilers should look into adding another netminder. Cam Talbot has struggled considerably as of late and is only signed for one more year after this one, similar to Montoya.  If GM Peter Chiarelli has reservations about whether or not Talbot is the right fit for them for the long-term, they would be wise to look into someone who could take on more of the workload, especially since they will have expectations of trying to contend next season.
  • Although Canucks winger Thomas Vanek was only able to land a third-round pick (plus depth defender Dylan McIlrath) in a trade at the deadline last year, Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province suggests that Vancouver GM Jim Benning should be asking for a higher return one year later in the form of a second-round pick. Vanek has been a valuable veteran for the Canucks and sits second on the team in scoring with 35 points (14-21-35) in 48 games.  For comparison, Vanek had played in 48 games last season with Detroit before they moved him to Florida and in that span, the 34-year-old had collected 38 points (15-23-38).

Trade Rumors Swirl Around Toronto

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It wasn’t long ago that the Toronto Maple Leafs were one of the worst franchises in the NHL, making the playoffs once in just eleven seasons and suffering an epic collapse in that one postseason appearance. Therefore, it was fittingly a surprising and exciting story line when the young 2016-17 Maple Leafs made the playoffs and even gave the President’s Trophy-winning Washington Capitals a run for their money in the conference quarterfinals. Toronto had finally turned it around.

This season however, expectations have changed. In an especially weak Atlantic Division, the Leafs have, for all intents and purposes, already locked up the third Atlantic playoff spot and are simply looking to strengthen their roster for what seems to be a collision course with the Boston Bruins in the first round, a rematch of their 2013 blunder. While much of that preparation will simply be maintaining a healthy roster and polishing their play through the rest of the regular season, there is also much anticipation that further additions to the team are in order to give the team a shot at the Stanley Cup this spring.

Trade speculation is natural for contenders, but it isn’t always rational. There has already been a notion among many sources that impending unrestricted free agents James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak, and Leo Komarov will be used as the team’s own “rentals” and that the Leafs could be unlikely to add a forward. There’s also the fact that Toronto has next to no cap space to make a typical picks/prospects-for-player rental deal. Yet, fans are still eager to grasp at any rumors of the Leafs adding a big-time defenseman or another depth piece up front.

Case in point: Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reported earlier today that rookie defenseman Travis Dermott’s number was suddenly changed from #3 to #23 without his approval. The reaction from Toronto fans was overwhelmingly that the team was set to acquire a veteran player with the #3. Even SB Nation’s Maple Leafs blog Pension Plan Puppets was quick to post a somewhat laughable list of potential former Leafs whose #3 could be saved for retirement alongside a more serious list of current #3’s throughout the league who could be future Leafs. The vast majority of that list are defenseman, which lends some credence to the theory, but many – Seth Jones, John Klingberg, Brayden McNabb, Tucker Poolman – are likely untouchable and others – Kevin Bieksa, Chris Bigras, Nick Jensen – are likely of no interest to Toronto. Could the Pittsburgh Penguins really be ready to move on from Olli Maatta? Would the Leafs really be willing to take on the Keith Yandle contract or the risk of uber-physical Radko Gudas? Or was the number change simply due to some other decision that carries far less weight than Toronto fans would like it to?

Only time will tell what moves the Maple Leafs make prior to the Trade Deadline, but the expectations are not going away any time soon. Toronto’s Stanley Cup window has only just opened, but the hockey-crazed city is ready for their first title since 1967 and fans will be eager to see the club add additional pieces to strengthen the roster. The Leafs will continue to be a team to watch through the next month and a half, but that doesn’t mean every little piece of information on the rumor mill is worth taking seriously.

Vegas Golden Knights Sign Brayden McNabb To Four-Year Extension

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The Vegas Golden Knights have signed defenseman Brayden McNabb to a four-year, $10MM extension. McNabb was set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. The $2.5MM cap hit is a raise over his current $1.7MM contract, and will carry through the 2021-22 season. The deal contains no signing bonuses, and the salary breaks down as follows:

  • 2018-19: $3.0MM
  • 2019-20: $2.5MM
  • 2020-21: $2.5MM
  • 2021-22: $2.0MM

NHL: Vegas Golden Knights at Edmonton OilersMcNabb, 26, has become an integral piece for the Golden Knights. Always a strong possession player in Los Angeles, McNabb was never asked to log big minutes for the Kings as they had several defenders ahead of him in the depth chart. That showed once again when they left him unprotected, only for Vegas to snatch him up and immediately give him a much more important role. McNabb has been averaging close to 20 minutes a game for the Golden Knights, and has given them a dangerous physical presence on the blueline.

This extension marks truly the first long-term contract handed out by the Golden Knights, as Erik Haula’s three-year deal was the previous longest. Reilly Smith, the only other player under contract with Vegas past 2019-20, had already agreed to his five-year extension with the Florida Panthers before he was traded at the expansion draft. That should give a clear message to McNabb that they want him as part of the Golden Knights core going forward. GM George McPhee said as much to Jesse Granger of the Las Vegas Sun:

McNabb is a very good defensive defenseman. He’s got a long stick, and is good with his stick. He’s locked down some top opposing players for us and we hope he’s here for the rest of his career.

The $2.5MM cap hit is one that should excite Vegas fans. If McNabb can reliably hold down a top-4 spot for the Golden Knights through the duration of the contract, he’ll make a remarkably affordable asset for the team. As we discussed earlier today, Vegas could be huge players in the 2019 free agent class and to do so they’ll need contributors on relatively inexpensive deals throughout the rest of the roster. Even if McNabb is relegated to fewer minutes and the third pairing, $2.5MM is a reasonable amount to pay.

In fact, it already compares favorably to some other third-pairing options around the league. Kevan Miller in Boston signed a similar four-year, $10MM contract in 2016 and logs fewer than 19 minutes a night for the Bruins, while Michael Stone is earning $3.5MM for this and another two seasons from the Calgary Flames to play fewer than 17. McNabb doesn’t have a huge resume of top minutes, but if the early season is any indication this contract may turn out to be a steal for the Golden Knights.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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