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Charlie Coyle

Central Notes: Fabbri, Crawford, Boqvist, Jokiharju, Wild

September 23, 2018 at 4:44 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

St. Louis Blues winger Robby Fabbri may have avoided a scare today when he went down in the first period of today’s preseason game in Columbus with what the team refers to as a lower-body injury. While there is no word on the severity of the injury, the St. Louis Blues tweeted that head coach Mike Yeo reported that the injury is not related to Fabbri’s knee. In fact, St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Tom Timmermann tweeted that he saw Fabbri walking around after the game as if nothing was wrong.

Optimism had started to grow in St. Louis considering how good Fabbri has looked in training camp and the way he performed in his first preseason game. The 22-year-old showed promise with an 18-goal rookie campaign and had 11 goals in his second season before going down with a knee injury that knocked him out for the rest of the 2016-17 season. He then re-injured the knee in training camp last year and missed the entire 2017-18 season. After a rigorous rehabilitation of his knee, the team can only hope the injury isn’t too serious.

  • The Chicago Blackhawks got good news as The Athletic’s Scott Powers (subscription required) reports that goaltender Corey Crawford may be close to the next step in his recovery from a concussion last season. The scribe writes that Crawford may be ready in the near future to practice with the team after a positive report from goaltending coach Jimmy Waite. “Moving, progressing well, he had a really good day again today, getting closer,” said head coach Joel Quenneville. “I think whether they ratcheted up a little bit more in the workload, but definitely in the right direction. Getting closer to hopefully in a practice.” Quenneville avoided questions on when that might happen, however.
  • In the same piece, Powers writes that both Adam Boqvist and Henry Jokiharju are both still in play to making the Blackhawks roster, although Jokiharju is a little ahead of the two. Quenneville said that Boqvist is expected to play in all of their three exhibition games this week to get a better look at them. While it’s possible the team could keep both players, it seems more likely the team will keep just one.
  • Dan Myers of NHL.com writes that the Minnesota Wild have been really impressed by the preseason line of Jordan Greenway, Charlie Coyle and Joel Eriksson Ek. That combination of players, who have center experience, have really found cohesion in training camp. The three are solid defensively, have offensive firepower and also give the team much needed size as Eriksson Ek is the smallest of the three at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds. Greenway, the least experienced of the group at center, has taken that position over and has fared extremely well. “They just work so hard and they’re all very big and strong guys,” head coach Bruce Boudreau said. “Once they get on you, they’re like a dog on a bone.”

Adam Boqvist| Charlie Coyle| Chicago Blackhawks| Corey Crawford| Injury| Joel Eriksson Ek| Jordan Greenway| Minnesota Wild| St. Louis Blues

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Central Notes: Crawford, Morrow, Greenway, Granlund, Zadorov

September 16, 2018 at 4:52 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

The Chicago Blackhawks are hoping that goaltender Corey Crawford returns to action sooner than later after admitting that he’s been dealing with concussion issues when he went down last season. Still experiencing difficulties with concussions, head coach Joel Quenneville said the goal is to have the veteran goaltender out on the ice during practice as long as he can manage it, according to the Chicago Sun-Times Mark Lazerus.

“Good progress. Comparable over the last week and a half that when he’s on the ice, he’s better and he’s stronger and he’s feeling better. It’s all encouraging.”

The team desperately hopes that Crawford, upon return, will return to his elite form. He posted a 2.27 GAA and an impressive .929 save percentage in 28 games before going down. While it is unknown how much longer Crawford will be out, the Blackhawks are preparing to use Cam Ward as their primary starter if they have to.

  • With the loss of Toby Enstrom, who opted to leave the NHL after 11 years with the Winnipeg Jets, the Jets have an opening for a defenseman and that candidate is likely to be Joseph Morrow, according to Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun. Morrow, who the team acquired at the trade deadline a year ago. The blueliner didn’t get a lot of playing time when he arrived in Winnipeg as his ATOI dropped from 17:47 in Montreal to 14:30 with the Jets. However, he now has a chance to crack a spot in the top four as he did fare well in limited time next to Dustin Byfuglien. “Yeah, that’s a dream to play with Big Buff and be able to match that guy’s personality,” Morrow said. “I got to play with him a bit last year and we were pretty successful together.”
  • The Minnesota Wild and head coach Bruce Boudreau have added a couple wrinkles into the early stages of camp as rookie Jordan Greenway has been playing the center position, while Mikael Granlund has been quarterbacking the first-unit power play, according to Mike Russo of The Athletic (subscription required). Greenway, normally a winger, was used at center during his junior year at Boston University by David Quinn. Boudreau wanted to keep him there as he led a line along with Joel Eriksson Ek and Charlie Coyle, which was a big success in their first scrimmage. Granlund also showed that he could handle the pressure of running a power play on the left wall and looked impressive in that role. “I thought the best testament was all the other forwards want to play the right half wall the way he was feeding them up there,” Boudreau said. “He can make that play. He can even put the behind-the-back pass to Suts. Granny has probably been our most skilled player. I don’t think I’m dissing anybody by saying that. When he’s got the puck, he’s pretty special.”
  • Unlike last year when Colorado Avalanche defenseman Nikita Zadorov came into camp overweight and out of shape, this year, the bruising 23-year-old did just the opposite, according to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post. He’s come into camp in good shape and has changed his diet to accommodate his conditioning. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound blueliner started in Jared Bednar’s doghouse for the early part of the season due to his conditioning, but slowly worked his way back into the rotation before finally settling in next to veteran Tyson Barrie and that hasn’t changed so far in training camp. Now, with the team much happier with his development, he has a chance to develop into a solid NHL defenseman.

Bruce Boudreau| Cam Ward| Charlie Coyle| Chicago Blackhawks| Colorado Avalanche| Corey Crawford| David Quinn| Dustin Byfuglien| Jared Bednar| Joe Morrow| Joel Eriksson Ek| Joel Quenneville| Jordan Greenway| Mikael Granlund| Minnesota Wild| Nikita Zadorov| Tyson Barrie| Winnipeg Jets

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Salary Cap Deep Dive: Minnesota Wild

September 15, 2018 at 8:05 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

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.

Minnesota Wild

Current Cap Hit: $77,729,424 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Luke Kunin (two years, $925K)
F Jordan Greenway (two years, $917K)
F Joel Eriksson Ek (one year, $894K)

Potential Bonuses:

Kunin: $500K
Eriksson Ek: $425K
Greenway: $400K

Total: $1.35MM

The team has just three entry-level players and all three will be critical to the team over the next couple of years. Their 2016 first-rounder, Kunin, suffered an ACL injury in April that required surgery. While he is close to be ready to return, he’s still being held out to allow his knee to fully heal. Regardless, the team has high expectations for him. He struggled to capture a full-time role with Minnesota last year, but scored 10 goals in the AHL in just 36 appearances there, while getting 19 games in with the NHL club. The team will need him to step into a full-time role as soon as he’s healthy. Eriksson Ek, the team’s 2015 first-rounder, got himself a full-time role, but struggled to put up points in the bottom-six, posting six goals in 75 games. A bigger role could allow him to take that next step.

The team also has big hopes for Greenway, who the team pried away from Boston University this spring. The 6-foot-6, 226-pound winger should provide the team with a solid power forward, who could jump into the team’s top-six immediately.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Eric Staal ($3.5MM, UFA)
F Eric Fehr ($1MM, UFA)
D Gustav Olofsson ($725K, RFA)
F Matt Hendricks ($700K, UFA)
F Matt Read ($650K, UFA)
D Nate Prosser ($650K, UFA)
G Alex Stalock ($650K, UFA)
G Andrew Hammond ($650K, UFA)

The team will have an interesting decision to make on Staal at the end of this season. Staal, who was coming off a disappointing 13-goal season a few years ago, signed a three-year, $10.5MM deal, which has been one of the team’s best signings in their history. Staal, who many thought might be slowing down, responded with 28 goals in 2016-17 and followed that up with a 42-goal season last year. Now at age 33, what will Minnesota do in a year when he’s 34 and in need of another deal? If he posts another impressive season, the Wild will have to pay up to keep his services. A disappointing year could mean the end of a thrilling ride.

The rest of the group are full of one-year deals in which the players must prove their worth. The team brought in Fehr, Hendricks and Read to shore up their fourth line, which struggled at times last year, while the team also has a pair of veteran netminders fighting for the backup goalie spot in Stalock and Hammond.

Two Years Remaining

F Mikael Granlund ($5.75MM, UFA)
F Mikko Koivu ($5.5MM, UFA)
D Jared Spurgeon ($5.18MM, UFA)
F Charlie Coyle ($3.2MM, UFA)
F J.T. Brown ($688K, UFA)

The team gave Koivu a two-year extension a year ago, but the 35-year-old is starting to fade after a 14-goal, 31-point performance last season and could be moved down a line, especially if Eriksson Ek continues to improve. Koivu still remains the all-time leader in both games played and points, however, but this could very likely be his last contract.

Granlund could also be an interesting situation. The 26-year-old has improved his game over the last two season, posting a combined 47 goals and he had a career-high in assists last year with 46. His second half was also a big success as he posted 45 points in 46 games, almost a point a game. If he can keep that production up, the Wild should look good. Fortunately, the team has two more years to monitor his success before they have to offer him a new contract. Coyle is another player, who has the ability to put up big points, yet Coyle has struggled more recently, posting just 11 goals and 37 points in 66 games. However, a broken fibula could have been a cause of his on-ice struggles. The team hopes that he can bounce back and prove he belongs in the team’s top-six.

Spurgeon has been perhaps the team’s best defenseman this season. The 28-year-old missed 21 games with a partially torn hamstring and rushed back for the playoffs, but wasn’t 100 percent. Already injury-prone, the team still has the veteran for another couple of years before they have to decide on another long-term contract.Read more

Three Years Remaining

G Devan Dubnyk ($4.33MM, UFA)
D Jonas Brodin ($4.17MM, UFA)
F Marcus Foligno ($2.88MM, UFA)
D Greg Pateryn ($2.25MM, UFA)
D Nick Seeler ($725K, UFA)

Dubnyk has been solid for the team even though plenty have their doubts about the goalie. Regardless, he has played 60 or more games for three straight years and hasn’t had a save percentage lower than .918 in any of those year. The 32-year-old is locked up for three years, so the team will have to look into a long-term replacement soon as the years will eventually add up on Dubnyk. While his 2.52 GAA last year was the worst in several years, the veteran still posted 35 wins.

Brodin will likely end up playing alongside Spurgeon this season and should be able to complement them well. He adds a highly-regarded defensive presence to the team’s top-four. Both Pateryn and Seeler could conceivably fill out the team’s third pairing. Pateryn may be one of the team’s more underrated signings this offseason, while Seeler impressed with his toughness and mobility in a 22-game limited viewing at the end of the year.

Foligno struggled early on last year after coming over from Buffalo, but started to figure out the Wild’s system by the end of the year and was impressive in the playoffs. If he continues on that same course, he should provide the team’s fourth line with some much-needed hard-hitting.

Four Or More Years Remaining

F Zach Parise ($7.54MM through 2024-25)
D Ryan Suter ($7.54MM through 2024-25)
D Mathew Dumba ($6MM through 2022-23)
F Jason Zucker ($5.5MM through 2022-23)
F Nino Niederreiter ($5.25MM through 2021-22)

The team’s toughest contracts are the ones that will be held over the team for another seven seasons, but it’s Parise’s deal that will prove truly costly. The Wild signed both Suter and Parise to matching 13-year, $98MM contracts back in 2012. While Suter is still providing solid value (albeit his recent injury), Parise has struggled with injuries. The 34-year-old sat out most of the first half due to back surgery, the veteran came back and performed quite well during a 16-game stretch when he scored 12 goals. However, a broken sternum at the end of the year, knocked him out of the playoffs. The team hopes he can bounce back this year, while Suter also suffered a broken fibula which could have ended his career. However, he has fought back from that injury and is expected to be ready for the start of the season. Suter had 51-point season before going down with his injury.

The team locked up both Dumba and Zucker in the offseason as they both received five-year deals. Dumba provides offense as he’s scored double-digit goals in three straight seasons and could find himself playing next to Suter this year if coach Bruce Boudreau gets what he wants. The 24-year-old had a breakout season as he posted a career-high 50 points. Zucker was handed a two-year “prove it” bridge deal two years ago and he responded with a  combined 55 goals, and was rewarded for that with a five-year, $27.5MM contract and will stay on the team’s top line.

The big unknown is Niederreiter, who had three straight 20-goal seasons, but struggled with injuries all season. If he can bounce back, his contract may not look too bad, but the team had high hopes he might take that next step and develop into a 30-goal scorer, which he has so far failed to do. The team really needs Niederreiter to show that he is as good as his contract if the Wild want to return to the playoffs for a seventh straight year.

Buyouts

F Tyler Ennis ($2.17MM in 2018-19; $1.22MM in 2019-20)

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Still To Sign

None

Best Value: Staal
Worst Value: Parise

(Excluding entry-level contracts)

Looking Ahead

The Wild have a new general manager in Paul Fenton, but so far there has been little change. Whether he’s waiting to see if some of his players have bounce-back seasons before shipping some of them off or whether the team has too much money invested in its veterans, the team is at a crossroads. If players like Coyle, Niederreiter, Parise and Granlund can return to form, the team may be able to take that next step in the playoffs. However, the team just as easily could go the other way and start a rebuilding project around players like Zucker, Dumba and Greenway and do a proper rebuild. This will be the year that will determine which direction the team intends to go.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Alex Stalock| Andrew Hammond| Bruce Boudreau| Charlie Coyle| Devan Dubnyk| Eric Fehr| Eric Staal| Greg Pateryn| Gustav Olofsson| J.T. Brown| Jared Spurgeon| Jason Zucker| Joel Eriksson Ek| Jonas Brodin| Jordan Greenway| Luke Kunin| Marcus Foligno| Matt Hendricks| Matt Read| Mikael Granlund| Mikko Koivu| Minnesota Wild| Nate Prosser| Nino Niederreiter| Salary Cap| Salary Cap Deep Dive 2018

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Minnesota’s Fenton Has Tried To Make Moves This Offseason

August 11, 2018 at 7:30 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

With a new general manager in house and the fact that the Minnesota Wild can’t seem to take a step forward despite reaching the playoffs six straight seasons, many people expected Paul Fenton to do something significant this offseason when he took over.

Instead it’s been a quiet offseason so far for the Wild as they have locked up some of their own players including Jason Zucker (five years, $27.5MM) and Mathew Dumba (five years, $30MM), but the team looks almost exactly the same from last season. The team did add some veteran depth when they signed Eric Fehr, Greg Pateryn, Matt Hendricks, J.T. Brown, Matt Bartkowski and Andrew Hammond. But they are only there to help the team’s bottom lines as well as add some physicality. The core of the team remains in tact. However, that’s not from a lack of trying, according to The Athletic’s Michael Russo (subscription required). In a mailbag column, the scribe writes that he’s talked to many contacts around the league who have told him that Fenton has been working the phones this summer, trying to make a deal, but has had little luck as teams often attempt to low-ball new GMs in hopes of catching a steal when the new GM is desperate to make a deal.

While owner Craig Leopold said he wanted to tweak the lineup after losing in the first-round this year, many felt that he wanted to alter the team’s core of  Charlie Coyle, Zucker and Nino Niederreiter. While Fenton has talked about those three, it is believed he’s talked about almost every player on the team, but hasn’t found a good enough deal yet to pull the trigger. Of course, Coyle and Niederreiter are coming off down seasons, which is not the best time to be shopping them. The 26-year-old Coyle has been with the team for six seasons, but after two straight seasons in which his stats increased significantly, Coyle struggled this year, posting 11 goals and 37 points in 66 games. A lot of that has to do with injuries as he broke his fibula early in the season and then had surgery on both of his wrists after the season, suggesting he was never fully healthy. Niederreiter also suffered a broken fibula as well as dealt with a high ankle sprain, which prompted his season to slip from 25 goals and 57 points to just 18 goals and 32 points in 63 games. Neither made for good trade bait. Zucker himself put up solid numbers last year with career highs in goals (33) and points (64), but he was a restricted free agent, which many teams shy away from.

Other players would have been even more difficult to move considering that Zach Parise is locked up at $7.54MM for the next seven years and has a no movement clause. Ryan Sutter is coming off a serious injury, while Mikko Koivu holds a no-trade clause after signing his two-year extension. Eric Staal, Devan Dubnyk and Jared Spurgeon all have modified no-trade clauses, but were not asked to submit their no-trade lists at the NHL Entry draft in June, suggesting the team had no interest in moving any of them.

With all those issues, it’s no wonder that Fenton and the Wild were unable to shake up the roster like many thought they would. The only positive scenario is that the team, which should be healthier this year, should return to the playoffs again and might be able to turn their fortunes around from then on. The team has a number of young players, who could have breakout seasons, including Joel Eriksson Ek, Jordan Greenway and Nick Seeler who could help take the team to the next level.

Andrew Hammond| Charlie Coyle| Devan Dubnyk| Eric Fehr| Eric Staal| Greg Pateryn| J.T. Brown| Jared Spurgeon| Jason Zucker| Jordan Greenway| Matt Bartkowski| Matt Dumba| Matt Hendricks| Mikko Koivu| Minnesota Wild| Nino Niederreiter

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Wild Notes: Ennis, First-Round Pick, Brodin, Dumba

June 22, 2018 at 8:36 am CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Minnesota is asking teams that have shown interest in wingers Charlie Coyle, Jason Zucker, and Nino Niederreiter to take on the final year of center Tyler Ennis’ contract as well, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.  Ennis struggled considerably in his first year with the Wild and as a result, he is a strong candidate to be bought out of the final year of his contract which carries a $4.6MM cap hit.  The deadline for players to be bought out is next Saturday so they will have to move fairly quickly if they want to include Ennis in a deal.

More from Minnesota:

  • While some teams are willing to move their first-round selections, Minnesota is not one of those teams, reports Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required). The team has received interest in their 24th overall selection – including from the Canadiens in a proposal involving winger Max Pacioretty – but GM Paul Fenton said they are “absolutely” against dealing it.
  • Also from Russo’s piece, the team is hesitant to move defenseman Jonas Brodin given the uncertainty surrounding Ryan Suter’s ankle injury. Brodin has been coveted around the league for a while as a stable top-four defender and with Mathew Dumba in line for a significant new deal this summer, some wondered if Brodin and his $4.17MM cap hit could be dealt to free up some cap room.  Representatives from the team met with Dumba’s agent on Thursday, presumably to talk about his next contract.
  • Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune suggests that it’s likely that the Wild are more active on the trade front this summer than in free agency. They may look to shake up the roster with some player-for-player deals and then use their cap room to shore up their depth and on the back end.

Charlie Coyle| Jason Zucker| Jonas Brodin| Minnesota Wild| Nino Niederreiter

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Charlie Coyle Undergoes Surgery On Both Wrists

May 21, 2018 at 5:25 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Wild forward Charlie Coyle has undergone successful surgery to repair tendons in both of his wrists, reports Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required).  The issues first surfaced back in January although he played through those for the rest of the regular season plus their first-round postseason loss at the hands of Winnipeg.  The injury also caused him to decline an invitation to participate at the World Championships for Team USA.

Of course, that wasn’t the only injury Coyle dealt with this past season.  The 26-year-old broke his fibula early in the season which cost him six weeks of action which could very well have played a role in his decision to play through the pain.

Despite that, it was still a decent season for Coyle, who posted 37 points in 66 games, his second-highest point-per-game mark of his career.  All in all, those numbers aren’t too bad when you factor in the perspective that he experienced pain every time he went to shoot the puck from the midpoint of the season onward.  He was also held off the scoresheet in five postseason contests.

Fortunately for Coyle and the Wild, the recovery period for this injury is just two-to-four weeks so it shouldn’t have a significant impact on his offseason workouts and he is expected to be fully recovered in time for training camp.

Charlie Coyle| Minnesota Wild

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West Notes: Koskinen, Wild, Gulutzan

April 24, 2018 at 7:36 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

With the Oilers believed to be the frontrunners to sign goaltender Mikko Koskinen, Postmedia’s Jim Matheson speculates that the deal could be one of the richer ones for a backup, suggesting that it could be in the range of $2MM per season.  While on the surface, that may seem pricey for someone with next to no track record in the NHL (just four underwhelming appearances with the Islanders in 2010-11), it’s still somewhat understandable as he has been one of the top KHL netminders in recent years and would undoubtedly command a sizable contract if he were to remain there.  However, if the final deal winds up being around that cap hit, that will further whittle away at Edmonton’s somewhat limited cap room heading into 2018-19.

More from the West:

  • Zach Parise wasn’t the only notable Wild player dealing with an injury. Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune notes that center Joel Eriksson Ek played through the postseason with an injury that prevented him from taking many faceoffs while head coach Bruce Boudreau acknowledged that center Charlie Coyle was playing through a couple of injuries as well.  Neither of those players, nor Zach Parise (sternum) and Ryan Suter (ankle), will require surgery.
  • Given his track record of working with younger players, Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma suggests that recently-fired coach Glen Gulutzan could be a fit once again in Vancouver. He had worked with the Canucks for three years as an assistant before taking the head coaching job with Calgary.  GM Jim Benning stated that the team is still figuring out the plan for their assistants heading into 2018-19 but if they want to bring Gulutzan back in his old role, they may have to move quickly as Kuzma reports that two other rebuilding teams have already reached out to him to gauge his interest in a similar spot to work with their young players.

Charlie Coyle| Edmonton Oilers| Glen Gulutzan| Joel Eriksson Ek| Minnesota Wild| Vancouver Canucks

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Western Notes: Blackhawks, Greenway, Horvat, Dahlen, Kovalchuk

April 8, 2018 at 2:57 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 4 Comments

Don’t expect too many changes in the Chicago Blackhawks roster this season. At least that’s what Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times writes as he examines the roster and the team’s salary cap flexibility.

Coach Joel Quenneville admitted that many things went wrong this year, but he believes that if the team comes back and all play better, the Blackhawks should return to the playoffs next season. Factor in the loss of Marian Hossa, the injury to goaltender Corey Crawford and some down years by several key players, perhaps a turnaround is possible.

“If we all collectively have better years in all aspects … I believe we’re very capable of [rebounding],” Quenneville said. “We’ve seen many games this year where we look like we could be a really good team. [It’s] just that consistency, putting that in place.”

Lazerus writes that the team should look into adding a top-four defenseman, but was quick to point out that it’s unlikely the team will go after Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson as that pricetag would be too high even though it looks as if the Blackhawks should have considerable cap space. He also adds the team desperately needs to find a quality backup goaltender to avoid the problems the team had to endure during the second half of this season.

  • Sarah McLellan of the StarTribune writes that while the Minnesota Wild’s bottom line of Tyler Ennis, Matt Cullen and Charlie Coyle has been successful of late, but head coach Bruce Boudreau might break it up as it sounds like the coach is leaning towards starting rookie Jordan Greenway over Ennis. “I don’t know where he’s going to play [in the playoffs], but I’m sure I’ll find a spot,” Boudreau said.
  • Rick Dhaliwal of Sportsnet tweeted that Vancouver Canucks forward Bo Horvat received an invitation to play for Canada at the upcoming world championships in Denmark this summer.
  • Dhaliwal also adds that Vancouver Canucks prospect Jonathan Dahlen will rest for a few days before reporting to the Utica Comets of the AHL. Dahlen, a prospect the Canucks acquired at the trade deadline in 2016 for Alexandre Burrows, has been lighting up the Allvenskan league and helped lead his team Timra to be promoted to Sweden’s top tier league.
  • European reporter Alex Nunn tweeted that KHL star Ilya Kovalchuk has confirmed that he will spend the next two or three seasons in the NHL. Kovalchuk will be an unrestricted free agent on April 15, when he turns 35 years old.

AHL| Bo Horvat| Bruce Boudreau| Charlie Coyle| Chicago Blackhawks| Corey Crawford| Ilya Kovalchuk| Joel Quenneville| John Carlson| Jonathan Dahlen| Jordan Greenway| KHL| Marian Hossa| Matt Cullen| Minnesota Wild| Vancouver Canucks

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Snapshots: Pacioretty, McDonagh, Hynes

February 28, 2018 at 4:53 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 7 Comments

In Elliotte Friedman’s latest 31 Thoughts column on Sportsnet, the insider details all the rumors and whispers he heard on trade deadline day. Among them was a long piece on Max Pacioretty, and how the Montreal Canadiens never found a deal on him because of the high value Marc Bergevin put on his captain.

Among the contenders for Pacioretty’s services were Los Angeles, who were asked for Tyler Toffoli and Gabe Vilardi as part of a package, Minnesota, who Friedman believes were asked for Charlie Coyle, and Florida who had to decline when the Canadiens asked for Vincent Trocheck. It’s clear that Montreal is not interested in just futures, but players who can jump right into their lineup in 2018-19 to help turn the ship around.

  • Interestingly, Friedman also notes a possible discussion between Florida, Minnesota and New York that would have ended with Ryan McDonagh in Sunrise. While they weren’t involved in any of the day’s really big moves, you can be sure that the Panthers and Wild had their phones ringing on Monday.
  • Though it was originally believed that John Hynes’ contract was set to run out at the end of the season, Friedman reports that the New Jersey Devils actually have another option year with their head coach that he believes they will pick up. Hynes has helped turn the Devils into a legitimate playoff contender in the Metropolitan Division, less than a year after winning the draft lottery and selecting Nico Hischier first-overall.

Charlie Coyle| Elliotte Friedman| Florida Panthers| Gabe Vilardi| John Hynes| Marc Bergevin| Max Pacioretty| Minnesota Wild| Montreal Canadiens| New Jersey Devils| Nico Hischier| Snapshots

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What Your Team Is Thankful For: Minnesota Wild

December 14, 2017 at 3:44 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

As the holiday season approaches, PHR will look at what teams are thankful for as the season nears the quarter point of completion. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We take a look at what’s gone well in the first month and what could improve as the season rolls on. So far we’ve covered the following teams: ANA, ARZ, BOS, BUF, CGY, CAR, CBJ, COL, DET, EDM, FLA, LAK, NSH, NJD, NYI, NYR, PHI, PIT, SJS, STL, TOR, VAN, VGK and WSH.

Jordan GreenwayWhat are the Minnesota Wild most thankful for?

A deep prospect pool.

When the Wild approached the expansion draft last year, they were in trouble. They had too many assets that needed protection, and were destined to lose an excellent player. In order to sway the Vegas Golden Knights’ decision in a certain direction, they gave up prized prospect Alex Tuch. Though the team had drafted Tuch in the first round just a few years prior, his upside and potential impact wasn’t seen to be as high as some of their other prospects.

Well, six months later and Tuch is starring alongside Erik Haula (the other player lost in the expansion process) in Vegas, and the Wild are struggling to stay relevant in the playoff picture. Surely they’d like to have Tuch back, but luckily those other high-end prospects still remain.

Though the relationship with Kirill Kaprizov—or lack thereof—makes the Russian a complete wildcard, there are others who should have Minnesota fans excited for the next few years. Joel Eriksson Ek and Luke Kunin have both played roles in the NHL this season, while Jordan Greenway continues to dominate players even older than him in the college ranks. Ivan Lodnia was just signed after a blistering start in Erie, and the team has four picks in the top three rounds this upcoming draft.

Who are the Wild most thankful for?

Eric Staal.

General managers around the league must be hitting themselves over not pursuing Staal in the summer of 2016. Coming off a horrible season, in which he was traded from the team he’d been drafted by and captained for seven years, Minnesota happily scooped him up on July 1st. Much was said about how Staal might be on the way out of the game, until he immediately found success in Minnesota to the tune of 28 goals and 65 points.

The three-year, $10.5MM contract that he signed was just $1MM more in total than he’d earned in 2015-16 alone. Minnesota got a legitimate number one center, and borderline Hall of Fame candidate for the price of a third or fourth-line player. You can still hear Chuck Fletcher laughing to himself somewhere in St. Paul.

Staal has been everything for the club this year, leading the team in points with 26 through their first 30 games and coming through with one of the best possession seasons of his career. Playing nearly 19 minutes a night and hitting the ice in all circumstances, Staal’s contract is one of the best in the entire league. While now 33 years old, he’ll still be exceptionally valuable in the final year of his deal next season.

Mikko KoivuWhat would the Wild be even more thankful for?

Some “puck luck” for Mikko Koivu.

Despite still being an excellent possession player, used in all situations, Koivu can’t seem to get much going offensively this season. Coming off another one of his patented solid-if-not-spectacular seasons with 58 points, he only has 15 in his first 30 games and eight of those are on the powerplay. He’s now been held pointless in his last eight games despite being on the ice for more than 147 minutes, and hasn’t found the back of the net himself since October.

Amazingly, a lot of that has to do with pure bad luck. Koivu is carrying a pathetic 5.1% shooting percentage this season, far below his career average. Though he’s never been a sniper that carries a high percentage, he’s due for some luck going his way at some point. During his 21-game goalless streak he’s fired 58 shots on net without a single one trickling through.

He’s not only used for his offense, but a bounce here or there would be a big help for the Wild as they try to claw their way back into the playoff picture.

What should be on the Wild’s Holiday Wish List?

Another center.

When the Wild lost Haula and let Martin Hanzal walk in free agency, their center depth was tested. Though they brought in Matt Cullen, who has done a fine job for them so far, their unyielding ability to throw an effective center over the boards every single shift has left them. Charlie Coyle can play the position but the team likes him better on the wing, and Kunin isn’t quite ready for a full-time role.

There is the possibility that when Zach Parise eventually returns from injury they’ll move Coyle back to the middle, but an addition would be the best option. It’ll be tough, as the Wild are pressed right up against the cap thanks the the hefty cap hits of Tyler Ennis and Marcus Foligno, both who’ve been healthy scratches at times this year. That fact may force them to go with what they have right now, but it will be interesting to see if they find a way to get involved as the deadline approaches.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Alex Tuch| Charlie Coyle| Chuck Fletcher| Eric Staal| Erik Haula| Expansion| Free Agency| Hall of Fame| Injury| Joel Eriksson Ek| Luke Kunin| Marcus Foligno| Martin Hanzal| Matt Cullen| Mikko Koivu| Minnesota Wild| NHL| Players| Prospects| Vegas Golden Knights

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