Sabres Notes: Kulikov, Expansion, Petersen
The Buffalo Sabres haven’t had a good season. Struggling to get anything going through injury after injury, and seeing players fail to meet expectations on a regular basis has sent them to the bottom of the standings once again. GM Tim Murray took to the airwaves today to talk about the season so far and John Vogl of the Buffalo News and Joe Yerdon of NHL.com relayed the information on Twitter.
One name mentioned in particular was Dmitry Kulikov, who Murray said he expected to play like a top-3 defenseman this year. Admitting that it “didn’t work out” is putting it lightly, as Kulikov has just two points in 39 games and is a -17. Injury and inconsistency have both plagued the former Florida Panther this year, as he heads into unrestricted free agency this summer. After earning $4.3MM per year on his current three-year deal, Kulikov will be hard pressed to find a similar pay day on the open market.
- At the expansion draft in June, Murray expects to go with the seven forward, three defense option. In fact, he has already reached out to Vegas GM George McPhee on who he doesn’t want to lose. At first glance, it appears as though Buffalo may be at risk of losing a player like Marcus Foligno or Zemgus Girgensons, though they could easily make a deal with the Golden Knights to take someone else instead.
- The Sabres are hoping that Calvin Peterson will turn pro after Notre Dame finishes their college season. The NCAA goaltender has been one of the best in the country the last three seasons, recording .919, .927 and .928 save percentages. A fifth-round pick of the Sabres in 2013, Murray says there is opportunity in net in the Sabres organization and feels there is a solid relationship between the two sides.
Garrioch’s Latest: Kulikov, Franson, Kane, Sakic, Olympics
While the Sabres were expected to be active at the trade deadline earlier this month, they wound up being quiet. In his latest Insider Trading column, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reports that teams weren’t interested in pending UFA defenseman Dmitry Kulikov as a result of the various injuries he has dealt with this season while there was limited interest in fellow UFA rearguard Cody Franson.
Winger Evander Kane was also a player that some thought could be moved but the scribe notes that interest in him was only mild before the deadline. He expects that GM Tim Murray will revisit those talks in the summer. Kane has one season left on his contract after this one with a cap hit of $5.25MM.
As always, the full article is worth a read (including plenty on the potential coaching carousel) but here are a couple of the other highlights:
- Despite their struggles this year, Avalanche GM Joe Sakic is likely to hold onto his title and will be tasked with completing the widely anticipated Matt Duchene deal in the offseason. Colorado is heading for what appears to be a significant rebuilding process so if Sakic is allowed to retain his role now, there’s a good chance he’ll be given a long leash to work with as it wouldn’t make sense for the team to have Sakic start the rebuild and then change course shortly thereafter.
- The wait continues for any concrete information regarding whether or not the NHL will stop their schedule to allow their players to play in the Olympics next season and there wasn’t any coming out of the GM meetings this past week. Garrioch suggests a couple of possibilities for the delay – it’s still a big issue for the players and the TV rights holders in the US (NBC – who also holds the Olympic rights) could very well be pushing the owners to allow them to go as well. There has been talk that the league may be willing to change its stance if they get the right concessions either from the players in the form of CBA elements or perhaps the International Olympic Committee in terms of access and content rights.
Atlantic Division Notes: Sabres, Erne, Gourde, Panthers
Entering the 2016-17 season, the Buffalo Sabres were considered by some as a dark horse playoff contender after the team added top-six winger Kyle Okposo in free agency and defenseman Dmitry Kulikov via trade last summer. However, a preseason ankle injury shelved sophomore center Jack Eichel for the first 21 games of the season and the team stumbled to a 7 – 9 – 5 mark in his absence. The team’s defense has also contributed to Buffalo’s struggles and unfortunately for the Sabres, there may not be much help on the way next summer, according to John Vogl of The Buffalo News.
Vogl examines the list of potential UFA defenders, a list which happens to include current Sabres Kulikov and Cody Franson, and aside from Kevin Shattenkirk and perhaps Karl Alzner, the scribe doesn’t see free agency as presenting a solution to Buffalo’s blue line woes. That means in all likelihood the Sabres will have to go the trade route in order to address their defensive shortcomings. Naturally, any deal to add a defenseman will likely cost the team a key forward and would essentially represent an example of “robbing Peter to pay Paul.”
Elsewhere in the Atlantic:
- We touched earlier on the injury issues impacting the Tampa Bay Lightning, but for the glass half full crowd, the absences of Tyler Johnson, Vladislav Namestnikov and Cedric Paquette offer opportunities for young players to step into more prominent roles and show the team’s coaching staff and management team what they are capable of at the NHL level. As Bryan Burns, NHL.com’s Tampa Bay Lightning contributor writes, the early beneficiaries of extra ice time and responsibility in Tampa are rookies Adam Erne and Yanni Gourde. As Burns notes, Gourde filled in as the team’s second line pivot Thursday night, recording a career-high 16:35 of ice time and registering the second point of his NHL career. Erne saw better than 14 minutes and even got some time on the power play. With Tampa Bay wrapping up a disappointing campaign, it’s quite possible the the team continues to give opportunities to some of its young talent as the front office begins to hatch its offseason strategy.
- Last night’s 7 – 4 loss to Minnesota leaves Florida six points out of the second and final Eastern Conference wild card slot with just 16 games remaining in their season and with four teams to leapfrog in the standings. As Adam Gretz of Pro Hockey Talk writes, time is running out on the Panthers and barring a strong finish it appears Florida won’t be making their second straight postseason appearance. Missing the playoffs would represent a disappointing outcome for a team that was particularly aggressive in the offseason trying to build upon last year’s success. Florida acquired the rights to Keith Yandle and then inked the skilled puck-moving defender to a massive seven-year, $44.45MM contract extension. They signed Jason Demers as a free agent and traded for Mark Pysyk to further bolster their blue line. The Panthers also made smart under-the-radar signing, adding Jonathan Marchessault via free agency. The diminutive winger has registered a 20-goal, 39-point campaign for Florida. Yet all of those additions will be in vain unless the Panthers can close out on a hot streak and somehow sneak into the playoffs and that possibility is fading more and more with each passing day.
Atlantic Notes: Cassidy, Radulov, Plekanec, Carrier, Kulikov
The Bruins have played their way right back into the thick of the postseason chase under interim head coach Bruce Cassidy, going 8-2 in his first ten games behind the bench heading into play on Monday night. Accordingly, CSN New England’s Joe Haggerty suggests that the time is right for GM Don Sweeney to lift the interim title and make him the full-time head coach.
Shortly after the trade deadline, Sweeney told reporters that he’s open to lifting the tag at the end of the season although he left the window open to do so later this season if he feels the time is right. Haggerty argues that if the GM is already content with the idea of making the change more of a permanent one, it should be done sooner than later so there’s no opportunity for a distraction during the stretch run.
This is Cassidy’s second stint as a head coach after holding the job for parts of two seasons with Washington more than a decade ago.
More from the Atlantic:
- The Canadiens announced via their Twitter account that Alexander Radulov is likely to miss his second straight game against the Canucks tomorrow with a lower body injury sustained after blocking a shot last week. The Russian right winger has returned to the NHL with a bang this season and sits second on Montreal in scoring with 46 points in 63 games; his 31 assists lead the team. Additionally, the team noted that center Tomas Plekanec is listed as day-to-day although the nature of his injury is undisclosed.
- Sabres left winger William Carrier is set to miss his 17th straight game tomorrow against the Flyers, notes John Vogl of The Buffalo News. It doesn’t appear a return is imminent either as he has yet to start skating as the bruise on his knee is not hearing anywhere near the rate the team was hoping for. Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov is also expected to sit that game out with a concussion.
Friedman’s Latest: Deadline Dealing
In his latest 30 Thoughts column, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet gets into some of the details of trade deadline day. It’s a wonderful read as always, from one of the most connected men in hockey.
Friedman reports that there was a lot of interest in Detroit Red Wings forward Riley Sheahan before they ultimately decided to keep him. Sheahan has zero goals this season and has been part of the problem in Detroit, but could be part of the solution too. The former-first round pick still has excellent upside and could be a huge part of a Red Wing rebuild. With another year on his current deal and a restricted free agent afterwards, Detroit wasn’t pressured to move him now.- The Boston Bruins were in on both Radim Vrbata and Dmitry Kulikov before eventually settling for just Drew Stafford on deadline day. Arizona essentially dug in their heels at a certain asking price—Friedman thinks a second-round pick—and were happy to keep him.
- The Calgary Flames are mentioned in association with both Ben Bishop and Marc-Andre Fleury, though obviously both never materialized. The situation in Calgary is an interesting one, as Brian Elliott has turned around his play recently and muddled the situation once again for this summer. If they think it was just a comfort thing, perhaps they will look to get back into a contract negotiation with the 31-year old netminder.
- Friedman also touches on Kelly Hrudey‘s rant about the way trade deadline coverage has evolved, making note of a player who texted him upset about potentially being involved in a deal. In the Maple Leafs game last night, the broadcast crew also touched on how it looked as though James van Riemsdyk had a piano lifted from his back after two weeks of constant rumor. As Greg Millen of Sportsnet put it after a particularly good shift from van Riemsdyk: “If you don’t think it affects these players, you’re wrong.”
Atlantic Notes: Gionta, Sabres, Gauthier
The captain wants to stay. That’s what Brian Gionta is telling the Buffalo Sabres and their fans, as he plays through the final year of his current contract. Bill Hoppe of the Buffalo Hockey Beat published a piece today that quotes Gionta reiterating his hope to stay a Sabre through the end of the season and beyond if they’ll have him.
I’ve made my position pretty clear. I’d like to stay here. I’d like to be here going on in the future. I want to see this thing through.
Gionta isn’t the player that scored 48 goals and 89 points in 2005-06, but he is still a reliable winger and huge leadership presence among a young team building for the future. As the reins are handed over to teenage phenoms and 20-something stars, Gionta could still be a positive influence even at the age of 38. As his $4.25MM contract expires this season, perhaps the Sabres will look to bring him back on a shorter, much less expensive deal in the summer.
- The Sabres in general will be involved in rumors right up to the deadline tomorrow, as Dmitry Kulikov and Cody Franson are two of the most talked about names left among defensemen. Joe Yerdon of NHL.com reports that the entire lineup including goaltenders is a game-time decision for the Sabres tonight. With the team struggling to find the success of their contemporaries, it’s very likely that they sell off some expiring assets in order to help facilitate the ongoing rebuild. Though the team thought it may be coming out of it this summer, it looks like another bottom-ten finish for the Sabres is on the horizon.
- Brian Boyle will make his debut in the Maple Leafs lineup tonight and he’s bringing help with him. Both Mitch Marner and Tyler Bozak are expected to play, meaning that there was no longer room for Frederik Gauthier on the roster. The big centerman was sent to the Marlies when the Leafs activated Marner off injured reserve.
When Will The Buffalo Sabres Have Their Renaissance?
For Buffalo Sabres fans this season must be hell. They have seen their team rocked by injuries all season long, taking what is a talented squad and sapping them of their playoff potential. The consecutive losses over the weekend to bottom-dwelling Arizona and Colorado has all but assured that they are sellers at this week’s trade deadline instead of buyers.
The Sabres weren’t sellers last summer, when they went out and gave a big contract to Kyle Okposo and traded for Dmitry Kulikov to help their back end. They were a young team with a ton of potential, and decided to augment it with talented veterans. While Okposo was the team’s all-star representative, his scoring touch hasn’t been enough to help them out of the bottom of the Eastern conference. 
Meanwhile, they have to watch the Edmonton Oilers and (even more painfully) Toronto Maple Leafs experience huge gains from teenagers, turning into legitimate playoff contenders overnight. The teams that they’ve battled with for first overall picks are now surging to the top of the standings. Edmonton won a lottery that Buffalo had worked so hard for to get Connor McDavid, and Toronto tanked for Auston Matthews while the Sabres tried to compete a year ago.
But it’s not just the past two years that should have been building blocks for the Sabres. Like the Oilers, they’ve long had picks to help build a system—that just haven’t seemed to come together as a team. Since 2011 the Sabres have had eight picks in the top-16 of the draft, including four top-eights (Alex Nylander, Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Ristolainen).
If you look at their track record, it’s actually quite good in these spots with all of them looking like solid if not excellent NHL players. So why hasn’t it come together for them yet? Is it just the injuries? Perhaps, but even the players who have been relatively healthy haven’t performed up to standards.
Ryan O’Reilly, he of the highest cap-hit on the team, has just 38 points in 52 games and hasn’t yet turned into the dominating elite centerman the Sabres had hoped for. Okposo has 39 and looks like he’ll end with his lowest total since the last lockout. Matt Moulson and Brian Gionta have shown their age and turned in a bottom-six production, and Marcus Foligno might not hit double-digits in goals this season.
So when will they experience their renaissance, like the Oilers and Leafs? Will it happen next season, when Eichel is healthy enough to lead their team all season, or are they doomed to sit in mediocrity while they pay off the long-term deals they’ve given to some of these veteran players. Fans should be wary of asking for any other high-priced additions this summer, and instead just rely on the internal development of all these highly drafted players. It looks like the Sabres will add another top pick to the stable this offseason, as long as they don’t do anything too crazy at the deadline.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Latest From Garrioch: Hanzal, Bishop, Shattenkirk, Defensemen
There remain five or six teams in the hunt for Arizona center Martin Hanzal, reports Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. Among the teams that are still interested are Minnesota, Montreal, Nashville, Ottawa, and San Jose. Because there are still this many suitors for him, GM John Chayka’s asking price remains quite high with a package that still includes a first round pick, a prospect, and potentially a third piece as well. Unless someone blinks in the next day or two, this situation could be one that goes right down to the wire.
As always, Garrioch has plenty of other tidbits for trade talk around the league. The full column is worth a look but here are a few other highlights:
- Although Tampa Bay goalie Ben Bishop is believed to be in play, several league executives believe he won’t be dealt by the deadline as they would prefer to just go after him in the summer in free agency and not have to give up any assets that way. Something that will also likely present a challenge is his $5.95MM cap hit which is something that many teams aren’t able to absorb in its entirety. If the Lightning have to retain to get a deal done, they could conceivably hold on to him and hope for a late season run; Tampa Bay is six points out of the last Wild Card spot with a game in hand on Boston.
- A pair of top teams in the East have expressed an interest in St. Louis blueliner Kevin Shattenkirk as the Penguins and Capitals have both held talks with Blues GM Doug Armstrong. It’s not likely that either team would view him as more than a rental player but given the report earlier this week that three teams have had deals fall through after being unable to come to terms on a contract extension, it’s looking more and more likely that Shattenkirk will be moved as a rental. He’ll be a big help offensively wherever he goes as he sits fourth in the league in points by a defenseman.
- Still on the blueline, the Sabres have moved into sell mode despite also being six points out of the final playoff spot. As a result, a pair of blueliners are likely to garner considerable interest in Dmitry Kulikov and Cody Franson. There’s also a belief that Dallas defender Johnny Oduya, who is slated to return to the lineup, could wind up going back to Chicago although Garrioch notes that Montreal could also be a possibility. Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin is quite familiar with Oduya from his days with the Blackhawks and the team continues to look for defensive help.
Deadline Trade Market: Defensemen
Rental defensemen are often a hot commodity leading into the NHL Trade Deadline and this year is set to be no exception. While there are several depth players available, there are also some blueliners that could be moved that would be impact acquisitions for their new teams. Here’s a closer look at how the market is shaping up.
Top Player Available
Kevin Shattenkirk – St. Louis – Last season, the Blues lost wingers David Backes and Troy Brouwer for nothing in free agency and the belief is that GM Doug Armstrong isn’t willing to let the same thing happen here even though they have climbed right back into the playoff picture.
Shattenkirk, who was ranked as the top UFA this year in our midseason power rankings, would be a top pairing player on quite a few contenders and would step onto the top power play unit just about everywhere. Not surprisingly, the asking price is believed to be quite high with a first rounder and a top prospect among the assets the Blues are seeking.
What’s particularly interesting is that St. Louis is amenable to let teams speak to Shattenkirk’s agent regarding a possible extension in a sign-and-trade scenario. If an agreement could be reached prior to a trade, the Blues would likely be in line for a stronger return for their top scoring blueliner.
Potential Top Four Options
Ron Hainsey – Hurricanes – While his numbers don’t jump out at anyone, Hainsey has quietly been an effective minute-munching defenseman for several years now. He doesn’t have the offensive upside that some of the others do but teams looking for stability on their second pairing will likely have some interest in adding him to the fold.
Dmitry Kulikov – Buffalo – He hasn’t fared particularly well with the Sabres after being acquired back at the draft from Florida and lingering back issues are certainly a concern as well. However, he has shown himself to be capable of logging considerable minutes (over 22 per game). He’s also one of the younger players believed to be available at just 26 years of age.
Johnny Oduya – Dallas – The Stars haven’t used him as a top four player too often this season but the veteran has been one dating back several years now and there are buyers where he would fit in on a second pairing. Like Hainsey, the two-way upside isn’t really there but Oduya can anchor a penalty kill and be a reliable presence in the defensive end.
Michael Stone – Arizona – After a breakout season offensively last year, Stone has yet to make anywhere near the type of impact he or the Coyotes were expecting this season. He also has seen his ice time drop by two minutes a night but is still over 20 minutes on average. After taking a one year, ‘show me’ deal in the summer, Stone will be motivated to show he still can be an effective offensive threat wherever he winds up.
[Closer Look: Trade Candidate Profiles for Hainsey, Kulikov, Oduya, and Stone]
Notable Depth/Role Players
Michael Del Zotto/Mark Streit – Philadelphia – Both players have been top four options in the past but Streit is better served as a power play specialist and a third pairing player at this point while Del Zotto’s inconsistency has resulted in a drop in usage this season. If teams are looking to add someone that they could envision themselves re-signing in the summer, the younger Del Zotto (he’s 26) will likely be the preferred option.
Cody Franson – Buffalo – After struggling to find a new contract in 2015, Franson wound up with the Sabres where he hoped he’d be able to continue the offensive progression he showed with Toronto beforehand. That hasn’t happened and as a result, he has been more of a third pairing player with the Sabres. With the shot he has though, he could still be an intriguing option on a power play.
Brendan Smith – Detroit – Smith has been a player that has left the Wings wanting more over the past few seasons. While he has flashes of strong play, he also has been prone to some poor decision making which makes him a bit of a wild card. He’s still fairly young at 28 and should have several suitors but because of his inconsistency, it’s hard to forecast him as more than a third pairing option on a new team.
[Closer Look: Trade Candidate Profiles for Del Zotto, Franson, and Smith]
Others That Could Move
These players would all serve as lower-end depth options for an acquiring team and would likely be available for a mid-round draft pick.
Matt Hunwick/Roman Polak – Toronto, Kyle Quincey – New Jersey, Nick Schultz – Philadelphia, Fedor Tyutin – Colorado
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Trade Candidate: Dmitry Kulikov
With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that are likely to be dealt by March 1st.
Back at the draft, the Sabres added Dmitry Kulikov in the hopes that he could stabilize their back end as they looked to take a step forward towards making a push for a playoff spot. Unfortunately for them, he has been hurt for nearly half the season and has struggled at times when he is in the lineup which makes him a candidate to be dealt by March 1st.
Contract
Final year of a three year, $13MM deal ($4.33MM cap hit, $4.5MM salary) – Will be a UFA in July.
2016-17
The word disastrous comes to mind from a couple of perspectives. Kulikov certainly hasn’t played to the level that Buffalo was expecting when they added him. He twice has missed time with back problems and will be sitting out a lot of game day skates the rest of the season as he’s still not 100%.
From his personal perspective, a big season with the Sabres would have set him up for a nice pay day in what is shaping up to be a weak free agent market. Having these questions about his health moving forward certainly won’t help his case, nor will the fact that his production has effectively dried up.
When healthy, Kulikov has been able to log major minutes (he’s averaging a career high in average ice time) which should be an encouraging sign for anyone looking to add him either by the deadline or in free agency but there haven’t been many positives beyond that so far.
Season Stats
28 GP, 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 points, -9 rating, 20 PIMS, 29 shots, 22:49 ATOI, 46.3 CF%
Potential Suitors
The big question here will be his health. If a team believes that Kulikov will be able to play the rest of the way without too many issues, he’ll likely be fairly high on their wish list. If not, the market may not be as robust as Buffalo may be hoping for.
Assuming teams view him as a healthy player moving forward, Montreal may be a team to watch for in the East. They could use a more suitable playing partner for Shea Weber on their top pairing and Kulikov’s skill set would complement Weber’s fairly well. While they don’t quite have enough cap space to acquire him without offsetting any money, the difference likely wouldn’t be too difficult to overcome. If Tampa Bay were to get back into the race over the next few weeks, Kulikov is the type of top four addition they’ve been looking to make all season although it only makes sense if they’re pushing for a playoff spot. I’d also pencil in the Rangers as a team that could have a bit of interest while the Maple Leafs may have some interest if they decide to try to add some short-term help by the deadline as well.
Out West, the Oilers could stand to add to their back end and he would fit in as someone that could bolster their third pairing but be more than capable of moving up if more injuries were to arise out there. They also have the financial flexibility to add him in. Los Angeles has been quietly freeing up some money to work with at the deadline as well and a player like Kulikov would slot in quite nicely on their second pairing.
Likelihood Of A Trade
Unless Buffalo goes on a big run in the coming weeks and plays themselves right into the thick of the postseason chase, the odds of him moving should be pretty high. An extension at this point seems highly unlikely given the down season Kulikov has had so flipping him by the deadline would make a lot of sense for Sabres GM Tim Murray.