Jaccob Slavin Added To All-Star Squad
The Carolina Hurricanes will still have one of their defensemen at the upcoming All-Star Game, as Jaccob Slavin has been added to the roster following Dougie Hamilton‘s injury last night. Hamilton broke his fibula according to Nick Kypreos, though the team has not announced any official injury or timeline.
Slavin, 25, will be an All-Star for the first time in his career, despite being one of the most consistent two-way defensemen in the league for several years. The fourth-round pick from 2012 is a huge part of the Hurricanes team, logging more than 22 minutes a night (including almost zero powerplay time) and recording 22 points in 47 games. His +26 rating is good for third in the league, only behind Hamilton and Colorado Avalanche defender Ryan Graves.
It is terrible news for Hamilton though, who will miss significant time during what had been the best season of his NHL career. The 26-year old was a legitimate Norris Trophy contender with 14 goals and 40 points through 47 games, and will be sorely missed by the Hurricanes.
NHL All-Star Selections Announced
Although it took some time, with each individual team rolling out their own selections, the final rosters for All-Star Weekend have come into focus. Below are each of the four divisional team, set to face off in the Skills Competition on Friday, January 24th and the All-Star Game on Saturday, January 25th:
Atlantic Division
G Frederik Andersen, Toronto Maple Leafs
G Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins
D Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
D Shea Weber, Montreal Canadiens
F Tyler Bertuzzi, Detroit Red Wings
F Jack Eichel, Buffalo Sabres
F Anthony Duclair, Ottawa Senators
F Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers
F Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
F David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins (C)
Metropolitan Division
G Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals
G Joonas Korpisalo, Columbus Blue Jackets
D John Carlson, Washington Capitals
D Dougie Hamilton, Carolina Hurricanes
D Seth Jones, Columbus Blue Jackets
F Mathew Barzal, New York Islanders
F Jake Guentzel, Pittsburgh Penguins
F Travis Konecny, Philadelphia Flyers
F Kyle Palmieri, New Jersey Devils
F Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers
Central Division
G Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues
G Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
D Roman Josi, Nashville Predators
D Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues
F Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks
F Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche (C)
F Ryan O’Reilly, St. Louis Blues
F Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg Jets
F Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars
F Eric Staal, Minnesota Wild
Pacific Division
G Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights
G Darcy Kuemper, Arizona Coyotes
D Mark Giordano, Calgary Flames
F Logan Couture, San Jose Sharks
F Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
F Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings
F Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers (C)
F Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks
F Jakob Silfverberg, Anaheim Ducks
F Matthew Tkachuk, Calgary Flames
Additionally, each divisional squad will have one more addition as decided by the Last Men In fan vote. Voting opens on January 1st and closes on the 10th. Here are the candidates:
Atlantic Division – Patrice Bergeron, Rasmus Dahlin, Dylan Larkin Aleksander Barkov, Max Domi, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Steven Stamkos, Mitch Marner
Metropolitan Division – Teuvo Teravainen, Nick Foligno, Nico Hischier, Brock Nelson, Mika Zibanejad, Claude Giroux, Kris Letang, T.J. Oshie
Central Division – Jonathan Toews, Cale Makar, Jamie Benn, Ryan Suter, Matt Duchene, David Perron Patrik Laine
Pacific Division – Ryan Getzlaf, Clayton Keller, Johnny Gaudreau, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Drew Doughty, Tomas Hertl, Quinn Hughes, Max Pacioretty
Eastern Notes: Hurricanes’ Cap Issues, Johnsson, Djoos
After signing defenseman Jake Gardiner to a new four-year, $16.2MM contract, the Carolina Hurricanes have added key depth to their team, but have also now gone beyond the salary cap and are currently sitting about $1.5MM over it. Teams are allowed to go over the cap by 10 percent during the offseason, but with the season approaching, the team will have to make some adjustments, according to Hockey News’ Jared Clinton.
While a trade might be the obvious solution for the Hurricanes, the scribe writes the team could send some players down to the AHL to make up the difference in salary, including center Clark Bishop, who played 20 games (and two playoff games) for Carolina last season, as well as recently acquired defenseman Gustav Forsling. The problem is, neither player is waiver-exempt and the team could lose both players to other teams looking for a young center or a defenseman with 122 games of NHL experience.
If the team does want to go the trade rout, the most likely candidate would be Justin Faulk, who will be playing in his final season before hitting unrestricted free agency. However, moving him might be somewhat challenging as Faulk has a 15-team no-trade clause, while another blueliner Dougie Hamilton, does not, making Hamilton a more likely candidate to move.
- Despite a new four-year, $13.6MM contract, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Andreas Johnsson has high expectations for himself and notes that his goal is to come out of the gate better than he did last year, according to NHL.com’s Dave McCarthy. The 24-year-old winger started very slow for Toronto last season, scoring just three points in the first 18 games of the season, before finally breaking out with a hat trick on Nov. 24. He finished his final 55 games with 40 points (18 goals and 22 assists). A better start could mean a better season. “[The slow start last season] is in my mind,” Johnsson said. “I want to have a better start this season than I did last. I’ve tried to be as prepared as I can be. Now I have a full season under my belt and I know what to expect from it. It was a little bit longer summer for me this time, so it was a long time to prepare. I feel like I’m able to be healthy and was able to work on my body and mind. I feel like I’m coming stronger into this season than last.”
- The Washington Capitals have rebuilt their defense as the team has moved out several players including Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen, while bringing in Radko Gudas, getting a full season out of Nick Jensen and high expectations for youngster Jonas Siegenthaler. One forgotten player is defenseman Christian Djoos, who many have already penciled in as the Capitals emergency defenseman after struggling returning from a midseason injury. However, The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir (subscription required) writes that Djoos, who suffered a thigh injury that forced him to miss 24 games during the season, now claims to finally be 100 percent healthy and wants to reclaim his spot on Washington’s defense, but will have to beat out Siegenthaler as well as 2018 first-rounder Alex Alexeyev and Martin Fehervary, the team’s second-rounder in 2018, to do it.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Carolina Hurricanes
Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. 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 2019-20 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.
Carolina Hurricanes
Current Cap Hit: $79,004,791 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Andrei Svechnikov (two years, $925K)
F Martin Necas (three years, $863K)
D Jake Bean (two years, $863K)
F Warren Foegele (one year, $747K)
Potential Bonuses:
Svechnikov: $2.65MM
Necas: $538K
Bean: $500K
Foegele: $20K
With a system full of top prospects, the Hurricanes got an impressive rookie season from Svechnikov, drafted with the second-overall pick in 2018, last season and now will have a top-six option for another two years at an entry-level cost. At 18 years old, he tallied 20 goals and 37 points and should be in line for more playing time and bigger numbers this season as a 19-year-old and could eventually become the franchise winger the team needs long-term. The Hurricanes also have high hopes for Necas to step in and take big role next season at the center position. The 2017 first-rounder had an impressive season for the Calder Cup Champion Charlotte Checkers of the AHL and could provide Carolina with some cheap talent.
Bean, the team’s first-rounder in 2016, has only made two appearances for Carolina, but could get a chance to take a much bigger role after a strong season with Charlotte, which saw his skills take that next step. The 23-year-old Foegele began to show off his offensive skill over the course of the season in Carolina. He scored 10 goals and 15 points during the regular season, but was even more impressive in the playoffs with five goals and nine points in just 15 games. If he can take his game up a notch, the Hurricanes could have an even more impressive offense next season.
One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level
D Justin Faulk ($4.83MM, UFA)
F Erik Haula ($2.75MM, UFA)
D Trevor van Riemsdyk ($2.3MM, UFA)
D Gustav Forsling ($874K, RFA)
D Haydn Fleury ($850K, RFA)
F Brian Gibbons ($725K, UFA)
F Clark Bishop ($700K, RFA)
F Lucas Wallmark ($675K, RFA)
There were rumors that suggested that talks between Carolina and Faulk were no where close on a potential extension and others that said negotiations were promising, however, Faulk could be a legitimate trade candidate if the team can’t eventually work out an extension. The 27-year-old Faulk had a solid season both defensively as he was finally in the positive on his plus/minus for the first time in his career, while also adding 11 goals and 35 points. However, with a number of young defensemen who are waiting for a chance to get an opportunity in Carolina, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Carolina unload him at the trade deadline.
Haula is an interesting acquisition. The 28-year-old was coming off a 29-goal season in Vegas’ inaugural season, but then suffered a gruesome knee injury and never returned. In the end, he played just 15 games, although he was close to returning late in the season with many believing that he would have been available had the Golden Knights had gotten deeper into the playoffs. If he can prove to be healthy, Haula might prove to be one of the best acquisitions of the year. Whether the Hurricanes will re-sign him will obviously depend on how he fares next season.
The team might be ready to move on from van Riemsdyk, who has served as a bottom pairing defenseman, but probably makes too much at $2.3MM to keep around long term, especially since Fleury hasn’t really had a true chance to prove himself and could be a better option at his price.
Two Years Remaining
D Dougie Hamilton ($5.75MM, UFA)
G James Reimer ($3.4MM, UFA)
F Ryan Dzingel ($3.38MM, UFA)
G Petr Mrazek ($3.13MM, UFA)
F Brock McGinn ($2.1MM, UFA)
F Jordan Martinook ($2MM, UFA)
G Alex Nedeljkovic ($738K, RFA)
The team has a number of interesting contracts with two years left, including their entire goaltending situation. The team has Mrazek, who put together a stellar season after years of inconsistency, and new backup Reimer as the new tandem with their top prospect in Nedeljkovic close to ready to step into the lineup. All three will likely stay this season as Nedeljkovic is waiver exempt and likely will just stay in the AHL. However, if he can prove in training camp that he’s ready for the back-up role, few would be surprised if the team found a way to unload Reimer, who had a terrible season last year in Florida.
Despite hearing constant rumors that Carolina was shopping Hamilton around this offseason, it looks like the Hurricanes will have the veteran defenseman for another season. He put up solid numbers, scoring 18 goals an 39 points and is solid defensively, but he could eventually be a trade candidate, perhaps as early as the trade deadline if the team struggles and can’t reproduce the same success it had a season ago. The team also hopes that they can get Dzingel to provide the same type of offense he was producing in Ottawa, rather than his struggles in Columbus. However, he should provide solid value at his pricetag and fit in nicely as a middle-six option.
Three Years Remaining
F Nino Niederreiter ($5.25MM, UFA)
It might have been the trade of the year when the Hurricanes acquired Niederreiter from Minnesota for Victor Rask. While Rask struggled in Minnesota, Niederreiter’s season took off when he arrived, scoring 14 goals and 30 points in 36 games and he slotted in nicely on the first line. If he can produce anything close to that, the team has a steal of a deal for the next three years. If his production drops back to what it was in Minnesota earlier in the year (nine goals and 23 points in 46 games) then the team has a contract that could be a burden for some time.
Four Or More Years Remaining
F Sebastian Aho ($8.45MM through 2023-24)
F Jordan Staal ($6MM through 2022-23)
F Teuvo Teravainen ($5.4MM through 2023-24)
D Jaccob Slavin ($5.3MM through 2024-25)
D Brett Pesce ($4.03MM through 2023-24)
The Montreal Canadiens did Carolina a favor when they shocked the NHL by signing Aho to an offer sheet that didn’t look difficult to match. While five years likely isn’t ideal, the Hurricanes still now have their top franchise player signed until 2024 and can figure out its plans after that, but now are one of the few teams that have locked up their franchise restricted free agent already, with the rest still waiting to sign a contract. That should provide Aho, who had another breakout season with 30 goals and 83 points, with plenty of time to be ready for training camp and see if he can take his game to another level once again.
His linemate in Teravainen is another key piece of Carolina’s future who keeps producing better and better numbers. The 24-year-old produced 21 goals and a career-high 76 points and is locked up for another five years as well, giving Aho a solid winger to work with. The team, however, may not be as thrilled with the four years it still has in Staal, who produced one of his worst seasons although injuries did play apart. The 30-year-old still has four years at $6MM from a 10-year, $60MM deal he signed back in 2012. After posting just 11 goals and 28 points in 50 games, the team hopes he can bounce back.
One thing the Hurricanes did was locking up its young defenders. The team has seen Slavin develop into a top-line defenseman in the last year and to have him locked up at just $5.3MM for six more years will likely be one of the team’s biggest bargain for a long time. He has been averaging more than 22 minutes per game for three of his four seasons in the league. Pesce has also seen his game increase and is also a steal with the rising cost of young defensemen lately. Pesce saw his minutes break 20 minutes for a second straight season, while his offense increased by 10 points.
Buyouts
F Patrick Marleau ($6.25MM in 2019-20)
F Alexander Semin ($2.33MM through 2020-21)
Retained Salary Transactions
None
Salary Cap Recapture
None
Still To Sign
F Justin Williams (UFA)
F Saku Maenalanen (RFA)
D Roland McKeown (RFA)
One question that is still up for grabs is whether Williams will return to the team. The 37-year-old winger has been told he can take as much time as he wants to determine whether he wants to return to hockey. He’s made it clear it’s either Carolina or retirement, but after putting up a solid campaign last year of 23 goals and 53 points, it’s hard to believe that the veteran leader is ready to hang it up if he still is capable of producing as a top-six forward. While he may eventually have to slide down to the third line, the veteran was critical to the team’s deep playoff run and Carolina hopes he will come back.
While McKeown might have a hard time finding playing time in Carolina’s stacked defense, the team will need to get Maenalanen signed at some point. The 6-foot-4 bottom-six winger stepped into the lineup late in the season and was a solid contributor, posting four goals and eight points in 34 games, while skating for just 9:26 of ATOI. He provided some physical play and if he can steal a spot on the fourth line, could be valuable.
Best Value: Slavin
Worst Value: Staal
Looking Ahead
The Carolina Hurricanes have done an impressive job of drafting well, developing their talent and adding veteran talent at reasonable prices. With most of their core already locked up long-term and plenty of talent still on entry-level contracts, the Hurricanes should be able to keep their team competitive for years and keep getting better as the team continues to develop.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Chicago Blackhawks Acquire Calvin De Haan
The long-running rumor that the Carolina Hurricanes would trade one of their talented defensemen has finally come to fruition. Except it’s not Justin Faulk, not Dougie Hamilton, not Jaccob Slavin or Brett Pesce. No, instead it is their most recent blue line addition, last summer’s free agent signing Calvin de Haan. After just one season in Raleigh, de Haan is on his way to Chicago, his new team announced. Accompanying him to the Blackhawks is prospect forward Aleksi Saarela and the return heading to Carolina is yet another defenseman, Gustav Forsling, and goaltender Anton Forsberg.
This is not a swap that anyone could have reasonably predicted. The Hurricanes, who have had a logjam on the blue line for several years, finally move a defenseman, but yet again add another defenseman in return. Many were puzzled when Carolina first signed de Haan to a four-year, $18.2MM contract last summer given their existing depth on defense. Now they move him less than twelve months later and add another left-handed defenseman, albeit younger and much cheaper, to essentially take on the same spot in the organizational depth chart. Forsling, 23, played in at least 38 NHL games in each of the past three seasons, but remains a work in progress. Unlike de Haan, Forsling will have to fight for his starts against the likes of Jake Bean and Haydn Fleury, so in a way the ‘Canes have at least changed their defensive dynamic. Forsling is a restricted free agent, but lacks arbitration rights and also much of a case that he is worth anything more than a short-term, low-value contract for now.
The second piece coming to Carolina is also intriguing and that is 26-year-old goaltender Anton Forsberg. The Hurricanes’ 2018-19 tandem of Petr Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney are both unrestricted free agents and recent reports suggest that neither is expected to return. Scott Darling still remains under contract despite rumors that he would be bought out this summer and could be in play again next season. Promising prospect Alex Nedeljkovic, a restricted free agent, is also due an opportunity at this stage in his young career. The acquisition of Forsberg is odd, as the Hurricanes still need a starting goalie and he is not the answer. Forsberg did not make an NHL appearance last season for Chicago and fell down the team’s depth chart and struggled with the full-time backup role in 2017-18. At this point in his career, Forsberg – who is also a restricted free agent – is little more than a third-string depth option, making that three such players for the ‘Canes now and no real NHL options in net.
So, the strangest part of this trade is not that the Hurricanes added a defenseman and goalie that they did not need, but that they seemingly gave de Haan and Saarela away. Were this any other team, this trade would be viewed as a salary dump, with de Haan’s $4.55MM cap hit and a sweetener, Saarela, heading to a team for a couple middling pieces and cap relief. However, the Hurricanes are currently below the salary cap floor and are facing no financial constraints. Unless this is a precursor to Carolina adding $15MM+ in free agent signings or trade acquisitions, the team did not need to move de Haan for cap relief. Keep an eye out for the Hurricanes in the coming weeks.
Regardless of the Hurricanes’ motivations, this is a great deal for the Blackhawks. De Haan is a solid two-way defenseman who may only contribute moderate offensive numbers, but plays a shutdown defensive game and can move the puck. By no means is his salary an over-payment, as de Haan is an elite shot blocker, a strong physical presence, and a man-down asset. If there is one notable weakness to de Haan, it is that he is injury prone and is in fact currently sidelined following shoulder surgery and unlikely to be ready for the start of the season. Nevertheless, he is still a great defender when healthy. Saarela, seemingly an add-on, recorded 54 points in 69 AHL games last season and was even better in the postseason, adding 15 points in 17 games for the Calder Cup-winning Charlotte Checkers. Saarela is poised to make his NHL debut sooner rather than later and Chicago could wind up with a nice future scoring winger in the 22-year-old restricted free agent.
Metropolitan Notes: Faulk, Werenski, Harrington, Devils
After an impressive playoff run that has Carolina looking like an improved franchise, the Hurricanes don’t want it to be a fluke season. The team, which based much of its success on an impressive blueline, wants to commit to it long term. Therefore despite being mentioned as a trade candidate for more than a full season, it looks like Carolina wants to commit long-term to Justin Faulk. The defenseman has one year remaining on his contract, but The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun (subscription required) reports that the team has reached out to Faulk and his agent in hopes of signing an extension when he’s eligible on July 1.
LeBrun adds that Faulk, who has played his entire eight-year career in Carolina, is amenable to an extension, although it’s likely he would demand a no-trade clause this time around. That would give Carolina three right-handed top-four defensemen in Faulk, Dougie Hamilton and Brett Pesce, but he says that the Hurricanes are OK with having that right depth on the right side and are comfortable keeping all three.
However, the Fourth Period reports that Carolina is looking to acquire a top-six winger to boost their offense this year and that the team is willing to trade one of their top defenseman to make that happen. The report suggests that Carolina is one of the teams that has inquired on Minnesota’s Jason Zucker and has spoken to Toronto about both William Nylander, Kasperi Kapanen and Nazem Kadri in the past.
- The Athletic’s Allison Lukan (subscription required) reports that while the Columbus Blue Jackets have several options on how they want to sign restricted free agent Zach Werenski, it’s almost a lock that Columbus will attempt to sign him to a long-term deal. The 21-year-old blueliner just finished up his entry-level deal and is in line for a big payday after posting 38 goals and 128 points over three years, but with plenty of cap room and multiple free agents walking away from Columbus, locking him up to a long-term deal, which could exceed $6MM, is likely going to be the team’s goal.
- Sticking with the Blue Jackets, the team has another restricted free agent who is expected to get a raise this summer. Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch writes that defenseman Scott Harrington, who has had trouble catching on to an NHL team early in his career after playing just 79 NHL games over the past four seasons with three different teams, has found a home in Columbus. The 26-year-old played his first full season, playing 73 games, mostly as a bottom-six defenseman, but was instrumental to the Blue Jackets as a character leader in the locker room. After making just $675K last season, Harrington could potentially double his salary for next season.
- The Athletic’s Corey Masisak (subscription required) lays out the possibilities on what the New Jersey Devils can do with their second-round pick (No. 34). With three second-round picks, the 34th pick is a valuable asset that could allow the team to trade into the first round or use to trade for a significant impact player to bolster its team. The scribe looks at past teams in similar positions, including a 2013 trade in which the Buffalo Sabres traded several players and the No. 31 pick for Ryan O’Reilly.
Snapshots: Datsyuk, Faulk, Karlsson, Sutter
Despite some initial speculation early this off-season, it seems an NHL comeback for Pavel Datsyuk is unlikely. Speaking to Helene St. James of The Detroit Free Press, agent Dan Milstein stated that Datsyuk’s probable landing spot remains his home town of Yekaterinburg with the KHL’s Avtomobilist. A free agent after wrapping up a very successful three-year stint with SKA St. Petersburg, Datsyuk made it known that he was leaving SKA and was hoping to land somewhere more familiar to he and his family. The 40-year-old center’s NHL rights are currently owned by the Arizona Coyotes, but they expire on July 1st with the start of the new league year. As such, there was some thought that he could return to the Detroit Red Wings, where he spent all 14 years of his NHL career. Datsyuk would be joining a team now run by fellow Red Wings legend Steve Yzerman and even in his advanced age, Datsyuk would have had the chance to return to a key role for Detroit. Although he recently visited the city and reportedly spoke to Yzerman and company, Milstein maintains that Datsyuk is more likely to settle into a cushy role in Yekaterinburg. “We are meeting in the coming days to discuss options and future plans,” Milstein said, but it seems that the decision is already close to being made. “It’s very likely Pavel will live up to his promise of playing for his hometown team in Russia.”
- In an article offering up some trade suggestions over the waning days of the NHL postseason for those teams no longer in the running, USA Today’s Kevin Allen notes that teams may not want to waste their time trying to pry a defenseman out of Carolina. The Hurricanes succeeded this season largely because of their strength on the back end and GM Don Waddell appears more concerned with maintaining that depth rather than leveraging it. Allen reports that the team is engaged in extension talks with long-time stalwart Justin Faulk, whose current contract expires after next season. Allen adds that the team is not interested in dealing Faulk or any of their top-four defensemen at this time, which certainly includes Dougie Hamilton, Jaccob Slavin, and Brett Pesce, but may also include their big free agent addition from last summer, Calvin de Haan. The one defenseman who might have been dangled as trade bait is Trevor van Riemsdyk who, like Faulk, has only one year remaining on his contract. However, a long-term injury that will see van Riemsdyk on the sidelines to begin the season will probably put a damper on any trade talks. van Riemsdyk’s early-season absence will also allow youngsters Haydn Fleury and Jake Bean to see some NHL ice time, keeping all blue line parties content through another season at least.
- Offer sheets remain a rare occurrence in the NHL – the last came in 2013 – but that doesn’t stop talk from spreading every off-season that one of the top restricted free agents could finally land such an offer. One prominent RFA whose name has not been associated with an offer sheet thus far, perhaps should be, writes David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Schoen believes that center William Karlsson is a prime candidate for an offer sheet this summer. The Vegas Golden Knights are already buried in payroll and the off-season has yet to begin. CapFriendly estimates that they are already over the projected $83MM ceiling for next season, yet still have Karlsson, Nikita Gusev, Malcolm Subban, and others to re-sign. The Knights will be forced to move out salary regardless, but a substantial offer sheet signed by Karlsson may be too much for Vegas to match. Specifically, Schoen names the Carolina Hurricanes, Ottawa Senators, Minnesota Wild, and Detroit Red Wings as potential suitors, citing cap space and need for all four teams.
- While it is not a done deal, the Los Angeles Kings don’t appear worried about losing one of their key free agents. Fox Sports’ Jon Rosen reports that the Kings are close to extending Brett Sutter, the captain of the AHL’s Ontario Reign. Sutter, 32, is a respected veteran who Rosen states is a “great conduit between the coaching staff and dressing room.” An experienced and productive minor league forward, Sutter is the type of dedicated player that all organizations like to have around and it seems he will be back with L.A. for at least one more year.
Snapshots: Hedman, Ferland, Hamilton, McKenna, Simmonds
It looks like the Tampa Bay Lightning will be without another key player Sunday. Already without the suspended Nikita Kucherov, NHL.com’s Bryan Burns reports that star defenseman Victor Hedman will miss Game 3 with an unknown injury.
Head coach Jon Cooper said earlier today that Hedman would be a game-time decision, but now Braydon Coburn is on the ice, taking Hedman’s place. Hedman has been playing injured in the first two games of the playoffs.
- There won’t be any supplementary discipline from Saturday’s Game 2 between the Washington Capitals and the Carolina Hurricanes despite a number of controversial hits. Carolina Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell said that neither Micheal Ferland or Dougie Hamilton will receive any attention from the Department of Player Safety, according to News & Observer’s Luke DeCock. Ferland gave a big hit to Washington’s Nic Dowd, but the angle looks like Ferland hit through Dowd’s body and did not aim for the head. Hamilton’s elbow to Washington’s Evgeny Kuznetsov was also heavily criticized, but it wasn’t believed that the elbow had enough force for supplementary discipline.
- Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Mike McKenna sent out a tweet Sunday, saying he would have a “humongous big announcement” coming on Monday. While there no confirmation what it is about, speculation has risen that McKenna might be ready to announce his retirement. AHLcom’s Tony Androckitis wrote that the 36-year-old McKenna was leaning towards ending his career Saturday night after the Lehigh Valley Phantoms ended their AHL season. “I’m pragmatically saying I’m not sure,” said McKenna. “It’s going to take an awful lot to convince me to play again I think. In terms of what I need to have happen for my family, more so than me.” McKenna, who could be considered an AHL-lifer, made 11 NHL appearances this season — 10 with Ottawa and another one with the Philadelphia Flyers. He’s made 35 NHL appearances over the course of his career.
- NHL.com’s Robby Stanley reports that Brian Boyle remains “ill” and is day-to-day for Monday’s Game 3 matchup with the Dallas Stars. Boyle missed Game 2 with the flu. The scribe adds that there still isn’t an update on the status of Wayne Simmonds. Simmonds left Saturday’s game after taking a puck to the knee. A update is expected on Monday.
Snapshots: Callahan, Makar, Hamilton, Johansson
With the loss of star forward and likely Hart Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov for Game 3 on Sunday due to a one-game suspension handed down today, The Athletic’s Joe Smith (subscription required) writes that the team will bring in veteran Ryan Callahan to fill in the roster spot for a team that both its games at home and now must rebound with a pair of away games in Columbus. Of course, other players will likely move up the team’s lineup with Callahan staying in the bottom six. Callahan has last played a week ago, but only played 4:13 in that game and has only played more than 13 minutes once in the last month.
- TSN’s Bob McKenzie suggests that the Colorado Avalanche may have a tougher decision on what it wants to do with NCAA star Cale Makar, who the team is rumored to be signing within the next 24 hours. McKenzie writes that if Makar signs a contract, he will automatically burn the first year of his entry-level deal. However, and possibly more important, McKenzie adds that if Makar plays even one playoff game this season, he would need to be protected in the Seattle expansion draft. If the team opted not to play him in the playoffs this year, he wouldn’t be available to be taken by Seattle.
- The Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan reports that she has heard from a source that Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Dougie Hamilton will hear from the Department of Player Safety Sunday after elbowing Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov during the second period.
- While many people were worried that Boston Bruins forward Marcus Johansson was hurt when he didn’t appear during warm-ups, the Bruins announced not long afterwards that the veteran forward was expected to miss Saturday’s game due to the flu. The 28-year-old trade deadline acquisition didn’t record a point in Game 1, but still played 16:20 of ice time for the Bruins. David Backes took Johansson’s spot.
Evening Notes: Hitchcock, Chiarelli, Husso, Fox, Vidmar, Capitals
It’s been an interesting coaching season for Edmonton Oilers head coach Ken Hitchcock, who retired from coaching in April last year. Instead, he returned to coaching in November to take over for Todd McLellan for a struggling Oilers’ squad and has led the team to a 24-24-7 record so far, despite the team surging to a 7-2-1 start when Hitchcock took over.
Since then, the team has moved on from general manager Peter Chiarelli and there remain lots of questions of whether Hitchcock would even want to come back. Pressed for an answer about whether he’d be interested in returning next season, Sportsnet’s John Shannon writes that Hitchcock would be open to coming back.
“For the record, I feel if I’m good I can coach until I’m 99,” Hitchcock said.
Of course, with the team looking for a new general manager once the season ends, there is a good chance that the new GM will want to hire his own coach, which could end Hitchcock’s tenure in Edmonton.
- Speaking of Chiarelli, The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford reports that the former GM has been seen in the Blues’ management booth alongside St. Louis general manager Doug Armstrong. While there is no word on whether Armstrong is considering bringing Chiarelli aboard or what role he might have in St. Louis, Rutherford points out that Armstrong has a history of hiring former GMs, including Bob Gainey and Dave Tippett.
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jim Thomas notes that he saw St. Louis Blues goaltending prospect Ville Husso in a walking boot walking through the press box of Enterprise Center, suggesting that the San Antonio Rampage goaltender is out for the season. It’s been a rough season for the 24-year-old, who was considered the heir-apparent to Jake Allen last season. Instead, Jordan Binnington has surpassed him on the team’s depth chart, while Husso struggled with a 6-17 record with a 3.67 GAA and a .871 save percentage.
- TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the Carolina Hurricanes remain hopeful that they can sign Harvard University star defenseman Adam Fox to a contract once his season is over, but there are no guarantees. Harvard has a good chance to make the NCAA tournament, which means the Hurricanes will have to wait until the blueliner’s season is over. The 21-year-old is in his junior year, posting 10 goals and 48 points so far this year but due to signability issues, was already traded once when the Calgary Flames sent him to Carolina as part of the Dougie Hamilton–Elias Lindholm deal last summer.
- The Calgary Flames’ AHL affiliate, the Stockton Heat announced that they have signed undrafted college free agent forward Sebastian Vidmar out of Union College. The 25-year-old just wrapped up his senior season with 10 goals and 22 points and finished a career with 40 goals and 63 assists in 137 career games. The 6-foot-3 forward joins a struggling Stockton team that is currently sixth in the AHL Pacific Division.
- Isabelle Khurshudyan writes that the Washington Capitals will likely have even more salary cap problems next year as the team is currently tight on cap space, but with bonus expected for both Jakub Vrana, who triggered a $212K bonus for reaching 20 goals recently and could get another bonus if he finishes among the top six forwards in ATOI (he’s currently sixth). Throw in the $500K that Brooks Orpik will get and the team will go over the cap at the end of the season, which will count against their cap space next year.