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Erik Karlsson

Pacific Notes: Karlsson, Stone, Benning, Puljujarvi

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The San Jose Sharks have won six of their last seven games and should only get stronger on Saturday as the team expects star defenseman Erik Karlsson to return to their lineup from a lower-body injury after missing the past nine games, according to NBC Sports’ Adam Gretz.

Karlsson, who is still among the top 10 defensemen in scoring this season despite missing those nine games, has three goals and 43 points in 47 games and had been red-hot before getting injured. The team has gone 6-3 without Karlsson in that span, but the team has played its best hockey of the season recently, not including a tough loss to Washington on Thursday, in which it had won six straight games and taken over first place in the Pacific Division.

The blueliner should only add to the team’s offense with his return. He is expected to reunite with Marc-Edouard Vlasic to form one of the NHL’s top defensive lines.

  • Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reports that while it’s not a surprise that the Winnipeg Jets are the most aggressive suitors for Mark Stone, there is another team that has shown a significant amount of interest as the Vegas Golden Knights are interested in adding Stone to their core of talent, although the Golden Knights are only interested if they can work out an extension with the 26-year-old winger. Stone already has tied his career-high in goals this season with 26 and looks to be having a breakout year. However, considering the Golden Knights have stated in the past that they don’t want to move any more draft picks or top prospects, there are serious questions as to what they would be willing to give up to get Stone.
  • The Edmonton Oilers announced they have placed defenseman Matt Benning on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury, which will open up a roster spot for recently acquired forward Sam Gagner. The 24-year-old Benning has struggled this year with just two goals and 10 points, but has also seen his playing time dwindle as he is averaging just 14:46 of ATOI this year, well below his career average of 16:25.
  • Sticking with the Oilers, Sportsnet’s Mark Spector reports that Edmonton is likely going to return the struggling Jesse Puljujarvi to the AHL soon. With Puljujarvi struggling again under head coach Ken Hitchcock, the team wants to send him down, possibly for the rest of the season, and let him regain his confidence which was their plan when they sent him down earlier this season. However, Hitchcock immediately recalled him after spending just a few days there, when he took over as head coach for Todd McLellan.

Pacific Notes: Hitchcock, Sekera, Vlasic

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Edmonton Oilers head coach Ken Hitchcock may have hit his threshold for how much he can take of the current situation in Edmonton where the Oilers have lost seven of their last eight games, according to the Edmonton Journal’s David Staples. Hitchcock, who took over in November for former head coach Todd McLellan, lashed out to the media about his team’s 5-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks.

“At this time of year, the coaches can’t want it more than the players,” Hitchcock said. “That is number one. At the end of the day, it’s going to be decided whether we want to play the right way cause it’s successful, or whether we just want to do our thing. And to me today was a game we just wanted to do our thing and paid dearly for it.”

One player Hitchcock was targeting was star Leon Draisaitl, whose weak backcheck was responsible for one of the goals scored against the team. Despite the fact that Draisaitl is having a career year offensively, more is expected of him.

“(It’s) symptom of something of much bigger,” said Hitchcock. “To me, it’s priorities and it’s what’s important. I mean, look at the fifth goal, it was a change goal, we just dribbling went to the bench (again this was Draisaitl), turned it over in the neutral zone and just walked to the bench and changed. It just can’t be acceptable.”

  • Sticking with the Oilers, the Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins writes that defenseman Andrej Sekera, who has been out all season after undergoing surgery on his Achilles tendon, in August, played in his second game conditioning stint with the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL and could have to make move to bring him back by Wednesday after his conditioning stint ends. Sekera fared well, but whether he’s quick enough to play at the NHL level again, is another question, according to Leavins. The team, which has Sekera on LTIR, will have to make a move to be able to activate Sekera.
  • Since missing 10 games before the All-Star break with what is believed to be a shoulder injury, San Jose Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic has seen a major improvement in his game, according to The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz (subscription required). His play is one of the reason, the Sharks have won four straight without Erik Karlsson. He’s had one assist and a plus-three rating, while showing that he’s rejuvenated. “I think he’s playing with a little more jump, a little more urgency in his game,” head coach Peter DeBoer said. “That’s probably the two things. A little more decisiveness, which has kind of been a hallmark of what his game is about, especially ending plays and defending. He’s looked really good.”

Senators Notes: Anderson, Boedker, Stone, Duchene

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The Ottawa Senators are busy negotiating extensions with and listening to trade offers for several of their most important players. Yet, The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch writes that you can cross one prominent name off the list of deadline trade candidates. Garrioch, referring to comments made by GM Pierre Dorion, states definitively that starting goalie Craig Anderson will not be traded before the NHL Trade Deadline at the end of the month. Anderson, 37, has dealt with injuries this season and has only played in 34 games. While his performance has improved slightly over a forgettable 2017-18 season, Anderson’s .906 save percentage and 3.50 GAA are less than stellar. In fact, Anderson has not even been the Sens’ best keeper of late, as trade acquisition Anders Nilsson sports a .922 save percentage and 2.53 GAA in eight appearances. Despite these setbacks, there has been speculation all season that a team in need of help in net could look at the experienced veteran as an option. However, Dorion seems content to stick with Anderson, at least through the end of the season. Anderson is signed for one more year at $4.75MM and could hypothetically be moved this off-season, but with Nilsson heading toward free agency and a loaded free agent crop at the goalie position that should quell the trade market, it’s safe to assume that Anderson surviving the deadline this year means he will begin next season with the Senators.

  • CapFriendly reported earlier today that the Senators have placed forward Mikkel Boedker on injured reserve. Garrioch additionally adds that Boedker is considered week-to-week with an undisclosed injury. While it seems like the Senators might not be too concerned about a brief absence for Boedker given their place in the standings, his injury could prove problematic in trade talks. While the bulk of the focus on Ottawa’s deadline dealings has fairly been on priority free agents Matt Duchene, Mark Stone, and Ryan Dzingel, Boedker has quietly had a strong season and could be of interest to suitors. Acquired from the San Jose Sharks as part of the Mike Hoffman return, Boedker has 28 points through 51 games thus far, which puts him on pace for 45 points; this would be the top mark by Boedker since he left the Arizona Coyotes organization years ago. Boedker has one more year left on his contract at $4MM and the cost-cutting Senators would jump at the chance to move his contract off the books – especially if it would help to retain any of the aforementioned trio – and also get a decent trade return this year. However, Boedker’s ability to help a team down the stretch and in the postseason this year would be a key part of his trade value. This injury could make it difficult to move Boedker after all.
  • Another week closer to the trade deadline and the Senators still do not have an extension in place with Mark Stone. Despite Stone’s insistence that he would like to stay in Ottawa and the team’s determination to get a deal done, there have been no signs that a resolution is close. TSN has reflected this lack of change to the status quo by moving Stone up to No. 5 in their Trade Bait List, where he joins teammate Matt Duchene, who is currently No. 2. As Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman writes, it’s impossible to know where exactly Ottawa is in negotiations with Stone or Duchene, but as the days tick by, it becomes more likely that they are dealt. Friedman believes that the team will have to make a decision on the pair “very soon” so that they can move on to working with Ryan Dzingel on an extension.

Deadline Primer: Vegas Golden Knights

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With the trade deadline fast approaching, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? We start with a look at the Vegas Golden Knights.

This is a somewhat different year for the Vegas Golden Knights who took the league by storm last season in route to a Stanley Cup Finals appearance. While Vegas remains playoff bound as they are firmly entrenched in third place with 62 points. However, this Vegas team has shown inconsistency throughout the year. While it looked like the Golden Knights had turned the corner throughout December and January, the team suddenly finds itself in a four-game losing streak with the Tampa Bay Lightning in front of them next. After trading a first, second and third-round pick to acquire Tomas Tatar at the deadline, who turned out to be a major disappointment, the team might be more reluctant to make a big trade at the deadline and may be more inclined to just add some depth options this time around.

Record

29-21-4, third in the Pacific Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$15.554MM in a full-season cap hit, 2/3 used salary cap retention slots, 47/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2019: VGK 1st, VGK 2nd, VGK 3rd, NSH 3rd, WPG 3rd, VGK 4th, MON 5th, MIN 5th, VGK 5th
2020: VGK 1st, VGK 2nd, DAL 2nd, PIT 2nd, VGK 3rd, VGK 4th, VGK 5th, VGK 6th, VGK 7th

Trade Chips

Perhaps the biggest trade chips that the Golden Knights possess are their draft picks. General manager George McPhee has already sent off quite a few to acquire Tatar and then flip him along with top prospect Nick Suzuki and another second-rounder to pry Max Pacioretty from Montreal. However, as the team keeps an eye the future, the team also full well knows it may not want to move any more of their top picks in the next few years. That doesn’t mean they don’t have some later picks that they could move, including three third-rounders this year and three second-round picks in 2020 if they want to add some depth to their team. If they really want to make a splash, the team could include a first-rounder, but they may be reluctant to do so.

The team also has significant cap room, although that has been slowly disappearing. The team still has to lock up center William Karlsson, who will be a restricted free agent against after signing a one-year deal, but the team has all their key players locked up for at least the next two years, so they could take on an expensive contract for a discount.

The forward lines look pretty set even without Erik Haula, who could miss the entire season, but the team has a number of depth forwards who they could move like Oscar Lindberg, Ryan Carpenter or even Tomas Nosek to free up a valuable roster space. The question is whether other teams would be interested in any of those options. Carpenter could be of value to a team needing a bottom-six depth option, while Nosek is still young enough to offer some potential. As for defense, while the team could use an upgrade, the Golden Knights already traded away Brad Hunt, suggesting they are unlikely to move another defenseman now and although they have several interesting young defenseman waiting in the wings in the AHL, it’s unlikely the team is going to move out a player to make space for a prospect.

Five Players To Watch For: F Carpenter, D Nicolas Hague, D Nick Holden, F Nosek, G Malcolm Subban

Team Needs

1) Top-Four Defenseman: While the team doesn’t really need a big-name forward at the trade deadline, defense could be a different matter. The Golden Knights defense is good, but the team was almost desperate to acquire Erik Karlsson last season from Ottawa, but came up just short. They followed that up by adding Nick Holden during the offseason, but that’s hardly the answer either. With Deryk Engelland starting to show his age, Holden struggling and star prospect Erik Brannstrom not yet ready to contribute, the team could use a defenseman that can help protect goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. Plenty of rumors seem to have Vegas focused on one of St. Louis’ top defenders, including Alex Pietrangelo or Colton Parayko, but the team would obviously have to move more than a few middle-round picks to acquire either of them.

2) Back-up Goaltender: Vegas has struggled finding a solid backup. While Subban has the skills, the 25-year-old is just 2-5 this season with a 2.95 GAA and a .904 save percentage and is currently injured. On top of that, he has made just eight appearances this season, which isn’t really helping a 34-year-old Fleury who has already appeared in 46 games this season, the same number he played in during the regular season a year go. With no prospects in the wings, it might make sense for Vegas to go out and get a Keith Kinkaid, Jimmy Howard or another veteran goalie to fill the void for the remainder of the season and give them an option to re-sign them this summer if they work out.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Deadline Primer: San Jose Sharks

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With the trade deadline fast approaching, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? As we begin to examine the Pacific Division, here is a look at the San Jose Sharks.

The moment that the San Jose Sharks traded for star defenseman Erik Karlsson, many people felt that the Sharks would be at the top of the Pacific Division. While no one was expecting the Calgary Flames to be so dominant, the Sharks are solidly in second place and with their impressive play of late, it wouldn’t be a shock if San Jose found their way back during the team’s stretch run. The Sharks have been rolling, having won 10 of 14 games and three of those games were a streak when they were forced to play without Karlsson.

With a number of veteran players trying to hold on for another deep playoff run, including Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Sharks picked up another significant piece to their plans to win this season. The team went out a year ago at the trade deadline and picked up Evander Kane from Buffalo, eventually locking him up long-term and they followed that up by adding Karlsson during the offseason. Throw in the fact that Thornton hasn’t been 100 percent this season and isn’t the same player due to his knee injury and the need for more depth is obvious. No one would be surprised if general manager Doug Wilson tries to pry another major piece.

Record

29-16-7, second in the Pacific Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$6.76MM in full-season cap hit, 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 45/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2019: FLA 2nd, SJS 3rd, SJS 5th, SJS 6th, SJS 7th
2020: SJS 2nd, SJS 3rd, SJS 4th, SJS 5th, OTT 5th

Trade Chips

This is where the Sharks might have some problems. The team has already moved its first-round picks in 2019 and in 2020 as they moved their 2019 pick to Buffalo for Kane and then their 2020 first-rounder for Karlsson (pending multiple conditions that are likely to hold). The team has already unloaded several key young players and prospects in separate deals, including Chris Tierney, Rudolfs Balcers, Danny O’Regan, and Josh Norris. It’s been made clear that the Sharks aren’t interested in moving too many more prospects, leaving the team bare of incoming prospects, but regardless, time is running out for a number of their veterans and with the dominance of several teams, the Sharks will want to keep up with them.

Regardless, the team may have few choices. One player the team could consider moving out would be forward Kevin Labanc, who has five goals and 30 points this season, but hasn’t been able to break into the team’s top six. The 23-year-old still has plenty of promise and might be able to being in a significant return for a player who tallied two 100-point seasons in the OHL. The team also could dip into their prospect pool that has a number of talented players, including 21-year-old goalie Josef Korenar, who appeared in the AHL All-Star game this year, AHL forwards Dylan Gambrell and Francis Perron, as well as highly-touted offensive defenseman Ryan Merkley, and junior forwards Sasha Chmelevski and Ivan Chekhovich.

Five Players To Watch For: G Aaron Dell, F Barclay Goodrow, D Tim Heed, F Kevin Labanc, D Joakim Ryan

Team Needs

1) More forward depth: The team has a solid top-six, but the third line has been average at best and hardly the scoring line the team was hoping for at the beginning of the year. With Thornton ailing, the team could use a sniper, potentially who has some experience manning the center position to improve the bottom-six. Thornton has just 10 goals and 25 points in 43 games this season and looks like he’s heading for his most disappointing season so far. While Marcus Sorensen has shown improvement, the forward has just 17 points this season, while Labanc still hasn’t full proven himself to head coach Peter DeBoer. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Sharks went to the Ottawa well again, having already worked out deals to take Mike Hoffman and Karlsson from the Senators. A rental like Matt Duchene or winger like Mark Stone would force the team to adjust their lines and put some quality offense on their third line.

2) Defensive depth: With an injury, as well as poor play, coming from Marc-Edouard Vlasic, the team may want to bring in a veteran defenseman who could provide the team with some strength behind the blueline. The team has gotten surprisingly good play from defenseman Radim Simek, who the team signed out of the Czech Republic last summer. However, the team needs more help there and don’t have too much help at that position down in the AHL.

2019 Midseason UFA Power Rankings: 1-10

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With the halfway point of the season now behind us and the trade deadline fast approaching, the All-Star break seemed like the perfect time to take a preliminary look at the UFA Class of 2019. Here is the first half of our top-20 rankings, based on votes from writers Gavin Lee, Brian La Rose, Zach Leach and Holger Stolzenberg. We ran spots 11-20 a few days ago, and will publish the honorable mentions tomorrow afternoon.

1. Erik Karlsson, San Jose Sharks — Karlsson was the unanimous choice for the top spot and it is easy to understand why. Even after an apparent slow start, the 28-year old defenseman is having one of the most dominant seasons of his career and now has 43 points through 47 games with the Sharks. Acquired for a huge package of assets just before the season began, he makes San Jose one of the most dangerous contenders in the quest for the Stanley Cup. Karlsson has been reported to be looking for a deal approaching Drew Doughty’s eight-year, $88MM extension in free agency and could only sign a contract of that length with the Sharks after this season’s trade deadline. If he doesn’t put pen to paper quickly after the deadline passes though, you can bet 30 other teams—well, perhaps not Ottawa—will be drooling over the idea of adding him in the offseason.

2. Artemi Panarin, Columbus Blue Jackets — Panarin was ranked no lower than fourth by any of the writers, and that is only because of the other incredible talents at the top of the list. The 27-year old winger is a dominant offensive force that ranks seventh in scoring since entering the league in 2015-16. Once believed to be a byproduct of Patrick Kane in Chicago, Panarin has shown that he can be the one driving the offense even while helping along a rookie forward in Pierre-Luc Dubois. Agent Dan Milstein is set to speak with Panarin one final time before letting Columbus know if he’s willing to negotiate an extension with the Blue Jackets, but looks like he’ll remain with the team through the trade deadline regardless. If the Blue Jackets can’t get him to sign, Panarin could very well cause a bidding war in the offseason that results in one of the biggest winger contracts in league history.

3. Mark Stone, Ottawa Senators — The first of several Senators to grace this list, Stone trailed Panarin just barely in our voting for the second spot. That’s a credit to how far his star has risen over the past few seasons, and how well-rounded his game has become. The 26-year old will be one of the younger players to hit free agency this year and will likely do so after a career-high in points. Already sitting with 50 in 50 games, Stone brings more than just offensive production to the table. One of the best two-way wingers in the league, he routinely strips opposing players of the puck and gives the Senators a chance for a counter attack. He has received Selke votes in each of his four full seasons and will undoubtedly do so again this time around. There’s no doubt that the Senators want to keep Stone around and that he’s willing to listen to an extension offer, but the closer it gets to July 1st the more tempting free agency becomes.

4. Jeff Skinner, Buffalo Sabres — You can understand why Skinner has publicly stated several times that he would love to stay with the Sabres. All he’s done since arriving in Buffalo is score, notching 30 goals through his first 48 games this season. That’s the fourth time the smooth-skating winger has reached the 30-goal plateau in his career, and a mark that is sure to drive up his price to a point where the Sabres may not be able to accept it. Remember that the team already has Jack Eichel locked in long-term for $10MM per season and could be worried about putting themselves in a situation similar to Edmonton where too much of the cap is tied up in a few players. Kyle Okposo’s deal is already looking troublesome and the team will have work to do on players like Sam Reinhart and Casey Mittelstadt after the 2019-20 season. That’s not to say Buffalo won’t fight to keep him though, as Skinner has been a big part of rejuvenating a frustrated fan base this year.

5. Matt Duchene, Ottawa Senators — You would think a 28-year old center scoring at more than a point-per-game rate in his contract year would rank even higher on this list, but there are likely still concerns about Duchene after his actions the last few years, deserved or not. Forcing a trade out of Colorado hasn’t done him any favors as he found himself on a struggling Ottawa team, but there is nothing wrong with his production since arriving in Canada’s capital. With 47 points in 41 games this season he has a chance to break his previous career-high of 70 points, and almost all of his damage has come at even-strength. Always one of the best in the league in the faceoff dot and a responsible enough player in his own end, you can bet a long-term deal is coming for Duchene. The only question is will he sign it with Ottawa over the next few weeks, or does a team spend big to get him at the deadline and try to extend him before the end of the year.

6. Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets — Buyer beware with the first goaltender on our list, as long-term deals for goaltenders over 30 don’t always work out. If there’s a goalie you would want to put your chips on though, Bobrovsky may be it. The Blue Jackets netminder is a two-time Vezina winner who came into this season with a career .920 save percentage and showed his durability with 128 starts over the last two years. This year hasn’t been up to his standards, but there is reason to believe he’ll bounce back in the future. Still, if Bobrovsky is expecting a deal approaching Carey Price’s eight-year, $84MM extension there won’t be a ton of teams lining up for him. Not many can afford to inject that kind of goaltender contract into their salary structure, meaning Bobrovsky will need to find the right fit—or perhaps desperate team—to squeeze that much juice out of his next deal.

7. Joe Pavelski, San Jose Sharks — Just when you think Pavelski might be reaching the age where he starts slowing down, the 34-year old gets off to perhaps the best start of his career. The San Jose captain scored 25 goals in his first 43 games this season and now sits with 45 points through 52 contests. A reliable, versatile forward that can play in basically any situation, Pavelski would also add an incredible amount of leadership and experience to any team in the league. The idea of him leaving San Jose still doesn’t feel right though, especially when you consider GM Doug Wilson’s loyalty to his veteran players in the past. Still, Patrick Marleau left San Jose in the summer of 2017 to chase a Stanley Cup—and $18.75MM—in Toronto and Pavelski would likely draw an even bigger offer from someone around the league. His game won’t last forever, but 194 goals since the start of 2013-14 speaks for itself.

8. Kevin Hayes, New York Rangers — Hayes wants to stay with the Rangers, but the New York front office will have to make a decision on whether he fits into their competitive timeline. If they happen to send him packing at the deadline, you can bet there will be plenty of teams calling. He’s missed time due to injury this season but there is still a very good chance that Hayes ends up with a career-high in points given that he already has 33 through 39 games, and teams are always on the lookout for size up the middle. It’s not that Hayes is a very physical player, but adding a 6’5″ center who can contribute in all situations is basically goal number one for almost any contender. Still, Hayes could very well be a player who gets a little more money than perhaps he deserves, thanks to the huge opportunity he’s had in New York this season during their rebuild.

9. Anders Lee, New York Islanders — Lee arrives on our list in the top-10 given his performance again this season, but it is unlikely that he will actually reach free agency in July. The Islanders have been confident with their approach to an extension with Lee, and felt secure enough to hand him over the captaincy even with just a single year remaining on his current contract. You can bet GM Lou Lamoriello will be putting on the full-court press to get Lee under contract in the coming weeks, but if for some reason the big forward decides to follow John Tavares out the door he’d be a hot commodity. While he might not hit 40 goals this season, there’s still a good chance he will notch his third consecutive 30-goal campaign and with it establish himself as one of the best all-around goal scorers in the league. A big powerplay presence who has demonstrated great leadership in the new-look Islanders locker room, he’s in for a huge raise on the $3.75MM cap hit he’s carrying this year.

10. Tyler Myers, Winnipeg Jets — If it weren’t for Karlsson’s existence at the top of the list, more people might be talking about Myers’ impending free agency. The massive defenseman’s worth is boosted simply by him being right-handed, but he’s also proven to be an effective player for the Jets over the last few years. Though his responsibility and ice time have declined with the emergence of Jacob Trouba, Myers is still young enough—29 in just a few days—to be worth a long-term deal in free agency as a solid top-4 option. The right-handed variety of those get paid big bucks in free agency, making it a tough sell for Winnipeg in a year that they already have so much work to do in the offseason. Simply put, the team likely can’t afford to retain Myers if they plan on extending all of their key restricted free agents, a group that includes Trouba, Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor. If Karlsson is locked up before free agency starts, you can bet a ton more will be written about Myers and where he could possibly fit in.

Pacific Notes: Karlsson, Pavelski, Ralhauser

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With the trade deadline now less than a month away, Erik Karlsson’s situation in San Jose gets a little more interesting.  The defenseman is a pending unrestricted free agent and while the Sharks undoubtedly want to re-sign him, they will have to wait until after the February 25th deadline if they want to do an eight-year deal.  Karlsson told reporters, including NHL.com’s Eric Gilmore, that there remains no timetable for holding discussions about a new deal.  It’s worth noting that he also expressed an appreciation for the patience the organization has shown with him thus far.  The 28-year-old got off to a slow start this season and while he still has just three goals, he ranks fifth overall in points by a defenseman with 43.  Karlsson is undoubtedly set to land a substantial raise on his current $6.5MM cap hit on his next deal.

More from the Pacific Division:

  • While Karlsson is garnering the most attention, the Sharks have another prominent pending UFA in center Joe Pavelski. There haven’t been any discussions regarding a possible contract extension yet (even dating back to the offseason) but he indicated to Paul Gackle of The Mercury News that he’s hopeful that a deal to stay can be reached: “All I’ve known is San Jose, and at the end of the day, that’s probably all I want to know.”  The 34-year-old is on pace for the first 40-goal season of his career which would give him even more bargaining power if he makes it to the open market.
  • The Kings are among the teams that have been keeping tabs on college defenseman Alec Ralhauser, reports Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider. The 23-year-old is in his junior year with Bowling Green and last season was quite productive from the back end with 39 points in 41 games.  Rauhauser’s offensive numbers are a bit quieter so far this season but it shouldn’t stop him from generating a fair bit of interest in the college free agent market once the calendar turns to March.

NHL Announces All-Star Skills Competitors

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The NHL All-Star Skills Competition is scheduled for this evening, and though Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon have both pulled out due to illness and injury there are still an incredible amount of talented players taking part. Most notable however may be the final entrant in the fastest skater competition: Kendall Coyne. A member of the US Women’s National Team, Coyne will take MacKinnon’s place after the Colorado Avalanche forward suffered a foot injury this week. The Olympic gold medalist is known for her speed and posted a 14.226 yesterday during event testing according to Emily Kaplan of ESPN. Though that wouldn’t have been enough to dethrone Connor McDavid last year, it would have put her ahead of Zach Werenski, Noah Hanifin and Josh Bailey in the competition. We’ll see what Coyne can do tonight, along with the rest of the competitors:

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Pacific Notes: Chychrun, Smith, Vlasic

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While Arizona Coyotes oft-injured defenseman Jakob Chychrun will be playing in his 30th game Sunday, the defenseman still isn’t 100 percent after offseason surgery on his right ACL. The 20-year-old is already in his third season in the NHL, but he hasn’t played more than 68 games in a season due to injuries. The most recent injury, he knows he’ll just have to play through, according to The Athletic’s Craig Morgan (subscription required).

“My knee can get a little sore still sometimes, which can be a little frustrating,” he said. “Last year, I didn’t really have that because last year was just a repair (left meniscus). This one they had to take another part of my body and make that into a new ACL. Taking that piece of patellar tendon, it can get really sore. It’s pretty up and down and it’s one thing I have been dealing with. It can feel great or it can feel terrible.”

Regardless, Chychrun has been making the most of his time as the defenseman has three goals and 10 points while averaging 20:12 in ATOI this season with 41 hits and 41 blocked shots. Arizona head coach Rick Tocchet has been impressed with Chychrun’s play despite his struggles with injury.

“He’s a 20-year-old kid that didn’t have a training camp and doesn’t have a ton of games under his belt and I’m playing him 20-plus minutes, playing him penalty kill, power play. We’re giving him a lot. My thing is to see how he reacts after bad games and they are fewer and farther between — you don’t get as many in a row and I think that’s a big step for him.”

  • When you think of the Vegas Golden Knights’ best player, you think of names such as Marc-Andre Fleury, William Karlsson, Jon Marchessault or Alex Tuch. However, when The Athletic’s Jesse Granger (subscription required) went around the locker room and asked that question, he got a surprise answer — Reilly Smith. The forward has been out of the lineup with a leg injury since Jan. 6 and while there is talk that the Golden Knights missed defenseman Nate Schmidt desperately while he missed 20 games at the start of the season with a suspension, the players feel that Smith’s offense is missed even more. “It’s been big,” defenseman Shea Theodore said. “I think he’s by far one of the most underrated players in the league. He’s a great two-way player who wins a lot of battles in the defensive zone. He’s a big guy on the penalty kill as well. When you look at that, and look behind his numbers, I think it’s been a huge loss for us.”
  • Saturday’s matchup between the San Jose Sharks and Tampa Bay Lightning was played without star defenseman Erik Karlsson, who chose to sit out with a lower-body injury. Reports suggest that Karlsson might sit out the team’s final two games on Monday and Tuesday, to rest up until after the All-Star break. However, while that loss is significant to the team, fellow defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic missed his eighth game and The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz (subscription required) writes that the team may not be missing Vlasic much at all. The team has outscored their opponents 24-15 with Vlasic out. That along with his minus-13 rating might suggest that the team might be better off using a more offensive-minded defenseman in his stead like Tim Heed.

Maple Leafs Still Seeking Right-Shot Defenseman

at CDT | by 12 Comments

The Toronto Maple Leafs are undoubtedly one of the top contenders for the Stanley Cup this season, but many would agree that they face an uphill battle if they don’t improve their defense corps. For years, the right side of the defense has been an issue in Toronto and nothing has changed. Nikita Zaitsev and Igor Ozhiganov are the only right-shot defenders that play regularly for the Maple Leafs and the former has struggled all season long – to the point that the team is actively shopping him and his lengthy contract – and the latter is still adjusting to an NHL pace of play. The only other righty on the blue line is Justin Holl, who is scoreless in two games so far this season as a total non-factor. Toronto needs more production, better checking, and all around more cohesion among their defensemen and it all starts with fixing the right side.

It comes as no surprise then that Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos reports that the team is still actively scouring the market for a solution on the right side, preferably a top-four caliber defender. Kypreos again mentions the St. Louis Blues’ Alex Pietrangelo, a player that the Maple Leafs were linked to earlier this season, as a possibility, but questions his availability. Colleague Elliotte Friedman also mentions Los Angeles Kings’ off-side lefty Jake Muzzin and Philadelphia Flyers’ bruiser Radko Gudas as options. The problem, and one addressed by Kypreos, is that the prices are high on these top right-side defensemen with term remaining on their contracts and he believes that the Maple Leafs are unwilling to part with young roster forwards like Kasperi Kapanen or Andreas Johnsson or top blue line prospect Rasmus Sandin to get a deal done. Kypreos lists the team’s first-round pick and AHL defensemen Timothy Liljegren and Calle Rosen as their top bargaining chips, but that likely will not be enough to land one of the top long-term defensemen on the market.

The prices will be lower on the rental market, but the options are also less appealing. The best right-handed defensemen who are impending free agents all belong to top contenders – Erik Karlsson, Anton Stralman, Dan Girardi, Tyler Myers – and even some of the more moderate options play for teams not looking to sell, such as the Golden Knights’ Deryk Engelland and the Bruins’ Steven Kampfer. If the Leafs feel adding a solid, stay-at-home righty would give them the boost they desire, the New Jersey Devils’ Ben Lovejoy or the New York Rangers’ Adam McQuaid would both be serviceable options. If they instead want a puck-mover, they could try to pry Nick Jensen from the Detroit Red Wings or Taylor Fedun from the Dallas Stars, but neither are guaranteed to be available. There simply isn’t a great market right now at right-shot defense, typical of the position that has become one of the most valuable in hockey due to scarcity. It may be the one piece that the Maple Leafs need to put them over the top, but making a deal is going to be easier said than done.

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