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Henrik Lundqvist

New York Notes: Kovalchuk, Raanta, Lundqvist

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The list of teams who are lining up to trade for the rights to winger Ilya Kovalchuk continue to increase. New York Post’s Larry Brooks writes that the Devils have multiple suitors trying to acquire the 34-year-old, including the St. Louis Blues, the San Jose Sharks, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the New York Rangers. Brooks writes that the most interesting part is that many of those teams have Kovalchuk’s old Devil teammates or personnel in their front office, including Martin Brodeur (assistant general manager for the Blues), Lou Lamoriello (general manager of the Maple Leafs), Pete DeBoer (coach of the Sharks) and Johan Hedberg (assistant coach of the Sharks). That might make it easier for Devils general manager Ray Shero to move the veteran since he has requested to play in New York or Florida, but a friendly face in San Jose, Toronto or St. Louis might change his mind.

Brooks writes that Shero would prefer to move Kovalchuk anywhere but across the Hudson River to the Rangers and no matter what, the cost to trade him to the Rangers would have to be more than for the other teams. However, he points out that Kovalchuk has some power as well. Shero only has until July 1 to get the deal done or Kovalchuk could wait one year and come back and be an unrestricted free agent in 2018. If Kovalchuk wants to play for the Rangers, Shero may have no choice.

Brooks also adds that the Rangers could offer 25-year-old center Oscar Lindberg and 30-year-old defenseman Nick Holden to get a deal done if they want Kovalchuk. Lindberg could easily become a top-six forward in New Jersey, while Holden would help aid a poor Devils’ defense.

  • Brooks also writes in the same story that the Rangers are getting a lot of interest in backup goaltender Antti Raanta. While the Rangers could easily trade him, the fear is that they would then lose a quality forward to the Las Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft. They have made it clear they don’t want to lose Lindberg (unless they were getting Kovalchuk back), Jesper Fast or Michael Grabner. Fast, 25, showed a lot of promise in the playoffs, scoring three goals and three assists in 12 playoff games. Grabner, 29, is coming off a 27-goal season this year. So unless, the team is overwhelmed with an offer, the Rangers may just allow Raanta to go to Las Vegas.
  • Brooks also writes that Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist will be rehabbing for four to six weeks due to an isolated MCL tear he got early in the IIHF World Championships. He is not expected to miss training camp, however. Lundqvist was the goaltender for Team Sweden who went on to win the championships.

East Notes: Lundqvist, Connolly, Gostisbehere, Canadiens

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Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist told SportExpressen’s Magnus Nystrom (link in Swedish) that he suffered an injury to a ligament in his knee while playing for Sweden at last month’s World Championships.  NHL.com’s Dan Rosen clarifies (via Twitter) that it’s an MCL sprain.  The rehab time is expected to be four to six weeks.  The netminder added that he plans to get back to on-ice workouts in early August.

The 35 year old didn’t specify when the injury occurred but he noted he had it before suiting up in the final game against Canada.  The issue didn’t appear to hold Lundqvist back in any form as he had a strong showing for the gold medallists, posting a 1.31 GAA and a .946 SV% in five games after joining the team midway through the tournament.  He was particularly sharp in that final match, allowing just a single goal while not allowing any goals in the shootout.

Other notes from the Eastern Conference:

  • The Capitals are interested in re-signing pending RFA winger Brett Connolly and in fact have come close to reaching an agreement a couple of different times with him, reports CSN Mid-Atlantic’s Tarik El-Bashir. Simply receiving his qualifying offer (worth just over $892K) would be a nice change of fortune for him after not being tendered one by the Bruins last summer.  The 25 year old set a career high in goals this season with 15 in 66 games and fit in nicely on the third line for a significant portion of the year.  However, he found himself in the doghouse in the postseason and was a healthy scratch for their final six games.
  • Flyers GM Ron Hextall has already tabled a qualifying offer to pending RFA Shayne Gostisbehere, notes CSN Philly’s Tim Panaccio. Hextall wouldn’t comment on the status of negotiations, only commenting that he’d like to have a deal done before training camp starts in September.  After a quieter sophomore campaign that saw him as a healthy scratch at one point, Gostisbehere could be in line for a bridge contract instead of a long-term deal.
  • The Canadiens will not ask either of their players with no-move clauses to waive them in advance of expansion, John Sedgwick (Montreal’s director of legal affairs) told Hugo Fontaine of the teams’ official website. Goalie Carey Price wasn’t going to be left unprotected either way but defenseman Jeff Petry, who has four years left with a cap hit of $5.5MM, could have been a candidate if the team wanted to protect both Jordie Benn and Nathan Beaulieu.

Snapshots: IIHF, Stepan, Ritchie

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The final matches of the IIHF World Championships take place today. Canada had earned their slot after a come-from-behind victory over Russia, and Sweden edged out Finland for the right to play for gold. Finland and Russia are currently playing their bronze medal match, while Canada and Sweden will play at 3:45 CST.

Toronto fans should be excited about the further progression of William Nylander, who leads Sweden in scoring, and also Mitch Marner, who has tallied 11 points in 9 games for the Canadian team. Also playing well for Sweden is Carolina forward Elias Lindholm, who will be entering the final year of his $2.7 MM contract. Nathan MacKinnon is probably Canada’s best player in the tournament, and Colorado fans can dare to be hopeful following a mediocre outing for his squad last season. He is under contract for 6 more seasons at $6.3 MM, so reaching his potential is a huge part of the squad’s future plans.

  • New York Post reporter Larry Brooks wrote an interesting piece on the possibility of  the Rangers seeking to  move Derek Stepan for defensive help. Especially since it seems likely that one of Girardi and/or Staal will be bought out, the defense needs a great deal of attention this offseason. Both players have taken a massive downward turn, and with Henrik Lundqvist’s regression, there is definitely room for concern. However, the Rangers may wish to think twice about moving a useful, young center. He’s only 26 years old, plays a strong defensive game, and has put up 50+ points in 4 consecutive seasons. Although Mats Zuccarello had a breakout season, at 5’7″ and 29 years old, losing a winger might be easier for the organization than forfeiting their number one center. Although, to Brooks’ point, the Rangers’ center position is strongest, there the serious possibility that Oscar Lindberg isn’t ready for top-six duties over the course of a full season. Dangling Zuccarello coming off a career-year may be the more prudent, if far less beloved, decision.
  • An intriguing, if ultimately inconsequential sidenote from last night’s amazing Western Conference Finals Game 5 – there was slight bedlam with only 10 seconds remaining. According to league rules, any instigating player who starts a fight with under 5 minutes remaining is subject to an automatic one-game suspension. Although the scrum involved every skater, of note was the tussle between Anaheim’s Nick Ritchie and Nashville’s Mattias Ekholm resorted to actual blows. Ritchie seemed to be the instigator, as Ekholm refused to actually drop his mitts despite throwing punches in response. Ekholm did lose his one glove while holding on to Ritchie, but it could be argued that he never intended to do so. Were that the case, by the letter of the NHL Rulebook, Ritchie would be subject to that automatic suspension. There has been no word on the matter from the league, and no punishment should be expected as the players were only assessed roughing minors on the play.

World Championships Update: Shipachyov, Da Costa, Lundqvist

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As always, international play is a time for players to shine. While plenty of NHL regulars (Johnny Gaudreau, Artemi Panarin) are lighting the lamp quite easily, there are a few names that should be interesting General Managers out there. Prospects and lesser knowns have a chance to really prove they can be difference makers at the top tier of hockey.

  • Although no longer technically considered a prospect, offensive dynamo Vadim Shipachyov is looking like a brilliant pickup for the Vegas Golden Knights. Through 5 games he has already accumulated 10 points (2 G, 8 A) and is driving possession for his Russian squad. His skill with the puck on his stick and his vision to find teammates through traffic has been mightily impressive. He may be slotted down the lineup as Capital Evgeny Kuznetsov joins the fray, but he still has a reasonable shot at tournament MVP if he keeps this work up.
  • France’s Stephane da Costa has been nothing short of incredible for the home team, currently tied for the tournament lead in goals (6) and third in points (9). Da Costa is 27 years-old and went to play in the KHL following his up-and-down experience with Ottawa. He played 47 games for the Senators over 4 seasons but spent the majority of his time in the AHL’s Binghamton. Da Costa has played shortened seasons for the CSKA Moscow over the past three years, but has not entirely fallen off the radar of North American teams. He was even rumored to be linked to the Golden Knights in February by Dans les Coulisses journalist Max Truman, although there has been nothing since. This sort of performance could put him back in teams’ considerations.
  • Swedish goalie (and New York Ranger cornerstone) Henrik Lundqvist survived a scary hit to the head when an opposing Danish player crashed his crease at full speed. He eventually got up and continued to play in the game. Trainers say he is all right. His injury would be huge, both for the Swedish national team’s chances, and the Rangers franchise. Although he’s just turned 35 and is signed for four more seasons on an outrageously expensive contract, Lundqvist is still a top goaltender at the NHL level. The clip can be viewed here.

NHL Announces 2018 Winter Classic Match-Up

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The NHL has announced the two teams competing in the 10th Annual Winter Classic on New Year’s Day 2018. The league will return to the roots of the event, pitting the original host of the first Winter Classic in 2008, the Buffalo Sabres, against their in-state rival, the New York Rangers. It is the first Winter Classic to be held in New York City, and the Rangers will host the event at Citi Field in Queens, home of the New York Mets.

Ironically, the area of New York where the Mets play has been the rumored location of a possible new arena for the New York Islanders, the one New York team left out of the proceedings. Nonetheless, this will be a great event on January 1st, as hockey fans throughout the state and the Big Apple will flock to see the rivalry match-up between two exciting teams. The Sabres are a team in flux, but Jack Eichel and his teammates will have something to prove. Meanwhile, the Rangers want to defend their status as the best team in New York and will bring the King, Henrik Lundqvist, and a deep, talented line up to try to get the job done. Interestingly, due to an odd agreement regarding the tax status of Madison Square Garden, the Rangers will likely be the visitors and the Sabres the home team in the contest. The Rangers were the road team in each of their two outdoor games at Yankee Stadium in 2014.

Unfortunately, the timing of the announcement is not great, as the Rangers are in the middle of a do-or-die Game Six match-up with the Ottawa Senators and, at the time of this writing, are down 2-0. At least they will have something to look forward to to help get over the (potentially) disappointing loss.

Snapshots: GM Report Cards, Rangers, Nashville’s Defense

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Hockey Graphs takes an in-depth look at the 31 general managers in the NHL (including Vegas and those who were recently let go–Dean Lombardi and Tim Murray) using a variety of different metrics. Leading the pack is Nashville’s Dave Poile, while the Canucks’ Jim Benning rounds out the list at number thirty-one. It’s a list that relies heavily on advanced metrics and other measurements, staying in line with Hockey Graph’s dedication to taking the emotion out of hockey analysis and instead, using the quantitative side (with a smattering of qualitative analysis) to create the list. Part one of the article helps make sense of how they came up with their rankings while giving a background to the metrics used.

  • Newsday’s Steve Zipay reports that the Rangers aren’t looking too far ahead as they try to even up their series against Ottawa tomorrow night. After drubbing the Sens 4-1, the Rangers have an advantage as Bobby Ryan and Zack Smith are both injured, and the Sens will have to “alter” lines. Several Rangers were adamant that while falling into a 3-1 hole would be difficult to overcome, netminder Henrik Lundqvist said they must take it one game at a time.  Zipay adds that though Rick Nash didn’t practice, he will absolutely be playing in Game 4.
  • ESPN’s Chuck Gormley writes that its the Nashville blueline is wreaking havoc through these playoffs, pacing the Preds’ strong play and making a case for the organization’s first Stanley Cup. The team’s defenseman has eight goals and fourteen assists in just eight games, and according to Gormley, it’s looking more and more like the trade for P.K. Subban will tilt heavily in Nashville’s favor as the victor of the deal. Gormley highlights each player on the blueline, and writing that should the Predators continue on the path they are, it could be an epic matchup in the next round should Edmonton continue its ascent through the playoffs.

Scott Darling Trade Reactions

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The Chicago Blackhawks and Carolina Hurricanes hooked up yesterday for a rare April trade, with pending UFA goaltender Scott Darling departing the Windy City in return for a third-round draft pick in the 2017 entry draft. The Hawks get the third-rounder originally acquired by Carolina at the trade deadline from Ottawa in exchange for veteran winger Viktor Stalberg. The Canes, meanwhile, bring in Darling, who played well as Corey Crawford’s understudy and was likely going to depart Chicago as a free agent to pursue a starting job elsewhere. Now it appears he’ll have that opportunity in Carolina, presuming he agrees to sign with the team rather than test the open market, of course.

On the surface this deal certainly wouldn’t qualify as a blockbuster, but all one has to do is look north to Edmonton to see what can happen when a quality backup goalie is given a chance to be a #1. Cam Talbot, previously Henrik Lundqvist’s #2 in New York, has developed into a quality starter for the Oilers and has so far guided his team to a surprising 2 – 0 lead over Anaheim in their Western Conference semifinal match. Talbot also led NHL netminders this season in several categories, including games played, wins and shots against. While there is no guarantee Darling will follow Talbot’s career trajectory, the latter’s success is evidence that deals like this can sometimes pay off.

Here’s a rundown of reactions from around the league:

  • Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun Times likes the deal from both perspectives, arguing that the Hawks got solid value for a player they had no room to re-sign while the Hurricanes add a potential long term starter between the pipes. Lazerus does, however, opine that the move, albeit inevitable, leaves the club perilously thin in goal. Beyond Crawford, Chicago has no goaltender in the organization with NHL experience, though Jeff Glass is around to meet the team’s expansion draft requirement of exposing one goalie under contract for 2017-18. The scribe also adds that Chicago gave no thought to extending Darling while attempting to move Crawford. Lazerus suspects Darling could get close to $4MM on the open market but the potential cap savings evidently wasn’t compelling enough to cause Chicago to reconsider their goaltending situation.
  • Adam Gretz of NBC Sports Pro Hockey Talk writes that Carolina’s acquisition of Darling is “worth the risk,” borrowing a quote from Hurricanes GM Ron Francis. As Gretz notes, Carolina has long received substandard play between the pipes and it was more of the same in 2016-17. Cam Ward and Eddie Lack combined for a S% of just 0.901, good for just 26th in the league. In fact, Carolina has fared no better than 25th in that category in any of the previous five seasons. For a team looking to break an eight year playoff drought, improved play in net would go a long way to improve their postseason chances in 2017-18. Gretz also points out that the Hurricanes boast an impressive amount of 2017 draft capital, with their own first-rounder, three seconds and two thirds even after acquiring Darling’s rights. As a result, the team can afford to take this gamble given their enviable entry draft wealth.
  • Luke DeCock of The News & Observer is satisfied to at least see Carolina attempt to make changes in goal, even if the team fails to extend Darling, after what he describes as “two unsatisfying years of the Cam Ward/Eddie Lack tandem.” According to DeCock, a third-round pick may be a substantial price to pay for just two months of exclusive negotiating rights but considering Carolina still has six choices in the first three rounds and 10 overall in 2017, it’s a reasonable cost assuming the Hurricanes can lock the 28-year-old goalie to a long term deal. The scribe feels Darling is just entering his prime and has the potential to solve the team’s longstanding issues between the pipes. DeCock believes the deal also means Carolina already has an agreement in place or feels confident in their ability to consummate one with the Vegas Golden Knights that would result in one of Ward or Lack being selected in the expansion draft. The duo accounts for a combined $6MM cap charge and with Darling expected to command around $4MM annually, a budget team like Carolina simply cannot afford to keep all three in the organization. Ultimately, DeCock feels entering the 2017-18 campaign with the Ward/Lack duo would have been “utter folly,” and considers any change “an improvement.”

Snapshots: Lundqvist, Dowling, Smereck, Hextall

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The first reactions are in from the NHL’s announcement to not participate in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, and among them is New York Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. Monday evening he tweeted out his thoughts:

Disappointing news, @NHL won’t be part of the Olympics 2018. A huge opportunity to market the game at the biggest stage is wasted…but most of all, disappointing for all the players that can’t be part of the most special adventure in sports.

Lundqvist has been part of the Olympic experience three times, winning gold in 2006 and silver in 2014 for Sweden. A hall of fame goaltender in the NHL, his thoughts will likely be echoed by stars around the league for the next year as players speak out against the decision. This likely was Lundqvist’s last chance at the Games as he will be just shy of 40 for the 2022 Beijing tournament.

  • The Dallas Stars have sent Justin Dowling back to the AHL after just a two game stint. The 26-year old centerman has suited up for seven games this season, registering two points. Dowling has proven to be an excellent AHL scoring threat, but wasn’t given a chance at the NHL level until this season. If he can continue to win faceoffs and provide some secondary scoring, perhaps he could find a role on an NHL team next season. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
  • The Tucson Roadrunners have signed Jalen Smereck to an amateur tryout now that his Flint Firebirds have been eliminated from the OHL playoffs. The defenseman signed a three-year entry-level deal in October, and will likely join the Roadrunners to start next season. The undrafted 20-year old is a late-bloomer, turning 19 in his first OHL season. He has proved to be quite the offensive player though, with 45 points in 60 games this year.
  • As rumored last week, Ron Hextall has been officially named the GM of the Canadian World Championship team. The Flyers’ GM will take over the duties once the NHL season is over, and will be joined by former NHL goaltender Sean Burke as an assistant general manager. With the NHL not heading to the Olympics, perhaps the World Championships will become a more important tournament to league players. It is usually overlooked by many fans, as it is held during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled Joel Vermin from the AHL, in what amounted to about a seven hour assignment. The forward was sent down earlier this morning, but never left the team. He’ll stay as insurance for the Lightning as they try and get healthy and squeak into the playoffs.

Metropolitan Notes: Carlsson, Cammarata, Lundqvist

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have assigned Gabriel Carlsson to the Cleveland Monsters, bringing him over from the Sweden earlier than expected. The 2015 first-round selection is expected to join the Monsters this weekend and play on Saturday against the Chicago Wolves. The defenseman signed his entry-level contract last summer.

20-years old, Carlsson has the makings of an excellent shutdown defender in the NHL. His size, skating and positioning are all good enough for him to make an impact in professional hockey already, as he has in Sweden for the past two and a half years. In 40 games for Linkopings this season, he recorded four points and generally established himself as a presence in the defensive zone. With the Blue Jackets’ depth on defense, Carlsson will likely be given time to adjust and develop in the AHL next season, but will be pushing for a call-up before long.

  • The New York Islanders have signed Taylor Cammarata to an amateur tryout with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers after his season at the University of Minnesota. A former third-round pick of the Isles, Cammarata never did replicate the outstanding scoring pace he found in the USHL, often out-muscled by bigger players in the college ranks. While he still possesses excellent skill, his 5’7″ 150-lbs frame is holding him back from making the most of it. He’ll try to show that he can be a difference maker in the AHL and try to secure an entry-level contract down the road.
  • Henrik Lundqvist will apparently play four out of the five remaining games for the New York Rangers, only getting a break in one of the back-to-back matchups to end the season next weekend. Since hitting rock bottom by allowing seven goals on 27 shots to the Dallas Stars on January 17th, Lundqvist has turned his season around and shown that he can still be an elite goaltender in this league. With a 12-6-2 record and .922 save percentage in the 21 games since then, he’s ready for another long playoff run for the Rangers. He’ll likely face the Montreal Canadiens in the first round, a team he has struggled with in his career. Holding a 12-17-3 record and .898 save percentage against the Habs all-time, he’ll have to improve on those numbers if the Rangers want to advance to the second round.

Injury Updates: Stastny, Devils, Lundqvist

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St. Louis will be without center Paul Stastny on a week-to-week basis due to a lower body injury sustained last night in the first period against Colorado, reports Chris Pinkert on the Blues’ team website.  Stastny had been centering the top line alongside Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko.

Further compounding the problem for the Blues is the fact that center Jori Lehtera is also out of the lineup having missed the last six games with an undisclosed injury.  Schwartz and Alex Steen both have predominantly played the wing this season but have experience playing down the middle so it wouldn’t be surprising if one of them shifts spots for the time being.  Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch adds (Twitter link) that the team is not planning to call anyone up in Stastny’s absence.

Other injury notes from around the league:

  • Although New Jersey forwards Mike Cammalleri (upper body), Jacob Josefson (upper body) and Devante Smith-Pelly (lower body) aren’t close to returning, head coach John Hynes isn’t prepared to call any of them out for the remainder of the season, notes NJ Advance Media’s Chris Ryan. With the Devils out of the playoff race, it would make some sense for them to shut the veterans down to allow their youngsters to get some more NHL playing time down the stretch.  Cammalleri and Josefson are skating on their own while Smith-Pelly has yet to skate since being injured last week.  None of the players are expected back at practice in the coming days.
  • The Rangers will have goaltender Henrik Lundqvist back in the lineup either Saturday against the Kings or Sunday against the Ducks, head coach Alain Vigneault told reporters, including Justin Tasch of the New York Daily News. He also acknowledged that the veteran netminder could play now if they needed him but with their postseason situation all but carved in stone as the first Wild Card team in the East, they can afford to give him a few extra days off to make sure he’s fully healthy.

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