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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.

NHL Draft Lottery Notes: Odds, History, Viewing

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For the fourteen teams that missed the playoffs and the expansion Vegas Golden Knights, they have one thing in common: they’re hoping Bill Daly is holding a card with their logo on it, announcing that they have the first overall pick.

At 7pm central, NBC, CBC, and Sportsnet will show the NHL Draft Lottery as the Colorado Avalanche lead all teams in terms of percentage for receiving the #1 pick. Below are the odds:

Colorado Avalanche — 18.0%
Vancouver Canucks — 12.1%
Vegas Golden Knights — 10.3%
Arizona Coyotes — 10.3%
New Jersey Devils — 8.5%
Buffalo Sabres — 7.6%
Detroit Red Wings — 6.7%
Dallas Stars — 5.8%
Florida Panthers — 5.4%
Los Angeles Kings — 4.5%
Carolina Hurricanes — 3.2%
Winnipeg Jets — 2.7%
Philadelphia Flyers — 2.2%
Tampa Bay Lightning 1.8%
New York Islanders — 0.9%

TSN has a lengthy writeup on the history of the lottery and how the current format differs from other versions. The biggest change for the draft is that instead of the worst team being guaranteed, at worst, a second overall pick, they are only promised a top four pick. This was placed to discourage teams from “tanking” to draft top-end talent, which hasn’t completely negated the idea of tanking as Toronto won the right to draft Auston Matthews last season with the #1 pick while securing the worst record in the NHL.

What’s new to 2017?  From Sportsnet:

For just the second time in NHL draft lottery history, the top three picks are in play. This rule was implemented by the league in 2016 to dull incentive for any team to finish lower in the standings (i.e., tanking).

The odds of winning the second and third draws increases on a proportional basis depending on which team claimed the previous draw.

The addition of a 15th lottery team, Vegas, into the mix also affects the winning percentages.

This draft is different too, since the top two picks for the first time in three seasons are not considered the “generational talent” that Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Matthews or Patrik Laine were when looking back at the one and two overall picks respectively.

This isn’t to besmirch the top two candidates, Nolan Patrick or Nico Hischier. After all, “can’t miss” prospects have fooled scouts and analysts before while prospects that scouts didn’t think were as good sometimes exceeded expectations.

But before the talent can be chosen, there needs to be an order. Tonight will determine that.

Specifics: 

Time: 7pm CST
Where to watch: CBC, Sportsnet, NBC

Chris Drury Rejects Sabres Interview

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The Buffalo Sabres are apparently still struggling to woo a capable general manager, according to Elliotte Friedman. The New York Rangers Assistant GM – and former Sabre co-captain – Chris Drury, rejected the franchise’s attempts to interview him for the position. Drury had been in charge of player development prior to promotion to AGM, and continuing acting as a liaison for prospects and younger players. His efforts have been widely praised league-wide, as the Rangers acquired and developed wonderful college players over the years, such as Jimmy Vesey and Kevin Hayes. Bill Guerin has already been interviewed by the Sabres, and other candidates will certainly be willing to sit down with Buffalo ownership, considering that only 31 head management positions exist in the league. But this rejection cannot be perceived as a positive sign for an organization that has struggled to find strong, capable leadership. After the Jack Eichel  end-of-season presser, rumors surfaced that the phenom did not want to play next season for  head coach Dan Bylsma (an allegation which was adamantly denied by his agent). The rumor was lent some credibility when both the coaching and general manager were quickly dismissed thereafter.

Owner Terry Pegula will now be hunting for his 5th different coach since taking ownership of the franchise in 2011 – coincidentally, the same year that Buffalo last made the playoffs. Buffalo has struggled to attract high end talent, whether it be players or staff. The organization had been rejected by Mike Babcock in favor of Toronto when they offered the legendary coach an opportunity. Bylsma was in essence a consolation prize, and his poor overall record in Bufffalo did nothing to alleviate the memory of the faulty hiring process in the minds of fans. With regards to the GM search, we’ve heard very little chatter around the recently fired Kings’ GM Dean Lombardi in connection to Buffalo, which might be cause for concern. Especially in light of Pegula’s re-assurances that any hires would bring a wealth of experience, it seems as though Pegula is content looking to recently retired NHLers to guide the ship. Although Guerin and Drury have both undoubtedly helped their franchises in different respects (both the Penguins and Rangers are consistent playoff contenders), it seems possible that again Pegula is having to settle for second and third choices.

Whichever GM takes over for the Sabres, they will have their work cut out for them. Although the forward corps is stocked with Eichel, Ryan O’Reilly, Kyle Okposo, Sam Reinhart, and Evander Kane, they still have a need for depth that plays up to capability. Goaltending was no longer at fault this season, and coaches have been swapped out like air filters. If success doesn’t come soon, scrutiny will start to fall more heavily upon ownership. Fans can only endure a rebuild for so long before they expect results.

Snapshots: Masterton Finalists, Sabres, Worlds

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The NHL has announced its finalists for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. The Masterton is awarded to the player “who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey”. Each team nominates their own candidate for consideration, and the top three vote-getters are announced before the awards. The final three are Ottawa’s Craig Anderson, Carolina’s Derek Ryan, and Anaheim’s Andrew Cogliano.

Anderson was forced to take an extended hiatus while his wife was battling cancer. The netminder returned to action after a long stretch away from the rink, and immediately posted a shutout against the New York Islanders in February as he continued his dominance of the crease. His .926 save percentage this season was second among goalies who had played more than 30 games, and was a huge factor in his team making the playoffs. Ryan is a 30 year-old rookie, and spent his entire career toiling in the minors and overseas before finally getting his shot at an NHL roster spot. Cogliano has been unbelievably resilient and tough in his impressive ironman streak, playing over 800 straight games since entering the league. If he has another few seasons of perfect attendance, he could break ironman records thought hopelessly lost to ancient hockey history. The Masteron winner will be announced on June 21st at the NHL Awards show in Las Vegas, which will also feature the announcement of the Golden Knights’ roster selections.

  • The Athletic’s Scott Powers gave insight into Blackhawks players possibly travelling to compete in the World Championships. Ville Pokka will not compete for Finland, apparently due to a contract issue. Artem Anisimov will not play for Russia, which is a big blow for that squad, as his size and unique skillset would have been useful. He is still nursing a lower-body injury which impacted his play in the team’s first-round exit. Patrick Kane is unlikely to play for the United States, but has made no official comment on the matter.
  • The Buffalo News reflects on the season-long failure of the Sabres to provide their goalies support. Looking forward to a new GM and head coach hire, fans are hopeful for higher standards and less streakiness. This offseason, it seems as though providing goal support for Jack Eichel will be paramount, as the team struggled mightily to find steady production. Comments from players are looking forward to revamping their play style next season at even strength, by not allowing such a disparity in shot opportunities. Offensive help in terms of UFAs will be difficult to find, as there is sparse selection. T.J. Oshie, Radim Vrbata, Kris Versteeg, and Patrick Eaves are all names that should intrigue the Buffalo front-office – though it is uncertain which will still remain unsigned come July 1st.

Latest On Buffalo Sabres Front Office Situation

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The owner of the Buffalo Sabres Terry Pegula held a press conference this morning to explain the firings of both Dan Bylsma an Tim Murray, and was very forthcoming about the situation. The whole thing lasted about 15 minutes, but Pegula was peppered with questions about how the decision was made, who will be considered for the vacant jobs, and even the perceived “tanking” of the 2014-2015 season. The full audio of the presser can be found here.

The main theme of what Pegula had to say was that the team needed better discipline and structure throughout the organization, and that he didn’t feel as though Murray had built that well enough. He regretted not being part of the GM search in the first place—which was conducted by Pat Lafontaine when he served as President of Hockey Operations, a position that lasted only three months—and that he would be much more involved this time around. Pegula will be pursuing someone of experience, though he matter-of-factly shot down the notion that Dean Lombardi had already been interviewed, saying it was a “complete fabrication”.

With those same words, he denied the Jack Eichel “coach-killer” rumors, saying that he stands with Eichel’s agent Peter Fish in defense of the star player. Pegula did however admit that he spoke to players before making the decision to move on from Bylsma and Murray, and perhaps the perceived discontent this year is part of the “discipline” problem with the Sabres.

When asked about the tanked season that resulted in Eichel—but was done for Connor McDavid—Pegula stressed that it was a rebuild, not a tank, and that his team has never wanted to lose. While it was clear that winning the draft lottery and acquiring McDavid (or Eichel) was a goal, it would be hard to say that any group of professional athletes would intend to lose, and Buffalo was no different. Whatever it is deemed, tank or rebuild, it did result in one of the best young players Buffalo has seen in a long time.

While Pegula assured the media that he hadn’t spoken to anyone about the vacancies yet, he did explain that Jeff Crisp the Sabres head scout would be handling all of the amateur scouting leading up to the draft. The team also let go both pro and amateur scouting directors yesterday, a bold move with both expansion and entry drafts following so soon. Whichever GM takes the job will have to rely heavily on Crisp for the upcoming draft, as Buffalo again has a good chance at a top-5 pick.

Jack Eichel Responds To Contract Reports

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Earlier today it was reported by Paul Hamilton of WGR 550 that Jack Eichel had “no desire” to sign an extension this summer should Dan Bylsma be retained as the coach in Buffalo. Immediately, agent Peter Fish reached out to John Vogl of The Buffalo News to try and put out the fire created by the report, saying that it was “ridiculous” and that everyone was misunderstanding what had gone on. Now, Vogl has released an interview with Eichel himself, which goes into detail about how he’s dealt with the news today.

I want to be a Sabre and I want to be a Sabre for a long time and I want to be a part of Buffalo when we win. I know it’s an organization that is capable of doing that, and I want to be a part of it and I want to be a centerpiece of it. 

I want to be here for a long time. That’s the way I look at it. I don’t want to go anywhere else. I don’t want anybody to think that I want to be somewhere else. I want to be here, and I want to help this team win in any way that I can do that. I just want all the people there to know that.

Eichel made it very clear that he wishes to remain in Buffalo long-term, and that his conversation with Bylsma at the end of the year was very productive. He left that meeting thinking that they were “on the same page” about where the team was headed, and what the coach expected of him. While he doesn’t come right out and say it, it very much seems like Eichel is fine with going forward with Bylsma, regardless of whether or not they were in disagreement at times this year.

It’s not common for an athlete to come out and address the rumors so candidly, and Eichel should be praised for that. For a player who has been surrounded by nothing but disappointment since his entering the league—even the disappointment in Buffalo that they missed out on Connor McDavid despite finishing last in the NHL—it is obviously bothering him that he hasn’t been able to turn around the franchise to this point.

If Eichel does in fact head into a negotiation with the Sabres this offseason, it will be interesting to see where a contract would land for him going forward. Nathan MacKinnon was three years into his career when he signed his seven-year extension in Colorado, which will pay him $44.1MM ($6.3MM AAV) and buy out three UFA years. Tyler Seguin gave up just two free agent years when he signed his six-year, $34.5MM ($5.75MM AAV) deal in 2012 two years into his career with worse numbers than Eichel.

Depending on how many seasons of free agency he gives up, inking an extension now after a season marred by injury may be the best thing for the Sabres but worst for Eichel. If he trusts that he’ll succeed next season, he would be putting himself in a greater position of leverage and could easily surpass both MacKinnon and Seguin’s deals by signing an eight-year extension. It will be interesting to see where the dollar mark lands, and if the two sides can come to an agreement on length. If Eichel really does want to be a Sabre for a long time, there is a clear want from Buffalo to keep him around.

Jesse Puljujarvi, Jack Eichel Join World Championship Rosters

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After just writing today that Jesse Puljujarvi would be a long shot for the Edmonton Oilers this series, the team has sent him to the World Championships to compete for Finland. Jack Eichel, fresh off the latest report of displeasure in Buffalo, is also off to the tournament for Team USA. Puljujarvi could be recalled at any time from his loan if the Oilers decide they need him in their playoff lineup.

The 18-year old Finn will play in his first World Championship after dominating the World Juniors in 2016. With 17 points in just seven games, Puljujarvi was named the tournament MVP and helped a loaded Finland win gold alongside other current NHL players like Sebastian Aho, Patrik Laine, Kasperi Kapanen and Mikko Rantanen. In fact, in 52 international contests, Puljujarvi has scored 53 points—albeit all at the junior level.

Eichel on the other hand has already suited up for a World Championship, helping Team USA to a bronze medal last spring. Eichel was one of the offensive weapons on that team, scoring seven points in ten games and trailing just Brock Nelson and Trevor Lewis for the team lead. He also starred at the World Juniors in his day, captaining the 2015 USA squad. He’ll join NHL players like Dylan Larkin, Jacob Trouba and Noah Hanifin at this year’s tournament.

Jack Eichel May Refuse To Sign Extension While Dan Bylsma Remains Coach

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In a bombshell dropped by Paul Hamilton of WGR 550 in Buffalo, he reports that Jack Eichel will not sign an extension while Dan Bylsma coaches the Sabres. The two have been rumored to have differences of opinion all season, though General Manager Tim Murray made it clear recently that he hoped to lock up Eichel long-term this summer. John Vogl of The Buffalo News got in touch with Peter Fish, Eichel’s agent for a response on the matter, who said that the report is “ridiculous” and that the whole situation is “very misunderstood.”

Jack Eichel

Obviously, things can change on a day-to-day basis with contract negotiations, but this is just the latest example of unrest Eichel has recently shown with the state of the team. In his year-end press conference, the superstar forward told media that the team couldn’t be “satisfied with the fact you’re in the NHL” and that his team needed to dedicate their lives to the game. Some of that frustration may come with the fact that he’d just lost out on a $2MM performance bonus the night before, but he’s clearly not happy.

As he heads into his final year of the three-year entry-level deal he signed after the draft, Eichel was eligible for an extension on July 1st. Murray obviously had plans to talk to his camp as soon as possible, but this may throw a wrench into those plans. To be clear, this is not Eichel or anyone in his camp publicly saying they wouldn’t negotiate, but perhaps not entering the room in good-faith from the start. If he does refuse, it would be an extremely hot seat this season for Bylsma to turn the team around and show some success. Another season out of the playoffs combined with the ire of your team’s best player would easily be enough to lose his job.

Eichel doesn’t have a ton of leverage here, as even though his contract is up after next season he will not be an unrestricted free agent. We have seen time and again how holdouts rarely end in the player’s favor, but with a player the caliber of Eichel things may be slightly different. Either way, that is still more than a year away and shouldn’t be considered a likelihood. For now, the Sabres will just have to deal with this bad press about their head coach—who, of course, is a former Stanley Cup champion and Jack Adams winner for coach of the year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Eichel, Panarin, Bruins, Letang

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Jack Eichel wasn’t happy at his year-end press conference, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be in Buffalo for a long time. Sabres’ GM Tim Murray told Bill Hoppe of the Times Herald that he hopes to work out an extension this summer for the young superstar. Eichel will be heading into the final year of his entry-level deal in 2017-18, and will be deserving of a huge raise should the Sabres buy out any free agent years. A four year extension would make him an unrestricted free agent at the end of it, and every year after that will cost quite a bit extra.

Should the Sabres choose to go a shorter route they could keep costs down but risk pushing Eichel closer to free agency. Murray also told Hoppe that he’d like to re-sign Brian Gionta, the team captain and long-time NHLer. The 38-year old had another solid season with 15 goals and 35 points, and is a huge part of the leadership group that wants to help Buffalo back to the playoffs. Eichel has mentioned Gionta several times over the years in helping him adapt to life in the NHL

  • Stan Bowman wasn’t worried about Artemi Panarin’s bonuses, he tells Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times. The young forward earned a $1.725MM bonus in the final game by scoring and putting himself into a tie for 10th in points among forwards. That’s in addition to his $850K “Schedule A” bonuses for finishing high in various team categories. The Hawks will have to carry much of those bonuses over to next season, but Bowman says he was assuming all season that Panarin would hit them.
  • Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com reports that the Bruins will not bring Torey Krug or Brandon Carlo to Ottawa for game 2, still listing them day-to-day. Colin Miller, who exited last night’s game after just seven minutes of ice time, was seen limping around and is questionable for Saturday’s game. Miller was taken out by a knee from Mark Borowiecki last night, and left the game immediately. It will be interesting to see who the Bruins lean on while their defensemen nurse injuries; Charlie McAvoy played over 24 minutes in his debut.
  • Kris Letang underwent the scheduled neck surgery successfully, and is on track to return in four to six months. The operation was to correct a herniated disc, and will sideline him for much of training camp if not the beginning of the regular season. The Penguins won their first game of the playoffs last night, but will be hard fought to go all the way without their superstar defenseman.
  • Ron Hextall spoke to the media in Philadelphia (including Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post), and revealed that both Dale Weise and Brandon Manning will undergo surgery to correct various ailments. He also said that assistant coach Joe Mullen will not be retained for next season. Mullen has been with the Flyers since 2007, working with several different head coaches.

Snapshots: Eichel, Malenstyn, Johnson

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When Jack Eichel finished his game last night without registering a point, he was still sitting in the top-10 with .93 pts/gm this season. He had a “Schedule B” bonus coming to him worth $2MM for finishing that high, a nice send off to what was a frustrating season for both him and the team. After being injured through much of the first part of the season, Eichel returned at an extremely high level and struggled to try and keep the Sabres afloat. They didn’t, finishing dead last in the Atlantic Division and despite his effort he had one more loss still to come.

When Leon Draisaitl scored his 29th goal of the season in the third period of last night’s Edmonton-Vancouver game, all the celebration was over Connor McDavid registering his 100th point. Eichel on the other hand was probably pulling his hair out, as the point moved Draisaitl ahead of him for 10th in pts/gm and eliminated his bonus by just 0.01 (h/t CapFriendly for pointing it out). Terrible for Eichel, but actually quite good for the Sabres, who would have had to carry that $2MM as a penalty against next year’s cap since they are into their LTIR space this year.

  • The Washington Capitals have signed Beck Malenstyn to a three-year entry-level contract, after his breakout season with the Calgary Hitmen. The team had previously signed him to an amateur tryout for this season, but apparently thought he had done enough to earn a contract. Despite the deal kicking in next season, it is expected that Malenstyn will head back to the Hitmen for another year, as he doesn’t turn 20 until next February. The power forward put it all together this year, scoring 32 goals and 56 points. His previous career high had been eight goals.
  • Tyler Johnson hopes to remain in Tampa Bay long-term, according to Bryan Burns of NHL.com. The restricted free agent is one of several big names the Lightning have to re-sign this summer, a task that GM Steve Yzerman is confident in according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. After clearing some room at the deadline by moving out Valtteri Filppula’s contract, Yzerman may indeed have enough room to bring everyone back. While the expansion draft still poses a difficulty, the former NHL great has done a wonderful job in keeping the Lightning core together and should be a contender again next season should he find better injury luck.

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