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Jacob Trouba

Snapshots: Sedins, Jets, Rempal, Pinho

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Canucks GM Jim Benning plans to meet with pending unrestricted free agents Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin in the coming days to gauge their interest in returning for their 18th season with Vancouver, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports on TSN’s Insider Trading (video link).  The twins have had good seasons, ranking second and third in team scoring despite seeing their ice time drop by more than three minutes per game.

While Benning may be hoping for a quick decision, that may not actually happen.  Speaking with Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma Daniel noted that they plan to take their time with the decision and, perhaps most notably, see where the team is at and how it shapes up over the offseason.  Even if they take a pay cut from their current $7MM contracts, it will still likely cost a considerable amount to keep both around and the Canucks will certainly want to know heading into free agency if they will have to allocate that money elsewhere.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • The Jets appear to be closer to getting some good news on the injury front, something they haven’t had a lot of this year. Postmedia’s Ken Wiebe notes that defenseman Jacob Trouba (concussion) could be back this weekend while goaltender Steve Mason is expected to get into at least one game next week which should have him ready to go for the postseason as well.
  • The Kings may not be done signing college players just yet. After they signed defenseman Daniel Brickley and forward Mikey Eyssimont earlier today, Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider reports that free agent winger Sheldon Rempal also visited with the team.  The 21-year-old sophomore posted 23 goals and 23 assists in just 39 games with Clarkson and is garnering considerable interest around the league although he could return for another season at the NCAA level as well.
  • The Capitals are in contract negotiations with the agent for college center Brian Pinho, reports Mark Divver of the Providence Journal (Twitter link). The 22-year-old recently wrapped up his college career with the Friars, posting 12 goals and 20 assists in his senior year.  Pinho was Washington’s sixth-round pick (174th overall) back in 2013 and could test the free agent waters if he doesn’t sign a contract by mid-August.

Jacob Trouba Diagnosed With Concussion

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Though Paul Maurice wanted to wait until all the tests had been completed, today he announced what was expected by many. Jacob Trouba has a concussion, and is out indefinitely. Trouba suffered the injury on a hit from Jamie Benn this weekend, after which he was forced out of the game and did not return.

Losing Trouba at this point of the season is a huge blow to the Jets, but it could be worse. Nashville’s winning streak has pulled them away in the Central Division, and though the Jets could technically still be caught by the Minnesota Wild for second place, a six-point lead with a game in hand makes it unlikely. Instead, Trouba and the Jets will have ten games and three weeks to get him back to game ready for the playoffs, where they look just as dangerous as anyone in the Western Conference.

While holding out to start 2016-17, Trouba’s camp repeatedly said that they wanted to secure a larger role for the defenseman. Stuck behind Tyler Myers and Dustin Byfuglien on the right side of the Jets defense, there didn’t seem to be a future for him as a top-tier player. That changed last year when Myers faced injury, and Trouba showed he could be a top pair option by logging 25 minutes a night and recording 33 points in just 60 games. Though his minutes have come back down this season, negotiations this summer will be extremely interesting to follow. Trouba is a restricted free agent once again, and will likely be looking for a long-term big money deal to stay in Winnipeg.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Hanifin, Trouba

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The NHL released their three stars for last week, and leading the way was Alex Pietrangelo of the St. Louis Blues. After starting the season in the conversation for the Norris trophy, Pietrangelo’s point production dropped off a bit in the middle of the season and the Blues’ record suffered because of it (and other things). Now, with the team surging into the playoff picture once again, Pietrangelo has been front and center with 11 points in his last five games. Back in the top ten in points from defensemen, the Blues captain is now just two away from setting a new career high.

Rounding out the stars are Nathan MacKinnon and Curtis McElhinney, two players at opposite ends of their careers. MacKinnon is just hitting his stride and becoming the superstar everyone expected him to be, while McElhinney is showing there is still some fight left in a 34-year old goaltender. The Maple Leafs netminder was forced into the starting role when Frederik Andersen went down, and now leads the NHL in save percentage at .935.

  • The Carolina Hurricanes have announced that Noah Hanifin suffered a concussion and is out indefinitely, likely meaning his season is finished. Hanifin had another solid season in Carolina, posting 29 points in 71 games, but still wasn’t given the responsibility of a top pairing defenseman. The fifth-overall pick is a very interesting case to watch this summer, as he’s a restricted free agent and will be one of the first and most important negotiations of whoever takes the Hurricanes’ GM job. There has been talk over the last few years that perhaps Hanifin would be dangled as bait for a star forward, but the Hurricanes need to be careful they don’t trade away a budding #1 defenseman as he’s still just 21 years old.
  • Speaking of good young defensemen, the Winnipeg Jets will know more about Jacob Trouba’s condition over the next few days after he took a crushing hit from Jamie Benn on the weekend. Trouba left the game in the third period and saw specialists today while under the concussion protocol. Luckily, if you can call it that, the Jets may get Dmitry Kulikov back sooner than expected, as the defenseman has elected not to have back surgery just yet. Kulikov was originally ruled out eight weeks, but could be back in three or four according to the team. With the Jets looking like Stanley Cup contenders for the first time, they can use all the help they can get.

Injury Notes: Winnipeg Injuries, Tkachuk, Kuznetsov, Hutton, Kamenev

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Despite just having lost defenseman Dmitry Kulikov to injury, the Winnipeg Jets look to be gaining several other names back. The team, which seems to have been hampered by multiple injuries over the past couple of months, could be getting three players back on Sunday.

JetsTV’s Jamie Thomas tweets that forwards Mark Scheifele and Adam Lowry along with defenseman Toby Enstrom are likely to play if they feel good tomorrow. Scheifele has missed five games due to an upper-body injury, while Lowry’s upper-body injury has prevented him from playing in a game since Feb. 1. Enstrom has missed eight of his last nine games with the Jets with what is believed to be a lower-body injury.

Thomas also mentions that the team’s goalie situation isn’t improving as quickly. Backup goaltender Steve Mason, who had his knee scoped earlier this week is still on a tw0 to three-week timeframe and is not likely to return until April. He has just played in 12 games so far this year due to multiple injuries. Michael Hutchinson, out with a concussion, is active and riding a stationary bike, but there is no timetable yet for his return.

  • Sportsnet’s John Shannon tweets that Calgary Flames winger Matthew Tkachuk did not join the team for their two-game road trip to Las Vegas and Arizona Sunday and Monday. The 20-year-old had already missed the past two games and is not expected to be back until at least Wednesday. He has been out with a possible concussion he sustained Sunday against the New York Islanders.
  • The Washington Capitals announced that center Evgeny Kuznetsov will be out Sunday with an upper-body injury and will be listed as day-to-day. He was injured in Friday’s game against the New York Islanders after being tripped by Thomas Hickey. The 25-year-old has been one of the key constants for the Capitals as he already has a career-high in goals scored with 21 and is closing on his career-high for points.
  • The Vancouver Canucks will be without defenseman Ben Hutton Saturday as he will miss the game due to a foot infection, according to Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal. The third-year blueliner has played 59 games this season and averages 18:27 ATOI.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have placed forward Vladislav Kamenev on injured reserve, according to CapFriendly, after he has spent the last three games playing for the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL. No word on if he re-injured his arm, which he broke back in November.

Jets Notes: Hendricks, Hutchinson, Trouba

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The Winnipeg Jets are in an unfamiliar position, firmly in a playoff spot with 12 games left to play. With 92 points, they trail only the Vegas Golden Knights and the Nashville Predators for the Western Conference lead, and are poised to do some damage in the postseason for the first time in their history. Still, that is only if they can stay healthy over the next few months. That’s not something that has come easily to the Jets of late, and Jamie Thomas of JetsTV gives us updates on several players.

  • Matt Hendricks has played 60 games for the Jets this season as a fourth-line veteran presence, giving the team some valuable leadership and chipping in offense now and again. That role will have to go to someone else, as Hendricks is out six to eight weeks with a lower-body injury. That takes him out through the end of the season and much of the playoffs, meaning there is more ice time for the younger players in Winnipeg. Despite his near 600 games in the NHL, the 36-year old Hendricks has played in only 34 playoff games and none in the last five years.
  • Luckily, it’s not all bad news in Winnipeg. There is a possibility that Jacob Trouba makes his return in tonight’s game which would be his first since January 15th. Trouba is a huge part of the Jets lineup, and with Dmitry Kulikov out with a minor injury his return would be extremely important. Trouba is up for another contract this summer, and an impressive playoff performance could increase his cost even more.
  • Michael Hutchinson was forced out of Tuesday’s game against the Nashville Predators after three quick goals, but has now been diagnosed with a concussion. That’s the second goaltender out for the Jets, joining Steve Mason who is working his way back from a knee injury. Connor Hellebuyck will be relied upon even more, while Eric Comrie is the backup for the time being.

Injury Notes: Eichel, Jets’ Updates, Scandella, Schmidt, Neal

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Jack Eichel has taken his first step or skate in his road to recovery from the high ankle sprain that sidelined him on Feb. 10. Given a timetable of four to six weeks, Eichel skated Saturday for the first time, according to the Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington. Despite skating, head coach Phil Housley stated that he is not ready to return to practice yet and there is no timetable for a return.

“We don’t want to put him under that sort of pressure,” Housley said. “He has skated. He started skating yesterday so that’s good to see him start making progress.”

With the season hitting its final stretch, there is no guarantee that Eichel will return to the lineup at all, although Housley said that Eichel definitely wants to return before the end of the season. The 21-year-old was on pace to surpass his career highs in goals as he already had 22 goals in 55 games (24 goals is his career high). The team is 4-5-1 without Eichel these past 10 games.

  • Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun writes that Winnipeg Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba and forward Adam Lowry are both progressing, but aren’t expected to return during the Jets’ six-game road trip. Trouba has been missing since Jan. 25 with an ankle injury has been skating for more than a week, while Lowry has been out since Feb. 1 with a lower-body injury. However, forward Brandon Tanev is ready to return, but head coach Paul Maurice doesn’t want to change his forward lineup. Defenseman Toby Enstrom is expected back either Tuesday or Thursday. He’s missed two games with a lower-body injury.
  • Wiebe also adds that Winnipeg Jets goaltender Steve Mason is traveling to New York City to meet up with team for their upcoming game against the New York Rangers on Tuesday. He got in a game of conditioning with the Manitoba Moose Saturday, allowing four goals on 22 shots in a 5-4 overtime victory. Mason has been out with a concussion and hasn’t played in a game since Jan. 9.
  • Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News tweets that defenseman Marco Scandella, who missed most of Friday’s game due to a big hit on the boards, is practicing with the team today.
  • SinBinVegas tweets that Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt and winger James Neal (hand) both did not fly with the team to New Jersey, which will start the team’s five-game road-trip. However, both are expected to eventually meet up with the team.

 

Winnipeg Jets Recall Michael Hutchinson To Start

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The Winnipeg Jets have recalled Michael Hutchinson to start tonight’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, sending down Eric Comrie. Additionally, Adam Lowry has been activated from injured reserve while Jacob Trouba takes his place among the wounded.

Head coach Paul Maurice and the front office decided to give Connor Hellebuyck the night off after he participated in the All-Star festivities this past weekend, meaning Hutchinson will get his first opportunity of the season. That is very important for the 27-year old goaltender, as he is a pending unrestricted free agent and will take any opportunity to show that he belongs in the NHL.

Hutchinson is one of the more interesting cases over the next few weeks, as he’s been one of the best goaltenders in the minor leagues all season and has a history of relative success in the NHL. In 99 career games, he carries a .910 save percentage, though that is skewed by his extreme success early on in his career.

Still, he could be an option for a team looking to strengthen their goaltending depth before the deadline. If the Jets believe that Comrie and Steve Mason—currently dealing with the effects of his second concussion of the season—are enough depth behind Hellebuyck, they could sell Hutchinson to the highest bidder. Otherwise, he will be an interesting free agent case in the summer.

Hellebuyck is clearly the starter now in Winnipeg, after taking a huge step forward this season and establishing himself as one of the better goaltenders in the NHL. Mason though was just signed to a two-year, $8.2MM contract and is too expensive to bury in the minor leagues. When healthy, he’ll have a role on this team meaning there isn’t much room for Hutchinson. Instead, he could try to catch on somewhere else around the league as a backup, or even try to compete for a starting job on a rebuilding club.

A chance to prove himself against one of the top teams in the league doesn’t come every day, and you can bet many eyes around the NHL are tuning in to see what happens. Whether he’ll play another game as a Winnipeg Jet isn’t guaranteed, though he certainly has a good opportunity right now.

Jacob Trouba Could Miss Six To Eight Weeks

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Lost in all the excitement of the NHL All-Star weekend was a report from Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun, detailing an injury to the Jets’ Jacob Trouba. Wiebe writes that Trouba will be out with an ankle injury for six to eight weeks, a huge blow to the already hurting Jets.

Now in his fifth season in the NHL, Trouba has blossomed into a dynamic two-way defender for the Jets, capable of playing in all situations against any competition. The 23-year old trails only Dustin Byfuglien in average ice time, and Tyler Myers in points among Jets’ defenders. Losing him for nearly two months will put a huge stress on Winnipeg’s blue line, and could lead to a potential trade to add some depth.

While Tucker Poolman will likely be asked to fill a bigger role, the team could go out and add a piece to fill Trouba’s role. If that’s true, they have the prospect talent to land some of the league’s biggest fishes.

The Jets are headed for a playoff spot for the first time since 2014-15 and only the third time in franchise history that goes back to Atlanta in 1999-00. Even with injuries to Mark Scheifele and now Trouba, the team sits in first place in the Central Division and looks as capable as anyone to come out of the Western Conference playoffs.

In-Season Extension For Jacob Trouba Unlikely

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It was only a little more than a year ago that there was plenty of speculation surrounding Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba.  He was without a contract into November and had asked for a trade.  No move materialized as instead, he signed a two-year bridge deal and rescinded his trade request.  That contract is up on July 1st, 2018 which makes him eligible to sign an extension at any time.

In an appearance on Sportsnet 960 (audio link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggests that Winnipeg will let the season play out and then try to sign him to a new long-term deal at that time.  Unlike his first time as a restricted free agent, he will have arbitration eligibility this time around.  His qualifying offer will be set at his 2017-18 salary of $3.5MM.

Trouba has made it clear that he does not like shifting to play the left side and Tyler Myers is signed through 2018-19 and Dustin Byfuglien through 2020-21 so that logjam on the right will still be in play for at least another year when the team sits down with him to try to hammer out a new pact.

From a statistical standpoint, the 23-year-old isn’t helping his cause too much.  He has just eight points through 26 games which is his second-lowest point-per-game average of his career.  With Winnipeg having a healthy back end on the right side, he’s also averaging a career-low 21:09 per night in ice time.  With that in mind, it would make sense to wait on extension talks from his perspective even if he were to be approached by management.

While the Jets have a very pricey back end this season (one that costs over $30MM once Mark Stuart’s buyout is factored in), they will have a big chunk of that freed up when Toby Enstrom’s $5.75MM contract expires at the end of the season.  As a result, they should have the money available to sign Trouba long-term if they so desire at a cost that will likely come relatively close to Enstrom’s expiring deal.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Winnipeg Jets

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Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. 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 2017-18 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.

Winnipeg Jets

Current Cap Hit: $67,661,666 (under the $75MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Patrik Laine (Two years remaining, $925K)
F Kyle Connor (Two years remaining, $925K)
F Nikolaj Ehlers (One year remaining, $894K)
D Josh Morrissey (One year remaining, $863K)

Potential Bonuses

Laine: $2.65MM
Ehlers: $850K
Connor: $850K
Morrissey: $500K

Total: $4.85MM

The future looks bright for the Jets, especially with Laine, who is constantly overshadowed by Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews. Laine, who was taken second-overall in last year’s draft, put up phenomenal numbers that make Jets fans believe again in their team. He put up 36 goals in his rookie campaign and added 28 assists for a 64-point season. He should only get better and become the cornerstone of the franchise in the future. He should be joined by Ehlers, who also had a breakout year last year. The 2014 first-round pick had 15 goals in his rookie year, but added to that this past year, putting up 25 goals and 39 assists for 64 points.

The team also has high hopes for Connor to make the team and find himself a full-time role this year. The team’s 2015 first-round pick, put up big numbers a couple years ago at the University of Michigan two years ago, then scored 25 goals with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose and still managed to get 20 games in with the Jets, where he scored two goals and three assists. The team believes he has a good shot to end up on one of the back two lines. Morrissey, the team’s first-round pick back in 2013, found a full-time role with the Jets last year as he put up six goals and 14 assists. He is currently slated to start on the Jets’ third-line defense.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

D Toby Enstrom ($5.75MM, UFA)
F Bryan Little ($4.7MM, UFA)
D Jacob Trouba ($2.81MM, RFA)
G Connor Hellebuyck ($2.25MM, RFA)
F Shawn Matthias ($2.13MM, UFA)
G Michael Hutchinson ($1.15MM, UFA)
F Adam Lowry ($1.13MM, RFA)
F Joel Armia ($925K, RFA)
F Marko Dano ($850K, RFA)
F Brandon Tanev ($700K, RFA)
F Matt Hendricks ($700K, UFA)
F Michael Sgarbossa ($650K, RFA)

That’s a long list, but most of the players are restricted free agents and should easily be retained. However, the team will have to make some decisions on some key veterans, including Little, who many feel is an underrated forward. The 29-year-old has been with the franchise from the start of his career when they were the Atlanta Thrashers and has scored 184 goals for the franchise. With the team’s large number of young forwards, might they move on from Little in a year? Injuries have plagued little over the past two years as he’s missed 48 games. His 21 goals last year were solid, but he will need to prove his value this year if he wants another long-term deal. Another potential unrestricted free agent would be Enstrom, who will be 33 next year and the team will have to decide whether to keep the veteran blueliner. His offensive numbers dropped into the teens in the last couple of years. Mattias and Hendricks are expendable fill-ins, but valuable veterans to hold that roster together.

The team will be looking to several of their restricted free agent as key players in the future. The team will be looking at Trouba to have a big season this year. The 23-year-old defenseman had a career-high 33 points a year ago and he did that in only 60 games, so many feel he may take his game up a notch this year if he can avoid injuries. Despite Hellebuyck’s down year as they attempted to hand him the starting goaltender job, the team still looks at him as a potential starter that just wasn’t ready to take their reigns last year. His 2.89 GAA in 56 games didn’t get the job done. With Mason coming in, Hellebuyck will have more time to develop as a backup.

The team will be looking for Lowry to continue to develop as well. Lowry had 15 goals last year and the 24-year-old is expected to center the team’s third line. Armia also has bigger expectations this year after putting up 10 goals a year ago. He could also end up as a wing next to Lowry on that third line. Dano could also pick up a full-time role with the Jets this year. The former 2013 first-rounder played 38 games for Winnipeg last year, putting up four goals and seven assists.

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