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Jake Guentzel

Snapshots: Guentzel, Byfuglien, Kulikov, Murphy

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Penguins winger Jake Guentzel was open to beginning discussions regarding a contract extension back in the offseason, notes Josh Yohe of The Athletic (subscription required).  However, GM Jim Rutherford indicated at the time that his preference was to negotiate a new deal next summer.  While that may have been disappointing at the time for Guentzel, it’s fair to suggest that this worked out quite well for him.  The 24-year-old has 22 points through 26 games so far this season which puts him on pace for 69, a number that would vastly surpass his previous career best of 48.  Although he’s still on his entry-level deal, Guentzel is eligible for salary arbitration next summer so he is well-positioned to land a substantial raise on his current $734K cap hit and almost assuredly more than if he signed an extension last summer.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • The Jets could have a key defenseman back in their lineup on Friday. Postmedia’s Ken Wiebe notes that there’s a good chance Dustin Byfuglien will return after missing the last four games with a concussion.  That would be a big boost to their back end as he leads all Winnipeg blueliners in scoring (17 points) while leading the team in playing time per game (24:24).  Meanwhile, fellow rearguard Dmitry Kulikov could also return from his upper-body injury that he sustained early last month.  His initial timeline for recovery was mid-December so he certainly appears to be ahead of schedule.
  • Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy took contact in practice for the first time this week and could return as soon as Sunday, reports Steve Greenberg of the Chicago Sun-Times. The veteran has missed the entire season since undergoing back surgery in September and while he hasn’t been a big point producer in the past, he’ll give them some extra depth on their back end and likely slot into a third pairing role.  Chicago is currently carrying the maximum 23 players allowable on their roster so they will have to make a move over the next couple of days if they want him to play this weekend.

Metropolitan Notes: Dal Colle, Brassard, Hischier, Rask, Murphy

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When the New York Islanders recalled 2014 fifth-overall pick Michael Dal Colle from Bridgeport, many felt the team was just rewarding him for improved recent play with the AHL squad, but the recall would likely result in a few trips to the press box and an eventual return to the Sound Tigers.

However, Andrew Gross of Newsday writes that head coach Barry Trotz made this opportunity sound different as he hinted that Dal Colle may get an opportunity to see some game action on Sunday.

“Good chance,” Trotz said when asked whether Dal Colle would be in Sunday’s lineup. “I’m going to let him play a little bit and try to find his game. Maybe he has his game and he’s great tomorrow and I don’t have to tell him anything other than, ‘Just keep going, kid.’ I want to see how he plays.”

Dal Colle has been much more impressive this year after tallying just seven goals in 60 games with Bridgeport last season. He’s equalled those goal totals already with seven goals and 14 points in 14 games. Of course, Dal Colle’s opportunities may not last long as Gross reports that Matt Martin is close to being activated off the injured reserve with an upper-body injury.

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins will get back a big name and just in time as the struggling Penguins will get Derick Brassard back from a lower-body injury after missing the past nine games, according to TribLive’s Jonathan Bombulie. Pittsburgh has won just two games in that span. The 31-year-old had a goal and five points in eight games before the injury. The center will be immediately placed on the team’s second line in between Phil Kessel and Jake Guentzel. “I’m just going to try to skate and keep everything simple and give the puck to Phil as much as I can,” Brassard said after morning skate.
  • The New Jersey Devils have high hopes that they may get back their top center Nico Hischier from injury after he has sat out for three straight games with an undisclosed injury. NHL.com’s Amanda Stein reports that Hischier intends to travel with the team on their one-game road trip to Carolina, suggesting he could be ready to play for that game. The team misses his offense after posting three goals and 12 points in 15 games.
  • Chip Alexander of the News & Observer writes that Carolina Hurricanes winger Victor Rask, who underwent surgery on Sept. 13 after slicing his hand while cutting up sweet potatoes in his kitchen, practiced with the team on Friday, but has not been cleared for contact yet. Regardless, that’s good news for a struggling Hurricanes’ team that could use some offensive help. Rask scored 14 goals last season.
  • The Athletic’s Scott Powers writes that the Chicago Blackhawks will continue to be without defenseman Connor Murphy for quite some time as head coach Jeremy Colliton said the 25-year-old is still “weeks” away. The team could use every advantage it has if it wants to break out of its struggles this season.

East Notes: Tkachuk, Smith, Nielsen, Athanasiou, Penguins

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Senators winger Brady Tkachuk skated for the first time today since tearing a ligament in his leg, notes Postmedia’s Ken Warren.  The fourth pick back in June was off to a very strong start to his season with three goals and three assists in just four games before suffering the injury.  Although this is certainly a step in the right direction, he’s likely to miss at least another two to three weeks based on the original recovery timeframe.

Meanwhile, Warren adds (via Twitter) that center Zack Smith underwent surgery on Sunday to repair a trio of facial fractures and has been prohibited from any physical activity for at least a week.  He has been placed on injured reserve.  The Senators are now down to just 12 healthy forwards so there’s a possibility that they’ll make a roster move in advance of Tuesday’s game against Arizona.

More from the East:

  • The Red Wings announced (Twitter link) that they will be without center Frans Nielsen for at least the next two games due to an undisclosed injury. The veteran got off to a quiet start to his season but has been more productive as of late with four assists in the last four games.  Detroit may also be without center Andreas Athanasiou tomorrow night as he is listed as doubtful with an undisclosed injury.  The 24-year-old is tied for the team lead in goals with four through the first eleven games.
  • Penguins defenseman Kris Letang left practice early today due to a lower-body issue that occurred on Saturday, reports Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. As a result, his availability for Tuesday’s game against the Islanders is in question.  Meanwhile, winger Jake Guentzel should be able to play despite leaving Saturday’s game early following a high-stick to the face from teammate Dominik Simon.

Agent Mike Liut Set To Bury The “Bridge Deal” This Off-Season

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For some time now, the landscape of NHL contracts has been changing, trending away from short and relatively inexpensive contracts for young restricted free agents. These “bridge deals” had long been used by teams to keep promising young talent on a reasonable price tag after their entry-level contract expired. While teams have been complicit in the movement away from bridge deals, players have simply begun to produce at a much higher level far sooner than in the past and, in turn, agents have demanded more term and salary than they ever had the leverage to command previously. The bridge deal is not yet extinct, but players and their representatives are having a much easier time landing expensive, long-term deals as early as possible in recent years.

While the beginning of the end for affordable youth can be traced back to superstars like Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin – whose cap hits now look like bargains some years later – it is within the last few years that young players of a lesser caliber than the all-world exception have been able to land similar pacts. The architect of multiple recent deals of great length and value has been Mike Liut of Octagon Sports. A former NHLer himself, Liut is the director of Octagon’s hockey division. Forbes reports that Liut manages 22 clients and over $325MM in player salary. His efforts to eliminate the bridge deal have played no small part in that impressive total. Liut negotiated the eight-year, $60MM contract signed by the St. Louis Blues’ Vladimir Tarasenko back in 2015, when Tarasenko had less than 200 NHL games to his credit. He then put together the eight-year, $49MM contract of the Winnipeg Jets’ Mark Scheifele in 2016, before he became the point-per-game player he is today. However, the crown jewel of Liut’s collection has to be the massive eight-year, $68MM contract belonging to the Edmonton Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl. Signed last year, Draisaitl’s deal carries an $8.5MM cap hit that is among the top fifteen players in the league. Yet, Liut somehow landed Draisaitl that deal after just two and half seasons, only one of which was truly impressive.

Now, Liut has a chance at a repeat performance of the Draisaitl deal not once, not twice, not even thrice, but with four different prominent players this off-season. Liut counts Patrik Laine, Mikko Rantanen, Brock Boeser, and Jake Guentzel among his clients and each of those four is set to have their entry-level contract expire this off-season. Winnipeg’s Laine has finished in the top ten in goal scoring in each of his first two seasons and was second only to Ovechkin for the league lead last year. Colorado’s Rantanen recorded 84 points in 81 games last year and currently shares the NHL lead in points and assists. Vancouver’s Boeser finished second in Calder Trophy voting last year and led the Canucks in scoring. Pittsburgh’s Guentzel is a Stanley Cup champion and a proven clutch scorer. Liut has shown an ability to bypass the bridge deal before and has an excellent chance at landing each of these players an expensive long-term deal. Other restricted free agents like Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and Sebastian Aho are also certain to land similar deals. As such, in an off-season with an abnormal amount of high-profile RFA’s, each one could end up with an expensive, long-term extension. The effect, as Liut hopes, that the bridge deal dies as a result.

Metropolitan Notes: Flyers Goaltending, Tryouts, Guentzel

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With Anthony Stolarz now healthy and top prospect Carter Hart turning pro, the Flyers have a bit of a logjam between the pipes.  With that in mind, Dave Isaac of the Cherry Hill Courier-Post suggests that a trade may be the optimal route for Philadelphia to consider and that one of Stolarz, Alex Lyon, or Michal Neuvirth would make the most sense to move.  Brian Elliott is pegged to start at the NHL level while they will want to give Hart a large workload with AHL Lehigh Valley which leaves the other three vying for a pair of backup spots.  All three of those trade options have to clear waivers to get to the minors so if there is a move to make, the time to do it would be before opening rosters are finalized.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • From that same article, Isaac notes that the Flyers gave consideration to bringing in someone on a PTO deal but ultimately decided against it, at least for the time being. With them wanting to leave some spots available for some of their younger players, bringing in a veteran to clutter things up may not be the best move for them to make.
  • Penguins winger Jake Guentzel is their most notable young player entering the final year of their contract. While a bridge contract may make some sense given their usual status of being tight to the Upper Limit, Jonathan Bombulie of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review believes that Pittsburgh instead will opt for a long-term deal and that if he produces like he did last season, an AAV north of $5.75MM is a likely outcome if the salary cap grows once again for 2019-20.  While that may seem difficult to fit in, the team has more than $10MM in expiring contracts up front which will make it a bit easier to do a deal like that.

Metropolitan Notes: Rangers, Grant, Guentzel, Ho-Sang

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The New York Rangers have made a few changes, but so far remain quiet this offseason as the real changes the team has made has been in their coaching staff. From new head coach David Quinn to assistant coaches Greg Brown and David Oliver, the team expects many of the changes to be within the organization as new coaches mean using players in different ways, which could see several players see big improvements.

Shayna Goldman of The Athletic (subscription required) breaks down some of the changes the coaching staff intends to implement this season and suggests the team could get boosts in performance from multiple players, targeting Kevin Hayes, Pavel Buchnevich, Brady Skjei and Kevin Shattenkirk.  Assuming Hayes isn’t traded this offseason as has been rumored, the team could see him take another step in his development.

Shifted into a shutdown role more recently, Hayes has been successful, but he has the skills to be a top offensive forward if needed, which could happen this season. Buchnevich is another offensive force who has been slowed by injuries, while the team has high expectations for Skjei and Shattenkirk (finally healthy) to return to form as top-four defenders.

  • The Athletic’s Josh Yohe (subscription required) explains the reasoning behind the Pittsburgh Penguins’ recent signing of center Derek Grant. While there has been recent talk about the excessive amount of centers the team has, there have been even more after the team added Grant. Yet, Yohe writes that the Penguins feel the team needs as many centers as they can find for depth purposes and that Grant could find himself playing either center or wing, depending on how training camp shakes out. However, the possibility the team might still make a late offseason trade remains a legitimate possibility, suggesting that Derick Brassard could be moved still.
  • The Athletic’s Nick Kelly (subscription required) writes that Pittsburgh Penguins Jake Guentzel is enjoying his offseason this year, while playing in Da Beauty League, because he got some extra time off when the Penguins were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs this past year. While he has no wish to get that extra time off again, Guentzel has spent his time this offseason in the weight room in hopes of becoming a more well-rounded player. He hopes to take his game to the next level after a full season in which he tallied 22 goals and 48 points last year. However, he scored just two goals in his final 20 games, suggesting he needs to work on his strength and conditioning to take that next step.
  • Newsday’s Andrew Gross writes that the New York Islanders Joshua Ho-Sang should get a clean slate with a new coaching staff and management coming into the fold. Ho-Sang is expected to take on a full-time roll with the organization this year after he spent most of last season in the AHL due to issues with Ho-Sang’s attitude. The 22-year-old criticized management about how they were handling their development. He started the season in New York, posting solid numbers, including two goals and 12 points in 22 games, but was sent down to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers to work on other parts of his game and played 50 games there, but struggled at times, finishing with just eight goals.

Rutherford Eyeing Trade Market To Improve Penguins

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Changes are coming in Pittsburgh this off-season, but GM Jim Rutherford is “not even really thinking about free agency right now”. Speaking with Josh Yohe of the Athletic, Rutherford admits that “we won’t really have the cap space to do anything anyway. We’re going to re-sign some of our restricted free agents. And at that point, we’re around the cap.” The Penguins need to re-sign RFA’s Bryan Rust, Riley Sheahan, Daniel Sprong, Jamie Oleksiak and more and even with the expected increase to the salary cap limit will only have $8-12MM maximum to work with. The team could make a couple additional minor moves here and there on the unrestricted free agent market, but Rutherford is correct that team is strapped for the cap space to make any significant signings this summer, at least as things stand now.

As a result, it is the trade market that Rutherford is more interested in. The team has already stated that they don’t plan to buy out any of their current players, but they could look to move them via trade. Atop that list are likely wingers Carl Hagelin and Conor Sheary and defenseman Matt Hunwick. In fact, the blue line appears to be the most likely area for a player to be traded away, as the team enters next season with six veterans under contract and Oleksiak and Frank Corrado as restricted free agents. Rutherford stated to Yohe that defenseman Brian Dumoulin is the most untouchable player on the back end due to his invaluable defensive play, and also expressed his fondness for Oleksiak and Olli Maatta as well. Rutherford said that the front office is optimistic that Kris Letang and Hunwick will perform better next year and were happy with the play of Justin Schultz and Chad Ruhwedel as they made up for Letang’s and Hunwick’s shortcomings respectively this season. However, Rutherford added that his comfort with this group doesn’t mean that won’t make a change.

The goal in making any deal is to improve the depth and youth of the Penguins’ forward corps. This explains why the team was connected to Max Domi recently, before he was traded to the Montreal Canadiens last week. The team is seeking versatility and upside up front and are willing to move substantial assets to get it, but Rutherford wasn’t willing to part with the Alex Galchenyuk-level ask from the Arizona Coyotes for Domi. Rutherford knows that even if he does nothing this summer, Pittsburgh will still be a contender, and as such he does not need to overpay in any trade. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are not going anywhere and Rutherford has already confirmed that he is not shopping Phil Kessel. It’s safe to assume that young winger Jake Guentzel and new acquisition Derick Brassard are also safe. That is already shaping up to be a solid group yet again and the internal addition of younger players should add energy and potential. However, Rutherford’s preference still is to add depth and even more youth if he can to combat the injuries and fatigue that hurt his aging roster last year. Those are the moves he is looking to make this summer and it seems inevitable that at least one such transaction will be made by the expert executive. They may not be three-peat champions, but the Penguins are going to re-stock and be dangerous again in 2018-19.

Snapshots: Stars Goaltending, Guentzel, Kane, Shalunov

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Armed with a new head coach, the Dallas Stars can begin to get to work to fixing their team after the team failed to qualify for the playoffs despite a flurry of offseason moves last year. While, the team has many issues to deal with, one key area of need is finding a quality back-up goaltender.

The team is finally released from a five-year, $29.5MM deal it gave to eventual backup Kari Lehtonen. However, the $5.9MM AAV for a player who produced a 2.56 GAA and a .912 wasn’t worth it. On top of that, at age 34, the team needs a backup that can take over the workload for oft-injured starter Ben Bishop.

SportsDay’s Mike Heika writes there are several potential options for Dallas, but the best-case scenario would be for the Stars to chase Carter Hutton, who backed up Jake Allen last year. Hutton, who could easily fill in full-time in case Bishop gets hurt, could also be expensive as the 32-year-old veteran may hope to land a starting job somewhere. He was 17-7-3 last year with a 2.09 GAA in 32 games this past year in St. Louis. Other options would consist of Jonathan Bernier, Andrew Hammond, Michael Hutchinson and Anton Khudobin.

  • While it may not come as a surprise, the Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan reports that the NHL Department of Player Safety does not intend to have a hearing with Pittsburgh Penguins Jake Guentzel, who hit John Carlson during Saturday’s game against the Washington Capitals. Despite complaints from Capitals head coach Barry Trotz, Khurshudyan the league felt it was a full-body hit.
  • With the season on the line, The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz (subscription required) writes that while San Jose Sharks’ trade deadline acquisition Evander Kane has been highly successful since coming over from Buffalo, that hasn’t been the case during the team’s second-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights. Kane has scored just one point in the series and the team will need them to pull off a two-game sweep to advance to the conference finals. Kurz wonders whether Kane’s health has been an issue as he has skipped the morning skate for both of the team’s last two games.
  • Chicago Blackhawks prospect Maxim Shalunov has been improving steadily in the KHL and the 2011 fourth-round prospect is looking more interesting, but The Athletic’s Scott Powers (subscription required) writes that the 25-year-old is still two years away from reaching Chicago after he signed a three-year extension to remain in the KHL last offseason. As Shalunov has developed in Russia, he’s also received more attention recently from the Russian national team and while he didn’t get the invitation to the Olympics that he was hoping for, he did get the invite to play in the World Championships.

Penguins Sign Anthony Angello To Entry-Level Deal

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It may have been a disappointing end to the season for Cornell, a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament upset in their first game, but for one player the year will end on a positive note. Anthony Angello, a junior forward for the Big Red, has signed an entry-level contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins, according to a team release. The two-year deal will begin next season, but Angello will join the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on an amateur tryout to close out the season.

It’s hard to argue against the results that the two-time defending Stanley Cup champs have had with bringing in college talent in recent years. Conor Sheary, Bryan Rust, and Zach Aston-Reese have all been successful college free agents who signed in Pittsburgh, while Brian Dumoulin and Jake Guentzel, draft picks who chose the college route, have been even better. Angello, a 2014 fifth-round pick, will gladly take the career trajectory of any of those players as he transitions to the pro game.

A hulking 6’5″ center who anchored the Cornell squad, Angello was also among the team’s top scorers this season. Angello finished the year tied in points and goals with linemate Trevor Yates, a recent signing of the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, due in no small part to his ability in front of the net. Angello’s checking game and two-way intelligence also contributed to an impressive +16 rating. The Penguins don’t have a forward with Angello’s size and skill set anywhere in the pipeline and have to be excited to bring in the big 22-year-old. The Big Red scorer could be donning Pittsburgh black and yellow sooner rather than later.

Penguins A Fitting Trade Partner For Struggling Atlantic Squads

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The Pittsburgh Penguins already acquired an Atlantic player when they acquired center Riley Sheahan from the Detroit Red Wings earlier this year. Could GM Jim Rutherford double-dip into the division for yet another center? There are plenty of options available.

As everyone knew they would, the Penguins have rebounded from some serious early season struggles and are back in the playoff picture. With 53 points, the Pens have tied up the New York Rangers and the two teams currently hold wild card berths. However, the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders, and Carolina Hurricanes are mere points behind and all have games in hand on Pittsburgh. In fact, the two-time defending Stanley Cup champs are actually last in the Metropolitan Division in points percentage. The Penguins undoubtedly have work to do prior to the NHL Trade Deadline, but this year they need help just to make the playoffs.

The main issue for Pittsburgh continues to come back to third-line center, where nothing has worked this year. Sheahan has struggled on the third line, but has settled in nicely on the fourth line. Injured Carter Rowney is also better suited for an energy line role. Jake Guentzel is a competent pivot, but to have him center the third line is to remove him from his top-six wing spot where he has been so successful. Despite their many attempts, the Penguins still just need to replace Nick Bonino. 

Enter the Atlantic Division, home to two of the best teams in hockey as well as four of the worst. The Pens have already dealt with Detroit, sending Scott Wilson and a third-round pick their way for Sheahan. However, there are three more teams willing to sell and with pieces of interest to the Pens. The Montreal Canadiens, who themselves are desperate for help at center, are seemingly ready to move on from career contributor Tomas Plekanec, an impending free agent. The 35-year-old has years of experience and is perhaps the best two-way player on the Montreal roster. A rental deal for Plekanec to go to Pittsburgh has been talked about by many and would be no surprise. A less likely deal, but one that also makes sense is Canadiens forward Paul Byron. Although he provides great value with a cap hit just over $1MM for another season, if the Habs enter 2018-19 with Byron again as even a top-nine center, then they will have not done enough this summer. The team may as well move on now and get a good return from Pittsburgh, who could really use the late bloomers services at a bargain rate through next season. Then there are the Ottawa Senators, who have made it known that they are willing to move just about anyone on their roster. The player of most interest to Pittsburgh is likely Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The 25-year-old center is signed through 2020, but has heard his name on the rumor mill and fits the third line role perfectly. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston even mentioned that the Penguins have been kicking the tires on Pageau. Zack Smith, a similarly skilled player with a similar $3MM+ cap hit, but with greater experience, could also be had. Although the Sens are likely more keen to keep Smith over Pageau, Smith was one of many players recently asked to waive his no-trade clause. Finally, perhaps the crown jewel of available Atlantic centers is Buffalo’s Sam Reinhart. The struggling Sabres have few players of value to offer – and reportedly Reinhart is not one they are willing to part with – but there is no doubt that Rutherford would love to pry the 2014 second overall pick from old friend Jason Botterill in Buffalo. Reinhart has struggled to produce on offense or play well down the middle with the Sabres, but the 22-year-old has the makings of an elite two-way center down the road. In a new city where he faces less pressure to be superstar and top scorer, Reinhart could develop into that defensive-minded top-nine forward that his skill set is best suited for.

There are more than enough options for Rutherford and the Penguins to make a move for yet another center from the Atlantic. The Canadiens, Senators, and Sabres are all floundering and will be sellers looking to make a move. Pittsburgh hasn’t yet traded away all of their prospect and draft pick assets and Rutherford has shown a desire to make moves early and often ahead of the trade deadline. Don’t be shocked if his next newsworthy move is to bring in any of these players to give his team a shot at the postseason and perhaps even a three-peat.

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