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Jaroslav Halak

Garth Snow Explains Why Jaroslav Halak Was Waived

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Earlier today the New York Islanders finally did what many have expected for a few weeks now. The struggling Jaroslav Halak, who has been in a three-way goalie battle for more than a year, was placed on waivers and will likely be sent to the AHL.

General Manager Garth Snow explained why:

We want to give Thomas [Greiss] and JF [Berube] an opportunity to play, get ice time. Obviously get a chance to get some wins that we desperately need.

You’re looking for ways to help the team any way that you can, that may be to get a boost of confidence, build some momentum and ultimately win hockey games.

Halak, who is still only 31 years old, has played outstanding at times throughout his career. Getting Vezina trophy votes in two different seasons before coming to New York, the netminder set a franchise record with 38 wins in his first season with the team.

If Halak does clear and is sent to the minors, Snow expects big things:

Coming to the rink and being the hardest worker, having a great attitude, that’s something that doesn’t matter who you are and what position you play and what role you have in the organization, that’s what we expect out of everyone in this organization. We expect nothing less form Jaro in that regard.

Obviously Halak isn’t done at his relatively young age, and should make his way back to the NHL at some point – perhaps even this year. He’s also an intriguing candidate for some teams around the league who lack stability in net. Calgary, Los Angeles and Dallas among others have uncertainty in goal, and though Halak wouldn’t be a clear upgrade on paper the way he’s played this season, perhaps just a change of scenery would be enough to spark him.

The problem, is that Halak carries a $4.5MM cap hit this year and next, while being owed even more actual salary due to the back-loaded nature of his deal. Even though the Islanders are clearly willing to move on, they’d likely have to eat some of that money or kick in a prospect. Not an easy pill to swallow for a team looking to work it’s way back into playoff picture next year, if not sooner.

For Berube in particular, the move to waive Halak means more time in net. After playing just four games so far this season, Snow made it clear he’ll play more.

[After the break] it becomes a condensed schedule again and you need more than one goalie to carry the mail. It’s not the NHL of old when a goalie could play 70, 75 games, there are just too many games in a short span of time.

Islanders Notes: Defensive Struggles, Beauvillier, Goaltending

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The New York Islanders find themselves near the top of the league in shots allowed at 32.6 per game; only Arizona (35.5) allows more.  As Newsday’s Arthur Staple notes in a reader mailbag, their struggles in that area appear to stem from a systems change designed to compensate for some struggles in their transition game.

The Isles are coached to allow a bit more possession in their back end but strive to allow more shots from the outside as a trade-off.  Unfortunately, they’ve struggled when it comes to retrieving the puck and as a result, they’ve taken a beating in the overall possession game which is one of the reasons for their slow start to the season.

One defense pairing in particular who hasn’t thrived under the changes is their expected top duo of Nick Leddy and Travis Hamonic.  Both players have struggled considerably in their own end but Staple points out that the coaches are pleased with the other pairs which is why they haven’t been split up yet; they worry about doing more harm than good if they change things up.

Given that the Metropolitan Division has quickly become the hottest in hockey and that they find themselves at the bottom, they may soon have to take the risk of changing things up on the back end in the hopes that doing so can take some of the pressure off their goaltending.

More news from the Islanders:

  • While some have speculated that rookie forward Anthony Beauvillier could potentially be loaned for the upcoming World Juniors, that won’t be the case, reports TSN’s Bob McKenzie (Twitter links). The 19 year old has seven points in 20 games this season but has been a healthy scratch more often as of late, suiting up just twice this month.  Beauvillier is expected to sit tonight against Chicago, adds Brian Erni of IslandersPointBlank.
  • The goaltending situation continues to be a strange one, as Erni along with Andy Graziano debate in a separate column. Jaroslav Halak has a below average goals against average and save percentage while Thomas Greiss is much better in both categories.  However, Halak has seen the bulk of the action so far.  Part of that is likely due to the fact he has been on the trade block for a while now but with the team quickly falling out of the playoff hunt, it would be understandable if they opted to go with the hotter hand.  Further complicating things is Jean-Francois Berube, the third string netminder who has played all of six minutes this year.  Graziano notes that if he doesn’t reach 30 appearances this year (highly unlikely at this point), Berube becomes eligible for unrestricted free agency so if they want to keep his RFA rights, they need to play him a lot more as well.

Metro Division Snapshots: Blue Jackets, Islanders, Berube

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have been one of the league’s pleasant surprises through the quarter point of the campaign. Expected to again be a lottery team after a 27th place finish in 2015-16, Columbus is off to a 14 – 5 – 4 start and their 32 points are good enough to place them in a tie for fifth most in the NHL. The Jackets also rank in the top-ten in goals scored, goals allowed and have the league’s top ranked man advantage unit. Craig Morgan, writing for Fan Rag Sports Network, explores how Columbus has been able to turn things around after an offseason that didn’t yield any major personnel changes.

Morgan spoke with Blue Jackets beat writer Aaron Portzline, who was able to provide his insights into the team. Right off the top Portzline cites three key reasons for Columbus’ early success. First, Sergei Bobrovsky has been healthy and is performing at a high level between the pipes. Second, Alex Wennberg is producing at the level of a top center. Third, rookie blue liner Zach Werenski has shown he wasn’t just ready to play in the NHL, he was ready to be a star in the league.

Among goalies who have played in at least 15 games this season, Bobrovsky ranks 5th in Save % (0.929) and 6th in GAA (2.08). Wennberg, in his third NHL campaign, has 6 goals and 21 points in 23 contests and is tied for 7th in the league in assists. Werenski leads all rookie blue liners in goals (5) and points (16).

In addition to the output of those three key players, young defenseman Seth Jones has also played a vital role in the Blue Jackets unexpectedly strong play. Columbus head coach John Tortorella had this to say about Jones’ impact:

“You can see how he can control the game with the puck. We have a lot of teaching to do with him without the puck, but the God-given ability that he has, it’s at a different level than a lot of other players in this league.”

Whether or not Columbus can maintain this level of play and compete for a playoff berth of course remains to be seen. However, by this point in the campaign, teams that are currently hold a postseason spot have excellent odds of making the playoffs and that should bode well for the Jackets.

Elsewhere in the Metro Division:

  • With new ownership now pulling the strings in Brooklyn, there are rumblings that the New York Islanders may be searching for a high level executive to join their front office, according to Arthur Staple of Newsday. The plan is to add a big name and evidently among those who are under consideration are two former NHL’ers with ties to the New York area: former Islander and Ranger Pat LaFontaine and Brad Richards, who retired after last season and spent three seasons with the Blueshirts. Staple adds that another name linked to the potential new role is Pat Brisson, who just so happens to be John Tavares’ agent and was a contender for the Pittsburgh Penguins GM position two years ago. It’s not clear whether the hire, if eventually made, would join the team as team president and work with Islanders GM Garth Snow, or if that person would be charged with reshaping the organization’s front office.
  • Jean-Francois Berube is currently in a tough spot as the Islanders #3 goalie behind Jaroslav Halak and Thomas Greiss. Fearful of losing the 25-year-old net minder on waivers but apparently unwilling to give him any playing time, the Islanders have planted Berube firmly in the press box for much of the last two seasons. Berube has yet to see any action this season at any level and got into just 12 games – seven in the NHL and five in the AHL – in 2015-16. It’s certainly an unusual situation but as Larry Brooks of the New York Post writes, it’s not an entirely unique one. According to Brooks, goaltender Wayne Thomas spent the entire 1974-75 campaign on the roster of the Montreal Canadiens without even dressing as the backup. Berube has at least been on the Isles bench 10 times this season. Thomas would go on to appear in 243 career NHL contests – including a career-high 64 appearances the next season – perhaps providing some hope for Berube, who has all of seven games to his credit. While Brooks’ story is somewhat anecdotal, Berube and his representation have not been amused with the net minder’s lack of usage over the last two seasons. A resolution of some sorts that allows Berube to get on the ice, whether in Brooklyn or another NHL city, is likely best for all parties involved.

Islanders’ Notes: Halak, Lineups, Injuries

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As the New York Islanders try to right the ship and get their season back on track, they welcome the defending Stanley Cup Champions tonight. The struggling Islanders sit dead last in the Eastern Conference and have been unable to find an answer to their offensive woes.

Tonight, the team will start Jaroslav Halak for his seventh straight game after starting the year with a three-goalie rotation. Halak has done his best with what’s in front of him this year, as even with a .904 save percentage he’s still carrying a 3.09 GAA. Surely he’d like to improve both numbers, but it’ll be tough against Sidney Crosby and Co.

  • The team will look to shake things up tonight, as Shane Prince will get back into the lineup, putting them back to 12 forwards (they’d been playing with 7 defensemen recently). Scott Mayfield will return to the press box after playing just under seven minutes in their last game. Anthony Beauvillier will move back to the middle, while Ryan Strome moves up to the first line on John Tavares’ wing. The team will also reunite the fourth line of Casey Cizikas, Nikolay Kulemin and Cal Clutterbuck, after a failed attempt of Clutterbuck on the top line.
  • Dennis Seidenberg, one of the Islanders’ effective blueliners is skating with the team, but can still barely eat through his broken jaw. He’s still a while off from getting back into game action according to head coach Jack Capuano, who doesn’t expect it “to be any time soon”. The other injured Islander, Ryan Pulock, is getting closer, but isn’t expected to play on the upcoming west coast road trip, when the Islanders will face the Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings in four nights.

Islanders’ Hamonic To Miss 4 – 6 Weeks

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The New York Islanders announced via their official Twitter account that defenseman Travis Hamonic would miss the next 4 – 6 weeks due to an upper body injury. Arthur Staple of Newsday originally reported that Hamonic had exited the Islanders shootout loss to Edmonton after blocking a shot with his right arm.

With Ryan Pulock already sidelined with a broken foot, Staple believes it’s likely the team will recall Adam Pelech from Bridgeport of the AHL to cover for the absence of Hamonic. Pelech has a goal and four points in 10 games so far this season for the Sound Tigers.

Hamonic has tallied two goals and five points in 12 games this season despite averaging a career-low 19:47 of ice time per game. He leads the team in penalty minutes with 23 and has the worst plus-minis rating on the club at a -7.

The injury to Hamonic is yet another setback for a team that not only had playoff aspirations but expected to make a deep postseason run. Offseason free agent signings Andrew Ladd and Jason Chimera have combined for just four points – all assists – in 12 games this season while the players they were signed to replace, Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen, have totaled seven goals and 14 points for their new clubs.

The Islanders are also dealing with controversy surrounding their three goalie system which makes it difficult to find adequate practice time for their netminders. Allan Walsh, who represents Jaroslav Halak and Jean-Francois Berube, criticized the arrangement and the Islanders subsequently announced Halak was available via trade. Berube, ostensibly the team’s third goalie in each of the last two seasons, has seen action in just seven NHL games and five AHL contests – all coming last season – during that time.

New York is currently in seventh place in the Metro Division, just one point ahead of Carolina, who has two games-in-hand on the Islanders. Obviously it’s way too early in the season to completely write the Isles off just yet but this is clearly not the start the team was hoping for or expecting.

 

Snapshots: Kovalchuk, Sabres, Kings

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Could former NHL star Ilya Kovalchuk be looking to follow in Alexander Radulov’s footsteps next summer?

KHL analyst Aivis Kalniņš believes Kovalchuk wants to return to the NHL. The Russian sniper retired from the NHL back in 2013 in order to play in the KHL after 11 seasons in North America. He was just three seasons into a controversial 15-year, $100MM contract when he retired.

Kalniņš reported that CSKA has begun contract talks with former NHLers Kovalchuk and Viktor Tikhonov; while Tikhonov is considered close to an extension, Kovalchuk is not. It’s a similar situation to Radulov, in that CSKA attempted to sign him but he chose to leave money on the table to give the NHL another go.

Whether or not the NHL allows Kovalchuk to return is another question. Because he signed his voluntary retirement papers, all 30 NHL teams would have to approve the move. It’s unlikely that 29 teams would approve a competitor’s bid to sign a former consistent 30-plus goal scorer.

  • Brayton J. Wilson of WGR 550 in Buffalo reported a hard-to-believe stat about the Sabres. With their win over Minnesota, the Sabres are now 4-3-2, or one game over 0.500. Wilson reported that this is the first time the Sabres have been over 0.500 since the third game of the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. That’s 299 games ago, and a sign of the harsh realities of being a struggling franchise in the NHL.
  • After being shut out for the third consecutive game, Los Angeles Kings coach Darryl Sutter told reporters his message to the team was “there’s nobody coming in on a white horse to play goal for us or score goals or to come up [from the minors].” The Kings have approximately $1MM in salary cap space, despite placing the injured Jonathan Quick on LTIR. While Quick’s injury does give them some space in the interim, that would go away when he returns in three months, which rules out trading for Jaroslav Halak and likely Ondrej Pavelec too.

The Challenges Of Trading Jaroslav Halak

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Over the weekend, the New York Islanders made it known that Jaroslav Halak is on the market.  While there have been conflicting reports regarding the level of interest they have received so far, it’s fair to suggest that the interest has been lukewarm at best.  On the surface, that may seem surprising considering Halak’s track record and a cap hit below that of most starting goalies ($4.5MM) but unfortunately for the Isles, this is not a great time to be shopping a goaltender with term left on his contract.

Dec 12, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; New York Islanders goalie Jaroslav Halak (41) follows the puck in play in the second period against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. The Islanders won 3-2 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY SportsExpansion

Teams are only allowed to protect one goaltender in next June’s Las Vegas expansion draft.  As a result, any team interested in Halak would have to keep any of their incumbent goaltenders unprotected (unless they’re exempt due to two years of pro experience or less) or risk losing Halak less than a year after acquiring him.  That has to be factored into any acquisition cost from the perspective of other teams and that certainly won’t work in New York’s favor.

Lack Of Vacancies

While the Kings are in a tough spot right now with Jonathan Quick on the shelf, it’s still too early in the season for most teams to make a call on looking at a potential new starting netminder.  There are teams that are struggling between the pipes at the moment but they will likely show a bit more patience before deciding whether or not to make a move.

Plenty Of Other Options

There already or are expected to be several goalies that will be available at some point this season.  Despite his hot start, the Red Wings would likely want to divest themselves of the remaining two plus years on Jimmy Howard’s contract at just under $5.3MM while Dallas’ goalie tandem of Antti Niemi and Kari Lehtonen is high priced ($10.4MM combined) especially relative to their production; it’s certainly plausible that either of them could be dangled.  Then there’s Marc-Andre Fleury in Pittsburgh who holds a no-move clause and a $5.75MM cap hit but it’s believed the Penguins will eventually move on from him after handing Matt Murray a three year extension last month in order to ensure they can protect Murray in June.

And then there are the rental players.  Ben Bishop ($5.95MM) doesn’t appear to be staying in Tampa Bay past this season with Andrei Vasilevskiy their starter-in-waiting.  Ryan Miller ($6MM) in Vancouver is off to a really nice start but isn’t likely in their future plans either.  Ondrej Pavelec ($3.9MM) in Winnipeg is believed to be available as well and wouldn’t cost as much to acquire especially since he’s currently in the minor leagues, passing through waivers thanks to his contract.  If teams are just looking for help this season, they may look at the potential rental players before going after goalies signed beyond this year.

Halak is a legitimate starting goaltender in the NHL and could certainly help quite a few teams around the league.  However, given the timing of his availability and the plethora of other options out there, GM Garth Snow may be in for a challenge if he wants to get top value in return.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Sunday Review: The Top Five Posts This Week

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Did you miss any important NHL transaction news this week? Don’t worry, because PHR has you covered. Here are the top five news stories of the week:

UFA Christian Ehrhoff signs with Germany’s Kolner Haie
Unrestricted free agenct Christian Ehrhoff signed a one-year deal with the DEL’s Kolner Haie. The defensman failed to find a satisfactory fit this offseason after trying out for the Boston Bruins on a PTO. The Bruins offered Ehrhoff a contract, but Ehrhoff refused when he learned he would be starting the season as a scratch.

RFA Hampus Lindholm re-signs with Anaheim Ducks
Hampus Lindholm and the Anaheim Ducks came to terms this Thursday and ended months of negotiating. Lindholm was the second-to-last remaining RFA unsigned this season, and he took a six-year deal worth $5.25MM a year. It is understood that Lindholm’s camp acquiesed as its leverage shrunk the closer they got to December 1st.

Las Vegas given free agency head start
The Las Vegas Expansion team will have a 48-hour window prior to the Expansion Draft to negotiate with any unprotected UFAs and RFAs. This is to prevent situations where Las Vegas selects a player unwilling to then sign with the team. The rule also allows Las Vegas to sign any unprotected free agent it wants during the exclusive negotiating window.

Craig Anderson’s wife diagnosed with cancer
Craig Anderson’s wife Nicholle Anderson has been diagnosed with cancer. Anderson initially took personal leave from the Ottawa Senators to be with his wife, but rejoined the team when backup Andrew Hammond went down with injury. The return comes with his wife’s blessing, and it is unclear how long Anderson will stay with the team before returning home.

Isles shopping Jaroslav Halak
The New York Islanders are reportedly shopping goaltender Jaroslav Halak. This comes on the heels of tweets from Halak and fellow Isles goaltender Jean-Francois Berube’s agent Allen Walsh expressing anger over the Islanders three-man goaltending situation. Walsh complained that no goalie was getting adequate practice time, and that a three-man unit was hurting his clients.

Halak’s Agent Unhappy; Client Now Available

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Last night, Sportsnet’s Rory Boylen detailed how Allan Walsh, the agent for New York Islanders goalies Jaroslav Halak and Jean-Francois Berube, was upset with the team. In two tweets released yesterday, Walsh questioned the three-goalie system that the Islanders are using for the second year in a row. The Isles are currently employing both Halak and Berube, as well as Thomas Greiss. The likely reason for carrying three goalies is that attempting to send the 24-year-old Berube to the AHL would almost surely end in a waiver claim and the loss of the New York’s top goalie prospect. However, Walsh argues that using three goalies has a negative effect on practice time, alleging that Halak had only one “quality practice” leading up to his last start. Meanwhile, Berube has yet to even make a start this season, which also cannot make Walsh happy.

The implied purpose of the not-so-cryptic tweets is to put pressure on the Islanders to make a decision. Now, it appears they have. Although GM Garth Snow, a former Islanders goalie himself, has not made any official statement, Elliotte Friedman reports that following Walsh’s statements, Snow has made Halak available to the rest of the league. If forced to move a goalie, it appears that Snow is more comfortable with moving the 30-year-old Halak, who has term left on his contract and an injury history, rather than impending free agents Greiss, the default starter in 2015-16, and Berube. Given the injuries in net across the league, now may be as good a time as any to trade Halak.

Thus far in the new campaign, the Islanders are 3-5, good enough for last place in the Metropolitan Division, and Walsh’s comments on the lack of focus on just two goalies being detrimental may hold some weight. Halak is 2-3 with a .901 save percentage and 3.01 goals against average, while Greiss is 1-2 with a .907 save percentage and 2.71 goals against average. Both keepers are greatly under-performing based upon their numbers last season and their career averages, behind a very good defensive unit. Should the Islanders trade Halak, arguably their best goalie, their relationship with Walsh could break down further (it’s already in rough shape following the P.A. Parenteau debacle) and make agreeing to a new deal with Berube more difficult. It could also leave them severely short-handed this season if injuries hit or if Berube struggles under greater pressure. The Islanders future in net is very much unknown at this point, but as far as 2016-17 goes, the pressure is on for New York to make a move in an effort to right the ship, but trading Halak could be a potentially disastrous decision. Whatever Snow decides to do with his goal tender carousel, it will have lasting effects on the Islanders this year and in the future.

Potential Short-Term Replacements For Quick

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With Jonathan Quick set to possibly miss 3 – 4 months due to a groin injury, the Kings are for the time being expected to ride it out with internal options Jeff Zatkoff and Peter Budaj manning the net. But the Kings are well within their window of Stanley Cup competition and with several of their key players – Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, Marian Gaborik and Alec Martinez – already or nearing 30, and the team may not want to let the season get away should the Zatkoff/Budaj combo struggle between the pipes. In that case L.A. could visit the trade market to look for a short-term solution.

The Kings have little in the way of cap space, according to Cap Friendly, with just around $1.5MM available. They could add $5.8MM if they place Quick on LTIR, should they choose. But with Quick under contract for six seasons beyond this one, it’s likely the club elects to stick with less expensive options or, at the very least, limit their search to goaltenders in the final year of their deals. Within these parameters, here are a few goaltenders who could be made available by their current team and who might prove to be of interest at some point to the Kings.

Ondrej Pavelec – He was waived by Winnipeg at the end of the regular season and after going unclaimed, was assigned to the Jets’ Manitoba AHL affiliate. Pavelec’s only above-average NHL season came during the 2014-15 campaign when he posted a Save % of 92.0% and allowed a GAA of 2.28. That’s the only season in the last five Pavelec has posted a Save % above 90.6% or a GAA lower than 2.78. He is in the final year of his contract and set to earn $2.95MM; a figure the Kings could find reasonable enough for a stop-gap solution. NHL reporter Brennan Klak agrees with the premise the Kings don’t want to commit much in the terms of money or term, and mentions Pavelec as a hypothetical option.

Ryan Miller – Miller is expensive, $6MM cap charge, but has a solid track record of success at the NHL level and like Pavelec, is in the final season of his deal. It’s possible, if the Kings can tread water in the interim,  their interest increases as the trade deadline approaches and the team can better afford that cap hit. If the Canucks find themselves on the outside looking in at the playoffs, they could field offers for the veteran netminder. This would likely represent a worst-case scenario in that it assumes Quick wouldn’t be ready to return at the end of four months.

Thomas Greiss – Greiss had a good year with the Islanders in 2015-16 and when Jaroslav Halak went down with an injury late in the season, the German goalie guided New York into the second round of the playoffs. Greiss is in the final year of a deal that comes with a cap hit of just $1.5MM, and would represent a low-cost option on an expiring contract. The Islanders chose to keep three netminders on the roster to begin the season, likely out of fear that Jean-Francois Berube would have been claimed on waivers. It’s feasible they could take a reasonable offer for Greiss and commit to Berube and Halak for the rest of 2016-17.

Scott Wedgewood – The Kings could have had Wedgewood for just the cost of assuming the remaining season and $587.5K left on his contract but of course Quick was healthy when Wedgewood was available on waivers. It seems apparent the Devils still value Wedgewood’s potential but with Cory Schneider and Keith Kinkaid holding down the top two spots in New Jersey, it’s conceivable they could entertain offers for the 24-year-old goalie. Wedgewood has little NHL experience – four starts – but would represent a low-cost, low-risk flier for the Kings.

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