Minor Transactions: 01/26/18
The All-Star break is upon us, and players all over the league will be flying away to get a few days of rest and relaxation. For some, the destination will be Tampa Bay to suit up and represent their team among the best of the best. For others, the minor leagues might be at the end of that flight, with no rest awaiting them. Many waiver-exempt players will be sent down this weekend, though not all of them will actually suit up for their AHL squads. We’ll keep track of all the minor movement right here.
- The Carolina Hurricanes have sent Haydn Fleury to the minor leagues, where he’ll be able to suit up tonight and tomorrow before likely returning to the NHL. The 21-year old defenseman has played 39 games for the Hurricanes this season, recording six assists but still looking for his first NHL goal.
- Minnesota, who have used every opportunity to bank cap space this season, have sent Kyle Rau and Joel Eriksson Ek to the AHL for the time being. Both players have spent time in the minors this season, but are expected to get the call back up to the NHL after the weekend.
- The Colorado Avalanche have three players on their way back, sending A.J. Greer, Dominic Toninato and David Warsofsky to the minor leagues today. The surprising Avalanche are hoping to get a few healthy bodies back after the break, which might mean a longer stint for a few of the above players.
- Michael Dal Colle, Tanner Fritz and Ross Johnston are all on their way back to the AHL, the New York Islanders announced today. Dal Colle, the fifth-overall pick in 2014 is still looking for his first NHL point through four games with the club.
- The Buffalo Sabres have returned Matt Tennyson to the AHL, as he’s still able to be demoted without clearing waivers. Tennyson hasn’t had much of an impact on the Sabres this season, playing in just 14 games.
- Anthony DeAngelo, Peter Holland and Vinni Lettieri are all on their way to the minor leagues, though whether they’ll actually play for the Hartford Wolf Pack isn’t certain. All three should be back up with the New York Rangers following the break.
- The New Jersey Devils have sent Kevin Rooney and Mackenzie Blackwood back down, and with Cory Schneider and Keith Kinkaid coming closer to returns Blackwood likely won’t be back. The young goaltender will have to wait for his next opportunity in the NHL.
- The Calgary Flames have returned Andrew Mangiapane, Marek Hrvik and Ryan Lomberg, and you can expect at least two to return after the break. Mangiapane has been quite the find for the Flames, drafted in the sixth round but showing he could be a legitimate NHL open down the road. Though he’s still scoreless through his first eight games with Calgary, the 21-year old has 35 points in 30 AHL contests.
- Ottawa has sent Erik Burgdoerfer, Colin White and Chris DiDomenico to the minor leagues, though all three will likely return after the break. The Senators roster may look very different in the coming weeks, which could provide an opportunity for White, a top prospect, to take hold of a bigger role.
- Troy Grosenick has been sent down by the San Jose Sharks, and Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News reports that Martin Jones should be ready after the break. Even though Aaron Dell has been one of the league’s best stories, getting Jones back only strengthens a beat up Sharks team.
- David Booth has been brought back up by the Detroit Red Wings, while Dominic Turgeon is on his way to Grand Rapids. That’s probably to get Turgeon into some games over the break, but it is interesting that Booth is back up. On a two-way deal, he earns more money while in the NHL.
- Samuel Montembeault is on his way back to the AHL, leaving the Florida Panthers without actually getting into a game. The 21-year old goaltender could be back up if James Reimer isn’t ready to go after the break.
- Dillon Heatherington, Jason Dickinson and Julius Honka have all been loaned back to the Texas Stars, a huge upgrade for the team if the trio all play this weekend. Heatherington has shown that he might be a surprise option for the Dallas Stars on the blueline this season, while Honka and Dickinson both still hold huge upside.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have loaned defenseman Rinat Valiev back to the minor leagues, and he might not get a chance to come back if either Morgan Rielly or Nikita Zaitsev are ready to come off injured reserve after the break. As James Mirtle of The Athletic points out, short stints have huge financial ramifications for minor league players two-way contracts, even if they don’t get into any games.
- The Winnipeg Jets have swapped goaltenders, recalling Jamie Phillips and sending Michael Hutchinson back to the AHL. Hutchinson will stay sharp with some games for the Manitoba Moose during the break, and then likely return to backup Connor Hellebuyck while Steve Mason deals with a concussion. The team has also returned Brendan Lemieux to the AHL for the time being.
- According to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, Markus Hannikainen, Dean Kukan and Joonas Korpisalo are the Columbus Blue Jackets on their way down, with Jeff Zatkoff coming up to fill roster requirements. The trio will all likely be back up after the weekend.
- Pittsburgh has sent Jean-Sebastien Dea to the minor leagues, where he has 23 points on the season. Dea scored his first NHL goal just a few days ago, and has played in four games now for the Penguins.
- Not long after calling him up to replace the suspended Brad Marchand, the Boston Bruins announced that they have returned Anders Bjork to the AHL. Although Bjork was bumped down the lineup out of Marchand’s top line spot in the Bruins’ game last night, chances are he will be called back up after the All-Star break with Marchand set to sit for four more games.
Minor Transactions: 1/20/18
With the bye weeks now over with, the schedule is in full swing today with 13 games on tap. As a result, there should be plenty of roster movement throughout the day. We’ll keep tabs on those minor moves here.
- The Sharks have recalled goalie Troy Grosenick from San Jose of the AHL, Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reports (Twitter link). This comes on the heels of starter Martin Jones being seen limping following their last game so it appears that Grosenick will be an insurance policy for the time being. The 28-year-old has seen limited action in the minors this season, playing in just 15 games while posting a 2.91 GAA and a save percentage of .891.
- The Blue Jackets announced via Twitter that they have recalled winger Markus Hannikainen as well as defenseman Dean Kukan from AHL Cleveland. Hannikainen has spent most of the season with Columbus but had been sent down on Thursday to get into a minor league game last night. As for Kukan, he has been up with the team on three other occasions already this season but has yet to play an NHL game in 2017-18. He is their top scoring defender in the minors though with 15 points in 31 games.
- Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen tweeted that the Vegas Golden Knights have sent veteran defenseman Jason Garrison back to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. The transaction was announced on the AHL transaction wire, according to Schoen. The 33-year-old blueliner was recalled Wednesday to fill in for injuries to defensemen Luca Sbisa and Jonathon Merrill. Many felt he was also brought up to face his old team Thursday, the Tampa Bay Lightning, but Garrison proved to be just the team’s extra defenseman in both games and was scratched both times. He was originally placed on waivers by the team on Oct. 27 after playing just four games with the Golden Knights.
- The Minnesota Wild recalled forward Joel Eriksson Ek today after the team sent the 20-year-old to the Iowa Wild to get in some playing time while the team went on their bye-week. With Minnesota slated to play the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight, the youngster will return to the team’s fourth line. The 2015 first-round pick has struggled adjusting to the NHL with just one goal and five assists in 39 games so far this year.
- While talk that defenseman Brett Pesce might be close to returning soon, the Carolina Hurricanes announced they have recalled defenseman Roland McKeown from the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL to hold his roster spot. The 22-year-old, 2014 second-round pick currently is tied for fifth in the AHL with a plus/minus of +22 and has three goals and 10 assists in 37 games for the Checkers. It will be his second trip to join the Hurricanes. He was recalled in early November and played in two games, garnering two assists.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: Minnesota Wild
As the holiday season approaches, PHR will look at what teams are thankful for as the season nears the quarter point of completion. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We take a look at what’s gone well in the first month and what could improve as the season rolls on. So far we’ve covered the following teams: ANA, ARZ, BOS, BUF, CGY, CAR, CBJ, COL, DET, EDM, FLA, LAK, NSH, NJD, NYI, NYR, PHI, PIT, SJS, STL, TOR, VAN, VGK and WSH.
What are the Minnesota Wild most thankful for?
A deep prospect pool.
When the Wild approached the expansion draft last year, they were in trouble. They had too many assets that needed protection, and were destined to lose an excellent player. In order to sway the Vegas Golden Knights’ decision in a certain direction, they gave up prized prospect Alex Tuch. Though the team had drafted Tuch in the first round just a few years prior, his upside and potential impact wasn’t seen to be as high as some of their other prospects.
Well, six months later and Tuch is starring alongside Erik Haula (the other player lost in the expansion process) in Vegas, and the Wild are struggling to stay relevant in the playoff picture. Surely they’d like to have Tuch back, but luckily those other high-end prospects still remain.
Though the relationship with Kirill Kaprizov—or lack thereof—makes the Russian a complete wildcard, there are others who should have Minnesota fans excited for the next few years. Joel Eriksson Ek and Luke Kunin have both played roles in the NHL this season, while Jordan Greenway continues to dominate players even older than him in the college ranks. Ivan Lodnia was just signed after a blistering start in Erie, and the team has four picks in the top three rounds this upcoming draft.
Who are the Wild most thankful for?
General managers around the league must be hitting themselves over not pursuing Staal in the summer of 2016. Coming off a horrible season, in which he was traded from the team he’d been drafted by and captained for seven years, Minnesota happily scooped him up on July 1st. Much was said about how Staal might be on the way out of the game, until he immediately found success in Minnesota to the tune of 28 goals and 65 points.
The three-year, $10.5MM contract that he signed was just $1MM more in total than he’d earned in 2015-16 alone. Minnesota got a legitimate number one center, and borderline Hall of Fame candidate for the price of a third or fourth-line player. You can still hear Chuck Fletcher laughing to himself somewhere in St. Paul.
Staal has been everything for the club this year, leading the team in points with 26 through their first 30 games and coming through with one of the best possession seasons of his career. Playing nearly 19 minutes a night and hitting the ice in all circumstances, Staal’s contract is one of the best in the entire league. While now 33 years old, he’ll still be exceptionally valuable in the final year of his deal next season.
What would the Wild be even more thankful for?
Some “puck luck” for Mikko Koivu.
Despite still being an excellent possession player, used in all situations, Koivu can’t seem to get much going offensively this season. Coming off another one of his patented solid-if-not-spectacular seasons with 58 points, he only has 15 in his first 30 games and eight of those are on the powerplay. He’s now been held pointless in his last eight games despite being on the ice for more than 147 minutes, and hasn’t found the back of the net himself since October.
Amazingly, a lot of that has to do with pure bad luck. Koivu is carrying a pathetic 5.1% shooting percentage this season, far below his career average. Though he’s never been a sniper that carries a high percentage, he’s due for some luck going his way at some point. During his 21-game goalless streak he’s fired 58 shots on net without a single one trickling through.
He’s not only used for his offense, but a bounce here or there would be a big help for the Wild as they try to claw their way back into the playoff picture.
What should be on the Wild’s Holiday Wish List?
Another center.
When the Wild lost Haula and let Martin Hanzal walk in free agency, their center depth was tested. Though they brought in Matt Cullen, who has done a fine job for them so far, their unyielding ability to throw an effective center over the boards every single shift has left them. Charlie Coyle can play the position but the team likes him better on the wing, and Kunin isn’t quite ready for a full-time role.
There is the possibility that when Zach Parise eventually returns from injury they’ll move Coyle back to the middle, but an addition would be the best option. It’ll be tough, as the Wild are pressed right up against the cap thanks the the hefty cap hits of Tyler Ennis and Marcus Foligno, both who’ve been healthy scratches at times this year. That fact may force them to go with what they have right now, but it will be interesting to see if they find a way to get involved as the deadline approaches.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Minor Transactions: 10/29/17
Here’s where we’ll keep tabs on the minor news and notes throughout the day with the most recent moves at the top:
- After a fleury of goaltending moves in the last few days that saw the team trade for New Jersey goalie Scott Wedgewood and place backup Louis Domingue on waivers, Elite Prospects tweeted that the Arizona Coyotes have called up goaltending prospect Hunter Miska today. Miska, who signed in April this year after dominating year at the University of Minnesota-Duluth in which he took the team to the Frozen Four finals, wasn’t fairing as well with the Tucson Roadrunners, where he had a 4.02 GAA and a .884 save percentage in four games. The call-up suggests that starting goaltender Antti Raanta may not be as healthy as the team thought.
- Mark Divver of the Providence Journal tweets that the Boston Bruins will recall Providence Bruins’ goaltender Zane McIntyre today as an emergency backup. The 25-year-old AHL goalie has been called up for this reason before, but has not made it into a game yet for the Bruins. He is currently 4-1 with Providence and has played well, with a 1.81 GAA and a .928 save percentage. Divvers adds that he believes it’s due to the fact that Bruins’ starting goalie Tuukka Rask kept getting run into during Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings.
- The Minnesota Wild announced they have also sent three players down to the Iowa Wild of the AHL, including two former first-round picks, including 2015 first-round pick Joel Eriksson Ek and 2016 first-round pick Luke Kunin as well as Zack Mitchell. No corresponding moves have been made yet. Eriksson-Ek who many believed might have a breakout year has struggled in nine games with the Wild. The 20-year-old center has had just one goal and two assists in that span after putting up better numbers in a 15-games stint with the team last year when he put up three goals and four assists. Eriksson-Ek struggled in the preseason and was a candidate to not make the team at one point, but the team instead sent down Kunin instead. Kunin has been going back and forth between Iowa and Minnesota all year. However, Kunin has been more successful lately as his minutes and numbers have started to increase. The 19-year-old has a goal and two assists that all have come recently, as his short-handed goal against the Islanders Thursday makes him the first player in team history to score his first goal short-handed. Mitchell has also been up and down quite a bit this year, helping out the team’s fourth line while the team deals with multiple injuries. Mitchell has a goal and an assist in five games.
- Vancouver Canucks’ general manager Jim Benning announced the team has recalled center Jayson Megna today. The 27-year-old returns to the team after having played in 54 games for Vancouver a year ago, tallying four goals and four assists. He has been with the Utica Comets since the start of the season, putting up an assist in four games this year. The move was expected after the team sent Michael Chaput down to Utica on Friday, leaving the team with only 12 healthy forwards.
- The Colorado Avalanche tweeted that they have assigned forward Andrew Agozzino to the San Antonio Rampage today. He was recalled yesterday for their evening game against the Chicago Blackhawks, but was a healthy scratch. Agozzino has been an offensive force for the Rampage, putting up two goals and six assists in seven games so far this year. He was called up as an emergency forward after the team placed Gabriel Bourque on injured reserve due to an upper body injury.
Minnesota Confirms Back Surgery For Zach Parise
As noted yesterday by The Athletic’s Michael Russo and now confirmed by the team, Zach Parise has undergone microdiscectomy (back) surgery and will be out for eight to ten weeks.
The surgery was to relieve a herniated disc that was causing Parise pain in his leg, and will likely keep him out through Christmas. It’s a big blow for the Wild, who were relying on Parise’s play to help them stake their claim as a Stanley Cup contender. The 33-year old is one of the most consistent offensive producers on the club, though he did take a slight step backwards last year.
Instead, the Wild will have to rely on their next wave of talent in players like Luke Kunin and Joel Eriksson Ek. While the veteran core of the team remains, Charlie Coyle, Mikael Granlund and Nino Niederreiter have dealt with their own injuries this season. The club, now 2-2-2, will take on the Vancouver Canucks tonight.
With Minnesota so close to the salary cap ceiling, they will likely place Parise on long-term injured reserve to free up some of his $7.54MM contract. While they’re already in LTIR with Coyle’s deal, both are expected back at some point. Both will provide some level of relief, but the team will likely still have to remain fairly fiscally responsible in the coming weeks. By adding any new contracts, they could put themselves in an impossible situation when the pair of forwards get back on the ice.
Minnesota Wild Overwhelmed With Injuries
UPDATE: The team has confirmed the speculation, but things are in fact worse than anticipated. Coyle suffered a right fibula fracture, for which he underwent surgery today. His time frame is actually six-to-eight weeks, longer than estimated by Russo, and he has been placed on long-term injured reserve. The Wild needed that space, but it’s not quite over yet. Niederreiter too has been placed on IR, as he in fact did suffer a high ankle sprain, which was not expected, and will be out a minimum of three weeks. High ankle sprains can often be month-to-month injuries depending on the severity, so Niederreiter’s status will be worth constant monitoring. With now two roster spots freed up, Minnesota will be able to field a nearly-normal lineup tomorrow and in the near future, but at a steep cost. Finally, Foligno’s facial fracture is confirmed and he will miss a minimum of a week after undergoing facial reconstructive surgery tomorrow. It’s a dark day for Wild fans…
3:00PM: When the Minnesota Wild recalled first-year pro Luke Kunin from their AHL affiliate in Iowa today, it was clear that the injuries suffered in last night’s game versus the Chicago Blackhawks were potentially more serious than originally believed. The Wild were already without Mikael Granlund (ankle) and Zach Parise (back) heading into the contest, but had been making due with their deep veteran lineup. That was before disaster struck on Thursday, as Charlie Coyle, Nino Niederreiter, and Marcus Foligno joined their teammates on the injury report by the end of the night.
Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required) was given some early injury updates that range in their severity. It is believed that Niederreiter only sustained a sprained ankle, which Russo specifically differentiated from the feared high ankle sprain, and may even be ready to go for Saturday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Foligno suffered what looked to be a broken cheekbone courtesy of a haymaker from John Hayden after the pair dropped the gloves. A facial injury, while painful, does not limit Foligno’s playing ability, but will almost certainly keep him out of the lineup for a week or so. Coyle is likely the worst case of the three; early indications are that a Jared Spurgeon slap shot may have fractured his fibula or tibia a.k.a a broken leg. If that is the case, Russo states that it is a four-to-six week recovery and Coyle will land on the injured reserve.
As bad as that sounds, an IR-worthy injury may be exactly what the Wild need right now. If all five of Coyle, Niederreiter, Foligno, Parise, and Granlund cannot play tomorrow – a distinct possibility – the Wild will be left with just nine forwards for the game. And that is including Kunin. Defenseman Mike Reilly, who was sent down today for Kunin, is one of only two waiver-exempt players on the team, the other being forward Joel Eriksson Ek, which of course is no help. Even if the Wild could move another defenseman or goalie to the minors for a forward, they wouldn’t; they have only two goalies and six defenseman on the roster too. So, if Coyle could be placed on IR, that would at least open up another roster spot to bring the healthy forward count to ten.
No official word has come in on the statuses of the three players injured last night, with only Niederreiter lookly like a remotely possible player for tomorrow night, while last word on Parise and Granlund were expectations they would return late next week. While awaiting more information, coach Bruce Boudreau and his staff must begin preparing to square off with the Blue Jackets with maybe only nine forwards and, given their luck, maybe even less by the end of the game.
Central Notes: Winnik, Upshall, DeBrinicat
The Minnesota Wild have seen enough out of Daniel Winnik, who is on a PTO with the team. He has been informed they don’t need to see him again and now begins the waiting game for the 32-year-old forward, who must wait to see if the Wild will choose him over youngsters Joel Eriksson Ek or Luke Kunin, according to The Athletic’s Michael Russo (subscription required).
Winnik, who is looking to play for his eighth NHL team, had a good camp and impressed head coach Bruce Boudreau.
“I pulled him aside and I talked to him and said, ‘Danny, you’ve done great. I know exactly how you play. We just want to look at a couple of the young kids,'” Boudreau said. “So it’s not like he would have to come in here and play great to either make the team or not make the team.”
According to Russo, Kunin has had the better camp so far between the two rookies and the team intends to look at both he and Eriksson Ek more closely in tonight’s preseason game against the Dallas Stars. Kunin, who has been playing center for the team all preseason will be tried at right wing.
As for Winnik, he remains a free agent and could sign with any team, but might have to take a small pay cut if he makes the Wild’s roster as the team is low on cap space.
- The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford tweets that Scottie Upshall passed a physical and was signed to a PTO and is currently practicing with the team. The hope is that a contract can be worked out in the next couple of days. Upshall spent the past two years in St. Louis. The 32-year-old fourth-liner had a solid season a year ago with the Blues, scoring 10 goals and eight assists. He was just released from his PTO with Vancouver and has a good chance to return to his old team with the multitude of injuries to players like Patrik Berglund, Zachary Sanford, Robby Fabbri and Alex Steen.
- The Daily Herald’s John Dietz writes that it looks like Chicago Blackhawks’ Alex DeBrincat might make the team, writing that he had an excellent training camp. “It seems like every time he’s around the puck good things happen,” coach Joel Quenneville said to Blackhawks TV reporter Eric Lear. The Hawks still have many decisions to make, according to Dietz, including whether or not to keep seven or eight defensemen.
Snapshots: Keller, Letourneau-Leblond, Elias
The 2017-18 season will again have plenty of intriguing rookies entering the NHL. However, unlike most years, there won’t be a consensus pick for the Calder Memorial Trophy, for the player who is most proficient in his first year of competition. Most people believed that the award would end up in the hands of Toronto’s Auston Matthews last year and it did. This year, however, it won’t be as easy to predict a winner.
There are many top rookies that are ready to step into the league this year, ranging from 2017 first-overall pick Nico Hischier (New Jersey Devils) and second-overall pick Nolan Patrick (Philadelphia Flyers) to young forwards like Minnesota’s Joel Eriksson Ek and Arizona’s Clayton Keller. Several defensemen could step up as well such as Boston’s Charlie McAvoy and Ottawa’s Thomas Chabot.
Matt Larkin of The Hockey News makes his predictions for the top candidates, citing Keller as the most likely to win the award. Keller, the seventh-overall pick in the 2016 draft, scored 21 goals and added 24 assists as a freshman last year at Boston University and then signed with the Coyotes, playing three games for the team and tallying two assists.
Larkin writes that not even the addition of other top scorers like Derek Stepan, Dylan Strome or Christian Dvorak should stop Keller from reaching his potential next year. Regardless of what position he plays for the Coyotes, the scribe believes he will play on a top line and should put up solid numbers. He lists numerous others candidates, making for an interesting read.
- Enforcer Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond announced his retirement on Twitter today, reported by James O’Brien of NBC Sports. The journeyman forward played hockey for 12 years in 12 different cities. Originally drafted in the seventh round of the 2004 draft by the New Jersey Devils, Letourneau-Leblond spent most of his career in the AHL, but did manage to get into 41 NHL games, mostly with the Devils. He accumulated 101 penalty minutes and three assists in those 41 contests. Last year, the 32-year-old played 37 games for the Syracuse Crunch and one game for the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. He finished his season with one goal, four assists and 128 penalty minutes.
- Speaking of the Devils, the team announced that they will retire Patrik Elias‘ No. 26 on Feb. 24, 2018, according to Chris Ryan of NJ.com. Elias retired in March when he decided to end his comeback attempt despite trying to come back from knee surgery, but he neither practiced or played last season before hanging it up. The 41-year-old forward, who spend his entire career in New Jersey, finished as the Devils all-time leader in goals, assists, points and hat tricks.
Poll: Which Team Will Be Next To Make Stanley Cup Debut?
With a 6-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks in Game 6 of the Western Conference Final last night, the Nashville Predators punched their ticket to the franchise’s first ever Stanley Cup appearance. In fact, Nashville had never even advanced beyond the conference semifinals until this heroic run and now stand just four wins away from hosting the greatest trophy in sports.
A Stanley Cup berth has certainly been a long time coming for the NHL’s 27th franchise whose inaugural season took place in 1998. GM David Poile, who has been the man in charge through it all, did not qualify for the postseason for the team’s first five seasons of existence, but since 2003 the Predators have only missed the playoffs three times. With other 1990’s expansion or relocation teams having made the Final before, like the San Jose Sharks, Ottawa Senators, and Florida Panthers, and even more having won a Stanley Cup, including the Tampa Bay Lightning, Anaheim Ducks, Colorado Avalanche, and Carolina Hurricanes, many would expect that the Predators may be the last team to accomplish the feat. However, there are four teams who have yet to make it to Stanley Cup Final, the Expansion Class of 2000 – the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets, the current Winnipeg Jets, and the original Winnipeg Jets, now the Arizona Coyotes. Which of these teams will be the next to realize their dreams of playing in June?
The Minnesota Wild certainly seemed to be heading in that direction for much of this season as they had their way with the Western Conference. Although in a tough Central Division with the Cup-bound Predators, Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, and Winnipeg Jets, Minnesota is armed with a depth and talent at every position and showed (in the regular season) that they can fight through a tough schedule. The team was able to turn goaltender Devan Dubnyk into a star, has one of the strongest defensive cores in the NHL, and has a combination up front of strong veterans like Mikko Koivu, Zach Parise, and Eric Staal and exciting young players like Mikael Granlund, Jason Zucker and Charlie Coyle. However, everything fell apart when it mattered most, as the Wild were easily bounced in the first round by the Blues. Can the Wild bounce back and, with the aid of top prospects such as Joel Eriksson Ek and Luke Kunin, make a Stanley Cup appearance in the next few years?
The Columbus Blue Jackets will be racing them for that honor. Almost mirror images of each other in 2016-17, the Blue Jackets also surprised many by dominating the Eastern Conference early in the year. At the time, the New Year’s Eve match-up between Columbus and Minnesota, both on historic winning streaks, was even touted as the game of the year. The Blue Jackets too have a stellar goalie in Sergei Bobrovsky and deep group of talented defenseman, like young game-changers Zach Werenski and Seth Jones. However, where Columbus may edge out Minnesota is in their youth up front. Although similarly successful, the Jackets were able to reach 108 points to the Wild’s 106 with a much younger forward corps. The likes of Brandon Saad, Alexander Wennberg, Boone Jenner, and Josh Anderson, plus incoming talent like Pierre-Luc Dubois and Oliver Bjorkstrand could keep Columbus in the running for a Cup longer than the Wild.
Speaking of youth, the Arizona Coyotes seem to be building something special in the desert. Question marks abound throughout the roster, such as starting goalie and a long-term partner for Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and many don’t expect the Coyotes to be contenders for several more years. However, after the rapid ascent of the Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs this season, fueled largely by under-21 talent, Arizona may be relevant sooner rather than later. Their best players are also their top prospects – Max Domi, Christian Dvorak, Brendan Perlini, Jakob Chychrun – and that’s just the beginning, as even better young talent is on its way in Clayton Keller and Dylan Strome, not to mention whoever they select with the 7th and 23rd overall picks this year. It seems inevitable that the Coyotes will be good down the road, and, regardless of whether it’s in Arizona or not, have a strong chance to host a Stanley Cup final. However, will that day come before the likes of Minnesota or Columbus can take advantage of their current success?
Finally, there’s the Winnipeg Jets. They weren’t a playoff team this year like Columbus or Minnesota and they aren’t armed with years worth of high draft picks like Arizona either. Yet, the Jets may actually be the dark horse to reach the Stanley Cup first. Winnipeg finished ninth in the Western Conference in 2016-17, tenth in 2015-16, and eighth in 2014-15, consistently hanging around as a fringe team, not truly competing for a title. That seems like it is about to change. The Jets have one of the more dangerous forward groups in the NHL with Mark Scheifele, Patrik Laine, Nikolaj Ehlers, and captain Blake Wheeler leading the charge. They also have talented defenseman in Dustin Byfuglien, Tyler Myers, and Jacob Trouba. The Jets are a deeper team than many know and this season did not have a single player over the age of 32. Next year, they’ll add ace forwards Kyle Connor and Jack Roslovic to the mix, and possibly goaltender Eric Comrie as well, all part of what The Hockey News called the top prospect system in the NHL. Given the wealth of talent on this team already, it seems strange they haven’t performed better. Throw some dynamic young players in and use some of the team’s ample cap space, and the Winnipeg Jets could be a breakout team in 2017-18.
What do you think?
Morning Notes: Murray, Eriksson Ek, Meier
Tim Murray may have predicted his eventual firing, when he spoke to John Vogl of the Buffalo News two years ago. After Ted Nolan had led the Sabres to a 23-51-8 record, Murray had to fire his coach and try to get it right the next time around. Nolan told Vogl very clearly what would happen if his next coach still didn’t work.
Am I going to find a perfect fit? If I don’t and I’m doing this again next year, then somebody else will get to make that decision when the perfect fit that I’m supposed to be isn’t the perfect fit, and I understand that.
When Dan Bylsma was fired, Murray had to go with him because of the decisions he’s made in the leadership of the organization. That doesn’t mean he won’t find success somewhere else though, as he has a long history of success in lower positions around the league and will be considered for another GM position at some point in the future. For now though, he just wasn’t the perfect fit anymore in Buffalo.
- Joel Eriksson Ek will join Team Sweden for the World Championships, reports Michael Russo of the Star Tribune. The Minnesota Wild forward split his season between the AHL, NHL and SHL in his native Sweden, putting together an impressive campaign all told. The former first-round pick is a big part of the Minnesota future, and will be another example of a player competing in both the World Juniors and World Championships in the same year—Eriksson Ek captained the U20 Swedish squad this year, and recorded nine points in seven games.
- Timo Meier ws returned to the San Jose Barracuda now that the Sharks have been eliminated from the NHL playoffs. The first-round pick will compete for the Calder Cup with the Barracuda, but actually was a -2 rating in his first playoff game last night. The Barracuda will now have to wait until Friday to continue their series that is currently tied 1-1 against the Stockton Heat. Meier has been something of a disappointment this year, but still shows immense potential for the future.