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Jonathan Quick Out Until Mid-February, Kings Not Willing To Overpay For Goaltender

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12:45pm: Lombardi is now telling Elliott that he misspoke today and though the worst case is still March, he actually expects Quick back in mid-February. While this lines up closer to what Sutter said on Monday, it still is a long-time for Quick to be sidelined.

11:45pm: The continuing saga of Jonathan Quick got another chapter today, as Los Angeles Kings GM Dean Lombardi told Helene Elliott of the LA Times that he’d be out until March. This comes after head coach Darryl Sutter said just two days ago that it’d be a month before the next step was even revealed.

Lombardi also told Elliott that he’s “not willing to throw the kitchen sink” at his goaltending situation, meaning that he doesn’t want to part with important assets to fix it. The team has been riding Peter Budaj this season to mixed success, as the 34-year old started hot but has struggled recently. Last night Budaj allowed four goals on 22 shots, marking four out of five games where he’s recorded a save percentage under .900. Jeff Zatkoff, brought in this offseason to be the backup, has struggled with injury and ineffectiveness himself, carrying an .882 save percentage through Wednesday.

The Kings, 14-12-2, are sitting fifth in the Pacific Division just outside a wild card spot but are in danger of slipping further and further should they not fix their goaltending situation. If Budaj can get back to the level he started the season at, perhaps the team would not need to find a solution outside the organization.

While there are talented options on the trade market – namely, Ben Bishop and Jimmy Howard – the Kings would have to take on a large amount of salary or give up substantial assets to get them. Though the team has a good amount of cap space currently due to Quick’s designation on LTIR, the team would be left unable to make any additional moves at the deadline for a playoff run, or in trouble should Quick make a return any earlier than expected.

A lesser option – like Ondrej Pavelec or Jonathan Bernier – comes with substantial risks as well and may not be any more effective than the Budaj-Zatkoff duo in the long run. For the Kings, it’s likely a game of trying to improve the team in front of them than spending assets for an answer in net.

Alberta Notes: Gaudreau, McDavid

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Johnny Gaudreau’s surprising return from a broken finger boosted the Calgary Flames in a big way.

Initially expected to be out until after Christmas, Gaudreau returned three weeks early in time for last night’s game against the Anaheim Ducks. He played on a line with Sam Bennett and Alex Chiasson. Wearing a newly-reinforced glove, Gaudreau scored on his first shot on his first shift, on his way to a two-point night in an 8-3 beatdown of the Ducks.

He also assisted on Chiasson’s second period goal, which was the second of three goals the Flames scored in just 1:27 to go up 4-1. Gaudreau played just thirty seconds less than his season-average, so there doesn’t appear to be much rust on him, despite missing just under three weeks.

The Ducks were playing their second game in two nights, having lost to the Oilers in overtime the night before. After John Gibson allowed three goals in the overtime loss to the Oilers, Jonathan Bernier was left in for all eight goals against the Flames. Post-game, Ducks coach Randy Carlyle was very specific when explaining decision by saying Gibson had a very specific flu-symptom and couldn’t go in the game.

Speaking of the Oilers, there was some minor controversy in their Sunday night OT loss to the Minnesota Wild. During the second period, Connor McDavid was tripped by Jared Spurgeon and hit his mouth on the ice. He briefly held his mouth, checking for blood, and then got back up and played the next shift. The Wild took another penalty, and McDavid jumped over the boards for the five-on-three, but was pulled from the game by the league’s concussion spotters. He missed the last six minutes of the second period and then returned for the third with no ill effects.

The normally reserved McDavid was vocal about his disappointment after the game. “I was pretty shocked, to be honest. I hit my mouth on the ice. You reach up and grab your mouth when you get hit in the mouth; it’s a pretty normal thing.”

“Obviously the spotter thought he knew how I was feeling. He pulled me off. A s**tty time of the game too. We had a bit of a partial five-on-three and then a power play late in the second game that if we had capitalized on that, it could have changed the game.”

The Oilers as a whole were upset about the decision, with Patrick Maroon and Milan Lucic being upset about it because it was clear that there were no averse symptoms. Lucic told Spector that he understands the liability issue, but was still upset that the Oilers “best player [wasn’t] out there… because he got hit in the mouth.”

Oilers fans were frustrated by the decision, because the previous night’s win over the Ducks saw shutdown center Ryan Kesler hit his head and stay down until a whistle was blown while he was penalty-killing. However, he got up and stayed out there for the rest of the penalty kill. Kesler does have a reputation for diving, but there still appears to be a disconnect between different spotters and what level of impact is required to pull a player.

Spector raises one last question about the incident, asking why neither 6’3, 217 lb Zack Kassian nor 6’4, 211 lb Kurtis Gabriel were pulled out for testing after spending a minute punching each other in the head. Spector believes if the NHL is serious about checking on its players’ brains, they should start checking players after fights.

Snapshots: Westpoint, Kings’ Goaltenders, Lindholm

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On tonight’s Hockey Night In Canada broadcast, the Sportsnet team revealed some interesting tidbits about stories around the league. One of which, coming on the heels of today’s hugely popular alumni game in Winnipeg (which the Jets won 6-5 on the back of Teemu Selanne’s five points and last second penalty shot goal), is that the league is considering non-conventional venues for upcoming outdoor games.

The military academy Westpoint is one of these out-of-the-box ideas, but seems to have legs. Elliotte Friedman says the league is considering it for next season. The New York Rangers would play in the game, but wouldn’t necessarily be the home team. Friedman also mentions South Bend (home of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish) as another possibility.

  • Friedman talks about the goaltending situation in Los Angeles, which got even more dire today when Jeff Zatkoff went down with a groin injury. Peter Budaj, expected to be the AHL starter this season, may get an extended chance with the big club due to the contracts or trade demands of other goaltenders around the league. The Kings have reportedly looked into Ondrej Pavelec, Steve Mason, Reto Berra, Mike Condon but haven’t found a fit. Friedman opines that Jonathan Bernier may be an option for the team, due to his familiarity with the organization and expected availability.
  • Kelly Hrudey thinks that Brian Elliott isn’t fazed by his recent struggles for the Calgary Flames. Elliott isn’t starting tonight for the Flames, but that doesn’t mean that he’s in any danger of losing the #1 job in Calgary. If anything, his poor start might just buy the Flames a few dollars in their ongoing negotiations with the netminder.
  • A final point from Friedman was on the Hampus Lindholm situation in Anaheim and the Winnipeg negotiations with Jacob Trouba. Apparently Anaheim wants Lindholm to sign for less than $5.4MM per season, while the player wants more than that. On Trouba, apparently the asking price of Kevin Cheveldayoff hasn’t dropped any even with the holdout lasting into the season. If Trouba is moved, it will be for the big return that the Jets’ GM has been looking for all summer.

Ducks Expected To Make Trade Once Rakell, Lindholm Sign

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According to Bob McKenzie of TSN, the Anaheim Ducks are going to have to make a deal after completing contracts with their currently pending restricted free agents Rickard Rakell and Hampus Lindholm.  As discussed on this site yesterday, Rakell isn’t any closer to a deal with the Ducks, however McKenzie does hear that the two sides are close on money and term and that it’s something else holding up the deal.

Either way, when Rakell and Lindholm come in for something around $9MM combined, the Ducks will be way over the cap and need to shed some salary. McKenzie says as much in a tweet today, in which he suggests that Cam Fowler will be the odd man out in Anaheim and be on the move while the ink is still drying.

If it is Fowler, one would imagine many teams would be after the 24-year old. The former first-round pick will have over 450 games in the NHL before his 25th birthday, bringing a mixture of youth and experience to whichever team lands him. Fowler is owed $8MM over the next two seasons, a fine number for a player who many would consider a top-4 defenseman. He’ll become an unrestricted free agent following the 2017-18 season, and be looking for a long-term deal.

The Ducks seemingly have painted themselves into a corner this summer, with the addition of Jonathan Bernier’s deal. If Frederik Andersen being shipped to Toronto was a cost-saving measure, it has been completely undone by taking the former Leafs goaltender back. The Ducks are expected to start John Gibson for the majority of their games this season, despite making almost $2MM less than Bernier.

There is also the impending expansion draft, in which one of the Ducks young defenders is sure to be at risk, as the picture stands currently. If the team was to start moving pieces like Fowler out however, perhaps they’ll be able to keep their whole pipeline intact.

Rickard Rakell, Ducks Remain Far Away From Deal

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While anything can change in an instant, it appears as though Rickard Rakell is no closer to a deal with the Anaheim Ducks. Julie Stewart-Binks of FOX Sports caught up with Rakell’s agent, who told her the two sides are still “not looking at things the same way”. This comes just days after a report that said no progress had been made in negotiations, despite both sides wanting a long-term deal done before the season starts.

Rakell, as discussed at length on this site, is one of the remaining restricted free agents without a contract for the upcoming season. While Johnny Gaudreau signed with the Flames today, and Nikita Kucherov seems poised to do the same with the Lightning when he arrives in North America, both Rakell and fellow RFA Hampus Lindholm remain unsigned by the Ducks.

While the team has almost $8.5MM in cap space at the moment, that probably isn’t enough for long-term deals for both players. Likely, the negotiations for the two players are linked, with the Ducks trying their best to get both under contract for as many years as possible without committing more dollars than they have at the moment.  Since the team needs to be cap-compliant tomorrow, the two deals would need to come in under that $8.5MM to have them ready for the start of the regular season.

Rakell, 23, put up 43 points last season in what some would consider a mini-breakout. His goal scoring raised from nine in 2014-15 to twenty last year, and he took over as the number two center on the team, a role likely being held open for him until he comes to an agreement.  With the Ducks poised for another deep run due to their strong defense corps and veteran first line, it would be a real shame to see the two players hold out for any length of time. After assuming all of Jonathan Bernier’s $4.15MM contract from the Maple Leafs in a trade earlier this summer, the team looks to have handcuffed itself when it comes to two of their most important pieces.

2016-17 Season Preview: Toronto Maple Leafs

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With the start of the regular season less than a week away, we continue to look at each team’s offseason and preview the upcoming year. Today, we focus on the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Last Season: 29-42-11 record (69 points), 8th in the Atlantic Division.

Remaining Cap Space: $2.03MM as per Cap Friendly (Roster Size of 23), expected to increase to by ~$14MM when Stephane Robidas, Nathan Horton, Joffrey Lupul are placed on LTIR.

Key Newcomers: W Matt Martin (UFA, NY Islanders), C Auston Matthews (draft, NLA), RW Mitch Marner (draft, OHL), D Roman Polak (UFA, San Jose), G Frederik Andersen (trade, Anaheim), G Jhonas Enroth (UFA, Los Angeles), D Nikita Zaitzev (UFA, KHL), W Kerby Rychel (trade, Columbus)

Key Departures: RW P.A. Parenteau (UFA, NY Islanders), RW Brad Boyes (UFA, unsigned), RW Michael Grabner (UFA, NY Rangers), C Shawn Matthias (UFA, Winnipeg), C Mark Arcobello (UFA, NLA), G Jonathan Bernier (trade, Anaheim)

[Related: Leafs Depth Chart from Roster Resource]

Players To Watch: C Mitch Marner – Obviously, one of the biggest storylines this year will be first-overall draft pick Auston Matthews and his ascension to the number-one center position on the Maple Leafs. Not to be forgotten however, is the other top-five draft pick that the Leafs have yet to unveil: Mitch Marner. Marner is coming off a season where he basically won every team and individual trophy possible, leading the OHL’s London Knights to the Memorial Cup and scoring 160 points in 75 total games (regular and post-season).

The diminutive forward played some center in junior, and was once expected to take that position on the Maple Leafs. Now that Matthews is in the fold though, the Leafs have been playing Marner on the wing to fully utilize his elite offensive skills. In fact, for the last two days at least, Marner has been skating beside Matthews on what would be one of the youngest lines in the NHL regardless of the third player.

D Nikita Zaitsev – One of the most underrated signings of the offseason may come in Leafland, as Nikita Zaitsev will make his NHL debut this year after a number of successful seasons in the KHL. The 24-year old has already completed seven seasons in the Russian professional league, starred internationally for Russia and even made his Toronto debut in the recent World Cup. His right-handed shot fits in nicely with a group sorely lacking them, and should immediately jump to the Leafs top two pairings (depending on if Morgan Rielly moves back to his natural left side or not).

Zaitsev is an all-around blueliner who can work in both ends of the rink, and contribute on both special teams. While he may not possess any one elite skill, he’s proven that he can compete at the highest level. Already turning heads at Maple Leafs camp, Zaitsev scored his first preseason goal against Montreal on Sunday night and, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, should already be considered part of the Leafs’ core.

Key Storyline:

While the Maple Leafs were clearly headed for the basement of the league last year (some would say on purpose), this year has a slightly different feeling in Toronto.  While they’re not expected to make the playoffs or contend for any trophies, the youth injection is exciting enough to hope for a much improved club. With head coach Mike Babcock in no danger of losing his seat, the team can take a slow approach to development and shelter their young prospects.

In truth, the Leafs brass are just hoping for a slightly improved season, but will hope for another high draft pick to continue the rebuild. If they were to select in the top-10 once again, they could add another top prospect to their stocked cupboard, and focus on the free agent market next summer. With cap room, a hugely experienced front office and youth at all positions, the team is poised to succeed in the near future; whether that means contention for the Stanley Cup remains to be seen.

Pacific Notes: Bernier, Gaudreau, Yakupov

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Goaltender Jonathan Bernier was surprised to learn he had been traded but was quite pleased to learn of the deal, he told reporters on a conference call on Friday.  As Eric Stephens of the OC Register writes, the fact that the Ducks decided to pass on many of the other backup goalies that went elsewhere in free agency is a sign that they think Bernier is a class above them.

Bernier has played in at least 38 games in each of the last three seasons which would be of particular interest to them given that their starting netminder, John Gibson, has a career high of just 40 games in a single NHL campaign.  The fact that Bernier can handle closer to a starters workload would certainly have been appealing to Ducks GM Bob Murray.

With Anaheim, Bernier will be reunited with his first head coach with the Leafs, Randy Carlyle.  Interestingly enough, the 27 year old played his best hockey with Toronto under Carlyle, posting a 2.70 GAA and a .922 SV% in 55 games in 2013-14.  The Ducks undoubtedly are hoping the change of scenery and former bench boss will help Bernier reignite his game.

More from the Pacific Division:

  • Flames RFA winger Johnny Gaudreau provided a brief update on his contract talks in an interview with SportsRadio 914WIP on Friday, transcribed by Darren Haynes on his From 80 Feet Above blog. Gaudreau classified talks as “inching along” and noted that Calgary’s GM Brad Treliving had been busy with the World Championships, the draft, and free agency.  He anticipates that talks should pick up as the summer progresses.  There is no real rush or risk for either side here as Gaudreau is ineligible for arbitration, nor can he receive an offer sheet as he doesn’t have the required amount of pro years of experience to be eligible for one.  In 2015-16, Gaudreau posted 30 goals and 48 assists in 79 games, good for a tie for sixth overall in league scoring.
  • While many anticipate Edmonton winger Nail Yakupov will eventually be moved this offseason, David Staples of the Edmonton Journal argues that the former first overall pick should receive one more chance before the Oilers move him. Yakupov’s practice habits were called into question last season which is partly to blame for his career low 23 points in 60 games last season but he also spent a third of his ice time alongside Mark Letestu, who is more of a fourth liner than a third liner at this stage of his career.  Staples suggests that the spurts of strong offensive production could become more common if he can find the right centre to play with and that the Oilers may as well try to make it work with him since they haven’t found a taker for him yet.

Ducks Acquire Bernier From Maple Leafs

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Reported by several sources, the Toronto Maple Leafs have dealt goaltender Jonathan Bernier to the Anaheim Ducks for a conditional 2017 draft pick.

The Maple Leafs and Ducks both announced the trade on their respective websites. The 27-year-old netminder was the odd man out once the Leafs acquired Frederik Andersen from the Ducks in June due to his cap hit. In Toronto last season, Bernier recorded 12 wins and posted a .908 save percentage. Helene Elliott tweets that the cap hit for Bernier is $4.1MM, while $2.1MM is the base salary due to signing bonuses that were paid by the Leafs last Friday.

CapFriendly reports that the Leafs now have just over $5.2MM in cap space after dealing Bernier.  The Ducks have $9.1MM of cap space after adding Bernier.

Now in Anaheim, Bernier is reunited with former coach Randy Carlyle and will presumably back up John Gibson.

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