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Jonathan Drouin

Snapshots: Drouin, McNiven, Mariners

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Jonathan Drouin is getting a crack in the middle for Montreal this season, after the team traded away blue-chip prospect Mikhail Sergachev for him. Center isn’t a position that Drouin has spent much time at in the NHL, but he has obviously been taking notes on those he wants to emulate. Yesterday, he gave Eric Engels of Sportsnet some of his thoughts on the other top centermen around the Eastern Conference. On Patrice Bergeron in particular:

To me, he’s the best center in the league if you’re looking at the all-around 200-foot game. He’s tough to beat. He’s always competing for every loose puck, neutral zone, anywhere—he’s always on it. He’s somebody you hate to play against, and at the end of the day he still scores and produces points without cheating offensively.

The piece is a great read on how other players view some of the superstars in the league, including thoughts on lesser-known stars like Aleksander Barkov and Alexander Wennberg. Drouin will have a lot of pressure to perform in his first year in Montreal, after earning a big extension right away. The former Tampa Bay Lightning pick has all the talent to do it.

  • The Montreal Canadiens have recalled goaltender Michael McNiven from the Laval Rocket to serve as an emergency goaltender tonight. Charlie Lindgren is expected to be dressed for the game, but is coming off a minor injury and the team wants to make sure it has another option. McNiven was one of the first camp cuts last week, and will be spending his year in the minor leagues. Last year for the Owen Sound Attack of the OHL, McNiven posted an incredible 41-9-2 record with a .915 save percentage. McNiven went undrafted but earned an entry-level contract back in 2015. This will be the first real season under that deal, as it slid for two years while he finished his junior hockey career.
  • The new Portland ECHL team has chosen a name, and it will be familiar to those who were in Maine decades ago. The Maine Mariners are back for the third time, after first debuting in 1977. This new team will be the ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, after the team purchased the defunct Alaska Aces this summer and will join the league next season.

2017-18 Primer: Montreal Canadiens

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With the NHL season now just a couple of weeks away, we continue our look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come.  Today, we focus on the Montreal Canadiens.

Last Season: 47-26-9 record (103 points), first in Atlantic Division (lost in the first round to the New York Rangers)

Remaining Cap Space: $8.4MM per CapFriendly

Key Additions: D Karl Alzner (free agency, Washington), F Jonathan Drouin (trade with Tampa Bay), F Ales Hemsky (free agency, Dallas), D Jakub Jerabek (free agency, Vityaz Podolsk, KHL), D David Schlemko (trade with Vegas), D Mark Streit (free agency, Pittsburgh)

Key Departures: D Nathan Beaulieu (trade with Buffalo), D Alexei Emelin (expansion, Vegas) F Brian Flynn (free agency, Dallas), F Dwight King (free agency, Yekaterinburg, KHL), D Andrei Markov (free agency, Kazan Ak-Bars, KHL), D Nikita Nesterov (free agency, CSKA Moscow, KHL), F Steve Ott (retirement), F Alexander Radulov (free agency, Dallas), D Mikhail Sergachev (trade with Tampa Bay)

[Related: Canadiens Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: F Jonathan Drouin – The Canadiens have lacked a high-end local talent for quite a while now which is something that Drouin is expected to change as he takes on a top-line role with the team.  GM Marc Bergevin wasted little time signing him, handing him a six-year, $33MM contract mere hours after acquiring him so expectations are high.

Jonathan DrouinAt the time the trade was made, the belief was that Montreal would be able to retain Radulov and that Drouin would be able to augment a forward group that has had their difficulties scoring with consistency.  With Radulov out of the picture though and no other prominent forwards being brought in, the 22-year-old will now be asked to not only equal Radulov’s production but build on it.

On top of that, the team is experimenting with him at center, a position he hasn’t played with any sort of regularity since his days in junior.  Montreal’s weakness down the middle is well-known and is exacerbated by Alex Galchenyuk playing on the wing to start once again and it appears that they will be asking Drouin to try to help fix that issue as well.

Drouin has stated that he welcomes the spotlight as he plays for his hometown team.  He better get used to it in a hurry as he stands to be a focal point of Montreal’s attack right away.

Key Storyline: While most teams see a bit of turnover on their back end each season, it’s rare for a team to see as much change over the course of a calendar year as Montreal has.  Although he has only been with the Canadiens for one season, Shea Weber is already the second-longest tenured defender with the team (Streit has more games played with them but last suited up for Montreal in 2008 so that doesn’t really count).

Over the course of just over twelve months, Bergevin has completely overhauled their defense corps, including parting ways with their top three left-shooting options in the span of about a month this summer.  While they have brought in plenty of depth, they haven’t brought anyone in to fill Markov’s role which creates another big concern heading into the season.

Alzner is expected to anchor the second unit which leaves the team without a proven option to play alongside Weber on their top unit.  They have a collection of depth players who are better served in lesser roles while Jerabek and prospect Victor Mete (who has been paired with Weber in the preseason) aren’t ready to take on top minutes right away.

While they may be inclined to go with what they have to start the season, it wouldn’t be surprising if Montreal winds up needing to trade for another proven defender at some point.  If nothing else, with more than $8MM in cap space to work with head into the year, making the finances work on such a deal shouldn’t be a problem at the very least.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Morning Notes: Butcher, Drouin, Bourque

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The team at CapFriendly returned from a quick vacation to drop a bombshell on the hockey world today, reporting that Will Butcher’s entry-level contract with the New Jersey Devils includes maximum performance bonuses. Though many players are given max Schedule A bonuses, that can total up to $850K if they reach various milestones, just six players drafted outside the top two overall picks have ever been given the max in Schedule B—that is until now.

Butcher becomes the seventh such player and could earn up to $2.85MM in bonuses each year, making his deal worth a potential $3.78MM per season. While these Schedule B bonuses are difficult to achieve, it’s likely another factor in his decision to sign with the Devils. Though teams can offer little variance in terms of salary for entry-level players, bonuses can be used as a negotiating tactic like any other free agent.

  • Jonathan Drouin and Alex Galchenyuk will both begin training camp in Montreal as centers, according to J.F. Chaumont of the Journal de Montreal. Chaumont spoke with head coach Claude Julien, who would like to see what each of them can bring to the position before making any decisions. Galchenyuk has a checkered history with the position on the Canadiens, while Drouin was used almost exclusively as a winger in Tampa Bay. Both clearly have enough talent to drive a line from the middle, but will have to be more consistent in their own end if they want to be leaned on heavily in the Montreal rotation.
  • Rene Bourque has signed in Sweden for the upcoming season, according to TSN. The 35-year old Bourque played last year with the Colorado Avalanche, scoring 18 points in 65 games. In 725 career games he’s registered 316 points, including a pair of 27-goal campaigns with the Calgary Flames in his youth. Bourque is another example of an undrafted college player making an impact in the league, but will now take his game to Europe to look for more success.

NHL Snapshots: Galchenyuk, Vanek, Callahan, Morin

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For years, the Montreal Canadiens have been known as a team that changes up their lines constantly. However, Brendan Kelly of the Montreal Gazette writes that talk of a new combination of Max Pacioretty, Alex Galchenyuk and Jonathan Drouin could prove to be one of the stronger first lines in hockey. However, Kelly has his doubts the team would consider putting that line into effect.

To start, the talk of Pacioretty playing left wing and Drouin at right wing makes plenty sense. The 28-year-old Pacioretty has put up four straight 30-goal seasons, including a 35-goal season last year. Drouin, coming over from Tampa Bay, had a breakout year with the Lightning, putting up 21 goals and 32 assists in 73 games. The highly touted 22-year-old forward is expected play a major scoring role in the Canadiens future.

The problem, according to Kelly, is the team has shown little interest in putting Galchenyuk into that top center position over the past two years and nothing has changed. The former third-overall pick in 2012, Galchenyuk had a 30 goal season in 2015-16, but then dropped to 17 goals last year in 61 games after going down with a knee injury. The team even shopped him during the offseason.

Kelly writes no matter how much you like Tomas Plekanec, the 34-year-old is no longer in his prime and shouldn’t be considered for a number one role anymore and probably not a number two role either. After that, the scribe writes that there is little else at the center position, pointing to Phillip Danault, who had a breakout year last year, as nothing better than a No. 3 center on a good team.

The team has never allowed Galchenyuk to settle into a legitimate role on the team and has been bounced around the lineup. However, Kelly writes that a little faith and a golden opportunity could make that first line one of the strongest in the league.

  • Yesterday, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman mentions that “it is believed that the Vancouver Canucks are taking a look at Thomas Vanek.” The 33-year-old wing was featured in a PHR poll earlier today on where he might end up. Vancouver, so far, has only garnered 15 percent of the vote. He put up 17 goals and 48 points this past season.
  • Corey Long of NHL.com reports that Tampa Bay Lightning’s Ryan Callahan is progressing well from two hip surgeries since the 2015-16 season. He is participating in informal workouts with no limitations and hopes to be back to health this season. The 32-year-old winger managed to play only 18 games last season and hasn’t put up a quality season since his 24-goal season in 2014-15. He still has three years remaining on his contract at $5.8MM per year.
  • Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi writes that Samuel Morin and Robert Hagg are the leading candidates to win the open defense jobs in training camp over Travis Sanheim and Phil Myers. Morin, the Flyers first-round pick in 2013, is a physical defensive blueliner who stands at 6-foot-7, 227 pounds and should provide the Flyers some much needed size. Hagg, a second-round pick in that same draft, has quite a bit of experience in the AHL and looks ready to take the next step.

 

Atlantic Notes: Johnson, Tatar

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Will the length of Tyler Johnson’s contract come back to haunt the Bolts? The Hockey News’ Ken Campbell writes that while he’s only 26 and the numbers were below his value, Johnson may very well already be in decline. Though his numbers were would have been similar had they gone to arbitration, Campbell wonders if Johnson will put up the numbers that got him the deal. Should he get 55-60 points per season, Campbell believes it to be worth the money, calling it a steal. But if his regression continues? He just hopes for general manager Steve Yzerman’s sake that the Jonathan Drouin deal doesn’t come back to haunt him, either.

It’s no secret that Johnson has struggled to stay healthy. His numbers have fallen steadily since his career year in 2014-15 where he put up 72 points. His playoff numbers in consecutive seasons were also impressive, and most likely what secured him the contract. Campbell also believes that Johnson is dependent upon his linemates, and in spite of averaging 53 points in his first four seasons, there’s a lot riding on it for him, and the Lightning.

  • There’s more interesting takes coming out of Detroit regarding Tomas Tatar. The curious case of his negotiations began with him saying if he only gets a year, he’s done in Detroit. General manager Ken Holland all but shrugged it off, which led many to wonder just how motivated the Red Wings were to getting a long term deal done. The Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James reports that the Red Wings are wary of giving Tatar a seven-year deal. This is somewhat understandable in the cap era with the exception of one point–Holland has been more than happy to offer long term deals to players who haven’t exactly produced to warrant them–with Justin Abdelkader being the best example. So with Tatar, it’s curious. The Detroit News’ Gregg Krupa goes a step further, writing that it’s essentially “cap malpractice” if Detroit isn’t paying him because they’re too bloated from other contracts. St. James adds that Tatar hasn’t produced like T.J. Oshie, or Tyler Johnson, but to be fair, Tatar hasn’t been surrounded with the talent the aforementioned have. Further, as Krupa points out, that if a deal isn’t worked out, it’s more evidence of roster mismanagement. Once the model franchise of the NHL, the Red Wings decision making continues to baffle. The team isn’t much improved from last season, they’re strapped financially, and they’re fighting with their leading scorer on a deal. It will be interesting to see how ownership reacts should the Red Wings struggle out of the gate, especially with Holland making it a priority to make the playoffs.

RFAs Headed For Payday In Arbitration

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As the list of the players who have filed for arbitration was released earlier today by the NHLPA, a few names stick out as those due a meaningful raise. Arbitration is a tricky process to reliably predict, but it’s a safe bet these names will see their cap hit rise substantially.

 

Brian Dumoulin – D – Pittsburgh Penguins

There was a time when the young Dumoulin was a well-kept secret in the league, overshadowed by the far flashier play of Kris Letang. Dumoulin’s accolades this last playoff year certainly didn’t go unnoticed, and as the lone defensive defenseman in their core group, he probably holds the greatest job security on the team’s blueline. He doesn’t put up points – only one goal in the last two seasons, but he blocks shots and drives possession while eating a ton of minutes against top competition. As analytics are utilized more and more, his case only gets stronger. A contract well over $4 MM is certainly looking possible.

Colton Parayko – D – St. Louis Blues

This is the name seen most commonly associated with offer-sheets this summer, and with good reason. Parayko plays with the mentality of an old-time defenseman, but he can skate quite well for a large (6’6) man. He’s only had two seasons in the NHL, but he’s impressed since he first took the ice. Again, he isn’t a massive offensive force (he scored 3 goals last season), but he’s already averaging over 21 minutes a night with near equal starts in both the offensive and defensive zone. He’ll be hurt by the quantifiable stats factor, but he’s a big body with a rare right-handed shot to boot. This contract could look relatively cheap compared to his next, if he continues along this course. He should cost around $5.5 MM.

Ondrej Palat – F – Tampa Bay Lightning

Others will look to the undersized center Tyler Johnson as most likely to get a payday. But don’t over look Palat’s consistency – it may give him an edge with arbiters. Johnson does have his 72 point campaign to lean on, but that was now two full seasons ago. The fact that both players couldn’t break 20 goals in the last two seasons will bring their prices back down to Earth. Palat has grown into his role on the team and back-checks with a ferocity not often seen in younger stars. Johnson is no slouch either – they’ve both accumulated Selke votes over the years. These are two pivotal pieces of the Lightning, and their upcoming contracts were a big reason Jonathan Drouin was traded away to Montreal. GM Steve Yzerman will happily lock both up, but he will be hoping for figures under the $6 MM mark.

Viktor Arvidsson – F – Nashville Predators

This would have been an unlikely name on such a list even last December, when you consider how truly meteoric Arvidsson’s rise was. His value in arbitration will be deeply interesting – the shifty winger has played himself into the core of the team within a season. He really only has 2016-17 and the long playoff run to hang his hat on, as he scored only 16 points through 56 games in 2015-16. This year was a remarkable offensive explosion, with 30 goals and 31 assists. At only 5’9, Arvidsson has really shocked many onlookers by how easily he’s adapted to the physicality of the NHL game. His talent has never been in question, and with his production now well-established, it’s safe to believe he’s going to get a cushy award. How bad the damage will be is going to affect Nashville’s cap going forward – I suspect over $5 MM, but there are few comparables.

Mikael Granlund – F – Minnesota Wild

Granlund is perhaps slightly more enticing league wide than fellow Wild RFA Nino Niederreiter. He’s a marginally more cerebral player, and he plays the valuable center position. Neiderreiter is the more natural goal-scorer and larger frame, but Granlund has better PPG and has broken 30 assists thrice. Both players will get paid, as they both broke 25 goals last season and will be important pieces in the State of Hockey for some time. I think the more interesting thing to watch here is whether the Wild play it safe with Granlund and take a one year deal, or attempt to lock him up for longer. This was the first season he really scored with any consistency, but the Wild have shown their faith in the player by continually giving him over 17 minutes of icetime even when he struggled to produce. A one-year would easily command over $5 MM, whereas a longer deal could bring cost down.

 

Galchenyuk Negotiations Intensify

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Alex Galchenyuk has suddenly gone from pariah to absolute necessity. In the wake of losing top scoring threat Alexander Radulov via free agency to the Dallas Stars, Galchenyuk, a restricted free agent, has seen his internal value skyrocket. Radulov, of course, signed with the Stars earlier today for 5 seasons, and the Montreal offense was already severely lacking. Galchenyuk had a respectable 44 points in only 61 games last season, but that was a marginal drop from his 30-goal, 56-point campaign the year prior.

One of the largest issues for Galchenyuk this last season was consistency in his production, and many link that to his constant switching between the center and left wing roles. Galchenyuk is a more natural center, and has stated as such on numerous occasions. His defensive play has left many fans wanting, however. Two separate coaching staffs placed him on the wing at different points, and the organization has stated pretty clearly that he isn’t ready for top-line center duties. The problem for Montreal of course, is that they don’t have anyone else nearly as capable to fill that role. Tomas Plekanec is another year older and Galchenyuk is already arguably the better player. With Radulov (a right-wing) out of the picture, it might be wise to keep Galchenyuk content and comfortable.

According to Darren Dreger, Galchenyuk’s agent Pat Brisson has been in contact with GM Marc Bergevin, who will now turn his attention primarily to this contract. If they can’t come to an agreement, arbitration is always an option that can be utilized. That said, arbitration would probably only serve to fan the flames that have surrounded this player since he was supposedly placed on the block a year ago. Those flames are still not going out until that contract has been signed, and there will always be a market for young, talented centers.

When Jonathan Drouin was acquired for the left side, it seemed as though the writing was on the wall. But now, with Radulov out of the picture, losing Galchenyuk’s top-six offensive abilities would be a massive blow to the team. Montreal finished 13th in Goals For, but only two players hit the 20 goal mark – Max Pacioretty (35) and Paul Byron (22). Losing their top assist man and second-leading point getter in Radulov, it would be entirely devastating to draw the Galchenyuk negotiations out into the season, or worse, to trade him following a down year. Galchenyuk and his agent know they have the leverage in negotiations, and there’s a strong possibility they’ll use every ounce of it to get a better deal for the 23-year-old talent. Considering his production and league wide comparisons, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to see him make well above $5 MM.

2017 NHL Free Agency Tracker

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Stay with PHR for all of the free agency signings this off-season. As of noon ET on July 1st, unrestricted free agency is open, but not before many extensions earlier in June. This page serves to organize everything in one spot, and are linked to the PHR story that corresponds with the signing. All July signings will be separated by date while June signings are organized alphabetically by team. It will be updated as soon as stories post.

Please note that signings on this list start on June 12.

July 1st:

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Atlantic Division Offers Scoring, Depth Players

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The Atlantic Division was arguably the weakest in the league, but Vegas should be happy to know that they can claim two previous 30-goal scorers from the group. Some teams offer very little, such as Buffalo, because of their lack of depth, and Toronto, because of good planning. But others, such as Montreal and Detroit, will provide interesting options at multiple positions.

The Boston Bruins have one of the weakest lists of the lot, but there are still a few names which could help the Golden Knights organization. Vegas could opt for the overpaid but serviceable Matt Beleskey in hopes of his return to form as a solid 3rd-line piece. They might instead select a defenseman, either the puck possession defender in Colin Miller or physical presence in Adam McQuaid – but there may be better defenseman available elsewhere. A very probable scenario is that they opt for a project player in defenseman Joe Morrow or goalie Malcolm Subban. The Toronto Maple Leafs probably released one of the best lists today. Veteran Brooks Laich is an option, but McPhee may opt for 25 year-old Martin Marincin in hopes that he can build upon his last two seasons. Neither loss would impact the team’s ascendance in the slightest. Something to keep an eye out for is the perennially injured Joffrey Lupul – it’s certainly possible GM Lou Lamoriello will use Vegas to take his contract off the books. It wouldn’t take much of a sweetener.

The Montreal Canadiens left veteran defenseman Alexei Emelin exposed, which some predicted – but it could still set their defense back in the short-term. GM Marc Bergevin did well to utilize that final forward protection spot, trading for Jonathan Drouin and locking him up long-term. A potential player to watch is Alexander Radulov and whether Vegas will pursue the unrestricted free agent in the next few days. They do have a head-start, and he would be a potent addition. The Detroit Red Wings made what I consider to be a very surprising move in exposing goalie Petr Mrazek over Jimmy Howard. It could pay dividends if Vegas opts to go in a different goaltending direction, but it seems quite likely they will go the best player available route. Xavier Ouellet is also left exposed, which could decimate their defensive hopes. Unfortunately for Wings fans, Ken Holland very well will pay extortion-level prices for not being more aggressive in the trade market when he had the opportunity.

The Ottawa Senators will contribute one of the top three players to Vegas, regardless of his very hefty $7 MM contract. Bobby Ryan is bound for Nevada unless something unforeseen happens – he’s a former 30 goal scorer, is coming off a hot playoff, and an overpaid contract won’t break this team off the start. They could opt to speak with Mike Condon or go the less expensive route and take the veteran Marc Methot, but neither seems likely. Losing Ryan might hurt the Senators’ depth in the short term but is a solid cap-centric decision. The Buffalo Sabres will not lose much at all. Vegas could take a chance on the surprisingly available young forward William Carrier, or claim an average defenseman in Josh Gorges or Zach Bogosian. Vegas fans who were banking on a Tyler Ennis jersey will have to re-think their potential first purchase.

The Florida teams took completely different approaches to their expansion lists, and its clear that Tampa took the wiser route. Although they lost Jonathan Drouin, they re-couped a solid defenseman and made certain they didn’t lose an asset for nothing. Instead of losing Vladislav Namestnikov, they will instead look to probably surrender one of Cedric Paquette or J.T. Brown. There are a lot of mid-tier options available for Vegas, and I wouldn’t count out Cory Conacher as a darkhorse UFA signing considering his dominant performance in the Calder Cup playoffs. The Florida Panthers produced an inexcusably bad list. They will almost certainly lose their top scorer by not protecting the undersized Jonathan Marchessault. He had a breakout season with 30 goals in 75 games and his loss up front could really sting next season. Also of note is the decision to leave Roberto Luongo unprotected, although nothing likely will come of it.

Ultimately, the Atlantic division has a few players that will provide offensive punch to the Golden Knights, and a couple interesting decisions. McPhee could opt for safer veteran options, or take some gambles – only time will tell.

 

The original article had mistakenly replaced Collin Miller’s name on the protection list with Kevan Miller.

Expansion Primer: Tampa Bay Lightning

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We’re continuing to break down each team’s situation as it pertains to the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, coming up next week: which players are eligible, and which will likely warrant protection or may be on the block. Each team is required to submit their protection lists by 4pm CDT on June 17th. The full rules on eligibility can be found here, and CapFriendly has provided a handy expansion tool to make your own lists.

Steve Yzerman fired the first shot in the pre-expansion draft trade market by acquiring  Mikhail Sergachev from Montreal for Jonathan Drouin, a move that gave the Lightning flexibility both with the cap and their expansion protection list. It also filled a need with the Bolts on defense. With that in mind, it makes Yzerman and the Lightning’s decisions slightly easier as to who to protect and who to expose. But there are still some tough choices to make.

Eligible Players (Non-UFA)

Forwards: Steven Stamkos (NMC), Ryan Callahan (NMC), Nikita Kucherov, Alex Killorn, Vladislav Namestnikov, J.T. Brown, Erik Condra, Cedric Paquette, Ondrej Palat (RFA), Tyler Johnson 

Defensemen: Victor Hedman (NMC), Jason Garrison, Anton Stralman, Braydon Coburn, Andrej Sustr (RFA), Slater Koekkoek, Jake Dotchin

Goaltender: Andrei Vasilevskiy, Kristers Gudlevskis (RFA)

Notable Exemptions

Mikhail Sergachev, Brett Howden

Key Decisions

Unloading Drouin certainly helped from a financial and expansion list aspect.  This makes it somewhat easier for forwards to put on the protected list.

Ondrej Palat and Alex Killorn are both choices that benefitted from Drouin being moved. Killorn netted 19 goals while Palat will continue to get better. Stamkos and Callahan both have NMCs. Despite fighting injury and not matching his production from 2014-15, Johnson is too good of a talent to leave exposed.

It’s on defense where tougher decisions need to be made, and it will come down to three players. Hedman and Stralman will both be protected, Hedman because he has a no-movement clause and Stralman is key to the Lightning blueline. Jason Garrison and Braydon Coburn are both carrying heavier hits for the cap and will most likely be left alone when they’re exposed. Garrison could hypothetically be taken with his deal ending at the conclusion of the 2017-18 season, but the $4.6MM hit would probably scare Vegas away.

May 24, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning center <a rel=That leaves three choices to protect: Andrej Sustr, Jake Dotchin, and Slater Koekkoek. Sustr is a restricted free agent and won’t be able to command much in the way of money after having a down year. That doesn’t make him exempt from being exposed. If anything, seeing his numbers drop with a number of other options pounding on the door for the big club could make him the odd man out. However, he’s still an economical option and any leverage he had took a hit with the acquisition of Sergachev, who if scouting is correct, should find time on the Tampa blueline next season. But the problem with protecting Sustr is that Tampa would risk losing two young, and talented defensemen for nothing. In the same breath, would the Bolts want to possibly lose a steady defenseman who is only 26?

That leads to Dotchin and Koekkoek. Dotchin just turned 23, and registered 11 points in 35 games this season. The problem is, as Lightning blog Raw Charge pointed out, his sample size was limited compared to Koekkoek while being paired with Hedman. The 23-year-old Koekkoek logged 41 games over the past two seasons,  but played strong for AHL affiliate Syracuse during the Calder Cup playoffs. Picking between them is essentially splitting hairs. Koekkoek  appears to have the higher ceiling, and plays a cleaner game than Dotchin. Though they play different games, Yzerman might prefer a more disciplined, puck moving defenseman when choosing who to protect. At the same time, Dotchin plays a physical game, and can move the puck as well. He’s not afraid to muck it up, and provides a presence that protects his teammates on the ice–while still contributing on the score sheet. As Tampa Bay Times beat writer Joe Smith wrote, Dotchin has stood out to management, especially in the NHL and AHL during Syracuse’s Calder Cup Final run.

With two younger defensive prospects and after having a less than stellar season, predict Sustr to be exposed and Koekkoek protected. Don’t be surprised, as many others have written, if Yzerman pulls something off to keep all of his young defensemen so Dotchin remains in the fold.

Projected Protection List

F – Steven Stamkos (NMC)
F – Ryan Callahan (NMC)
F – Tyler Johnson (RFA)
F – Nikita Kucherov
F – Vladislav Namestnikov
F – Alex Killorn
F – Ondrej Palat (RFA)

D – Victor Hedman (NMC)
D – Anton Stralman
D –Slater Koekkoek (RFA)

G – Andrei Vasilevskiy

Vasilevskiy is truly the only option to protect as 24-year-old netminder Kristers Gudlevskis is unlikely to be taken with other options presumably available from other teams. Of the decisions, it seems to be the least of Tampa’s worries.

The Lightning, despite missing the playoffs and sustaining injuries to one key player after another, still have a strong lineup that will absolutely compete next season. Peddling Drouin off certainly helped matters, but the third player to protect defensively is a tough decision to make. At the end of the day, though, Yzerman has shown skills deft enough to take a challenging situation and somehow make it work out. Don’t be surprised if he finds a way to do it again.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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