Arizona Coyotes’ Jakob Chychrun Returns To IR
The excitement surrounding young Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun and his return to the lineup was short-lived. After missing 32 games last season with a knee injury and the beginning of this campaign due to off-season surgery, Chychrun finally got back into to the ‘Yotes lineup on Tuesday night. He even celebrated his return by signing a six-year extension just hours before the game. However, Chychrun was held out of last night’s game, listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury suffered in just his first game back. His bad luck got worse today, as CapFriendly reports that Chychrun has been placed on injured reserve with the upper-body condition and is set to miss even more time.
Chychrun, 20, was the 16th overall pick in 2016 and has shown a well-rounded arsenal of ability even in his limited 119 games over two plus seasons. However, the same concerns expressed when he signed his long-term, $26.7MM contract this week are now amplified even further. Chychrun would be far from the first NHL player to show incredible talent, but simply struggle to stay on the ice. Granted, an injured Chychrun can be placed on IR and does not affect the cap calculations of the Coyotes, a low-budget team anyway. However, if the composition of the team moving forward is built around a dependence on Chychrun’s availability, that could be trouble for GM John Chayka and company. There is also the possibility that reoccurring injuries begin to toll on the style and intensity of Chychrun’s game, especially since the young rearguard has shown a propensity for toughness and grit early on. There is substantial risk in Chycrhun’s new extension and yet another injury only exasperates it.
With Chychrun out, joining Alex Goligoski on the IR, as well as concerns over the availability of Jason Demers, who left last night’s game with a lower-body injury, the Arizona defensive corps is beat up right now. The team recalled Robbie Russo earlier this morning and fortunately still have Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Niklas Hjalmarsson at 100%. Still, the likes of Kevin Connauton, Jordan Oesterle, and Ilya Lyubushkin will be asked to step up while the team works its way back to full health on the blue line.
Arizona Coyotes Sign Kevin Connauton To A Two-Year Deal
6:00 PM: The Coyotes have officially announced the deal.
5:22 PM: Morgan reports that the contract is worth $2.75MM over two years for an AAV of $1.375MM. He adds that the deal is pending league approval.
4:10 PM: Despite some comments indicating he wanted to test out the free agent market and secure a bigger role somewhere else, Kevin Connauton is in “advanced discussions” with the Arizona Coyotes on a new contract according to Craig Morgan of AZ Sports. Arizona radio host John Gambadoro reports it is a two-year contract.
Connauton, 28, is scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency on Sunday and had been clear that playing time was a big factor in his decision. The left-handed defenseman put up 21 points this season in limited minutes, and has shown a knack for creating offense at even-strength. His last contract paid him an average of $1MM, something he’ll surely be looking to increase on any incoming deal.
The Coyotes have five defensemen locked in for next season, and are close to signing an extension with Niklas Hjalmarsson and Oliver Ekman-Larsson to keep them in town for a few more seasons. That doesn’t leave a whole lot of opportunity for Connauton to move up, though perhaps talks with other teams around the league left him wondering whether that chance would come anywhere at all. The Coyotes are trending in the right direction, and have plenty of cap space to make it worthwhile to bring back a valuable defenseman like Connauton, especially if they can pencil him in to the bottom pairing again.
Arizona doesn’t have unlimited funds like some other bigger market teams, meaning they have to spend carefully on players that can provide a real contribution. At the very worst, Connauton seems like a perfect candidate to be able to step up in the lineup if injuries should occur or be a valuable piece of trade bait come the deadline the next two seasons.
Arizona Not Expected To Re-Sign Four Free Agents
The Arizona Coyotes have agreed to terms with one of their 2019 free agents, but it doesn’t look like that will happen with any of those scheduled to hit the market this summer. Craig Morgan of AZ Sports reports that all four of Brad Richardson, Luke Schenn, Kevin Connauton and Zac Rinaldo are likely to go unsigned before July 1st and become unrestricted free agents.
Richardson’s fate was likely sealed when the Coyotes traded for Marcus Kruger recently, while Connauton has been clear that he’s hoping for a bigger role—one that might have to come on another team. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Coyotes go after some bigger names this offseason in either free agency or trade, hoping to support their young players and get back to the playoffs in 2018-19. That said, all four of the above names could find jobs around the league as they still represent useful depth options.
Schenn, a former fifth-overall pick, has already played 708 games in the NHL and won’t turn 29 until after the 2018-19 season starts. Though he never did become the shutdown first-pairing defender that Toronto thought they were picking, he’s not the worst option for a third-pairing right-handed defenseman that play a physical game and help on the penalty kill.
Connauton too brings some upside on defense, after recording 21 points in 73 games while seeing the ice just over 15 minutes a night. His 11 goals all came at even-strength, and he could have some even better numbers if given an opportunity. That’s what he’ll look for, but it’s not clear who will be willing to give him a full-time role right away.
Free Agent Focus: Arizona Coyotes
Free agency is now a little more than a month away from opening up and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign. Here is a breakdown of Arizona’s free agent situation.
Key Restricted Free Agent: F Max Domi – The 12th-overall pick from 2013 is an enigma for the Coyotes, who have received flashes of dominance and bouts of inconsistency from Domi throughout his young career. Few would argue with 135 points in 232 games for any forward before his age-23 season, but there is clearly more to get out of Domi as he heads out of his entry-level contract. After spending time at center this season his point totals were boosted by a late-season run, but he failed to eclipse the 10-goal mark for the second consecutive year. Perhaps because of that relatively disappointing total, trade rumors have popped up around Domi with the Pittsburgh Penguins showing interest.
While nothing is certain for any NHL player, the future for Domi is particularly unclear. Does he sign a long-term deal with the Coyotes this season to be a core piece of their rebuild, anchoring the top-six alongside Clayton Keller and others? Is a short-term bridge deal a better option for a player who has yet to really show his full potential in the NHL? Do the Coyotes use this summer to cash in on their asset before he becomes too expensive, and try to acquire a more veteran presence to help them win in the near future? With GM John Chayka loathe to lose out on young inexpensive assets, trading Domi at this point seems like the opposite of the Coyotes model. Perhaps Arizona will show patience and accept his 6.0% shooting percentage in 2017-18 as more of a bargaining chip than reason to move him.
Other RFAs: F Freddie Hamilton, F Laurent Dauphin, G Sean Maguire, D Dakota Mermis, D Trevor Murphy, G Marek Langhamer, F Michael Bunting
Key Unrestricted Free Agents: D Kevin Connauton – The Coyotes face a much more difficult crop of unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2019, when Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Niklas Hjalmarsson and others are scheduled to hit the free agent market. They also already dealt with Antti Raanta, their biggest question mark from this offseason, when they signed him to a new three-year extension. Still, Connauton has a pretty compelling case for a raise this summer from the $1MM he’s earned the last two years.
The 28-year old defenseman finished third on the Coyotes in scoring by defensemen with 21 points, and did so in limited minutes that included almost zero powerplay time. His 11 even-strength goals actually put him fourth on the entire team—not just among defensemen—and he tied for the lead with three game-winners. All that while playing just over 15 minutes a night, and getting relatively even zone starts (if not a little negative). There’s obviously an argument to be made to let Connauton walk, as the team will likely have Jakob Chychrun back and could get contributions from younger players—including perhaps one selected with the fifth-overall pick in the upcoming draft. His agent also recently told Craig Morgan of AZ Sports that like many other players, Connauton wants a bigger role. If that’s not possible in Arizona, perhaps he’ll find himself in a new sweater come October.
F Brad Richardson – Richardson’s fate may have been sealed when the Coyotes traded for Marcus Kruger in early May, as the former Carolina Hurricanes forward is expected to take over as the shutdown center for Arizona next season. The 33-year old Richardson then would be expendable, even if he has proven to be a big part of the leadership group for the club. His 15 points in 76 games this season were far from a career-high, but still represented a solid campaign for a player tasked with winning faceoffs and getting the puck out of his own end. Richardson had a whopping 66% defensive zone-start percentage, easily the highest on the Coyotes last season.
Centers are difficult to find on the open market, but there may be no room for Richardson any longer on a Coyotes team that is looking to contend for the playoffs in 2018-19. If Dylan Strome is truly ready to step into a full-time role in the NHL, it gives the team four—Derek Stepan, Christian Dvorak, Strome and Kruger—capable options down the middle with even more experience in other players on the roster. His market may lie elsewhere around the league as he’s proven himself a capable NHL option over the last decade.
Other UFAs: F Zac Rinaldo, D Luke Schenn, D Joel Hanley, F Pierre-Cedric Labrie, F Mike Sislo, F Tye McGinn
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
West Notes: Kane, Connauton, Fisher
Following a strong showing after being acquired at the trade deadline, the Sharks intend to try to re-sign pending unrestricted free agent winger Evander Kane this offseason, reports Paul Gackle of the Bay Area News Group. For his part, Kane admitted that he would be open to returning but he isn’t ready to commit to anything just yet.
That won’t stop GM Doug Wilson from trying to get something done in advance, however. He acknowledged that he intends to sit down with Kane and his agent “in the next little while”. San Jose has plenty of cap space to work with this summer so from a financial standpoint, they should be able to be among the high bidders for his services if they want. If the Sharks are able to re-sign him, the 2019 second-round pick they sent to Buffalo as part of the trade would instead become their 2019 first-rounder.
Elsewhere in the West:
- Coyotes defenseman Kevin Connauton is set to become an unrestricted free agent in July and his agent, Matt Owens, told Arizona Sports’ Craig Morgan that playing time will go a long way in determining where he signs next. The 28-year-old posted a career high in goals with 11 this season but he still played a relatively sparing role, logging just over 15 minutes of ice time per game. Oates acknowledged that there have been no discussions regarding a contract and that he is leaving it to GM John Chayka to kick-start any possible negotiations.
- Nashville center Mike Fisher left Monday’s game due to an undisclosed injury and Thomas Willis of the Predators’ team website notes (Twitter link) that there is still no update as to the nature of the injury or how long he’ll be out. The veteran left after playing less than three minutes in total which forced the Preds to go with 11 forwards for most of the game. If he’s unable to return, one of Miikka Salomaki or Ryan Hartman will likely draw back into the lineup.
Deadline Primer: Arizona Coyotes
With the trade deadline fast approaching, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? Next up is a look at the Arizona Coyotes.
Despite a new coach and the belief that if they trade for a number of quality veteran players like Derek Stepan, Jason Demers and Niklas Hjalmarsson, the Coyotes could break their string of inept seasons and find themselves moving up in the standings with their core of talented young players. Instead, little has changed as the Coyotes boast the worst record in the NHL and now have to wonder what the next step in building a contender will consist of.
Record
13-32-9, sixth in Pacific Division
Deadline Status
Seller
Deadline Cap Space
$74.7MM full-season cap hit, 1/3 retained salary transactions, 50/50 contracts per CapFriendly
Draft Picks
2018: ARZ 1st, MIN 2nd, ARZ 3rd, ARZ 4th, ARZ 6th, ARZ 7th
2019: ARZ 1st, ARZ 2nd, ARZ 3rd, CAL 3rd*, ARZ 4th, ARZ 5th, ARZ 6th, PIT 6th, ARZ 7th
*- Pick becomes a 2019 second-round pick if the Calgary Flames make the playoffs.
Trade Chips
With the team unlikely to move defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson at the deadline, the Coyotes don’t necessarily have a big name to move as in previous years. There have been rumors the team might be willing to trade Max Domi, the young 22-year-old center who has regressed since a solid rookie season. However, unless the team can get equal value for Domi, its unlikely the team just wants to dump him for little in return.
One legitimate possibility would be winger Brad Richardson. No, the 33-year-old won’t provide any of the potential buyers with offense as Richardson provides little. He has just three goals and seven assists this year. However, Richardson is a quality fourth-line player who could add defensive skills to any team’s bottom line and can play the center position. His penalty killing skills might be valuable as well to any team that might want to prepare for teams like Pittsburgh, San Jose, Winnipeg or Tampa Bay, whose power play units are deadly.
Five Players To Watch For: D Kevin Connauton; D Jason Demers; C Max Domi; W/C Brad Richardson; D Luke Schenn
Team Needs
1) Impact Players: The team has learned that they need a mix of veterans and youth to make this team into a winner. Despite acquiring Stepan, Demers and Hjalmarsson, the team hasn’t improved, but the team still needs more impact players who aren’t necessarily in their 30’s to help lead the team and can work with some of the young players. The more veterans on the team that are producing, the more likely the youth can step in and begin helping.
2) Draft picks: The team also must continue to develop youth in hopes of developing more youngsters. They have quite a few, most of which have struggled to establish themselves into stars like Clayton Keller, Christian Dvorak and Domi, among many. However, picks will continue to streamline those players in, so the more they have, the better.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Mattias Samuelsson De-Commits From Michigan, To Attend Western Michigan
The U.S. National Development Program sent presumptive 2018 top ten pick Quinn Hughes to the University of Michigan this season and were set to send fellow likely 2018 first-round defensemen Bode Wilde and Mattias Samuelsson to Ann Arbor next year. While two top picks on your blue line is impressive enough, the Wolverines were likely disappointed to hear yesterday that they had lost their commitment from Samuelsson. The big Swedish-American 17-year-old announced that he would no longer be attending Michigan next fall, but instead in-state rival Western Michigan.
While on it’s face the decision seems strange – Michigan is a far more storied college hockey program than WMU – there is some reasoning behind Samuelsson’s change of heart. The first, and the one stated outright, is that Mattias will now play with brother Lukas Samuelsson on the Broncos. Lukas, 21, is a forward for Western Michigan, though he has played in just one game thus far in his first season with the team. In addition to playing with his brother, the choice may have had just as much to do with who who he will no longer be playing with. With the likes of Hughes, Wilde, and Luke Martin slated for major roles on the Michigan blue line next season, Samuelsson may have struggled to find the top-pair minutes he desires for his further development. Another reason for Samuelsson to change his mind may be the recent play of the Broncos. Western Michigan is currently ranked #11 in the NCAA with a solid 12-9-1 record, whereas Michigan is ranked #20 with an even 10-10-2 mark. While the history and even current talent on the Wolverines roster would still suggest they are the better hockey school, Philadelphia Flyers’ 2016 second-round pick Wade Allison is leading the Broncos to a strong campaign and WMU boasts other notable NHL alumni such as Keith Jones and current Arizona Coyotes rearguard Kevin Connauton. Yet, Samuelsson has even been considered a top-15 pick by some and at the end of the day could wind up being the best player to ever pass through Kalamazoo.
At 6’4″, 216-lbs and not even 18-years-old, there is no doubt that Samuelsson has NHL size. Yet, he also brings a strong skating game that is uncommon for a big, lanky teenager. The son of Kjell Samuelsson, a veteran of over 800 games, Mattias also has NHL blood and the intelligence and intangibles that usually accompanies it. The ceiling is high for this promising defenseman and he’ll likely make Wolverines fans jealous as he shows off his abilities while developing with the Broncos over the next few years.
Snapshots: Coyotes, Glass, Nestrasil
The Arizona Coyotes are in a fight in the standings of their own. Even though the players aren’t giving up, they front office is likely desperately hoping they finish in the bottom two once again and get the chance to select a top prospect. They got some bad (or good, I’m unsure at this point) news today when Dave Vest of NHL.com reported that Kevin Connauton should be considered week-to-week with an upper-body injury suffered last night.
- Vest also passed along a few choice quotes from Dave Tippett on the future of Anthony Duclair, who will get back into the NHL lineup tonight. “We want him to play to his potential. He set a standard for his play last year that he has to get back to,” said Tippett who is not alone in hoping Duclair gets back to his 2015-16 form. Coyotes fans everywhere were hoping to see more of the 20-goal man that was around last season, instead of the 9-point Duclair they’ve seen this year. Despite being rumored in trades all year, the Coyotes will hang onto the former New York Ranger for at least the rest of the season, hoping he can regain his form. Expect his name to be thrown around plenty at the expansion and entry drafts.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled recently signed goaltender Jeff Glass from the Rockford IceHogs today, and will be the backup tonight against the New York Islanders. Both Corey Crawford and Scott Darling took part in practice today and seemed fine, though apparently Darling will be held out with an upper-body injury of some sort.
- The Detroit Red Wings have some goalie news of their own, as Ansar Khan of MLive reports that Jimmy Howard will be loaned to Grand Rapids Griffins on a conditioning stint and will start Saturday for the AHL squad. The netminder is trying to work his way back from an injury that has kept him out of NHL action since late December due to multiple setbacks.
- The Carolina Hurricanes have assigned forward Andrej Nestrasil to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL today, after using him in Wednesday’s loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 26-year old forward has played 19 games for the Hurricanes this year, registering five points.
- The Philadelphia Flyers may have Travis Konecny back sooner than expected, as Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post reports. Konecny says he’s ready to go and that he’s hoping to get back into the lineup on Saturday against the Washington Capitals. Out since February 6th, the 19-year old Konecny has been a revelation for the Flyers this season with 22 points in a 51 games. In any normal year, that would be extremely impressive from a teenager in the NHL.
Injury Updates: Ellis, Connauton, Okposo
Injury updates from around NHL games this evening:
- Tennessean reporter Adam Vingan noted that Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis left tonight’s game against the Montreal Canadiens after suffering an apparent leg injury. Ellis had to be helped off the ice by teammate Vernon Fiddler. An extended injury to Ryan Ellis would dampen Nashville’s playoff chances. Ellis is second in playing time for the Predators, and has 10G and 18A in 55 games.
- Arizona Coyotes defenseman Kevin Connauton suffered an injury tonight against the Buffalo Sabres, reports the Arizona Coyotes PR rep Dave Vest. Connauton has hit by Sabres forward Marcus Foligno and fell hard onto his left arm. As of writing, Connauton has not returned. The 27 year-old has one assist in 19 games for the Coyotes.
- Buffalo News columnist Mike Harrington reports that Buffalo Sabres forward Kyle Okposo did not start the third period after being hit by the above-mentioned Kevin Connauton. Okposo appeared to have skated off the injury and played the remainder of the second period, but as of writing has not returned to the game. The Sabres’ star free agent signing has 19G and 22A in 62 games so far this year and leads the team in scoring. The Sabres have now announced that Okposo suffered an upper-body injury and will not return tonight.
Snapshots: Benson, Connauton, Burrows, Flyers, Olympics
The Edmonton Oilers have put pen to paper with one of their 2016 draft picks as they announced that they have inked left winger Tyler Benson to a three year, entry level contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Benson was Edmonton’s second round pick (32nd overall) back in June. The Edmonton native had long been touted as a first rounder but an injury-plagued 2015-16 season (he played in just 30 games) certainly didn’t help his draft stock.
This season, Benson leads his junior team, the WHL’s Vancouver Giants, in scoring with 40 points (10-30-40) in 31 games. As has been the case with several young prospects who have signed recently, unless Benson plays in ten or more games with the Oilers this season, his contract will actually ‘slide’ a year with the team receiving a small reduction in his salary cap charge.
Other notes from around the league:
- Per a team release, the Arizona Coyotes have assigned defenseman Kevin Connauton to their AHL affiliate in Tucson on a conditioning assignment. Connauton has played just twice this month and only nine times this season as he has predominantly been the seventh defenseman for Arizona.
- Canucks left winger Alex Burrows will play in his 800th game tonight against Anaheim. All of those games have come in a Vancouver uniform and once he suits up, he’ll be only the sixth player in franchise history to play in 800 games for the Canucks. The 35 year old has been an effective bottom six player this season with 14 points (6-8-14) in 32 games and has 378 points (190-188-378) through his first 799 contests.
- The Flyers will make rookie winger Travis Konecny a healthy scratch tonight, notes Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The timing is a little strange as Konecny is coming off a two assist game but head coach Dave Hakstol wants to see his play improve without the puck on his stick. Left winger Michael Raffl will return to the lineup after missing Wednesday’s game with a lower body injury and slot in on the top line while defenseman Radko Gudas is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.
- The NHL has drafted two versions of the 2017-18 schedule with the uncertainty surrounding their participation in the 2018 Winter Olympics, notes Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston (Twitter links). As a result, the league is no longer imposing any deadline on the decision regarding whether they will or won’t be participating. However, the IOC is still hoping for a decision by January 15th.