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What Your Team Is Thankful For: Winnipeg Jets

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With the holiday season in full swing, PHR will look at what teams are thankful for so far this year. 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 few months and what could improve as the season rolls on. So far we’ve covered the following teams:

Atlantic: BOS, BUF, DET, FLA, TOR, MTL, OTT
Metropolitan: CAR, CBJ, NJD, NYI, NYR, PHI, PIT, WSH
Central: CHI, COL, DAL, MIN, NSH, STL
Pacific: ANA, ARZ, CGY, EDM, LAK, SJS, VAN, VGK

What are the Winnipeg Jets most thankful for?

Forward depth.

After years of struggling, the Winnipeg Jets are one of the most dangerous in the NHL. The Jets have four forwards with ten or more goals this season, and that doesn’t include their leading scorer in Blake Wheeler, who has nine goals and 41 points. There’s also Mathieu Perreault who would have double digits if he hadn’t missed a good chunk of the season (he has nine currently) and Bryan Little who already has 21 points.

The most impressive part of the Jets forward group might be its youth, as regulars Mark Scheifele (24), Joel Armia (24), and Adam Lowry (24), Andrew Copp (23), Nikolaj Ehlers (21), Kyle Connor (21), Patrik Laine (19) are all 24 or younger. That’s a group that could be together for a long time, with other young forwards like Jack Roslovic, Nic Petan, Brendan Lemieux and Marko Dano all potentially making an impact down the line.

Connor HellebuyckWho are the Jets most thankful for?

Connor Hellebuyck.

In the history of the Thrashers/Jets franchise, there is exactly one goaltender* that has recorded better than a .915 save percentage while with the team. That’s Al Montoya, who put up a .916 mark in 35 games between 2013-14. It’s an incredible run of futility by string of so-so goaltenders, and one that needed to change if the Jets were to ever really compete.

Enter 2017-18 Hellebuyck, who is carrying a .920 save percentage so far this season and has let everyone know that Steve Mason wasn’t needed. The 24-year old goaltender is 18-4-5 on the season, and is about as valuable of a piece as there is around the NHL. His play has allowed a team that was considered a playoff dark horse at best to become something of a powerhouse overnight.

What would the Jets be even more thankful for?

Division realignment.

Despite being 20-10-6 on the season, with a +19 goal differential and several All-Star level players, the Winnipeg Jets aren’t in first place in the Central Division. That honor goes to the Nashville Predators, who have the best points percentage out of the three teams (including the Jets and St. Louis Blues) tied with 46 points in the standings.

The Central doesn’t have any teams that are pushovers this season, after the Colorado Avalanche have turned things around from their historically bad 2016-17. It’ll take a continued effort from Winnipeg all season to secure one of the top three spots, and even then they’re more than likely going to lock horns with another excellent team in the first round.

What should be on the Jets’ Holiday Wish List?

Even more depth, preferably some that can kill penalties.

In all honesty, there’s not a lot that the Jets need to go out and acquire. If they can find a defenseman that is under contract or control for a few years it could help, with Toby Enstrom and Tyler Myers creeping towards free agency, but that can be dealt with in the offseason if need be. Adding Dmitri Kulikov last offseason has given them enough depth to survive injuries to Enstrom and Dustin Byfuglien, especially with the emergence of Josh Morrissey as a top option.

With some forwards coming back recently their lineup has been lengthened back out, but the penalty kill remains one of their warts, if fairly innocuous. Matt Hendricks leads all forwards in short handed time, but has been relatively ineffective in that role and barely plays at even strength. While he’s a “character guy” and from all accounts fits in perfectly to the dressing room, every fringe improvement gets the Jets closer to being a real Stanley Cup contender.

*Peter Mannino actually has a 1.000 save percentage for the Jets, but faced just four shots in his one-period relief appearance in 2011.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Winnipeg Jets Place Perreault On IR, Recall Connor From AHL

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The Winnipeg Jets have made a roster move today, moving Mathieu Perreault to the injured reserve list, while recalling promising young forward Kyle Connor from the AHL. Connor was in contention to crack the squad out of camp, and will get his chance to stick in the NHL after putting up five quick points to start his minor league season. Perreault suffered a lower-body injury in the third period against the Hurricanes on Saturday, and did not return to the game. Paul Friesen of the Winnipeg Sun reports that he’ll miss approximately four weeks.

Connor is another in a long list of exciting Jets prospects. Selected 17th-overall in 2015, the 20-year old forward went to the University of Michigan for a single season where he put up an incredible 71 points in just 38 games. After somehow losing the Hobey Baker trophy to Rangers’ forward Jimmy Vesey, Connor turned pro and started showing off in the AHL. Scoring 25 goals and 44 points as a minor league rookie, he did enough to earn 20 games in the NHL last season as well. Though he recorded just five points at the highest level, the skill is very apparent when watching Connor play.

He’ll have big shoes to fill in Perreault, who has been one of the most consistent producers for Winnipeg for several years. During his three-year tenure, Perreault has recorded seasons of 41, 41 and 45 points despite never suiting up for more than 71 games. That injury trend looks like it will continue now with a stint on the IR, even after another solid start to the year. Perreault had three points in the first five games for the Jets. Four weeks would take him out for the next eleven games, though obviously he could return sooner (or later).

Jamie Thomas of JetsTV first reported the move on Twitter.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Winnipeg Jets

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Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2017-18 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Winnipeg Jets

Current Cap Hit: $67,661,666 (under the $75MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Patrik Laine (Two years remaining, $925K)
F Kyle Connor (Two years remaining, $925K)
F Nikolaj Ehlers (One year remaining, $894K)
D Josh Morrissey (One year remaining, $863K)

Potential Bonuses

Laine: $2.65MM
Ehlers: $850K
Connor: $850K
Morrissey: $500K

Total: $4.85MM

The future looks bright for the Jets, especially with Laine, who is constantly overshadowed by Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews. Laine, who was taken second-overall in last year’s draft, put up phenomenal numbers that make Jets fans believe again in their team. He put up 36 goals in his rookie campaign and added 28 assists for a 64-point season. He should only get better and become the cornerstone of the franchise in the future. He should be joined by Ehlers, who also had a breakout year last year. The 2014 first-round pick had 15 goals in his rookie year, but added to that this past year, putting up 25 goals and 39 assists for 64 points.

The team also has high hopes for Connor to make the team and find himself a full-time role this year. The team’s 2015 first-round pick, put up big numbers a couple years ago at the University of Michigan two years ago, then scored 25 goals with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose and still managed to get 20 games in with the Jets, where he scored two goals and three assists. The team believes he has a good shot to end up on one of the back two lines. Morrissey, the team’s first-round pick back in 2013, found a full-time role with the Jets last year as he put up six goals and 14 assists. He is currently slated to start on the Jets’ third-line defense.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

D Toby Enstrom ($5.75MM, UFA)
F Bryan Little ($4.7MM, UFA)
D Jacob Trouba ($2.81MM, RFA)
G Connor Hellebuyck ($2.25MM, RFA)
F Shawn Matthias ($2.13MM, UFA)
G Michael Hutchinson ($1.15MM, UFA)
F Adam Lowry ($1.13MM, RFA)
F Joel Armia ($925K, RFA)
F Marko Dano ($850K, RFA)
F Brandon Tanev ($700K, RFA)
F Matt Hendricks ($700K, UFA)
F Michael Sgarbossa ($650K, RFA)

That’s a long list, but most of the players are restricted free agents and should easily be retained. However, the team will have to make some decisions on some key veterans, including Little, who many feel is an underrated forward. The 29-year-old has been with the franchise from the start of his career when they were the Atlanta Thrashers and has scored 184 goals for the franchise. With the team’s large number of young forwards, might they move on from Little in a year? Injuries have plagued little over the past two years as he’s missed 48 games. His 21 goals last year were solid, but he will need to prove his value this year if he wants another long-term deal. Another potential unrestricted free agent would be Enstrom, who will be 33 next year and the team will have to decide whether to keep the veteran blueliner. His offensive numbers dropped into the teens in the last couple of years. Mattias and Hendricks are expendable fill-ins, but valuable veterans to hold that roster together.

The team will be looking to several of their restricted free agent as key players in the future. The team will be looking at Trouba to have a big season this year. The 23-year-old defenseman had a career-high 33 points a year ago and he did that in only 60 games, so many feel he may take his game up a notch this year if he can avoid injuries. Despite Hellebuyck’s down year as they attempted to hand him the starting goaltender job, the team still looks at him as a potential starter that just wasn’t ready to take their reigns last year. His 2.89 GAA in 56 games didn’t get the job done. With Mason coming in, Hellebuyck will have more time to develop as a backup.

The team will be looking for Lowry to continue to develop as well. Lowry had 15 goals last year and the 24-year-old is expected to center the team’s third line. Armia also has bigger expectations this year after putting up 10 goals a year ago. He could also end up as a wing next to Lowry on that third line. Dano could also pick up a full-time role with the Jets this year. The former 2013 first-rounder played 38 games for Winnipeg last year, putting up four goals and seven assists.

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Poll: Which Team Will Be Next To Make Stanley Cup Debut?

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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?

Predators’ Draft Plummet

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If the Nashville Predators are ever to win a Stanley Cup, this seems the most likely year. Their window is far from closing, to be sure. But for a team that doesn’t often spend to the cap, their long-term finances may become complicated. They have a multitude of players performing well above their contract levels, are benefiting from Entry-Level Contracts (Viktor Arvidsson and Kevin Fiala), and the bulk of their team is in their late twenties. Nashville isn’t the most dynamic offensive force, but have gotten enough scoring  this outing to support the absurdly good top-four defense and brilliant goaltending from Pekka Rinne (.951 SV%).

That said, if they fail to win the glorious prize at the end of four series, will their draft plummet be seen as worth the hassle? They finished with the West’s lowest seeding in Wild Card 2, and the worst overall record in the playoffs at 94 points, edging out the Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs. Their draft plummet is quite the precarious one, similar to the 8th seeded 2011-12 Los Angeles Kings in the entry draft. Of course, that team went 16-4 in the postsesason to win the Stanley Cup, and certainly didn’t mind sacrificing a higher first-round pick to win their franchise’s first title.

But what if they hadn’t won? By advancing to the post-season’s final four, Los Angeles automatically shifted from drafting 16th to 30th. If the Predators were to lose in the Conference Finals, it would mean a drop from 17th to 28th. A Finals loss would mean 30th. Obviously, fans aren’t concerned with these sorts of trivialities when rooting on their team to glory, nor necessarily should they be. However, for management, this is quite the potential concern. Finding failure late in the playoffs and then also suffering the sting of a draft position dive is tough to stomach. After all, deals can sometimes hinge on whether a first or second round pick is early, mid, or late round.

For reference, let us look at the last 10 years draft history with regard to the 17th and 28th selections to see the potential disparity:

2016: 17th D Dante Fabbro (NSH), 28th F Lucas Johannson (WSH)

2015: 17th F Kyle Connor (WPG), 28th F Anthony Beauvillier (NYI)

2014: 17th D Travis Sanheim (PHI), 28th Josh Ho-Sang (NYI)

2013: 17th F Curtis Lazar (OTT), 28th F Morgan Klimchuck (CGY)

2012: 17th F Tomas Hertl (SJ), 28th D Brady Skjei (NYR)

2011: 17th F Nathan Beaulieu (MTL), 28th F Zach Phillips (MIN)

2010: 17th F Joey Hison (COL), 28th F Charlie Coyle (MIN)

2009: 17th D David Rundblad (STL), 28th F Dylan Olsen (TBL)

2008: 17th D Jake Gardiner (ANA), 28th F Viktor Tikhonov (PHX)

2007: 17th F Alexei Cherepanov (NYR), 28th Nick Petrecki (SJ)

The jury is still completely out on last year’s draft class, but as you can see, the two prior years have worked out quite well for the New York Islanders at the 28th spot. Beauvillier and Ho-Sang have both developed into studs quite quickly, while Connor and Sanheim still have a lot to prove. As we look at the last decade of entry drafts, there seems to be no real discernible advantage in terms of NHL projection. So although 11 spots seems like an awful long way to drop, Nashville (and any other future conference finalists) can rest easy that their relative success will still hinge upon being able to scout and develop talent properly.

Minor Transactions: Last Day Of The Regular Season

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The Washington Capitals, who have long since clinched the President’s Trophy for the best record in the NHL this season, have next to nothing to play for in their 2016-17 regular season finale. What better use for such a game than to reward a time-tested contributor to the organization. The Capitals announced today that they have recalled Garrett Mitchell, as well as Chandler Stephenson, from the AHL’s Hershey Bears for the last game of the season. Mitchell, the Hersey captain, will make his NHL debut at 25 after being a sixth-round selection of the Capitals back in 2009. Far from an offensive juggernaut, Mitchell is instead a physical two-way forward who makes up for his lack of points by sticking up for the Bears’ younger players and leading by example in his own end. It is a classy move by Washington to give a player who has worked hard for the organization a brief glimpse at NHL life, even though his ceiling appears to be a nothing more than a fourth-line player at this time.

Around the league, the transactions are coming in fast:

  • Washington’s opponent tonight is the Florida Panthers and newly-recalled young goalie Sam Brittain. It remains to be seen if Brittain will make his NHL debut tonight, but he’ll at least be on the bench as Florida announced that the 24-year-old had been promoted from the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds for the game. Brittain has played mostly in the ECHL this season and is far from being a regular NHLer any time soon, but will at least get a look at big league action in the season finale.
  • Another goalie getting a rare look at the highest level is the New York Rangers’ Magnus Hellberg. Buried behind all-world keeper Henrik Lundqvist and one of the more reliable backups in the league, Antti Raanta, Hellberg was surely excited to hear that he had been called up from the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. Hellberg, 26, has never started an NHL game and that won’t change tonight as Raanta gets the call for the Rangers. However, Hellberg has seen the ice three times in his career and has strung together several strong AHL seasons in a row, so gaining some more experience tonight, even from the bench, brings him closer to an NHL future.
  • A goalie headed the other way today is the Montreal Canadiens’ Charlie Lindgren. Despite nothing but success in his few NHL appearances early in his young career, the Habs are set in net with Carey Price and Al Montoya. Lindgren will have to wait for opportunity to strike for a longer stint with the Canadiens, as he’ll head back down to the AHL and the St. John’s Ice Caps alongside defenseman Brett Lernout, the team announced.
  • Another pair headed back to the minors are Winnipeg Jets’ prospects Kyle Connor and Nelson Nogier. Following their season finale yesterday, the Jets decided today to return the duo to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose to get some final play time in this season. While the Jets expected more than five points in 20 games from Connor in his rookie season, after being a Hobey Baker finalist for the University of Michigan last year, expect him to play a major role for Winnipeg in 2017-18.
  • Another player set to take on a major role next year is Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Robert Hagg. Fans can get a preview of the prospect-studded blue line that Philly is likely to roll out in 2017-18 when Hagg makes his NHL debut today. The team announced his recall this morning from the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, and he will skate alongside the likes of Shayne Gostisbehere and Ivan Provorov tonight and Travis Sanheim and Samuel Morin as well next year in a truly impressive collection of young talent.
  • Across the state, the Pittsburgh Penguins are planning on resting some of their players today – those that aren’t already injured anyway – and have called up a trio of players from the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to help fill the voids. Oskar Sundqvist and Derrick Pouliot, two names familiar to Penguins fans, will return to the lineup, while Jean-Sebastien Dea will make his NHL debut. A longtime WBS contributor, Dea’s work ethic and consistency has finally earned him his first shot at the pros for a team that is in desperate need of depth that can step up their play.
  • Pittsburgh’s Round One opponent, the Columbus Blue Jackets, are adding some promising young talent of their own in forward Sonny Milano. The team announced that they had promoted the 2014 first-rounder from the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters and that he will get the call today against the Toronto Maple Leafs as the Jackets look to reverse their recent luck before the postseason gets underway. Milano has only skated in three games with Columbus this season, but leads the Monsters in scoring with 46 points in 61 games.
  • The St. Louis Blues announced that they have recalled defenseman Chris Butler from the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. However, Butler’s return to the NHL lineup may be overshadowed by the possibility that Vladimir Sobotka could also make his season debut after a long hiatus from the team while playing in the KHL.
  • With an extremely disappointing season finally over in Dallas, the Stars have moved a slew of players back down to the AHL’s Texas Stars to give them some play time before the end of the season. Forwards Jason Dickinson, Mark McNeill, Gemel Smith, Denis Gurianov, and Remi Elie and defenseman Julius Honka will all head back to Texas, a team that, like its affiliate, has no chance at the playoffs either.

More to come throughout the final day of the 2016-17 season

Morning Moves: Connor, Roslovic, Holmstrom, Vermin

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The Winnipeg Jets have decided to bring up a pair of top prospects, recalling both Kyle Connor and Jack Roslovic from the Manitoba Moose. Both first-round picks in 2015, they are the next wave of talented youngsters for Winnipeg to build around. Connor made his NHL debut at the beginning of the season, playing nineteen games with the Jets and registering four points. He has dominated the AHL since his return with 42 points in 45 games.

Roslovic on the other hand has yet to skate in an NHL game, but should be just as touted as a prospect. With 45 points in 61 games in the AHL while playing a more demanding position (center), Roslovic looks like a top-six option for the Jets down the line. The 20-year olds will get another taste down the stretch and both vie for full-time NHL gigs next season.

  • The Red Wings have called up Evgeny Svechnikov from the AHL under emergency conditions. The Russian prospect is expected to make his NHL debut tonight, according to Ansar Khan of MLive. Likely the top prospect in the Red Wings system that hadn’t seen NHL ice yet, Svechnikov will be a key part of any rebuild Detroit tries. His offensive upside is tremendous, both on the rush and off the cycle.
  • Khan also reports that Axel Holmstrom has joined the Grand Rapids Griffins, now that his Swedish season has ended. The seventh-round pick of the Red Wings in 2014, Holmstrom is a 20-year old forward who has been playing in the Swedish men’s league for several years. A star at the World Juniors in both 2015 and 2016, his international success has shown an ability to skate alongside some of the more skilled players in the world (like William Nylander) and not miss a beat.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have added another transaction to the lengthening list for Joel Vermin. The forward was sent back down to the Syracuse Crunch today after his latest stint in the NHL. Vermin has been the insurance policy for a team ravaged by injuries this season, playing in 17 games spread across many different call-ups.
  • Minnesota has decided to send Alex Stalock back down to the AHL, after making two starts in the place of Darcy Kuemper while the team was struggling. Stalock actually performed quite well in both, stopping 51 of a combined 54 shots. It will be interesting to see what the Wild do in the playoffs if Kuemper doesn’t bounce back in his next opportunity to back up Devan Dubnyk.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled Sonny Milano from the Cleveland Monsters amid his excellent sophomore season. The 20-year old first-round pick has 43 points in 59 games and has continually shown off his incredible offensive upside. A highlight-reel player, Milano provide some amazing moments but still has work to do to become a top player in the NHL. His all-around game isn’t at a top-line level, but with a few games at the end of the season he may get to see what it takes to become a star in the NHL.

Frank Seravalli On Canadian Trade Deadlines

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In his latest column, Frank Seravalli of TSN takes a look at the upcoming trade deadlines for each of the seven Canadian clubs. The entire piece is worth a read as he goes into detail on each team, but here are some highlights.

  • The Montreal Canadiens are looking to acquire a center with size, and Arizona’s Martin Hanzal fits the bill perfectly. Even when injured #1 center Alex Galchenyuk comes back, Seravalli points to the decline of Tomas Plekanec as a concern and says the team must add size down the middle. He also mentions Matt Duchene as a different possibility, though doesn’t expect that to happen during the season.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have been beaten on at least two waiver claims over the past few weeks (and possibly a third just yesterday) for Matt Nieto and Ty Rattie, and are still looking for a right-shooting winger (though Nieto is a lefty) to plug into their third line. A right-hand shot defenseman for the powerplay would be a bonus.
  • The Maple Leafs could dangle either James van Riemsdyk or Kasperi Kapanen in trade, but are more likely to stay the course with both players at least during the season. JVR could still end up with the team long-term, and with Kapanen tearing up the AHL (and being best friends with William Nylander) he looks like a future core piece.
  • Calgary may be in a pretty solid position now that Chad Johnson has taken the reins in net, but they need to shore up their blueline a bit for a real playoff run. A second-pairing player is all they need, but may have trouble parting with what he would cost.
  • In Winnipeg, the team is likely to make minor deals if any at the deadline as they’re content with the development of their club. Seravalli points to Mathieu Perreault as a possible trade chip, as he thinks the team could be at risk of losing him this summer in the expansion draft. Drew Stafford is another name that could be moved out to make room for prospect Kyle Connor.
  • The Ottawa Senators need scoring, and they need it bad. If the Maple Leafs weren’t in the same division, van Riemsdyk would be a likely target but they’ll have to look elsewhere for a new top line left winger. Unless of course Clarke MacArthur can come back close to 100% and add depth to their wings.
  • The Vancouver Canucks remain a mystery to media and fans alike, and Seravalli isn’t sure what to expect from them. A scoring winger is an option to help now and down the road, but an improvement in draft picks is what the team really needs. Even though they may miss the playoffs again, they only own five picks at this summer’s entry draft (rounds 1, 2, 3, 4, 7).

Snapshots: Tavares, Connor, Duclair

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While his free agency is still over a year and a half away, that hasn’t stopped the early chatter when it comes to Islanders center John Tavares.  Speaking with WFAN in New York, Tavares commented on whether or not he plans to be an Islander for life (transcription via Andy Graziano of IslandersPointBlank):

“Yes, I’d like to be, for sure. I try to not think about it a whole lot. Obviously, I’m getting closer to the end of this contract but I’ve always stated how much I love being in New York and being an Islander, how well people have treated me here and the organization as a whole. We’ve had something good building here the last couple of years and I’d love to see it through. When that time comes, I want something to work out where both sides are happy and I remain with this team. Really good times are ahead for the franchise and I want to keep contributing to that and doing my part.”

Tavares has been with the Isles since being drafted first overall back in 2009 and it’s believed that if he were to make it to free agency in the summer of 2018, he would have no shortage of suitors, similar to the interest in Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos this past offseason.  It was reported last weekend that the team was looking to acquire a new winger for Tavares to replace Kyle Okposo (who signed with Buffalo this offseason) with the hope that doing so could help entice him to stay long-term.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • The Jets announced that they have assigned left winger Kyle Connor to their AHL affiliate in Manitoba. Connor, the 17th overall pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, made Winnipeg’s roster out of training camp but has struggled so far this season with just a goal and three assists in 19 games.  He had been a healthy scratch so this should be an opportunity to get plenty of playing time as the Moose play six times in the next 11 days.
  • Coyotes winger Anthony Duclair is hoping to use his time as a healthy scratch earlier this week to start from scratch, writes Sarah McLellan of The Arizona Republic. Through 25 games, he has just four points which led to him being benched.  One area of concern early on his lack of shots on goal as he’s averaging just over one per game.  For someone counted on to be a top six scorer, that level of shot generation is well below average.  Unfortunately for Duclair and the team, his play hasn’t really improved in his two games back in the lineup as he was sat down partway through last night’s game against Calgary.

Injury Updates: Chara, Boyle, Scandella, Connor, Eichel

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Zdeno Chara is day to day after the Bruins released a very short release on his status. Chara left the game after one shift in the second period, and bench boss Claude Julien reported that he knew nothing further about the injury. In the statement, the Bruins characterized the injury as lower body, while Mike Loftus tweets that the Bruins don’t expect Chara to play Thursday and that he’s “iffy” for Friday’s game. Chara is a +12 this season and has six points (1-5) in 19 games.

In other injury news:

  • Bryan Burns tweets that Tampa Bay center Brian Boyle is day-to-day with an upper body injury. Erik Eriendsson also tweets his day-to-day status and writes that he’ll be out for the game tonight. Boyle was also not at the morning skate.
  • The Minnesota Wild’s Marco Scandella is back in the lineup after missing the last 10 games. Mike Halford writes that Scandella has been skating for the past 10 days after suffering an ankle injury. He also writes that his Scandella’s return will bolster a blue line tasked with stopping the Jets’ Patrik Laine.
  • Speaking of the Jets, Kyle Connor has taken his non-contact jersey off in practice tweets Ken Wiebe. Connor has been out with an upper body injury since last week.
  • Jack Eichel might be back in 3-5 games tweets Mike Harrington. Head coach Dan Bylsma believes that “the end is near” for the Sabres being without their star center, though there is no expected timetable per Bylsma.

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