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Kyle Palmieri

East Notes: Smith, Palmieri, Sabres Defensemen

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Brendan Smith’s first full season with the Rangers has not gone as expected.  After being a top-four option down the stretch and in the playoffs, he has been a healthy scratch for four straight games and six times already this season.  That’s not good for someone that the team committed four years and $17.4MM to back in June.  Neither side has to be thrilled with how things have gone so far making it fair to wonder if there could already be buyer’s or seller’s remorse from New York or Smith.

Larry Brooks of the New York Post spoke with Smith’s agent, Anton Thun, who made it clear that the Rangers’ defender has no regret about signing despite the lack of playing time: “I’m not sure who’s the buyer and who’s the seller in this case, but there are no regrets at all from Smitty.  And while I don’t want to speak for the Rangers, I talk to Jeff (Gorton) pretty regularly and I’ve never gotten that impression from him. This is where he wanted to be and this is where he wants to be.”

Other news and notes from the East:

  • The Devils are expected to activate winger Kyle Palmieri off injured reserve in advance of Thursday’s game against Edmonton, North Jersey’s Andrew Gross reports. He could possibly take the place of center Pavel Zacha in the lineup as the 20-year-old skated as the 13th forward in practice.  While New Jersey will need to make a move to bring Palmieri back, they have yet to place Marcus Johansson (concussion) on IR so that should open up a roster spot without affecting any of their currently-healthy players.
  • The Sabres could get defenseman Josh Gorges back this weekend, notes Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. The veteran has missed the last eight games due to a lower-body injury and Buffalo could certainly use some healthy bodies on their injury-riddled back end.  Fellow rearguard Nathan Beaulieu is also making progress on his lower-body issue although there’s no timetable for his return.  Meanwhile, blueliner Matt Tennyson is listed as day-to-day with an ankle injury.

Metropolitan Notes: Bratt, Calvert, Letang, Wennberg

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A lot has been made this season of the impressive play of the New Jersey’s Jesper Bratt, who has gone from a training camp surprise to a major piece to the team’s success in a couple of months. The 19-year-old winger, who was drafted in the sixth round in 2016, shouldn’t be this successful at this point in his career, but the youngster has really improved in a short amount of time since coming over from Sweden this offseason.

Now with injuries to Kyle Palmieri and Marcus Johansson as well as the training camp injury to Travis Zajac, the team needs Bratt more than ever, who has now moved to the team’s second line, according to The Record’s Andrew Gross. He currently has five goals and six assists in 12 games. His ability to adapt quickly has impressed his teammates and coaches.

“I think he’s really been able to come in and fill a role in your quote-unquote top six but power play, penalty kill,” coach John Hynes said. “That’s a big void, without Kyle, without Johansson, without Travis, not only are those guys huge factors five on five but they all play such a key element on special teams, both power play and penalty kill. Jesper’s come in and done a good job. I think he’s alleviated some of those losses.”

  • Columbus Blue Jackets’ Matt Calvert has left the team’s road trip and is returning to Columbus after sustaining a big hit in the third period of Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline (subscription required). He is listed as day-to-day with an upper body injury. The injury came when Lightning defender Dan Girardi knocked Calvert off his skates with a shoulder-to-shoulder hit that knocked his helmet off and slammed him into the boards.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins defensive combination of Kris Letang and Olli Matta had to be broken up Saturday in their 4-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks as the pair struggled together. In fact, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette’s Jason Mackey, Letang struggled immensely in the game and was on the ice for all four goals against. He now has a minus-16 plus/minus rating this season, which is way below average for the 30-year-old veteran. Maatta is at minus-five.
  • Columbus Blue Jackets’ Alexander Wennberg’s struggles to put the puck in the net continue as he now has had just two goals in 34 games dating back to last season, according to The Hockey Writers Mark Scheig. Wennberg, who had a promising season last year with 13 goals and 46 assists has just one goal in eight games this season. While the 23-year-old is more of a passer, the team could use more goals from the third-year center.

Metropolitan Notes: Johansson, Palmieri, Bailey, Samsonov

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Devils forward Marcus Johansson has been diagnosed with a concussion, head coach John Hynes confirmed to reporters, including The Record’s Andrew Gross.  The injury was sustained on Wednesday against the Oilers and there is no timetable for his return; the team is calling him out indefinitely.  Johansson, New Jersey’s most prominent offseason acquisition, is off to a decent start with his new team, posting three goals and two assists through ten games.

The Devils do have some good news on the injury front, however, Winger Kyle Palmieri resumed skating on Thursday and also took to the ice on Friday as he continues to work towards a return from his lower-body injury.  He’s currently on injured reserve but when he gets the green light to return, it’s likely that they’ll simply place Johansson on IR to free up the roster spot.

Elsewhere in the Metropolitan:

  • While Islanders captain John Tavares has drawn all of the attention, the team is facing the prospect of another high-scoring forward hitting free agency this summer. Winger Josh Bailey is off to a flying start this season with 16 points through 13 games, good for a tie for seventh in league-wide scoring.  While it doesn’t appear that there are ongoing talks of a new deal currently, GM Garth Snow noted on an appearance with Sirius XM NHL Radio (audio link) that they do intend to try to sign him to another long-term contract.  Bailey is in the final year of a five-year, $16MM pact signed back in 2013 and is positioning himself well for a nice raise on his next deal.
  • Capitals prospect Ilya Samsonov has been diagnosed with a concussion, notes J.J. Regan of NBC Sports Washington. The 20-year-old is widely considered to be one of the top goaltending prospects in the league after a strong showing in the KHL and at the World Juniors last season.  His 2017-18 campaign isn’t off to as strong a start though as he has posted a 2.78 GAA and a .912 SV% through his first 16 games with Metallurg Magnitogorsk, well off the marks of 2.13 and .936 he played to last year.

Kyle Palmieri Officially Moved To IR, Brian Boyle To Make Debut

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The New Jersey Devils will see Brian Boyle make his debut tonight after they activated him from season-opening injured reserve. The team has moved Kyle Palmieri to injured reserve to make room. Boyle will be playing in his first game since being diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia just prior to the season, a condition that was caught early enough to battle with medication. Boyle was signed in the offseason to a two-year, $5.5MM contract after spending last year with Tampa Bay and Toronto.

In what should be an incredibly emotional night, Boyle will suit up against the Vancouver Canucks and is expected to play left wing on the fourth line beside Miles Wood and Blake Coleman. Amazingly, his debut comes on the first day of Hockey Fights Cancer month, in which the entire league helps to raise awareness and funds for fighting the disease. Boyle will surely be front and center the entire month, along with Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson’s wife Nicholle, who will be one of the spokespeople for the NHL’s movement.

Palmieri’s IR stint is retroactive to October 22nd, when he injured his foot in practice. As Andrew Gross of The Record reports, Palmieri hasn’t skated since the incident. While Boyle certainly doesn’t fill his shoes offensively, he’ll help fill out some of the depth that was missing in Palmieri’s absence.

Snapshots: Vanek, Gostisbehere, Palmieri

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Thomas Vanek has been used to playing big minutes his entire career. He was used to playing between 16-18 minutes. Then he came to the Vancouver Canucks, where suddenly his minutes have dropped dramatically in head coach Travis Green’s rewards-based system. Now he’s averaging 13:33 worth of time with some days getting quite a bit more and others, quite a bit less, but Vanek just finds himself working harder to make sure he gets his minutes, according to Ben Kuzma of The Province.

The scribe writes that Green’s system in which he rewards players who are playing well and penalizes them when they make mistakes is working in Vancouver as Green’s style is being compared to that of legendary New York Islanders’ coach Al Arbour. And it’s that style of coaching that has Green’s Canucks boasting a 6-3-1 start.

As for Vanek, his numbers have fluctuated a lot, which has a lot to do with his success or lack thereof. Kuzma wrote that Vanek has always been that player where you get a mixed bag from and that shows. The 33-year-old wing, however, did score his fourth goal of the season for Vancouver Thursday in their 6-2 win over the Washington Capitals, but still only got 11:48 of ice time.

“The best coaches I’ve had, it goes two ways,” Vanek said. “You need the trust from him and he needs the trust from you. The biggest thing is honesty. Greener has done a real good job of that and we’re winning, so the message is sent well. But talk to any player. You want to be around that 15- or 16-minute mark. Right now, that’s not happening so you just try to make the most of what you get.”

  • Philadelphia Flyers’ general manager Ron Hextall announced that defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere is out for the game with an upper-body injury after sustaining a big hit against the boards from Toronto’s Leo Komarov in the second period. While the hit received no attention from the referees, the general belief is that it will be reviewed by the NHL tomorrow. If Gostisbehere can’t play on Monday, Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi tweets that Samuel Morin will likely be brought in to help the team.
  • Andrew Gross of The Record tweets that New Jersey Devils winger Kyle Palmieri is day-to-day with an injured left foot. He will be re-evaluated on Monday. The 26-year-old hasn’t skated since Oct. 22 and may not be able to go on the team’s upcoming road trip. However, Gross tweets that the team will not necessarily call anyone up, because Brian Boyle might be ready soon.

Morning Notes: Reinhart, Palmieri, Jagr

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The Buffalo Sabres have struggled mightily through the first few games of the 2017-18 season, and head coach Phil Housley has already decided to shake things up. The team had a distinctly different look at practice today, with Zemgus Girgensons moving up to the first line with Jack Eichel, and Sam Reinhart moving back to the wing.

The team had hoped Reinhart would take the center position and run with it this year, now entering his third full season in the league. The 21-year old has won just seven of twenty faceoffs in the first three games, and finds himself a -6 on the year already. For now, he’ll skate beside Johan Larsson and try to prove that he can be relied upon at both ends of the rink.

  • The New Jersey Devils will have Kyle Palmieri back in the lineup tonight when they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs, lengthening out their already impressive lineup. The Devils have been much better than anticipated to start the year, with players like Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt making immediate impacts. Palmieri will jump back on the top line with Pavel Zacha and Taylor Hall, pushing everyone else down a peg. The Devils are 2-0 in the young season, but will have to contend with Toronto’s firepower tonight in a battle of unbeaten teams.
  • Last, but certainly not least, Jaromir Jagr is set to make his Calgary Flames debut according to John Shannon of Sportsnet. Jagr took some time to get accustomed to the Flames system after signing just before the season began, but will now jump into game action against the Los Angeles Kings. The Flames, considered contenders in the Western Conference, are off to a 2-1 start but have scored just eight goals in three games. Jagr’s addition should spark the offense some, and make the Flames a tough team to matchup against.

Evening Notes: Sanheim, Palmieri, Subban, Rasmussen

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The Philadelphia Flyers chose to carry eight defensemen out of training camp, but Sam Carchidi of Philly.com writes that general manager Ron Hextall wants to drop that to seven soon, perhaps even after tonight’s game with the Anaheim Ducks. The Flyers are going to give rookie defenseman Travis Sanheim a chance to redeem himself after some opening night struggles. If he can play well, the scribe writes the team will hold onto the 21-year-old former first-rounder.

Sanheim’s NHL debut on Thursday was disappointing and has left the Flyers wondering if the blueliner is ready for the NHL or might need more time developing in the AHL. He was responsible for allowing the first goal against the Kings (they lost 2-0) and then took a four-minute high sticking penalty and was on the ice for the other goal. That type of performance doesn’t look good when the team has another former first-rounder in Samuel Morin who will be a healthy scratch tonight for the third straight game.

If Sanheim shows some success on the ice, Carchidi believes the team will likely send down Morin. However, another disappointing game could lead to Sanheim heading out of town.

  • The New Jersey Devils suffered through a few injuries during their game today against the Colorado Avalanche, including injuries to Kyle Palmieri, Andy Greene and Drew Stafford. Palmieri went knee-to-knee with Colorado defenseman Eric Johnson and didn’t return, while Stafford suffered a lower-body injury and also didn’t return. Greene returned for the third period from an undisclosed injury. Stafford and Palmieri will be further evaluated Sunday, according to Chris Ryan of NewJersey.com.
  • Cat Silverman of The Athletic (subscription needed) writes that Vegas Golden Knights’ goaltending coach Dave Prior was a big fan of recently claimed Malcolm Subban and might be the reason why the team swapped backup goaltenders recently. Subban, a flashy, quick-moving goaltender becomes Prior’s long-term project. The goaltender has only two games of NHL experience, but had solid numbers for the Providence Bruins and had a good preseason. According to Silverman, Prior was not overly thrilled to work with Calvin Pickard, who lacked the speed and was a more by-the-book goaltender. Pickard has since been moved to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
  • Corey Pronman of The Athletic (subscription required) writes about the enigma that is 6-foot-7 center Michael Rasmussen, who he says was being hyped as a top-10 pick when he shouldn’t have been, and yet, the Detroit Red Wings ended up taking him No. 9 and being criticized for it. He writes, however, despite all the criticism, Detroit looks like it got a good investment from it after all. The youngster has developed nicely and looked good during Red Wings training camp.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: New Jersey Devils

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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.

New Jersey Devils

Current Cap Hit: $57,037,501 (under the $75MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Nico Hischier (Three years remaining, $925K)
D Will Butcher (Two years remaining, $925K)
D Michael Kapla (One year remaining, $925K)
F Pavel Zacha (Two years remaining, $894K)

Potential Bonuses

Hischier: $2.85MM
Butcher: $2.85MM
Zacha: $850K
Total: $6.55MM

It turned into a solid summer for the Devils as they won the draft lottery and used that first-overall pick to select Hischier, a talented Swiss center, who put up 38 goals and 86 points in 57 games for the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL. He is expected to break camp with the team and have an immediate impact. With recent injuries, Hischier could take over as the second-line center and start his career in a great position. The hope is he will help lead this team to the playoffs sooner rather than later.

Butcher has been a more recent signing sensation as the Devils also won the offseason bidding for the Hobey Baker Award winner after he became a free agent several weeks ago. Butcher picked the Devils with the hopes of getting immediate playing time, since no one is truly sure if he is an NHL impact player. The 22-year-old blueliner put up outstanding numbers as a junior and senior at the University of Denver, but chose not to sign with the team that drafted him, the Colorado Avalanche. With the Devils biggest weakness being their defense, the team is thrilled to bring him on board.

Zacha, the sixth overall pick in the 2015 draft, finished his first full season in New Jersey, playing in 70 games, while putting up eight goals and 16 assists for the year. While those numbers look disappointing, he didn’t play a lot of minutes last year (14:18) and didn’t play with much talent next to him, although he looked good playing alongside Taylor Hall at points during the season. He should take that next step this year. Kapla, like Butcher arrives to join the team’s defense from college. He played four years for the University of Massachusetts – Lowell and signed a two year deal immediately after ending his senior year. That first year consisted of five games. Already on year two of his deal, Kapla must prove he is an NHL defenseman this year.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Ryane Clowe ($4.85MM, UFA)
D John Moore ($1.67MM, UFA)
D Dalton Prout ($1.575MM, UFA)
F Drew Stafford ($800K, UFA)
F Stefan Noesen ($660K, RFA)

The group is not filled with impact players, so the Devils have little to worry about in the short term. They will likely rejoice once’s Clowe’s contract comes off the books. The veteran signed a five-year deal back in 2013 and only played two years, before being forced to retire due to concussion issues. Moore is an offensive defenseman (22 points in 63 games last year), but is totally inept on the defensive end. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the team went in a different direction on defense next year.

Prout, who the team picked up at the trade deadline for veteran Kyle Quincey, only played 14 games for the Devils and it might take all season to determine whether or not he has value. Stafford, who just signed recently to a one-year deal, could easily be a bargaining chip at the trade deadline. After putting up 21 goals two seasons ago while with the Winnipeg Jets, his value dropped as he scored just eight goals between the Jets and the Boston Bruins last season. The Devils, however, are counting on a bounce-back season, which could eventually net them some more young talent. Noesen, who signed a one-year, two-way contract will try to make the roster this year after scoring six goals in 32 games for New Jersey last season.

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Hischier Signs 3-Year Entry-Level Contract With New Jersey

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The 2017 Draft’s 1st-overall pick, Nico Hischier, has signed a 3-year entry level contract with the New Jersey Devils, per AP’s Stephen Whyno. The contract is worth $950,000 and includes signing bonuses. It was also announced that he will wear #13 in New Jersey, after his hockey idol Pavel Datsyuk.

Hischier is a dynamic forward, with amazing playmaking abilities. Playing for Halifax last season, he put up 38 goals and 86 points through 57 games. His phenomenal play in the World Junior Championship captured the attention of the hockey world and likely propelled him over the edge in consideration for top prospect of the class. As the highest ranked Swiss player ever drafted, expectations will be high for Hischier from the start. New Jersey had an exceptionally anemic offense last season, and will need to slot him as a top-six center immediately. Hischier already has the hockey IQ and the natural skill to be a force in the league, and will be an early favorite among Calder predictions. That said, he is less physically well-rounded than the #2 pick of the draft, Philadelphia’s Nolan Patrick. He will need to fill out his 6’1 frame and train properly in order to get a solid beginning in October.

It should be an interesting camp for Hischier, as he will also need to find linemates with whom he can gel. Taylor Hall is a solid bet, as he can blitz defenses with his speed and tenacity, and is a former #1 overall pick himself. Marcus Johansson or Kyle Palmieri could slot in on his right wing, and it’s unclear as to where Adam Henrique will fit. Hischier would likely thrive best beside a pure finisher, but the Devils don’t really have that. Chemistry in the absence of that sniper will be important to his success. Still, Hischier will almost certainly put up respectable numbers and grow as his rookie season comes along. He can score quite easily with the hard, heavy shot he possesses – and Hischier never showed a reluctance to fire the biscuit either. He averaged over 4 shots a game for Halifax.

At $950,000, Hischier’s cap hit is the highest allowable for an entry-level contract. Consequently, his bonuses will be a key component in determining his actual pay. The Devils are no where near a cap or contract crunch, as this contract only puts them at a puny 34 in the entire organization.

Dalton Prout To Face Player Safety Hearing

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The NHL Department of Player Safety has scheduled a meeting with New Jersey Devils defenseman Dalton Prout. Following the physical blue liner’s big hit on Philadelphia Flyers counterpart Radko Gudas in Saturday’s game, Player Safety announced that Prout would face a hearing on Monday. The hit in question was high and came well after Gudas had moved the puck and resulted in a scrum between the teams. Prout was given a pair of major penalties for interference and fighting and a game misconduct.

This isn’t the first time that Prout has had trouble with the NHL law. The former Columbus Blue Jacket defender was suspended one game last season for a sucker punch on Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov. The two incidents share a common theme: going too far to avenge or protect a teammate by injuring an unsuspecting opponent. Kucherov was the third man in on a fight and was roughing up Nick Foligno when Prout came in and blindsided him with a shot to the face. Similarly, Prout’s hit on Gudas yesterday came after the big defenseman laid a massive hit on Devils’ rookie John Quenneville. Just as Prout got a suspension in 2015-16, he will likely get yet another this year for this more recent incident.

Interestingly, Prout’s hit was not the only questionable one of the game. Following Prout’s ejection, Flyers’ enforcer Dale Weise was called for a retaliatory hit on Devils’ star Kyle Palmieri not long after. Weise was also ejected from the game, but it was announced that he would not face any further discipline. Given that Palmieri was not involved with the any of the previous aggressions, it seems strange that such blatant targeting of a talented player would not warrant the same scrutiny as Prout’s initial infraction.

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