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Metropolitan Notes: Rangers, Hickey, Ladd, Kinkaid, Myers

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After sending out a letter, telling fans that the team intends to rebuild last February, the New York Rangers rebuilding project is well underway, but The Athletic’s Shayna Goldman (subscription required) writes that there is one problem the team has — they aren’t losing enough.

One key aspect of a rebuilding team is to pick up top prospects and the best way to do that is through the entry draft. However, with the team’s 21-20-7 record this season under new head coach David Quinn, their 49 points would give them the 22nd best record in the league, which would not give them a chance at super prospects Jack Hughes or Kappo Kakko next season. While there is never a guarantee to picking up a top pick due to the draft lottery, had the team just five points fewer, 44 points would have put them 30th.

Of course, if New York trades off more players at the deadline such as Kevin Hayes or Chris Kreider, the team may continue to drop in the standings and improve their chances at a top pick. However, it could have a negative effect on the team’s environment that Quinn has developed this season.

  • Andrew Gross of Newsday writes that despite the layoff, neither defenseman Thomas Hickey and winger Andrew Ladd of the New York Islanders have a timetable to return and remain on injured reserve. Hickey, who has been out with an upper-body injury since Dec. 17, could be out for some time as head coach Barry Trotz said the defenseman will need four or five practices before being able to play, which could mean he may not be back into the lineup until mid to late February. Ladd, who has been out with a lower-body injury and has been out since Nov. 15, and also may not be back until late February.
  • NJ.com’s Chris Ryan analyzes the New Jersey Devils’ roster, looking at what players should stay and go and while even a few months ago, goaltender Keith Kinkaid was considered to be a key piece to the Devils’ success after proving last year that he can handle the full-time job well, it’s likely time to move on from the 29-year-old, who has struggled quite a bit of late. Kinkaid, who is in the final year of a two-year, $2.5MM deal he signed in 2017, has struggled this year with a 13-14-6 record, a 3.10 GAA and a .899 save percentage. Throw in the fact that MacKenzie Blackwood looks like the team’s long-term starter and the fact that the team can’t move Cory Schneider due to his lengthy and expensive contract and Kinkaid is likely to be looking for a new team this summer.
  • The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor (subscription required) answers mailbag questions, pointing out that the Philadelphia Flyers are likely to bring up more prospects over the next several months. The team will likely recall defenseman Philippe Myers at some point this season. O’Connor writes that Myers has been playing impressive hockey with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL for the past two months and looks to be a player ready to take over a spot on Philadelphia’s defense next season. To ensure that, the Flyers will need to bring him up and give him some playing time this season.

 

Four Players Added To AHL All-Star Rosters

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While the NHL All-Star Game has to deal with players pulling out due to injury, the AHL contest also has to deal with players being recalled at a moment’s notice. That forces the league to replace players regularly, and today they’ve added four new names to the upcoming event.

Jordan Szwarz, Christian Wolanin, Nathan Gerbe and Cooper Marody have all been added, given the lack of availability for Ryan Fitzgerald, Lawrence Pilut, Zac Dalpe and Conor Garland. Wolanin was just sent down by the Ottawa Senators today, just in time to play in the AHL even that takes place on Sunday and Monday. The full rosters now sit as follows:

Atlantic Division:

F Greg Carey, Lehigh Valley Phantoms
F Michael Dal Colle, Bridgeport Sound Tigers
F Colin McDonald, Lehigh Valley Phantoms
F Anthony Greco, Springfield Thunderbirds
F Andrew Poturalski, Charlotte Checkers
F Jordan Szwarz, Providence Bruins

D Sebastian Aho, Bridgeport Sound Tigers
D Ethan Prow, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
D Trevor Carrick, Charlotte Checkers
D John Gilmour, Hartford Wolf Pack

G Samuel Montembeault, Springfield Thunderbirds
G Vitek Vanecek, Hershey Bears

North Division:

F Drake Batherson, Belleville Senators
F Alex Belzile, Laval Rocket
F Reid Boucher, Utica Comets
F Cory Conacher, Syracuse Crunch
F Nathan Gerbe, Cleveland Monsters
F Trevor Moore, Toronto Marlies
F John Quenneville, Binghamton Devils

D Christian Wolanin, Belleville Senators
D Zach Redmond, Rochester Americans
D Calle Rosen, Toronto Marlies

G MacKenzie Blackwood, Binghamton Devils
G Connor Ingram, Syracuse Crunch

Central Division:

F Joel L’Esperance, Texas Stars
F Daniel Carr, Chicago Wolves
F Denis Gurianov, Texas Stars
F Jordan Kyrou, San Antonio Rampage
F Cal O’Reilly, Iowa Wild
F Chris Terry, Grand Rapids Griffins
F Logan Shaw, Manitoba Moose

D Erik Brannstrom, Chicago Wolves
D Andrew Campbell, Rockford IceHogs
D Matt Donovan, Milwaukee Admirals

G Troy Grosenick, Milwaukee Admirals
G Kaapo Kahkonen, Iowa Wild

Pacific Division:

F Andrew Agozzino, Colorado Eagles
F Joseph Gambardella, Bakersfield Condors
F Cooper Marody, Bakersfield Condors
F Curtis Lazar, Stockton Heat
F Francis Perron, San Jose Barracuda
F Sheldon Rempal, Ontario Reign
F Troy Terry, San Diego Gulls

D Kyle Capobianco, Tucson Roadrunners
D Jacob Middleton, San Jose Barracuda
D Sean Walker, Ontario Reign

G Pavel Francouz, Colorado Eagles
G Josef Korenar, San Jose Barracuda

Minor Transactions: 01/19/19

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Today marks the last day of game action for many teams across the NHL before their mandated “bye week”, which runs seven days long this season to include All-Star weekend. Among those getting set for the hiatus are the Central Division-rival Jets and Stars, squaring off in Dallas later, and the Rangers and Bruins, in their first meeting of the season in Boston tonight, as well as the Devils and Lightning, who each host a Western Conference foe before taking time off. Expect several of these teams to make last-minute changes today, while the remainder of the league gets ready for another week of action:

  • The New Jersey Devils have made a flurry of moves, highlighted by placing forward Miles Wood on the injured reserve with a lower-body injury. His retroactive placement will allow Wood to return to the lineup in the Devils’ first game back from the break, if he is ready. New Jersey also reassigned Blake Pietila to the AHL’s Binghamton Devils, leaving the team in need of two replacement forwards. They have elected to recall veteran enforcer Kurtis Gabriel and young power forward Nathan Bastian. It is unclear right now which one will suit up for the Devils today in their matinee against the Anaheim Ducks, but it would be Bastian’s NHL debut if he gets the call.
  • Following their 3-2 loss to Anaheim today and the fact that the team heads out on their bye week and don’t play again until Jan. 28, the Devils announced another group of roster moves, sending Bastian, Kevin Rooney, defenseman Egor Yakovlev and goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood to the Binghamton Devils of the AHL to get playing time. The team also announced they have activated goaltender Cory Schneider from injured reserve. Bastian played 9:32 in his NHL debut.
  • Colin Blackwell has been called up by the Nashville Predators, the team announced. It marks the first career recall for the former Harvard University forward, who was highly productive in the AHL last season with the Rochester Americans and signed with Nashville as a free agent this summer. Blackwell will look to make the most of his first opportunity with the team if given play time in his first call-up.
  • The Ducks announced that they’ve recalled center Sam Carrick from San Diego of the AHL.  The 26-year-old is tied for the Gulls’ lead in team scoring with 37 points in just 32 games.  He suited up in three games with Anaheim earlier in the season, his first NHL action since the 2015-16 campaign.  To make room for him on the roster, winger Ondrej Kase was transferred to injured reserve.
  • The Hurricanes have sent center Clark Bishop back to Charlotte of the AHL, per a team release.  He recently was cleared to return from a lower-body injury suffered early this month but he’ll work his way back into playing shape at the minor league level instead.  Bishop has three points in 20 games with Carolina so far this season.

New Jersey Devils Could Be Active Deadline Sellers

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The New Jersey Devils surprised the world last season by fast-forwarding their rebuild and making the playoffs. However, that success was fueled by an MVP effort from Taylor Hall and a surprising takeover in net by Keith Kinkaid. The 2018-19 campaign has been a little different; Hall has battled injuries and is currently on a scoring pace far below his 93 from last year and Kinkaid has struggled greatly in goal. Elsewhere in the lineup, injuries and under-performing players have sunk the Devils season, as a career campaign from Kyle Palmieri and the emergence of now-injured MacKenzie Blackwood have not been enough to keep them in the playoff picture.

The question for GM Ray Shero and company now is whether to chalk the season up to a minor setback or consider last season the outlier and return to their rebuild. During a radio segment on TSN 1290 in Winnipeg yesterday, Darren Dreger stated that he feels the team will opt for the latter and are ready to move out several pieces. Just a year after being one of the more active buyers on the trade deadline market, acquiring both Michael Grabner and Pat Maroon, it appears the Devils could instead be major sellers this season.

Dreger noted that the likes of Hall and Palmieri, signed for one and two more years respectively, are nevertheless untouchables, while Sami Vatanen, considered the team’s No. 1 defenseman, is also part of that group. Of course, the team’s many young roster players are also part of the long-term solution and most likely won’t be dealt away either.

Yet, that still leaves a long list of intriguing trade options, perhaps none more so than the aforementioned Kinkaid. Despite having a down season this year, Kinkaid was already considered a high-end backup prior to his breakout last year and would now certainly have value on the trade market for teams in need of an upgrade to their goaltending depth. An impending free agent making just $1.25MM, Kinkaid is affordable and risk-free to any team willing to acquire him. With 22-year-old Blackwood and the virtually immovable contract of Cory Schneider on the books moving forward, Kinkaid may not have a role with the Devils moving forward and the team is likely to get what they can while they can. The same goes for forward Marcus Johansson, whose injury struggles have kept him from being a difference-maker over two years in New Jersey and have almost certainly ruled him out of the team’s future plans as an impending free agent, barring a discounted contract. Although his health concerns could drive down his price on the trade market, Johansson’s offensive upside is worth more to a contender than it is to the Devils down the stretch and they could seemingly find a taker so long as his current injury is not considered season-ending. Reliable veterans (and prototypical deadline rentals) Brian Boyle and Ben Lovejoy also seem likely to move. Boyle, one of the biggest forwards in the league and a defensive specialist, is also on pace to approach his career high of 35 points this season. While he has been embraced completely by the Devils faithful and plays an important locker room role, Boyle should still be dangled at the deadline if the team is truly committed to adding pieces to their rebuild. Boyle could always re-sign with the team as a free agent. There won’t be a similar attachment to Lovejoy, who is as solid as they come as a stay-at-home defenseman and penalty killer, but merely stands to block New Jersey’s budding defensive depth. Lovejoy will be very valuable to a contender as a depth addition on the blue line and is as good as gone at the approaching deadline.

Where things begin to get interesting is whether or not the Devils would – or could – move long-time teammates and locker room leaders Andy Greene and Travis Zajac. Greene, 36, is signed for one more year and Zajac, 33, is signed for two more years, both with salaries that aren’t great on paper, but look better in the midst of bounce-back season. Both veterans have been around the team since 2006-07 and are entrenched in Devils culture. However, if New Jersey is committed to a rebuild, this is likely their best time to get rid of one or the other and get a substantial return back. Zajac has been more involved in the offense this season than he has in years and could potentially reach 50 points for the first time since 2009-10. He has also been automatic at the face-off dot and plays a smart two-way game. A number of teams might be willing to take on the remainder of his contract this season, but might not be as willing the next time around if he regresses in the second half or next season, well within the realm of possibility. The same goes for Greene, who needs just one point for a new season high over the past four years. Greene continues to play big minutes for the Devils, is an elite shot blocker, and an experienced, intelligent presence in his own zone. His game is not without flaws, but just when it looked like he was really slipping over the past couple of seasons, Greene has bounced back this year. His value at the deadline this season, as a year plus rental, will be far more than next deadline, when he will be months away from a likely retirement. Do the Devils capitalize on the improved status of their two elder statesmen? Or do they preserve the culture of the team at the cost of the rebuild?

Minor Transactions: 01/11/19

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Just four games are on the schedule for this evening, but one will feature the return of a former franchise player. Jeff Skinner returns to Carolina for the first time as a Buffalo Sabres forward and has his team on track for the playoffs. The Sabres sit just two points behind the Boston Bruins for third place in the Atlantic Division and could tie them with their game in hand tonight. Skinner’s 29 goals are a huge part of Buffalo’s success, and have him on pact for a new career high.

  • Kasimir Kaskisuo has been returned to the minor leagues by the Toronto Maple Leafs, but won’t be there for long. Frederik Andersen is not expected to play until Monday according to Lance Hornby of Postmedia, meaning Michael Hutchinson will likely get another start in net tomorrow night.
  • With MacKenzie Blackwood on injured reserve and potentially staying in the NHL long-term, the Binghamton Devils have signed Evan Cormier to an AHL contract for the rest of the season. Cormier had been playing on an amateur tryout previously, but has a .938 save percentage in four games.
  • Speaking of the Devils, the New Jersey variety have sent Egor Yakovlev back down to Binghamton today. Yakovlev is expected to suit up for the minor league game tonight, his ninth game with Binghamton this season.
  • The Ottawa Senators have placed Colin White on injured reserve, recalling Stefan Elliott in his place. White suffered an upper-body injury against the Los Angeles Kings last night when he was crushed by defenseman Jake Muzzin.
  • Troy Grosenick is heading back to the AHL after filling in for Juuse Saros on the bench last night. The minor league goaltender was called up under emergency conditions when Saros was sick, but won’t get into an NHL game just yet.
  • The San Jose Sharks have returned both forward Rourke Chartier and defenseman Jacob Middleton to the AHL Barracuda, the team announced. Considering the Sharks and Barracuda share a building, every recall and reassignment in San Jose is a paper transaction. The duo are expected to play for the Barracuda tonight, but could very well be called up tomorrow when the Sharks host the Ottawa Senators. With both Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Justin Braun still sidelined, there’s a a good chance that at least Middleton’s return is only temporary.
  • In search of more offense, the Buffalo Sabres recalled top AHL forward C.J. Smith last month. After recording, one point in four games, he’s headed back down. The team announced that Smith has been reassigned to the Rochester Americans. No corresponding move has been made as of yet.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have shuffled their lineup, sending emergency backup J-F Berube and winger Eric Robinson back to the AHL and promoting center Kevin Stenlund, per a team release. The 6’4″ pivot has yet to make his NHL debut, but has performed well in his second season in North America and has the makings of a strong bottom-six center. A second-round pick by Columbus back in 2015, Stenlund’s arrival to the Blue Jackets roster has been long-awaited.

Mackenzie Blackwood Moved To Injured Reserve

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The New Jersey Devils have moved impressive young goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood to injured reserve, retroactive to January 2nd. Kevin Rooney has been recalled to take the roster spot, but Blackwood will be eligible to return on Saturday if fully healthy.

That means that the Devils will be going with Keith Kinkaid again tonight as they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs, a tough ask of any goaltender this season. Kinkaid has struggled since getting back into the net last week, recording an .870 save percentage since Blackwood’s injury. That injury happened last Friday against the Arizona Coyotes, and though it is not considered serious is a tough break for such a young and promising career.

Blackwood, 22, was originally selected in the second round of the 2015 draft as the second goalie off the board. His NHL career got off to a shaky start against those very same Maple Leafs when he allowed two goals on ten shots in a relief effort in mid-December. Since then though the goaltender has been almost unbeatable, stopping 190 of 199 shots and recording two shutouts. With Cory Schneider’s future unclear due to injury and inconsistency, Blackwood looks just about ready to take over for the Devils full-time.

Kinkaid meanwhile is a pending free agent who is playing for his NHL future, something that seems far less certain after his recent struggles. The backup goaltender has had the opportunity to steal the starting job in New Jersey over the past few seasons, but will probably have to look for a new home this summer if Schneider can find any semblance of health. A strong run in any opportunity he does get will go a long way to landing Kinkaid that next gig, whether in New Jersey or elsewhere.

Minor Transactions: 01/06/19

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Despite many eyes across North America focused on the NFL Wild Card playoffs, the NHL has a busy Sunday scheduled this weekend. Seven games are on tap today, with the Carolina Hurricanes and Ottawa Senators—two teams that are in the rumor mill—kicking things off this afternoon.  As always, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves around the league today.

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have sent goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo back to the minor leagues once again, and could have him dressed for the Toronto Marlies game this afternoon. Kaskisuo has been serving as the backup for Michael Hutchinson while the team deals with injury, but still hasn’t gotten into an NHL game. With Frederik Andersen expected to return soon, he may have to wait for another opportunity.
  • Though the terminology varies on the ECHL and AHL websites, minor league defenseman Nolan De Jong will be playing for the San Jose Barracuda for the time being. With Jacob Middleton recalled by the Sharks, the Barracuda have acquired De Jong to give them some more depth on the back end. The former University of Michigan captain has nine points in 22 games with the Utah Grizzlies of the ECHL this season.
  • The New Jersey Devils announced they have recalled goaltender Cam Johnson from the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. He was recalled with the recent injury to MacKenzie Blackwood, who is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Johnson will serve as the backup today against Vegas. The former University of North Dakota standout has had an up and down season between the ECHL and Binghamton. While he has had quite a bit of success with the Adirondack Thunder, he hasn’t been as successful in 14 AHL games. Johnson has a 3.91 GAA and a .866 save percentage. To make room for Johnson, the team assigned defenseman defenseman Egor Yakovlev to the AHL.
  • The Calgary Flames announced they have assigned forward Dillon Dube and goaltender Jon Gillies to the Stockton Heat of the AHL. Dube has appeared in 23 games with Flames, but if the team is sending him down, it’s likley that forward Andrew Mangiapane is ready to return from injured reserve. And with David Rittich healthy and ready to go, the team didn’t need Gillies, who was serving as an emergency backup. He has yet to make an appearance for Calgary.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have assigned both forward Ben Street and defenseman Jake Dotchin to the San Diego Gulls of the AHL, according to Eric Stephens of The Athletic. Both players had cleared waivers recently. The team also sent defenseman Korbinian Holzer to San Diego. The moves are expected to open up roster spots for the return of center Rickard Rakell and Cam Fowler, who have been on injured reserve. Rackell has been out since Dec. 5 with a ankle injury, while Fowler has been out since Nov. 12 with a facial fracture. UPDATE: Stephens adds that Fowler has officially been activated off of injured reserve.
  • The Edmonton Oilers will get back a key defenseman as they announced they have activated Kris Russell, while placing forward Kailer Yamamoto on injured reserve. Russell has been out since Dec. 11 with a groin injury and has been badly missed in Edmonton, who have since acquired multiple defenseman to add depth to their team. Russell has eight points and a plus-four rating for the Oilers. Yamamoto, the team’s first-round pick in 2017, is still trying to gain a full-time position with the team, but has just a goal and two points in 13 appearances, while having eight points in 11 games in the AHL.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins announced they have recalled Chad Ruhwedel from his conditioning stint with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The 28-year-old defenseman has played the role of the team’s seventh defenseman for several years now, but found himself in the press box for a long stretch of time, since Nov. 19, and the team opted to send him to the AHL to get him back into game shape. Ruhwedel played five games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, posting one goal, five points and a plus-eight.

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