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Marian Gaborik

Potential Short-Term Replacements For Quick

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With Jonathan Quick set to possibly miss 3 – 4 months due to a groin injury, the Kings are for the time being expected to ride it out with internal options Jeff Zatkoff and Peter Budaj manning the net. But the Kings are well within their window of Stanley Cup competition and with several of their key players – Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, Marian Gaborik and Alec Martinez – already or nearing 30, and the team may not want to let the season get away should the Zatkoff/Budaj combo struggle between the pipes. In that case L.A. could visit the trade market to look for a short-term solution.

The Kings have little in the way of cap space, according to Cap Friendly, with just around $1.5MM available. They could add $5.8MM if they place Quick on LTIR, should they choose. But with Quick under contract for six seasons beyond this one, it’s likely the club elects to stick with less expensive options or, at the very least, limit their search to goaltenders in the final year of their deals. Within these parameters, here are a few goaltenders who could be made available by their current team and who might prove to be of interest at some point to the Kings.

Ondrej Pavelec – He was waived by Winnipeg at the end of the regular season and after going unclaimed, was assigned to the Jets’ Manitoba AHL affiliate. Pavelec’s only above-average NHL season came during the 2014-15 campaign when he posted a Save % of 92.0% and allowed a GAA of 2.28. That’s the only season in the last five Pavelec has posted a Save % above 90.6% or a GAA lower than 2.78. He is in the final year of his contract and set to earn $2.95MM; a figure the Kings could find reasonable enough for a stop-gap solution. NHL reporter Brennan Klak agrees with the premise the Kings don’t want to commit much in the terms of money or term, and mentions Pavelec as a hypothetical option.

Ryan Miller – Miller is expensive, $6MM cap charge, but has a solid track record of success at the NHL level and like Pavelec, is in the final season of his deal. It’s possible, if the Kings can tread water in the interim,  their interest increases as the trade deadline approaches and the team can better afford that cap hit. If the Canucks find themselves on the outside looking in at the playoffs, they could field offers for the veteran netminder. This would likely represent a worst-case scenario in that it assumes Quick wouldn’t be ready to return at the end of four months.

Thomas Greiss – Greiss had a good year with the Islanders in 2015-16 and when Jaroslav Halak went down with an injury late in the season, the German goalie guided New York into the second round of the playoffs. Greiss is in the final year of a deal that comes with a cap hit of just $1.5MM, and would represent a low-cost option on an expiring contract. The Islanders chose to keep three netminders on the roster to begin the season, likely out of fear that Jean-Francois Berube would have been claimed on waivers. It’s feasible they could take a reasonable offer for Greiss and commit to Berube and Halak for the rest of 2016-17.

Scott Wedgewood – The Kings could have had Wedgewood for just the cost of assuming the remaining season and $587.5K left on his contract but of course Quick was healthy when Wedgewood was available on waivers. It seems apparent the Devils still value Wedgewood’s potential but with Cory Schneider and Keith Kinkaid holding down the top two spots in New Jersey, it’s conceivable they could entertain offers for the 24-year-old goalie. Wedgewood has little NHL experience – four starts – but would represent a low-cost, low-risk flier for the Kings.

Western Conference Snapshots: Seguin, Hemsky, Birgas, Setoguchi, Kempe

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One concern with allowing NHLers to participate in international tournaments such as the Winter Olympics and World Cup is the prospect of losing key players to injury either during the season or just prior. The Dallas Stars, for example, saw star center Tyler Seguin suffer a hairline fracture to his foot which has prevented him from playing in any exhibition games. Top-nine winger Ales Hemsky injured a groin during the recent World Cup and has also been held out of preseason action with the Stars.

Mike Heika of The Dallas Morning News has the latest updates on the health of the two forwards and the roster shuffling the team has undergone in their absence. The news on Seguin is optimistic even though he has yet to see any game action. Heika reports Seguin is a full participant during practice and according to head coach Lindy Ruff, should “in all likelihood,” be available to play opening night.

On the flip side, Hemsky’s rehab is not going well. He experienced a setback recently and is expected to be re-evaluated early next week.

Dallas recently added Justin Fontaine via PTO to add depth. Fontaine netted 16 points in 60 games with the Minnesota Wild this past season and was recently released from his PTO with Florida.

In addition to being without Seguin and Hemsky, the Stars are also missing Cody Eakin – out until November – and Mattias Janmark – out until April – both due to knee injuries. With nearly $6MM in available cap space, it’s possible the Stars could look to the trade market or waiver wire to bring in additional depth up front or they could simply try to weather the storm with what they already have on the roster.

More from the Western Conference:

  • The Colorado Avalanche recently sent defense prospect Chris Bigras to their AHL affiliate in San Antonio but as Terry Frei of the Denver Post writes, the demotion had little to do with his play in training camp and more to do with ensuring the 21-year-old blue liner gets plenty of quality ice time. The Avalanche have plenty of quality players to fully staff the big league blue line and Bigras likely would have spent much of his time in the press box had he remained in Colorado. Bigras made his Avalanche debut last year, recording his first NHL goal and adding two assists in 31 games. With offseason free agent acquisition Fedor Tyutin set to hit the open market again next summer, and with three other defensmen – Eric Gelinas, Nikita Zadorov and Patrick Wiercioch – scheduled for restricted free agency, Birgas’ chances of making the team and earning a key role next year should be much better.
  • As teams continue to trim down their rosters in advance of the start of the regular season, Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider writes about two players facing very different challenges as they try to survive final cuts. Devin Setoguchi, who is in camp on a PTO, realizes this could be his final chance to make an NHL club and is aware his performance in the team’s final two exhibition contests is vital: “I think it comes down to these last two games, and obviously I’m still here and have done something to this point to maybe keep them a little intrigued. Definitely I feel like there’s a lot riding on these next two games that I have to play.” Meanwhile, Adrian Kempe, the 20-year-old selected by the Kings in the 2014 draft, is just beginning his pro career and should he fail to make the Kings team this year, he’ll likely have many more opportunities to do so: “I came over really wanting to take a spot and that’s my goal. That’s been my goal the whole last year. It’s going to keep being my goal till I make it. I made a good camp, I think I played good in the games too and I’m still up, so I don’t know what’s going to happen after this weekend, but we’ve got two games left here and we’ll see what happens, but I feel good out there, so that’s good.” While not necessarily in direct competition for a roster spot, Rosen notes that Kempe’s versatility – he can play both wing and center – could prove to be an advantage. On the flip side, if the Kings like what they see from Setoguchi and feel he can again resemble the player who once netted 31 goals in a season, he could help fill the void created by Marian Gaborik’s foot injury.

 

Gaborik Formally Moved To Injured Reserve

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The Los Angeles Kings formally put injured forward Marian Gaborik on injured reserve today. Gaborik broke his right foot during the World Cup of Hockey after taking a shot from teammate Mats Zuccarello.

Initial reports say that Gaborik will miss at least eight weeks, putting his return to sometime in late November. Despite the loss, however, the Kings are still poised to be competitive in the Pacific. Gaborik did score 12G and 10A in 54 games, but the offense was carried by Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, and Tyler Toffoli. Gaborik ended up averaging less than 15 minutes a night during the regular season.

Gaborik is quickly becoming an injury concern for the Kings, deservedly or not. He finished the regular season last year in the press box recovering from a knee sprain that sidelined him for 28 games. He made a quick appearance in the playoffs before the Kings bowed out in the first round. More alarming, however, is that Gaborik has only played a full 82 games once in his 15 year career. The Kings will have to learn to live with Gaborik’s injury history as he still has five year remaining on his contract worth $4.875MM a year.

Pacific Division Roster Battle Notes: Setoguchi, Dell, Hamilton, Jones, Booth

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A 30-goal scorer in the NHL at the age of 22, Devin Setoguchi was well on his way to stardom once upon a time. But a steady decline in his on-ice performance coupled with a well-documented problem with alcohol derailed his once promising hockey career. Now completely sober, Setoguchi is in camp with the L.A. Kings and according to Elliot Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News, the 29-year-old forward is taking full advantage of what well could be his last opportunity to make an NHL roster.

Steoguchi, who the Kings signed to a PTO earlier this month, has impressed the Kings coaching staff with the “energy and effectiveness” that is reminiscent of his early days playing for the Sharks, opines Teaford. And while the Kings may not expect Setoguchi to again score 20 or more goals in a single season at this level, there is a real opportunity for him to make the roster and contribute. The Kings lost LW Milan Lucic to free agency while Marian Gaborik injured his foot at the World Cup and is set to miss the start of the 2016-17 season. Even if it’s in a bottom-six role, Setoguchi can add quality depth to the Kings lineup if he continues to play with energy.

Kings assistant coach John Stevens had this to say about Setoguchi:

“You have to give him a lot of credit.” He was out of the league for a little bit and I didn’t know what to expect, but to his credit he came here in a very good condition and was ready to go and wanted to put his best foot forward to win a position on the squad. I think for me it’s exciting to see that, just coming in here prepared.”

“He’s going to give himself a good chance to perform well, so it’s good to see.”

Whether Setoguchi will make an impact with the Kings in 2016-17 and possibly jump start his NHL career remains to be seen. But at the very least, it appears as if he has his life in order again.

Elsewhere regarding position battles in the Pacific Division:

  • When James Reimer signed lucrative contract this summer to become the Florida Panthers new backup goalie, the Sharks were left searching for his replacement. As Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News writes, it appears as if 27-year-old journeyman netminder Aaron Dell is the front-runner to earn the #2 position behind incumbent starter Martin Jones. Dell, who played collegiate hockey for the University of North Dakota, suited up for five different professional teams prior to signing with the Sharks organization in March of 2015. He finished with 17 wins, a GAA of  2.42 and a save % of 92.2 in 40 appearances for the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL during the 2015-16 season. Troy Grosenick represents Dell’s competition for the position. The two shared duties with the Barracuda a year ago with Grosenick’s numbers – 3.16 GAA, 89.4% Save % – inferior to those posted by Dell. Of the pair, Grosenick is the only goalie with any NHL experience, albeit with just two appearances with the Sharks in 2014-15.
  • Last season, Freddie Hamilton assisted on a goal by his brother, Dougie, becoming the first set of siblings to appear on the same line on the score sheet. As Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Sun writes, Freddie would like that to be the first time of many for the brothers. While Dougie is a big-ticket player for the Flames and assured of a spot among Calgary’s top four blue liners, Freddie will have to earn regular ice time as a forward. The elder Hamilton brother recently inked a two-year, one-way contract with the club but as GM Brad Treliving noted, “Last year, we had players on one-way contracts that were making good money that went to the minors. I think all the players know that there is still the make-the-team portion of this, and that’s no different for Freddie or anybody.” Hamilton appeared in just four games with the Flames in 2015-16 and has only 33 career games of NHL experience. Hamilton’s chances of making the club could hinge largely on whether the team elects to keep Matthew Tkachuk on the roster or return the 2016 first-round pick to juniors. If Tkachuk makes the team it would likely push more accomplished players down the depth chart and leave little room for Hamilton.
  • The Anaheim Ducks may be deep on defense but they have a couple of openings up front with plenty of competition for those spots. As Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register writes, veteran forwards David Booth, David Jones and Sean Bergenheim are in camp with Anaheim, trying to convert a PTO into a guaranteed deal. All three have achieved a fair amount of success in this league but have struggled in recent seasons, with Booth and Bergenheim each failing to land an NHL job in 2015-16. Jones, on the other hand, scored 11 goals in 75 games between Calgary and Minnesota.

Injury Notes: Ekblad, Backlund, Meier

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After sustaining a head and neck injury during the World Cup, Aaron Ekblad has been skating in Florida for a few days now, and has officially been cleared by doctors to return to full activity. Panthers fans everywhere can now release a huge sigh of relief as arguably their best player won’t miss the start of the season.

Ekblad, still just 20-years old, signed a huge eight year, $60MM extension this summer that will kick in after the 2016-17 season. The number one pick from 2014 has already made a huge impact at the NHL level, stepping in as an 18-year old and becoming the Panthers top defender.  Now joined by all-star Keith Yandle and steady-as-she-goes Jason Demers, the Florida blueline looks impressive going into the season.

If there is any downside to the World Cup and seeing the best on best right before the season, it’s this. Ekblad could have easily suffered a concussion and put his season if not his career at risk for the tournament. When coupled with the news that Matt Murray and Marian Gaborik will both miss extensive amounts of time, owners around the league may be slightly more wary of sending their players during the next World Cup.

  • For the Flames, it’s been two straight days of good news, as after Sean Monahan took the ice yesterday before practice, Mikael Backlund was back at it today according to Ryan Leslie of NHL.com. While he didn’t work with the team, he will re-join practice tomorrow wearing a non-contact jersey. The Swedish forward is working his way back from a concussion suffered during the World Cup (one of a list of injured players at the tournament) that apparently wasn’t as severe as originally thought. A return before the season opens would be huge for Backlund, who played in all 82 games last season for the first time in his career. 47 points was also a career high, something that Backlund will try and build off of this year.
  • Timo Meier, the ninth overall pick in last year’s draft, is still ill and will miss Friday’s game against Arizona according to Curtis Pashelka of Mercury News. While he hasn’t been ruled out of the Sunday contest in Vancouver, the team will take it slow as he nurses himself back to health.  Meier had a tremendous year in junior last season, scoring 87 points in 52 games despite being traded mid season. The Swiss forward has dominated the QMJHL since he came over, including some amazing playoff performances.

World Cup Notes: Gaborik, Getzlaf, Babcock

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After Marian Gaborik was given a timeline of eight weeks to rehab his leg injury, sustained in Team Europe’s semi-final victory, head coach Ralph Krueger has replaced him with Mikkel Boedker in the lineup. While Boedker can be an effective player and has speed to burn, Krueger admits to Helene Elliott of the LA Times that it’ll be a step down from one of their leaders:

We’re losing some leadership and smarts on the puck that were exemplary.

Gaborik obviously is one of the most important players on Europe, with 933 games and 773 points under his belt in the NHL. The three-time forty-goal man put up his worst season last year while fighting injury, only scoring 12 goals in 54 games. The 34-year old will not be ready for the start of the season, making it even harder to bounce back after the career-worst campaign.

  • Team Canada hit the ice this morning before the first game of the finals versus Team Europe, and every player was present including Ryan Getzlaf, who according to Pierre LeBrun missed practice yesterday. The Ducks forward was given a “maintenance day” in preparation for the three-game series, as he’s battling a few small nagging injuries. Now 31, the big center doesn’t bounce back as easily as he did when he was young, but has still played in 77 games in each of the last three seasons. While he’s a big part of Team Canada, the Ducks are hoping he comes back fully healthy, as a bounce-back year from him and Corey Perry is integral for a successful season.
  • While the talk swirls about the NHL not heading to the Olympics in 2018, especially now that the World Cup has been a success, one influential voice sounds unconvinced. When asked about the difference between the two events, Team Canada head coach Mike Babcock said “The World Cup is great, but it’s not the Olympics. Let’s not get confused.” As Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports, the Maple Leafs coach would like to see the event spread across two cities so that only night games were played, while having only countries compete.  These changes would make it more like the Olympics, and would seem to be a future plan for the NHL’s tournament. If the league doesn’t go in 2018 (which it doesn’t look likely to), the World Cup will have to become the preeminent international event. Having Team North America and Team Europe prevents it from ever fully replacing the Olympics, despite their success as individual story lines.

Marian Gaborik Suffers Injury, Out Eight Weeks

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Kings left winger Marian Gaborik suffered a leg injury in Sunday’s Team Europe victory over Sweden at the World Cup of Hockey and left practice today on crutches, head coach Ralph Krueger told reporters, including Postmedia’s Michael Traikos.  GM Dean Lombardi told Helene Elliott of the LA Times that Gaborik is expected to miss eight weeks as a result of the injury.

Gaborik has a pair of goals in four games so far at the tournament, ranking him fourth on Europe’s team in scoring.  He is no stranger to the injury bug, missing considerable time over the years with various ailments and has only completed a full 82-game season once in his 15 year career.

Last season, the 34 year old played in 54 games with Los Angeles, scoring 12 goals while adding 10 assists; his 22 points were a career low as was his average ice time which came in at 14:57 per game.  He missed 28 games due to a knee injury at the end of the year, one that also caused him to miss the beginning of the playoffs.

[Related: Kings Depth Chart]

Gaborik has five years remaining on his current contract with a cap hit of $4.875MM and is expected to be a top six forward for the Kings when he’s able to return to their lineup.

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