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Life Without Hossa: Looking At Chicago’s Options

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Following the stunning news that Marian Hossa would miss the entire 2017-18 season, much has been written, spoken, and analyzed regarding the loss of an impactful player. At 38, Hossa still put up great numbers (26-19-45) with the Hawks and continued to be the two-way forward whose best contributions often came away from the puck. It goes without saying that Hossa’s signing prior to the 2009-10 season was the missing piece that fulfilled the Chicago machine that won three Stanley Cups over the next six seasons.  Often described as a true gentleman and all-around great human being, one can’t help but feel bad for a guy who appeared to still have several good years of hockey left in him–not to mention the effect it’s had on his life.

So now what?

There are a myriad of issues at play here, some of which have already begun to discussed. Long rumored to be traded to Vegas, center Marcus Kruger still finds himself a member of the Blackhawks. While it doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll still be in the Windy City come training camp, it’s very likely that the loss of Hossa gave the Blackhawks brass pause in terms of ensuring their depth isn’t totally wiped out. Though Kruger hasn’t put up the numbers that earned him the $3.08MM contract he owns, he’s still a very worthy center who like Hossa, makes his impact felt off the scoresheet, mostly on the penalty kill and in the faceoff circle.

But his contract is still cumbersome for a player who hasn’t cracked 20 points since the 2013-14 season. Unloading the contract, if they can, would help with additional cap issues and that was apparently the plan until the Hossa announcement. But it’s anyone guess as to what Chicago will do.

Chicago Sportsnet’s Tracey Myers goes  writes that general manager Stan Bowman feels it’s unfair to speculate about a player’s status.  Having Kruger off the books along with Hossa’s contract would certainly free up over $8MM. But if Kruger isn’t moved, it’s not an issue since Hossa’s contract will come off the books.

Not exactly.

Should the Blackhawks get cap relief from placing Hossa on the LTIR, it would relieve north of $5MM. This would allow Chicago to fill it with another player or two in theory. But it’s not as cut and dry as it sounds. Myers goes on to explain:

Here are two basics about the cap: a team can be 10 percent over it during the summer, and a team must be at or below it the day the regular season begins. If the Blackhawks place Hossa on LTIR, it wouldn’t take effect until the second day of the regular season. So on Day 1 of the season, the Blackhawks would still be carrying Hossa’s $5.275 cap hit.

Once the LTIR would take effect, though, the Blackhawks would have wiggle room. If they spent to the $75 million cap, they could utilize Hossa’s entire $5.275 million cap hit on other players.

It’s not about the Blackhawks finding a guy this summer that makes an equal cap hit.

The Chicago Tribune’s Chris Hine doubles down on this, tweeting that Chicago most likely won’t be major players after July 1. Hine wrote earlier today that one other option the Hawks would have would be trading the contract to another team, to completely escape the hit should the league deny the move to the LTIR, though this seems unlikely.

Apr 17, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks right wing Marian Hossa (81) with the puck during the second period in game three of the first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the St. Louis Blues at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Teams eager to reach the cap floor would stuff the contract away, and Hossa, if this truly ends his career, would never take the ice for that team. The Arizona Coyotes have done this in the past, taking Pavel Datsyuk and Chris Pronger’s contracts when it was known their playing days were over.

The reality is that the Blackhawks are not only losing a great player, but also a leader. And that’s not instantly replaceable. Though there are options in free agency, adding a Joe Thornton or Patrick Marleau should they become available would still garner considerable cost, one that doesn’t seem justified. Players like T.J. Oshie would require a longer deal team for a lot of dollars, a spot the Blackhawks can’t possibly be in. As for Kevin Shattenkirk, he’s rumored to be heavily interested in the New York Rangers and while it would be an upgrade on the blueline, he would fall under the category of too expensive as well.

So what options are left? Thankfully, help is on the way in the name of Alex DeBrincat, who set the OHL on fire as a member of the Erie Otters. Though the Hawks will exercise patience with him, he at least is a glimmer of hope with a scoring prowess and coming in at the age of 19. But don’t doubt Bowman’s to find a deal. The most likely upgrade will come from a trade, one that will address some of the concerns while keeping things economically viable.

Few players are irreplaceable, but Hossa certainly seems to be. Between the contract issues and the loss of him on the roster, the Blackhawks certainly have a number of interesting decisions ahead to try and fill the void.

Marian Hossa Will Not Play In 2017-18

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UPDATE: According to Yahoo’s Greg Wyshynski, the NHL will make a decision on the Hossa situation and how to handle the cap circumvention and injured reserve eligibility for the Chicago Blackhawks before free agency opens on July 1st.

The Chicago Blackhawks announced today that due to a progressive skin disorder, forward Marian Hossa will not play hockey in the 2017-18 season. Hossa has apparently been dealing with the condition for several years. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet first reported the condition on Tuesday evening, saying that it likely means Hossa has played his final NHL game. Marian Hossa

While this is by all accounts an extremely dangerous condition and everyone wishes Hossa health and recovery it will come with its share of skepticism. Despite his $5.25MM cap hit, Hossa is owed just $4MM total in salary over the last four years of his contract, a remnant of front-loading loopholes that have been closed in the last CBA. Should he have retired, as Friedman points out, the Hawks would have faced cap recapture penalties of $3.675MM for the next four seasons.

By staying on long-term injured reserve, Hossa is allowed to collect his $1MM salary and the Hawks can use the cap space during the season. His full cap hit will affect the team’s plans in the offseason, but for a franchise who is continually fighting the salary cap this comes as something of a blessing in disguise.

We should be clear that no one wants Hossa playing through pain, discomfort or a life-threatening illness. In the statement, Blackhawks’ team physician Michael Terry had this to say about the condition:

Marian has been dealing with the effects of a progressive skin disorder that is becoming more and more difficult to treat and control with conventional medications while he plays hockey. Because of the dramatic nature of the medications required and their decreasing effectiveness, we strongly support his decision not to play during the 2017-18 season.

This is a disappointing end to what has been one of the greatest careers of his generation. Hossa has registered 1,134 points in 1,309 games while being considered an elite defensive forward. He’s received votes (but never won) the Selke in fourteen different seasons, and has been a part of three Stanley Cup victories with the Blackhawks.

He ranks 54th all-time in points in NHL history, ahead of Hall of Fame players like Joe Nieuwendyk, Frank Mahovlich, and Glenn Anderson. It would be surprising to not see him have his name enshrined there before long. His actual retirement will have to wait another four years.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Deadline Approaches To Ask Players To Waive No-Movement Clauses

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On the heels of yesterday’s report that both Keith Yandle and Dion Phaneuf had been asked to waive their no-movement clauses in order to be exposed for the upcoming expansion draft, speculation is running rampant around the league on who else will be asked. Below is the full list of players who currently require protection due to their clauses. The deadline to submit a request to a player is 4pm CDT today, while the player must inform the team of his decision by the same time on Friday June 16th. Because the Stanley Cup Finals ended last night, Nashville and Pittsburgh will not receive an extension and will need to submit their requests at the same time as every other team.

Elliotte Friedman was on Sportsnet radio today and mentioned that the Anaheim Ducks have spoken with Kevin Bieksa about possibly waiving his clause, something examined at length in our recent Ducks Expansion Primer.

Anaheim (4)
Kevin Bieksa — Expected to be asked.
Ryan Getzlaf
Ryan Kesler
Corey Perry

Arizona (1)
Alex Goligoski

Boston (4)
David Backes
Patrice Bergeron
Zdeno Chara
David Krejci

Read more

Chicago’s Impending Struggle To Be Cap Compliant

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Chicago Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman has had the uncanny ability for years now to somehow find a way to squeeze his uber-talented rosters under the NHL salary cap. Bowman’s willingness to trade or let walk valued players with high-priced contracts only to replace them to the same effect with affordable veterans and young players has enabled the team to become the NHL’s dynasty franchise over the last decade. However, heading into 2017-18, has Bowman finally put himself in a position that he can’t get out of?

The NHL’s salary cap limit for next season has not yet been decided, but early indications are that it could remain flat or rise only a minimal amount. Based on 2016-17’s $73MM ceiling, the Chicago Blackhawks would be more than $4.5MM over the cap if the season started today (via CapFriendly). That total includes a total of 13 forwards, seven defenseman, and two goalies, ten of which will make under $1MM next season. What it doesn’t include is new contracts for restricted free agents Dennis Rasmussen and Tomas Jurco, the possibility of bringing back veteran defenseman Brian Campbell, or the Blackhawk’s major need for a backup goalie, which will only off-set the cap by Jeff Glass’ $600K contract.

Of course, Chicago does have some assistance this off-season in the form of the Expansion Draft, in which they will lose someone’s cap hit. The team certainly hopes that that cap hit is from Marcus Kruger. Kruger has played an important role for the Blackhawks as a two-way specialist and reliable third-line center, but at over $3MM annually, he’s just not affordable. Rumor has it that the team is willing to move picks and players if it means that the Vegas Golden Knights will select Kruger, but there is no guarantee that Vegas will take the bait. Defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk has been offered up as a companion to Kruger for the Knights, which at $825K for a top-four defenseman would be a major loss for Chicago. However, if the Blackhawks want to protect forwards like Ryan Hartman or Richard Panik in the Expansion Draft, they currently would have no choice but to expose van Riemsdyk. Thus, the team really lacks the leverage to command any deal where the Knights take Kruger to get van Riemsdyk and such a deal may not even come to fruition. Chicago will do all it can, expansion-wise or not, to move Kruger, but it’s far from a done deal.

Even if they are successful in moving Kruger, the Chicago Sun Times’ Mark Lazerus opines that this may not be enough if the cap doesn’t go up significantly; and he’s not alone. Lazerus states that there is rampant speculation that the team may be forced to move a bigger name than Kruger to become cap compliant. Kruger’s salary would (currently) still leave the Blackhawks in the red and even he and van Riemsdyk wouldn’t do it. Bowman could use roster management to get under, but it would leave the team with little to no flexibility in the free agent market and even for in-season call-ups and demotions. Instead, one of Chicago’s core players might need to move. Lazerus knows that neither Brent Seabrook or Artem Anisimov have been asked to waive their No-Movement clauses to be dealt elsewhere and it’s hard to imagine the team trading many of their other No-Movement players like Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, or Corey Crawford. Marian Hossa may as well be immovable as well, given that the 38-year-old has four years left on his contract at $5.275MM per. That leaves defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson, who Lazerus believes could very well end up on the move. Hjalmarsson is the only high-priced player on the roster without a true No-Movement clause, as he has a limited No-Trade in which he can submit a 10-team list of destinations. This gives the team some flexibility to make a move they couldn’t with the others barring a waiver. Hjalmarsson carries a $4.1MM cap hit, which alone is insufficient, but in addition to Kruger and possibly others would get the Blackhawks where they need to be.

If it potentially takes Hjalmarsson, Kruger, and van Riemsdyk – two of Chicago’s top-four defenseman and a key penalty killer – along with goalie Scott Darling, already a cap casualty this off-season, to get under the salary cap for next season, is Bowman’s system really still working? Perhaps more than any other team in the NHL, Chicago is hoping for an unexpected bump in the salary cap for 2017-18. If that doesn’t happen, the Expansion Draft could just be the beginning of the Blackhawk’s shedding of key players this summer.

Central Notes: Nashville’s “Red Rover” Trap, Sakic, Stastny

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As the Chicago Blackhawks cleaned out their lockers, a number of quotes were mined from various reporters. One of the more interesting ones, reported by several outlets, was one from Patrick Kane regarding the key to Nashville’s dominance during the four game sweep. From the Chicago Sun-Times’ Mark Lazerus, we all learn that Chicago bench boss Joel Quenneville nicknamed the Nashville trap “Red Rover” and Patrick Kane doesn’t think it’s the greatest thing for hockey fans:

“A team like that, you kind of hope they don’t win, because I don’t know if that’s necessarily the best way to watch hockey games, and to actually have that excitement level,” Kane said. “But on the other [hand], they played good going the other way, too. They kind of sat back, but their transition game is fast, and they played with a lot of speed the other way. That gave us problems.”

Though the first part of the quote might sound like sour grapes, Kane was quick to give credit to a team that stifled Chicago’s scoring opportunities, limiting them to just three goals in four games. Winger Marian Hossa attributed the dump and chase game Chicago was forced to play as a major reason they lost–they never got comfortable.

  • The Denver Post’s Mark Kiszla thinks Colorado Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic would be foolish for not chasing after University of Denver coach Jim Montgomery. Kiszla writes that Montgomery has built Denver into a powerhouse and would be the perfect addition to a team with young players and in the midst of a massive rebuilding project. Since Florida has Montgomery lined up for an interview, Kiszla wonders if it would behoove Sakic to do whatever it takes to keep the national championship winning coach in the state. Current coach Jared Bednar, he writes, shouldn’t be retained only out of pity. Montgomery is the “real deal” according to Kiszla and should be strongly considered if the Avs are truly looking to improve their fortunes.
  • The Blues got a huge addition before their game with Minnesota when Paul Stastny returned to action for a crucial game five tilt writes Sportsnet’s Josh Gold-Smith. The Blues have a chance to take out the Wild in five games and rest for the next round.  Stastny was slotted in with Vladimir Tarasenko and Jayden Schwartz. As of the writing, Stastny was on the ice for Tarasenko’s opening goal.

Cap Problems Loom – A Look Ahead For Chicago

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The Chicago Blackhawks’ management will have to take a deep, long look in the mirror this off-season. Their core is locked up and in their primes. With an offense boasting Artemi Panarin, Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, grizzled Marian Hossa, and a resurgent Artem Anisimov, there were many predictions around the league for Chicago to reclaim another cup. Instead, the comparatively deep lineup Nashville iced completely dominated Chicago, sending them packing in a 4 game sweep – the first ever time an “8th seed” has swept a “1 seed”.

This is an analysis of Chicago’s cap frustrations, and what has led to them.

Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane each account for $10.5 MM towards the team cap, and are both under contract until the 2022-23 season. With a cap ceiling that is expected to remain in the ballpark of its current $73 MM, this is a massive $21 MM, 28.8% of the team total. In past seasons, contributions from players on ELCs and cheap one-to-two year deals made this issue far less concerning. Success will do a lot to mask poor planning on management’s part.

Looking at their roster situation next year, the squad looks something like this (numbers represent $MM towards cap):

Nick Schmaltz (0.925) – Jonathan Toews (10.5) – Marian Hossa (5.275)

Artemi Panarin (6.0) – Artem Anisimov (4.550) – Patrick Kane (10.5)

Dennis Rasmussen (RFA) – Marcus Kruger (3.083) – Richard Panik (RFA)

Ryan Hartman (0.863) – Tanner Kero (0.750) – __________

*******

 

Nik Hjalmarsson (4.1) – Duncan Keith (5.538)

Brent Seabrook (6.875) – Trevor van Riemsdyk (0.825)

Michal Kempny (RFA) – Gustav Forsling (0.873)

************

Michal Roszival (0.650)

 

Corey Crawford (6.0)

_________

 

A few things to note: there are still 4 likely vacancies on this roster, and the team would probably prefer to have at least one more extra skater on hand for the season. Before the RFA contracts are negotiated, this comes to a total of $67.307 MM already spent. Brian Campbell and Johnny Oduya are not likely to return, considering the former’s price and the latter’s struggles. Roszival is not likely to be trusted with 7th defenseman duties. With Panik’s stellar season, he is nearly sure to command a sizable raise. The 26 year-old had what can only be described an incredibly over-achieving breakthrough – he notched 44 points, 22 of which were goals. The expectation should be that, even under team-friendly RFA negotiations, he will earn upwards of $2 MM, likely in the $2.5 MM range. Assuming the other two RFAs (Rasmussen and Kempny) receive somewhere around $1 MM each, this brings the grand total to $71.807 MM with at least 3 slots to fill, probably 4.

From here, Chicago could go one of two routes. They could try to fill out the remaining spots with the absolutely cheapest possible players, and hope they strike gold with another prospect or free agent. They went down this road last year, and one could reasonably assume they may not have liked the results. The other option would be to move a sizable contract out in the name of increased depth. A few options would be Seabrook or Hjalmarrson on the back-end, or perhaps Hossa up front. Although the captain’s relative cost efficiency is arguably not good, I don’t see a scenario where the Windy City management would be willing to move on from Toews. Anisimov’s play and chemistry with Kane at a cheap 2C price-tag make him unlikely to be moved, and Kruger was just signed to a cost-efficient deal.

It should be noted that if Chicago would be (for whatever reason) unable to move a contract, they could opt to leave a player unprotected for Vegas to take. This is not a likely scenario, however. Many believe that van Riemsdyk will be left unprotected, but exposing such a cheap and effective youngster seems counter-productive at this point. The problem with ditching Seabrook or Hjalmarrson is that it opens up a huge hole that is not likely to be filled much cheaper – top 4 defensemen don’t come cheap, especially considering this year’s limited UFA class. Hossa, it should be noted, has a No Movement Clause, which would severely complicate any sort of transaction involving the veteran winger.

Decisions lie aheaad for Chicago management, and the decisions may be even tougher than they were after their Cup win in 2010. That off-season, they were forced into moving Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, and Kris Versteeg. Those tough decisions laid the groundwork for their next two titles. This is the cost of success in the post-cap era, and Chicago will again need to make sacrifices if they wish to see any more.

Ken Holland And The Red Wings Rebuild

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Two postseasons ago before he left Hockeytown for hockey’s Mecca in Toronto, head coach Mike Babcock made a blunt assessment of the Red Wings’ future following a bitter 2-0 loss in Game 7 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Babcock said this:

“Our team is not as good as it was. It’s very evident. We battled our butt off just to get in the playoffs. You are what you are. [Tampa Bay] had a young team that have been around long enough to rebuild it. They’ve got young players at key positions. Three of our best players are 34, 35, 37. Any way you look at it, we’re a team that has changed a ton of players and added a lot of youth to our lineup, but nobody on the outside picked us to be a Stanley Cup contender.”

Missing the playoffs for the first time in a quarter century didn’t come as a surprise to many in Detroit. And while Babcock has his Maple Leafs on an accelerated path for what was supposed to be a “painful” rebuild, the Red Wings find themselves older, injured, and looking on the outside of the playoffs for the first time since Steve Yzerman wore the C.

Those in Detroit hoping for a Toronto-like teardown might be disappointed, however, as general manager Ken Holland believes his team needs a few tweaks to compete again. Though this is admirable for a general manager to fight for his team, it doesn’t seem all that reasonable as the Red Wings struggled to score goals, had major players regress, and find themselves financially strapped with several long term, high priced contracts. Curiously, senior vice president Jimmy Devellano was quoted as saying “the rebuild is on” which spoke opposite to what the general manager of the club said.

Dec 3, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Detroit Red Wings left wing <a rel=Holland, who spoke with Toronto’s Fan 590 and also the Hockey News’ Ken Campbell, made it abundantly clear that he is not in it for a tear down. With only a year remaining on his contract, Holland may not view it as viable when success in Detroit is measured with Stanley Cups and playoff appearances. But the fact of the matter is that the Red Wings have been sputtering for some time. Specifically:

  • Since the retirement of Nicklas Lidstrom, the Red Wings only advanced once beyond the first round. The surprising run in 2013 that saw them squeak into the playoffs and nearly upend eventual champion Chicago seemed more of a red herring than truth when it came to the ability level of the team.
  • Elite free agents have avoided Detroit, and those who have signed were nearing the end of their career, like Daniel Alfredsson or Brad Richards. Others, like Stephen Weiss or the second go around with Mikael Samuelsson were massive miscalculations that did little to help the team and in many ways, hindered the progress of younger players.
  • Holland, who was the undisputed king of trades before the salary cap, has appeared gun shy to make moves via trade. Instead, he’s been loyal, re-signing the likes of Justin Abdelkader, Darren Helm, Danny DeKeyser, and Jonathan Ericsson to long, expensive deals while seeing little in the way of return. Holland told Campbell that while he’ll work the phones to try and improve the team, other GMs may not “like our players or contracts.” Ironically, many of those contracts they wouldn’t like were offered to current Red Wings by Holland.

The USA Today’s Kevin Allen offered his own take and believes Detroit must rely on youth, and realize that their brand is “stale.” Allen is a non-partisan national writer without any bias to the Wings. If a pair of eyes outside the organization can see this, Holland may want to consider it.

A rebuild provides a chance to change the image of the Detroit Red Wings, which is now one without stars, on the decline, and appears resistant to change. Reading what Holland says now is nearly identical to what he’s said in the past, when the Red Wings were already showing signs of sinking.

Babcock foretold a fall for the Red Wings. Holland has a chance to change course and put the team back on an upward trajectory. But it goes beyond signing older veterans and current players in moving the Wings beyond a fringe playoff team and back into the status of contenders.

Blackhawks Notes: Division Champs, Kane, Panarin, Hossa

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Despite a slow start and a roster that doesn’t glimmer like some of those from seasons past, the Chicago Blackhawks topped the 50-win mark and clinched the #1 seed in the Western Conference. The Chicago Tribune’s Chris Hine writes that the Hawks added a division title as well in a fight that was carried by the Minnesota Wild for most of the season. But as the Wild began to fade in March, the Hawks steamrolled their way to an impressive season finish. Hine writes that it’s only the second time the Blackhawks have reached 50 wins, and thanks to a run that saw 17 victories in 20 games, Chicago finds themselves sitting pretty as the playoffs are just a week away. As has been the custom over the past decade, the Hawks continue to defy the odds of a league built on parity.

  • The Chicago Sun-Times’ Mark Lazerus notes that a key ingredient to the Blackhawk resurgence has been the timely arrival of the core players. Patrick Kane, Artemi Panarin, and Jonathan Toews have rotated in their importance as Chicago rolled through February and March. Lazerus writes that Panarin is ending this season strong with five points (4-1) in his last three games and is just one of many in Chicago getting hot at the right time. Kane was named the third star of the month for March, registering 22 points (12-10) in 16 games. Toews started his ascent months earlier in the winter after a challenging start that saw him miss time due to a back injury. The ageless Marian Hossa has four goals in his last six games and younger players Richard Panik, and Nick Schmaltz have been nearly point-per-game players in their last half dozen contests. Though he’ll rest his starters as the season winds down, head coach Joel Quenneville believes that with the Hawks’ top players playing so well, it only bodes well for the team during the grueling playoff run.
  • Hine also pens an article about Hossa, who is more than happy to show “he’s still got it” after an off year in 2015-16. Seeing a silver lining in last year’s early playoff exit, Hine writes that Hossa took the time to recuperate and train to be better for this season. The 38-year-old winger also credits his ice time with younger players like Tanner Kero for helping him “feel fresher” with the Blackhawks. Hine adds that Hossa’s scoring knack is a key ingredient for a long playoff run in Chicago.

Central Notes: Tootoo, Hossa, Hanzal, Benn

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Even though right winger Jordin Tootoo signed a contract extension just before the trade deadline (primarily for expansion draft purposes), he wasn’t expected to be a big factor for Chicago down the stretch.  However, with some strong play in his last few outings, the veteran may be playing himself back into the picture when it comes to seeing time in the postseason, suggests Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times.   Head coach Joel Quenneville noted that Tootoo has been much better as of late:

“He’s really improved his game. He brings that element of pace, and he did a nice job in the physicality department, as well. He brings us some sandpaper, some toughness. It looks like he’s got patience with the puck, in handling it, and having it a little bit more. He’s making some good plays offensively. I like the progression.”

Tootoo has just a single goal and an assist on the season in 42 games but as the games get tougher in the latter stages of the season and into the playoffs, his energy could give him an edge on a spot in the lineup depending on the matchup.

Elsewhere in the Central:

  • Also from Lazerus, the Blackhawks will be without right winger Marian Hossa tonight against the Leafs. He suffered a lower body injury on Thursday in Ottawa.  Quenneville noted the injury isn’t serious and that he shouldn’t miss much time.  The 38 year old is tied for third in goals on the Hawks with 22 in 64 games despite averaging his lowest ice time per game since his rookie season back in 1998-99.
  • The Wild are expected to have center Martin Hanzal back in the lineup tonight against the Rangers, notes Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Hanzal has missed the last three games while dealing with strep throat.  Minnesota’s prized deadline acquisition has skated in seven games with the team, collecting four assists while logging 15:57 per night, well off the 18:35 he was averaging with Arizona prior to his trade in late February.
  • Dallas is anticipating that left winger Jamie Benn will be ready for their next game against San Jose, head coach Lindy Ruff told Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News. Benn took a glove to his eye in a skirmish with Vancouver’s Nikita Tryamkin on Thursday and didn’t play against Calgary on Friday.  Ruff noted that Benn only suffered a scratch and no serious damage on the play.  While the captain won’t be reaching the 80 point plateau for the third straight year, he’s still having a productive season with 63 points in 66 games.

Central Notes: Hutton, Hossa, Pickard, Niederreiter

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Although his signing in the offseason didn’t generate a lot of buzz, Blues backup goalie Carter Hutton has played a significant role for the team lately, writes Benjamin Hochman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  With starter Jake Allen battling inconsistency at times, St. Louis has had to rely on Hutton more often than they originally anticipated.

To say that he has lived up to expectations would be an understatement, especially lately.  Over his last eight starts, he has recorded four shutouts (matching his career total heading into the season) and has played a big role in the Blues getting themselves back into a top three spot in the Central Division.

With Allen returning to form lately, it’s likely that he will go back to getting the bulk of the starts but if he falters again or is injured, Hutton’s recent stretch should give them confidence if they need to turn to him again.

Elsewhere in the Central:

  • While it’s not a role he would have been happy with too long ago, Blackhawks right winger Marian Hossa is comfortable as a third liner in Chicago, notes Mark Lazarus of the Chicago Sun-Times. Not only does him being there mean that they have the potential for three quality scoring lines, the 38 year old can certainly benefit from seeing a bit less ice time from a rest perspective.  The cut in playing time hasn’t really slowed him down as Hossa has nine points in his last 12 games.
  • Although there isn’t a whole lot to play for in Colorado, that isn’t the case for goalie Calvin Pickard, suggests Terry Frei of the Denver Post. With Semyon Varlamov out for the season with recurring groin problems and no proven backup behind him, Pickard has a prime opportunity to show he’s ready for a bigger workload next season.  Further adding to the important of his play in the coming months, both netminders require protection for the expansion draft in June and the Avalanche will only be able to protect one of them.
  • The NHL rescinded the game misconduct penalty assessed on Thursday to Wild right winger Nino Niederreiter, reports Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. The decision is noteworthy as any player who receives two game misconducts for physical fouls within 41 games of each other is automatically suspended.  By having this misconduct taken away, Niederreiter isn’t in danger of a guaranteed sit-down if he gets ejected for a physical foul in the next few months.

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