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Matt Murray (b. 1994)

Penguins Notes: White House Visit, Fleury, Wilson

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The Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins will be heading to the White House to be honored by President Obama. In a fit of coincidence, Obama welcomed the Penguins in his first year as president and will welcome the champions in during his final year at the White House. Obama said back in 2009, that it was a good time to be a Pittsburgh fan because of the Penguins and Steelers championships. The Penguins are visiting earlier because of the election in November.

In other Penguins news:

  • The Pens are not worried about Marc-Andre Fleury’s performance writes Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Mackey points out that with Matt Murray’s injury sidelining him 3-6 weeks, Fleury is now the top netminder in Pittsburgh. Though he struggled against Detroit, giving up three goals on 19 shots, Fleury bounced back by producing a shutout against the Blackhawks. Though rusty, Fleury knows that it’s about getting back into a routine:

“I think it’s just getting back into game shape a little bit, getting the timing back. Over the summer, I do a lot of shots and drills. Then in the game you kind of stand there sometimes with nothing to do for awhile. You have to stay focused, with traffic and people crashing the net.”

  • Fleury was outstanding during the Penguins 1-0 victory over Chicago. He stopped Tyler Motte twice on breakaway opportunities and notched 23 saves in the shutout. Scott Wilson notched the only goal for the Penguins early in the second period. Wilson has opened some eyes within the organization regarding his performance and head coach Mike Sullivan said that they are “trying to get him as involved as they can.” Last season, Wilson admitted that he was “uneasy” in camp and instead, feels more relaxed this season. Mackey notes that the positive results on the ice indicate his ease and comfort.

 

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.

Injury Notes: Eakin, Shore, Maguire

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After news came down this morning that Matt Murray would miss 3-6 weeks after breaking his hand in the World Cup and Mark Stone had suffered a concussion and is out indefinitely, more injury news hit the wire.

In Dallas, Devin Shore left today’s scrimmage with an injury and will be out “some time”, according to Brandon Worley. Shore was competing for a job at the NHL level after being drafted in the second round in 2012 and making his debut last season after other injuries. More importantly, Lindy Ruff told Worley that Cody Eakin will be out for six weeks with a lower-body injury, meaning the centerman will be out until some time in November.

Eakin has been a solid contributor for the Stars throughout his career, putting up three straight seasons with at least 16 goals and 35 points. Only 25, the former third round pick put up 8 points in the Stars’ 13 playoff games, leading some to believe a breakout was in order for this season.

In Pittsburgh, Bill West of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that the Pens lost a second goaltender today for a lengthy period. It was announced that prospect Sean Maguire will miss 4-6 weeks with a lingering concussion issue from his college days. Maguire was exceptional in his three seasons at Boston University, and made his professional debut this spring with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL.

Pens’ GM Jim Rutherford also told reporters that Bryan Rust and Oskar Sundqvist skated on their own this morning and will be able to start practicing in the coming few days. Each player was dealing with minor injuries and are expected to be fine for the beginning of the season.

World Cup Notes: Forsberg, Datsyuk, Marchand

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When the Washington Capitals traded away Filip Forsberg for Martin Erat in an attempt at the Stanley Cup a few years ago, they gave away one of the games most dynamic young players – one that has developed into a legitimate goal-scoring threat from anywhere on the ice.  They also lost their chance at having Forsberg potentially skate alongside Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Ovechkin. It would likely have been an unstoppable offensive trio, and Backstrom said as much today when speaking with Dan Rosen of NHL.com:

He reminds me of playing with Alex with his quick release. He loves shooting the puck. He loves to go to the net. He loves creating stuff. In that way he reminds me of Ovi.

Forsberg, who has already scored 60 goals in his brief NHL career, has a long way to go to catch one of the all-time great goal scoring wingers but even without 50-per-season he’ll be an elite player. Swedish defenders like Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Roman Josi and Mattias Ekholm, all excellent players in their own right, agree that Forsberg is one player you can’t give much space. Had he stayed in Washington, playing with Backstrom and Ovechkin would have afforded him that room.

  • Pavel Datsyuk took the ice at team Russia’s morning skate prior to their evening matchup against Canada, but will still be a game-time decision. He didn’t take part in the entire practice, instead doing some skating at center ice by himself. He sat out the Russian’s final round-robin game against Finland with a “lower-body injury”, and hasn’t been the same dynamic force he used to be.
  • Always known for a good soundbite, Drew Doughty told reporters “that’s a bonus, that’s for sure” in regards to missing the first part of Kings camp due to the World Cup. While the players remaining won’t get to practice with their squads for at least a few more days, the work they’ve put in with and against the best players in the world should be more than enough to get them ready for the season.  The only worry is injuries, like the one suffered by Matt Murray which will now keep him out 3-6 weeks.
  • In his latest column, AP’s Stephen Whyno speculates that Brad Marchand may be a top target for the Pittsburgh Penguins if he reaches free agency next summer, due to the growing chemistry between the Boston winger and his Team Canada center Sidney Crosby. The two have scored seven points in three games and look like they are a natural fit together on the ice. Fitting Marchand into their salary structure may prove difficult however, if Marchand can duplicate his outstanding 37-goal campaign from a year ago.

Matt Murray Out 3-6 Weeks With Broken Hand

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According to Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Penguins’ goaltender Matt Murray will be out for three to six weeks after breaking his hand at the World Cup. Murray was pulled in team North America’s loss to Russia on Monday night, and originally thought he had just jammed his thumb.  He even said he was willing to play against Sweden if they needed him to, despite the pain he felt in his hand.

Murray, 22, was expected to head into camp with a real shot at taking over the #1 job in Pittsburgh from Marc-Andre Fleury after a wonderful playoff performance, but will now just hope to make it back by November. In 21 playoff games en route to the Stanley Cup, Murray went 15-6 with a .923 save percentage and 2.08 goals against average. The Penguins regular season starts October 13th, just under three weeks away.

For all the trade rumor that surrounded Fleury this summer, perhaps GM Jim Rutherford was correct in keeping both goaltenders to start the season. He’ll now be able to turn to a veteran netminder who has been elite in the past and can keep the Penguins on track as they try to defend their championship. It will be interesting to see what happens when Murray returns, especially if Fleury is playing well.

Snapshots: Fleury, McDavid, Oilers Training Camp Battles

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If he had it his way, Marc-Andre Fleury would spend the rest of his career in Pittsburgh.

The first overall pick in 2003 has been with the Penguins his whole career, winning two Stanley Cups. However, there are two major roadblocks to Fleury’s wish: next summer’s expansion draft and teammate/ heir apparent Matt Murray.

The 31-year-old Fleury had an unbelievable season in 2015-16, winning 35 games and posting a 0.921 SV%. Unfortunately, he suffered a concussion towards the end of the season, which allowed Murray to take over the starters role on his way to the Penguins’ Stanley Cup victory.

In an interview with Jonathan Bombulie of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Fleury said both he and Murray give the Penguins a chance to win games, and “bottom line, that’s what matters. It doesn’t matter who’s in the net.”

Fleury said he met with management after last season and knows where he stands.

When asked if he would request a trade to get more starts, Fleury was emphatic, “No. No. No. I’ve always said this is like my home. I wish I could play here my whole career.”

With next summer’s expansion draft looming, the Penguins will only be able to protect one goaltender. It seems unlikely they would chose Fleury at the expense of the 22-year-old Murray. Fleury has a no-move clause and will need to be protected by his team, unless he chooses to waive it. The Penguins may ask him to move before then, to avoid losing him for nothing, but Fleury isn’t thinking about that, telling Bombulie he plans on going with the flow, and that he’ll “see what happens”

In other news from around the hockey world:

  • Team North America coach Todd McLellan isn’t worried about Connor McDavid going pointless in the World Cup preliminaries. According to TSN’s Frank Seravelli, McLellan thinks McDavid needs to be more selfish, comparing it to McDavid’s first three games in the NHL, where he was “asking for permission” while he was feeling out the style of play.
  • Back in Edmonton, the Oilers expect college free agent Drake Caggiula to contend for a forward position to start the season, according to Bob McKenzie (via Chris Nichols). The smaller Caggiula models his game after Bruins star Brad Marchand: pesky, fast, and skilled.
  • The Edmonton Journal’s David Staples has a new article on Oilers camp invite Kris Versteeg. Staples praised Versteeg as “the kind [of player] the team needs and has sorely lacked”, calling him an “excellent bet”. Versteeg has played with Milan Lucic, trained with Brandon Davidson, and played for GM Peter Chiarelli. He cited McDavid, Rogers Place, and playing close to home as reasons for picking the Oilers over other teams who offered PTOs.

Roster Crunch: Metropolitan Division

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We’ve taken a look at three out of the four divisions now, and the decisions they’ll have to make come training camp. The Pacific’s depth on defense, the changes coming up front in the Central, and the mass of young talent set to break through in the Atlantic. Now, we’ll take a look at the what many considered the best division in hockey last year, with four 100-point teams and both the President’s Trophy winner and Stanley Cup Champions.

Washington Capitals – There is probably no team with fewer uncertainties going into the season than the Washington Capitals. After running away with the regular season points lead, the Capitals couldn’t even make it to the Stanley Cup final, but they’ll head into next season with largely the same group. They brought in Lars Eller, whose possession numbers should help the third line, and allowed Jason Chimera and Mike Richards to walk (though the latter remains unsigned). Basically the only battle in camp will be for a fourth line or 13th forward spot; can Brett Connolly do enough to make the squad over Stanislav Galiev? Exciting stuff.

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Snapshots: Blues, Trade Targets, Radulov

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St. Louis Blues beat writer Norm Sanders analyzed the situation the Blues find themselves in as the draft and free agency approaches. After signing both Scottie Upshall and Dmitrij Jaskin, the Blues still have a number of decisions facing them. Sanders writes that Jaden Schwartz will be signed first as he’s been dubbed a “priority signing” by general manager Doug Armstrong. He also names defensive Kevin Shattenkirk as a candidate to be traded since he’s approaching the final year of his contract. Sanders also makes note that his name has constantly been floated as being moved to another team. As for captain David Backes, Sanders writes that unless an agreement is had, Backes would be a much sought after free agent.

  • Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury must feel like he’s either back in high school or in a hockey soap opera. Fleury has been the subject of trade rumors ever since the emergence of Matt Murray during the 2016 Stanley Cup playoff run.  Interesting then that his name only comes up as #14 on Frank Seravalli’s TSN Top Trade Bait mentions. Fleury’s name was all over the hockey world as being moved to Calgary until Pittsburgh general manager Jim Rutherford announced that he wasn’t aggresively shopping the former #1 overall pick. Seravalli put the aforementioned Shattenkirk as his #1 target to be dealt while Pavel Datsyuk’s contract sits at #2. The Edmonton Oilers stand as having the most targets likely to be moved with Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Nail Yakupov, Jordan Eberle, and their 4th overall pick in this year’s draft being tagged.
  • NBC Sports Pro Hockey Talk’s Ryan Dadoun scouted free agent Alexander Radulov and what it would take to land him. Dadoun writes that Radulov is purportedly looking for a 2-year/$15MM deal but that might not happen for a player who left the NHL for the KHL and was reported to be a locker room liability. Most teams are comfortable with a 1-year deal to see if Radulov’s KHL successes transfer across the ocean. PHR ranked Radulov as the 11th best free agent on the market and predicted that he would land with Capitals for just over $5MM.

Pittsburgh’s Salary Cap Situation And Stanley Cup Final Notes

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Now that the Pittsburgh Penguins have captured the Stanley Cup for the fourth time in team history, the NHL offseason officially kicks off with the NHL draft just two weeks away and free agency right around the corner. Some news and notes as the city of Pittsburgh basks in the glow of Lord Stanley’s chalice.

  • The Penguins find themselves facing a different type of opponent as they look to defend their title. The Washington Post’s Mike Hume reports that the Penguins face a difficult question as the offseason kicks off: what to do with Marc-Andre Fleury. While the salary cap is expected to rise to $74MM, it’s the likelihood of an expansion draft that threatens the Penguins’ continued dominance. Matt Murray, who backstopped the Pens to the Cup, has forced Pittsburgh’s hand with former #1 overall pick and franchise goalie Fleury.  Murray’s cap friendly contract keeps him under team control while Fleury’s $5.75MM cap hit makes him an expensive backup. Should the expansion draft take place, Fleury’s no-movement clause eliminates him from being taken off their hands. Instead, it would be Murray exposed to the expansion draft. Moving Fleury would be tricky as well since he has final say over any trade, and teams looking for goaltending, such as the Calgary Flames, are not a favorite to win the Stanley Cup anytime soon.
  • The signing of Phil Kessel paid huge dividends for the Penguins writes ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun. The former Maple Leafs star notched 22 points in 24 games with 10 of those points being goals. The interesting part of Kessel’s resurgence is his cap friendly contract. Though his cap hit should be $8MM, Toronto agreed to pay $1.2MM of his contract when they traded the star winger to Pittsburgh last summer. The core of Kessel, captain Sidney Crosby, and star Evgeni Malkin remains intact for at least another few seasons thanks to savvy financial work.
  • The Stanley Cup runner up San Jose Sharks had a great run thanks to the solid play of Martin Jones. Jones, obtained from Boston for a first round pick last June, kept the Sharks in the Final and would have been a top pick to take the Conn Smythe Trophy had the Sharks fortunes been different. Strong goaltending was always a weakness for San Jose, but Jones’ inexpensive $3MM cap hit keeps him with the Sharks until the 2018-2019 season. Backup goalie James Reimer is an unrestricted free agent and could fetch a number of offers from teams looking for a strong goalie tandem.

2016 Stanley Cup Finals: Conn Smythe Award

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With the Stanley Cup Final heading back to San Jose for Game 6, the Penguins will have a second chance to close out the Sharks. If they are able to, the only remaining question will be who wins the Conn Smythe Award as the playoff MVP. If Pittsburgh is able to win tonight, there are a handful of Penguins who can take home the hardware, with these three leading the charge:

Sidney Crosby– The Penguins captain hasn’t produced at the point per game consistency he usually does but he has still been very productive with 17 points in 23 games. Crosby’s top-notch puck protection and vision have allowed him to control the play in the offensive zone. Not only has he dominated offensively, but Crosby has played a consistent 200 foot game. Crosby’s calming presence in the defensive zone has helped stabilize what was thought to be a below average defense, especially after the injury to Trevor Daley.

Phil Kessel– The addition of Kessel and his monster cap hit before the season seemed questionable, especially after Pittsburgh started the year as one of the lowest scoring teams in the league. Don’t look now but Kessel has been the Penguins leading scorer these playoffs. Kessel has one of the quickest releases in the NHL and he hasn’t been afraid to shoot the puck, boasting a league leading 95 shots (for reference teammate Patric Hornqvist is second in the playoffs with only 77 shots). Kessel has been incredibly consistent, being held scoreless in just 7 of 23 games.

Matt Murray– No one expected 21 year-old Matt Murray to be in this conversation, let alone between the pipes in the Stanley Cup Final for the Penguins. Murray has been an absolute revelation for Pittsburgh since he was called upon in game 3 of the first round against the New York Rangers. Murray has posted a 2.14 Goals Against Average and .923 Save Percentage since being named the starter. Without Murray stepping up, Pittsburgh would be in huge trouble. Back up goalie Jeff Zatkoff was pulled for Murray after playing poorly in the first series and Marc-Andre Fleury struggled mightily after returning from injury.

 

If the San Jose Sharks are able to take care of business at home, the series will return to Pittsburgh for a winner-take-all Game 7. If they can take down the Penguins, there are plenty of Sharks who deserve the Conn Smythe. These are the three at the top of the list:

Logan Couture– Logan Couture leads the league in scoring these playoffs with 29 points in just 23 games. Couture’s playmaking ability has been a nightmare for opposing defenseman, setting up linemates Patrick Marleau and Melker Karlsson. The second line combination has worked wonders for coach Peter Deboer, forcing opponents to play a game of pick-your-poison when deciding to play its top pairing against either Couture’s line or the first line of Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton, and Joonas Donskoi.

Brent Burns– Burns leads all defenseman in playoff scoring with 23 points in 23 games. Penguins defenseman Kris Letang is second with just 14 points. Burns has been dominant on the offensive side of the puck. He is uncommonly poised handling the puck on the blue line, and is a force joining the rush and carrying the puck into the offensive zone. Where Burns is typically criticized is in his own zone, but he has been terrific there as well. He is second in the playoffs in plus/minus at 11, only trailing teammate Marc-Edouard Vlasic.

Martin Jones– Martin Jones is the reason the Sharks are still alive playing in a game 6. In game 5 Jones stood on his head, stopping 44 of 46 shots. The Sharks were severely outplayed but Jones time and again bailed out his team with terrific pad work. Jones has posted a 2.16 Goals Against Average and a .922 Save Percentage.

My picks: If the Penguins win, Sidney Crosby. If San Jose pulls it out, Martin Jones.

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