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Pacific Notes: Arizona Rentals, Burrows, DeMelo, Kopitar

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While many teams have hoped Arizona’s asking price regarding center Martin Hanzal would have come down by now, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman told 630 CHED in Edmonton that the price remains the same and that the team is still looking for someone who can play right away as part of the return (transcription via Fan Rag’s Chris Nichols):

“John Chayka has held steadfast that Hanzal is going to have to get them a young player who can play in the NHL right now – preferably a center. So I think teams have balked at that.”

Friedman adds that Los Angeles, St. Louis, and San Jose are among the Western Conference teams that have inquired about Hanzal’s availability.

There are teams also showing an interest in pending UFA blueliner Michael Stone (who ranks 15th in our Midseason UFA Power Rankings), Tampa Bay among them, but like Hanzal, the price is too steep for anyone to meet just yet.

Of course, the salary cap may be playing a role in these two not getting moved yet as both players have sizable cap hits; Hanzal comes in at $3.1MM while Stone is earning $4MM this season and most teams don’t have the ability to absorb those hits in their entirety at the moment.

More from the Pacific:

  • Teams have started to call Vancouver to inquire about the availability of pending UFA winger Alex Burrows, reports Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Sun. While Burrows has no-trade protection, it has long been speculated that he would be a candidate to move by the trade deadline if the Canucks fall out of the playoff picture.  However, with a cap hit of $4.5MM, it’s likely that any move involving him would occur closer to the deadline to make it easier for the acquiring team to fit him in on their payroll.
  • Sharks defenseman Dylan DeMelo underwent surgery to repair a broken right wrist today, the team announced. The injury was originally sustained on Tuesday against the Oilers.  He’s expected to miss roughly eight weeks.  DeMelo has spent the season primarily as San Jose’s seventh blueliner as he has played in just 14 games this year, recording four points (1-3-4) while averaging 15:04 per night.
  • The Kings are at a loss when it comes to trying to figure out what has caused center Anze Kopitar to struggle as much as he has offensively this season, writes Elliott Teaford of the LA Daily News. Kopitar has just 21 points in 37 games this year and has had just three multi-point games.  That’s hardly the level of production they were expecting when they handed him an eight year, $80MM extension last January, even if his defensive game is still strong.  Head coach Darryl Sutter ruled out the possibility that Kopitar’s wrist/hand issue has crept back up, nor does he believe assuming the captaincy has created any extra pressure on the 29 year old Slovenian.

2017 Midseason UFA Power Rankings: 11-20

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With many teams having hit the halfway point of the season and the trade deadline fast approaching, it’s time to take a preliminary look at the UFA Class of 2017.  Here is the first half of our top-20 rankings, based on votes from our writers.

  1. Michael Del Zotto, D, Philadelphia – The first half of his season hasn’t gone particularly well to say the least. He missed 12 games to start the season with a lower body injury and came to a reduced role while even spending a bit of time as a healthy scratch. However, there’s no denying the offensive skill he brings to the table and he will be one of the youngest players on the open market, turning 27 just a week before free agency is slated to open.
  2. Radim Vrbata, RW, Arizona – Vrbata is rebounding nicely after a very tough final season with Vancouver. He’s not the top line threat he was for a brief time but is still a quality secondary scorer…at least with the Coyotes. He’s likely to be dealt before the trade deadline and how he performs with his new team may go a long way towards shaping his market after struggling to land a contract this past offseason.
  3. Vadim Shipachev, C, SKA, KHL – Several teams pursued him last summer but the language in his Russian contract stopped him from crossing the pond at that time. That won’t be the case this coming offseason and Shipachev is having an even better year compared to his 2015-16 campaign. He didn’t have a great World Cup of Hockey tournament but his body of work in the KHL should have several teams looking into him as a second line center this summer.
  4. Trevor Daley, D, Pittsburgh – Things didn’t work out too well for him in Chicago last year but since joining the Penguins partway through last season, Daley has played more like a top four defender. His production is down a bit so far this season which is notable for someone who has a reputation of being a quality point producer from the back end. As an undersized blueliner who isn’t the most reliable in his own end, that drop off has the potential to hurt him quite a bit if it continues the rest of the way.
  5. Michael Stone, D, Arizona – It has not been a great platform year for Stone so far. He missed the start of the year while recovering from offseason knee surgery while also missing time with an upper body injury. His role has diminished slightly this season but young (he’ll be 27 come July) blueliners capable of logging top four minutes in free agency are few and far between.  He’s a strong candidate to be dealt before the deadline which could be the opportunity he’s looking for to have a bounce back second half.
  6. Mike Fisher, C, Nashville – After a tough year in 2015-16, Fisher is putting together a much better season this time around as he already has eclipsed his previous point total in barely half the games. He’s still well above average at the faceoff dot and logs plenty of time on the penalty kill. He’ll turn 37 in June so while he’s producing as a second line center, it will be interesting to see if he’s able to get paid as one whether it’s with the Predators or elsewhere.
  7. Patrick Sharp, RW, Dallas – Concussions have been a major problem for Sharp as two separate trips to injured reserve have cost him 26 games already in the first half. When healthy, he is a consistent top six scoring threat and at the age of 35, he shouldn’t be seeking a long-term deal. Sharp is just getting back into playing shape now and should be in line for a bigger second half of the season which could go a long way towards setting his market in free agency.
  8. Dmitry Kulikov, D, Buffalo – After being dealt to the Sabres at the draft, many hoped that Kulikov would blossom in a new environment and show more of the offensive upside he showed as a junior player. That hasn’t happened yet. He missed 13 games due to back problems and finds himself on the shelf once again with a lower body ailment.  At one point he seemed like a real threat to be one of the top free agent defensemen in this class but Kulikov has only hurt his stock so far.
  9. Jaromir Jagr, RW, Florida – While Jagr is unlikely to crack 60 points like he did last year, he’s still producing as a top six forward despite the fact that he’ll turn 45 next month. His ability to mentor young players has been lauded during his time with the Panthers which could result in him not only receiving interest from contending teams looking for a veteran to help put them over the top but also rebuilding teams who would want Jagr to work with a group of younger players.
  10. Kris Russell, D, Edmonton – Russell had to wait quite a while to get a contract last summer but his play with the Oilers so far should stop that from happening again when the market opens up in July. The numbers don’t jump off the board at anyone but he has really helped to stabilize their back end (while logging over 21 minutes per night) and that should have teams around the league taking notice.

Be sure to check back on Friday for our top ten potential unrestricted free agents.

Custance’s Latest: Sizing Up The Trade Market

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With the trade deadline now less than two months away, we’re starting to see more speculation (and hope) regarding the state of the trade market.  ESPN’s Craig Custance provides a pair of articles (one for the East and one for the West – Insider required for both) to provide an overview of how things are currently looking.  The full articles are certainly worth a read but here are some of the highlights:

  • The Coyotes are “asking for stupid returns because they know they can”. With them and the Avalanche basically being the only two guaranteed sellers, they know it’s a sellers’ market and can wait to see if someone wants to blink.  Center Martin Hanzal and defenseman Michael Stone, both pending unrestricted free agents, are the most likely to move although right winger Radim Vrbata is also a potential UFA and could be a candidate to move.
  • Given that Anaheim is largely capped out plus the pending expansion draft, Custance expects that if the Ducks are going to be active in the trade market, it will be more of a player-for-player ‘hockey trade’ than one that sees them move futures for short-term help. Anaheim is one of nine teams currently using LTIR to stay in compliance with the salary cap.
  • There has been no movement on a potential contract extension for Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk who is expected to be one of the top free agents this summer if he makes it to the open market. That puts a bit of pressure on GM Doug Armstrong – does he use him as an internal rental and risk letting a top free agent get away with no compensation in the summer like what happened with David Backes or trade him now, even if it hurts their postseason chances?
  • While big name goaltenders are at the forefront, Blue Jackets youngster Anton Forsberg could be a name to watch for. Sergei Bobrovsky is still the starter for at least a couple more years and Forsberg is set to be left unprotected in the expansion draft.  He’s pushing for a full-time roster spot with another strong season in AHL Cleveland and might garner some interest from teams that are lacking quality young netminders in their system.
  • Although Washington GM Brian McLellan has a reputation for being conservative when it comes to the trade market, their free agent situation could force them to be a bit more active than usual. Forwards T.J. Oshie, Justin Williams, and defenseman Karl Alzner are among their potential UFAs and if they don’t believe they have the ability to keep or replace them all, their window to make a real push may be right now.

Thanksgiving Trade Market: Defensemen

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Many teams view US Thanksgiving – typically around the one-quarter mark of the season – as the benchmark for evaluating their teams and determining what areas need to be addressed.  One area that most teams are always looking to shore up is their defense corps.   Some teams will be after top four blueliners while others will be after depth options.  There isn’t a big list of players available at this time but here’s a closer look at those that have had their names out there in trade talks so far.

Calvin de Haan (NY Islanders) – On top of shopping goalie Jaroslav Halak, the 25 year old blueliner is also believed to be available.  He is a solid stay-at-home second pairing option although he doesn’t bring much offensively to the table.  He has a manageable cap hit of a little under $2MM this season but his qualifying offer in the summer jumps to $2.9MM due to the back-loaded nature of his contract.

Deryk Engelland (Calgary) – The Flames made him available earlier this month but there hasn’t been much interest in the 34 year old.  He’s off to a decent start with Calgary this year, picking up four points in 22 games but he has seen his average ice time jump up over 18 minutes a night, a career high for him.  He has one year left on his contract with a cap hit of $2.9MM.  For teams that are looking for more of a physical presence on their third line, he will be an option although his cap hit is high for his role.

Jack Johnson (Columbus) – The Blue Jackets are believed to be looking to clear some salary and Johnson, who has a cap hit of $4.35MM this season and next, is one of the players GM Jarmo Kekalainen is willing to move.  He hasn’t turned in to the top pairing offensive threat that earned saw him drafted third overall by Carolina in 2005 but he has averaged more than 24 minutes per night the last four years.  His minutes are down a bit this year (just under 22 per game) but he is still a top four option in a market largely devoid of them.

Ryan Murphy (Carolina) – The former first round pick (12th overall in 2011) has failed to lock down a full-time role in this, his fourth NHL season.  In an effort to get him some game action, the Hurricanes recently sent Murphy to the AHL on a conditioning stint.  He has had considerable offensive success at the AHL level (66 points in 86 games) but that has yet to translate to much NHL success (36 points in 128 contests).  He has another year past this one remaining on his deal with a cap hit just under $800K and could be a fit for a team looking for some mobility and offense from their back end.  However, it’s believed that GM Ron Francis is looking to package him with other pieces for a defensive upgrade.

Kevin Shattenkirk (St. Louis) – Back at the draft, it was widely expected that the Blues would deal Shattenkirk but no deal came to fruition.  With the team already having Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester on big money, long-term deals beyond this season, the expectation is that he will be moved at some point during the season.  He’s off to a strong start this year (14 points in 21 games) and will almost assuredly be the most expensive to acquire among potentially available defenders.

Michael Stone (Arizona) – Last week, Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal noted (via Twitter) that the pending UFA is on the market.  The Coyotes sit last in the league in the standings so it’s not surprising that they’d be looking to move any pending free agents.  Stone has dealt with two separate injuries this season and has played in just nine games as a result but had 36 points last season while playing over 22 minutes per game.  With a cap hit and salary of $4MM, there should be a lot of suitors for his services.

Oilers Notes: McLellan, Lander, Russell, Caggiula, Hendricks

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Thursday night’s 4 – 2 loss to Los Angeles represented Todd McLellan’s 100th game behind the Edmonton bench. Bruce McCurdy of the Edmonton Journal felt that’s enough of a sample to determine whether McLellan has delivered on the promise of guiding the talented team back to the playoffs for the first time in a decade.

McCurdy compares McLellan’s performance to this point to the five other men who have guided the club since the 2009-10 campaign; a list that includes accomplished NHL coaches in Pat Quin and Tom Renney in addition to first-time NHL bench bosses like Ralph Krueger and Dallas Eakins.

It’s a relatively in-depth analysis using a number of categories including; the Oilers win rate, their share of goals and shots for and the team’s performance in the special teams department. A full read of the post is highly recommended but ultimately McCurdy concludes that the Oilers have improved only marginally under McLellan and despite a ton of high end talent – including Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Jordan Eberle – there is still much work to be done to turn Edmonton into a perennial playoff team.

Other items from Edmonton:

  • The club announced via their official Twitter account today that they have activated forwards Matt Hendricks and rookie Drake Caggiula, along with blue liner Kris Russell from IR. Also, Anton Lander who cleared waivers, has been assigned to the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL. Hendricks and Caggiula have yet to appear in a game for Edmonton this season while Russell, a late offseason free agent signing, has suited up for 11 contests and has three assists so far. Caggiula was a coveted college free agent last spring who capped off an impressive four-year career at the University of North Dakota with a 25-goal, 51-point senior season. He made the Oilers in training camp but a hip injury delayed his much anticipated debut. Now it appears as if he will get his chance in relatively short order.
  • Lastly, Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal took note of the rumored availability of Arizona Coyotes blue liner Michael Stone and wonders if the Edmonton Oilers would have an interest, assuming those rumors are in fact accurate. Stone has just three points in seven games this season but turned in a productive 2015-16 campaign with six goals and 30 helpers. Stone has had a positive affect on puck possession over the last three years while playing for a team that ranks 24th in Corsi For % during that time. It’s unclear what Edmonton would have to give up to pry Stone away from Arizona but Pierre Lebrun speculates that when and if the team elects to move center Martin Hanzal, the Coyotes would want a young roster player who can contribute right now as opposed to prospects and/or picks. It’s fair to guess then that Arizona would request the same in any hypothetical trade of Stone.

Snapshots: Gignac, Pitlick, Cammalleri, Stone

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The New Jersey Devils announced (Twitter link) that they have signed 2016 third round pick (80th overall) Brandon Gignac to a three year, entry-level contract.  Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Gignac is off to a strong start this season with Shawinigan of the QMJHL, scoring five goals while adding 11 assists in 14 games.  The 19 year old will remain with his junior team and since it’s highly unlikely that he will play in more than nine games with the Devils this season (the only way he can be brought up is via an emergency recall), his contract won’t officially kick in this season and will instead slide a year.

He’s also set to represent Team QMJHL next week in the Canada-Russia series, a primer for next month’s World Junior Hockey Championships.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • In his sixth year at the professional level, Edmonton right winger Tyler Pitlick is making his case to stick around, writes Dan Barnes of the Edmonton Sun. Through 15 games this season, the 25 year old has five goals, more than he had in his previous NHL stints combined and has moved off of the fourth line.  The team hasn’t given him the green light to move out of the hotel and look for a more permanent residence just yet though: “I think they just want to see if I can keep it up. A lot of guys come in here and have a good first 10 games and then it starts to drop off. I think they want to see if I can hold it consistently.”
  • New Jersey left winger Mike Cammalleri will miss his second straight game tonight due to personal reasons, notes Andrew Gross of Fire and Ice. Head coach John Hynes told reporters that he’s not sure how long Cammalleri will be away from the team.
  • Arizona defenseman Michael Stone is expected to return to the lineup tonight after missing the last six games with an upper body injury, writes Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic. This already marks the second time this year that Stone is coming back from an injury after he missed time early on as he finished recovering from knee surgery.  Stone has three assists in four games this season but as a pending UFA, it’s safe to say that this hasn’t been the start to the season that he was hoping for so far.

Pacific Notes: Lindholm, Gaudet, Injuries

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Hampus Lindholm will make his long awaited debut tonight for the Anaheim Ducks, figuring into the lineup after a long hold out and visa process. While the team is off to a 6-5-2 start without him, he’ll be a welcome addition to a blueline that has already lost Simon Despres for an indefinite period.

Lindholm is one of the more underrated skaters in the league, with his smooth possession style falling somewhat under the radar. He’ll likely take the place of Korbinian Holzer, who had worked his way into the lineup after the team sent Shea Theodore back to the AHL.

  • After just a single game with the big club, the Arizona Coyotes have decided to send Tyler Gaudet back to the AHL. Gaudet got into the match against the Colorado Avalanche last night, but will now retake his spot with Tucson where he was off to a good start. The 23-year old has five points in eight games at the minor league level.
  • On the ice today for the Coyotes were Michael Stone and Mike Smith, two key injuries the team has been fighting. Stone has gotten into just four games this season between two injury stints, while Smith has been out since October 23rd with a lower-body injury. Louis Domingue has taken the reigns in his absence and fared poorly, notching an .896 save percentage through ten games.  The Coyotes will need both Stone and Smith to make quick returns should they hope to keep the playoffs within sight.

Arizona Coyotes Recall DeAngelo, Gaudet From AHL

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According to Sarah McLellan of AZCentral, the Coyotes have recalled Anthony DeAngelo and Tyler Gaudet from the AHL. In a set of corresponding moves, the team has moved Michael Stone and Martin Hanzal to injured reserve to make room.

Stone can’t seem to get healthy this season, as the latest injury comes just four games after he returned from knee surgery this summer. An unrestricted free agent this summer, Stone will have to try and get back and prove that he can be an effective puck mover once again.  For Hanzal, it’s not the first time he’s seen the press box with an injury. The 29-year old forward hasn’t played in more than 65 games in a single season since 2009-10.

For DeAngelo, getting into a game would represent his NHL debut as the 21-year old was only drafted in 2014. He went 19th overall that year, and proved last season that he could compete at a professional level. With 43 points as an AHL rookie, he ranked seventh among all blueliners. As a right-handed shot, he may get his chance sooner than later; the Coyotes are currently dressing four lefties.

While DeAngelo figures to be a big part of the Arizona future, Gaudet is just hoping to make an impact at the NHL level. The undrafted forward has bounced back and forth for the past couple of seasons, mostly playing bottom-six minutes in both leagues. With three points in sixteen career NHL games, he’s expected to just provide some energy to the fourth line, if he gets into the lineup at all.

Michael Stone Injured Yet Again In Arizona

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Arizona Coyotes defenseman Michael Stone just can’t stay healthy. In just his fourth game back from an injury from last season, Stone suffered an upper-body injury in Thursday night’s, left early and did not return. There has not been any official word as to the specifics or extent of the injury. Stone is considered day-to-day and is questionable for tonight’s game against the Colorado Avalanche.

Stone was having a productive season in 2015-16, with 36 points in 75 games, but a knee injury in late March forced the blue liner out of the lineup. Stone ended up missing the final two weeks of the season. After undergoing surgery to repair the damaged ACL and MCL in his knee, Stone began working toward a return, but his rehab took longer than anticipated. Stone missed the entire preseason and beginning of the regular season, but finally made his way into the Coyotes lineup last week. He already has three points in three and most of a fourth game before getting injured again.

A restricted free agent after the end of last season, the negotiations between Stone and Arizona lasted well into July before the two sides agreed to just a one-year pact late in the month. Many believed that the Coyotes already had their concerns about Stone’s durability, and were uncomfortable with giving a multi-year deal to a player coming off of serious knee surgery. Thus far, their skepticism seems reasonable as Stone was not ready for the start of the season and already is hurt again. However, this creates a tough situation for a valuable player. Although Stone is not the best in his own zone, he is a top-end puck-mover when healthy, and the Coyotes have a major hole on the back end when he is not in the lineup. With a league-worst four points thus far this season, an argument can be made the the Arizona offense has struggled without Stone making plays ever night. Although Stone’s injury status is a concern, they now have to determine this season whether it is worth it to resign the right-shot possession defenseman or else let him become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st, when another team will surely take that on the risk/reward associated with the 26-year-old. If Stone can bounce back from this setback quickly and stay healthy for most of the season, Arizona will surely be interested in resigning one of their better defenseman. If not, his status with the team will be a question throughout 2016-17.

Injury Updates: September 29, 2016

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Many players are nursing off-season, World Cup, or training camp injuries as we get closer to Opening Night. Below are today’s updates for injured players in camp:

  • Arizona Coyotes defenseman Kevin Connauton’s recovery timeline remains the same, reports AZ Central’s Sarah McLellan, but he has been skating on his own throughout the recovery period. Connauton suffered a lower body injury during an informal skate early this month before training camp started. The Coyotes do not see the defenseman missing much time despite failing his physical.
  • Arizona Coyotes defenseman Michael Stone is still recovering from surgery in April that repaired his left ACL and MCL. Stone has not been cleared to practice yet, and will most likely miss the season opener. According to Sarah McLellan, Stone is at home with his wife as they are expecting twins soon.
  • Ottawa Senators forward Clarke MacArthur continues to rehab following a concussion sustained in a training camp scrimmage on September 25. MacArthur has a history of concussions, suffering four of them over an 18 month period, including one that sidelined him for most of last season. Despite concerns, however, reports indicate that MacArther does not plan on retiring.
  • Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Mark Alt is out indefinitely with an upper body injury suffered in camp. Alt scored 4G and 15A in 72 games for the Flyers’ AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

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