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Evening Notes: Hammond, Wild

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The USA Today’s Jace Evans is one of many to write about Colorado netminder Andrew Hammond’s 44-save performance last night that kept the Avalanche alive for another day. Hammond was called into duty after Colorado goalie Jonathan Bernier was lost to injury after Game Four. Hammond burst onto the scene two seasons ago when he backstopped the Ottawa Senators to an unexpected playoff performance after going 20-1-2 in 24 games and boasting a .941 save percentage during that stretch. The Sens were bounced in the first round and Hammond couldn’t replicate that performance following 2014-15, leading to a demotion and eventual trade to Colorado as part of the Matt Duchene deal. Evans quotes the “Hamburglar” as saying you never know when you’re going to get a second chance, and with that bonus opportunity, Hammond turned a lot of heads.

  • The Sporting News’ Brandon Schlager continues, calling it “perfect serendipity” for Hammond to rescue the Avalanche after falling down 3-1 to the defending Western Conference champion Nashville Predators. Schalger uses clips from the game intertwined with description to break down some of Hammond’s biggest saves in the game, and adds that the NHL playoffs are well known for “red-hot” goalies stealing games against teams that should otherwise win in convincing fashion. The Tennessean’s Mike Organ includes a few quotes from Nashville’s Mike Fisher, who thinks it’s as simple as putting the puck where Hammond isn’t in order to break through. While there doesn’t seem to be much worry on Nashville’s side, one has to wonder if the Hamburglar still has some games left to steal.
  • For a litany of reasons, the Minnesota Wild are out of the first round for a third straight season. Chief among them: they didn’t show up for a crucial game five. CBS Sports’ Pete Blackburn cites the poor showing in the deciding game as a reason the Wild need to make serious changes this offseason. Teams are judged by their play when their backs are against the wall, and Blackburn charges the Wild as a squad that “produced a nice, wet, stinky turd.” In addition, the Jets relentless attack, some bad luck, and the strong play of  Connor Hellebuyck doomed the Wild in the series.

Western Notes: Yeo, Bouwmeester, Nugent-Hopkins, Tolvanen, Kamenev, Bernier

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While they’ve hardly been eliminated from the playoffs, the St. Louis Blues are definitely having a disappointing season. With that in mind, the St. Louis Blues are likely to make some changes this offseason. The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford (subscription required) writes in a mailbag column that one change that shouldn’t happen is a coaching change. While the coach always must be held accountable for his actions, the scribe writes that it’s too early to push all the team’s failings on head coach Mike Yeo, who has only been with the team a little more than a year. Many of the leadership and chemistry issues that the team has were already there before Yeo got there.

While Rutherford does admit it’s disturbing that Yeo’s last coaching stint with the Minnesota Wild had many of the same issues, Yeo deserves more time to right the ship, which might require some personnel changes on the ice as many players are not pulling their weight.

One other issue is the team has struggled with key injuries to key players. The team failed to find an offensive replacement when Robby Fabbri or Jaden Schwartz were injured. In fact in 20 games without Schwartz, the team was 9-10-1.

  • In the same piece, Rutherford writes that while many people would like the team to buyout players who are struggling in St. Louis like Patrik Berglund, Jake Allen and Alex Steen, that won’t happen this offseason. All of their contracts would be too expensive to buyout. Berglund’s buyout cost would be $9.7MM, Allen’s would be $9MM and Steen’s contract would cost them $10.6MM. The most likely buyout candidate might be defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, who would only cost the team $3.6MM and would count just $1.8MM against the cap for the next two years.
  • The Edmonton Oilers announced they have activated center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins off of injured reserve Saturday. The 24-year-old has been out since Jan. 13 with a rib injury. While the former first overall pick will not be rejoining a team headed for the playoffs, he might bring up his own value with a good end of the season. Nugent-Hopkins could be a legitimate trade candidate this offseason. He was having a solid season in which he had 16 goals and 31 points in 46 games. With teams being desperate for centers and the Oilers having quite a few of them, they might find a taker for him.
  • The Eeli Tolvanen countdown continues as the Nashville Predators are awaiting their top prospect after his KHL team wraps up their season. The Tennessean’s Adam Vingan writes that Tolvanen’s team, Jokerit, opened their first-round playoff series Saturday with a double-overtime loss. The earliest possible day for Jokerit to be eliminated would be this Wednesday. If so, Tolvanen could join Nashville for their remainder of the season and the playoffs if they feel he can contribute. Of course, the Predators are loaded with depth since the trade deadline after acquiring Ryan Hartman and signing Mike Fisher.
  • Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said that Vladislav Kamenev, who has been out with a broken arm since November after being injured in his first game for the Avalanche, has been cleared and might be assigned to the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL in the next couple of days for a conditioning assignment, according to Denver Post’s Mike Chambers. Kamenev, who was acquired on Nov. 6 in the three-team trade between Colorado, Ottawa and Nashville involving Kyle Turris and Matt Duchene, was injured while playing in his first game with Colorado. A key prospect included in the Avalanche’s haul for moving Duchene, Kamenev has played just 14 AHL games this year, having totaled three goals and nine assists. His return is just another talented player ready to step into the Avalanche’s lineup.
  • Chambers also mentioned in the same tweet that goalie Jonathan Bernier has also been cleared after suffering a concussion on Feb. 16. The Avalanche added that he was a full participant in practice Saturday and is expected to be activated soon.

Mike Fisher Ends Retirement, Officially Signs With Nashville

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2/26: The Predators have officially announced the signing.

2/25: TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the Predators will announce a one-year, $1MM deal with Fisher tomorrow. The pro-rated deal will only cost Nashville around $225K to bring back their former captain for one last run at the Stanley Cup. Fisher has been working out with the team since the initial report last month and no doubt will be ready to go when he gets his first chance to again take the ice.

1/31: In probably the most surprising turn of the season, Mike Fisher is set to come out of retirement and sign with the Nashville Predators for the remainder of the season.

Mike FisherFisher hung up his skates in August after deliberating for much of the offseason, calling it the “hardest decision” he’d ever had to make. The 37-year old center captained the Predators all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals last season, after a successful regular season which saw him record 18 goals and 42 points. The Predators have brought in both Nick Bonino and Kyle Turris since then to try and fill out their center depth, and adding Fisher now will make them an impressive group.

Just recently, Predators’ GM David Poile admitted to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic that he would like to make an addition up front, though a big splash didn’t seem likely. With Fisher back in the fold, the Nashville forward group can be matched up with anyone in the league, at least when healthy.

There is no exact timeline yet on when Fisher will be ready for game action, but his contract must be signed and added to the roster before the February 26th deadline in order to be eligible for the playoffs. Depending on how well he’s kept himself in shape since retiring, it could be even sooner than that. No financial details have been released yet, but the contract is expected to only be for the rest of 2017-18.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Edmonton’s Letestu Traded To Nashville, Then Flipped To Columbus

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The Nashville Predators traded winger Pontus Aberg to the Edmonton Oilers for center Mark Letestu and then immediately flipped Letestu to the Columbus Blue Jackets for a 2018 fourth-round pick, according to Pierre LeBrun.

Letestu return to Columbus where he played for four years before signing with the Oilers in 2015. The bottom-six center fills a depth need at center as Columbus has struggled at the position with injuries, but also as a special teamer. He is an excellent penalty killer. In 60 games this season, the 33-year-old Letestu has eight goals and 11 assists and a minus-17 plus/minus ratio. He had a big year last year when he scored 16 goals for the playoff-bound Oilers.

The Oilers added a young scoring forward Aberg, who has had trouble breaking into the Predators’ lineup. The former second-round pick in the 2012 draft has been in and out of the lineup, often as a healthy scratch and has appeared in just 37 games with just two goals and six assists to show for it. He did make a name for himself during the Predators playoff run last year when he had to fill in due to injuries and scored two goals and three assists in 16 games.

For Nashville, the move is essentially a roster dump as the team is likely trying to clear a roster spot to eventually add 2017 first-rounder Eeli Tolvanen when his season is over when his KHL team has been eliminated from the playoffs. The Predators are also likely to bring in veteran Mike Fisher back as well, so roster space was needed.

Morning Notes: Hurricanes, Predators, Strome

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The Carolina Hurricanes were one of the few NHL teams in action yesterday, but weren’t able to put up much of a fight against the San Jose Sharks, losing 3-1. After the game, head coach Bill Peters had a lot to say about the effort of his team, and Luke DeCock of the News & Observer encapsulated the comments in a scathing review of the club.

Whether Peters’ angry exclamation that the Hurricanes “can’t put that group out again after that” will actually spark some movement from GM Ron Francis is unclear, but the team certainly isn’t satisfied with how they’ve played. Carolina has lost two in a row but still find themselves only one point out of a wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference. If there was ever a time to push some chips to the middle and try for a playoff push, now might be it.

  • The Nashville Predators are one of the deepest teams in the NHL, and will only improve in that regard when Mike Fisher returns to the lineup at some point over the next few weeks. Still, that isn’t stopping GM David Poile from looking around for another forward. Adam Vingan of the Tennessean reports that Poile could still go after a top-six winger, and points out that the Predators have a ton of cap room to fit in even the most expensive players.
  • Though his short NHL stints haven’t gone perfectly, Dylan Strome continues to impress in the minor leagues. The 20-year old Arizona Coyotes forward is leading the league in points-per-game with 41 in 32 games, and will look to continue that dominance tonight against the San Jose Barracuda. Strome, the third-overall pick from 2015, has just two points in 18 NHL contests but is still a big part of the Coyotes future plans. If Max Domi truly is on the block in the desert, Arizona will need Strome to take the next step before long and help fill some of the offensive burden that Domi has struggled with at times this season.

Predators Pick Up AHL’s McNeill In Trade With Stars

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The Nashville Predators keep finding themselves in the news. After announcing that former captain Mike Fisher was coming out of retirement and would sign in the coming weeks with the team, the Predators have now acquired another center via trade, albeit a minor one, as they have traded minor league defenseman Andrew O’Brien to the Dallas Stars in exchange for center Mark McNeill, according to the Dallas Stars.

Obviously added as a depth forward for the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, McNeill was once considered a top prospect of the Chicago Blackhawks after being drafted in the first round of the 2011 draft. Considered a strong possibility to make the proud franchise immediately after he was drafted, he didn’t make the team and found himself languishing in the AHL for years, never getting an opportunity to show what he could do in the NHL. He only played one game with Chicago before the Blackhawks moved him at the trade last year to Dallas in exchange for defenseman Johnny Oduya. He did make one appearance last year in Dallas, but spent most of the last year and all of this year with the Texas Stars. He is considered to have shooting ability, solid speed and good defensive skills, but has always struggled with consistency. He has played in 312 games in his AHL career so far. This year, the 24-year-old has played just 18 for the Texas Stars and has five goals and an assist.

As for O’Brien, the 24-year-old defenseman has also played many years in the AHL, never having been promoted to the NHL. The blueliner has played 188 career AHL games, but in just 21 games this season. He has put up three assists and 27 penalty minutes with the Milwaukee Admirals. He will report to the Texas Stars.

Mike Fisher Retires From NHL

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It was either play for Nashville for one more season or call it quits, and Mike Fisher has decided on the latter. The free agent forward announced his retirement today, penning a letter to the fans of the Nashville Predators, thanking them for everything they’ve turned that city into over the past few years.

Mike FisherThis is the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make, but I know I’ve made the right one. I’ve decided to retire from the NHL.

A thank you here isn’t enough to say goodbye with, but all those memories, like the moments in the locker room before Game 6, cherishing those is what I hope will keep me, this team and the city intertwined forever.

Fisher has spent parts of seven seasons with the Predators, captaining them all the way to the Stanley Cup final last year in what was a resurgent offensive season. On a team that lacked center depth throughout the year, Fisher recorded 18 goals and 42 points while playing the same hard-nosed defensive game he’s been known for his whole career.

Drafted in the second round by the Ottawa Senators in 1998, Fisher will end his career after 1,088 games and 585 points, the model third-line center. His steady presence and high effort level made him into a fan favorite in both Ottawa and Nashville, while his community involvement will keep him attached to both cities for a long time.

In Ottawa, Fisher was chair of Roger’s House, a children’s palliative care center—a role that was taken over by Chris Neil and his wife upon Fisher’s departure—while in Nashville he was involved in several charities like Room In The Inn, a homeless shelter and the Vanderbilt children’s hospital. In 2012 he was awarded the NHL Foundation Award for his charitable work, even releasing a children’s book of which all the profits were donated.

On the ice, he was a huge part of both franchises. Fisher will go down in the top-15 for both franchises in games played, while ranking sixth all-time in goals for the Senators and fourth for the Predators.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Fisher, Team Canada, Larkin

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Mike Fisher is still considering a return to Nashville next season, and GM David Poile told Adam Vignan of the Tennessean that they’ll know more next week. Fisher has been open about his pending decision between playing one more season for Nashville or retiring, and it seems the team would be happy to have him. After scoring 18 goals and 42 points he would likely be returning in a lesser role now that the club has brought in Nick Bonino to solidify their center depth.

With Ryan Johansen and Calle Jarnkrok returning, the position could quickly turn from a weakness into a considerable strength for the Stanley Cup finalists, with Fisher grading out as one of the best fourth line players in the league. He should come back at a reasonable price, but the Predators still have to get Johansen under contract and make sure they don’t put themselves in too tight a position heading into the season.

  • Team Canada has announced their management and coaching staff for the upcoming Olympic preparation, naming Sean Burke and Martin Brodeur as general manager and “management group member” respectively. The coaching staff will be led by former Vancouver Canucks’ head coach Willie Desjardins along with Dave King, Scott Walker and Craig Woodcroft. Interestingly, the team will play in at least seven tournaments prior to the Olympics, in a sort of season that national programs used to do before NHL participation in the Winter Games. Players on AHL contracts will be considered for the team, along with those playing overseas or in the college and junior ranks.
  • There was a new Larkin in town for the Detroit Red Wings’ development camp, and as Dana Wakiji of NHL.com writes he’ll try to make a return visit in the future. Adam Larkin, the cousin of Red Wings’ star Dylan Larkin, will be a senior at Yale this season and has steadily improved his game since going undrafted out of the USHL. He’ll work even harder this year to try and impress Red Wings scouts and those from other organizations that he’s deserved of a professional contract next spring when he becomes a free agent. Detroit would surely have the inside track, but Larkin will need a big senior season to show that he is ready for the next level.

Free Agent Profile: Mike Fisher

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Mike Fisher is coming off a rebound season and has a proven track record of being a strong middle six center.  Despite that, he remains unsigned so far in free agency although his case is a fair bit different than many of the others still on the open market.

May 31, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Nashville Predators center Mike Fisher (12) skates with the puck against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the third period in game two of the 2017 Stanley Cup Final at PPG PAINTS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY SportsThe long-time Nashville forward struggled considerably in 2015-16 which, coupled with his age, led to some speculation that 2016-17 could be his final year.  Instead, he slotted in nicely on their second line for most of the year, picking up his highest point total in three seasons along the way.  That production did change in the playoffs though as he was unable to score in 20 games although he was dealing with an undisclosed injury for at least part of the postseason.

Even if his offensive numbers were to decline from the 42 points he put up, Fisher easily still has another couple of years in him as a third line pivot who is consistently above average at the faceoff dot.  However, at 37 years of age, he hasn’t decided whether or not to play yet in 2017-18 and if he’d be willing to change teams if need be.  At this point, that’s the hold up instead of there simply being less of a market than anticipated.

Potential Suitors

The obvious one here is Nashville.  He has significant ties to the market and while the team hedged against him leaving by signing Nick Bonino from Pittsburgh, he’d still safely slide in on their third line while continuing to fill a big leadership role as well.  Cap space shouldn’t really come into play here as the Preds have nearly $19MM in room with only Ryan Johansen, Viktor Arvidsson, and Austin Watson still to re-sign.

If he were to hit the open market and consider going elsewhere, he would be a strong fit for Pittsburgh’s present third line vacancy.  Fisher would capable of moving up in a pinch if injuries strike but would provide some strong two-way play in their bottom six.  The Canadiens are in dire need of help down the middle and currently have the cap room to make a significant offer if money would play a big factor.  The Rangers haven’t exactly replaced Derek Stepan (traded to Arizona) yet either and while Fisher wouldn’t be expected to take on that top line role, he would still represent an upgrade over some of the other centers they have in the organization.

Projected Contract

Fisher ranked 18th in our Top 50 Free Agent Rankings and we projected a one-year, $3MM contract for him.  Assuming he decides to return for 2017-18 instead of hanging up his skates, a deal around that amount is still fairly likely at this point.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Top Ten Remaining UFAs

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Before NHL free agency opened up this summer, PHR published a list of the top-50 NHL UFAs. Two weeks into the offseason and the majority have signed deals—leaving 18 out of 50 still looking for a new NHL contract.  Below are the top ten players still on the market:

[initial writeups credited to PHR’s Gavin Lee]

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