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West Notes: Blues, Flames, Canucks

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The St. Louis Blues just narrowly missed out on making the playoffs this season, losing in regulation to the Colorado Avalanche in their regular season finale – the only result that could have eliminated them from the postseason picture. To add insult to injury, the Blues have also played the 2017-18 season without an AHL affiliate, leaving fans without the consolation prize of at least watching a team of St. Louis prospects make a playoff run. Nevertheless, the team has assigned goalie Ville Husso and defenseman Chris Butler to the San Antonio Rampage, the team with the majority of the Blues’ minor league prospects. Yet, the Rampage sit in last place in the extremely tight AHL Pacific Division with just three games remaining. Dejected Blues fans may have to follow Beau Bennett and Wade Megan with the Chicago Wolves or Jordan Binnington with the Providence Bruins if they want a horse in the race come AHL playoff time.

  • Calgary Flames GM Brad Treliving told the Canadian Press that his team has a “laundry list” of issues to sort out this off-season. After making the postseason last year and, as the article notes, adding Mike Smith and Travis Hamonic last summer, missing the playoffs this year can only be seen as a disappointment and Treliving is ready to make changes. At the top of that “laundry list” is deciding what to do with head coach Glen Gulutzan. Beyond that, one list item specifically mentioned by Treliving is figuring out how to fix the Flames’ tepid power play, which finished 29th in the league and only got worse as the season wore on. As Treliving puts it, “In a league where the margins are thin, it’s not surprising that the teams that are successful in (special teams) usually have successful years, so it was critical.”
  • One team that will be far less active this off-season are the Vancouver Canucks. Jeff Paterson of TSN gets the feeling that this could be one of the quietest Canuck off-seasons in years. President Trevor Linden spoke with the media today and stated that “Obviously on a day like this, we’re disappointed by not achieving all of our goals. At the same time, we’re encouraged as an organization with where we are moving forward. I think this group has an identity with its young players. That’s exciting” Paterson read this statement as saying that after back-to-back busy summers, the team is disappointed in its performance, but with a young core and plenty of depth in talented prospects, this is a team moving in the right direction. For that reason, Paterson hypothesizes that it could be a “wait and see”-type summer, writing “Outside of the National Hockey League draft lottery and the draft itself, don’t be the least bit surprised if you don’t hear a peep from the Vancouver Canucks until training camp.”

Minor Transactions: 3/11/18

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With a busy 11-game schedule Saturday, the NHL has a lighter schedule today with just four games. With all the injuries, many teams will look to make moves to shore up their roster for the upcoming week.

  • The Arizona Coyotes announced they have assigned defenseman Andrew Campbell to Tucson of the AHL. Strome, the Coyotes third-overall pick in the 2015 draft, has had trouble finding a role with the Coyotes so far as he has just one goal and no assists in 11 NHL games, but has been dominant with the Roadrunners. He has 22 goals and 27 assists in 44 games with Tucson. Campbell was recalled last Sunday as an emergency while defenseman Alex Goligoski was with his wife, waiting for the birth of their child. He did not appear in a game.  Center Dylan Strome was recalled on an emergency basis at the same time but later in the day, the team announced that that recall was cancelled.
  • The St. Louis Blues have announced they have assigned goaltender Ville Husso, forward Samuel Blais, and defenseman Chris Butler to the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL. Husso had been recalled on Thursday as an emergency replacement for goaltender Carter Hutton, who injured his neck, but Husso did not see any playing time. Butler was recalled Saturday as an emergency defenseman, but wasn’t needed. Blais, who has been out with a concussion, skated Thursday and might be ready to play with San Antonio. The 21-year-old has three points in 11 games with St. Louis.
  • The Buffalo Sabres announced they have assigned forwards Justin Bailey and Daniel O’Regan to the Rochester Americans of the AHL. Both players, who have been shuttled back and forth recently between the two teams, are likely being sent down with a four-game break coming up for the Sabres. Buffalo doesn’t play again until Thursday against Toronto. Bailey, the team’s second-round pick in 2013, scored a goal in Saturday’s game against Vegas, but only picked up 8:39 minutes of ice time. O’Regan, acquired in the Evander Kane trade at the trade deadline, has not picked up a point yet in two games with San Jose. The 24-year-old only got 10:19 of ice time Saturday.
  • As reported yesterday, the Colorado Avalanche officially assigned forward Vladislav Kamenev to the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL last night, according to CapFriendly. Kamenev, who came over to the Avalanche from Nashville in the Matt Duchene trade, broke his arm on his first game with Colorado. He is ready to get some playing time in San Antonio and could be recalled once he’s back in game shape.
  • As reported yesterday, the Calgary Flames officially announced they have activated goaltender Mike Smith and have assigned goaltender Jon Gillies to the Stockton Heat of the AHL. Smith has been out of the lineup since Feb. 11 with a groin injury and has been listed as day-to-day for weeks. However, he is expected to start today. The return is critical for Calgary who is fighting for a playoff spot. Smith, an all-star this year, has a 2.53 GAA, but more importantly, a .921 save percentage in 47 games for the Flames. The 24-year-old Gillies struggled in limited playing time for Calgary as he played in seven games, putting up a 2.78 GAA and a .904 save percentage.
  • The Colorado Avalanche announced they have recalled goaltender Spencer Martin from the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL to serve as an emergency backup after Jonathan Bernier was hit in the head with a puck during Saturday’s game. He had already missed several weeks due to concussion symptoms. Martin has had to fill in due to multiple injuries to both Bernier and Andrew Hammond. Martin hasn’t appeared in a game for Colorado, but has a 3.05 GAA and a .895 in 31 appearances with the Rampage.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled winger Valentin Zykov, per a team release.  He has yet to play with the ’Canes this season but has been productive at the AHL level with 30 goals in 57 games which leads their affiliate in Charlotte.

Snapshots: Olympics, Hurricanes, Smith

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Although the next Olympics are four years away, talk has already started regarding whether or not NHL players will be allowed to participate.  Speaking at the SXSW Interactive Conference (relayed by Jim Vertuno of the Associated Press), Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly acknowledged that owners may believe that “There may be more positives to participating in Beijing” compared to the most recent games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.  A decision on whether or not the league will pause their season to allow NHL participation is still a few years away and as a result, it will likely be a key discussion point whenever the next round of CBA negotiations get underway.

More from around the hockey world:

  • Yesterday, it was reported that the Hurricanes had asked for permission to interview Mike Futa for their now-vacant GM position. We can now add more names to the list that Carolina is interested in.  Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic and TSN reports (Twitter link) that the team has asked for permission to talk to Paul Fenton (Nashville) and Julien BriseBois (Tampa Bay) as well as reaching out to former Vancouver assistant GM Laurence Gilman.  TSN’s Darren Dreger adds (via Twitter) that they have also requested permission to interview Tom Fitzgerald (New Jersey).
  • The Flames should get goaltender Mike Smith back for tomorrow night against the Islanders, head coach told Sportsnet’s John Shannon (Twitter link). The veteran has been out of the lineup for the last month with a groin injury and a result, Calgary has been using rookies David Rittich and Jon Gillies between the pipes and despite their best efforts, they now find themselves on the outside looking in at the postseason.  If Smith is indeed activated off injured reserve, Gillies will likely be returned to Stockton of the AHL as he is currently with the team on an emergency recall.

Flames Notes: Smith, Goloubef, Mangiapane, Glass, Fox

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The Calgary Flames announced they have placed veteran goaltender Mike Smith on injured reserve today although general manager Brad Treliving says he remains day-to-day. The goaltender has missed six games with a groin injury.

“I’d love to give you clarity of which day that is. We don’t know yet,” said Treliving, according to Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson.

The team has been using the combination of David Rittich and Jon Gillies and may look to pick up another goaltender as the compete for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

  • Treliving also said that Stockton Heat defenseman Cody Goloubef will have his AHL contract upgraded to a two-way NHL deal, according to Sportsnet’s 960. The 28-year-old has 129 games of NHL experience and was recently on loan to the Canadian Olympic team. The defenseman just picked up two assists to help lead his team to a 6-4 victory over the Czech Republic to capture the bronze medal earlier. In 34 games for Stockton this year, he has seven goals and 10 assists.
  • The team also made several moves today, including recalling forwards Tanner Glass and Andrew Mangiapane, while assigning forward Ryan Lomberg to Stockton. The 34-year-old Glass has played seven games for Calgary this year. The veteran should provide some experience on the team’s fourth line. The 21-year-old Mangiapane has played nine games for Calgary, but has failed to score a point. Picked in the sixth round of the 2015 draft, Mangiapane has excelled at a young age in the AHL, having scored 39 goals in two years. The 23-year-old Lomberg had just one assist in seven games for Calgary, but has five goals and 84 penalty minutes with Stockton.
  • Treliving also mentioned, according to FlamesNation’s Ryan Pike, the team has 46 contracts (out of a possible 50) and are looking at possible college free agents to add as well as the possibility of trying to sign Harvard University defenseman Adam Fox, who the team drafted in the third round of the 2016 draft. Fox had a 40-point season as a freshman and currently has 21 points this season with The Crimson.

Trade Deadline Notes: Flames, Plekanec, Neal

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“Will GM Brad Treliving and the Calgary Flames ’pull a Hextall’?”, wonders the Calgary Sun’s Eric Francis with mere days left before the NHL Trade Deadline. Francis is referring to Philadelphia Flyers GM Ron Hextall, who recently acted quickly to acquire goaltender Petr Mrazek from the Detroit Red Wings when his top two goalies went down with long-term injuries. Treliving and the Flames are now in a similar position, with their one experienced keeper, Mike Smith, out with a groin injury and a return not imminent. Calgary is currently working with two rookie goalies, David Rittich and Jon Gillies, as they try to keep up in the Western Conference playoff race. If Treliving, like Hextall, feels that he owes his team a true starting-caliber goalie, he could hit the rental market for some help down the stretch. Options could include Buffalo’s Robin Lehner, an impending RFA and likely the top available target, Arizona’s Antti Raanta, if the Coyotes are willing to move him, a reunion with Chad Johnson, or even a lesser option albeit with more experience such as Michael Hutchinson or Andrew Hammond. However, as Francis points out after his conversation with Treliving, if the team continues to put forward lackluster performances in front of their young goalie tandem, perhaps paying the steep price to bring in an upgrade won’t be worth it. The situation is one worth monitoring as the deadline fast approaches.

  • One player expected to move before the deadline is career Canadien Tomas Plekanec. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that calls have been flooding in to Montreal GM Marc Bergevin, especially following the Derick Brassard news, inquiring into the cost of trading for the veteran center. Plekanec, 35, has seen his offense fall off dramatically over the past two seasons, but still plays a reliable two-way game and can still be an experienced asset for many teams. With the Canadiens far outside the playoff picture and Plekanec on an expiring contract, possibly headed for retirement, a deal will almost certainly be struck with an interested team. It seems the days are numbered on a relationship that began in 2003-04.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights placed James Neal on injured reserve today, per beat writer Steve Carp. While Neal is simply suffering from an illness right now, an undisclosed illness has also kept teammate Shea Theodore out of the lineup for more than a week. With forwards Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and William Carrier also on IR and an unclear picture of when Neal will return to action, one has to wonder if the Knights will take a longer look at the forward market before the deadline passes them by.

Snapshots: Leivo, Danault, Smith

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Not so long ago it was reported that Josh Leivo had requested a trade away from the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 24-year old forward has barely played over the last few seasons, spending more time in the press box than the bench. It was natural for him to want a fresh start somewhere, and a chance to prove he is a full-time NHL player.

This morning, speaking with reporters including Jonas Siegal of The Athletic, Maple Leafs’ GM Lou Lamoriello expressed that he never did receive a trade request from Leivo despite the widespread reports. When asked about the trade request earlier this month, Leivo’s agent wouldn’t confirm it but did say that the forward “simply needs to play regularly.”

  • Phillip Danault is back travelling with the Montreal Canadiens, and says the only symptom he suffered after taking a Zdeno Chara shot to the head was vertigo. Danault hasn’t played in nearly a month, but was actually having a nice season for the Canadiens with 23 points in 43 games. He could rejoin the lineup on Wednesday evening.
  • Eric Francis of Sportsnet reports that Calgary Flames goaltender Mike Smith’s injury may not be as bad as it looked, though no clarification past that is given. Smith had to be helped off the ice by the training staff and two teammates, just at the end of their game against the New York Islanders. Smith has been a huge part of the Flames season so far, and a long-term injury could be devastating to their playoff hopes.

Calgary Flames Face Long Wait At 2018 Draft

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When the Calgary Flames traded away their 2018 first and second round picks for Travis Hamonic, they thought they were adding one of the final pieces to a puzzle that was destined for the playoffs. The addition was coming right on the heels of another deal, one to finally get an All-Star level goaltender in Mike Smith. That trade had come just a week earlier, and had included a conditional draft pick of its own.

Now, as the Flames lost their sixth game in a row last night and find themselves looking up at several teams between them and the final playoff spot, they could be in for quite a long wait on draft day. As Ryan Pike of The Hockey Writers confirmed today, the third-round pick traded for Smith is actually a 2018 selection if Calgary misses the playoffs. It only transfers to 2019 (and moves up to the second round) if the team makes the playoffs this season. That means, that if the team misses out on the postseason tournament this spring they won’t have a selection until round four in June.

Sitting through three straight rounds isn’t fun in any draft, but especially not one where you have a chance at winning the draft lottery and moving up in round one. In the 2018 class, the first round is filled with some incredible talents at the top and should have interesting prospects throughout. It also could have some big names available as teams try to change their structures going forward, something Calgary won’t be able to take part in, unless to sacrifice even more futures down the road.

Obviously, making the playoffs is still a possibility. Nothing is set in stone, but the next few weeks should be telling for the club. After Saturday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks, the Flames will hit the road for a six-game trip through much of the east coast. If they don’t turn things around during it, they could be looking for a way to reclaim some draft picks at the deadline instead of adding for that postseason run they thought they were destined for.

Pacific Notes: Quick, McNabb, Oilers, Vanek

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Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick will not participate in the All-Star Game this weekend, Sportsnet’s John Shannon was first to report (Twitter link).  He’s dealing with a nagging injury and will take the time to rest.  Per league rules, Quick will be ineligible to dress for the first game after the break since he is still slated to dress as the backup for their game tonight against Calgary.  Shannon adds that Flames netminder Mike Smith is expected to be named to the All-Star Game as Quick’s replacement.

More notes from the Pacific Division:

  • Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury that was sustained in Tuesday’s game against Columbus, notes Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He’s expected to be out for their game on Thursday versus the Islanders.  Blueliner Jason Garrison has been recalled from AHL Chicago and is expected to play in his first NHL game since October 13th.
  • Even though they’ve already made a move to add a goaltender in Al Montoya, James O’Brien of NBC’s Pro Hockey Talk makes the case that the Oilers should look into adding another netminder. Cam Talbot has struggled considerably as of late and is only signed for one more year after this one, similar to Montoya.  If GM Peter Chiarelli has reservations about whether or not Talbot is the right fit for them for the long-term, they would be wise to look into someone who could take on more of the workload, especially since they will have expectations of trying to contend next season.
  • Although Canucks winger Thomas Vanek was only able to land a third-round pick (plus depth defender Dylan McIlrath) in a trade at the deadline last year, Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province suggests that Vancouver GM Jim Benning should be asking for a higher return one year later in the form of a second-round pick. Vanek has been a valuable veteran for the Canucks and sits second on the team in scoring with 35 points (14-21-35) in 48 games.  For comparison, Vanek had played in 48 games last season with Detroit before they moved him to Florida and in that span, the 34-year-old had collected 38 points (15-23-38).

Could Calgary Flames Make Pitch For Karlsson?

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The Calgary Flames seem to be producing in all facets of the game despite a shootout loss today as they still haven’t had a regulation loss in eight straight games. Their top lines are producing, their defense seems to be beginning to develop the chemistry that everyone had hoped and goaltender Mike Smith has been a great acquisition. With everything going right for Calgary, it seems like the team isn’t likely to be too active at the trade deadline this year.

Yet, Sportsnet’s Eric Francis writes that despite all that, he wonders if the Flames should consider looking for an even bigger prize. With the recent rumblings about the possible availability of Ottawa Senators star defenseman Erik Karlsson, Francis wonders if Calgary should go for it all and trade for him now. While on the surface, a deal might seem unlikely as the Flames are already loaded with a group of solid defenders and have few draft picks to trade (just two picks in the first three rounds over the next two years).

The scribe writes that finding a spot for Karlsson would be the least of the team’s problems. He would be a welcome addition no matter how good their defense of Mark Giordano, T.J. Brodie, Dougie Hamilton, Travis Hamonic and Michael Stone is. He would immediately help an average power play and could offer the team a multi-dimensional player. With some cap room to play with, Calgary could afford most of Karlsson’s contract ($6.5MM AAV) already, although that could end the team’s bid to re-sign Mikael Backlund during the offseason this year.

What could they offer? Quite a bit. While the team might lack draft picks after going out and acquiring Hamonic in the offseason, the team has a number of quality prospects, including Harvard University defenseman Adam Fox, considered to be one of the top college blueliners. They have two quality goaltending prospects in Jon Gillies and Tyler Parsons as well as defensive prospects like Rasmus Andersson and Oliver Kylington as pieces they can offer Ottawa.

Fox, who many believe may choose to stay at Harvard for four years and take the unrestricted free agency route to avoid Calgary’s already crowded blueline, might be the perfect trade chip while he still has value. Add in Andersson, Kylington and last year’s 2016 first-rounder in Juuso Valamaki and the team has quite a bit of defensive depth — perhaps too much.

Francis believes that the team might want to consider making a big move like acquiring a future Hall of Famer, who could take the Flames to another level as they start climbing up the Pacific Division and get ready for the playoffs. General manager Brad Treliving already once this year went out and acquired Hamonic as a big defensive addition. Why not one more?

Pacific Notes: Raanta, Perry, Carter, Couture, Marchessault

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Nothing went exactly the way that Arizona Coyotes goaltender Antti Raanta had hoped in the first half of the season. However, one thing the goaltender hopes is that he can prove to his team that he is a number one netminder, something he hasn’t accomplished so far this year, according to Arizona Sports Craig Morgan.

Acquired as part of a major package this offseason along with center Derek Stepan for defensive prospect Anthony DeAngelo and the seventh-overall pick in the 2017 draft (Lias Andersson), Raanta was supposed to make people forget about longtime veteran Mike Smith, who the team traded to Calgary in the offseason. Instead, Raanta has spent quite a bit of time on injured reserve with two lower-body ailments and a concussion and has only appeared in 21 games, posting a 2.82 GAA and a .915 save percentage.

“I’m waiting for him to get into a rhythm,” general manager John Chayka said Tuesday. “I don’t think you can evaluate him until he gets into a rhythm. There have been some games, Colorado is one (a 3-1 win on Dec. 27) where I thought he played exceptionally well. I’m hoping now is that time when he can get on a roll and solidify things for us in net.”

The 28-year-old netminder will be an unrestricted free-agent this summer and the team must decide over the next three and a half months whether Raanta is their goalie of the future and if he is worth locking up to a long-term deal.

  • Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register writes that Anaheim Ducks winger Corey Perry is set to return to the Ducks lineup tonight after missing 11 straight games with a knee injury. This will be the first time this year that Perry will get an opportunity to play with Ryan Kesler and Ryan Getzlaf. Kesler came back on Dec. 11, the same day that Perry went down, while Getzlaf hadn’t returned at that point. The three made one of the top lines in hockey in recent years. In 31 games before the injury, Perry has six goals and 16 assists.
  • While there is no timetable for his return, Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider writes that Los Angeles Kings veteran center Jeff Carter has been much more visible in the last week. He’s shed the Roll-A-Bout and crutches and is walking around without a boot. He has suffered no setbacks so far since he was injured on Oct. 18 and required ankle surgery. “Progression-wise and everything he’s doing right now shows he will be back this season,” Blake said.
  • Paul Gackle of The Mercury News writes that center Logan Couture has finally found his pre-concussion form after Friday’s three assist night against Ottawa. Couture, who had been leading the team in scoring before going down with a head injury on Dec. 15. The scribe writes that Couture, who has struggled in his first three games back after missing four games, looked like the old Couture Friday. “He’s coming off an injury where you never know how long it takes to feel good again,” head coach Peter DeBoer said. “He was obviously good again tonight.”
  • One fact about the six-year, $30MM contract that Vegas Golden Knights winger Jon Marchessault signed earlier this week is that it has a modified no-trade clause in it, tweets SinBin. Details on the specifics of the NTC, however, is unknown, according to CapFriendly.

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