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Atlantic Notes: Reinhart, Bjork, Jensen

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While a short-term bridge contract had been viewed as the best option for the Sabres when it comes to RFA forward Sam Reinhart, that may no longer be the case as Jared Clinton of The Hockey News suggests.  The 2014 second overall selection put up a career-best 50 points last season but 37 of those came in the final 38 games of the season.  If the team believes his strong second half is a sign of things to come, it’s may be in their best interest to try to save a bit more by committing long-term compared to doing so in a few years even if it’s the riskier way to go.  However, there’s a good chance that Reinhart’s representatives may point to the deal Dylan Larkin received from the Red Wings (five years, $30.5MM) as a potential comparable which may be more than what Buffalo is willing to pay.  Reinhart is one of the top unsigned RFAs remaining and his could be a case that takes a little while yet to settle.

More from the Atlantic:

  • Bruins winger Anders Bjork is ahead of schedule in his recovery from shoulder surgery, notes Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe. While he wasn’t expected to be fully recovered until the end of the month, Bjork has been training with full range of motion for the last several weeks and will be suiting up in Boston’s entry in a rookie tournament early next month.  With Rick Nash not re-signing with the team, there once again is an opening in the top-six up front and Bjork is expected to be among those battling for that spot in training camp.
  • Depending on how some youngsters fare in training camp, Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News believes that defenseman Nick Jensen could be a potential trade candidate around the start of the season. The 27-year-old played a regular role last season for the first time in his career and played relatively well, collecting 15 assists while logging over 16 minutes per night.  He has one year remaining on his contract with a cap hit just over $812K which is certainly affordable for a depth defender while the fact he shoots right would also endear him to some teams as players shooting on that side aren’t in high supply.

Detroit Red Wings Actively Shopping Xavier Ouellet

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In Craig Custance’ latest piece for The Athletic (subscription required), he lists through 20 names that could be moved this summer. Number 19, Nick Jensen of the Detroit Red Wings, comes with an interesting first paragraph:

The Red Wings are actively shopping defenseman Xavier Ouellet, who has one year remaining on a contract worth $1.25 million. “He wants a fresh start,” Red Wings GM Ken Holland said last week at the draft combine. That’s not necessarily an easy assignment since Ouellet had trouble cracking the lineup on a Detroit team that wasn’t particularly good.

Though Jensen is the target of the blurb, Ouellet sticks out as an interesting note as we get closer to draft day. The 24-year old defenseman has been underwhelming through his 141-game NHL career, but still could posses enough upside for a team to take a chance on him. The fact that the Red Wings are trying to move him doesn’t come as much of a surprise, as they currently project to have a bit of a logjam on defense next season if everyone comes back healthy.

Ouellet, selected 48th-overall in 2011, still hasn’t found a full-time role for the Red Wings. In 45 games this season he recorded just seven points, averaging fewer than 14 minutes a night. With the sheltered role—or perhaps in spite of it—Ouellet actually did put up reasonably good possession statistics and could be seen as an underutilized asset to another team. The league is getting a first-hand look at what underwhelming players can do in the right situation, with several of the Vegas defenders and Michal Kempny who is starring for the Washington Capitals after believing he was on his way out of the NHL just a few months ago.

Still, it’s hard to see the Red Wings bringing back anything of real value for Ouellet. Though a $1.25MM contract isn’t outlandish, it also might be a little too much for a team to risk when they don’t exactly know what kind of contribution they’ll get. That’s not to say there won’t be any takers, but to expect much of a return seems foolish at this point.

U.S. Announces 2018 Men’s National Roster

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USA Hockey announced their initial 2018 national roster for the upcoming 2018 IIHF Men’s World Championships on May 4-20 in Copenhagen and Herning, Denmark, headlined by Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane.

Kane, who announced he’d play this summer after his Blackhawks season ended with no trip to the playoffs, represented the U.S. twice in both the 2010 and 2014 Olympic Games, leading the U.S. to a silver medal in 2010, was named the captain of this team back on April 9. He will be joined by four others with World Championship experience, including Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin, New York Islanders forward Anders Lee, Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy and the Calgary Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau.

The one interesting roster note is the addition of 18-year-old Quinn Hughes, who is considered to be a likely top-10 pick in the upcoming NHL draft. The full roster can be found below:

G Scott Darling
G Keith Kincaid
G Charlie Lindgren

D Will Butcher
D Quinn Hughes
D Nick Jensen
D Alec Martinez
D Connor Murphy
D Jordan Oesterle
D Neal Pionk

F Cam Atkinson
F Blake Coleman
F Alex DeBrincat
F Johnny Gaudreau
F Brian Gibbons
F Patrick Kane
F Chris Kreider
F Dylan Larkin
F Anders Lee
F Sonny Milano
F Derek Ryan
F Tage Thompson
F Colin White

 

Trade Rumors Swirl Around Toronto

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It wasn’t long ago that the Toronto Maple Leafs were one of the worst franchises in the NHL, making the playoffs once in just eleven seasons and suffering an epic collapse in that one postseason appearance. Therefore, it was fittingly a surprising and exciting story line when the young 2016-17 Maple Leafs made the playoffs and even gave the President’s Trophy-winning Washington Capitals a run for their money in the conference quarterfinals. Toronto had finally turned it around.

This season however, expectations have changed. In an especially weak Atlantic Division, the Leafs have, for all intents and purposes, already locked up the third Atlantic playoff spot and are simply looking to strengthen their roster for what seems to be a collision course with the Boston Bruins in the first round, a rematch of their 2013 blunder. While much of that preparation will simply be maintaining a healthy roster and polishing their play through the rest of the regular season, there is also much anticipation that further additions to the team are in order to give the team a shot at the Stanley Cup this spring.

Trade speculation is natural for contenders, but it isn’t always rational. There has already been a notion among many sources that impending unrestricted free agents James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak, and Leo Komarov will be used as the team’s own “rentals” and that the Leafs could be unlikely to add a forward. There’s also the fact that Toronto has next to no cap space to make a typical picks/prospects-for-player rental deal. Yet, fans are still eager to grasp at any rumors of the Leafs adding a big-time defenseman or another depth piece up front.

Case in point: Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reported earlier today that rookie defenseman Travis Dermott’s number was suddenly changed from #3 to #23 without his approval. The reaction from Toronto fans was overwhelmingly that the team was set to acquire a veteran player with the #3. Even SB Nation’s Maple Leafs blog Pension Plan Puppets was quick to post a somewhat laughable list of potential former Leafs whose #3 could be saved for retirement alongside a more serious list of current #3’s throughout the league who could be future Leafs. The vast majority of that list are defenseman, which lends some credence to the theory, but many – Seth Jones, John Klingberg, Brayden McNabb, Tucker Poolman – are likely untouchable and others – Kevin Bieksa, Chris Bigras, Nick Jensen – are likely of no interest to Toronto. Could the Pittsburgh Penguins really be ready to move on from Olli Maatta? Would the Leafs really be willing to take on the Keith Yandle contract or the risk of uber-physical Radko Gudas? Or was the number change simply due to some other decision that carries far less weight than Toronto fans would like it to?

Only time will tell what moves the Maple Leafs make prior to the Trade Deadline, but the expectations are not going away any time soon. Toronto’s Stanley Cup window has only just opened, but the hockey-crazed city is ready for their first title since 1967 and fans will be eager to see the club add additional pieces to strengthen the roster. The Leafs will continue to be a team to watch through the next month and a half, but that doesn’t mean every little piece of information on the rumor mill is worth taking seriously.

Expansion Primer: Detroit Red Wings

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We’re continuing to break down each team’s situation as it pertains to the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, coming up next week: which players are eligible, and which will likely warrant protection or may be on the block. Each team is required to submit their protection lists by 4pm CDT on June 17th. The full rules on eligibility can be found here, and CapFriendly has provided a handy expansion tool to make your own lists.

Missing the playoffs for only the first time in 25 years, the Detroit Red Wings plan on rebuilding but still keeping the playoffs in their sights. Detroit is in an interesting situation as they hold a slew of draft picks, and a number of contracts they could expose, giving some relief if one is taken.

Eligible Players (Non-UFA)

Forwards:

Henrik Zetterberg, Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Tatar (RFA), Justin Abdelkader, Darren Helm, Riley Sheahan, Luke Glendening, Anthony Mantha, Andreas Athanasiou (RFA), Frans Nielsen (NMC),

Defensemen:

Mike Green, Jonathan Ericsson, Danny DeKeyser, Niklas Kronwall, Nick Jensen, Xavier Ouellet (RFA).

Goaltender:

Jimmy Howard, Petr Mrazek, Jared Coreau

Notable Exemptions

Dylan Larkin, Johan Franzen.

Key Decisions

One of the chief reasons the Red Wings have lost their footing as a contender is not only a lack of high draft picks, but some disastrous decisions when it came to handing out contracts. Though I have written about this before, it bears repeating that under general manager Ken Holland, the Red Wings will always be loyal and choose to, as Holland always says, “draft and develop” before looking elsewhere for help. This is a key point to keep in mind as decisions are to be made. One of the biggest knocks on Holland is that he falls in love with his players–especially those he drafted.

One of the simplest ways Detroit could get salary cap room would be by protecting those who are absolutely necessary and allowing several high priced players to be exposed. Holland stipulated that he will be going with the 7-3-1 format when it comes to keeping players, and that will allow for some higher priced players to be exposed. Additionally, Holland has made it clear he will not part with draft picks in order to move contracts. Options, then, are aplenty.

Henrik Zetterberg will be protected because of his role as captain, and the all but guaranteed moment of his number hanging from the rafters. Barring some sort of crazy change, Zetterberg will be protected.

Feb 12, 2017; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Detroit Red Wings forward Riley Sheahan (15) during a game between the Minnesota Wild and Detroit Red Wings at Xcel Energy Center. The Wild defeated the Red Wings 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Riley Sheahan is a curious case. Sheahan struggled mightily, scoring two goals all season, both coming in the final game of the year. Still young and only a $2M cap hit, he could be snapped up. Sheahan has to be due for a bounce back, and with a hodgepodge of new talent and a fresh start in Vegas, it could be a boon for him professionally.  It’s a risk the Wings have to look at, being that the bounce back could also occur in Hockeytown.

Abdelkader is also an interesting case. He is owed a lot of money ($4.25MM AAV) through 2023, and hasn’t produced to justify the expense. But this is where Holland’s loyalty comes in. It’s highly unlikely Vegas would take him at that hit for the next six years while the Red Wings are believed to be grooming Abdelkader as the next captain of the team. Expect Abdelkader to be on the protected list. But rolling the dice and putting Abdelkader out there would not only allow them to hold onto a cheaper player who seems prone for a bounce back, but also provides the chance of getting significant cap relief should Abdelkader be selected.

Darren Helm and Luke Glendening at this point are role players who both hold higher cap hits ($3.85MM and $1.8MM respectively). Helm has traditionally been a third line center while Glendening spends the majority of his time on the fourth. They should both be exposed.

Finally, a quirk in CBA wording made Anthony Mantha eligible for the expansion draft. Holland will have no choice but to include him on the list. Detroit blog Winging It In Motown did a great job of breaking down the verbiage in the CBA that makes Mantha eligible.

Projected Protection List

F – Henrik Zetterberg
F – Anthony Mantha
F – Andreas Athanasiou
F – Frans Nielsen (NMC)
F – Justin Abdelkader
F – Tomas Tatar
F – Gustav Nyquist

D – Mike Green
D – Xavier Ouellet
D – Danny DeKeyser

G – Petr Mrazek

The goalie situation is another precarious case for the Wings, as Mrazek, who was anointed the starter last year, struggled to gain form and saw Howard take over the top spot until injury caught up with him. Coreau just backstopped the Grand Rapids Griffins to a Calder Cup trophy and comes very cheap as  an NHL backup, especially with little NHL experience to his name. The choice here would have to be Mrazek, as Howard has only a couple years left and can rarely stay healthy enough to maintain a #1 job. Youth and Mrazek’s potential are reasons to protect him. The Czech netminder has flashes of brilliance and should Detroit restock with a stalwart defense and supportive scoring, it’s not out of the question that Mrazek could be one of the best in the league.

Oct 30, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Red Wings goalie Petr Mrazek (34) is pulled out and replaced by goalie Jimmy Howard (35) during the second period against Florida Panthers at Joe Louis Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

On defense, the Wings will protect both Green and DeKeyser, the latter who they re-signed to a large deal that was panned by many, especially after DeKeyser sputtered last season. Still relatively young at 27, the Wings are trying to find a #1 or 2 defenseman that would ease the pressure on DeKeyser. The real question comes in at who to protect after that. The loyalty piece of Holland could put Kronwall on the list of protected because of his time in Detroit. The 36-year-old defenseman has been lauded for his leadership abilities as well. But that leaves a number of young talent exposed, namely Ouellet, and Jensen. The better bet is that Kronwall will be exposed, and the Wings will protect Ouellet over Jensen. Their numbers were similar this season, but Ouellet, just about three years younger than Jensen, seems the smarter choice to place on the protected list. It is highly unlikely that Kronwall will be taken, being that he experienced a major dip in play last season due to a nagging knee injury. His mobility and skating ability isn’t close to what it once was.

The takeaway with the Red Wings is that they are truly a team in transition. Their building blocks for nearly a decade are aging, they have question marks in net, and defensively, there is no clear cut number one or number two defensemen.  While they don’t have a lot to lose in terms of talent, Holland will most likely defer to youth rather than loyalty when making his final choices.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Deadline Notes: Rangers, Red Wings, Coyotes

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The New York Rangers missed out on Kevin Shattenkirk last night when he went to their division rival—and opponent tonight—the Washington Capitals. The team has been rumored to be after a right handed defenseman and may be in even more dire straits as Dan Girardi is out tonight following an ankle injury. Dan Rosen of NHL.com reports that with him out and Kevin Klein still dealing with a back injury, the Rangers are down to just five healthy defensemen with the team. They’ll bring up Steve Kampfer for tonight’s game, but may need a more permanent solution.

While the Rangers may not have acquired Shattenkirk, they have been linked to Brendan Smith of the Detroit Red Wings and could look within their division for a player like Kyle Quincey. Though neither bring the level of play the new Capitals’ defenseman does, both could help provide depth as they get healthy.

  • Bob McKenzie of TSN mentioned Smith today on Twitter, saying that it is decision day for the Red Wings. If they do want to extend him, McKenzie believes it would take at least three years at $3.5MM. The Wings recently extended Nick Jensen for two more seasons and have said they want to do the same with Smith. If they can’t get it done today though, they should seriously consider moving him and trying to bring him back in the summer. That team needs as many assets as possible going forward, and with the defense market getting pretty thin, they might do quite well.
  • Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports writes that though Shane Doan is still available, he is unlikely to move before the deadline. According to Morgan, teams only view him as a 13th or 14th forward, instead of the capable winger he still believes himself to be. While obviously anything can change in the next 28 hours, perhaps he will finish his career with the franchise (but not team) that drafted him.
  • McKenzie also mentions that the Tampa Bay Lightning have likely approached Valtteri Filppula and asked to waive his no-trade clause. Filppula poses a real problem for the Lightning both with their cap crunch and expansion draft plans.

Snapshots: Quincey, Duchene, Smith

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Kyle Quincey has been removed from the lineup for the New Jersey Devils tonight against the Montreal Canadiens and though a deal is not imminent it is likely before Wednesday’s trade deadline. The team is keeping him in the press box to make sure he doesn’t suffer an injury as they are now firmly in the selling position. Deb Kaufman Placey of MSG Network reports that Quincey came to the arena today expecting to play, but was told by GM Ray Shero what was in store for him.

Quincey was signed for just $1.25MM this summer after the Detroit Red Wings let him walk in free agency. Once thought of as an integral part of the blueline in Detroit, his effectiveness was questioned over the past few years and it was ultimately decided to not re-sign him. In New Jersey, he’s put in a quietly effective season as one of the only players on the team with a positive plus/minus and improving possession numbers. He spoke to the media about the last time he was dealt at the deadline, in 2012 back to the team that drafted him. He’ll likely add to the Devils’ growing collection of draft picks in the next couple of days.

  • Matt Duchene isn’t worried about what the trade deadline has in store for him, but will definitely be glad to see it pass. Terry Frei of the Denver Post caught up to Duchene after practice this morning where the young forward told him he’s “just focusing on getting to Philly tonight and preparing for the game tomorrow.” Unfortunately for Duchene his name will undoubtedly come back up as soon as the season ends if he isn’t traded by Wednesday’s deadline, as the team clearly seems to want to move on from their current core. The Avalanche are still in dead last in the league with only 37 points and will have the best chance to select one of Nolan Patrick or Nico Hischier to replace the star centerman should he make his exit in the next few months.
  • As written today after the Detroit Red Wings signed defenseman Nick Jensen to a two-year extension, the team has now turned to a possible extension for Brendan Smith. Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News reports that Smith’s agent is in active negotiations with the Red Wings and has hopes for a deal being signed soon. Smith is earning $2.75MM this year and is an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.

Detroit Red Wings Sign Nick Jensen To Two-Year Extension

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The Detroit Red Wings locked up a player today instead of shipping him out, inking defenseman Nick Jensen to a two-year extension. Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports that the deal is worth a total of $1.625MM over the two seasons, split $800K/$825K. Nick Jensen

Jensen was selected by the Red Wings in the fifth round of the 2009 draft, and slowly worked his way through the system over the past few years. This season he has shown that his smooth skating and puck movement had developed enough to be a positive at the NHL level, and would have become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. The 26-year old will now provide a cheap option for the team on the back end as they try to do a quick rebuild.

Though he will also likely fulfill the expansion draft requirement for defense, this seems more to be a deal locking up a home-grown soldier that has done everything asked of him over the years. Detroit has a long tradition of forcing players to make their mark in Grand Rapids before giving them a shot in the NHL, something that Jensen has done very well over the past two years. While he is by no means a star or shutdown defender, capable right handed shots aren’t the cheapest things to come by.

The team will likely now turn their attention to—if it wasn’t already—Brendan Smith and the possibility of trading him in the next couple of days. The pending UFA has been rumored to be sought after by a handful of teams including the New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs, though it’s not clear that any team has put forth an offer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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