Snapshots: Stars Injuries, Bruins, Islanders, MacDermid
The Stars will soon be getting some good news on the injury front. Head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters, including Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link) that winger Corey Perry is expected to make his season debut on Friday after breaking his foot when he slipped off a step back in mid-September. Meanwhile, winger Blake Comeau is out for another two-to-four weeks as he works his way back from a lower-body sustained in their first game of the season. They’re also close to getting blueliner Roman Polak back as well as Montgomery also gave him a two-to-four week timeline after suffering a fractured sternum in that same game.
Elsewhere around the league:
- Sportsnet’s Mark Spector relays (via Twitter) that he was once told that the Bruins would have interest in bringing center Colby Cave back if he was to be made available. Cave was put on waivers earlier today so now is their opportunity to get him. They are carrying a full 23-man roster at the moment though so a move would need to be made to bring Cave back. Karson Kuhlman is the only waiver-exempt forward among their 14 active forwards.
- The Islanders may once again be without a pair of veterans once again tonight. After missing Friday’s game, Newsday’s Andrew Gross reports that center Casey Cizikas is listed as doubtful for their upcoming game against Florida while defenseman Nick Leddy is questionable. Cizikas hasn’t been skating during the week due to an unspecified issue despite stating that everything is fine health-wise while Leddy is also dealing with an undisclosed issue.
- Kings defenseman Kurtis MacDermid is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, notes Lisa Dillman of The Athletic (Twitter link). The blueliner was injured on Tuesday against Calgary in his first game of the season. Los Angeles has been carrying eight defenders this season so they won’t need to bring anyone up while he’s out.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: New York Islanders
Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2019-20 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.
New York Islanders
Current Cap Hit: $74,746,666 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Oliver Wahlstrom (three years, $925K)
D Sebastian Aho (one year, $925K)
D Noah Dobson (three years, $894K)
F Mathew Barzal (one year, $863K)
Potential Bonuses:
Wahlstrom: $538K
Dobson: $538K
Barzal: $400K
Aho: $100K
Barzal will be an interesting case as the young center saw his numbers drop off after an amazing rookie campaign as the 22-year-old got more attention from top defenders without John Tavares to protect him. While his goals only dropped by four (18) last year, he saw his assist numbers slip from 63 to 44. However, many people feel that Barzal should take that next step and establish himself as top-line center. While the Islanders can only hope that this will happen, it could also prove to be costly for New York as Barzal will be wrapping up the final year of his entry-level contract and could be in line for a major deal as the youngster is likely keeping a close eye on all the unsigned restricted free-agents on the market currently.
The Islanders have quite a bit of talent in the system and several of their top picks from 2018 could be ready to contribute this season. Wahlstrom, the 11th-overall pick, played well in his one season at Boston College, but looked even more impressive in a short showcase with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL. He played five regular season games, scoring two goals, but added another two goals and four points in five playoff games. Dobson, the team’s 12th-overall pick last season, could be ready to take a key spot in the Islanders defense.
While the defense could add Dobson this season, another addition could be Toews who looks to be ready for an increased role with the Islanders. The 25-year-old put up 18 points in 48 games last season and looks ready to contribute.
One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level
G Thomas Greiss ($3.33MM, UFA)
F Matt Martin ($2.5MM, UFA)
D Ryan Pulock ($2MM, RFA)
F Derick Brassard ($1.2MM, UFA)
F Tom Kuhnhackl ($850K, UFA)
D Devon Toews ($700K, RFA)
While Robin Lehner received all the attention for his stellar play in goal, Islanders’ fans were just as pleased with the play of Greiss, who just a couple of years ago was considered to have an untradeable contract. However, no one is complaining after Greiss put up impressive numbers last year. The 33-year-old had a .927 save percentage and a 2.28 GAA in 43 appearances and should be a key piece for New York in his final year, although with several prospects getting closer to being NHL ready, this is likely to be his last year with the Islanders.
The 24-year-old Pulock continued to improve his game, especially offensively. He finished the season with nine goals and 37 assists, which is impressive considering the team’s offense dropped off quite a bit since the 2017-18 season as the defenseman continues to work on his defensive game. He could be prime for another big contract if he can take his game to another level.
Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello is a big believer in a veteran bottom-six and has done well with both Martin and Kuhnhackl as well as Brassard, who the team signed recently and could always get a new contract if they continue to perform well.
Two Years Remaining
F Casey Cizikas ($3.35MM, UFA)
D Adam Pelech ($1.6MM, UFA)
F Michael Dal Colle ($700K, RFA)
F Tanner Fritz ($700K, UFA)
The 28-year-old Cizikas had a breakout season last year. Not only did he finally break the double-digit barrier, he actually reached 20 goals. The hope is that Cizikas can repeat that success as he is expected to continue playing on the team’s impressive fourth line. The team also has hopes that Dal Colle can win a regular spot. The 23-year old got a 27 game trial, scoring three goals and seven points last season.
The defensive minded Pelech has been a solid player for the Islanders and is quite a bargain at $1.6MM. Perhaps the top left-handed defenseman, he has received solid minutes and should continue to get good minutes this season. The team
Three Years Remaining
D Johnny Boychuk ($6MM, UFA)
D Nick Leddy ($5.5MM, UFA)
F Cal Clutterbuck ($3.5MM, UFA)
F Leo Komarov ($3MM, UFA)
D Thomas Hickey ($2.5MM, UFA)
F Ross Johnston ($1MM, UFA)
At age 35, the team will be paying for Boychuk’s late years and there does seem to be a decline in his play as both his ATOI and his points dropped. On the positive, his 74 games played is the most he’s played since he was with the Bruins back in 2013-14. However, he saw his minutes drop by almost two per game and picked up just 19 points last season. That could mean a reduced role for the veteran this season as he could slide outside the top four and move into a bottom-pairing role. The 28-year-old Leddy, however, continues to play well as he broke the 20-minute mark for the fifth-straight season. His offense, however, took a hit as he only tallied 26 points after three straight 40-point seasons, but with a defense-first philosophy, that might not be surprising. The team also has high hopes that Hickey, who missed quite a bit of time due to an upper-body injury, will stay healthy this season. The two-way blueliner will be a key addition for the team, but he will have to earn his playing time, especially if Dobson makes the roster out of training camp.
With Cizikas and Martin, Clutterbuck gives the Islanders a physical and offensive fourth-line that is one of the best in the league and the 31-year-old has been putting up 200-plus hits 10 of the last 11 years and is expected to continue that success. Komarov also has put up big hits (203), giving the team quite a bit of physicality for the next few years.
Four Or More Years Remaining
F Anders Lee ($7MM through 2025-26)
F Brock Nelson ($6MM through 2024-25)
F Jordan Eberle ($5.5MM through 2023-24)
F Andrew Ladd ($5.5MM through 2022-23)
G Semyon Varlamov ($5MM through 2022-23)
F Josh Bailey ($5MM through 2023-24)
D Scott Mayfield ($1.45MM through 2022-23)
Lamoriello was busy this offseason, signing four of these long-term deals this summer. The team was hoping to steal Artemi Panarin from the New York Rangers at the last minute, but when that fell through, the team immediately locked up their captain to a seven-year deal. Lee posted solid numbers, scoring 28 goals and 51 points, while showing off a plus-20 rating on the ice. Nelson, who many believed was the most likely to bolt the Islanders, surprised many by signing a six-year deal at $6MM after career-high 53 points and netted four goals in eight playoff games last year. Eberle was another key signing as the team committed five years and $5.5MM per season to him despite a down year where he had just 37 points, one of the lowest numbers of his career. However, a strong playoff performance might have been enough to prove his worth after he tallied four goals and nine points in eight playoff games.
The team made a shocking move this offseason when they opted not to keep the fan-favorite Lehner and instead signed Russian goaltender Semyon Varlamov away from Colorado. One reason for that was because the team still hopes to convince top Russian goalie prospect Ilya Sorokin to come to the U.S., which might be easier with Lehner out of the way and a veteran countryman in place to ease him into the NHL. However, Varlamov has the potential to be quite successful with the Islanders’ defensive system. He has been quite successful over the years, but has had to deal with many injuries as well.
Bailey may be one of the better deals the teams has. The pass-first winger put up another solid season, putting up 16 goals and 56 points and added four goals in the playoffs and is a key player on the team’s top-six. On the other hand, Ladd may have the contract that looks the worst on the team. The 33-year-old veteran continues to deal with injury issues. This time, the veteran only appeared in 26 games, putting up just three goals for the team. He put up a 23-goal season back in the 2016-17 season, but the team rewarded him with a seven-year, $38.5MM deal, which so far looks like a disaster after he has scored just 15 goals in two seasons and isn’t likely to get the minutes he needs to make that deal look decent.
Buyouts
None
Retained Salary Transactions
None
Salary Cap Recapture
None
Still To Sign
This will be a key year for Beauvillier once he signs. A 2015 first-round pick, the 22-year-old winger struggled in a top-six role last year, putting up 18 goals and 10 assists and he must show that he can take his game to another level. He likely will command some kind of bridge deal to prove his value to the franchise as he hasn’t necessarily shown enough to warrant a long-term deal. However, if he can’t show that he belongs on the top-six, he could find himself falling to the third line soon.
Best Value: Bailey
Worst Value: Ladd
Looking Ahead
The Islanders put all their eggs in one basket this summer. Lamoriello had all the cap space he needed to shape the franchise any way he wanted, but in the end, he brought back almost all of his key unrestricted free agents and has committed to keep his team. The team broke all expectations last season as few expected the team to even make the playoffs, let alone sweep their first-round opponent. Regardless, the belief that under head coach Barry Trotz, the team will continue to get better and battle for a Stanley Cup for the next few years. The team has committed to its core and now have to hope that their farm system can continue to develop their young players and add to the Islanders team for the next few years.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Eastern Notes: Leddy, Ristolainen, Carcone, Shalagin
The New York Islanders have made quite a few moves this offseason, re-signing Anders Lee, Jordan Eberle and Brock Nelson as well as adding goaltender Semyon Varlamov to their franchise, but the team may not be done yet.
Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post mentions that the team may seriously consider trading defenseman Nick Leddy later this offseason. The 28-year-old Leddy has three years on his contract at $5.5MM per season and with several teams in need of help for a top-four blueliner, the team might be willing to unload him if they can add more offensive talent, especially with prospects Noah Dobson and Bode Wilde not far from arriving in New York.
- In a roundtable discussion on what the chances are that the Tampa Bay Lightning might acquire Buffalo defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, The Athletic’s Joe Smith (subscription required) writes that while the Lightning has had interest in him in the past, the only way the team would be interested in acquiring him now would be if it were an upgrade and with no obvious trade candidates on their defense, a deal between Buffalo and Tampa Bay seems unlikely. Throw in the fact the team still has to sign restricted free agent Brayden Point to and the chances of acquiring Risolainen seems unlikely.
- There were many moving parts two week ago when the Ottawa Senators acquired Nikita Zaitsev from the Toronto Maple Leafs for Cody Ceci. The Senators acquired forward Connor Brown, but also picked up forward Michael Carcone as part of the deal, a 23-year-old restricted free agent who has battled his way through three AHL seasons and might be ready for a bottom-line role with the Senators now that the team acquired him. The Athletic’s Chris Stevenson reports that he hears that the Senators and Carcone are close to a new deal and could be a name to watch at training camp this fall. The Vancouver Canucks were received quite a bit of interest from Carcone at the trade deadline by both Toronto and Ottawa. He ended up going to Toronto in the Josh Leivo trade, but has since been traded again.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning look to be bringing one of their 2019 draftees over to North America sooner than they had expected as a Russian website, spartak.ru (translation required), reports that Mikhail Shalagin, the team’s 2019 seventh-round pick, is expected to play in the Tampa Bay’s system, presumably with the Syracuse Crunch in the AHL, although nothing has come from the Lightning yet and it’s unknown whether the team will offer him an entry-level deal right away or offer him an AHL deal. The 6-foot-4, 185-pound forward scored 48 goals in the MHL and was the MVP of the league last year.
Panthers, Islanders Expected To Be Active This Off-Season
With the New York Islanders sitting in second place in the Metropolitan Division and the Florida Panthers not yet out of postseason contention, eight points back of the final wild card slot with a game in hand, fans are not yet looking toward next season with plenty of meaningful games left this season. Yet, the two Eastern Conference teams are expected by many to be some of the most active players in the upcoming off-season. The Islanders could have more cap space entering the summer than just about any other team, while the Panthers have not won a playoff series since 1996 and are desperate to take a step forward. Both teams have needs and could look to fill them in explosive fashion this off-season.
Things have gone as well as they possibly could have this season for the Islanders. Despite losing John Tavares and entering the year with an unproven goalie tandem, the team is not only playoff-bound, but also the league leader in goals against average. Robin Lehner and Thomas Greiss have been stellar in net, the team’s young defensemen have taken a major step forward under new head coach Barry Trotz, and the offense has picked up the seemingly insurmountable slack that Tavares left behind. Yet, much of their success could be undone by free agency, which would leave the team in need of making several big additions. Lehner is an impending free agent and the Isles must decide whether or not to commit to the young reclamation project or else seek a long-term replacement, with 33-year-old Greiss only signed for one more year. Yet, the net is not even the greatest of their concerns. Captain Anders Lee and fellow top forwards Brock Nelson and Jordan Eberle are approaching free agency without new contracts. After losing Tavares last summer, it seems almost impossible that New York could also let Lee slip away. But can the same be said for Nelson and Eberle, who are also top-five scoring forwards for the Isles. The team may be in a position where they need to add considerable talent up front, as well as replenish depth.
Currently projected to have the fourth-most cap space of any team this summer, the Islanders could hypothetically re-sign Lehner and their trio of forwards without issue or else find free agents on the market. However, if spending power is not enough to bring in top free agents – like say Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky – GM Lou Lamoriello could explore the trade market. The Athletic’s Arthur Staple writes that the Islanders’ newfound depth on the blue line could help to facilitate a major trade. He believes that the team wants to move forward with a young core of Ryan Pulock, Adam Pelech, Scott Mayfield, and Devon Toews on the blue line. He also mentions AHL All-Star Sebastian Aho as another key piece, while recent high draft picks Noah Dobson and Bode Wilde also deserve consideration. This youth movement has made top defenseman Nick Leddy expendable and Staple believes that he is a talent that could bring back an established top-six forward. The Islanders could also look to move veterans Johnny Boychuk and Thomas Hickey instead of or in addition to Leddy. That trade flexibility paired with ample cap space make the Isles a dangerous player on the trade market this summer, if not all of their problems can be fixed via free agency.
In fact, the Panthers could wind up being an ideal trade partner for the Islanders. Florida leads the NHL this season with five 20-goal scorers and has an offensive game and potent power play that few in the league can rival. However, their defense and their goaltending both leave a lot to be desired. The Panthers don’t have the cap space that the Islanders do, but The Athletic’s George Richards believes that the team plans to make trades to free up cap space in order to hit the free agent market with more bargaining power. Florida is another team that has been linked to the Panarin/Bobrovksy package, while they are also a team that could greatly benefit from adding Erik Karlsson. Richards writes that the team will be “aggressive” in pursuing top free agents, but that doesn’t mean they will succeed in drawing targets to a non-traditional hockey market.
As such, Florida could also wind up making noise on the trade market and a name like Leddy would be the caliber of player they would like to add. Mike Hoffman and Evgenii Dadonov have enjoyed strong seasons with the Panthers this year, but both have just one season remaining and could be on the trade block this summer. There were also rumors that Jonathan Huberdeau was a player that GM Dale Tallon listened to offers for at the trade deadline again and he could do so again for the team’s highest-paid forward. These are names that will move the needle for other NHL clubs. Veteran goaltenders Roberto Luongo and James Reimer? Not so much. However, the team needs to improve on its poor goaltending and to do so would need to move one (or both) of the tandem costing them a combined $7.933MM. This may involve Florida moving picks or prospects as well. There are many layers to the trade possibilities for the Panthers this off-season, making them a fascinating team to watch.
With weeks remaining in the regular season and the unknown of the postseason yet to come, the status quo could change for either one of these teams. As things stand though, there are major question marks for both squads that at this point don’t look like they can be answered until after the playoffs have ended. As soon as that happens, the Islanders and Panthers will become must-watch teams in how they approach the NHL Draft, the start of free agency, and the summer trade market. Both clubs could look drastically different in 2019-20 by way of an active off-season.
Connor McDavid To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety
It’s not often you think of physical play when considering Connor McDavid‘s style on the ice, but today he’ll be disciplined for just that. The Department of Player Safety announced that they will be conducting a phone hearing with McDavid regarding his high hit on Nick Leddy last night. A suspension is expected.
McDavid has never been suspended or fined in his relatively short NHL career, but will likely face one or two games for this incident. Despite Leddy not suffering an injury on the play, the hit was penalized as high during the game and made obvious connection with the head.
When the Edmonton Oilers were without McDavid recently due to illness their forward depth was exposed, as players like Zack Kassian and Tobias Rieder took up residence in their top-six. Even with the win over the Islanders last night the team is struggling to stay relevant in the Western Conference and sit just four points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings for last place.
Trade Rumors: Pearson, Zykov, Leddy
When a name keeps popping up in trade rumors, it’s usually not for nothing. In the latest “31 Thoughts”, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman becomes another hockey insider to tab Los Angeles Kings forward Tanner Pearson as a likely trade victim this season. Despite the sweeping changes already made by GM Rob Blake in regards to his coaching staff, he is certainly going to tweak his roster as well. Friedman notes that after a 24-goal campaign in 2016-17, Pearson notched just 15 last year and has yet to find the back of the net this year. In fact, Pearson has just one lone assist on the year, not to mention a slowed pace on shots and hits, a drop-off in ice time, and the worst plus/minus of his career. Pearson is sorely in need of a change of scenery and even though the Kings would be selling the 26-year-old winger at his lowest value, it would not be a shock to see a move come sooner rather than later. The team will land a nice return regardless; Pearson is still capable of being an effective two-way middle-six forward for many teams.
- The only player whose name has been more talked about on the rumor mill than Pearson’s is disgruntled – and unsigned – Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander. The one team constantly connected to Nylander has been the Carolina Hurricanes, who would likely be dealing away one of their many talented defenseman as part of a hypothetical package. However, Friedman notes that another player the ‘Canes are likely willing to move, to Toronto or otherwise, is young forward Valentin Zykov. Zykov, 23, has been struggling to find a full-time role with Carolina for years. His twelve NHL games this season is already a career-high, but he played just 4:41 last game and has only three points on the year. Zykov simply doesn’t look like a long-term fit for the Hurricanes and Friedman indicates that he could be on the move as a result.
- One potential trade target who has flown under the radar is New York Islanders defenseman Nick Leddy. Last month, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta noted that Leddy’s name began popping up in conversations as early as last year and again over the summer. Pagnotta said a deal wasn’t imminent, but that it remained a possibility. The remarks were prompted by Leddy’s poor start to the season; the offensive defenseman began the campaign with nine scoreless games. After a brief outburst of three points in two nights, Leddy is again on a scoreless streak of three games after the Islanders’ loss last night. Leddy was one of the worst plus/minus players in the NHL last season at -42 and that was with 42 points to his credit. If his offense has dried up in New York and the Isles are having to win in spite of him, he could be traded away for a nice haul in no time. Leddy would be a prime candidate to bounce back on a team where he is not relied upon as much for minutes and defense.
Islanders Must Focus On Moving Forward After Tavares
When the New York Islanders lost John Tavares, the franchise found itself in a worse situation than it had hoped. The team that struggled a year ago on defense and in goal now lost their top scorer and seem to lack identity (except in the front office). The team will likely make Calder Trophy winner Mathew Barzal the new face of the franchise, but without Tavares, there remains a significant hole in their lineup.
While it seems likely Barzal will replace Tavares as the team’s top center, the real question is who will take over as the team’s No. 2 center? One positive note for New York is that the team has almost $20MM in available cap space after Tavares opted to go to Toronto and that’s after the signings of Valtteri Filppula, Leo Komarov, Robin Lehner and Tom Kuhnhackl as well as trading for Matt Martin. Regardless, none of those players are candidates to fill that No. 2 center position. The team does have restricted free agent Brock Nelson as a candidate to fill that role, but his status is up in the air.
The Athletic’s Shayna Goldman (subscription required) suggests if the Islanders want to make some type of impact move to suggest to their fan base that they are ready to move on (because bringing in Filppula, Komorov, Kuhnhackl, Lehner and Martin didn’t accomplish that), they must look to the trade market where there are a number of interesting names that the team could look to acquire, especially at the center position to show they are moving forward.
The top name is interesting enough as Goldman suggests that New York looks at the Ottawa Senators who are looking to cast off players left and right. Already having moved on from Mike Hoffman and in current trade talks with Erik Karlsson, the scribe writes the Islanders could attempt to make an offer to pry centers Matt Duchene or Jean-Gabriel Pageau away.
While Duchene would probably cost the Islanders quite a bit, he could potentially be a reasonable replacement for Tavares. Even though Ottawa gave up a lot to acquire Duchene less than a year ago, they may be ready to move on from him as he will be a free agent after this season and he might not want to return after having to endure the many problems that Ottawa has dealt with in the past year. However in New York, the team could match him with players like Anders Lee, Jordan Eberle or Josh Bailey and get solid production from him and the team would have the cap room to lock him up. The only downside to acquiring Duchene (despite the likely high cost) would be the team would have to sign him as well as Lee and Eberle next season as all three would be unrestricted free agents for the 2019-20 season. Pageau would be a much cheaper option, but lacks much upside if they want to use him as a second-line center.
One other option would be to pry Tyler Johnson away from the Tampa Bay Lightning, especially with the team attempting to clear out cap space to accommodate Karlsson. Johnson would provide significant value as a second-line center as well, but is locked up for six years at $5MM AAV, so they would be able to hold onto him for a long time.
While finding a replacement for Tavares, the team must also attempt to fix their other issues as they’ve done little to address their defense or goaltending. Adding Robin Lehner helps a little, but after the 26-year-old suffered through a disastrous season (3.01 GAA and a .908 save percentage), a Lehner-Thomas Greiss combination doesn’t sound particularly thrilling. The defense also needs help. The team lost Calvin de Haan to Carolina, although they did bring back Thomas Hickey. Although the team has high hopes that Ryan Pulock is ready to move into a top-four role immediately, his defense has always been suspect, so he isn’t likely to improve the Islanders defensive deficiencies. Andrew Gross of Newsday writes that the team should consider looking into acquiring Justin Faulk from the Carolina Hurricanes as he would provide that stability and would look good as the No. 1 piece along with Hickey, Pulock, Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy.
Regardless, with few quality options available to them on the free agent market, the team likely has little choice to make a deal.
New York Islanders Agree To Terms With Thomas Hickey
The New York Islanders looked like they would be supplying the market with two of the top free agent defensemen, but now one has decided to stay home. Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the team has an agreement with Thomas Hickey on a four-year contract worth $10MM.
With Calvin de Haan and Hickey as two of the top blueliners on the free agent market and the Islanders being considered to have one of the weakest defenses in the league, re-signing at least one of their defenseman was crucial. Hickey posted five goals and 25 points in 69 games last season for the Islanders and was relied on more than in previous years as he averaged 18:04 of ATOI. The six-year veteran has played for the Islanders his entire career.
The defensive specialist, who can be prone to making mistakes, will re-join veteran Johnny Boychuk, Nick Leddy, Scott Mayfield, Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock, who many think will be given a much bigger role with the Islanders next season.
Islanders Notes: Losing Streak, Tavares, Gibson, Leddy
Just over three weeks ago, the New York Islanders were clinging to a wildcard berth and now with an eight-game losing streak on hand, New York is looking up from a distance as they find themselves eight points back of a playoff spot, almost guaranteeing another disappointing year in New York. After being eliminated from the playoffs on the final game of the year last season, that makes for two disappointing years for soon-to-be unrestricted free agent John Tavares.
The Hockey News’ Jared Clinton writes that this eight-game losing streak comes at a one of the worst times of the year — right during their playoff run — which will only hurt the Islanders’ chances of re-signing the all-star, who has already broken the 30-goal plateau this year for the fourth time in his career. While it might have been exciting to play for one of the top offenses in the league earlier this year, Clinton writes that since Dec. 1, the Islanders offense has been average at best, tied 12th in the league, averaging 2.88 goals per game. Considering the holes in both the Islanders defense and goaltending, there definitely seems to be a lot of negatives that Tavares will have to sort out in the coming months.
- Newsday’s Neil Best tries to figure out the meaning of Tavares’ comments last Monday in Vancouver after the team suffered a disappointing overtime loss. Tavares said, “Obviously, this isn’t a whole lot of fun right now,” causing a frenzy of reaction from both unhappy Islanders fans and elated NHL fans hoping their team can steal the star player for themselves. Tavares was quick to say the comment had nothing to do with his feelings about the franchise or his willingness to re-sign. “I’m sure when people look at the way our team’s going, they want to speculate,” he said. “They speculate on teams that have won eight in a row, too. I just control what I control. It’s just other people talking. I’m sure there’s interest, but I can’t worry about that. That doesn’t have really much to do with me, what other people think or what they think what I say means. I have always said how committed I am to this team, this organization, the guys in the locker room. I mean, losing eight in a row isn’t very much fun.”
- After some impressive performances in goal for New York’s Christopher Gibson, several players were clamoring for the 25-year-old to get more playing time as the team is floundering over their past eight games, according to The Athletic’s Arthur Staple (subscription required). Gibson, who has led the team to two overtime games (both losses) has performed admirably as he boasts a 1.86 GAA and a .953 save percentage in his only two NHL appearances this season. He had a 2.31 GAA and a .909 save percentage in 33 AHL games this season. “He’s played phenomenal, starting in Pitt and again here tonight,” defenseman Brandon Davidson said. “I think he’s kind of earned the right to be the guy.” Gibson is sharing time with starter Jaroslav Halak, while backup Thomas Greiss is injured.
- In another piece, Staple points a finger at Islanders defenseman Nick Leddy, who is most likely the team’s top defenseman, writing that his game has slowly gone south like the direction the team is heading. After putting up 20 points in his first 28 games, both his offense and defense seems to have fallen off. Leddy, who still has four years remaining on his contract, holds a plus/minus rating of -33, which is second-worst in the league next to Arizona’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson. And despite his early offensive output, he also has had just 18 points in the last 40 games. Staple writes that Leddy is a key cog to the team’s defense and probably the most important as veteran Johnny Boychuk will be 35 next year and the team is likely to lose Calvin de Haan in free agency.
Trade Candidates: Thomas Hickey
With the trade deadline approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that have a good chance to be dealt by February 26th.
Thomas Hickey‘s name is not one that has been heard often this year: not in regards to trades, not in regards to his impending free agency, not in regards to his performance, not at all, really. Yet, the question is not why, but why not? Hickey is arguably enjoying his best NHL season and is a main reason why injuries didn’t tear the New York Islanders apart. Hickey has come a long way from being a fourth overall pick with chronic injury issues given away on waivers; it’s time to give him his due credit. Hickey is a dark horse candidate to be traded by the deadline if another team realizes his value and the Islanders decide they are better off trading him than keeping him.
Contract
Hickey is in the final season of a three-year, $6.6MM contract signed in 2015. The deal carries a $2.2MM cap hit – which will be count for under $600K by the deadline – and has no trade protection.
2017-18
It’s no secret that allowing goals – a league-high 214 (and it’s not close) – is what separates the New York Islanders from many other similarly skilled contenders. Yet, things could be much worse. Calvin de Haan suffered a season-ending injury in December and Johnny Boychuk has missed more than 20 games due to injury; those injuries could have broken the Isles. Add in Nick Leddy‘s struggles in his own zone and the declining play of Dennis Seidenberg and, without Hickey, this could very well be a team far outside of the player picture. Instead, New York currently holds the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference and are very much in the mix to keep it. Hickey has been a solid two-way presence for the Islanders all season. Beginning the campaign as a frequent healthy scratch to now the third-leading defenseman in total ice time, behind Leddy and Adam Pelech, Hickey’s role has transformed as his performance has improved. Hickey now leads the team in plus/minus by a significant margin, is third among defensemen in scoring, and has claimed a spot on the team’s top penalty kill unit. Hickey also has the second-most defensive zone starts, again behind only Pelech, as he has been relied on for sound defensive play in his own end and his great ability to see the ice and make an outlet pass. On the personal side, Hickey is on pace for 21 points this season, which would be his third-most in the NHL and the best points-per-game rate of his career. Hickey has quietly been very impressive this season, even if the score sheet or the eye test doesn’t seem to point to a star player and, beyond that, has been incredibly valuable to the Islanders.
Season Stats
47 GP, 3 goals, 11 assists, 14 points, +15 rating, 63 shots, 18:07 ATOI, 46.2 CF%
Potential Suitors
Hickey has stepped up and played great for the Islanders in 2017-18. With that well-established, New York is also a team with many injuries on the blue line. Hickey cannot play a bigger role down the stretch for any other team than he has for the Isles. Like more talked-about names such as Nick Holden or Ben Hutton, Hickey will be a depth addition for a contender if he’s traded; a luxury No. 6, 7, or 8 defender. So who needs depth on the left side? The Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning, both vying for the President’s Trophy, are both eager to add another body to their respective blue lines, but may be unwilling to pay the price for a top name. Hickey would seem to fit nice on either top contender. The Metropolitan rival New Jersey Devils could also greatly benefit from another body on the blue line, but the Isles may be hesitant to trade him to a team also in contention for an Eastern wild card spot.
The best chance for the Isles to both trade Hickey and also not hurt their own Stanley Cup odds would be to look west, where the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets would both like to add another defenseman on the left side, especially one who plays a confident game in his own zone. Either destination would be a good fit for Hickey, where he could work his way into a starting role.
Likelihood Of A Trade
Unlike the aforementioned Holden and Hutton, Hickey is not on a team that is a bona fide seller. The Islanders are still fighting for a playoff spot and, more importantly, to show impending free agent John Tavares that they have a bright future. Hickey has played such a key role for New York, that no one will blame them that if they use him as their own “rental” in order to maintain some semblance of a team that can prevent the opposition from scoring.
However, there are two scenarios in which Hickey becomes far more likely to move. The first is if, over the next nine days, the Islanders’ playoff hopes take a major hit. New York plays its next three games against likely playoff teams, including the Devils, and anything less than two points in that stretch could see their playoff hopes slip away. The second scenario is that, as has been rumored, the Isles acquire one of the top defensemen on the trade market. While that would be a sign that they are all in for this season, even if their acquisition has term on his contract, it could also mean that they hedge their bet by trading away Hickey for the best offer.
If the deafening silence surrounding Hickey means anything, the Islanders are not keen on moving him. Yet, things can always change around the deadline. A loss of playoff odds, a big trade, or even just an overwhelming offer could cause GM Garth Snow to rethink his plan. Give it a 50/50 chance that Hickey is dealt.