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Nick Schmaltz

Snapshots: Three Stars, Six, Chychrun

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The NHL has released its Three Stars for last week, with Dallas Stars phenom Jason Robertson taking the top spot following his back-to-back hat trick efforts. Robertson had seven goals in three games for the week and now has 46 goals and 100 points in his first 100 NHL contests. While he’s shooting an incredible 20.4 percent this season, the 22-year-old is proving he’s no fluke and should be among the league’s most dynamic offensive weapons for years to come.

The second and third spots went to Nick Schmaltz and Igor Shesterkin respectively, with outstanding weeks of their own. The Arizona Coyotes forward had an incredible seven-point night against the Ottawa Senators and has been playing huge minutes over the last few weeks, really stepping back into the offensive role he carried earlier in his career. Shesterkin meanwhile continued his historic season with three more wins and actually raised his save percentage to .942 on the year. Shesterkin leads in almost every goaltending category so far and has a 28-6-3 record to go with it.

  • The Toronto Six, a PHF franchise that came into existence in 2020, has been sold to a new ownership group that includes former NHL player Anthony Stewart, Hockey Hall of Fame member Angela James and former NHL coach Ted Nolan. The Six are currently in first place in the PHF with a 13-2-1 record on the year and are next in action on March 12.
  • The Coyotes still prefer to not trade Jakob Chychrun, according to general manager Bill Armstrong who spoke with The Fourth Period’s Anthony Di Marco, but they won’t be turning down any calls. Armstrong admitted that “if someone were to offer the right assets” they would be interested in moving Chychrun, even if the “preference” is to not. Earlier this season, reports emerged suggesting that the asking price was quite high, an ask that obviously hasn’t been met to this point.

Arizona Coyotes Extend Travis Boyd

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When the Arizona Coyotes signed Travis Boyd to a one-year, minimum salary contract this offseason, they certainly did not believe that they were signing their top line center. Yet, that is exactly what has happened in the desert this season as Boyd emerged as the best fit between Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz for the rebuilding club. The ’Yotes didn’t want to let the surprise standout slip away as an unrestricted free agent this summer; they have announced a new two-year deal with Boyd, rewarding him with a $1.75MM AAV that becomes the highest of his career.

Boyd, 28, is enjoying a career year in 2021-22 and has only played in 46 games. His 10 goals and 24 points are already career marks and he has reached new heights defensively as well. He is closing in on new highs in assists and games played and it is virtually impossible for his current 16:23 average time on ice not to stand as a career best.  Beyond just personal success, Boyd is also among the top five in per-game goals and points among Coyotes forwards – a place he has never been close to previously in his NHL career.

Of course, Boyd’s role on the Coyotes would not be occurring anywhere else in the NHL but with the league’s most shallow roster. This lends itself to why Arizona’s “No. 1 center” commands only a sub-$2MM cap hit. Nevertheless, Boyd has risen to the occasion for the ’Yotes this season and – while for the good of the franchise the hope is that he does not remain in a first line role for much longer – the team knows they can trust him moving forward.

West Notes: Canucks, Coyotes Injuries, Ducks

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Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini and interim GM Stan Smyl held a press conference today following the sweeping changes that were made late Sunday.  Aquilini told reporters, including Thomas Drance of The Athletic (Twitter link) that there is no timeline to try to find a replacement and that they will conduct “a thorough and exhaustive search” to find the right candidate.  It’s a similar line to what Chicago and Anaheim have used following their vacancies being created and it would suggest that Vancouver may wait until the offseason when they’re able to speak to candidates currently employed with other teams.

Meanwhile, earlier today, Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News reported (Twitter link) that former Montreal GM Marc Bergevin is someone the Canucks are very interested in.  When asked about that, Aquilini acknowledged (via Drance) that he hasn’t approached Bergevin about whether or not he’d be interested in the position.

More from the Western Conference:

  • The Coyotes should be getting some help on the injury front soon. PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan reports (Twitter link) that centers Nick Schmaltz (upper body) and Jay Beagle (lower body) could return from their respective injuries this weekend while center Johan Larsson (lower body) is a couple of weeks away after being re-injured on Friday.  Meanwhile, goaltender Carter Hutton has cleared COVID protocol but isn’t yet fully recovered from his ankle injury; with Karel Vejmelka and Scott Wedgewood providing decent goaltending in his absence, they’re in a spot where they can afford to be cautious in bringing him back.
  • Ducks centers Adam Henrique and Ryan Getzlaf could rejoin the team at some point on their five-game road trip, relays Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register. The veterans are having strong bounce-back seasons; Henrique is only five points shy of his total from 2020-21 while Getzlaf has already surpassed his total from last season and sits second in team scoring.  Both are dealing with lower-body injuries.

Nick Schmaltz Out Three To Four Weeks “At Minimum”

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The Arizona Coyotes are already last in the league, but things are getting worse for the beleaguered squad. Center Nick Schmaltz, who’s missed the past three games with an upper-body injury, will be out a minimum of three to four weeks, per head coach Andre Tourigny.

Schmaltz last played on October 25 against the Florida Panthers, a game in which he registered his only point of the season. He’s struggled, along with most of the team, as the Coyotes now remain the league’s only team without a victory with a 0-8-1 record and a -26 goal differential just a month into the season.

It’ll mean an elevated role for a little while longer for youngster Barrett Hayton, who’s got one assist in three games after being recalled from AHL Tucson. It’s a big opportunity for the former fifth overall pick to try his luck as the team’s first-line center.

Tourigny was able to offer more updates on the health of some of his other injured players today, noting that defender Kyle Capobianco is now day-to-day and could be ready to make his season debut soon, adding some more NHL experience to the blueline. Forward Ryan Dzingel will be out for at least one more week.

West Notes: Grubauer, Calvert, Schmaltz, Simek

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With Jordan Binnington signing an extension and taking himself off the UFA market, Avalanche netminder Philipp Grubauer may be the top goalie that is set to hit free agency this summer.  With the season he’s having, Mike Chambers of the Denver Post suggests that the 29-year-old could be in a position to double his current $3.33MM AAV over the offseason, a price tag that Colorado may not be able to afford.  With a 1.69 GAA and a .931 SV% in 27 games this season, he’s first in the league in GAA and second in SV% so even in this market, doubling his price tag isn’t unreasonable.  For his part, Grubauer isn’t worried about his contract status:

We are so busy and my main focus lays on Vegas and stopping the puck. Everything else is going to take care of itself. If it’s now or in a week or a couple months or like after the season — I don’t think there is any rush to do that right now.

Grubauer is one of several key Avalanche players in need of a new contract for next season, joining wingers Gabriel Landeskog and Brandon Saad (UFA) plus defenseman Cale Makar (RFA).  With more than $56MM in commitments for next season already per CapFriendly, they won’t be able to afford to keep them all.

More from the West:

  • Still with the Avalanche, winger Matt Calvert is now listed as week-to-week, relays Peter Baugh of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 31-year-old missed Thursday’s victory over Vegas with an undisclosed injury, the latest issue in a season that has seen him miss time to two separate upper-body issues.  Another pending UFA, Calvert has just three assists in 18 games this season and won’t be able to command anywhere near his current $2.85MM AAV on the open market.
  • The Department of Player Safety announced that Coyotes center Nick Schmaltz has been fined the maximum $5,000 for a boarding incident partway through the third period on Sharks defenseman Radim Simek. Meanwhile, Simek is questionable to play in tonight’s rematch as a result of the hit, notes Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Arizona Coyotes

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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 2020-21 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Arizona Coyotes

Current Cap Hit: $84,270,284 (over the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Barrett Hayton (two years, $894K)

Potential Bonuses

Hayton: $1.75MM

Once considered a team full of young players, the Coyotes have changed their image over the last few years and have only one young player on their team under a cheap entry-level deal with only a handful of entry-level players that are even close to joining the team. Hayton, however, could be ready for a breakout season after spending the season with the team last year. Unfortunately for Hayton, he would have benefitted the most with one year in the AHL, but wasn’t eligible to play there, so instead of returning him to his junior team, the Coyotes kept him around. He only appeared in 20 games (although he did miss time with a shoulder injury at the World Juniors), but showed enough potential that he should be an everyday player next season. A big year from the 2019 fifth-overall pick would be a boost to the team’s center position.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Derek Stepan ($6.5MM, UFA)
D Alex Goligoski ($5.48MM, UFA)
F Marian Hossa ($5.28MM, UFA)
D Niklas Hjalmarsson ($5MM, UFA)
G Antti Raanta ($4.25MM, UFA)
D Jason Demers ($3.94MM, UFA)
D Jordan Oesterle ($1.4MM, UFA)
D Ilya Lyubushkin ($1MM, UFA)
F Conor Garland ($775K, RFA)
F John Hayden ($750K, RFA)
F Dryden Hunt ($700K, RFA)

For a team that is looking to cut salary, the team has a lot of money coming off the books next year, suggesting the team could look drastically different in just one year. Some of those players could find themselves to be trade bait when the trade deadline comes around. The most interesting decision the team might have to make is what to do with Stepan, however. The 30-year-old was brought in from New York to stabilize their top line three years ago. He had four straight seasons of 50 or more points while with the Rangers and posted a 56-point season with the Coyotes in 2017-18. However, his production has taken a dive over the past two years as Stepan posted just 35 points (in 72 games) in 2018-19 and then dropped even further last year with just 28 points in 70 games. A team leader, the Coyotes have to hope that Stepan can return to form this season or the team could choose to move on from him.

The team’s defense is loaded with several high-priced veteran blueliners and almost all of their contracts come up next season, including Goligoski, Hjalmarsson and Demers. Goligoski is 35, but is still playing major minutes for Arizona and could be a candidate to return at a slightly lesser deal. Hjalmarsson is 33, but has seen his game break down a bit as he has dealt with numerous injuries the last couple of years, including a fractured fibula that cost him 43 games last year. The 32-year-old Demers also averaged more than 20 minutes of ATOI per game. The team may keep one or two of those players, but likely will not keep all three.

The team will also want to evaluate the play of Raanta, who has showed flashes of dominance, but also has dealt with injuries and inconsistent play at times as well. Raanta did play well last season, posting a .921 save percentage in 33 games and gives the team several options in the net. Raanta could easily be re-signed to new deal or could be a trade candidate as well.

The team will also finally be free of Hossa’s $5.28MM contract the team took on years ago.

Two Years Remaining

F Phil Kessel ($6.8MM, UFA)
G Darcy Kuemper ($4.5MM, UFA)
F Tyler Pitlick ($1.75MM, UFA)
F Lawson Crouse ($1.53MM, RFA)
F Johan Larsson ($1.4MM, UFA)
F Christian Fischer ($1MM, RFA)

The team brought in Kessel to bring in the firepower that the team needed as goal scoring remains one of the team’s biggest weak points. Unfortunately, the first year with Kessel didn’t turn out to be the big acquisition that the team was hoping for. After an 28-goal, 82-point season in 2018-19, the 33-year-old saw quite a decline in his play with just 14 goals and 38 points in 70 games. That’s way below what they were hoping for and Arizona has to hope that Kessel can return to form this year in hopes of increasing his value if the team wants to move him at the trade deadline or next offseason when he has just one year left on his deal.

Kuemper has become the Coyotes’ top asset as the 30-year-old has been nothing short of dominant over the past two years and remains on a manageable contract. His name came up in trade speculation this offseason, but with so many free-agent goalies available, Arizona didn’t get the offers it was hoping for. That could change down the road. Yet at the same time, Kuemper might be worth keeping around down the road.

Three Years Remaining

None

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West Notes: Blackhawks, Coyotes Injuries, Gaudreau

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The Blackhawks surprised many with their upset of Edmonton in the Qualifying Round before being ousted quickly by Vegas.  Still, it was a promising step for a team that was going to miss the postseason altogether in a normal year.  Despite the small change in their fortunes, GM Stan Bowman told reporters, including Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago, that he doesn’t foresee much in the way of changes for next season.  The team already has $74MM in commitments for next season with no starting goalie under contract while winger Dominik Kubalik and Dylan Strome need new deals as well.  That doesn’t leave any room to really add to the roster.

When asked about the possibility of buyouts (defenseman Olli Maatta and forward Zack Smith are speculative candidates), Bowman acknowledged that it’s an option.  However, decisions on whether or not to use that route to free up some short-term cap space won’t be made for another month or so.

More from the Western Conference:

  • On top of Nick Schmaltz missing the entire postseason with a head injury, Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider notes (Twitter link) that center Christian Dvorak played through a shoulder injury while winger Conor Garland had a head injury. On top of that, center Brad Richardson has a thumb injury that will require surgery this offseason.  Arizona was able to get by Nashville in the Qualifying Round before falling in five games to Colorado.
  • With Calgary bowing out quickly in the playoffs again after being ousted by Dallas, many expect the Flames to make some notable changes before next season. Sportsnet’s Eric Francis suggests that winger Johnny Gaudreau is a likely candidate to be moved following another quiet postseason showing that saw all but one of his seven points come with the power play.  However, another potential factor is that Gaudreau is one season away from having a significant no-trade clause (a five-team trade list).  At a time where many teams will have to shake things up, the time may be right to test the waters on Gaudreau as well.  He has two years left on his deal with a $6.75MM AAV.

Snapshots: Montour, Barbashev, Coyotes

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The Buffalo Sabres have a new GM and need a new identity for their team, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be throwing away assets this offseason. Speculation has run rampant lately that the team will leave Brandon Montour unqualified after the defenseman’s up-and-down start with the organization, but when GM Kevyn Adams was asked about it today he told reporters including Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News “that’s definitely not something we’ve talked about.”

The 26-year old defenseman will require a $3.525MM qualifying offer in order for the Sabres to retain his rights as a restricted free agent and is eligible to argue for an even bigger raise in arbitration. Montour has 28 points in 74 games since coming to Buffalo in 2019 but hasn’t quite turned into the top-pairing option they were hoping for. Remember that if Montour opts for arbitration, he can force his way to UFA status in 2021 with a one-year contract award.

  • The St. Louis Blues lost Vladimir Tarasenko when he left the bubble today, but are getting back one of their important bottom-six names. Ivan Barbashev has cleared the quarantine protocols after returning from the birth of his first child, meaning he can be inserted back into the lineup by head coach Craig Berube. The Blues were able to tie their series against the Vancouver Canucks, but have been noticeably missing the physical presence that Barbashev provided last year when he led all players with 87 hits in the postseason.
  • The Arizona Coyotes are holding onto the postseason by a thread after being dismantled by the Colorado Avalanche last night, but could still be missing two of their most important forwards when they start game five. Head coach Rick Tocchet told reporters including Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider that Conor Garland didn’t practice today and is “uncertain” for tomorrow’s match. The same can be said about Nick Schmaltz, who is still recovering from the hit he took in the exhibition from Ryan Reaves. Schmaltz, the team’s leading scorer during the regular season, hasn’t played a single game in the postseason.

Snapshots: Hedman, Pacioretty, Merzlikins, Suter, Schmaltz, Boychuk

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With Tampa Bay Lightning fans waiting for word on the status of top defenseman Victor Hedman after the blueliner looked to twist his ankle Saturday during the first period against the Philadelphia Flyers, the injury report may have to wait until Monday. The Athletic’s Joe Smith reports that the team is off today and will practice Monday before likely starting the playoffs on Tuesday.

There is plenty of fear that the defenseman could miss significant time after Hedman frustratingly slammed his stick four times against the boards on his way into the dressing room. Smith (subscription required) writes that of all Tampa Bay players, including the injured Steven Stamkos, Hedman could be the one player the Lightning cannot do without. Hedman, a finalist for the Norris Trophy, for four years straight and the winner in 2017-18 and will be badly missed.

Incidentally, the Lightning’s depth is likely going to be tested on defense as the team only brought nine defensemen with them into the bubble. With Jan Rutta unfit to play so far in the playoffs, that leaves the team with just seven defenseman, which could be an issue if more injuries arise.

  • Vegas Golden Knights head coach Pete DeBoer said that forward Max Pacioretty has arrived “in the bubble,” and is expected to be ready to play for Game 1 of their playoff series against the Chicago Blackhawks, according to Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen. Pacioretty missed the round-robin series due to an undisclosed injury, but completed his quarantine with four negative tests and is expected to practice with the team on Monday. He is the team’s leader in scoring after tallying 32 goals and 66 points in 71 games this season.
  • There was some debate on who should start in goal for the Columbus Blue Jackets for their Game 5 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. While Joonas Korpisalo has been given the nod, it turns out that another reason for that is because Elvis Merzlikins is injured and will not dress later today as Matiss Kivlenieks will step in as the backup, according to NHL.com’s Jeff Svoboda. Head coach John Tortorella said the goaltender, who was in net during the team’s late collapse in Game 4, is injured and “unfit to play,” according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline.
  • With the Minnesota Wild having been eliminated, defenseman Ryan Suter was allowed to reveal to The Athletic’s Michael Russo that he injured his right foot during Game 3 of the team’s playoff series against the Vancouver Canucks. Yes, that’s the same foot he had operated on back in 2018 when he broke his ankle. His MRI in Edmonton was incomplete due to the irritation to the injury. The team sat him to make sure he doesn’t injure it any further. Suter said he should be fine and is going to the doctor tomorrow to get it checked further.
  • NHL.com’s Mike Morreale reports that the Arizona Coyotes could be getting back a key forward for the next round of the playoffs. Forward Nick Schmaltz, who missed the entire series with the Nashville Predators, participated in a full practice with the team Sunday and could be ready to return. The 24-year-old had 11 goals and 45 points for Arizona this season.
  • After missing the last three games with an undisclosed injury, Newsday’s Andrew Gross reports that New York Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk practiced Sunday and is expected to be ready to play for the team’s upcoming series against the Washington Capitals. Boychuk only played in 5:17 of Game 1 before leaving due to injury against the Florida Panthers.

Snapshots: Gawanke, Hamilton, Coyotes

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With several prospects being loaned overseas to start next season, other international teams are hoping to jump in and benefit from this.  One of those is Eisbaren Berlin of the German DEL.  Their team director Stephane Richer told Jorg Lubrich of BZ Berlin that they have been in contact with the Jets regarding defenseman Leon Gawanke with the hopes of having him loaned there to start 2020-21.  The 21-year-old had a good professional debut with AHL Manitoba this season with four goals and 22 assists in 48 games and he would be returning to a program he’s familiar with having played there (in his hometown) for several years before transferring to major junior.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • Carolina defenseman Dougie Hamilton participated in practice today for the first time since being injured in practice two weeks ago, notes Michael Smith on the Hurricanes’ team website. He has been dealing with an undisclosed injury but the fact he was able to get on the ice today is a good sign that he may be able to return when their next series begins early next week.  Considering he logged over 23 minutes a game and had 40 points in just 47 contests before breaking his fibula in mid-January, his return would be a huge addition to their back end.
  • Coyotes center Nick Schmaltz skated both today and yesterday as he tries to work his way back into the lineup after being injured in last week’s exhibition game, notes Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider (Twitter link). There’s no word yet on whether he’ll be able to play Friday for the fourth game of their series against Nashville.  One player who seems unlikely to suit up for that one is goalie Antti Raanta.  After being ruled unfit to play earlier in the series, he has not skated which means Adin Hill will likely serve as the backup option again tomorrow.

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