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Nikolaj Ehlers

Patrik Laine Drawing Trade Speculation

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The Winnipeg Jets looked like they might be primed for a long playoff run when things returned this summer, given their Vezina-finalist goaltender and deep offensive attack. Then, partway through the first game against the Calgary Flames, disaster struck. After just three shifts, Mark Scheifele was down. Writhing in pain after a collision with Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk, the Jets quickly lost their most important forward and a huge part of their leadership group.

Later that game, that offensive depth was tested once again as Laine exited with a hand injury. Suddenly, the Jets didn’t look quite as deep or dangerous and it quickly showed on the scoresheet. The team bowed out in the qualification round while scoring just six goals in four games.

Now, after such a disappointing—perhaps unlucky—five-game series, speculation is running rampant over what the Jets will do this summer. It’s no secret that they need to upgrade a defense corps that lost Jacob Trouba, Dustin Byfuglien and Tyler Myers all in one offseason, but how exactly will they address that underperforming offense?

That question apparently leads to Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers, who both find themselves on Frank Seravalli’s Trade Bait board for TSN. The scribe even writes that Laine is “expected to be in play this offseason” as the Jets fix other issues on the roster. The sniper lands fifth on his board, while Ehlers comes in at 12.

It’s not the first time that Laine trade speculation has emerged. Last fall, the talented forward was quoted in Finland saying that he didn’t feel he was playing with the best players on Winnipeg’s roster. That distraction was quickly quashed by the team’s leadership group, but given how inconsistent Laine’s play has been, these questions were bound to surface again.

When he first debuted in the NHL as an 18-year old, it seemed nothing could stop the second-overall pick. Laine scored in his first game and had two hat tricks in his first month as an NHLer. He’d finish with 36 goals and 64 points in just 73 games as a rookie, coming second in Calder Trophy voting behind only Auston Matthews. The next season was even better, with Laine leading the league in powerplay goals and finishing with 44 tallies in all situations. Winnipeg had found the next Finnish Flash, able to score from anywhere on the ice.

But then came 2018-19, when Laine took a considerable step backward. He scored 21 times in his first 24 games, including a five-goal output against the St. Louis Blues in late November, but recorded just three assists over that stretch. Starting in December, he scored just four goals and nine points over his next 36 games and was dropped further and further down the lineup as his overall game suffered. He’d finish with just nine goals in the 58 games from December on, despite still averaging more than 17 minutes a night.

While he rebounded this year with a much better overall performance, speculation about his future in Winnipeg has not disappeared. Part of that also has to do with the fact that his current contract, a two-year bridge deal he signed in 2019, expires after the 2020-21 season. Laine currently carries a $6.75MM cap hit but will earn $7.5MM of the deal next season, after which he’ll be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent.

Seravalli writes that it’s not “a lock” that Laine will be traded, which is obvious given his immense talent and relative youth. But if big changes are coming in Winnipeg, his name will always be at the center of any speculation.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Lightning, Robertson, Blackhawks, Ehlers, Nurse

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The Tampa Bay Lightning is traveling to Toronto, but will be doing so without their star defenseman. Victor Hedman will not be traveling with the team, according to The Athletic’s Joe Smith, due to personal reasons at his own request. However, he is expected to meet up with the team on Friday and is expected to participate in all three round-robin games. The blueliner did practice Saturday and is expected to work with strength coach Mark Lambert. He is expected to be tested regularly while in Tampa Bay.

The team did release its roster as NHL.com’s Bryan Burns reports that the team will only bring 28 players with them to Toronto. Including the team’s normal 25-man roster, the team is only adding forwards Mathieu Joseph, Alexander Volkov and goaltender Scott Wedgewood.

Also, head coach Jon Cooper said that Steven Stamkos remains day-to-day and is not expected to participate in the exhibition game, according to Smith. The veteran is hoping to be more involved in practice once the team gets to Toronto. “It’s still in the window of time to get him back,” said Cooper.

  • TSN’s Mark Masters writes that if 19-year-old Nick Robertson hopes to get into the Toronto Maple Leafs playoff lineup, he must show that he can be comfortable on the ice in their upcoming exhibition game. The team’s 2019 second-round pick had an impressive junior campaign and has impressed the team enough to keep him on the playoff roster for the upcoming 24-team tournament. What might be more surprising is that the youngster continues to get third-line looks during practice. “He needs to look comfortable,” head coach Sheldon Keefe said. “He needs to make an impact on the game, be it through his work ethic and enthusiasm or his ability to create some offence and capitalize when he gets chances. All those kinds of things … We’re just really looking to see if he can be comfortable and be himself and then see how it all sorts itself out in terms our other players.”
  • Brandon Cain of NHL.com reports that the Chicago Blackhawks will take four goaltenders with them to Edmonton for the upcoming 24-team tournament. That is necessary due to the status of veteran Corey Crawford, who recently admitted he tested positive for COVID-19 and missed the first 12 days of training camp. While he has been cleared and participated in a full practice Saturday, that doesn’t mean he’s in game shape for the tournament. The team also will bring Malcolm Subban, Collin Delia and Kevin Lankinen.
  • NHL.com’s Mitchell Clinton reports that Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers, who was forced to leave Thursday’s scrimmage due to an undisclosed injury, was back at practice Saturday before the team leaves for Edmonton. He is expected to take on a second-line role with the team after scoring 25 goals in 71 games this year.
  • Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins writes that Edmonton Oilers fans don’t need to worry about the fact that defenseman Darnell Nurse was forced to sit out Saturday’s team scrimmage with an undisclosed injury. The scribe described the injury as something he “tweaked” during practice earlier in the week. He’s expected to be ready to go.

Central Notes: Ehlers, Josi, Johns

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The Winnipeg Jets know what they have in Nikolaj Ehlers. The 23-year-old forward is a speedster, who is known to score goals in bunches and is considered to be a key piece to the Jets’ top-six. Yet, at the same time, there are equally just as many questions as in 21 career playoff games, he has zero goals and has also proven to be wildly inconsistent. There has been plenty of talk that the Jets, struggling with salary cap issues as many of their young players have received or are soon expected to receive big contracts, might be willing to move their young Danish forward.

However, the Winnipeg Sun’s Scott Billeck writes that moving the forward would likely be a major mistake for a franchise who still needs as many scoring forwards as the can get. The scribe looks at Ehlers’ A3Z statistics, which refers to his play in all three zones and compares him to Edmonton’s Connor McDavid. While pointing out that you can’t compare the two as overall players, Ehlers’s A3Z statistics suggest that he is a dominant player in comparison to McDavid in certain situations. McDavid is in the 99 percentile in shots contributed over 60 minutes, while Ehlers finds himself in the 97th percentile. Ehlers shot-assist ratio over 60 minutes suggest he’s in the 91st percentile in the league, suggesting he could take his game up a notch soon.

Therefore trading Ehlers to ease some of the team’s cap concerns or replace him with a defender, could quickly become a mistake.

  • Greg Hardwig of the Naples Daily News reports that Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi, who is entering the final year of his contract and will be a highly sought after unrestricted free agent next summer, reiterated Friday that he wants to remain with the Predators. “I never made it secret that I’d like to stay in Nashville,” said Josi. “I think we’re talking a little bit over the summer, and I’ll let my agent deal with that and just focus on getting ready for the season.” Josi could see an even bigger role this season after the team traded P.K. Subban to New Jersey, giving more responsibility to the team’s top three blueliners, Ryan Ellis, Mattias Ekholm and Josi.
  • The Dallas Stars have made a number of big additions this summer with many suggesting the Stars could be Stanley Cup contenders this season. However, the team has one unknown that could have a significant effect on the team’s future in Stephen Johns. The 27-year-old looked like he was developing into a solid blueliner after the 2017-18 season, but instead missed the entire season last year due to post-traumatic headaches. Now cleared, Dallas Morning News’ Matthew DeFranks wonders whether he can step in immediately as the team’s No. 4 defenseman this season. If Johns can prove he’s ready to go, the 6-foot-4, 225 pound blueliner might be the perfect complement to 20-year-old Miro Heiskanen.

 

Latest On Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets

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Just a few days ago there was a report that the Winnipeg Jets were now listening on offers for speedy forward Nikolaj Ehlers, and today more news came out about his potential future. Frank Seravalli of TSN writes that “the belief is” Ehlers has been offered to the Carolina Hurricanes in an attempt to pry free one of their right-handed defensemen. That kind of move makes sense given the Jets’ recent trade of Jacob Trouba and current hole on the right side of their defense. Tyler Myers, another part of what was once a huge strength for the Jets on the right, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent if Winnipeg can’t find a way to re-sign him.

The Hurricanes do have an incredible amount of talent on the blue line and have been connected to almost every team in search of defensive help. Dougie Hamilton, Justin Faulk, Brett Pesce and Trevor van Riemsdyk make up an impressive group of right-handed options that could all be of interest around the league. The team also has youngsters Haydn Fleury and Jake Bean waiting in the wings for a full-time opportunity, though both are left-handed.

The Jets meanwhile aren’t looking just to improve their defense, but also find a way to navigate what will be a difficult cap situation. Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor both need new contracts that will take up a huge part of their remaining cap space, and they still need to find a way to improve the club after this season’s disappointing finish. Ehlers was a huge part of that disappointment, scoring just 37 points in 62 games in the first year of his seven-year, $42MM deal. The 23-year old forward was completely shutout in six playoff contests and now has failed to score a single postseason goal through 21 games.

Mathieu Perreault, who has long been included in Jets trade rumors, was also discussed by Seravalli. The TSN scribe notes that the Jets explored packaging the veteran forward along with Trouba, though that obviously didn’t materialize. Perreault has two years left on his current deal with a $4.125MM cap hit and scored just 30 points last season while playing in a greatly diminished role.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Jets Listening To Offers On Nikolaj Ehlers

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With a sizable list of free agents that are in need of new contracts, the Jets are going to have to shake up their roster to make room for these new deals.  Earlier this offseason, it was reported that Winnipeg is shopping forward Mathieu Perreault.  Now, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports (subscription required) that they are listening to offers on Nikolaj Ehlers.

The 23-year-old is coming off the most disappointing season of his young career.  A shoulder injury caused him to miss 20 games and when he was in the lineup, he wasn’t particularly productive as he posted just 21 goals and 16 assists on the campaign, numbers that were well below expectations for someone that was expected to be a fixture in the top six.  Ehlers also struggled considerably in the postseason as he was held off the scoresheet in their first-round loss to St. Louis while logging less than 13 minutes a night.

With six years and $36MM left on his contract, it’s understandable that GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is open to seeing what the market is for the winger.  With Patrik Laine, Kyle Connor, Jacob Trouba, and Tyler Myers among those in need of new deals, they’re going to have to free up some money somewhere.  However, there’s also some risk in potentially dealing Ehlers at a low point in terms of his value.

However, considering that he had two straight seasons of at least 60 points before 2018-19, there should still be a sizable market for Ehlers.  The free agent market isn’t exactly loaded with top-six wingers, especially those that have been able to reach that point plateau.  An opportunity to land a player like that with extended team control doesn’t come up too often.

As for what Winnipeg may be seeking, LeBrun speculates that a young defenseman would make sense as a target to hedge against what could happen with Trouba and Myers.  It has been suggested that Trouba may not want to sign long-term with Winnipeg which, with him being one year away from UFA eligibility, makes him a trade candidate over the next couple of weeks.  Myers could ultimately choose to walk on the open market next month which would leave their back end thinned out rather quickly.  It’s certainly possible that Ehlers could be used to help re-solidify that position in the coming weeks.

Pacific Notes: Golden Knights, Oilers, Canucks

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After two years of heavy turnover and maneuvering to get their franchise off to a hot start, it looks like the Vegas Golden Knights will be taking a back seat when free agency opens on July 1. While most people weren’t expecting Vegas to be active this offseason, with their cap room already used up, Ken Boehlke of SinBin.vegas writes that President of Hockey Operations George McPhee admitted the team will be inactive:

Well we’re in pretty good shape with our core group. We have basically everyone signed up and we are close on some other things. So I don’t imagine we’re going to be out looking at free agents this summer. We like the team the way it is and we like the young guys that we have coming along.

What McPhee meant when he said the team was close on some other things could be very interesting, although it could range anywhere from a potential long-term deal with restricted free agent William Karlsson, to potential deals for fellow RFA’s Nikita Gusev, Tomas Nosek, Jimmy Schuldt or veteran UFA Deryk Engelland, or even a trade to free up cap space to sign any of them.

  • The Athletic’s Jonathan Willis (subscription required) looks at the potential compatibility between the Edmonton Oilers and the Winnipeg Jets, wondering if the two teams might be a perfect match for solving each of their problems. The scribe suggests the Jets could use Edmonton to help unload some of their less-significant contracts, such as Mathieu Perreault or Dmitry Kulikov, or if the Jets are more motivated, they could consider sending winger Nikolaj Ehlers, who is coming off a disappointing season, to Edmonton for a package that could include a defenseman such as Darnell Nurse or Andrej Sekera and some of Edmonton’s youth that could help bolster the team’s depth.
  • Allan Mitchell of the Athletic (subscription required) writes that the Oilers are in need of an inexpensive third-line center option, one that can kill penalties, suggesting the team look via the trade market to find that player. He writes that the Oilers should consider trying to pry Montreal Canadiens’ center Phillip Danault, as well as look at Winnipeg’s Adam Lowry, Ottawa’s Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Detroit’s Luke Glendening, or Dallas’ Radek Faksa. The scribe adds that the most likely candidate that Edmonton would be able to steal away could be Pageau.
  • The Vancouver Sun’s Patrick Johnston writes that the Vancouver Canucks should seriously consider trying to convince Toronto Maple Leafs unrestricted free agent Jake Gardiner to sign with them this offseason. While there have been rumors that Toronto wants to unload other contracts in hopes of keeping Gardiner in the fold, Johnston writes that Gardiner would be the perfect puck-carrying defenseman that the team hasn’t had since Alexander Edler was in his prime. However, he wonders whether the U.S.-born blue liner might prefer to avoid playing in Canada after a taking a lot of heat from Toronto fans over the years.

Patrik Laine, Nikolaj Ehlers Reveal Playoff Injuries

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The Winnipeg Jets looked like a team battered and bruised in their final game against the St. Louis Blues, and it turns out that it isn’t just their egos that will need a few days to heal. Nikolaj Ehlers told reporters today including Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun that he suffered a fractured foot but played game six anyway, while Patrik Laine had groin and back injuries that he was dealing with throughout the playoffs. Neither player will suit up for the IIHF World Championship next month.

Brandon Tanev, who played in the final five games of the series, had surgery on a broken finger just a few days before the playoffs began.

The Jets will have plenty of questions to answer this summer after failing to get past the first round of the playoffs, and the postseason performance of Ehlers is certainly one of them. The 23-year old failed to record a single point in the series against the Blues and now has gone 21 games in his career without scoring a playoff goal. Ehlers struggled with injury for much of this season and finished with just 37 points in 62 games, a far stretch from the 60-point seasons he put up in the previous two.

The speedy forward just completed the first season of a seven-year, $42MM extension signed with the Jets in the fall of 2017. His performance is paramount to the team taking the next step and competing for the Stanley Cup.

West Notes: Hutton, Ehlers, Haley

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Canucks defenseman Ben Hutton had a nice bounce-back season in 2018-19.  After spending a lot of time as a healthy scratch the year before, he was viewed as a potential trade candidate heading into the season.  Instead, he played a key role on Vancouver’s back end, logging over 22 minutes a night, the second-most on the team.  He played well enough that he may have wound up making himself a trade candidate this summer, suggests Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston.

After looking like a possible non-tender option last summer, Hutton is a safe bet to receive his $2.4MM qualifying offer.  (While he received $2.8MM in salary last season, $400K of that was a signing bonus which isn’t factored into a qualifying offer.)  Johnston notes that Quinn Hughes will be a regular next season while the team intends to bring back Alex Edler.  Prospect Olli Juolevi also figures to be in the mix in the near future which gives the Canucks solid depth on the left side and potentially makes Hutton expendable in the coming months.

More from the West:

  • Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers left Thursday’s Game Five late in the third period after blocking a point shot and he did not take part in today’s gameday skate, notes Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun (Twitter link). While head coach Paul Maurice expressed some optimism that Ehlers would be available to play, Par Lindholm is expected to take the warmup in case Ehlers can’t suit up.  While Ehlers has yet to score in 20 career postseason contests, he still deepens Winnipeg’s attack and gives them another scoring threat after putting up his third straight 20-goal season.
  • Sharks winger Micheal Haley has resumed skating, reports NHL.com’s Nick Cotsonika (Twitter link). However, he did so without his full equipment which suggests he’s still a little while from returning.  Haley sustained an ankle injury in the third game of their first-round series against Vegas and while he was held off the scoresheet, he contributed physically with eight hits in those three contests despite averaging just over six minutes a night of playing time.

Snapshots: Karlsson, Thompson, Lafreniere, Maple Leafs

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The San Jose Sharks got some good news regarding the status of star defenseman Erik Karlsson, who will miss his second straight game Sunday with a strained groin. Head coach Peter DeBoer confirmed that Karlsson is suffering from the same strained groin injury that kept him out for nine straight games in January and February. However, the injury won’t require surgery, according to NHL.com’s Eric Gilmore.

“It’s a version of the same injury,” DeBoer said after receiving the latest medical test results on the 28-year-old defenseman. “I don’t anticipate it being long term. No surgery, nothing like that. But we’re going to be obviously extra cautious and make sure.”

Karlsson is a key piece to the Sharks’ success this year as they try to overtake the Calgary Flames for the top spot in the Pacific Division. Karlsson has three goals and 45 points in 52 games, but has only played four games since Jan. 16. He re-injured his groin on Feb. 23 against Columbus. DeBoer said that all Karlsson needs is time, but there is no timetable on how long he’ll be out.

Central Notes: Byfuglien, Little, Crawford

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Winnipeg Jets fans can breathe a sigh of relief when they learned that defenseman Dustin Byfuglien will be out Saturday in their game against the Ottawa Senators as head coach Paul Maurice indicated that the injury is a minor one and is in no way related to the ankle injury that kept the 6-foot-5, 260-pound blueliner out of 15 games earlier this season, according to Paul Friesen of the Winnipeg Sun.

“It’s another minor one that’s not going to help the original one,” Maurice said. “The original one’s fine enough to play. It’s strong, and it’s getting stronger. He wasn’t going to be able to perform very well, and we think in a few days he’ll settle right in.”

Winnipeg doesn’t play another game until Wednesday and Maurice believes that Byfuglien should be ready to return for that game in Colorado. With the loss of Joseph Morrow, the Jets will be shorthanded on defense, although Sami Niku was recalled earlier today to step into the lineup.

  • Sticking with the Jets, rumors have been thriving about the Jets’ attempts to pick up a top rental player before the trade deadline. However, that acquisition may have to prove themselves to work their way into the Jets’ top six as Maurice defended second-line center Bryan Little, suggesting that Little will not be leaving the team’s second line even if the team acquires a big-name player, according to TSN. “Other than the 16 points in the last 17 games, he’s gotta tighten that up, doesn’t he?” Maurice said. “He’s playing with two really young, unique players (Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic/Nikolaj Ehlers) and he’s done that for the last year and a half and he’s carried them in so many ways. Maybe it’s only the coach’s point of you to see how hard he works to get in and make things happen, but also to get out, to be on the right side of the puck, to battle every shift, to work with these kids who are really unique players.”
  • Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times writes that goaltender Corey Crawford has been cleared to return to the ice after sitting out for the last two months with another concussion. However, the team wants to be cautious before throwing him back in and won’t activate him for Saturday’s game. Lieser reports the team is considering putting him in the lineup on Monday when the host Ottawa, setting the veteran up with an easy home matchup to ease him back into the lineup. Crawford’s return could also force Collin Delia to return to the AHL despite faring well since being recalled.

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