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Ondrej Pavelec

Snapshots: Kovalchuk, Sabres, Kings

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Could former NHL star Ilya Kovalchuk be looking to follow in Alexander Radulov’s footsteps next summer?

KHL analyst Aivis Kalniņš believes Kovalchuk wants to return to the NHL. The Russian sniper retired from the NHL back in 2013 in order to play in the KHL after 11 seasons in North America. He was just three seasons into a controversial 15-year, $100MM contract when he retired.

Kalniņš reported that CSKA has begun contract talks with former NHLers Kovalchuk and Viktor Tikhonov; while Tikhonov is considered close to an extension, Kovalchuk is not. It’s a similar situation to Radulov, in that CSKA attempted to sign him but he chose to leave money on the table to give the NHL another go.

Whether or not the NHL allows Kovalchuk to return is another question. Because he signed his voluntary retirement papers, all 30 NHL teams would have to approve the move. It’s unlikely that 29 teams would approve a competitor’s bid to sign a former consistent 30-plus goal scorer.

  • Brayton J. Wilson of WGR 550 in Buffalo reported a hard-to-believe stat about the Sabres. With their win over Minnesota, the Sabres are now 4-3-2, or one game over 0.500. Wilson reported that this is the first time the Sabres have been over 0.500 since the third game of the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. That’s 299 games ago, and a sign of the harsh realities of being a struggling franchise in the NHL.
  • After being shut out for the third consecutive game, Los Angeles Kings coach Darryl Sutter told reporters his message to the team was “there’s nobody coming in on a white horse to play goal for us or score goals or to come up [from the minors].” The Kings have approximately $1MM in salary cap space, despite placing the injured Jonathan Quick on LTIR. While Quick’s injury does give them some space in the interim, that would go away when he returns in three months, which rules out trading for Jaroslav Halak and likely Ondrej Pavelec too.

Snapshots: Westpoint, Kings’ Goaltenders, Lindholm

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On tonight’s Hockey Night In Canada broadcast, the Sportsnet team revealed some interesting tidbits about stories around the league. One of which, coming on the heels of today’s hugely popular alumni game in Winnipeg (which the Jets won 6-5 on the back of Teemu Selanne’s five points and last second penalty shot goal), is that the league is considering non-conventional venues for upcoming outdoor games.

The military academy Westpoint is one of these out-of-the-box ideas, but seems to have legs. Elliotte Friedman says the league is considering it for next season. The New York Rangers would play in the game, but wouldn’t necessarily be the home team. Friedman also mentions South Bend (home of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish) as another possibility.

  • Friedman talks about the goaltending situation in Los Angeles, which got even more dire today when Jeff Zatkoff went down with a groin injury. Peter Budaj, expected to be the AHL starter this season, may get an extended chance with the big club due to the contracts or trade demands of other goaltenders around the league. The Kings have reportedly looked into Ondrej Pavelec, Steve Mason, Reto Berra, Mike Condon but haven’t found a fit. Friedman opines that Jonathan Bernier may be an option for the team, due to his familiarity with the organization and expected availability.
  • Kelly Hrudey thinks that Brian Elliott isn’t fazed by his recent struggles for the Calgary Flames. Elliott isn’t starting tonight for the Flames, but that doesn’t mean that he’s in any danger of losing the #1 job in Calgary. If anything, his poor start might just buy the Flames a few dollars in their ongoing negotiations with the netminder.
  • A final point from Friedman was on the Hampus Lindholm situation in Anaheim and the Winnipeg negotiations with Jacob Trouba. Apparently Anaheim wants Lindholm to sign for less than $5.4MM per season, while the player wants more than that. On Trouba, apparently the asking price of Kevin Cheveldayoff hasn’t dropped any even with the holdout lasting into the season. If Trouba is moved, it will be for the big return that the Jets’ GM has been looking for all summer.

Jets Receiving Calls On Ondrej Pavelec

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The Winnipeg Jets have received some calls regarding goaltender Ondrej Pavelec, ESPN’s Craig Custance reports (Insider required).  However, those calls have been more of the tire-kicking variety than concrete trade negotiations.

Pavelec is currently suiting up for the Manitoba Moose of the AHL where he has a 1-0-1 record with a 2.89 GAA and a .919 SV% in two games so far.  It’s his first season in the minors since 2008-09 in just the second year of his pro career.

The 29 year old cleared waivers back in the preseason, in large part due to his contract.  Pavelec is earning a salary of $4.75MM with a cap hit of $3.9MM in the final season of a five year deal signed back in June of 2012.  The Jets also wanted youngster Connor Hellebuyck to start the season with the deal and because of Pavelec’s deal, he was the logical candidate to be waived, particularly after posting just a .904 save percentage in 2015-16.

For a trade to happen, it’s highly likely that Winnipeg will have to eat a sizable amount of salary (they’re allowed to retain up to 50%).  Even so, that may be a more palatable solution for them compared to carrying a ‘buried’ cap hit of $2.95MM for Pavelec while he is in the minor leagues.  Accordingly, the asking price would likely not be particularly high and may very well depend on how much other teams would want the Jets to retain.

On the surface, it would seem logical to think that Los Angeles is one of the teams that has been or will be kicking the tires on Pavelec.  The Kings will be without Jonathan Quick for the next three months and currently have a tandem of Jeff Zatkoff and Peter Budaj who have both been in the minors themselves in recent seasons.  Pavelec would at least give them someone who has been a starter at times in recent years and is more suited to handle a starting workload.

Of course, Winnipeg may be inclined to wait on moving Pavelec for now to see if other injuries arise to create more trade demand down the road.  In the meantime, he’ll continue to suit up in Manitoba as the highest paid goaltender in the minors.

Potential Short-Term Replacements For Quick

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With Jonathan Quick set to possibly miss 3 – 4 months due to a groin injury, the Kings are for the time being expected to ride it out with internal options Jeff Zatkoff and Peter Budaj manning the net. But the Kings are well within their window of Stanley Cup competition and with several of their key players – Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, Marian Gaborik and Alec Martinez – already or nearing 30, and the team may not want to let the season get away should the Zatkoff/Budaj combo struggle between the pipes. In that case L.A. could visit the trade market to look for a short-term solution.

The Kings have little in the way of cap space, according to Cap Friendly, with just around $1.5MM available. They could add $5.8MM if they place Quick on LTIR, should they choose. But with Quick under contract for six seasons beyond this one, it’s likely the club elects to stick with less expensive options or, at the very least, limit their search to goaltenders in the final year of their deals. Within these parameters, here are a few goaltenders who could be made available by their current team and who might prove to be of interest at some point to the Kings.

Ondrej Pavelec – He was waived by Winnipeg at the end of the regular season and after going unclaimed, was assigned to the Jets’ Manitoba AHL affiliate. Pavelec’s only above-average NHL season came during the 2014-15 campaign when he posted a Save % of 92.0% and allowed a GAA of 2.28. That’s the only season in the last five Pavelec has posted a Save % above 90.6% or a GAA lower than 2.78. He is in the final year of his contract and set to earn $2.95MM; a figure the Kings could find reasonable enough for a stop-gap solution. NHL reporter Brennan Klak agrees with the premise the Kings don’t want to commit much in the terms of money or term, and mentions Pavelec as a hypothetical option.

Ryan Miller – Miller is expensive, $6MM cap charge, but has a solid track record of success at the NHL level and like Pavelec, is in the final season of his deal. It’s possible, if the Kings can tread water in the interim,  their interest increases as the trade deadline approaches and the team can better afford that cap hit. If the Canucks find themselves on the outside looking in at the playoffs, they could field offers for the veteran netminder. This would likely represent a worst-case scenario in that it assumes Quick wouldn’t be ready to return at the end of four months.

Thomas Greiss – Greiss had a good year with the Islanders in 2015-16 and when Jaroslav Halak went down with an injury late in the season, the German goalie guided New York into the second round of the playoffs. Greiss is in the final year of a deal that comes with a cap hit of just $1.5MM, and would represent a low-cost option on an expiring contract. The Islanders chose to keep three netminders on the roster to begin the season, likely out of fear that Jean-Francois Berube would have been claimed on waivers. It’s feasible they could take a reasonable offer for Greiss and commit to Berube and Halak for the rest of 2016-17.

Scott Wedgewood – The Kings could have had Wedgewood for just the cost of assuming the remaining season and $587.5K left on his contract but of course Quick was healthy when Wedgewood was available on waivers. It seems apparent the Devils still value Wedgewood’s potential but with Cory Schneider and Keith Kinkaid holding down the top two spots in New Jersey, it’s conceivable they could entertain offers for the 24-year-old goalie. Wedgewood has little NHL experience – four starts – but would represent a low-cost, low-risk flier for the Kings.

Winnipeg Notes: Trouba, Morrissey, Pavelec

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With the regular season now underway and youngster Josh Morrissey showing well in the opener and the preseason, Paul Wiecek of the Winnipeg Free Press suggests that RFA holdout Jacob Trouba may already be starting to lose some of his negotiating leverage.

Trouba is one of two remaining restricted free agents (the other being from Anaheim defenseman Hampus Lindholm).  While Lindholm and his representation are negotiating over money and term, Trouba’s hold out stems from a trade request due to Winnipeg’s desire to play him on his off-side.

While the firm deadline date to have a deal in place is a little over six weeks away (he must be signed by December 1st; if not, he would be ineligible for the rest of the year), Wiecek believes that Morrisey’s efforts early on in the spot that would have been Trouba’s lessen any sort of possible pressure on General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff to get a deal done sooner rather than later.

In his tenure as Winnipeg’s GM, Cheveldayoff has been very patient and deliberate.  While Trouba and his representatives (and maybe some other teams) were hoping that he would act quickly, it’s expected that the asking price will remain high on Trouba and that Cheveldayoff will only move him if he gets the exact deal he’s looking for.  Last week, it was reported that the asking price included a young left-handed rearguard but if Morrissey continues to impress, that requirement could change which would then open up some other options for the Jets to potentially consider.

Elsewhere in Winnipeg, who received some bad news earlier today with Bryan Little being out for the longer-term:

  • Recently-demoted goaltender Ondrej Pavelec wasn’t surprised to find himself the odd man out this year, Free Press columnist Jason Bell writes. The 29 year old suited up in just one preseason contest while Michael Hutchinson played in three games and opening night starter Connor Hellebuyck in two.  Pavelec acknowledges that he’s unsure what his role will be in the AHL as the Jets have a quality prospect in Eric Comrie down there and will likely want him to get as much playing time as possible.  With a cap hit of $3.9MM and a salary of $4.75MM, the Jets will have a hard time finding a taker for Pavelec unless they’re willing to retain on his salary/cap hit in any sort of trade.

Ondrej Pavelec Placed On Waivers

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Winnipeg Jets goaltender Ondrej Pavelec was placed on waivers today, per TSN’s Bob McKenzie. The move was first rumored by the Winnipeg Sun’s Ken Wiebe. The move comes as a surprise, but will open the door for goalies Michael Hutchinson and Connor Hellebuyck to grab the starter’s role. Pavelec will have to report to the Manitoba Moose of the AHL.

Pavelec did not have an impressive year last season, posting a .904SV% and a 2.84GAA. He was outplayed by Hellebuyck and on par with Hutchinson. The Czech goalie has struggled to establish himself as a starter throughout his career. Aside from 2014-15 where he posted a .920SV% and a 2.28GAA, his numbers have consistently been among the worst of the NHL’s top 30 starting goalies. Winnipeg likely got tired of his inconsistency and decided to go with younger talent.

Pavelec is in his final year of a $3.9MM contract. It is unclear whether a team is willing to take on that salary at the moment, but early injuries could force a GMs hand. By sending Pavelec down, the Jets saved around $300K in cap space—not that it matters much, as Winnipeg had $9MM freed up before the move.

Training Camp Battles: Jets, Blue Jackets, Caggiula, Chabot

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Jets coach Paul Maurice isn’t ruling out carrying three goalies (Ondrej Pavelec, Michael Hutchinson, and Connor Hellebuyck) to start the season, writes Paul Friesen of the Winnipeg Sun.  Hellebuyck is viewed as Winnipeg’s goalie of the future but is the only waiver exempt goalie of the three.  It’s uncommon but not rare for teams to carry three (the Islanders did for the bulk of last year) as not only does it mean that one is in the press box every night, it also prevents the team from carrying another extra skater which is often more desirable.

Pavelec is entering the final year of his contract which carries a cap hit of $3.9MM.  However, he struggled last year with a save percentage of just .904 with a GAA of 2.78 which would make it very difficult to trade him.

Hutchinson, meanwhile, signed a two year deal this offseason with a more manageable cap charge of $1.15MM.  While his numbers weren’t much better than Pavelec’s last year (a slightly worse GAA while being three points higher in save percentage), he likely slots in as the backup moving forward and doesn’t appear to be a candidate to be traded.

If they do keep all three up to start, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Winnipeg shuffle Hellebuyck back and forth between their AHL affiliate, who plays out of the same area as the Jets.

Other training camp battles to follow:

  • Still with goaltenders, there is a battle brewing for the number two job with Columbus, notes Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch. Sergei Bobrovsky is the surefire starter but incumbent Curtis McElhinney plus youngsters Anton Forsberg and Joonas Korpisalo are both in the mix as well.  Of the three, only the 33 year old McElhinney would have to clear waivers.  Forsberg has had the best preseason but if the team decides that it’s best for their young players to play more in the AHL than dress as the backup with the big club, they may opt to keep the veteran around to start the season and see if one of the youngsters forces his way into the role midseason or as a spot starter.
  • Edmonton rookie center Drake Caggiula has turned heads at camp, writes Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Sun. The Oilers signed the small but highly coveted college UFA late last season and he has made a run at a roster spot.  Tychkowski opines that his strong play could allow the team to bump Leon Draisaitl up to the wing to further strengthen their second line.
  • 19 year old defenseman Thomas Chabot has made the opening Ottawa roster, according to a tweet from his junior team in Saint John.  Chabot was Ottawa’s top pick in 2015 (18th overall) and had 45 points in 47 games at the QMJHL level last season.  He’s eligible to play in nine NHL games before burning the first year of his entry-level contract.

Central Notes: Wiercioch, Fleischmann, Jets Goalies

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The biggest hockey headline out of Colorado this summer was the unexpected departure of head coach and VP of operations Patrick Roy. Mike Chambers of The Denver Post told PHR in an earlier interview that his belief was that Roy insisted on acquiring a top defenseman this summer, perhaps at the cost of one of their top young forwards, but that GM Joe Sakic and his “support staff” wanted to stick with the core. In fact, the only blue line addition of note was the signing of free agent Patrick Wiercioch, who wore out his welcome in Ottawa and was not qualified as a RFA. But as Chambers writes, Weircioch may come to Colorado with little fanfare but his skill set is exactly what the Avalanche needs.

Wiercioch is a big defenseman – listed at 6-foot-5, 202 pounds – who can move the puck and contribute on the power play. Chambers also notes that the five-year veteran is a quality stick-handler and passer, which will hopefully help the team’s transition game. According to Chambers, Wiercioch was looking for a fresh start after five mostly disappointing seasons in Ottawa, and is looking forward to again playing in Colorado, where he played his college hockey for the University of Denver.

“Even before the trade deadline we were talking about what our avenues were. We both kind of decided if nothing were to happen, it’s not the end of the world because I have a wife and kid and it’s a tough transition to pick up and move for eight weeks.”

“But going into the summer I think we were both ready for the next chapter — for their organization and my career as well. It ended up being Colorado. When we looked at the options and the offers with more money, this was the franchise I really wanted to come play for. I really wanted to be excited about the opportunity here.”

Colorado agree to a one-year deal with Wiercioch worth $800K after which he will again become a RFA, thus giving the Avalanche additional contractual control. Wiercioch may not be the big name Roy wanted but he’ll have a tremendous opportunity to play a significant role for the Avalanche and could end up being a nice free agent bargain.

Other notes from the NHL’s Central Division:

  • As we noted yesterday, Tomas Fleischmann, who had agreed to a PTO with Minnesota, failed his physical. Mike Russo of the Star Tribune provides a further update saying the Czech-born forward will not be attending camp with the Wild, according to GM Chuck Fletcher. Neither head coach Bruce Boudreau nor Fletcher specified what issue caused the failed physical though Russo speculated it might be a recurrence of blood clots that Fleischmann had been diagnosed with in the past. Fletcher said about the veteran winger: “He’s such a good person, it’s unfortunate. So I hope he catches on somewhere else. It’s just a disappointment. I like him enough that I want to see him succeed somewhere.” Russo inferred from these comments that whatever the issue, it doesn’t seem as if it would necessarily keep Fleischmann from playing elsewhere, if another opportunity presents itself.
  • Ondrej Pavelec and young Connor Hellebuyck are expected to compete for the starters job between the pipes for the Jets this season. Both goalies participated in the World Cup of Hockey – Pavelec for the Czech Republic and Hellebuyck as part of Team North America – and say that experience has helped them as they prepare to battle for the #1 job, writes Mitchell Clinton for the Jets team site on NHL.com. Pavelec, who finished with a disappointing 90.4% save percentage in 33 games – 31 of which were starts – and would appear to be behind Hellebuyck entering camp. The rookie, who was a two-year starter at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, made 26 starts for the Jets and recorded a save percentage of 91.8%. Michael Hutchinson, who has started 68 contests over the last two seasons, is under contract with Winnipeg for two more years and is a solid backup should the Jets choose Hellebuyck as the starter and find a way to move Pavelec’s contract.

 

 

2016-17 Season Preview: Winnipeg Jets

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With the NHL season just weeks away, PHR is looking at each team, in-depth. Today: the Winnipeg Jets.

Last Season: 35-39-8 (78 points), 7th place in the Central Division. Did not qualify for the playoffs.

Cap Space Remaining: $9.37MM  via CapFriendly.

Key Newcomers: Patrik Laine (LW/ RW) – NHL Draft (2nd overall in 2016); Shawn Matthias(LW) – free agency (Colorado); Kyle Connor (C/ LW) – NHL Draft (17th overall in 2015)

Key Departures: none

Key RFAs: Jacob Trouba – The two sides appear far apart on everything: money, term, and usage. Right now, Trouba is blocked on the right side by Dustin Byfuglien (who is set to begin a new five-year extension worth $7.6MM per season) and Tyler Myers. It will be interesting to see how the Jets proceed; they have the salary space to sign him but also have depth at the position, which gives them the upper hand. There has been some trade rumors surrounding Trouba, but those have been repeatedly shot down by those who cover the team.

Player to Watch: Patrik Laine – The Jets lucked out at the draft lottery, jumping for 6th overall to second and the chance to take Laine. There was even talk of the Maple Leafs selecting Laine over Auston Matthews, but that never materialized. Laine has been compared to Alex Ovechkin for his explosive release. Laine should be able to step in immediately and give the Jets a great second line. Expect 20+ goals and plenty of flash.

Key Storyline: Can the Jets young core avoid growing pains? With Mark Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers, Laine, and Trouba all expected to play big roles this season, will they be able to use their skill to overcome relative inexperience? And in net, can one of Ondrej Pavelec, Michael Hutchinson, or Connor Hellebuyck step up and take over the number one job? The three netminders split the net pretty evenly last season, so the door is open for one to grab the reigns and run with it.

Jets’ Depth Chart

Backup Goalie Options For Toronto

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After trading Jonathan Bernier to the Ducks earlier this week, the Maple Leafs are in the market for a new backup goalie.  Head coach Mike Babcock told reporters that they’re looking for a “good pro,” implying that they’re looking for an experienced veteran to work behind 26 year old Frederik Andersen.

Unfortunately for Toronto, there aren’t many quality veterans available in free agency.  There are four NHL free agents with at least 100 games of experience in Jhonas Enroth, Anders Lindback, Karri Ramo, and Ben Scrivens.  However, all four of those players have either struggled in recent years or are considerably undersized for the position (Enroth) leading many to assume the team will ultimately trade for a backup instead.  With that in mind, here are some potential veteran trade candidates for the Leafs.

Thomas Greiss (New York I.) – This past week, the Islanders re-signed J-F Berube giving them three goalies on one-way deals.  Jaroslav Halak is the clear #1 while the fact they are keeping Berube around suggests that management is high on his potential.  That leaves Greiss as potentially the odd man out.  Greiss is coming off the best season of his career plus a strong playoff run so the asking price should be somewhat high.  However, the Leafs would be getting an above average backup and would give themselves two quality options between the pipes each and every night.

Curtis McElhinney (Columbus) – The Blue Jackets have youngster Joonas Korpisalo waiting in the wings who handled himself quite well in 31 NHL games last season.  McElhinney is coming off a down season but has been a reliable backup in previous years.  Considering Columbus is looking to get younger, the asking price here wouldn’t be terribly high and would allow the Leafs to add a short-term fix while they let youngsters Garret Sparks and Antoine Bibeau battle it out in the minors for another year.

Ondrej Pavelec (Winnipeg) – After trading a bad contract in Bernier away, it wouldn’t make a lot of sense on the surface to turn around and trade for another one in Pavelec.  However, the Leafs have a couple of similarly-priced deals in Milan Michalek and Colin Greening that they could potentially flip to offset the salary.  A deal like this would give the Leafs someone that could slide into a #1 role if Andersen gets hurt while Winnipeg would free up a spot for Connor Hellebuyck to join the NHL team on a full-time basis.

Failing that, a trade for Michael Hutchinson from Winnipeg could be another possibility.  While he doesn’t have a ton of NHL experience, he has seen action in at least 30 NHL games in each of the last two seasons and dealing him away would allow the Jets to move Hellebuyck up full-time as well.

There aren’t a lot of veteran netminders out there for the Leafs but they still should be able to add one without much difficulty between now and the start of training camp in September.

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