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Ducks Reassign Noesen, Theodore To San Diego

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The Anaheim Ducks have reassigned defenseman Shea Theodore and forward Stefan Noesen to the San Diego Gulls of the AHL, the team has announced. Both players have already made this commute several times already this season as the Ducks take advantage of breaks in their schedule to reduce their daily salary cap commitments and bank space ahead of this year’s trade deadline.

Noesen, originally acquired by the Ducks in the Bobby Ryan trade, has appeared in just nine games this season and has tallied a single goal, the first of his brief NHL career. He was selected by Ottawa with the 21st pick in the 2011 entry draft and was shipped by the Senators along with fellow forward Jakob Silfverberg and a 2014 first-round draft choice – a pick which turned into Nick Ritchie – in the July 5, 2013 trade sending Ryan to Ottawa.

Theodore has dressed for 23 games this season for the Ducks and has registered seven points. He was drafted by Anaheim in the first round of the 2013 entry draft with the 26th overall selection. For his career, the native of Langley, British Columbia has seen action in 42 contests, recording four goals and 11 assists while averaging better than 18 minutes of ice time per game.

What’s Next For The Islanders?

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In the midst of a disappointing 2016-17 campaign, the New York Islanders made a change behind the bench yesterday, relieving Jack Capuano of his duties and turning the team over to AGM Doug Weight on an interim basis. The team has also received permission from the Florida Panthers to speak with their former head coach, Gerard Gallant, about taking the reins with the Isles on a full time basis. While the coaching change was surely made with the idea of sparking a second half playoff charge, it’s also quite possible this is just the first of several moves intended to get the Islanders back on the right track.

First and foremost, the goal for the Islanders will be to show superstar center John Tavares that the organization is fully committed to icing a competitive team around him. Tavares is eligible to become a free agent following the 2017-18 season and despite repeatedly stating his desire to remain with the organization that drafted him first overall in 2009, many in the industry feel that unless he views the Islanders as a legitimate contender, he’ll consider other options in free agency. That may pressure the front office into action, both at this year’s trade deadline and during the upcoming summer.

Assuming the new voice – whether Weight remains in charge for the duration of the campaign or the team hires another head coach such as Gallant – is unable to alter the team’s course ahead of the deadline, it’s conceivable the team will look to cash in veteran assets for controllable young talent and/or draft choices. Unfortunately the Islanders don’t possess much in the way of pending free agents that would appeal to other teams. Only Dennis Seidenberg, Stephen Gionta and Thomas Greiss are scheduled for unrestricted free agency after the season and none represent the type of asset that would command a significant return in trade.

The team could look to this summer’s free agent class in an effort to improve the roster but with more than $61MM already committed to 19 players in 2017-18, there won’t be much room to do so. It’s also possible the Islanders will look to move a big salary to create needed roster flexibility but other teams simply won’t have much interest in taking on the contract of someone like Andrew Ladd, who has six years and $33MM left on his deal and has struggled with just eight goals and 12 points in 41 contests this season. Mikhail Grabovski, who has been out all season with post-concussion syndrome, and Nikolai Kulemin are also unlikely to generate much interest on the trade market. Dealing any other roster player would only serve to create another hole the Islanders would have to fill.

It’s also fair to wonder whether GM Garth Snow will be the team’s leading decision-maker for much longer. After all, his offseason moves this past summer have not worked out particularly well and new ownership may not be as committed to the longtime Islanders executive as was Charles Wang. Remember, it was Wang who abruptly fired Neil Smith just six weeks into his tenure as GM and hired Snow, then the team’s backup goaltender, back in 2009. It has been reported that the organization’s new leaders, Jon Ledecky and Scott Malkin, have already been on the hunt for a “big name” executive to lead the team’s hockey operations department. The Islanders on-ice struggles could prompt ownership to transition away from Snow and bring in new leadership.

Clearly the Islanders organization has their work cut out for them and big decisions yet to make. The key question will be whether those decisions are enough to convince Tavares to sign on beyond the expiration of his current contract.

 

Will The Red Wings Be Buyers or Sellers?

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A couple wins over quality teams may have offered a glimmer of hope for the Detroit Red Wings playoff chances but barring an insane Columbus-like winning streak, all signs point to Detroit coming up short of a 26th straight appearance. Despite roaring back to beat Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Saturday evening, and then shutting out Montreal 1-0 on Monday, the Wings are hardly in the thick of things. If anything, the latest two victories, which put several young players in the spotlight, indicates why the Red Wings must get younger while giving the current young players on the squad a chance to compete.

Despite this, Ken Holland made a comment to TSN 690 that veteran players can have “off nights” because of stock built from previous performance. From the article:

Jeff Blashill and I talk about this quite often — Henrik Zetterberg is an example. He’s built up stock. It’s like you’re in a company,” Holland explained. “When you build up stock and you have an off night, all the stock you’ve built up allows you to have those nights when, as a veteran player, you maybe have an off night. When you’re a young player you can’t have off nights because you don’t have that stock built up, you haven’t done enough to help the team win through time.”

The logic is faulty in that young players will have off nights-simply because they’re young. Further, without Anthony Mantha or Andreas Athanasiou, it’s a wonder how much further down the Red Wings would be in the standings. Players like Jonathan Ericsson, Riley Sheahan, and Danny DeKeyser have struggled mightily this season, and don’t have the resume of a Zetterberg. Yet their minutes, and presence in the lineup, have remained consistent whereas Athanasiou has been scratched for sins only known to Blashill and Holland.

Apr 17, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Red Wings left wing Henrik Zetterberg (40) skates with the puck during the second period against the Tampa Bay Lightning in game three of the first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Joe Louis Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

While Holland still has an eye on the playoffs, despite only an 11% chance of making them,  here are a few players Holland may want to dangle at the deadline.

Thomas Vanek

Vanek may be one of Holland’s better free agent pickups in the salary cap era, second only to Marian Hossa back in 2008. Vanek has nearly been a point-per-game player, and could be a missing piece for a slew of playoff teams looking to bolster its run at a Stanley Cup. Winging It In Motown had a detailed write up on what Vanek could garner and why he should be considered a prime piece to move.

In a weaker trade market, and looking at what some rentals garnered at last season’s deadline, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Vanek snares a 1st round pick or significant prospect.

Mike Green

Going back to Winging It In Motown, they target the other valuable asset, defenseman Mike Green. Green (another solid Holland pickup) does have a no-trade clause, but a chance to win a Cup may change his mind should the Wings continue to slip out of playoff range.  Green has been better for the Wings this season, already tallying 20 points (8-12) in 36 games. An offensive minded defenseman, Green would be an asset on the power play, and for the Wings, could yield quite the haul, possibly a 1st round pick for interested teams.

The next few weeks should reveal the Wings true standing. But taking a run at “the streak” instead of reloading for the future may be something that haunts the Wings for years to come.

Head Coaches Potentially On The Hot Seat

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As we pass the halfway point of the 2016-17 schedule, teams will soon have to make the sometimes difficult decision as to whether they are going to act as a buyer or seller ahead of the March 1st trade deadline. Additionally, teams that have underachieved their internal preseason expectations will take the time to look in the mirror and assess what they can do to improve their on-ice fortunes, both for the remainder of the current campaign and into the future. Sometimes that assessment leads to coaching changes.

Though just one bench boss has been relieved of his duties so far this season, several more could soon join Gerard Gallant on the unemployment line. In this post we’ll examine the situations of several coaches who would appear to be on the hot seat at this point in the 2016-17 season.

Jack Capuano (New York Islanders) – The Islanders have been one of the biggest disappointments this season, just one year after making it to the second-round of the playoffs for the first time in more than two decades. Currently residing in last place in the Metro Division and tied for the lowest points total in the East, the Islanders under Garth Snow have generally exercised patience with their head coach. In five full seasons behind the Islanders bench, Capuano has missed the postseason twice and has two first-round playoff defeats on his record. Other teams might have already pulled the plug on the coach. It’s not necessarily fair to assign all of the blame for the team’s underachievment this year on Capuano as Snow allowed two key players – Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen – to leave via free agency this past summer, and the players he inked to help replace them – Andrew Ladd and Jason Chimera – haven’t played well. Capuano has also had the unenviable task of trying to manage a three-headed monster in goal for much of the season until Jaroslav Halak was reassigned to Bridgeport after clearing waivers. With franchise player John Tavares nearing unrestricted free agency, the pressure to turn in a deep playoff run to help convince their captain to sign on long term has to be growing.

[Update: Capuano has been relieved of his coaching duties by the team.]

Dave Tippett (Arizona Coyotes) – It seems unlikely that just a year after being given more power and some influence over player personnel that the Coyotes would move on from their longtime head coach. Yet nonetheless, the struggles in Arizona will assuredly mean some changes are made and it’s always possible ownership in Arizona reverses course and moves on from Tippett. After all, it seems likely some improvement over their 78-point 2015-16 campaign was expected and with just 32 points to date, those improvements simply haven’t been there.

Paul Maurice (Winnipeg Jets) – The Jets certainly have talent in the form of Mark Scheifele, Dustin Byfuglien and Blake Wheeler – among others – but the team has been maddeningly inconsistent this year. Some observers believe the Jets have a tough time sticking to their system and structure and that doesn’t speak well of Maurice. But, the absence of a true number one goaltender is another one of the issues stifling the team’s success and that’s not the fault of the head coach. Maurice has also integrated a number of younger players into the linuep during his tenure in Manitoba, allowing management to get a better sense as to the real quality of their yong talent. Ownership in Winnipeg has a reputation of being patient when it comes to making decisions and will likely give the veteran coach another season to see what he can do.

Claude Julien (Boston Bruins) – The Bruins are currently in second place in the Atlantic and if they end up qualifying for the postseason, it’s likely the team refrains from making a change behind the bench. But three teams – Florida, Ottawa and Toronto – are just three points behind Boston in the standings and all have games-in-hand, meaning there is a real possibility the Bruins could miss the postseason tournament for the third consecutive season.

Vancouver bench boss Willie Desjardins, who has been thought to be on the hot seat for much of the season, would seem to be safe for the time being with the Canucks in the mix for a playoff berth.

 

Central Division Snapshots: Blackhawks, Avalanche, Korpikoski

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The Chicago Blackhawks roster still boasts many of the key contributors who have led the team to three Stanley Cup championships since 2010. And as long as Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Corey Crawford are healthy, the Hawks will be on the short list of Western Conference contenders even as the front office constantly juggles the rest of the roster to augment that core while remaining compliant with the salary cap.

That doesn’t mean the Blackhawks aren’t in need of reinforcements as the March 1st trade deadline approaches, however. Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun Times argues Chicago desperately needs a top left wing in order to help pull Toews out of his season long scoring slump. For his career, Toews has averaged 0.86 points/game but so far this season he is nearly three-tenths-of-a-point behind that rate. Lazerus believes that the acquisition of a proven top-six winger would allow Vinnie Hinostroza to slot into the team’s bottom-six, further bolstering that group. In conjunction with the expected return of Marcus Kruger, the Blackhawks would be able to ice four solid and balanced lines in this scenario.

Lazerus lists Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog, who have both been frequently mentioned in trade rumors of late, as two potential options. Though given the team’s current salary cap situation – $65.7MM in commitments to just 14 players – it’s far more likely that Chicago will stick to shopping in the rental bin as opposed to adding a player with term remaining beyond this season.

James van Riemsdyk was also listed by Lazerus as a possibility though Toronto would likely hold onto the winger as long as they remain in the hunt for a playoff spot. He also has one more year remaining on his deal, representing an additional sticking point in this scenario. Jarome Iginla is undoubtedly available but at 39 and with just five goals through 41 games this season, Chicago would probably exhaust other alternatives before pivoting in this direction.

If Dallas decides to sell at the deadline, former Blackhawk Patrick Sharp could represent an interesting option, though that is just my speculation. Sharp has missed time this season on two separate occasions with concussions and has just two goals on the season but tallied 20 last year for the Stars. He’s in the final year of his contract with a cap hit of $5.9MM and given Chicago will only have roughly $3.3MM of available space at the deadline, the Stars will either have to retain salary or take back a contract to facilitate a trade.

Elsewhere in the Central Division:

  • The Colorado Avalanche, in the midst of a second straight dismal season, appear to be on the verge of a major shakeup, whether that occurs at the trade deadline or during the summer. Multiple high-profile players could be shipped elsewhere as management attempts to fix what ails the roster. The Denver Post’s Terry Frei compiled a comprehensive listing of the moves the team has made since Joe Sakic took over as the organization’s top decision-maker and the results are as you would expect given the current state of the team. Like many teams, the Avalanche have blundered when it comes to the term offered to unrestricted free agents. Among the players acquired either as a free agent or via trade and then subsequently extended were Brad Stuart, Jarome Iginla, Francois Beachemin, and Carl Soderberg. All were at least 30 when added to the Avalanche roster and only Soderberg was younger than 34. Needless to say, those deals haven’t worked out as the team had anticipated.
  • A late free agent addition that has panned out far better than expected was the Dallas Stars October signing of forward Lauri Korpikoski, as Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News writes. The Finnish forward had been bought out of the final year of his deal with Edmonton and was later released from his PTO with Calgary. In need of forward depth following the loss of Ales Hemsky and Mattias Janmark, the team inked Korpikoski to a one-year, $1M deal. While he hasn’t exactly lit up the score sheet, the nine-year veteran has contributed six goals and 15 points in 43 games. That’s solid production for a bottom-six winger and a relative bargain given the minimal investment the Stars undertook. Additionally, Stars head coach Lindy Ruff appreciates Korpikoski’s all-around game, saying: “He’s a solid contributor who is good on both sides of the puck. You’ve got a guy who is pretty diligent and plays the game the right way.” With five of his fellow forwards also set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer, it’s at least possible Dallas considers an extension with Korpikoski.

 

Ranger Injury Updates: Raanta, Staal, Puempel

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Like many teams in the NHL this season, the New York Rangers have had their fair share of injuries. Star sniper Rick Nash has missed 12 games with a troublesome groin issue. Key offseason acquisition Mika Zibanejad has missed the last 25 games due to a broken fibula. And just last Saturday, goaltender Antti Raanta was forced to leave after the first period of the Rangers 5 – 4 loss to Montreal with what was called a lower-body injury.

Fortunately for the Rangers, Raanta is expected to only be out sometime between seven and 10 days, as the team announced today via their official Twitter account. Raanta has had an excellent season as Henrik Lundqvist’s backup winning 10 of his 14 decisions, while posting a GAA of 2.24 and a S% of 0.923. With 17 appearances already this season, the four-year veteran is well on his way towards besting his previous career high of 25, accomplished both last year and in his rookie campaign in 2013-14.

Meanwhile, in Raanta’s absence, the Rangers have recalled Magnus Hellberg from the Hartford Wolf Pack. Hellberg, who has yet to appear for the Blue Shirts this season has just two games of NHL experience, both coming in relief. In 25 games with the Wolf Pack, the 25-year-old goalie has a 10-9-1 record, a GAA of 2.91 and a S% of 0.905.

The loss of Raanta likely means the Rangers will rely primarily on Henrik Lundqvist in the interim, and that might not be a bad thing. Lundqvist has traditionally been at his best when given a heavy workload and with Raanta seeing more time than usual between the pipes this year, The King has not performed up to his admittedly lofty standards. Perhaps increased use leading up to the All Star game will allow Lundqvist to find his rhythm and get back on track.

Earlier today, Blue Shirts bench boss Alain Vigneault indicated that Zibanejad would be back in the Rangers lineup tomorrow when the team hosts the Dallas Stars. The 23-year-old pivot, acquired in the offseason from Ottawa in exchange for Derick Brassard, was off to a terrific start on Manhattan, tallying 15 points in his first 19 games. His return will naturally push someone to the press box and if today’s practice is any indication, it appears Oscar Lindberg will be the one to come out of the lineup.

Additionally, Marc Staal and Matt Puempel, both of whom are in the NHL’s concussion protocol, skated this morning prior to the team’s practice. This suggests both players are progressing in their respective recoveries though of course it doesn’t provide any clarity on a timeline for their return.

PHR Originals: 1/9/2017-1/15/2017

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It’s been an interesting week in the NHL, and here at PHR we’ve had some excellent original features:

What’s Next For The Philadelphia Flyers?

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On December 15th, exactly one month ago, the Philadelphia Flyers woke up on a ten-game winning streak and safely headed for the playoffs. All the talk around the league was how both Eastern Conference wildcard spots had already been locked up, the Metropolitan division having five teams that were guaranteed a spot in the playoffs.

Now, on January 15th as they lose 5-0 at the hands of the Washington Capitals, the story is very different. Since that 10th win in a row on December 14th, the Flyers have gone 3-8-3 and find themselves in real trouble of falling out of the wildcard spot. Carolina, Ottawa, Toronto and Florida are all within two points of the Flyers, with everyone having games in hand (the Leafs and Senators have 5 each).

As the Flyers head into their mandated bye-week – the team won’t play until next Saturday – they must find an answer to their recent problems. The question for this team isn’t up front, as they have scored 132 goals, good for 5th in the conference. It’s the back end that has so many question marks.

Their goaltending tandem of Steve Mason and Michal Neuvirth that started so well have both taken huge steps backwards, highlighted by the four goals in five minutes allowed by Mason today against the Capitals before he was pulled from the net. Both netminders have a save percentage under .900, which is unacceptable in the NHL.

On defense, the team scratched last year’s rookie of the year candidate Shayne Gostisbehere yesterday for the second time this year, upset with his play in his own end. While that might be a development tactic, other blueliners like Andrew MacDonald and Michael Del Zotto haven’t played well enough for the team this year either.

The team has some excellent young players; Ivan Provorov and Travis Konecny are both playing well as rookies, but disappear periodically (as rookies tend to do) and are still an unknown as the season stretches out.

If the front office believes this team could compete in the playoffs should they make a move or two, expect it to come on the back end and in net. With Mark Streit, Del Zotto and Nick Schultz all unrestricted free agents this summer, the team could also decide to sell off some expiring assets and give younger players more freedom.

In goal, acquiring a real NHL netminder is paramount, except it leaves the problem of Anthony Stolarz. The young netminder is almost ready to make an impact at the NHL level, and is exposed at the upcoming expansion draft. If the team were to acquire a goalie to help long term, they’d be at risk of losing him or Stolarz. This, by the way already may happen – the team currently must leave Stolarz exposed as he’s the only netminder under contract past this year.

It will be an interesting week for the Flyers front office, who need to start making decisions on this roster now. If they go another few games without turning this ship around, it might be too late. For now, they’ll crawl home and lick their wounds, hoping the unofficial second half brings more fruitful rewards.

How Are The 2016 Draft Picks Doing? Picks #1-5

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Now more than ever, the NHL is a draft and develop league. While trades and key free agent signings are still an important part of the game, gone are the days where core players could be obtained for a few draft picks and low level prospects. The key to building a solid franchise foundation is drafting well. If gifted with a top five pick, the pressure in the salary cap era is even more stifling.

With the 2017 NHL Draft just over six months away, it’s always interesting to see how the 2016 picks are doing following their selections. Some like Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine, really need no introduction. The contributions to their respective teams have been significant, and talked about during the first half of the season. Here are the top five picks in order, and what they’ve been up to since being drafted last June.

#1 overall pick: Auston Matthews

What else is there to say? The Toronto Maple Leafs picked the Arizona native and they haven’t been disappointed. Nearly a point-per-game player, Matthews has 36 points (21-15) in 40 games and despite a goal scoring drought a few months back, Matthews has hit his stride. A knack to score big goals and showing a strong two-way game as well, Matthews is the backbone of a Toronto rebuilding project that includes a lot of exciting young players. The future is looking very bright in hockey’s mecca.

#2 overall pick: Patrik Laine

The Winnipeg Jets knew they were getting a good player in Laine, but just how good wasn’t revealed until the regular season began. Laine has netted two hat tricks this season and until Matthews heated up, there was significant discussion that Laine could be the choice for the Calder Trophy for league’s best rookie. Though a concussion sidelined him, Laine was also nearly a point-per-game player with 37 points (21-16) in 42 games. He still leads all rookies in goals and points.
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Johnny Boychuk Day-To-Day With Upper Body Injury

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Add Johnny Boychuk to the injury merry-go-round that is claiming important players from teams across the league. Boychuk was a late scratch tonight, as reported by Shannon Hogan, with an upper body injury. Cat Silverman of Fan Rag goes further, indicating that the injury could be “huge” should it be a long term injury. Silverman adds that Boychuk was not out during warmups.

More From Silverman:

The 32-year-old blue liner has been one of the team’s most consistent players since getting dealt from the Boston Bruins in the summer of 2014 – and if the team looks to deal away anyone on the blue line ahead of the impending expansion draft, they’ll need their corps as healthy as possible.

The Islanders have struggled this season and are currently tied with the Detroit Red Wings for the least amount of points in the Eastern Conference, though they have two games in hand.

Boychuk has 14 points (5-9) this season.

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