Atlantic Division Notes: Lupul, Marchand, Galchenyuk
TSN’s Frank Seravelli reports that Joffrey Lupul is rumored to have failed his pre-season physical and expects to start the NHL season on injured reserve. The oft-injured Maple Leafs forward only played in 46 games last year, scoring 11 goals and 3 assists.
Lupul has faced a variety of injuries in his career, but none more severe than his back issues which have sidelined him for significant periods of time. When healthy, Lupul is an excellent contributor, but his repeated injuries often derail successful campaigns.
Lupul began his Maple Leafs career with a bang, netting 45 goals and 105 points in his first 110 contests spread out over parts of three seasons in Toronto after a 2011 deadline trade with Anaheim. His strong play led to a massive five-year contract extension worth $26.25MM in total despite the fact the skilled forward had seen action in no more than 66 games in a single season since 2008-09. Unfortunately for both parties, Lupul has missed nearly a full season’s worth of games (76 in total) since inking that extension and has produced just 0.46 points-per-game during that time.
The Maple Leafs are currently over the cap by $827K, but moving Lupul to LTIR will free up $5.25MM in space. Assuming Stephane Robidas also starts the season on LTIR, the Leafs go from slightly over the cap to over $8MM under the cap. The Leafs will have the option of freeing up additional space by placing Nathan Horton on LTIR as well, which would further lower their overall cap commitment to around $60MM.
Lupul was originally the seventh overall pick in the 2002 NHL entry draft, chosen by the Anaheim Ducks. Ironically, he has twice been included in trades involving Chris Pronger, first going from Anaheim to the Oilers in exchange for the Hall of Fame defenseman, then returning to the Ducks as part of a package that saw Pronger head to Philadelphia. Toronto would acquire Lupul and Jake Gardiner from Anaheim as part of a trade for veteran blue liner Francois Beauchemin.
More from the Atlantic Division:
- Joe Haggerty joined local Boston sports talk show, Toucher and Rich, and discussed Brad Marchand‘s pending free agency. Marchand, of course, ranked 6th in the NHL in goals scored in 2015-16, tallying a career high 37. He is currently playing on what many consider to be the best line in the World Cup, skating on the left of all-world pivot Sidney Crosby with Bruins teammate Patrice Bergeron on the right. Haggerty opines that the Bruins need to lock up the agitating winger before he hits the free agent market, suggesting it will take a seven-year contract with an AAV of $7MM per season. He also listed the Penguins as a potential suitor should Marchand make it to free agency. Haggerty cites the fact both Marchand and Crosby are originally from Nova Scotia and that the success the two players are experiencing at the World Cup might prompt an impassioned plead to Penguins management from their best player to go get Marchand. Of course while Marchand might be getting a glimpse of how fun it might be to play with Crosby every day, he’s also reminded of just how good playing with Bergeron is.
- It appears the Montreal Canadiens have anointed Alex Galchenyuk as the team’s #1 center, with head coach Michel Therrien saying he plans to start the talented American on the top line with Max Pacioretty and Brendan Gallagher, as Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette reports. Galchenyuk, who has moved back-and-forth between wing and center since breaking into the league in 2012-13, may have finally earned the trust of the coaching staff on the heels of a strong 30-goal campaign, which included netting 18 over the team’s final 27 games. Veteran center Tomas Plekanec will then assume the role of #2 pivot and is expected to have new offseason additions Andrew Shaw and Alexander Radulov on his wings.
*Mike Furlano contributed to this post.
Snapshots: USA-Canada, Abdelkader
John Tortorella has found himself and his team in a challenging situation following their 3-0 loss to Team Europe on Saturday. Though critiqued by many for their roster selection, few expected a shutout loss to Team Europe. But that’s exactly what happened, putting the Americans in an absolute must win against arch-rival Canada. Stephen Whyno writes that while the game has to result in an American victory for any sort of hope, it’s just another game for the Canadians. Tortorella called the Tuesday’s contest its “championship game,” and had this to say regarding the potential elimination game:
“Playing there, against them, everybody wants us knocked out,” Tortorella said Monday. “I can’t wait and I think our players can’t wait for this game to start. It’s going to be a blast.”
Team Canada bench boss Mike Babcock on the other hand, takes the approach that every important game in the tournament is the next one, and while Canada fended off the Czech Republic with ease, they certainly won’t be overlooking a desperate American squad. Whyno reports that Canada isn’t concerned with eliminating the US for extra motivation. Instead, it’s a business as usual approach for the team that has been dubbed by many as having few to little weaknesses.
In other hockey news:
- Justin Abdelkader will be placed on a line with Patrick Kane in the tilt against Canada writes Puck Daddy’s Greg Wyshynski and it could be another in a line of head scratching Tortorella moves. Tortorella claims that anyone questioning his “thinking” is simply reporters “overthinking” it. Further, he writes that Abdelkader, based on his play, has earned more ice time. Wyshynski argues that Abdelkader is generally considered to be a third or fourth line player, but Abdelkader makes this point:
“I’ve played with some good players in Detroit and it’s similar to him. You want the puck on his stick. But you can’t just think you’re going to throw pucks all the time at him. It’s the right opportunities. I think we’re a better team when Patrick Kane has the puck on his stick, that’s for sure.”
Abdelkader also points out that he’ll play “wherever” Tortorella puts him. Wyshynski also points out that this is an old hat strategy by Torts: those who play hard will play more and those who don’t will sit. While that strategy seems subjective, and many would argue that it is, if it works, then Tortorella looks like a genius. If not, then it’ll add to the litany of missteps Team USA has made through the World Cup experience.
‘Yotes Notes: Strome, Duclair, Smith
The Hockey News published their Arizona Coyotes season preview today, and from it comes some nice analysis of the up-and-coming team. Young GM John Chayka has built a prospect-powerhouse, with players like Christian Dvorak and Dylan Strome joining the club this season.
Strome, as THN reports, is set to become the team’s second line center, behind Martin Hanzal and may skate alongside captain Shane Doan and new winger Jamie McGinn. With those two at his sides, he’ll definitely be able to use his creativity and flash to put up some strong offensive numbers. His future as the Arizona number one center isn’t set in stone, but it’s definitely a real possibility down the line.
- THN also notes that only eight of Anthony Duclair‘s 20 goals came in the second half, including just four in his final 26 games. He’s a prime candidate for a sophomore slump as he heads into his second NHL season, but if he continues to skate alongside Domi he’s sure to have respectable numbers when the season ends. Duclair is a big part of the power game that compliments players like Domi and Strome, and will be an important contributor going forward.
- If the Coyotes are to do anything resembling a playoff push, much of it will come on the back of goaltender Mike Smith. He’s 34 and coming off a few poor seasons, but did post a .944 save percentage in his return from a core muscle last season. If he can become the Vezina contender he was in 2012, this team could be a contender as soon as next season.
World Cup Players Set To Make Their NHL Debut This Season
At the World Cup of Hockey this year, there are a few players who are playing internationally for their countries before ever suiting up for a professional game in North America. For various reasons, not all of these men will ever come across to join the best league in the world. Some, however, will do so as soon as this year. Here’s a look at a few of the players who are set to make their NHL debut just after the World Cup concludes.
Auston Matthews (Maple Leafs) – Obviously, one of the biggest story lines at the tournament has been the young guns squad, captained by Connor McDavid. As we wrote earlier today however, Auston Matthews has made quite an impression on head coach Todd McClellan, and will suit up on the top line today in their opener. Matthews is the youngest player on the youngest team, and is asserting himself at the highest level already. He’ll get to greet the Maple Leaf faithful before he pulls a blue and white sweater over his back.
2015-16 stats (Switzerland) – 36 GP, 24 G, 22 A, 46 P, +16 rating
Patrik Laine (Jets) – On a Finnish team loaded up front, 18-year old Patrick Laine will take on a huge role. Even though the #2 overall pick has yet to play a professional game on the small rink, he’s already being compared to some of the greatest goal scorers of all time. Laine is following up a World Championship where he was named tournament MVP, and should step into a scoring role with the Jets immediately. His shot, skating ability and nose for the net will create an offensive dynamo, especially if he ends up skating with Mark Scheifele or Blake Wheeler.
2015-16 stats (Finland) – 46 GP, 17 G, 16 A, 33 P, +6 rating
Nikita Zaitsev (Maple Leafs) – Though Russia isn’t known for its defensive capabilities, one to keep an eye on is young Nikita Zaitzev who will be headed over to make his debut for the Maple Leafs this season. A right-handed shot who can play in all situations, Zaitzev is skating on both the powerplay and penalty kill at this tournament. If somehow he can develop some chemistry during the season with Leafs #1 Morgan Rielly, they could form a dynamic puck moving duo for years to come.
2015-16 stats (KHL) – 46 GP, 8 G, 18 A, 26 P, +21 rating
Snapshots: Lundqvist, Rantanen, Crosby
In a shocking turn of events, Henrik Lundqvist has been scratched from today’s matchup with Russia at the World Cup. As of this morning, Lundqvist was the expected starter, but came down with an illness that is making him unable to play in the game. Jacob Markstrom will take his place in net, while the backup will be Jhonas Enroth.
For Sweden, it’s a huge blow to their chances against the high-powered Russians who will ice a top line of Nikita Kucherov, Pavel Datsyuk and Alex Ovechkin. That trio had 96 goals between them last season, even with Datsyuk obviously in the tail end of his career. While the Russian defense isn’t nearly as strong, their top two lines can play with anyone in the world, and probably outscore the majority of them. Lundqvist would have been a huge part in any Swedish victory.
- According to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post, the injured Mikko Rantanen will not play today against Anaheim in the Colorado rookie showcase. While it was reported yesterday that his sprained ankle isn’t as bad as originally thought, the Avalanche have now released that it will keep him out 2-4 weeks. Rantanen is trying to show that he has developed enough to be considered for a full-time NHL job this season, after dominating at the AHL level a season ago.
- Sidney Crosby is one of, if not the, best players in the world and no one denies it. But when you hear his teammates on Team Canada speak so highly of him, like Matt Duchene did with TSN today, it really drives the point home. Duchene says “He’s not a guy who’s winning Selke trophies, but he easily could be.” Jay Bouwmeester chimed in as well, saying “He’s not just a pure goal scorer, a guy who’s just hanging out and getting points. He plays the game and he makes a lot of things happen out there, just through the way he moves, and what a powerful skater he is and how smart he is. It’s pretty impressive.”
This Day In Hockey History: Scotty Bowman
September 18th is an important day in hockey history for a few reasons. Not only will it mark the first time a ‘young guns’ team has hit the ice at an international competition of this magnitude, it was also the day one of the greatest coaches of all-time was born.
September 18th, 1933 in Verdun, Quebec a boy was born who would change the hockey world. As most boys did in Canada, Scotty Bowman quickly took to hockey and was a talented winger, even making it into the Montreal Canadiens minor league system, until March 6th, 1952 when he was struck in the head with a stick and suffered a fractured skull. Bowman remembers having blurry vision and headaches that made him unable to play to the level he was used to. He missed only one game with the head injury, a stark contrast to the brain injury protections that our now in the game.
He’d turn his attention to coaching, and led the Montreal Junior Canadiens soon after. In 30 years of NHL coaching, Bowman would amass over 1200 wins, 28 playoff appearances and 9 Stanley Cups. He’d raise the cup for three different teams, and go down as clearly one of the top few coaches in all of hockey history, if not the single greatest.
As Bowman tweeted out himself this morning, this would have been his 50th NHL training camp, should he have attended one this year. At 83, he’s been a force in hockey for longer than many coaches have been alive, and is an inspiration to young players and front office types alike. Happy Birthday William Scott Bowman, and thank you.
Mikko Rantanen Suffers Apparent Right Leg Injury
5:51pm: Mike Chambers reports that the injury is an ankle sprain and nothing serious.
5:16pm: According to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post, Colorado Avalanche prospect Mikko Rantanen was helped off the ice in today’s rookie tournament game with a right-leg injury. Chambers calls it “trouble”, and if Rantanen is seriously injured it would be for the Avalanche.
Drafted 10th overall in 2015, Rantanen made his NHL debut last season after dominating the AHL. 60 points in 52 games at the lower level, he was one of the best scoring threats in the league, and was expected to contribute to the NHL level this year.
Still just 19-years old, Rantanen is already 6’4″, 211 pounds, and is one of the best power forward prospects in the league, a position that often develops slower than others. While not a lock to break camp with the team, he’ll be a big part of the top-six for the Avalanche for years to come, pairing with their smaller skilled players to make a balanced, effective line in all three zones.
Rebuilding A Franchise: Toronto Maple Leafs
When a team has a rich history of success followed by decades of disappointment, they become the league’s punchline. A joke so easy to make, some even start to sympathize with their plight – just see the pre-2004 Boston Red Sox, who fans cheered for to dethrone the mighty Yankees and get back to their previous glory.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of these teams. Almost universally hated at one point, they’re now just one of the bottom-feeders, and an afterthought in many fan’s minds. But since Brendan Shanahan took over in April of 2014, the team has had a clear (if sometimes ineffective) plan to tear down the culture and history of the last fifty years, and replace it with a new mentality.
The Leafs ended up at the very bottom of the standings last year, but many believe this was part of the plan. Auston Matthews was the prize, and the team can now start to head back in the right direction, with an ultimate goal of raising the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1967, and 14th in team history.
Now, as they head into their centennial season and celebrate the past greats that have donned the blue and white, the team will look for even a modicum of improvement. Matthews will help, as he looks like a lock to be a star forward in the NHL as soon as next year. He’s already playing on team North America despite never hitting the ice as a professional in NA.
They’ve built an elite prospect pool, that includes Mitch Marner and William Nylander, two blue-chippers that can support Matthews and fellow star Morgan Rielly in the resurrection of one of the leagues worst current franchises.
But in what might be their greatest accomplishment, the Shanahan-led front office has convinced a Toronto market – that is usually one of the harshest in the league – to buy into a rebuild in a way never seen before. When nine players made their debut all at once for the Maple Leafs last year, instead of disgust, fans embraced the rookie mistakes and pointed out the encouraging moments.
One of the problems, however, is that they’re not the only team in the Atlantic division to be “doing it the right way”. Buffalo, one of Toronto’s biggest rivals due to their geographic proximity, is following almost the same blueprint to turn around a once proud franchise. Their team has just as many (if not more) elite level prospects/young players, and is trying to create the same winning mentality.
For the Maple Leafs, this may sound like a broken record. They’ve tried rebuilds before, at least for a little while. What they haven’t had, since the Pat Quinn-led, pre-salary cap powerhouses (that still never got all that close to a Stanley Cup), is this level of talent. Matthews, Rielly, Marner, Nazem Kadri and James van Riemsdyk all represent all-star level talent. It’ll be up to Shanahan, Lou Lamoriello and head coach Mike Babcock to keep the team on this path, and really complete the rebuild.
World Cup Notes: Team USA, Seguin, Olympics
The World Cup of Hockey starts today in Toronto, and Team USA will take on Team Europe in the first game of the revamped tournament. While the American team has one of the strongest teams in their history, head coach John Tortorella has made some interesting decisions going into the opener. As Dan Rosen of NHL.com tweets, the infamous head coach has scratched Kyle Palmieri, Dustin Byfuglien and Cory Schneider for the afternoon matchup.
Byfuglien, part of the team’s original 16 named players, was expected to be a big part of the top pairing on this team and a weapon on the powerplay. As Tom Gulitti adds, Tortorella said just this week that he was excited about the Jets’ blueliner’s big shot. Instead, Erik Johnson will suit up as the team’s sixth defenseman.
- Tyler Seguin, who injured his foot this week in a pre-tournament match, is not expected to miss any training camp, as Mike Leslie of WFAA in Dallas reports. The hairline fracture that the Stars’ forward suffered is not serious enough to warrant him missing much time, and did not come as a surprise to the Dallas medical staff. Seguin was replaced by Ryan O’Reilly on Team Canada’s roster.
- In a new column from Helene Elliott of the LA Times, she examines how any success at the World Cup will give the NHL leverage in any Olympic negotiations down the road. With players and fans getting their international fix from the pre-season tournament, the league is not necessarily obligated to send players to the Winter Games, which usually causes an ugly stoppage mid-season, and prevents the league from hosting their all-star events. With the build up for the tournament being mixed, but overall fairly positive, it seems the league and NHLPA will have a strong bargaining chip to play to try and get a pay structure put in place for any player headed to the Olympics.
Compelling RFA Cases For 2017: Panarin, Faksa, Niederreiter
Jacob Trouba, Johnny Gaudreau and Nikita Kucherov highlight a strong and deep group of restricted free agents that remain unsigned at the moment. While they will each ultimately cash in and receive substantial contracts for the 2016-17 campaign and likely beyond, their status as restricted free agents has certainly complicated their respective negotiation processes.
Next summer, another quality group of players are set to hit restricted free agency, unless they can agree to terms on a new deal prior to the 2017-18 league year. In a series of posts, Pro Hockey Rumors will profile the top pending 2017 RFAs and examine what kind of contract they could elicit assuming they put up a strong performance during their platform year. We move on to the Central Division.
Artemi Panarin (Chicago) – The 2015-16 Calder Trophy recipient can set himself up for a monster payday with another 30-goal, 70-point campaign in 2016-17. Panarin surprised many by quickly acclimating to North America and putting up huge offensive numbers right away. He kicked off the season with a goal in game one against the Rangers and remained consistent throughout the campaign finishing just one month – February – with fewer than 10 points.
The first name that comes to mind as a potential comparable is Vladimir Tarasenko, who netted 37 goals and totaled 73 points before receiving an eight-year extension from St. Louis with an AAV of $7.5MM. Another possibility would be Filip Forsberg, who averaged 30 goals and nearly 64 points in each of the two full seasons prior to inking his new $6MM-a-year deal.
As they do every summer, seemingly, Chicago will be confronted with a cap crunch and will be looking to try to save as much money as possible on Panarin’s next contract. A trade is always a possibility, as they did with Brandon Saad, but it’s hard to imagine the Hawks dealing away two dynamic young talents just two years apart. Best guess is Chicago pushes for something closer to $6MM per on a long term deal and Panarin’s camp asking for something closer to $7MM.
Radek Faksa (Dallas) – Ordinarily, a five-goal, 12-point rookie debut wouldn’t generate much interest but with another season to go before reaching restricted free agency, and all of the offensive firepower the Stars have accumulated, it’s possible the big and skilled Faksa enjoys a real breakout campaign in 2016-17. Faksa is 22, set to turn 23 in January. He’s at an age where players tend to hit their stride and with well over 100 professional games on his resume, Faksa now has invaluable experience to go along with his skill.
The other factor that will make this a potentially interesting negotiation is the Stars cap situation. The team should have around $25MM in available space but with only 11 players signed for 2017-18, the Stars will have to be judicious with their spending. A big sophomore campaign for Faksa will complicate matters for the Stars and their ability to replace other veteran players likely to depart after the season.
At this point, the best guess is likely a bridge deal for Faksa. Even presuming a productive 2016-17 season, he won’t have much of a track record to bank on. Depending on the quality of Faksa’s 2016-17 campaign, a contract comparable to the one-year deals inked by Zemgus Girgensons or Mikhail Grigorenko – for $1.15MM and $1.3MM respectively – could be a fair compromise. Girgensons had a solid 2014-15 season, scoring 15 goals and 30 points before struggling to an 18-point year in 2015-16. Grigorenko posted a scoring line of 6-21=27 for Colorado this past season as a 22-year-old.
If Faksa enjoys a better platform year, then perhaps the two-year, $5.5MM pact J.T. Miller and the Rangers settled on this summer is something the Czech center can shoot for. Miller bested his previous career highs in goals by 12 and points by 20 during the 2015-16 campaign and earned roughly a 300% bump in pay as a result. Faksa has the talent and may get the opportunity in Dallas to post that same type of breakout performance for the Stars.
Nino Niederreiter (Minnesota) – Niederreiter has quietly put together consecutive 20-goal campaigns and established a career best with 43 points in 2015-16 for the Minnesota Wild. He is entering the final season of a two-year, bridge contract that comes with an AAV of $2.67MM.
Niederreiter’s previous two seasons compare favorably to those of New York Rangers winger Chris Kreider. Kreider has tallied back-to-back 21-goal campaigns and combined for 89 points over that span. The big Swiss winger, on the other hand, has totaled 44 goals and 80 points over the last two years. Kreider finished his two-year bridge deal – AAV of $2.475 – and signed a four-year contract worth $18.5MM. That might represent a solid blue print for Niederreiter’s next pact.