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San Jose Sharks Make Hockey Operation Hires

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General Manager of the San Jose Sharks, Mike Grier, announced that the team has hired five different individuals to add to their hockey operations department, with a couple of notable names on the list. Jack Anderson has been hired as the team’s strength and conditioning coach, Jaren Burke as a Canadian scout, Igor Eronko as a Russian scout, as well as former player Thomas Vanek as an amateur scout, and former goaltender Ryan Miller as a goalie scout.

Grier also mentioned that Miller would be working closely with Evgeni Nabokov, the team’s current goalie development coach, in a similar role. Although neither Miller nor Vanek played for the Sharks during their professional careers on the ice, the two did play with Grier with the Buffalo Sabres back during the 2005-06 season, as well as the last two seasons in Grier’s career from 2009-11.

For Vanek, this will be his first position in an NHL organization outside of his career as a player. Drafted fifth overall by the Sabres in the 2003 NHL Draft, Vanek would become one of the better goal-scorers in the league during his time in Buffalo. After a midseason trade sent him to the New York Islanders in 2013, Vanek became more of a secondary scoring option on most of the teams he played for, still producing solid offensive numbers until the conclusion of his career. Vanek’s last year in the NHL came during his second stint with the Detroit Red Wings in the 2018-19 season, officially retiring in 2020.

Much like Vanek, Miller’s best years of his career came during his time with the Sabres organization. Highlighted by a Vezina Trophy win during the 2009-10 season, Miller became one of, if not the greatest American-born goalie of all time. During the 2013-14 trade deadline season, Miller became one of the most sought-after prizes for contending teams and landed with the St.Louis Blues to finish out the regular season. After his time in St.Louis, Miller would conclude his career after the 2021-21 NHL season, after moderately lengthy stays with both the Vancouver Canucks and Anaheim Ducks. Now almost a year ago, it was announced that Miller would be inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.

For the most part, it does appear to be a mostly personal hire from Grier’s perspective, since neither Vanek nor Miller have any professional coaching experience off the ice. However, given the career success of both of these players and their relationships having played together for so long, should become a success for the Sharks organization and the overall development of the team.

U.S. Hockey Hall Of Fame Announces 2022 Inductees

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The class of 2022 has been announced for the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. Five new hockey icons will receive the honor; Jim Johannson, Steve Cash, Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson, Monique Lamoureux-Morando, and Ryan Miller.

The induction event–the 50th anniversary of the Hall–will be held on November 30, 22 in St. Paul Minnesota. Mike Trimboli, president of USA Hockey, released a statement:

These five individuals have had a tremendously positive impact on hockey in America. They have all made countless contributions to the game throughout their impressive careers and their impact will be felt for years to come. We look forward to honoring them as the 50th class of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in November.

There are few people who have impacted hockey as much as the late Jim Johannson, who spent nearly two decades at the top of USA Hockey and had an effect on so many of the best players to come from America. The USA Hockey College Player of the Year award was renamed to the Jim Johansson Award in 2019 after his passing, and his addition to the Hall of Fame was only a matter of time.

Cash, one of the best sled hockey players of all time, has three Paralympic gold medals and five World Championship titles. He made his debut on the international stage at the age of 16 and posted an all-time record of 129-40 with an incredible .898 save percentage over his career in goal for Team USA.

The Lamoureux twins, as they came to be known, were some of the most dominant players in the game during their time, winning six World Championship golds, an Olympic gold, and several other silver medals on the international level. Having last competed for Team USA in 2018, they were always going to go into the Hall together.

Miller, perhaps the most recognizable name to NHL fans, had one of the most successful professional careers ever from an American-born netminder. His 391 regular season wins rank 14th all-time among NHL goaltenders, and he won the Vezina trophy in 2010 as a member of the Buffalo Sabres. Internationally, Miller won an Olympic silver medal at the 2010 Olympics, where he posted a pristine .946 save percentage to lead the U.S. team within inches of gold.

It is easy to forget just how dominant Miller was at the college level, given his success in the NHL. He won the CCHA Best Goaltender award in each of his three seasons at Michigan State, posting a career .941 save percentage during his 106 NCAA games. He won the Hobey Baker in 2001 and was a first-team All-American in both his sophomore and junior campaigns. He retired in 2021 following his 18th season in the NHL.

USA Hockey Announces Olympic Coaching Staff

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Now that the NHL has officially agreed to go to the 2022 Winter Olympics, work can start on selecting the rosters. Just a few hours after news broke about NHL participation, USA Hockey has introduced the full coaching staff that will travel to Beijing. It had already been announced that Mike Sullivan of the Pittsburgh Penguins will serve as head coach; he will be joined by John Hynes, David Quinn, Todd Reirden, and Ryan Miller.

The U.S. Olympic team general manager Stan Bowman released a statement on the staff:

We’ve got a great coaching staff in place. It’s a group that knows what it takes to be successful, and through their unique and varied backgrounds will help put our team in the best position to win the gold medal.

Hynes, who is also the head coach of the Nashville Predators, will serve as an assistant and was an obvious addition. He has a long track record with the program, including being part of gold medal-winning efforts at the U18 and U20 World Juniors. Hynes was the head coach of the 2016 World Championship squad, an assistant at the 2016 World Cup, and an assistant at the 2019 World Championship. He also spent several seasons as the head coach of the National Team Development Program.

Many of the same things could be said about Quinn, who will also serve as an assistant on Sullivan’s staff. He has been an assistant several times at the World Championship and was in the NTDP at the same time as Hynes. Quinn was previously head coach of the New York Rangers for three seasons and was an extremely successful college coach.

Reirden will bring a certain level of familiarity for Sullivan, given as he serves as an assistant with the Penguins already. He actually has not made an appearance coaching internationally in the past, which makes this appointment somewhat surprising. Not many coaches get a chance to step right into the Olympics, but that’s what Reirden, a Stanley Cup-winning assistant with the Washington Capitals, will do next spring.

Even more impressive is Miller, who not only is going to the Olympics as an assistant coach for the first time, but it is his first experience as a coach at any level. The veteran goaltender only announced his retirement earlier this year after a long, successful career that included two Olympic performances as a player. He won the silver medal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and was named the most valuable player of the tournament.

Ryan Miller Will Retire After This Season

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When the 2021-22 season begins, for the first time in nearly two decades the NHL will not include Ryan Miller. The Anaheim Ducks goaltender has announced that he will retire at the conclusion of 2020-21. In a team release, Miller explained his decision:

It was a dream come true when I played my first NHL game and it has been a privilege to spend 18 years as a professional. I have decided that I am going to retire after the season having been given more time doing what I love than I could ever have hoped for. Thank you to you my teammates and staff, past and present. I’m thankful to so many who made my career possible and helped me on my journey from youth hockey to the NHL. Thank you to my family for supporting me with so much love and enthusiasm.

Now 40, Miller will hang up his pads as arguably the best U.S.-born goaltender in history. He leads all American goaltenders in wins with 390 over his long career, coming in 14th all-time in the category. His career save percentage still sits at .914 even after the last few years, and he has a cabinet full of trophies. The 2001 Hobey Baker Award winner at Michigan State University, he went on to win the AHL Goaltender of the Year and Vezina Trophy along with adding an Olympic silver medal.

Though he never did get a chance to raise the Stanley Cup over his head, Miller has been a constant presence in the NHL for the last generation and has an outside shot of landing in the Hall of Fame at some point. Of the 13 goaltenders ahead of him on the all-time list, only Curtis Joseph (454 wins) and Chris Osgood (401) have been retired long enough to be eligible but are not in the Hall–Roberto Luongo, Marc-Andre Fleury, and Henrik Lundqvist will all likely get there when eligible.

It is fitting that Miller ends with at least 390 wins, just one ahead of his Buffalo Sabres predecessor Dominik Hasek. Though he may have never reached the spectacular highs of Hasek’s career, Miller’s long, consistent performance is something to marvel. Congratulations on a wonderful career, Ryan!

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Anaheim Ducks Re-Sign Ryan Miller

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As many expected, the Anaheim Ducks have come to terms on a new contract with veteran goaltender Ryan Miller. CapFriendly reports that the 40-year-old has signed a one-year extension to stay with Anaheim, very likely for the final season of his long, successful career. The contract carries a $1MM AAV, all in guaranteed base salary.

All signs pointed to one final year of Miller in Anaheim, but the two sides sure took their time getting there. After the goalie market thinned quickly when free agency began in October, the Ducks were left with very few legitimate options to solidify a depth chart in net that featured only Anthony Stolarz and a trio of untested prospects behind starter John Gibson. Miller remained unsigned, but this was at least partially due to his unwillingness to move far from his family in southern California. With Arizona, L.A., Vegas, and San Jose all appearing set in net, it seemed like a reunion with Anaheim was the only real option for Miller to extend his career.

Miller had earned another shot if he wanted one, too. Even in his 17th NHL season, Miller still managed to record a winning record for a poor Ducks team in 23 appearances last year. Admittedly, his .907 save percentage and 3.10 GAA were career lows, but they were still superior to the numbers of the other options left on the market. If Gibson can stay healthy, he is an elite, workhorse goalie that Anaheim can lean on and Stolarz is capable of contributing as well, meaning Miller will not be asked to do too much in his first (and likely last) season in his forties, but if the Ducks need a spot start they can rely on the experience and veteran IQ that Miller brings.

While the Ducks are improved this season with the addition of Miller, they are still facing a conundrum in net with the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft on the horizon. The Ducks need an eligible goaltender signed beyond this season to expose in the draft, but right now only Gibson fits the bill and he certainly won’t be the choice. This one-year deal for Miller, while completely reasonable, does not help the situation. His presence may also block Stolarz from the opportunities needed to prove whether he is worthy of an extension. Miller himself seems unlikely to sign another deal simply for the purpose of being exposed in the draft as well. One way or another, Anaheim will need to sign an eligible goalie, internal or otherwise, to a contract through at least 2021-22 before July’s draft.

Free Agent Profile: Andrew Hammond

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I know what you’re thinking. Andrew Hammond? Really? Other than the “Hamburglar” moniker, Hammond isn’t exactly a household name to NHL fans. In fact, Hammond hasn’t made an NHL appearance since 2017-18 and has just seven total appearances over the past four seasons. It’s been quite a while since Hammond heroically stole the Ottawa net and led the Senators to the postseason in 2014-15.

Yet, there’s a good case to be made that Hammond is the best available free agent goalie and there is no arguing that there isn’t still a considerable need for net depth around the NHL. The free agent market seems to be on hold right now as the league figures out its plans for this season, but when it picks back up Hammond is likely to be in demand.

Hammond, 32, is built for the 2020-21 season. The veteran goaltender can likely be slipped through waivers if his signing team so desires, but if injury spurns his recall, Hammond has both the NHL experience to jump into a backup role and has been a workhorse in the AHL for several years, ready for a condensed schedule and frequent appearances if need be. Hammond made 33 appearances for the Rochester Americans in the shortened 2019-20 season, the twelfth-most in the AHL. Hammond is also one of just seven netminders to have made 33+ appearances in each of the past two AHL seasons.

Among qualifying goaltenders, Hammond’s 2.53 GAA this past season ranked 13th in the AHL. It’s a pretty good ranking on its own, but consider that only one goalie with a better GAA played more minutes than Hammond last year and it puts his performance in perspective given his workload. Hammond’s .908 save percentage, while not among the AHL’s best, is a good number and has held steady for two seasons now as a stark improvement versus his AHL numbers earlier in his career.

When last Hammond was seen in the NHL, he was actually shocking many with his strong play as an emergency postseason call-up for the Colorado Avalanche in 2017-18. Hammond played three playoff games after making just one regular season appearance, yet posted a stellar .933 save percentage with a 2.62 GAA. While a small sample size, if this is what Hammond can do at the NHL level then he is even more valuable than it seems. For a larger sample size, look back at the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons with Ottawa, the only time in his career that Hammond was given a regular NHL role. In 48 games over two years, Hammond recorded an outstanding .927 save percentage and 2.21 GAA, as well as a .705 quality start percentage. Admittedly, that was five years ago now, but Hammond’s NHL numbers speak for themselves.

Still, Hammond can’t be the best free agent goalie option available, can he? Well, only four UFA keepers saw NHL action last season: Craig Anderson, Jimmy Howard, Ryan Miller, and Cory Schneider. Anderson, Howard, and Miller each made over 20 appearances last season, but didn’t exactly inspire their respective teams to give them any more play time than necessary. Of the 57 NHL goalies who made at least 20 appearances last year, Howard finished dead last in both save percentage and goals against average; Anderson ranked 47th and 55th and Miller came in at 37th and 47th, respectively. These poor performances marked a steep drop-off for Howard and Miller, while this is the third year in a row with ugly numbers for Anderson. Age is also a troubling number shared by all; Anderson and Miller are 39 and Howard is 36. Given their ages and stats, Anderson and Howard appear done. Miller may have enough left for one more run, but his value as a free agent is limited given his desire to play only with a team near his home in Southern California. As for Schneider, he played in 13 games and posted numbers comparable to Howard’s. Schneider, 34, has faced problems with injuries and inconsistency for several years now. He is nothing more than a dart throw at this point – and according to some sources there is a handshake agreement between he and the New York Islanders, who appear willing to toss that dart at a potential veteran No. 3. Even if Schneider is available or if Miller is willing to move on from the Anaheim Ducks, do any of these aging options inspire more hope than an established AHL starter with strong NHL numbers in Hammond?

Potential Suitors

There is no shortage of teams in need of a goalie before the 2020-21 season, including the aforementioned Ducks and Islanders. Anaheim especially currently counts just starter John Gibson and presumptive backup Anthony Stolarz as NHL options, with only recent draft picks as their other signed goalies. While Stolarz is younger than Hammond and has more recent NHL experience, the two share similar career AHL stats with Hammond having an edge in the NHL. Hammond could prove to be an upgrade over Stolarz as Gibson’s backup, if not just a sold third-string option at a shallow position. There is also the matter of the impending Expansion Draft and Anaheim needing a goalie signed beyond this season to expose, making Hammond an even more likely fit. In New York, depth is an extreme concern beyond the NHL tandem, with only one other goalie signed in young Jakub Skarek. Even if the Islanders do sign Schneider, it may not hurt to add Hammond as well given Schneider’s injury concerns and not wanting to rush Skarek into a workhorse AHL role.

Elsewhere, Hammond could compete for an NHL role with the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins. The Blackhawks have maintained that they are content with an unproven trio of Collin Delia, Malcolm Subban, and Kevin Lankinen competing for both NHL spots as they begin a rebuild. However, things could turn south quickly with that group and an experienced goaltender in Hammond could be valuable. Even if Hammond doesn’t make the ’Hawks out of camp, the team could use some dependability in their depth chart. Similarly, the Penguins claim that they are happy to go into next season with Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith in net. Jarry put up great numbers last season, but has never had a true starter’s workload in the NHL. DeSmith meanwhile did not see any NHL action last season and was outplayed in the AHL by Hammond. The Penguins have okay depth, including UFA addition Maxime Lagace, but could alleviate the risk of their untested NHL tandem or at the very least upgrade at No. 3 with Hammond.

Options where Hammond would only be asked to serve in a third-string role (at the outset), but where that could still turn into a key position, include the Edmonton Oilers, San Jose Sharks, Vancouver Canucks, or a return to an old home with the Colorado Avalanche. The Oilers and Sharks impressed no one with their off-season changes in net; Edmonton struck out with top free agents and re-signed Mike Smith to play alongside Mikko Koskinen, while San Jose decided the way to help severely struggling starter Martin Jones was to acquire an equally struggling netminder in Devan Dubnyk. Both teams have decent depth in the minors and may be content to lean on young options if their NHL tandem fails, but if either one hopes to be a contender this season they need a No. 3 who can push for top level opportunity and Hammond could fit the bill. At this point in time, it’s anyone’s guess whether any of Smith, Koskinen, Jones, or Dubnyk are actually better goaltenders than Hammond. As for Vancouver and Colorado, both teams are set with a solid duo in the NHL, but injuries are a concern and each is sorely lacking a proven option in the AHL. For two top contenders from this past season, depth is key and Hammond would look awfully nice as a third-string fallback.

Projected Contract

The contract question for Hammond is not so much NHL salary, but AHL salary. Given the cap crunch climate, Hammond is not getting any more than the $700K league minimum salary, even if he could work his way into a regular NHL role worth far more. The question is whether he can get a one-way deal, as he did last year with the Buffalo Sabres, and have that NHL salary guaranteed in the minors or if he will have to settle for a two-way deal, as he did two years ago with the Minnesota Wild. The cap implications are the same and Hammond’s decision will likely come down to fit and opportunity over salary anyhow, so the signing team’s current financial status will likely determine one-way versus two-way. Given the potential competition for his services though, Hammond may have a number of good options and a one-way offer could be the deciding factor.

As alluded to with the Ducks, don’t rule out a two-year deal either. While a one-year term is more likely, teams will be cognizant of their Expansion Draft requirements and how training camp waivers could change the status quo as well, which could lead to Hammond landing some two-year offers to serve as Kraken bait next summer.

 

Snapshots: Dubois, Extended Camp, Sheahan, Miller

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The Blue Jackets have started contract talks with soon-to-be restricted free agent center Pierre-Luc Dubois, reports Michael Arace of the Columbus Dispatch.  GM Jarmo Kekalainen indicated a desire to get this done relatively quickly, stating that “The sooner we get these things done, the better opportunity we have to make the team better”.  Columbus has nearly $74.5MM in commitments for next season already although that includes LTIR-bound Brandon Dubinsky which would allow them to spend up to $5.85MM over the Upper Limit.  Still, that doesn’t leave much room to re-sign Dubois who they would like to sign to a long-term deal and their other RFAs while having space left over to try to add pieces.  That’s why getting something done with the 22-year-old would be ideal for Kekalainen who would have a much better idea of his financial picture heading into free agency next month.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • A decision still hasn’t been made regarding extended training camps for the seven teams that didn’t participate in the NHL’s Return to Play, notes Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly indicated talks are ongoing with the NHLPA but with no firm date for the beginning of training camps to begin, it’s unlikely that there will be any concrete plans on this for a while.
  • Oilers center Riley Sheahan was believed to be seeking $2MM per year to sign an extension midseason, relays Postmedia’s David Staples. The veteran had to wait until early September to sign a one-year, $900K deal for this past season and while he took a lot of faceoffs, he only managed to pick up eight goals and seven assists in 66 games.  Between that and the flattened cap environment, Sheahan’s next contract may wind up being closer to what he made in 2019-20 compared to that previous asking price.
  • The Ducks aren’t sure yet about bringing backup goaltender Ryan Miller back for next season, GM Bob Murray told Eric Stephens of The Athletic (subscription link). The 40-year-old has spent the last three seasons in Anaheim and has been working out with an eye on playing in 2020-21 if it’s the right situation.  Miller had a base salary of $1.125MM this season with another $1.2MM in performance bonuses and posted a 3.10 GAA with a .907 SV% in 23 games.  Anaheim is quite tight to the Upper Limit already for next season (although Ryan Kesler will probably be on LTIR again to give them some flexibility) so if the veteran does return, another incentive-laden deal would make sense.

Nominees Announced For 2020 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy

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The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is given out annually to the NHL player who exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. The award has been voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association since 1968, and today they announced their nominees for 2019.

Past winners of the award include Robin Lehner (2019), Brian Boyle (2018), Craig Anderson (2017), Jaromir Jagr (2016), Devan Dubnyk (2015), Dominic Moore (2014) and Josh Harding (2013).

Below are the nominees from each team:

Anaheim Ducks – Ryan Miller

Arizona Coyotes – Conor Garland

Boston Bruins – Kevan Miller

Buffalo Sabres – Curtis Lazar

Calgary Flames – Mark Giordano

Carolina Hurricanes – James Reimer

Chicago Blackhawks – Corey Crawford

Colorado Avalanche – Ryan Graves

Columbus Blue Jackets – Nathan Gerbe

Dallas Stars – Stephen Johns

Detroit Red Wings – Robby Fabbri

Edmonton Oilers – Connor McDavid

Florida Panthers – Noel Acciari

Los Angeles Kings – Jonathan Quick

Minnesota Wild – Alex Stalock

Montreal Canadiens – Shea Weber

Nashville Predators – Jarred Tinordi

New Jersey Devils – Travis Zajac

New York Islanders – Thomas Hickey

New York Rangers – Henrik Lundqvist

Ottawa Senators – Bobby Ryan

Philadelphia Flyers – Oskar Lindblom

Pittsburgh Penguins – Evgeni Malkin

San Jose Sharks – Joe Thornton

St. Louis Blues – Jay Bouwmeester

Toronto Maple Leafs – Zach Hyman

Vancouver Canucks – Jacob Markstrom

Vegas Golden Knights – Shea Theodore

Washington Capitals – Michal Kempny

Winnipeg Jets – Mark Letestu

Three finalists and the winner will be named at a later date.

Carolina Hurricanes Will Make Additions In Net

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4:43 p.m. — As expected, the Carolina Hurricanes announced they have recalled Forsberg and Nedeljkovic from Charlotte.

11:11 a.m. — Last night’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs was nothing short of a once-in-a-lifetime event for the Carolina Hurricanes. The contest could not have gotten off to a worse start, with starter James Reimer being forced out of the game just six minutes in to the first period following a collision in net. Petr Mrazek entered the game in relief, but allowed a goal late in the period to give the Leafs a 1-0 lead. Things were looking up in the second frame following three Hurricanes goals, but then Mrazek was injured just over halfway through the period. This forced the team to turn to an emergency backup, 42-year-old Zamboni driver David Ayres, an employee of Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment who had not played in a competitive game for more than five years. Yet, Ayres got the job done, allowing only two goals in nearly half a game (with some help from the team allowing just ten shots) to lead the Hurricanes to a 6-3 win.

While this was of course a tremendous story, the reality now sets in that the Hurricanes are now down both of their NHL goaltenders without any timeline yet as to when they may return to action. The timing of this is poor, seeing as tomorrow is the final day to make a trade this season and there is no time to wait for an official word on Mrazek or Reimer. The team is also in the thick of the Eastern Conference wild card race and can’t afford to take a chance in goal and miss out on potential points.

For now, TSN’s Pierre LeBurn reports that the team plans to recall both Anton Forsberg and Alex Nedeljkovic from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers today. Fortunately, both netminders have seen plenty of ice time this season, spitting appearances 50/50, and have performed relatively well. If asked to take on some NHL starts, either one could fair well enough. Forsberg is a veteran of 45 NHL games, while Nedeljkovic has fared well in his two NHL appearances and was arguably the best goalie in the AHL last season.

However, if there is any suspicion that both Mrazek and Reimer could be out long term, it seems unlikely that Carolina would be comfortable fighting for a playoff spot and entering the postseason with only Forsberg and Nedeljkovic. For that reason, LeBrun adds that a number of teams have already reached out to the Hurricanes about moving a goalie and it seems likely that the team could make a move. In fact, the team was kicking the tires on adding another goalie even before these injuries, so many conversations have already been had. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that the teams main focus is on Chicago Blackhawks’ keepers Robin Lehner and Corey Crawford, both impending free agents, while other rental options could include veterans Jimmy Howard, Craig Anderson, or Ryan Miller or available backups like Aaron Dell or Louis Domingue.

One way or another, the names in net are about to change for Carolina. Perhaps it will only be short-term while their current duo heal up or maybe it could be a major long-term addition for the rest of the season and a hopeful playoff run. With the team also needing a replacement on the blue line given the injuries to Dougie Hamilton and Brett Pesce and also rumored to be in on several big-name forwards, including the Rangers’ Chris Kreider, the next 27 hours should be very busy for the Hurricanes.

Extension Notes: Kreider, Miller, Willman

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New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider is considered the top rental player on the market and has been for some time. Yet, through it all the Rangers have maintained that they would like to re-sign their All-Star winger. It seems GM Jeff Gorton has finally decided that it’s time to talk details if the two sides are going to work out a deal ahead of the February 24th NHL Trade Deadline. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Gorton and Kreider’s agent, Matt Keator, will sit down within the next few days to discuss a contract extension. While LeBrun thinks that it could be a tough extension to work out given Kreider’s status as arguably the second-best potential free agent this summer behind only Arizona’s Taylor Hall. In a weak market, Kreider could capitalize more on a bidding war than he likely would be able to re-signing with New York before testing the waters. However, the career Ranger may also see that he is on an up-and-coming team and wish to stay at the right price. Gorton and Keator will discuss what that number might be in the coming days and a decision on Kreider’s future, one way or another, will be made within the coming weeks.

  • He may be 39 and noticeably declining with each season, but the Anaheim Ducks remain interested in bringing back veteran goaltender Ryan Miller for another year. That is, if he wants to play another year. The Orange County Register’s Elliott Teaford writes that Miller has earned the ability to decide how his career will end. Despite his struggles this season, Miller would have value on the trade market if the Ducks were to make him available, but Teaford believes that he will have the final say on a potential move. Miller could decline the opportunity to play for a playoff team down the stretch, as he did last season. He could also accept the trade with the knowledge that he would be welcomed back to Anaheim as a free agent this summer. Miller may also land with a legitimate Cup contender and decide to call it a career after a long playoff run. Or, and the only future the player himself is considering at this time, Miller may just stay in Anaheim and revisit his options in the off-season. While a decision on where Miller will play for the rest of the season must be made within the next few weeks ahead of the trade deadline, there is still time to consider his future beyond this season. However, the cushy role of backup to workhorse John Gibson in sunny Southern California is not a bad way for Miler to continue his career into his 40’s.
  • A notable AHL rookie signed an extension on Tuesday. Former Brown and Boston University forward Max Willman signed on for another year with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the team announced. Willman, 24, played five seasons of college hockey, a tenure extended by a senior season at Brown lost to injury. While Willman struggled to get back to full strength with BU last season, he still managed to make enough of an impression on the Philadelphia Flyers to earn a deal with their affiliate. Willman looked like his old self to begin the year, scoring at a point-per-game pace with the ECHL’s Reading Royals. Since being called up to Lehigh, he has three goals and five points in 15 games. The Cape Cod native works hard and plays a smart game and if he can stay healthy and continue to improve, it is not out of the realm of possibility that he could one day be signing an NHL contract.

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