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Philadelphia Flyers Have Nothing To Lose This Off-Season

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After re-signing forward Michael Raffl to a two-year extension today, the Philadelphia Flyers are in an enviable position heading into the off-season. New GM Chuck Fletcher has his team in position to enter the summer free agent market without any risk of losing any valuable unrestricted free agents. Add that to ample cap space and a deep pipeline of talent at all positions and the Flyers are in position to only get better this summer and the Eastern Conference should be on alert.

Of course, there are still areas of need in Philadelphia. The one gaping hole is in net, where the team needs a long-term option to pair with young phenom Carter Hart. Of their small list of UFA’s, four are goaltenders: Brian Elliott, recent trade acquisition Cam Talbot, injured Michal Neuvirth, and buried Mike McKenna. However, the price of acquiring Talbot earlier this year – young keeper Anthony Stolarz – has led many to believe that the Flyers see Talbot as that long-term fit. An extension has yet to be signed, but the Flyers very well may have the answer to their question in goal already on the roster.

Elsewhere, forward Phil Varone is perhaps the closest thing to a difficult free agent loss that Philly could suffer this off-season. Varone, 28, had 50 NHL games to his credit over five years prior to this season but has ended up skating in 43 more so far with the Flyers while on a minimum two-way contract. It’s possible that Varone could bolt this summer, but a one-way contract would likely be enough to keep him around and, if he does leave, his seven points would not be hard to make up for. Jori Lehtera has the most name recognition among impending free agent forwards, but the 31-year-old has not been the same players since the move to Philadelphia two years ago and was buried in the minors after recording just three points through his first 27 games of the season. Lehtera won’t be back with the Flyers and is likely on his way out of the NHL altogether. Other UFA forwards include Corban Knight, Tyrell Goulbourne, Michael Vecchione, Byron Froese, Greg Carey, and Cole Bardreau, a group of 25-and-over players who have combined for one point in 19 NHL games this season. Carey, the leading scorer of the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, is perhaps the only one of group that the Flyers could see as a loss if not retained.

What the Flyers really need, even with many promising forward prospects, is to add another proven top-six forward to the roster and should be able to do so with significant salary cap flexibility. Even after negotiating new contracts with their restricted free agents, the Flyers should have enough cap room to bid for one of the top forwards on the market if they so choose. Even if they lose out on a top name, their offense cannot be any worse than it was this year and it was still good enough to give the Flyers a shot at the postseason.

On the blue line, the Flyers are deep and versatile with a mix of talented young players and established veterans. Not one defenseman in the entire organization is an unrestricted free agent, so that group will be back in full force next season, possibly with some additions.

Simply put, there is no way that Philadelphia can get any worse going into next season barring a bad trade, an RFA holdout, or some other unexpected calamity. They do not have one unrestricted free agent whose loss could really hurt them (unless a Talbot deal falls through). On the other hand, their cap space and depth of prospects give them a great chance to improve next season one way or another. Right now, the Flyers are a fringe playoff team, which is not any team’s goal. However, Philly should enter 2019-20 with that as their floor and, depending on what they do over the summer, could have a much higher ceiling. And that is a good place to be.

Evening Notes: Hitchcock, Chiarelli, Husso, Fox, Vidmar, Capitals

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It’s been an interesting coaching season for Edmonton Oilers head coach Ken Hitchcock, who retired from coaching in April last year. Instead, he returned to coaching in November to take over for Todd McLellan for a struggling Oilers’ squad and has led the team to a 24-24-7 record so far, despite the team surging to a 7-2-1 start when Hitchcock took over.

Since then, the team has moved on from general manager Peter Chiarelli and there remain lots of questions of whether Hitchcock would even want to come back. Pressed for an answer about whether he’d be interested in returning next season, Sportsnet’s John Shannon writes that Hitchcock would be open to coming back.

“For the record, I feel if I’m good I can coach until I’m 99,” Hitchcock said.

Of course, with the team looking for a new general manager once the season ends, there is a good chance that the new GM will want to hire his own coach, which could end Hitchcock’s tenure in Edmonton.

  • Speaking of Chiarelli, The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford reports that the former GM has been seen in the Blues’ management booth alongside St. Louis general manager Doug Armstrong. While there is no word on whether Armstrong is considering bringing Chiarelli aboard or what role he might have in St. Louis, Rutherford points out that Armstrong has a history of hiring former GMs, including Bob Gainey and Dave Tippett.
  • St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jim Thomas notes that he saw St. Louis Blues goaltending prospect Ville Husso in a walking boot walking through the press box of Enterprise Center, suggesting that the San Antonio Rampage goaltender is out for the season. It’s been a rough season for the 24-year-old, who was considered the heir-apparent to Jake Allen last season. Instead, Jordan Binnington has surpassed him on the team’s depth chart, while Husso struggled with a 6-17 record with a 3.67 GAA and a .871 save percentage.
  • TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the Carolina Hurricanes remain hopeful that they can sign Harvard University star defenseman Adam Fox to a contract once his season is over, but there are no guarantees. Harvard has a good chance to make the NCAA tournament, which means the Hurricanes will have to wait until the blueliner’s season is over. The 21-year-old is in his junior year, posting 10 goals and 48 points so far this year but due to signability issues, was already traded once when the Calgary Flames sent him to Carolina as part of the Dougie Hamilton–Elias Lindholm deal last summer.
  • The Calgary Flames’ AHL affiliate, the Stockton Heat announced that they have signed undrafted college free agent forward Sebastian Vidmar out of Union College. The 25-year-old just wrapped up his senior season with 10 goals and 22 points and finished a career with 40 goals and 63 assists in 137 career games. The 6-foot-3 forward joins a struggling Stockton team that is currently sixth in the AHL Pacific Division.
  • Isabelle Khurshudyan writes that the Washington Capitals will likely have even more salary cap problems next year as the team is currently tight on cap space, but with bonus expected for both Jakub Vrana, who triggered a $212K bonus for reaching 20 goals recently and could get another bonus if he finishes among the top six forwards in ATOI (he’s currently sixth). Throw in the $500K that Brooks Orpik will get and the team will go over the cap at the end of the season, which will count against their cap space next year.

Canucks’ Loui Eriksson Made A Healthy Scratch

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Loui Eriksson’s tenure in Vancouver has been close to disastrous, but it has now reached a new low. In his third season and with 184 games with the Canucks under his belt, Eriksson has been made a healthy scratch for tonight’s home game against the New York Rangers, reports TSN’s Jason Brough. It is the first time in his Canucks career that Eriksson has been scratched.

To be fair, Eriksson had it coming. While a respected veteran and capable two-way forward, his 22 points through 69 games this season marks a career-low in per-game production, although a similar pace to his first two seasons in Vancouver. Making those disappointing offensive totals all the worse is how much Eriksson is paid to produce them. One of a series of terrible contract calls made in the 2016 off-season (see: Milan Lucic, Andrew Ladd, David Backes, Kyle Okposo, Danny DeKeyser), the Canucks signed Eriksson to a six-year, $36MM contract weeks before his 31st birthday. Based on that $6MM cap hit, Eriksson has been the sixth-worst cost-per-point value among forwards with 60+ games played this season. Between poor play and chronic injury issues, the Canucks have yet to see any semblance of value from the Eriksson deal through three seasons, yet they have three seasons left to go.

The decision by head coach Travis Green could be the first step toward a more permanent split between the team and player. Discussing the move, Green told the media “it’s not like I’m sitting here saying that Loui’s played terrible, but has he done enough where I can’t take him out of the lineup?” If the coaching staff and front office have lost trust in Eriksson’s ability to at least be a positive impact on the lineup, they may decide to do what it takes to move on. The Canucks are not in bad shape in regards to the salary cap, but have proven time and time again that they feel they are closer to being a contender than a rebuild and may want to dump a bad salary in hopes of adding to the roster this off-season. While Eriksson’s contract would be hard to move, Vancouver could sweeten the deal with a pick or prospect or take back another bad contract that they feel would be a better fit. The buyout route is likely not an option; the structure of Eriksson’s contract would do little to help alleviate costs. A buyout this summer would only save the team $444K in each of the next two seasons, at the cost of $556K against the cap for three years after the deal would have expired. As such, the Canucks may have to get creative to get rid of Eriksson. They have lived with his under-performing play to this point, but the healthy scratch has drawn a new line in the sand and both sides may want to end their current relationship.

Mark Stone Extension Delayed, But Still Coming

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After Mark Stone was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights just minutes before the February 25th trade deadline, he admitted to have already worked out an extension with the team. That extension was to be for eight years and $76MM, but couldn’t be officially filed until March 1st because of the “tagging” issue of having more than the salary cap ceiling already committed to the next season. Then March 1st came and went with no extension, leading some to wonder if something had occurred to stop the deal from coming together.

Not to worry Golden Knights fans, as Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports that the only reason the deal isn’t done was a personal issue that kept GM George McPhee out of town. Lavoie notes that McPhee wanted to be there in person, and that the deal will be filed in the next few days.

Stone hasn’t been able to score much for the Golden Knights so far, recording just one assist in his four games for the club, but that hasn’t stopped him from making an impact. The former Ottawa Senators forward has attempted 23 shots so far, getting 13 of them on net. That kind of volume is sure to garner some results in the near future, even if Stone is playing fewer minutes than he has the last few seasons. Vegas takes on the Calgary Flames tonight in a battle of Western Conference titans, a matchup that would be a perfect time for Stone to break out and tally his first goal as a Golden Knight.

Ducks, Jakob Silfverberg In Agreement On Five-Year Extension

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March 2nd: With the arrival of March and the end to the “tagging” limitations on teams, the Anaheim Ducks have made their extension of Silfverberg official. As expected, it is a five-year deal through the 2023-24 season, the team announced. CapFriendly adds that the contract is worth a total of $26.25MM, evenly distributed in salary across the five seasons for an AAV of $5.25MM, as initially suggested by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. CapFriendly also reports that the contract has limited trade protection in the form of a 12-team no-trade list that lasts through the end of the deal. Following the deadline trade of defenseman Brandon Montour and now the official signing of Silfverberg, the Ducks are committed to approximately $73.63MM in salary for 17 non-waiver eligible players next season. Anaheim will have their work cut out for them in filling out the remaining six spots on the roster for next season while working under a salary cap expected to land around $82MM.

February 20th: The Ducks and winger Jakob Silfverberg are in agreement in principle on a five-year contract extension, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (subscription required).  That said, don’t expect an announcement to be done right away as Anaheim is still dealing with tagging issues.  Teams get a 10% increase in their tagging room on March 1st and they will use that wiggle room in order to get the deal done so the deal won’t be made official for another week and a half.

Silfverberg is currently making $3.75MM and is set to earn a nice raise as the new deal will carry an AAV of slightly over $5MM per season with a ten-team no-trade clause, per Eric Stephens and Josh Cooper, also of The Athletic.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman pegs (Twitter link) the cap hit to come in around $5.25MM.

While his point total is down this season, he actually is on pace for a career high in goals and he has long been viewed as a quality two-way player.  An AAV of roughly $5MM is in line with what quality second-line wingers are getting and he’ll only be 33 at the end of the deal so there shouldn’t be too much concern about him slowing down significantly.

However, this contract only exacerbates Anaheim’s salary cap concerns beyond this season. While the Upper Limit is expected to go up by a few million, it doesn’t appear as if they’ll have enough to fill out the rest of their roster and remain in cap compliance for next season.

With that in mind, expect GM Bob Murray to try to push to clear out some contracts for next season as the top priority for the summer.  They tried to make a move to help in that regard by placing winger Patrick Eaves on waivers (who has a $3.15MM cap hit) but he passed through unclaimed.  All of a sudden, he looks like a potential buyout candidate this summer which would free up $2MM in cap space for next year (but add $1MM to the books in 2020-21).

Dating back to last summer, Murray stated his preference was to get Silfverberg locked up.  This has been accomplished, but there is still plenty of work to be done to get this team cap compliant for 2019-20.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Deadline Primer: Carolina Hurricanes

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With the trade deadline just days away, we continue our look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?  As we continue with the Metropolitan Division, here is a look at the Carolina Hurricanes.

In less than 100 hours, the 2019 NHL Trade Deadline will come and go. While there are many deals still to be made, most teams have at least decided if they are buying, selling, or sitting out at the deadline. Perhaps the one team still waiting to make that call are the Carolina Hurricanes, and for good reason.

Tuesday night was a rough result for the Hurricanes. The team fell to the non-playoff New York Rangers, while the Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens both picked up wins. Carolina now trails both of those teams by three points, while the Columbus Blue Jackets occupy the final wild card spot with a one-point lead and a game in hand on the Hurricanes. Despite their strong play of late, Carolina looks like the first team out in the Eastern Conference right now. Of course, that can change before the deadline. The ‘Canes have a winnable match-up tonight against the Florida Panthers, followed by a tougher test against the Dallas Stars on Saturday. How they perform, as well as the results for the Blue Jackets, Penguins, and Canadiens, before Monday will inform their deadline decision.

Carolina holds the NHL’s longest playoff drought of nine years and desperately would like to make the playoffs. At the same time, they are a young team who could really use the return on any trade assets if the postseason doesn’t look realistic. It’s a difficult choice to make, but where they sit in the playoff race after the next few days could cause them to lean one way or another or, perhaps the most likely outcome, no way at all.

Record

31-23-6, fifth in the Metropolitan Division

Deadline Status

TBD

Deadline Cap Space

$76.26MM in full-season cap hit, 1/3 used salary cap retention slots, 43/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2019: CAR 1st, BUF 2nd, CAR 2nd, CAR 3rd, CAR 4th, CAR 5th, CAR 6th, CGY 6th, BOS 7th
2020: CAR 1st, CAR 2nd, BUF 3rd, CAR 3rd, CAR 4th, CAR 5th, BUF 6th, CAR 6th, CAR 7th

Trade Chips

With their status at the deadline still so uncertain, chances are the Hurricanes will be involved in both the buyers’ and sellers’ markets, but could very well choose to do nothing at all. For discussion’s sake though, let’s say the Hurricanes decide to sell. Of the two options, selling is more probable as there are no pieces that Carolina could move that would automatically end their push for the postseason. The one player who would certainly be on the move is impending UFA power forward Micheal Ferland. Ferland, acquired from the Calgary Flames in the off-season, has been excellent in Carolina and is in fact on pace for a career high in points. However, Ferland seems destined to test the free agent market and the recent acquisition of Nino Niederreiter has made his departure manageable. Carolina would miss Ferland’s contributions down the stretch this season, but are prepared for life without him and would likely land a nice return if they chose to trade him. Several contenders are in search of grit and offense at this time of the year and Ferland checks both boxes.

Ferland is the only impending UFA skater thought to have any value on the trade market. Captain Justin Williams is not available and Greg McKegg has been a serviceable player that is more valuable to the ’Canes as a depth option than any low-end return might be. However, goaltenders are a different story. Both Curtis McElhinney and Petr Mrazek are impending free agents and both have performed well this season, especially McElhinney. With Scott Darling still under contract next year, young Alex Nedeljkovic in consideration, and a strong goalie free agent class, it’s unclear if McElhinney or Mrazek will be back in Raleigh next season. With that in mind, the Hurricanes may be willing to part with one or the other at the deadline if the right offer presents itself. It goes without saying that if the team could move Darling, they would.

Elsewhere in the lineup, there continues to be speculation that the Hurricanes would like to deal from a position of strength on defense. With Dougie Hamilton, Justin Faulk, Brett Pesce, and Trevor van Riemsdyk on the roster, Carolina is flush with talented right-shot defenders. Chances are one will be dealt at some point soon. However, it will be in a hockey trade, with the ‘Canes getting a top-nine forward back in return. Such trades are uncommon at the deadline, so don’t hold out hope that the team will be make such a move before the off-season.

What if the Hurricanes are buyers? Then the list of trade chips is a slightly more extensive. Charlotte Checkers defensemen Haydn Fleury and Roland McKeown continue to wait patiently for roles in Carolina that may never come and the time may have arrived for the Hurricanes to move them in the right deal. The same could be said for another pair of impending RFA’s, forwards Andrew Poturalski and Saku Maenalanen, both of whom have been productive in the minors but underutilized at the top level. This is just the tip of the iceberg of what is an impressive pipeline for the Hurricanes, but as they’re not expected to be major buyers, top names like Martin Necas, Janne Kuokkanen, Jake Bean, and Adam Fox are likely untouchable. Carolina has plenty of draft picks to peddle as well, rather than moving their top prospects

Five Players To Watch For: F Micheal Ferland, G Curtis McElhinney, D Haydn Fleury, D Roland McKeown, F Saku Maenalanen

Team Needs

1) Top-Six Forward: It’s no secret that the Hurricanes desire a top-six forward. The team was in on William Nylander for months before he re-signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs (they could revisit that option this summer) and eventually swung a deal with the Minnesota Wild for Nino Niederreiter. However, scoring is still an issue. This season, only the Dallas Stars and New York Islanders have scored fewer goals per game than Carolina among teams in playoff position. The offense is stagnant at times and has been carried by Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen all year. Looking ahead, the likely loss of Micheal Ferland could further diminish scoring next season. Although the pipeline is loaded with capable forward in Carolina, the team needs a long-term top-six addition. It remains to be seen if such a player is available at the deadline this year. Expect the ’Canes to kick the tires on Jonathan Huberdeau and Mike Hoffman, as well as the likes of Jason Zucker or Adam Henrique.

2) Value Forwards: If Carolina decides to buy in to playoff run this year, but the prices are too high on a long-term forward acquisition, the team would be better off trying to wait out the market to add some bargains than give up considerable future pieces for top rentals. For example, the idea of an Eric Staal return is great, but not an affordable option for Carolina. Instead, players like Richard Panik, Sven Andrighetto, or Alex Chiasson would come at a much lesser cost and would be less risky acquisitions in light of Carolina’s current playoff position, but would help fill some gaps in the lineup and create some more offense. The Hurricanes may very well stand pat at the deadline, but making even just a minor addition up front could go a long way.

Deadline Primer: Columbus Blue Jackets

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With the trade deadline now less than a week away, we continue our look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?  As we continue with the Metropolitan Division, here is a look at the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Next to the Ottawa Senators, no team is under more pressure at the 2019 NHL Trade Deadline than the Columbus Blue Jackets. The team has decisions to make on two priority free agents, both of whom appear primed to test the off-season market, in Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky. Despite two major players who they may opt to sell, the Blue Jackets also plan to be net buyers at the deadline, giving them a massive presence on both sides of the trade market.

Believe it or not, Columbus is still in search of their first playoff round win in franchise history. The 2000 expansion team has had bad luck in the postseason, so their moves at the deadline will be made with some consideration for the future, but mostly in taking advantage of the present. While the Blue Jackets are within striking distance of the Washington Capitals for second-place in the Metropolitan Division and home ice advantage in the first round, they also are not a lock for a playoff spot. Columbus is currently tied with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens in the divisional and wild card races with just one game in hand and are at risk of falling behind the surging Carolina Hurricanes, who are two points back. The team cannot afford to come out of the trade deadline with the same or worse caliber of roster, even if they do trade Panarin or Bobrovsky. Expect some fireworks from the Blue Jackets this week.

Record

33-22-3, third in the Metropolitan Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$28.77MM in full-season cap hit, 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 47/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2019: CLB 1st, CLB 3rd, CLB 4th, CLB 7th
2020: CLB 1st, CLB 2nd, CLB 4th, CLB 5th, CLB 6th, CLB 7th

Trade Chips

There is no trade chip on the block right now that is more valuable than superstar winger Artemi Panarin. Panarin, 27, leads the Blue Jackets in scoring by a wide margin with 67 points through 56 games, which is also good enough for a top-20 mark in the NHL. He is currently on pace for a career-high 96 points, which would be his second straight season of scoring at better than a point-per-game pace and would mark four straight years with 70+ points. Panarin is simply one of the most dangerous offensive players in hockey and his addition would be a complete game-changer for any contender. The question is whether or not Columbus chooses to use him as their “own rental” rather than trade him. It has been reported that Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen will not trade Panarin if the cost to replace him by adding another forward or two will leave the team with little to show for the initial trade. If Columbus can get through the deadline with replacement forward production and significant future building blocks, Panarin will be traded. If not, he stays put.

The odds of Sergei Bobrovsky moving are less likely than the near 50/50 status of Panarin. Although the all-word goaltender seems more likely to depart Columbus as a free agent than Panarin, he is also near impossible to replace at the deadline. Bobrovsky is one three top rentals in net and the other two – Jimmy Howard and Semyon Varlamov – are not guaranteed to be available. The Blue Jackets are not prepared to move an established starter right before the stretch run and postseason without bringing in a suitable replacement. As such, unless a more long-term target emerges, Bobrovsky is unlikely to be traded despite the hype.

Beyond potentially Panarin and Bobrovsky – ironically the only notable UFA’s in the Blue Jackets organization – Columbus is a buyer, not a seller. However, that doesn’t mean that their current roster is untouchable. If Panarin is moved and the Blue Jackets are pursuing top forwards to replace him, talented but ice-cold forward Alexander Wennberg will surely be dangled. Wennberg, 24, is in the second season of a six-year, $29.4MM contract that he has failed to live up to so far. This season has been worse than last, as he has yet to score an even strength goal all season. Even at a cap hit that has not been reflective of his production, some sellers will certainly be intrigued by the 2013 first-rounder’s ceiling. Another young Blue Jackets forward who could be offered up is Sonny Milano, who continues to see limited NHL action despite good AHL production. Young defenseman Gabriel Carlsson, another under-utilized first-round pick, is also a candidate to be traded.

Among their prospect pool, the Blue Jackets may have a tough time avoiding seller demands for first-year pro forward Vitaly Abramov, who has played well in the AHL this season. Arguably the top prospect in the organization, the slick winger has NHL potential and sellers have surely taken notice. Deeper in the pipeline, Columbus will likely hear calls on Swedes Emil Bemstrom and Jonathan Davidsson as well.

Five Players To Watch For: F Artemi Panarin, F Alexander Wennberg, F Sonny Milano, D Gabriel Carlsson, F Vitaly Abramov

Team Needs

1) Top-Six Forwards: The only difference a potential Panarin trade makes is the caliber and number of the forwards that the Blue Jackets will target. There is a clear need for offensive depth beyond the Blue Jackets’ top line of Panarin, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Cam Atkinson, as no other forward has surpassed 30 points on the year. The power play also needs serious help. If Panarin leaves, the team will need to do their best to replace his production on the top line, likely targeting the top wingers on the market like Mark Stone, Gustav Nyquist, or Mike Hoffman. They will probably look for more affordable top-six options after that. If Panarin stays, the team will still look at top forward options like Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel, Mats Zuccarello, and Kevin Hayes. Columbus will be in on nearly every big forward name in the coming days and should add one or two before all is said and done.

2) Defensive Depth: Behind a strong top-four in Columbus are several questions. Can the likes of Scott Harrington, Dean Kukan, and Adam Clendening really hold up down the stretch in a tight playoff race? Or go up against elite competition in the playoffs? The shot side doesn’t really matter so much as the ability, as the Blue Jackets simply need to add a capable veteran defender before the deadline.

3) Draft Picks: When Kekalainen says that he won’t trade Panarin unless the cost of acquiring a replacement would still leave him with a major future piece, that isn’t for nothing. A quick look at the team’s cupboard of draft picks shows how desperate they are in quantity alone. The Blue Jackets currently have just four picks in 2019, likely just one of which will be in the top-75, and are already missing a third-rounder next year. A closer look at the team’s pipeline shows that they lack some game-breaking talent in the system as is, particularly on the blue line. In order to be a buyer, Columbus will further deplete this trade capital. If they do trade Panarin – or Bobrovsky – Kekalainen and company need to make sure that they are going to net some valuable draft picks or prospects in the process.

Deadline Primer: New York Islanders

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With the trade deadline fast approaching, we continue our look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? As we continue with the Metropolitan Division, here is a look at the New York Islanders.

The New York Islanders are under new management and new general manager Lou Lamoriello has made a name for himself over the years with numerous big deals at the trade deadline during his time with New Jersey and Toronto. The question is whether Lamoriello intends to making a big move with his team being atop the Metropolitan Division.

The team has a core of pending unrestricted free agents who Lamoriello may or may not bring back next season and a number of impressive prospects that are either on the team or sitting with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL and has plenty of cap space to work with. Besides Mathew Barzal, the team still lacks a defining core to work and could use another big-name player or two to give the team several faces to the franchise, which is where the deadline could come in. The real question is do the Islanders want to take the chance of possibly damaging the chemistry the team has created so far this year under head coach Barry Trotz.

Record

35-17-6, first in the Metropolitan Division

Deadline Status

Serious to moderate buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$46.12MM in full-season cap hit, 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 45/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2019: NYI 1st, CAL 2nd, NYI 5th, NYI 6th, NYI 7th
2020: NYI 1st, NYI 2nd, NYI 3rd, NYI 4th, NYI 5th, NYI 6th, NYI 7th

Trade Chips

The team has a number of players it could package to a team for a big-name player as the team has five significant players who are approaching unrestricted free agency in the summer, including Jordan Eberle, Brock Nelson, Anders Lee, Valtteri Filppula and goaltender Robin Lehner. That doesn’t mean the team has any intention of trading even one of those players. That also doesn’t mean the team won’t let them walk away in free agency either. In fact, there is little known about what the team intends to do before next season and knowing what we know about Lamoriello, the team will make significant changes to their team before the start of next season. However, if Lamoriello intends to make a deal, those five could potentially be part of any package. One interesting storyline is Lehner, who is having a comeback season after struggling greatly in Buffalo and dealing with alcoholism. However, does the franchise feel that he is worthy of a long-term deal or could Lehner be used to work out a deal for a Sergei Bobrovsky?

The team also has a number of young players who could be sent out as well, including Michael Dal Colle, Kieffer Bellows, Joshua Ho-Sang, Otto Koivula, and Sebastian Aho to name a few and that doesn’t even include the talent they still have sitting in the junior ranks. Bellows could be a significant trade chip as the team’s 2016 first-rounder has had significant success on his way up, but has also had some struggles. He currently has 11 goals as a rookie in the AHL. Ho-Sang, who has showed some offensive flair over the years, hasn’t put it all together and has struggled with his attitude. One other significant asset the team has is a significant amount of cap space and the team could be willing to take on a bad contract or two if that can net them another talent.

Five Players To Watch For: F Keiffer Bellows, F Jordan Eberle, F Joshua Ho-Sang, G Robin Lehner, F Brock Nelson

Team Needs

1) Franchise Player: Other than Barzal, the team lacks that face-of-the-franchise player at the forward position who can take over games for the next eight years. The team does have Josh Bailey under contract for a few more years, but the rest of the top-six will have to be written, whether that includes re-signing some of their own unrestricted free agents or whether they attempt to trade for a player like Artemi Panarin, Matt Duchene, Mark Stone or even someone like Bobrovsky in net.

2) Upgrade on defense: The interesting thing about the Islanders’ defense is that it went from being one of the worst defenses in the league in the 2017-18 season as they allowed 3.57 goals per game (31st in the league) and suddenly the team has totally turned that around in 2018-19 as they have allowed just 2.29 goals per game (first in the league). And that’s with almost no changes on defensive personnel. The team lost defenseman Calvin De Haan, but basically returned the same group from the previous year. Obviously, much of the credit should be given to Trotz, but at the same time, the team needs to consider adding to that defense and improving its blueline like acquiring a Alec Martinez from Los Angeles or Cody Ceci from Ottawa.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

“Chances Are High” Montreal Canadiens Will Stand Pat At Deadline

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It’s been a surprisingly successful season for the Montreal Canadiens to this point, but don’t expect that to translate to an active trade deadline. Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin has said all along that his team would not be interested in acquiring rentals this season and now another voice has echoed that sentiment. TVA’s Renaud Lavoie, one of the top Montreal insiders, states that he has heard the “chances are high that nothing much will happen” when it comes to the Habs in this week leading up to the trade deadline.

The Canadiens have had a great 2018-19 season and have outperformed most expectations. However, their own success has to be considered relative to the success of teams around them. In the uber-competitive Atlantic Division, Montreal is in fourth place, six points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs, and is unlikely to challenge for a divisional spot. The Eastern Conference wild card race has picked up as well and the Habs will have to outlast the Columbus Blue Jackets, Pittsburgh Penguins, and red-hot Carolina Hurricanes just to make the postseason. Dom Luszczyszyn’s model for The Athletic currently projects the Canadiens to finish with a very respectable 96 points for the year. However, that gives them an eighth-place finish and a date with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round. In fact, their 96-point pace only provides a 67% chance of making the playoffs according to the model, with Carolina projected for 95 points and 64% postseason odds. The Hurricanes have the longest active playoff drought in the NHL and are desperate to simply make the playoffs. Can the Canadiens say the same?

Odds are Lavoie’s report of little to no trade action expected in Montreal stems from the team’s own contentedness with how the season has gone. The Canadiens were not expected to make this kind of jump and Bergevin and company can rest easy with their success this year without giving up futures at the deadline. The Habs are not a lock for the playoffs and, if they do make it, would be a round one underdog in almost any scenario. If the team can continue to defy expectations, then that is great for them, but no one can blame management for not wanting to buy in completely on a run this year. The Canadiens have massive amounts of salary cap space heading into the off-season and are expected to be active players on the free agent and trade markets then and have even been mentioned as an offer sheet threat. There’s no need to rush a re-tooling that is already ahead of schedule. Aside from a minor tweak or even a small sale, expect the deadline to come and go in Montreal this season without much to talk about.

 

Deadline Primer: Ottawa Senators

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With the trade deadline fast approaching, we continue our look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? As we continue with the Atlantic Division, here is a look at the Ottawa Senators.

This will be a franchise-changing time for the Ottawa Senators who are in a tough situation with three significant players ready to hit unrestricted free agency in Matt Duchene, Mark Stone and Ryan Dzingel. The team has made it clear it’s trying to get them signed to long-term extensions, but will the team offer appropriate deals to them and do any of the three really want to stay with a franchise that seems intent on being one of the cheapest franchises in the NHL.

If the team can’t get them to sign on the dotted line before the trading deadline, then the team will move them with the real possibility that all three will be moved before the trade deadline and with every passing day, it looks more and more likely that Ottawa and general manager Pierre Dorion will be shipping them off. The team has made it clear they are rebuilding their team, which might be just fine if they hadn’t paid a fortune last season to acquire Duchene from Colorado. In that mega-package for Duchene, the Senators also traded away their first-round pick, which right now (pending a draft lottery) is likely to be the No. 1 overall pick.

Considering that none of the three will agree to a sign-and-trade, Ottawa will be lucky to get a quality return for their three forwards, especially for Duchene and Stone who are two of the most coveted assets on the trade deadline.

Record

21-31-5, eighth in the Atlantic Division

Deadline Status

Major seller

Deadline Cap Space

$30.79MM in full-season cap hit, 1/3 used salary cap retention slots, 48/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2019: OTT 2nd, SJS 2nd*, PIT 3rd, OTT 4th, OTT 5th, OTT 7th, CAL 7th
2020: OTT 1st, SJS 1st, OTT 2nd, OTT 3rd, CBJ 3rd, OTT 4th, OTT 6th, SJS 6th, STL 6th, OTT 7th

* Sharks will give Ottawa the higher of two different picks, their own and the Florida Panthers’ second-rounder.

Trade Chips

As said earlier, the team will attempt to lock up one or two of Duchene, Stone and Dzingel, but if not, the team is ready to move on from them. Stone has received quite a bit of attention as the Winnipeg Jets are rumored to be aggressively pursuing the 26-year-old winger. Fortunately for Stone and the Senators, he’s having a career year as he’s already scored 26 goals and 57 points and looks to be developing into a consistent 30-point scorer for whatever team can eventually sign him.

Duchene himself, should bring a hefty return, although not as much as Ottawa paid for him a season ago. Duchene is also posting big numbers and looks to be heading for a career-year himself as he already has 26 goals and 54 points and should provide many playoff teams with a solid No. 2 center for the stretch run. Dzingel shouldn’t be forgotten either as the 26-year-old is also putting up nice numbers and again, is headed for a career year. Dzingel already has 21 goals and 41 points, and is just two goals of equaling his career-high. While not of the same magnitude as either Stone or Duchene, Dzingel could also bring back a significant return.

The Senators have a number of other players who could find themselves moved as well, including defenseman Cody Ceci. The 25-year-old will be hitting restricted free agency and with a number of young defensemen coming up through the system, the Senators may prefer to trade Ceci and avoid having to pay big money for him. Now that the team has gotten Jean-Gabriel Pageau back from injury, he too could find himself traded as a depth option for a playoff team.

Five Players To Watch For: D Cody Ceci, F Matt Duchene, F Ryan Dzingel, F Jean-Gabriel Pageau, F Mark Stone

Team Needs

1) First-rounders: Without a first-round pick for the upcoming draft, the Ottawa Senators might feel a little better if it could pick up a couple of first-rounders if they end up trading both Duchene and Stone. There is nothing the team can do to get back their own first and they will have to deal with that, especially if the Colorado Avalanche win the draft lottery with Ottawa’s pick. However, even if they can add a couple late first-rounders, that still would look better than having no first-round pick at all. The team does have a couple of second-rounders, but anything they can do to stockpile picks, especially in the first round would only help them.

2) Young NHL-established Players: It already seems like the Senators have a large number of prospects either already on the team, trying to earn more playing time or waiting with the Belleville Senators, waiting for their chance to get called up. While the jury is still out on many of those prospects, the team could easily use some young players who have already broken through to the NHL and might provide even more offense with a new chance and plenty of opportunities in Ottawa. The Senators are rumored to be asking for Jack Roslovic from Winnipeg in any deal involving Stone, but Roslovic is exactly what the team needs — a player who is closing in on 100 NHL games already and is starting to come into his own now. The Senators need more of those types of players to fill the gap that will exist if the lose Stone, Duchene, Dzingel or anyone else they can.

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