West Notes: Kings, Nosek, Avalanche Injuries
Earlier this season, it was being suggested that the Kings might be willing to part with a defenseman at some point during the year. Now, it appears that not only are they going to keep the ones they have but add as well. TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that GM Rob Blake has identified a defender that can shift between the second and third pairings as their top priority heading into the trade deadline.
There is a well-defined top-four for Los Angeles with Derek Forbort sliding in at that fourth spot while averaging 21:04 of ice time. However, their depth players haven’t established themselves as players that can move up in a pinch and as a result, there is a sizable gap between the playing time for their bottom pairing; Christian Folin checks in at fifth in ATOI at just 15:23 per game. Acquiring someone that could play on the second pairing would not only give the Kings some insurance in case injuries arise but would also go a long way to stabilizing their third pairing.
Elsewhere in the West:
- Golden Knights winger Tomas Nosek has returned to Vegas to be evaluated by team doctors for an upper-body injury sustained last night against Nashville, notes Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (Twitter link). The injury came from a hit from Predators defenseman Alexei Emelin. Nosek has been a regular on the fourth line for the surprisingly-strong expansion team this season, collecting eight points through 41 games. His absence will open up a spot for one of winger Brendan Leipsic or center Cody Eakin to return to the lineup.
- Avalanche center Tyson Jost is dealing with a leg issue and won’t play tomorrow night against the Sharks, reports Mike Chambers of the Denver Post. The injury came about when he inadvertently blocked a shot from a teammate on Monday. Colorado is getting some good news on the injury front, however. Winger J.T. Compher will play on Thursday after missing the last six games with an upper-body problem. Meanwhile, defenseman Tyson Barrie (hand) and Semyon Varlamov (groin) have both resumed skating as well so it appears that more help will soon be on the horizon.
Minor Transactions: 11/22/17
With everyone but St. Louis in action tonight before the day off tomorrow, it could be a busy day for promotions and demotions across the NHL. Keep up with all the action right here:
- The Montreal Canadiens have recalled blue liner Jakub Jerabek from the AHL, according to TVA’s Renaud Lavoie. Jerabek is in his first season in North America after signing with the Habs this summer. However, the Czech native has yet to make his NHL debut, as Montreal has plenty of veteran albeit under-performing defensive depth. However, with the Laval Rocket, Jerabek has 11 points in 17 games and is a +10; impressive totals worthy of a recall. Jerabek also had the option of returning to Europe if he had not been recalled by mid-December, so there is strategy to the Canadiens’ move as well.
- Another young import, Finnish forward Henrik Haapala, could also make his NHL debut tonight. Per NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti, the Florida Panthers have called up the small scoring winger. Haapala is in his first season in North America after scoring 60 points in 51 games in the Finnish Liiga last year. Thus far in 2017-18, Haapala has seven points in 11 games for the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds. The Panthers have been liberal with number of call-ups and variety of players called up so far this season, as Haapala is just the latest to join the list.
- Philadelphia is bringing in reinforcements. The team announced the return of young defenseman Samuel Morin and the first recall for forward Danick Martel. Morin is a name most fans recognize as a former first-round pick of the Flyers, however it is Martel who may be more intriguing. In his fourth pro season, Martel has exploded this year, leading the AHL with 14 goals. Martel scored just 20 goals last season and already has half as many points in 17 games as he did all of last year in 68 games. The Flyers surely hope that his hot hand continues at the next level.
- In a corresponding move, Philly also sent defenseman Mark Alt and veteran forward Matt Read to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. It was only a matter of time (and health) before Morin replaced Alt on the NHL roster, but the demotion of Read is certainly a big deal. The long-time Flyer cleared waivers last week and will now head to the minors, his 400+ games of NHL experience not enough to keep him around.
- Colorado has recalled goalie Andrew Hammond and the former Senators keeper could make his Avalanche debut sooner than expected. Hammond was acquired as more or less a salary dump by Ottawa in the recent Matt Duchene–Kyle Turris blockbuster. With Semyon Varlamov and Jonathan Bernier in the net, no one thought Hammond would be anything more than a depth asset for the Avs. However, with Varlamov too sick to even suit up, “The Hamburglar” will get his chance. After a remarkable run for the Sens in 2015-16, Hammond struggled greatly in both the NHL and AHL last season and could use a fresh start.
- The Edmonton Oilers have made a flurry of moves already today, first terminating the contract of Ziyat Paigin, who predictably cleared unconditional waivers yesterday. Paigin came over from the KHL last season, but it was never a good fit between the two sides. Paigin failed to record a point in the only 12 AHL games he played. With no chance of a bump up to the NHL, Paigin wished to return to Russia and the Oilers were more than willing to oblige him. Edmonton then recalled defenseman Ryan Stanton from the Bakersfield Condors. A free agent acquisition this off-season, the journeyman rearguard could help out the struggling Oilers with his sound defensive game. In a corresponding move, veteran forward Brad Malone was reassigned to the AHL.
- Julius Honka is headed back to the minors, as the talented, young blue liner was demoted by the Dallas Stars today in exchange for forward Curtis McKenzie, per a team announcement. The Stars have been underwhelming in 2017-18, but their biggest issues continues to be goal prevention. As promising an offensive defenseman as Honka may be, he’s not what Dallas needs right now. Perhaps two-way forward McKenzie, who is also scoring at a point-per-game pace in the AHL, can help the cause.
West Notes: Nugent-Hopkins, Sedins, Varlamov
While it has long been assumed that the Oilers would have to trade center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins following the long-term, big money contracts handed out to Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl earlier this summer, GM Peter Chiarelli told TSN’s Bob McKenzie (video link) that this is far from a guarantee.
“I know that’s the speculation following signing Connor and Leon. At the end of the day, you can’t put all of that money into three lines, into three centers. You can’t. It won’t work. But having said that, we’ve had success with Leon on the wing. And if you look at models – and we’ve looked at them – for two lines, you can have that money on two lines.”
McDavid and Draisaitl will count for $21MM on Edmonton’s salary cap beginning in 2018-19 (McDavid remains on his entry-level contract this season). Nugent-Hopkins enters 2017-18 with four years remaining on his deal at $6MM per and while the Oilers have plenty of cap room to fit him in this season, there’s bound to be a big squeeze next year, particularly with winger Milan Lucic signed through 2022-23 at $6MM as well. Whether it’s Nugent-Hopkins or someone else, someone notable will have to be on the way out before the puck drops on 2018-19.
More from the West:
- As the Sedin twins enter the final years of their contracts, some have speculated that they could be dealt if Vancouver is out of it at the deadline. In an interview with Sportsnet’s John Shannon (Twitter link), team president Trevor Linden put an end to that, stating that the duo won’t be dealt. Both players have spent their entire NHL careers with the Canucks and carry no-move clauses with a $7MM cap charge.
- After undergoing multiple hip surgeries last season, Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov has fully recovered and has been skating since late July, notes Mike Chambers of the Denver Post. The 29-year-old is coming off of the worst statistical season of his NHL career and played in just 24 games as a result of the lingering groin issues. Despite the struggles, Colorado clearly still has confidence in him as they elected to protect him from the Golden Knights in expansion.
Which Goalie Will Have The Best Season On A New Team?
This unrestricted free agency period saw quite a number of goaltenders shuffle around the league. Even before July 1st, we saw a couple transactions which landed starters in new locations. Scott Darling was moved from Chicago to Carolina. Mike Smith was traded from Arizona to Calgary. Los Angeles was forced to deal Ben Bishop to Dallas or lose him for nothing in expansion. Antti Raanta was shipped from the New York Rangers to Arizona. And Vegas got a former 1st-overall and veteran keeper in Marc-Andre Fleury after all was said and done. Then, on July 1st, Brian Elliott signed with the Philadelphia Flyers to run a tandem with Michal Neuvirth, while former Flyer Steve Mason signed the biggest goalie deal of the off-season ($4.1 MM AAV) to play net for Winnipeg.
In terms of backups, former ‘Pegger Ondrej Pavelec signed on to play a meaningful role for the Rangers behind the aging Henrik Lundqvist. Jonathan Bernier may have been the biggest loser of the day – after winning 21 of his 33 games in Anaheim, he will settle for playing second fiddle in Colorado behind Semyon Varlamov. Antti Niemi signed on to back up Matt Murray after being bought out from Dallas, and at the tender age of 37, Ryan Miller will slot behind John Gibson in Anaheim.
With all this movement, it’s sometimes difficult to keep track. Goaltending is ultimately the foundation for any team’s success, regular season or playoffs. Each of these names has seen struggles, but also past success. Which will rally to the occasion, and which will fall short of living up to their contracts and expectations? Who posts the best save percentage? The most wins? And will any of the backups usurp the starting tenders?
Please vote on our poll below, and comment with your thoughts!
Which Goalie Will Have The Best Season On A New Team?
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Ben Bishop 29% (344)
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Scott Darling 17% (198)
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Marc-Andre Fleury 15% (171)
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Brian Elliott 9% (102)
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Other 7% (86)
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Antti Raanta 7% (84)
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Steve Mason 6% (67)
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Ryan Miller 4% (45)
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Antti Niemi 3% (32)
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Ondrej Pavelec 2% (29)
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Jonathan Bernier 1% (16)
Total votes: 1,174
Mobile users click here to vote!
Jonathan Bernier Signs One-Year Deal With Colorado Avalanche
As first reported by Adrian Dater of BSN last night, Jonathan Bernier has signed a one-year contract with the Colorado Avlanche. The deal is worth $2.75MM, and puts Bernier into a backup role behind Semyon Varlamov.
Bernier was one of the more interesting options on the market this summer, after a solid stint replacing John Gibson in Anaheim after he went down to injury. Bernier has always had the talent to start in the NHL, but never could find the consistency required to put up solid numbers when given the job. In Toronto his value plummeted to the point where he was traded to Anaheim for essentially nothing, and now will keep re-building in Colorado. That doesn’t seem like a very good place to do it, since the Avalanche were miserable in their own end last year, but at least he’ll have the security of Varlamov (and almost three million dollars) to work with.
For Colorado, not only does Bernier replace Calvin Pickard as a more than capable backup, but also provides them with another trade chip for next season. If given a chance to play even in limited minutes, Bernier will be sought-after at the deadline by any team not happy with their goaltending. Though the Avalanche aren’t expected to compete, they can definitely use all the assets they can get.
Morning Notes: Boughner, Fowler, Colorado
The Florida Panthers will interview Bob Boughner for their vacant head coaching position according to Pierre LeBrun of TSN. The team was given permission to talk to Boughner weeks ago, but will hold the interview at some point this week. The Panthers have been linked to Michel Therrien and Jim Montgomery in the past as well as assistants who may be still working in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
One of those would likely be Nashville Predators assistant Phil Housley, who is off to the finals to face the winner of the Pittsburgh-Ottawa series. It will be interesting to see if Florida will wait for the end of the playoffs to make a decision, as that would come just a few days before expansion and entry draft decisions would have to be made. While the head coach doesn’t make any of these decisions by himself, he’s often consulted and sometimes attends the scouting combine with the front office staff.
- In a Tuesday hit with the NHL Network, Elliotte Friedman reported that GMs around the league have told him they think Cam Fowler would command a $56MM price tag should he get to free agency in 2018. That would pay him $8MM per season over seven years, a number which only two defensemen—P.K. Subban and the newly extended Brent Burns—currently hit. Perhaps Friedman meant that he would earn $7MM over eight years, but the only team who can sign him that long is currently the Ducks (though his rights could be traded like Keith Yandle last summer). Still, it is a huge number that would put him in the top-10 in salaries among defensemen. He’s eligible for extension on July 1st as he heads into the final year of his current contract.
- The Colorado Avalanche made changes to their coaching staff yesterday when they announced that Francois Allaire, Dave Farrish and Tim Army would not return for 2017-18. Friedman is hearing that Finnish goalie coach Jussi Parkilla is in the mix to replace him, while Michael Russo of the Star Tribune heard yesterday that former NHL goaltender Dwayne Roloson has already interviewed for the position. Should the team bring in Parkilla, it would be a clear sign that Semyon Varlamov is the choice in net going forward for the Avs, as Friedman reports the two are close. As we discussed on Monday, exposing Calvin Pickard is one of the decisions the team has to face going into the expansion draft.
Snapshots: Therrien, Enstrom, Lazar, Varlamov
Following his sudden firing from the Canadiens earlier this week, former head coach Michel Therrien released a statement (via the Montreal Gazette):
I would first like to thank the Montreal Canadiens organization, especially Geoff Molson and Marc Bergevin, for the experience of five remarkable years. The Montreal Canadiens have always been a great organization, and recent events in no way change my perception of the team and its management.
Being an NHL coach is a tough job: it is gratifying on many levels but it can also quickly become a thankless task. When a team is experiencing difficulties, any head coach knows his job is on the line. I understand and accept this reality.
I would like to thank fans in Montreal and across Quebec, as well as members of the media. I also salute the coaches and staff I have worked with over the years and, above all, the many players whom I had the privilege of coaching.
I leave with my head held high: I am very proud of the work accomplished over the past five years. The current team can aspire to great honours, and I wish my colleague Claude Julien every success in the future.”
Let’s take a look at some other notes from around the NHL:
- The Jets announced (via Twitter) that defenseman Toby Enstrom had surgery yesterday on “an existing lower body injury.” The 32-year-old is expected to be sidelined for two-to-three weeks. In 55 games this season, the 10-year veteran has collected one goal and 13 assists.
- Curtis Lazar is set to return to the Senators lineup tonight, and Mike Halford of Pro Hockey Talk writes that the return could help boost the forward’s trade value. The 22-year-old’s agent is set to meet with the team’s front office, and Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen believes the player could ask for a trade. In 29 games this season, the former first-round pick has compiled a single assist.
- Following reports that Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov was set to miss the rest of the season, general manager Joe Sakic said the organization is hoping the 28-year-old will return to full strength for next season. “I expect him to be fully healthy next year,” Sakic said (via Terry Frei of the Denver Post). “He’s had the problems with his groin the last couple of years, and this year, but he’s a worker, he cares, he’s a guy who puts a lot of pressure on that area the way he plays.” In 24 games (23 starts) this season, Varlamov has gone 6-17 with a .898 save percentage.
5 Key Stories: 1/23/17 – 1/29/17
Congratulations to the members of the Metro Division All-Star team, who capped off an entertaining three-on-three tournament by defeating the Pacific Division 4 – 3. It’s time for PHR’s weekly roundup of the five key stories from the week of 1/23/17 through 1/29/17.
Colorado center Matt Duchene, the subject of trade rumors for much of the season, expressed a willingness to being dealt to another club in comments made to The Denver Post this week. The talented pivot has two years remaining on a contract that comes with an AAV of $6MM and is sure to attract plenty of trade interest. The team is reportedly hoping to land at least a young, top-four defenseman and a high draft pick in return.
The Ottawa Senators added some bottom-six depth by acquiring veteran winger Tommy Wingels from the San Jose Sharks for minor leaguers Zack Stortini and Buddy Robinson along with a seventh-round draft pick. Still just 28, Wingels could prove to be a solid pickup for the Senators. During the 2012-13 and 2013-14 campaigns, the seven-year veteran combined for 31 goals and that’s the kind of production the Senators are hoping for. From the Sharks perspective, the trade cleared needed cap space with Tomas Hertl poised to come off of IR.
Looking for additional defensive depth, the Montreal Canadiens picked up Nikita Nesterov from Tampa Bay in exchange for minor league prospect Jonathan Racine and a sixth-round draft choice. Nesterov has tallied 12 points in 35 games this season and could provide solid value for the Habs as a long-term fit on their blue line. He carries a cap hit of $725K and will be a RFA this summer.
As he draws nearer unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2018, New York Islanders franchise center John Tavares indicated he is open to inking a long-term extension to remain on Long Island despite the team’s struggles this season. It’s not a surprising position for the #1 overall selection in the 2009 draft to take. There’s no point in limiting any option this far from free agency and a lot can change between now and July 1, 2018. Any way you look at it, Tavares is going to land a lucrative long-term deal, whether it’s with the Islanders or another franchise.
Semyon Varlamov, Colorado’s starting goaltender, will miss the rest of the season following surgery to repair a groin injury. Like many of his teammates, the 2016-17 campaign has not been a good one for the Russian netminder and now his season is going to be cut short. Varlamov will have two years remaining on a deal that comes with a $5.9MM cap hit and it will be interesting to see what the Avalanche, already rumored to be considering significant roster changes, do with their goaltending situation.
Semyon Varlamov Set To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
A tough season is only getting worse for the Colorado Avalanche. Earlier today a report surfaced indicating that star center Matt Duchene would be open to a trade from Colorado. On the heels of that news, The Denver Post’s Terry Frei is reporting that Semyon Varlamov will undergo season-ending surgery to solve the groin issues that have plagued the team’s #1 goalie this season.
Varlamov has struggled to stay on the ice this season due to the groin issues and the team’s medical staff finally decided the best course of action would be surgery. The hope, according to Avalanche GM Joe Sakic, is to have Varlamov fully healthy and ready to go for training camp next summer.
“After further evaluation from our team doctors, it was determined that the best road to recovery was surgery. Doing this procedure at this time ensures that Semyon will be fully healthy for the start of training camp.”
The 28-year-old netminder was in the midst of the worst statistical season of his career, winning just six of his 23 starts while posting a GAA of 3.38 and a S% of 0.898. Varlamov has battled inconsistency throughout his nine-year NHL career but when he is on he has shown he can be one of the better goalies in the league. As recently as the 2013-14 campaign, the Russian backstop finished second in Vezina trophy voting after winning 41 games while registering a GAA of 2.41 and a S% of 0.927. He has two seasons remaining on a contract that calls for a $5.9MM cap charge.
In the interim, Frei suggests the team will stick with Pickard and current backup, Spencer Martin, for the balance of the current season. It wouldn’t make sense for the team to sacrifice assets for a stopgap alternative in the midst of a lost season. However, if a long-term option were to be made available, it wouldn’t be entirely surprising to see the Avalanche entertain a move in that direction; especially if they harbor doubts about both Varlamov and Pickard as reliable starting goalies moving forward.
The Avalanche will have an interesting decision to make ahead of the June expansion draft. They will have to expose one goalie under contract for the 2017-18 season and it’s likely that netminder will be Varlamov. However, Calvin Pickard, who has taken over between the pipes in Varlamov’s absence, hasn’t exactly grabbed the starting job with his play this season. He has posted a S% of 0.906 with a GAA of more than three in 23 appearances in 2016-17. At this point it seems unlikely that the Vegas Golden Knights would gamble on Varlamov and his cap hit but it’s too early to dismiss the possibility altogether.
Varlamov Out Through All-Star Break With Groin Issue
The Colorado Avalanche will be without starting net minder Semyon Varlamov at least through the All-Star break, the team announced this afternoon. Head coach Jared Bednar made the announcement, indicating the groin issue which has bothered the goalie on-and-off throughout the season “is no longer a day-to-day thing.” The All-Star break runs through January 30th, meaning the injury will effectively cause Varlamov to miss at least the team’s next four games.
The Avalanche later said they would recall goaltender Spencer Martin from their AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage. Martin has previously been up with the club but has yet to appear in an NHL game. He was the team’s third-round selection, 63rd overall, in the 2013 entry draft out of Mississauga of the OHL.
With Varlamov out, expect Calvin Pickard to get the lion’s share of the playing time between the pipes. The 24-year-old has started 19 games on the year for the Avalanche, winning seven, and posting a GAA of 3.06 with a S% of 0.902. Pickard was the team’s second-round pick in 2010.
Varlamov has also struggled between the pipes for Colorado, winning just six of 23 starts and recording a GAA of 3.38 and a S% below 0.900. Among the 47 qualified NHL goaltenders, Varly is tied for 42nd in S% and dead last in GAA.
With the Avalanche at least expected to consider tearing down and rebuilding their roster, it’s possible they would have marketed Varlamov this coming summer to teams in search of goaltending help. But with two more years remaining on a deal which calls for an AAV of $5.9MM, it’s doubtful they would have found a taker given his lackluster performance this season. His recurring groin problems serve to further diminish any possibility of a trade taking place.