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Calgary Expected To Look Elsewhere For Goaltending

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The Hockey News Lyle Richardson believes Calgary Flames goaltender Brian Elliott’s tenure with the team is over. After a season of struggles, culminating getting pulled in Game 4 of their playoff series against the Anaheim Ducks, the team is expected to look elsewhere for help behind the net next season.

Elliott, who was acquired last year from the St. Louis Blues for a 2016 second-round pick (Jordan Kyrou) and a 2018 third-round pick, never put up the kind of season the Flames had hoped for. He finished the season with a 2.55 goals against in 49 contests and a .910 save percentage. Those numbers were way below his usual numbers. Last year for the Blues, he played in 41 games with a 2.07 GAA and a .930 save percentage. However, Elliott’s 3.88 GAA in the four playoff games against the Ducks left a lot to be desired by Calgary. A soft goal by Anaheim’s Patrick Eaves at 5:38 in the first period of Game 4, which was enough for Calgary head coach Glen Gulutzan to remove him in favor of Chad Johnson.

While Johnson, also an unrestricted free agent, may be retained by the Flames, both writers believe they will have to look at either the free agent or trade market to find their next goaltender.

Los Angeles Kings goaltender Ben Bishop may be at the top of their wishlist. Bishop, who is an unrestricted free agent, is the top goaltender on the market and Calgary came close to trading for him last offseason before choosing to trade for Elliott instead. He is coming off a two-year deal in which he made 4.76MM this year and was traded to Los Angeles in February. He fared well in 2015-16 in Tampa Bay, playing in 61 games and finishing with a 2.06 GAA and a .926 save percentage. However, he didn’t play as well this year, allowing a 2.55 GAA in 32 games with Tampa Bay and a 2.49 GAA in seven games with Los Angeles. Despite those struggles, many experts believe his price tag may be in the $7MM range as there are several teams on the market looking for goalies.

Other free agent options, according to Richardson are Philadelphia’s Steve Mason, Chicago’s Scott Darling and Ottawa’s Mike Condon. Mason, who had a monster rookie-year in 2009-10, has never been able to duplicate that (with the possible exception of the 2014-15 season). Darling has been a veteran backup for the Blackhawks and never had an opportunity to start full-time, while Condon has had some success, but also was both waived and traded for a fifth-round pick only a year ago.

The trade market could be another option for the Flames, as the Pittsburgh Penguins will likely look to move Marc-Andre Fleury after the great rookie season from goaltender Matt Murray. The 32-year-old netminder has shown he still has it, leading the Penguins to their first-round playoff series win over Columbus. However, his numbers don’t stand out that much as he finished the season with a 3.02 GAA in 32 contests this season.

The price for any goaltender may be high as many believe that the Winnipeg Jets, Carolina Hurricanes and the New York Islanders could be looking for a netminder.

Flyers Notes: Del Zotto, Schultz, Hextall, Mason

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Philadelphia’s defense is setting up to look a lot different next season as youngsters like Samuel Morin and Travis Sanheim, among others, make a push for a full-time roster spot.  Accordingly, their pending unrestricted free agents, Michael Del Zotto, aren’t likely to return next season.

Del Zotto confirmed to Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer that there haven’t been any talks about a potential contract extension.  The blueliner acknowledged he has been frustrated this season after seeing his role change considerably; his average ice time is down nearly four minutes a night from last year while he has also spent time as a healthy scratch.

As for Schultz, he acknowledged to CSN Philly’s Tim Panaccio that there’s a good chance he won’t play next season.  He doesn’t like the idea of moving his family to sign a one year deal while it’s unlikely that the Flyers will look to bring him back, even in the current depth role he finds himself in.

Combined, the duo accounted for a little over $6MM on Philadelphia’s salary cap this season and if they are replaced with players on entry level deals, GM Ron Hextall should have some flexibility heading into the offseason.

More from Philly:

  • In a separate column, Panaccio reports that Hextall has no plans of dealing any of his core players away this summer. He highlights forwards Claude Giroux, Wayne Simmonds, Jakub Voracek, and Brayden Schenn in that group.  Each of those players is signed for at least two more years beyond this one with Voracek being under contract the longest through 2023-24.  As things stand, the Flyers have nearly $60MM committed for next season to 16 players which should give them enough room to add another core piece without necessarily having to take one away to free up payroll space to do so in more of a shake-up type of deal.
  • On top of not negotiating with their pending UFA blueliners, no contract talks have been held with goaltender Steve Mason, notes Sam Carchidi, also of the Philadelphia Inquirer. As a result, he reports that it’s unlikely the Flyers will try to bring the pending UFA back next season.  The team re-signed Michal Neuvirth to a two year extension back at the trade deadline and could opt to bring in another goalie via free agency or give intriguing prospect Anthony Stolarz a shot at full-time NHL duty.  It has been a tough year from Mason, whose .908 SV% is his lowest since 2011-12 back when he was with Columbus.

Flyers’ Michal Neuvirth Leaves Game After Collapsing On Ice

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7:28pm: The Philadelphia Flyers tweet that per general manager Ron Hextall, Neuvirth is “awake and alert” and being taken for further observation to Pennsylvania Hospital and that more information will follow tomorrow.

7:14pm: TSN’s Frank Seravalli tweets that Flyers defenseman Radko Gudas relayed to the Flyers’ broadcasting crew that Neuvirth is “fine.”

6:44 pm: A terrifying moment in Philadelphia as Flyers netminder Michal Neuvirth collapsed in the crease . NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti tweets that a faceoff was outside the Flyers’ blue line when Neuvirth inexplicably collapsed, and that no action near the net caused him to fall.

Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Sam Carchidi tweeted a picture of the scene and the capacity crowd was silent as medical experts worked on the goaltender. Positive news emerged as Neuvirth left the ice on a stretcher conscious and Carchidi tweets  that the crowd gave a standing ovation as he exited. The Flyers, already without Steve Mason who is ill, put Anthony Stolarz into the game. As of 6:55pm, Gulitti reports there are still no updates.

We join everyone else in wishing Neuvirth the best in what could only be described as a scary situation for his friends, family, and fans.

 

Metropolitan Notes: Mason, Stolarz, Archibald

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Shortly before warm-ups began for the Philadelphia Flyers tonight, ahead of their match-up with the New Jersey Devils, the team announced that goaltender Steve Mason was sick and would not be able to suit up for the game. Mason, who holds an 0-9-0 record, 3.93 GAA, and .852 SV% versus the Devils in his career, was not expected to start the contest, but left the Flyers scrambling to find a backup with less than two hours to puck drop. His condition also casts some doubt on whether or not he’ll be available for Philly’s game against the New York Rangers tomorrow, which Mason was expected to start.

  • To replace Mason tonight, the Flyers promoted young goalie Anthony Stolarz from the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms on an emergency basis. However, by the time Stolarz got the call, the two hour drive from Wilkes-Barre, PA, where the Flyers’ AHL affiliate was visiting the rival Penguins’ affiliate, to Philadelphia did not get him to rink in time for warm-ups. Stolarz will back up Michal Neuvirth tonight, completely cold, and if Mason is unable to play tomorrow as well, Stolarz may get the start if the team wants to avoid playing Neuvirth in back-to-back games with their slim playoff hopes on the line. The rookie keeper would certainly be up for the task; Stolarz has a 1.79 GAA and .938 SV% and even a shutout in four impressive appearances with the Flyers in 2016-17.
  • The injury bug continues to run rampant through Pittsburgh, and with the recent news that Chris Kunitz has been added to the injured list, the Penguins announced that they have recalled Josh Archibald from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to fill the gap. Archibald was just recently sent back down to the AHL amid the Pens’ losing streak, but necessity has called the young forward back up.  The rookie right winger has two goals in five games this season playing minimal minutes, but the Penguins will have to hope he can take advantage of increased play time down the stretch as the team continues to plug holes in their lineup.

Injury Updates: Stamkos, Ekblad, Luongo, Fast, Flyers

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Lightning center Steven Stamkos participated in his first full practice on Friday as he continues his recovery from a torn meniscus, reports Bryan Burns on the Lightning’s team website.  While it’s certainly a positive sign that he’s getting closer to returning to the lineup, there remains no timetable for him to suit up and head coach Jon Cooper was quick to caution that a return isn’t yet imminent.  The original estimate was that he’d be back in four-to-six months.

Stamkos was injured back in November 15th so he’s just at the four month mark now and clearly isn’t ready to return just yet.  If he is able to get the green light within the next few weeks, he’d be a big boost to a Tampa Bay lineup that is making a late push at the final Wild Card spot in the East.  On the season, the captain has nine goals and 11 assists in 17 games.

Other injury notes from around the league:

  • The Panthers will be without top blueliner Aaron Ekblad for at least another week, coach/GM Tom Rowe told Harvey Fialkov of the Sun-Sentinel (Twitter link). The 21 year old suffered a concussion on Saturday against Tampa Bay.  Roberto Luongo’s return is still not close as Rowe noted that he will be out longer than Ekblad will.  The veteran netminder re-aggravated a lower body issue back on March 2nd against the Flyers and the team has won just once in his absence to fall out of the playoff picture.
  • Rangers right winger Jesper Fast will return to the lineup tonight against the Panthers after missing the last seven games with a shoulder injury, notes Justin Tasch of the New York Daily News. He’s expected to play on the third line and will force rookie winger Pavel Buchnevich to the press box for the time being as the team plans to keep Tanner Glass in the lineup.  Through 59 games this season, Fast has five goals and 15 assists while logging just under 14 minutes a night in ice time.
  • Flyers defenseman Brandon Manning missed his third straight game last night and remains day-to-day with an upper body injury (believed to be a shoulder), GM Ron Hextall told CSN Philly’s Jordan Hall. Recent call-up Jordan Weal returned to the lineup but admitted he’s still not fully recovered from his lower body issue.  He took the place of forward Nick Cousins, who missed the game with an upper body problem.  Like Manning, he’s classified as day-to-day.  Still with Philly, goaltender Steve Mason left last night’s game due to cramping, adds Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post.

Snapshots: Mason, Parenteau, Sweden

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News and notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the Philadelphia Flyers have not negotiated with goaltender Steve Mason’s camp all season. Mason is in the final year of his contract worth $4.1MM a year. In 43 games this season he’s posted a 17-17-6 record with a .903 SV% and a 2.83 GAA. Interesting, the Flyers extended their other goaltender, Michael Neuvirth, to a two-year deal worth $2.5MM a year. Neuvrith has worse numbers than Mason, going 10-9-1 in 24 games with a .887 SV% and a 2.90 GAA. Part of the reason may be that if they signed both Mason and Neuvirth, they would have to expose one to the expansion draft this summer.
  • New Nashville Predators acquisition P.A. Parenteau will miss tonight’s game after “blowing up” his finger, reports Andrew Gross of the NJ Record. Parenteau’s hand was hit by a puck and will require several stitches. The veteran forward was traded from the New Jersey Devils to Nashville in exchange for a 6th round pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Parenteau has 13G and 14A in 59 games so far this season.
  • The New York Times reported that Sweden has reintroduced military conscription affecting those born in 1999 and later. This will impact future incoming Swedish players professional development with the prospects of serving—albeit for 9-12 months—in the Swedish military. The NHL is no stranger to this dilemma though. Finland still maintains mandatory military participation—usually around six months—and all Finnish NHLers have or will have to participate during their career. Most Finnish-born players, like Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta, complete their military requirements during the offseason.

 

Trade Deadline Summary: Winners & Losers Of The Metropolitan Division

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The NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone, and while it wasn’t the most exciting deadline day in recent memory, there were quite a few notable moves. Here are the winners and losers of the dominant Metropolitan Division:

Winners

Carolina Hurricanes:

Not all that much happening in Raleigh, but what GM Ron Francis did do, he did well. Both Hainsey and Stalberg brought back returns that were greater than their market value. It was also nice of Francis to send Hainsey to a team where his career-long playoff drought would definitely be snapped. Not sure why Jay McClement wasn’t moved, but there simply may not have been interest. The Hurricanes have a ton of salary cap space and have to dip into their depth on defense sooner or later, but this year’s deadline was definitely not the time for big moves. Expect Carolina to be a major player in the off-season trade market.

New Jersey Devils:

The Devils didn’t really have any trade capital today other than Quincey and Parenteau, so good on GM Ray Shero for doing what he could with what he had. It’s strange that New Jersey was able to get a higher pick from the Predators for Vernon Fiddler earlier this season than they did for Parenteau, but injuries may have played into that. A full season of production and a draft pick in compensation isn’t that bad a return for an early-season waiver claim. The Quincey deal was the real star of the show though. The Devils went from taking a risk on an older, washed-up defenseman this off-season to trading him for a young, strong defensive defenseman who can be a starter for years with the team. Shero played the long con on the league this year, and it paid off.

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Snapshots: Duchene, Fleury, Philadelphia, Wisniewski

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After Matt Duchene set the hockey hot-stove on fire this morning when he reportedly told media he was open to the idea of a trade, Darren Dreger confirmed as much on TSN’s Insider Trading. Dreger reports that though Duchene is open to a deal, he hasn’t formally asked for one and GM Joe Sakic may wait until the summer to move the talented forward. Though he would likely command a hefty sum right now, the team might be able to pry an even greater package away in the summer when teams have a little more cap flexibility.

While it’s not guaranteed that this season will be Duchene’s last in Colorado, it is certainly seeming more likely. The former third-overall pick has had an up-and-down career in the NHL but certainly has the offensive talent to be a contributor for any team.

  • In the same TSN segment, Bob McKenzie spoke about the growing frustration for Marc-Andre Fleury in Pittsburgh. The former first-overall pick hasn’t played in the last seven games for the Penguins and is starting to be considered the back up. With a no-movement clause in his contract, Fleury currently has control of his future. If he doesn’t waive it, the Penguins would be forced to protect him instead of Matt Murray in the expansion draft. If Murray was available, Las Vegas would surely select him (unless a deal was made behind the scenes) making Fleury the starter again. But since the team clearly doesn’t want him as the full-time starter any more, perhaps he’ll agree to a trade in-season or before the draft to move somewhere else around the league.
  • McKenzie also reported on the Philadelphia goaltender situation, which is currently unresolved long-term. While the team has Anthony Stolarz looking closer and closer to providing NHL netminding, they have had talks about extending one of Steve Mason or Michal Neuvirth at some point before the expansion draft. The team is likely to wait until they have to though, with neither netminder really showing they deserve a long-term deal. If the Penguins weren’t bitter rivals of the Flyers, one might suggest that the two could be trading partners for the frustrated Fleury. The summer looks like it will have a handful of starting goaltender candidates available however, with Ben Bishop leading the way as an unrestricted free agent. If Philadelphia wants to move on from the Mason-Neuvirth combo, they could wait to see what is available after the season.
  • Dreger added in a separate tweet that James Wisniewski has signed a 25-game tryout with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. “The Wiz” was playing in the KHL after not being able to secure and NHL deal this summer. The former Blackhaws, Ducks, Canadiens, Islanders, Blue Jackets and Hurricanes defenseman was once a premiere right-handed puck mover in the NHL but injuries have limited his thirties to less than a full season of games. Chicago is the AHL squad of the St. Louis Blues, who may lose a right-handed defensemen in the next month in Kevin Shattenkirk. While Wisniewski is by no means a replacement for Shattenkirk, he does add some depth on the right side should he be able to find even a sliver of his former NHL talent.

Sunday Evening Snapshots: Panarin, Mason, Simmonds, Kane

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Super sophomore Artemi Panarin recently inked a two-year extension that will tie him to the Blackhawks through his restricted free agent years. Upon the expiration of the pact, one that carries an AAV of $6MM, Panarin will be a UFA and at 28 should be positioned to land a lucrative long-term deal in free agency. The structure is ideal for Panarin, as it allows him to max out his earnings over the next two years while still allowing him to reach free agency while still young enough to command a max-term deal. As Chris Kuc and Chris Hine of the Chicago Tribune write, the deal overcame a late and unexpected obstacle in order to reach the finish line.

Panarin decided to change representation from Tom Lynn to Dan Milstein just before the agreement was finalized but the former stayed on to help the new agent complete the negotiations. Lynn, a former assistant GM with the Wild, has a strong relationship with Chicago assistant GM Norm MacIver and that helped grease the wheels on the arrangement. Milstein credits Lynn for his professionalism in difficult circumstances.

“After Artemi told him about the change, (Lynn) offered to stay on to help in any way he could,” Milstein told the Tribune. “He had called me and offered to pass on any and all things he had worked on previously. He and I consulted closely … (and) the whole thing came together in 48 hours.

“(Lynn) was very instrumental and he’s a class act. Ninety-nine percent of people would have hung up the phone and never spoke to you again. I can’t say anything bad about Tom and I know Artemi can’t say anything (bad) either.”

Panarin, who doesn’t speak English well, made the move because of the language barrier.

“As somebody who doesn’t really speak English fluently, it was a little bit of a hassle to bring everything to a translator first, have meetings and have to go through a translation at some point,” Panarin said via an interpreter. “I felt more comfortable getting somebody who speaks Russian.”

Kuc and Hine report that a source conveyed that despite what Milstein said, the relationship he shared with Lynn “was not as amicable as Milstein portrayed.” Regardless, Chicago and Panarin were ultimately able to find common ground and work out a deal both sides were happy with.

Elsewhere around the NHL tonight:

  • Sam Carchidi of Philly.com wonders whether the Flyers should re-sign goaltender Steve Mason to serve as a bridge to the team’s prospects at the position. According to Carchidi, the plan at the beginning of the campaign was to allow Mason and Michal Neuvirth, both pending free agents, to compete to see which one would earn an extension but injuries to Neuvirth have allowed Mason to take the lead in that competition by default. Ultimately the scribe feels Neuvirth is simply too injury-prone to be counted on as an undisputed #1 goalie. Carchidi believes a strong second half would nearly guarantee that the Flyers would look to re-up Mason. As it stands, should the team extend Mason, the team would have to expose young net minder Anthony Stolarz, who Carchidi feels has potential. The best bet, in the opinion of Carchidi, might be to deal Neuvirth and add another goaltender under contract for 2017-18 and whom they can leave exposed for the expansion draft.
  • Sticking with the Flyers, the Department of Player Safety will not have a hearing with Wayne Simmonds for his hit that knocked Lightning forward J.T. Brown out of yesterday’s game, tweets Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. Smith adds that Brown has been placed on IR requiring him to sit out at least seven days as a result.
  • With Buffalo hosting Winnipeg last night, John Vogl of The Buffalo News revisits the blockbuster trade the two clubs made nearly two years ago. On February 11, 2015, Buffalo acquired winger Evender Kane, defenseman Zach Bogosian, and young goaltender Jason Kasdorf in exchange for defenseman Tyler Myers, winger Drew Stafford, forward prospects Joel Armia and Brendan Lemieux and a 1st round draft pick. While Kane has struggled to produce up to his talent level, he did hit the 20-goal plateau last season and is on an 82-game pace for 26 goals this season. Myers, meanwhile, has missed all but 11 games this season but did contribute 27 points in 73 contests last season. Stafford had a 21-goal campaign a year ago but has slumped to just three this season. Vogl considers it too early to declare a winner, though with the 20-year-old Lemieux and Jack Roslovic – the player chosen with that first round pick – still developing, the Jets have a good chance of ultimately coming out ahead in the swap.

 

Goalie Extensions And The Expansion Draft

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In-season extensions in the NHL are not all that common. In-season extensions of pedestrian back-up goalies are even more rare. So the recent re-signings of Al Montoya by the Montreal Canadiens and Dustin Tokarski by the Anaheim Ducks likely stuck out to many as being strange, especially when they occurred within days of each other. While the Habs may talk about their desire for a “quality backup” to Carey Price and the Ducks say they need depth in net behind John Gibson with Jonathan Bernier headed to free agency, the teams and players know what the reality of these extensions are and fans should too. Montoya and Tokarski earned extensions not because of their play, but simply because of their mere existence as goalies on their respective teams. They won’t be the last either, as the impending NHL Expansion Draft will force a few other teams to make a move in net before it’s too late.

When the NHL laid out rules for this June’s Expansion Draft, they required that each team leave at least one eligible goalie exposed. For the majority of teams, this wasn’t a difficult criteria to meet. They could protect their starter as long as they had any other goalie with two years of pro experience and term on their contract. For a select few though, it remained a problem that needed to be solved in-season. Montreal and Anaheim were two such teams. Heading into 2016-17, the Candiens has a goalie stable of Price, Montoya, who they signed to a one-year deal this summer, and impending unrestricted free agent Mike Condon. Without any extension or acquisition, Montreal would have been forced to expose the best goalie in the world as their other two keepers held no further term on their contracts. After Condon failed to clear waivers earlier this season, it left the Habs with just two options: extend the veteran Montoya or trade for a third goaltender with term. Since many other teams are depending on their under-contract backups for expansion protection, it was a much easier task to extend Montoya, and given his early-season success, it became an even more obvious decision. While the journeyman goalie is happy to have a “permanent” home into his mid-30’s and the best deal of his career, the true intention of the Canadiens is to offer him up to the Vegas Golden Knights instead of their MVP, Price. Meanwhile in Anaheim, the league’s deepest goalie group also would not be able to protect their starter. The Ducks have five good-to-decent goalies signed, but the best of the bunch, Gibson, was the only one signed beyond 2017. The 23-year-old is coming off the best season of his young career and looking good again in 2016-17. There was no way that they could leave him exposed, but NHL backup Bernier was headed to unrestricted free agency, as were AHLers Tokarski and Matt Hackett and former college standout Kevin Boyle was ineligible for selection. With trading for yet another goalie not much of an option, Anaheim was left with three choices for extension. Bernier would be the most expensive to re-sign, and has also had a disappointing season, so it came down to a choice between San Diego Gulls’ keepers. Neither has impressed this season, but the Ducks chose to keep the more seasoned Tokarski around as depth. Tokarski stands almost no chance of being selected by Las Vegas, but will serve to protect Gibson and will stay employed in pro hockey a while longer.

Two more teams have similar decisions to make in 2017. As soon as the Expansion Draft rules came down, the Philadelphia Flyers knew that they were in somewhat of a pickle. Both Steve Mason and Michal Neuvirth were impending free agents and only the then-unproven Anthony Stolarz was an eligible goalie to be exposed. The Flyers’ situation has become only more difficult as both Mason and Neuvirth have struggled this season, while Stolarz made his NHL debut and looked good in a short stint as Mason’s backup. A young, promising goalie would almost surely be picked up by the Knights, so Stolarz now needs to be protected. However, are Mason or Neuvirth worthy of an extension? Maybe not, but the Flyers may look to simply use one or the other to bridge the gap to their talented goalie prospects. Mason may even be good enough that he is looked at by Las Vegas, but only time will tell. Expect the Flyers to extend Mason, or possibly Neuvirth, or else make a trade prior to the NHL Trade Deadline. The Minnesota Wild are also in this predicament, but their situation seems more cut-and-dry. Devan Dubnyk is the only goaltender on the roster who is eligible for exposure, but he has been a revelations since arriving in Minnesota, transforming into one of the best goalies in the NHL. The Wild won’t leave him exposed, but have the option of simply handing out an affordable extension to backup Darcy Kuemper or AHL starter Alex Stalock. Kuemper has seen a bit of a drop-off in 2016-17, but has been solid during his career in Minnesota. It seems likely that the Wild reward him with an extension, even if it carries a risk of him being selected in the Expansion Draft.

Should either team instead opt to make a trade, either just for the purposes of expansion or for added depth in the postseason, there are a few teams who could be sellers. The Columbus Blue Jackets could look to move one of their talented young goalies rather than risk losing them for nothing in the draft, and could afford to do so with all three of Joonas Korpisalo, Anton Forsberg, and Oscar Dansk being eligible for selection. The New York Islanders have moved on from Jaroslav Halak and could move him without repercussions. Similar acquisitions on the more expensive side could be Dallas’ Antti Niemi or Kari Lehtonen. The St. Louis Blues may be looking to add another high-end goalie to share the net with Jake Allen, in which case Carter Hutton could also become available. However, trading will be more difficult and more expensive for Philadelphia and Minnesota, especially if they end up competing with each other or with teams in need of a goalie for non-expansion reasons. The simple solution to the problems posed by the upcoming NHL Expansion Draft are more easily solved by extension, as Montreal and Anaheim have shown, so expect to hear about Mason, Kuemper, Neuvirth, or Stalock in the not too distant future.

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