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Trade Rumors: Coyotes, Canadiens, Jets, Islanders

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In all likelihood, the recent three-way trade that sent Matt Duchene to the Ottawa Senators and Kyle Turris to the Nashville Predators will be the biggest deal made this season. Yet, that hasn’t stopped the whispers of an bustling trade market, especially this early in the season. At the quarter pole of the 2017-18 campaign, it’s been an unpredictable season, prompting an unexpectedly active market. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch has had his ear to the ground and has plenty of input on who the buyers and sellers are right now:

  • To no one’s surprise, Garrioch states that the floundering Arizona Coyotes are “willing to talk about pretty much every player on their roster”. That of course doesn’t include Calder-hopeful Clayton Keller or many of their other 21-and-under starters, but the rest of the roster may as well be up for grabs. The big off-season acquisitions of Derek Stepan, Antti Raanta, Niklas Hjalmarsson, and Jason Demers have done nothing to change this team’s ability to win hockey games. At some point, GM John Chayka is going to go from “up-and-coming” to “up-and-went” and that pressure could force him to make some major moves as he rethinks his rebuild. While impending UFA’s like Raanta, Brad Richardson, and Luke Schenn would be the easiest pieces to move, the stakes are high for a Coyotes team whose core has done next to nothing for years and key pieces like Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Max Domi, Anthony Duclair, and Tobias Rieder could soon be on their way out.
  • Perhaps the only team more disappointing than Arizona in 2017-18 is the farthest team from them across North America: the Montreal Canadiens. Under new head coach Claude Julien, the Habs have fallen apart. However, the newly-signed coach isn’t going anywhere, putting GM Marc Bergevin, who Garrioch calls ” the NHL’s most active GM”, on the hot seat. Bergevin may be willing to make a big move to save his job, and of course the first name that comes to mind is young forward Alex Galchenyuk, who has predictably struggled under the defense-first Julien. Galchenyuk seems lost in Montreal, without an identifiable position, role, or spot in the lineup, and could use a change of scenery. However, he is not wholly to blame for the Canadiens’ struggles. Tomas Plekanec has long been on the block and if the team truly commits to a rebuild, big names like Max Pacioretty, Shea Weber, and (if anyone is willing to take on his monstrous new contract) even Carey Price could soon join the list.
  • Garrioch mentions both the Winnipeg Jets and New York Islanders as possible sellers, but given the surprising success of both clubs thus far, neither is likely rushing to trade pieces away unless they can make their teams better this season. Impending Jets UFA’s Shawn Matthias and Matt Hendricks may draw interest, but if Winnipeg is in playoff position come deadline time, they would want veteran depth for themselves. It seems more likely that GM Kevin Cheveldayoff could use his overflow of young forwards like Marko Dano, Joel Armia, Andrew Copp, Adam Lowry, or Brandon Tanev as trade bait to bring in another top-six forward for a team that doesn’t shoot the puck nearly enough. As for the Islanders, Garrioch singles out first-time UFA Calvin de Haan as the player to watch. Yet, de Haan is one of, if not the best shot-blocker in the NHL, can play major minutes, and is reliable in both ends. If the Isles can resign him, wouldn’t they? Obviously, John Tavares is the main focus and the team thinks highly of younger options like Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock, but the loss of a player like de Haan, especially with Travis Hamonic now in Calgary, could cripple a playoff-bound Islanders squad. Odds are de Haan sticks around, at least as long as New York remains playoff-bound.
  • So who’s looking? Garrioch mentions the Florida Panthers, Calgary Flames, Columbus Blue Jackets, and the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins as suitors for forward help, with the Dallas Stars potentially looking to make another big blue line trade to turn their season around. With that many buyers and several disappointed sellers, the trade NHL trade market may not wait until 2018 to heat up.

Calgary Flames Back To Full Strength

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The Calgary Flames have activated Travis Hamonic off injured reserve (sending Rasmus Andersson to the minor leagues in the process) and now have all of their expected roster active for the first time in weeks. Hamonic hasn’t played since November 2nd, while Jaromir Jagr spent time on injured reserve before that. Getting set for the St. Louis Blues tonight, they’ll need to continue their recent stretch of solid play if they want to establish themselves as a front-runner in the Western Conference.

Jaromir JagrTonight’s game is the final contest in a seven-game home stand, where a win would push their record to 5-2. When the Flames went out this summer and brought in Hamonic and Jagr, they were hoping to be adding some of the final pieces to a Stanley Cup contender. Mike Smith and Eddie Lack seemed to be the answer in net, and while the latter has been shaky in his small role the former has been everything they’d hoped. Smith carries a .924 save percentage into the game against St. Louis, and has registered all nine of the team’s wins.

Those nine wins come alongside seven losses, certainly not the record the team had hoped for this summer. After being swept out of the first round by their bitter rival Anaheim, Calgary made calculated moves to improve the areas which they believed were the weakest. Bringing in Hamonic and re-signing Michael Stone (a trade deadline acquisition) to strengthen the right side, giving Smith the reins in net and adding a veteran possession winger to help lengthen out the scoring ability. That perfect lineup hasn’t happened yet, but it still could.

Just recently, Jagr spoke about how Flames star Johnny Gaudreau wouldn’t have even been in the league when the 45-year old started his career. Jagr said Gaudreau wouldn’t have even been drafted because of his size, but called him “impressive” and “special” in the way he can create offense. Gaudreau has been doing all he can to carry the Flames through the early part of the season, scoring 22 points in 16 games and logging over 19 minutes a night. The 24-year old looks ready to prove that his 61-point season a year ago is the floor of his offensive talent, and now he has a full compliment of teammates to get that done.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Morning Notes: Eriksson, Pouliot, Flames, Abdelkader

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The Canucks are set to welcome one of their highest-paid forwards back in the lineup tonight.  Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province reports that winger Loui Eriksson is expected to be activated off LTIR and suit up against San Jose after missing the last 12 games with a lower-body injury.  He’s expected to play alongside the Sedin twins.  Eriksson’s first season with Vancouver in 2016-17 was a disappointment as he posted his lowest point total since his rookie year back in 2006-07 and he was off to a slow start before being injured this season as he had just one assist in three games (plus one shift in a fourth contest before suffering the injury).  That’s not the type of production the team was expecting when they handed him a contract that carries a $6MM cap charge through 2021-22.

More early news and notes from around the league:

  • Sabres winger Benoit Pouliot will not be suspended for an incident that occurred late in Friday’s game on Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle, the Department of Player Safety announced (Twitter link).  He had a hearing with the league earlier today but after reviewing the angles of the hit, it was determined that his hit on Yandle did not involve the head being the principal point of contact.
  • The Flames could be getting defenseman Travis Hamonic back in their lineup in the near future. Postmedia’s Kristin Odland notes that the blueliner skated on Friday and is slated to participate in a full practice with the team tomorrow.  Hamonic has been out of the lineup since suffering a lower-body injury against the Penguins on November 2nd and ranks third on the team in average ice time per game.  Calgary is also expected to have goaltender Mike Smith available for their next game on Monday despite struggling with his glove hand at times on Thursday night.
  • Red Wings winger Justin Abdelkader has a fractured cheek, MLive’s Ansar Khan reports (Twitter link).  He’s expected to see a specialist on Monday.  Head coach Jeff Blashill notes that the injury shouldn’t keep the 30-year-old out of the lineup for long.  Abdelkader is off to a decent start this season with nine points (2-7-9) in 17 games while averaging just shy of 17 minutes per game in ice time.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: New York Islanders

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Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2017-18 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

New York Islanders

Current Cap Hit: $72,015,833 (under the $75MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Anthony Beauvillier (Two years remaining, $894K)
D Ryan Pulock (One year remaining, $863K)
F Joshua Ho-Sang (Two years remaining, $863K)
F Mathew Barzal (Three years remaining, $863K)

Potential Bonuses

Pulock: $500K
Barzal: $400K
Beauvullier: $213K
Ho-Sang: $213K

The team had to be pleased with the first-year production from Beauvillier after he put up nine goals and 15 assists in 66 games. Granted, it could have been better, but for the former 2015 first-round pick who wasn’t even expected to make the team out of training camp last year, this was a solid start. He didn’t get off to much of a start early in the season, but by the end of the year, he put together a solid string of games along with linemates Ho-Sang and Lee. He will likely find himself on the team’s third line along with Ho-Sang to start the year.

Pulock, the team’s first-round pick in 2013, was one of the main reasons behind the offseason trade of Travis Hamonic. The talented defenseman was traded away for a first and two second-round picks with the idea of implementing Pulock into the team’s plans. Rumors are they intend to put Pulock onto the team’s power play and showcase his hard slapshot. He only played one game for New York last year and broke his foot after playing just 3:57 of ice time, but he showed off his skill with the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers, putting up 15 goals and 46 points in just 55 games.

Ho-Sang, the team’s first-round pick in 2014, only played 21 games last year for the Islanders, putting up four goals and six assists in that span. A full 82-game season should be able to demonstrate his long-term value to the franchise. Barzal still must make the team out of training camp, but is considered to be one of the top prospects in the game and should have every opportunity to win one of the center jobs, which is not a position of depth on the team. Barzal did see two games for the Islanders last year, but played most of the year for his junior team.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F John Tavares ($5.5MM, UFA)
G Jaroslav Halak ($4.5MM, UFA)
F Nikolai Kulemin ($4.19MM, UFA)
F Josh Bailey ($3.3MM, UFA)
D Calvin de Haan ($3.3MM, UFA)
F Brock Nelson ($2.5MM, RFA)
F Jason Chimera ($2.25MM, UFA)
D Thomas Hickey ($2.2MM, UFA)
D Dennis Seidenberg ($1.25MM, UFA)
F Shane Prince ($850K, RFA)
F Stephen Gionta ($650K, UFA)
D Scott Mayfield ($625K, RFA)
F Alan Quine ($613K, RFA)

Obviously, the team’s future seems to hinge on where Tavares’ contract situation ends up. The team has high hopes they can re-sign their star forward, who has scored 235 goals for the franchise over eight season and is just about to turn 27 years old. The team that has watched several of their top players walk away in past years need to lock him up or, at the very least, trade him off for some talent in return. Losing Tavares would likely set the team back significantly and could play a role on whether some of the other pending free agents will come back next year.

The team will be forced to decide what they want to do with some of their regulars, including Bailey, de Haan and Hickey. Bailey, a first-round pick from 2008, has been around for nine years and while he consistently averages between 10 and 15 goals, he hit a personal high in assists last season, picking up 43 to put together a big season while playing with Tavares on the first line. With the addition of Eberle who is expected to play with Tavares, the team will likely demote Bailey to the second or even possibly the third line, which could suggest the team may not mind if he moves on in one year.

De Haan has proven to be a solid top-four presence on the blueline, but after signing a one-year deal this offseason, setting up unrestricted free agency next year, the team may decide to move on from him at some point, while Hickey hasn’t worked his way into the team’s top four. So it may be that many of the pending free agents will be allowed to leave to free up cap space, including Kulemin, Chimera and Seidenberg, along with some of the others above. That could free up a lot of cap room.

The team also will likely allow Halak to walk unless the veteran goaltender can produce a bounce-back season. After a couple of respectable seasons for New York, the 32-year-old’s production took a hit as he posted a 2.80 GAA in 27 games and then was demoted to finish the season in the AHL. He is back, but no one is quite sure what to expect for the veteran.

Perhaps the most important free agent (besides Tavares) will end up being from restricted free agent Brock Nelson, who should be asking for a big raise after three 20-goal seasons. Their 2010 first-round pick had 20 goals and 25 assists for the team last year, a career-high.

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Flames Notes: Ferland, Bennett, Iginla

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Micheal Ferland re-signed this Thursday with Calgary, and apparently he’s slotted for big things this year. Adam Gretz of NBC Sports reports that Ferland will play on the top line with Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. Ferland will be playing as the third wheel to the talented duo, but should be a productive member. Ferland has yet to cement himself as a consistent offensive producer, so this vote of confidence should be taken as a sign of his internally perceived value. With only 25 points last season, he’ll need to find a bit more of a knack for playmaking in tight spaces. As Gretz mentioned, he has posted a positive Corsi (52%) in the minutes he paired with the Gaudreau-Monahan duo. If nothing else, he’ll open up room for the line with his heavy forechecking style and if he stays with those two long-term, look for his next contract to be a good deal more expensive.

  • Sam Bennett is the only major RFA the Flames have yet to sign. He’s also a bit of a confusing commodity. He really regressed offensively in a manner no one was anticipating last season, and it’s hard to ascertain how much that will impact his upcoming deal. The Flames would likely like to lock him up for some of his UFA years, but Bennett seems to think he can prove his value in the immediate future. He remarked to the National Post’s Al Charest after their first round series that he’s “just getting started”, and it’s easy to believe him. He has incredible hands and seems more well-rounded than when he entered the league, even if he struggled to produce in 2016-17. His Corsi only went down slightly (.6%) while his Fenwick went up, and he did face a tougher quality of competition. Odds are that Bennett bounces back and earns a heftier long-term contract down the road. For now, somewhere around $3 MM seems a safe bet.
  • The two parties haven’t been linked, but at this late date might Calgary show an interest in reuniting with Jarome Iginla? Iginla has wanted a place on a contender for the last half-decade, and Calgary has shown that they could compete in the immediate future. Adding Mike Smith in net, adding Travis Hamonic and re-signing Michael Stone on the back-end, and with the youngsters another year older, they could do some damage come spring. One of Alex Chiasson or Kris Versteeg might need to slot down a healthy lineup on occasion if it were to happen, but Iginla would provide some invaluable leadership for the young core on a dirt-cheap deal. They have the cap room to make it happen if they so desire.

Snapshots: Gagner, Condon, Hamonic

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The Blackhawks are linked to Columbus UFA Sam Gagner, by way of a report from The Athletic’s Scott Powers. The parties have reached out to one another and expressed “mutual interest”. Gagner could be a good fit in Chicago, as he could jump-start an oddly sluggish powerplay, which finished 24th in the league last season. As always, an issue with signing in the Windy City is available cap dollars. Even after parting with Scott Darling, Artemi Panarin and Niklas Hjalmarsson, the team is $2.99 MM over the cap ceiling, Luckily the team doesn’t have any free agents that absolutely need to be re-signed, so they are free to prune a few forwards from the roster to get within acceptable range. Adding another mid-tier contract could complicate matters. The team has already been rumored to move on from center Marcus Kruger, who only makes $3.083 MM himself. Gagner will be looking for a figure around there after his career season, so his acquisition would mean more shuffling from GM Stan Bowman.

Judging by the fan reaction to the Panarin and Hjalmarsson moves, further shuffling might only serve to further shake confidence in the team’s direction. This isn’t even taking into account the Marian Hossa Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) drama, which alone should make for an interesting summer. For what it’s worth, Sportsnet’s Mark Spector believes Gagner will not return to Edmonton, so that eliminates a potential landing spot. Still, there are few available centers with his skill-set and offensive output, so I wouldn’t be shocked to see Chicago out-bid on this particular player.

  • The Flyers are not comfortable with an Anthony Stolarz and Michael Neuvirth tandem heading into 2017-18, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Sam Carchidi. Carchidi goes through the entire UFA selection, including former Flyer Steve Mason, Brian Elliott, Jonathan Bernier, Ryan Miller, and even Keith Kinkaid. Bernier could be a fit, but with his inconsistency I don’t see it being a good one. Mason endured a good deal of fan blame this season, and while a short-term deal is not impossible, it’s a fair assumption he searches for a role in another town. If the Flyers wanted to run a tandem, Neuvirth with Condon could work quite well. The author doesn’t believe that Condon is much of an upgrade over Stolarz, but at 23 and with 2 career wins, Stolarz is simply not at the same level. It’s rare to see a goalie that young be able to take a 40 game (or more) NHL workload with total success. Considering the Flyers’ developing defense, it might be a wise decision on GM Ron Hextall’s part to shelter him in the AHL for another season. Stolarz is definitely their future, and they will look to find a one to two year agreement with whatever stopgap they decide on.
  • A fascinating piece from Newsday’s Arthur Staple details what can only be described as an odd non-deal. The Islanders apparently offered Travis Hamonic and a 1st round pick to Colorado for Matt Duchene, which was subsequently declined by GM Joe Sakic. Isles GM Garth Snow proceeded to move Hamonic for picks while acquiring Jordan Eberle in a separate transaction. Duchene remains in Denver, and apparently his agent Pat Brisson is not happy with the turn of events. Duchene has been linked to trade rumors since nearly the start of the season, which saw his Avalanche finish with an abysmal 48 point dead-last league finish. Sakic was rumored to have a heavy asking price, and this apparent rejection only solidifies those rumblings. Hamonic himself ended up fetching a 1st and two 2nds from Calgary, which is a sizable haul for the Isles. Islanders faithful can’t be too disappointed by the alternative route Snow traversed.

Calgary Flames Acquire Travis Hamonic From New York Islanders

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While the second half of the 2017 draft is underway, the Calgary Flames are working on their NHL squad. The Flames have acquired Travis Hamonic and a conditional 2019 fourth-round pick from the New York Islanders. The draft pick could be pushed to 2020. In return, Calgary will send a 2018 first-round pick, 2018 second-round pick, and a conditional 2019 second-round pick, that could also be pushed to 2020. The conditions depend on another pre-existing trade with Arizona, which could end up in the Coyotes first acquiring the Flames 2019 second-round pick.Travis Hamonic

Hamonic’s name has been in the news for the last few days, with the Islanders holding firm at an ask of two first-round picks. While they didn’t get quite that value, they came very close. The Islanders, who protected five defensemen in the expansion draft, are hoping that Ryan Pulock can make the jump full time next season and replace some of Hamonic’s minutes.

The 26-year old Hamonic has logged at least 20 minutes a night in every year since he debuted as a 20-year old, and is an excellent two-way defensmen capable of contributing at both ends of the rink. His career high of 33 points will be difficult to duplicate in Calgary without extensive powerplay time, but he fills out their top-4 quite nicely.

It would seem now that Michael Stone is no longer in the Flames plans, as the pending free agent would have to take on a third-pairing role. He’s one of the top defenders set to hit the open market even with his injury history, and would likely be looking for a bigger role. After fitting in quite nicely with the Flames down the stretch, they’ll expect even more of Hamonic as the last part of what has become an excellent top-4.

Calgary is paying a lot, but with a team that believes they can compete for the Stanley Cup as soon as this season, they believe that it’s worth it. Hamonic is under contract for three more seasons at a very reasonable $3.86MM, making him an attractive option to any team.

For the Islanders, this does seem to be a trade in the opposite direction as the earlier Jordan Eberle acquisition, but easily could flip the draft picks for more help in the short-term. Either way, getting that much value back for a player who you believe you can replace internally is a a solid move. The Islanders still have an effective defensive group, but also must think about the upcoming extension for John Tavares.

It’s an interesting balance, of building a winning team to entice him to sign, and leaving yourself enough cap space to get him into the salary structure. With Josh Bailey, Brock Nelson, Shane Prince and Alan Quine all hitting various versions of free agency next season, the Islanders have to spend their money wisely.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was first to report the contract, while Pierre LeBrun first broke the details on the return.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Early Notes: Tolvanen, Capuano, Hamonic

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Top draft prospect Eeli Tolvanen, a Finnish winger who has played hockey in the USHL for the past two years, was expected to go to Boston College in the fall. That will no longer happen, as according to USHR Tolvanen has failed to pass the admission standards for BC and will not be admitted. He’ll instead have to look for an opportunity elsewhere.

The Oshawa Generals own his rights in the CHL, or he could find a home at a lesser university or in Europe. He had been climbing up boards, even ranked 8th among North American skaters by CSS. He finished 17th on Bob McKenzie’s final list for TSN, but may end up in the bottom third of the first round after this news. Though it obviously looked bad from the outside, teams will have a much better insight from their meetings with him.

  • Darren Dreger of TSN confirms something that Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet has been chasing, that Jack Capuano will join the Florida Panthers as an associate coach. Capuano was fired from the New York Islanders midway through the 2016-17 season, the only organization he’s ever coached for. After coming up through the AHL system, Capuano took over in 2010-11 and led the Islanders to three playoff experiences. He’ll take care of the defense and penalty kill in Florida.
  • Discussion around Travis Hamonic continues, with Friedman saying on radio (via Chris Nicholls of FanRag Sports) that the Flames and Leafs are both interested. Friedman believes the Islanders are looking for two first-round picks for the defenseman, who has three years left at a reasonable $3.8MM cap hit. Hamonic’s actual salary is $4.9MM for the next few years, which may deter some teams from going after him.

Islanders’ Perplexing Side-Deal With Vegas

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As I briefly mentioned in a previous article, the New York Islanders decided to travel a very perplexing road with their protection list. They shielded only 3 forwards, and protected 5 defensemen, allowing a whole host of forwards to be claimed.  These include Brock Nelson, Ryan Strome, Casey Cizikas, Nikolai Kulemin, and Josh Bailey at the upper end of the spectrum. Defenseman Calvin de Haan, who has reportedly has had difficulty coming to a deal with management on a new contract, is also left at Vegas’ disposal

What complicates matters is that Arthur Staple of Newsday has been insinuating that the Islanders have a deal in place to protect Nelson, Strome, and de Haan, while others, such as Darren Dreger, believes the deal only applies to forwards.  NHL Numbers stated today that the protection agreement would protect only Bailey and Cizikas, which is easily the most disastrous deal of the group. From a pure value standpoint, Nelson, de Haan and Strome have far more value than either player. Staple believed yesterday evening that the Islanders were going to trade their 15th overall selection in order to push Vegas in a favorable direction. Even still, it doesn’t explain the particulars of the players protected.

John Tavares is an obvious keeper, and Andrew Ladd helped the offense in a big way after a rocky start. Anders Lee is coming off a phenomenal 34 goal season in only his 3rd full outing. The defense revolves around Nick Leddy and Travis Hamonic, and despite his steps backward Johnny Boychuk is a big minute eater for the team. You could have made a case for Ryan Pulock over Boychuk, and made that quite convincingly, but it seemed inevitable that team would lose a defender no matter what. Boychuk did have an NMC, which complicated that matter. Considering that the team was 17th in goals against this past season, that wasn’t exactly a worst-case scenario.

Instead of taking the orthodox 4-4 route and protecting Nelson or Strome as well as Pulock or de Haan, or protecting all but one forward in a 7-3 scheme, the Islanders chose instead to protect a relative no-name in Adam Pelech. Pelech had a solid season, to be sure, but he is a bottom-pairing defenseman and doesn’t project as a difference maker. By opting to leave these players exposed, they take a large aspect of the decision making out of their own hands. GM Garth Snow sacrificed a first round pick and a certain degree of autonomy to protect two forwards, when they could instead have done that on their own. If the end goal was to entice Vegas into selecting Thomas Hickey, they could have done so without the bizarre protection structure. This isn’t even delving into the insanity of surrendering a first-round selection to protect one mid-level player over another.

All in all, the Islanders and GM Garth Snow have stolen the show today for most bewildering decision. Unless the deal with Vegas is far more encompassing than it appears at the moment, they are looking to lose a solid contributor and a 1st-round pick when both could have been avoided.

 

The original article incorrectly linked Dylan Strome.

New York Islanders Activate Hamonic, Terminate Emergency Conditions On Ho-Sang

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Apparently Josh Ho-Sang did enough to stay with the big club last night, as the team has kept him around even after activating Travis Hamonic from injured reserve. Originally on emergency recall, the Islanders have terminated those conditions and placed him on a regular recall. That means Ho-Sang could last the rest of the season with the Islanders, and why not?

The ridiculously skilled winger played 17 minutes last night alongside Andrew Ladd and Brock Nelson, and didn’t look out of place at the NHL level. After dominating the AHL in his first taste of professional hockey—36 points in 48 games is a good start at any level for a 20-year old—he’ll get a chance to help the Islanders down the stretch and possibly into a playoff spot. The team, desperate for wingers all season has to be excited about the prospect of pairing Ho-Sang’s playmaking ability with John Tavares down the line, even if that will have to wait until next season.

Drafted 28th overall partly because of a belief he was a problem off the ice, the Islanders seem very happy with their newest player. They’ll need all the help they can get tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks, as the team continues a brutal nine game road trip that will see them fly all over the continent. They’re 3-1 on it so far after beating the Dallas Stars last night, but with games against Chicago, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and St. Louis left to go, it will likely decide their playoff fate.

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