Week In Review

The first full week of March was a quieter one as teams settle in for the stretch run but there was still a fair bit of big news around the league.

Bouwmeester Out For The Year: After a lengthy losing skid and the trade of Paul Stastny to Winnipeg at the trade deadline, the Blues were already in tougher shape for making the playoffs.  That path got even more challenging with the announcement that defenseman Jay Bouwmeester is out for the season with a hip injury that carries a recovery timeline of four-to-six months.  2017-18 was certainly an injury-riddled campaign for the 34-year-old as he finishes it up having played in a career-low 35 games.  However, when healthy, he still logged big minutes for St. Louis and they will certainly miss his presence on the back end down the stretch.

Washington Sits Down Holtby: It’s not very often where a team in contention will announce that they’re sitting their starting goalie down late in the season but that is what happened with the Capitals and netminder Braden Holtby.  Since the start of February, the 28-year-old has posted a 4.44 GAA with a .872 SV%, numbers that are well below the league average.  Philipp Grubauer is poised to run with the number one spot for the time being and has fared well in his first two starts, allowing just two goals on 52 shots.  Considering that he is widely expected to be traded in the summer, this is quite the opportunity for Grubauer to showcase himself to potential suitors around the league.

Francis Out As Carolina GM: New Hurricanes owner Thomas Dundon isn’t wasting much time putting his stamp on the organization.  Barely a week after Carolina was largely inactive at the trade deadline, Dundon removed Ron Francis from his role as general manager and named him president of hockey operations.  The move may sound like a promotion in title but Dundon stated that he wanted a new voice for personnel moves which isn’t exactly a vote of confidence for the moves (or lack thereof) that Carolina has made in recent years.

Rutta Extension: Jan Rutta’s first season in the NHL has been a solid one and the Blackhawks certainly have taken notice as they signed him to a one-year, $2.3MM contract extension.  The 27-year-old has logged over 19 minutes per game this season and ranks second on Chicago in points-per-game from defensemen.  The ‘Hawks now have their top-six defenders all locked up for next season at a combined cap hit of just over $20.4MM.

Whitecloud To Vegas: College free agent season is now upon us and the Golden Knights landed the first prominent player as they signed defenseman Zach Whitecloud to a three-year, entry-level contract.  The 21-year-old put up 19 points in 35 games in his sophomore season at Bemidji State University and drew interest from several other teams around the league including the Kings, Lightning, and Red Wings.  That may have played a role in Vegas deciding to have him skate with the big club for the rest of the regular season although it remains to be seen how much game action he will see.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

As expected, it was quite a busy week around the league with plenty of trades being made before the deadline.  You can catch up on the moves made in our Eastern and Western Conference recaps.  Here are five other key stories from around the hockey world.

Dell Signs Extension: Sharks goaltender Aaron Dell was viewed as one of their top trade chips heading into the trade deadline but he wound up staying put.  One day later, he put pen to paper on a two-year, $3.8MM extension that will keep San Jose’s goaltending duo intact for the next two years.  The Sharks will be spending a lot more on their masked men next season as the combined cap hits of Dell and Martin Jones will jump from $3.625MM to $7.625MM.

Two Canucks Out For The Year: The injury bug hasn’t been kind to Vancouver this season and that continued this past week.  Winger Loui Eriksson suffered a fractured rib and is out for the season while winger Sven Baertschi separated his shoulder and he is also done for the year.  It’s the second time this year that each will miss at least ten games.  For perspective, eight other Canucks skaters have missed at least ten contests in 2017-18.

Hornqvist Extension: There is rarely a dull moment around the trade deadline when Jim Rutherford is around.  After landing Derick Brassard in the days leading up to it, they struck again the day after the deadline by signing winger Patric Hornqvist to a five-year, $26.5MM extension.  The 31-year-old has been a key and consistent part of their attack for each of the last four seasons and should crack the 20-goal mark for the fifth straight season and eighth out of the last nine.  (The one season he didn’t do so was the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign.)  The Penguins now have just over $70MM committed to 17 players for next season.

Bergeron Has Foot Fracture: Although he played in one game after being seen in a walking boot, Bruins center Patrice Bergeron has been shut down due to a fracture in his foot.  He is set to be re-evaluated in two weeks but there is no firm timetable for his return.  Bergeron has played an integral role in Boston’s success so far this season and has been hovering around the point-per-game mark all year.  With the Bruins being safely in a playoff spot, they will at least be afforded the opportunity to be as patient as they need to be to make sure he’s fully recovered for the postseason.

CHL Considering Lifting Import Goalie Ban: One of the more controversial decisions the CHL had made in recent years was back in 2013 where it prevented its 60 teams from selecting European-born goaltenders in the annual Import Draft.  Now, it appears that they are at least considering reversing that decision which could create some opportunities for the top draft-eligible junior netminders to cross the pond once again, something that would certainly appeal to NHL scouts.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Unsurprisingly, activity around the league has picked up considerably with the trade deadline right on the horizon.  Here are the biggest stories from the past week.

1) The Brassard Kerfuffle: Center Derick Brassard was dealt to Pittsburgh…twice.  After the Pens, Sens, and Golden Knights reached a three-way trade, the deal was vetoed by the NHL.  That led to hours of speculation about whether or not the trade could be reworked.  In the end, a revised swap consisting on three separate trades was agreed on and approved with Ottawa landing a first-round pick along with prospect goalie Filip Gustavsson, defenseman Ian Cole, and Pittsburgh’s 2019 third-round choice.  Vegas, meanwhile, adds rugged winger Ryan Reaves along with and Vancouver’s 2018 fourth-rounder in exchange for retaining 40% of Brassard’s contract plus minor league winger Tobias Lindberg (who also wound up in Ottawa when all was said and done).  In Brassard, Pittsburgh lands a top-six caliber center that they will use on their third line, giving them considerable depth at position for this season and next.  The Penguins also received Ottawa’s 2018 third-round pick in the trade.

2) Extensions: The Islanders have locked up an important unrestricted free agent, agreeing to terms on a new six-year, $30MM pact with winger Josh Bailey.  The 28-year-old has played alongside pending UFA center John Tavares this season and has already put up career numbers across the board, tallying 15 goals and 47 assists in 59 games; his 62 points rank 17th overall in the NHL.  Even if Bailey can’t maintain this level of production moving forward, this should still be a pretty good contract for New York if he can hover around the 45-50 point mark in the years to come.

Meanwhile, Vancouver reached an agreement to keep one of their defenders around for the foreseeable future, inking Erik Gudbranson to a three-year, $12MM pact.  The stay-at-home blueliner has had trouble staying healthy and has seen his role reduced this season but the Canucks believe that he can still be a quality fourth or fifth defender for a few more years.

3) Nash To Boston: As expected, the Rangers parted with veteran winger Rick Nash, sending him to Boston for a sizable package.  In return, New York acquires the Bruins’ first-round pick in 2018, left wing/center Ryan Spooner, winger Matt Beleskey, prospect blueliner Ryan Lindgren, and a 2019 seventh-rounder.  The Rangers are retaining 50% of Nash’s contract while Boston is doing the same with Beleskey which is notable as he is signed at a $3.8MM cap hit through 2019-20.  Nash should bolster Boston’s second line while New York picks up a pair of key young assets in the first-rounder plus Lindgren and could conceivably look to flip Spooner as well in advance of the deadline.

4) Goalie Swaps: After injuries took out both Brian Elliott and Michal Neuvirth, the Flyers moved quickly to secure a replacement, acquiring Petr Mrazek from Detroit in exchange for a pair of conditional draft picks.  The Red Wings will receive a 2018 fourth-rounder at a minimum; that pick becomes a third if the Flyers make the playoffs with Mrazek winning five games and shifts to a second-rounder if Philadelphia makes the Eastern Conference Final and Mrazek wins six games.  Detroit will also land a 2019 third-round selection if the Flyers re-sign the 26-year-old.

This wasn’t the only goalie move of the week, however.  The Coyotes picked up Darcy Kuemper from the Kings in exchange for winger Tobias Rieder and netminder Scott Wedgewood (who was subsequently waived and cleared).  Kuemper then agreed to a two-year, $3.7MM extension which gives Arizona a bit of stability between the pipes with starter Antti Raanta eligible for unrestricted free agency in July.  Meanwhile, the Kings land a versatile winger in Rieder who should help bolster their attack for the stretch run.

5) Devils/Rangers Deal: For the first time ever, the Devils and Rangers made a trade with each other as New Jersey picked up winger Michael Grabner from New York in exchange for the Devils’ 2018 second-round pick and defenseman Yegor Rykov.  Grabner has been one of the top even-strength scorers this season with 24 of his 25 tallies have come in that situation.  The speedster should slot in as a middle-six winger as the Devils look to lock down a playoff spot in the very tight Metropolitan Division.

Since it has been a very busy last few days, here’s a bonus key story:

6) News From Montreal: It hasn’t been a good year for Montreal and the tough news kept on coming.  After feeling some discomfort in his injured foot when he tried to resume skating, the team has shut him down for the remainder of the season and he will undergo surgery to repair a tendon in his left foot.  He finishes up 2017-18 with 16 points (6-10-16) in only 26 games.  Meanwhile, goaltender Carey Price has been diagnosed with a concussion and is out indefinitely.  For the time being, the Canadiens will go with veteran Antti Niemi (unless he is traded by the deadline) and youngster Charlie Lindgren between the pipes.

Meanwhile, Montreal dealt their one prominent pending free agent in center Tomas Plekanec (along with minor league winger Kyle Baun) to Toronto in exchange for the Leafs’ second-round pick in 2018 plus youngsters Rinat Valiev and Kerby Rychel.  The Canadiens are also retaining 50% of Plekanec’s $6MM contract.  In Plekanec, Toronto gets a strong checking center that should play a key role on the penalty kill plus strengthen their depth down the middle while Montreal picks up their fourth second-rounder for the upcoming draft plus a couple of younger players who could benefit from a change of scenery.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

While there wasn’t a lot of activity on the trade front, there was one deal of note made over the past seven days which is among the top stories of the past week.

Elliott Injured: Philadelphia’s postseason chances took a dip when it was revealed that starting goalie Brian Elliott will miss five-to-six weeks after undergoing core muscle surgery.  For the time being, this means that the Flyers will go with a tandem of Michal Neuvirth and Alex Lyon while there has been plenty of speculation that they will have to turn to the trade market at some point before the deadline.  However, it appears that they have already declined an offer involving Detroit’s Petr Mrazek.

Phaneuf For Gaborik: The most prominent trade of the week saw a swap of veterans with the Kings acquiring defenseman Dion Phaneuf and center Nate Thompson from Ottawa in exchange for winger Marian Gaborik and center Nick Shore.  The Sens are retaining 25% of Phaneuf’s contract through 2021-21.  While the 32-year-old blueliner isn’t a top pairing player anymore, he still is capable of holding down a second pairing role and should help shore up their back end.  Meanwhile, Ottawa, a known budget team, saves some money over the life of the trade although Gaborik’s best days are behind him while Shore is more of a depth player than an impact one.

Seattle Files Expansion Application: Seattle took the next step towards their anticipated expansion franchise by officially filing their application and $10MM down payment to the league.  Considering the NHL has already pre-set the expansion fee and set it so that only Seattle could apply, the expectation is that this will be rubber-stamped.  Presently, the hope is that the renovations to Key Arena will be ready in time for Seattle to join the league in 2020.

Six Years For Backlund: There is one less top-six center set to hit the open market this summer as the Flames signed Mikael Backlund to a six-year, $32.1MM contract extension that also contains a ten-team no-trade list.  The 28-year-old has spent his entire career with Calgary after they drafted him in the first round (24th overall) back in 2007.  While he is having a little bit of a quieter year offensively, he’s still on pace to surpass the 45-point mark for the third straight season.  The deal also gives the Flames some security down the middle as their top-two pivots are each signed through at least the 2022-23 season.

Hunwick On The Block, Cole Off: Pittsburgh’s desire to add help at center is well-known but given their salary cap constraints, they will have to make a move to free up some money first.  While blueliner Ian Cole has long been expected to be the casualty, talk of the pending UFA being dealt has cooled off recently as he has returned to a regular role in the lineup.  Instead, fellow rearguard Matt Hunwick is being made available by GM Jim Rutherford.  While his $2.25MM cap hit is manageable, the fact he has two years remaining after this one may limit the number of teams that pursue him.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Although the trades have yet to pick up in frequency despite the trade deadline coming quickly, there was still plenty of news around the hockey world.  Here are the top five stores from the past week.

1) Kovalchuk To Test NHL Market: Here we go again.  Ilya Kovalchuk is intending to test the NHL free agent market this summer.  This was the case last year as well but there is one notable difference.  Kovalchuk will soon turn 35 which means that the Devils will no longer hold his rights and teams won’t be required to trade for his rights to try to sign him.  The winger is once again dominating the KHL as he leads the league in scoring with 63 points (32-32-63) in 53 games.  There’s no guarantee he signs this time around but he will be an interesting addition to the free agent market nonetheless.

2) Rangers Letter To Fans: There has been plenty of speculation in recent weeks regarding whether or not the Rangers would be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline.  The team put an end to that themselves, issuing a letter to their fans where they acknowledged that they will be looking to get younger and will be moving out some veterans.  That would indicate that their pending unrestricted free agents will be on the move at the very least and it will be interesting to see if players like Mats Zuccarello and Ryan McDonagh will follow suit or if decisions on them will wait until the summer instead.

3) High Price For Nash: Speaking of pending unrestricted free agents on the Rangers, winger Rick Nash submitted his 18-team no-trade list although he acknowledged he may be willing to go to some of the teams on that list.  For the dozen teams that weren’t on it, they will need to be prepared to pay a particularly high asking price.  GM Jeff Gorton is currently asking for a return comparable to what Buffalo is seeking for winger Evander Kane, a first-round draft pick, a top prospect, plus a lesser draft choice or prospect.  Presumably, New York will be willing to retain a significant portion of Nash’s $7.8MM cap hit (they can retain up to 50%) in order to help facilitate a trade.

4) Five Years For Eller: The Capitals locked up one of their pending unrestricted free agents by signing center Lars Eller to a five-year, $17.5MM contract extension.  The $3.5MM AAV matches what he is receiving on his current contract.  Eller is in his second season with the Caps as their third line pivot and is on pace for a career year in points as he sits just two points behind his career-best 30 with two months remaining in the season.  They still have a prominent UFA to deal with in defenseman John Carlson who is in line for a significant raise on his current deal that carries a cap hit just shy of $4MM.

5) Burrows Gets Ten: Senators winger Alex Burrows was handed a ten-game suspension by the league for his kneeing of Devils winger Taylor Hall (who, fortunately, was not injured on the play).  This was the longest suspension handed down by the Department of Player Safety this season and Burrows will forfeit over $125K in salary.  He also elected not to appeal and will be out of Ottawa’s lineup until March 2nd.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Although it was a quiet week on the trade front, there was still a fair bit of big news around the league over the past week.

Fisher Unretires: Mike Fisher’s retirement didn’t even last one year.  The long-time center announced that he will be returning to play for Nashville.  No contract has been finalized yet as the 37-year-old will have to get back into playing shape first.  It will have to be signed before the trade deadline in order for him to be eligible to play in the postseason.  While Fisher likely won’t bring much to the table offensively considering how long he has been off, he should slot in their bottom six up front while potentially giving them the flexibility to shift Nick Bonino to the wing.

Trouba Out Long-Term: Injuries haven’t been kind to Winnipeg this season as Mark Scheifele, Dustin Byfuglien, Mathieu Perreault, and Steve Mason (among others) have all missed a sizable amount of games.  Defenseman Jacob Trouba was the next to be added to that list as he will miss the next six-to-eight weeks with an ankle injury.  While his production has been lower than expected this year, he has still played an important role for the Jets while ranking second among skaters in ice time.  As he’ll be out past the trade deadline, there’s a possibility that Winnipeg may look to add another defender in the weeks to come.

Jagr To Kladno: After clearing waivers, the Flames assigned veteran winger to HC Kladno in the Czech Republic.  In doing so, the 45-year-old remains on Calgary’s books and the team will retain the ability to recall him if they so desire instead of running him through unconditional waivers to give him his outright release.  In the meantime, veteran Czech center Petr Nedved came out of retirement to face Jagr in his first game back.  Jagr’s first game back home was certainly a productive one as he recorded three assists while playing more than 20 minutes in ice time.

No Tavares Trade: Islanders captain John Tavares hasn’t put pen to paper on a contract extension which led to some speculation that the team could trade him before the deadline to avoid the risk of potentially losing him for nothing in the summer.  GM Garth Snow put an end to all that by stating that Tavares will not be dealt no matter what before the deadline.  With the Isles in a close battle for a Wild Card spot, it seems more likely at this point that they will try to add a player or two to help their chances of getting into the playoffs while hoping to strengthen their pitch to keep Tavares in the fold beyond this season.

Canucks Prefer To Keep Gudbranson: While Vancouver defenseman Erik Gudbranson has been viewed as one of the more prominent rental defensemen that will be dealt before the trade deadline, GM Jim Benning acknowledged that their preference is to sign him to a contract extension.  Gudbranson has been limited to just 33 games this season due to injuries and has been used in a more limited role than usual; his 17:39 average ice time is his lowest since his rookie season.  If they aren’t able to agree on a new deal before the 26th, the 26-year-old will still likely find himself in another uniform by the end of the month.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

While it was a lighter week on the NHL schedule with the All-Star break beginning, there were still several headlines around the hockey world.  Here are the top stories from the past week.

Olympic Rosters: Both Finland and Russia (officially participating as ‘Olympic Athletes from Russia’) named their rosters for next month’s tournament.  Notable players on the Finnish squad include long-time goaltender Karri Ramo plus a pair of first-round picks from last summer’s draft in Miro Heiskanen (Dallas) and Eeli Tolvanen (Nashville).  Meanwhile, the Russian squad features players from only three KHL teams and features several long-time NHL veterans including Pavel Datsyuk, Ilya Kovalchuk, and Slava Voynov as well as Vadim Shipachyov who retired from the Golden Knights earlier this season.

Senators Have Preliminary Arena Agreement: While things haven’t been going well on the ice for Ottawa, they got some good news off of it with the announcement that they have reached a preliminary agreement on a redevelopment project for a new arena.  Although their current one isn’t outdated by any stretch, it’s on the outskirts of the city so owner Eugene Melnyk is hopeful that one closer to downtown as this one will be will help improve attendance.  Although this is an important first step, it will still take several years to finalize everything with an early projection of being ready for 2022-23.

Johansson Concussed, Marchand Suspended: A late-game hit between New Jersey and Boston has resulted in a pair of players missing considerable time as Bruins winger Brad Marchand received a five-game suspension for his elbow on Devils winger Marcus Johansson.  Meanwhile, Johansson is out indefinitely after being diagnosed with his second concussion of the season.  Despite being suspended, Marchand was allowed to participate in the All-Star festivities after being named to the game for the second season in a row.

More Knee Troubles For Thornton: For the second straight season, Sharks center Joe Thornton is dealing with knee trouble.  He is out indefinitely after undergoing an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee upon being diagnosed with an MCL injury.  While this is the opposite knee that he had problems with last season, it could very well hurt his cause come free agency as an aging veteran with recent issues in both knees.  Meanwhile, the Sharks will be down an important piece for the foreseeable future as they look to maintain a playoff spot in the very-tight Pacific Division.

Detroit Ready To Sell: As their playoff hopes continue to fade, the Red Wings have told teams that they are open for business and ready to sell.  While that includes pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Mike Green, they also appear to be open to moving players that are signed beyond this season.  One of those appears to be goaltender Jimmy Howard who is believed to be available although a soft trade market for goaltenders may make that somewhat of a challenge.  Looking ahead, with GM Ken Holland’s contract up at the end of the season, what he does (or doesn’t do) over the next month may play a role in whether or not he is brought back for a 22nd season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

With the trade deadline fast approaching, trade activity has yet to really pick up around the league but there were still several important stories in the NHL from the past week.

Vertigo-Like Symptoms For Crawford: Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford has been out of the lineup with an upper-body injury for the better part of a month but not much had been known before that.  Now, we’ve learned that’s dealing with vertigo-like symptoms and as a result, his availability for the remainder of the season in question.  Chicago is already in the cellar in the Central Division but they are still within striking distance of a Wild Card spot so they will be a team to watch for in the coming weeks to see if they decide to add any help between the pipes.

Vegas Extensions: The Golden Knights continued to lock up some of their potential unrestricted free agents as they inked defenseman Deryk Engelland to a one-year contract and fellow blueliner Jon Merrill to a two-year pact.  Engelland receives $1.5MM guaranteed, a nice raise from the $1MM he’s making this season while he also has another $1MM in potential performance bonuses.  As for Merrill, he received a total of $2.75MM, resulting in a cap hit of $1.375MM, an increase of just over $200K on his current cap hit.

Surgery For Shattenkirk: The Rangers will be without one of their top defensemen for the foreseeable future as he is set to undergo surgery on Monday to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.  There is no timetable for his return but he will be out for a while; he told NHL.com’s Dan Rosen that he hopes to be back before the end of the regular season.  Even though he has failed to live up to his $6.65MM contract so far, that’s still a big blow to New York’s back end as he was their top-scoring defender with 23 points in 46 games while logging over 20 minutes of night of ice time and his absence will only hurt their push for a playoff spot.

Latest On Kane: Sabres winger Evander Kane has long been in trade speculation but there was always at least the outside possibility of a contract extension.  That doesn’t appear to be in the cards as Kane admitted that there have been no talks yet about him sticking around in Buffalo for the long-term.  Meanwhile, the asking price for him appears to be even higher than originally reported as on top of the first-round pick, prospect, and conditional draft choice that they were believed to be seeking, GM Jason Botterill is reportedly seeking a roster player on top of those three elements as well.

Nugent-Hopkins Out For A While: Although it was initially hoped that Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins would be ready to play after their bye week, things took a turn for the worse.  He was placed on IR and then shortly after that, it was announced that he will miss the next five-to-six weeks with cracked ribs.  This is a tough blow to Edmonton’s already-dwindling postseason hopes as Nugent-Hopkins has quietly been one of their top forwards all season long.  He leads the team in goals, is third in points, and has fared well while being deployed in more of a two-way role.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Although it was a quieter week around the league with many teams on their byes, that didn’t stop it from being a busy week around the hockey world.  Here are the top stories.

Extensions: The Ducks locked up a core part of their forward group by signing winger Andrew Cogliano to a three-year, $9.75MM extension.  Cogliano has been an effective middle-six forward Anaheim for several years now and, until his suspension earlier today, had yet to miss a single game in his career.  The Predators also were active on the extension front, inking defensemen Yannick Weber (two years, $1.35MM), Anthony Bitetto (one year, $650K), and Matt Irwin (two years, $1.25MM) to new contracts, ensuring that their depth defenders will stay intact for at least another year.

Duclair To Chicago: After shopping him for over a year, the Coyotes were finally able to find a suitable trade for disgruntled winger Anthony Duclair, sending him along with defenseman Adam Clendening to the Blackhawks for winger Richard Panik and center Laurent Dauphin.  Chicago gets out of the final year of Panik’s $2.8MM per year contract and they’ll likely do something to utilize those cap savings before the season comes to an end.  Meanwhile, both sides are hopeful that their wingers will thrive with the change of scenery.

Johnson Requests Trade: Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson has requested a trade.  He’s in the final year of his contract but finds himself on the third pairing which doesn’t bode well for his marketability this summer in unrestricted free agency.  With Columbus in the thick of the playoff race, this presents an interesting situation for GM Jarmo Kekalainen who will likely be looking for another defender or at least a roster player in return instead of a futures-based package.  Johnson makes $5MM in salary this season with a cap hit of $4.357MM which may be difficult for other contending teams to fit onto their books.

Canada Names Olympic Roster: With the Olympics now less than a month away, Canada unveiled their men’s hockey roster.  It features many familiar faces as 23 of the 25 players have spent time in the NHL at some point in their careers.  Interestingly enough, one player who said no was Colorado defensive prospect Cale Makar.  It’s believed that he could have been a power play specialist for the Canadian squad but he chose to stick with UMass (Amherst) of the NCAA instead.

Hurricanes Sold: The ownership saga in Carolina has officially come to an end as the NHL has approved the sale of the team from Peter Karmanos to Dallas billionaire Thomas Dundon.  Karmanos will retain a minority share for the time being but it’s expected that Dundon will have 100% ownership in the years to come.  As part of the deal, the team cannot be moved for at least the next seven years.  Dundon also threw his support behind both GM Ron Francis and head coach Bill Peters and has already been in contact with the league regarding an outdoor game.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

The final week of 2017 saw quite a bit of news around the league, even if it wasn’t in the form of player movement following the holiday roster freeze.  Here are the top stories for the week.

Key Injuries: Both the Jets and Blue Jackets received some tough news on the injury front.  Winnipeg center Mark Scheifele is out six-to-eight weeks with an upper-body injury sustained against Edmonton.  For the time being, their plan is to shift Blake Wheeler down the middle instead of looking for a replacement via a trade.  As for Columbus, they’ll be without winger Cam Atkinson (broken foot) and center Alexander Wennberg (back) for the next four-to-six weeks.  While both players have underachieved this season, their absences create a sizable hole in their lineup.  While not an injury, the Rangers also got some tough news as winger Chris Kreider is out indefinitely due to a blood clot in his right arm.

Four More Years For Armstrong: There are quite a few general managers who started the season in the final year of their contract, something that’s a bit of an unusual occurrence in the NHL.  That number decreased by one this past week as the Blues inked GM Doug Armstrong to a four-year extension.  Armstrong also made some headlines when he acknowledged that St. Louis isn’t likely to be active in the rental market between now and the trade deadline.  There are still at least four active general managers that are unsigned beyond this season: Jim Benning (Canucks), Chuck Fletcher (Wild), Ken Holland (Red Wings), and Lou Lamoriello (Maple Leafs) while it has been suggested that Brian MacLellan (Capitals) is also in that situation as well but his contract status was never made public.

Penguins Not Actively Shopping Letang: While there was a suggestion earlier in the month that the Penguins could consider trading defenseman Kris Letang as they look to change things up on their roster, they are not actively shopping him either.  Given Letang’s contract ($7.25MM for four more years after this one) with his injury history and no-trade protection (he can block a deal to 18 teams), making everything work in-season with a lot of buying teams not having anywhere near that type of cap space would be a challenge.  A summer trade is certainly more likely (if they’re going to move him at all) and if they are able to find a team that can make it work now, they’ll likely want to see Letang (currently on IR with a lower-body issue) back in action before pulling the trigger.

Bower Passes Away: Long-time Maple Leafs and Hall of Fame netminder Johnny Bower passed away at the age of 93 after a short battle with pneumonia.  He played in 552 career NHL regular season games (all but 77 with Toronto), winning four Stanley Cups and a pair of Vezina Trophies while playing regularly through the age of 44.  Bower was also very active in the community and took part in numerous charitable functions, even in the days leading up to his passing while serving as an ambassador for the game for decades.

Senators Looking To Make Changes: With Ottawa tumbling rapidly down the standings, it appears GM Pierre Dorion is looking to shake up the roster.  Although some have wondered if top blueliner Erik Karlsson could be moved, he has now been identified along with winger Mark Stone as the two untouchables among their current core players.  Winger Mike Hoffman’s name has already surfaced as a player several teams are interested in but the big question here is if Ottawa is looking to start a rebuild or if they’re looking to bring similar players in return in the hopes that a new player or two will get them going in the second half.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.