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Morning Notes: Patrick, Johnson, Parise

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Thought the Brandon Wheat Kings came into their WHL playoff series as underdogs, it looked like the series could be a long one because of Nolan Patrick and his recent dominance. Instead Patrick would never appear in the series, held out with a lower-body injury for all four of the Medicine Hat Tigers victories. A 3-2 win last night showed how lopsided the series was without Patrick, as the Tigers out shot Brandon 54-25.

It has been a very disappointing year for Patrick, who missed a large chunk of the season, the World Juniors and now the playoffs. Mike Morreale of NHL.com still thinks he’ll go first overall, and reminds us of some of the other injuries to top players in their draft year or immediately following. Patrick’s only real competition for the #1 spot is Nico Hischier of the Halifax Mooseheads, who was excellent in tying up his QMJHL series at 2-2. Hischier had four hits, was 10/16 on faceoffs and scored the game winner on the powerplay.

  • Tyler Johnson was back out on the ice before Tampa Bay Lightning practice today and though he’s still not sure when he’ll get back into the lineup, he told Bryan Burns of NHL.com he hopes to soon. “I better [return] or I’m going to be pretty upset,” he told Burns after the skate. Johnson has been out since the March 9th game that saw three Tampa Bat centers hurt, and would be a huge boost to a club still right in the thick of the playoff race. With Steven Stamkos upgraded to day-to-day (and taking line rushes on the top unit today), Tampa Bay might be getting healthy just in time to make some noise in the final few weeks of the season.
  • Michael Russo of the Star Tribune reports that Zach Parise was out skating at the optional practice for the Minnesota Wild today. Parise took a stick in the eye on Tuesday night and had to leave the game, a scary moment for Wild fans and players alike. The alternate captain was in all kinds of agony on the ice after smashing his head on the way down. Russo reports that though he’s likely to miss tonight’s game against the Ottawa Senators, he may return sooner than many expected. The Wild need to get back on track after going 1-7-2 in their last ten and falling within striking distance of the St. Louis Blues. While they’re definitely going to make the playoffs, if they continue playing as they are right now it would be an early exit.

Charlie McAvoy Working On Amateur Contract With Boston

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Wednesday: Don Sweeney has made it official, McAvoy will sign an ATO and play this weekend for the Providence Bruins.

Tuesday: According to Bob McKenzie of TSN, the Boston Bruins and uber-prospect Charlie McAvoy are working towards signing an amateur tryout to have the Boston University defender playing in Providence by the weekend. While some Bruins’ fans want him to join their defense corps right away, signing an ATO doesn’t actually preclude him from then signing an entry-level contract at a later date.

Picked 14th overall last summer, McAvoy has had another phenomenal season for BU and the US World Junior Team. Logging big minutes for one of the best teams in the country, McAvoy registered 26 points in 38 games and was a defensive presence in his own end. A smooth decision maker, McAvoy shows exceptional talent when retrieving pucks in his own end, eluding forecheckers and exiting the zone with ease. While his offensive abilities have a lot of upside, it’s his defensive growth that has scouts and fans so excited.

At the World Juniors McAvoy showed off that growth, registering six points in seven tournament games and leading his team to the gold medal. An alternate captain, it was his second time straight medal after winning bronze in the 2015-16 event. If he does turn pro, he’ll challenge for a spot on the Bruins’ blue line next season. Right-handed, he looks like a natural partner for Torey Krug down the line.

College Notes: Jost, Foo, Vecchione

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In the latest ’30 Thoughts’ column from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet there are several interesting tidbits about some college players that have been eliminated from the NCAA tournament in the past few days. One of the most notable is Tyson Jost, the Colorado Avalanche prospect and 10th-overall pick from last summer. Friedman says that it’s tough to read the situation on Jost after his freshman season at North Dakota, and mentions there is still the possibility of him returning for a second year.

Jost had an incredible year, scoring 38 points in 35 games for UND while also starring for Team Canada at the World Juniors. The former BCHL superstar turned 19 less than two weeks ago, and would benefit from another year in the NCAA and a run at the Hobey Baker trophy. There is no rush for Colorado, who won’t be competing next season but consider Jost one of their untouchables going forward.

  • Friedman also touches on Mike Vecchione, the Union College star who is a free agent and can sign anywhere. Reports indicate that he’ll make a decision within the next 24 hours. On Monday it came out that Philadelphia was pushing hard for the 24-year old, though it’s not clear if they are still in the running today. The offensive dynamo tied for the leading point-scorer in the nation, and is a finalist for the Hobey Baker this season.
  • Spencer Foo, a teammate of Vecchione at Union, has told teams he won’t play pro hockey this season. That doesn’t mean that he’s definitely going back to school though, and LA Kings Insider Dan Rosen has heard that basically the entire league is interested in him. As Rosen notes at the end of his piece, Foo was an Edmonton Oilers fan growing up and Friedman notes that there is a lot of interest from the Canadian NHL clubs. The winger scored 62 points in 38 games this season and is another Hobey Baker finalist.
  • Rosen goes on to report that Steven Johnson, a Los Angeles Kings draft pick from 2014 will head back to school at the University of Minnesota for his senior year. The Kings will have just a few months to sign him after next season if they so choose, but he’ll have to take another step forward to earn an entry-level contract after graduation. Right now his entire game still needs polish and he’ll hopefully have the chance to step into a bigger role now that Jake Bischoff is off to the professional ranks.

Los Angeles Kings Sign Clague, Wagner To Three-Year Contracts

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The Los Angeles Kings have gotten into the entry-level contract fun. The team has signed both Kale Clague and Austin Wagner to three-year, entry-level deals. Both players are coming to the end of their CHL seasons, and will now start on their professional journey.

Clague was the Kings’ second-round pick in the 2016 draft, and is another in the growing trend of slightly-undersized but tremendously skilled defenders. Finally out of the shadow of Ivan Provorov for the Brandon Wheat Kings, he has become the team’s top defender and produced like it all season. 38 points in 43 games during what has been a shortened season due to injury and the World Juniors, Clague is one of the best skaters in his draft class and can move the puck efficiently and calmly under pressure.

For the Kings, he represents the next piece in the pipeline they’ve created for defenders. While he may not get to the NHL for a few more seasons, the future looks bright for the 18-year old. His development is made all that more important for the club since they dealt Eric Cernak away to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Ben Bishop.

Wagner was a fourth-round selection in 2015, and has continued to put up solid point numbers for the Regina Pats. His 60 points in 58 games represent a career-high pace, but it’s his strong defensive work that stands out for scouts when watching him. Responsible in his own end and willing to use his size on the forecheck, his offensive upside may be limited at the next level. He’ll turn 20 this summer and will debut with the Ontario Reign of the AHL next season.

Upcoming Agenda At The Florida GM Meetings

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Tomorrow marks the start of the annual GM meetings in the NHL, where for three days leaders of the league’s teams will get together and discuss how to make the game better. As Sportnet’s John Shannon reports, there are several things being discussed at the meetings and we’ll go through some of the more important points.

Coach’s Challenge

The lengthy offside challenges this season have been a cause of much debate, as some have taken as long as 10 minutes to determine the call. Though the theory of the rule is good—that is, getting the correct call in all situations—the implementation leaves something to be desired. When the play is extremely close as it has been at several times this season, many fans, players and coaches would just as well have it ruled on the ice instead of watching the referee’s examine a small screen for several minutes, effectively interrupting any flow of the game that has been established.

As Shannon points out, the issue being discussed though isn’t with the length of the review. Instead, it likely has to do with when a coach can initiate a challenge, and how many he has during the game. Currently, a coach can only challenge offside plays resulting in a goal, and interference with the goaltender that results in a goal.

Defining Offside

Going hand-in-hand with the challenge discussion is the definition of the play itself. Since so many of the calls have been inconclusive because of the reading that it’s not offside until it touches his stick inside the blueline, the league is likely considering a change that would include some sort of “possession” reading. If the player carries it across, but isn’t actually in contact with the puck it could still be ruled offside. Many traditionalists may hate this interpretation should it come to pass, but it likely would help the referees make a determination on the replays more easily.

Bye Weeks

This has been another hot-button topic this year, as teams have done extremely poorly coming out of their mandated rest period. Because of the perception that a team coming off the rest is at a disadvantage to one in the swing of playing every other day, the league has been considering moving to a two-week system where half of the league breaks at a time. Coming out of the break, everyone would be playing another squad that had the same bye-week for their first game back. The problem is, obviously, what to do with 31 teams in this scenario.

Shootout

An interesting inclusion at the end of Shannon’s list, is that of the shootout. While some (many) fans want it abolished all together, Shannon notes that they may be considering a change that would allow a team to choose anyone after the third shooter. It’s this way in international events, and have resulted in some extremely memorable moments like T.J. Oshie at the Olympics, or the battle between Jonathan Toews and Peter Mueller at the World Juniors.

Should the league move to this method, it does (slightly) strengthen the idea of having a shootout specialist on your bench. While there is obviously no room for someone who can only perform in the shootout, teams already carry forwards who see less than 10 minutes of ice time a game. Should a young player show excellent skills in the shootout, it’s not unfathomable that a team could bring him up a little sooner as a sort of secret weapon.

Snapshots: DeBrincat, Hansen, Eberle

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The Chicago Blackhawks have another one coming. For a team that has drafted near the end of the first round for the past decade, they have re-filled their prospect cupboards quite effectively. Even without a first round pick last season, the Blackhawks look like they’ve struck gold with their top selection. Alex DeBrincat scored twice again today for the Erie Otters and broke 60 goals for the first time in his junior career.

DeBrincat is currently on a 17-game goal streak, and is a lock to lead the OHL in scoring this season. This from a player who was cut from the Team USA World Junior squad late last year, and had to wait until 39th overall to hear his name last summer. While it’s not certain that he’ll be able to duplicate his scoring touch at higher levels, his skill, creativity and shot have dominated the OHL since the moment he stepped on the ice. In three seasons, DeBrincat has scored 324 points in 185 games including 119 (60G, 59A) this season.

  • While Nikolay Goldobin is scoring breakaway goals in Vancouver, the San Jose Sharks are still waiting for their big deadline acquisition to join them on the ice. Jannik Hansen has been held up by work visa issues since the deadline, and still won’t join the team in Minnesota tonight according to Kent Youngblood of the Mercury News. He’s also not expected to play tomorrow night against the Winnipeg Jets, but should be ready to go on Thursday when the Sharks return home.
  • Tim Campbell of NHL.com discusses the Edmonton Oilers and their new line of Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Milan Lucic in his latest column. The trio has found instant success, and Eberle is feeling like it has actually been an excellent season for him, despite the lack of goal scoring. As Campbell points out, the 26-year old winger has an extremely low shooting percentage this year at just 8.8% but still has 14 goals and 39 points this season. If it came up to a more regular percentage of 12.5%—which is still much lower than his career mark—he’d have his fourth straight 20-goal season already. The Oilers can’t wait to see what he has in store for the playoffs, as Eberle was once known as one of the most “clutch” performers in hockey from his time at the World Juniors. In 56 career international contests—which includes five appearances in the World Championships—Eberle has recorded 70 points.

Forgotten Futures: Checking In On Picks 3-5

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While Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine have dominated many of the headlines around the NHL since the moment they put on their respective sweaters on June 24th, 2016 there were other names picked that day that have received much less attention. Matthew Tkachuk has burst onto the scene in Calgary, recording an incredible 41 points in his rookie season (including more assists than either of the top 2) while Jakob Chychrun has steadily improved in the desert and is now logging 20 minutes a night as an 18-year old.

There were three other names taken between Laine and Tkachuk, and though their respective fan bases surely haven’t forgotten about their prized assets, drooling over the potential they bring while combing through box scores—that is if anyone combs through box scores anymore—the rest of the league might have. As we head past the trade deadline many teams look towards the future, hoping for a brighter sunrise next season and looking at comparables for their expected draft position this summer.

5th Overall Pick – Olli Juolevi (VAN)

The first defenseman picked in the draft was Olli Juolevi from the London Knights. The smooth skating defender that was heralded as a future #1 who could play in any situation has had an excellent, if a little underwhelming season for the Knights in 2016-17. Playing on a great team in front of a great goaltender, Juolevi has continued to rack up assists while being a main part of one of the stingiest defensive teams in the OHL. The Knights have allowed just 165 goals this season and Juolevi is one of the reasons why.

With 39 points in 49 games, he continues to produce in junior hockey, though a little less can be said about his performance at the World Juniors. Captaining a Finnish squad that was without almost all of their key players—including one we will speak of later—Juolevi didn’t impress much through the preliminary round. After his coach got fired midway through the tournament, Juolevi stepped up a bit but still finished with just two points in six games.

It’s hardly enough to judge him on, but Vancouver Canucks fans were likely hoping to see him take over the tournament all by himself and drag the Finnish team to the medal round. They should however be excited about the prospect that London will be in the OHL playoffs starting later this month, where Juolevi will try for a second crack at the Memorial Cup.

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Deadline Primer: Minnesota Wild

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With the trade deadline now just a week away, we continue to take a closer look at each team. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?

After slipping into the playoffs last year with less than 90 points and the final wildcard position, only to get punched in the mouth by the Dallas Stars and go home early, the Minnesota Wild needed a change. They’d fired their coach halfway through the season, and were relying on an aging (but excellent) core of Mikko Koivu, Zach Parise and Ryan Suter too much to succeed.

Enter Bruce Boudreau and the kids. After good solid seasons from the young guns a year ago, many of them have exploded to the forefront of the team this season, with Mikael Granlund, Nino Niederreiter, Charlie Coyle, and Jason Zucker all already setting career-highs in points through 59 games. They’re leading the Western Conference by five points and look poised for a deep playoff run.

Record

39-14-6, 1st in Central Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$5.20MM – full-season cap hit, 47/50 contracts per CapFriendly.

Draft Picks

2017: MIN 1st, MIN 3rd, MIN 4th, MIN 5th, MIN 6th, MIN 7th
2018: MIN 1st, MIN 2nd, MIN 3rd, MIN 4th, MIN 5th, MIN 6th, MIN 7th

Trade Chips

Minnesota will almost surely avoid trading anything off the roster that has put them in prime position for a Stanley Cup run, meaning they’ll have to use draft picks and prospects as bait if they want to add anything next week. It’s a shame they don’t have their second-round pick from this season—which they traded to Buffalo for Chris Stewart back in 2015—since they are used so often in rental deals. Jason Pominville

The Wild do however have a fairly stocked cupboard of prospects that could be waived in front of a team looking to get younger. Their drafting the last decade (or longer) though not perfect in the first round has unearthed plenty of talent in later selections. They’ve picked players like Cal Clutterbuck (3rd), Justin Falk (4th), Marco Scandella (2nd), Erik Haula (7th), Darcy Kuemper (6th), Zucker (2nd) and Johan Larsson (2nd) all outside of the first round and found excellent value in each.

If a team really wants to go after youth, they could ask for prospects like Jordan Greenway, who showed off his skills at the most recent World Juniors. Kirill Kaprisov is tearing up the KHL as a 19-year old, and it was recently reported that he’ll play for CSKA next season. Alex Tuch is showing his ability at the AHL level after a dominating NCAA career, and Luke Kunin continues to captain the University of Wisconsin up the college hockey rankings. It would be crazy to trade any of these names for a rental, but if the Wild want to enter the ring of possible long-term upgrades, they have the pieces to do it.

One Player To Watch: F Jason Pominville, who has a big cap-hit and is playing much less due to the emergence of the young guns is a contract that the Wild may look to move out if they’re to make any improvements.

Team Needs

1) Wing Depth – The Wild would like to move Coyle back to center ice if possible, but they’d need a winger who can jump into their top-six to do it. Jannik Hansen has been rumored to be on their radar, but a player like Patrick Eaves seems a better fit. It’s not guaranteed that they’ll do anything, though GM Chuck Fletcher has said that they have some “unproven depth” at forward.

2) Center – The nice thing about having Coyle is that if you can’t find the upgrade at the wing you could always acquire a center instead and leave him out there. Arizona’s Martin Hanzal was quoted today by Chris Hine of the Chicago Tribune as saying he wants to stay in the middle even if traded, which would still be possible for the Wild.

Minor Transactions: 2/17/2017

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The Washington Capitals announced that they have recalled rookies Zach Sanford and Jakub Vrana from the AHL’s Hershey Bears. The pair has combined to play in 33 games for the Capitals in 2016-17, and their continued growth will become even more important down the stretch. Sanford has played in 21 games, but has only a goal and an assist in limited ice time. Vrana has suited up for just 12 games, but has a goal and two assists in that time, as well as a +2 rating. When active, Vrana has seen more ice time with the Capital’s skill players, while Sanford has settled into a bottom-six role. Regardless, both players need to work harder to bring their strong AHL production to the next level in Washington. With Andre Burakovsky sidelined, the Capitals approach the Trade Deadline with very little forward depth beyond their starters other than the two rookies. If Sanford and Vrana can’t pick up the pace when the Caps return from their bye week on Saturday, Washington will very likely target one or two veteran forwards by March 1st.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • Arizona was forced to promote goalie Marek Langhamer last night on an emergency basis, as backup Louis Domingue was injured earlier in the day. The AHL Tuscon Roadrunners’ keeper traveled to Los Angeles to meet the team prior to their road game and will head back to Arizona and remain with the team for now. Langhamer hasn’t had his best season in 2016-17,  posting a .914 save percentage and 2.90 goals against average to accompany a losing record in 12 games with the Roadrunners, but performed much worse in his first AHL season last year. Langhamer has looked much better down in the ECHL over the past two campaigns and seems to just need more time to develop. He is still a better prospect than many would have expected when he was drafted in the seventh round in 2012 out of the Czech Republic national junior program.
  • In the wake of injuries to Olli Maatta and Justin Schultz, the Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled fellow defensemen Steven Oleksy and Cameron Gaunce from their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Maatta will miss the next six weeks, while Schultz’ condition is still unknown, so a long-term role or two may have just opened up for Oleksy, Gaunce, or Chad Ruhwedel.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have promoted forward Gabriel Dumont from the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch. Dumont was passed through waivers last month and demoted to the minors, but in need of an extra body up front, he’ll return to West Florida from upstate New York. Dumont has just two points in 14 games with the Bolts, and five points overall in his NHL career.
  • The Calgary Flames assigned defenseman Brett Kulak to the AHL’s Stockton Heat, the team announced.  Kulak has played in 21 games with the Flames this year, picking up three assists while averaging a little more than 14 minutes per game.  He also has suited up in 11 minor league games with the Heat, recording five points.
  • Anaheim Ducks blueliner Shea Theodore has once again been re-assigned to their AHL affiliate in San Diego per a team release.  This marks the 12th different time he has been sent down this year in an effort to save cap space and to get him as much playing time as possible.  In 30 games with the Ducks, Theodore has eight points but has been more of an offensive threat in the minors with nine points in just 13 games.
  • The San Jose Sharks continued their near-daily shuffle of youngsters to and from the minor leagues, announcing (via Twitter) that winger Timo Meier and defenseman Tim Heed have been assigned to the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda.  Meier has played in 26 games with the Sharks while Heed, despite being recalled eight separate times since January, has played just one NHL game this year.
  • The Nashville Predators have flipped backup goalies once again, sending Juuse Saros to AHL Milwaukee while recalled Marek Mazenec, reports Adam Vingan of the Tennessean.  The move will allow Saros to get into a game or two in the minors to stay in game shape before likely returning to Nashville next week.
  • The Montreal Canadiens announced that they have recalled center Michael McCarron from St. John’s of the AHL.  McCarron had been sent down to play while the team was on their bye week.  McCarron, who is one of the players Arizona is coveting in a Martin Hanzal trade, has a goal and four assists in 18 games with the Canadiens this season.
  • The Winnipeg Jets announced that they recalled winger Brandon Tanev from the Manitoba Moose.  Defenseman Toby Enstrom was placed on injured reserve (retroactive to February 12th) to make room on the roster for him.  Tanev has spent the bulk of the season with the Jets, playing in 39 games while scoring two goals and two assists.

Snapshots: Tootoo, Barzal, Parenteau

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It’s not easy to open up about alcoholism and the effect it has on your life and the people around you. Jordin Tootoo has done just that over the past few years, and again to Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune. In a stunningly open interview with Kuc that is reminiscent of the piece done by David Pollock of The Hockey News concerning Devin Setoguchi (who cleared waivers today and was sent to the AHL), Tootoo speaks about the past six years of sobriety and how he has changed from a bottle-swigging teenager to a bottle-feeding parent.

A role-model on the ice and off of it, Tootoo has turned from rampant alcoholism onset by the suicide of his brother to clean living and mentoring of younger players of his Inuit background. Those from his hometown of Rankin Inlet in Nunavut, Canada are starting to follow his lead and leave the bottle for a hockey stick instead. The piece is a wonderful look inside a player who has seen pretty much everything in his NHL career, and is now trying to help the Chicago Blackhawks get back to the Stanley Cup finals.

  • The New York Islanders might not have performed exactly as expected this season, but even if they don’t make the playoffs—which, after an excellent stretch is far from certain—they have some bright spots in their future. Kelsey Smith of NHL.com checks in on some of their prospects, including two that received some league honors this week. Mathew Barzal and Ryan Pulock earned player of the week honors in their respective leagues, and the two first-rounders seem like locks to eventually make it to the NHL on a full-time basis. After starring at the World Juniors, Barzal has 54 points (including 46 assists) in just 29 games for the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL, while Pulock has 22 points in 27 games from the back-end of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL.
  • P.A. Parenteau has found a home in New Jersey after being selected off waivers by the Devils just before the season started. The Islanders had signed the free agent winger prior to the year, but decided he wasn’t cut out for John Tavares’ wing anymore and allowed the Devils to take him for nothing. He’s put up 13 goals and 25 points this year in 53 games and doesn’t want to go anywhere at the deadline. “I want to stay here, they’ve been great to me,” Parenteau told Andrew Gross of The Record, while admitting he understands that his name will surface on March 1st, if not before. Just like last year when Parenteau was in the midst of a 20-goal season for the Toronto Maple Leafs, he’s an expiring contract who can provide goal scoring for almost no money; plenty of teams will be after that at the deadline, if they believe that he is capable of playing a role in their playoff push.

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