Coyotes Notes: Perlini, Richardson, Draft Options
While many would be quick to call Clayton Keller the Arizona Coyotes’ best young player, his teammate has quietly taken up the mantle of being the franchise’s all-time best young goal-scorer. AZSports’ Craig Morgan noted last night that Brendan Perlini‘s 28th career goal in his 100th NHL game is most among ‘Yotes alums in their first 100 games. Perlini passed up Peter Mueller, who had 27 in 100, a player who burned bright, but burned out young and was out of the NHL after his first five seasons. Arizona surely hopes that Perlini has more longevity and would especially be excited if he kept up his current level of play, having scored a goal in four straight games. Meanwhile, Keller surely has his eye on soon taking Perlini’s title; the 19-year-old has 14 goals through his first 53 games, so he’ll have to pick up the pace this season into next season.
- Morgan was also the first to announce that Brad Richardson would not return to last night’s game after suffering an upper-body injury. There has been no update on Richardson’s status yet, but it would be no surprise if the veteran forward is out of the lineup for a substantial amount of time yet again. Richardson has had a tough go of it lately, missing six games due to injury this year after missing a whopping 66 games last year. Richardson has also struggled to produce with only nine points through 44 games. Nevertheless, the Coyotes are surely hoping that Richardson makes a speedy recovery with the NHL Trade Deadline fast approaching. With so few pending unrestricted free agents on the roster – Richardson, Antti Raanta, Luke Schenn, Zac Rinaldo – GM John Chayka would like to be able to move out as many as possible, unless his plan is make some larger deals involving his plethora of younger players.
- In reality, the 2017-18 has long been over for the Coyotes and their next event of note is the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. Though the lottery could throw a wrench in their plans, Arizona is in the best position of any team to land the prize of the draft, Swedish phenom Rasmus Dahlin. TSN’s Bob McKenzie released his Mid-Season Draft Rankings today, in which he calls this the “Rasmus Dahlin draft” and makes of note of consensus that no player has a chance to go first overall besides the dynamic defenseman. With some doubt over the future of All-Star Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Chayka would like nothing more than to select a potential replacement in Dahlin. At the very least, the worst record in the NHL will guarantee the Coyotes a top-four pick and, as McKenzie specifies, one of the trio of forwards that make up the next tier of elite prospects behind Dahlin – Andrei Svechnikov, Filip Zadina, and Brady Tkachuk.
Prospects Begin To Feature In Trade Speculation
The NHL’s trade deadline is just a month away, and any game-changing deals are yet to come. Though there were two big trades already this season—featuring Matt Duchene, Kyle Turris, Sami Vatanen and Adam Henrique—the market has been relatively quiet for nearly two months. Minor league deals, and the swap of Anthony Duclair not withstanding, fans are ready to land the big fish and take a run at the Stanley Cup playoffs.
For some time now names like Max Pacioretty, Mike Hoffman, Patrick Maroon and Evander Kane have graced the Trade Bait board on TSN, but with today’s update Frank Seravalli gives us a few interesting additions. One, Ryan McDonagh, is very much like those previously mentioned, a very good player heading towards the free agent market (in the summer of 2019 in this case) that could be moved when his value is still near its highest point.
But there are a couple of other new entries, including St. Louis Blues prospect Jordan Kyrou. While McDonagh and most of the other players are in or past their prime, Kyrou hasn’t even begun his NHL career. Selected 35th-overall in 2016, the smooth skating forward has blossomed into one of the very top prospects in the entire league. In fact, Corey Pronman of The Athletic (subscription required) recently ranked him 19th among those already drafted. Five of the players ahead of him have already made their NHL debuts, including the likes of Kasperi Kapanen and Dylan Strome.
Seravalli speculates that Kyrou could be in a package to land Kane, one that according to Buffalo might need to include a first-round pick, conditional pick and an additional roster player. Kyrou’s potential shouldn’t be downgraded by the fact he fell out of the first round in his draft year, as he’s shown over and over how dynamic his offense and skating ability can be. At the recent World Juniors, he led Team Canada with ten points in seven games and was a threat every time he touched the puck. Even with the absence to attend the tournament, he still leads the OHL in points with 73 in just 35 games and has a real shot at winning the league’s Most Outstanding Player.
If a prospect like Kyrou is moved, it could be a trade deadline to remember for the ages. While there is no guarantee he or any other top name ever turns out to be an impact player in the NHL, the rental-for-prospect deals are often the ones looked back on years later with frustration. The Blues—and other teams like the Winnipeg Jets, from whom Seravalli mentions young players Nic Petan and Jack Roslovic as potential pieces—are looking for an impact player this season. They might just have to give up a future one in return.
Vancouver Canucks Interested In NCAA Free Agents
As the NCAA season moves along, several names are starting to emerge as possible free agent signings at the end of the year. Even those who went undrafted and are in their first few years at the collegiate level could decide to turn pro if a team shows enough interest, and the Vancouver Canucks could be just that team. Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 reports that the Canucks have interest in Brogan Rafferty from Quinnipiac and Max Veronneau from Princeton.
Rafferty is just a sophomore but is already 22 years old and now listed at 6’1″ 191-lbs, quite a bit bigger than his draft year. After recording 24 points as a freshman and getting noticed by scouts from all around the league, he’s put up nine in his first 25 games this season and could still be on the radar of several clubs. He’s not the splashy addition that some college free agents are, but could turn into a solid professional even if he is limited to minor league work.
Veronneau on the other hand was nominated for the Hobey Baker this season, his third at Princeton. With 25 points through 20 games, he’s continued his offensive outburst that started as a sophomore. Veronneau played in the CCHL growing up to maintain college eligibility, and has done extremely well at the Ivy league school so far.
As Vancouver continues to rebuild, adding undrafted college talent is an easy way to fill out the prospect ranks and hopefully strike gold with an overlooked talent. Players like Tyler Bozak and Conor Sheary are some of the best examples of players finding NHL success soon after leaving college, the former only attending the University of Denver for two seasons before signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs. While Rafferty and Veronneau aren’t the very top names in the NCAA, they’re interesting nonetheless for a club looking to inject young talent into their ranks.
Snapshots: Prospects, Olympics, Savard
The NHL’s Central Scouting has released their midterm rankings for North American and International skaters, with Andrei Svechnikov and Rasmus Dahlin leading the way respectively. Dahlin is about as locked in as a prospect can be for the first-overall selection, but several others will be battling for the number two spot. Svechnikov, Filip Zadina, Adam Boqvist and Brady Tkachuk are all top options who could be in the top three selections, and should b considered blue chip pieces for whoever ends up with them.
Interestingly, players like Ryan Merkley (#21 among North American skaters) and Bode Wilde (#22) find themselves relatively far down the list despite their previous top-10 projections. Whether that has more to do with their own play slipping this season or the influx of talent throughout the draft class is unclear, but it should excite even teams in the playoff picture with the prospect of adding an impact player on defense.
- Many of the Olympic rosters have now been released, with young players like Dahlin, Miro Heiskanen and Eeli Tolvanen dominating the headlines for Sweden and Finland. Rosters for the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland and host Korea are available on the IIHF website. Igor Eronko of Sport-Express reports that the Olympic Athletes from Russia squad will release their roster on Thursday, which should be one of the powerhouses of the tournament.
- Marc Savard has officially announced his retirement, exactly seven years after his last game in the NHL. The exquisite playmaker was forced from the game due to concussion problems, but was still technically under contract through last season. His career ended in 2011 with the Bruins after 807 games, in which he registered 706 points including seasons of 97 and 96. According to Chris Lomon of the NHLPA, Savard is looking to move up the coaching ranks after spending some time behind the bench of his sons’ triple-A teams.
Tolvanen, Heiskanen Named To Olympic Roster
Among those named to Team Finland’s Olympic roster today are two very interesting prospects drafted less than a year ago: Miro Heiskanen and Eeli Tolvanen. Both players suited up for their country at the World Junior Championship just weeks ago, but will now represent Finland on the international stage once again. Heiskanen, the third-overall pick, is property of the Dallas Stars and a huge part of their future on the blueline. The silky smooth two-way defender commands a game with his incredible positioning and easy decision making. With 14 points in 20 games for HIFK Helsinki, he’s already showing that he can compete with professionals of the highest caliber.
Tolvanen on the other hand fell all the way to 30th in the 2017 draft because of some issues regarding where he would play this season. Originally tabbed to join the NCAA ranks, he was denied admission at the last second and instead joined the KHL. It has paid off for the Nashville Predators’ prospect, breaking Evgeny Kuznetsov’s record for points by an 18-year old with 33 in 44 games. A shoot-first winger capable of scoring almost at will, Tolvanen could be used as a powerplay weapon in the Olympics.
Olli Juolevi, a Vancouver Canucks prospect and candidate for a spot on the team, was not selected to the final roster. The full roster can be found below:
G Mikko Koskinen
G Karri Ramo
G Juha Metsola
D Mikko Lehtonen
D Tommi Kivisto
D Lasse Kukkonen
D Sami Lepisto
D Juuso Heitanen
D Miro Heiskanen
D Miika Koivisto
D Atte Ohtamaa
F Marko Anttila
F Julius Junttila
F Eeli Tolvanen
F Joonas Kemppainen
F Jani Lajunen
F Jonas Enlund
F Petri Kontiola
F Mika Pyorala
F Jarno Koskirant
F Oskar Osala
F Sakari Manninen
F Teemu Hartikainen
F Jukka Peltola
F Veli-Matti Savinainen
Tyson Barrie Unlikely To Be Traded By Deadline
As it is with most teams who make a surprising turnaround from one year to the next, the Colorado Avalanche, fresh off one of the worst seasons in recent memory, may not even be a seller this time around at the NHL Trade Deadline. The 2017-18 season has gone much better for the Avs, with their play of late – a convincing eight-game winning streak – pulling them into the playoff picture. Of course, the team also already made a major deal earlier in the year, netting three prospects and three quality draft picks for Matt Duchene. With that impressive return already in the bag and the team rolling on all cylinders, it seems unlikely that Colorado would still resort to trading away valuable players over the next month. That even includes, in the opinion of The Hockey News’ Matt Larkin, polarizing defenseman Tyson Barrie.
Next to Duchene, Barrie was easily the next man up on the trade block for the Avalanche and, if this season was anything like 2016-17, he may have already been traded. Barrie, 26, is a gifted offensive blue liner who plays major minutes for Colorado and is depended on for much of their puck movement. However, he often struggles in his own end and there are questions as to whether he could ever really be a top pairing defenseman, despite his ample $5.5MM salary. In fact, that exact argument was reportedly part of former head coach Patrick Roy‘s sudden departure from the team in 2016. It still feels like Barrie, who is currently on injured reserve, has yet to really carve out a comfortable, long-term role in Denver, which has led to much speculation that he could be moved. Around the league, there is less skepticism and many teams would love to add his offensive touch.
However, those teams will likely have to wait until the off-season for him to become available again. Larkin believes that the Avs’ recent play and lack of depth on defense has all but eliminated the chance that Barrie would be moved by the Trade Deadline. Behind Barrie, Erik Johnson, and young Nikita Zadorov, the rest of the Colorado blue line is made up of uninspiring names like Patrik Nemeth, Mark Barberio, Anton Lindholm, and David Warsofsky. Removing Barrie from that mix, even if a stopgap defender was part of the return, would hurt Colorado’s chances of making the playoffs. It seems like a move that Joe Sakic, who has stood by Barrie, would not make at this time.
With that said, Larkin acknowledges that Samuel Girard, one of the new pieces acquired for Duchene, has looked good and is deserving of more ice time and also notes that 2017 selections Cale Makar and Conor Timmins look like they will be surefire NHLers in no time. Barrie could certainly be moved sooner rather than later, to make room for the youth and to address the Avs’ lack of forward depth, but the soonest will likely be this off-season unless Sakic is blown away by an offer which has a long-term benefit worth sacrificing playoff hopes this season. Not too many blockbusters like that come around in-season, especially two in one year for the same team, so Barrie is likely safe and can soon return to the Avalanche lineup to help continue the team’s miraculous turnaround.
Vegas Likely To Stand Pat At Deadline
If there were any last thoughts that the Vegas Golden Knights – who are on pace to be the best expansion team in sports history – would be sellers at the NHL Trade Deadline, they went out the window with the team’s convincing 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning last night. Tampa, who sits atop the league standings with 65 points, is now just two points ahead of Vegas, with the Knights holding a game in hand. Not only is Vegas playoff-bound in their first season, but they have a legitimate chance at the President’s Trophy. Unbelievably, they have a chance at a Stanley Cup title in their inaugural season as well.
For that reason, the idea of the team selling off their impending unrestricted free agents like James Neal, David Perron, or Luca Sbisa has become unthinkable. Despite the long-term benefits that trading away those players for picks and prospects may have on the young franchise, GM George McPhee is surely unwilling at this point to take the wind out of his team’s sails when they truly feel they can win it all in 2018. There is some evidence already that this team is happy with it’s current roster and more interested in extensions than blockbusters. Deryk Engelland and Jonathon Merrill recently signed new deals and the team is reportedly focused on an extension for Neal. The current Golden Knights roster is unlikely to change this season.
That just may include additions as well. For the same reason some are holding out that the Knights will be sellers is the same reason they are extremely unlikely to be buyers too. In just their first year existence, Vegas is in no position to be dealing away picks and prospects. While most teams are already stocked with prospects, Vegas has just their 2017 selections and a few free agent signings to build off. Cody Glass, Nick Suzuki, Jake Leschyshyn, Erik Brannstrom, and Nicolas Hague are nothing to laugh at, but the team needs to focus on quantity just as much as quality among their junior-level prospects. Their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, has been a middling team this season (currently 18th in the league), and that’s with a veteran free agent signing leading the team in scoring in Brandon Pirri and another team’s goalie as their starter in Kasimir Kaskisuo. Tomas Hyka may be the only prospect on the Chicago roster to ever make a noticeable difference in Vegas. The Stanley Cup is the toughest championship in sports to win and even a number one seed only gives the Knights the same shot that 15 other teams get, not a guaranteed trip to the final. In short, Vegas cannot afford to give up talented top prospects, nor can they give up the draft picks needed to keep filling out the system, for a greater chance at a a difficult title to claim.
The Vegas Golden Knights are rolling right now, playing far better in 2017-18 than anyone could have ever possibly imagined. There is no way they are sellers at the deadline but, due to the constraints of being an expansion franchise, they are unlikely to be sellers either. Like the old saying goes though, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Vegas is no less threatening this season or moving forward if they do indeed stand pat this season.
Snapshots: Sweden, Prospects, Coyotes
Sweden has released their roster for the upcoming Pyeongchang Olympic Games, and even though it doesn’t have any current NHL players, it has plenty of league experience. Staffan Kronwall, Viktor Stalberg, Linus Omark and others highlight what should be one of the more powerful teams in the tournament, but one other name is the taking all the headlines.
Rasmus Dahlin, the expected first-overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft has made the cut and is one of eight defensemen named to the squad. The 17-year old already starred at the World Juniors and plays a regular role on Frolunda in the SHL, Sweden’s highest professional league. There is little controversy over Dahlin’s ranking as the best talent available in this year’s draft, and a good showing at the Olympics will only raise his stock even further.
- Speaking of prospects, Corey Pronman of The Athletic (subscription required) released his midseason rankings of those already drafted, and lists Casey Mittelstadt at the very top. The Buffalo Sabres draft pick has had a year to remember, selected eighth overall, starring at the University of Minnesota, being named MVP of the World Juniors and just recently being among the nominees for the Hobey Baker award as the best collegiate player in the country. Though things don’t look good in Buffalo right now, Mittelstadt and others—including #24 on Pronman’s list—will look to turn things around in the near future.
- Despite rumors swirling around the Arizona Coyotes, some closest to the situation aren’t as willing to point to a potential firesale of their top defensemen. At least not Craig Morgan of AZ Sports, who calls some of the recent rumors “baseless” and doesn’t think the Coyotes have done anything to “set the market” or trade Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Niklas Hjalmarsson or Jason Demers. Morgan isn’t saying that it won’t happen, just that he believes there is little fact in the rumors that have been spread recently. There’s a good reason to believe that Arizona will move some assets before the deadline, but it doesn’t appear like an Ekman-Larsson is imminent or that even a real asking price has been set.
Morning Notes: Maple Leafs, Hoffman, Lockwood
The Toronto Maple Leafs are in their bye week after a pair of one-goal losses, and though the points totals say they’re tied with the Boston Bruins for second in the Atlantic Division, they actually trail behind. That’s because Toronto has played five more games than the Bruins, who are tied for the fewest GP so far in the league. As the Maple Leafs rest up from a grueling first half, GM Lou Lamoriello spoke with Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun and discussed a potential deadline trade:
I certainly like our roster. I think it’s solid. We’ll have to wait and see what is transpiring, but you’re never good enough.
To do something for the sake of doing something is never a good thing. You don’t even want to use the word ‘substantial.’ Sometimes the smallest things become the biggest.
Lamoriello has maintained his position all along that he’ll only make a trade to improve the club if something presents itself, and isn’t out there knocking down doors to improve the Maple Leafs defense corps. While it does sound like there may be some minor tweaks out of Toronto as we head closer to the deadline, a major move might not be in the cards.
- Lamoriello’s contemporary from Ottawa however could be barking up a very different tree. Darren Dreger joined TSN 1200 radio yesterday to discuss several Senators topics, including the potential trade of Mike Hoffman. Dreger reported that the market is strong for Hoffman, mentioning teams like St. Louis, Edmonton and Calgary as potential destinations. Hoffman has 29 points on the season but has recently found quite a bit of chemistry with Matt Duchene. Whether that duo is broken up is still to be seen, but the Senators will likely try to wait as long as possible to make a decision.
- Unfortunately, for another Canadian team, it’s surgery for one of their top prospects. Vancouver Canucks prospect Will Lockwood, who injured his shoulder in the World Juniors for Team USA, is set to have surgery according to Rick Dhaliwal of NEWS 1130. Utica Comets GM Ryan Johnson told Dhaliwal that Lockwood would have the surgery in two weeks, and be out around six months. That’s a tough break for the University of Michigan, where Lockwood was having another strong season. He’ll have to make a decision on whether or not to turn pro after the season is over.
Vancouver Canucks Not Worried About Signing Adam Gaudette
In the next few months, we’ll start to hear more and more about the impressive prospects playing at the NCAA level and whether they’ll be turning to the professional ranks. The National Championship game will be held on April 7th, marking the last game many draft picks will play in college.
The Vancouver Canucks are keeping a close eye on one collegiate player in particular, and their director of amateur scouting Judd Brackett joined Sportsnet radio earlier today to speak about Adam Gaudette. Gaudette, 21, has been tearing up the NCAA since he debuted for Northeastern University in 2015, and has 30 points in just 20 games this season. This is his third year in school, and he’ll have a chance to sign with the Canucks or go back to finish his NCAA career in 2018-19. When asked about the chances the Canucks sign him this spring, Brackett seemed very positive:
[Gaudette’s] very excited about beginning a pro career. I think that’s a safe bet, but you know, other things have happened before. I think Adam is excited to become a Canuck.
Drafted in the fifth round in 2015, Gaudette transitioned beautifully from the USHL to college, scoring 30 points as a freshman and showing that his all-around game could hold up against players several years older than him. Now an alternate captain for Northeastern, the forward can make creative plays in the offensive zone and is responsible in his own end.
Vancouver knows first hand what kind of talent the NCAA has, as they watched Brock Boeser jump from the University of North Dakota to scoring his first NHL goal in less than 24 hours last spring. Though Gaudette isn’t expected to make the same kind of impact at the professional level, he’s certainly done everything right in his development to this point. An entry-level contract is likely waiting for him when his season is over.