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Snapshots: Sharks, Trottier, Vitale

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Are the San Jose Sharks done for the summer? In a mailbag for The Athletic, Kevin Kurz addresses the concerns of some fans that the team has not done enough this off-season after missing out on John Tavares. Kurz states that GM Doug Wilson still has the full faith and support of ownership – as he should seeing that the Sharks have the highest average finish in the league during his tenure – and reiterates that Wilson always says that the roster isn’t complete until the trade deadline. Given that San Jose hit a home run with the Evander Kane trade this past spring and fueled their Stanley Cup run in 2016 by adding James Reimer, Nick Spaling, and Roman Polak, that mantra has been proven true. However, is waiting until March going to cut it this season? Kurz points out that between Tavares, Ilya Kovalchuk, and Max Pacioretty, it seems that the Sharks wanted to do more this summer. Pacioretty is still one of several potential trade targets prior to the beginning of the season, but it seems more likely that the Sharks will go into the season as is and let their play in the first few months of the season dictate whether a big move is necessary or not. However, a slow start or a major injury could cause Wilson to reinvigorate his search for scoring depth.

  • The New York Islanders have had a far worse summer than the Sharks and maybe any team in the league, but one of the franchise legends is still confident in the direction of the team. Hall of Famer Bryan Trottier sat down with NHL.com’s Dave McCarthy recently and spoke about the “bright future” of Mathew Barzal and the Islanders, despite the departure of John Tavares. “For him to… have the kind rookie season he had, he’s not disappointing anyone… I see wonderful things for Mathew in the future and for the Islanders”, Trottier stated. Between a legitimate rising star in Barzal and an impressive pipeline featuring the likes of Kieffer Bellows, Oliver Wahlstrom, Noah Dobson, Bode Wilde, and Robin Salo, Trottier is right that the future is bright, but the Isles will likely have to endure a few brutal years before they reach that point. Yet, Trottier also spoke to the credibility that new GM Lou Lamoriello and new coach Barry Trotz bring to the team and feels that with their leadership and the talent on the roster, the team can still succeed if others step up. This first season without Tavares will be telling as to how the team will fare in the coming years.
  •  One recently retired NHLer is getting back into the game. The Blues have hired St. Louis native Joe Vitale as their new radio analyst for next season, writes Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Vitale announced his hiring live on the Blues’ radio affiliate, KMOX, saying:

    “This is my city… I always wanted to be a Blue. I’m so passionate about this team, since I was born from the very get-go with my dad bringing me to games as a kid.”

    Vitale played six seasons in the NHL, mostly with the Pittsburgh Penguins but wrapping up his career with the Arizona Coyotes after head injuries forced him into premature retirement. Now, he’s feeling positive about getting back into the game with his hometown team. Vitale was a high-energy player, a checking line regular and face-off specialist during his career, and will likely bring that same energy to the Blues broadcast.

 

Snapshots: Middleton, Sharks, Morrisonn

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The Boston Bruins will add another memorable name to the rafters of TD Garden this season, as the team announced today that they will retire Rick Middleton’s #16 on November 29th. Middleton starred for the Bruins for twelve seasons from 1976-1988 and recorded 898 points in 881 games, fourth-most in Bruins history. His 402 goals rank third on a long list of impressive Boston alumni, behind only Johnny Bucyk and Phil Esposito, while his 496 assists rank sixth behind the likes of Bucyk, Esposito, Ray Bourque, Bobby Orr, and Wayne Cashman. Seeing as all but Middleton and Cashman of that group have had their numbers retired, it seems fitting that “Nifty” was next up. Yet, Middleton was surprised to receive a call from President Cam Neely today, saying he was “knocked off (his) feet” by a “dream come true”. Middleton’s number retirement will be the eleventh by Boston and will ironically be the first for the Bruins since Neely himself was honored in 2004. Who could be next for Boston? A past great like Cashman or perhaps a current long-time star like Patrice Bergeron or Zdeno Chara?

  • The San Jose Sharks made some changes to their front office today that included players previously believed to still be active. The team named Ryan Hamilton, J.P. Cote, and Neil McKenney to their scouting staff, replacing Jimmy Bonneau and Michael Chiasson who have been promoted to AHL coaching roles. The release essentially served as a retirement announcement for Hamilton and Cote. Hamilton, 33, had been the captain of the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors for the past three years and last played in the NHL for the Edmonton Oilers in 2014-15. Cote, 36, has been playing in Europe for the past three years, but was a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2013-14. McKenney has been hired away from his position as Director of Hockey Operations for Quinnipiac University in Connecticut.
  • Former NHL defenseman Shaone Morrisonn is embarking on a interesting twist to his playing career. The 2001 first-round pick is entering his 17th pro season and will do so in largely uncharted territory. Morrisonn has been playing in the KHL since 2012, but will now move to the Oji Eagles of the Asia League. The league was only established in 2004, after Morrisonn had already begun his pro career, and has not attracted many well-known North American names over the years. Perhaps in closing out his own career, Morrisonn will open the door to more former NHLers continuing their careers in Japan, South Korea, and China. Hockey is certainly spreading to Asia and a player with at least some name recognition playing in the local pro league could go a long way in continuing to grow the game.

Jarome Iginla Officially Retires From Professional Hockey

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One of the greatest power forwards to ever play in the NHL has officially called it quits today, as Jarome Iginla hangs up his skates for the last time as a member of the Calgary Flames. Though he hadn’t played professionally in over a year, today still marks the end of what has been an incredibly productive career for the 41-year old, who will finish up with 1,554 regular season games and 1,300 career points.

Though many remember him most as a young player for the Flames, Iginla was actually originally drafted by the Dallas Stars in 1995. Before he ever suited up in a professional game, he was already included in a deal for Hall of Fame forward Joe Nieuwendyk, who had won a Stanley Cup with the Flames but was embroiled in a contract dispute. Nieuwendyk would go on to help the Stars to another Cup in 1999, while Iginla would become one of the greatest Flames of all-time. In his first season during the 1996-97 season he scored 21 goals and was the runner-up to Bryan Berard—the first-overall pick from 1995—for the Calder Trophy as the league’s best rookie. Those 21 goals were a sign of things to come, as Iginla would go on to score 504 more  in a Calgary uniform (532 including playoffs) and 625 (662) in his entire career.

Scoring goals was a huge part of Iginla’s game, but there was so much more to the Calgary forward. A physical specimen who seemed to never tire, Iginla would continually punish defenders with his physical play and protect the puck all over the ice. Willing to drop his gloves to protect a teammate or spark his club, the eventual captain of the Flames was feared for his hands whether they had a stick in them or not. Even in a sport that has had an incredible history of tough players, Iginla was unique in his approach. He twice led the NHL in goal scoring, and won the Art Ross trophy as the league leader in points in 2001-02. He would be named a Hart Trophy finalist multiple times, and was the Flames MVP for more than a decade.

Outside of his on-ice accomplishments though, Iginla was a beloved player off the ice as well. Though opponents would not ever want to face him, he was almost universally respected by the hockey world and extremely popular among fans all over the world. Countless former teammates have told stories over the last few days about Iginla’s generosity towards fans, recalling times when he would be still signing autographs long after the rest of the team had left. In Canada, a country for who Iginla won two Olympic gold medals, he was one of the faces of a generation of hockey players that took over after the Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux years. That was no more apparent than when he set up Sidney Crosby for the “Golden Goal” in the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, once again battling physically in the corner to retrieve a puck and get it to a teammate in a dangerous location.

In the latter part of his career, Iginla bounced around the league trying to find a fit and bring home a Stanley Cup. Playing for Pittsburgh, Boston, Colorado and Los Angeles, Iginla would continue to find a way to score goals but never did bring home the elusive chalice. Though he’ll go down as one of the best players in NHL history to never win a Stanley Cup, he did find success at so many other levels. In addition to the two Olympic gold medals, Iginla won two Memorial Cups, and gold at the World Juniors, World Championships and World Cup.

There are few players who can truly be called unique in the game of hockey, and Jarome Iginla is one of them. Today he finished his professional career with the Calgary Flames and it won’t take long for him to get into the Hall of Fame.

Snapshots: Iginla, Kirk, Greco

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The Calgary Flames announced today that Jarome Iginla will officially retire from professional hockey on Monday, though he hasn’t been an active player for a full season. Iginla, 41, did attend some AHL practices this past season and was a potential candidate for the Canadian Olympic team, but failed to actually play in any games. Monday will mark the end of a more than two decade long playing career that is sure to put him into the Hall of Fame without much delay.

Iginla ended up with 1,554 career regular season games in which he scored exactly 1,300 points. He never did raise the Stanley Cup—though Flames fans will still tell you how they deserved to win in 2004—but will still go down as one of the game’s all-time power forwards. With 625 career goals he ranks 15th on the career leaderboard, tied with Olympic teammate Joe Sakic. Iginla did win two gold medals at that tournament, and was the player who sent an incredible pass to Sidney Crosby for the “Golden Goal” in Vancouver in 2010. We’ll have more on Iginla’s retirement when it becomes official on Monday.

  • Liam Kirk, the first English born and trained player to ever be drafted into the NHL, has signed on to play with the Peterborough Petes of the OHL this season. Kirk was selected 189th overall by the Arizona Coyotes in June, and will have to compete at a brand new level next season. Playing for the Sheffield Steelers last season in the EIHL, Kirk recorded just 16 points in 52 games. He’ll be asked to do more than that this season for the Petes, but will have the luxury of playing against players his own age.
  • The New York Islanders have struggled for quite some time to find above-average starting goaltending, and they’ll try a different approach this season. The team has hired Piero Greco to replace Fred Brathwaite as their goaltending coach, taking him from the Toronto Maple Leafs organization where he has worked with their minor league affiliate for the past few seasons. Greco is credited for developing Maple Leafs goaltender Garret Sparks from a seventh-round afterthought into the AHL Goaltender of the Year, and will now try to turn around the careers of Robin Lehner and Thomas Greiss. Both goaltenders have shown high-level ability in the NHL, but will find some consistency if the Islanders are to compete in the Metropolitan Division this season.

Will O’Neill Signs AHL Contract With Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

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In a somewhat surprising move, veteran defenseman Will O’Neill was unable to land an NHL contract this off-season. The 30-year-old blue liner was one of several signings announced today by the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. O’Neill returns to the Pittsburgh affiliate with whom he played for during the 2015-16 season on an NHL contract.

By any measure except age, O’Neill’s career trajectory appeared to be trending upward and certainly away from a minor league contract. The 2006 Atlanta Thrashers draft pick has spent almost all of his six-year pro career in the AHL, but every season except one has been played on an NHL contract. In fact, when O’Neill was last a free agent two years ago, he landed a two-year deal from the Philadelphia Flyers as a valued depth asset. This past season, O’Neill finally made his NHL debut and did not look out of place in a November contest against the St. Louis Blues. He also watched on as the extra man for several games with Philadelphia. In the AHL, O’Neill was a strong defensive presence and also recorded 19 points in 59 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms – well off his career-high 50-point mark in an All-Star campaign with the Penguins two years ago, but also in far fewer games and in a more conservative role.

At 30, O’Neill was unlikely to be an NHL regular for anyone this season or in the future, but it certainly seemed like he had established himself as a viable depth option for a team. Obviously, that wasn’t the case as the veteran opted to sign an AHL contract. O’Neill could be the latest victim of a slow market for older defenseman. Similarly situated aging extra defender Taylor Chorney decided to sign overseas last week, while the Boston-area native O’Neill instead chose to stay at home in the U.S. on a minor league basis. Several other veteran defenseman could be choosing between the same two routes – or retirement – in the coming weeks as a quiet off-season wears on.

The Salary Cap Implications Of A Shea Weber Early Retirement

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When Shea Weber signed a 14-year, $110MM offer sheet from the Philadelphia Flyers in 2012, everyone knew right away that it would end badly. Yes, Weber was 27 years old and one of the top defensemen in the league, but the contract was top-heavy and carried a $7.86MM cap hit through his age-40 season. The chances of him playing to a level matching that value over a full 14 years was very slim. The Flyers knew this and specifically structured it in a way that they hoped would scare the Nashville Predators and frugal GM David Poile away – it didn’t. The Predators had just watched Ryan Suter walk in free agency and couldn’t afford to let Weber leave as well. They matched the deal and held on to their superstar defenseman.

When Weber was then traded to the Montreal Canadiens for P.K. Subban in 2016, the risk in Weber’s contract increased exponentially. The league had since banned all similarly long-term contracts – setting a limit of seven years on the open market and eight years for an extension –  nevertheless the front-loaded, cap-circumventing type that Weber had signed. To combat teams continuing to front-load contracts, the NHL implemented salary cap recapture penalties. This system punishes teams for lengthening contracts with low-salary seasons in order to lower the cap hit during prime years by issuing a salary cap charge if the player retires prior to the end of the contract, thereby negating the years that lowered his cap hit. The calculation is the difference in total salary and total cap hit over the course of the contract with which the player played with the team, divided by the number of years remaining on the contract after retirement. In Weber’s case, the scenario looks like this:

Year           Team           Cap Hit           Salary           Difference
2012-13        NSH             $7.857MM        $14MM           $6.143MM
2013-14        NSH             $7.857MM        $14MM           $6.143MM
2014-15        NSH             $7.857MM        $14MM           $6.143MM
2015-16        NSH             $7.857MM        $14MM           $6.143MM
2016-17        MTL             $7.857MM        $12MM           $4.143MM
2017-18        MTL             $7.857MM        $12MM           $4.143MM
2018-19        MTL             $7.857MM        $6MM           -$1.857MM
2019-20       MTL*           $7.857MM        $6MM           -$1.857MM
2020-21       MTL*           $7.857MM        $6MM           -$1.857MM
2021-22       MTL*           $7.857MM        $6MM           -$1.857MM
2022-23       MTL*           $7.857MM        $3MM          -$4.857MM
2023-24       MTL*           $7.857MM        $1MM          -$6.857MM
2024-25       MTL*           $7.857MM        $1MM          -$6.857MM
2025-26       MTL*           $7.857MM        $1MM          -$6.857MM

So far over the course of Weber’s contract, both Nashville and Montreal have paid him far beyond what his cap hit would suggest. If Weber was to retire today, they would both be penalized. Nashville’s total penalty is $24.572MM, while Montreal’s is fluid. However, next season marks a drop for Weber below his cap number for the remaining eight years of his contract. Now, Weber is not going to retire this off-season. However, the chances that he retires early are very high. Earlier this week, it was reported that Weber had undergone a second off-season surgery and would likely be out until mid-season. Many expected when Weber was traded to Montreal that he still had many years left of strong play in him, but it appears that the deterioration of his body has already begun. Facing a decreasing salary for the remainder of his contract and concerns about his long-term health, it would be no surprise to see Weber retire in the next two years or so nevertheless by the end of the remaining eight years. By year, here is how the penalties would play out for both Nashville and Montreal:

If Weber retires before:      Penalty per year – NSH         Penalty per year – MTL
2019-20                                          $3.51MM                                              $918K
2020-21                                          $4.1MM                                                $762K
2021-22                                          $4.91MM                                              $543K
2022-23                                          $6.14MM                                             $215K
2023-24                                           $8.19MM                                             None
2024-25                                           $12.29MM                                           None
2025-26                                           $24.57MM                                           None

Obviously, the Predators have a lot to lose if Weber retires early. It is very unlikely that Weber, if he makes it that far, is likely to retire with one or even two years left on his contract. At that point, it is likely the Canadiens would just place him on long-term injured reserve to finish his career, as has become a growing trend in the NHL. However, if Weber is unable to get over the injuries that have plagued him in Montreal, could he call it quits within the next few years and stick Nashville with a $3.5-$5MM yearly penalty? Absolutely. It is a scary possibility for the Predators and a situation worth watching as Weber battles back from injury yet again next season and beyond.

All salary and cap figures are approximations. Data courtesy of CapFriendly.com.

Alex Burrows Announces Retirement

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The Ottawa Senators bought out the final year of Alex Burrows’ contract recently, and it will unsurprisingly mark the end of his long professional career. Burrows has announced his retirement from playing hockey at the age of 37, ending a 13-year NHL career. Quickly though, the Laval Rocket—the AHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens—named Burrows an assistant coach for the upcoming season.

Burrows has had quite the playing career. Undrafted because no one even knew who he was, he didn’t even play in the QMJHL until 19. Fighting his way onto a roster and developing into one of the best players for a Shawinigan team that included Jason Pominville and Zbynek Michalek, he earned himself a chance in the ECHL. It didn’t take long for him to climb the ranks in the minor leagues and eventually break in with the Vancouver Canucks. Just a few seasons into his NHL career he was playing on the top line, and scoring 117 goals over a four-season span between 2008-12. That 35-goal campaign in 2009-10 would never be replicated, but Vancouver fans will never forget his accomplishments in the regular season and contributions in the playoffs.

It wasn’t all success for Burrows though, who was well known for his over-the-line play at times. He racked up 1,134 penalty minutes in his NHL career, and even faced a ten game suspension in the most recent season. He was also involved with an infamous “biting” incident with Patrice Bergeron during the Stanley Cup Finals, though was never suspended for it.

In all, there’s a lot to like for the Canadiens in adding Burrows to their coaching staff. There are few players that had to fight as hard as he did to carve out an NHL career, and those who have were rarely met with his level of success. Who better to teach the young prospects and minor league players what is required to make it at the highest level, though perhaps some of the antics will be left out of those discussions. For Burrows, it is the end of a 913-game NHL career; one that has been among the most interesting and entertaining—one way or another—of his generation.

Rick Nash Still Uncertain About Returning Next Season

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One of the most surprising revelations of the last few weeks was a report that veteran winger Rick Nash had considered retirement after suffering another concussion late in the season with the Boston Bruins. That idea seemed to be fading as we heard reports of the Columbus Blue Jackets and other teams reaching out to Nash in the free agent interview period, but now Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the 34-year old forward has informed teams he will not sign on July 1st. Nash is still considering whether to play next season, and “didn’t want to further interfere” with the plans of teams looking to improve through free agency.

It’s a classy move by Nash to not make teams wait on him, but it still could throw a wrench into the offseason for some. Should Nash decide that he wants to continue—and all fans of the sport should hope that he remains healthy enough to do so—down the line, there may be little cap room available from some of his biggest suitors. He’s obviously resigned to the fact that he may be weakening his negotiation power by pushing off a decision, but one has to wonder whether he’ll be a late-summer addition to a playoff team. Like acquiring a player at the deadline, it could be a big boost to a team that has lost someone to injury during training camp or has seen a rival load up with key free agents.

Nash recorded the 13th 20-goal season of his career in 2017-18, registering 21 goals in 71 games split between the Bruins and New York Rangers. Though he’s obviously not the dominant offensive player of his youth, he can still skate well enough to contribute at both ends of the ice and remains an effective penalty killer. The fact that he struggled in the playoffs for the Bruins could be due to health concerns, but even then he was still a positive possession player for the team.

If it is the end of Nash’s career, he’ll go down as one of the better talents of his generation. In 1,060 games he recorded 437 goals and 805 points, won a Rocket Richard trophy for the first of three 40-goal seasons, and three times received Selke votes as one of the league’s best defensive forwards. Selected first-overall by Columbus in 2002, he didn’t see the second round of the playoffs until coming to New York, and was never able to lift the Stanley Cup.

Darryl Sutter Announces Retirement From Coaching

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He hasn’t been behind the bench for an NHL game in over a year, and now Darryl Sutter has decided he won’t be coming back. The Stanley Cup champion from a legendary hockey family has hung up his clipboard, and exchanged his suit and tie for a more comfortable life on his Alberta farm. According to Eric Francis of Sportsnet, Sutter won’t be considered for the new vacancy in Washington, and has decided to spend his days with his family instead of the grind of an NHL schedule.

Sutter, 59, won two Stanley Cups as the head coach of the Los Angeles Kings, a role he was relieved of last summer when the organization brought in new management. Many have speculated about his return, and his name has been linked to almost every coaching vacancy in the last year. His physical, defensive teams set a model in the Western Conference that has been replicated—to varying degrees of success—by almost the entire league at one point or another, and his hilariously low-key and tight lipped media appearances were always entertaining regardless of how the team was doing on the ice.

It’s important to note that he’s taken several years away from hockey in between jobs before, and with coaching nothing ever seems final. As the years go on there will likely be rumors about him coming out of retirement, but for now the plan seems to be set for Sutter. He’ll end his NHL coaching career with a 634-467-83 record with 101 ties, putting him 14th on the all-time list for coaching wins.

Simon Despres Wants A Second Chance At NHL

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Simon Despres was once an up-and-coming defenseman in the NHL. A first-round pick by Pittsburgh in 2009, Despres played a key depth role for the Penguins from 2011 to 2015. Although Despres was limited offensively, even in the AHL, he proved himself to be a very dependable presence in his own end. Annually a positive player with strong possession numbers, Despres eventually worked himself into a full-time role with the Penguins in 2014-15. In that season, he also showed off an improved physical game and a superior puck-moving ability. However, it was also in that season that Despres was traded to the Anaheim Ducks, a deadline deal that sent veteran Ben Lovejoy to Pittsburgh. Despres continued to play well for the Ducks down the stretch and was perhaps at the peak of his NHL career in the postseason that year with a dominant stretch. Yet, the rest of Despres’ tenure in Anaheim would not go as well.

In 2015-16, just four games into the regular season, Despres took a hard check to the head from the Colorado Avalanche’s Tyson Barrie. Despres would miss the next 42 games of the regular season and never truly returned to form in the campaign. Despres suited up for Anaheim for the opening game of the 2016-17 season, but concussion symptoms limited him to just that one appearance for the year. Despres was bought out by the Ducks at the end of the season and, at age 25, was considering retirement. Instead, Despres decided to continue his career overseas. Able to finally leave his concussions in the past, Despres had a strong season with HC Slovan Bratislava of the KHL this year. Now, he wants back in the NHL.

Speaking with Jean-Francois Tremblay of La Presse in his native Quebec, Despres states that money is not an issue and that he will do what it takes to get back into the league. He says that he will visit with teams this summer or attend camp on a tryout basis if that is what it takes. He even says he would be open to an AHL contract as a first step, specifically noting that he would not hesitate to accept an offer from the Laval Rocket, the Montreal Canadiens affiliate in his hometown that did not exist when he was in the NHL. Despres goes on to describe how he has changed his diet and lifestyle to get healthier and has even trained in martial arts in an effort to learn how to avoid bad hits and further concussions. He also describes how his time in the KHL has improved his skating and puck possession. It seems Despres has done all he can to work his way back from a potentially career-ending injury and now feels ready for a return. Now all he can do is wait for a team to give him a second chance.

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