Minnesota Notes: GM, Free Agents, Whitecaps
The Minnesota Wild are closing in on their next GM, as Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required) reports that team owner Craig Leipold will sit down with Paul Fenton today and Tom Fitzgerald on Thursday before making a final decision. Fenton, the Nashville Predators assistant GM, has been a candidate for countless jobs over the past decade but stayed with his current organization as the right hand of David Poile. Fitzgerald, a rising star in the New Jersey Devils front office, apparently “thoroughly impressed Leipold” in his first interview and is now a legitimate finalist for the job.
Minnesota let long-time GM Chuck Fletcher go after a disappointing first-round exit at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets, and are looking for something of a new direction under their next executive. The team has routinely made the playoffs in recent years, only to quickly bow out and try again the following season.
- When CapFriendly released their offer sheet compensation yesterday, one couldn’t fault a Minnesota fan from feeling fearful when reading the list of restricted free agents. Two of the very best—Jason Zucker and Mathew Dumba—belong to the Wild, and could potentially draw offer sheet interest. Zucker is coming off a breakout 64-point season and is already 26, while Dumba lived up to his seventh-overall draft position with a 50-point season from the blue line. Both players are integral parts of the Minnesota team, and key negotiations for whoever becomes the next GM. If someone were to sign either to a big-money offer sheet, it may be hard to turn down what would be an expansive compensation package.
- The NWHL has expanded to the state of hockey for the 2018-19 season, as the Minnesota Whitecaps will become the league’s fifth team. Joining the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale and Metropolitan Riveters, Minnesota will be the league’s first foray outside of the north east. The Whitecaps have operated independently for several years, playing exhibition games against NWHL teams but never being an official part of the league. The organization will initially be owned by the league.
Snapshots: Torrey, Quinn, Predators
The hockey world is saddened today, as it learned of the passing of Bill Torrey. A legendary executive, Torrey was the architect of the New York Islanders dynasty and first GM of the Florida Panthers. Not only was he an outstanding general manager and president, but he was beloved by nearly the entire hockey community. A outpouring of grief has come from former players, media and executives, all sharing their favorite stories and memories.
At PHR, as with the rest of the hockey world, we extend our condolences to the Torrey family and friends. He was 83.
- David Quinn, coach of Boston University, has been rumored as a potential candidate for several NHL vacancies including that of the New York Rangers. Today, Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that though he hasn’t told the Rangers, Quinn has indicated to friends that he’ll return to BU next season. Quinn is also set to coach Team USA at the World Juniors next year, something he obviously wouldn’t be able to do should he take an NHL job.
- The Nashville Predators look like they’ll shake up their lineup for Game 4, inserting Yannick Weber and Scott Hartnell. Adam Vingan of the Tennessean reports that Alexei Emelin and Kevin Fiala were both on the ice late doing extra work, and appear to be coming out for the matchup against the Winnipeg Jets. The Predators are down 2-1 in the series and need to find a way to steal a game in Winnipeg to even the series, or face elimination on home ice Saturday night.
Playoff Notes: Zaitsev, Muzzin, Letang, Beagle, Kempny
With the Boston Bruins dominating their playoff series with the Toronto Maple Leafs so far, it’s quite obvious the team needs to shore up their defense quite a bit more if they want to get back into the series. With the team’s defense having been a sticking point all season, it has been exposed even more by the Bruins.
What Toronto needs is to get defenseman Nikita Zaitsev to play like they need him to do, according to The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel (subscription required). The blueliner was not just on the ice Saturday for each of the Bruins’ four goals in the first period, but was part of each of the plays. Now in his second season, Zaitsev is still trying to prove that he is worthy of the seven year, $31.5MM deal he signed last summer. While he had a promising rookie campaign of four goals and 32 assists last year, his assists took a nosedive as he had just eight assists this year and a total of 13 points. And while his plus/minus rating has improved from a -22 to a +8 this year, his defensive play has not helped helped him in the playoffs. If the team has any chance of coming back, it must start with Zaitsev.
- The Los Angeles Kings not only get back defenseman Drew Doughty from suspension tonight against the Vegas Golden Knights, but the team also got the good news that defenseman Jake Muzzin will be back as well, according to Fox Sports Jon Rosen. Muzzin, who has missed the past seven games with an upper-body injury, is a key part to the team’s defense as the team attempts to fight back from an 0-2 deficit to Vegas.
- While Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang, who took a hit from Philadelphi’s Claude Giroux Friday in Game 2, is considered a game-time decision for today’s game. Pittsbugh Post-Gazette’s Jason Mackey writes coach Mike Sullivan revealed that Letang did not have to go through concussion protocol Friday when he was injured during the game. The veteran defenseman missed all of the playoffs last year on the Penguins’ Stanley Cup run.
- Tarik El-Bashir of NBC Sports writes that center Jay Beagle and defenseman Michal Kempny are both expected to play Sunday. Both players have played key roles behind the scenes in Washington who hopes to even their series with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Beagle, a faceoff specialist, was badly missed in Game 1 after the Capitals lost 10-of-11 draws in the third period. He has missed four straight games with an upper-body injury. Kempny was hit from behind by Columbus’ Josh Anderson in Game 1, but did not suffer a concussion.
Blue Jackets’ Ian Cole Fined For Dangerous Trip
The Department of Player Safety announced they have fined Columbus Blue Jackets’ defenseman Ian Cole $5,000, the maximum allowed by the CBA, for a dangerous trip on Vancouver’s Brandon Sutter on Saturday between the two teams.
The 29-year-old blueliner was given a two-minute minor for the incident. Cole was suspended for three games back in 2012 for an illegal hit to the head.
Cole was acquired at the trade deadline from the Ottawa Senators after they picked him up from the Pittsburgh Penguins days before. He has fit in nicely to the team’s lineup, but while there are rumors that Columbus has been discussing an extension, there is concern that the Blue Jackets might not be able to afford his pricetag as he will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. He has five goals and 15 assists this season.
Minor Transactions: 02/17/18
Though teams made several transactions yesterday to make their younger players eligible for the AHL playoffs, the rest of the season will still be filled with call-ups to help out the NHL team. Remember, after the trade deadline that though rosters have no limits in terms of total players, teams are allowed only four non-emergency recalls.
- The Washington Capitals have recalled Travis Boyd, who had been playing with the Hershey Bears of the AHL. For the third consecutive season, Boyd is among the scoring leaders for Hershey with 44 points in 56 games. While it’s unclear if he’s scheduled to enter the Capitals lineup right away, he can definitely give them some offensive punch if inserted down the stretch.
- Cory Schneider was assigned to the Binghamton Devils on a conditioning stint today, but is expected to be brought back on Wednesday to rejoin New Jersey on their current road trip. While that doesn’t guarantee he’ll be back in the crease right away, it is a good sign that he’s approaching his return to the lineup.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Tristan Jarry on an emergency loan after announcing that Matt Murray has been diagnosed with a concussion. Jarry had been sent down to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, but will now have to help Casey DeSmith with the NHL duties. DeSmith is expected to start tonight for the Penguins, but Jarry has more experience in the starting role and could be asked to take over while Murray is out.
- The Calgary Flames announced that they have sent Andrew Mangiapane to the AHL, but the move was actually completed yesterday to make sure he was eligible for the minor league playoffs. With the addition of Chris Stewart off waivers, Mangiapane was likely looking at some healthy scratches and now can help the Stockton Heat instead.
- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Seth Griffith from the AHL, spending one of their recalls to bring up the 25-year old forward. Griffith has played 76 NHL games over his career and is a point-per-game player at the minor league level. The undersized forward has excellent creativity and playmaking ability, but hasn’t ever been given an extended chance in a team’s top-6.
- As expected, the Minnesota Wild have brought Luke Kunin back up from the minor leagues. The Wild are extremely close to the cap, and needed to move out some salary at the deadline in order to bring Kunin up for the stretch run while keeping enough room to sign Jordan Greenway. Kunin has just 19 points for the Iowa Wild this season, but is a hard working two-way center that could jump right into the lineup for the Wild.
- Ethan Bear will be one of the Edmonton Oilers’ four call-ups for the remainder of the season, and will get a chance to show what he can do after an outstanding junior career. Bear was a 70-point defenseman in his final season with the Seattle Thunderbirds, and was a huge part of their qualifying for the Memorial Cup in 2017. The undersized but super-skilled Bear has 16 points in his first professional season for the Bakersfield Condors.
- The Anaheim Ducks have returned winger Kalle Kossila and goalie Reto Berra to San Diego of the AHL, notes Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register. Berra’s demotion was expected with John Gibson likely to return to the lineup on Friday. As for Kossila, he didn’t get into any games after being recalled back on the 24th; he has a goal and an assist in ten contests with Anaheim from earlier this season.
Jack Johnson, Columbus Blue Jackets Recently Discussed Extension
There has been a persistent thought that Jack Johnson was likely the first man out the door for the Columbus Blue Jackets at the trade deadline since his trade request became public earlier this season, but now Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription required) reports that the team has reached out to re-open negotiations on a possible extension. Though neither side would comment, it’s an interesting turn in what was an expected breakup over the next few days.
Portzline adds that the Blue Jackets offered Johnson a seven-year extension last offseason worth more than $22MM, which he turned down.
Johnson’s ice time has gone back up since the report of a trade request broke, topping 20 minutes in nine of his last 14 games. As Columbus continues to try and solidify their place in the Stanley Cup playoffs, Johnson’s name has come up as a possibility for many teams around the league. His experience and ability in various situations was quite sought after, with a late first-round pick even expected as a potential return.
Portzline is quick to point out that if extension talks don’t progress, Johnson still could be traded by Monday’s deadline, but this at least opens the door to a possible return. The 31-year old is a valuable piece for the Blue Jackets, but is scheduled to be one of the top defensive options on the open market should he hold out until unrestricted free agency this summer.
Montreal Canadiens “Very Active” As Deadline Approaches
The Montreal Canadiens, losers of four of their last five games including three at the hands of the Boston Bruins, are now 19-22-6 on the season and well out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. In his latest 31 Thoughts column for Sportsnet, Elliotte Friedman reports that GM Marc Bergevin is more active than normal trying to “get something going.”
Friedman lists only Carey Price, Shea Weber, Victor Mete and Jonathan Drouin as unlikely to be traded, making the rest of the roster ripe for speculation. Max Pacioretty has obviously been in the news quite a bit recently, something Alex Galchenyuk has dealt with for years. There are also lesser-known names like Paul Byron, Andrew Shaw and Brendan Gallagher who would all draw interest as well as expiring contracts for Tomas Plekanec, Jakub Jerabek and Antti Niemi.
Montreal has had a season to forget, but Friedman points out that everyone in the league can see what Colorado is doing this year. After putting up historically bad numbers in 2016-17, the Avalanche are now on a ten game winning streak and find themselves right in the thick of the Western Conference playoff run. Montreal knows first hand what that bounce-back can be, after struggling without an injured price in 2015-16 only to return to the playoffs a year later.
If anything, the Canadiens are more likely to reload than rebuild, as Price’s huge extension kicks in next season and there is plenty of other money tied up in Weber, Drouin, Jeff Petry and Karl Alzner. Even if they do move out some significant pieces, you can bet Montreal won’t be tearing down the whole thing.
Snapshots: Johnson, Crawford, Murray
Jack Johnson‘s not hiding the fact that he asked for a trade in November, but he wanted to make it clear that he’s nowhere near quitting on the Columbus Blue Jackets. In an excellent piece by Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription required), Johnson goes into detail on how he would love to stay with his current club, but is just trying to do what is best for his career and family:
This isn’t a situation that’s normal. Most people, when stuff like this happens, it’s because they don’t want to be where they’re at, or they’re not happy with the team, the city, the coaches, whatever. I’m not … this isn’t a case of any of that.
Johnson is perhaps more concerned with future paydays than the average NHL veteran because of the public bankruptcy he had to file in 2014 thanks to debt his parents created in his name. Still, Johnson only wants to show he’s capable of contributing to a winning lineup, and he’ll get that chance tomorrow night against the Dallas Stars when he’s reunited with David Savard on the team’s second defense pairing. Though he remains a possibility for trade, Portzline perhaps put it best on Twitter when asked if Johnson could play his way into a contract: “rule out nothing.”
- Though Scotty Bowman seemed to dispute the report of vertigo-like symptoms for Corey Crawford when he was on Sportsnet radio in Toronto, Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times caught up with the legendary coach to clarify his comments. Bowman was just “guessing” at the fact that Crawford has a concussion, and had no confirmation of the diagnosis. Either way, as Lazerus points out, it doesn’t seem like there is a timetable for Crawford’s return.
- If you’re tuning into the Pittsburgh Penguins game and wondering where Matt Murray is, the team announced earlier today that the goaltender will be away from the team indefinitely following the death of his father, James Murray. There was an outpouring of support from media and fellow NHL players as Murray is well-liked around the league. PHR would also like to extend our condolences to the Murray family.
Red Wings Notes: Howard, Larkin, Holland
MLive’s Ansar Khan reports that Detroit Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard is slated to return for Saturday’s contest against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Howard was shelved with a lower body injury but Detroit’s bye week was a fortuitous opportunity for the veteran net minder to recover. Howard told DetroitRedWings.com’s Dana Wakiji that he’ll be ready for tomorrow’s game. In his last six starts, Howard has been 4-2 with a .952 save percentage, and a main reason the Red Wings have seen their fortunes trend up. Though they’re still out of the playoff hunt (and will stay that way most likely), Howard has been excellent for a team short on defense and elite talent.
- Khan takes questions in a mailbag next, indicating that he doesn’t expect any hitches as they did when Andreas Athanasiou held out as an RFA. Khan continues, writing that the Red Wings have $10MM with Mike Green and Petr Mrazek set to be free agents. With the cap rising as well, Khan doesn’t foresee any issues getting the important younger players, namely Dylan Larkin, Anthony Mantha and Athanasiou. Martin Frk and Tyler Bertuzzi are both in their final year of a contract but will come at a lower price than the aforementioned three.
- In another question, Khan writes that Henrik Zetterberg might have one season left before a new captain will have to be named. He sees Justin Abdelkader being the next Red Wing to wear the C while Larkin a future captain as well. Larkin was an alternate captain while playing in the World Juniors last May, but it wouldn’t be crazy to think that Larkin could be the next in line. Steve Yzerman was named captain at the ripe old age of 21, which just happens to be Larkin’s current age.
- The Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James has a mailbag of her own, and gives her thoughts on the future of general manager Ken Holland. She believes he will still be around, either in the GM chair or as an adviser. She also believes that Larkin will be the first of the three young building blocks (Larkin-Mantha-Athanasiou) to be re-signed by Detroit.
Johnny Bower Passes Away At Age 93
In some heart-breaking news to hear around the holidays, Toronto Maple Leafs legend and NHL Hall of Fame goaltender Johnny Bower has passed away at the age of 93. A short statement was released by the Bower family, that outlined some of his past greatness:
Bower is renowned for his generosity, having raised money for such causes as the Candian Kidney Foundation, Canadian Arthritis Society as well as advocating for Canadian military veterans and their families. He has been a long-time spokesperson for the Peel Children’s Safety Village and Honorary Chief of Police in Peel Region since 2003.
The fact that a statement of Bower’s legacy includes so much mention of his post-hockey work is no mistake. Though he was a titan of goaltending between 1953 and 1969, playing in 552 contests and winning four Stanley Cups and two Vezina trophies, his impact off the ice was even greater. Bower had been a long standing ambassador for hockey in the Ontario region for decades, with an impact of some sort on thousands of players.
While the goaltender was a familiar face at Maple Leafs games and Hockey Hall of Fame events, his daughter Cindy is as well-known in minor hockey rinks across the province as a power skating coach. There are few young Ontario-born players who’ve reached any heights without some interaction with the Bower family.
A statue of Bower was erected outside the Air Canada Center in Toronto in 2014 as part of “Legends Row” and he was named the 7th-greatest Maple Leafs player of all-time in recent years. He is survived by Nancy, his wife of 69 years, children John Jr., Cindy and Barbara, eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
To Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com, perhaps Brendan Shanahan put it best.
There may not be a more loved Toronto Maple Leaf, nor a former player who loved them as much back.