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Poll: Who Is The Early Calder Trophy Favorite?

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The Calder Trophy is one of the most intriguing awards in the NHL. Every year a new crop of rookies compete for the title of league’s best and with it a shining star at the start of their NHL careers. The list of winners includes many of the best players the game has ever seen—Terry Sawchuk, Frank Mahovlich, Bobby Orr, Ray Bourque, Mario Lemieux and Alex Ovechkin are all part of the exclusive group—but also has some names that haven’t had quite the careers their early success implied.

Last year’s winner was Elias Pettersson, who beat out Stanley Cup winner Jordan Binnington in voting after a 66-point season. Pettersson only played in 71 games making his point totals even more impressive and enough to eclipse the turnaround that Binnington provided the St. Louis Blues in the second half.

Could Vancouver have another winner on the roster this time around? Quinn Hughes is off to an incredible start with the Canucks in his first season, logging some of the best possession numbers in the NHL and posting ten points in 13 games. Hughes looks to have escaped major injury recently when his leg was twisted underneath him, but he’ll have to return soon if he has a chance at holding off the field.

In fact, he’s not even leading rookies in scoring this season. That honor is split between two very different players. Cale Makar, another outstanding young defenseman that showed what he could do in the playoffs last season has 11 points in 14 games. The Colorado Avalanche have loved every minute of their rookie phenom, and are giving him even more opportunity of late.

He’s tied with Ilya Mikheyev though, who has the advantage of several years of professional hockey under his belt. Mikheyev is already 25 years old, but is playing in his first NHL season after signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs out of the KHL. It’s not like the NHL hasn’t seen a situation like this play out before. Artemi Panarin beat out Connor McDavid in 2015-16 as a 24-year old rookie out of the KHL, though he needed a 77-point season and an injury to the Edmonton Oilers’ superstar to do it. Mikheyev would probably need some good fortune to come out on top, but 11 points in his first 15 games is nothing to ignore.

There are plenty of others to consider however. Victor Olofsson leads all rookies in goal scoring with six, all of which have been on the powerplay. If his even-strength contributions could catch up there’s a real chance he could lead all first year players in points by the end of the year. Jack Hughes has also been effective, even after an extremely slow start. He has the benefit of notoriety that comes with being the first overall pick, but he’ll likely need at least a bit of team success to take home the trophy.

Others like Martin Necas, Cody Glass and Alexander Nylander have all been given amazing opportunities playing with great NHL talent, while defenders like Ethan Bear and Dante Fabbro impress in their own end. Kaapo Kakko, who may have been expected to contend for it after his outstanding international performances, will need to really turn his early season struggles around in order to catch the clubhouse leaders.

Who do you think is the favorite right now? Who will eventually win? We’ve included some of the major candidates below, but make sure to suggest other possibilities in the comment section.

[Mobile users click here to vote]

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Hurricanes, Krebs, Suzuki, Poehling

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Justin Williams has left the door open to return to the Carolina Hurricanes at some point during the upcoming season, but the team can’t rely on that possibility as part of their identity moving forward. For that reason, the team will replace him as captain, at least at some point. “Be perfectly clear on it”, head coach Rod Brind’Amour told the Associated Press, “He’s not part of the group. We’re moving on as if he’s not going to be here. If he comes to us in January or February and says, `Maybe I want to come back’… it’s not going to catch us by surprise. He’s earned the right to make that decision”. Veteran forward Jordan Staal echoed the sentiment, saying “as of now, we’re moving on from Willie as our captain and we’ll see where it takes us.”

Of course, Staal was on of two co-captains in Carolina in the season prior to Williams’ arrival, alongside defenseman Justin Faulk. Before that there had been no captain since the departure of the face of the franchise, Eric Staal, in 2016. It doesn’t appear as though these Hurricanes will let the captain role lie dormant in Williams’ wake as they did Staal, but Brind’Amour did say that it may take some time to name a replacement. The younger Staal and Faulk are both strong candidates to take over again. Top young players Jaccob Slavin and Sebastian Aho are also top options. For his part, Staal believes there are actually a number of possible players who can fill the role: ”I think as a core, as a group, we’ve got a lot of good kids and a lot of good leaders. ’Usually, as a captain, there’s a lot of guys beside him that are helping him out. I think Willie was a great leader, but as a core, I think there were a lot of great guys that showed up every day ready to work.”

  • On ability alone, Peyton Krebs should not have been the No. 17 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. The talented young forward out of the WHL’s Winnipeg Ice (formerly Kootenay) was talked about as a possible top-five and certainly top-ten pick last season. However, Krebs tore his Achilles tendon during off-season training prior to the draft and teams became fearful of how it might affect his development. Krebs tumbled down the draft board until the Vegas Golden Knights felt his skill was too attractive to pass up. It seems the team already has a plan in place to best manage the injury as well. The Athletic’s Jesse Granger received word from GM Kelly McCrimmon that Krebs will remain in Las Vegas under the supervision of the team’s medical staff and conditioning team for as long as the Knights deem necessary. The club wants to keep a close eye on their new top prospect’s progress rather than send him back to junior and hope for the best. In fact, Krebs will not re-join the ice until he is game-ready. Early expectations were that Krebs could miss the entire 2019-20 season, so it could be that he doesn’t return to WHL action until this time next year. But if that’s what it takes to ensure that Krebs’ injury doesn’t further set his development back by taking the ice too soon, both team and player should be amenable to the arrangement.
  • Rookies Nick Suzuki and Ryan Poehling are undoubtedly aiming to make the Montreal Canadiens roster out of training camp. Both are high draft picks with considerable skill who should be ready for the highest level. However, head coach Joel Bouchard of the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, feels they should at least begin the year in the minors. He tells Sportsnet’s Eric Engels that, while his main objective is to graduate players to the NHL, he thinks the duo could benefit from a stint in the AHL and has spoken to both about the possibility. Bouchard lays out the difference between the two levels and why two players that Montreal hopes will be core forwards at some point may be better off starting in Laval, especially in a season where the Canadiens feel they can be playoff contenders:

The NHL is a performance league, it’s not a development league. We’re not making decisions for the same reasons. For Claude (Julien), everything is about now… Claude can’t do what we do. He doesn’t have the time. I put players in situations where they’re 100 per cent going to fail, face-offs on their wrong side just so they can learn. Claude can’t do that. It’s not like I’m doing it all the time like I want to lose the game… but at the end of the day, it’s about development.

Stars Notes: Khudobin, Pavelski, Heiskanen, Dellandrea

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In two seasons with the Dallas Stars, goaltender Ben Bishop has already appeared in 112 games if you include the playoffs. And while the goaltender put up Vezina-caliber numbers last year after posting a 1.98 GAA and a .934 save percentage in 46 regular season games. However, how long can the 32-year-old keep that pace up?

The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro (subscription required) writes that the team needs to turn backup goaltender Anton Khudobin into a tandem 1B goaltender. Despite appearing in 41 games with Dallas last season, his role has obviously been as a backup as he made just one playoff appearance in 13 games, and the 33-year-old played just 11:05 in that one game. Regardless, he has put up solid 2.57 GAA and a .923 save percentage.

With Bishop getting older, Shapiro writes that the team needs to include Khudobin more and give him an even bigger role, which would include making the goalie situation more of a tandem. Khudobin has never thrived when sitting on the bench cold and has proven to be stronger when he gets streaks of starts. That might make a tandem combination work better for Dallas.

  • SportsDay’s Matthew DeFranks writes that while the 38 goals that new Dallas Stars’ Joe Pavelski scored with San Jose last season were nice, what the team is really hoping for is that the veteran forward can turn Dallas’ power play into an elite one. What the Stars are hoping for is that Pavelski can provide the power play with versatility and movement in the offensive zone, something that San Jose has always been great at. The Stars want the same mobility on their power play.  “When the bodies are moving, the puck’s moving, it gets hard for penalty killers to keep track of everybody,” Dallas coach Jim Montgomery said. “That’s where you find the open lanes, seams for tips and one-timers.”
  • NHL.com’s Rob Reese writes that while Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen had an impressive season, it’s even more impressive when you look at the numbers that the rookie put up. The blueliner was first among rookies, averaging 23:07 of ATOI, almost two minutes more than Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin. His 12 goals was ranked 17th among all NHL defensemen and his 10 even-strength were tied for eighth in the league. With more playing time expected next season, Heiskanen should continue to evolve into one of the elite defensemen.
  • NHL.com’s Brett Amadon writes that Montgomery has made it clear that he is open to giving top prospect Ty Dellandrea a legitimate shot to make the team during training camp this season. The 13th-overall pick in the 2018 draft has been impressive in juniors and looked pretty good in a short stint with the AHL’s Texas Stars last season, but would have to make Dallas’ roster next year or be returned to his junior club, the Flint Firebirds in the OHL. “I’ve got to work extremely hard and take the stuff I learned from a bit of pro experience,” Dellandrea said at Stars development camp in June. “I’ve got to come in, do everything I can and give myself the best shot to make the team.”

 

 

Bruins Notes: McAvoy, Carlo, Cassidy, Calder

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The Boston Bruins are a month away from training camp and arguably their best two defensemen remain unsigned. Restricted free agents Charlie McAvoy, 21, and Brandon Carlo, 22, are still in the process of negotiating new contracts, and effort made difficult by Boston’s current salary cap conundrum. The Bruins have just over $8MM in cap space right now, but the problem is McAvoy alone is eyeing a contract worth that amount each year. The 2016 first-round pick has struggled to stay healthy through his first two NHL seasons, but has been dominant when available with 60 points in 117 games while leading the Bruins in average time on ice. Some have cited Jacob Trouba’s recent seven-year, $56MM contract with the New York Rangers as a possible goal for McAvoy’s camp, while he would likely still exceed $6MM annually on a bridge deal. Barring any other roster changes, that would make it hard for the team to then sign Carlo, who is less effective offensively but has become the team’s most reliable defensive blue liner over the past three years. The price on a Carlo extension again depends on term, but the big defender could top $4MM on a long-term pact.

The Bruins simply don’t have the cap space right now to give both players what they want, otherwise they would both be signed already as core pieces of the present and future. It will take further negotiations or a roster shake-up to get McAvoy and Carlo under contract, so the wait continues. Bruins president Cam Neely tells NBC Sports Boston that the team must be ready for the possibility that one or both are still unsigned entering September:

“We do have to plan and prepare for these players to not be at camp opening day. But we have five, six weeks hopefully to get something done. We feel like we should be able to get something done with both of these guys at numbers that make sense for us, and hopefully makes sense for them. I think we’ve done a really good job of kind of managing the cap and making sure that we’re OK to get these guys done.”

It remains possible that the Bruins could squeeze both young defenders in on short-term bridge deals without making any further moves. The more likely scenario, which gives the contenders some more flexibility for the coming season though, is that a transaction or two will be made. David Backes, and his $6MM cap hit, has been the most talked-about target, but it could be pricey to move him without giving up a top pick or prospect or taking back another bad contract. Backes also has a limited No-Trade Clause to worry about, although he may be more open to a move if his options are another NHL team or AHL Providence. A move to the minors would save the Bruins $1.075MM against the cap. As for other possibilities, the affordable extensions of Connor Clifton and Steven Kampfer have made veterans Kevan Miller and John Moore expendable, if the Bruins can get fair value back in a deal for one or the other. One way or another, it’s likely the Bruins need to clear some cap space before next season to accommodate McAvoy and Carlo without handicapping their roster for the whole season, so expect some moves out of Boston. The start of the season on October 3rd and, worst case scenario, the December 1st deadline for RFA’s to play next season are the dates to watch for resolutions to this situation.

  • One negotiation that won’t be as much of a concern for the Bruins is the extension of head coach Bruce Cassidy. Since taking over for Claude Julien late in the 2016-17 season, Cassidy is 117-52-22 as the Bruins’ bench boss and has guided the team to back-to-back 100-point seasons. In 2017-18, he was a Jack Adams Award finalist and in 2018-19 he was a Stanley Cup finalist, so it’s safe to say that the Bruins are happy with Cassidy’s work. Neely said as much, stating how important Cassidy has been to the Bruins’ recent success, as well as their future. He also added that the team does not expect any issues with re-signing Cassidy, but have been preoccupied this summer with McAvoy and Carlo. A new contract is no doubt on its way for Cassidy. Neely joked that “I feel comfortable that he’ll be ready for training camp.”
  • For those looking for a dark horse candidate for the 2020 Calder Trophy, perhaps looking to take advantage of long odds, pay close attention to the Bruins in training camp. Given the team’s shortage of cap space and needs up front, a rookie could fall into a nice situation in Boston. If Charlie Coyle remains at third-line center, as expected, and the team moves Danton Heinen back to left wing, where he has been a better fit on his natural side, it opens up a competition to skate on the right side of David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk on the second line next season. A player who finds a nice fit with those two will have the potential to produce at a high level. Of course, that could wind up being free agent addition Brett Ritchie, talented but oft-injured Anders Bjork, or the no longer waiver-exempt Peter Cehlarik. However, the Bruins have some younger options with much more upside who could fight for the job instead. Top forward prospect Jack Studnicka is now a pro and, while he has generally played center during his junior years, the right-shot forward is buried on the depth chart down the middle and may have too much skill to keep in the minors. Oskar Steen was one of the best players in the Swedish Hockey League last season at just 21 years old and the right wing could find the adjustment to North America easier than expected. Jakub Lauko turned some heads at the junior level last year and could make a case with his play in camp that he doesn’t need to return to the QMJHL. The teen winger could instead try to fight for a role on his off-side. Finally, there are two players who got their first NHL looks last season in Karson Kuhlman and Zach Senyshyn. Kuhlman’s hard-working game won over the Bruins’ coaches and even earned him a role in the postseason, while Senyshyn seems to have outgrown the minors and is ready to put his next-level speed to better use. If any of these potential rookies wins the position battle to play alongside Krejci and DeBrusk, it doesn’t necessarily make them a Calder favorite, but does make them a high-ceiling dark horse to watch out for.

2019 Calder Memorial Trophy Finalists Announced

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The finalists for the Calder Memorial Trophy, given each year to the most proficient first-year player in the NHL, have been announced. The three rookies are Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson, St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington, and Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, according to Sportsnet’s John Shannon. New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal was the 2018 winner of the award.

While it seemed like a forgone conclusion that the Canucks’ Pettersson would walk away with the award early in the season, the young Swede has gotten some good competition from Binnington as well as fellow Swede Dahlin. However, Pettersson remains the front runner. The 20-year-old came over from Sweden this year and immediately posted 28 goals and 38 assists for 66 points, making the loss of both Henrik and Daniel Sedin, who retired a season ago, less noticeable. What’s interesting is that Pettersson was initially pegged to play the wing for a season as he transitioned to North American hockey. Instead, within a week or two of training camp the team announced he would play center immediately and fared extremely well at that. Despite the impressive numbers, the other two candidates have a legitimate chance at the award, as much of Pettersson’s production was concentrated in the first half of the season. He tallied 23 goals and 45 points in the first 40 games of the season, but struggled more in the second half, totaling just five goals and 21 points in his final 31 games.

Binnington didn’t make his first start this year until Jan. 7, but he made it count, posting a shutout against the Philadelphia Flyers and leading a struggling Blues team to the playoffs with a 24-5-1 record with a 1.89 GAA and a .927 save percentage. The 25-year-old netminder was not even considered the team’s top goalie prospect at the start of the season, as he was behind Ville Husso in San Antonio of the AHL, but a strong start to the season with the Rampage and his immediate success with St. Louis give the goaltender a good chance at challenging for the Calder.

Dahlin comes from a much more conventional place, as he was the 2018 No. 1 overall pick and immediately steadied a struggling Buffalo defense this season. He had one of the best seasons for an 18-year-old defensemen ever, as he posted nine goals and 44 points, second most in the NHL history for his age and position. Only his former coach, Phil Housley, did better as an 18-year-old defender, as Housley put up 57 points back in the 1982-83 season. Dahlin also played the second-most minutes among NHL rookies, averaging 21:09, behind Dallas Stars’ defenseman Miro Heiskanen, who many felt deserved to be among the top three in this race. Dahlin is the first Buffalo Sabres player to be a finalist for the award since Tyler Myers was nominated in 2009-10.

Deadline Primer: Calgary Flames

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With the trade deadline fast approaching, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? As we begin to examine the Pacific Division, here is a look at the Calgary Flames.

The Calgary Flames are the kings of the Western Conference so far. With 71 points in 51 games, the Flames hold a commanding six-point lead with a game in hand over the San Jose Sharks in the division and are three points up on the Winnipeg Jets overall. In fact, the Flames trail only the Tampa Bay Lightning in the NHL standings right now. The team has been rolling on all cylinders this season, finding success on both offense – No. 2 in goals per game – and defense – No. 7 in goals against per game. However, Calgary is not without fault and will be looking to add in several areas at the deadline.

However, GM Brad Treliving and company must be methodical in their approach. The Flames have just over $7MM in cap space to work with and need to be sure of their priorities when it comes to the market. The team also needs to avoid trading one of their most valuable trade assets, this year’s first-round pick. With only five selections scheduled for this June, losing their first-rounder could see Calgary make their draft debut in the late third round. As such, the Flames need to do what they can to capitalize on the strong regular season and improve before the postseason, but will be forced to be more strategic than a typical all-out buyer.

Record

33-13-5, first in the Pacific Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$7.09MM in full-season cap hit, 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 45/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2019: CGY 1st, CGY 3rd, NYI 4th, CGY 5th, CAR 7th
2020: CGY 1st, CGY 2nd, CGY 3rd, CGY 4th, CGY 5th, CGY 6th, CGY 7th

Trade Chips

If the Flames indeed take this year’s first-round pick off the table, it will have repercussions in their dealings with sellers. Depending on the team and target, some may be happy with next year’s first-rounder or, in a buyer’s market, a later pick. Others could look for a pro-ready piece to substitute the immediate boost of a first-round talent in the system. If that’s the case, Calgary has to be prepared to listen to offers including Sam Bennett. Bennett, the 2014 fourth overall pick, is struggling through another disappointing season. Now in his fourth year with the Flames, Bennett has yet to crack 20 goals or 40 points in a single season and looks likely to fall short yet again. It is far from the output that Calgary expected, but they have stuck with the frustrating forward thus far. Bennett’s ability is apparent and he’s shown flashes of brilliance from time to time, but he has been unable to put together a complete game. Even as the 22-year-old has tried to embrace a more physical, high-energy style over the past season plus, he has again missed his mark and has become a penalty liability far too frequently, especially for a team with a poor penalty kill. Bennett may reach his potential one day, but it seems unlikely to be with Calgary. In a season where the Flames have a legitimate chance to win the Stanley Cup, they need to finally give up on Bennett if that’s the price of a much-needed addition. Another castoff who has yet to meet expectations is Curtis Lazar, who could still have some intrigue for sellers.

One of the Flames’ current young defenseman could also be a trade deadline target. With five capable veterans on the back end signed through at least next season and three promising young defenders itching for more NHL responsibility, someone is going to be the odd man out next year. Juuso Valimaki, the team’s top defensive prospect, seems like a safe bet to stay put. However, the current bottom pair of Rasmus Andersson and Oliver Kylington may not stay together much longer. Both have more than proven themselves as capable pros this season, but if the Flames want to land a big fish at the deadline, they may have to give up one or the other. Losing Kylington would hurt slightly less than Andersson.

Among other prospects, first-year pro forwards Matthew Phillips and Glenn Gawdin are sure to draw interest, but the Flames may be hesitant to move either. However, with Dillon Dube out of the question, the pair could be next up among Calgary’s top minor league pieces. The Flames could try to capitalize on the breakout season of USHL star Martin Pospisil to sell high on the recent fourth-rounder.

Finally, with Jon Gillies officially losing out to David Rittich in the battle of young goaltenders in Calgary, the Flames would likely be open to moving the struggling 25-year-old. Especially if they are in pursuit of a replacement goalie of their own, the seller may like the idea of taking a waiver on another young goalie and Gillies fits the bill. So too may Tyler Parsons. 

Five Players To Watch For: F Sam Bennett, F Curtis Lazar, D Oliver Kylington, F Martin Pospisil, G Jon Gillies

Team Needs

1) Starting Goaltender: Most contenders don’t get to that point if they have a need at starting goaltender. This year’s Flames are a rare exception. Incumbent starter Mike Smith has struggled all year long and has a sub-.900 save percentage and a goals against average up over 3.00 in 25 appearances. Young David Rittich has take over as the go-to option and has performed admirably in 30 appearances, but has faded since his hot start to the season. Most likely, Calgary’s Cup hopes live and die by what they do in net. Doing nothing at all will likely cost them their chance barring a heroic return to form from Smith. Adding a third goalie to at least compete for starts will let them continue their current trajectory. Carolina Hurricanes’ keepers Petr Mrazek or Curtis McElhinney could fall into this group, as could Cam Talbot from the rival Edmonton Oilers or old friend Brian Elliott, if healthy. If the Flames instead opt to upgrade the position with one of the three main goalies on the market – Sergei Bobrovksy, Jimmy Howard, and Semyon Varlamov – one would have to think that their title chances would improve significantly. The trick will be adding one of these three at a reasonable price while also keeping enough cap space open to add in other areas. Moving Smith in another deal could be an option.

2) Top-Nine Winger: Michael Frolik, Sam Bennett, James Neal, and Austin Czarnik simply haven’t panned out as expected this season. As dominant as the Flames’ top line and two-thirds of their second line has been, they have needed help on the wing in the middle six for much of the year. If they can add a forward that can also help out their 21st-ranked penalty kill, that would be even better. If they can add two such capable two-way wingers? That would be ideal. Again, the Flames lack of cap space and bigger need in net make this a likely result, but Calgary has a serious need for depth on the wing and it could be exposed in the postseason if not addressed. Some of the more cap-friendly outside options are likely to be targets, such as Jakob Silfverberg, Richard Panik, Ryan Dzingel, or Patrick Maroon. However, the possibility of a return to Calgary for Micheal Ferland remains one of the most intriguing possibilities at the deadline. Ferland seemingly would be a great fix for what ails the Flames.

3) Veteran Depth Defenseman: Even though depth on defense has been identified as a strength for the Flames moving forward, there are some concerns at present. Michael Stone is currently sidelined with a blood clot issue and there is no definitive timeline for his return. Meanwhile, rookies Rasmus Andersson, Oliver Kylington, and Juuso Valimaki have played a little over 100 career NHL games combined and the other young options in the AHL aren’t instilling any confidence. Calgary has an impressive top four that they will no doubt lean on in the playoffs, but just one injury could leave Dalton Prout as the team’s top replacement option and that is a problem. The Flames need to add another experienced veteran to the blue line and, even if the right-handed Stone returns to health, could use an extra body on the left side preferably. Treliving would have to get creative, but Detroit’s Niklas Kronwall would be a great fit. More affordable options include Jordie Benn and Brandon Davidson among others.

Flames’ Dalton Prout Reassigned To AHL For Conditioning Stint

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The Calgary Flames are flying high right now, sporting the best record in the Pacific Division and winners of seven of their last ten. The Flames owe their success to a number of players, but veteran defenseman Dalton Prout has not been one of them. Prout has been a healthy scratch for all but one game this season, the team’s second game of the season back on October 6th. That inactivity has finally become a concern for the team, as the Flames announced that they have sent Prout down to the AHL on a conditioning assignment.

Prout, 28, was acquired by Calgary in a trade with the New Jersey Devils last season, in which goaltender Eddie Lack headed back to New Jersey. Prout did not suit up for the Flames, but instead played out the rest of the season with the Stockton Heat. It was the first time since his rookie season that Prout did not play at least a quarter of the NHL season, but now looks as if it could be a sign of things to come rather than a fluke.

Prout is a big, physical defender, but struggles with skating and and lacks finesse in his game. Calgary has shown that they don’t need to or want to rely on him, even last year, and are even deeper on the blue line this season. The play of rookies Juuso Valimaki and Rasmus Andersson have made Prout an unnecessary fixture in Calgary thus far. This conditioning stint will get him some play time, key on the off chance that they do need him, but seems more like a preface to a more permanent solution for Prout.

John Moore Out, Bruins To Debut Two Rookie Defensemen

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When GM Don Sweeney and the Boston Bruins front office were looking ahead to this season, they were anticipating a strong starting six on defense with veteran depth and promising rookies in reserve. A quarter of the way through the season, the Bruins have yet to play a game with all six of their projected starters: Zdeno Chara, Charlie McAvoy, Torey Krug, Brandon Carlo, Kevan Miller, and free agent addition John Moore. Instead, the team has rotated through ten different defensemen due to continuous injury issues. Tonight, they’ll add two more.

In the Bruins’ Wednesday night game against the Colorado Avalanche, they lost captain Chara to an apparent knee injury. He joined McAvoy (concussion), Carlo (upper-body), Miller (hand), and rookie Urho Vaakanainen (concussion) on the shelf. Then today, Moore was unexpectedly absent from morning skate and the team announced that he was day-to-day with a lower-body injury of his own. The loss leaves the Bruins with just one starter – Krug – in the lineup and missing all of their regular right-side defenders. Krug and Matt Grzelcyk are the only active defensemen who played a game for Boston last season.

When the Bruins take on the Dallas Stars tonight – and likely Saturday at the Arizona Coyotes as well – they will roll out a defensive corps that includes three rookies. Jeremy Lauzon has skated in six games with Boston already and the team announced that Jakub Zboril and Connor Clifton will make their NHL debuts tonight. Zboril, 21, is a 2015 first-round pick who has been slow to develop but has been a capable shutdown defender in the AHL. Clifton, 23, was a college free agent out of Quinnipiac University who signed with the Providence Bruins last year and earned an NHL contract with his play. While all three rookies have shown promise, they hardly seem equipped to play the roles expected of them early on in their NHL careers. The current Bruins defensive figuration has just 667 career NHL games to their credit and just 262 not counting Krug. Boston needs some luck and strong outings by Tuukka Rask tonight and Jaroslav Halak tomorrow to survive this unbelievable injury bug.

Decisions Looming For Players Eligible For Entry-Level Slides

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With the ten-game mark of the season fast approaching, many teams are facing decisions about whether or not to officially burn the first year of the entry-level contracts for many of their teenaged players.  Some decisions appear to be fairly obvious while others aren’t as much of a guarantee.  Here’s a look at the situations for the players whose contracts could potentially slide a year.

(F Maxime Comtois of the Ducks has already played in ten games to officially start his entry-level deal.)

Nine Games Played

F Filip Chytil (NYR)
D Rasmus Dahlin (BUF)
D Henri Jokiharju (CHI)
F Andrei Svechnikov (CAR)
D Juuso Valimaki (CGY)

Out of this group, it’s pretty much a foregone conclusion that each will play in one more game.  Calgary’s depth on the back end could make Valimaki a candidate to be cut but he has acquitted himself relatively well so far, establishing himself as a legitimate regular so it doesn’t seem likely that he’ll be sent down.

Eight Games Played

D Miro Heiskanen (DAL)
F Jesperi Kotkaniemi (MTL)
F Isac Lundestrom (ANA)
F Michael Rasmussen (DET)

Heiskanen is averaging more than 20 minutes a night already so it’s safe to say he’ll be sticking around.  Canadiens head coach Claude Julien acknowledged that he hasn’t even discussed the possibility of sending Kotkaniemi down so he’s a safe bet to stay as well.  Injuries have forced Anaheim’s hand with Lundestrom and with several regulars still out indefinitely, there’s a reasonable chance he’ll stick around as well.  Rasmussen’s case isn’t quite as certain.  He hasn’t had much of an impact yet and has spent a fair bit of time in the bottom six already.  While he’d be forced to go back to junior, that may make the most sense from an organizational standpoint.  This season is already going off the rails for Detroit so they may take the longer-term view here.

Seven Games Played

F Martin Necas (CAR)
F Kailer Yamamoto (EDM)

Carolina has already sent Necas to the AHL for now so they’ll take some more time to evaluate his future.  As for Yamamoto, he has logged over 14 minutes a night which is rather respectable but his production hasn’t been there.  He’s a player that needs to be in an offensive role to thrive so if he isn’t scoring, they may deem that it’s better to send him to the AHL for now and then decide what to do later in the year.

Six Games Played

D Evan Bouchard (EDM)

Edmonton’s back end isn’t in the best of shape and the tenth pick back in June has had an up-and-down start to his year.  He has looked good in the attacking end but has struggled at times in his own zone.  The Oilers have sat him already and it wouldn’t be shocking to see them do so a few more times in the weeks ahead to give them more time to decide on his future.

Five Games Played

F Alex Formenton (OTT)
F Robert Thomas (STL)
F Kristian Vesalainen (WPG)

Formenton’s speed has been a real weapon for Ottawa but it hasn’t translated to much in the way of production just yet.  He isn’t able to go to the AHL yet so he’d be heading back to OHL London if he’s cut.  His case is one of the closest to being a pure toss-up at the moment so it wouldn’t be surprising if he sits a game or two to buy more time to make the decision.  Thomas has played a limited role for the Blues and with Robby Fabbri and Nikita Soshnikov now on conditioning stints, he may soon be forced back to junior even though he doesn’t have much left to prove at that level.  Vesalainen is currently in the AHL so Winnipeg’s decision on what to do with him won’t come until later on.

(Jaret Anderson-Dolan of the Kings has played five games but was recently sent back to junior meaning that he can only be brought back in an emergency recall situation.)

Four Games Played

F Brady Tkachuk (OTT)

Tkachuk was off to a very strong start (3-3-6 in four games) before tearing a ligament in his leg that will keep him out for several more weeks.  Assuming he can maintain a spot in their top-six upon his return, he’ll be a safe bet to stick around past the ten-game mark.

Two Games Played

D Urho Vaakanainen (BOS)

The Finnish blueliner suffered a concussion on Tuesday night in his second game on emergency recall.  As he can be shuttled back and forth with AHL Providence, this case will likely take a while for the Bruins to decide on as he’ll likely be headed back to the minors when he gets the green light to return.

For some teams, this particular threshold may not be the one they’re most concerned with.  Lately, more teams have set the 40-games on the active roster mark (not necessarily games played) as the critical threshold.  That one determines whether or not a player accrues a season towards unrestricted free agency.  For most players, that threshold is 27 years old but players younger than that can reach that mark with seven years of service time.

Accordingly, even if many of these players make it to game number ten, their NHL fates may be far from sealed just yet.  For those whose likelihood to make it to that mark is less certain, the next couple of weeks are going to be crucial in determining their short-term playing futures.

Snapshots: Schultz, Pettersson, Hicketts, Howden

at CDT | by 5 Comments

The Pittsburgh Penguins could find themselves down a defenseman for a while after Justin Schultz went down Saturday with what looks to be a gruesome leg injury (video link here). According to the Penguins, he needed to be helped off the ice after falling awkwardly in slow motion and either injuring his ankle or knee, after getting tangled up with Montreal’s Tomas Plekanec.

While more information won’t be known until Sunday at least, the idea of losing Schultz, one of the top defenseman isn’t a good sign. The 28-year-old already had four assists in three games played this season. Assuming he’s out for any length of time, the team could look to insert Juuso Riikola into the rotation. The Finnish free-agent, who signed with the team this summer, has impressed the Penguins throughout training camp and earned a spot as an extra defenseman, but has played in just one game so far this season.

  • Vancouver Canucks fans have to be worried after rookie Elias Pettersson took a massive hit from Florida Panthers’ Mike Matheson and then was thrown down on top of that (video link here). The 19-year-old rookie immediately left the game with a trainer, according to TSN’s Brennan Klak. Pettersson had already put up a power play goal in the game and led all rookies with five goals and eight points this season. No word on the severity of the injury.
  • NBC Sports Joe Haggerty writes that Detroit Red Wings defenseman Joe Hicketts will likely struggle all season as the diminutive blueliner at works his way through his rookie campaign with his physical brand of hockey. While the 5-foot-8 defenseman played an impressive 23:39 against the Boston Bruins Saturday and had five hits, he finished with a minus-3 and showed that he’ll struggle against top competition and skaters such as the Bruins depth that he faced Saturday.
  • Rick Carpinello of The Athletic (subscription required) profiles the play of the New York Rangers’ Brett Howden, who seems to be showing the team that he’s more than just a grinder. The 20-year-old has been impressive since training camp and his play forced the Rangers to send 2017 first-rounder Lias Andersson to the AHL. The Rangers acquired Howden, a 2016 first-round pick, from Tampa Bay in the Ryan McDonagh deal last season, but has already posted two goals in the Rangers’ first five games.

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