Poll: Which Of The Eliminated Seven Will Return To The Postseason In 2021?
When the NHL convinced the NHLPA to return in a bubble this summer, part of the agreement was for an expanded postseason. Just seven teams were actually eliminated, finishing their seasons in early March with no chance at the Stanley Cup.
For many of the players on the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, New Jersey Devils, Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings, and Buffalo Sabres, it has already been almost eight months since they last played a competitive hockey game. While those squads may receive some sort of extended training camp, it’s going to be a battle to get back into the postseason in 2021.
Even though it’s tough, that doesn’t mean they won’t give it a try. Many of the seven teams have made major additions this offseason, with some even completing sweeping changes to their roster.
The Ducks, who finished 29-33-9 in 2019-20, had almost no financial flexibility to do anything on the free agent market. Kevin Shattenkirk and Derek Grant were their UFA additions, both coming on three-year deals. They do however have a wave of young talent working its way up the depth chart, which could at any point propel them to success. The same could be said about the Kings, who spent even less in free agency. Los Angeles is just at the start of their rebuild and will hope that top pick Quinton Byfield can make an NHL impact quickly.
The Sharks were one of the most disappointing teams in the league this season, winning just 29 of their 70 games. This was a team that had just gone to the Western Conference Finals in 2019 and was still loaded with household names like Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns, and Logan Couture. Goaltending was a huge part of the problem for the Sharks, but bringing in Devan Dubnyk certainly doesn’t guarantee an improvement.
New Jersey had plenty of hype after landing the first-overall pick in 2019 and surrounding him with expensive players like Nikita Gusev and P.K. Subban. When Hughes didn’t immediately set the league on fire, the team couldn’t really compete in a tough Metropolitan Division. This offseason the Devils have landed a proven middle-six winger in Andreas Johnsson, a capable defenseman in Ryan Murray, and a Stanley Cup champion in Corey Crawford to help them get over the hump. Development from Hughes is likely the most important factor here.
The same could be said about the Senators, who have taken an extremely young roster and added veteran pieces all over the ice. Evgenii Dadonov and Matt Murray highlight the additions, though the draft was really where the Senators believe their offseason earned its stripes. It’ll be tough for Ottawa this year, but they’re obviously on the track towards postseason contention.
Detroit is only really a year into their full rebuild and has stripped their roster of any long-term contracts. Sure, they added veterans like Vladislav Namestnikov and Bobby Ryan in free agency, but those both seem more like trade chips than core pieces.
In Buffalo, it’s playoffs-or-bust at this point. The team signed free agent superstar Taylor Hall to a one-year deal, brought Eric Staal away from his home in Minnesota, and added depth up front with pieces like Cody Eakin. New GM Kevyn Adams isn’t focused on a rebuild, he’s focused on getting the Sabres back to for the first time in a decade.
But who actually has the best chance at making the postseason? Cast your vote below and make sure to leave your thoughts in the comments!
Which team is most likely to make the playoffs in 2021?
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Buffalo Sabres 43% (933)
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San Jose Sharks 15% (319)
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New Jersey Devils 12% (253)
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Ottawa Senators 11% (239)
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Los Angeles Kings 9% (198)
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Detroit Red Wings 5% (116)
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Anaheim Ducks 5% (109)
Total votes: 2,167
[Mobile users click here to vote!]
Negotiation Notes: Ekman-Larsson, Bertuzzi, Gushchin
While the Oliver Ekman-Larsson trade rumors dominated the pre-free agency headlines, the Arizona Coyotes’ star defenseman ultimately stayed put. Now, the ‘Yotes captain tells AZ Central’s Jose Romero that this was the result that he had hoped for:
I have a clause in my contract, a no-trade, no-move clause. At the same time, I did not want to stand in the way if the organization felt otherwise. That’s how I am as a person. It was more that if they wanted to remove me, I set up the two clubs as an alternative, but, as I said, I wanted nothing better than to continue in Arizona so it feels good that it turned out the way it did.
Ekman-Larsson didn’t stand in the Coyotes’ way of making a trade per say, but the longest-tenured Coyote provided as little flexibility as he could while seeming open to a deal. Ekman-Larsson provided Arizona with just two teams he would accept a trade to, the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks, and also set a deadline of October 9 for a deal to be completed. While the team reportedly had talks with both Boston and Vancouver, no deal could be reached in time and Ekman-Larsson stayed put. While he admits that even being available on his own terms was uncomfortable, Ekman-Larsson feels happy to still be a Coyote and has moved past the whole situation. Arizona meanwhile will have to find another way to solve their current salary cap crisis.
- While there is a negative correlation between reaching a salary arbitration hearing and the number of seasons that player spends with his team after the fact, Tyler Bertuzzi remains on good terms with the Detroit Red Wings, according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. Bertuzzi tells James that all is well, even after the player was critically examined by his own team in front of an arbitrator, who seemingly agreed with an award closer to where the Red Wings filed. Bertuzzi went so far as to say the process “went smoothly” and stated that it was “nothing personal at all.” Congratulations are due to Detroit and GM Steve Yzerman on not only winning the arbitration battle, but maintaining such good terms with the subject. Bertuzzi’s experience with an arbitration hearing is far from the norm.
- Daniil Gushchin, selected in the third round by the San Jose Sharks earlier this month, had previously signed with the OHL’s Niagara Ice Dogs this summer after the team picked him fourth overall in the 2020 CHL Import Draft. This seemingly marked the end of his consideration of going the collegiate route as well as his time in the USHL. Yet, with the OHL season delayed, Gushchin’s USHL club, the Muskegon Lumberjacks, have revealed that their star forward is still very much in the mix for the 2020-21. It is possible that the Ice Dogs have negotiated a loan of Gushchin to the Lumberjacks until OHL training camps open, but it also may be that the skilled forward has simply found himself a place to play. So long as Gushchin stays in the USHL this season and does not suit up in the OHL, he would maintain his NCAA eligibility and could still wind up joining a college program, many of whom had interest before he committed to Niagara.
Alex True Loaned To Rungsted Seier Capital
The San Jose Sharks have been one of the more active teams in the NHL when loaning out their young players around the world, and today have found another landing spot. Alex True will suit up for Rungsted Seier Capital in his home country of Denmark, loaned to the club until the 2020-21 NHL season begins. True hasn’t played in Denmark since 2014, when he left for the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds.
True, 23, finally made it all the way to the NHL in 2019-20, playing 12 games with the Sharks and recording four points. The 6’5″ forward went undrafted out of the WHL and started his professional career on a minor league contract, only to quickly become one of the most trusted offensive weapons the San Jose Barracuda had. In 2018 he signed his entry-level contract with the Sharks, a deal that has just one year remaining on it.
One of the top players that Denmark has produced in the last few years, True suited up three times for his country at the World Junior Championship, captaining the team in 2017. With some added depth up front in the way of Ryan Donato, Matthew Nieto, and others, the Sharks will have plenty of competition for the last few spots on the roster. True, who is still waiver-exempt, may end up playing most of the year in the minors once again.
Sharks Loan Joachim Blichfeld To Denmark
One of San Jose’s more intriguing prospects is heading home to get in some playing time before the 2020-21 NHL season begins. Frederikshavn of the Metal Ligaen in Denmark announced that they’ve added winger Joachim Blichfeld on a short-term loan agreement until training camps in North America get underway.
The 22-year-old was a seventh-round pick (210th overall) by San Jose back in 2016 and he looks like he’ll outperform that selection. In 2018-19, Blichfeld was the top scorer in the WHL, putting up 53 goals and 61 assists with Portland in just 68 games.
He made his professional debut last season and spent most of it with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda where he acquitted himself well, tallying 16 goals and 16 assists in just 44 games. That helped earn him four separate recalls to the Sharks between December and January while he was able to get into his first three NHL contests.
As things stand, with San Jose largely standing pat this offseason, Blichfeld will be among the young players that will have a chance of carving out a regular spot in the lineup. Accordingly, this loan takes on a bit more importance as unlike most prospects getting sent out for some development time, a good showing in his hometown could be the difference between breaking camp with the Sharks or going back to the minors.
Minor Transactions: 10/26/20
While NHL teams continue to fill out their rosters and prepare for the 2020-21 season, minor and European leagues also are working on new contracts. We’ll keep track of some of the newsworthy minor transactions right here:
- San Jose Sharks prospect Artemi Kniazev has signed a deal with Ak Bars in the KHL for the upcoming season, giving him a place to play as he continues his development. The 19-year-old defenseman was selected 48th overall in 2019 and has spent the last two seasons in the QMJHL. Kniazev signed his entry-level contract with the Sharks just a few weeks after he was drafted but it won’t kick in until next season given his age.
- Former NHL forward Jack Skille has found a new home, signing with EC Salzburg in the Austrian ICEHL. Skille played 55 games for the Vancouver Canucks in 2016-17 but has bounced around the globe the last several seasons, suiting up in the KHL, NLA and DEL.
- Phil Varone has officially signed his KHL contract, a one-year deal with Barys Nur-Sultan that was reported by his agent a few days ago. Varone has 97 games of NHL experience, most recently playing in 2018-19 with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Sharks Loan Ivan Chekhovich To The KHL
The Sharks have loaned one of their prospects overseas as HC Torpedo of the KHL announced that they’ve added winger Ivan Chekhovich from San Jose. Unlike a lot of the loans in recent months, this one will be for the duration of the KHL season though he’ll be eligible to return to San Jose’s system after that.
The 21-year-old was a seventh-round pick (212th overall) of the Sharks back in 2017 and signed an entry-level deal following a dominant season in the QMJHL where he finished second in the league in scoring with 43 goals and 62 assists in 66 games with Baie-Comeau. As they were eliminated quickly in the playoffs, he was able to report to the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL and had seven points over nine contests between the end of the regular season and playoffs.
Accordingly, expectations were relatively high heading into his first full professional campaign but the results simply weren’t there. Chekhovich managed just four goals and eight assists in 42 games this past season before the pandemic put an end to the rest of their regular season and playoffs.
With that in mind, playing back home next season makes some sense as a way for Chekhovich to reset after a tough year. This is his first time with the Torpedo program as he was in Dynamo Moskva’s system before making his way to the major junior ranks.
Pacific Notes: Fischer, Sharks, Bowey
With the deadline for players to accept their qualifying offers having passed earlier today, Coyotes beat writer Craig Morgan reports that the Coyotes are still working on a deal for restricted free agent forward Christian Fischer, even though there is no word on whether they requested an extension from the league. The forward does not have arbitration rights.
Fischer struggled significantly last season, seeing his playing time reduced by more than two minutes, going from 13:10 ATOI to 11:01 this season) and scored just six goals and nine points in 56 games. The 23-year-old just wrapped up his entry-level deal where he made $1.08MM.
- The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz (subscription required) writes that the loss of center Joe Thornton will have a significant effect on the team. While his offense should be able to be replaced, the bigger effect is how the team will fare without his presence in the locker room, where the veterans had quite an effect over the years. Now with Thornton and Joe Pavelski gone, much of the leadership will fall on the shoulders of second-year captain Logan Couture, who will tough shoes to fill in the Sharks’ locker room. “You have to have a whole leadership group,” general manager Doug Wilson said. “It’s on a whole group of players, it’s not a one-person leadership mentality. … Yes, you’ve got some of the veterans that certainly know it’s their responsibility, but some of the younger guys, too — Tomas Hertl, Timo Meier, Kevin Labanc. It’s their time. They need to step up to the next level. We have to be the sum of all our parts.”
- With Matt Benning gone and prospects Evan Bouchard and Philip Broberg still developing, the Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins writes that one player that the Oilers may consider adding is former Detroit Red Wings blueliner Madison Bowey. The Red Wings opted not to give the 25-year-old a qualifying offer, making him a free-agent. However, Oilers general manager Ken Holland is familiar with Bowey, who he traded for back when he was with the Red Wings and it could be a good fit. The 6-foot-2 blueliner averaged 17:54 last season in 53 games with Detroit, posting three goals and 17 points.
San Jose Sharks Sign Ozzy Wiesblatt
One of the best moments of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft was when the San Jose Sharks announced the first-round selection of Ozzy Wiesblatt, signing his name on the broadcast. Wiesblatt’s mother is deaf, making it an emotional moment for all involved. The young forward was doing a different kind of signing today, inking his three-year entry-level contract with the Sharks. San Jose GM Doug Wilson explained just why they picked him 31st overall:
Ozzy brings speed, playmaking, and offense to the lineup, which makes it difficult to play against a talented skater like him. His tenacity for the puck paired with his ability to retain possession and drive the offensive side of the game, along with his character on and off the ice, makes him a valuable player for our organization.
Wiesblatt, 18, has spent the last two seasons with the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL and scored 70 points in 2019-20. The powerful skater was actually ranked 19th among North American players by NHL Central Scouting but barely made it into the first round when the Sharks took him with the pick they received from the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Barclay Goodrow deal.
One of four hockey-playing brothers (Ocean, Orca and Oasiz), and five children total, Wiesblatt’s story is an incredible one. With the prices of high-level hockey ever-increasing, his family was helped along the way by the community. That work has paid off in a big way with a first-round NHL selection and now an entry-level contract.
San Jose Sharks Sign Patrick Marleau, Matt Nieto
The San Jose Sharks have brought back a pair of familiar faces, signing Patrick Marleau and Matt Nieto to one-year contracts. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports that Marleau has signed for just $700K, while Curtis Pashelka of Bay Area News Group adds that Nieto will also earn just $700K.
Marleau is obviously a franchise icon and is now just 45 games behind Gordie Howe for the all-time lead in NHL games played. He should break that this season if healthy and could eclipse 1,600 games with the Sharks. San Jose GM Doug Wilson explained why they are bringing the 41-year-old back:
Patrick is one of the most iconic players in San Jose Sharks history, as well as being one of the most respected veterans in the National Hockey League. The leadership he brings on and off the ice has been well documented over his fantastic NHL career and his competitive fire to win is still burning strong. Patrick’s lead-by-example demeanor is inspiring and continues to resonate with our group of younger players.
The veteran forward leads the Sharks in almost every record thanks to his two decades in the uniform, starting way back in 1997-98. One of the most consistent offensive players in the NHL over his years, father time has finally started to catch up with him. In 2019-20 he scored just ten goals and 20 points in 58 games for the Sharks before a deadline deal to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marleau had two points in eight games down the stretch and was basically invisible during the Penguins’ qualification round loss.
Nieto too should be comfortable in San Jose, having played parts of four seasons there to start his NHL career. The 27-year-old actually recorded his career-high in points with San Jose back in 2014-15, scoring 27 in 72 games that season. Though he’s not a top-six contributor, Nieto does have a little scoring punch to add some depth to the lineup and now has plenty of playoff experience.
Neither player will push the needle very far for the Sharks, but come with absolutely no risk at their league-minimum salaries. Marleau does not have trade protection in his deal.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Sharks Re-Sign Kevin Labanc To A Four-Year Deal
The Sharks have avoided salary arbitration with RFA winger Kevin Labanc, announcing that they’ve signed him to a four-year contract. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that the deal will carry an AAV of $4.725MM while TSN’s Frank Seravalli adds (via Twitter) the full breakdown:
2020-21: $3.2MM (includes a $1.5MM signing bonus)
2021-22: $3.95MM (includes a $1MM signing bonus)
2022-23: $5.875MM salary
2023-24: $5.875MM salary
There is no form of trade protection in the contract though he was only eligible for it in the final year.
GM Doug Wilson released the following statement on the signing:
Kevin brings a rare level of offensive skill and creativity to our line-up and has established himself as a top-six forward in our league. His Game 7 playoff performance last season is one of the most iconic moments in Sharks history and is a perfect example of the impact he can have on a hockey game. Kevin has shown a consistent ability to perform at a high level in both the regular season and the playoffs and he will be a big part of our club in the coming years.
The 24-year-old had a breakout year in 2018-19 that saw him pick up 17 goals and 39 assists in 82 games while chipping in with nine points in 20 postseason games including the one Wilson referenced in his statement. However, without arbitration eligibility and San Jose being up against the cap, he opted to take a one-year, $1MM contract with an eye on getting a bigger deal this offseason.
Mission accomplished. While Labanc took a notable step back offensively this year, he still managed to put up 14 goals and 19 assists in 70 games while logging a career-best 16:04 per game. Clearly, the Sharks feel that he has shown enough to be a full-time part of their top six and have given a deal that buys out the rest of his arbitration eligibility along with his first UFA-eligible season.
With the signing, San Jose has its five highest-paid forwards all locked up through 2021-22 so this is their core for the next couple of years at the very least. They have just under $3MM left in cap space per CapFriendly with no remaining free agents at the NHL level to re-sign. That gives the Sharks a bit of wiggle room to try to add a depth player or two or hold their space for in-season moves.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.