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Who Is On Pace To Score 60 Points In 2017-18?

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In 2016-17, only 42 NHLers hit the 60-point benchmark for the season. It was the lowest total since the 2012-13 lockout-shortened season (obviously), when only Martin St. Louis notched sixty, and down eleven from the 53 players who hit the mark two years earlier in 2014-15. However, with scoring up this season in the NHL, will the league increase it’s number of top scorers? Or will a greater depth and distribution of talent continue to limit players from reaching the high numbers of yesteryear?

As of now, with the 2017 segment of the season about to close, here are the players on pace for 60 points in 2017-18:

  1. Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 54 points in 37 games, Projection: 120 points
  2. Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 48 points in 37 games, Projection: 107 points
  3. John Tavares, New York Islanders – Currently: 49 points in 38 games, Projection: 106 points
  4. Josh Bailey, New York Islanders – Currently: 49 points in 38 games, Projection: 106 points
  5. Jakub Voracek, Philadelphia Flyers – Currently: 46 points in 38 games, Projection: 99 points
  6. Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers – Currently: 46 points in 38 games, Projection: 99 points
  7. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers – Currently: 45 points in 38 games, Projection: 97 points
  8. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche – Currently: 43 points in 37 games, Projection: 95 points
  9. Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg Jets – Currently: 44 points in 39 games, Projection: 93 points
  10. Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames – Currently: 41 points in 38 games, Projection: 89 points
  11. Phil Kessel, Pittsburgh Penguins – Currently: 41 points in 39 games, Projection: 86 points
  12. Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals – Currently: 41 points in 40 games, Projection: 84 points
  13. Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings – Currently: 40 points in 39 games, Projection: 84 points
  14. Anders Lee, New York Islanders – Currently: 39 points in 38 games, Projection: 84 points
  15. Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks – Currently: 38 points in 37 games, Projection: 84 points
  16. Brock Boeser*, Vancouver Canucks – Currently: 38 points in 36 games, Projection: 84 points
  17. Brayden Schenn, St. Louis Blues – Currently: 41 points in 41 games, Projection: 82 points
  18. Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins – Currently: 32 points in 29 games, Projection: 82 points
  19. Jon Marchessault, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 34 points in 33 games, Projection: 81 points
  20. Evgeny Kuznetsov, Washington Capitals – Currently: 39 points in 40 games, Projection: 80 points
  21. Taylor Hall, New Jersey Devils – Currently: 36 points in 36 games, Projection: 80 points
  22. Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers – Currently: 36 points in 38 games, Projection: 78 points
  23. Vincent Trocheck, Florida Panthers – Currently: 36 points in 38 games, Projection: 78 points
  24. Mathew Barzal*, New York Islanders – Currently: 36 points in 38 games, Projection: 78 points
  25. Sean Couturier, Philadelphia Flyers – Currently: 36 points in 38 games, Projection: 78 points
  26. Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins – Currently: 35 points in 35 games, Projection: 78 points
  27. Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues – Currently: 38 points in 41 games, Projection: 76 points
  28. Jack Eichel, Buffalo Sabres – Currently: 35 points in 38 games, Projection: 75 points
  29. David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins – Currently: 34 points in 37 games, Projection: 75 points
  30. Mark Stone, Ottawa Senators – Currently: 34 points in 37 games, Projection: 75 points
  31. Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 34 points in 37 games, Projection: 75 points
  32. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins – Currently: 35 points in 39 games, Projection: 74 points
  33. Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars – Currently: 35 points in 39 games, Projection: 74 points
  34. David Perron, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 29 points in 30 games, Projection: 74 points
  35. Evander Kane, Buffalo Sabres – Currently: 34 points in 38 games, Projection: 73 points
  36. Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers – Currently: 33 points in 37 games, Projection: 73 points
  37. Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche – Currently: 33 points in 37 games, Projection: 73 points
  38. Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers – Currently: 32 points in 34 games, Projection: 73 points
  39. Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs – Currently: 29 points in 29 games, Projection: 72 points
  40. Artemi Panarin, Columbus Blue Jackets – Currently: 34 points in 39 games, Projection: 71 points
  41. Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars – Currently: 34 points in 39 games, Projection: 71 points
  42. Vlad Namestnikov, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 32 points in 37 games, Projection: 71 points
  43. Eric Staal, Minnesota Wild – Currently: 33 points in 39 games, Projection: 70 points
  44. Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks – Currently: 18 points in 15 games, Projection: 70 points
  45. Sean Monahan, Calgary Flames – Currently: 32 points in 38 games, Projection: 69 points
  46. Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings – Currently: 31 points in 37 games, Projection: 69 points
  47. John Klingberg, Dallas Stars – Currently: 32 points in 39 games, Projection: 67 points
  48. William Karlsson, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 29 points in 36 games, Projection: 66 points
  49. Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche – Currently: 28 points in 33 games, Projection: 66 points
  50. Shayne Gostisbehere, Philadelphia Flyers – Currently: 29 points in 35 games, Projection: 66 points
  51. Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals – Currently: 31 points in 39 games, Projection: 65 points
  52. Alexander Radulov, Dallas Stars – Currently: 31 points in 39 games, Projection: 65 points
  53. Patrik Laine, Winnipeg Jets – Currently: 31 points in 39 games, Projection: 65 points
  54. Clayton Keller*, Arizona Coyotes – Currently: 31 points in 40 games, Projection: 64 points
  55. John Carlson, Washington Capitals – Currently: 31 points in 40 games, Projection: 64 points
  56. Reilly Smith, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 28 points in 36 games, Projection: 64 points
  57. Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets – Currently: 30 points in 39 games, Projection: 63 points
  58. P.K. Subban, Nashville Predators – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
  59. Mats Zuccarello, New York Rangers – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
  60. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Edmonton Oilers – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
  61. Teuvo Teravainen, Carolina Hurricanes – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
  62. Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
  63. James Neal, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 27 points in 36 games, Projection: 62 points
  64. Kyle Turris, Nashville Predators – Currently: 27 points in 34 games, Projection: 62 points
  65. Danton Heinen*, Boston Bruins – Currently: 26 points in 33 games, Projection: 62 points
  66. Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings – Currently: 29 points in 39 games, Projection: 61 points
  67. Dustin Brown, Los Angeles Kings – Currently: 29 points in 39 games, Projection: 61 points
  68. Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs – Currently: 29 points in 39 games, Projection: 61 points
  69. Jordan Eberle, New York Islanders – Currently: 28 points in 38 games, Projection: 61 points
  70. Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks – Currently: 26 points in 35 games, Projection: 61 points
  71. Mikael Granlund, Minnesota Wild – 27 points in 34 games, Projection: 61 points
  72. Rickard Rakell, Anaheim Ducks – Currently: 27 points in 34 games, Projection: 61 points
  73. Tyler Johnson, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 27 points in 36 games, Projection: 61 points
  74. Erik Haula, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 25 points in 32 games, Projection: 61 points
  75. Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 27 points in 37 games, Projection: 60 points
  76. Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins- Currently: 25 points in 32 games, Projection: 60 points
  77. Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators – Currently: 25 points in 32 games, Projection: 60 points

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Paul Martin To Remain Scratch For Time Being

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  • Sharks blueliner Paul Martin has been a healthy scratch since being cleared to return to the lineup and head coach Peter DeBoer told Paul Gackle of the Mercury News that this will continue for the time being. San Jose is carrying eight defensemen for the time being and the expectation is that they will try to utilize all eight of them but barring injury, Martin appears to be on the outside looking in at their top-six.  With another year remaining on his contract at $4.85MM, he’s someone that they could look to try to include in a trade in the coming weeks although his lack of playing time and age (36) will make that a harder move to make.

Blichfeld, Halbgewachs Sign Entry-Level Contracts With San Jose Sharks

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After the Danish World Junior team was dismantled by Finland earlier today, one player at least has something to celebrate. Joachim Blichfeld has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the San Jose Sharks. Blichfeld was selected in the seventh round in 2016, and plays with the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL when not representing Denmark internationally.

From the Sharks press release:

Joachim is a natural goal scorer and can change a game with his shooting ability and hockey sense. He has proven to be one of the top goal scorers in the Western Hockey League and his puck possession game fits well with the way we want to play. We’re excited to see Joachim continue to evolve as a player.

Jayden Halbgewachs has also signed an entry-level deal with the Sharks, after going undrafted despite starring for the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL. Halbgewachs is only 5’8″ 160-lbs, but scored 101 points last season and already has 61 through his first 36 games this season.

GM Doug Wilson also had high praise for Halbgewachs:

Jayden is the top goal scorer in Canadian major juniors and has been one of the top point producers in the WHL over the last two season. His combination of elite speed, high-end skill and ability to pressure both ends of the ice make him a dangerous player who makes others around him better. We’re excited he is joining our organization.

Indeed, the Sharks have added two excellent goal scorers to their stable of prospects. The pair has 48 this season in just 52 games, and should add some punch to the minor leagues when they make the jump to the professional ranks in 2018-19.

Veteran Free Agent Contracts Not Working Out Well In 2017-18

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There is no doubt that the game of hockey is getting faster and, as a result, younger. Yet, in 2016-17 that didn’t stop 44-year-old ageless wonder Jaromir Jagr from outscoring his age, 40-year-old Matt Cullen and 37-year-old Chris Kunitz from contributing to a second straight Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup title, 39-year-old Zdeno Chara from skating in more than 23 minutes per game, or 36-year-old Henrik Zetterberg and 37-year-old Joe Thornton from finishing among the league’s best in assists. Several teams who witnessed the impact that older players had on their teams last year went out and signed older free agents this summer in hopes of a repeat performance. It hasn’t happened for most of those teams. The majority of players age 36 and older who signed with new teams this off-season have struggled to meet expectations.

Jagr, of course, is the poster boy of the anti-youth movement. The 28-year NHL veteran has somehow remained consistent throughout his career even into his mid-40’s, but despite a 46-point campaign last year, got little attention this summer and it looked like his illustrious career was over. However, the Calgary Flames swooped in at the last minute, signing Jagr to a one-year deal in early October. At $2MM for the year, it was a low-risk, high-upside singing. Yet, through 36 games, that upside has not shown up. Jagr has only been healthy for 19 games, in which he has only one goal and six assists. Even if Jagr was magically healthy for each of the Flames remaining games this season, he would be on pace for a career-worst 24 points. It seems that Jagr’s days are finally done.

He’s not alone though. The Penguins aging role players also decided to leave Pittsburgh this off-season, with Cullen heading home to Minnesota to join the Wild and Kunitz chasing a fourth Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Both players have been nothing short of a disappointment so far. Cullen, who was a major contributor to the Pens’ success last year as a dependable checking center and 30-point scorer. So far with the Wild, Cullen has been a non-factor offensively (7 points) and defensively (team worst -11) through 35 games and was even a healthy scratch earlier this month. Despite the incredible talent around him, Kunitz has just 10 points this season, a pace which is a far cry from his recent back-to-back 40-point seasons.

Who else is on the list? Defenseman Mark Streit was a complete disaster in Montreal, released by the Canadiens after just two games. Journeyman goalie Michael Leighton hasn’t done much better, already on his third team in 2017-18 and without an NHL appearance thus far. Despite the time-tested theory that Radim Vrbata always performs his best in Arizona, the aging scorer bolted the Coyotes for the Florida Panthers, who so far have only received 12 points and 29 games from the signing.

The jury is still out on a few veterans. Francois Beauchemin returned home to Anaheim this summer and many expected him to improve his game back on a familiar roster. While Beauchemin’s 7 points through 30 games pale in comparison to the better seasons of his career, it’s similar to the production he showed last year with the Colorado Avalanche. With the Ducks struggling as a team, it seems fair that Beauchemin’s play has also been a bit lacking. That hasn’t been the case for Ryan Miller, another aging addition in Anaheim. His .928 save percentage and 2.23 GAA has been very good. However, Miller has only gotten the win in four of his ten appearances and missed much of the early season due to injury. Miller has performed better than the rest of his team, but had he been healthy it may have reversed the Ducks’ fortunes early on. Matt Hendricks has already matched his point total with the Edmonton Oilers last season now with the Winnipeg Jets last season. He’s playing a valued energy role and the Jets likely don’t have many gripes. With that said, Hendricks needed only seven points to match that total from a down year in 2016-17 and has a been playing a less-physical game than he has in the past. Hendricks hasn’t been bad, but Winnipeg would undoubtedly rather see 2014-15 Hendricks, who posted 16 points and 220 hits.

The one team who has had great success with veteran signings in 2017-18 is the Toronto Maple Leafs. San Jose Sharks legend Patrick Marleau chose to sign in Toronto, leaving the only team he had ever played for, but the Leafs had to give him three years and $18.75MM to get it done. So far, it hasn’t been a bad investment. Marleau has 19 points in all 36 games, including 12 goals, and the 38-year-old should easily reach 40 points for the 18th time in his career. However, the real breakout veteran performance has been from the 36-year-old Ron Hainsey, whose signing was initially panned by many. Yet, Hainsey is on pace for one of, if not the best offensive campaigns of his career with 15 points so far. Forming a dynamic duo with Morgan Rielly, Hainsey seems rejuvenated late in his career and it has shown in an improvement on Toronto’s back end. But even the Leafs weren’t perfect though; the signing of Dominic Moore has been a disappointment. Moore has only nine points and has been a frequent scratch after a season with the division rival Boston Bruins in which he put up 25 points and played in all 82 games.

The NHL has been an increasingly difficult place for mediocre older players to find work. There has been a movement toward younger rosters, with veterans settling for minimum contracts, tryouts, or simply heading to Europe. Yet, exceptions continue to be made, especially for some talented older players. After the results this elderly free agent group has shown, veteran signings – especially those demanding big money and term – will surely become even less frequent.

Minor Transactions: 12/23/17

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Though the roster freeze is in effect, there still will be some roster movement today.  Anyone recalled after December 11th is eligible to be sent back down as late as today while players can still be recalled for any reason.  Considering there are 15 games on the slate before the NHL shuts down for its holiday break, there will likely be a few players getting summoned before the day is through.

  • The Senators announced (Twitter link) that they have officially recalled goaltender Daniel Taylor from AHL Belleville. The move comes on the heels of Craig Anderson being unable to dress for tonight’s game as a result of an illness.  It’s likely that Taylor will be sent back down immediately following the game before the full roster freeze takes effect.
  • Rasmus Andersson’s stint with Calgary lasted all of one day as he has been sent back to Stockton of the AHL, per a team release. The Flames are the lone team not in action today so his services won’t be needed until December 28th at the earliest.  Andersson did not dress for yesterday’s game against Montreal which means he was up only in case someone was injured in the warmup.  With 16 points in only 22 minor league games, the 21-year-old will likely get another look with the big club at some point this season.
  • The Coyotes announced a trio of roster moves. Defenseman Andrew Campbell has been recalled from Tucson of the AHL while blueliner Joel Hanley and winger Nick Merkley have been sent down.  Campbell last saw NHL action in 2015-16 with Toronto and will likely serve as injury insurance for their game tonight against Colorado.  Hanley has seen action in four NHL contests this season, averaging a little under 11 minutes per night while Merkley made his NHL debut earlier this week after being one of their top scorers at the minor league level.
  • CapFriendly tweets that Ottawa Senators center Zack Smith has been placed on injured reserve. The 29-year-old forward was reported yesterday to be out for at least two weeks with a shoulder injury. Smith has two goals and six assists in 24 games this season.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have recalled Jack Campbell from the AHL’s Ontario Reign on an emergency basis tonight. There is no word on whether Jonathan Quick or Darcy Kuemper are unable to go later tonight against the San Jose Sharks and it could be that Cambell’s call-up is simply precautionary. The Kings also announced that Kyle Clifford has been placed back on injured reserve, retroactive to December 16th. Clifford has missed most of the season with an upper-body injury.

Injury Notes: Wennberg, Martin, Folin, Vilardi

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The Columbus Blue Jackets might be without one of their young centers, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline. The scribe writes that head coach John Tortorella didn’t acknowledge what the injury is, but said Alexander Wennberg is “probably out a while.”

The team already with multiple injuries at the center position with Brandon Dubinsky out as well as the fact that Wennberg himself has already missed significant time with injuries. The 23-year-old center had a breakout year last season when he put up 13 goals and 59 points, but this year has already missed several weeks with an upper-body injury in November. He has four goals and 12 assists in 30 games this season and hasn’t been as effective this year, often playing on the team’s third line.

Portzline also tweets that defenseman Zach Werenski is still out with no updates. In other injury news around the league:

  • San Jose Sharks defenseman Paul Martin’s two week conditioning stint is up (it actually expires Sunday) and he has been recalled. However, it doesn’t look like he will be placed into the Sharks lineup anytime soon. An Associated Press article in the New York Post reported Friday night that Martin had a setback from his recovery from ankle surgery, although the injury is not a recurrence of the same injury. However, there is no timeline for his return. Martin played four games with the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL, the first four games he’s ever played in the AHL in his entire career. The 36-year-old defenseman had one assist in that span.
  • Fox Sports Jon Rosen tweets that Los Angeles Kings’ defenseman Christian Folin remains out after being placed on injured reserve Tuesday due to a lower-body injury. According to Rosen, Kings’ head coach John Stevens said, “He hasn’t really started skating again yet, but we’ve got the break coming here. We want to just let everything settle down, get him going again after the break. I would hope he starts skating after the break, but we’ll see.”
  • Rosen also tweets that Los Angeles Kings’ 2017 first-round pick Gabriel Vilardi, who has been out with a back injury since the start of the season, is expected to be cleared to play in games for the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL on Dec. 28. Vilardi was the 11th-overall pick after scoring 29 goals for the Spitfires last season and has missed the entire year so far.

Sharks Unwilling To Move Young Forwards; Dell Could Be Their Lone Trade Chip

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The Sharks aren’t expected to trade any of their young forwards for a scoring upgrade before the trade deadline, notes Paul Gackle of the Mercury News.  The one exception to that is if they acquire a young core player in the trade which doesn’t seem likely to happen unless they’re willing to include other future assets in a deal.  Accordingly, Gackle makes a compelling case to trade netminder Aaron Dell.  The 28-year-old is having himself a strong season and while he provides an above-average insurance policy behind Martin Jones, it’s unlikely that San Jose will be able to afford to keep him around for next season with Dell hitting the open market this summer.  With the young forwards off the table, Dell is the one trade chip they can use to bring in someone of consequence to help solidify their hold on a playoff spot.  If they were to do so, they would presumably then have to turn around and make a follow-up move to bring in someone else to play behind Jones.

Snapshots: Moses, Couture, Nassau

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In an odd bit of news, the Rochester Americans announced that minor league forward Steve Moses has been suspended indefinitely for breach of contract. The team made clear to indicate that it will not comment again on the matter, leaving a bit of mystery left behind.

This isn’t the first sort of story like this for Moses, who signed a one-year, $1MM deal with the Nashville Predators in 2015-16 only to agree to terminate it after he was relegated to the minor leagues. He returned to the KHL last year where he won a Gagarin Cup with SKA St. Petersburg, but came back to North America again this season. We’ll have to wait and see what happens with his contract this time around.

  • Logan Couture isn’t going to be back anytime soon for the San Jose Sharks, at least not without significant improvement from his latest concussion. That’s what he told Kevin Kurz of The Athletic, bluntly stating “I’m not playing if I don’t feel good. It could be one game, it could be 10 games, it could be a whole season.” That’s not what Sharks fans want to hear while the team finds themselves in third place in the Pacific Division and in striking distance of the Los Angeles Kings and Vegas Golden Knights.
  • Now that the New York Islanders have a new arena set to be ready for the 2020-21 season, they now have to focus on where to play for the next few years. They won’t be leaving Barclays Center until 2019 at the earliest, but the NHL had previously been against them returning to Nassau Coliseum. Now, with a new building on the horizon, that stance may have softened a bit. According to Brett Cyrgalis of Newsday, the NHL won’t rule out the Islanders playing the 2019-20 season in their old home, before jumping to the brand new Belmont Park location.

Injury Notes: Spurgeon, Devils, Matthews, Couture, Josefson, McQuaid

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The Minnesota Wild activated defenseman Jared Spurgeon today off of injured reserve and is expected to play tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required). Spurgeon had been rumored to be returning after having missed nine games with a groin injury. The team had already sent defenseman Ryan Murphy back to Iowa yesterday to make room for Spurgeon.

The 28-year-old blueliner has three goals and 12 assists in 23 games this year. He is not expected to rejoin partner Ryan Suter right away, however. Mathew Dumba filled in for Spurgeon while he was out and the combination of Suter and Dumba has worked well for the Wild as Dumba’s play has improved since the change.

  • The New Jersey Devils are closing in on being fully healthy, according to northjersey.com’s Andrew Gross. Both Taylor Hall and Kyle Palmieri are expected to play in Monday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks. Hall has missed the past two games with a knee contusion, while Palmieri will be activated off of injured reserve after missing 12 games with a broken right foot. There is also a possibility, although Gross said it’s slim, that winger Marcus Johansson could also play Monday after missing three games with an ankle bruise. If not, then he will be expected to return on Thursday against the New York Rangers. All three players practiced Sunday.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews (possible concussion) is starting to slowly work his way back. The 20-year-old center skated for 20 minutes Sunday, but did not practice with the team, according to TSN’s Kristen Shilton. She added that coach Mike Babcock is not sure when he’ll be able to play, but added there are no plans to shut him down for a stretch either.
  • The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz tweets that San Jose Sharks leading scorer Logan Couture will miss Monday’s game against Edmonton at minimum after sustaining a head injury in Friday’s game against Vancouver. The Mercury News’ Paul Gackle tweets that head coach Peter DeBoer confirmed Couture suffered a concussion and remains day-to-day. In a separate story, Gackle writes the team will be in trouble if Couture injury keeps him out of the lineup for an extended period of time.
  • NHL.com’s Jourdon LaBarber writes that Buffalo Sabres center Jacob Josefson practiced today with the team and hopes to be ready to play soon after missing 24 games with an ankle injury. Josefson did attempt to come back on Nov. 22 and played two games before re-injuring his ankle. The 26-year-old has only managed to play in nine games for Buffalo after signing a one-year, $700K deal in the offseason. Coach Phil Housley said he will be re-evaluated on Monday. Josefson has one goal and one assist in the nine games he’s played in.
  • Boston Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid might be ready as soon as Monday from a broken fibula he suffered on Oct. 19, according to NHL.com’s Michael Tolvo. The veteran has missed 24 games since then. “I don’t know if Monday he’ll be cleared, but he is close,” added head coach Bruce Cassidy. “He is getting close. He has practiced with us, so it is imminent for him. I just don’t want to pinpoint an exact date.”

 

Pacific Notes: Oilers, Puljujarvi, Couture, Jones, Hutton

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The Edmonton Oilers are having a rough time this season as they currently sit in seventh place in the Pacific Division. However, David Staples of the Edmonton Journal writes that after Saturday’s 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild, the Oilers are starting to play quality hockey again, citing the team’s past five games as an indicator. Granted the team has a long way to go if they team has any hopes of reaching the playoffs. However, the scribe sees a team that is suddenly working hard and refusing to give up.

In fact, Staples writes that he no longer believes that the team’s issues has to do with speed. Originally, he believed the Oilers were built slow and could not overcome that deficiency. He now writes that he believes the team wasn’t working hard enough and was relying on their talent and reputation to get through games. Suddenly, he sees a team that is working harder to get goals and showing true grit that could spark the team to some success.

The team showed that effort against the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 9 when they walked away with a 6-2 victory. The team followed that up with a 1-0, quality loss the next day. They then had an inspiring victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Dec. 14 before a 4-0 loss to Nashville. Saturday’s hard-fought win was just another step in the team’s hopeful turnaround.

  • Staples also writes the Edmonton Oilers need to start giving more playing time to winger Jesse Puljujarvi. The fourth-overall pick in the 2016 draft is starting to put things together, but isn’t getting the time on the ice as the 19-year-old only received 9:59 minutes Saturday and isn’t playing on the team’s lackluster power play. Puljujarvi, who scored his sixth goal of the season, should be playing more and showing the team what he can do as he played like a “beast” Saturday, according to Staples.
  • The San Jose Sharks have two concerns, according to The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz (subscription required). The team is worried about Logan Couture after he sustained a shoulder to his surgically-repaired face in Friday’s game against Vancouver. While there has been no word on the team’s leading scorer, there is talk that the 28-year-old center may have sustained a concussion on the play. Kurz adds that a second concern is the suddenly poor play of goaltender Martin Jones, who has struggled now over the past five games, having allowed at least four goals in each of those starts. After starting the season with a 2.05 GAA and a .930 save percentage, those numbers have increased to a 2.55 and .914 after just five games.
  • The Vancouver Canucks tweeted that coach Travis Green had no update after defenseman Ben Hutton came off the ice limping after practice. He is currently listed as day-to-day. The team’s second-line defenseman has four assists in 33 games this year. Vancouver has already lost defenseman Chris Tanev for three weeks due to injury as well as a number of other players on the forward lines.

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