Ondrej Kase Returns To Practice, Could Play For Boston This Week
For the first time in 110 days, the Boston Bruins had winger Ondrej Kase back at practice on Friday. Kase suffered a concussion in just the second game of the season back on January 18, at least the fourth of his pro career, and had been unable to return to team activities ever since. There have been various reports for months about Kase skating, both independently and with the team, but he had never formally returned to practice. That changed yesterday, as the team reported that Kase was a full participant and taking line rushes. Head coach Bruce Cassidy addressed the excitement over Kase’s return by noting that Kase would not play on Saturday, but could return to the lineup in one or both of the Bruins final games on Monday and Tuesday – if he was feeling up to it.
Of course, expectations should be tempered for Kase’s return to game action after so much missed time. On talent alone, Kase likely has a spot in the lineup, even in the Bruins deep forward corps, but it will take him some time to get back up to speed. The former Anaheim Ducks standout was acquired last year in a deal that saw a first-round pick and promising prospect defenseman Axel Andersson head to Anaheim, so expectations have always been high for the 25-year-old forward. However, after missing eight games down the stretch and two in the playoffs last year due to injury (unrelated to concussions) and most of this season, Boston has still not seen much of Kase and may not rush him into the lineup. Playing in the final regular seasons games is a good start, but may not guarantee him a spot to begin the playoffs.
With that said, Kase did record four points in the postseason last year while showing chemistry with center David Krejci and playing top-six minutes for the Bruins through the team’s playoff run. While a spot next to Krejci may not be available right now, given the recent success that the veteran has had with Taylor Hall and Craig Smith, Kase could provide a spark to a third line that has not had as much luck. Kase split reps in practice on Friday at third-line right wing, skating with Sean Kuraly, Nick Ritchie, and Jake DeBrusk. Charlie Coyle will also be back in the third line mix when he returns from his own injury. With all but Coyle having spent time on the fourth line at times this season, Kase could prove himself worthy of a third line role thus knocking one of the others down the lineup. While injuries have prevented Kase from playing more than 66 games in any of his five NHL seasons, his 82-game pace during his time in Anaheim projected 20+ goals and 40 points while his posession stats have been consistently strong, numbers the Bruins can’t ignore for long if Kase is at full strength.
The Bruins face a series of difficult decisions this off-season regarding Kase and will certainly appreciate some added action this season with which to make their determination. A restricted free agent, Kase is owed a $2.6MM qualifying offer in order for Boston to retain his rights. While the club does not have the same serious salary cap issues as many other contenders, that is a sizeable amount of space to commit to a player that still remains such a mystery. If the Bruins do decide to qualify Kase, which is probably more likely than not, the next question will be how negotiations go from there. Does Kase accept his QO as a “show me” deal in 2021-22? Do the two sides discuss a multi-year extension, perhaps even at a lower AAV? Or does Kase instead file for salary arbitration and try go get more money based on his potential? The Bruins must also decide if Kase’s upside is worth protecting from the Seattle Kraken in the upcoming NHL Expansion Draft or if they can take the risk of the league’s newest team not selecting a player with an extensive injury history. There are more questions than answers when it comes to Kase, but both sides hope that his return to practice and possibly game action could lead to some playoff impact that helps to clarify the situation and lead to an extension in their relationship.
Snapshots: Kuznetsov, Kraken, Boucher, Donato
It has been a tough season for Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov. He missed time earlier this season due to COVID-19 (and is back on the CPRA list today) while being benched for last night’s contest as well for team disciplinary purposes. On top of that, he has underwhelmed offensively with 29 points in 41 games. Accordingly, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic noted in the latest TSN Insider Trading segment (video link) that Washington may be willing to listen to offers on the 28-year-old this summer. While a season like this doesn’t help his value, it’s once again a quiet UFA market in terms of impact centers so there would certainly be plenty of interest in Kuznetsov’s services, even though he carries a $7.8MM AAV through 2024-25 and a 15-team no-trade clause at a time where cap space will be limited for many teams.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- For the upcoming expansion draft, the Kraken have to select at least $48.9MM in contracts. One thing that they’ll need to keep in mind with who they select will be signing bonuses as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports in his latest 31 Thoughts column that if they select someone who had a July 1st bonus paid, Seattle will have to repay that signing bonus to the original team. Knowing that who they pick could cost cap space and a cash repayment to the team they took the player from could certainly affect some of their selections.
- Winger Reid Boucher is receiving some interest from NHL teams, Friedman reports in the same column. The 27-year-old has been a strong point producer in the minors but after playing just one NHL game over the previous two seasons, Boucher went overseas and joined Avangard Omsk of the KHL. Not surprisingly, he was quite productive there this season, leading the team in scoring with 24 goals and 24 assists in 51 games. There should be lots of interest from teams looking for a productive veteran to play in the minors but he may be hard-pressed to find a team willing to give him a long look at an NHL opportunity.
- The Sharks are expected to hold contract talks with winger Ryan Donato once the season comes to an end, notes Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News. The 25-year-old is in his first season with San Jose since coming over from Minnesota in an offseason trade and has managed just six goals and 14 assists in 50 games this season. Owed a $2.15MM qualifying offer this summer, the fact he has arbitration eligibility puts him in that zone where it could be deemed too risky to tender him an offer. With that in mind, early talks to see if something can be agreed to beforehand certainly makes a lot of sense.
Poll: Who Finishes 30th In The NHL Standings?
Although they surely didn’t mean to, the Buffalo Sabres took some of the fun out of the stretch run this season by eliminating “tanking” storylines. Barring a stunning finish to their season (vs. NYI, at PIT, at PIT), the Sabres and their 33 points to date will finish as the wire-to-wire worst team in the NHL this season and will have the top odds in the NHL Draft Lottery.
Fortunately, that doesn’t mean there isn’t still some intrigue to the end of the season for the league’s bottom-dwellers. The race for 30th-place, the second-best lottery odds, is more important this year than most. The team finishing 29th and up this season will not have the lottery odds that typically correspond to their finish in the league standings. This is because the Seattle Kraken, the NHL’s new expansion team, will lay claim to the third-best odds. Changes to the draft lottery structure also means that the team finishing in 30th place can pick no later than fourth overall, but the team finishing in 29th place could fall as far as sixth overall this year.
Who do you think will finish 30th this year and secure those valuable second-best lottery odds? Better yet, which team has the incentive to actually “tank” their final few games in hopes of landing just behind the Sabres?
Anaheim Ducks (39 points)
Schedule: at STL, at STL, at MIN, at MIN
The Ducks are the only team in the NHL still statistically capable of finishing in last place. However, that would require the Sabres taking at least five of their final six points while the Ducks take two or less of their final eight (with the tie-breakers falling in Anaheim’s favor as well). With that said, the Ducks do have the best case for 30th right now. Their final four games are all on the road against West Division contenders. Two points back of the New Jersey Devils, who have a slightly lighter schedule, and even more so behind the other “tanking” contenders, Anaheim’s sights are set on that second-to-last finish. The one thing that could stop their pursuit: the Ducks are heating up at the wrong time; their 4-6-0 stretch in their last ten games is the best mark among the bottom five records in the NHL.
New Jersey Devils (41 points)
Schedule: vs. BOS, at NYI, at NYI, at PHI
Lottery winners in two of the past four drafts, the Devils have a taste for top picks and surely want to add to their collection of top prospects. New Jersey is “chasing” Anaheim, who has the same number of games remaining but have two points and an all-road schedule exclusively against playoff teams. However, the Devils have three playoff teams left on the docket as well and are unlikely to pick up any extra points in extra time with an 0-5 record in overtime and the shootout this season. Even losing out doesn’t guarantee the Devils 30th place, nor does a tie with Anaheim in the final standings given New Jersey’s regulation wins edge. Stranger things have happened though and both the Devils and Ducks have plenty of hockey still to play.
Columbus Blue Jackets (44 points)
Schedule: vs. NSH, vs. DET, vs. DET
The Blue Jackets have one fewer game left than the Ducks and Devils, which could benefit them. However, they also sit five and three points ahead respectively and the odds of picking up zero additional points with two games left against fellow bottom-feeder Detroit seems unlikely. What the Blue Jackets do have that the others don’t though is motivation. The Columbus pipeline is below average and vastly pales in comparison to Anaheim, New Jersey, and Detroit. The team could desperately use an elite prospect and may be willing to lose their final games in order to improve their odds of doing so.
Detroit Red Wings (45 points)
Schedule: at CLB, at CLB
Detroit has just two games left and they are both against a fellow un-contender. The Red Wings may have a one point lead on Columbus, but most would still bet on the Blue Jackets and it would not be a surprise to see Detroit finish the season as they stand now. However, that still means that Anaheim would need seven of eight points and New Jersey would need at least four of eight points in order to finish 30th. After the Red Wings got a raw deal in the lottery last season, maybe the hockey gods will look out for them. That might be the only way they finish second-to-last and occur a top-four pick again this season.
Who Finishes 30th In The NHL Standings?
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Anaheim Ducks 58% (535)
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New Jersey Devils 16% (148)
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Detroit Red Wings 15% (133)
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Columbus Blue Jackets 11% (99)
Total votes: 915
Seattle Kraken Interested In Goaltender Chris Driedger
The Seattle Kraken have an enormous amount of decisions to make in the next few months as the expansion draft rolls in. The team must select players from 30 teams and decide on the core of their team for the immediate future. The Vegas Golden Knights hit the jackpot when the opportunity to bring in Marc-Andre Fleury from Pittsburgh became a reality, giving them a face of the franchise, which he continues to be. Now the Seattle Kraken must look to see who can man the net for the next few years.
There are a number of possibilities, including a number of free-agent options for the team, including Philipp Grubauer, Tuukka Rask, Linus Ullmark, Antti Raanta, Mike Smith, Jonathan Bernier and Chris Driedger to name just a few.
However, in his new mailbag piece while talking about goaltending options for Toronto next season, The Athletic’s James Mirtle (subscription required) mentions that Driedger isn’t a likely option for the Maple Leafs as sources are telling him that Seattle likes Driedger as one of their goalies for next season.
The idea makes some sense as Driedger, while a latecomer to the NHL, has seized his opportunity with the Florida Panthers despite the fact that they signed Sergei Bobrovsky to a seven-year, $70MM contract back in 2019. The 26-year-old dominated in 12 appearances in 2019-20 with a 2.05 GAA and a .938 save percentage and has proven he can keep producing, posting a 2.17 and .923 save percentage in 22 appearances this year.
The team chose not to trade Driedger at the trade deadline even though the goaltender would have brought in a significant return. However, with the Panthers success during the regular season, holding onto Driedger for the postseason was too important to allow the netminder to leave.
However, with free agency approaching as well as a significant payday, the Panthers likely can’t afford to pay big money for Driedger to serve in either a tandem or backup role to the high-priced Bobrovsky. On top of that, Florida just signed top goalie prospect Spencer Knight, who has already made his NHL debut and is next in line to step into the backup role at some point. That leaves Driedger out in the cold and looking for a new job. While there are plenty of teams who will be looking for a netminder next offseason, Seattle could be quite an intriguing option for Driedger.
Unfortunately for Seattle, the team has only a 48-hour exclusive window before the expansion draft to negotiate with Driedger and any other UFA and have them agree to terms, which means they could select him with their expansion pick. Driedger would have to be willing to go to Seattle as opposed to signing with a number of interested teams.
Seattle Kraken Make Final Expansion Payment, Gain Official Standing
The NHL now has 32 teams. On Friday, the Seattle Kraken made the final installment of a $650MM franchise expansion fee and was given official NHL standing. That means the team immediately gains the ability to sign free agents, make trades and vote on league proposals. They have a seat at the table, so to speak. Commissioner Gary Bettman released a short statement:
On behalf of the Board of Governors, I am delighted to officially welcome the Seattle Kraken to the NHL as our 32nd Member Club. Congratulations to David Bonderman, the Bonderman Family, their partners, the entire Seattle Kraken organization, the city of Seattle and Kraken fans as the Club continues on its exciting journey towards puck drop in October.
In 2017, the Vegas Golden Knights were given official standing on March 1 and just five days later signed the first player in franchise history. Reid Duke, a free agent junior player who had originally been drafted by the Minnesota Wild but never signed, inked an entry-level contract with the Golden Knights. Two months later they would sign Vadim Shipachyov out of the KHL to a two-year, $9MM deal. A few weeks before the expansion draft, they would add Czech forward Tomas Hyka to an entry-level deal.
None of those players made a big impact on the Golden Knights and similarly, though the Kraken can now sign contracts of their own, don’t expect their pre-expansion signings to be any key players. Still, even though the college free agent market has been picked clean, Francis could potentially still nab some undrafted junior players. He told Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times that they are looking at some OHL and WHL players, along with some free agents from Europe. The true fun will happen for Seattle when the draft approaches and teams around the league are forced to make side deals, protecting extra assets or convincing Kraken GM Ron Francis to take some bad money.
Welcome to the NHL, Seattle.
Morning Notes: Women’s Worlds, Seattle, Tryamkin
The IIHF Women’s World Championship will be canceled for the second year in a row, according to Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek. The event was scheduled to take place in Halifax next month, but is now being shelved because of the ongoing COVID-19 situation in Canada. It’s difficult to keep seeing international events go down, but this one was especially important as teams from around the world prepared for the 2022 Olympics. They now will have to go another year without facing each other in the top annual tournament.
Update: The tournament in Halifax has been officially canceled, but the IIHF notes that “this does not mean that we will not have a Women’s World Championship in 2021.” Hockey Canada and the international organization will attempt to find another host city in the coming months.
More from around the hockey world:
- The Seattle Kraken don’t have official standing in the league just yet so can’t make any signings or complete trades, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t been in touch with teams around the league. Pierre LeBrun and Ryan S. Clark of The Athletic examine six situations that could be ripe for an expansion draft deal, including one in Tampa Bay where the Lightning already have more salary committed to next season than they’re allowed to under the cap. Bolts’ GM Julien BriseBois will need to move out some contracts this summer and who better than the expansion Kraken to take a performing-but-overpaid forward off their hands.
- The Vancouver Canucks are a great story to watch down the stretch as they try to make a postseason run following their huge COVID outbreak, but the front office will have to be a little more forward-looking in the days to come. One of those future moves could be bringing back Nikita Tryamkin, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet writes that the club will engage with the hulking defenseman in the next few days. Tryamkin has spent the last four seasons in the KHL where he has continued to develop into a legitimate two-way force, using his 6’7″ frame effectively all over the ice. The Russian defenseman’s agent Todd Diamond was on Donnie and Dhali just this week, saying he believes his client is ready for an NHL return.
New York Rangers To Extend Jonny Brodzinski
Jonny Brodzinski has turned a small, but productive sample size with the New York Rangers organization into another year of job security. CapFriendly reports that the two sides have come to terms on a one-year, two-way extension for the 2021-22 season. The new deal will closely resemble the one that Brodzinski signed with the Rangers this off-season, containing the minimum NHL salary and an minimal AHL salary bump from $200K to $215K. Brodzinski, who would have been an unrestricted free agent this summer, will now be guaranteed $300K for next season, regardless of how much time he spends at the NHL level.
Brodzinski, 27, has proved himself to be a valuable depth piece in his career, recording 13 points in 61 NHL games and 149 points in 209 AHL games. So far this season, he is second on the Hartford Wolf Pack in per-game scoring, recording 11 points in nine games. He has also skated in four games with New York, notching a goal. With a number of high-scoring minor league seasons under his belt to go with some NHL experience, the Rangers could do worse than Brodzinski as a veteran leader in the AHL and NHL injury substitute.
For those thinking that this could be an expansion draft-fueled move, that doesn’t appear to be the case. Not only are the Rangers in a good place with meeting their exposure requirements for the impending draft, but Brodzinski does not meet the NHL games played criteria anyhow. While Brodzinski’s extended term could make him a more attractive pick for the Seattle Kraken, who must select 20 players with term on their contracts, it still seems very unlikely that they would opt to take the veteran minor leaguer above all other Rangers options.
Trade Deadline Primer: Vancouver Canucks
We are now just a few days away from the NHL Trade Deadline and talks are heating up. Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Vancouver Canucks.
The Vancouver Canucks’ season was over well before this ongoing team-wide battle with the Coronavirus. Their current extended stoppage is just the final nail in the coffin of a disappointing campaign. At least the team can move some expiring contracts, add some futures, and get ready for next year, right? Well, there are a few different factors working against the Cancuks making much of an impact as a seller at the trade deadline.
The first is that they lack any of the top available rentals and the seconds is that their best trade assets are not really available. The Canucks opted to re-sign Tanner Pearson rather than trade him, removing arguably their top rental from the market. Additionally, veteran defensemen Alexander Edler and Travis Hamonic have No-Movement Clauses and have expressed no inclination to waive them. If Vancouver had any chance of landing a substantial return at the deadline, it would have been by dealing these three players.
Beyond that, the COVID status of nearly the entire roster also does not help. While there is no rule against trading a player on the NHL’s COVID Protocol list, it isn’t exactly an attractive attribute for buyers. While there has been recent progress in Vancouver that suggests the team could be healthy, perhaps even by the deadline, their current status is not encouraging.
So what is there to expect from the Canucks in the coming days? The team still has a few pieces that they may be able to move for moderate returns, but don’t be surprised if it is a relatively quiet deadline in Vancouver.
Record
16-18-3, .473, 5th in North Division
Deadline Status
Seller
Deadline Cap Space
$0 in full-season space ($5.13MM in LTIR space), 0/3 retention slots used, 48/50 contracts used per CapFriendly
Upcoming Draft Picks
2021: VAN 1st, VAN 2nd, VAN 3rd, VAN 4th, VAN 5th, VAN 6th, VAN 7th
2022: VAN 1st, VAN 2nd, VAN 4th, VAN 5th, VAN 6th, VAN 7th
Trade Chips
With Pearson, Edler, and Hamonic off the table, veteran two-way center Brandon Sutter is the Canucks’ top trade chip. The impending UFA is a shadow of his former self, but is still a valuable depth piece due to his experience, versatility, and defensive ability. An ideal fit for a contender as a bottom-six forward, face-off asset, and penalty kill specialist, Sutter is the type of player who ends up being an invaluable acquisition to a team that makes a Cup run. His value isn’t what it used to be, but Sutter could still net a nice return, especially if he has a clean bill of health. The Canucks could boost his value by retaining part of his $4.375MM cap hit as well.
Another intriguing rental will be defensemen Jordie Benn. The veteran has plenty of experience, plays a sound defensive game, and is quietly enjoying the best per-game scoring season of his NHL career despite playing career-low minutes. Benn, who is also one of the few Canucks not currently sidelined by COVID, should be healthy and fresh and ready for a new challenge with a contender. An affordable addition at just $2MM, many buyers could do far worse than adding Benn as blue line depth.
While waiver claims are not usually considered trade assets, the Canucks were pretty high in the waiver order when they snagged forward Jimmy Vesey and Travis Boyd recently and they could shop their pair around to see if they can turn a claim into a draft pick. Could the buried Sven Baertschi also draw interest as a depth piece?
While there are not expected to be many term players dealt at the deadline, the Brett Connolly trade has already shattered the perception that they won’t happen at all. The Canucks stand out as a team that could trade away some players under contract next season and beyond. They have already been shopping forward Jake Virtanen for much of the season and there is no reason to believe that they will not still field offers, if any interest exists. A more interesting move would be if Vancouver decided to make underrated forward Tyler Motte available. Motte has been steadily improving over the past few years, but truly broke out in the playoffs last season and continued to perform at a high level this season, though he has missed time due to injury. At a minimal cap hit through next season, Motte is solid, two-way forward who could provide bottom-six value to a contender beyond just this year. Motte could be this season’s Barclay Goodrow if the Canucks make him available.
One major trade that wouldn’t be much of a surprise if it wasn’t for the fact that his name has not even been whispered on the rumor mill: the Canucks moving Braden Holtby. The veteran goaltender has one season remaining on his contract, but his future is not in Vancouver given the strong play and subsequent long-term extension of Thatcher Demko. Holtby has not performed this season, but was a top goalie in the NHL not long ago and could still draw interest, especially with numerous teams seeking help in net this season and beyond. Holtby might be an attractive pick for the Seattle Kraken in the Expansion Draft, but if Vancouver can instead get something in exchange for the capable keeper, they should do so. As long as they can figure out the expansion ramifications of the move, a Holtby trade would make sense for the Canucks if interest exists.
Others to watch for: D Jalen Chatfield ($700K, Group 6 UFA), D Ashton Sautner ($700K, UFA), D Brogan Rafferty ($700K, UFA), F Tyler Graovac ($700K, UFA), F Zack MacEwen ($825K, 2022 RFA)
Team Needs
1) Picks and Prospects – The Canucks are not your typical seller. The team made a playoff run just last year, have a number of talented young pieces, and are looking to reset for next year rather than rebuild for the future. With that said, Vancouver is not exactly boasting an elite pipeline either. They have some truly great young players on the NHL rosters and several players in the AHL and overseas who will be pushing for NHL roles as early as next year. However, their lack of first- and second-round picks last season and no mid- or late-round surprises in recent years have thinned the pipeline among younger prospects. Especially at center, the Canucks have a major need for some future talent. Adding picks or targeting young prospects is the best way for Vancouver to maximize their rentals.
2) Term Defenseman – The Canucks are looking to reload for next year though and with a whopping seven defensemen in the organization headed for unrestricted free agency this summer, it wouldn’t hurt to look for a blue liner with term on his contract. The addition would also solve an Expansion Draft exposure issue that the team currently has no obvious solution for.
Negotiation Notes: Nugent-Hopkins, Driedger, Luongo
The Edmonton Oilers and impending free agent forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins continue to talk extension, but thus far to no avail. Frank Seravalli reports on TSN’s latest “Insider Trading” that the Oilers’ latest contract offer was “not flattering”. He believes that the extension proposal contained just a five-year term, as well as an AAV that did not serve to counteract the short term. Unsurprisingly, Nugent-Hopkins’ camp was quick to move on from the offer. However, the two sides are committed to continuing talks and there does not yet seem to be any resentment growing despite the lack of progress on a new deal. Seravalli notes that, as of now, there is no desire on the Oilers’ part to trade RNH before the impending trade deadline. Should the two sides fail to come to terms on an extension, Nugent-Hopkins will be one of, if not the most sought-after free agent. It has previously been speculated that the Seattle Kraken, who will have plenty of cap space but could be short on center talent, would be a major suitor for the 2011 No. 1 overall pick if he were to hit the open market this off-season.
- With the Florida Panthers signing star goalie prospect Spencer Knight on Wednesday, the pressure is on to decide the future of current backup Chris Driedger. Driedger has been one of the best stories of the 2020-21 season. A veteran minor leaguer, with more ECHL games than NHL games in his career, Driedger has broken out at the age of 26. After an excellent showing in limited action last season, Driedger has continued his stellar play into the current campaign, stealing starts from $10MM lead netminder Sergei Bobrovsky. However, the Panthers stand to lose him for nothing this off-season as an unrestricted free agent. The two sides had been in communication about an extension, but with Knight now joining the fold alongside Bobrovsky, leaving Boston College after just two seasons, there doesn’t seem to be a place for Driedger beyond this season – and other teams realize this. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that as soon as Knight’s contract was announced, a number of rival GM’s reached out to Florida’s Bill Zito to inquire on Driedger. In fact, LeBrun notes that multiple trade offers have already been made. However, to this point Zito has told all suitors that he has not decided what to do with Driedger just yet. The Panthers are not only in a playoff spot, but have a real chance at a Central Division title, especially if their goaltending holds up. Removing Driedger from the equation means losing the better of Florida’s two goalies this season and replacing him with a prospect who has no pro experience. Keeping Driedger would be better for the Panthers’ Stanley Cup hopes this season, but at the cost of what could be a considerable trade return. At the end of the day, this could all come back to contract talks. If Zito and company can convince Driedger that he has a role in Florida for another year or two even with Knight in the mix, then they have all the more reason to keep him. If the goalie is unconvinced and eyeing opportunity elsewhere this season, the team might opt to move him and lean on their well-paid current starter and highly-regarded future starter.
- Normally, playing for your country’s national team is an honor. However, given the continued threat of COVID-19 as well as the wear and tear that this condensed 2020-21 season has had on players, recruiting for the 2021 World Championship in Latvia this spring is going to be a major challenge. For Team Canada, that responsibility will fall to Roberto Luongo, who will be named the team’s GM according to TSN’s Darren Dreger. This will be the first time that Luongo has served in such a major role on the international stage, but he very likely will not have the normal assortment of stars to choose from for his Worlds roster. Dreger believes that Canada’s roster – and many others – is likely to skew young, with players still looking to make a name for themselves more willing to go play in Latvia rather than established stars. Luongo may have the tall task of picking through some inexperience and unrealized potential, or else convincing veterans to join the squad, if he wants to build a winner.
Snapshots: Expansion Draft, Novak, Pettersson
The Seattle Kraken cannot yet make trades, but that won’t stop them from making a major impact on the upcoming NHL Trade Deadline. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Kraken GM Ron Francis has begun to receive calls from a number of teams seeking input on potential deadline deals. Any team adding a valuable player who is not just an impending UFA rental is also adding another piece to their Expansion equation. In many cases, top contenders acquiring these quality players will either not be able to protect them or their addition will displace another valued player already on the roster. As a result, they have been reaching out to Francis to see what it would cost to make a side deal to protect assets that would be exposed by a potential deadline trade. According to LeBrun, the league’s other GM’s have not been happy with Francis’ responses. It seems the going rate for a side deal with Seattle to protect a player that they would otherwise be selecting is a first-round pick and a prospect. This price is scaring teams away from making major deals at the deadline, quieting a market that already has a number of restrictions working against it.
- While a seventh-round pick may not mean much to the Ottawa Senators, especially given their immense pipeline of talent, it meant a lot to Bentley University. In 2018, the Senators’ final-round selection Jakov Novak became the first ever NHL Draft pick to attend Bentley, an Atlantic Hockey school who has never won their conference tournament nor qualified for the NCAA Tournament. The oft-forgotten Boston-area program was proud to add Novak, who has played up to expectations over the past three years. With 30 goals and 62 points in 87 games, including 17 points in 15 games this year, the power forward has been one of the best players in Atlantic Hockey – and other teams took notice. The junior winger is set to depart Bentley for greener pastures, leaving the program yet again absent of NHL talent. He’s not going far, though. Novak has announced that he will transfer to Northeastern University for next season. The Huskies exited the Hockey East Tournament early this year and did not qualify for the national stage, so they will be eager to add another talented forward with pro ability in hopes of taking a step forward next season. Novak hinted that 2021-22 could be the end of his NCAA career, but it only take one year for him to make a major impact at Northeastern. Vice versa, just one year playing alongside and against superior collegiate talent could be a major developmental leap for Novak that earns him a contract with Ottawa.
- Vancouver Canucks star Elias Pettersson was eligible to be activated from the Long-Term Injured Reserve for the first time today, but his stay is not yet over. Head coach Travis Green tells NHL.com that the team underestimated Pettersson’s upper-body injury and he is not close to a return. “Definitely was more serious than we thought originally,” Green stated on Tuesday. “We didn’t think it was going to be this long. It hasn’t gotten any better to a point where he can play yet and I still think he’s going to be out for a few more games at least.” After a slow start to the season, the Canucks have been playing much better of late. In fact, they have the second-best record in their past ten games of any team in the North Division. However, still more than 100 percentage points back of a playoff spot, Vancouver will need Pettersson healthy if they want to complete the comeback.