Snapshots: Hughes, Galchenyuk, Edwards
If you are a fan of the World Junior tournament and want to see the best under-20 athletes on the planet suit up, there may have been something nagging at your brain every time you looked at the NHL standings. All the way down near the bottom of the Eastern Conference are the New Jersey Devils, who just so happen to have one of those under-20 athletes on their roster.
Jack Hughes, the first-overall pick from last June, won’t turn 19 until May and has just 11 points in 24 games through his rookie season. The Devils haven’t had much success at all and appear to be considering trading off Taylor Hall, so what would be the problem with losing Hughes for a few weeks to dominate players his own age? Well, it won’t be happening as Devils interim coach Alain Nasreddine explained to Mike Morreale of NHL.com. “That (idea) was shut down right away, ” Nasreddine told reporters on Friday.
- Fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins have been dying to see their team at full strength this season, waiting out injury after injury in hopes that the group can pull it together at some point. Perhaps that idea isn’t so exciting for Alex Galchenyuk, who may not even have a spot in the lineup when everyone is back on the ice. That’s what GM Jim Rutherford suggested to Josh Yohe of The Athletic, saying “when we’re totally healthy, he’s going to have to work very hard just to get in the top 12.” Galchenyuk has just two goals and ten points in 19 games this season.
- The Calgary Flames announced earlier today that Ray Edwards will join the coaching staff as an assistant, replacing Geoff Ward who was bumped up to head coach when Bill Peters was fired. Edwards will maintain his other role of Director of Player Development while helping out the coaching staff, and comes with plenty of experience behind the bench.
Snapshots: Wild, Abdelkader, Patrick
Wild GM Bill Guerin recently visited with top prospect Kirill Kaprizov in Russia. He hadn’t had a chance to meet with Kaprizov since taking over as GM and while the team certainly wants the winger to sign with Minnesota for next season, he told Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required) that they didn’t get into specific discussions regarding next year and will simply reassess things at the end of his KHL season.
Nonetheless, Guerin did acknowledge that he has given some thought towards trying to add a Russian player to their roster with an eye on having that player help Kaprizov transition to the Wild and the NHL. That’s a move that they can wait to next year to make if they want but if it’s something that’s being considered, it also could have an impact on any trade discussions they have between now and the end of the season as well.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- Red Wings winger Justin Abdelkader is nearing a return to the lineup. Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press notes that he returned to practice for the first time on Tuesday and could be available for their next game on Saturday. The veteran has been out with a mid-body injury since November 10th and would be a welcome addition to a Detroit lineup that has been hit hard by the injury bug and has lost ten straight games.
- It has been a rough season for Flyers center Nolan Patrick. Diagnosed with a migraine disorder, he was initially believed to only need a couple of weeks to recover to the point where they didn’t put him on LTIR. Seven weeks went by and he was eventually transferred there. Now, as Patrick told reporters including NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jordan Hall, he’s simply hopeful to play at all this season. Patrick is in the final year of his contract and instead of looking at a potential long-term extension, the focus now is simply getting back to playing first and foremost.
Snapshots: Three Stars, Backstrom, Wilson
The NHL has released their Three Stars for last week, and a familiar name is at the very top. Nathan MacKinnon finds himself awarded top honors once again after nine points in three games. The Colorado Avalanche center has been carrying the offensive weight without his usual running mates Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog as they deal with injury, but shows no sign of slowing down.
Second and third place go to a pair of goaltenders who have battled hard to stay in their respective roles. David Rittich stopped 95 of 101 shots last week to help the Calgary Flames potentially save their season, while Martin Jones is a huge reason why the San Jose Sharks are back in the playoff race at all. Both netminders have had their share of adversity over the years, but are playing inspired hockey at the moment.
- It was reported recently that Nicklas Backstrom is representing himself in negotiations with the Washington Capitals, and he confirmed as much today to reporters including Samantha Pell of the Washington Post. Pell reports that Backstrom actually wanted to get an extension done with the team before the season began, but feels he “can be honest” with the organization after so many years together. The 32-year old center is in the final season of a ten-year contract he signed with the Capitals in 2010 and carries a $6.7MM cap hit.
- Speaking of Colorado injuries, Colin Wilson will undergo surgery on a lower-body injury and is out for a while, according to Ryan S. Clark of The Athletic. Wilson has only played nine games this season and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. It’s not clear exactly how long he will be out.
Snapshots: Three Stars, Makar, Nugent-Hopkins
With another month having passed, the NHL revealed its Three Stars for the month of November and no surprise that Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid heads the list. The two-time Art Ross Trophy winner dominated November in 14 games, leading the league with 13 goals, 26 points, six power play goals and 11 power play points over the month. That performance has put Edmonton at the top of the Pacific Division with a 7-5-2 record in November.
The Colorado Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon and Chicago Blackhawks Patrick Kane round out the top three. MacKinnon ranked second in the NHL in points in November with 10 goals and 25 points in 14 games and did it while being without his two linemates, Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog for most of that month. Kane, meanwhile, scored a point in all 15 games that he played, scoring 11 goals and 24 points.
- The NHL also announced the NHL ‘Rookie of the Month,’ handing the award to Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, who dominated the month of November. The 21-year-old led all rookies with seven goals, 16 points, three game-winning goals, +10 plus/minus and ATOI, averaging 21:25. Makar became the fifth rookie to score seven or more goals in a month and the last to do it since Brian Leetch did it in 1989. Makar beat out New York Rangers’ Adam Fox, Vancouver Canucks’ Quinn Hughes, Carolina Hurricanes’ Martin Necas, Buffalo Sabres Victor Olofsson and Pittsburgh Penguins’ John Marino.
- The Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins writes that despite rumors that Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a surgical procedure last week on his hand, he did not. Instead, Nugent-Hopkins received an injection, suggesting that the injury is more pain-related than anything else. The Oilers hope to get the top-six forward back sometime later this week.
Snapshots: Russian WJC Coaches, Crawford, Werenski
The Russian National team announced it has upgraded its coaching staff for the upcoming World Junior Championships, starting next month with Russian greats Igor Larionov and Nikolai Khabibulin taking roles with the team under head coach Valeri Bragin.
Larionov, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and three-time Stanley Cup Champion, will take over as an assistant coach after maintaining a role as an advisor for the senior national team. Khabibulin, a four-time all-star in the NHL, will take over as the WJC goaltending coach for Russia. He has served as goaltending coach for the Russian Olympic team. They will be replacing Yuri Babenko and Vladimir Kulikov, who were re-assigned.
Both coaches are expected to join the Russian team for training camp on Dec. 9. The tournament begins on Dec. 26 in the Czech Republic.
- The Daily Herald’s Barry Rozner wonders whether this will be Corey Crawford‘s last season with the Chicago Blackhawks. The 34-year-old has fared well after several injury-plagued seasons, posting a 2.94 GAA and a .913 save percentage in 13 games while splitting time with Robin Lehner. Unfortunately, Lehner who is six years younger, is having an even better season, and with both goaltenders hitting unrestricted free agency this summer, the team will have to pick one, which would suggest they will retain Lehner, although the scribe notes that it’s too early in the season to make any assumptions. However, with another young goalie close to ready in Kevin Lankinen, the team might have no choice but to move on from their longtime star goaltender.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets announced that defenseman Zach Werenski suffered a upper-body injury and would not return for the remainder of the game against the New York Islanders. The injury looked serious as he collided with the Islanders’ Anders Lee less than four minutes into the game and hit him in the left shoulder, the same shoulder that Werenski had surgery on in July. The Columbus Dispatch’s Brian Hedger reports that there was no update on Werenski after the game and an update isn’t likely to be revealed until Monday. However, the 22-year-old leads the Blue Jackets’ defensemen with six goals and 16 points.
Snapshots: Letang, Brouwer, Rantanen
The Pittsburgh Penguins will have Kris Letang back in the lineup tonight after he was activated from injured reserve today. The veteran defenseman has been out since November 4th, but the team actually went 4-1-3 without him and are still in good shape in the Eastern Conference standings.
Letang has dealt with injuries almost every season of his career, but still sits as one of the most productive defensemen in the league whenever he is on the ice. If he can get back to full speed quickly the Penguins should be a real contender for a Metropolitan Division playoff spot, though they’ll have to catch one of the three leaders to secure one.
- Troy Brouwer‘s work visa issues have been resolved, meaning he is ready to jump into the lineup for the St. Louis Blues. Klim Kostin has been returned to the minor leagues to make room for Brouwer, after just scoring his first NHL goal on Saturday night. Kostin obviously wasn’t long for the NHL if he was going to get just a handful of minutes every game, as the team wants him to continue to develop as a top-end player.
- Mikko Rantanen has watched every Colorado Avalanche game in a suit for the past month, but that might be coming to an end very soon. The big Finnish forward practiced today and wasn’t completely ruled out for Wednesday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers. Even if he is eventually held out for that game, his presence back on the ice is a good sign he will be returning soon. Rantanen had 12 points in his first nine games before suffering a lower-body injury and will likely go right back to the top line beside Nathan MacKinnon upon his return.
Snapshots: Three Stars, Draft Rankings, McKee
The NHL has released their Three Stars for last week and once again a member of the Boston Bruins “Perfection Line” has taken the top spot. Brad Marchand is the first star after a seven-point week, taking him to 39 on the season in just 23 games. Marchand also leads the NHL in +/- with a +17 rating and looks like he could be in legitimate contention for the Hart Trophy this season.
Second and third place go to Connor McDavid and Brock Nelson respectively after each posted four-goal weeks. While Nelson doesn’t get quite the same press as a player like McDavid, he has still been quite effective for the New York Islanders this season with 19 points in 21 games including four game-winning goals.
- Alexis Lafreniere may be the presumptive first-overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, but Craig Button of TSN argues that Quinton Byfield and Yaroslav Askarov should both be considered contenders for the spot. Button contends that if a team really values the center position Byfield should be the pick, going so far as to say he “can’t imagine a scenario” where a center-needy team doesn’t go with the 6’4″ pivot. Askarov meanwhile is the best goaltending draft prospect since Carey Price according to Button.
- The Kitchener Rangers have fired head coach and former NHL defenseman Jay McKee, naming general manager Mike McKenzie the interim bench boss. McKee, who played over 800 games in the NHL, took over as head coach of the OHL’s Rangers in 2016 and took them to the playoffs in three consecutive seasons.
Snapshots: LeBreton Flats, Backes, Gelinas
It has been a refreshing change of pace lately to see the Ottawa Senators performing well, winning seven of their last ten games and reaching .500 on the year – a mark they never hit again last year after the sixth game of the season. Their success on the ice is not only a shift from the results over the past year plus, but also serves as a distraction from the continued concern over the team’s ownership issues and fiscal future. A new report today though will bring those problems back into focus.
The Kanata-based club has long desired a downtown Ottawa location for a new arena. The Senators rank dead last in the NHL so far this year in capacity percentage attendance, as they did in 2018-19 as well, and only part of that can be attributed to their play, while their inconvenient location also play a key role. The closest the team has come to finding a new home has been the LeBreton Flats development, an urban development project under the oversight of the National Capital Commission (NCC). At one point, the NCC was working closely with the RendezVous LeBreton Group, led by Senators owner Eugene Melnyk. However, last December the NCC terminated their relationship with the RendezVous LeBreton Group amidst legal turmoil between Melnyk and his business partners and in February confirmed that their bid would not be considered. Yet, the NCC maintained that their plans for the project would be whatever best served the people of Ottawa, leaving open the possibility that an NHL arena could remain in the plans as a rental opportunity for the Senators. However, CTV Ottawa reports today that the LeBreton Flats development plan has finally been made public, and an NHL arena is not currently planned. There is space for a “sports complex” at the LeBreton Place location, but the likelihood of the Senators moving to the area looks doubtful at best at this point in time. This comes as another setback for the organization and yet another blow for a fan base with a growing resentment for ownership and management.
- The Boston Bruins plan to take their time with getting veteran forward David Backes back on the ice for game action. Per WEEI’s Matt Kalman, head coach Bruce Cassidy was happy to see Backes take part in morning skate on Saturday for the first time in several weeks, but wanted to temper expectations of an upcoming return. “Once you’ve had a few head injuries, you got to be really careful,” Cassidy stated, “we don’t need to rush anybody back right now, no matter who it is, especially in this situation. So, yes we’re being as careful as we need to be.” Backes, who has a history of concussions over his long NHL career, suffered yet another in a collision with Ottawa Senators forward Scott Sabourin earlier this month. Until now, he had only been training off-ice and skating by himself before or after practice and, as Cassidy warned, his non-contact participation in morning skate today does not indicate that he is ready to jump right back into the mix. Backes was only a part-time player for the Bruins even prior to his injury, so they will continue to be patient with the 35-year-old and wait for the proper time to bring him back.
- Eric Gelinas’ days in the NHL are likely over, but his hockey career continues overseas. The 28-year-old defenseman last played in the league in 2016-17 and left North America ahead of the 2018-19 campaign. After beginning last season with HC Slovan Bratislava of the KHL, Gelinas jumped over to Rogle BK of the SHL to finish the year, signing a contract through this season. However, with things going well in Sweden, Rogle announced that they have extended Gelinas through the 2021-22 season. With eight points in 15 games, Gelinas is doing well for himself offensively, even if he is only third among Rogle defensemen in scoring. More so, the team values his aggressive style and defensive ability and leadership. The former Devil and Avalanche defender has found a nice fit in the SHL and will continue to star in the league into his early thirties and possibly longer.
Snapshots: Laviolette, Gaudreau, Capitals
With the first coaching change of the season in the books, speculation has quickly turned to which team will be the next to make a move. A popular speculative choice has been Nashville as the Predators have won just two of their last ten games and are only two points ahead of last place Los Angeles in the Western Conference.
However, head Peter Laviolette told reporters, including Paul Skrbina of The Tennessean, that he hasn’t been given any indication from management that his job could be on the line or that he feels any extra pressure at all to turn things around. Considering that the Predators are built to win now though, that could change if their struggles continue and GM David Poile isn’t able to swing a trade to try to shake up the roster first.
Elsewhere around the league:
- Johnny Gaudreau’s struggles have led some to suggest that the Flames should consider moving the winger. Eric Duhatschek of The Athletic details (subscription required) the reasons why they shouldn’t be doing so, highlighted by the fact that making an in-season deal of that type of magnitude is extremely difficult to pull off while still getting full value in return. After scoring three times in his first five games, he has just two in 20 contests since then. Nonetheless, he still sits second on the team in scoring despite his struggles.
- The Capitals have had to turn to some extreme measures to stay cap-compliant in the early going this season. Eventually, they will need to free up a bit of salary room as they won’t be able to just rely on LTIR the rest of the way. However, it’s going to be easier said than done. J.J. Regan of NBC Sports Washington highlights winger Richard Panik and defenseman Nick Jensen as possible candidates given their contracts but also points out the complications for moving both of them. Panik’s contract (four years at $2.75MM) is a tough one given his lack of production while Jensen would leave them with a hole on the right side of their back end that they can’t fill internally. Accordingly, whether it’s one of them or someone else, GM Brian MacLellan is going to have a tough decision to make once Carl Hagelin comes off LTIR early next month.
Snapshots: MacTavish, Brouwer, Forbort, Avalanche
Craig MacTavish’s tenure with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the KHL was certainly short-lived as he was let go after eight games with the team. However, he’ll be back behind the bench next month as TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that he will be Canada’s head coach at next month’s Spengler Cup. The position had initially been offered to Wayne Gretzky but was declined. Among those that are expected to be named to MacTavish’s staff is Misha Donskov, the Director of Hockey Operations for the Golden Knights.
More from around the hockey world:
- While Troy Brouwer has been with the Blues for more than a week and recently signed a one-year deal, he hasn’t been given clearance to play just yet. Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes that the winger is still awaiting his work visa and he can’t suit up until he gets that. Brouwer was expected to play on Thursday and is hopeful that the issue will be resolved in time for their next game on Saturday.
- Kings defenseman Derek Forbort recently took part in a full skate with AHL Ontario, mentions Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider. He has missed the entire season as he continues to work his way back from a back injury. It’s a contract year for the 27-year-old who will enter unrestricted free agency for the first time in July so getting back is of particular importance for him. As for Los Angeles, if Forbort returns to form, he could be one of the more intriguing trade candidates closer to the trade deadline.
- It appears the Avalanche are getting close to getting at least one of their top forwards back. Ryan S. Clark of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that winger Mikko Rantanen could rejoin the team soon as he continues to ramp up his skating while working his way back from a lower-body injury. The news isn’t as good for Gabriel Landeskog though. He has yet to start skating after suffering a foot injury last month and will be going to be re-evaluated later this week.