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Snapshots: Nielsen, Ferland, Senators

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With Seattle being officially announced as the upcoming 32nd franchise in the NHL, teams are already starting to prepare for an upcoming expansion draft. While the Vegas Golden Knights will be exempt from the draft, June 2021 will be a focus for all other 30 teams. One of the most notable rules as we move towards the process is the one surrounding no-movement clauses and their automation protection. Teams’ ability to protect their young skaters will hamstrung by these clauses, and could force them into a trade with Seattle.

The Detroit Red Wings were one of these teams, as it appeared that Frans Nielsen had a no-movement clause that would force protection despite him nearing the end of his playing career by the time the draft rolls around. CapFriendly today reported that they had been mistaken previously when listing Nielsen with that clause, as it actually expired at the end of last season. Nielsen now only holds a modified no-trade clause, which does not have the same restrictions in the draft process.

  • Micheal Ferland has been activated by the Carolina Hurricanes, as he has fully recovered from his recent concussion. The forward still leads the Hurricanes in goals this season despite his four-game absence, and will try to step right back into the top-six role he’d shown the aptitude for. The physical, skilled forward is the only player on Carolina with double digit goals this season, something they’ve sorely lacked all year. Ferland is also a pending unrestricted free agent that carries just a $1.75MM cap hit this season, and will be very appealing to many teams at the deadline if Carolina drops out of the race.
  • Ian Mendes of TSN recently looked at the history of eight-year extensions and when they were usually signed, noting that the Ottawa Senators are approaching “uncharted territory” if they still intend on signing long-term deals with Matt Duchene and Mark Stone. Both players are pending unrestricted free agents and could very well be among the highest-paid players on July 1st. The Senators meanwhile will have to consider long and hard on whether they want to hand out huge extensions during the very early stages of their current rebuild.

Snapshots: DeBrusk, Daley, Jokinen, Forsling

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Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk will miss both games this weekend, notes Joe Haggerty of NBC Sports Boston.  Head coach Bruce Cassidy noted that DeBrusk is “not feeling well physically” which has led to some speculation he may be dealing with a delayed onset of concussion symptoms after he took a puck to the head late last month; the winger indicated he wasn’t feeling particularly well on Thursday against Tampa Bay either.  His absence will open up a spot for center Gemel Smith who was acquired via waivers earlier this week.

More from around the hockey world:

  • Although he has resumed skating, Red Wings defenseman Trevor Daley will miss his fifth straight game tonight due to a lower-body injury, reports Dana Gauruder of the Detroit Free Press. The 35-year-old is off to a quiet start to his season with just a single goal and four assists through 21 games.  That means that Luke Witkowski will likely be counted on to serve as a defenseman once again; he has predominantly played on the wing this year.
  • Winger Jussi Jokinen is no longer with Kloten of the Swiss NLB. A report from Roland Jauch of Tages Anzeiger mentions that he has returned to his home in Florida and is hoping to get a look with an NHL team.  If the 35-year-old is unable to land a deal in North America, it’s believed that he’s opening to returning to Switzerland although it wouldn’t be surprising if he landed with a team in the top division this time around.
  • The Blackhawks announced that they have placed defenseman Gustav Forsling on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. The placement was made retroactive to December 5th so he’ll be eligible to be activated as soon as Wednesday.  Taking his place on the active roster is fellow blueliner Connor Murphy who was activated off IR.  He’s expected to make his season debut on Sunday against Montreal.

Snapshots: Guentzel, Byfuglien, Kulikov, Murphy

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Penguins winger Jake Guentzel was open to beginning discussions regarding a contract extension back in the offseason, notes Josh Yohe of The Athletic (subscription required).  However, GM Jim Rutherford indicated at the time that his preference was to negotiate a new deal next summer.  While that may have been disappointing at the time for Guentzel, it’s fair to suggest that this worked out quite well for him.  The 24-year-old has 22 points through 26 games so far this season which puts him on pace for 69, a number that would vastly surpass his previous career best of 48.  Although he’s still on his entry-level deal, Guentzel is eligible for salary arbitration next summer so he is well-positioned to land a substantial raise on his current $734K cap hit and almost assuredly more than if he signed an extension last summer.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • The Jets could have a key defenseman back in their lineup on Friday. Postmedia’s Ken Wiebe notes that there’s a good chance Dustin Byfuglien will return after missing the last four games with a concussion.  That would be a big boost to their back end as he leads all Winnipeg blueliners in scoring (17 points) while leading the team in playing time per game (24:24).  Meanwhile, fellow rearguard Dmitry Kulikov could also return from his upper-body injury that he sustained early last month.  His initial timeline for recovery was mid-December so he certainly appears to be ahead of schedule.
  • Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy took contact in practice for the first time this week and could return as soon as Sunday, reports Steve Greenberg of the Chicago Sun-Times. The veteran has missed the entire season since undergoing back surgery in September and while he hasn’t been a big point producer in the past, he’ll give them some extra depth on their back end and likely slot into a third pairing role.  Chicago is currently carrying the maximum 23 players allowable on their roster so they will have to make a move over the next couple of days if they want him to play this weekend.

Snapshots: Luongo, Wilson, AHL

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The Florida Panthers have sent Michael Hutchinson back to the minor leagues, indicating that Roberto Luongo is ready to get back into the crease. The veteran goaltender has been dealing with a lower-body injury, and is a huge part of the Panthers’ chances of competing for a playoff spot this year. When he’s healthy and on the ice the team looks almost completely different, despite his .902 save percentage.

Luongo is just 19 games behind Patrick Roy for second on the all-time games played list, and just nine behind Ed Belfour for third on the wins list. Those kind of numbers are going to make him a lock for the Hall of Fame, but it’s the Stanley Cup that remains just out of reach. Luongo will turn 40 in April, but has amazingly only been to the playoffs seven times and has just 70 postseason appearances under his belt. If that number is to increase the Panthers are going to have to put it together in the second two-thirds of the season.

  • As expected, the Philadelphia Flyers have hired Rick Wilson as an assistant coach for the remainder of the season. Wilson, a long-time NHL assistant, had previously been hired by new GM Chuck Fletcher in his previous job for Minnesota. Head coach Dave Hakstol’s job appears to be safe for now, but it seems likely that Fletcher will re-evaluate the entire staff after the season.
  • Two players have earned suspensions in the AHL. Dennis Gilbert of the Rockford IceHogs has been suspended three games for an illegal check to the head, while Alex Gallant of the Chicago Wolves is out for the next two games after earning a match penalty in Sunday’s game. Gallant, a 25-year old undrafted forward, has been suspended multiple times in the past by the AHL and doesn’t have a single point yet this season. Gilbert on the other hand is a third-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in his first professional season.

Snapshots: Despres, Maple Leafs, Zuccarello

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Simon Despres was offered a contract by the AHL’s Laval Rocket before this season began, but opted not to sign with the team. After spending a couple of months examining his options, the veteran defenseman has decided to take them up on their offer after all. Except now, the deal is just on a tryout basis. Laval announced today that Despres has signed a PTO with the team. Despres, a former first-round pick and NHL regular with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim Ducks, struggled with injuries and was more or less forced out of the league in recent years. After finally returning to full health last season and performing well with the KHL’s HC Slovan Bratislava, Despres expressed an interest in returning to the NHL this year. Interestingly, he specifically mentioned his interest in the relatively new AHL franchise in his hometown of Laval and eventually signed a PTO with the Montreal Canadiens this summer in hopes of landing a two-way contract where he could play in Laval and potentially work his way onto the Habs’ roster. He fell short of that goal, but a one-way AHL contract with the Rocket seemed like the next-best thing. Hopefully it’s not too late to land a real contract with Laval.

  • The official camp roster for Sweden’s World Juniors entry will be announced tomorrow. However, the Toronto Maple Leafs have the luxury of knowing two of their prospects – defensemen Tim Liljegren and Rasmus Sandin – will be selected to the team. The Leafs also have the luxury of ample depth that will allow them to send both to the tournament without a second thought, reports Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun. With the AHL’s Toronto Marlies this season, Sandin leads all defensemen on the team with four goals despite playing in all twelve games, while Liljegren has been arguably the team’s top defensive defenseman. Neither of the two look quite ready for the NHL just yet, but are well on their way.
  • Not many players have the clarity and foresight about their own status to predict when they’ll be traded, but a respected veteran like Mats Zuccarello does. The New York Post’s Brett Cyrgalis relays a report from a journalist in Zuccarello’s native Norway that Zuccarello believes a trade is more likely than him finishing out the year in New York. A career Ranger, Zuccarello is likely upset about the end of his time with the team coming, but as a pending free agent on a rebuilding club, he was likely moving on one way or another. Zuccarello will likely be a coveted piece at the trade deadline.

Snapshots: Kovar, Simmonds, McQuaid, Stars Defensemen

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The Bruins are close to making a decision regarding the future of center Jan Kovar, reports Joe Haggerty of NBC Sports Boston.  The 28-year-old is currently on a minor league deal with the team but he has skated with Boston for the last couple of days.  Kovar initially signed with the Islanders last summer but after failing to crack their lineup, his contract was mutually terminated and he caught on with AHL Providence shortly after that.  Head coach Bruce Cassidy commented on the situation:

“There are clearly skills. He’s proven that in Providence, he’s put up numbers in the past.  It’s just is he going make us a better team or do we like what we have, and want to work with what we have? That’s the ultimate question.”

Kovar has indeed been productive in the minors, collecting four goals and six assists in a dozen games at that level.  If the Bruins decide not to tender him an NHL offer, it’s likely that he will look to return to the KHL where he has spent the past five seasons.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • Prior to Philadelphia relieving Ron Hextall of his duties as GM, the Flyers were in discussions regarding a contract extension for winger Wayne Simmonds, notes Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News (Twitter link). However, Hextall indicated that the two sides were not close.  Simmonds is a pending unrestricted free agent but given his style of play and tendency to play through injuries, locking the 30-year-old up long-term will carry some risk.
  • Rangers defenseman Adam McQuaid is getting closer to returning from his lower-body injury. Head coach David Quinn told Larry Brooks of the New York Post that the 32-year-old is likely a couple of weeks away from getting back into the lineup.  McQuaid has missed 16 straight games with the injury and has played just eight times so far this season.
  • Stars coach Jim Montgomery provided an update on some of their injured defensemen to Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). Connor Carrick (lower body) and John Klingberg (hand) are expected to miss about three more weeks each while Marc Methot (lower body) is more uncertain.  He’s slated to undergo more testing that will hopefully determine how much longer he’ll miss.

Snapshots: Nylander, Hextall, Pilut

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Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock did nothing to curb his outspoken nature when asked about William Nylander again today, telling reporters including Jonas Siegel of The Athletic that he still believes that the young forward will be on the team but the organization won’t beg him to return. Meanwhile, Frank Seravalli of TSN tweeted this morning that the Philadelphia Flyers had been in touch with Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas in his recent “last call” for trade offers. TSN broadcaster Gord Miller also heard that from a source in Philadelphia, and detailed what those talks were about:

This was the previous regime that was contacted by the Leafs on the weekend, and the Leafs asked for—they wanted to tap into the Flyers’ young D. Right away the Flyers said “Ivan Provorov? Not touchable.” So Provorov, who scored 17 goals last year is not on the table. Now again, this is the old regime. So the focus turned to Shayne Gostisbehere.

When Miller references the “old regime” he is speaking about former Flyers GM Ron Hextall, who was let go this week along with assistant GM Chris Pryor. The conversation regarding a fit between the Flyers and Nylander continues, but is highly speculative at that point especially given the changes in the Philadelphia front office since this apparent negotiation happened. Still, it only lends credence to the idea that Dubas and the Maple Leafs have been doing their due diligence in preparation for the deadline tomorrow, when there will finally (hopefully) be a conclusion one way or the other regarding Nylander.

  • Speaking of Hextall’s recent firing, the former Philadelphia GM spoke with the media today and expressed his shock at the entire situation. Hextall did not see his dismissal coming, and was “stunned” when team president Paul Holmgren delivered the news. Hextall is of course a legend in Philadelphia from his playing days, including being one of the rare players to ever win a Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP despite losing in the Stanley Cup Finals. Still, his tenure as GM had not yet resulted in any deep playoff success and upper management had grown tired of waiting.
  • With all eyes still on the Buffalo Sabres as they continue their fight for the Atlantic Division crown just a year after finishing last in the NHL, a new face will be scrutinized under the lights. Lawrence Pilut will make his NHL debut according to Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News, despite the recent recall of Matt Tennyson. That gives Buffalo fans another highly anticipated Swedish defenseman to watch, and one that brings plenty of offensive upside. Pilut had 22 points in 16 games for the Rochester Americans before his call-up, and is still just 22 years old.

Snapshots: Couture, Matthews, Thomas

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The San Jose Sharks entered the 2018-19 season with high expectations after their off-season blockbuster acquisition of Erik Karlsson. One of the best teams in all of sports over the past decade or so never to win a title, the Sharks have been the epitome of consistency, but have been unable to land that elusive Stanley Cup title. With Karlsson in the mix on a roster that is deep and talented in all areas, many felt this could finally be the season than San Jose puts it all together. More than a quarter of the way through the season, those expectations have yet to be met. The Sharks have been a fine team – their 29 points places them second in the Pacific Division – but in no way are they running away with a conference championship. At least one player on the team is fed up with the poor effort: star forward Logan Couture. After a third straight loss last night, Couture told the Canadian Press that things need to change:

“My personal opinion, I don’t think we’re close. We show spurts and signs that we’re capable (of playing with the best in the league) but we haven’t put together an effort against a top-quality team. … We gotta figure it out soon. I’m a believer that it takes time. (But) I’m a believer that it doesn’t take 26 games.”

Couture, who signed a long-term deal this off-season, is the centerpiece of the Sharks’ offense for the foreseeable future. Couture has as much right as anyone on the team to criticize their efforts, seeing as he has done his part so far with 25 points in 26 games. While Couture did not name names, it is easy to point at Karlsson, last year’s big acquisition, Evander Kane, and a lackluster bottom-six as those that need to step up if the Sharks wish to play to their potential. Perhaps Couture being open and honest about the team’s disappointing results that will flip a switch and turn this team into the true contender they should be.

  • It was Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs who took down the Sharks last night and the young superstar played very well in his return to the lineup. Even in the midst of the final days of the William Nylander drama, Toronto continues to win and remain focused on the present. But what if their struggles to sign Nylander are just the beginning? The Leafs face quite the cap crunch moving forward and there is concern that a Nylander signing could eventually push out either Matthews or Mitch Marner. Fox Sports’ Andy Strickland relays word from sources around the league that Matthews could be a prime target for an offer sheet this off-season. Although rare, due to their financial cost and draft pick cost, a maximum offer sheet isn’t out of the realm of possibility for a young player of Matthews’ caliber. Strickland asks what the Leafs could possibly do, with so many RFA’s and a defense in need of rebuilding this summer, if a team was to offer Matthews a contract worth $14MM per season? Such a situation seems far-fetched, but may be more grounded in reality than we know. It would be yet another difficult obstacle for the Maple Leafs who are truly having trouble with having so much talent on their roster.
  • The Boston Bruins retired Rick Middleton’s number tonight, making him the eleventh member of an illustrious group of all-time greats. The question now turns to who could be next to join the Bruins’ stars in the rafters? Of their recently retired players, the one who truly sticks out is two-time Vezina Trophy winner and Stanley Cup hero Tim Thomas. Although Thomas’ career was not a long one, he was one of the top goaltenders in the NHL for several years and is arguably the most clutch postseason keeper in NHL history, with the league’s all-time best playoff save percentage. The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa asked one of the Bruins’ retired numbers, and the team’s current president, Cam Neely, for his thoughts on Thomas’ case, but he didn’t seem optimistic about the odds. Neely points to longevity as working against Thomas, but did not rule him out completely. “There’s no question, that team in ’11, what it meant to Bruins fans and New England. Timmy, what he did in that playoffs, not just in the finals but all of the series, was pretty impressive”, but Neely added “I don’t want to rule anything out, but you look at some of the guys up there, they have a bigger sample size of what they did throughout their career in Boston.” It seems that Thomas, who was a star in his own right but simply over a short period of time, faces an uphill battle to have his No. 30 retired. Instead, current long-time players Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara are likely next up to be immortalized by the Bruins.

Snapshots: Team Canada, Fletcher, Kovar

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Held in the middle of the NHL season, the Spengler Cup in Switzerland is often an afterthought among international events. Yet, Team Canada has put together quite the formidable group to lead their entry into the late December tournament, in pursuit of a fourth consecutive title. Hockey Canada has announced that Sean Burke and Ron Francis will put the Spengler Cup team together as co-GM’s, while Kevin Dineen will lead the selections as the head coach. Not only does that trio have extensive NHL playing careers on their resumes, but each have had success in their off-ice roles as well. Dineen has spent 14 seasons behind an NHL bench, including three as the head coach of the Florida Panthers, and has international coaching experience as well. His assistants, Gordie Dwyer and Mike Kitchen, are no strangers to the job either. Burke, currently a scout for the Montreal Canadiens, is familiar with Team Canada, having served as GM for the 2018 Olympic team, part of the management group for past four IIHF World Championship entries, as well as the GM of the past two Spengler Cup teams. However, it is Francis that sticks out the most. The former Carolina Hurricanes GM is currently considered a candidate for the Philadelphia Flyers’ new vacancy and, should the position remain open through the end of the calendar year, Francis’ efforts to put together a winning Spengler Cup team could be seen as part of his case for the job.

  • Another candidate for the Flyers’ GM vacancy – and perhaps the favorite – is former Minnesota Wild GM Chuck Fletcher. Fletcher was let go by the Wild this off-season and joined the New Jersey Devils as an executive, but is still held in high esteem by most in the game. Many pundits have suggested that he is the front runner for the job and now TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that the wheels appear to be in motion. The Devils have given the Flyers permission to speak with Fletcher, McKenzie says, and reiterates the sentiment that he would be the preferred hire. Although Minnesota was unable to reach the ultimate goal, Fletcher had the team on a six-season postseason streak when he was dismissed and the Wild, currently with the third-best record in the Western Conference, have a core of veteran and young contributors that was by and large put together by Fletcher. The experienced executive would be a more than capable GM for Philadelphia.
  • The Boston Bruins front office may soon be facing a decision, albeit to a much smaller extent. After he appeared to be weighing a return to Europe, Jan Kovar instead finds himself one step closer to his desired destination – another shot at the NHL. The Bruins announced this morning that Kovar, who has been playing with their AHL affiliate in Providence, was up practicing in Boston today. The question remains whether or not Kovar earns a contract with the Bruins, something that Lee Stempniak was unable to do despite ample practice time with the team. Boston is without Patrice Bergeron, but still has David Krejci and has been getting admirable efforts from rookie Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and veteran Joakim Nordstrom in his unnatural position. Yet, the team scratched Sean Kuraly in their last game and is still struggling to get secondary scoring. It may be the exact scenario that Kovar needed to get a second chance after quickly flaming out with the New York Islanders earlier this season.

Snapshots: Three Stars, RFAs, Marleau

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The NHL has released their latest Three Stars of the Week, and to absolutely no one’s surprise Patrik Laine finds himself on top. Despite plenty of other outstanding performances last week, Laine was the easy choice after scoring 11 goals in just four games including a five-goal effort on Saturday night. The young Winnipeg Jets forward set all kinds of franchise records with the outstanding performance, and joined an incredibly small group of players to post five goals in a game before their 21st birthday. Only Laine, Don Murdoch and Wayne Gretzky have ever done so; Laine will have to do it again this season to tie Gretzky with two such performances.

Coming in second and third this week are Marc-Andre Fleury and Nikita Kucherov, two players well versed in this award. Fleury earned third star honors just over a month ago, while Kucherov has been in the top three several times throughout his career. The Vegas Golden Knights goaltender and Tampa Bay Lightning forward will have to continue their strong play if they hope to compete for the Stanley Cup again this season, and may even find themselves on this list again down the road.

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