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Snapshots: Sharks, McAvoy, Pesce

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The San Jose Sharks have won two games in a row and find themselves in second place in the Pacific Division, and are still on the lookout for a fourth-line center to help out their forward group. Meanwhile, Kevin Kurz of The Athletic (subscription required) has kept track of the scouts attending recent games and one team stands out in particular.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been at three of the last six Sharks games, and also sent a representative to take in a San Jose Barracuda game recently. The expectation is that it was to see Paul Martin, who is still looking for another opportunity in the NHL. Martin has a single point in seven games during his AHL stint, and could be a potential option for a club looking to help their defense down the stretch.

  • Charlie McAvoy is out of hospital and on the road to recovery after undergoing a procedure yesterday correcting an abnormal heart rhythm. McAvoy is expected to be out for two weeks, but has avoided a potential long-term problem. The Boston Bruins are one of the league’s hottest teams right now and will have to find a way to replace McAvoy’s minutes internally.
  • Brett Pesce has been activated off injured reserve for the Carolina Hurricanes, just in time for their important matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight. The Hurricanes are in last place in the Metropolitan Division but just three points out of a wildcard spot, and will have to pass the Penguins if they’re to make the playoffs this season. Pesce’s return should help them correct what has been a porous defense of late, allowing 27 goals in their last seven games.

Snapshots: Prospects, Olympics, Savard

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The NHL’s Central Scouting has released their midterm rankings for North American and International skaters, with Andrei Svechnikov and Rasmus Dahlin leading the way respectively. Dahlin is about as locked in as a prospect can be for the first-overall selection, but several others will be battling for the number two spot. Svechnikov, Filip Zadina, Adam Boqvist and Brady Tkachuk are all top options who could be in the top three selections, and should b considered blue chip pieces for whoever ends up with them.

Interestingly, players like Ryan Merkley (#21 among North American skaters) and Bode Wilde (#22) find themselves relatively far down the list despite their previous top-10 projections. Whether that has more to do with their own play slipping this season or the influx of talent throughout the draft class is unclear, but it should excite even teams in the playoff picture with the prospect of adding an impact player on defense.

  • Many of the Olympic rosters have now been released, with young players like Dahlin, Miro Heiskanen and Eeli Tolvanen dominating the headlines for Sweden and Finland. Rosters for the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland and host Korea are available on the IIHF website. Igor Eronko of Sport-Express reports that the Olympic Athletes from Russia squad will release their roster on Thursday, which should be one of the powerhouses of the tournament.
  • Marc Savard has officially announced his retirement, exactly seven years after his last game in the NHL. The exquisite playmaker was forced from the game due to concussion problems, but was still technically under contract through last season. His career ended in 2011 with the Bruins after 807 games, in which he registered 706 points including seasons of 97 and 96. According to Chris Lomon of the NHLPA, Savard is looking to move up the coaching ranks after spending some time behind the bench of his sons’ triple-A teams.

Evening Snapshots: Surging Avs, Daley, Sabres

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The same Colorado Avalanche who had the worst record in the NHL by a long mile last season and still couldn’t get the top pick in the draft have won nine consecutive games following a 3-1 victory over the Rangers Saturday afternoon. The Denver Post’s Mike Chambers writes that in addition to the sudden turn of events, center Nathan MacKinnon is in the Hart Trophy conversation and head coach Jared Bednar is making quite the case for the Adams, an award many thought Vegas’ Gerard Gallant had already won. Chambers continues:

A year ago at this time, MacKinnon was having the worst season of his career and somewhat embarrassed to represent the Avalanche at the All-Star Game. And fans were calling for Bednar’s firing just five months after he was hired. Colorado was 13-30-2 at the time.

Along with Vegas’ performance this season, the Avalanche’s sudden surge is one of hockey’s best stories of the 2017-18 season and reveals how the league’s parity can change a team’s fortunes in such a short amount of time. The nine-game winning streak is tied for the longest in team history.

  • MLive’s Ansar Khan tweets that the Detroit Red Wings’ Trevor Daley left the Red Wings-Hurricanes game with a lower body injury sustained during the first period of play. Though the Red Wings are sliding further away from a playoff spot, the news is significant since Daley was one of many Red Wings named as possible trade by the Detroit News’ John Niyo but a major injury would certainly derail any chances of a deal. Daley hasn’t exactly lit up the scoresheet for Detroit, but his presence with the back-to-back champion Pittsburgh Penguins and smooth skating make him an intriguing target for teams seeking depth and experience.
  • The Buffalo News’ Bucky Gleason questions Sabres bench boss Phil Housley’s analysis following a 7-1 drubbing by the Dallas Stars. Wondering how Housley could have labeled the early part of a blowout as “pretty good hockey,” Gleason points out that the team was booed off the ice while adding that the Sabres looked “uninterested” from the opening faceoff. In what has been a challenging season for the Sabres, Gleason believes that the performance is another indicator that Housley “appears to be in over his head.” Gleason doesn’t stop there, blasting everyone from ownership to the idea that tanking would actually bring the Sabres a winner. The fans, Gleason writes, are being taken advantage of by an organization that appears no closer to the playoffs or escaping the hockey wilderness.

Snapshots: Neal, Chara, Berra

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Vegas Golden Knights winger James Neal scored his 20th goal of the season last night in the team’s match-up with the Florida Panthers and, while 20 goals in nothing for a former 40-goal scorer, the mark actually puts Neal into quite the impressive group. This is now the tenth season in a row – for the ten-year veteran – that Neal has scored at least 20 goals in a season. From his early years in Dallas through his All-Star seasons in Pittsburgh and several strong campaigns in Nashville, Neal has always had a knack for finding the back of the net and it hasn’t stopped with the expansion Knights. There only five other active players who have scored 20+ goals in each of their first ten seasons: Jaromir Jagr, Thomas Vanek, Alex Ovechkin, Patrick Kane, and Jonathan Toews. That’s some Hall of Fame caliber company that Neal has joined.

  • Another player quietly dominating is none other than Zdeno Chara. Sure, the 6’9″ 40-year-old is one of the most well-known players in the NHL, but after a few seasons where the talk was that Chara had lost a step, the Norris Trophy-winner looks like his old self again, even if his play isn’t grabbing headlines. As Sportsnet’s Eric Engel writes, Chara’s success has gone largely unnoticed mostly because of the immediate success of his new pair mate, rookie Charlie McAvoy. With McAvoy in the fold, as well other impact young players like Torey Krug, Brandon Carlo, and Matt Grzelcyk, Chara has been able to play fewer minutes this season, take a backseat role on the power play, and overall focus less on offense. The result has been a rejuvenation of Chara’s elite shutdown game, which pairs perfectly with the smooth-skating puck-mover McAvoy. Less than two months away from turning 41, Chara has played in every game for the Bruins, leads the league with a +24 rating, and is on pace for his most hits in over a decade. He’s back to being one of the most feared opponents in the NHL and it’s no surprise that the Bruins are strongly considering an extension.
  • Another player who may have earned an extension – even in just a small sample size – is veteran goalie Reto Berra. Swiss reporter Marc-Andre Berset relays that Berra has received an extension offer from the Anaheim Ducks, who Berra suited up for in four games early this season when backup Ryan Miller was injured. In those four appearances, Berra looked as good as he had in years. The 31-year-old journeyman posted a .932 save percentage and 2.27 GAA and earned a win in his one start. His performance for the AHL’s San Diego Gulls has been slightly less outstanding, but he still remains a solid veteran depth option. While Berra surely would like to be playing a greater role, a multi-year deal in Anaheim could result in his return to a regular NHL role, with Miller’s contract expiring after next season. Playing for his third NHL organization in three years, it would be no surprise for Berra to opt for a long-term situation rather than continue moving around. However, Berset also seems to imply that Berra has options waiting for him back in Switzerland, as NLA club HC Fribourg-Gotteron could come calling with a starting opportunity. Only time will tell what Berra decides to do next with his hockey career.

Snapshots: Johnson, Crawford, Murray

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Jack Johnson’s not hiding the fact that he asked for a trade in November, but he wanted to make it clear that he’s nowhere near quitting on the Columbus Blue Jackets. In an excellent piece by Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription required), Johnson goes into detail on how he would love to stay with his current club, but is just trying to do what is best for his career and family:

This isn’t a situation that’s normal. Most people, when stuff like this happens, it’s because they don’t want to be where they’re at, or they’re not happy with the team, the city, the coaches, whatever. I’m not … this isn’t a case of any of that.

Johnson is perhaps more concerned with future paydays than the average NHL veteran because of the public bankruptcy he had to file in 2014 thanks to debt his parents created in his name. Still, Johnson only wants to show he’s capable of contributing to a winning lineup, and he’ll get that chance tomorrow night against the Dallas Stars when he’s reunited with David Savard on the team’s second defense pairing. Though he remains a possibility for trade, Portzline perhaps put it best on Twitter when asked if Johnson could play his way into a contract: “rule out nothing.”

Snapshots: Sweden, Prospects, Coyotes

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Sweden has released their roster for the upcoming Pyeongchang Olympic Games, and even though it doesn’t have any current NHL players, it has plenty of league experience. Staffan Kronwall, Viktor Stalberg, Linus Omark and others highlight what should be one of the more powerful teams in the tournament, but one other name is the taking all the headlines.

Rasmus Dahlin, the expected first-overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft has made the cut and is one of eight defensemen named to the squad. The 17-year old already starred at the World Juniors and plays a regular role on Frolunda in the SHL, Sweden’s highest professional league. There is little controversy over Dahlin’s ranking as the best talent available in this year’s draft, and a good showing at the Olympics will only raise his stock even further.

  • Speaking of prospects, Corey Pronman of The Athletic (subscription required) released his midseason rankings of those already drafted, and lists Casey Mittelstadt at the very top. The Buffalo Sabres draft pick has had a year to remember, selected eighth overall, starring at the University of Minnesota, being named MVP of the World Juniors and just recently being among the nominees for the Hobey Baker award as the best collegiate player in the country. Though things don’t look good in Buffalo right now, Mittelstadt and others—including #24 on Pronman’s list—will look to turn things around in the near future.
  • Despite rumors swirling around the Arizona Coyotes, some closest to the situation aren’t as willing to point to a potential firesale of their top defensemen. At least not Craig Morgan of AZ Sports, who calls some of the recent rumors “baseless” and doesn’t think the Coyotes have done anything to “set the market” or trade Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Niklas Hjalmarsson or Jason Demers. Morgan isn’t saying that it won’t happen, just that he believes there is little fact in the rumors that have been spread recently. There’s a good reason to believe that Arizona will move some assets before the deadline, but it doesn’t appear like an Ekman-Larsson is imminent or that even a real asking price has been set.

Snapshots: van Riemsdyk, Hutchinson, Dal Colle

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Expect James van Riemsdyk to stay with the Toronto Maple Leafs all season. That’s what TSN’s Darren Dreger writes in his latest column, positing that he and fellow pending unrestricted free agents Tyler Bozak and Leo Komarov, are best used as “own rentals” for the playoff push.

While there are some big numbers floating around for any potential van Riemsdyk extension, he’s continued to play an important role on the Maple Leafs, tying Auston Matthews for first on the team in goals with 19.

  • The Winnipeg Jets have recalled Michael Hutchinson from the AHL for tonight’s game, explaining that Steve Mason has fallen ill and can’t back up Connor Hellebuyck. To make room, the team has placed Adam Lowry on injured reserve. Hutchinson is an extremely interesting goaltender to keep an eye on this year, as he’s headed for unrestricted free agency in the summer. Though he’s stuck in the minor leagues this season due to Mason’s signing, the 27-year old has dominated the AHL with a .942 save percentage and could land an NHL job in the summer. In 99 career NHL games he does hold a .910 save percentage, and could be an excellent backup option.
  • New York Islanders head coach Doug Weight has confirmed that Michael Dal Colle will make his NHL debut tomorrow, the second-last player to do so from the first round of the 2014 draft. Only Connor Bleackley, who never signed with the Colorado Avalanche and re-entered the draft in 2016 (going in the fifth round), is left. Dal Colle was selected fifth overall, and still has some real upside to his game, but will have to quickly prove that he’s ready to take the next step.

Evening Snapshots: Slepyshev, Holland

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As it was reported earlier, the Edmonton Journal’s Bruce McCurdy believes that Anton Slepyshev’s availability is a “fire sale” sign that Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli has displayed for the entire league. McCurdy opines that the Oilers “appear poised to part company with yet another talented young Russian for pennies on the dollar.” Arguments abound for and against such a decision, with the former being that the young forward struggled with injuries and didn’t put together enough “excellent” nights to justify his keep. The latter argument poses that the youngster received an ample chance to display what he could do. Given little to no opportunity on special teams and logging limited minutes, McCurdy writes that the Russian posted impressive numbers during those limited chances–fleshed out further by advanced metrics. To be fair, McCurdy points out that only 40% of the Oilers goals occurred when Slepyshev was on the ice while his “pedestrian” numbers of 1 goal, and 3 points do little to help his case. While it appears to be another young player that the Oilers will ship out, one can only wonder how much longer the front office and coaching staff have before they’re the next to be booted.

  • The Detroit News’ Bob Wojnowski guesses that the writing is on the wall for the Red Wings. All that’s left to decipher is who the architect will be for the inevitable rebuild: Ken Holland or someone else. Wojnowski writes that the Red Wings are no longer the elite team that will make a yearly playoff visit, but at least have some hope in the futures of Dylan Larkin, Andreas Athanasiou, and Anthony Mantha. Wojnowski quotes Holland as saying the Wings will either “stay pat or sell” at the deadline. Holland adds that he’s not in it for a rebuild (something he’s been consistently saying) and his job is to keep the team competitive. But he’s also not naive:

“I’ve been very fortunate to watch some great players on great teams, and I want to do that again. Sometimes your time runs out, but there is a plan, and we’re on our way back. Up until two years ago, we were making moves for the today, we weren’t bad enough to make moves for the future. At some point, you’re gonna pay the piper.”

Whether Detroit chooses to go forward with Holland or someone different remains to be seen. But even the executive who doesn’t want to go through a “painful” rebuild realizes that the days of buying, instead of selling, are over.

Snapshots: USA Hockey, Florida-Boston, Hyka

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Recently young Colorado prospect Cale Makar turned down the opportunity to head to Pyeongchang with the Canadian Olympic squad, but as Mike Chambers of the Denver Post reports, Troy Terry didn’t hesitate. Terry will be part of Team USA at the Games in the middle of another exceptional season at the University of Denver.

Interestingly, Chambers notes that USA Hockey was hesitant to select two players from the same college program meaning Dylan Gambrell—also having an excellent season with DU, scoring 27 points in 22 games—won’t be heading overseas. Gambrell, a second-round pick of the San Jose Sharks has scored at better than a point-per-game pace since he entered the NCAA.

  • The Florida Panthers-Boston Bruins game that was cancelled due to inclement weather recently has been rescheduled for April 8th, extending the NHL season by one day. The original schedule had all teams finishing by April 7th, while the playoffs are set to begin on April 11th.
  • Tomas Hyka has been added to the AHL All-Star roster in place of Brandon Pirri, an impressive accomplishment for the first-year player. Hyka was signed out of the Czech professional league in the offseason, and has 23 points in 26 AHL contests. He earned an NHL call-up in December, but didn’t get into a game for the Vegas Golden Knights.

Snapshots: Sbisa, Wennberg, Bonuses

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Luca Sbisa hasn’t had a very comfortable season in Vegas so far, suffering several injuries and only suiting up for 24 games. It doesn’t look like it’ll turn around anytime soon, as the defenseman has ruptured a ligament in his hand according to Swiss Hockey News and will be out six to eight weeks.

When healthy, Sbisa has been an effective defenseman for the Golden Knights, using his speed and mobility as a two-way option for the club. With 10 points in those 24 games, he’d almost already matched the 13 points he recorded last season in Vancouver, when he played in all 82 contests.

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