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Oilers Notes: Hitchcock, Koskinen, Krug

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Since Ken Hitchcock took over as head coach of the Edmonton Oilers back on November 20th, the team is 7-2-1 and back in the Western Conference playoff picture. The Oilers’ players seem to have embraced Hitchchock’s system and the veteran coach may be the author of a turnaround for a franchise that had been heading in the wrong direction for more than a year. Will that earn him an extension beyond his current interim role? TSN’s Darren Dreger thinks so, as he stated on the latest segment of “Insider Trading” that Hitchcock appears to be a long-term option for the Oilers. The 66-year-old was set to retire from coaching at the end of the 2016-17 season, back when he was with the St. Louis Blues, but was fired by the team before the end of the season. That made his hiring by the Dallas Stars in the following off-season even more surprising. After last season, Hitchcock again announced his “retirement”, only to join the Oilers when they called this season. Hitchcock doesn’t really seem to be committed to moving on from the game and Dreger believes that a winning season would leave Edmonton with little choice but to extend their new coach’s contract. Dreger adds that Hitchcock could wind up with a deal that would allow him to transition from the bench into a front office role if he so chooses, but doesn’t doubt that Hitchcock could continue to coach the team “well beyond this season”.

  • One of the more evident changes under Hitchcock has been his trust in backup goaltender Mikko Koskinen, if backup is even the correct title anymore for the import keeper. After Cam Talbot started each of the Oilers’ first eight games of the season, Koskinen has received 13 starts to Talbot’s nine the rest of the way. Under Hitchcock, it has been seven games for Koskinen out of ten total. After shutting out the Calgary Flames last night, Hitchcock announced that he would stick with Koskinen again tonight when the Oilers take on the Colorado Avalanche. Admittedly, Koskinen has outplayed Talbot with a .929 save percentage, 2.06 GAA, and three shutouts – all among the league’s best marks – so the real test of Hitchcock’s trust in the “rhythm” will come when Koskinen begins to struggle. For now, the new coach and his new starting goalie are helping each other make a case for extended stays in Edmonton.
  • Boston Bruins defenseman Torey Krug has been a name connected to the Oilers, through unconfirmed rumors and media speculation, for some time. It was believed that Boston and Edmonton were close to a deal that would have sent Krug to the Oilers at the NHL Draft this past June, while rumors of ongoing discussions continued through the summer. Edmonton could certainly use Krug, one of the most productive defensemen in the NHL over the past few years, and there is some level of familiarity with the player on the Oilers’ side in former Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli. While they have leaned on Krug as the team fought through injuries early this season, the defenseman is also not as crucial a piece for the Bruins as he would be for other teams, with Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk representing future offensive threats on the blue line and Krug’s contract expiring after next season. As such, a hypothetical deal has some intrigue and Boston Globe beat writer Matt Porter re-ignited the discussion recently when he posited that the Bruins could potentially pry Ryan Nugent-Hopkins out of Edmonton with a package of Krug and a young forward. As the idea picked up steam among fans, The Sports Hub’s Ty Anderson put an end to the possibility – possibly for good – with his report that the Oilers are in fact one of the team’s on Krug’s limited no-trade list, a clause that kicked in for the first time this season. So, while the Bruins and Oilers may make fine trade partners hypothetically, a Krug-to-Edmonton deal is unlikely to happen.

Chad Johnson, Martin Bakos Placed On Waivers

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Tuesday: Bakos has cleared waivers and will see his contract terminated, while Johnson has been claimed by the Anaheim Ducks.

Monday: After making a move to recall Jordan Binnington yesterday, it was obvious something was brewing in St. Louis. The Blues today have placed goaltender Chad Johnson on waivers, likely with the intention of sending him to the minor leagues. The Boston Bruins meanwhile have placed Martin Bakos on unconditional waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

It’s a tough break for Johnson, who signed a one-year $1.75MM contract in the offseason to replace the outgoing Carter Hutton—who coincidentally, replaced Johnson in Buffalo. The veteran goaltender has not played well this season, posting an .884 save percentage through ten appearances, but is by no means the only problem in St. Louis. The entire team has struggled to string any wins together, but this is the move that they’ve decided to make to shake things up.

Johnson, 32, does have a history of success in the NHL, but took a big step backwards last season with the Sabres and has followed it up with an even worse start. It would be surprising to see anyone jump at the chance to claim him given his cap hit, though there are some teams around the league in need of goaltending help that may take a chance. More likely is he reports to the minor leagues to try and get his game back in order, before eventually returning to the NHL to help the Blues. If he does clear and is assigned to the AHL, the Blues will also get a $1.025MM break on his cap hit, though Binnington’s $650K eats up most of the savings.

Bakos on the other hand has been playing the entire season in the minor leagues with the Providence Bruins, after signing a one-year two-way contract in the summer. The Slovakian forward has played the last few seasons in the KHL or Czech league, and figured he’d try his hand at North American hockey. That experiment seems to be over, and Bakos will return to Europe after seeing his contract terminated with the Bruins.

Anaheim Ducks Claim Goaltender Chad Johnson

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Anaheim Ducks goaltender Ryan Miller suffered an injury on the weekend, and the team has quickly made a move to fill his role behind starter John Gibson. The Ducks today claimed Chad Johnson off waivers from the St. Louis Blues, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Miller is expected to be out around six weeks, giving Johnson the opportunity to show that he can still be an effective goaltender in the NHL.

While Johnson brings a good amount of NHL experience to Anaheim, the move does come with a substantial amount of downside for the Ducks. The team is already using long-term injured reserve in order to stay below the salary cap, and will take on Johnson’s entire $1.75MM contract by claiming him. That amount can’t even be fully buried in the minor leagues, meaning he’ll remain on their books even after Miller returns unless someone else claims him at that point. He also represents the team’s 50th contract, putting them at the limit and restricting any other potential moves they can make. The Ducks now can’t make another waiver claim without removing a contract, nor can they sign a college or European free agent. That problem can be fixed later on with a trade, but it does limit their flexibility for the time being.

All that in mind, the team certainly needed to find an answer in net. While Gibson is an outstanding starter, he does have a history of injury and the team didn’t have much NHL experience behind him. Jared Coreau is up with the team at the moment, and has just 21 mostly unsuccessful appearances under his belt. Johnson has played in 183 NHL games, starting his career back in 2009-10 with the New York Rangers.

Still, it’s been some time since Johnson was considered a premier backup in the league. Last season for the Buffalo Sabres he recorded a 10-16-3 record while posting a .891 save percentage, and those numbers have only gotten worse this year in St. Louis. While there may be reason to believe he can turn things around in Anaheim, the 32-year old is certainly no guarantee. If he does struggle with the Ducks, it seems unlikely that he would be claimed again on waivers, meaning Anaheim might be stuck with his contract for the entire season.

St. Louis Blues “A Fragile Group” As Frustration Escalates

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The St. Louis Blues season has not gone according to plan. A team picked by many in the offseason to compete for the Stanley Cup after making sweeping changes to the forward group, the Blues find themselves sitting just one point out of last place in the entire NHL. Their ten wins through 28 games ranks ahead of only Chicago’s nine, and a -16 goal differential puts them among the league’s worst.

Changes have already come, as the team fired head coach Mike Yeo early in the year and replaced him with Craig Berube behind the bench. Just recently the team has decided to recall goaltender Jordan Binnington from the minor leagues to replace struggling backup Chad Johnson, and rumors have swirled around captain Alex Pietrangelo who remains sidelined with a hand injury. None of that though has resulted in real results on the ice or in the standings, and the frustration is obviously building in the St. Louis dressing room. Today at practice during a particularly physical drill a fight broke out between Robert Bortuzzo and Zach Sanford, likely a result of that frustration building inside members of the Blues.

Fights between teammates like this aren’t entirely uncommon in professional sports, but still illustrate how players are feeling during a season of disappointment. Chris Butler, who has experienced a fair bit of struggle through his long professional career, was incredibly articulate in his explanation of that frustration and disappointment today:

Guys are at a point right now where they’re so frustrated with how things have gone, that you then start sitting back. You then start lacking that aggressiveness to your game, where if you’re going to make mistakes we have to make them [while] being aggressive. We gave up the line on some rush chances, we backed in a little bit too quickly at times just because I think guys are afraid of making that second mistake, or making that turnover, that bad read that may lead to something. 

It’s a fragile group. It’s hard to go out there and just play and have fun and enjoy the game when things aren’t going your way. So how do you get back to that point? I’m not sure, but it’s something we’re going to continue to stress. It’s that mental toughness. You have to show up every single day, every single shift and find a way to contribute in a positive way. 

There’s no doubt that the Blues are searching for a way to turn things around this season and won’t be one of the teams throwing in the towel anytime soon. The team invested heavily in players like Tyler Bozak, Ryan O’Reilly and David Perron in order to give them some more depth up front, and so far it hasn’t turned into much on the scoreboard. Young players like Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas will be ready to make a bigger impact eventually, but right now it’s up to the veteran core of the team—or perhaps the front office—to find a way to right the ship. That could come with more transactions, or it could come from just performing closer to expectations. One way or another we’ll find out who the Blues really are over the next few months, and how they deal with this situation.

St. Louis Makes Changes, Recall Third Goaltender

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The St. Louis Blues quickly made a roster move after their embarrassing 6-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks as the team recalled goaltender Jordan Binnington, giving the Blues three goaltenders and returned youngster Sammy Blais to the San Antonio Rampage, according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Tom Timmermann.

It shouldn’t be a surprise as both starters were abysmal Saturday, giving up a combined six goals on just a total of 21 shots. Starter Jake Allen was pulled after allowing three goals in just 14:06 of ice time He made just three saves. However, backup Chad Johnson wasn’t much better as he allowed three more goals on 15 shots. With no injuries reported to either goaltender and the fact that Binnington isn’t an emergency recall, this is likely a sign that coach Craig Berube and the coaching staff want to make a change.

“It’s got to be better. Just like our other players have to be better too,” Berube said. “We gave up eight scoring chances in the game and six goals against. There are a lot of areas that have to be better tonight, for sure.”

While many fans have been clamoring for change from Allen over the last couple of years, Allen was actually playing better of late. However, his overall numbers still remain disappointing with a 3.11 GAA and a .900 save percentage in 22 games. While Johnson showed some promise early, his numbers parallel his statistics from his abysmal season in Buffalo last season. He sports a 3.56 GAA and a .894 save percentage. While the team opted to send Blais down to San Antonio, there is always the possibility that Johnson could find himself on waivers if the team decides it wants some younger blood in the net.

Binnington has been superb in San Antonio this year as he has beaten out heir-apparent Ville Husso as the starter for the Rampage. The 25-year-old veteran has a 2.34 GAA and a .914 save percentage in 13 appearances in San Antonio and boasts an 8-4 record. With the recall, it wouldn’t be surprising if Binnington would get his first start immediately on Tuesday when the Blues face Florida. He has just one game of NHL experience on his resume as he appeared in part of a game back in the 2015-16 season when he played 13 minutes, allowing one goal.

 

Western Notes: Vancouver-Seattle Rivalry, Baertschi, Pietrangelo, Vlasic

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With Seattle becoming the NHL’s 32nd team, you might think the Vancouver Canucks wouldn’t be thrilled to have a team right on their doorstep. However, that’s not the case. In fact, Vancouver ownership and fans are thrilled to bring a natural rival for their team and hope that it will continue to spark interest not only in Seattle, but bring in more fans in Vancouver as well, according to the Associated Press.

”Vancouver is already a partner. They were the most enthusiastic team in the league about this. They love the idea of this rivalry,” Seattle team President Tod Leiweke said. ”I think for the two cities to connect like this, the two cities are 130 miles away but now they’re going to connect in a whole different way and I think that’s one of the great things that is going to come out of all this is a deep, deep visceral connection between Vancouver and Seattle and we’re going to play some great games.”

Both franchises hope that the rivalry will increase marketing, interest in the game and the hope that each franchise’s fanbase will travel back and forth between cities when they face off against each other. While there would normally be reason to worry that each franchise might take away from each other in terms of fans, there is no concern of that here as it is believed the U.S.-Canadien border is likely the perfect barrier for fans on which side they want to follow.

  • Sticking with Vancouver, Canucks head coach Travis Green said that forward Sven Baertschi is progressing nicely and might be ready to practice with the team when in Vancouver on Monday and Tuesday. Baertschi has been out since Oct. 24 with a concussion. Baertschi has only appeared in 10 games for Vancouver this season and has three goals and three assists.
  • While only a rumor, Sportsnet reports that Nick Kypreos reported on Hockey Night in Canada tonight that the St. Louis Blues are considering moving defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and the Toronto Maple Leafs could be the prime target, suggesting that the Maple Leafs are offering Nikita Zaitsev, picks and prospects as part of a package. While that would be a huge win for the Toronto Maple Leafs, expect much of the league to weigh in on Pietrangelo if St. Louis truly intends to trade him. Pietrangelo, who is currently on LTIR, could become a unrestricted free agent after the 2019-20 season.
  • The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz (subscription required) writes that one of the biggest problems with the San Jose Sharks is the regression of veteran defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who is starting the first year of an eight-year, $56MM contract, pointing out that the 31-year-old Vlasic is playing like a third-line defenseman this season and his minus-14 plus/minus ratio is quite accurate as he has struggled mightily.
  • Fox Sports Jon Rosen reports that Gabriel Vilardi is not in the lineup for the Ontario Reign of the AHL due to an injury and is expected to be evaluated on Monday by Los Angeles Kings doctors. The 19-year-old forward has been on a long-term conditioning assignment in Ontario, having posted one assist in four games there so far. He has missed significant time in each of the last two seasons due to back injury.

St. Louis Blues Place Three On Injured Reserve

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The St. Louis Blues have been hit with a pile of injuries all at once, and will now be without several key players for the next while. The team announced that Alex Pietrangelo, Robby Fabbri and Carl Gunnarsson have all been placed on injured reserve. Chris Butler, Jordan Kyrou and Jordan Nolan have been recalled to fill in for the injured trio. Pietrangelo in fact has been moved to long-term injured reserve in order to fit in the replacements under the cap. Meanwhile, Alex Steen has been diagnosed with a concussion and is day-to-day, while Jaden Schwartz is also out with a minor injury.

The big two announcements here are Pietrangelo and Fabbri, who won’t even be re-evaluated until around Christmas. The captain has a hand injury and may need surgery, while the oft-injured Fabbri is out with a separated shoulder.

It’s tough news for the Blues of course, but perhaps even tougher for Fabbri specifically after all he’s gone through over the last few years. Once a promising young forward for the Blues poised to be their next big offensive weapon, he suffered multiple major knee injuries and missed the entire 2017-18 season. This year he’s played in just 15 games and recorded four points, a far cry from the pace he was showing during the 2016-17 season as a 20-year old. Still just 22 there is time to turn around his career, but it’s beginning to look like he might be destined for an underwhelming career in St. Louis. Fabbri is on a one-year $925K contract and will be a restricted free agent once again in the offseason.

Nikita Soshnikov, Ben Street Placed On Waivers

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Friday: Soshnikov and Street have cleared waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The Blues have now sent Soshkinov to the minor leagues, though Street was still present at the Ducks’ morning skate in Carolina.

Thursday: The St. Louis Blues are preparing to make a change up front, as they today placed Nikita Soshnikov on waivers for the purpose of sending him to the minor leagues. Soshnikov has played in just five games for the Blues this season, and is still looking for his first point. With Robert Bortuzzo almost ready to return from injured reserve, the team needed another open roster spot. In addition, CapFriendly reports that Ben Street has also been placed on waivers by the Anaheim Ducks for the second time this season.

There’s no doubting that Soshnikov has enough talent to crack an NHL roster somewhere, but the simple fact is he’s had trouble staying healthy throughout his short career. The 25-year old forward was signed out of the KHL in 2015 by the Toronto Maple Leafs, and quickly made an impact on that team by scoring 18 goals in the minor leagues and adding another five points in 11 NHL contests. He was a regular in the Maple Leafs lineup the next season, but suffered a concussion after colliding with Zdeno Chara in 2017 and would never really find his way back into Toronto’s lineup. Traded to the Blues last season for a fourth-round pick after a deadline had threatened his return to Russia, he suffered several injuries in St. Louis and ended up playing just 12 games for them.

After five games this season, Soshnikov is now available for any team in the league to make a claim. The feisty forward is a versatile bottom-six option, but just hasn’t been reliable enough to really contribute on a consistent basis. His $800K cap hit is relatively inexpensive, but could still scare off enough teams that he slips through and is assigned to the minor leagues once again.

Street meanwhile was already waived and cleared for the Ducks before the season began, but needed to go through the process again given the fact he’s played 18 games this year. The veteran center is a legitimate All-Star talent in the AHL, but hasn’t ever been able to show enough in the NHL to warrant consistent playing time. It’s unlikely he’ll be claimed, but perhaps a team with a desperate need on the fourth line will take a shot.

Detroit’s Jimmy Howard Drawing Trade Interest

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The Detroit Red Wings are in the midst of a rebuild. Whether or not they’re willing to admit that fact or continue to try and push for a playoff spot this season, it is clear that the team is not set up for Stanley Cup contention as presently constructed. They do have plenty of good young talent in the NHL and on the way, but there just aren’t enough elite players to really push them into the upper echelon of the Atlantic Division, let alone the Eastern Conference. With that in mind, the Red Wings may very well see this season’s trade deadline as an opportunity to gather more assets for the future and continue building towards an eventual competitive window. One of the players who is already drawing interest from around the league is goaltender Jimmy Howard, who is having another excellent season and is in the final year of his current contract.

Recently, Darren Dreger of TSN reported that the St. Louis Blues had shown interest in the Detroit netminder given the struggles of both Jake Allen and Chad Johnson and today Frank Seravalli of TSN writes that the Pittsburgh Penguins also have interest. Seravalli notes that the Penguins have a first -round pick to “dangle” in front of the Red Wings, something that the Blues do not have after giving it up for Ryan O’Reilly this offseason. Howard comes with a $5.3MM cap hit this season but wouldn’t represent a long-term investment for any acquiring team.

Interestingly, in the same piece Seravalli also lists Penguins goaltender Matt Murray as a potential trade candidate due to his growing injury concerns and struggles this season. If the Penguins were to be pursuing someone like Howard, it would make some sense that they’d need to send one of their young netminders elsewhere. Pittsburgh has Casey DeSmith and Tristan Jarry manning the crease while Murray deals with his latest injury, a tandem that certainly doesn’t have the experience someone like Howard has.

From these reports it doesn’t seem like anything is close, but the fact that the Penguins would show interest in a veteran goaltender is something to keep an eye on. GM Jim Rutherford isn’t shy with in-season moves to improve his club, and Pittsburgh still believes they can compete this year. With the return of Sidney Crosby recently, the Penguins are now 10-8-5 on the season and just three points out of a Metropolitan Division playoff spot.

The Red Wings meanwhile now have Jonathan Bernier under contract through 2020-21 and little reason to not trade Howard before the deadline, unless they plan on re-signing the veteran netminder. The two sides have definitely discussed a multi-year extension, but if Detroit is offered a big enough package in return it will be hard to turn down.

St. Louis Blues “Open For Business”

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Things have not gone right for the St. Louis Blues this season. The offseason darlings of many, the Blues are off to a terrible start to the season at 8-11-3 and find themselves firmly in last place in the Central Division. That poor performance has already cost their head coach his job, and could very well see even bigger changes in the near future. In Elliotte Friedman’s latest 31 Thoughts column for Sportsnet, the insider claims that the Blues are “open for business” with “few things they won’t consider.” That shouldn’t really come as much of a surprise, given the way they heavily invested in veteran talent in the offseason.

The Blues suffered a bitter fate last season when they missed the playoffs despite recording 94 points in the regular season, and must have felt as though they were good enough to compete this season. Summer brought big changes up front, as they brought in David Perron, Patrick Maroon and Tyler Bozak through free agency and landed Ryan O’Reilly in a massive trade with the Buffalo Sabres. Add in the idea that top prospects Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou might be able to contribute and a return to health for Robby Fabbri, and the Blues became the trendy pick for a dark horse Cup contender.

That contender simply hasn’t emerged, despite the excellent start for O’Reilly, who has been everything the team hoped and more with 26 points in 22 games and a league-leading 60.4% faceoff percentage. Star winger Vladimir Tarasenko hasn’t been the same destructive force with just three goals at even-strength, and Colton Parayko still hasn’t taken the huge step forward offensively that many have predicted.

Still, the offense isn’t the entire problem. If there was one thing that seemed poised to make-or-break the Blues in the offseason, it was the men between the pipes. Gone was reliable backup Carter Hutton to the Sabres in free agency, and in came Chad Johnson to backup the enigmatic Jake Allen. Allen, now 28, has been a complete mystery at times for the Blues, alternating between Vezina-caliber performances and minor league level struggles. This season he’s been as inconsistent as ever, resulting in an .896 save percentage through 17 games. Johnson meanwhile has continued the struggles he experienced last season, and has an .895 save percentage through his eight appearances.

It’s obvious that changes are coming in St. Louis if the team continues to perform poorly, but the situation is by no means simple. Allen carries a cap hit of $4.35MM for two more seasons and likely can’t be replaced very easily, and those free agent deals for Bozak and Perron locked them up for a combined $9MM through at least 2020-21. The Blues are right up against the cap thanks to their expensive forward group, and can’t really take on much more for this season without shipping salary out the other way. That makes it even tougher to make a move to turn things around right away, and puts even more pressure on this group to turn things around.

If the decision is ever made to sell though and focus on next season—when young players like Thomas and Kyrou should be able to do more—there will certainly be some interest in their roster. Brayden Schenn and captain Alex Pietrangelo each have just one year remaining on their current deals after this season and would desirable assets for nearly every team in the league given their versatility and pedigree. It’s hard to imagine them selling on either core piece, but as Friedman notes there are “few things they won’t consider” at this point.

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