Western Notes: Greenway, Allen, Jones, Pouliot
What will the Minnesota Wild do with one of the top up-and-coming prospects? In an extensive mailbag column, The Athletic’s Michael Russo (subscription required) writes that he believes the Minnesota Wild will base its decision on how to proceed with Boston University prospect Jordan Greenway will depend on whether the Wild are in a position to compete for a playoff spot when Greenway’s season is done.
Greenway, the team’s 2015 second-round pick is having another solid season at BU. He has eight goals and 11 assists in 23 games so far this season. Minnesota, who is two points out of a playoffs spot at the moment, would likely sign Greenway and immediately add the 20-year-old wing to their roster and burn his first year of his entry-level contract if the team was competing for a playoff run.
However, Russo adds if the team falls out of the race, they would be more likely to let him go to Iowa of the AHL before coming to Minnesota next season. Russo adds that to sign him, the team will have to move out a contract as they are already at the maximum of 50.
- Also in another mailbag series, The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford (subscription required) writes that despite rumors that St. Louis Blues goaltender Jake Allen‘s game has slipped ever since he took a hit to the head in late December, he doesn’t believe that is Allen’s problem. The scribe writes that Allen passed his concussion protocol that evening after sustaining the hit and said he felt fine once he got on his feet and while passing a test doesn’t mean anything, Allen practiced immediately the next day and hasn’t missed a practice since. He says it’s highly unlikely that the team would have allowed him to practice, let alone return to the game, if his head was still a concern.
- Mercury News’ Paul Gackle writes that starting goaltender Martin Jones is listed as day-to-day after suffering a lower-body injury during Thursday’s game against Colorado. Jones was seen with a significant limp after that game. Head coach Peter DeBoer said the injury is unrelated to the injury the netminder suffered back on Nov. 25 which forced him to miss a game. The coach referred to the injury as “minor.” Jones, who has struggled in net since that first injury, has a .886 save percentage in the 13 games since then. Backup Aaron Dell will take his place for tonight’s match against Pittsburgh.
- Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal tweets that Vancouver Canucks defenseman Derrick Pouliot, who was scratched in the team’s last three games, has been dealing with a hand injury and is almost ready to return to the lineup. The 24-year-old defenseman is finally getting playing time with Vancouver after several years of struggling to break into the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup. The Canucks acquired the former first-round pick just before the season began. He has played in 39 games and has a career high of 11 points so far.
Minor Transactions: 01/15/18
The NHL is back at it after an eventful weekend, and now have just a couple of weeks until another break for the All-Star game. Things are tightening up in the standings, and the next month will feature teams finally deciding to sell at the deadline. For all the league’s minor moves, keep it right here.
With the Calgary Flames heading onto their bye week, the team has reassigned Marek Hrivik, Andrew Mangiapane and Ryan Lomberg to the AHL. The Flames don’t play again until Saturday, and will let the trio get into some more game action for the Stockton Heat in the meantime.- The St. Louis Blues are back in action tomorrow after their own bye week, and have recalled three players from the minor leagues. Vince Dunn, Tage Thompson and Ivan Barbashev are all on their way back up from various AHL appointments, and should get back to helping out the NHL squad.
- Similarly, the Nashville Predators have flipped Anders Lindback and Juuse Saros once again, bringing the latter back up after giving him some game action during their bye week. Saros got into three games for the Milwaukee Admirals, stopping 94 of 97 shots.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have brought Travis Dermott and Frederik Gauthier back up as expected, but interestingly given Dermott a new number. The young defenseman was wearing #23 for the Maple Leafs at practice according to Kristen Shilton of TSN, instead of the #3 he wore in his first few games.
- Peter Holland is back in the NHL, recalled by the New York Rangers today. The team sent Boo Nieves back in his place, giving the team a different look in their forward group. Holland was acquired by the Rangers earlier this year in exchange for Adam Cracknell, but this would be his first action this season should he get into the lineup. Holland was a first-round pick in 2009, but has never quite reached his potential as a top-six center.
Blues Notes: Allen, Kostin, Prospects
While many in St. Louis look at the St. Louis goaltending situation and immediately wonder why backup Carter Hutton isn’t getting even more time in the net while starter Jake Allen is struggling, The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford (subscription required) writes that there is no reason to consider moving Allen or even suggesting that Hutton is the answer in net for St. Louis.
In a mailbag, Rutherford covers multiple topics, but is quick to point out that the team could consider moving Allen for a valuable winger to add to the team’s offense, but that would only create other problems next season. While there might be some merit to adding a top-six winger such as Ottawa’s Mike Hoffman for Allen, Hutton has not proven he can be a starting goaltender, nor has he proven he should be a tandem goaltender just yet. Sure, the 32-year-old Hutton is having a great season as he has a 1.84 GAA and an impressive .940 save percentage in 16 appearances, but can he continue to play at that level with an increased role? On top of that, Hutton will be an unrestricted free agent next season, meaning the Blues would either have to lock Hutton up the moment they trade Allen or they could spend less than half a season to observe Hutton, but take a chance they might get outbid for his services. And what if Hutton’s not the guy? The team would be out a netminder next season.
Rutherford also argues that the 27-year-old Allen has been quite successful in his career for St. Louis. While he currently has weak numbers this year with a 2.75 GAA and a .908 save percentage, he still boasts a career 108-60-14 career record. While his save percentage numbers have historically dropped as the season wears on, Allen has always been solid in the playoffs, boasting a .922 career save percentage and even had a .935 save percentage in the playoffs last year. Giving up on him is probably not the way to go.
- Among many topics he weighs in on, Rutherford also notes that it is highly unlikely that general manager Doug Armstrong promised prospect Klim Kostin an opportunity to get called up if he performed well at the World Junior Championships, like Kostin claims. He doubts Armstrong would make a promise like that to anyone and considering that Kostin has no points in his last three games since returning from the WJC and he has two points in his last 12 games with the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL, it would seem even more unlikely that Kostin will get recalled soon. Kostin has even found himself on the Rampage’s fourth line lately, suggesting he’s still struggling to adjust to the North American game.
- While Rutherford admits that the team is looking for wing help, he writes that it’s unlikely the team would move one of their four top prospects, Jordan Kyrou, Robert Thomas, Tage Thompson or Kostin to make that happen. One reason would be that if the team wanted to make a pitch for Hoffman or Montreal’s Max Pacioretty, they would also have to unload salary to make the deal work. Moving a top prospect and salaried players such as defenseman Carl Gunnarsson, plus another player would be too much. However, the scribe notes that if the right deal came along, the team could move one of them as they’d still have three top prospects remaining in their system.
2018 All-Star Rosters
The NHL released the rosters for this year’s All-Star game in Tampa Bay, leading to an inevitable onslaught of discussion over who missed out and who didn’t deserve to go. The event will take place on January 27-28th. The full rosters can be found below:
Atlantic Division:
F Steven Stamkos – Tampa Bay Lightning (captain)
F Nikita Kucherov – Tampa Bay Lightning
F Auston Matthews – Toronto Maple Leafs
F Aleksander Barkov – Florida Panthers
F Brad Marchand – Boston Bruins
F Jack Eichel – Buffalo Sabres
D Victor Hedman – Tampa Bay Lightning
D Erik Karlsson – Ottawa Senators
D Mike Green – Detroit Red Wings
G Andrei Vasilevskiy – Tampa Bay Lightning
G Carey Price – Montreal Canadiens
Head Coach: Jon Cooper
Metropolitan Division:
F Alex Ovechkin – Washington Capitals (captain)
F Taylor Hall – New Jersey Devils
F Sidney Crosby – Pittsburgh Penguins
F Josh Bailey – New York Islanders
F John Tavares – New York Islanders
F Claude Giroux – Philadelphia Flyers
D Seth Jones – Columbus Blue Jackets
D Noah Hanifin – Carolina Hurricanes
D Kris Letang – Pittsburgh Penguins
G Henrik Lundqvist – New York Rangers
G Braden Holtby – Washington Capitals
Head Coach: Barry Trotz
Central Division:
F Patrick Kane – Chicago Blackhawks
F Nathan MacKinnon – Colorado Avalanche
F Blake Wheeler – Winnipeg Jets
F Brayden Schenn – St. Louis Blues
F Eric Staal – Minnesota Wild
F Tyler Seguin – Dallas Stars
D P.K. Subban – Nashville Predators (captain)
D Alex Pietrangelo – St. Louis Blues
D John Klingberg – Dallas Stars
G Pekka Rinne – Nashville Predators
G Connor Hellebuyck – Winnipeg Jets
Head Coach: Peter Laviolette
Pacific Division:
F Connor McDavid – Edmonton Oilers (captain)
F Johnny Gaudreau – Calgary Flames
F Brock Boeser – Vancouver Canucks
F James Neal – Vegas Golden Knights
F Rickard Rakell – Anaheim Ducks
F Anze Kopitar – Los Angeles Kings
D Drew Doughty – Los Angeles Kings
D Brent Burns – San Jose Sharks
D Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Arizona Coyotes
G Jonathan Quick – Los Angeles Kings
G Marc-Andre Fleury – Vegas Golden Knights
Head Coach: Gerard Gallant
Minor Transactions: 01/10/17
The NHL world is in a frenzy about offside review calls once again, after the Edmonton Oilers had a goal overturned last night that could have changed the outcome of the game. Connor McDavid doesn’t like the review system, and he’s not alone. Still, life must go on around the league and we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.
- The Nashville Predators have flipped Juuse Saros and Anders Lindback once again, as the likely will throughout the team’s bye week. The team has done this several times throughout the year to get Saros more playing time and keep him fresh for a potential run should Pekka Rinne go down to injury.
- Ottawa has brought back Filip Chlapik from the AHL according to the minor league’s transaction board. The young forward played six games with the Senators earlier this year, but is still looking for his first NHL goal. He’ll get into the lineup tonight with Bobby Ryan out due to injury.
- The St. Louis Blues have sent Vince Dunn and Ivan Barbashev to the Chicago Wolves during their bye week, while also assigning Tage Thompson to San Antonio. The Blues won’t be back in action until they take on the Maple Leafs on January 16th.
- The Capitals have once again sent Madison Bowey and Jakub Vrana to Hershey of the AHL, via the AHL’s transactions page. This isn’t a sign that the team isn’t pleased with their play but rather a way to save a little bit of money on the cap. With Washington in action tomorrow, they’ll likely be recalled for that game.
Snapshots: Emelin, Guhle, Schwartz
The Nashville Predators locked up the back half of their defense corps today, inking Matt Irwin, Yannick Weber and Anthony Bitetto to minimum-salary deals. The question now will be about Alexei Emelin, and where he fits into the picture. Emelin is an unrestricted free agent on July 1st, and Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets that the two sides plan on meeting after the season to “discuss things.”
Emelin has been a fine addition to the Predators this season, able to fill in admirably while Ryan Ellis was out for the first half of the season with an injury. Now that he’s back, Emelin’s role is expected to decline though he still provides excellent depth for a potential playoff run. He also could be used closer to the deadline as a trade chip for the Predators, since part of his salary is already being covered by the Vegas Golden Knights.
- Brendan Guhle will make his season debut for the Buffalo Sabres tonight, though a move will need to happen to reduce their roster size before that happens. Guhle is expected to skate alongisde Jake McCabe, in a long awaited return after spending three games with the NHL club during last season. Guhle is an impressive defenseman, capable of taking pucks away in his own end and moving them quickly into offensive chances, and should improve a Sabres defensive unit that has struggled mightily this season. The group of Victor Antipin, Nathan Beaulieu, Josh Gorges, Justin Falk and Zach Bogosian have just 11 points combined, despite totaling 111 games played.
- Jaden Schwartz was having the best season of his career when he went down to injury last month, scoring 35 points in 30 games. The St. Louis Blues’ offense hasn’t been the same without him, but they could get a boost before long. Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic reports that Schwartz is out of his walking boot and still on target for a re-evaluation on January 20th, which isn’t as far away for the club as it might seem. After tonight’s game against the Florida Panthers, the Blues have their CBA-mandated bye week and won’t get back into game action until January 16th.
Morning Notes: World Juniors, Thomas, Savard
The World Juniors have come and gone, and once again scouts all across the league have started to adjust their rankings and projections. One such prognosticator, Corey Pronman of The Athletic, goes in depth on what he saw at the tournament and his main takeaways.
Pronman agrees with the rest of the writers who voted Casey Mittelstadt as tournament MVP, after the Buffalo Sabres prospect looked dangerous on every shift. Even with Buffalo struggling once again this season, there may be a light on the horizon in Mittelstadt. The eight-overall pick from 2017 has found immediate success at the University of Minnesota, and looks ready to turn pro after just one season in the NCAA. While he’s made no indication on whether he’ll be a one-and-done, the Sabres will undoubtedly make a pitch in the spring to bring him aboard.
- Speaking of World Junior prospects, the London Knights of the OHL have traded St. Louis Blues’ prospect Robert Thomas to the Hamilton Bulldogs for a package that includes five draft picks, stretching all the way to 2026. Thomas, selected 20th-overall in 2017, didn’t have an outstanding tournament for Team Canada but is still an intriguing prospect for the Blues. His defensive ability and versatility all while being an outstanding offensive producer makes it easy to envision him transitioning to the professional ranks with success. If he doesn’t crack the Blues out of camp next season he can still return to the junior ranks, and could be a returnee at the World Juniors next year as one of Canada’s top options up front.
- David Savard‘s wallet is a little lighter this morning, after being fined $5,000 for slashing Vincent Trocheck last night. Savard wasn’t given a penalty on the play, but didn’t avoid the gaze of the Department of Player Safety. While this obviously isn’t a suspension, it will be taken into account on any further disciplinary action from the league.
Minor Transactions: 01/08/18
Teams around the NHL are beginning their mandated bye weeks, marking an unofficial midpoint of the season. With that, there is only a single game on tap for tonight, between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets. That won’t stop clubs from making minor moves to improve, and we’ll have all the recalls and reassignments right here.
- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled young defenseman Brendan Guhle and goaltender Linus Ullmark, an interesting move to say the least. The team was already at 23 players on the roster, meaning a corresponding move—be it injured reserve, waivers or loans—will be sure to follow shortly. Victor Antipin and Robin Lehner were both absent from practice due to minor ailments, and it’s not clear if they’ll miss any game action.
- The Chicago Blackhawks are giving Tomas Jurco another shot, recalling the forward while sending John Hayden back to the minor leagues. Jurco has played all season for the Rockford IceHogs, scoring 25 points in 36 games. The 25-year old was acquired from the Detroit Red Wings last season but recorded just one point in his 13 games with the Blackhawks.
- Vinni Lettieri is on his way back to the minor leagues, reassigned by the New York Rangers. Lettieri scored two points in three games, but with the Rangers on their bye week will continue to see game action back with the Hartford Wolf Pack. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him back up before Saturday’s game against the Islanders.
- The St. Louis Blues have activated Vince Dunn from injured reserve, sending Jake Walman back to the AHL. Dunn was only out with the flu, and had his IR stint backdated to allow him to return so quickly. Walman, who still didn’t get into his first NHL game, will have to wait for another opportunity.
- Lee Stempniak has been activated off injured reserve for the Carolina Hurricanes, meaning Lucas Wallmark is heading back to the AHL. Wallmark scored his first NHL goal on December 30th, but will now return to the Charlotte Checkers where he 23 points in 20 games this season.
- Brendan Lemieux is back up with the Winnipeg Jets as Adam Lowry deals with an upper-body injury, meaning Tucker Poolman is headed back to the AHL. Poolman has looked sharp in limited minutes for the Jets, but with Dustin Byfuglien healthy and back in the lineup the team has their six defensemen pretty much set in stone. Lemieux on the other hand will try to force his way into the lineup after 24 points in 24 games for the Manitoba Moose this year.
Kostin Was Told A Strong WJC Performance Would Result In Recall
- Blues prospect Klim Kostin indicated to Sport-Express’ Alexey Shevchenko (link in Russian) that the team told him that they would bring him up to the NHL at some point this season if he had a strong showing at the World Juniors. Kostin certainly lived up to his end of the bargain, recording five goals and three assists in just five games for Russia in the tournament. His first season in North America hasn’t gone as well though with just 11 points (2-9-11) in 28 contests with AHL San Antonio. The 18-year-old also stated that he had promises to be drafted by Tampa Bay (14th overall), Calgary (16th), and Boston (18th) but instead, he wound up falling to 31st overall where St. Louis picked him up.
Blues Recall Jake Walman, Place Vince Dunn On IR
- St. Louis announced that they have recalled defenseman Jake Walman from Chicago of the AHL. To make room for him on the roster, they have transferred blueliner Vince Dunn (illness) to injured reserve. Walman, one of the better prospects for the Blues, is in his first full professional campaign and has 13 points (2-11-13) in 34 games at the minor league level this season.