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Can’t Miss Games Of The 2016-17 Season: January and February

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The start of the NHL regular season may be a month away with the World Cup of Hockey and preseason still to come, but it’s never too early to get excited for the best slate of games the NHL has to offer this season. Here are the can’t miss-games for the start of the new year:

January 1st – Detroit Red Wings vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

An Original Six battle AND it’s outdoors. That’s what the NHL is bringing fans with the Centennial Classic, kicking off the 100th season of the league. The Atlantic Division foes will take the ice at BMO Field on New Year’s Day, as Mike Babcock takes on his former team, who will be marching towards their 26th straight playoff appearance.

January 2nd – Chicago Blackhawks vs. St. Louis Blues

The Winter Classic gets bumped to the next day, as the St. Louis Blues will host an outdoor game against the rival Chicago Blackhawks. While tight playoff races will still be months away, the first battle between Central Division contenders in the new year could have a lasting affect on their postseason chances. This is one you don’t want to miss.

January 12th – New Jersey Devils vs. Edmonton Oilers

In one of this summer’s biggest moves, the Oilers traded franchise cornerstone Taylor Hall to the Devils in exchange for defenseman Adam Larsson. What will happen when the former face of the franchise returns to Edmonton? If the teams’ performances to this point haven’t pointed to a winner in the deal, then this game should give everyone a good idea.

February 25th – Philadelphia Flyers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

Yet another outdoor contest, the Penguins and Flyers, perhaps the best rivalry in hockey right now, square off at Heinz Field in an epic showdown. With more than just a win on the line, prepare for a big-time battle between two talented teams. An added bonus: the trade deadline will be just days away, adding more pressure to the result of the game if one (or both) of these teams find themselves on the buyer-seller line this season.

Can’t Miss Games Of The 2016-17 Season: November and December

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The start of the NHL regular season may be a month away with the World Cup of Hockey and preseason still to come, but it’s never too early to get excited for the best slate of games the NHL has to offer this season. Here are the can’t miss-games of the holidays:

November 1st – St. Louis Blues vs. New York Rangers

The trade chatter surrounding a Rick Nash – Kevin Shattenkirk swap has not gone away, and should these two teams get off to a slow start in the first month of the season, this game could act as the final tryout before they pull the trigger. Even if the trade never happens, it’s still a battle between one of the best from each conference to kick off the month.

November 24th – Boston Bruins vs. Ottawa Senators

Hockey may not be able to take Thanksgiving away from football, but they’re doing their best with this match-up. Not only is Boston not far from the location of the first Thanksgiving, but they’re a team on a mission after missing the playoffs in back-to-back years. A rivalry game against the Senators should make for some great holiday hockey.

December 23rd – Los Angeles Kings vs. Dallas Stars

The NHL might freeze trades over the holidays and take a break around Christmas, but a Friday night face-off between two Western Conference titans is a great way to start off the holiday weekend.

Blues Notes: Stastny Brothers, Prospect Tournament Roster

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The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Dan O’Neill reports that the Stastny brothers couldn’t be more excited to be together at the Blues camp. Yan Stastny, older brother of current Blues forward Paul Stastny, was invited to participate in St. Louis’ camp with a professional tryout. A journeyman hockey player who has played throughout the world, Yan will lace his skates up for an NHL team for the first time since 2010. Though making the team is considered a long shot, Stastny is only concerned about the experience:

“Realistically, I’m going to go have fun,” said Stastny, who makes his home in St. Louis. “I got a phone call out of the blue from (Blues general manager) Doug Armstrong and I asked him if I could take a little time to think about it … But it gives me a chance to skate and stay in shape, if something comes up, in Europe or wherever. Right now, I think I’m the oldest guy going to camp, so I take a little pride in that — the fact that I’m still playing. I’m just going in to compete and have some fun. I know the game has changed quite a bit since I last played in North America. But you never know what can happen. There have been longer shots.”

For the younger Stastny, it’s a thrill to have his older brother in camp. Though they’ve never been on the same professional team, Paul said it will be “exciting” and said it’s a moment that “you dream of” but really aren’t sure that it will actually happen. For the Stastny brothers, it’s a terrific opportunity to spend time together as not only teammates, but brothers and friends. Anything that happens after that would certainly be a bonus.

In other Blues news:

  • The Blues have announced their prospect roster for the NHL Prospects Tournament writes Jeremy Rutherford. The Prospect Tournament is held in Traverse City, Michigan, and features the prospects of eight teams that include the Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota Wild and the New York Rangers. In the round robin tournament, the Blues will face the Red Wings, Blackhawks and Blue Jackets. Forward Ivan Barbashev and defenseman Jordan Schmaltz are just two of the many prospects on the list to participate.

World Cup Injury Scares

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One reason team executives and coaching staffs aren’t too keen on tournaments like the World Cup of Hockey is the fear one of their top players might get hurt playing in a meaningless – to them anyway – exhibition. If, for example, the Capitals lost Alex Ovechkin for any significant duration due to an injury playing in the World Cup, Washington’s chances to compete for a Stanley Cup would take a major hit. So general managers and head coaches nervously watch these games with the hope that no one gets injured and thus consequently derailing a team’s playoff hopes.

We’re just one warm-up game and a handful of practices into the tournament and already have seen a number of injury scares to key players. Here’s a quick rundown.

  • Vladimir Sobotka of the Czech Republic was injured in Thursday’s game with Team Russia and according to early reports, was transported to the hospital with an apparent shoulder/clavicle injury. Tom Gulitti of NHL.com later reported that x-rays were negative and that there was a chance Sobotka would be available for Saturday’s return tilt against Russia. However, Gulitti followed up via Twitter this morning and said that Sobotka is indeed out for tomorrow’s contest. Roman Cervenka would have ultimately replaced Sobotka in the lineup but he won’t be available in time to suit up tomorrow. Instead the Czechs will be forced to ice seven defensemen and 11 forwards. Sobotka has spent the past two seasons in the KHL but was expected to return to North America and the Blues for the 2016-17 campaign. After losing Troy Brouwer and David Backes to free agency, the hope was Sobotka would be able to pick up some of the slack in St. Louis. Even though he may miss some time in the World Cup, the early indications are the injury isn’t too severe, much to the relief of the Blues and their fans.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks experienced a bit of a scare when Marian Hossa left Team Europe’s game against Team North America after a puck struck his right foot causing the veteran Slovak to sit out the third period. But after a quick trip to the hospital revealed just a bruise, Hossa is expected to continue on in the tournament though he might still sit out future World Cup exhibition games as a precaution, according to Scott Powers writing for The Athletic. The 37-year-old Hossa, whose offensive output dropped last season to just 33 points in 64 games, is still a vital cog in the Chicago lineup due to his outstanding two-way play.
  • Earlier it was reported that superstar goaltender Henrik Lundqvist may have injured himself while on a golf outing ahead of the World Cup of Hockey. However it was later revealed he took a shot to the ribs during a practice and that he was indeed good to go for the tournament. According to Dan Rosen of NHL.com (via Twitter), Lundqvist is in fact expected to get the start between the pipes tomorrow and play the whole game for Team Sweden.
  • The news isn’t quite as good for fellow Swede and Chicago Blackhawks forward Marcus Kruger. Again according to Rosen, Kruger suffered an upper body injury which caused the pivot to miss the final 7:39 of regulation and all of OT in the game against Finland (both links via Twitter). With Kruger out for tomorrow’s contest, Team Sweden will insert Mikael Backlund into the lineup in Kruger’s place. Backlund, of course, was added to the Swedish roster as a replacement for Henrik Zetterberg.

Snapshots: Blues, Hertl, Moses

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St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock may be heading into his final season behind an NHL bench but he’s certainly not being complacent, writes Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  Hitchcock along with coach-in-waiting Mike Yeo and the rest of the coaching staff have put the finishing touches on their new system in advance of training camp later this month.  In particular, the team is changing the way it plays in its own end, something that should keep both the players and the coaching staff on their toes; Hitchcock added his thoughts about the decision to change:

“For a coach, when you’re secure in the way you play and then all of a sudden you’re going to make changes, it’s pretty dramatic. Coaches don’t view offensive changes as dramatic, but when you’re changing things defensively most coaches view that as pretty dramatic.”

With their plans in place, the coaches are now in the process of presenting it to their leadership core, including new captain Alex Pietrangelo.  Assuming the players are all on board with the changes, then the new system will be unveiled to the rest of the team in training camp.  While it may seem odd to seek approval from the players on the system, Hitchcock added that “There’s no point in putting it together if the players don’t buy into it”.

More from around the league:

  • While Sharks forward Tomas Hertl won’t play at the World Cup, he doesn’t appear likely to miss any NHL action. In a statement from GM Doug Wilson (courtesy of CSN Bay Area’s Kevin Kurz), he noted that Hertl is on track to be ready to start the year and doesn’t want to do anything to jeopardize that.  Wilson also praised Hertl for choosing “to put his commitment to the Sharks and his teammates first”.
  • While his most recent return to North America didn’t go well, left winger Steve Moses hasn’t ruled out giving the NHL another shot down the road, writes Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe. Moses signed a one year, $1MM deal with Nashville last year but didn’t make the team out of camp and was assigned to their AHL affiliate.  After 16 games with that team, his deal was terminated and he returned to the KHL where he remains under contract through 2017-18.  He has flirted with the point-per-game mark in each of his last two years in Russia and if he keeps that up, he should stay on the NHL radar.  However, Moses acknowledges that it will take a richer contract for him to try again as he is making more than the $1MM he was set to earn last season.

Potential 2016-17 Impact Rookies: Lindell, Johns, Fiala, Barbashev

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In order to have the opportunity to make an impact as a rookie in the NHL, a player typically must earn a job in training camp – beating out veteran options along the way – and find a way to translate his talents to the ice at the highest level in the world. It’s not often youngsters with little to no NHL experience are guaranteed a role with the big league team but there are exceptions of course. Today we examine four rookies who might find themselves in a position to affect his team’s on-ice fortunes. Two are virtually assured regular playing time while the others will have to impress their teams before seeing any ice time in the NHL this season.

Esa Lindell and Stephen Johns (Dallas) – With the Stars moving on this summer from three of the club’s regular blue liners – Kris Russell, Jason Demers and Alex Goligoski –  Dallas certainly has spots up for competition with Lindell and Johns considered front-runners for those jobs. Both players offer good size – Lindell is 6-foot-3, 215 pounds and Johns is 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds – but bring differing skill sets to the table otherwise.

Lindell is a skilled offensive defender who tallied 14 goals and 42 points while playing 73 games for the Texas Stars of the AHL. The 22-year-old blue liner was Dallas’ third-round pick, chosen 74th overall, in the 2012 draft. After two-plus seasons playing in Finland, Lindell made his North American debut in 2014-15, skating in 5 contests with the Stars AHL affiliate. Lindell also saw his first taste of NHL action with four appearances for the Stars. He is currently slotted as the team’s third LD, behind veterans Dan Hamhuis and Johnny Oduya.

Johns is a more physical blue liner who averaged more hits per game than any other Stars player. He wrapped up his four-year collegiate career with Notre Dame scoring 15 goals and 57 points in 162 NCAA contests. Johns made his pro debut with the Rockford IceHogs, the Chicago Blackhawks AHL affiliate, in 2013-14 and scored five points in eight games. He would return to Rockford the following campaign and recorded four goals and 21 points in 51 contests.

The Blackhawks packaged Johns with Patrick Sharp in a deal with the Stars that returned Ryan Garbutt and Trevor Daley to Chicago. Johns made 55 AHL appearances with Texas and another 14 with Dallas in the regular season. He also saw action in 13 postseason contests with the Stars. Presuming head coach Lindy Ruff will split his two rookies up, the right-handed Johns stands a good chance to get plenty of work opposite either Hamhuis or Oduya in the Stars top-four this season.

Kevin Fiala (Nashville) – Predators GM David Poile held off on adding a top-six forward at the 2016 trade deadline because he was under the impression – mistaken in hindsight – that Jimmy Vesey would sign with the team in time to contribute down the stretch and into the playoffs. As we all know, Vesey had different ideas and elected to wait until August 16th when he would reach unrestricted free agency before choosing his first professional employer. That hole also went unfilled this summer giving a glimmer of hope that Fiala, with an impressive training camp, can break camp with the team and seize a top-six role.

Fiala was Nashville’s first-round selection in 2014 out of the Swiss league and is said to have game-breaking offensive potential. Because he is a native of Switzerland and played his junior hockey in Europe, Fiala was able to be assigned to the AHL once under contract with the Predators. As such, Fiala has already accumulated 99 AHL regular season games and has another six with the Predators. After a slow start, Fiala rebounded last season tallying 50 points in 66 games with the Milwaukee Admirals.

The Predators could choose to get the 19-year-old Fiala more minor league seasoning to further develop his game. Fiala seems to understand that it may take time before he earns a regular role with Nashville but with the Predators on the lookout for more offense, they could elect to give the youngster a chance to show if he can contribute this season.

Ivan Barbashev (St. Louis) – Unlike last season when they successfully integrated LW Robby Fabbri and D Colton Parayko into the lineup, the Blues may simply not have an opening this year for a rookie. The Blues addressed the loss of free agents David Backes and Troy Brouwer by signing David Perron. They also expect Vladimir Sobotka to make his return from the KHL and to fill a regular spot in the lineup. However, even though the odds are probably against it, if the Blues do go to the rookie well at some point this season, expect Ivan Barbashev to be a top contender for the promotion.

Barbashev played his junior hockey for Moncton in the QMJHL and tallied a solid 68 points in 48 games during his draft year. St. Louis would use their second-round pick in 2014 on Barbashev and the skilled winger enjoyed a tremendous 2014-15 campaign with Moncton, potting 45 goals and recording 95 points in 57 games. Barbashev made his pro debut in 2015-16, skating in 65 contests and scoring 28 points for the Chicago Wolves in the AHL.

Barbashev, who doesn’t turn 21 until December, would probably be better off returning to Chicago for another season, giving him the opportunity to fine tune his game further before assuming a regular spot with the Blues. A 28-point campaign in the AHL for a first-year pro isn’t bad but it’s not close to what Barbashev’s talent level suggests he is capable of. More seasoning would likely be a huge benefit for the youngster. But if a need arises, the Blues could turn to the talented young winger to add some skill and offense to the lineup.

 

Snapshots: Seguin, Kucherov, Lundqvist

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Tyler Seguin has tallied better than a point-per-game in each of the last three seasons as the Stars #1 center and has also totaled 107 goals during that time. It would seem foolhardy to move the skilled pivot to any other position but Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News thinks the idea might have some merit.

In a recent chat, Heika fielded a question on Seguin and suggested he will be watching the six-year veteran to see how he plays at RW for Team Canada at the World Cup. With 11 natural pivots on the Canadian roster, several centers obviously will be forced into duty on the wing and it appears Seguin will be among those. Heika feels if Seguin performs well on the wing it might prompt the Stars to move him off the center position and elevate Cody Eakin into a more prominent role.

Eakin scored 16 goals and 35 points in 82 games for the Stars in 2015-16, while averaging nearly 16 1/2 minutes of ice time per contest. It was the third straight campaign Eakin recorded at least 16 goals and 35 points. Jason Spezza, fresh off a 33-goal, 63-point performance, is also likely slated to fill a slot on the top two lines giving the Stars plenty of depth at the center position.

It’s worth noting that Dallas also boasts plenty of offensive talent elsewhere among the forward group, meaning the club has no real need to move Seguin to the wing. The Stars recently inked Jiri Hudler to a one-year deal and he will join Jamie Benn, Patrick Sharp, Ales Hemsky, Valeri Nichushkin and Mattias Janmark in giving Dallas all kinds of options on the wing. Time will tell, of course, but the ability to role out Seguin, Spezza and Eakin, in that order, gives the Stars a strong group of pivots and one few teams can match in terms of talent. It simply wouldn’t make much sense to break that unit up.

Elsewhere in the NHL:

  • Even though RFA RW Nikita Kucherov remains unsigned, Tampa Bay GM Steve Yzerman remains confident a deal will get done prior to the 2016-17 season kicking off, as Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times writes. There is no understating how critical Kucherov is to the success of the Lightning, particularly given how good he has been in the playoffs. Kucherov has contributed 21 goals and 41 points in 43 postseason games over the last two seasons, helping the Lightning to a Stanley Cup Finals berth in 2014-15 and an Eastern Conference Finals appearance this season. He’s also posted seasons of 66 and 65 points over the last two regular seasons. The Lightning are in a bit of a pinch in terms of the salary cap with just less than $6.3MM in space remaining and only 12 forwards, six defensemen and two goalies under contract. Smith points out that Filip Forsberg and Vladimir Tarasenko, two players he identifies as possible comparable cases, each signed deals recently that come with annual cap charges of $6MM and $7.5MM respectively. Given the situation, it’s plausible the Lightning will have to make a trade to clear some cap space if that’s the range Kucherov is looking to land in, and Smith singled out Ben Bishop, Valtteri Filppula and Jason Garrison as players the team could look to move if necessary.
  • Despite stories – including this one which is in Swedish, and this one – suggesting New York Rangers superstar goalie Henrik Lundqvist had sustained an injury while golfing, Larry Brooks of the New York Post reassures the team’s fans that “the King” is just fine. Brooks tweet does indicate that Lundqvist took a puck to the ribs and is “sore” but it’s nothing to be concerned about. Of course any rumor regarding Lundqvist’s health is sure to grab the attention of Rangers fans everywhere. “Hank,” has been the backbone of the team since he debuted all the way back in the 2005-06 season and the five-time Vezina finalist gives the Blueshirts a chance to compete every year. If he were to miss significant time due to injury, the Rangers playoff chances would drop considerably.

 

Kevin Allen’s Latest: Early Predictions, Pivotal Players

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Kevin Allen writes that the Detroit Red Wings are one of five teams in danger of missing the playoffs this season. Similar to his reports while speaking with PHR, Allen lists a questionable defensive corps, inconsistent goaltending and whether or not goal scorers like Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist will find the net as they should as reasons why they may not make it back for a 26th straight season. Though he could see them sneaking in, the Wings are more vulnerable than ever before. It all depends on youth and everything coming together.

Allen also lists the Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders, and St. Louis Blues as candidates to possibly miss. With the Kings, Allen believes that the Calgary Flames and Arizona Coyotes, if better, could push the Kings who lost Milan Lucic to Edmonton. The Flyers, a surprise team in the playoffs last season, will have more competition in the Metropolitan Division while the Canadiens, who struggled after Carey Price’s injury, will also be better in the Atlantic, making the Eastern Conference a lot tougher.

The Islanders, Allen writes, lost some key players in Frans Nielsen, and Kyle Okposo. Though he calls it “sinful” to bet against a John Tavares led team, he still wonders if they grabbed enough to compensate for their losses. Finally, with the Blues, Allen reports that they took a “half step” back while division foes Chicago, Minnesota, and Nashville all improved. Further, Arizona and Calgary are better, crowding the already tight Western Conference. Losing David Backes, Brian Elliott, and Troy Brouwer also doesn’t help for depth purposes.

  • Earlier in the week, Allen also compiled a list of the ten most pivotal players heading into the season. Number one on that list is Kari Lehtonen, who will make an early push to be the primary option between the pipes for the Stars. Though he has struggled in the past, he has the opportunity to backstop a potential Stanley Cup contender. Should he not, the Stars have been an oft-reported  team to land Ben Bishop should he be available. Other names Allen included were Brian Campbell, a player he believes could solidify the Blackhawks defense, and Elliott, who could finally give the Flames a strong goaltending option.

Snapshots: Blues, Ho-Sang, Hartman, Rooney

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In recent years, the St. Louis Blues have had a veteran-laden lineup but that won’t be the case as much in 2016-17.  The departures of David Backes (to Boston), Troy Brouwer and Brian Elliott (to Calgary), and Steve Ott (to Detroit) have created openings for some of their younger players to take on a larger role.  As GM Doug Armstrong told Lou Korac of NHL.com, the shift towards a younger, quicker team is by design:

“We’re one of 30 teams that is seeing this phenomenon take place right now of the evolution of the game.  I think we’re as current or ahead of the curve in a lot of different areas. I think puck-moving defensemen, we’ve put a premium on, the last little while. I think the game’s gone to a less physical, more puck-oriented game from your back-end players. … It’s just staying current with the game.”

Between the pipes, 26 year old Jake Allen will take over as the new number one netminder while six of the Blues’ projected top nine forwards are aged 28 or younger.  The same can be said for four of their top six defensemen.  Between that and the planned coaching change to Mike Yeo for 2017-18, it’s going to be a season of transition for St. Louis.

More from around the league:

  • After unceremoniously being cut from training camp after the first day as a result of arriving late, Islanders prospect Josh Ho-Sang is looking forward to the chance to redeem himself, writes Sportsnet’s Luke Fox. The 20 year old was a first rounder of New York (30th overall) in 2014 and put up 19 goals and 63 assists in 66 OHL games last year while adding another 26 points in 17 postseason contests.  As a waiver exempt player that is now AHL eligible, there’s a strong chance Ho-Sang will wind up starting the season with their minor league affiliate in Bridgeport.
  • Chicago assistant GM Norm MacIver believes prospect Ryan Hartman is knocking on the door for a full-time roster spot with the Blackhawks, writes Scott Powers of The Athletic. Hartman has spent the last two years with Chicago’s AHL affiliate in Rockford, picking up 72 points but a whopping 249 PIMS in 130 games.  For his part, Hartman acknowledges his over aggression and has taken strides off the ice towards improving that this summer, including working with a mental skills coach.  He has also dropped ten pounds this offseason in an effort to become a faster skater.
  • Long-time NHL referee Chris Rooney ruptured his Achilles tendon and will not only miss the World Cup of Hockey but the first 3-5 months of the regular season, reports ESPN’s John Buccigross. Rooney has been an NHL official since 2000 and has worked in a pair of Stanley Cup Finals.

Blues Notes: Steen, Pietrangelo, Sobotka

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In Jeremy Rutherford’s latest post for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, he walks us through a few notes from Blues camp.

  • Alex Steen seems to be progressing admirably from the shoulder surgery he underwent in June. Originally given a four to six month timeline, Steen now is on track to be ready for the start of the season just four months and nine days after the operation. Steen himself was even pushing hard in his rehab to try and make it to the World Cup in September, though it is not going to happen; Steen was replaced by Rickard Rakell last week.
  • After announcing Alex Pietrangelo as their newest captain yesterday, owner Tom Stillman heaped praise onto his young defenseman: “Alex is one of the elite players in the game, and he’s a model citizen. He takes responsibility, he leads by example, he’s not afraid to speak up, he’s just an exemplary person.” The captaincy was vacant after the Blues saw David Backes hit free agency and sign with Boston this summer.
  • In the long and winding saga of Vladimir Sobotka, nothing seems to have changed from either side, though they are at odds on what will happen after the World Cup.  Doug Armstrong reiterates that he’s been told Sobotka will stay in North America following the tournament, while Victor Shalaev, general manger of Omsk Avangard told a Russian news outlet “Sobotka will join us as soon as he’s healthy. Forget about St. Louises and other nonsense.”  Armstrong says that he is healthy, and that he’ll be ready to join Blues camp as soon as the World Cup is completed.
  • T.J. Galiardi and Mike Weber have already received PTOs from the Blues this year, and Armstrong thinks they may give at least one more out now that Jay Bouwmeester is heading to the World Cup. He’s leaving that in the hands of three of his lieutenants though; Martin Brodeur, Kevin McDonald and Rob DiMaio are in charge of contacting players for try-outs, and since two players earned contracts from them last year, Armstrong thinks they are an attractive spot.

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