- NHL.com’s Scott Burnsides notes that Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos has seen a lot of New York Islanders center John Tavares during the all-star game. Tavares will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and while he says he’d like to stay in New York, he has not signed an extension. Stamkos, who went through a similar situation two years ago, understands what Tavares is going through. “To be honest, I haven’t really had a discussion with John about that,” Stamkos said. “It was something that, as a player, you’ve earned the right at this point in your career to have conversations, to not have conversations, to do what you want regarding your contract. If he ever asked me, I’d give him my opinion. He’s obviously having an unbelievable season and is probably doing a better job of not letting it affect him than maybe I did. It’s in the back of your head for sure.”
Lightning Rumors
Eastern Notes: Hedman, Eichel, Simmonds
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman, despite missing five games with a lower-body injury, remains one of the top candidates for the Norris Trophy this year, but could find himself quickly falling out of the race if he continues to miss games. Originally slated to miss between three to six weeks, Tampa Bay Times’ Joe Smith tweets that Hedman is already back skating and his return is more likely to be near the three-week mark as opposed to six weeks. He’s been out since Jan. 11th.
Hedman, who is the defensive backbone to the Tampa Bay Lightning, would be a welcome return for a team that despite having the top record in the league, but was struggling recently having lost five of seven games before winning their last three straight. He has six goals and 27 assists in 44 games this year with a plus/minus rating of +24.
Hedman, who had to miss the all-star game due to the injury, will still be at the game, according to Smith. He will be the assistant to the equipment manager for the Atlantic Division team. TSN’s Frank Seravalli tweets that Hedman has experience in that role as his father Olle worked as an equipment manager for MoDo in Sweden for 23 years.
- Buffalo Sabres Jack Eichel finds himself at the all-star game on a rare high-note as the struggling franchise has won three games in a row, in fact, in quite a dominating fashion. The team topped Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver by a combined score of 11-1. Those three wins comes off a humiliating 7-1 blowout loss to the Dallas Stars on Jan. 20. The Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington writes that Eichel believes that loss is what motivated the team to turn it around. “Obviously you get embarrassed at home and you’ve got to look in the mirror,” Eichel said Saturday at All-Star Media Day in the Tampa Grand Hyatt. “Nobody wants to be a part of that, 7-1 at home. It’s embarrassing. It’s good we were able to come back this week, play a few good hockey games and we want to keep that going.” Eichel has been a key part to the three-game streak with two goals and three assists.
- Regarding questions about whether the Philadelphia Flyers should trade winger Wayne Simmonds, The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor writes in a mailbag article that despite the improved play of several players including Sean Couturier, Travis Konecny and Nolan Patrick, the team would be less likely to trade the veteran winger. First off, Simmonds is a power forward that none of the others would be able to replace. And secondly, the improvements of those three players only suggests the Flyers are much closer to competing for a Stanley Cup in the next few years, so extending Simmonds might make more sense. The 29-year-old has 16 goals and 29 points this year and would provide excellent offense for the next few years. His contract, which comes up after the 2018-19 season, would put him at 31 when a new contract would kick in. If the team were to re-sign him, the Flyers would need to be sure they could compete for a Stanley Cup in those first few years of that contract, according to O’Connor.
Western Notes: Sedins, Doughty, Golden Knights, Hyka
Recent comments from Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin suggest the twin brothers are hoping for another year in Vancouver. Already 37 and trending downwards in their career, the struggling Canucks were considered to be sellers at the trade deadline. However, the Sedin twins return also might throw a wrench into general manager Jim Benning’s deadline plans.
While the team has several key trade chips to move, including veteran scorer Thomas Vanek and defenseman Erik Gudbranson, Benning might be more likely to retain or extend them to surround the Sedin twins with veteran players, according to J.D. Burke of The Athletic (subscription required). The scribe begins by pointing out that the Sedin’s decision will have major implications to the salary cap and the look of the team. The cost to retain both soon-to-be 38-year-old forwards will be about $10MM, estimates Burke, who adds the team would have to make a decision whether to keep Vanek with the team.
If the Sedin’s stay, will Benning look for assets that might benefit the veteran Sedins, rather than focus on the team’s need to rebuild. Benning has often preferred to acquire players, rather than trade for picks. The team has a lot of prospects coming through the system already, but not trading their assets at the deadline could hurt the future of the team down the road as well. No one is saying the Sedin twins shouldn’t come back. They have been with the franchise since they started their careers and should be welcomed, but not at the expense of the team’s future.
- Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty spoke to the media today at the all-star’s media day. According to Los Angeles’ Times writer Helene Elliott, Doughty said that money and term aren’t the only factor in the way he will approach free agency in 2018-19. “I don’t know if a lot of people think our future looks bright but I think our future does as the L.A. Kings organization,” Doughty said. “We’ve got some young guys that aren’t with us yet that will make a difference in a couple years. We still have that core group of guys. I think we’re trending in the right direction and getting back to hopefully where we were a few years back.”
- Yahoo Sports’ Ryan Lambert writes that while the praise that goes towards Vegas Golden Knights general manager George McPhee is well earned, he believes that Vegas’ unbelievable success should fall on the shoulder of all the other teams’ general managers. The scribe writes that if other general managers had done a better job managing their own rosters, the Golden Knights wouldn’t have been able to get better quality players and picks in order to pad their roster in the initial first year. The expansion draft should net expansion team with back-end forwards and defensemen and No. 2 goalies. However, Florida Panther general manager Dave Talon just handed two top-six forwards to Vegas to get rid of the contract of Reilly Smith, while they opted to move on from Jonathan Marchessault because they didn’t believe he could repeat his 30-goal season from last year. The same can be said for the Minnesota Wild, who gave Vegas forward Alex Tuch and Erik Haula in exchange for draft considerations. There were so many draft considerations from plenty of other teams such as the New York Islanders, the Columbus Blue Jackets and Tampa Bay Lightning. Had general managers made better decisions, perhaps the Golden Knights wouldn’t be the top team in the West. Lambert also adds that the team still has 10 draft picks that will fall in the first two rounds over the next three years. Doesn’t look like Vegas is going anywhere.
- Still with the Golden Knights, SinBinVegas tweets that prospect Tomas Hyka, who was scheduled to play in the AHL All-Star game on Jan. 29, has been replaced with T.J. Tynan as Hyka is now listed as “unavailable for the game.” Vegas plays its first game after the all-star break on Jan. 30, suggesting Hyka might get called up instead. The 24-year-old wing, who signed out of the Czech. Republic, has 12 goals and 31 points in 32 games with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves.
All-Star Skills Competition Assignments Released
With the All-Star game one day away, many NHL fans often get more excited for the 2018 GEICO NHL All-Star Skills Competition, which will be tonight. The NHL released the list of who will be participating in each of the six competitions with the winner of each receiving $25K.
Enterprise NHL Fastest Skater – Each skater is timed for one full lap around the rink.
Brayden Point (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Rickard Rakell (Anaheim Ducks)
Noah Hanifin (Carolina Hurricanes)
Josh Bailey (New York Islanders)
Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche)
Jack Eichel (Buffalo Sabres)
Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers)
Dunkin Donuts NHL Passing Challenge – Requires three skills over one round, including Target Passing (making four passes to a target that light up randomly), Give-and-Go (must complete four successful passes through a course in the neutral zone) and Mini Nets (must complete four passes over barricades and into mini-nets).
Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Claude Giroux (Philadelphia Flyers)
Brayden Schenn (St. Louis Blues)
Oliver Ekman-Larsson (Arizona Coyotes)
Eric Staal (Minnesota Wild)
Alex Pietrangelo (St. Louis Blues)
Kris Letang (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Drew Doughty (Los Angeles Kings)
GEICO NHL Save Streak – Goalies attempt to win by making the most consecutive saves against an opposing division on a minimum of nine shots.
Henrik Lundqvist (New York Rangers) vs. Central Division
Connor Hellebuyck (Vancouver Canucks) vs. Pacific Division
Pekka Rinne (Nashville Predators) vs. Metropolitan Division
Marc-Andre Fleury (Vegas Golden Knights) vs. Atlantic Division
Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay Lightning) vs. Central Division
Gatorade NHL Puck Control Relay – A timed event that involves three skills, including Stickhandling (where a skater must control a puck through a series of eight pucks in a straight line), Cone Control (where a skater controls a puck through a series of eight cones in a zig-zag formation) and Gates (where a skater must shoot or choose to guide the puck through a lighted rung of a gate).
Johnny Gaudreau (Calgary Flames)
Aleksander Barkov (Florida Panthers)
Erik Karlsson (Ottawa Senators)
John Tavares (New York Islanders)
Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers)
Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Tyler Seguin (Dallas Stars)
Patrick Kane (Chicago Blackhawks)
PPG NHL Hardest Shot – Over two rounds, each player will attempt two shots measured in miles per hour with the highest speed recorded.
John Klingberg (Dallas Stars)
Alex Ovechkin (Washington Capitals)
P.K. Subban (Nashville Predators)
Brent Burns (San Jose Sharks)
Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Honda NHL Shooting Accuracy – A timed event in which a skater is positioned 25 feet behind the goal line and must shoot at five LED targets in the goal. A target will light up and the players has three seconds to hit it.
Brian Boyle (New Jersey Devils)
Blake Wheeler (Winnipeg Jets)
James Neal (Vegas Golden Knights)
Brock Boeser (Vancouver Canucks)
Brad Marchand (Boston Bruins)
Anze Kopitar (Los Angeles Kings)
Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Lighting Assign Louis Domingue To Syracuse, Recall Connor Ingram
- Tampa Bay has flipped minor league goalies, recalling Connor Ingram from AHL Syracuse while sending Louis Domingue down, per the AHL’s Transactions page. The shuffle will allow Domingue to play a game to stay in game shape before they resume their schedule next week while Ingram’s addition keeps the Lightning at the minimum two goalies on their roster.
Trade Candidates: Derek Ryan
With the trade deadline approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that have a good chance to be dealt by February 26th.
In 2016-17, Derek Ryan made headlines as a 30-year-old playing in his first full NHL season after working his way to the highest level through levels like the Canadian University system and pro leagues in Hungary and Austria. The Carolina Hurricanes forward was even nominated for the Masterton Trophy to recognize the perseverance and dedication in took to stick with his NHL dreams much longer than most. In 2017-18, the narrative has changed from Ryan, the feel-good story, to Ryan, the legitimate NHL asset. If you thought Ryan’s 29 points in 67 games as an unheralded, aging rookie was impressive, take a look at his 26 points through 20 fewer games so far this year. Ryan has quietly established himself as a capable, versatile forward and with the Carolina Hurricanes again looking like the odd man out in the Metropolitan Division, the next chapter in Ryan’s story could be that of a key Trade Deadline acquisition.
Contract
Ryan re-signed with the Hurricanes this past summer on a one-year, one-way deal worth $1.425MM. By the Trade Deadline, Ryan will count for less than $500K against the salary cap. He will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
2017-18
In 47 games, Ryan has nearly matched his offensive totals from last season, and then some. Ryan has already tied his 11 goals and is only three assists shy of his 18 and has done so in 20 fewer games. Ryan is on pace for 19 goals and 26 assists if he stays with the Hurricanes, though even the smallest hot streak, or perhaps a change of scenery, could push him over 20 goals or 30 assists. This season, Ryan has also been a superior five-on-five player, earning the trust of head coach Bill Peters and, in turn, more ice time. Even with a greater role and more exposure this season, Ryan has elite Corsi numbers and has been the best possession player on the roster. Ryan continues to be an asset at the face-off dot too, with a team-leading 56.3% success rate on nearly 600 draws thus far. He’s seen a slight uptick in hits and takeaways without an increase in penalty minutes as, despite a -13 rating that isn’t a true reflection of his game, he continues to be a two-way force who suppresses the opposition better than most of his fellow Carolina forwards. He often takes the ice against the best the other team has to offer and, compared to the team’s -17 goal differential, does well for himself. By all accounts, Ryan has taken another step forward in all facets in 2017-18.
Season Stats
47 GP, 11 goals, 15 assists, 26 points, -13 rating, 10 PIM, 92 shots, 16:18 ATOI, 56.9 CF%
Potential Suitors
While most teams did not even his know his name a few short years ago, Ryan will now be a sought-after depth addition at the Trade Deadline. A responsible, well-rounded forward, Ryan is the type of player that nearly any team could use for the stretch run. With the versatility to play all three forward positions, the depth to his game to line up on the second, third, or fourth line depending on fit and need, and a cap hit that is a total non-factor, there is spot on every contender’s roster for Ryan this season. Who could use him the most? The league’s top team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, are a bit top-heavy on offense and could use a player like Ryan to add balance to their forward corps. The San Jose Sharks and Philadelphia Flyers are in a similar boat. Neither of those three teams have a specific, identifiable need that Ryan could fill, but could greatly use the flexibility he provides as a depth asset.
More specifically, Ryan could be another option for the Pittsburgh Penguins in their continued search for a third-line center. However, the Hurricanes may want to avoid trading Ryan to one of the teams they would need to leapfrog to make the playoffs – especially one with back-to-back Stanley Cup titles. Two other top contenders, the Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals, could really use Ryan as an anchor on their fourth lines. Both teams could use an injection of talent on their energy line, as well as another forward who could fill in throughout the lineup, as they march toward the postseason. The Bruins’ responsible, two-way, possession-heavy game especially seems to fit Ryan.
Likelihood of a Trade
The Derek Ryan story has been a great one, but it’s time for the Carolina Hurricanes to move on. Ryan has been a major surprise and a great addition to the lineup the past two years, but the ’Canes face an uphill battle to make the playoffs and should get what they can for all of their impending UFA’s. If they so choose, Carolina could bring Ryan back in free agency, but it’s no use holding onto him for this season. The 31-year-old second-year NHLer faces a limited window to win the ultimate prize, a Stanley Cup, and in the midst of an outstanding season, he deserves to join a contender. Despite his amazing climb from the bowels of the hockey world to the highest level, Ryan remains a name that few people really know. Yet, expect him to quietly garner a lot of attention over the next month.
PHWA Announces Midseason Awards
The Professional Hockey Writers Association this season asked their members to vote for the end of year awards at the halfway point, and today announced the winners. Votes were cast on all the awards given annually to the top players in the league, and though they may not actually win when the time comes it is is a good look into which players will be in consideration.
The results are as follows:
Hart Memorial Trophy (League MVP):
Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning
Second place: Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
Third place: John Tavares, New York Islanders
James Norris Memorial Trophy (Top defenseman):
Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
Second place: Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings
Third place: John Klingberg, Dallas Stars
Frank J. Selke Trophy (Top defensive forward):
Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins
Second place: Sean Couturier, Philadelphia Flyers
Third place: Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings
Calder Memorial Trophy (Rookie of the year):
Mathew Barzal, New York Islanders
Second place: Brock Boeser, Vancouver Canucks
Third place: Charlie McAvoy, Boston Bruins
Vezina Trophy (Top goaltender):
Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning
Second place: Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
Third place: Pekka Rinne, Nashville Predators
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (Sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct):
Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames
Second place: Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
Third place: Ryan O’Reilly, Buffalo Sabres
Jack Adams Award (Coach of the year):
Gerard Gallant, Vegas Golden Knights
Second place: Jon Cooper, Tampa Bay Lightning
Third place: Paul Maurice, Winnipeg Jets
General Manager of the Year:
George McPhee, Vegas Golden Knights
Second place: Steve Yzerman, Tampa Bay Lightning
Third place: Ray Shero, New Jersey Devils
Top Defensive Defenseman:
Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings
Second place: Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins
Third place: Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
Comeback Player of the Year:
Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning
Second place: Brian Boyle, New Jersey Devils
Third place: Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers
Ondrej Palat Out Six To Eight Weeks With Lower-Body Injury
The Tampa Bay Lightning have been dealt a huge blow to their forward group, announcing today that Ondrej Palat would be out for six to eight weeks with a lower-body injury. Palat suffered the injury at the hands of the Minnesota Wild on Saturday, likely when Jared Spurgeon speared him in front of the net.
One of Tampa Bay’s most consistent two-way players, Palat has 30 points on the season and has received Selke votes three times in his career as one of the league’s best defensive forwards. His loss will be felt at both ends of the rink for the Lightning, whose lead in the Atlantic Division is slipping after losing three games in a row.
Eight weeks would put Palat’s return around March 19th, meaning the team will have to navigate the trade deadline without him. Whether that means the Lightning will go out and add to their forward group is unclear, but with Victor Hedman also out at the moment their overall skill level has taken a huge hit.
Tampa Bay’s Ondrej Palat Out Indefinitely
The Tampa Bay Lightning will be without one of their top forwards as Tampa Bay Times writer Joe Smith reports that forward Ondrej Palat went back to Tampa for further medical testing and is out indefinitely after being speared by Minnesota Wild’s Jared Spurgeon in the third period of Saturday’s 5-2 loss.
Despite having the best record in the league at 31-12-3, the Lightning have been struggling of late, having lost three in a row and five of their last seven games. The loss of Palat will not help the slumping team, especially while Tampa Bay is on an eight-game road trip, which started Saturday in Minnesota. The 26-year-old Palat has eight goals and 22 assists this year in 46 games. He has one goal and four assists in the team’s last five games despite their struggles.
The Tampa Bay Lightning announced they have recalled center Matthew Peca and wing Michael Bournival from the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. The 24-year-old Peca has been having a solid season with Syracuse with eight goals and 23 assists in 42 games and was recently named as an AHL All-Star. He leads the team in both assists and points. The 25-year-old Bournival has 13 goals and 14 assists in 40 games with the Crunch. He already has 108 career NHL games under his belt between Tampa Bay and the Montreal Canadiens.
Minor Transactions: 01/19/18
There will be plenty of minor moves again today as the NHL prepares for the weekend, and we’ll keep track of them right here. Keep checking back throughout the day to find out if your favorite team has tweaked their roster.
- The Winnipeg Jets are coming off their bye week, and have recalled Michael Hutchinson and Jack Roslovic. Hutchinson’s recall likely means that Steve Mason is still dealing with the concussion-like symptoms that took him out of the lineup last week, and provides an interesting opportunity for the younger netminder. Hutchinson has dominated the AHL this season and is set to hit unrestricted free agency in the summer. Showing that he’s capable at the NHL level, even in a limited sample, would go a long way to earning him a contract in a few months.
- Buffalo, fresh off another loss at the hands of the New York Rangers, have recalled Nicholas Baptiste from the Rochester Americans. Baptiste has played four games for the Sabres this season, and has 17 points in 34 games during his time in the AHL. The third-round pick had four points for Buffalo last season, but isn’t expected to make an immediate offensive impact.
- The New York Islanders have placed Casey Cizikas on injured reserve, recalling Ross Johnston from the minor leagues in the process. Johnston can fill a physical role on the Islanders, as the 6’5″ 236-lbs winger currently leads the AHL in penalty minutes with 113. He does have 11 points through 37 games, but won’t be used for his offensive ability in the NHL.
- The Calgary Flames are off their bye week, and with that they’ve recalled Marek Hrivik and Andrew Mangiapane from the AHL. The pair were sent down to continue playing, but were always expected to be brought back up when the week break ended. The Flames are back in action tomorrow afternoon against the Winnipeg Jets.
- Ken Appleby is back up with the New Jersey Devils, this time under emergency conditions. Appleby will likely serve as the backup for Keith Kinkaid tomorrow, while Corey Schneider continues to deal with an injury. Appleby, 22, has now spent time on an ECHL, AHL and NHL roster this season.
- The Minnesota Wild have recalled Kyle Rau from the AHL ahead of their game tomorrow against the Tampa Bay Lightning. It’s Rau’s first call up of the season, but he does have 33 NHL games under his belt with the Florida Panthers. Rau was signed to a one-year, two-way deal on July 1st, and has 21 points in 36 games for the Iowa Wild.
- With Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Nate Thompson dealing with injuries for the Ottawa Senators, the club has recalled forward Colin White from the AHL. The Senators take on the Maple Leafs tomorrow night, and needed a twelfth body to line up at forward. White has 16 points in 30 games for the Belleville Senators this season, but is a big part of the Ottawa plan going forward. The first-round pick could get a longer look down the stretch.