Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Lightning Rumors

Who Is On Pace To Score 60 Points In 2017-18?

at CDT | by 2 Comments

In 2016-17, only 42 NHLers hit the 60-point benchmark for the season. It was the lowest total since the 2012-13 lockout-shortened season (obviously), when only Martin St. Louis notched sixty, and down eleven from the 53 players who hit the mark two years earlier in 2014-15. However, with scoring up this season in the NHL, will the league increase it’s number of top scorers? Or will a greater depth and distribution of talent continue to limit players from reaching the high numbers of yesteryear?

As of now, with the 2017 segment of the season about to close, here are the players on pace for 60 points in 2017-18:

  1. Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 54 points in 37 games, Projection: 120 points
  2. Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 48 points in 37 games, Projection: 107 points
  3. John Tavares, New York Islanders – Currently: 49 points in 38 games, Projection: 106 points
  4. Josh Bailey, New York Islanders – Currently: 49 points in 38 games, Projection: 106 points
  5. Jakub Voracek, Philadelphia Flyers – Currently: 46 points in 38 games, Projection: 99 points
  6. Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers – Currently: 46 points in 38 games, Projection: 99 points
  7. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers – Currently: 45 points in 38 games, Projection: 97 points
  8. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche – Currently: 43 points in 37 games, Projection: 95 points
  9. Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg Jets – Currently: 44 points in 39 games, Projection: 93 points
  10. Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames – Currently: 41 points in 38 games, Projection: 89 points
  11. Phil Kessel, Pittsburgh Penguins – Currently: 41 points in 39 games, Projection: 86 points
  12. Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals – Currently: 41 points in 40 games, Projection: 84 points
  13. Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings – Currently: 40 points in 39 games, Projection: 84 points
  14. Anders Lee, New York Islanders – Currently: 39 points in 38 games, Projection: 84 points
  15. Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks – Currently: 38 points in 37 games, Projection: 84 points
  16. Brock Boeser*, Vancouver Canucks – Currently: 38 points in 36 games, Projection: 84 points
  17. Brayden Schenn, St. Louis Blues – Currently: 41 points in 41 games, Projection: 82 points
  18. Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins – Currently: 32 points in 29 games, Projection: 82 points
  19. Jon Marchessault, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 34 points in 33 games, Projection: 81 points
  20. Evgeny Kuznetsov, Washington Capitals – Currently: 39 points in 40 games, Projection: 80 points
  21. Taylor Hall, New Jersey Devils – Currently: 36 points in 36 games, Projection: 80 points
  22. Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers – Currently: 36 points in 38 games, Projection: 78 points
  23. Vincent Trocheck, Florida Panthers – Currently: 36 points in 38 games, Projection: 78 points
  24. Mathew Barzal*, New York Islanders – Currently: 36 points in 38 games, Projection: 78 points
  25. Sean Couturier, Philadelphia Flyers – Currently: 36 points in 38 games, Projection: 78 points
  26. Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins – Currently: 35 points in 35 games, Projection: 78 points
  27. Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues – Currently: 38 points in 41 games, Projection: 76 points
  28. Jack Eichel, Buffalo Sabres – Currently: 35 points in 38 games, Projection: 75 points
  29. David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins – Currently: 34 points in 37 games, Projection: 75 points
  30. Mark Stone, Ottawa Senators – Currently: 34 points in 37 games, Projection: 75 points
  31. Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 34 points in 37 games, Projection: 75 points
  32. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins – Currently: 35 points in 39 games, Projection: 74 points
  33. Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars – Currently: 35 points in 39 games, Projection: 74 points
  34. David Perron, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 29 points in 30 games, Projection: 74 points
  35. Evander Kane, Buffalo Sabres – Currently: 34 points in 38 games, Projection: 73 points
  36. Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers – Currently: 33 points in 37 games, Projection: 73 points
  37. Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche – Currently: 33 points in 37 games, Projection: 73 points
  38. Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers – Currently: 32 points in 34 games, Projection: 73 points
  39. Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs – Currently: 29 points in 29 games, Projection: 72 points
  40. Artemi Panarin, Columbus Blue Jackets – Currently: 34 points in 39 games, Projection: 71 points
  41. Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars – Currently: 34 points in 39 games, Projection: 71 points
  42. Vlad Namestnikov, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 32 points in 37 games, Projection: 71 points
  43. Eric Staal, Minnesota Wild – Currently: 33 points in 39 games, Projection: 70 points
  44. Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks – Currently: 18 points in 15 games, Projection: 70 points
  45. Sean Monahan, Calgary Flames – Currently: 32 points in 38 games, Projection: 69 points
  46. Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings – Currently: 31 points in 37 games, Projection: 69 points
  47. John Klingberg, Dallas Stars – Currently: 32 points in 39 games, Projection: 67 points
  48. William Karlsson, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 29 points in 36 games, Projection: 66 points
  49. Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche – Currently: 28 points in 33 games, Projection: 66 points
  50. Shayne Gostisbehere, Philadelphia Flyers – Currently: 29 points in 35 games, Projection: 66 points
  51. Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals – Currently: 31 points in 39 games, Projection: 65 points
  52. Alexander Radulov, Dallas Stars – Currently: 31 points in 39 games, Projection: 65 points
  53. Patrik Laine, Winnipeg Jets – Currently: 31 points in 39 games, Projection: 65 points
  54. Clayton Keller*, Arizona Coyotes – Currently: 31 points in 40 games, Projection: 64 points
  55. John Carlson, Washington Capitals – Currently: 31 points in 40 games, Projection: 64 points
  56. Reilly Smith, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 28 points in 36 games, Projection: 64 points
  57. Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets – Currently: 30 points in 39 games, Projection: 63 points
  58. P.K. Subban, Nashville Predators – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
  59. Mats Zuccarello, New York Rangers – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
  60. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Edmonton Oilers – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
  61. Teuvo Teravainen, Carolina Hurricanes – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
  62. Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
  63. James Neal, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 27 points in 36 games, Projection: 62 points
  64. Kyle Turris, Nashville Predators – Currently: 27 points in 34 games, Projection: 62 points
  65. Danton Heinen*, Boston Bruins – Currently: 26 points in 33 games, Projection: 62 points
  66. Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings – Currently: 29 points in 39 games, Projection: 61 points
  67. Dustin Brown, Los Angeles Kings – Currently: 29 points in 39 games, Projection: 61 points
  68. Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs – Currently: 29 points in 39 games, Projection: 61 points
  69. Jordan Eberle, New York Islanders – Currently: 28 points in 38 games, Projection: 61 points
  70. Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks – Currently: 26 points in 35 games, Projection: 61 points
  71. Mikael Granlund, Minnesota Wild – 27 points in 34 games, Projection: 61 points
  72. Rickard Rakell, Anaheim Ducks – Currently: 27 points in 34 games, Projection: 61 points
  73. Tyler Johnson, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 27 points in 36 games, Projection: 61 points
  74. Erik Haula, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 25 points in 32 games, Projection: 61 points
  75. Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 27 points in 37 games, Projection: 60 points
  76. Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins- Currently: 25 points in 32 games, Projection: 60 points
  77. Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators – Currently: 25 points in 32 games, Projection: 60 points

Read more

Tampa Bay Places Budaj On IR, Recalls Domingue

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Tampa Bay Lightning will be without their backup goalie for a little while as the team placed Peter Budaj on injured reserve Saturday, according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. The veteran goaltender started Friday and played well, stopping 29 of 33 shots, but needed to be helped off the ice after sustaining an apparent leg injury and was replaced by starter Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Despite playing well Friday behind a struggling defense, the 35-year-old Budaj’s overall numbers have been disappointing. In seven appearances, he has a 3.80 GAA and a .878 save percentage. No one is quite sure how long Budaj will be out, but the veteran was reportedly already walking on his own after the game Friday, according to Smith. He will have to miss the team’s next three games, but could be back on the roster for the Jan. 6 game against the Ottawa Senators.

Louis Domingue has been recalled from the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL to replace him.  Domingue started the year as the backup in Arizona, but struggled with a 4.33 GAA and a .856 save percentage in seven appearances and then was swapped to Tampa Bay for goaltender Michael Leighton and journeyman Tye McGinn. The 25-year-old was sent to Syracuse in hopes of finding his game, which he did. He has a 2.39 GAA in 13 games for the Crunch with a .911 save percentage.

Ryan Callahan On Schedule In His Recovery, Anton Stralman Could Play Sunday

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

  • Lightning winger Ryan Callahan is on schedule in his recovery from an upper-body injury, reports Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. He was initially expected to miss three-to-four weeks after being injured on December 14th but Callahan has already resumed skating.  He’s expected to accompany Tampa Bay on their upcoming five-game road trip that ends on January 7th and he should be close to getting the green light to return by then.  Smith adds that defenseman Anton Stralman, who missed his second straight game Friday with a lower-body issue, is expected to return to the lineup on Sunday.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Tampa Bay Lightning

at CDT | by 1 Comment

With the holiday season in full swing, PHR will look at what teams are thankful for so far this year. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We take a look at what’s gone well in the first few months and what could improve as the season rolls on. So far we’ve covered the following teams:

Atlantic: BOS, BUF, DET, FLA, TOR, MTL, OTT
Metropolitan: CAR, CBJ, NJD, NYI, NYR, PHI, PIT, WSH
Central: CHI, COL, DAL, MIN, NSH, STL, WPG
Pacific: ANA, ARZ, CGY, EDM, LAK, SJS, VAN, VGK

What are the Tampa Bay Lightning most thankful for?

What a difference a year makes. One year ago, the Tampa Bay Lightning failed to reach the playoffs and now the Lightning (aside from perhaps the Vegas Golden Knights) are one of the most talked about teams in the NHL. Their 26-7-2 record is tops in the NHL and with 54 points, they are six points ahead of any other team in the league. The team is ranked first in goal scoring as they average 3.79 goals per game, .29 higher than any other team. The Lightning rank first in power play effeciency, scoring on 28.1 percent of opportunities. They rank fourth in the NHL in goals against, averaging a stingy 2.52 goals. They also rank third in goaltending save percentage at .921. What’s not to be thankful for?

Who are the Lightning most thankful for?

There are too many directions the team could go from the play of Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos (ranked first and second in NHL scoring, respectively) to the impressive play of rookie Mikhail Sergachev, who the team acquired in the offseason. However, perhaps the most impressive is the performance of goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, the team’s goaltender who, at age 23, has changed his label from up-and-coming goaltender to NHL star. The netminder took over the full-time job last year after the Lightning traded away Ben Bishop. He posted a respectable 2.61 GAA in 50 games with a .917 save percentage in 2016-17. However, in 29 games this year, Vasilevskiy has posted a 2.13 GAA and a .932 save percentage. He has 23 wins this year in those 29 games. He had 23 wins all of last season. Throw in four shutouts and he has become one of the best goaltenders in the league.

What would the Lightning be even more thankful for?

There isn’t a lot that Tampa Bay needs, but the team’s continued health and potential return of team veteran and leader Ryan Callahan might be nice. The team has had few major injuries to deal with this season after having several a year ago. Callahan, who crashed into the boards hard in a Dec. 14 game and suffered an upper-body injury, is expected to be out for at least a month and is a major injury to the team. While Callahan’s numbers aren’t that impressive (one goal, five assists in 29 games), Callahan is a key member of the team’s penalty killing unit (which gave up three power play goals to the Vegas Golden Knights earlier last week). The team would love to get Callahan back as soon as possible as his leadership abilities are also sorely missed.

What should be on the Lightnings’ Holiday Wish List?

Again, Tampa Bay doesn’t need much, but while the team has successfully integrated several young players into their everyday lineup from Sergachev, to Yanni Gourde to Jake Dotchin this year, can they continue that trend? General manager Steve Yzerman has already said that the team could easily make some upgrades and several of them will come from the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, including Cory Conacher, Adam Erne, Anthony Cirelli and Alex Volkov, who are all thriving there. Conacher has taken Callahan’s spot and some of the others are likely call ups as the season continues. If the team can find a way to get production out of these youngsters, their depth might be the best in the league.

2017 Year In Review: February

at CDT | by 1 Comment

2017 has been quite a busy year in the hockey world.  There have been several big trades, the first expansion team in over 15 years, and much more.  Over the coming days, PHR will take a look back at the top stories from around the game on a month-by-month basis. We already looked back at January yesterday.

Blues Fire Ken Hitchcock: After a slow start to the season (24-21) and his contract being up anyway at the end of the year, the St. Louis Blues decided to rid themselves of Hitchcock after six years with the franchise. Hitchcock had won 248 games with the Blues and took the team to the playoffs in each of the five years he coached the team, but only reached the conference finals once, in the 2015-16 season. He was immediately replaced by now-current head coach Mike Yeo, who was an assistant coach and was being groomed to replace Hitchcock after the veteran coaches’ deal expired. The move seemed to work as the team went 22-8-2 under Yeo and the team eventually lost in the second-round of the playoffs.

Robbi Fabbri’s Lower-Body Injury Begins His Demise: St. Louis Blues’ Robby Fabbri suffered what was described as a lower-body injury on Feb. 3 after sustaining a hit from Pittsburgh’s Carter Rowney, just three days after the team’s coaching change, and the young, talented stud prospect hasn’t played a game since. Two days later, he was listed as out for the season with a torn ACL, requiring surgery. Life only got worse for the Blues and Fabbri during training camp when he re-aggravated his knee and it was announced that he will miss all of the 2017-18 season as well to undergo a second surgery. The promising prospect will have missed more than a year and a half due to his knee injury as players with multiple knee injuries often have trouble returning to form.

Julien Fired By Bruins, Hired By Montreal: The Boston Bruins let go of head coach Claude Julien after 10 years with the franchise as the team was struggling with a 26-23-8 record on the season and didn’t look to be going anywhere in the playoff race. He had won 393 games with Boston in that span and was replaced by assistant and now-head coach Bruce Cassidy, who took Boston to the playoffs. However, just one week after being fired, Julien found employment again after the Montreal Canadiens fired Michel Therrien during his second-tenure with the team. Therrien had been coaching the team for five years (eight total), but Montreal was looking for a change after the team lost 10 of its previous 13 games and found Julien’s availability too good to pass up. Ironically, it was the second time that Julien replaced Therrien as the Canadiens’ head coach. He took over for him back in 2002 as well.

Lightning Trade Bishop To Los Angeles Kings: With the expectation that young prospect goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy would become the team’s future in the net, the Tampa Bay Lightning shipped veteran goaltender Ben Bishop off to the Los Angeles Kings for Peter Budaj, defensive prospect Erik Cernak, and and a 2017 seventh-round pick. A second pick was conditional on the Kings making the playoffs, which they didn’t. Bishop, who had been stellar for Tampa Bay in his tenure there, was just average with Tampa Bay last year with a 2.55 GAA in 32 games. He put up similar numbers with Los Angeles but only won two games for the franchise. Bishop was nothing more than a rental as he would be a free agent at the end of the season. The trade was especially confusing since the team had just gotten starter goaltender Jonathan Quick back from injury the day before the trade after he had missed all but one game due to injury. The trade was panned as many believed that the Kings needed a scorer, not more goalie support.

Blues Send Shattenkirk To Washington Capitals: While there were many interesting deals made at the trade deadline, none was more intriguing that the rumors that surrounded defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk and his expiring contract. It was strange to see a playoff caliber team that was playing well under Yeo, to trade their top defenseman, but the team didn’t want to lose the veteran for nothing. Instead, the team traded Shattenkirk to the dominant Washington Capitals in their quest for a Stanley Cup (didn’t happen) as they got back prospect Zachary Sanford, veteran Brad Malone, a first-round pick in 2017 (which they packaged to Philadelphia for Brayden Schenn) and a second-round pick in 2019. Shattenkirk joined a dominant group of defenders in Washington, but struggled along with the rest of the team in the playoffs before the team was bounced by the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Veteran Free Agent Contracts Not Working Out Well In 2017-18

at CDT | by 2 Comments

There is no doubt that the game of hockey is getting faster and, as a result, younger. Yet, in 2016-17 that didn’t stop 44-year-old ageless wonder Jaromir Jagr from outscoring his age, 40-year-old Matt Cullen and 37-year-old Chris Kunitz from contributing to a second straight Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup title, 39-year-old Zdeno Chara from skating in more than 23 minutes per game, or 36-year-old Henrik Zetterberg and 37-year-old Joe Thornton from finishing among the league’s best in assists. Several teams who witnessed the impact that older players had on their teams last year went out and signed older free agents this summer in hopes of a repeat performance. It hasn’t happened for most of those teams. The majority of players age 36 and older who signed with new teams this off-season have struggled to meet expectations.

Jagr, of course, is the poster boy of the anti-youth movement. The 28-year NHL veteran has somehow remained consistent throughout his career even into his mid-40’s, but despite a 46-point campaign last year, got little attention this summer and it looked like his illustrious career was over. However, the Calgary Flames swooped in at the last minute, signing Jagr to a one-year deal in early October. At $2MM for the year, it was a low-risk, high-upside singing. Yet, through 36 games, that upside has not shown up. Jagr has only been healthy for 19 games, in which he has only one goal and six assists. Even if Jagr was magically healthy for each of the Flames remaining games this season, he would be on pace for a career-worst 24 points. It seems that Jagr’s days are finally done.

He’s not alone though. The Penguins aging role players also decided to leave Pittsburgh this off-season, with Cullen heading home to Minnesota to join the Wild and Kunitz chasing a fourth Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Both players have been nothing short of a disappointment so far. Cullen, who was a major contributor to the Pens’ success last year as a dependable checking center and 30-point scorer. So far with the Wild, Cullen has been a non-factor offensively (7 points) and defensively (team worst -11) through 35 games and was even a healthy scratch earlier this month. Despite the incredible talent around him, Kunitz has just 10 points this season, a pace which is a far cry from his recent back-to-back 40-point seasons.

Who else is on the list? Defenseman Mark Streit was a complete disaster in Montreal, released by the Canadiens after just two games. Journeyman goalie Michael Leighton hasn’t done much better, already on his third team in 2017-18 and without an NHL appearance thus far. Despite the time-tested theory that Radim Vrbata always performs his best in Arizona, the aging scorer bolted the Coyotes for the Florida Panthers, who so far have only received 12 points and 29 games from the signing.

The jury is still out on a few veterans. Francois Beauchemin returned home to Anaheim this summer and many expected him to improve his game back on a familiar roster. While Beauchemin’s 7 points through 30 games pale in comparison to the better seasons of his career, it’s similar to the production he showed last year with the Colorado Avalanche. With the Ducks struggling as a team, it seems fair that Beauchemin’s play has also been a bit lacking. That hasn’t been the case for Ryan Miller, another aging addition in Anaheim. His .928 save percentage and 2.23 GAA has been very good. However, Miller has only gotten the win in four of his ten appearances and missed much of the early season due to injury. Miller has performed better than the rest of his team, but had he been healthy it may have reversed the Ducks’ fortunes early on. Matt Hendricks has already matched his point total with the Edmonton Oilers last season now with the Winnipeg Jets last season. He’s playing a valued energy role and the Jets likely don’t have many gripes. With that said, Hendricks needed only seven points to match that total from a down year in 2016-17 and has a been playing a less-physical game than he has in the past. Hendricks hasn’t been bad, but Winnipeg would undoubtedly rather see 2014-15 Hendricks, who posted 16 points and 220 hits.

The one team who has had great success with veteran signings in 2017-18 is the Toronto Maple Leafs. San Jose Sharks legend Patrick Marleau chose to sign in Toronto, leaving the only team he had ever played for, but the Leafs had to give him three years and $18.75MM to get it done. So far, it hasn’t been a bad investment. Marleau has 19 points in all 36 games, including 12 goals, and the 38-year-old should easily reach 40 points for the 18th time in his career. However, the real breakout veteran performance has been from the 36-year-old Ron Hainsey, whose signing was initially panned by many. Yet, Hainsey is on pace for one of, if not the best offensive campaigns of his career with 15 points so far. Forming a dynamic duo with Morgan Rielly, Hainsey seems rejuvenated late in his career and it has shown in an improvement on Toronto’s back end. But even the Leafs weren’t perfect though; the signing of Dominic Moore has been a disappointment. Moore has only nine points and has been a frequent scratch after a season with the division rival Boston Bruins in which he put up 25 points and played in all 82 games.

The NHL has been an increasingly difficult place for mediocre older players to find work. There has been a movement toward younger rosters, with veterans settling for minimum contracts, tryouts, or simply heading to Europe. Yet, exceptions continue to be made, especially for some talented older players. After the results this elderly free agent group has shown, veteran signings – especially those demanding big money and term – will surely become even less frequent.

Minor Transactions: 12/20/17

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Despite the NHL being in their holiday roster freeze, there are still minor moves that can be made. As we’ve discussed before, players can still be recalled from the minor leagues during this time, and those who were recalled after December 11th can still be loaned to the AHL until 11:59pm eastern on December 23rd. Thus, the league is not completely frozen and we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled Gabriel Carlsson from the AHL, due to an injury to Zach Werenski that will keep him out of the lineup tonight against Toronto. Carlsson played 10 games with the Blue Jackets earlier this season, and is another highly touted defenseman in their system. Though he has quite a few excellent players ahead of him, expect Carlsson to make an impact on the Blue Jackets before long.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have assigned Michael Chaput to the minor leagues, meaning either the move technically went through last night or Chaput had been up previously on emergency conditions. He’d previously been called up on December 6th, and played in three games with the club.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have recalled Kevin Gravel from the AHL, bringing the hulking defenseman up for the first time this year. Gravel played 49 games with the NHL club last season, but has been toiling in the minor leagues all year, scoring nine points in 24 games. With Christian Folin headed to injured reserve yesterday, the Kings needed a seventh defenseman for the time being.
  • Tomas Hyka has been sent back to the minor leagues by the Vegas Golden Knights, after sitting out last night’s match against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Hyka still hasn’t made his NHL debut after signing out of Europe in the summer, but has 12 points in 16 games for the Chicago Wolves.
  • Joseph Blandisi has been sent to the minor leagues by the Anaheim Ducks, something Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register suspected yesterday. Blandisi has dealt with injury since coming over from the Devils in the Adam Henrique–Sami Vatanen trade, and only played in three games with the Ducks.
  • Shane Prince is back with the New York Islanders after a lengthy conditioning stint, where he registered two points in four AHL contests. Prince spent ten days in the minor leagues with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, but is ready to return and contribute for the surging Islanders.

Poll: Which Coach Leads The Jack Adams Race?

at CDT | by 12 Comments

The season is far from over, but if it ended today, who would have a chance at the league’s prize for being the top coach? Through the middle of December, some candidates have emerged, though if things stay as they are, it could be a landslide for one coach in particular.

Paul Maurice found his name on almost every hot seat list out there before the season began but the fast-skating Jets jumped out to a dizzying start that now has them as one of the top teams in the West. Though they’ve cooled a bit, Maurice has certainly quieted the doubters.

Jon Cooper was another coach being questioned as the Tampa Bay Lightning failed to make the playoffs last season, but any semblance of doubt was squashed as the Bolts rose quickly to the top of the Eastern Conference. Sporting the best record in hockey, Cooper has certainly staked his claim as one of the league’s best coaches.

Mike Yeo was a wise choice to bring into St. Louis, as the Blues sit tied for the top spot in the West with division rival Nashville.

But it seems that barring any major collapse, the Adams is earmarked for Gerard Gallant. Unceremoniously and oddly dumped by Florida last season, Gallant has taken an expansion team within just two points of the top spot in the West. Though the league structure is different than previous expansion teams entry into the league, Gallant’s wizardry has been nothing short of amazing as Vegas has stockpiled young talent while also putting an exciting–and fiercely competitive team–on the ice.

Who Leads The Jack Adams Race?
Gerard Gallant (Vegas) 52.99% (461 votes)
Someone else 16.09% (140 votes)
Mike Yeo (St. Louis) 15.06% (131 votes)
Jon Cooper (Tampa Bay) 10.46% (91 votes)
Paul Maurice (Winnipeg) 5.40% (47 votes)
Total Votes: 870

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Erik Johnson Suspended For Two Games

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

6:19 PM: Johnson has been suspended for two games, the Department of Player Safety announced (video link).  He will be eligible to return on December 23rd against Arizona.

2:06 PM: The Department of Player Safety tweeted they will hold a hearing today for Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson for his boarding of Tampa Bay’s Vladislav Namestnikov on Saturday. The incident happened late in the second period as Johnson cross-checked Namestnikov, who fell hard into the boards behind the Colorado net. The veteran defenseman received a slashing minor, a boarding major and a game misconduct at the time.

The Lightning have recently gone through this as the team just lost veteran forward Ryan Callahan after crashing into the boards against the Arizona Coyotes. He was placed on injured reserve and could be out for some time.

“Dangerous play,” said Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper. “You just hold your breath on those. Got a little fortunate with Vladdy, obviously didn’t get as fortunate with Callahan.”

Namestnikov returned in the final period and still managed to log 18:05 of ice time Saturday and seems to be OK. The 25-year-old is having a breakout year as he has 13 goals and 15 assists on the team’s top line alongside Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov.

Johnson refused to comment on the hearing, according to Denver Post’s Mike Chambers.

 

Lightning Notes: Callahan, Conacher, Volkov

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

On the surface, the loss of Ryan Callahan doesn’t seem too devastating. Afterall, the 32-year-old veteran has just one goal and five assists in 29 games. However, according to Tampa Bay Times’ Joe Smith, the loss is quite significant thanks to his ability to run a penalty kill unit as well as the leadership he provides on and off the ice.

Smith announced yesterday that Callahan will be out indefinitely after crashing into the boards hard during Thursday’s game against Arizona. He will be evaluated in three to four weeks, which means the team could be without him for considerably more time than that. Callahan already missed all but 18 games last season with hip issues. Asked how the team will replace him, coach Jon Cooper wasn’t overly confident.

“I don’t know if anyone can,” Cooper said. “He’s such a big part inside our room. The leadership core has got to bind together, and it’s one of those situations where he’ll still be around our team, won’t be in our lineup. He’s a big loss because he’s kind of a heart and soul guy for our team. So we’ve got to regroup and move on without him for a few weeks.”

The team will likely turn to J.T. Brown or Cory Conacher to fill that void, but the penalty kill could be affected. Conacher filled in for Callahan after he went down and Brown is expected to play in his stead today.

  • One sidebar that Smith notes is that Conacher’s role might now have changed. Conacher, who cleared waivers at the start of the season, might not if he were waived a second time. The 28-year-old center has only played in seven games and was likely a candidate to send back to Syracuse soon. Once he hits 10 games, the team would be required to place him on waivers if they want to send him down to the AHL, so sending him down before he reaches 10 games would have been preferred. Now, with a Callahan’s injury, the team might be forced to keep him beyond the 10 games and risk losing him. Conacher has two goals and an assist in those seven games this season.
  • Smith also writes that if the Callahan injury lasts longer than the three weeks, the team is more than capable of trading for a winger to replace him. However, according to Smith, that would be more likely in the case that Callahan is out much longer than anticipated.
  • In another article, Smith interviews Syracuse Crunch coach Benoit Groulx on a number of issues, but did ask about one of the team’s top prospects in Alexander  Volkov, the team’s second-round pick in the 2017 draft, who almost made the team out of training camp this year. The belief is he could be ready for the NHL later this season. “It’s not about ‘if,’ it’s more about when (he’s in the NHL), Groulx said. “He’s got the size, he’s got the speed, he’s got all the skills. He’s very deceptive for the opposition. You believe he’s slowing down and all of a sudden he’s got a second gear. He can beat you inside, can beat you outside. He’s got a good shot, good vision, good hockey sense. He’s got a lot of tools in his box.”

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top