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Lightning Place Bournival, Dumont On Waivers

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The Tampa Bay Lightning appear to be cleaning house. Well, not really, but in their own way. A day after trading defenseman Nikita Nesterov to the Montreal Canadiens, GM Steve Yzerman and the Bolts’ brass appear willing to lose a couple more players, as they have placed Michael Bournival and Gabriel Dumont on waivers, according to TVA’s Renaud Lavoie. While the team is certainly not hoping that either player is claimed and are just trying to return them to the AHL, the moves signal to the team that changes are being made and no one is safe. The decision marks the first time since October that any team has had two players on waivers on the same day.

Bournival and Dumont are not to be mistaken for players that one would be shocked to see on the waiver wire. The former Canadiens teammates chose to sign with the Lightning this summer as free agents in an effort to find a place where they could carve out bottom-six roles, but to this point neither has earned their keep. Bournival, a 24-year-old left winger, has played in 17 games and has just a goal and an assist, while playing about ten minutes per night. Dumont, a 26-year-old center, has played in just eight games and has just one assist, while playing even less than Bournival. The pair has been less than spectacular and Tampa Bay faces little risk of losing them on waivers.

However, the message that it sends, in addition to the Nesterov trade, is that the role players for the Lightning are not playing up to snuff and have become expendable. Yzerman has made a point, through the return on Nesterov and the double-waiver placement, that he’s willing to give away his under-performing depth for just about nothing in return. At the All-Star break, Tampa Bay has 50 points in 50 games, currently sixth in the Atlantic Division, but in reality tied with the Detroit Red Wings for last when counting games played. The team sits well outside the playoff picture right now, and the lack of contribution from everyone outside the top-six forwards and top defensive pair has a lot to do with it. The Lightning are staring down the distinct possibility that they will not just miss the playoffs, but also stand to lose a top scorer like Alex Killorn in the upcoming Expansion Draft too and have to hammer out new contracts with Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, Jonathan Drouin and possibly unrestricted veteran Brian Boyle. Yzerman clearly understands that developing bottom-six depth that can actually score and help the team is vital for this season and the future and if you can’t cut it, like Bournival and Dumont, he’s not afraid to lose you.

Montreal Canadiens Acquire Nikita Nesterov From Tampa Bay Lightning

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The Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning have completed a trade Thursday evening, which will see defenseman Nikita Nesterov head to Montreal in return for Jonathan Racine and a 6th round pick.

The 23-year old Nesterov signed a one-year deal with the Lightning this summer as a restricted free agent after playing in 57 games with the team last season. In 35 games this year he’s put up 12 points in 35 games playing on the team’s bottom pairing. After playing for Russia at the World Cup, he hasn’t quite been able to show that he’s deserved of big minutes at this point in his career.

Montreal has been looking for someone to add some depth to the back end of their defense corps for a while, which Nesterov will now do admirably. Racine had been one of the players they hoped could make the leap this year after acquiring him for Tim Bozon from the Florida Panthers this summer. He hasn’t made much of an impact at the AHL level and is slowly falling away from prospect status. The former third-round pick will turn 24 in May and has played in just one NHL game, back in 2013-14.

For Tampa, they had a tough summer ahead of them with no less than 20 RFAs to sign (though the minor league veterans aren’t really a problem). Nesterov likely would have needed a slight upgrade from the $725,000 he is earning this season, money which the Lightning simply won’t have.

As we wrote the other day, the team has some issues in front of them going into the expansion draft, so consider this the first move of a possible series before next month’s trade deadline. With some forwards at risk of selection, the team might still be open to moving a player off their top few lines.

Friedman On Lightning: Candidate To Stand Pat At Trade Deadline

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While Lightning GM Steve Yzerman is believed to be active in trade discussions as they look to get themselves back into the playoff race, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggested to Sportsnet 960 in Calgary (audio link) that there’s a chance that they won’t be as big a participant on the trade market as some expect (transcription courtesy of Fan Rag’s Chris Nichols):

“One guy told me on the weekend that Tampa may not be as active as everyone thinks because Steve Yzerman could just say, ‘You know what? Our team isn’t good enough. Why would I start to make moves and trade stuff away when our team isn’t good enough.’ So I’m kind of wondering what Yzerman is thinking here.”

A popular pick to be a top threat in the Eastern Conference, Tampa Bay surprisingly finds themselves tied for dead last in the conference with Buffalo (although they’re only five points out of the final Atlantic playoff spot).

Injuries have a lot to do with their struggles.  Top scorer Steven Stamkos remains out long-term as he recovers from meniscus surgery while forwards Ryan Callahan and Brayden Point are hurt now and have missed extended time this season.  On top of that, goalie Ben Bishop as well as forwards Jonathan Drouin, Nikita Kucherov, J.T. Brown, and Ondrej Palat (among several others) have all missed at least five games at some point which has really put their depth to the test.

[Related: Lightning Depth Chart]

Goaltending, which was thought of as a strength for the Lightning heading into the season, has surprisingly been a concern for them.  Bishop, the starter for the past few years, is expected to be gone as an unrestricted free agent next season in order to save some money on the cap while handing youngster Andrei Vasilevskiy a three year, $10.5MM extension in the summer with the expectation that he would take over as the starter.  Bishop has posted a mediocre 2.78 GAA and a .905 SV%, his worst numbers as a number one while Vasilevskiy hasn’t fared much better, coming in with a 2.85 GAA and a .907 SV%.

While it’s fair to wonder if the uncertainty surrounding his future is playing a role in Bishop’s struggles, he has never really had long-term contract security wherever he has played as the longest deal he has had since his entry-level pact lasted just two years.  However, this is the first time he has been slated to become a UFA so that extra pressure hasn’t been there before.

All of a sudden, Yzerman faces a situation where there are multiple holes that need to be filled.  The goaltending hasn’t been good enough, the defense needs to be improved (and Tampa has been active in discussions to shore up that situation) while they’re routinely missing several forwards out of their lineup.  Perhaps this just isn’t their year and that has Friedman wondering if they may be more inclined to stand pat at the deadline:

“I wonder if Yzerman is looking at all of this and saying, ‘This is not the year for me to start making trades that sacrifice the future because we just don’t have the team that’s good enough to win.’”

The Lightning have a strong core to work with (although they’ll have to re-sign the likes of Palat, Drouin, and Tyler Johnson to name a few this offseason).  Yzerman has stated that he doesn’t want to take away from that core but rather add to it which would result in a less-than-typical non-selling situation for a non-playoff team.

As they’re only a handful of points out of the playoff race, a decision on whether to go for it or stand pat is still likely several weeks away.  All of a sudden though, the Lightning are becoming a team to watch for in the weeks ahead.

Snapshots: NHL Three Stars, Flames, Lightning

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The NHL has named Conor Sheary, Thomas Greiss, and T.J. Oshie as their Three Stars of the Week.

The undrafted Sheary had six goals and nine points in four games as the Penguins went 4-0-0. He had two three-point games to bookend the week. He had two goals, including the overtime winner, in the Penguin epic 8-7 win over Washington, and the same statline in the Penguins 5-1 win over Boston. Sheary now has 17 goals and 34 points in 39 games this season, a significant increase over his 10-point rookie season.

Greiss had two shutouts and an overtime loss in a week where he had a 0.971 SV%.  The Islanders shutout the Bruins 4-0 then fired head coach Jack Capuano the next day. They followed the firing with a 3-0 shutout of the Stars and a 3-2 overtime loss to the Flyers. Greiss is 12-7-3 with a 0.928 SV% so far this season, taking over the starting job from Jaroslav Halak.

Oshie had three goals and three assists in three games as the Capitals went 2-0-1 last week. Three of those points came in the 8-7 OT loss to the Penguins. The pending-UFA has 31 points in 38 games for the Capitals, and ranked fourth on PHR’s Top 20 UFA list.

  • The Calgary Flames are facing a crisis of confidence after being hammered by their division rivals, writes Mark Spector. The organization is facing some big questions, notably surrounding their top players’ ability to lead a championship team. Are Sean Monahan and Sam Bennett, with 30 and 18 points respectively, a Stanley Cup-calibre one-two punch up the middle? Does Johnny Gaudreau have the speed and temperament to get past the tight coverage? Who is the starting goalie of the future? The Flames are a fragile team, with Edmonton speeding past them in the rebuilding process and tonight’s opponent, Toronto, looking like they’re on a much better path back to the playoffs.
  • It’s not looking good for the Tampa Bay Lightning. After their 5-3 loss to the lowly Arizona Coyotes, the Lightning are currently last in the Eastern Conference. Tampa Bay Times writer Joe Smith tweeted a bleak stat for Lightning fans: since 1993-94, only two teams have made the playoffs after sitting last in their conference on January 22. The 1997 Ottawa Senators and 2009 St. Louis Blues are the only two teams to accomplish the feat.

Tampa Bay Lightning Deadline, Expansion Notes

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have had a ton of success the past few seasons, winning at least 46 games three straight seasons and making a Stanley Cup final in 2015. Today, they find themselves in last place in the Atlantic division and one point out of the bottom of the conference. They’re 2-7-1 in their last 10, and haven’t been able to find any consistency at either end of the ice.

When looking at the rest of their season, it’s not all bad. Despite being close to the bottom of the conference, they’re also just four points back of the Maple Leafs for the last wildcard spot (though they’ve played 48 games, four more than the Leafs). They should get Steven Stamkos back at some point, though depending on when he returns (likely mid-March) it may be too late.

When looking at their roster, they have very few expiring deals to sell off at the deadline. Ben Bishop would be a big chip, though most Cup contenders already have a #1 installed firmly in net. He’s also struggled through inconsistency and injury this season, making him a hard player to value for the back half of the season. Brian Boyle is a UFA this summer, and while he’s have a nice season he likely isn’t the 20 goal scorer he once was for New York. He’d be attractive to some teams to plug into a bottom-six, but wouldn’t bring much back.

The biggest problem for the Lightning though may be the upcoming expansion draft, where they will have a tough time protecting their current assets up front.  Since Stamkos, Victor Hedman, Ryan Callahan and Valtteri Filppula all have no-movement clauses and come with automatic protection, the team has just four forward spots left to protect.

Nikita Kucherov and Jonathan Drouin are locks to be protected, meaning there are two slots left for the crop of forwards including Alex Killorn, Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson, and Vladislav Namestnikov among others (many, many others). Losing one of those players for nothing would be a questionable move, meaning GM Steve Yzerman may be busy in the next month positioning his team better for the draft.

Adding a defenseman is a big need for the Bolts, and if they could find one that is exempt from the draft (meaning a young, first or second year player) it would be advantageous. Johnson could likely have fetched a huge price two years ago coming off his 29-goal, 72 point 2014-15, but after the struggles last year and a perceived step backwards defensively it may be selling low on him. He’s an RFA again this summer meaning he’ll be looking for a big-money deal, but perhaps the team could get a better price after letting him play out the rest of the regular season and (hopefully) topping the 50 point mark once again.

Killorn just signed a new deal this summer that locked him up for seven years, which may scare some teams off after a sluggish first half. Palat, though also not having a huge year probably has a bigger upside than Killorn and is two years younger. Though he’s also up for a new deal this summer as an RFA, the Lightning would likely need a big offer to pry him away.

If the team still thinks that it can compete in the Eastern Conference playoffs once Stamkos is back, perhaps they don’t need to sell one of their forwards for help down the line but with the draft looming and this season slipping away they may end up shipping out a well-known name.

Who is most likely to be traded by Tampa Bay before the deadline?
Tyler Johnson 38.11% (109 votes)
Alex Killorn 22.73% (65 votes)
Ondrej Palat 20.98% (60 votes)
Other (explain in comments) 9.09% (26 votes)
None 9.09% (26 votes)
Total Votes: 286

(Mobile users click here to vote in the poll)

Snapshots: Kronwall, Miller, Condra

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News and notes from around the NHL this morning:

  • Niklas Kronwall returns to the Detroit Red Wings lineup today for a game against the New York Rangers. Kronwall hasn’t played since January 4th due to a groin injury. Alexey Marchenko is the corresponding healthy scratch today. Kronwall has struggled points-wise this season, scoring 0G and 3A in 25 games. The Red Wings are five points out of a playoff spot with three games in hand, so any positive addition should excite Detroit fans and management alike.
  • To make room for Kronwall, the Detroit Red Wings placed forward Drew Miller on waivers, reports the Macomb Daily’s Chuck Pleiness. As Helene St. James points out, the Red Wings are already at the 23-man roster maximum. Somebody needed to go to make room for Kronwall. Miller has 5G and 1A in 34 games this season, and was playing just over ten minutes a night. Expect Miller to return if another Detroit player goes down with injury.
  • Tampa Bay Lightning forward Erik Condra cleared waivers today, notes Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Condra has no points in 10 games this season, and was often a healthy scratch for the Lightning. The veteran forward hasn’t found his footing this year, and will likely remain in the AHL until the Lightning need an injury replacement. Condra is in the second year of a three-year, $1.25MM a year contract.

Atlantic Division Notes: Lazar, Bylsma, Tampa Bay

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The Ottawa Senators have reportedly been perusing the trade market since early on in the campaign in search of a scoring forward, albeit without success to this point. With the recent news that Clarke MacArthur will not be returning this season due to lingering issues related to a concussion suffered in the preseason, the Senators search now has added urgency with the trade deadline approaching. However, as Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun writes, the Sens should not be willing to include Curtis Lazar in any potential trade for an upgrade at forward.

Even though Lazar has failed to register a single point in 23 games this season for Ottawa, Brennan sees parallels between the 21-year-old forward and another former Senators first-round pick, Nick Foligno. Selected with the 28th overall choice in the 2006 draft, Foligno spent the first five seasons of his NHL career with Ottawa but never scored more than 17 goals or 47 points in any single campaign and ultimately was dealt to Columbus in exchange for defenseman Marc Methot. Since the trade, Foligno has developed into a terrific power forward with a 30-goal campaign to his credit and is on pace for 60-plus points this season. To be fair, Methot has been a solid defender for Ottawa but a physical forward that can score, something Brennan believes Lazar can become, is exactly what this Senators club needs and the team should be hesitant to pull the plug too early on his development.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:

  • The recent rumors pertaining to Claude Julien’s job security prompted Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News to compile a list of head coaches he feels also may be in jeopardy of losing their current gig. Chief among them is Buffalo Sabres bench boss Dan Bylsma. In the scribe’s estimation, the Sabres have no excuse to be sitting near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings despite injuries to several key regulars, and the coach deserves his share of the blame. However, whether it would be warranted or not, Harrington doesn’t believe team owner Terry Pegula will pull the trigger on a coaching change in large part because the Buffalo Bills, also owned by Pegula, recently dismissed their high-profile head coach, Rex Ryan, who like Bylsma was in the second year of a five-year contract at the time of his termination.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning’s success in recent seasons has had a lot to do with a stingy defense, one that allowed the fifth fewest goals last year. It’s been a much different story this season, as the team has allowed nearly half-a-goal more per game and the Lightning are far closer to the bottom of the standings than the top as a result. However, in the midst of a crucial six-game road trip, it’s Tampa Bay’s offense that has let the team down and further jeopardized their playoff chances, as Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times writes. The Lightning have found the back of the net five times in their last four games while managing to amass just three points halfway through what Smith refers to as a “make-or-break” road trip. Conversely, the club’s defense has tightened up, allowing just four regulation markers during that span. There is plenty of scoring talent on the roster and it’s likely just a matter of time before the goals start coming in bunches, but will that happen soon enough to save the team’s season? The answer to that question may well dictate whether the team is a buyer or a seller at the trade deadline.

Minor Transactions: 1/21/2017

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Here is where we will track the day’s minor roster transactions:

  • The New Jersey Devils have announced that Blake Coleman has been reassigned to Albany of the AHL to make room for Vernon Fiddler, who the team activated off of IR. Coleman has appeared in five games, the first of his career, since being recalled on January 10th and registered a single point. Fiddler, in his 14th NHL campaign, has tallied a goal with two assists in 35 contests on the year.
  • Erik Condra’s wild ride in Tampa Bay continues as the winger has once again been placed on waivers by the team, according to James Mirtle. It’s the second time this season he has been on waivers, the first time clearing before a reassignment to the Syracuse Crunch, Tampa’s affiliate in the AHL. Additionally, Condra has shuttled between Tampa Bay and Syracuse seven times in total this season as the Lightning have used the seven-year veteran extensively as a fill-in for several injured regulars. All told, Condra has appeared in 10 games for Tampa Bay but has failed to register a point while averaging 9:41 of ice time per game. Assuming he again clears, Condra will almost certainly be reassigned to Syracuse once more.
  • With Jake McCabe forced to leave last night’s game against Detroit due to injury, the Buffalo Sabres this morning have recalled defenseman Casey Nelson from Rochester of the AHL, tweets Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News. Nelson, 24, is scoreless in eight earlier appearances this season for the Sabres. In 27 games for Rochester, the Wisconsin native has tallied four goals and five assists.
  • The San Jose Sharks brought Tim Heed and Barclay Goodrow back from the AHL ahead of tonight’s game against Colorado, reports Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News. Heed has already had three other tours with the big club, making just one appearance on the campaign. The recall also represents the third stint this season with the Sharks for Goodrow. Though he has yet to play for the team this year, it appears that could change tonight. In 74 career NHL contests, Goodrow has scored four goals with 11 assists along with 51 penalty minutes.

San Jose Sharks Send Goodrow, Heed To AHL

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After their 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, the San Jose Sharks have sent Barclay Goodrow and Tim Heed back to the San Jose Barracuda in the AHL. The team will play the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday and again on Monday, and it’s unclear who they will bring up or replace these two with.

Both Tomas Hertl and Dylan DeMelo are expected to be out for at least another few weeks, meaning the team now has only 21 roster spots filled. Perhaps the organization just wants them to get into a couple of games, as even though the Barracuda are on the road, they’re playing two games in state. Tonight they take on the San Diego Gulls, and tomorrow the Ontario Reign. Both players could travel with the NHL squad on Sunday when they hit the road.

Heed is having an exceptional year in the AHL, scoring 32 points in 29 games from the back end. This comes in his first season in North America after coming over from Sweden. The former fifth-round pick is exceptionally undersized for a defenseman at just 5’11, 165 lbs but can do enough things right to be able to contribute at the NHL level.

Goodrow went undrafted before making an immediate impact at the NHL level in 2014-15, playing in 60 games less than a year removed from playing in junior. While he was a consistent goal-scorer for the Battalion (Brampton and then North Bay), he never projected as much of an offensive talent in the NHL. Since signing though, he’s been a fine addition to the Sharks organization, scoring in the AHL and playing solid bottom-six minutes for the NHL club when called upon.

Snapshots: Oilers, Staal, Hedman

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News and notes from around the NHL this evening

  • The Edmonton Oilers have recalled forward Anton Lander from the Bakersfield Condors today. Sportsnet’s Mark Spector speculates that the move means Jujhar Khaira may be out for longer than initially thought. Khaira suffered an upper body injury yesterday in the first period against the Florida Panthers. Lander’s callup was inevitable given how he’s lighting up the AHL. Lander has 14G and 13A in only 16 games—almost a two points per game pace. Those stats have not translated at the NHL level, however, with Lander scoring only 1G and 3A in 20 games.
  • New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal may be nearing a return. According to the Newsday’s Steve Zipay, coach Alain Vigneault did not rule out Staal returning soon, and that Vigneault will play Staal as soon as he is healthy. Staal is recovering from concussion symptoms that kept him out since January 3rd. He’s been skating with the team for the past week to keep up conditioning and monitor his progress.
  • Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman still needs more time before returning to action, reports James O’Brien of NBCSports. Hedman misses his third straight game tonight with the vague “illness” tag. The Lighting are three points back of a playoff spot, but do not face a conference opponent until they visit the Florida Panthers next Thursday. Despite missing games, Hedman remains 2nd in scoring among defenseman with 7G and 31A in 44 games. The Lightning desperately need his production, so any absences indicate a more severe issue than initially thought.

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