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Snapshots: Bowness, Johnson, Vegas

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Tampa Bay’s Rick Bowness is the all-time leader in games coached. You may be shocked to hear that, given that Scotty Bowman’s 2,141 games as a head coach is a record that will likely last for a long time. But it’s not the head coaching record that Bowness is breaking, but that of total games coached. Bowness has been behind the bench in an associate or head coaching role for 2,165 games after tonight’s match-up against the Minnesota Wild. 463 of those have come as the head coach, split with five different franchises, but most of his work has been as an assistant. Congratulations to Bowness for a long, successful career in the NHL that doesn’t look like it’s ending anytime soon.

  • Sticking with Tampa Bay, and following the report from earlier, the team was indeed missing Tyler Johnson from the lineup tonight when it headed into battle with the Wild. He was out with an undisclosed injury and played only 14 minutes on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Kings, more than four minutes less than his average. Johnson is the topic of much conversation lately, as his name has recently come up in trade speculation. The Lightning have a tough roster crunch coming up this summer and with Johnson’s RFA status he may be deemed expendable. An injury at this junction would be a terrible blow to GM Steve Yzerman and the Lightning if they are indeed looking to move the diminutive center. With Johnson’s relatively down season—he has just 33 points in 54 games—Yzerman already wouldn’t be selling at a high point.
  • ESPN’s Craig Custance reported today (subscription required) that as many as six NHL teams have already reached out to George McPhee and the Vegas Golden Knights brain trust. Not necessarily to make deals—the team isn’t allowed to make a deal until the final expansion payment is made official on March 1st—but to figure out their ideas heading into the expansion draft. NHL teams have a very important trade deadline coming up that will determine who will be left exposed for Vegas come June 17th. It won’t be easy to operate in the dark, and as Custance says, more teams will likely reach out as they decide whether they’re buyers or sellers.

Friedman’s Latest: Julien, Ducks, Bolts, Avalanche, Vrbata

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Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet published his latest “30 Thoughts” column and like always it’s worth a read in its entirety. However, here’s a brief roundup of some of the column’s highlights.

  • Friedman reiterates what many others in the industry have said on Claude Julien, suggesting he “will be unemployed as long as he wants to be unemployed.” Julien of course joined Ken Hitchcock as former Stanley Cup winning head coaches now on the unemployment line this week when Boston decided to pull the plug after a nearly 10-year run behind the Bruins bench. Ultimately, while Julien’s tenure was mostly successful, Friedman argues that the relationship between the coach and ownership was never strong. While the Blues had already established a succession plan in anticipation of Hitchcock’s retirement at the end of the season, there are still three jobs potentially available to Julien – Vegas, New York Islanders and Florida. All three should be expected to show interest in hiring Julien to run their respective clubs. Additionally, with Julien available, it’s at least plausible other teams who may not be 100% sold on their current bench boss might reach out to the veteran head coach to gauge his interest in leading their program.
  • Joe Sakic and Steve Yzerman, the GM’s of Colorado and Tampa Bay respectively, both attended a recent Anaheim game, leading the scribe to conclude they were there to scout some of the Ducks defenders. Anaheim is blessed with excellent blue line talent, both at the NHL and minor league levels, and it’s been suggested the team could flip a defender to add scoring help up front. Of course Colorado and Tampa Bay each need defensemen but as Friedman notes, the two GM’s may have different preferences. Friedman writes that the Avalanche are looking for young blue liners with term remaining on their contracts while the Lightning need a more established, top-four presence. Speculatively, Colorado may prefer either Brandon Montour or Shea Theodore, two rookies with loads of upside, while Cam Fowler could represent an ideal fit for the Lightning, assuming they can find a way to make the cap hit work. It’s not clear to Friedman who the Ducks might be interested in from either potential trade partner.
  • Good news for any team that might have designs on acquiring veteran winger Radim Vrbata from the Arizona Coyotes. Vrbata’s one-year deal with Arizona contains a $500K bonus if the winger reaches either 20 goals or 40 points. With 35 points in 51 games, Vrbata is closing in on that bonus. His deal also provides for up to $1.25MM based on his team’s playoff success. Friedman had originally reported that Arizona would not be able to retain any bonus money not already earned by the player, meaning any team looking to trade for him would be on the hook for a significant chunk of change potentially. With the salary cap likely to remain flat next season, any interested suitor for Vrbata might be unwilling to chance assuming the balance of his contract since any bonuses earned would apply to next season’s salary cap. However Friedman provides an update and based on his understanding, if, for example, the Coyotes agree to retain 50% of Vrbata’s contract, that would apply not only to his remaining salary but also to any unearned bonuses as well. This is welcome news for any team tight against the cap ceiling and looking for scoring help on the wing as Vrbata now remains an intriguing option.

 

Ben Bishop Indicates He’s Open To A Trade

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Between losing playing time to Andrei Vasilevskiy, the Lighting struggling, and being in the final year of a contract, Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop has indicated he may be open to a trade should he be approached by general manager Steve Yzerman.

The catalyst would be more playing time, but according to Bishop, he’s not actively looking to leave the Lightning. For the veteran goalie, it’s about having an opportunity to play regularly. Yzerman is open to doing whatever is best for the team, as evidenced by his comments on the “Lightning Morning Skate Show.” Yzerman had this to say:

“If I could do something that helped our team make a trade that identified a need for us — not just for this year, but going forward — I would do that, and haven’t been able to do that to this point, and that’s been going on, really, since the [NHL Draft] last year.”

It’s an interesting turn in events, since Bishop was already a target to be traded before the season even began. But Bishop struggled out of the gate, and the Lightning are not quite the team everyone expected them to be. Flailing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, the Lightning may be more of sellers with the future in mind instead of peddling Bishop away for more depth in anticipation of a long playoff run. Affording Bishop the chance to have more playing time elsewhere certainly makes him more open to a trade, since Bishop has a limited no trade clause.

What could Bishop fetch should a trade commence? Our very own Mike Furlano had a detailed write up earlier this week. It appears, between the Bolts and Bishop agreeing that a trade could be good for everyone, that something could happen sooner rather than later.

Atlantic Notes: Lightning Woes, Maple Leafs, Viola

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The Tampa Bay are in unfamiliar territory writes the Tampa Times’ Joe Smith. Sitting in the basement of the Eastern Conference, the Lightning have lost six of their last seven games and are sorting out exactly what is wrong. Veteran Brian Boyle says that it’s driving everyone “crazy” on the team, while Smith writes that the Bolts are playing like a team without confidence. Keep in mind, this is the 2014-15 Stanley Cup runner up and a squad that came within a game of returning to the Stanley Cup Final last season. Lauded for his ability to keep the roster together, Smith adds that general manager Steve Yzerman will not make a panic trade to turn the team’s fortunes. But Smith believes a change is necessary somewhere.

  • Mike Babcock only wants to look ahead, and not dwell on the Maple Leafs’ recent struggles writes The Toronto Sun’s Terry Koshan. The Leafs slipped out of the playoff hunt by three points in both the division and the Wild Card race, but Babcock believes it’s a moment of accountability for each of the players. Koshan writes that Auston Matthews has just one point in his last seven games, while Frederik Andersen’s struggles haven’t helped the team’s fortunes at all. After posting back-to-back shutouts last week, Andersen gave up three against Dallas and five in St. Louis. Andersen “owns” his struggles, Koshan reports, and the veteran netminder knows he has to be better–along with the rest of the team.
  • Florida Panthers owner Vincent Viola has declined President Donald Trump’s offer to be secretary of the Army reports the Sun-Sentinel’s Harvey Fialkov. In a statement, Viola said the following:

“I am deeply honored to have been considered for this post, and appreciate the confidence President Trump showed in me,” Viola said in the statement. “I offer my continued support for President Trump and his administration, and look forward to re-doubling my efforts to support the Army and its veterans as a private citizen.”

Fialkov adds that Viola was struggling to separate himself from his business affiliations. Minority owner Doug Cifu would have taken over had Viola chosen to accept the post.

Friedman’s Latest: Bishop, Kulikov, Dadonov, Shipachev

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Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman posted the latest installment of his “30 Thoughts” feature and as usual, it’s replete with interesting tidbits. The whole piece is well worth a read in full but here are a few of the highlights:

  • With Ben Bishop nearing free agency and with the presence of Andrei Vasilevskiy as the team’s future in goal, rumors have circulated since this past summer that the Tampa Bay Lightning might attempt to deal the former rather than losing him for nothing in July. Friedman indicates that word is the Lightning are willing to move the 30-year-old netminder but that the offers Tampa GM Steve Yzerman have so far received are not good enough for serious consideration. Yzerman is in a tough spot. His team has underachieved and may well miss the playoffs altogether unless they go on a run soon. Barring a surprising Stanley Cup run fueled by strong play in goal from Bishop, there is essentially no chance the team re-signs the veteran goalie. With three key RFA’s – Jonathan Drouin, Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat – to extend this summer the cap savings the Lightning will receive with Bishop leaving is simply too valuable. At some point Yzerman will have to make a decision and the best bet might be to deal Bishop now and try to add assets in return. Those assets can either turn into young NHL-ready talent to help the Lightning on the ice next year or can be used to help entice other clubs to take a burdensome contract off their hands to improve their cap situation.
  • Another pending UFA, Buffalo Sabres defenseman Dmitry Kulikov, is also said to be available via trade and Friedman considers the 26-year-old blue liner a player “worth watching.” Kulikov was acquired from Florida along with a second-round pick just prior to the draft in exchange for Mark Pysyk, and second and third-rounders in 2016. The Sabres were hoping Kulikov would fill a need in the team’s top-four but injuries have derailed his season so far. All told, the Russian defender has played in just 23 games this season, compiling two points along the way. However, Kulikov seems to be getting his game back in order just in time for the trade deadline. Over the past three games, he has averaged around 24 1/2 minutes of ice time and has netted both of his points in the last four appearances. Defensemen are always in demand at the deadline and Kulikov should be no different. Unless Buffalo puts on a full court press to ink him to an extension, it seems likely the Sabres will move Kulikov in the coming weeks.
  • Friedman notes that NHL clubs have been scouting the KHL more than usual and adds that the league is considering contraction, meaning there will be fewer jobs overseas next season. This could prompt some KHL stars to consider plying their trade in North America in 2017-18. Friedman specifically mentions Evgeni Dadonov and Vadim Shipachev, both of whom play for St. Petersburg SKA, as two of the bigger names who could draw a lot of attention if teams believe there is a chance they will come over. Front offices are always looking for talent and expect clubs to look to exploit the opportunity if the KHL does scale back on the number of teams in the league.

Lightning Notes: Koekkoek, Callahan, Bishop

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After trading Nikita Nesterov the other day to the Montreal Canadiens for a relatively small return, some thought that it would open the door for Slater Koekkoek’s return to the team. Don’t count on it, as Steve Yzerman told Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times yesterday.

He’s an important part of our future, and I see a very bright future for him still. So if we need a left shot or we feel Slater will come up and play a lot, then I’ll bring him back up.

That’s a good point when it comes to the former 10th-overall pick. If he’s not going to play big minutes with the club, it may be better for his development to stay in the AHL. With Victor Hedman, Jason Garrison and Braydon Coburn locked into the left-side, it doesn’t seem like there would be a lot of time for him.

  • The team is looking to pull off more moves in the near future, but one player that hasn’t been approached yet is Ryan Callahan. The injured alternate captain has just four points this season and holds a full no-movement clause in his contract. That means he’ll force protection in the upcoming expansion draft, a spot that the Lightning could really use for a different player. Players can opt to waive their NMC in order to be exposed at the draft, but since they’ve earned the right to have it in their contracts it’s hard to ask them.
  • Smith says that the team does want to move Ben Bishop if possible before losing him for nothing this summer. The upcoming free agent has had a season troubled by injuries and inconsistency but still represents a potential upgrade in net for many contenders. A two-time finalist for the Vezina trophy, Bishop holds a career .919 save percentage.
  • One of the reasons for the Nesterov trade apparently was Luke Witkowski, who the team didn’t want to lose on waivers. Instead they dealt Nesterov, who would have been a restricted free agent this summer for a team that will have a real cap crunch. Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat and Jonathan Drouin will all need new deals this summer.

Snapshots: Olympics, Waivers, Hurricanes Sale

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In what proved to be a short meeting, the NHL Board of Governors met today to discuss the 2018 Olympics and whether the league will be participating. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly reported to Frank Seravalli of TSN that the meeting lasted just ten seconds, and said there was nothing new to report.

It’s looking more and more like the league will not be headed to the Pyeong Chang games, though some players have expressed that they will go regardless of the league’s decision. It’s hard to imagine players like Alex Ovechkin leaving their team in the middle of the season, but it may come to that. For his part, Capitals owner Ted Leonsis has said he would support his superstar winger if he did decide to go against the NHL’s wishes.

  • Erik Erlendsson of Lightning Insider reports that Michael Bournival and Gabriel Dumont have both cleared waivers today, though both are currently still with the NHL team. The two player transaction represents the latest in what will be a busy few weeks for GM Steve Yzerman. Starting on Thursday, what some believe may become a fire-sale kicked off with the dealing of Nikita Nesterov to the Montreal Canadiens. The team has a lot more work to do as it works to protect itself from the expansion draft.
  • Tampa has also re-assigned Jake Dotchin back to the AHL according to Bryan Burns of NHL.com, oddly enough without any mention of Bournival or Dumont. Perhaps something is brewing with the recently waived forwards. Dotchin has played three games for the Lightning this year and was held scoreless.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos told Pierre LeBrun of ESPN that he’s now willing to sell the entire franchise, not just a part of it as previously reported. Karmanos has been looking for a buyer for a while now, but has previously been quoted as saying he would guarantee it stays in North Carolina. Obviously, if he were to sell the entire thing he wouldn’t be able to make that guarantee, though he could refuse to make a deal with anyone planning on a relocation. With the Canes floundering at the bottom of the Eastern Conference and still unable to draw a decent crowd each night, perhaps relocation does fall in their future. For now, we’ll keep an eye on any potential buyers the team may be in contact with.

Blues Notes: Allen, Bishop, Shattenkirk, Hunt

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Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch conducted his weekly chat and understandably touched on several trade-related topics. It’s well worth a full read but here are the highlights.

  • The Blues dealt goaltender Brian Elliott this past summer under the belief that Jake Allen was ready to be a full-time starter. It made sense in theory as the former second-round draft pick won 26 of his 44 starts and posted a GAA of 2.35 with a S% of 0.920. Unfortunately, Allen has struggled as the #1, allowing nearly 0.50 goals-per-60 more than he did in 2015-16 and stopping fewer than nine of every 10 shots on net. Rutherford feels that while Allen is certainly to blame for the soft goals he has allowed at times this season, the team in front of him simply isn’t good enough this year.
  • Because of Allen’s struggles, some have suggested the team should look to acquire a proven starter with Ben Bishop’s name surfacing as one possibility. In fact, one reader speculated on a possible Kevin Shattenkirk-for-Bishop swap since on the surface it addresses issues each team has. Rutherford pours cold water on that hypothetical scenario, however, citing uncertainty regarding whether Tampa Bay will be a buyer, seller or choose to stand pat at the deadline. Additionally, he questions whether the Lightning would be willing to pay a hefty price for a rental, assuming they remain either on the outside looking in or on the fringes of a playoff berth. It should also be noted that with several key RFA’s to re-sign next summer, it’s not likely that the Lightning would target a pending UFA with any notion of extending him beyond his current term, further diminishing the possibility GM Steve Yzerman engages the Blues in discussions for Shattenkirk.
  • Speaking of Shattenkirk, Rutherford calculates the potential returns the Blues can expect if moving the skilled blue liner both as a rental and a sign-and-trade scenario where the acquiring team is allowed to negotiate an extension with the player. As a rental the scribe feels he can net the Blues a “pretty good prospect.” Even as part of a sign-and-trade, Rutherford is unsure whether the Blues would be able to attract offers including more than a “good player.” He reasons that teams would simply prefer to wait until Shattenkirk hits free agency as opposed to sacrificing valuable assets now. Either way, Shattenkirk is going to get paid and it might behoove teams to wait until the summer to make their move. Based on what significant rental players have cost acquiring teams in the past, Rutherford might be undervaluing Shattenkirk. Last year Carolina received a prospect and two draft choices for a couple months of Eric Staal. Winnipeg dealt Andrew Ladd and received a prospect (Marko Dano) and a first-round pick in return. Teams will pay steep prices for premium rentals. The real question, in my estimation at least, is whether St. Louis would be willing to move Shattenkirk for futures or if they will insist on receiving an NHL or NHL-ready contributor. If they have designs on competing for a Stanley Cup in the near future it’s more likely they’d prefer someone who can step in and play right away.
  • Lastly, readers wanted to know why the Blues couldn’t find a trade partner for defenseman Brad Hunt rather than losing him for nothing on waivers. The undersized Hunt has been excellent in the AHL, netting 29 points in 23 games for the Chicago Wolves but as Rutherford points out, he has yet to see any game action since joining Nashville. Hunt also spent three years in the Edmonton organization, a team lacking NHL-quality defenders, yet saw nothing more than a cup of coffee with the Oilers. Could Hunt be an example of a player overlooked? Perhaps, but more likely he is what they refer to in baseball circles as a “4A” player; too good for the minors but not quite good enough to secure a permanent role in the big leagues.

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.

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.

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