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Poll: Who Is The (Second) Best Team In The East?

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The 2017-18 NHL season has not gone to plan. Ask any prognosticator from the preseason where their projected standings compare to those today and you’ll get grim looks and uninterested shrugs. The Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild and Montreal Canadiens are all far underachieving, while Vegas, Detroit, Winnipeg, Los Angeles and New Jersey are all showing that they shouldn’t be counted out so soon.

Tampa Bay of course, leads the entire league with 32 points and a whopping +28 goal differential through 20 games. Their dominance this year has led to just three regulation losses, and two early favorites for the Hart Trophy (three, if you think Andrei Vasilevskiy has a shot). Right now most would call them the class of the Eastern Conference, and who would disagree? With the best line in hockey, a stud defenseman entering his prime and an up-and-coming Vezina candidate they’re poised to compete for the Stanley Cup for at least the next few years.

But who does that leave in the second slot? Several teams have claims to stake on the silver podium, but each have their warts. Toronto had a struggling goaltender through the first month of the season, while Columbus can’t get their powerplay working properly. The Penguins have been blown out several times while the Devils have won just three of their last nine games.

Vote below on who you think is the second best team in the east, and make sure to leave a comment if you disagree with the original premise of Tampa Bay as the class of the conference. We’ve included all of the teams within 10 points of the Lightning.

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Snapshots: OHL, Sedlak, Gudbranson, Gaborik

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The Ontario Hockey League has always been one of the premiere talent factories for the NHL, churning out elite prospects every season. Like every year, the talented folks over at OHL Prospects have put together a consensus ranking of the 2018 draft eligible players, with contributions from various scouting gurus like Mike Morreale (NHL.com), Scott Wheeler (The Athletic) and Dan Stewart (Future Considerations).

In this ranking of OHL prospects—like any other you’ll find—Andrei Svechnikov tops the list. He was first on all 22 contributing scouts’ lists, with several implying that he could jump right to the NHL already. Svechnikov had 14 points in 10 games for the Barrie Colts before injuring his hand, should return to the lineup at some point in mid-to-late December. He’s a near lock to go in the top three selections next June.

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have activated Lukas Sedlak from injured reserve, giving them some more depth at center. The Blue Jackets have used Nick Foligno in the middle for much of this season, but could move him back to the wing where he is much more experienced now that they have another healthy body. The team could still obviously use another center, but have several options with how to deploy their lineup.
  • Jason Brough of TSN has heard that the Florida Panthers have at least some interest still in Erik Gudbranson, even though we had previously heard otherwise. Brough also reports that “a few other teams” have interest in the Vancouver Canucks’ defenseman which would mesh with the report that the Toronto Maple Leafs have poked around. Gudbranson will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
  • Marian Gaborik is nearing a return for the Los Angeles Kings, and head coach John Stevens spoke with Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider on the progression of the 35-year old sniper. The Kings continue to lead the Pacific Division, and it will be interesting to see if Gaborik can find a role on the team after several years of sub-par performance.

Morning Notes: McDonagh, Ekman-Larsson, Kane

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The New York Rangers haven’t encountered this type of season often before, if ever. The team seems to be a bubble team with no true chance of making a deep playoff run or even winning a Stanley Cup. Yet, the team also finds itself with a handful of expiring contracts who could be utilized as key trade chips to refuel their retooling process.

New York Post’s Larry Brooks writes the Rangers need to think about dealing players like Rick Nash, Michael Grabner and Nick Holden and get what they can for them. The scribe believes that general manager Jeff Gorton will have one of the biggest challenges in front of him in a long time as he will have to make a decision on which direction the team should go. Could Nash bring back a first-rounder in next year’s draft and if they can, would it be worth his value anyway? What can they get for Grabner? Should the team go full in and start shopping captain Ryan McDonagh now?

The latter claim, Brooks writes, might make the most sense. The Rangers should be able to bring in a huge haul for McDonagh, who is still in his prime, is locked up until 2019 and is one of the top defensemen in the league. As there are quite a few playoff teams in need of defense, like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers and the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Rangers could truly change the way the franchise is heading at the trade deadline.

New York wouldn’t be better off without McDonagh, but with long-term deals already having been handed out to Kevin Shattenkirk, Marc Staal and Brendan Smith and the young talent the team has on defense in Brady Skjei, Neal Pionk and Anthony DeAngelo, the team should be able to survive without him if they can get a talented scorer in his place.

  • Hidden among yesterday’s stories was TSN’s Bob McKenzie refuting rumors that the Arizona Coyotes are thinking about dealing defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson to the Toronto Maple Leafs for William Nylander. McKenzie writes that as of Sunday, there had not been one conversation between the two teams about Ekman-Larsson. He also points out that since most teams do not view Nylander as a center, he wouldn’t bring enough of a return for Ekman-Larsson as just a sniper. However, from what McKenzie can see, the Coyotes are not willing to discuss moving Ekman-Larsson as of now. The Atheltic’s Sean Tierney tweeted today that with general manager John Chayka in charge, it’s hard to see the team trading Ekman-Larsson at all.
  • John Vogl of The Buffalo News writes that frustration is hitting in Buffalo as the 5-12-1 Sabres continue to struggle, yet one player is thriving in Evander Kane. Dating back to last year, the 26-year-old wing has scored 40 goals in his last 79 games. He also has 11 points in the last 11 games. Kane added his 12th goal of the season Monday in the team’s 3-2 loss to Columbus. The secret to his success? Shooting the puck. He leads the team with 96 shots on goal this year.

Snapshots: Bouwmeester, Chabot, Grundstrom

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The top team in the Western Conference just got better. The St. Louis Blues, who have an impressive 15-5-1 record already, have announced that they have activated All-Star defenseman Jay Bouwmeester from the injured reserve. Bouwmeester has not yet played this season, sidelined with an ankle injury suffered in training camp, but could be ready to go as early as Tuesday. Bouwmeester has scored 37 or more points in five seasons over his fourteen-year NHL career, though his role with the Blues has been much more two-way than purely offensive since arriving in St. Louis. With Alex Pietrangelo scoring nearly a point per game thus far and youngsters Colton Parayko and Joel Edmundson contributing offense as well, a more two-way minded Bouwmeester makes the Blue even more balanced and that much more dangerous.

  • With Mark Borowiecki sidelined, the Ottawa Senators announced the recall of highly-touted defensive prospect Thomas Chabot. Many expected Chabot to have a regular NHL role in 2017-18, but he has instead spent his first pro season almost exclusively with the AHL’s Belleville Senators. Yet, Chabot has seven points and a -7 rating in twelve AHL games and two points and a +4 rating in three NHL games. The high-end offensive skill that the 2015 18th-overall pick possesses makes his transition to the highest level and easier one and another successful stint in Ottawa could make it difficult for the Senators to return him to the minors, despite their ample blue line depth.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Carl Grundstrom suffered a major knee injury and underwent knee surgery today. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler gives Grundstrom’s rehab time as a wide range of four weeks to twenty weeks, while others see the injury as season-ending. The 2016 second-rounder had five goals in eleven games for the Swedish club Frolunda, whom the Leafs had loaned him to for the 2017-18 season.

Penguins Demote Frank Corrado

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Frank Corrado’s stay in Pittsburgh is over and the hunt for a another top-six defenseman continues for the defending Stanley Cup champs. The team announced that they have reassigned the young blue liner to the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and appear to be happy to move forward with Matt Hunwick or Chad Ruhwedel as their final starter.

Corrado, 24, was acquired by the Penguins from the Toronto Maple Leafs at the trade deadline last season in exchange for a package of Eric Fehr, Steve Oleksy, and a fourth-round pick. The former Canuck was unhappy with his play time in Toronto, but things have hardly changed in Pittsburgh. Corrado played in only two games with the team last season, missed out on the entire playoff run, and is now back in the AHL after only three games this season. Corrado suited up for the Pens in their first three games of November, being held scoreless and averaging only eleven minutes of ice time, and had been sitting in the press box ever since.

With Hunwick recently activated from injured reserve, the Penguins have made the unsurprising choice to move forward without Corrado. Hunwick has played in only seven games this season, while Ruhwedel has been forced into 18 already. The pair have a combined three points and an even rating and could work as a serviceable sixth man duo for Pittsburgh this season. However, given the injury-prone nature of Kris Letang and Justin Schultz as well as the team’s shockingly low goals-for and goals-against rankings, “serviceable” may not be enough. GM Jim Rutherford may stick with the veteran options for now, but will surely be looking for an upgrade come the trade deadline. This season, the likes of Corrado won’t be the target.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Bouwmeester, Eichel, Backes, Borowiecki

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The NHL announced their “Three Stars” of the week ending on Nov. 19, with Carolina Hurricane’s Teuvo Teravainen taking top honors after a week in which he led the NHL with five goals and 10 assists in four games. The 23-year-old forward posted his first NHL hat trick against the Dallas Stars on Nov. 13, then had two assists on Nov. 16 against the New York Islanders. He had one assist against the Buffalo Sabres two days later before putting up two goals and another assist against the Islanders Sunday.

Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen and Colorado Avalanche’s center Nathan MacKinnon each received the second and third stars of the week, respectively. Andersen was perfect in two starts for Toronto, stopping 75 shots and helping Toronto to a six-game winning streak, while MacKinnon scored two goals and had five assists in the team’s two wins. The 22-year-old had career highs with four assists and five points in the team’s victory over the Washington Capitals on Nov. 16.

  • St. Louis Blues head coach Mike Yeo said the plan is to take defenseman Jay Bouwmeester off injured reserve today and is expected to return to the lineup for Tuesday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers, according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jim Thomas. The 34-year-old blueliner has not played yet this year due to an ankle fracture, but should provide a big boost to the team’s penalty killing unit immediately. Thomas also notes that Patrik Berglund will not play versus Edmonton on Tuesday, but is inching closer to a return to the ice after missing the entire season so far after undergoing shoulder surgery.
  • Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel looks to have been demoted to the team’s third line at Monday’s practice ahead of their game tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets, according to Amy Moritz of The Buffalo News. Head coach Phil Housley placed him with Zemgus Girgensons and Jason Pominville. “We’re obviously trying to get things going and switch things up so we’ll see tonight,” Eichel said of the new line combinations. “No message. It’s part of the game.”
  • Steven Harris of the Boston Herald writes that just three weeks removed after having part of his colon removed, Boston Bruins’ David Backes returned to practice today in a non-contact sweater. Despite an eight-week prognosis, Backes was skating, shooting and handling pucks. “The doc’s advice (was), if it doesn’t hurt, I can continue to progress and add more workload on,” said Backes. “I haven’t been notified that the timeline has changed at all. So I’m just going to keep putting in the work.”
  • Edmonton Sun’s Ken Warren reported that Ottawa Senators defenseman Mark Borowiecki will return to Ottawa after sustaining a viscous hit Sunday from New York Rangers defenseman Brandon Smith that left the Senators’ blueliner momentarily unconscious after he hit the boards. He will be further evaluated once he returns to Ottawa, and could miss significant time as coach Guy Boucher referred to the injury as a concussion.

Matthews Listed As Game-Time Decision For Saturday

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  • Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews will be a game-time decision for Saturday’s game in Montreal, notes Mark Zwolinski of the Toronto Star. Matthews has missed the last four games with a lower-body injury although he did participate in his second practice of the week earlier today.  Even if he is cleared to return, the 20-year-old acknowledged that his conditioning may not be back where it was right away before he suffered the injury.

Maple Leafs Have Interest In Erik Gudbranson

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Although Canucks GM Jim Benning stated last week that they still have plans on talking to defenseman Erik Gudbranson about a contract extension, TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie reported on a radio appearance with Sportsnet 590 (audio link) that there is some trade interest around the league surrounding the blueliner.  In particular, Lavoie pegs the Maple Leafs as a team with interest in him as well as several other stay-at-home defenders around the league, though those others aren’t at Gudbranson’s level.

The 25-year-old has played in 18 games so far with Vancouver this season and has yet to record a point.  However, he sits second on the team in both hits and blocked shots and would give Toronto another defense-first option on their back end.  Lavoie added that Toronto is ideally looking to add a defender before December’s holiday break (from December 24th to the 26th).

Nov 4, 2017; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Erik Gudbranson (44) awaits the start of play against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY SportsThe Leafs aren’t alone in their pursuit of a stay-at-home rearguard as Lavoie adds that the Canadiens are also looking to add one and could be interested in Gudbranson while he suggests that Ottawa may be looking to add a blueliner as well.  Considering Senators GM Pierre Dorion has stated several times that he likes his current defensive depth, it’s likely that a move on that end for them would be closer to the trade deadline with an eye on hedging against some injuries for the postseason.

One team that doesn’t appear to have interest in Gudbranson is his former team in Florida.  Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province reports that the Panthers (who at one point were rumored to have a trade in place for him over the summer involving Jason Demers) are no longer interested in pursuing his services.

Gudbranson is in the final year of his contract with a salary and cap hit of $3.5MM and is slated to become an unrestricted free agent in July.  If the team can’t come to terms on an extension with him, there’s a good chance that the defenseman will become one of the more sought-after rental players in the weeks and months to come.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Josh Leivo To One-Year Extension

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed forward Josh Leivo to a one-year extension worth $925K. Leivo was a candidate for Group VI free agency this summer if he didn’t play in another 34 games with the club this year. We examined his candidacy in a piece earlier this season, and it clearly looked like the team wasn’t ready to give him a full-time role this year. That could chance next season though, as both James van Riemsdyk and Leo Komarov are unrestricted free agents.

Josh LeivoLeivo has an intriguing skill profile for the Maple Leafs, as a big-bodied forward that has a good shot and playmaking ability. While some have questioned his skating ability in the past, he provides good value on the powerplay and has historically never complained publicly about his disappointing situation with the Maple Leafs. Since making his debut in the 2013-14 season, Leivo has suited up for just 46 NHL games and no more than 13 in a single season. That’s in spite of the fact that he registered 10 points in that 13-game sample last year, and has performed well at the AHL level. The 86th-overall pick in 2011, Leivo is on the second year of a two-year minimum salary deal he signed in 2016. The $925K doesn’t seem like a lot, but will actually be a hefty raise for the 24-year old.

The question now becomes if this is in preparation for life without van Riemsdyk and/or Komarov, or just to protect an asset they believe is valuable as a 13th forward. There is always the chance that Toronto moves one of the aforementioned wingers to improve their defense corps, which would allow Leivo to jump into the lineup full time. The Maple Leafs need quite a bit of cap room to sign their big three of Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner in the near future, meaning players on inexpensive deals like this one will need to be key contributors.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Morning Notes: Houston, Fedun, Matthews

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The new owner of the Houston Rockets met with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman recently, according to a report from Katie Strang of The Athletic. Tilman Fertitta, who purchased the Rockets this summer for $2.2 billion, had previously suggested he’d be interested in bringing the NHL to Houston. One meeting doesn’t prove that anything is set to happen, but it does have to throw Houston into the ring for potential expansion or relocation in the future. Bettman did admit to The Athletic that they would have to consider Houston if there was interest “under the right circumstances.”

There are several teams around the league with uncertain futures, most notably in Calgary, Arizona and New York (Islanders), and now two US locations that seem like legitimate new possibilities. Seattle, with its new arena proposal headed by Oak View Group, and now Houston with interest from an owner who is more than financially capable. While many Canadian hockey fans wish that Quebec City was first on the list, they may remain in the NHL’s back pocket even longer if viable locations are popping up in the United States. There is no clear path for expansion right now, nor is the league actively looking for relocation at the moment.

  • Buffalo’s season is getting even worse with the announcement that Taylor Fedun and Matt Tennyson have been put on injured reserve today. An already thin blueline gets even thinner, and head coach Phil Housley announced that Fedun would be out six to eight weeks with a lower-body injury. In the meantime the team has recalled Casey Nelson because Zach Redmond is also nursing an injury in the minor leagues. The Sabres need defensive help even when all of their starters are healthy, and risk falling out of the playoff race altogether if they don’t find an answer on the back end.
  • Auston Matthews is out once again for the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight, despite practicing for much of the week. The 20-year old superstar hasn’t played in ten days, though the team is 3-0 in his absence. Nikita Soshnikov will enter the lineup in his absence, though it likely means Patrick Marleau will regain his position at center ice. Marleau has been a winger for the last several years, but was forced into the center role in Toronto due to their lack of depth behind Matthews. Beyond the NHL, the Maple Leafs don’t have a ton of other options down the middle, a concern that could lead to some interesting decisions this summer. Tyler Bozak is a pending unrestricted free agent, but could be too expensive to bring back on anything other than a short-term deal. The team may have to look elsewhere to fill the third-line center role next year.

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