Atlantic Notes: Cowen, Larkin, Bergeron, Koekkoek
The Maple Leafs and Jared Cowen held their arbitration hearing on Wednesday regarding the contested buy out of his contract back in June, notes Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star. Toronto opted to pay Cowen $750K in each of the next two seasons over carrying his $3.1MM cap hit (and $4.5MM salary) for 2016-17. Doing so created a $650K cap credit for this year and a charge of $750K next season.
However, the CBA stipulates that an injured player cannot be bought out and Cowen and his representatives are contending that he remained injured with long-term hip problems at the time the Leafs executed the buyout. Cowen was acquired late last season as part of the Dion Phaneuf trade but Toronto allowed him to go home early to work on rehabbing his hip.
If Cowen wins and has his contract reinstated, the Leafs will technically be over the salary cap. However, given that Cowen isn’t healthy enough to play, he would be eligible to be placed on long-term injury reserve which would get them back under. There is no timetable for the arbitrator to make his decision.
More from the Atlantic:
- Detroit’s Dylan Larkin is off to a slow start this season but as Ansar Khan of MLive writes, part of his struggles could be attributed to his conversion back to center. Last season – in his rookie campaign – the team often played him on the left wing to take some of the pressure off of him. With long-time Red Wing Pavel Datsyuk now retired from the NHL, the team needs Larkin to step into his vacated position at center. Through four games, the 20 year old has a single assist and a -5 rating although he has been a bit better at the faceoff dot, winning 44.4% of his draws which is above his 41% mark from last season.
- Boston center Patrice Bergeron is on track to make his season debut tonight against New Jersey, Joe Haggerty of CSN New England reports. He has missed the first three games of the season so far and should step back into his top line role assuming there are no setbacks. Boston coach Claude Julien also noted that defenseman Adam McQuaid won’t play against the Devils but he believes the blueliner is only a few days away from returning to the lineup.
- The Lightning re-assigned defenseman Slater Koekkoek to the minors yesterday but Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times believes that the demotion will be a short-lived one. Koekkoek has yet to play this season despite making the opening night roster and with him being waiver exempt, he’s expected to get into a couple of AHL games to stay in game shape before being recalled sometime next week.
The Brooks Laich Situation
The 2016-17 season is now a week old and Brooks Laich has yet to play a game for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He has yet to play a game with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. He has yet to play… at all. Laich is healthy, he’s willing, and he’s able. So what’s going on?
When the Maple Leafs acquired Laich from the Washington Capitals at the NHL Trade Deadline last season, it was more of a salary dump for Washington than a strategic addition for Toronto. However, Laich is an experienced veteran player who plays a smart, rugged style of hockey. If it wasn’t for his steep salary, many would have been shocked when Laich was put on waivers last week prior to the NHL roster deadline. However, he unsurprisingly cleared waivers. Yet, the team delayed sending him down to the Marlies. Since, he has been reassigned though.
According to Maple Leafs beat reporter Kristen Shilton who spoke with Marlies coach Sheldon Keefe, apparently the hold-up is simply that the organization does not know where they want Laich to play. Conversations have been ongoing between both coaching staffs, management, and even Laich himself. A healthy veteran with the ability to contribute, it seems as if there is confusion over whether he would benefit the young Leafs squad as an NHL player or the even younger Marlies team as more of a mentor. Since Laich put up only 14 points and was a -13 in 81 games between the Caps and Leafs last season, it seems more likely that he’ll stay with the Marlies until he is needed by the big-league team. The situation is strange and somewhat unprecedented, but a solution is expected soon.
Franchise Faceoff: Maple Leafs vs Oilers
It’s a tough thing rebuilding. For all the excitement and hope that prospects give fans, many of them don’t fulfill the promise they show, or just don’t seem to fit into the system you’re trying to build.
For two teams, last year was another one bouncing off the bottom of the league standings, jockeying for the first overall pick. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers both have storied histories, championships and hall of fame alumni. But even as one finally retires the numbers of some of its greats, and the other welcomes back the greatest of all time, they both look to young players to find that excitement, and hope.
McDavid, Draisaitl, Eberle or Matthews, Marner, Rielly. Both have a wonderful group of young players led by generational talents, and have shown them off this week. The top two stars of the NHL were Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews this week, both 19-year old kids leading their teams out of the basement.
[Maple Leafs Depth Chart vs Oilers Depth Chart]
We’d love to hear what you think about these two teams. If you were buying a roster (not all the franchise perks that go with it) to build a championship team, which would you take?
Snapshots: NHL Three Stars, Oilers Fallout, Montoya
It’s been a pretty good start to the NHL season for two of the best young players in the game.
Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews have been dominant to start the year, and they’ve been named the NHL’s first and second stars of the week. Veteran goaltender Roberto Luongo has been named third star.
The newly-minted youngest captain in NHL history scored 3 goals and 6 points in three games. McDavid had three points in each of the Oilers’ first two games before being held pointless in Sunday night’s 6-2 loss.
Matthews scored four goals in his NHL debut on Wednesday, breaking the record for most goals in an NHL debut. He was also held pointless on Saturday night, but his debut showing was more than enough to secure the second star of the week.
The Panthers are 2-0-0, and Luongo has been a major part of that. He’s won both games, allowing just two goals; he’s sporting a sparkling 0.957 SV% and a 0.98 GAA.
- After getting blown out by the injury-plagued Buffalo Sabres on Sunday night, the Edmonton Oilers are in need of a shake-up. They’ve postponed their CBA-mandated day off from Monday to Wednesday. Coach Todd McLellan told the media after the game that “we took [a day off] today, so we’ll skate tomorrow.” Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reported the NHLPA is reviewing the decision.
- Oilers winger Benoit Pouliot has always had a penchant for taking poor penalties. While he’s usually been able to draw penalties to make-up for them, he’s not done well the last two games. He was benched for the second period on Friday after taking three bad penalties in a short period of time, but returned and played well in the third. On Sunday night, he took another two penalties in the first period and was stapled to the bench for the final 40 minutes. TSN’s Ryan Rishaug told TSN 1260 that he thinks Pouliot could find himself in the press box on Tuesday night. “I think they’re going to healthy-scratch him. That’s what I would be doing. At least one, if not more games. Because enough has to be enough. The message needs to be sent … I could see Todd [McLellan] coming down really, really heavy.”
- Carey Price will miss the Canadiens home opener with the flu. New backup Al Montoya will get the start against the Penguins on Tuesday night. Price did skate with goaltending coach Stephane Waite before team practice.
Atlantic Snapshots: Bergevin, Point, Red Wings
Marc Bergevin took a lot of heat this summer after dealing fan-favorite defenseman P.K. Subban to Nashville for Shea Weber. Subban is four yours younger than Weber and while he carries a higher annual cap charge ($9MM versus $7.857MM), his deal expires four years earlier than Weber’s. Nonetheless, as Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette writes, Bergevin knows only time will tell how this trade ultimately works out for the Canadiens.
Montreal is clearly banking on the “leadership and stability” Weber provides as a two-time Olympic gold medal winner. Subban is flashier, according to Hickey, and known for being a bit of a risk-taker. At one point last season it did seem as if the Canadiens were growing tired of Subban’s gambling nature and would prefer a more conservative approach on the ice.
With Weber (31) on board and franchise goalie Carey Price set to turn 30 next summer, the belief is the Canadiens window to win may be closing, lending further justification for Bergevin to pull the trigger on the Subban trade. But as Hickey noted, Bergevin doesn’t believe in windows:
“There are too many variables. In today’s NHL, it turns around fast. I look at Buffalo. I know they have injuries, but they came a long way quick. There’s a price to pay. Obviously, the best way (to improve) is the draft and you saw the kid (Maple Leafs rookie Auston) Matthews with four goals in his first game. He’s going to be a very good player, but there was a price to pay to get him.”
It’s an interesting perspective from the Habs GM and Hickey’s piece contains additional tidbits on a couple of the Canadiens’ top young players and Bergevin’s thoughts on those players.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:
- Detroit is off to an 0 – 2 start and much of the blame falls on the back end and their struggles to retrieve the puck and begin the transition from defense to offense efficiently, as Ansar Khan writes. Head coach Jeff Blashill after last night’s loss to Florida: “I thought we were second in all those pucks; their second guy beat our second guy almost all night. Part of that is when you play a long time in your end you get tired playing defense and it’s hard to have enough juice for offense. So, we got to be quicker out of our end.” Blashill singles out Mike Green, Jonathan Ericsson and Xavier Oullet as having been “good” through two games. It stands to reason then that his omissions of Danny DeKeyser, Alexey Marchenko and Brendan Smith, who have also each appeared in the Wings’ first two contests, suggests an indictment of their play from the coach. While it’s still very early in the season it’s clear this Red Wings team may well be in jeopardy of snapping their stretch of 25 consecutive playoff appearances.
- Tampa Bay Lightning GM Steve Yzerman learned much about his craft from Detroit’s Ken Holland. And like Holland, Yzerman has been careful when it comes to promoting his team’s prospects. Since taking over in Tampa Bay, not one first-year pro player with AHL eligibility has made the team coming out of camp; that is, as Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times reports, until Brayden Point. Taking advantage of the training camp absences of Ryan Callahan (injury) and Nikita Kucherov (unsigned RFA), Point earned this opportunity and not only did the 20-year-old forward make his NHL debut, he saw 16 minutes of ice time in the Lightning’s 3 – 2 win over New Jersey, as Smith notes. Smith argues keeping Point after an impressive training camp “sends the right message to the dressing room,” proving to the group that roster spots are earned through performance and not a player’s contract. Time will tell whether Point will keep his spot once Callahan is healthy enough to return but by simply making the team to open the season, he’s already accomplished something Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat and Kucherov did not.
Matthews First To Score Four Goals In Debut
Toronto Maple Leafs fans could not have asked for more from rookie sensation Auston Matthews in the team’s season opener. The #1 overall pick in the 2016 Draft, Matthews was a lock to make the roster and came in with high expectations. In less than two periods, those expectations were shattered. Auston Matthews scored two in the first period, added another couple tallies in the second, and as of this writing he’s still going. His second goal was a single-handed masterpiece, while his first and last came from fellow youngster and promising line mate William Nylander. Its only day one, but Matthews is well on his way to being the biggest name in Toronto hockey in a long time.
Before Matthews record-breaking performance, only four players had ever scored a hat trick in their NHL debut. Montreal’s Alex Smart was the first to do it in 1943, followed by the Quebec Nordiques’ Real Cloutier in 1979. In more recent memory, “flash in the pan” Fabian Brunnstrom accomplished the feat for the Stars in 2008, and current Rangers star Derek Stepan had a hat trick in his debut in 2010, kick-starting a strong NHL career. However, Matthews is the first to score four, and many Toronto fans will tell you that Stepan is simply a floor for what they believe Matthews can be.
Never before has a Calder race has such a definitive leader after the first day of the season as it has in 2016-17. While pucks have just dropped on a new NHL season, Matthews is already the biggest name in the league thus far. While his numbers will certainly return to normal, the hype alone coming out of Toronto may keep in the lead for Rookie of the Year from Game One to Game Eighty-Two.
Leafs Notes: Marner, Laich, Brooks
The Maple Leafs will be an interesting team to watch this season as they continue their youth movement and strive to be anything other than the worst team in the league. Among the rookies set to make their mark this season (and there are many) is Mitch Marner, the much talked about prospect from the London Knights. While it’s been expected for weeks that Marner would stay with the Leafs, GM Lou Lamoriello came out today in Kevin McGran’s article with a decisive stance:
He’s made the team. What we’ve seen of him, offensively and defensively, he’s done very well. We’re not thinking of anything other than how he can help us right now and his commitment to get better.
He’s extremely mature and I’ve been extremely impressed by him. He’ll be given every opportunity.
Lamoriello said that Marner shouldn’t worry about his junior status, or the idea that he may go back after nine games like other top prospects. He’s here to stay, and he’s already impressed his head coach with things other than his offense.
I think he’s been really good. He’s good defensively, way better than I expected. He’s got to learn to work hard in practice. He’ll do that. I haven’t seen him get hit. Why is that? Why does he have the puck all the time? Why when (Marner) gets it, there’s always tons of room? When anyone else gets it, there’s no room. To me it looks like he’s driving the line.
Marner is set to start on a line with Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk, and is expected to see time on the Leafs powerplay.
- Also from McGran is the note that veteran Brooks Laich, acquired by the Leafs last year in the Daniel Winnik trade, has not been sent to the AHL despite clearing waivers. With the Leafs still having one cut to make before the deadline at 4:00pm tomorrow, Laich seems the odd man out. McGran does note though that a last-minute injury could open up a spot for him. When “Loophole-Lou” Lamoriello says “We do have a couple of lingering injuries” it often means, ‘we’ll find a way to keep everyone’. Don’t be surprised if Josh Leivo, who has been nursing a couple of injuries during camp, is who sits down for a couple of days to start the season.
- Kristin Shilton has some prospect news, as she reports that Adam Brooks, the Leafs’ fourth-round pick from this past draft is headed back to the Regina Pats for the upcoming season. Brooks was the WHL’s leading scorer last season, and actually could have headed to the AHL for this year since he’s already turned 20-years old. Instead, he’ll go back as an over-ager to try and win another scoring title as he continues his development.
Rickard Rakell, Ducks Remain Far Away From Deal
While anything can change in an instant, it appears as though Rickard Rakell is no closer to a deal with the Anaheim Ducks. Julie Stewart-Binks of FOX Sports caught up with Rakell’s agent, who told her the two sides are still “not looking at things the same way”. This comes just days after a report that said no progress had been made in negotiations, despite both sides wanting a long-term deal done before the season starts.
Rakell, as discussed at length on this site, is one of the remaining restricted free agents without a contract for the upcoming season. While Johnny Gaudreau signed with the Flames today, and Nikita Kucherov seems poised to do the same with the Lightning when he arrives in North America, both Rakell and fellow RFA Hampus Lindholm remain unsigned by the Ducks.
While the team has almost $8.5MM in cap space at the moment, that probably isn’t enough for long-term deals for both players. Likely, the negotiations for the two players are linked, with the Ducks trying their best to get both under contract for as many years as possible without committing more dollars than they have at the moment. Since the team needs to be cap-compliant tomorrow, the two deals would need to come in under that $8.5MM to have them ready for the start of the regular season.
Rakell, 23, put up 43 points last season in what some would consider a mini-breakout. His goal scoring raised from nine in 2014-15 to twenty last year, and he took over as the number two center on the team, a role likely being held open for him until he comes to an agreement. With the Ducks poised for another deep run due to their strong defense corps and veteran first line, it would be a real shame to see the two players hold out for any length of time. After assuming all of Jonathan Bernier’s $4.15MM contract from the Maple Leafs in a trade earlier this summer, the team looks to have handcuffed itself when it comes to two of their most important pieces.
Montreal Canadiens To Sign David Broll On AHL Deal
Tough-guy David Broll will be back in the American Hockey League this year, as according to James Mirtle of the Globe and Mail, the former Maple Leafs draft pick will sign a minor-league deal with the Montreal Canadiens to skate with the St. John’s IceCaps this season (their last, before moving to Laval in 2017-18).
Broll was originally selected by the Maple Leafs in the sixth round of the 2011 Entry Draft, as a gritty winger who could hopefully develop into at least a penalty killing presence at a professional level. While he’s never developed much of a scoring touch, he did enough to earn a five game call-up in 2013-14 for the Maple Leafs, where he recorded one assist.
One of the suspected victims of the AHL’s new fighting restrictions, Broll will need to keep his gloves on his hands this year; he’s had double digit fighting majors in each of his three professional seasons. The league now will suspend players who record more than three fighting majors in a single season, a strong step towards ridding the league of fighting almost entirely. Broll will clearly need to contribute in other ways to stay relevant in hockey.
Training Camp Cuts: 10/9/16
With the opening roster deadline now barely 48 hours away, teams will be making their final cuts in the near future. Here are today’s cuts:
Arizona Coyotes (via Bob McKenzie):
RW Stefan Fournier (on waivers for purposes of AHL assignment)
G Justin Peters (on waivers for purposes of AHL assignment)
Calgary Flames (via team Twitter):
LW Lauri Korpikoski (released from PTO)
(Per The Fan960’s Pat Steinberg, head coach Glen Gulutzan noted that Korpikoski was released to pursue an opportunity with another team.)
Chicago Blackhawks (via team release):
D Dillon Fournier (assigned to Rockford, AHL)
D Ville Pokka (assigned to Rockford, AHL)
D Viktor Svedberg (assigned to Rockford, AHL)
Dallas Stars (via team Twitter):
RW Justin Fontaine (released from PTO)
D Julius Honka (assigned to Texas, AHL)
C Gemel Smith (assigned to Texas, AHL)