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Central Division Offers Veteran Scoring, Risky Prospects

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The Central Division has quite a bit to offer the Las Vegas Golden Knights from prospects to veteran scorers as they sift through the recently exposed rosters of every NHL team. Several team offer quite a bit of challenging option that the inaugural team can either take, trade off or just work out a deal for some picks. Once again, while some of these players may be available, trades may have already been worked out to persuade Las Vegas to look the other way on a few of them. So don’t be surprised if they don’t take them.

The Minnesota Wild have offered the most intriguing options in the draft after having exposed several interesting players. Due to their defensive depth, the team left several defensemen exposed, including 22-year-old Mathew Dumba, a promising defenseman who has already been in the NHL for three years since being the seventh-overall pick in 2012. Dumba’s 11 goals make him a key defenseman to build their franchise around, assuming the team doesn’t have a side deal set up or the Golden Knights are considering flipping him to another desperate team needing defense. Veteran forward Eric Staal was also left unprotected, leaving Las Vegas with even a tougher decisions to make. The 32-year-old veteran had one of his better season with the Wild this past year, putting up 28 goals. His price tag is even reasonable at $3.5MM for the next two years. Defenseman Marco Scandella is an afterthought here, but on any other team, would be an intriguing option for the Golden Knights.

The Nashville Predators have one obvious candidate in veteran scorer James Neal, who helped lead the team to the Stanley Cup Finals. Neal finished the season with 23 regular season goals and the 29-year-old has tallied 80 goals in the last three seasons combined. Whether the Predators have worked out a package in order to keep Neal for their run next year is unknown as of yet. If that’s the case, another interesting name could be 23-year-old winger Pontus Aberg, who has showed a lot of promise in the AHL, including a 31-goal season this past year. He still played 15 games for the Predators, but managed just one goal and had a tough time cracking their rotation. Perhaps the least surprising options go to the Chicago Blackhawks. Long-standing rumors that Chicago has exposed 25-year-old defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk with the supposed agreement they would also take on the contract of Marcus Kruger and his 3.083MM for the next two years for additional costs suggest that Las Vegas already knows what they’re getting.

The Dallas Stars might hope that the Golden Knights take 26-year-old center Cody Eakin. The veteran had an off year after putting up three goals in 60 games, but had tallied 51 goals in the three years before that. The problem with Eakin is the three years he has left at $3.85MM per season. He was originally drafted by McPhee, so maybe the GM would be willing to take his chances with him. Dan Hamhuis could be a solid option as well if the Golden Knights are looking for a 34-year-old veteran defensive-minded blueliner. The Winnipeg Jets did expose 32-year-old Toby Enstrom after he waived his no-movement clause. The veteran could be the perfect person to lead a group of young Golden Knight defenders. Enstrom, despite starting to slow down, is still considered a solid defenseman. However, Winnipeg also left 22-year-old center Marko Dano available to Las Vegas. The former first-round pick in 2013 hasn’t been able to put together a full season, but is still young enough to put it all together. He put up four goals and seven assists last season in 38 games, but missed time due to a lower body injury and never regained his playing time after that.

While the St. Louis Blues exposed Jori Lehtera with the hopes they can package the veteran along with some picks to remove his contract off their books, which still has two years at $4.7MM per season, Las Vegas might be more enamored with 23-year-old Nail Yakupov, who is the former first-overall pick in the 2012 draft. While his career hasn’t exactly gone as planned, he has still shown some glimpses of potential and Las Vegas might be willing to take a chance on him. The Colorado Avalanche surprised a few by exposing goaltender Calvin Pickard. The 25-year-old didn’t have the greatest season last year, evidenced by his 3.02 GAA, but it was behind a weak defense. However, considering the amount of goaltending depth offered from the Eastern Conference, the team might ultimately pass on him considering there are other key goalies available ranging from Petr Mrazek to Marc-Andre Fleury to Philipp Grubauer to name just a few. They may have exposed Pickard to keep 29-year-old Semyon Varlamov away from McPhee, who also drafted the goaltender in Washington back in 2006. Besides that, Colorado left little else exposed.

 

Pacific Expansion Options Offer Weak Value To Vegas

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When looking at the massive lists that were released today, the Pacific Division might have produced one of the weaker set of options for the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Again, while many of these names may be intriguing to hockey fans, that doesn’t mean that Las Vegas will take all of them. The team has been active on the trade market and continues to work hard to acquire as many draft picks that can build the franchise’s future over the next five years. So, there are many side deals that will dissuade the Golden Knights from taking certain people. On top of that, the team may also look to draft several players with the hopes of flipping them to another pick for even more picks.

The Anaheim Ducks list stands out the most. They have two obvious names that stand out in defensemen Josh Manson and Sami Vatanen. Manson had a breakout year with his physical play and Vatanen is a top defenseman despite an off year. While both would be perfect pieces to a brand-new franchise as they are both high-quality and young defenders, most people believe that there is a side deal already in place that will prevent the Golden Knights from taking either one. The Edmonton Oilers, on the other hand, has little of value as the Oilers were able to protect most of what they needed to keep their core intact as well as several key players were exempt from the expansion draft.

The San Jose Sharks also didn’t have expose too much, although defenseman David Schlemko might be a solid veteran who has three years left at a reasonably priced $2.1MM per year. However, Las Vegas may attempt to kick the tires on star free agents Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau instead. The Calgary Flames have a few options available that could intrigue Las Vegas. The team could go after veteran forward Troy Brouwer, but he still has three years remaining at $4.5MM. Another option would be 23-year-old blueliner Brett Kulak, who is an emerging young defenseman. Again, Las Vegas might be better off going after one of their unrestricted free agents instead, either defenseman Michael Stone or veteran winger Kris Versteeg.

The Los Angeles Kings also are a team that didn’t have to expose too much. Perhaps their most interesting option is defenseman Brayden McNabb, who is an excellent physical defenseman. However, a collarbone injury derailed much of his season this past year and he wasn’t the same upon his return. The Arizona Coyotes are another team that didn’t have to protect too much. Forwards Jamie McGinn and Brad Richardson might be the best two options unless Las Vegas can convince veteran forward Radim Vrbata to sign with them. The Vancouver Canucks exposed center Brendan Gaunce, who has a lot of promise, but has never been able to put up numbers at the NHL level. Gaunce, a former first-round pick in 2012, had just five assists in 57 games.

Las Vegas Has Several Free Agent Options As Well

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Not that the Las Vegas Golden Knights don’t have enough to do over the next few days, from going through the protection rosters, to making side deals, to participate in the NHL draft and then announce their team by June 21, but the team also needs to start thinking about free agents as well. The team has an exclusive window to negotiate with any unrestricted free agents. While the team has already inked KHL center Vadim Shipachyov to a free agent contract, more signings are sure to come. But who are their best options?

The Hockey News’ Jared Clinton has several suggestions of players the Golden Knights should consider to bolster their team for their initial season, including Arizona’s Radim Vrbata, Calgary’s Michael Stone, Washington’s Karl Alzner, Philadelphia’s Michael Del Zotto as well as San Jose’s Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau.

The scribe argues that Vrbata might be an easy choice. Although contents of the protection rosters won’t be known until tomorrow morning, Arizona is expected to provide very little in terms of available players on their roster. So going after one of the Coyotes free agents may have more meaning than a fringe prospect. Enter Vrbata. The 36 winger could be the perfect linemate for Shipachyov as he put up a 20-goal season for Arizona last season and is two years removed from a 31-goal season. And at age 36, Vrbata might come at a shorter deal than some other free agent options.

Both Thornton and Marleau are options as well. While both are expected to look for their best chance to chase a Stanley Cup, it’s conceivably possible that Las Vegas could convince one of them to be the face of the franchise. Thornton is coming off a 50-point season at age 37, but put up 82 points just the year before that. Marleau, on the other hand, had 27 goals last year and could also be a nice fit alongside Shipachyov. Also at age 37, Marleau hasn’t slowed down yet.

The rest of the suggestions that Clinton gives are blueliners, which may not be that important to the Golden Knights considering that many feel that the expansion draft will be loaded with defensive talent, but few quality forward options. Alzner was originally drafted by Las Vegas general manager George McPhee when he was with the Capitals and he could be the leader of the defense for a number of years. The 28-year-old Alzner is one of the top two free agent defensemen available (next to teammate Kevin Shattenkirk) and his defensive style might be a perfect fit in Las Vegas. The downside to Alzner is the team would lose the ability to use an expansion pick on a top prospect such as goaltender Philipp Grubauer or defenseman Nate Schmidt if they sign Alzner, so that option is not as likely.

Stone could be a good addition to the roster if they opt not to go after Alzner. Stone has been a solid top-4 defenseman for both Calgary this year and Arizona before that. Stone is more of a two-way player and might be able to provide some much-needed offense. He had just three goals and 12 assists in 64 games this year between the two teams, but had six goals and 39 points one year ago. Del Zotto is more than capable of providing offense for the Golden Knights. While not a defensive player, he’s had several good seasons, but injuries have often curtailed his career.

 

Expansion Notes: Phaneuf, McPhee, Final Decisions

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TSN’s Pierre LeBrun tweets that nothing changed on Ottawa defenseman Dion Phaneuf’s decision to waive his no-movement clause prior to the 5pm deadline today. This doesn’t mean, however, that he won’t be traded. Phaneuf is definitely in the mix to be dealt as Ottawa agonizes over who to protect and who to leave exposed as lists are due tomorrow at 5pm. Phaneuf has been the subject of trade rumors, and it was confirmed by general manager Pierre Dorion that he’s received calls about the 32-year-old defenseman. Some pundits thought Phaneuf might waive his NMC before the 5pm deadline, but with that now passed, it will be interesting to see if he’s one of many players shuttled to another team to ease the restrictions on the list.

  • The USA Today’s Kevin Allen writes that Vegas general manager George McPhee has encouraged his staff to catch up on their sleep prior to the weekend as all NHL teams will have their protected lists submitted tomorrow. Noting that he only has 72 hours to put a team together, McPhee told Allen that teams have been straightforward with McPhee as to what they’re thinking and that it’s been in line with what McPhee and his staff expected. Allen reports that McPhee plans on informing each team who they plan on taking, so they can circle back to see if another deal can be worked out. Further, McPhee indicates that they are trying to build a balanced squad that can compete right away. He adds that they also want to acquire as many draft picks as possible to “expedite their building process.” McPhee also told Allen that even though he’s in his office at 6am Vegas time, his phone has been ringing non-stop with colleagues looking to make deals.
  • On the other side of McPhee’s phone line are 30 general managers wrangling with what they’re going to do in anticipation of the draft. The AP’s Stephen Whyno spoke with general managers who are also losing sleep over the draft, albeit for different reasons. Minnesota’s Chuck Fletcher told Whyno that he often reminds himself at 3am that he can “only lose one player–go back to sleep.” Florida’s Dale Tallon remarked that “everyone’s a little nervous, a little reluctant” in anticipation of what will happen. Tampa general manager Steve Yzerman already responded by trading Jonathan Drouin to Montreal while New York and Colorado bought out the contracts of Dan Girardi and Francois Beauchemin respectively. Meanwhile, LeBrun tweets that deals could go down to the wire after speaking with Fletcher while  Tampa Bay Times beat writer Joe Smith tweets that he sees Tampa Bay in potential talks with Fletcher since the Wild have a logjam at defense.

Seeking Staff For RosterResource.com’s NHL Content

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We’re looking to add one person to help with Roster Resource’s offseason NHL coverage, in a part-time position. If you have a strong interest and understanding of how teams assemble their rosters during the offseason, this could be right up your alley. The criteria:

Availability to work at least ten hours per week updating rosters, depth charts and player information.

  • Exceptional knowledge of all 31 NHL teams, no discernible bias. Knowledge of transaction-related concepts.
  • A high school degree is required, and further education is preferred. Please include your highest completed level of education in your application.
  • Excel spreadsheet experience is necessary.
  • Attention to detail and ability to use Twitter, Tweetdeck, and an RSS feed reader such as Feedly. In general, you must be able to multi-task.
  • Experience with social media, especially Twitter.
  • If you’re interested, email prohockeyrumorshelp@gmail.com and explain how you stand out and qualify in a couple of short paragraphs. Please attach your resume to the email. We often receive several hundred applications, so unfortunately we will not be able to reply to each one.

New York Notes: Kovalchuk, Raanta, Lundqvist

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The list of teams who are lining up to trade for the rights to winger Ilya Kovalchuk continue to increase. New York Post’s Larry Brooks writes that the Devils have multiple suitors trying to acquire the 34-year-old, including the St. Louis Blues, the San Jose Sharks, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the New York Rangers. Brooks writes that the most interesting part is that many of those teams have Kovalchuk’s old Devil teammates or personnel in their front office, including Martin Brodeur (assistant general manager for the Blues), Lou Lamoriello (general manager of the Maple Leafs), Pete DeBoer (coach of the Sharks) and Johan Hedberg (assistant coach of the Sharks). That might make it easier for Devils general manager Ray Shero to move the veteran since he has requested to play in New York or Florida, but a friendly face in San Jose, Toronto or St. Louis might change his mind.

Brooks writes that Shero would prefer to move Kovalchuk anywhere but across the Hudson River to the Rangers and no matter what, the cost to trade him to the Rangers would have to be more than for the other teams. However, he points out that Kovalchuk has some power as well. Shero only has until July 1 to get the deal done or Kovalchuk could wait one year and come back and be an unrestricted free agent in 2018. If Kovalchuk wants to play for the Rangers, Shero may have no choice.

Brooks also adds that the Rangers could offer 25-year-old center Oscar Lindberg and 30-year-old defenseman Nick Holden to get a deal done if they want Kovalchuk. Lindberg could easily become a top-six forward in New Jersey, while Holden would help aid a poor Devils’ defense.

  • Brooks also writes in the same story that the Rangers are getting a lot of interest in backup goaltender Antti Raanta. While the Rangers could easily trade him, the fear is that they would then lose a quality forward to the Las Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft. They have made it clear they don’t want to lose Lindberg (unless they were getting Kovalchuk back), Jesper Fast or Michael Grabner. Fast, 25, showed a lot of promise in the playoffs, scoring three goals and three assists in 12 playoff games. Grabner, 29, is coming off a 27-goal season this year. So unless, the team is overwhelmed with an offer, the Rangers may just allow Raanta to go to Las Vegas.
  • Brooks also writes that Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist will be rehabbing for four to six weeks due to an isolated MCL tear he got early in the IIHF World Championships. He is not expected to miss training camp, however. Lundqvist was the goaltender for Team Sweden who went on to win the championships.

Oilers Likely To Wait To Trade Eberle Until After Expansion Draft

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Edmonton Oilers’ forward Jordan Eberle’s name seems to come up in trade talks quite often. He recently appeared at No. 6 on TSN’s first edition of “Trade Bait,” and the belief is that moving the 20-goal scorer this season makes the most sense as the Oilers must free up cap space to eventually lock up both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to extensions. The hope is they can use Eberle to acquire a top-four defenseman the team needs. Several key defensemen are on TSN’s list, including Anaheim’s Sami Vatanen, Minnesota’s Jonas Brodin and Mathew Dumba, and New York Islanders’ Travis Hamonic – all right-handed defenseman, exactly what the Oilers need.

However, while Edmonton Journal’s David Staples believes that while moving Eberle will be inevitable, trading him before the expansion draft is a big mistake. If the team trades Eberle for a defender, that would force Edmonton to switch from a 7-3-1 protection scheme to a 4-4-1 scheme, meaning the Oilers would have to sacrifice one extra forward to the Las Vegas Golden Knights. The Oilers then would be only be able to protect Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Draisaitl, Milan Lucic and Patrick Maroon (McDavid is exempt). The team would then have to protect four defensemen, including the new acquisition, Andrej Sekera, Oscar Klefbom and Adam Larsson.

That would likely expose veteran enforcer Zack Kassian to the Golden Knights, something that they wouldn’t have done in a 7-3-1 scheme. Kassian was critical to the team in the playoffs as he stood up for his teammates and protected the likes of McDavid and Draisaitl. Staples believes that general manager Peter Chiarelli would prefer to keep him as he’s playing the best hockey of his career. A loss at wing of Kassian and Eberle might also force Draisaitl to stay at the wing, rather than move to center like the Oilers want.

So even though there may be quite a few defensemen available over the next two weeks, there are few scenarios in which trading Eberle for one makes any sense until after the expansion draft. Staples even hints that Las Vegas is likely to be overloaded in defenders after the expansion draft and looking there for a top-six defenseman would make more sense, although that does not solve the problem of unloading Eberle’s $6MM contract.

Injury Update: Bonino, Colin Wilson Out

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Nick Bonino could be facing a longer-term injury, as he has been spotted donning a suit, opting out of normal pre-game activities according to Dan Rosen of NHL.com. He has been utilizing a walking boot on his left foot and needs crutches to remain mobile. His position as 3rd line center will most likely be filled by the winger/center hybrid Carter Rowney, while the greybeard Matt Cullen will shift to center the 4th. Carl Hagelin found his way into the lineup as the replacement 12th forward at the last minute, in favor of the speedy Josh Archibald. Hagelin has a lot to prove to management following a down year. GM Jim Rutherford may be looking to shed a bit of salary this summer, as RFAs Brian Dumoulin and Conor Sheary will be looking for hefty raises.

Bonino has displayed his talents this post-season most obviously on the penalty kill. Although his even-strength production has picked up, especially in a game against where he centered Bryan Rust and the aforementioned Rowney, his shot-blocking prowess has been universally lauded. The forward has 4 goals and 3 assists through 21 playoff games after an up-and-down regular season performance where he posted 37 points. His 99 blocks during the season led all forwards, and his 15 this post-season have been instrumental in series where the Penguins have been drastically outshot.

As mentioned yesterday, this issue could affect Bonino’s future with the organization, as he was already facing an uncertain summer. The team will need to rely on the rest of the forward corps to up their defensive play if they hope to replace his presence tonight.

  • Colin Wilson doesn’t look as though he will be fit to play this evening, according to Tomas Willis. Vernon Fiddler also remains sidelined, while Cody McLeod is expected to be a scratch. P.A. Parenteau and Harry Zolniercyzk look to take their forward spots in the lineup. Parenteau had a decent season before being traded from New Jersey, but only potted one assist in 8 games in Nashville. Zolniercyzk, himself an ex-Penguin, is a feisty physical presence who will be inserted to provide energy. Although Wilson has regressed offensively the last two seasons, he was a pivotal player for the Predators early in this playoff run, potting 4 points in 12 games on an offense that has performed largely by committee. His solid defensive play will also be need to be recouped, as his 53.1 Corsi For % was one of the team’s best during the season.
  • Pekka Rinne finds the net this evening, despite his poor play in Games 1 and 2. Juuse Saros will not see his first start as head coach Peter Laviolette has chosen to place his confidence in the veteran tender. Rinne has posted a .778 save percentage in the Finals thus far, but will hope to turn it around in front of the home crowd.

Shane Doan Era Nearing Conclusion

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Although it’s certainly not the biggest issue Arizona management will face this off-season, it could well be the end of an era for the team. Shane Doan has captained the franchise for the last 14 years, but has seen the team reach the franchise reach the conference finals only once. Doan is the rare example of a player who is far more than the sum of his point totals and stat-lines. He’s never broken 80 points, and only hit 30 goals once, but has been a consistent presence – potting a very respectable 972 career points in 1540 career games. This last season, he saw a momentous drop in production, from 28 goals and 47 points in 2015-16 to 6 goals and 27 points this past year. His best years are most certainly behind him, with  his impact on the ice being negligible. Yet, his leadership ability on a young Coyotes squad could be near impossible to replace.

At 40 years old, Doan is the last surviving original Winnipeg Jet. He was an unlikely candidate to outlast his teammates that season. Although he was the youngest player on the team, he was outperformed by fellow rookie Deron Quint and finished a measley 17th in team scoring. He had a strong playoff and found himself shuttled to the deserts of Arizona, where he eventually became captain in 2003-04. The Coyotes have missed the playoffs 11 times under his leadership. And yet with all the difficulties Phoenix/Arizona faced, Doan was the constant face of re-assurance for a worried fanbased, and a consistent performer on an inconsistent squad. His play always remained the same, whether the team was at the bubble of making the playoffs, or 30 points out. His tenacity has been revered around the league, and his on-the-edge play even resulted in a few league suspensions when he crossed the line.

Doan has been pivotal to a team that yet again deeply entrenched in the re-building phase. At 40 years old, it seems unlikely that Doan will return for another season. The Coyotes will be expected by most around the league to finish short of the 8th spot yet again. But the younger players on the team, such as Anthony Duclair, Lawson Crouse, Max Domi, Dylan Strome, Clayton Keller, and Jakob Chychrun, would suffer greatly in their development from his absence. In an off-season where the team is quite likely to also lose 35 year-old Radim Vrbata, there will be a serious vacuum of veteran voices in the Arizona locker room.

Doan would probably see a pay cut from his last paycheck of $3.87 MM per year if he wanted to spend another year in the desert. If he does not don the maroon again, the captaincy and his position as a physical winger will need to be replaced. There are other veteran forwards available for the taking, such as Patrick Eaves and Thomas Vanek, but both players will likely be looking for longer-term deals. Regardless of whether Doan returns or not, his mark on the Coyote franchise will not soon be forgotten, and his influence on the organizational mindset will be felt for years.

Rangers Ready To Make Major Moves On Defense

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The New York Rangers biggest need might just be acquiring a top defenseman and the Rangers are going to give a long, hard look at Washington Capitals’ blueliner Kevin Shattenkirk. The 28-year old veteran is coming off his best offensive season yet, scoring 13 goals and 43 assists for 56 points for the Capitals and Blues combined. Pro Hockey Rumors reporter Gavin Lee recently said in his PHR Chat on Thursday that he believes that Shattenkirk will end up with the Rangers.

The Rangers need a new presence on defense. They especially need a top-four defenseman who they can pair up with captain Ryan McDonough. Veteran Dan Girardi has struggled mightily of late and at age 33, isn’t likely to have a comeback year. Girardi is more likely to find himself taking a reduced role next season, which means they must acquire a top blueliner. Enter Shattenkirk, who immediately would help the Blueshirt’s power play as the veteran is second only to Ottawa’s Erik Karlsson in power play points by a defenseman.

The only question is can they afford the defenseman? Sean Hartnett of CBS New York writes that he believes that Shattenkirk will cost the team a seven-year deal of at least 6.5MM annually. The team would have trouble fitting that type of contract under their salary cap unless they looked into relieving themselves of a bloated contract, such as Girardi. The defenseman has been with the Rangers for 12 years, but has struggled lately, especially showing his shortcomings in the playoffs against the Ottawa Senators as he showed he could not keep up with their speedy forwards. His four goals and 11 assists was one of his worst seasons yet on offense. Hartnett suggests the team may look into a buyout of Girardi to free up enough money to make a run at Shattenkirk. Unfortunatey, Girardi has three years left at 5.5MM each year. However, if New York wanted to buy out Girardi, they could spread his salary out over the next six years.

The scribe also suggested the team could consider buying out 30-year-old Marc Staal instead, who could have his contract spread out over eight years as he has four years left at $5.7MM. Staal also struggled at the blueline this year and only was able to put up 10 points this season. One final suggestion to fix their aging defensive corps would be to try and trade for Winnipeg’s Jacob Trouba, but that would require a large and impressive package of talent they would have to return, so Shattenkirk might make for a better fit in New York. Either way, it looks like the Rangers will have to do something to fix up that defense.

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