Off-Season Retirement Watch List
Although the Stanley Cup playoffs are in full swing with four excellent match-ups in the second round, as teams have been eliminated – and continue to be eliminated – from contention, players begin to make decisions about their futures. Knowing that they were not playoff-bound, Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin announced their departure from the Vancouver Canucks and pro hockey before the end of the season. Former teammate Radim Vrbata made the same decision days later. The Blackhawks’ Patrick Sharp announced that he was moving on, after a return to Chicago didn’t go as planned. Then, Anaheim Ducks defenseman Francois Beauchemin then got the off-season retirement party started last week, officially calling it a career. Meanwhile, for the third straight summer, Matt Cullen will be contemplating his hockey mortality. Who could be next?
Jaromir Jagr and Jarome Iginla: Let’s start with the easy ones – a Calgary Flames legend and a legend whose career likely ended with the Calgary Flames. Jagr and Iginla were both pushing hard for a final chance at the NHL last summer and both players continued their searches into the regular season. Jagr finally landed a deal with the Flames in October, but health issues and a lack of productions made for a poor tenure in Calgary. Jagr recorded just seven points in 22 games before heading back to his native Czech Republic in January. Iginla opted to undergo surgery in the fall, but was back skating in February and hoping to sign on with a team for the stretch run and postseason. However, no such offer came. These two have been a couple of the biggest names in hockey since the 1990’s and are surefire Hall of Famers, but there is little doubt that their NHL playing days are behind them. Expect official announcements this summer.
Brian Gionta: Gionta is in a similar spot. Unable to find a contract last off-season, Gionta worked out and skated with the AHL’s Rochester Americans ahead of his appearance with Team USA at Winter Olympics. It was a less-than-spectacular showing by the veteran, but he still managed to turn it into a late-season contract with the Boston Bruins. Gionta posted seven points in 20 games with the Bruins in the final months of the regular season, but has yet to see any playoff action, despite ample opportunity given injuries to multiple Boston players heading into and during Round One. Gionta’s play with the Bruins has not exactly harked back to his prime, but nevertheless has shown effort and intelligence. He may have earned another look next season, but it’s more likely than not that this current run with Boston will be the curtain call for Gionta.
Chris Kelly: Kelly also played at the Winter Games and signed on late like Gionta. However, both he and his team have not had similar success. Kelly saw just 12 games with the Anaheim Ducks after signing in February and only contributed two points to show for it. The Ducks were then swept out of the playoffs without Kelly having any say in the matter as a healthy scratch all season. Kelly surprised a lot of people when he played in all 82 games with the Ottawa Senators last season, but this short campaign has shown that the years of dependable play have caught up with him.
Mike Fisher: Will Fisher re-retire? Almost surely. No one can blame Fisher for not wanting to miss out on a possible Cup run by the Nashville Predators one season after coming so close, but Fisher’s presence on the team thus far has been more about leadership and morale than on-ice impact. Fisher had just four points in 16 games down the stretch while averaging just over twelve minutes of ice time and thus far in the postseason has been held scoreless in seven games while seeing barely eleven minutes of time. Fisher’s days as a legitimate player seem to clearly be over, but he could still make a difference for Nashville in these playoffs with the right opportunity.
Dominic Moore: There may be no other player in the game today who has thrived by being a hired gun like Moore. Throughout his career, the veteran center has been able to join a new team, adjust, and play a critical support role. So, when that pattern fell apart this year with the Toronto Maple Leafs, it signaled the coming end to Moore’s career. Moore was common scratch for the Leafs and averaged only about ten minutes of ice time per night, but with twelve points in 50 games, he also didn’t make the most of his opportunities. If any player in the league can adapt to being 38-years-old and coming off a down season by finding the perfect fit for another go-round, it’s Moore, but don’t be surprised if he calls it quits instead.
Joel Ward: There’s no doubt that Ward would like to keep playing. A hard-nosed player and a consummate pro, Ward has been a reliable piece to every team he has been on. However, there is no looking past what by all accounts was the worst season of his career in 2017-18. Just twelve points in 52 games and less than twelve minutes of ice time per game shows just how small a role he played for the San Jose Sharks this year and that’s not even including the fact that the Sharks tried to trade him at the deadline and have yet to play him in the postseason. Ward’s time in San Jose is undeniably over, but that doesn’t mean another team can’t take a one-year flier on him. At this point, it seems unlikely though.
Dennis Seidenberg and Johnny Oduya: What else do these two 36-year-old, left-shot, physical defenders have in common? Their time has come. Seidenberg’s resurgence with the New York Islander was a great story last season, but he came back to earth in this campaign and was limited by injuries and inability to just 28 games and five points. Oduya has had back-to-back disappointing seasons like that, recording only 17 points in 104 games with four different teams across the past two seasons. Dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers at the deadline, Oduya did nothing, skating in just one regular season game and zero postseason games. Both of these men have been admirable NHLers, but it’s hard to see either continuing to play.
On the bubble: Jason Chimera, Antoine Vermette, and Kevin Bieksa, Anaheim Ducks; Josh Gorges, Buffalo Sabres; Matt Stajan, Calgary Flames; Lee Stempniak, Carolina Hurricanes; Ales Hemsky, Montreal Canadiens; Scottie Upshall, St. Louis Blues; Jussi Jokinen, Vancouver Canucks.
Snapshots: Johnson, Dubinsky, Blackhawks, Pettersson, Mittelstadt
Two long-time veterans seem to be on the outside looking in this offseason as the Columbus Blue Jackets as both defenseman Jack Johnson and center Brandon Dubinsky struggled last season and saw little to no playing time in the playoff. Johnson didn’t play in any of the Blue Jackets playoff games against Washington, even though they lost four in a row. Dubinsky ranked 10th among forwards in average ice time and only played 4:09 in the final playoff game.
While the team is highly unlikely to bring back Johnson as he is an unrestricted free agent and Columbus is overloaded in solid blueliners, Dubinsky is another situation, according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription required). The 32-year-old still has three years remaining on the six-year deal he signed in 2014 at $5.85MM AAV. He is the third-highest paid player on the team behind goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and winger Artemi Panerin. Portzline writes that with his drop in production this year (16 points compared to 41 in 2016-17), the veteran has no trade value and a buyout at this stage isn’t worth it. That means the team is stuck with him and only a renewed effort by Dubinsky could regain him his old role.
- The Athletic’s Scott Powers (subscription required) writes the Chicago Blackhawks, who will pick eighth overall in the 2018 NHL Draft, the highest they’ve drafted since they chose Patrick Kane with the first overall pick in 2007, might be looking for the most NHL ready player when they pick. “You never know,” head coach Joel Quenneville said after the season ended. “You can’t discount that. They say that there’s a lot of good players in this year’s draft. Getting a player at the number is going to be a good opportunity for our scouts, there’s some excitement in that area.”
- Previously rumored, but Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that Vancouver Canucks prospect Elias Pettersson and backup goaltender Anders Nilsson have each made the preliminary roster for Sweden for the World Championships this summer in Denmark. Pettersson, the team’s first-round pick in 2017, who had the best season ever for a 18-year-old rookie in the SHL, is expected to compete for a roster spot with the Canucks in training camp.
- There were a few surprises Saturday when the U.S. released their preliminary roster for the World Championships this summer when Buffalo Sabres’ Casey Mittelstadt wasn’t on the roster. The Buffalo News’ John Vogl reports that Mittelstadt didn’t make the roster due to the fact that he’s battling a groin injury, although general manager Jason Botterill said it wasn’t serious. “It’s a groin, but it shouldn’t be anything more than a couple weeks,” Botterill said. “But obviously with the tournament starting next week, it just didn’t make any sense for him to go over there.”
Draft Lottery Can Change Many Franchises’ Futures
A lottery it really is this year.
While the NHL draft lottery always garners quite a bit of attention, some years are just a bit different if the top pick is a game-changer, whether you’re talking about Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews or this year’s No. 1 option. With prospect Rasmus Dahlin listed as the consensus top pick this year, and described by many as having no weaknesses, he is considered to be one of the top defensive prospects to enter the league in possible decades. The 18-year-old defenseman out of Sweden should immediately change the state of any franchise that wins tonight.
With the lottery just hours away, how will each club look if they were to get lucky and win it?
Buffalo Sabres (18.5%) — The Sabres franchise would get a huge boost with the addition of Dahlin plus some badly needed luck that they seem to never have. Already boasting one of the worst defenses in the league and sudden talk that the team shouldn’t consider Rasmus Ristolainen a No. 1 defenseman, the team and general manager Jason Botterrill’s job would get much easier if they can win the lottery.
Ottawa Senators (13.5%) — Winning the lottery should make their tough decision easier as they traded away their top pick in the Matt Duchene trade, which is, fortunately for them, top-three protected. Winning the lottery is a no-brainer as they would take Dahlin who could either join star defenseman Erik Karlsson or allow the team to trade the veteran, knowing they already have his replacement. However, the real issue is they end up in the top three, do they keep the pick or send it to Colorado to avoid giving Colorado an unprotected first-rounder in 2019.
Arizona Coyotes (11.5%) — Despite having the third-worst record in the league this year, the Coyotes seem to be heading in the right direction as they went 19-12-4 in their final 35 games of the season as many of the team’s young players had started to figure things out. What better way to improve on that then to add Dahlin, who could convince fellow countryman Oliver Ekman-Larsson to stay on with the team for many years to come.
Montreal Canadiens (9.5%) — With the injury struggles of aging defenseman Shea Weber and little else defensive help nearby, the team could use the infusion of a franchise-changing defenseman joining the team. With Weber and goaltender Carey Price on huge contracts, a cheap franchise player could move the team in the right direction.
Detroit Red Wings (8.5%) — What better way to finally start the rebuild, then by adding a young, talented defender to join the team. With few defensive prospects on the horizon, the team’s suspect defense could get a huge boost with Dahlin. With the return of Mike Green unknown, and a group of aging veterans, the team needs someone to take over as the face of the franchise.
Vancouver Canucks (7.5%) — The Canucks rebuild is looking better and better with players like Adam Gaudette, Elias Pettersson, Jonathan Dahlen and defenseman Olli Juolevi about to arrive. Throw in Brock Boeser, Bo Horvat and a number of other prospects on the way, Dahlin would only quicken this team’s rise of young players. On top of that, the team is loaded with defensive-minded blueliners and could use an offensive power-play quarterback.
Chicago Blackhawks (6.5%) — While a lottery victory by the Blackhawks might infuriate the rest of the league, the Blackhawks do need to bolster their defensive depth and Dahlin could easily vault a struggling team back into the playoffs as he could take a lot of pressure off veterans Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook.
New York Rangers (6%) — Just started a rebuild and they walk away with a generational talent? While many people believe the Rangers intend to have a quick rebuild and compete for a playoff spot within the next year or two, having Dahlin on the roster would only jettison the team to that goal quicker and putting him alongside Brady Skjei and Neal Pionk along with veteran Kevin Shattenkirk would help stabilize their blueline.
New York Islanders (6% total with 3.5% from their pick and Calgary’s 2.5%) — Perhaps winning the lottery would be enough to convince John Tavares to stay. Regardless, adding Dahlin to their defensive woes would only stabilize a team that has the offense to reach the playoffs. He could be a cornerstone the franchise hasn’t had there since Denis Potvin. Add in the fact that the Islanders also have the Calgary Flames’ pick, the team has a better chance to winning the lottery than quite a few teams.
Edmonton Oilers (5%) — Angry fans might protest Edmonton walking away as another lottery winner, but adding Dahlin to, again, a failing defense would allow a team that already has McDavid and Leon Draisaitl should bounce back to where they left off one year ago. Dahlin would provide the team with the No. 1 defenseman that they currently lack
Carolina Hurricanes (3%) — As the percentage begin to really drop, Carolina would only get richer as the team is already loaded in quality young defensemen and would allow the team to move other defenseman like Justin Faulk and acquire more scoring, which the team badly needs.
Dallas Stars (2%) — The addition of Dahlin along with last year’s third overall pick in Finnish defenseman Miro Heiskanen would make for a deadly combo and that’s not including John Klingberg.
Philadelphia Flyers (1.5% from St. Louis Blues) — Adding Dahlin could put Philadelphia at the same level with Pittsburgh, Washington and Tampa Bay.
Florida Panthers (1%) — The hottest team that didn’t make the playoffs would get a much needed boost if they could hit that 1/100 chance.
Vancouver Canucks Will Not Re-Sign Jussi Jokinen
According to Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130, the Vancouver Canucks have informed Jussi Jokinen‘s agent that they will not be offering the pending free agent another contract. Jokinen is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after being acquired by the Canucks as part of the Thomas Vanek deal earlier this year.
Unfortunately, it may be the end for Jokinen after playing on four different clubs last season. Though he did find some success at the end with Vancouver, he failed to accumulate 20 points for the first time in his career and couldn’t contribute in many of the ways he was known for in his youth. Now 35, Jokinen was once one of the more versatile forwards in the league, able to play all three positions and hit the ice on both special teams. Responsible in his own end and dangerous at the other, Jokinen was also a good playoff performer with 32 points in 54 games.
As for the Canucks’ other pending unrestricted free agents, Dhaliwal reports that they have not spoken to Nic Dowd yet and have told Darren Archibald he’ll have to wait until they deal with some of their restricted free agents. The Canucks have some big decisions to make with RFAs like Troy Stecher, Sven Baertschi, Jake Virtanen and Derrick Pouliot.
International Notes: Koskinen, Yakovlev, Lyubushkin, Yelesin
In the always enlightening 31 Thoughts column by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, he touches on several international players that are on the radar for NHL teams. Starting with goaltender Mikko Koskinen, who he reports recently agreed to a deal with Edmonton, Friedman has also heard—but can’t confirm one way or the other—the $2.5MM/year rumor that has been floating around.
Though nothing has been announced by the team, a deal of that magnitude for the 29-year old goaltender would likely mean the team has plans for him at the NHL level, perhaps as part of a tandem with Cam Talbot next season.
- The Vancouver Canucks could sign Par Lindholm according to Friedman, or at least have the best shot at this point. The 26-year old Swedish center competed at the Olympics this year and was one of the SHL’s most dangerous offensive weapons. With 47 points in 49 games he ranked fourth in league scoring.
- Friedman reports that Yegor Yakovlev is expected to sign with the New Jersey Devils, after another good season with SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL. The 26-year old defenseman played at the Olympics as well, and is heading to the World Championships for Russia.
- Ilya Lyubushkin (24) and Alexander Yelesin (22), two young Russian defensemen are also expected to sign, though Friedman only sources overseas reports that say the former is headed to Arizona. We’ll have to wait to see where exactly they end up.
- Bogdan Kiselevich is also still on NHL radar, with Friedman reporting that “several teams continue to chase” him. Kiselevich, 28, has been playing in the KHL for years and was even selected in the CHL import draft way back in 2008. He was an alternate captain for CSKA Moscow this season, but becomes a free agent in a few days.
Snapshots: Penguins, Wild, Candella
The Pittsburgh Penguins will face the Washington Capitals in round two once again, but will open the series without two key forwards. Evgeni Malkin and Carl Hagelin have both already been ruled out for game 1, with the latter not even making the trip to Washington with the team.
This is the exact reason that the Penguins went out and added players like Derick Brassard and Riley Sheahan during the year, strengthening their squad down the middle for inevitable playoff injuries. Malkin’s absence is especially lucky for the Capitals, who he has dominated throughout his career. In 40 regular season games against Washington Malkin has 18 goals and 57 points, and has registered 19 points in 20 career playoff games between the two.
- The Minnesota Wild are looking for a new GM, but it’s not one to start a rebuild. With that in mind, Chad Graff of The Athletic (subscription required) examined the potential candidates for the job, even naming a favorite in Paul Fenton. The Nashville Predators assistant GM has been linked to several head jobs over the last few years, and according to Graff even interviewed for the Minnesota job before Fletcher was originally hired.
- The Vancouver Canucks will likely not sign Cole Candella to an entry-level contract according to Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130. The 20-year old defenseman was selected in the fifth round two years ago, but could end up re-entering the draft should he go unsigned by June 1st. Though he led the Sudbury Wolves blue line in scoring this season with 33 points, he’ll have to look for his next opportunity elsewhere.
Benning: Canucks Still Determining Their Assistants For Next Season
- Given his track record of working with younger players, Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma suggests that recently-fired coach Glen Gulutzan could be a fit once again in Vancouver. He had worked with the Canucks for three years as an assistant before taking the head coaching job with Calgary. GM Jim Benning stated that the team is still figuring out the plan for their assistants heading into 2018-19 but if they want to bring Gulutzan back in his old role, they may have to move quickly as Kuzma reports that two other rebuilding teams have already reached out to him to gauge his interest in a similar spot to work with their young players.
Michael DiPietro Gets Invitation To Join Team Canada
The IIHF World Championships is set to begin May 4th in Denmark, and there have already been plenty of players announced to the Team Canada roster. Add one more name to the goaltending group, as Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 in Vancouver is reporting that Canucks’ draft pick Michael DiPietro has received an invitation. Dhaliwal expects DiPietro to be the third goaltender, but it is still a huge honor for the 18-year old.
Amazingly, DiPietro was cut from the Canadian World Junior squad earlier this season but will now represent the country on an even bigger stage. Carter Hart, the starter for that World Junior team is still in the WHL playoffs with the Everett Silvertips.
DiPietro was the third goaltender off the board last June, selected at the beginning of the third round. He went back to the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL and had another solid season, turning up his performance in the playoffs. Though the Spitfires were eliminated early, it wasn’t their goaltending that lost the series. DiPietro put up a .934 save percentage, stopping 226 shots in six games.
Inviting an unsigned draft pick—DiPietro still has not signed with the Canucks—to join the World Championship team is a lesson Canada may have learned from USA Hockey, who brought along Cal Petersen last year to experience the tournament as a third goaltender.
Reid Boucher Clears Waivers, Assigned To AHL
Reid Boucher was placed on waivers yesterday by the Vancouver Canucks, after he recovered from a broken hand that robbed him of the last few games of the season. Boucher has cleared, and will be assigned to the Utica Comets to help them try and dig their way out of a 0-2 series deficit against the Toronto Marlies.
Boucher was a point-per-game player once again in the minor leagues, registering 46 points in 45 games for the Comets this season. Signed to a one-way deal last summer, he only played 20 games for the Canucks after spending the 2016-17 season bouncing around the league.
Still only scheduled to be a restricted free agent, it will be interesting to see what kind of offer the Canucks extend to Boucher. Through 132 NHL games he has amassed just 42 points, but has solid offensive talent that shows when given the opportunity. He’ll be 25 next season, and needs to prove he belongs on an NHL roster full-time.
Canucks Could Entertain Trading Sven Baertschi
In general, it’s a bad idea for rebuilding teams to trade away promising young talent. While the Vancouver Canucks have defied the logic of a rebuild on several occasions, that rule applies to them as well. However, Jason Botchford of The Province makes a convincing case for one exception: Sven Baertschi.
Baertschi, 25, is a highly-skilled winger for the Canucks who has always carried a ton of potential since being selected 13th overall by the Calgary Flames in 2011. When on the ice, Baertschi shows flashes of brilliance that reminds fans of why he was selected so high. Yet, as Botchford points out, Baertschi has struggled to stay on the ice in his young career. In Calgary, it was inconsistency that kept him out of the lineup, but in Vancouver, it has instead been injury, which is even more concerning. Baertschi played in just 53 games this season and was shut down in early March with a separated shoulder. It was the third straight season in which Baerschi missed significant time and has still yet to crack 70 games in a campaign. Availability is one of the most important abilities a player can have and thus far Baertschi has failed in this department.
That alone is not enough to trade away a young player either, though. If Baertschi had played in 82 games in each of the past two seasons, he would have likely exceeded 20 goals and 45 points in both. If sold for pennies on the dollar, the often goal-hungry Canucks could live to regret a deal if Baertschi was to stay healthy and be a consistent 40-50 point player. However, Botchford also recognizes that Vancouver has ample depth in young player that they can afford to trade Baertschi if the right offer comes along. In particular, Botchford notes that Nikolay Goldobin has the makings of a very similar player to Baertschi and, beginning next season, is no long waiver-exempt and will require a full-time role. With players such as veterans Loui Eriksson, Sam Gagner, and Markus Granlund, Calder candidate Brock Boeser, young projects like Goldobin, Jake Virtanen, and Brendan Leipsic, and incoming prospects Elias Pettersson and Jonah Gadjovich, there is plenty of competition for spots on the wing, even without Baertschi. This doesn’t even count additions in free agency or with one of the Canucks early draft picks, either. There’s a safety blanket to moving Baertschi in the Canucks’ depth of options.
Will a deal actually happen? Baertschi is a restricted free agent and Botchford points to comments from GM Jim Benning stating that the team is only interested in re-signing him to a one-year deal. That doesn’t invoke feeling of confidence in their long-term plans for him. Then, even if he does have a full, consistent season, he would be an unrestricted free agent capable of pricing himself out of Vancouver for now return. It certainly appears that the time is now for the Canucks to capitalize on Baertschi’s remaining upside and intrigue to acquire further (re)building blocks. There’s always risk associated with trading away young talent, but for a player who has been better in theory than in reality thus far in his pro career, Benning and company would be smart to the pull the trigger this summer if the right opportunity presents itself.