NCAA Notes: Lucia, Canucks, Lindgren
It’s the end of an era for the University of Minnesota, as head coach Don Lucia has stepped down after 19 years with the program. Those years included back-to-back National Championships in 2002 and 2003, and guiding a long pipeline of talent to professional hockey. Superstar talents like Blake Wheeler and Phil Kessel played under Lucia during their time at Minnesota, and most recently top prospect Casey Mittelstadt has taken huge strides under his guidance.
Though obviously the program will continue without Lucia, it is interesting to watch what Mittelstadt does this summer. The Buffalo Sabres have already reached out about potentially signing the 19-year old phenom, and the departure of the legendary coach could impact his decision. If Mittelstadt feels ready for professional hockey, perhaps this is the last straw that pushes him to sign his entry-level deal and join Jack Eichel in Buffalo next season. Either way, this will be a huge change for the Golden Gophers, who were the highest ranked team not to make it into the NCAA tournament this season.
- Another one of those changes could be in the form of Ryan Lindgren, who according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post is considering turning pro now that the Minnesota season is over. Lindgren was acquired by the New York Rangers as part of the Rick Nash trade earlier this year, but was always expected to return to Minnesota for another year. Perhaps the depature of Lucia has affected those plans, though Brooks is clear to point out that the defenseman is just weighing his options at this point. If the Rangers can coax Lindgren out of college, he would be another solid addition to a young prospect group that is quickly positioning New York for future success.
- The Vancouver Canucks have been mining the NCAA ranks for talent recently, and Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 reports they have their eyes on two more players. Brady Keeper from the University of Maine and Colton Poolman from the University of North Dakota are both expected to take part in Vancouver’s development camp this summer according to Dhaliwal. The defensemen are both undrafted and can still return to school if they can’t find a professional contract this offseason. The college ranks are giving more and more talent to the NHL every season, and players like Keeper and Poolman could be diamonds in the rough.
Prospect Notes: Draft Rankings, Stukel, Schneider
TSN’s Craig Button has released his updated 2018 draft rankings, and though Rasmus Dahlin remains at the top there are some other changes near the top of the board. Boston University’s Brady Tkachuk has climbed to number two in the ranking, while Evan Bouchard of the London Knights is all the way up to fifth. Tkachuk will try to keep BU alive in the National Championship race this weekend, while Bouchard will try to help London surprise the field in the OHL playoffs.
Some of the more interesting ranks on the list though fall at the bottom of the first round, where Ryan Merkley, Joe Veleno, Ryan McLeod and Benoit-Olivier Groulx all find themselves between 26-31. For four players all long ticketed for the first round, their falls have been somewhat surprising. Teams that are trying to compete for the Stanley Cup this year will hope Button is right, and snatch up talent like that with their late-round picks. In a draft that has vacillated between strong and week in the eyes of pundits, the first round should bring a lot of excitement.
- The Vancouver Canucks won’t be signing Will Lockwood this spring because he’s headed back to school, but that’s not the case for Jakob Stukel. He won’t be signed at all by the Canucks according to Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130, meaning he’ll become an unrestricted free agent on June 1st. Stukel was selected in the sixth round two years ago, but Vancouver has decided he’s not worth a pro contract at this point. The recently turned 21-year old led the Calgary Hitmen in scoring this season with 64 points but has a long road ahead of him if he’s to ever make the NHL. More likely he’ll sign some sort of minor league deal in an organization and try to prove that he’s worth an ELC down the road.
- Speaking of the Hitmen, goaltender Nick Schneider has been assigned to the Stockton Heat of the AHL now that his season is over. The Calgary Flames prospect signed his entry-level deal way back in 2015 after going undrafted, and actually has already played nine games for the Heat in the past. Now that his junior career is over, Schneider can join the impressive pipeline of talent that the Flames have amassed in goal, with players like Tyler Parsons, Mason McDonald and Jon Gillies already making their mark.
Will Lockwood To Stay In College For Another Year
The Vancouver Canucks were hoping to get a big boost out of the college ranks for next season, with players like Adam Gaudette and Will Lockwood looking ready to take the next step in their hockey careers. While they’ll have to wait on a final answer from Gaudette on whether he’ll turn pro after his NCAA tournament ends, Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 reports that Lockwood has already informed the team that he’s heading back to Michigan for another season.
Lockwood is still currently injured, and could feel like there is unfinished business in his collegiate career after playing in just 16 games this season. He injured his shoulder in the World Junior tournament and had to undergo surgery that essentially ended his season. Originally selected in the third round in 2016, Lockwood put up 20 points in 30 games as an 18-year old freshman last season and opened up some eyes on his long-term potential. Still undersized, he nevertheless plays with an aggressive and tenacious style in the offensive zone that can create offensive chances out of pure hard work.
The Canucks aren’t likely to compete for the Stanley Cup next season, as they enter a rebuild in the post-Sedin era (even if they do re-sign for another year, their impact has been greatly reduced). Leaving Lockwood in college another season won’t hurt his development, and he’ll still be just 20 years old when he finishes his junior season. While their focus is clearly on the Hobey Baker finalist in Gaudette, Lockwood won’t be far from their mind next season as he looks to rebound after the disappointing year.
Tavares Notes: Potential Suitors, Rangers, Deadline Moves, Snow
The worse the New York Islanders play as their recent struggles continue, the more NHL teams are salivating at the chance to steal away a star player, which is a rare thing, according to the Toronto Sun’s Steve Simmons. The last significant star free agent that signed with another club dates back to 2006 when the Boston Bruins signed Zdeno Chara away from the Ottawa Senators. However, usually franchise free agents sign with their former team like Steven Stamkos did back in 2016.
Simmons writes that the San Jose Sharks and the St. Louis Blues are the two teams that are thought to be at the top of the list of suitors for Tavares. He adds that several teams with cap space might also be interested in attempting to lure Tavares to their team as they lack that superstar player, including the Vegas Golden Knights, New Jersey Devils and the Vancouver Canucks. Other teams like Montreal, Detroit, Carolina and even Toronto might also attempt to make a stab at acquiring the 27-year-old center.
- It doesn’t look like the New York Rangers are expected to go after Tavares, according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post. With the Rangers rebuilding their franchise, it just doesn’t seem to make sense that Tavares would sign with them. Considering Tavares is fueled by team loyalty, it seems unlikely he would sign with the Rangers who could offer only seven years, while the Islanders can offer eight years and are much closer to reaching the playoffs.
- The lack of trade deadline moves might also count against the New York Islanders in their quest to re-sign Tavares, according to Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos. While saying that he would not move Tavares, Islanders’ general manager Garth Snow also said he would not make moves for rental players. In the end, the biggest acquisition the team made was trading a third-round pick for defenseman Brandon Davidson, who had been placed on waivers only months earlier. Now after seven losses since the deadline, Kypreos questions whether Snow’s moves were the right ones. Certainly bolstering the team for a playoff run might have shown Tavares how committed the team is to winning. Instead the losing could easily drive the soon-to-be free agent away. The team is sitting in last place in the Metropolitan Division, well out of range of a playoff spot. “It almost feels like this thing is snowballing away from the Islanders and Tavares,” said Kypreos.
- Arthur Staple of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that co-owners Scott Malkin and Jon Ledecky have some tough decisions to make in the next few weeks. The scribe writes that they chose to keep Snow last offseason because he and then-new head coach Doug Weight were close with Tavares. However, with fans calling for Snow’s head, ownership may want to make a change before Tavares hits free agency. Even if they don’t make an immediate move, Snow’s job may come down to whether Tavares stays or goes. “It’s out of my control,” Tavares said regarding Snow’s job status. “I’m here to play hockey, be the best player I can be for the Islanders. Those things are above my head. I just try to have the right attitude every day, not take this for granted, enjoy the group we have, the staff we have. Ever since I’ve been here I’ve been treated great, just tried to come out and give everything I can. We wish we’d have more success, but anything that happens, anything that has happened is out of my control.”
Injury Notes: Winnipeg Injuries, Tkachuk, Kuznetsov, Hutton, Kamenev
Despite just having lost defenseman Dmitry Kulikov to injury, the Winnipeg Jets look to be gaining several other names back. The team, which seems to have been hampered by multiple injuries over the past couple of months, could be getting three players back on Sunday.
JetsTV’s Jamie Thomas tweets that forwards Mark Scheifele and Adam Lowry along with defenseman Toby Enstrom are likely to play if they feel good tomorrow. Scheifele has missed five games due to an upper-body injury, while Lowry’s upper-body injury has prevented him from playing in a game since Feb. 1. Enstrom has missed eight of his last nine games with the Jets with what is believed to be a lower-body injury.
Thomas also mentions that the team’s goalie situation isn’t improving as quickly. Backup goaltender Steve Mason, who had his knee scoped earlier this week is still on a tw0 to three-week timeframe and is not likely to return until April. He has just played in 12 games so far this year due to multiple injuries. Michael Hutchinson, out with a concussion, is active and riding a stationary bike, but there is no timetable yet for his return.
- Sportsnet’s John Shannon tweets that Calgary Flames winger Matthew Tkachuk did not join the team for their two-game road trip to Las Vegas and Arizona Sunday and Monday. The 20-year-old had already missed the past two games and is not expected to be back until at least Wednesday. He has been out with a possible concussion he sustained Sunday against the New York Islanders.
- The Washington Capitals announced that center Evgeny Kuznetsov will be out Sunday with an upper-body injury and will be listed as day-to-day. He was injured in Friday’s game against the New York Islanders after being tripped by Thomas Hickey. The 25-year-old has been one of the key constants for the Capitals as he already has a career-high in goals scored with 21 and is closing on his career-high for points.
- The Vancouver Canucks will be without defenseman Ben Hutton Saturday as he will miss the game due to a foot infection, according to Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal. The third-year blueliner has played 59 games this season and averages 18:27 ATOI.
- The Colorado Avalanche have placed forward Vladislav Kamenev on injured reserve, according to CapFriendly, after he has spent the last three games playing for the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL. No word on if he re-injured his arm, which he broke back in November.
Devils’ Fitzgerald, Penguins’ Guerin Also Out Of Carolina GM Search
New Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon probably did not expect this process to be so hard. After Los Angles Kings Assistant GM Mike Futa joined Nashville Predators Assistant GM Paul Fenton in dropping out of the running to be the next Hurricanes GM early yesterday, two more names are off the list. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reached out to a potential candidate, New Jersey Devils Assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald, and found that he too had pulled out of the search. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun hears Pittsburgh Penguins Assistant GM Bill Guerin also declined to get involved in the process.
Fitzgerald, 49, had a long NHL career, lasting from 1988 to 2006, and then joined the Penguins front office in 2007. He has been the AGM of the Devils since 2015. The experienced hockey mind comes from a strong hockey bloodline and has two sons, Ryan and Casey, with NHL potential. There are many reasons why Fitzgerald would be a strong hire and he certainly seems to have a GM title in his future, but it won’t be with Carolina. Fitzgerald simply told Friedman “This is nothing against Tom Dundon. I am very happy in New Jersey and this is not the right time for me.” Guerin, 47, is in a similar boat. LeBrun states that he too felt the timing was wrong. Guerin himself was a successful NHLer for nearly 20 years and has been with the Penguins organization since 2009, having been promoted to AGM in 2014. Many see Guerin as the heir apparent to 69-year-old Pens GM Jim Rutherford.
These continued rejections have changed Dundon’s frame of mind for his hunt for Ron Francis‘ replacement. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports this morning that the team is “shifting gears” and will wait until the off-season to continue their search. LeBrun speculated that this may change the “timing is wrong” feeling from some of these candidates. However, of the three remaining names on the short list reported by Friedman, only one – Buffalo’s Steve Greeley – is currently employed by an NHL team other than Carolina, while the other two candidates are ‘Canes Assistant GM Mike Vellucci and former Canucks executive Laurence Gilman. More than anything, the pause could be Dundon re-thinking the whole situation. It certainly hasn’t been a smooth process so far for the NHL’s newest owner.
Erik Gudbranson To Undergo Shoulder Surgery
The Vancouver Canucks have announced that Erik Gudbranson is no longer on the active roster, as he is scheduled for shoulder surgery that will end his season. According to the release, Gudbranson first injured the shoulder on November 22nd, and though he has played since will now have surgery to ensure his long-term health.
This news comes just a month after the Canucks committed to Gudbranson for the next three seasons, signing him to a three-year, $12MM contract extension. The team obviously knew of his injury when going into negotiations, but deemed him valuable enough to keep around anyway. Gudbranson was a trade candidate at the deadline, but an injury like this could have scared off some teams and forced Canucks GM Jim Benning to either sign him to an extension or lose him for nothing on the open market.
Gudbranson is a divisive character in the hockey world, as his skills bring praise from a traditional hockey perspective and ire from the analytical side. Though he gives up possession of the puck regularly, he is generally thought of as tough to play against in his own end and a responsible defensive presence. He’ll finish the season with just five points in 52 games, but is a key penalty killer and ranks third on the team in hits.
While there is no indication how long Gudbranson will be out, having the surgery now likely gives him the best chance at opening the 2018-19 season at full health.
Top-10 Finalists Announced For 2018 Hobey Baker
The Hobey Baker Memorial Award is given to the most outstanding player in collegiate hockey, and has a long list of excellent NHL players among previous winners. Will Butcher, Jimmy Vesey, Jack Eichel and Johnny Gaudreau are the latest to take home the award, while others like Brendan Morrison, Paul Kariya and Chris Drury have been honored in the past.
Earlier this year, 67 players from the NCAA ranks were nominated for the award, and today that number has been reduced to just ten. These ten players will be narrowed to just three, a process that anyone can be a part of by participating in the fan vote. Votes will be added to the decision from a selection committee to produce three finalists, from which a winner will be crowned.
The top-10 finalists are as follows, with the NHL organization who owns their draft rights in parenthesis:
Henrik Borgstrom, University of Denver (Florida Panthers)
Ryan Donato, Harvard University (Boston Bruins)
Matthew Galajda, Cornell University
Adam Gaudette, Northeastern University (Vancouver Canucks)
Dylan McLaughlin, Canisius College
Cale Morris, University of Notre Dame
Colton Point, Colgate University (Dallas Stars)
Jimmy Schuldt, St. Cloud State University
Dylan Sikura, Northeastern University (Chicago Blackhawks)
C.J. Suess, Minnesota State University-Mankato (Winnipeg Jets)
Pacific Notes: Arizona Ownership, Klefbom, Pettersson, Gaudette, Hague
With the state of the franchise constantly in question, Arizona Coyotes chairman and governor Andrew Barroway is looking for potential partnerships for his ownership of the franchise and has spoken to several interested investors, according to Arizona Sports Craig Morgan.
While it’s too early to know what role or control the other investors would have over the Coyotes, Morgan writes that there is no timetable on when or if there will be a new ownership structure in Arizona. The idea of adding investors to its ownership group would be able to infuse the struggling franchise with more money, but it could also help the team to tackle bigger needs, such as building a new arena or even a new practice facility.
Ironically, Barroway has only been the team’s sole owner for less than a year. He bought out the previous ownership group, IceArizona, that bought the team back in 2013. He did say when he completed the buyout that he’d be open to adding investors.
- The Edmonton Oilers could find themselves looking hard to find a puck-moving defenseman this offseason in hopes of replacing Oscar Klefbom, who has been struggling after being their No. 1 guy a year ago during their playoff run. The Athletic’s Allan Mitchell (subscription required) writes that the Oilers must decide whether injuries have slowed Klefbom’s success or whether he isn’t the player they thought he was. The 24-year-old put up 12 goals and 36 points last year, but his numbers have dropped to just four goals and 19 points this season. Mitchell writes the team will look at several options to add to their defense, including potentially trading for Carolina’s Justin Faulk, Colorado’s Tyson Barrie and Boston’s Torey Krug. If Klefbom can regain his form from the 2016-17 season, he does have a affordable contract which will count $4.17MM per year until the 2022-23 season. However, if he continues to play like he did this season, Klefbom’s contract doesn’t look nearly as good.
- Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal spoke to Vancouver Canucks scout Lars Lindgren about the impressive play of the team’s 2017 first-round pick Elias Pettersson, who won the SHL scoring title Saturday. A rookie in the SHL, the 19-year-old put up 24 goals and 56 points this season, but the question is when will he be ready to join Vancouver? “Tough question, impossible to say,” Lindgren said. “When you look at him he still needs to build power but he is such a smart, smart player. Hopefully he becomes a franchise player. He does not collect all his points on the power play and his plus minus is great and that is a very good sign for me. He has a little Nicklas Backstrom in him and I like that. It is a big summer for him to get to the next level.”
- Another top Canucks prospect, center Adam Gaudette, broke the 30-goal barrier this year with Northeastern University, according to Dhaliwal. He is just the seventh player in the NCAA to reach the 30-goal plateau since 2012-13. Vancouver hopes to convince the college junior to sign with the team after his season is over. The former fifth-round pick in 2015 has put up 68 goals in three seasons with the Huskies.
- Vegas Golden Knights defensive prospect Nicholas Hague has been making a name for himself, according to David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The 2017 second-round pick broke the 30-goal mark last month with his OHL team, the Mississauga Steelheads, and became the first OHL defenseman since 2000 to reach that plateau. Already signed to an entry-level deal back in September, the 6-foot-6, 215 pound defender is another significant asset for the Golden Knights.
Snapshots: Emergency Goalie, Lundqvist, Pettersson, College Free Agents
The Winnipeg Jets may have called up Michael Hutchinson on paper, but they weren’t actually able to get him on the roster in time for their game tonight against the New Jersey Devils. According to the team, Hutchison’s flight into New York was delayed and he was unable to arrive to the game in time. As a result, the Jets were forced to sign an emergency backup to a tryout deal. The man behind Connor Hellebuyck tonight will be Zane Kalemba, a New Jersey native and a friend of Winnipeg captain Blake Wheeler. Kalemba played junior hockey with Wheeler for the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers and went on to star for Princeton University. Kalemba only retired from hockey in 2016, having spent time in the ECHL, CHL, and several European leagues. An experienced keeper who, most importantly, was nearby, will have to do for the Jets tonight.
- A goalie in the tri-state area with a little more experience than Kalemba is New York Rangers superstar Henrik Lundqvist. In fact, when Lundqvist takes the ice tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning, he will tie former Tampa goalie Nikolai Khabibulin for the most NHL starts by a foreign-born goalie. The Rangers report that Lundqvist’s appearance, his 799th, is enough to share the top mark. When the Swedish keeper makes his next start, which could be as early as Saturday, he will not only reach a benchmark 800th appearance, but will also become the most experienced foreign keeper in NHL history.
- Another Swede setting records is Vancouver Canucks prospect Elias Pettersson. Pettersson, who was selected fifth overall last year by Vancouver, has been playing in the top Swedish pro league, the SHL, this season. After a four-point outburst today, the Canucks pointed out that Pettersson’s 55 points on the year set a new record for the most points by a player under 20 in SHL history. The Vaxjo Lakers forward snapped a 42-year-old record while also taking over the league scoring lead. That’s not too shabby for a young player who looks to be an absolute stud-in-the-making for the Canucks.
- Some other young players looking to make an impact in the pros is the 2018 crop of college free agents. While Zach Whitecloud‘s deal with Vegas today was the first NHL deal so far, a few other NCAA prospects have already hooked up with AHL teams for contracts and tryout agreements for the remainder of the season and could earn big-league deals if they impress. These transactions include Whitecloud’s Bemidji State teammate Kyle Bauman joining the Ontario Reign (LAK), the San Jose Barracuda (SJS) inking Alaska-Fairbanks’ Zach Frye, Yale’s Ryan Hitchcock going nearby to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (NYI), the Chicago Wolves (VGK) adding Wisconsin’s Ryan Wagner, and both Derian Plouffe of Niagara and Josh Kestner of Alabama-Huntsville signing with the Toronto Marlies (TOR).