Los Angeles Kings Acquire Jordan Subban
In the middle of the night, the Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks swung a trade to address their various needs. The Kings traded forward Nic Dowd to the Canucks in exchange for defense prospect Jordan Subban. The deal is one-for-one, without any salary retention or draft picks headed in either direction.
Subban, 22, is the youngest brother of Nashville Predators defenseman P.K. Subban and Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Malcolm Subban. Drafted in the fourth round in 2013, the junior Subban has yet to make his NHL debut and has struggled to find much defensive consistency in the minor leagues. A talented offensive player, he doesn’t have the same size as his brothers and struggles at times in his own end.
Still, there is upside left in the right-handed defenseman. Young enough that there is still time to mature his game and make an impact at the NHL level, he’s a worthwhile lottery ticket for a Kings organization known for developing late-round picks.
Dowd, 27, will give the Canucks some help at center while Bo Horvat and Brandon Sutter deal with injury. Dowd recorded 22 points as a rookie last season, but has just a single assist on the year through 16 games and hasn’t shown much more than being a big body for the Kings. Los Angeles has dealt with their own center depth issues, but apparently felt it was worth it to acquire the young Subban.
Interestingly, Subban will be a restricted free agent this summer as he comes out of his entry-level deal, while Dowd will hit the open market as a UFA. While he could obviously re-sign with the Canucks, this is a bit of a “win-now” move in order to keep their heads above water after learning of Horvat’s injury. Though Subban is far from a sure thing, it’s not often that teams give up on 22-year old defensemen to secure a depth forward.
The early success of the Canucks may have changed their minds slightly over this season, pulling their focus from a rebuild. Though they moved rental pieces last trade deadline to add prospect depth, they’ve now done the opposite in 2017-18.
Penguins Shifting Focus On Defense
Just last week, the Pittsburgh Penguins were in the enviable position of having enough depth on defense to be a seller, despite their position as a clear-cut buyer in terms of contending for a third straight Stanley Cup title. However, the Penguins know too well from their experiences over the past few years just how quickly that feeling of comfort on the blue line can change with injury. In placing Justin Schultz on injured reserve this morning, with the expectation being that he will be out “weeks” at the very least, Pittsburgh’s opinion on their blue line has changed in an instant.
Ian Cole was the man on the block last week, with many teams having immediate interest in obtaining the services on the solid stay-at-home defender. An impending free agent who has been devalued in Pittsburgh following the signing of a similar player in Matt Hunwick and the re-emergence of Olli Maatta this season, Cole had become expendable for the Penguins. However, as beat writer Jason Mackey indicates, any talk of moving Cole is completely off the table for now with Schultz out of the lineup.
In fact, the health of Schultz going forward could turn the Pens from sellers to buyers on the blue line. Frank Corrado, who was called up to take Schultz’s spot on the roster, has not worked out so far. If that continues, Pittsburgh will at least need to add another depth option. Chad Ruhwedel, while remarkably reliable for Pittsburgh over the past year plus, is best suited for that #7 depth option role. Hunwick and Cole, while both experienced, successful defenders, are very similar and similarly one-dimensional. Beyond a healthy grouping of (the also injury-prone) Kris Letang, Brian Dumoulin, and Maatta, there are serious questions without Schultz to round out the top four. If “weeks” turn to “months” for Schultz to return to action, GM Jim Rutherford could end up on the opposite side of the defensive trade market.
Bo Horvat Potentially Out Long-Term; Canucks Recall Chaput, Demko
As if our “Thankful For” series was a jinx, Bo Horvat was injured in Tuesday’s Vancouver Canucks game and will be out long-term. The team announced the injury is a broken foot, and that he will be out at least “multiple weeks.” Horvat is seeing a specialist to get a more accurate timeline. In light of that, the team has recalled Michael Chaput from the AHL along with Thatcher Demko.
The reason for Demko’s call-up is less obvious. As Patrick Johnson of The Province explains, it most likely is a move to get the Canucks as close to the salary cap as possible before placing Derek Dorsett on long-term injured reserve. That way they can receive the largest benefit from his injury status, and use his entire $2.65MM cap space if need be.
Horvat has been excellent for the Canucks this season, and with Brandon Sutter also currently on injured reserve the team’s depth at center will be tested. The pair were leading the team in ice time among forwards, meaning others like Sam Gagner and Henrik Sedin will need to step up in their absence. Vancouver, who have had an admirable start to the season, will have to find a new way to shut down their opponent’s top players.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: Vancouver Canucks
As the holiday season approaches, PHR will look at what teams are thankful for as the season nears the quarter point of completion. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We take a look at what’s gone well in the first month and what could improve as the season rolls on. So far we’ve covered ANA, ARZ, BUF, CGY, CAR, CBJ, COL, DET, LAK, NSH, NJD, NYI, STL, TOR, WSH, and VGK.
What are the Vancouver Canucks most thankful for?
A weak Pacific Division.
Heading into the season, the Pacific Division was expected to be a meat grinder. With the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames and Anaheim Ducks all considered legitimate contenders for the Stanley Cup, teams like Vancouver and Vegas were just hoping to stay competitive. Those predictions have been turned on their heads, as the Los Angeles Kings pace the division through the first third of the season while the aforementioned “contenders” are struggling to stay above (or even get to) .500.
Vancouver, led by some young stars and a brand new head coach find themselves in third place in the division and currently holding a playoff spot in the Western Conference. For a team expecting to take a hard look at a real rebuild, early success may have changed their minds.
Who are the Canucks most thankful for?
When Boeser suited up for the University of North Dakota on March 24th, 2017 he was preparing to play Boston University in a do-or-die matchup in the NCAA tournament. Little did he know that he’d be scoring the game-winning goal for the Vancouver Canucks a little over 24 hours later. The game against BU went to double overtime before Clayton Keller and Charlie McAvoy hooked up to end UND’s tournament, but Boeser wouldn’t have time to mope. He immediately signed with the Canucks and was in the lineup the next night, scoring his first on a rebound goal after Bo Horvat was stopped on a breakaway.
Boeser hasn’t slowed down since, and now has 17 goals and 30 points in 34 career games. He leads the Canucks in scoring this year—trailed closely by Horvat—and will likely be in the Calder Trophy conversation right until the end. The 20-year old has made such an immediate impact on the team, that they may believe their competitive window has been slid open just a bit more.
What would the Canucks be even more thankful for?
An appearance from Markus Granlund.
Last season, before there was the late-season appearance from Boeser, three other intriguing young forwards were making their mark: Horvat, Sven Baertschi and Granlund. The first two are back doing the things they showed last year, with 20 and 17 points respectively this season. The latter though, Granlund, has been nothing close to the 19-goal man he was a year ago.
The 24-year old Granlund had 32 points in 69 games last season, easily a career high and a sign that his future with the team was bright. After all, 16 of his 19 goals came at even strength (tied with Baertschi for the team lead) and he graded out as arguably the best possession player on the team.
That hasn’t been the case this time around, as Granlund has just five points on the season and has seen those strong possession numbers plummet. He’s been one of the most disappointing pieces on the roster under new coach Travis Green, and it’s no longer clear where exactly he fits long-term. He’s a restricted free agent this summer, and may end up being overlooked as a key piece for the Canucks going forward.
What should be on the Canucks’ Holiday Wish List?
More draft picks and prospects.
Despite their early success, this team is primed to sell at the deadline. We examined their collection of trade deadline assets recently, and the plan shouldn’t be deviated from. There is another wave of talent coming for the Canucks, as shown by the group of six Vancouver prospects that could suit up for their respective countries at this year’s World Junior Championship, but it isn’t enough.
Boeser, Horvat and others are already making an impact at the NHL level but the team still lacks the depth to really compete for the Stanley Cup. Using some expiring (or soon expiring) assets to add to the prospect cupboards could help them get there quicker than many would have believed in the middle of last season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Metropolitan Notes: Sprong, Cizikas, Hakstol, Stephenson
Having already scored nine goals in his first 18 games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, many wonder why Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Daniel Sprong still remains in the AHL when he could be helping out the Penguins at the NHL level.
Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette writes calling up Sprong is not in the plans for Pittsburgh’s general manager Jim Rutherford. The GM says that the team has historically not called up players before they thought they were ready, instead opting to allow them to develop. Bryan Rust, Jake Guentzel, Brian Dumoulin, Conor Sheary and Tom Kuhnhackl are the recent examples of players who were not rushed to the NHL.
“The important thing is, when you put a young player into this league, is he is as prepared as he can be for all aspects of the game,” Rutherford said. “If he’s not, you risk setting the player way back. That group of five, those guys were ready before they got called up, but we made sure it was at a time where they had their confidence and they could deal with setbacks.”
The team believes that Sprong still has work to do on his play without the puck, according to Rutherford. The team wants to see Sprong improve his defense as well as work on his stick/wall play. Of course, with a four-game winning streak and improved play of late, there may not be much need for him anyway.
- The New York Islanders announced earlier today they have placed Casey Cizikas on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, retroactive to Nov. 25, which means he could be activated at any time. Cizikas was injured in a game against the Ottawa Senators. The fourth-line and penalty killing center has four goals and four assists in 23 games for the Islanders. So far, the team hasn’t made any corresponding moves.
- Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi tweeted that Philadelphia Flyers general manager Ron Hextall is accompanying the team on their Western Canada trip, which could play an instrumental role on the status of head coach Dave Hakstol. The Flyers have lost 10 straight games. Carchidi adds that if a coaching change is made, a likely choice to take over would be Lehigh Valley Phantoms coach Scott Gordon in the interim.
- Isabelle Khurshudyan of The Washigton Post tweets that after suffering an injury in Saturday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Washington Capitals wing Chandler Stephenson is day-to-day. However, the team recalled Travis Boyd this afternoon from the Hershey Bears of the AHL, which suggests that Stephenson might miss some time. Stephenson, a bottom-line center, has two goals and six points in 18 games this season. Boyd has never played in the NHL before. He has three goals and 17 assists in 23 games for the Bears.
Mike Keenan Fired By KHL’s Kunlun Red Star
Once Mike Keenan was stripped of his GM role this week, it was only a matter of time before the veteran coach was out of a job entirely. The KHL’s Kunlun Red Star made it official today, relieving Keenan of his coaching duties. The KHL’s first and only Chinese team had dropped nine straight games and is struggling to get out of the basement of the KHL’s Eastern Conference. Keenan, who joined the team last month and has been coaching in the KHL since 2013, was clearly not the answer for a team still looking to make a dent as a franchise. The evidence: Kunlun won their first game without Keenan behind the bench today.
Keenan of course is well-known for his time as a coach in the NHL. A tough personality to deal with, Keenan found much success in the NHL, but never with the same team for very long. His first head coaching job in the league was with the Philadelphia Flyers in 1984-85. Keenan spent four years with the Flyers, the next four years with the Chicago Blackhawks, one year with the New York Rangers in 1993-94, in which he led the team to their most recent Stanley Cup title, then three years with the St. Louis Blues, two years with the Vancouver Canucks, one year with the Boston Bruins, three years with the Florida Panthers, and, in his final NHL job to date, two years with the Calgary Flames ending in 2008-09. Keenan made the jump overseas in 2013 to join Metallurg Magnitogorsk and won a KHL championship in his first season. Keenan joined the Red Star after being fired by Metallurg in 2016.
Keenan’s job with Kunlun now goes to his assistant, former NHLer Bobby Carpenter, with other assistants and former pros Cliff Ronning and Igor Kravchuk sticking by as well. The trio have nearly 3000 games of NHL experience between them and, as almost any coach to ever follow Keenan has found, should be able to relate better to the Red Star players.
Evening Notes: Division Realignment, Roussel, Engelland, Chychrun
With the Toronto Maple Leafs making stops in Calgary on Tuesday and Edmonton on Thursday, the rivalry between those Canadian Eastern and Western Conference matchups are off the charts. The Athletic’s James Mirtle (subscription required) wonders if it wouldn’t be a smart idea to change the conferences, especially down the road when the Quebec Nordiques return to the NHL.
The scribe’s suggestion is create an all-Canadian conference to replace the Central Division, moving all eight Canadian teams including the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames and Quebec City in the same division. Non-Canadian Central Division teams would be moved to either the Atlantic Division or the Pacific Division where the Canadian teams left holes.
There would be two key outcomes to this move, including increased revenue as rivalry matchups in 34 out of each team’s 82-game schedule will increase ratings and increase ticket sales. Currently, Canadian teams only play 16 games against in-country rivals. Playoffs would also promote multiple Canada-vs.-Canada rivalries and also would increase TV ratings.
Mirtle mentions some downsides to realigning the divison, which would include increased travel times for other teams such as the Minnesota Wild if they were moved to the Pacific Divison, but still feels the NHL should seriously look into that over the next few years.
- The Dallas Stars will be without wing Antoine Roussel, who is expected to miss tonight’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks with the flu, according to coach Ken Hitchock. The coach added that Roussel is day-to-day regarding Sunday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. Roussel has three goals and eight points in 25 games for Dallas.
- Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen writes that Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Deryk Engelland remains day-to-day after suffering an injury to his hand in Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Wild. The 35-year-old blueliner missed last night’s game against the Winnipeg Jets. He has two goals and nine points in 24 games this season and has been a key piece to the expansion team’s successful run so far this year.
- Craig Morgan of NHL.com tweets that Arizona Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said that defenseman Jakob Chychrun might play Sunday against the Vegas Golden Knights. The 2016 first-round pick hasn’t played this year and is currently on a conditioning stint with the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. He had knee surgery in August and would make a big addition the Coyotes defensive core. He played 68 games for Arizona last year as an 18-year-old.
Snapshots: IIHF HOF, Players Of The Month, Devils
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) named their 2018 Hall of Fame class today, with several notable NHL names among them. Former stars Daniel Alfredsson, Rob Blake, Chris Chelios, and Jere Lehtinen will all be immortalized for their impressive international careers. Between them, the Swede, Canadian, American, and Finn have 16 Olympic Games and 8 Olympic medals, to of course go along with outstanding professional careers. Builders Philippe Lacarriere, a former European player and IIHF Councilman, and Bob Nadin, a long-time referee, will also be inducted.
- In terms of current recognition, the NHL announced the top players of the month of November today. The Three Stars of the Month were Colorado Avalanche star center Nathan MacKinnon at #1, Toronto Maple Leafs keeper Frederik Andersen at #2, and new St. Louis Blue Brayden Schenn at #3. MacKinnon was a point per game player last month, notching five goals and fifteen assists in 12 games for the Avs. Andersen kept the Leafs going with nine wins, a 2.14 GAA, and .938 save percentage. Schenn was arguably better than either despite coming in third, with seven goals and twelve assists in just 12 games, bringing his season total to 30 points in 25 contests. Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser was named the Rookie of the Month behind his 16 points in 15 games, as the young scorer has kept the Canucks afloat early on and leads all first-year players in scoring.
- If there was an award for Team of the Month, it could have easily gone to the New Jersey Devils. The Devils have somehow survived another month at or near the top of the toughest division in hockey, the Metropolitan, despite little expectation that they would even be a playoff contender in 2017-18. To cap off the month, they swung a deal to acquire a much-needed elite defenseman yesterday as well. The Devils are just getting started though – the team announced that Sami Vatanen caught a cross-country flight, took part in morning skate, and will make his debut tonight and joining him will be Marcus Johansson, the big off-season acquisition, who is returning from a long injury absence. November was a great month for the Devils, but December is starting off even stronger.
Trade Rumors: Canadiens, Canucks, Maple Leafs
The Montreal Canadiens are not even 12 hours into their latest trade and the team is already thinking about their next move. A report from Sportsnet’s Eric Engels states that defenseman Brandon Davidson could soon be on his way out of town. Habs GM Marc Bergevin is not just listening to offers for Davidson; he emailed the entire league informing the other 30 general managers of the blue liner’s availability. While the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Ian Cole is also known to be on the block right now, Davidson should come at a much lesser price and be much easier (and more timely) to move. The 26-year-old has been a frequent scratch this season and has just one point in 13 games. It wasn’t long ago that Davidson was thought to be an up-and-coming rearguard, playing major minutes for the 2015-16 Edmonton Oilers after a long stretch of solid AHL play. However, when he was shipped to Montreal for a rental in David Desharnais at last year’s trade deadline, it was clear his stock had dropped. Davidson could still be a valued depth addition for many teams, though. The Canadiens likely won’t have to shop him for very long.
- Following the difficult news about Derek Dorsett, Vancouver Canucks GM Jim Benning was very clear with the media today that he won’t be looking to trade for a replacement for the veteran grinder. Instead, Benning said that the situation “gives guys a chance to play more and step up.” The Canucks plan to fill Dorsett’s void internally, with the recently-promoted Nikolay Goldobin getting the first shot. After a hot start, Vancouver has been slipping of late and more than anything needs to put the puck in the net more often. Goldobin should be an offensive upgrade over Dorsett, but can he handle a big role?
- Following the Anaheim Ducks-New Jersey Devils blockbuster today, many in the hockey media are asking a predictable question: Why weren’t the Toronto Maple Leafs in on Sami Vatanen? It feels like the Leafs have been searching for a top-pair right-shot defenseman to play alongside Morgan Rielly for years now, yet couldn’t top an offer of Adam Henrique and Joseph Blandisi to get an elite righty puck-mover in Vatanen? Nazem Kadri is perhaps the closest comparable in the NHL to Henrique and, although three years older, Tyler Bozak compares favorably to Henrique as well. With a wealth of young talent in the AHL to boot, it seems unlikely that Lou Lamoriello and company couldn’t have outbid the Devils if they wanted to, so perhaps the better question is why didn’t they want to? In a relatively weak Atlantic Division, no one will be surprised if Toronto makes a run to the Eastern Conference Finals this year and maybe farther. If they don’t reach that goal, they may find themselves regretting missing the chance to strengthen the defense both this season and beyond.
Derek Dorsett Will Not Return To Vancouver Canucks
After consulting with doctors in Los Angeles, it has been decided that Derek Dorsett will not return to the Vancouver Canucks due to continued health risks associated with playing. Dorsett had cervical disc herniation surgery just under a year ago and returned early this year before feeling pain again recently. From Dorsett himself:
I’m devastated by the news. It will take a long time for this to truly sink in. As hard as it was to hear, Dr. [Robert] Watkins’ diagnosis is definitive. There is no grey area, and it gives me clarity to move forward. I have a healthy young family and a long life of opportunities ahead of me. Hockey taught me a lot and it will help me be successful in whatever I choose to do in the future.
Dorsett has another year remaining on his contract after this season, but will likely be moved to long-term injured reserve for the duration.
It’s an unfortunate end to what has been an impressive career. Dorsett was selected 189th-overall in 2006, but made it to the NHL by 2008 by showing that he was more than just a tough guy. He could drop the gloves whenever required, but he also had some speed and forechecking ability that would keep him in the game long after pure enforcers were phased out. This season he was off to the best start of his career with seven goals through 20 games, already matching his highest total since 2011-12.