West Notes: Hughes, Stone, Johns, Neal
The Calder Trophy race continues to get tighter. The NHL announced its Rookie of the Month for February with Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes picking up the hardware. He joins Victor Olofsson (October/December), Cale Makar (November) and Dominik Kubalik (January), all legitimate candidates for the Calder Trophy, as recipients of the award.
The defenseman led all rookies in points with 15 points in 13 games and was tied for the most assists in the NHL with 13. He also had a multi-goal game against the New York Islanders on Feb. 1. Hughes beat out several key rookies for the award, including New Jersey’s MacKenzie Blackwood, New York Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin, Chicago’s Kubalik, Dallas’ Denis Gurianov, Montreal’s Nick Suzuki and Colorado’s Makar. Hughes currently has the points lead among rookies with eight goals and 51 points.
- The Vegas Golden Knights got some disappointing news as forward Mark Stone is considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury, according to David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Head coach Peter DeBoer said that surgery isn’t necessary for the 27-year-old and the team does expect him to return before the end of the regular season. Stone, who recently has been centering Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith on the first line will now be replaced by veteran Paul Stastny. Stone isn’t having as good a season last year when he had 33 goals and 73 points, but is still having a strong season with 21 goals and has tied his career-high 42 assists.
- Dallas Morning News’ Matthew DeFranks writes that Dallas Stars defenseman Stephen Johns was forced to sit out his third straight game Saturday due to an upper-body injury. While the nature of the injury is unknown, Stars interim head coach Rick Bowness said that it is not related to the post-traumatic headaches that Johns had been suffering from for more than 22 months. Bowness added that he believes that Johns will return to the lineup Tuesday as he has been skating and practicing with the team. “If this was a do or die game, he probably would play,” Bowness said. “But with the travel that we’ve had this month and the schedule that’s coming up, we figured just give him an extra couple days. It’s not going to hurt him.” Johns has re-established himself as a top player since returning in January. The 27-year-old has two goals, five points, 35 hits and 17 blocks in just 13 games.
- The Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson reports that the Edmonton Oilers are expecting forward James Neal to join the team on their upcoming three-game road trip and could return to the lineup at some point during that trip. Neal has been out since Jan. 29 with a sprained ankle. He has 19 goals and 29 points in 50 games this season for the Oilers.
Pacific Notes: Russell, Nygard, Lehner, Meier, Backes
The Edmonton Oilers have gotten a boost on defense. The team announced they have swapped roster players. The Oilers have activated defenseman Kris Russell from long-term injured reserve, while placing forward Joakim Nygard on IR as well. Russell’s return is well-timed after the team lost Mike Green for an extended period.
The 32-year-old Russell has been out since Jan. 29 with a concussion, but finally appears ready to return to the team’s defense. Russell is expected to step in as a third-pairing defender Saturday. He has appeared in 49 games with eight assists and 93 blocked shots. Nygard has been out of the lineup since Jan. 29 with a broken hand, but the team didn’t place him onto IR until now. He is not expected back until late March.
- The Athletic’s Jesse Granger (subscription required) looks into the possibility of whether the Vegas Golden Knights could find a way to keep goaltender Robin Lehner, an unrestricted free agent this summer, in the future. With the estimation of a six-year, $6MM AAV contract as a potential contract for Lehner, Granger notes that it is possible to keep both Lehner and veteran Marc-Andre Fleury, who still has two years remaining at $7MM AAV. However, it would put the team in a very tight cap situation and investing $13MM in goalies doesn’t make much sense. However, the scribe did admit it is possible that the team could conceivably attempt to trade someone like Paul Stastny, who would be in the final year at $6.5MM. Either way, the Golden Knights will have to make some tough decisions this summer.
- The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports that San Jose Sharks forward Timo Meier is seriously considering playing at the World Championships that will be held in Switzerland. The 23-year-old from Switzerland said he hasn’t given it any real thought yet, but admits it would be a great opportunity to play in front of his own country. Meier did play for the Swiss back in 2018 when they took a silver medal.
- Recently acquired forward David Backes hopes to get into an Anaheim Ducks game soon, perhaps even Sunday against the New Jersey Devils, according to OC Register’s Eliott Teaford. The 35-year-old was acquired a few days before the trade deadline that saw forward Ondrej Kase headed to Boston for Backes, a 2020 first-round pick and a prospect. Backes, however, has not appeared in an NHL games since Jan. 9, and has spent his time this week getting back into game shape. “I’ve probably reached a saturation point where it’s been just me and a coach out there being in a practice situation,” Backes said. “I’ve done a lot of that, so now it’s bumping and grinding and timing and angles. When you haven’t played in two months, it’s going to be a process. But I’m excited to start that process, hopefully, sooner than later.”
Minor Transactions: 02/29/20
Today is leap day and a number of NHL teams will be looking to do just that when it comes to the standings. Saturday’s slate of a dozen games features ten games with at least one team in the thick of the playoff race, including six collisions between current playoff teams. The Bruins and Islanders kick off the action this afternoon; New York has a chance to pull into a tie with the Penguins for the final Metropolitan Division spot, but Boston has won their past ten road games versus the Isles. Later this afternoon, the Lightning – losers of four straight – look to get back on track as they host the Flames. The nighttime lineup begins with the Panthers, desperate for a win to keep up with the Maple Leafs, hosting head coach Joel Quenneville’s former club, the Blackhawks. Toronto will have their hands full themselves as they face the Canucks, who need to make the most of their games in hand to catch the red-hot Golden Knights. The new-look Hurricanes must do the same to keep up in the wild card race, as they visit the Canadiens. The Central Division could be in for a shake-up, as the streaking Avalanche take on the Predators while the equally hot Blues face the Stars. Finally, in late night action for those not on the west coast, the Jets and Oilers collide in a game that could make waves in the Western wild card chase, while the Penguins look to end the league’s worst current losing streak against the Sharks. With plenty of action, there very likely could be plenty of roster adjustments as well. Keep up with all those minor transactions right here:
- The Columbus Blue Jackets announced that they have recalled Ryan MacInnis from the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. MacInnis, 23, has been up and down a number of times this season, but has recorded just one assist in nine games with Columbus. However, he has already set a new career high in points in the minors, with 30 points in 45 games. The two-way center appears to be adding more of an offensive touch to his game, but just needs to transition that ability to the top level.
- With the news that Blackhawks forwards Andrew Shaw and Zack Smith will not be returning this season due to their current injuries, there are opportunities for others to step up in the Chicago lineup. Brandon Hagel will get his chance, as the team has recalled the 21-year-old from the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs. The first-year pro has 19 goals and 30 points in 55 games with Rockford in an impressive debut campaign and will continue a year of firsts when he takes the ice for the first time with the Blackhawks. UPDATE: Unfortunately, for Hagel, the team announced they opted to return him just hours later as the Blackhawks did not need him.
- CapFriendly reports that the Colorado Avalanche have reassigned forward Logan O’Connor to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. The University of Denver product has been a fixture of Colorado hockey for many years now, but still has yet to make much of an impact at the NHL level with just one point in 14 games over the past two seasons.
- The New Jersey Devils announced they have recalled forward Jesper Boqvist from the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. The team has been playing with 12 forwards and no reserves lately, but with three games in the next four days out on the West Coast, New Jersey is likely going to need some insurance at forward. Boqvist spent most of the season in New Jersey, posting four goals and no assists in 34 games, but was sent to the AHL on Jan. 19 to get more playing time. He has five goals and eight points in 15 games in Binghamton.
- CapFriendly reports that the Montreal Canadiens have activated defenseman Xavier Ouellet off of injured reserve. The blueliner has missed more than a week with a concussion, but could be in the Canadiens’ lineup later today. That move could also signal the end for Karl Alzner, who replaced him on the roster and is likely headed for Laval.
- The Philadelphia Flyers announced they have recalled forward Joel Farabee from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL. Farabee was sent to the AHL last Monday, which allowed him to be eligible for the AHL playoffs. The 20-year-old has had an inconsistent rookie season with the Flyers, having posted seven goals and 20 points in 49 games, which included a January demotion to the Phantoms. He has two goals and three assists over his last nine games.
- The Vegas Golden Knights announced they have recalled forward Brandon Pirri from the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. That likely suggests that forward Tomas Nosek, who left Friday’s game with an undisclosed injury. Pirri was expected to play a bigger role in Las Vegas this season after potting 12 goals last year. However, after going scoreless after 11 games, he was sent to Chicago where he has had 15 goals and 35 points in 38 games.
Quotable: Robin Lehner On His Departure From Chicago
Even though he had been in a timeshare with Corey Crawford in Chicago this season, it seemed like there was a possibility that Robin Lehner could return for next season. Following the trade and his recent comments to reporters, including Justin Emerson of the Las Vegas Sun, that doesn’t appear to be a likely scenario anymore:
I went to Chicago to help them out and got promises of getting a fair chance to play. I came there with a good mindset, fit into the team. I didn’t play much in the beginning, or middle, beginning of the season, even if I played well, had a good camp.
Eventually, I took over and I won — I think I won like nine out of 10, 12 out of 15 — and we walked up one point out of a playoff spot. Then, all of a sudden, I found myself on the bench for no reason. That was tough. Plus, negotiations totally died out.
Lehner and Crawford were very close in appearances before the trade with Lehner only getting into one more game. Statistically speaking, the two were very close in save percentage (Lehner .918 and Crawford .915) while Crawford’s goals against average of 2.80 was a bit better than Lehner’s 3.01 so with both goalies playing at a similar level, the timeshare wasn’t that surprising. The fact that both players are making a sizable salary ($6MM for Crawford, $5MM for Lehner) only made that outcome an even likelier one.
What was a bit surprising, however, was the contract situation. While he had indicated early last month that he wasn’t willing to take a hometown discount, he was certainly open to the idea of sticking around at that time. Perhaps part of the reason of that was the Blackhawks’ unwillingness to make a long-term commitment; Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported in his latest 31 Thoughts column that the team was only willing to go as long as a two-year term on an extension.
Considering he has played on short-term deals throughout his career and the fact he’s in his second straight strong season, it’s understandable that he’d want a long-term pact. Lehner’s struggles before that played a role in him having to take a one-year deal this summer and it’s reasonable to surmise that GM Stan Bowman had some similar reservations given their approach to negotiations.
This trade probably doesn’t help his free agent case as his playing time will be somewhat limited behind Marc-Andre Fleury. Even if he plays more than his predecessor in Malcolm Subban, Lehner will be hard-pressed to match the timeshare situation he had in Chicago let alone improve on that. Not surprisingly, when asked if he was hopeful that his stint in Vegas would be for more than just a few months, he was non-committal.
I don’t hope anymore. We’ll see what happens. We’ll see what happens this summer.
With his track record, Lehner’s case is certainly going to be one of the more interesting free agency cases around the league regardless of position. He has played well enough to earn a similar payday but will he be able to get the long-term security as well? As Lehner himself said, we’ll see what happens this summer.
Vegas Golden Knights Purchase San Antonio Rampage
February 28: The AHL’s board has approved the sale and the relocation to Henderson, effective for the 2020-21 season. The team will play at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas next season.
February 6: The Vegas Golden Knights now own their very own AHL franchise, purchasing the San Antonio Rampage. The team is applying for relocation with the intention to move the minor league club to Henderson/Las Vegas, Nevada. Golden Knights CEO Bill Foley released a short statement:
Since our initial season ticket drive began five years ago in February 2015, we have witnessed first-hand the incredible passion and enthusiasm our community has for hockey. By every relevant metric, the growth of the game here the last few years at all levels has been remarkable. We could not be more proud to bring a second professional hockey club to the Valley to accelerate this growth even further.
The Golden Knights are currently affiliated with the Chicago Wolves, who will be looking for a new NHL partner next season should the relocation go through. It is still pending AHL Board of Governors approval, but if everything goes according to plan the Rampage would relocate for the 2020-21 season. The team is expected to be named the Henderson Silver Knights.
The Rampage will remain affiliated with the St. Louis Blues through the end of the 2019-20 season. Blues GM Doug Armstrong announced that the team will begin the search for a new affiliate immediately, despite signing a five-year agreement with San Antonio in 2017.
Snapshots: Islanders, Stone, D’Aoust
Randi F. Marshall of Newsday is reporting today that New York governor Andrew Cuomo will announce tomorrow the New York Islanders will play any playoff games this season at Nassau Coliseum. Not only that, but the team will also play the entire 2020-21 season at the Coliseum, while waiting for the new arena at Belmont Park to be completed.
That would mean the Islanders’ unfortunate stay at the Barclays Center will end in less than two months. Through all of the frustration and uncertainty, the Islanders have rebuilt their organization and found success on the ice. The team seems prepared to start the era at Belmont off on the right foot.
- The Vegas Golden Knights have lost Mark Stone to a lower-body injury, though it’s not clear for how long. Head coach Peter DeBoer told reporters today that his star forward is still being evaluated, but this couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Golden Knights. On a seven-game winning streak, the Golden Knights have finally established themselves as the leaders in the Pacific Division. Stone is a huge part of that as the team’s leading scorer and best defensive forward.
- The Charlotte Checkers, short on forwards after a busy NHL trade deadline, have acquired Alexis D’Aoust from the Manitoba Moose in exchange for future considerations. The 23-year old D’Aoust has 26 points in 36 games for the ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen this season, but does have more than 100 games of AHL experience.
Minor Transactions: 02/28/20
Five more games on tap tonight in the NHL, including one absolute must-watch in Philadelphia. The New York Rangers will come to town on a five-game winning streak that has jumped them right back into the playoff race in the Eastern Conference. Despite still being in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division, the Rangers are just five points behind the Flyers for third, and could leapfrog both the Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets depending on what happens tonight. The Flyers meanwhile are on a four-game winning streak of their own and are in reach of the Pittsburgh Penguins for second place. As the Metro prepares for one of the most important nights of the year, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.
- Last night the Vegas Golden Knights recalled Gage Quinney from the minor leagues once again, after he made his NHL debut earlier this month. The 24-year old became the first Las Vegas-born player to suit up for the Golden Knights.
- The Minnesota Wild have recalled Matt Bartkowski from the AHL under emergency conditions, giving them an extra body for their match against the Blue Jackets this evening. Bartkowski has yet to play an NHL game this season but does have 255 contests under his belt over a long career.
- C.J. Suess has been brought back to the NHL by the Winnipeg Jets, recalled today from the Manitoba Moose. The 25-year old made his NHL debut earlier this season and has 26 points in 53 games for the AHL club.
- Mikey Anderson has been recalled for the first time in his short career, after playing all season at the AHL level. The 20-year old defenseman will get to play his brother Joey Anderson of the New Jersey Devils in his first NHL game, should he get into the lineup tomorrow.
William Carrier Signs Extension With Vegas Golden Knights
1:15pm: Well that didn’t take long. The Golden Knights have announced a four-year extension for Carrier that will carry an average annual value of $1.4MM.
12:33pm: The Vegas Golden Knights were busy in February adding pieces for a Stanley Cup run, but now that the trade deadline has passed there is work to be done with the rest of the roster. Specifically the restricted free agents, who will need new contracts by the start of next season. Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports that the team is working hard with pending RFA forward William Carrier on an extension.
The bang-and-crash winger has found a home with the Golden Knights, using his speed to create havoc in the offensive zone even in limited minutes. Though he still averages fewer than 10 minutes of ice time a night, Carrier has seven goals and 18 points on the season, which actually puts him eighth among Vegas forwards.
Currently in the final season of a two-year, $1.45MM deal, Carrier will be arbitration eligible in the summer but could avoid any nasty hearings by inking an extension in the coming weeks. Though he obviously won’t be demanding top-six money given his role, there’s certainly reason for him to get a slight raise.
One of the most interesting things to watch in Vegas however is how they treat Robin Lehner after acquiring him at the deadline. If the team shows any interest in retaining his services and pairing him with the $7MM/year Marc-Andre Fleury, they won’t have a ton of cap space to spend around the edges of the roster. President George McPhee and GM Kelly McCrimmon haven’t been shy to hand out extensions to rental players they’ve acquired through trade, but there is only so much pie to go around.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Minor Transactions: 02/26/20
The deadline is over but the season is still far from it. Teams are playing the most important games of the year and tweaking their rosters to find just the right balance. With that, there are always minor moves to be kept track of and right here is where you’ll find them.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled Sam Lafferty from the minor leagues under emergency conditions for their road trip to the west coast, where they’ll face the Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks over the next few days.
- Nicolas Roy and Zach Whitecloud are back up as expected for the Vegas Golden Knights, after being involved in a paper transaction this week. Both players stayed with the team and were involved in the regular lineup at morning skate.
- Chris Driedger has been sent to the AHL on a conditioning loan, meaning the Florida Panthers goaltender is getting closer to a return. The 25-year old Driedger has actually been the team’s best goaltender this season, though that sample is limited to just nine appearances.
- Gabriel Vilardi has been recalled once again by the Los Angeles Kings, who welcome in the Penguins later this evening. Vilardi has two points in three games for the Kings this season, finally healthy after such a struggle to get back on the ice.
- With enough healthy forwards along with their equipment ready for tomorrow’s game against the Vancouver Canucks, the Ottawa Senators have sent Filip Chlapik back to the AHL. While there may not be much to play for in Ottawa, the Belleville Senators are in first place in their division and rank third in the entire AHL.
- Lean Bergmann and Maxim Letunov have been returned to the minor leagues as the San Jose Sharks return home for the next several games. Defenseman Dalton Prout has been recalled from his conditioning loan with the Barracuda in a corresponding move.
- Mitchell Stephens has been recalled again after being sent down just a couple of days ago by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Stephens will be eligible for the AHL playoffs if necessary, but the focus now is on Steven Stamkos who was forced from last night’s game.
- The Detroit Red Wings have announced the recall of Dennis Cholowski. The young defender has split the season between Detroit and the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, contributing routinely at both levels.
Nick Holden Signs Two-Year Extension
It’s not just last-minute trades happening in Vegas, but extensions too. The Golden Knights have signed Nick Holden to a two-year extension that will carry an average annual value of $1.7MM. The defenseman was scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency at the end of the season but will actually take a pay cut from the $2.2MM he earns this year.
Holden, 32, has settled into a nice depth role for the Golden Knights where he isn’t asked to do too much and can excel against weaker competition. While he’ll likely never hit the highs of his short time with the New York Rangers—11 goals and 34 points in his only full season there—Holden can be a solid contributor for a team that still hasn’t quite figured out their defensive unit.
Jonathon Merrill and Deryk Engelland are now the only pending unrestricted free agents on the back end, but after the emergence of Zach Whitecloud and addition of Alec Martinez there may not be enough room going forward for either one.
Holden however will come in at a price reasonable enough that he can be considered a 6th defenseman next season if necessary. Most of his contract could even be buried in the minor leagues if the team ever needed to, though the way he has played this season suggests he’ll be able to live up to the $1.7MM hit.