Vegas, Toronto, Colorado Pursuing Ian Cole
Late last night a report from Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette broke that the Penguins were shopping Ian Cole. The 28-year old defenseman is an unrestricted free agent after this season, and hadn’t gotten anywhere in extension talks with Pittsburgh. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet added that Cole’s agent had been given permission to talk to other teams.
Now, Mackey has even more information on a potential Cole swap. In a piece from this morning, the Post-Gazette writer reports that the Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche and Toronto Maple Leafs are the leading suitors for Cole’s services, and that he won’t be traded to anyone in the Metropolitan Division. With the standings so tight this season, it’s understandable that Pittsburgh wouldn’t want to hand over a two-time Stanley Cup champion.
It’s that playoff success that makes Cole’s availability so surprising. With Kris Letang and others injured in last year’s Stanley Cup run, Cole was a huge part of the Penguins success, playing in all 25 games and registering nine points. This season though he’s seen his role diminished to the point where he plays fewer than 17 minutes a night.
Toronto has been clear in their pursuit of defense since last season, and even added another Penguins Stanley Cup champion in Ron Hainsey this offseason. Cole’s $2.1MM cap hit is a very palatable number for teams in their situation, pressed up close to the cap ceiling.
Colorado has been a surprising team this season even after trading Matt Duchene away, and find themselves at 11-9-2 through the early part of the year. Though they’ve added several young defensemen to the organization in the past few months, a player like Cole could add some stability if he came with a long-term extension.
For Vegas, it does seem like a poor match. Though they do have some of the assets that Pittsburgh would be after, they already have too many defensemen on the roster and in the organization and would need to move some out before taking on a player like Cole. The fact that he’s a free agent at the end of the season works with their salary structure, but buying at the deadline doesn’t make sense for their long-term health.
Pittsburgh has been scratching Cole recently because of the trade talks, and Mackey believes that the deal will be completed quickly. Whether it is with one of those three teams or someone else is unclear, and what the Penguins are looking for in return is still anyone’s guess. They have been looking for help at center all season, and players like Tyler Bozak, Carl Soderberg or Jon Marchessault could be potential options from the above trio. Obviously those three examples come with different trade values, but help down the middle seems like the most likely result of the deal for the Penguins.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Vegas Golden Knights Expected To Recall Stefan Matteau
The Vegas Golden Knights have been on fire for most of the season, and currently sit in first place in the Pacific Division. The expansion franchise has turned a rag-tag group of players from the fringes of NHL rosters into a cohesive unit, even in the face of staggering injuries. Though Luca Sbisa was at practice wearing a no-contract jersey, and Marc-Andre Fleury skated before teammates according to David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review Journal, David Perron and William Carrier were nowhere to be seen on the ice at T-Mobile Arena. That leaves them with just 11 healthy forwards at practice, and in need of some help up front.
Enter Stefan Matteau, who according to NHL.com contributor Anthony Marcotte will be recalled by the Golden Knights for the first time this season. The son of former NHLer Stephane Matteau, Stefan was selected 29th-overall by the New Jersey Devils in 2012, and eventually dealt to Montreal for Devante Smith-Pelly. He wasn’t qualified this summer by the Canadiens, and eventually signed a one-year contract with Vegas. Projected as a powerful winger with speed and physicality, it was hoped that Matteau would eventually develop more of an offensive game to be able to stick in the NHL. That hasn’t happened yet, as he has just six points in 56 career NHL contests and hasn’t been a big scoring threat even at the minor league level.
Still, Vegas has built their season on players that were underestimated so far in their careers and will try to catch more lightning in a bottle with Matteau. The 6’2″ 220-lbs forward could bring an added level of physicality and energy to their bottom six, and perhaps show that he’s ready for an increased role. Power forwards often find their footing later in their careers, and at 23 years old Matteau can’t quite be labelled a bust just yet. Even if his offensive game never develops, perhaps he can provide different value to the Golden Knights.
Snapshots: Three Stars, Josefson, Mason
The NHL has released their three stars of the week, and leading the list is Jon Marchessault. The Vegas Golden Knights forward had nine points in three games, helping his team takeover first place in the Pacific Division. The Golden Knights now sit at 15-6-1 this season, and rank third in the entire NHL in goal differential at +15. Marchessault, a 30-goal scorer last season, is once again turning out to be one of the biggest bargains in the entire league. At just $750K this season, he’s primed for quite the raise in free agency at the end of the year.
Sergei Bobrovsky and Alex Ovechkin round out the top three after impressive weeks of their own. Bobrovsky went 3-0 with a .950 save percentage with the Columbus Blue Jackets, while Ovechkin tallied five more goals including a hat trick against the Toronto Maple Leafs with a special guest looking on. Ovechkin, who many said was slowing down last season when he scored “just” 33 goals, is back on top of the NHL leaderboards with 18 this season. With the first goal of the hat trick, Ovechkin passed Mike Bossy for 21st all-time in NHL goal scoring, and has a legitimate shot at breaking 600 this season. He needs just 24 more to 20th member of the 600 club, and won’t turn 33 until next September.
- Jacob Josefson had only returned to the Buffalo Sabres lineup recently, but will be out another four to six weeks according to head coach Phil Housley. Josefson tweaked his ankle and is out until at least Christmas for the struggling Sabres, who are now just one point ahead of the Arizona Coyotes for last in the entire league. Obviously, Josefson isn’t a huge part of their lineup but any injury at this point pushes Buffalo further away from any rebound this season. The team has a dreadful schedule over the next week, playing the Tampa Bay Lightning tomorrow before taking on Pittsburgh in a home-and-home series this weekend.
- Steve Mason was removed from Saturday’s game with an upper-body injury, and today Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice confirmed the injury was a concussion. Mason had been placed on injured reserve earlier today after a recall of Eric Comrie. Signed in the offseason to a two-year, $8.2MM contract, Mason has provided below-average netminding so far for the Jets and had been all but replaced by Connor Hellebuyck as the starter. It’ll be tough to justify his $4.1MM contract next season if he remains a backup, especially given that Hellebuyck is a restricted free agent and looks primed for a long-term deal. If Mason doesn’t turn his play around after returning from this head injury, he could be an early candidate for a summer buyout. First off, he’ll have to get healthy enough to return.
Perron Listed As Day-To-Day
- Vegas Golden Knights winger David Perron, who is not playing in tonight’s game against the Arizona Coyotes, did not accompany the team on the road trip down to Phoenix, according to Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Steve Carp. He is receiving treatment on his upper-body injury and remains day-to-day.
Golden Knights Notes: McPhee On Trades, Perron Injured
Before the season started, the Golden Knights were widely picked to be at or near the bottom of the Western Conference standings. Expansion teams rarely have success in their inaugural campaign but despite a litany of injuries between the pipes, Vegas actually finds themselves in first place in the Pacific Division.
With low expectations and the way the roster was constructed with a lot of players on short-term contracts, many have wondered if the team will still plan to be active sellers at the trade deadline. Gary Lawless of the Golden Knights’ team site asked GM George McPhee that very question and he didn’t exactly commit either way:
“We certainly have a plan, but in this business it changes every day. I don’t know what will take place over the next three or four months. What we do know is that we’re here to compete every day. We’re going to practice hard and we’re going to play hard. We’ll see what it takes and what develops four months from now remains to be seen. We’re here to compete and win hockey games.”
Forwards James Neal, David Perron, and Jonathan Marchessault highlight a lengthy list of pending unrestricted free agents. The longer they stay in the hunt, the odds of these players being dealt may dip but it still wouldn’t be surprising if they moved some of their other veteran depth regardless of where they find themselves standings-wise come February.
More from Vegas:
- Speaking of Perron, he suffered an upper-body injury in Friday’s victory over San Jose in a collision with Timo Meier during the second period. Although he tried to play through it for a couple of shifts, he did wind up leaving the game. Head coach Gerard Gallant told reporters postgame, including David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, that Perron is listed as day-to-day. The 29-year-old leads the Golden Knights in assists (13) and sits tied for second in points with 19.
Poll: Which Surprise Team Will Make The Playoffs?
It’s still early and injuries or other misfortunes can befall a team at any point, but there certainly are a number of “surprise” teams in the playoff hunt as of today. Many general managers use the American Thanksgiving as a measuring point for whether their team is truly built for the second season. Some of those teams, namely the Vegas Golden Knights, were expected to endure years of losing before they experienced a playoff appearance. Just a week outside of December, there a number of squads that will continue to push toward a playoff berth while others regress to the mean.
So which surprise team has the best chance of making the playoffs?
Which Surprise Team Will Make The Playoffs?
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Vegas Golden Knights 32% (155)
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Winnipeg Jets 28% (132)
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New Jersey Devils 19% (90)
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New York Islanders 13% (63)
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Vancouver Canucks 4% (21)
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Colorado Avalanche 3% (16)
Total votes: 477
Pacific Notes: Goldobin, Gaudreau, Pirri, Garrison
The Vancouver Canucks haven’t had a whole lot of luck with some of their most recent overseas players as in the past six months as the team has lost Anton Rodin and Nikita Tryamkin, who each have decided to leave the NHL. However, that doesn’t look to be the case with Nikolay Goldobin, the former San Jose Sharks 2014 first-rounder, who currently sits in the AHL with the Utica Comets.
In fact, News 1130’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that he talked to Goldobin’s agent, Igor Larianov, who states that they are preaching patience and that Goldobin won’t bolt like Rodin and Tryamkin.
The 22-year-old winger has taken his game to a new level after several years of struggles that had him traded to Vancouver back in March. He has put up six goals and 11 assists in 16 games this year, but still hasn’t been recalled by Vancouver, who have instead chosen to bring up older players with more experience to fill in for injuries. Regardless, Larionov states he believes that Goldobin will be just fine.
- Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Sun writes that count veterean Jaromir Jagr as a player who sees a bright future for Calgary Flames center Johnny Gaudreau. The 45-year-old veteran has been talking to him, trying to provide the 24-year-old star winger with the confidence he needs. Jagr, like many people, sees Gaudreau as a perennial contender for the Art Ross Trophy and has told him so. “It’s pretty special when someone says something like that to you. Because it’s not every day that someone as good as him says something about a player that has only been in the league four years,” said Gaudreau. He showed some of that potential in the 2015-16 season when he put up 30 goals and 48 assists in just his second full season. He then saw his numbers drop to just 18 goals and 61 points last year. He already has 10 goal so far this year.
- Emily Polglaze of the Las Vegas Review-Journal writes that the Vegas Golden Knights have two quality and potential call-ups, if needed, in winger Brandon Pirri and defenseman Jason Garrison, who are thriving with the AHL Chicago Wolves. Pirri, who has been in the AHL since the 2013-14 season, has taken off since returning from a month-long injury on Nov. 8. He has six points in his last seven games and five goals and five assists in 10 games this year. Garrison, who was put on waivers on Oct. 28 has fared well in the AHL also in his comeback bid. He had not made an appearance in the AHL since the 2009-10 season. He has a goal and two assists in eight games.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: Vegas Golden Knights
As the holiday season approaches, PHR will look at what teams are thankful for this year. 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.
Theodore Still Adjusting To NHL Game
- Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen writes that Vegas Golden Knights’ defenseman Shea Theodore has needed more time than expected to adjust to the NHL game, despite playing a chunk of the season last year with the Anaheim Ducks. The scribe adds that after Theodore’s strong performance against the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday, he might be starting to turn the corner and become a key cog on Vegas’ defense.
Snapshots: DeKeyser, Subban, 2019 Draft
Some fans might have noticed this morning when the Detroit Red Wings recalled Brian Lashoff from the minor leagues, that they actually were over the NHL’s salary cap. Even though Lashoff makes just $650K, the team had already used nearly all the extra space provided by Johan Franzen‘s long-term injured reserve stint. Well, the salary cap sleuths at CapFriendly have figured out how they were able to work it. Danny DeKeyser has been placed on long-term injured reserve for the time being, even though he’s expected to return before long (perhaps even this weekend)Reqo.
The Red Wings are playing with fire this season as they push right up against the cap ceiling, and could be forced before long to make a move to get rid of some salary. They already moved Riley Sheahan to clear a few million off the cap, and still they needed to use LTIR again so early on. Luke Witkowski‘s suspension makes it tough, as though he forfeits the salary he would have earned the team does not receive a cap break. Even with the short-term injury to Trevor Daley, the team can’t afford to put him on IR and call up another player. They simply don’t have the money, unless DeKeyser is out much longer than expected.
- Speaking of injured reserve, Malcolm Subban has been activated by the Vegas Golden Knights. The team has sent Dylan Ferguson back to his junior club, happy to have gotten into a game (and earned an NHL paycheck). Subban is a welcome sight for the Golden Knights, even with Maxime Lagace earning the win last night over Vancouver. Lagace has played admirably, but an .864 save percentage still won’t cut it for long in the NHL. Though Subban has little experience himself, most believe he is an upgrade in net.
- Craig Button of TSN has more information on the 2019 draft, giving us an early look at his rankings for the draft still more than 18 months away. Jack Hughes is the easy favorite on top as he continues to cruise through his season with the NTDP, but there are some very interesting others on the list. Bowen Byram is perhaps a surprising #2, but anyone that saw his U17 performance will understand why Button has him here. The 16-year old defenseman is already playing (and playing well) in the WHL with the Vancouver Giants, and looks like he’ll have the size and mobility to develop into an all-situations stud down the line. Obviously, projecting 16-year old players is never an exact science and several will see their stock drop off in the next two years. Still, you can make an impression on scouts at this age, like Nolan Patrick did before losing most of his draft-eligible season to injury.