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Poll: Who Will Win The Metropolitan Division In 2018-19?

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We’re less than a month away from the 2018-19 NHL season, and players are hitting the ice with teammates to start forming chemistry. All over the league there are individual workouts underway, with rookie tournaments kicking off to showcase the young players in the organization. The excitement for the upcoming season is starting to bubble up to the surface, and even the smallest NHL news has fans in a frenzy.

Recently, Bovada released their over/under numbers for each team’s point totals and there are some interesting results. Though these aren’t to be taken exactly as predictions for the upcoming season—since betting odds also take into account popularity trends and other factors—fans of the Tampa Bay Lightning should still be extremely satisfied to see their club at the very top with an over/under of 107.5 points. The Lightning are expected to be Stanley Cup contenders once again in 2018-19, and have brought back nearly their entire roster.

We ran a poll asking the PHR community to decide who will win the Atlantic Division, and the Lightning came out on top with nearly 37% of the vote. The Toronto Maple Leafs finished in second place, but the big surprise was the Detroit Red Wings in third with 15% of all voters. While our readers have more confidence in the Red Wings than the odds makers, we’ve seen stranger things in the past.

Next we asked the PHR community to vote on the Pacific Division, and while things were a little more evenly distributed the San Jose Sharks were still the clear favorite. With more than 26% of the vote, the Sharks came out ahead of the Los Angeles Kings (16%), Vegas Golden Knights (14%) and Calgary Flames (13%). The Arizona Coyotes and Vancouver Canucks haven’t done enough to inspire much confidence, earning just a handful of votes each.

The Metropolitan Division might be the most difficult to predict, but perhaps the most important given that it has taken home the last three Stanley Cups. The Pittsburgh Penguins are the only team with an over/under above 100 at 103.5, but the Philadelphia Flyers (98.5), Washington Capitals (98.5) and Columbus Blue Jackets (97.5) are all right in the mix. It might be tough for the other teams to jump all the way to the top, but there is real talent still in Carolina and both New York teams. The New Jersey Devils, despite making the playoffs last year, have just a 91.5 over/under and find themselves right on the bubble of the postseason predictions.

Who do you think will come out on top of the Metropolitan Division? Can Washington keep the motor running and ride their Stanley Cup high all the way to another division title? Will the Penguins reassert themselves as a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference? Can Philadelphia stay healthy enough to challenge for the crown? Cast your vote below and explain how you think the season will play out in the comments!

Who will win the Metropolitan Division in 2018-19?
Pittsburgh Penguins 33.55% (363 votes)
Washington Capitals 25.42% (275 votes)
Philadelphia Flyers 12.66% (137 votes)
Columbus Blue Jackets 8.41% (91 votes)
New York Rangers 6.01% (65 votes)
New York Islanders 5.73% (62 votes)
New Jersey Devils 5.08% (55 votes)
Carolina Hurricanes 3.14% (34 votes)
Total Votes: 1,082

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John MacLeod Signs With Hershey Bears

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Among the sixteen college players who became unrestricted free agents this summer after their draft rights expired, there was one name that stood out. John MacLeod was drafted 57th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2014, right around players like Brandon Montour (55th), Ryan Donato (56th) and Christian Dvorak (58th). The defensive defenseman was a top prospect coming out of the US National Development Program and had recently brought home gold as a key member of the U18 World Junior team. MacLeod ended up going to Boston University for four years, where he twice won the Hockey East title and suited up for nearly 120 games.

Unfortunately MacLeod did not earn a contract with the Lightning, and today had to settle for an AHL deal with the Hershey Bears. He’ll join the Bears organization—the AHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals—and try to prove that his defensive game is good enough to carry him at the next level. MacLeod has never shown much in terms of offense, recording just 22 points throughout his entire collegiate career and struggling even before that. Still, he’s logged huge minutes at various points in his career and can spark a team with his physicality.

The Bears are looking to bounce back after a dreadful 2017-18 campaign that saw them miss the playoffs for just the second time in 13 years. Troy Mann was removed as head coach and replaced by Spencer Carbery, and the roster will have several new faces on it. It’s important to note that MacLeod is not under contract with the Capitals at this point, and instead is playing on a minor league deal.

2018-19 Season Primer: Washington Capitals

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With the NHL season now just a month away, it’s time to look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Today, we focus on the Washington Capitals.

Last Season: 49-26-7 record (105 points), first in the Metropolitan Division (beat Vegas in the Stanley Cup Final, beat Tampa Bay in the third round, beat Pittsburgh in the second round, beat Columbus in the first round)

Remaining Cap Space: $1.099MM per CapFriendly

Key Arrivals: F Nic Dowd (free agent, Vancouver), F Sergei Shumakov (free agent, CSKA Moscow)

Key Departures: F Jay Beagle (free agent, Vancouver), F Alex Chiasson (free agent, unsigned), G Philipp Grubauer (trade with Colorado), D Jakub Jerabek (free agent, Edmonton)

[Related: Capitals Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: D Michal Kempny – Kempny signed with Chicago two years ago but never really locked down a regular role.  The Capitals targeted him in advance of the trade deadline and it wound up being an under the radar move that really wound up paying dividends.  He worked his way into a regular role and wound up playing alongside top defenseman John Carlson.

That gave Kempny quite a boost heading into the free agent market.  Partway through the interview period, he decided to re-up with the Caps, inking a four-year, $10MM contract while nearly tripling his previous AAV in the process.  Instead of being simply a depth option as he was initially acquired to be, Washington will be expecting a lot more from the 27-year-old.

Can Kempny lock down a top-four role on a full-time basis?  While they can shield him on special teams, he’s still likely to play at five-on-five with Carlson.  If he can do that, their back end won’t necessarily need to be a focus for in-season additions assuming youngsters Madison Bowey and Christian Djoos continue to progress.  If Kempny struggles in that spot, however, then the Capitals will be looking at shoring up their back end as the season goes on.

Key Storyline: It’s extremely rare that a Cup-winning team has a new head coach behind the bench but that is the case in Washington with Barry Trotz resigning (he subsequently joined the Islanders) and associate coach Todd Rierden taking his place.  What type of effect is that going to have on a team that is nearly fully intact from their postseason run?

There is typically a championship hangover across the major sports and hockey is no exception.  How will incorporating a new head coach change that?  Will it up the focus level early on as the players adapt to a new system or will the changes add to the early-season lethargy that sometimes comes up after a team wins a title?  With so few coaching swaps taking place after a championship, this is certainly going to be intriguing to follow as it’s unlikely to happen again anytime soon.

Overall Outlook: While there could be some hiccups early on, Washington should still be among the contenders in a very tight Metropolitan Division.  It’s far from a guarantee that they’ll take home the top spot once again but they should comfortably be able to avoid battling for a Wild Card spot.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Capitals Officially Sign Sergei Shumakov

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The Capitals have added some depth to their group of wingers, announcing the signing of Russian forward Sergei Shumakov to a one-year, entry-level contract.  The contract will carry a cap hit of $925K at the NHL level, the maximum amount before bonuses.  The maximum minor league salary for this type of deal is $70K.  CapFriendly adds (Twitter link) that the contract also has an additional $425K in Schedule A performance bonuses.

It will be interesting to see if this contract contains a European Assignment Clause.  Shumakov will be waiver-exempt this coming season and it’s hard to imagine him wanting to spend a lot of time in the AHL knowing that he opted out of a deal back home to join Washington.

The 25-year-old is coming off of a career year in the KHL that saw him collect 17 goals and 23 assists in 47 regular season games; his 40 points ranked in a tie for 19th overall in league scoring.  He was expected to remain with CSKA Moscow until early this week when he terminated his contract.

Shumakov will now battle for a spot in Washington’s opening lineup.  The team is bringing back virtually the same lineup that won the Stanley Cup back in June but there are some openings in the bottom six following the departures of Jay Beagle and Alex Chiasson.  If he can land one of those spots, he should be able to give the Caps some extra scoring punch from their bottom lines.

NHL Rookie Tournaments Set For Early September

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8/31: The Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders have joined to fray, as their rookie camps will clash in prospects game on September 12th at the Isles’ practice facility, the teams announced. This leaves only the Florida Panthers without a competition for their rookies in the coming weeks.

8/24: Before team training camps open up for veterans, the rookies get some work in each year with various rookie tournaments and exhibition games taking place around the continent. This is where you can catch your favorite team:

  • The most well-known preseason rookie tournament is obviously the Traverse City NHL Prospect Tournament. The annual tournament hosted by the Detroit Red Wings is in its 20th year of existence. The format consists of two four-team “divisions” who play a round-robin tournament with the winner of each group earning a berth in the championship game. Featured this year are the Red Wings, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, New York Rangers, and St. Louis Blues. The games run from September 7th to September 11th.
  • Buffalo is again set to host the Sabres’ Prospect Challenge Tournament. Running from September 7th to 10th, it is a single group round robin tournament with the Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils, and Pittsburgh Penguins joining the Sabres on their home ice. This will be the first game action for top overall pick and preseason Calder Trophy favorite Rasmus Dahlin.
  • Across the border, the three eastern Canadian teams are set to square off in Laval, Quebec, the home of the Montreal Canadiens’ AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket. The Habs announced a set of three games featuring themselves, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Ottawa Senators on September 7th, 8th, and 9th.
  • On the other side of the country, a previous rookie tournament has been split in half. The NHL Young Stars Tournament, held in Penticton, British Columbia, will now contain only the Winnipeg Jets and Vancouver Canucks, as well as a pair of collegiate teams in a three-day series of games from September 7th to 9th. The Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames chose not to participate this year and will instead face-off in one singular game in Red Deer, Alberta on September 12th.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights are set to host the first of a revolving tournament among U.S.-based Western Conference teams. Nicknamed the Vegas Rookie Faceoff, Sin City will be the location of this year’s tournament which also features the Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks. It will be a three-day, nine-game series taking place on September 8th, 9th, and 11th. The tournament is expected to head to Anaheim next year.
  • Finally, the NHL’s southeastern squads will square off in Estero, Florida at the home of the ECHL’s Florida Everblades. The Prospect Showcase will be four days of games between the Nashville Predators, Tampa Bay Lightning, and defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals, taking place from September 8th to 11th.

For all updates on rookie tournament rosters, check in with Roster Resource and their running tracker of roster announcements.

Sergei Shumakov Expected To Sign With Washington Capitals

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Wednesday: Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post tweets that the contract is not finished, though the Capitals are “exploring it.” The deal has still not been announced, though there have been reports that Shumakov will not sign with either the Chicago Blackhawks (via Scott Powers of The Athletic) or New York Rangers (via Larry Brooks of the New York Post), two other teams that were linked to the Russian forward.

Tuesday: There had been recent reports that KHL forward Sergei Shumakov was looking for an NHL contract, and it appears he has found one on a team known for its Russian contingent. The Washington Capitals have signed Shumakov to a one-year entry-level contract according to NHL.com correspondent and Sovsport reporter Pavel Lysenkov. The Capitals have not announced the contract yet, but all signs point to the 25-year old joining Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dmitry Orlov and Ilya Samsonov in the Washington organization.

Shumakov had the best offensive season of his career last season after moving over to CSKA Moscow, recording 40 points in 47 games and more goals—17—than fellow highly touted players like Kirill Kaprizov and Valeri Nichushkin. While Shumakov is several years older than those two, he still brings a level of offensive upside that could be very valuable to the Capitals as they look to repeat as Stanley Cup champions. Washington has other young players like Jakub Vrana and Andre Burakovsky hoping to take big steps forward this season, but signing Shumakov can only improve their depth up front.

The contract of course guarantees Shumakov nothing in the way of playing time, given that he’ll be on a two-way deal like any other entry-level contract. The deal could very well include a European Assignment clause though, which could send Shumakov back to Russia if he can’t crack the NHL lineup. We won’t know that until the contract is announced, but for now Washington fans can just be happy they’ve added another forward with very little risk.

Morning Notes: Rampage, Lindholm, Samsonov

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The San Antonio Rampage have a new NHL affiliate this season in the St. Louis Blues, and will be debuting a new coaching staff as well. The team announced today that Daniel Tkaczuk and J.J. Daigneault have been hired as assistant coaches under Drew Bannister, while Ryan Ward has been hired as video assistant coach. Tkaczuk and Daigneault both come from the NHL ranks, spending time with the Blues and Montreal Canadiens respectively in recent years.

The Rampage were the AHL affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche previously, but with the Colorado Eagles joining the league it made sense to realign the partnerships. St. Louis operated last season without a primary affiliate, instead lending players to the Rampage, Chicago Wolves and Providence Bruins among others. This time around they’ll have more ownership in their player development, an important step as they look to transition some top prospects to professional hockey.

  • Par Lindholm had interest from several NHL clubs before signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs, according to Kristen Shilton of TSN. The 26-year old center signed out of the SHL and has the inside track for a fourth-line role with the Maple Leafs this season. He told Shilton that he wanted to sign with a “classic” NHL team, and will get to be part of this group that is attempting to bring success back to a franchise that has struggled for so long. The fourth-line center role might not be a perfect opportunity given the huge minutes likely assigned to Auston Matthews, John Tavares and Nazem Kadri, but Lindholm could still be a valuable piece for the team going forward.
  • Tom Gulitti of NHL.com spoke with new Washington Capitals head coach Todd Reirden about several things including the backup goaltender position for this season. The Capitals currently have minor league goaltender Pheonix Copley penciled into the role behind Braden Holtby, but Reirden is still calling it a competition with KHL standout Ilya Samsonov. The 21-year old Russian is among the best goaltending prospects in the world after dominating at the KHL level for the last few years. Expected to start in the AHL this season, it might not be long before he’s pushing for a full-time NHL role.

Metropolitan Notes: Reirden, Atkinson, Elias, Kravtsov

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The Washington Capitals have that unusual circumstance where they are coming off winning the Stanley Cup, but are also breaking in a new coach. With Barry Trotz headed to New York, the team replaced him with long-time assistant coach Todd Reirden. NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti writes that the new head coach intends to make some changes to a team that returns everyone with the exception of fourth-line center Jay Beagle and backup goaltender Philipp Grubauer.

“In particular, I would say from the 63 to 65-game range on we really adjusted a few things that helped us defend better and set us up for better success defensively and our numbers followed, especially in the playoffs,” Reirden said. “So those things for the most part 5-on-5 will stay. … There will be some adjustments a little bit in some areas. Special teams in particular in the penalty kill area would be something that we’ll be making some adjustments to.”

Reirden, known as a players’ coach when he was an assistant, says that he believes that connecting with players is critical of being a coach and said he doesn’t intend to change now that he’s finally got his chance to be a head coach.

“I would say that everyone has to be a player’s coach in some respects today to be able to maximize the players,” Reirden said. “I think some of the success I’ve been able to have in the development of players over the last eight, nine years has been off of being able to relate to different players and put them in a situation where they’re in a challenging environment.”

  • Columbus Blue Jackets’ forward Cam Atkinson expects a more impressive season out of himself this year after struggling through multiple issues early in the season last year, according to the Columbus Dispatch’s George Richards. The 29-year-old forward started slow after signing a seven-year, $41.13MM extension last season and then suffering through a broken bone in his foot. However, the veteran looks at his success after his return that suggests he will have a big year for the Blue Jackets this year. Atkinson, who started the first 32 games with just six goals and 13 points, went on a tear after that, finishing the season (65 games total) with 24 goals and 46 points, meaning he tallied 18 goals in the second half. “There’s no doubt in my mind that is the Cam we’re going to see,” said assistant general manager Bill Zito. “He’s such a talented player. He has the skills, the temerity to get out of a rut. He has a lot of weapons — he has a great shot, can skate, has a great hockey sense and likes to score. He likes it and is confident enough to know he can score.”
  • Former New Jersey Devils forward Patrik Elias, who tallied 1,025 points throughout his NHL career, will be starting a new venture as he intends to get into coaching, according to Elite Prospects’ Uffe Bodin. Elias has become the assistant coach for the Czech Republic’s U20 national team alongside head coach Vaclav Varada. “(Varada) approached me about three or four months ago”, Patrik Elias says, although he admits he was never interested in coaching. “Since I have the personal relationship with him and I know that he has done a really good job last two, three years as a coach, I felt that if I wanted to start up with someone, it’s good to start with someone that you trust and that can help you out. He’s been great.”
  • The New York Rangers’ Vitali Kravtsov was named the best forward at the 2018 U20 Four Nations Tournament with a goal and three assists in three games. The 18-year-old was the ninth overall pick by the Rangers in this year’s draft and is expected to return to his KHL team, Traktor Chelyabinsk, as he signed a one-year deal there. The hope is Kravtsov will be ready to compete for a spot on the Rangers roster next season. Minnesota Wild’s Simon Johansson was named top defenseman, while Detroit Red Wings’ Jesper Eliasson was named top goaltender.

 

2006 NHL Draft Take Two: Fourth Overall Pick

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Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.”  Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended.  For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.

Our look back at the 2006 NHL Entry Draft is now in full swing as we poll the PHR community to see who would have been selected in the first round and in what order knowing what we know now.  Through the first three picks, we have already seen big changes from what actually happened.

Here are the results of the redraft so far:

1st Overall: Jonathan Toews (St. Louis Blues)
2nd Overall: Claude Giroux (Pittsburgh Penguins)
3rd Overall: Nicklas Backstrom (Chicago Blackhawks)

Although the Blackhawks didn’t get Toews this time around, they wind up with a solid consolation prize in Backstrom, who would certainly fit in well as their number one center today.  He quietly leads all 2006 draft points in NHL assists (590) and points (799) and certainly would have made for a dynamic one-two punch alongside winger Patrick Kane.

Now, let’s move forward to the fourth pick in the draft, which was held by the Washington Capitals.

It’s safe to say that their original selection turned out to be the right one as Backstrom has been a go-to player for them for the last 11 years and still has two years remaining on a team-friendly contract with a $6.7MM cap hit.  While Alex Ovechkin draws most of the headlines, Backstrom has made a strong career for himself largely serving as his setup man while emerging as a capable two-way threat as well.  Obviously, with him now off the board as Chicago’s pick, Washington will have to pick someone else this time around.

With the fourth pick of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, who should the Washington Capitals select?  Cast your vote below!

2006 Redraft: Fourth Overall
Brad Marchand 44.58% (531 votes)
Phil Kessel 42.32% (504 votes)
Jordan Staal 3.53% (42 votes)
Milan Lucic 2.10% (25 votes)
Erik Johnson 0.84% (10 votes)
Bryan Little 0.84% (10 votes)
Artem Anisimov 0.76% (9 votes)
Derick Brassard 0.67% (8 votes)
Semyon Varlamov 0.59% (7 votes)
Patrik Berglund 0.50% (6 votes)
Nick Foligno 0.50% (6 votes)
Kyle Okposo 0.42% (5 votes)
Cal Clutterbuck 0.42% (5 votes)
Jamie McGinn 0.42% (5 votes)
Michal Neuvirth 0.25% (3 votes)
Michael Grabner 0.25% (3 votes)
Jeff Petry 0.25% (3 votes)
Steve Mason 0.17% (2 votes)
Mathieu Perreault 0.17% (2 votes)
Trevor Lewis 0.08% (1 votes)
Chris Stewart 0.08% (1 votes)
James Reimer 0.08% (1 votes)
Jonathan Bernier 0.08% (1 votes)
Shawn Matthias 0.08% (1 votes)
Michael Frolik 0.00% (0 votes)
Nikolay Kulemin 0.00% (0 votes)
Total Votes: 1,191

Mobile users, click here to vote.

Jakub Jerabek Signs With Edmonton Oilers

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Tuesday: According to PuckPedia and CapFriendly, Jerabek’s deal will pay him $1MM this season in Edmonton. That leaves the team with just under $4MM remaining in cap space to sign Nurse and make any other additions necessary.

Monday: Tons of speculation erupted recently about who the Edmonton Oilers would bring in to help replace Andrej Sekera after it was announced he had undergone surgery, and today we got an answer. Jakub Jerabek has signed a one-year contract with the team after splitting last season between the Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals.

Jerabek signed out of the KHL last summer, and began the year with the Laval Rocket in the AHL. A capable puck-mover and third pairing defender, he eventually found his way up to the Canadiens where he suited up for 25 games. As the Montreal season was out of reach and Jerabek was on only a one-year deal, the Canadiens flipped him to the Capitals at the deadline in exchange for a fifth-round pick. In 11 games down the stretch with the Capitals, Jerabek matched his Montreal total with four points but was asked to play in just two postseason contests as the team fought for the Stanley Cup.

In Edmonton, Jerabek doesn’t perfectly replace Sekera but will give the team another option to battle with the likes of Kevin Gravel and Keegan Lowe for the last few roster spots. It’s unlikely that the 27-year old is given much powerplay time or asked to defend the tough matchups, but at least he represents a bit of upside for minimal cost. The Oilers are pressed right up against the salary cap given that they still have a Darnell Nurse contract to work out, and can’t really afford to acquire any impact defenders—though, Sekera’s status could change that if he’s destined for long-term injured reserve. Regardless, the team will need to find a way to turn this group of defensemen into a playoff caliber blue line in short order, or risk wasting another one of Connor McDavid’s prime years in mediocrity.

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