Atlantic Notes: Bruins, Boucher, Ristolainen, Zetterberg, Bertuzzi
There is just one game remaining on the NHL regular season schedule and the league schedulers picked a good one as the Boston Bruins will host the Florida Panthers today in the lone game. While many people thought the game would have significant meaning for the Panthers (Philadelphia’s victory Saturday officially eliminated Florida from the playoffs), it instead has an effect on Boston.
If the Bruins win, they will jump over the Tampa Bay Lightning as the top seed of the Eastern Conference and get home ice advantage in the first three rounds of the playoffs. A win of any kind would give them a matchup with the New Jersey Devils. A loss will pit the Bruins against the Toronto Maple Leafs, a team they have struggled with this year. The only known matchup in the Eastern Conference are the Pittsburgh Penguins vs. the Philadelphia Flyers and the Washington Capitals vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“Let’s face it, we were trying to find our own game and get to where we thought we were at the start of the year, which was definitely a playoff team,” said head coach Bruce Cassidy via NBC Sports Joe Haggerty. “We just didn’t know where we would fit, and the way Tampa got out of the gate, and Toronto for that matter, it was going to be an uphill battle. But here we are. We’re in a position to take it, and that’s a credit to the guys. We’ve worked hard to get here. This wasn’t by accident. We didn’t back in.”
- The Ottawa Senators, who ended up finishing in 30th place this season, must make a decision on their coaching situation. Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen writes that Guy Boucher is in a strange situation as he did everything right a year ago at this time and has done little right since. The team’s defense and special teams were atrocious this year and need to get fixed. The question is, will it be Boucher or another coach? Garrioch says that even if Boucher survives, expect changes to the staff as last year is considered unacceptable.
- Jon Vogl of the Buffalo News writes that the Buffalo Sabres need to make sweeping changes to avoid another dismal season next year, but unfortunately, the team has a lot of contracts with term which will be hard to move, so the team will need to be creative in trades. The defense has six players already under contract and few top-four players, citing that Rasmus Ristolainen is considered their No. 1 defenseman and he is no where even close to that. He will have four more years on his contract at $5.4MM AAV and has shown little improvement and isn’t the leader they hoped he would be.
- Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press writes that Detroit Red Wings’ Henrik Zetterberg must decide whether he wants to keep playing. The 38-year-old still has three years left of the 12-year contract he signed in 2009 at $6.083MM AAV, but back then it was assumed players wouldn’t play the entire contract out. He’s logged over 1,000 and if he chooses to retire, the Red Wings would save $6MM in cap space if the team is able to place him on long-term injured reserve. St. James adds, however, that the veteran might want to come back for one more year as he is just 42 points away from reaching 1,000 points.
- St. James also tweets that the Red Wings have decided not to send forward Tyler Bertuzzi to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL for their playoff run. They believe Bertuzzi has done enough at the AHL level and want him to hit the gym and get stronger with a full offseason of workouts.
Caps To Wait Until After Playoffs To Decide On Whether Or Not To Try To Bring Back, Trotz And Carlson
- The Capitals have decided to wait until after the postseason before making a decision on whether or not they try to re-sign defenseman John Carlson or head coach Barry Trotz, GM Brian MacLellan told NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. Carlson is poised to land a considerable raise on his current $3.967MM cap hit as he will likely come close to doubling that if he makes it to the open market. Meanwhile, Trotz has made it through his ‘lame duck’ year with another strong regular season record but it has been intimated previously that it will be their postseason success (or lack thereof) that ultimately determines his fate and MacLellan’s comments all but seals that.
Black Monday: The Day The Coaches (Could) Disappear
The NHL looks like it will finish an entire season without seeing a single coach fired for the first time since expansion in 1967, but there could be a dark lining on that stat coming next week. “Black Monday” as it is being termed could be coming after the final game of the regular season this Sunday, with close to a dozen coaches finding themselves on the hot seat.
In last night’s Insider Trading segment on TSN, Bob McKenzie broke down a list of potential firings that looked like this:
Glen Gulutzan, Calgary Flames
Bill Peters, Carolina Hurricanes
Joel Quenneville, Chicago Blackhawks
Jeff Blashill, Detroit Red Wings
Todd McLellan, Edmonton Oilers
Doug Weight, New York Islanders
Alain Vigneault, New York Rangers
Guy Boucher, Ottawa Senators
Barry Trotz, Washington Capitals
Some of these names simply don’t have a contract for next season, including Trotz, who also happens to be the only coach on the list heading to the playoffs. The Capitals have won the Metropolitan Division for the third year in a row, but will be judged entirely on their postseason performance. Washington must find some success past the second round, or there could be a shake up in order starting with the man behind the bench.
The rest of the list is a who’s who of disappointing seasons, with Quenneville sticking out like a sore thumb. Arguably one of the best coaches of all-time, Quenneville’s firing could cause what McKenzie terms a ripple effect throughout the league. Though he doesn’t expand on that idea, many have wondered whether another team would fire their incumbent to have the opportunity to hire Quenneville should he become a free agent, much like the Montreal Canadiens did last season when Claude Julien was let go from Boston.
In New York, while both coaches might not be back it would be for very different reasons. Vigneault has had a lot of regular season success with the Rangers, but as they enter into an unfamiliar rebuild they could want to start with a fresh face behind the bench. For Weight and the Islanders, this season was an abject failure as they tried to woo John Tavares with a trip to the postseason. They won’t get there, and now have to worry about whether their captain and superstar will stick around.
There could be many other names you could suggest for the list, and it is extremely unlikely that all of these will get the boot before the start of 2018-19. You can be sure some changes are coming though, even if it does come after a remarkable season of patience by general managers around the league.
Washington Capitals Sign Brian Pinho To Entry-Level Contract
The Washington Capitals have added some depth for the playoffs, signing Brian Pinho to a two-year entry-level contract. Pinho just finished his senior season with Providence College, and will report to the Capitals right away. The deal will begin in 2017-18 and Pinho will actually be eligible to play in the last few games or playoffs, meaning the first year will be burned right away. That’s the leverage the Capitals likely used to get him under contract, as he would have become an unrestricted free agent in August.
Pinho, 22, was second on Providence in scoring this season behind St. Louis Blues prospect Erik Foley, recording 32 points in 40 games. Though he didn’t project as an impact player in the NHL when the Capitals selected him 174th-overall in 2013, his excellent collegiate career has turned him into a legitimate prospect. While his solid stickhandling and playmaking ability can create opportunity for his teammates, there is also a willingness to go to the net that should benefit him at the next level.
Now listed at 6’1″ 191-lbs, Pinho has steadily increased his strength and stability to the point where he shouldn’t be overpowered in the NHL. While he might not step right into a lineup and be put on the special teams, he does have experience on the powerplay—where he played both net-front and left circle—and penalty kill.
Capitals Are In Talks With 2013 Sixth-Rounder Brian Pinho
- The Capitals are in contract negotiations with the agent for college center Brian Pinho, reports Mark Divver of the Providence Journal (Twitter link). The 22-year-old recently wrapped up his college career with the Friars, posting 12 goals and 20 assists in his senior year. Pinho was Washington’s sixth-round pick (174th overall) back in 2013 and could test the free agent waters if he doesn’t sign a contract by mid-August.
Capitals Notes: Carlson, Trotz, Gersich
If the Capitals intend to re-sign defenseman John Carlson, they are going to be hard-pressed to do so while staying under the salary cap. In an appearance on NBCSN (transcribed by FanRag’s Chris Nichols), TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that the expectation around the league is that the 28-year-old will land a contract between $7MM and $8MM per year and a term between six and eight years. (Only Washington can sign him for the maximum term of eight seasons.)
The Capitals have more than $63MM tied up in contracts to 15 players for 2018-19 which doesn’t leave them a lot of wiggle room to fit a contract like that for Carlson, even with the Upper Limit increasing a little bit as it is expected to do. Accordingly, Washington is going to be a team to watch for this summer to see if they make a move to create room (similar to what they did with Marcus Johansson back in July) or whether the leading point getter among NHL blueliners goes elsewhere in the coming months.
More from Washington:
- Although the Caps are getting closer to locking down another division title, owner Ted Leonsis told reporters, including Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post, that there is still no decision on the future of head coach Barry Trotz. Trotz is in the final year of his contract and while GM Brian MacLellan inked a new deal earlier this season, it doesn’t appear as if any extension has been offered to the bench boss. It has been speculated previously that Washington’s postseason performance might dictate his future and Leonsis didn’t exactly quash that as he declined to comment on that suggestion, merely saying that it’s “inappropriate” to comment on contracts right now.
- Rookie winger Shane Gersich made his NHL debut on Wednesday night and Trotz acknowledged to Khurshudyan that he is still undecided on his bottom six group of forwards for the playoffs and that the 21-year-old could work his way into the mix. Unlike a lot of the NCAA signings we’ve seen in recent days, Gersich would be postseason-eligible as he has been on Washington’s reserve list all season long, something that isn’t the case with the undrafted free agents that are signing contracts.
Minor Transactions: 03/29/18
The Arizona Coyotes are playing the ultimate spoiler down the stretch, winning again last night against the Vegas Golden Knights to draw even with the Vancouver Canucks for last in the Western Conference. Arizona has played well of late, giving them some hope for next season as they look to build around a young core.
For the Coyotes and all the teams out of the playoffs, now is the time to experiment with players who might not have had a chance to prove what they can do earlier in the season. With that, we’ll keep track of all the minor transactions around the league right here.
- The Boston Bruins have sent Paul Postma back to the minors while recalling Tommy Cross under emergency conditions. Cross, the Providence Bruins captain, has played 66 games in the AHL this season and could be getting just a nice bonus for a good season. The 28-year old defenseman wasn’t on any of the pairings at morning skate, as both Zdeno Chara and Matt Grzelcyk took their normal spots.
- The Ottawa Senators have recalled Colin White under emergency conditions, and announced that Chris Wideman will not play again this season. White has played 15 games with the Senators this season, but failed to make enough of an impact to keep him in the lineup full-time. The 21-year old forward is still a big part of the Senators’ future, but hasn’t had the season many had hoped from him after his dominant career at Boston College.
- Josh Jooris has been recalled by the Pittsburgh Penguins as Derick Brassard battles injury, meaning Riley Sheahan probably moves back to the third line center position. Jooris was acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes for just this reason, giving the Penguins some added depth should they face injury.
- Pheonix Copley has been re-assigned once again, sent back to the minor leagues after a short recall. Copley has been filling in for the Washington Capitals when needed, but still hasn’t actually entered a game.
- Spencer Foo is coming up for the Calgary Flames, using their fourth post-deadline recall. Foo was signed out of the NCAA last spring, and has made an impact in the AHL during his first season of professional hockey. He’ll likely get a chance to make his NHL debut over the last week of the season, and compete for a full-time job next fall.
- With Semyon Varlamov (illness) and Jonathan Bernier (infection) both expected to be available on Friday night, the Avalanche have returned goaltender Spencer Martin to San Antonio of the AHL. Martin has not seen any action with Colorado this season but has appeared in 32 games at the minor league level, posting a 3.02 GAA and a .895 SV%.
Early Notes: KHL, Carlson, Foley
The KHL has contracted by two teams again for the 2018-19 season, with Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk and Lada Togliatti both exiting the league. Those two combined for just 33 wins this season, bringing up the bottom of the Kharlamov Division.
That’s the second straight season the KHL has contracted, after previous expansion. The league has dealt with financial disparity since its inception, but will open the doors on September 1st and start their 11th season with 25 teams.
- After initially proposing the idea that John Tavares could be a sign-and-trade candidate for the New York Islanders, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) has expanded that notion to John Carlson of the Washington Capitals. Carlson is in line for a huge payday this summer as the best defenseman on the market, but will be a tough contract to fit into the Washington salary structure. The only real benefit a sign-and-trade has in the NHL is the ability to get an eighth year under contract, which makes it a tough thing to sell to a player before he’s able to talk to all the team that may be interested in his services. LeBrun examines exactly what would have to happen in Carlson’s case.
- Mark Divver of the Providence Journal is extremely plugged into the college hockey circles in the northeast, and he reports that Erik Foley is expected to sign with the St. Louis Blues after his junior season. The Providence College forward led his team in scoring with 35 points this year, and could make an impact quickly in the NHL. Foley was a third-round pick of the Winnipeg Jets, but was included as part of the deal for Paul Stastny last month.
Minor Transactions: 03/26/18
As teams around the league continue to snap up their college recruits and add them to the NHL roster, others are just playing out the string hoping for better odds at the draft lottery. Still, the league will continue to make minor transactions right up until the end of the season and we’ll keep track of them all right here. Check back throughout the day to stay up to date.
- After announcing that Nick Foligno will be out for two to four weeks, the Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled Alex Broadhurst from the minor leagues. Broadhurst has yet to make his NHL debut, but leads the Cleveland Monsters in scoring this season with 41 points in 66 games. Foligno will try to get back in time for the playoffs, but in the meantime the Blue Jackets will need to sort out their center position without his help.
- Pheonix Copley is on his way back to the minor leagues, now that Braden Holtby has overcome the minor injury he was dealing with. Copley didn’t get into a game in his short stint, and is still waiting to make his Washington Capitals debut. The 26-year old goaltender could get a chance next season, if the Capitals decide that a new contract for Philipp Grubauer—who is scheduled to be a restricted free agent once again—is too expensive.
- The Calgary Flames have swapped goaltenders, sending David Rittich to the minor leagues while recalling Jon Gillies. The Flames are all but eliminated from postseason contention after losing five in a row, and will have a tough offseason to deal with after trading several future draft picks to try and contend for the Stanley Cup this season.
- Roberto Luongo is healthy for the Florida Panthers, as they have assigned Harri Sateri back to the minor leagues. The Panthers are in action tonight against the New York Islanders, with James Reimer starting in goal.
Injury Notes: Versteeg, Brodie, Tkachuk, Kuznetsov, Holtby, Bernier
Not long after the Calgary Flames shut down center Sean Monahan for the season, the Flames lost another player for the remainder of the season in winger Kris Versteeg, according to Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson.
Versteeg had been out with a hip injury for a large chunk of the season this year. He has been out since Nov. 24, but came back last week for two games. Yet two scratches in a row in the team’s two most recent games suggests he wasn’t at full strength. With the Flames quickly bottoming out in the final stretch of games, it probably makes sense for the team to allow Versteeg to sit and heal for next season, allowing them to look at some younger options.
While Versteeg’s loss isn’t as devastating a loss as Monahan, Versteeg was considered a key to the team’s back-six. He has averaged close to 15 goals per season over the previous three years, but only managed to appear in 24 games this season, posting just three goals and five assists.
- In other injury news in Calgary, the Calgary Sun’s Kristen Anderson writes that defenseman T. J. Brodie and winger Matthew Tkachuk are both still considered day-to-day and will not travel with the team to San Jose or Los Angeles for their upcoming road trip. Brodie has missed two games after taking a hit from Vegas Golden Knights enforcer Ryan Reaves on Mar. 18, while Tkachuk has missed five games after taking a hit from the New York Islanders’ Mathew Barzal on Mar. 11.
- The Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan tweets that center Evgeny Kuznetsov will return to the Capitals’ lineup today after missing three games with an upper-body injury. The 25-year-old center has never missed a game with an injury and as the Capitals fight for a better seeding in the playoffs, the team will be happy to get him back. Kuznetsov is heading for a career year as he already has a career-high 21 goals and his 71 points is six short of his career high.
- Khurshudyan also notes that Washington Capitals head coach Barry Trotz will continue to hold goaltender Braden Holtby out of games as he doesn’t want to risk further injury. The veteran goaltender remains day-to-day with a lower body injury.
- Adrian Dater of BSN Denver tweets that Colorado Avalanche goaltender Jonathan Bernier is out again, this time with an upper-body injury. He came in to replace Semyon Varlamov Thursday in their 7-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings, and allowed two goals.