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Morning Notes: Crosby, Patrick, Cangelosi

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Last night, during the Pittsburgh Penguins-Ottawa Senators game, Sidney Crosby delivered a hard slash across the hands of Marc Methot resulting in one of the nastiest injuries this season in the NHL (*WARNING: GRAPHIC*). Senators’ head coach Guy Boucher said after the game that Methot would be out “weeks” with a “destroyed” and “shattered” finger, and owner Eugene Melnyk was upset about it this morning on TSN 1200 (via Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia and Frank Seravalli of TSN):

You hammer these [players who slash], you take away their money, and you say you know what? You are done for 10 games.  We all know who [Crosby] is. The guy is a whiner beyond belief. You do this kind of stuff—I don’t care who you are in the league, I don’t care if you’re the number one player in the league—you should sit out a long time for this kind of crap.

Melnyk said that he was sure the league would be looking at it, but Pierre LeBrun of ESPN reports Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly will not be evaluating it further. Crosby will receive no discipline for this incident, just as he faced no penalty for his spear in an unfortunate area of Ryan O’Reilly’s lower body.

  • For anyone hoping to catch Nolan Patrick in the first round of the WHL playoffs, you might have to wait a few days. Mike Morreale of NHL.com reports that the projected top pick in the upcoming entry draft won’t play in game one due to a lower-body injury. The Brandon Wheat Kings take on the Medicine Hat Tigers in the first round of the WHL playoffs.
  • The Calgary Flames have sent Garnet Hathaway back down to the Stockton Heat. The 25-year old forward didn’t play in his most recent call up, after Micheal Ferland returned earlier from his mumps quarantine. With Matthew Tkachuk now eligible to play after serving his two-game suspension, the need for Hathaway has lifted. Playing in 26 games for Calgary this season, Hathaway registered five points in under 10 minutes a night.
  • Similarly, the Minnesota Wild have sent Gustav Olofsson down to the minors, liking meaning Christian Folin is ready to return to game action. Olofsson has played in 13 games for the Wild this season, but will have to wait until next year to really make his mark at the NHL level. The 22-year old will try to help the Iowa Wild make the postseason for the first time in their short history.
  • Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports that the Albany Devils have signed Austin Cangelosi to a two-year AHL contract. The 22-year old forward just graduated from Boston College where he had back-to-back 20-goal seasons the past two years. The 5’7″ forward will try to prove that his size won’t stop his skill from shining through at the professional level, as he moves up to the next challenge in his hockey career.

Snapshots: Brodzinski, Rod, Ronning

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As expected yesterday, the Los Angeles Kings have recalled Jonny Brodzinski today from the Ontario Reign to give him a taste of NHL action down the stretch. The minor-league sniper will not play tonight, but is expected to get into the lineup at some point over the remaining ten games. Armed with a howitzer of a shot, Brodzinski is an option for the Kings next season, as he’s proven everything he needs to at the AHL level.

With the Kings needing scoring wherever they can find it—they currently rank 27th in the league in goals for—Brodzinski may actually get a chance to move up in the lineup quickly. If he can show an ability to replicate his goal-scoring touch at the highest level, he’d instantly become one of their best options. Jeff Carter and Tanner Pearson alone have accounted for more than 30% of the Kings’ goals this season, with no other player even eclipsing 15 on the season. Brodzinski would be a welcome addition if he can find enough open space to release that shot.

  • The San Jose Sharks are closing in on a contract with second-round pick Noah Rod, according to Kevin Kurz of CSN. The 2014 draft pick has continued to play in the NLA (Switzerland) for the past three seasons and may be ready to come across the pond. Known for his feisty game and ability to get under opponent’s skin, Rod showed an increased offensive game this year scoring 14 points in 27 games despite dealing with multiple injuries. He is likely still at least a year away from making a real impact in the NHL, but getting him over and into the AHL would help his transition to the North American game.
  • After signing NCAA goaltender Chris Nell earlier today, the New York Rangers—or rather their AHL affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack—have signed Ty Ronning to an amateur tryout. The seventh-round pick last summer just finished his season with the Vancouver Giants of the WHL, leading the team in scoring for the second straight season. At 5’9″ 170-lbs, Ronning is undersized to say the least, but has a role model on how to succeed at that size pretty close to home. Cliff Ronning, Ty’s dad, played 1137 games in the NHL and recorded 869 points despite actually coming in an inch shorter than his son is now. One of the all-time “small guys”, Cliff was exceptionally talented and even scored 85 points one season while skating for Vancouver with greats like Pavel Bure and Trevor Linden. Perhaps the younger Ronning was overlooked just as his father was in his day—Cliff went in the seventh-round too, but scored more than all but five of his draft class.

Snapshots: Playoff Format, Sedlak, Lightning

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If you’re an Atlantic Division team looking at the current playoff seeding, why would you want to go after the division crown? That’s what Pierre LeBrun wonders in his latest column for TSN. The top Atlantic team will have to face one—most likely the New York Rangers—of the four dominant Metropolitan teams, all of which have more points than the currently leading Montreal Canadiens.  That system may need some tweaking argues LeBrun, who suggests going back to the straight divisional playoffs that brewed long-standing rivalries.

For what it’s worth, it doesn’t seem like the GMs have much interest in changing the format, with one telling LeBrun “it’s all cyclical. Some years some divisions are stronger.” It may not even matter, as Montreal has dominated the Rangers this season. With a 3-0 record, they are likely looking forward to  a first round matchup.

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have activated Lukas Sedlak from injured reserve today, as he has healed completely from the oblique strain that’s kept him out for a month. The 23-year old has 12 points in 55 games this season, his first in the NHL. Never much of an offensive player, Sedlak prides himself on his defensive and faceoff success and the analytics show it. The young centerman has been an elite shot suppressor in his first season, exactly what you want from a fourth-line player.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning will look to Brayden Point to lead their team again tonight as Tyler Johnson, Vladislav Namestnikov and Cedric Paquette remain out. Byron Froese was recalled earlier today and will figure into a lineup that was already missing Steven Stamkos, Valtteri Filppula and Brian Boyle from the start of the year. Point will have to get by a former teammate in Morgan Rielly, who he played as a 15-year old for the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL.

Morning Notes: Byron, Eichel, Kozun

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The rich got richer yesterday, as the Pittsburgh Penguins signed Zach Aston-Reese, arguably the top college free agent in this year’s class. The Northeastern forward led the nation in scoring, and should follow nicely in the footsteps of other NCAA free agents to find success in Pittsburgh. That doesn’t sound like it will be the case for Blaine Byron though, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports the University of Maine star will likely wait to become a free agent in August.

Byron was a sixth-round pick of the Penguins in 2013, and broke out this season as a senior for Maine. With 41 points in 36 games, the small center easily paced his team for the second straight year. Incredible vision off the rush is Byron’s calling card, though he will need to add strength to compete at the next level. He’ll likely have several teams after him in the summer, though it shouldn’t be as insane as last year’s Jimmy Vesey sweepstakes.

  • As CapFriendly reports, Jack Eichel triggered a bonus last night when he scored his 20th goal. The Buffalo Sabres forward could receive a $2MM escalator should he finish the season in the top-10 of points per game. He currently sits ninth in the league, meaning the Sabres may face a overage penalty next season. They currently have just under $1.4MM in cap space remaining, meaning the other $600K would be applied as a penalty to next season. While that’s not crippling for a team, it is important to note as the Sabres go into this summer looking to compete next season.
  • Brandon Kozun, a former Los Angeles Kings and Toronto Maple Leafs prospect, has re-signed with his KHL team according to Andrew Walker of Sportsnet. The diminutive forward has found immense success in Russia, scoring 56 points in 59 games this season for Yaroslavl Lokomotiv. A team featuring several former NHL players and prospects, Kozun easily led the squad this year.
  • The United States Women’s National Hockey Team will boycott the upcoming World Championships, as they fight for equitable support. The team released a statement today through several players, including Megan Bozek, the NWHL’s reigning winner of Best Defender. The team simply wants better financial support for their players who dedicate years of training to the international competitions. According to ESPN, the women are given $1,000 for each of the six months of Olympic residency, and nothing during the remainder of the four years of training. If the US team were to not compete in the tournament, it would be a huge blow. The matchups between Canada and the United States are the big draw for the tournament, and without one of the two powerhouses it will likely be a romp for the Canadians through to the gold medal.

Deadline Primer: New York Rangers

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At times this season the New York Rangers have looked the part of legitimate Stanley Cup contender. With a talented a deep group of forwards, the Blueshirts have shown the ability to score goals in bunches and have been among the top offensive teams in the NHL all season long. Certainly they boast enough firepower to keep pace with anyone in the league.

At other times the defensive lapses that derailed their 2015-16 campaign have reappeared and may again threaten to undermine the Rangers playoff hopes. It looks more likely than ever that Dan Girardi and Kevin Klein are simply ill-suited for the fast paced style the Rangers want to employ and just can’t cut it in top-four roles. Either would be decent options on the third pair but right now one of them has to play on one of the team’s top two pairings.

So what exactly are the Rangers? Are they a team one savvy blue line addition away from competing for the Stanley Cup? Or are they a team whose window is all but closed; one that needs too much help to reasonably expect to contend and who should resist the urge to mortgage yet more of their future in what will almost surely be another fruitless effort to win it all? That’s the question that GM Jeff Gorton and his staff have to answer in the coming days.

Record

39 – 19 – 2, 80 points, currently in third place in the Metro Division.

Deadline Status

They’re the Rangers and have essentially been all-in for the last several seasons. The Blueshirts have added Martin St. Louis, Keith Yandle and Eric Staal at the deadline at each of the last three trade deadlines respectively and they’ll be a buyer yet again. But don’t necessarily expect a splashy move. Gorton has already displayed a strong desire to protect the organization’s limited pool of prospects and draft picks. They’ll look to make a deal but likely are not willing to sacrifice much in the way of young NHL talent or futures in any move.

Deadline Cap Space

According to Cap Friendly, the Rangers will have just more than $10.1MM in cap space with which to play with. Again, a significant departure from past versions of the Rangers but a welcome one all the same as the team won’t necessarily have to pay a higher price due to requiring their trade partner to retain salary.

Draft Picks

2017: NYR 1st, NYR 3rd, Florida 4th, NYR 5th, Vancouver 6th, NYR 7th

2018: NYR 1st, NYR 2nd, Ottawa 2nd, NYR 3rd, NYR 4th, NYR 5th, NYR 6th, Florida 7th*

*Contingent on Dylan McIlrath appearing in at least 30 NHL games in 2016-17.

Trade Chips

Shockingly, the Rangers still have their first round pick for 2017. The Blueshirts haven’t exercised a pick in the draft’s opening round since 2012, when they chose defenseman Brady Skjei 28th overall. Should they choose to hold onto that pick, they do own multiple second round picks in 2018 thanks to the Derick Brassard–Mika Zibanejad swap. Perhaps they’ll be willing to make one of those choices available.

After failing to earn a spot with the Rangers AHL affiliate in Hartford, Ryan Gropp returned to the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL, where he has registered a 25-41-66 scoring line in 55 games. He was the Rangers second round pick in 2015 and could be viewed by some teams as a potential late bloomer. The Rangers are fairly deep between the pipes in their system with Igor Shesterkin leading the way. Adam Huska and Tyler Wall are both playing NCAA hockey this season and are legitimate NHL prospects. The Rangers have done an excellent job as an organization identifying unheralded goaltending prospects and seeing them develop into quality pro netminders and Huska and Wall have a chance to continue that trend.

The Rangers will be reluctant to move anyone on the NHL roster but might consider including one of Jesper Fast or Oscar Lindberg in a package to upgrade the blue line given the amount of depth up front. They might also be willing to part with Matt Puempel or Brandon Pirri but neither player likely carries much trade value. Other clubs will come calling on young forwards like Kevin Hayes, J.T. Miller and Chris Kreider, players just beginning to hit reach their respective ceilings in the NHL, but it would take a substantial offer to pry one of them away.

Players to watch: Kevin Klein (recent back issues could increase the Rangers need on the blue line); Lindberg; Fast; Gropp; Wall;

Team Needs

  1. Defense: The question is whether one legitimate top-four blue liner is enough or will the team need to add two new defensive options.
  2. Defense: See above
  3. Defense: See above the above.

 

Mike Smith Sick; Coyotes Recall Adin Hill

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Ahead of their match-up tonight with the Dallas Stars, the Arizona Coyotes announced that they had called up goaltender Adin Hill on an emergency basis. Starter Mike Smith is reportedly sick and the team must not have believed he was even in condition to serve as Louis Domingue’s backup tonight. It’s the first career promotion for 20-year-old Hill, a 2015 third-round pick who is in his first full pro season.

Don’t worry Coyotes fans, Smith doesn’t have the mumps. It’s unclear what Smith does have, but the sickness isn’t considered serious. The All-Star keeper should be healthy and back in net shortly; he’s posted a .915 save percentage and 2.92 goals against average in 40 appearances thus far this season.

However, his short absence will give the Coyotes a chance to take a look at Hill, who is possibly the best goalie prospect in the system. Hill was a third-round pick from the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks (could he return to Portland with his NHL franchise in the near future?) and is in his first full pro season, playing mostly with the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners. Hill has a .916 save percentage and 2.84 goals against average in 26 AHL games and has out-shined Marek Langhamer, who was recently demoted by the Coyotes. Getting the young Hill a look at NHL action, even if it just from the bench, can only serve to benefit his development at this point. With Domingue struggling mightily this season and Smith still under-performing relative to his contract, the net may be Hill’s for the taking sooner rather than later.

Snapshots: Tootoo, Barzal, Parenteau

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It’s not easy to open up about alcoholism and the effect it has on your life and the people around you. Jordin Tootoo has done just that over the past few years, and again to Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune. In a stunningly open interview with Kuc that is reminiscent of the piece done by David Pollock of The Hockey News concerning Devin Setoguchi (who cleared waivers today and was sent to the AHL), Tootoo speaks about the past six years of sobriety and how he has changed from a bottle-swigging teenager to a bottle-feeding parent.

A role-model on the ice and off of it, Tootoo has turned from rampant alcoholism onset by the suicide of his brother to clean living and mentoring of younger players of his Inuit background. Those from his hometown of Rankin Inlet in Nunavut, Canada are starting to follow his lead and leave the bottle for a hockey stick instead. The piece is a wonderful look inside a player who has seen pretty much everything in his NHL career, and is now trying to help the Chicago Blackhawks get back to the Stanley Cup finals.

  • The New York Islanders might not have performed exactly as expected this season, but even if they don’t make the playoffs—which, after an excellent stretch is far from certain—they have some bright spots in their future. Kelsey Smith of NHL.com checks in on some of their prospects, including two that received some league honors this week. Mathew Barzal and Ryan Pulock earned player of the week honors in their respective leagues, and the two first-rounders seem like locks to eventually make it to the NHL on a full-time basis. After starring at the World Juniors, Barzal has 54 points (including 46 assists) in just 29 games for the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL, while Pulock has 22 points in 27 games from the back-end of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL.
  • P.A. Parenteau has found a home in New Jersey after being selected off waivers by the Devils just before the season started. The Islanders had signed the free agent winger prior to the year, but decided he wasn’t cut out for John Tavares’ wing anymore and allowed the Devils to take him for nothing. He’s put up 13 goals and 25 points this year in 53 games and doesn’t want to go anywhere at the deadline. “I want to stay here, they’ve been great to me,” Parenteau told Andrew Gross of The Record, while admitting he understands that his name will surface on March 1st, if not before. Just like last year when Parenteau was in the midst of a 20-goal season for the Toronto Maple Leafs, he’s an expiring contract who can provide goal scoring for almost no money; plenty of teams will be after that at the deadline, if they believe that he is capable of playing a role in their playoff push.

OHL Prospect Watch: Tippett Paces The 2017 Class

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Even though many teams and fans have the upcoming trade deadline on their minds, front offices everywhere are starting to sort out their draft rankings for the upcoming class. The depth in any given year affects how hard teams pursue extra selections, and what round they push for. This season, while the top of the draft doesn’t have the franchise talent of the past two (though Nico Hischier is continuing to turn heads as he inches closer to the top of boards) it does have quite a bit of talent throughout the first and second rounds.

Over at the OHL Prospects blog, they’ve released their annual mid-season media/scout ranking for the Ontario Hockey League, a list that is voted on by people like Mike Morreale of NHL.com, Tony Ambrosio of TSN and Corey Pronman of ESPN among many others. Their list ranks the top ten—with a few honorable mentions—with breakdowns from each writer.

Leading the way is Owen Tippett of the Mississauga Steelheads, a player I’ve mentioned in the past as someone to watch at the upcoming draft. None of the voters had Tippett lower than second, and he got 11/17 first place votes easily pacing the group. Tippett is a natural goal scoring talent that looks like he would have a chance at contributing right away in 2017-18, with an NHL-ready shot from anywhere in the offensive zone. His size and speed have him dominating the OHL ranks already, even more so than teammate Michael McLeod who went 12th overall to the Devils last season.

Other than Tippett, the OHL class has (like most seasons) a lot of talent up front including second-ranked Gabriel Vilardi who might jump over the Mississauga winger because of his position. Centers are often taken higher in the draft, and Vilardi offers size down the middle. With the Windsor Spitfires hosting this season’s Memorial Cup, Vilardi will be guaranteed a chance to show off on junior’s biggest stage.

Among the other eight players ranked six of them are forwards including Matthew Strome, the latest child in the hockey playing family. Like his brothers, Strome is a big skilled forward that can play at both ends of the rink, but has a bit more grit in the corners and a mean streak that the other two don’t possess. His future in the NHL isn’t guaranteed, but the possibility of an excellent checking winger with some big offensive upside will still get him taken relatively early in the draft.

It’ll be interesting to see when the first OHL player comes off the board in Chicago on June 23rd, as the top picks currently look like they’ll be (in some order) Hischier from the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL, Nolan Patrick of the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL and Timothy Liljegren from Timra of the Swedish second league. Last season the OHL had to wait until #5 to send up a player when Olli Juolevi was selected by Vancouver.

Snapshots: Pacioretty, Deadline Sellers, CWHL All-Star Game

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Montreal fans can breathe a sigh of relief as reports of Max Pacioretty’s absence from the morning skate is a result of the flu according to the Montreal Gazette’s Stu Cowan. TSN has a video report of Pacioretty’s impact this season, highlighting the captain’s recent strong performance. Leading the Habs in both goals and points (27-21-48), he was lauded by bench boss Michel Therrien in Montreal’s 5-4 victory over Arizona Thursday night. Suffice it to say, the Habs–and their fans–are relieved to hear that the flu, and not injury, is keeping Pacioretty out.

  • The Hockey News has hedged their bets for the trade deadline sellers. Lyle Richardson lists the Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Detroit Red Wings as potential sellers, indicating their sub-par seasons gives them the incentive to start selling off pieces for a brighter future. He quotes Elliotte Friedman as saying that Thomas Vanek may go to Chicago, while the Lightning could go shopping out West, trying to pry a defenseman from the Anaheim Ducks. General manager Steve Yzerman isn’t short assets, having a number of players to deal away with another cap crunch on its way in Tampa. As for Jim Nill’s Stars, Richardson sees Patrick Sharp, and Patrick Eaves as targets to be moved. But he also adds that should Marc-Andre Fleury waive his no-trade clause, he might just be what the Stars need to get back into the playoff hunt.
  • Speaking of buyers and sellers, be sure to check out PHR’s  takes on the Devils, Blackhawks, Blues, and Blue Jackets as the deadline approaches.
  • The CWHL is set for the All-Star game in Toronto this afternoon at the Air Canada Center. Maple Leafs blog Pension Plan Puppets has a writeup on some of the players to watch while the CWHL’s official site has even more, including the rosters of both teams following yesterday’s fantasy draft.

Coyotes May Be Exploring Northwest Relocation

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On the heels of the news that the Arizona Coyotes’ and Arizona State University’s joint venture to build a new arena facility in Tempe, Arizona had fallen through, new reports are emerging that the Coyotes have again started looking into a move to Portland, Oregon or Seattle, Washington. The Glendale Star first reported that members of the Coyotes brass had toured both Moda Center in Portland, home of the NBA’s Portland Trailblazers and the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks, and KeyArena in Seattle, the former home of the NBA’s Seattle Supersonics and the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds. Representatives from both facilities have confirmed the reports. Both cities have long been rumored to desire an NHL franchise, both due to their size and fan base as well as their embrace of WHL junior hockey. Trailblazers own Paul Allen has even gone so far as to say that he would like to have an ownership stake in an NHL team and move them to Portland, while billionaire Chris Hansen has long had interest in building a new stadium in Seattle and moving both an NHL and NBA team to a city that already has tons of avid supporters for the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and MLB’s Seattle Mariners.

However, when the Glendale Star reached out to the Coyotes for confirmation, Executive Vice President of Communications Rich Nairn wholly denied the rumors. Coyotes president and CEO Anthony LeBlanc then went further denied the rumors during a podcast, calling the story “100 percent false” with “absolutely no facts”. Whether or not the reports of the tours are true and, despite LeBlanc’s strong-worded response, it seems likely that they are, no Coyotes executive is going to isolate the fan base by hinting at a relocation that is far from secured. The fans have their own role in this issue though, as the Coyotes have the 28th-ranked attendance in the NHL behind just the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders.

Arizona is not necessarily a bad location for the NHL. The establishment of NCAA hockey at Arizona State and, of course, the Auston Matthews story has lead to a substantial uptick in grassroots hockey in the state. There has been an overwhelming embrace of hockey overall in the southwest United States in recent years, and perhaps it is just taking its time in Arizona. As Glendale City Manager Kevin Phelps pointed out in the Star article, the Phoenix metropolitan area is the 12th largest market in the U.S. Additionally, Maricopa County, which contains Phoenix, Glendale, Tempe, and Mesa, is the fourth most populous county in the country. As Phelps notes, by sheer numbers, a move out of Arizona to Portland or Seattle would appear to be a “step backward” for the league. However, how long can the NHL and the Coyotes ownership put up with an uncommitted fan base and a state that has been unwilling to work with them on a better arena situation? Portland and Seattle may not have the potential that the Phoenix area does, but they have shown to be passionate sports cities with an interest in hockey, ready to embrace an NHL team of their own. That may be enough to see the Coyotes move in the not-too-distant future.

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