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Comparative Standings: One Year Ago

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With the first third of the season completed for all but Columbus (who have amazingly played just 26 games, six fewer than the Winnipeg Jets), there have been some huge swings from a year ago.

Those Blue Jackets are the league’s most improved team, with a staggering 18 more points through 26 games than last season. Their huge swing is only matched by the Dallas Stars equally amazing drop-off of 18 points the other way. The Jackets can attest their improvement to the development of young players like Zach Werenski and Alexander Wennberg, while the Stars have seen a litany of injuries to their star players including Jason Spezza, Patrick Sharp and Johnny Oduya.

The Central Division as a whole is off to a slower start this year, with only the Chicago Blackhawks bettering their 2015-16 record. The Colorado Avalanche, expected to take a step forward with their young core has suffered the exact same fate with 23 points through 27 games.

The two biggest Canadian rebuild stories, Edmonton and Toronto have both improved, though not as largely as the fan bases in each city might have you believe. Four points for the Maple Leafs and five for the Oilers lend credence to the idea that it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish that counts. Though both franchises have a lot to look forward to, keeping up an advanced pace for an entire season is extremely difficult. The two teams finished last season with just 69 and 70 points respectively.

Below are the current standings. In parenthesis is the difference in points through the same amount of games last year.

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Snapshots: Three Stars, Metropolitan Division, Laine

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For the second straight week, a Philadelphia Flyer has been named the first star of the NHL.

Jakub Voracek had nine points in four games (3-6-9) as the Flyers went 4-0-0 as they continue their incredible nine-game winning-streak. The high point of the week was a four-point game in the Flyers 6-5 win over the Oilers. Voracek is now third in NHL scoring with 32 points in 31 games behind only Vladimir Tarasenko (32 points in 29 games) and Connor McDavid (39 points in 31 games).

Antti Raanta went 3-0-0 with two shutouts as he temporarily takes the net over from Henrik Lundqvist. His back-to-back shutouts marked the first time that a Rangers goaltender earned back-to-back shutouts since 2003 when Mike Dunham did it. Raanta now has an 8-1-0 record with a sparkling 0.943 SV%.

Sam Gagner may be the best value contract (non entry-level) in the NHL, with 19 points in 25 games for just $650K. He had six points in three games this past week (3-3-6) as the Blue Jackets added to their six game winning streak. He has already surpassed his point totals from last season (16 points in 53 games with an AHL demotion).

  • The Metropolitan Division is the best division in hockey right now, writes NBC Sports’ Jason Brough. The New York Rangers are tied for first in the NHL, but just below them are the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins, the Philadelphia Flyers who have won nine games in a row, the Columbus Blue Jackets who have won 11 of 16 and six in a row, and the reigning President’s Trophy winners in the Washington Capitals. All those teams are four points apart. They’re at least seven points up on the Devils, Hurricanes, and Islanders. The latter has gone 6-1-1 in their last eight, but are still ten points behind the fifth place team. Those top five teams are all in the top eight of the NHL.
  • Patrik Laine is leading all rookies in goal scoring and is third in the entire NHL with 17 goals in 32 games, but he had a rough go last night. With the Jets and Oilers tied at two in the last ten minutes of the third, Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck kicked a Mark Letestu shot into the slot and Laine one-timed the puck into his own net, in an apparent attempt to clear the puck. It stood up as the winning goal. New Jets captain Blake Wheeler did a good job consoling Laine on the bench and Laine got another shot-on-goal as the Jets fought to tie the game.

Akim Aliu Signs In ECHL (Update: AHL PTO)

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Update (2/12/2017): Everyone’s favorite Nigerian-Ukrainian hockey player is getting closer to a return to the NHL. Columbus Blue Jackets beat writer Aaron Portzline reports that Aliu has signed a professional tryout offer with the Jackets’ AHL affiliate, the defending Calder Cup champion Cleveland Monsters. While an AHL tryout is still very far away from an NHL call-up, it’s certainly a step closer than an ECHL deal. If he performs well in Cleveland and earns a contract, he could be playing with friend, junior teammate, and Columbus captain Nick Foligno by next season. Aliu has 12 points in 13 ECHL games so far this season and, unbelievably, 61 penalty minutes as well.

12/6/2016: One of the more interesting prospects of the last decade is back in North America. Akim Aliu, a second-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks back in 2007, has signed with the Florida Everblades, the ECHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes. Aliu returns to the United States after playing with Amur Khabarovsk of the KHL last season.

A native of Okene, Nigeria, Aliu is one of three native Africans to ever play in the NHL, and the only one to line up at forward. Much like fellow countryman Rumun Ndur and the legendary Olaf Kolzig, Aliu left Africa at a young age, spending much of his young life living in Ukraine. Following the fall of the Soviet Union, Aliu’s family moved to Canada, where he discovered hockey. Despite having never played the game before, Aliu was such a natural talent that he was drafted into the Ontario Hockey League after just a few years on the ice.

In his first junior season with the Windsor Spitfires, Aliu was involved in a highly publicized incident with teammate Steve Downie, after Aliu refused to take part as the victim of a hazing ritual. This led to Downie attacking Aliu in practice which then led to a fight. Both players were suspended and demanded trades out of Windsor.

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Jets Sign Stanley To Entry-Level Deal

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A team not unfamiliar with highly-publicized negotiations pertaining to young defensemen (see: Jacob Trouba), the Winnipeg Jets are at it again with the signing of 2016 first-round pick Logan Stanley. The talks with the 18-year-old were likely much easier than the Trouba ordeal, as the team has inked Stanley to the maximum three-year, $925K per year entry-level contract. A key piece to the Jet’s future endeavors, it was only a matter of time for the two sides to meet on a rookie contract for the big blue liner.

Stanley was selected by the Jets with the 18th overall pick this past June, one of eight defensemen to be taken in the first round of this past NHL Entry Draft. It was, of course, Winnipeg’s second pick in the round, as they selected rookie sensation Patrik Laine at #2 overall. Standing at 6’7″ and 230 pounds, Stanley was easily the biggest player selected in the first round, part of the reason he rose so high on draft boards. Early on in the draft process, Stanley was considered a Day Two prospect. He was known as a physically dominant defensive defenseman whose checking ability was unmatched at the junior level. However, questions about his skating and puck-moving ability remained. With improvement in his offensive play and a more consistent and intelligent game during his draft year, Stanley flew up the rankings and the Jets jumped on him at #18, much to the disappointment of several other D-needy teams.

Although now officially signed, Stanley will remain with his junior team, the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires, this season and quite possibly next season as well, as he continues to develop a more complete game. Thus far in 2016-17, the Kitchener native has two goals and seven assists in 20 games, on pace for his best offensive season yet, after posting 17 points (and 103 penalty minutes) in 64 games last season. Stanley hopes to lead the Spitfires back to the playoffs again this season, as they battle with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds for first place in the OHL West Division this season.

Derek Dorsett To Undergo Neck Surgery

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2:38pm: Darren Dreger of TSN reports that Dorsett will be out for the season following the surgery. The hop is that following a full recovery the Canucks forward will be ready for the start of the 2017-18 season.

1:06pm: Vancouver Canucks forward Derek Dorsett will undergo cervical fusion surgery to repair disc degeneration in his neck. While it’s not clear when exactly the surgery will take place, or how long Dorsett will be sidelined, this is just the latest episode in a nightmare season for the Canucks.

Dorsett last played for the Canucks on November 17th, but was put on the injured reserve with a reported shoulder injury. This is the first we’ve heard of a degenerative neck injury.  Obviously, any surgery usually comes with a lengthy recovery period, but it’s unclear how invasive the procedure will be and what kind of timeline will be established for Dorsett’s return.  The 29-year old (who turns 30 on the 20th) has four points in fourteen games this season playing his usual high-energy, aggressive style.

For the 11-12-2 Canucks, they’ve actually started to turn around their season of late after a dreadful start. With four wins in their last six games they’ve pulled to within four points of the Los Angeles Kings and Winnipeg Jets for the wild card spots in the Western Conference. While losing Dorsett isn’t a game-changer for the team, it does take more depth away from a team desperate for a playoff berth. For now, they’ll have to move on without him and find another body to inject that energy and passion to the bottom-six.

Snapshots: Enstrom, Hall, Landeskog

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The Winnipeg Jets don’t really need it right now, but they’re getting back one of their biggest defensive pieces. While the team has won the last two games over the Predators and Devils, they’ll welcome back Toby Enstrom for tomorrow’s game against Edmonton after the blueliner returned today from Sweden where he’d been dealing with a personal issue.  No word on what the issue was, but it seems like it’s resolved at least for now.

The team has climbed to within one game of .500 on the season with an 11-12-2 record and look to even up with almost a full compliment tomorrow night. According to Ted Wyman of the Winnipeg Sun, Marko Dano, who earlier today tweeted out a photo of the damage done by Kyle Quincey’s stick, has a final appointment tonight to see whether he’s cleared to play tomorrow.

  • Taylor Hall was one of the first Devils players on the ice today for an optional skate according to Andrew Gross of The Record. The superstar winger is working his way back from a knee injury that required surgery earlier this month and was given a 3-4 week timeline for his return. Today is the two week mark, but Hall is hoping a return can come as early as tomorrow evening. Hall had scored 12 points in 14 games before sustaining the injury.
  • The Colorado Avalanche announced that they’re likely putting captain Gabriel Landeskog on injured reserve, clouding the waters surrounding his injury. While it’s not even clear what the forward is suffering from, it’s clear that he won’t be back with the team any time soon as he isn’t even skating with the club. The Avalanche need him back healthy as they’re slipping further and further down the standings. The team now sits in seventh (last) position in the Central Division, five points back of the surging Jets for sixth place.

Edmonton Oilers Recall Fayne, Move Gryba To IR

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After losing the rematch against the Toronto Maple Leafs on home ice last night, the Edmonton Oilers have decided to make a move. The team has recalled Mark Fayne from the AHL, while moving Eric Gryba to injured reserve.

Fayne was sent to the minors just yesterday after clearing waivers, but will rejoin the team for their upcoming matchup against the Winnipeg Jets. Playing in just one game this season it’s obvious that his favor has soured with head coach Todd McLellan and the entire Oilers organization.

Fayne once wore an alternate captain’s ’A’ for the Oilers, suiting up in 143 games over the past two seasons. The 29-year old was demoted at one point last year and now seems destined to bounce back and forth as a contingency plan. His $3.65MM cap hit prevents anyone from putting in a claim on waivers, so it doesn’t matter much how many times he goes up and down.

On the other, but very similar, hand is Gryba. Another hulking defenseman, Gryba came over from the Ottawa Senators in 2015 and played 53 games for the team last season. Off to a pointless start in fourteen games, he last played for the Oilers on the 17th. The Oilers will likely continue to dress the six other healthy defensemen for the time being.

Injury Notes: Dano, Oshie, Niskanen

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Every hockey player that’s played without a full face-cage has experienced it, that almost-painless moment when you get a stick in the face. The rage boils over you just before the pain rolls in, and you get blood on your brand new gloves. Marko Dano knows it well, after taking a stick from Kyle Quincey in last night’s Winnipeg-New Jersey game. The anger has subsided, and the forward happily celebrated the laceration on twitter today. “Finally look like a real hockey player”.

NHL: New Jersey Devils at Winnipeg Jets

Dano left the game in the first period and didn’t return, and it’s unclear whether he’ll be able to play in the Jets’ next game. In the photo he sent out, his eye is almost swollen shut. The 22-year old has just six points in fifteen games this season, but looks like he’ll be able to contribute more down the road.

  • T.J. Oshie returned to Capitals practice today, but didn’t participate in any contact drills according to Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post. Interestingly, Oshie spent most of the practice paired with Taylor Chorney on defense. Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports that Oshie is unlikely to play this week, although the forward didn’t rule it out himself.
  • More good news from Capitals practice. Matt Niskanen was a full participant today, taking his regular turn with Karl Alzner during all drills. The defenseman has been out since Saturday with a lower-body injury, but seems fully recovered and is expected to play tomorrow when the New York Islanders come to town.
  • With the best news of all, Dave Strader returned to the Dallas Stars broadcast booth last night after being diagnosed with cancer this summer. In a touching video, Strader calls out the starting lineups for the Stars in the dressing room, with the team giving him an encouraging cheer after each name. Strader has been a voice in hockey for almost four decades, and though he says he’s not strong enough to call a game just yet, we can’t wait to hear him again.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Injury Notes: Little, McNabb, Toews

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The Winnipeg Jets have scored a respectable 62 goals in 24 games, and they’ve done it without one of their top weapons. Bryan Little has been out since being injured just two and a half minutes into his season, but will return tonight against the New Jersey Devils on home ice. The 29-year old is a proven goal scorer in the NHL, with 163 to his name including four seasons of 20+. The Jets have placed Nic Petan on injured reserve retroactive to November 27th to make room.

While the media has focused on the Jets’ lack of faceoff success, Little thinks he can help the team in that department.

That’s one of my goals to come back. It’s something I feel like I can be good at right away again, to get back into the faceoff dot. I see the guys working on it every day, they’re talking to the coaches, watching video and practicing in practice.

I think we can all help each other a bit. Throughout the game we take faceoffs against different centermen on the other team…we’ve got some good communication through the centers of trying to work through things.

Little is actually a 48.6% faceoff man throughout his career, though he won just over half of his draws last season which led the Winnipeg centers.

  • According to Jon Rosen of NHL.com, Brayden McNabb took to the ice today for the first time since injuring his collarbone on October 29th. While he didn’t take part in any drills, it’s a step in the right direction for the big defenseman. Rosen passes on from head coach Darryl Sutter that McNabb is still “at least a month away”. The 25-year old had been logging over 20 minutes a night for the Los Angeles Kings before being injured, skating alongside Drew Doughty in what was considered by some to be the second-best pairing in the league. The Kings, not short on defenders, have continued to be tough to score against even without McNabb or Jonathan Quick, who remains out.
  • Jonathan Toews will miss his third straight game tonight when the Chicago Blackhawks take on the Florida Panthers. The team captain was seen in street clothes while the team was practicing, meaning his return might not be imminent. Chicago is 1-1-1 without Toews in the lineup, having lost to the Kings in overtime on Saturday.

How Will The Expansion Draft Impact Canadian Teams?

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Continuing our look at different expansion draft angles,  CBC’s Amy Cleveland examines how the draft will affect the seven teams in Canada. Laying out the rules for the draft, Cleveland looks further and prognosticates who she sees as “potentially protected” versus those players who would be “intriguing” in being exposed. She further writes that all seven Canadian teams will be able to protect the bulk of their important players. The Flames sit prettiest without any non-movement clauses in contracts while the Leafs and Senators have only one player with an NMC (Nathan Horton, and Dion Phaneuf respectively).

Below are Cleveland’s picks for each team. Going to CBC’s page with the story includes in depth reasoning behind each of Cleveland’s choices.

Calgary Flames
NMC protected players: None.

Potentially protected: 

Intriguing exposed:

Edmonton Oilers
NMC protected players: Milan Lucic (F), Andrej Sekera (D), Cam Talbot (G)

Potentially protected: 

Intriguing exposed:

Montreal Canadiens
NMC protected players: Carey Price (G), Jeff Petry (D)

Potentially protected: 

Intriguing exposed: 

Ottawa Senators
NMC protected players: Dion Phaneuf (D)

Potentially protected: 

Intriguing exposed: 

Toronto Maple Leafs
NMC protected players: Nathan Horton (F)

Potentially protected: 

Vancouver Canucks
NMC protected players: Loui Eriksson (F), Daniel Sedin (F), Henrik Sedin (F)

Potentially protected: 

​Intriguing exposed: 

Winnipeg Jets
NMC protected players: Dustin Byfuglien (D), Toby Enstrom (D)

Potentially protected: 

Intriguing exposed:

 

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