Central Notes: Wiercioch, Fleischmann, Jets Goalies
The biggest hockey headline out of Colorado this summer was the unexpected departure of head coach and VP of operations Patrick Roy. Mike Chambers of The Denver Post told PHR in an earlier interview that his belief was that Roy insisted on acquiring a top defenseman this summer, perhaps at the cost of one of their top young forwards, but that GM Joe Sakic and his “support staff” wanted to stick with the core. In fact, the only blue line addition of note was the signing of free agent Patrick Wiercioch, who wore out his welcome in Ottawa and was not qualified as a RFA. But as Chambers writes, Weircioch may come to Colorado with little fanfare but his skill set is exactly what the Avalanche needs.
Wiercioch is a big defenseman – listed at 6-foot-5, 202 pounds – who can move the puck and contribute on the power play. Chambers also notes that the five-year veteran is a quality stick-handler and passer, which will hopefully help the team’s transition game. According to Chambers, Wiercioch was looking for a fresh start after five mostly disappointing seasons in Ottawa, and is looking forward to again playing in Colorado, where he played his college hockey for the University of Denver.
“Even before the trade deadline we were talking about what our avenues were. We both kind of decided if nothing were to happen, it’s not the end of the world because I have a wife and kid and it’s a tough transition to pick up and move for eight weeks.”
“But going into the summer I think we were both ready for the next chapter — for their organization and my career as well. It ended up being Colorado. When we looked at the options and the offers with more money, this was the franchise I really wanted to come play for. I really wanted to be excited about the opportunity here.”
Colorado agree to a one-year deal with Wiercioch worth $800K after which he will again become a RFA, thus giving the Avalanche additional contractual control. Wiercioch may not be the big name Roy wanted but he’ll have a tremendous opportunity to play a significant role for the Avalanche and could end up being a nice free agent bargain.
Other notes from the NHL’s Central Division:
- As we noted yesterday, Tomas Fleischmann, who had agreed to a PTO with Minnesota, failed his physical. Mike Russo of the Star Tribune provides a further update saying the Czech-born forward will not be attending camp with the Wild, according to GM Chuck Fletcher. Neither head coach Bruce Boudreau nor Fletcher specified what issue caused the failed physical though Russo speculated it might be a recurrence of blood clots that Fleischmann had been diagnosed with in the past. Fletcher said about the veteran winger: “He’s such a good person, it’s unfortunate. So I hope he catches on somewhere else. It’s just a disappointment. I like him enough that I want to see him succeed somewhere.” Russo inferred from these comments that whatever the issue, it doesn’t seem as if it would necessarily keep Fleischmann from playing elsewhere, if another opportunity presents itself.
- Ondrej Pavelec and young Connor Hellebuyck are expected to compete for the starters job between the pipes for the Jets this season. Both goalies participated in the World Cup of Hockey – Pavelec for the Czech Republic and Hellebuyck as part of Team North America – and say that experience has helped them as they prepare to battle for the #1 job, writes Mitchell Clinton for the Jets team site on NHL.com. Pavelec, who finished with a disappointing 90.4% save percentage in 33 games – 31 of which were starts – and would appear to be behind Hellebuyck entering camp. The rookie, who was a two-year starter at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, made 26 starts for the Jets and recorded a save percentage of 91.8%. Michael Hutchinson, who has started 68 contests over the last two seasons, is under contract with Winnipeg for two more years and is a solid backup should the Jets choose Hellebuyck as the starter and find a way to move Pavelec’s contract.
Latest On Jacob Trouba’s RFA Situation
Quite a bit of digital ink has been spilled this summer over restricted free agent defenseman Jacob Trouba, and his continuing negotiations with the Winnipeg Jets for his next contract. While speculation has been rampant around a possible trade (at one point he was linked to Boston on an offer sheet) or other transaction, the team has continued to try and re-sign him long term.
Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun caught up with Jets’ GM Kevin Cheveldayoff today to talk about Trouba, and he said just as much.
For us, Jacob is a big part of our organization. He’s someone we drafted and really believe in, long-term and moving forward.
Wiebe also says that talks are ongoing, and now that Trouba is back from the World Cup the two sides will try even harder to get something done before the beginning of the season. We profiled Trouba’s RFA case back in August, and examined his contemporaries and comparable players.
It’s tough for Winnipeg to work something out long-term when they’re unsure of what Trouba is eventually going to become. While his advanced stats profile out to a top-pairing defenseman, he can battle consistency at times (like many young players) and is clearly third or fourth on the depth chart. With almost $20MM tied up already in Dustin Byfuglien, Toby Enstrom and Tyler Myers through 2018, extending a long-term deal at a high cap hit will be difficult.
For every day a contract isn’t done, Trouba loses time to work with his teammates and build up towards this season. While he’s already expected to be in good shape due to his stint at the World Cup, every minute of a missed training camp can effect how you perform on the ice in the first few months. If the Jets plan on pushing for a playoff spot this season, they need their entire compliment of defensemen playing at the top of their game from night one.
PHR Originals: 9/12/16 – 9/18/16
Here is a look at the original content and analysis from the Pro Hockey Rumors staff over the past week:
- Gavin Lee and Glenn Miller both looked at compelling restricted free agents in 2017. Gavin focused on Artemi Panarin among others while Glenn wrote about Bo Horvat and three other future RFA’s.
- PHR started previewing the Central Division for the upcoming season:
- Brett Barrett analyzed the Colorado Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets.
- Zach Leach investigated the Dallas Stars.
- Brian La Rose wrote about the Nashville Predators and Minnesota Wild.
- I took a look at the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues.
- After hearing Bob McKenzie speak about the Habs on TSN 690, Brett wonders how short the leash is in Montreal. Make sure to join in on the conversation as it was heavily commented on by many of our readers.
- Finally, Mike Furlano outlined the reasoning for new goalie equipment rules after Bill Daly appeared on Sirius XM. Similar to the changes put in place following the strike, Mike details the changes that are coming to goalie pants regulations.
2016-17 Season Preview: Winnipeg Jets
With the NHL season just weeks away, PHR is looking at each team, in-depth. Today: the Winnipeg Jets.
Last Season: 35-39-8 (78 points), 7th place in the Central Division. Did not qualify for the playoffs.
Cap Space Remaining: $9.37MM via CapFriendly.
Key Newcomers: Patrik Laine (LW/ RW) – NHL Draft (2nd overall in 2016); Shawn Matthias(LW) – free agency (Colorado); Kyle Connor (C/ LW) – NHL Draft (17th overall in 2015)
Key Departures: none
Key RFAs: Jacob Trouba – The two sides appear far apart on everything: money, term, and usage. Right now, Trouba is blocked on the right side by Dustin Byfuglien (who is set to begin a new five-year extension worth $7.6MM per season) and Tyler Myers. It will be interesting to see how the Jets proceed; they have the salary space to sign him but also have depth at the position, which gives them the upper hand. There has been some trade rumors surrounding Trouba, but those have been repeatedly shot down by those who cover the team.
Player to Watch: Patrik Laine – The Jets lucked out at the draft lottery, jumping for 6th overall to second and the chance to take Laine. There was even talk of the Maple Leafs selecting Laine over Auston Matthews, but that never materialized. Laine has been compared to Alex Ovechkin for his explosive release. Laine should be able to step in immediately and give the Jets a great second line. Expect 20+ goals and plenty of flash.
Key Storyline: Can the Jets young core avoid growing pains? With Mark Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers, Laine, and Trouba all expected to play big roles this season, will they be able to use their skill to overcome relative inexperience? And in net, can one of Ondrej Pavelec, Michael Hutchinson, or Connor Hellebuyck step up and take over the number one job? The three netminders split the net pretty evenly last season, so the door is open for one to grab the reigns and run with it.
Who Could Survive Armageddon In Net?
The NHL’s neighbors on turf, the NFL, came very close to seeing a rare nightmare scenario today. The New England Patriots, already down future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady to suspension, lost backup Jimmy Garoppolo to a shoulder injury and were forced to put third-string QB Jacoby Brissett in to finish the game. In the short term, had Brissett been injured as well, the Patriots would have been hard-pressed to find a suitable replacement on the spot. However, the more important factor is the long-term, as the Patriots play again on Thursday night, and are now down to an inexperienced rookie quarterback and no other available QB’s on the roster.
The equivalent to this scenario on the ice is the loss of multiple goalies. The most crucial part of any successful hockey team, losing both the starting and backup goalie is a rare, but when it occurs it is a death knell for the majority of organizations. It has of course occurred in the short-term before, with the wacky stories of goalie coaches and nearby minor-league washouts or former college players getting an emergency call to duty. But just like the NFL and it’s quarterbacks, the long-term health and availability of goalie depth is a much more important situation than scrambling to find an option for just one game. So just how many NHL teams could survive a stretch without their starter and backup in net?
Ironically, the Patriots’ friends to the north, the Boston Bruins, are one such team. Former Vezina winner Tuukka Rask and Anton Khudobin, who returns to Boston where he first found NHL success, form a strong tandem in goal for the Bruins, but they are not without options beyond the pair. Top prospect Malcolm Subban has made just one NHL start in his pro career, but has been pushing for big league minutes for years and is considered by many to be one of the best goalies not in the NHL. Called into backup duty would be Zane McIntyre, who has not seen NHL action and was sub-par in his first AHL season, but was unbelievable in the college ranks, with three years of dominant play and a Hobey Baker campaign for the University of North Dakota. The young duo would at least provide Boston with more raw talent and potential than most teams could provide that far down the depth chart.
However, the best team to handle such an apocalyptic event in net is likely the Columbus Blue Jackets. With two promising young goalies with NHL experience in Joonas Korpisalo and Anton Forsberg behind incumbents Sergei Bobrovsky and Curtis McElhinney, the transition from one pair to another would not be seamless, but has more long-term potential than nearly any other situation in the NHL. In fact, don’t be surprised if either guy slated for the AHL this year finds themself supplanting McElhinney with the Jackets instead. Another team who could substitute one dynamic duo with another is the Florida Panthers. Many were surprised when Florida went out and traded for Reto Berra and signed James Reimer to a long-term deal this summer, with all-world starter Roberto Luongo already in the fold. It is expected that Berra will join veteran Mike McKenna at the AHL level to start the season, where the pair would provide more experience than nearly any other minor league combo in hockey. Should one or both goalies go down for the Panthers this season, they are well-suited to handle the loss.
The best third-string option in the league? That title belongs to Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets will likely try to find a way to give the young stalwart starts in the NHL this season, though he is buried on the depth chart, alongside fellow high-end prospect Eric Comrie, behind Ondrej Pavelec and Michael Hutchinson. Should either goalie struggle, which would not be a big surprise, or get injured, Winnipeg will not hesitate to put Hellebuyck in a position of responsibility. Should both goalies get hurt in a rare coincidence, Hellebuyck could carry the team with the young Comrie giving him some rest occasionally.
Other teams with ample depth to survive Armageddon in goal: the Montreal Canadiens, who very well may need it considering recent history, with Mike Condon and top prospect Zach Fucale behind franchise cornerstone Carey Price and veteran addition Al Montoya, and the Carolina Hurricanes, who signed journeyman Michael Leighton in part to mentor the high-potential Alex Nedeljkovic while Cam Ward and Eddie Lack handle NHL duties. Perhaps the only team that could take this hypothetical scenario a step further and handle three hurt keepers is the Anaheim Ducks, who sported even more impressive depth before the trade of Frederik Andersen to Toronto, but still have experienced backups Dustin Tokarski and Matt Hackett as well as former UMass-Lowell star Kevin Boyle behind John Gibson and Jonathan Bernier.
No one likes to see any player get injured, nevertheless a goalie and certainly not both goalies. However, these teams have the depth and talent needed to handle such a nightmare scenario and it sure would be interesting to watch them try. As the New England Patriots prepare to tackle their quarterback depth conundrum, keep these goalies in mind should such an event occur during the 2016-17 NHL season.
World Cup Players Set To Make Their NHL Debut This Season
At the World Cup of Hockey this year, there are a few players who are playing internationally for their countries before ever suiting up for a professional game in North America. For various reasons, not all of these men will ever come across to join the best league in the world. Some, however, will do so as soon as this year. Here’s a look at a few of the players who are set to make their NHL debut just after the World Cup concludes.
Auston Matthews (Maple Leafs) – Obviously, one of the biggest story lines at the tournament has been the young guns squad, captained by Connor McDavid. As we wrote earlier today however, Auston Matthews has made quite an impression on head coach Todd McClellan, and will suit up on the top line today in their opener. Matthews is the youngest player on the youngest team, and is asserting himself at the highest level already. He’ll get to greet the Maple Leaf faithful before he pulls a blue and white sweater over his back.
2015-16 stats (Switzerland) – 36 GP, 24 G, 22 A, 46 P, +16 rating
Patrik Laine (Jets) – On a Finnish team loaded up front, 18-year old Patrick Laine will take on a huge role. Even though the #2 overall pick has yet to play a professional game on the small rink, he’s already being compared to some of the greatest goal scorers of all time. Laine is following up a World Championship where he was named tournament MVP, and should step into a scoring role with the Jets immediately. His shot, skating ability and nose for the net will create an offensive dynamo, especially if he ends up skating with Mark Scheifele or Blake Wheeler.
2015-16 stats (Finland) – 46 GP, 17 G, 16 A, 33 P, +6 rating
Nikita Zaitsev (Maple Leafs) – Though Russia isn’t known for its defensive capabilities, one to keep an eye on is young Nikita Zaitzev who will be headed over to make his debut for the Maple Leafs this season. A right-handed shot who can play in all situations, Zaitzev is skating on both the powerplay and penalty kill at this tournament. If somehow he can develop some chemistry during the season with Leafs #1 Morgan Rielly, they could form a dynamic puck moving duo for years to come.
2015-16 stats (KHL) – 46 GP, 8 G, 18 A, 26 P, +21 rating
World Cup Notes: Team USA, Seguin, Olympics
The World Cup of Hockey starts today in Toronto, and Team USA will take on Team Europe in the first game of the revamped tournament. While the American team has one of the strongest teams in their history, head coach John Tortorella has made some interesting decisions going into the opener. As Dan Rosen of NHL.com tweets, the infamous head coach has scratched Kyle Palmieri, Dustin Byfuglien and Cory Schneider for the afternoon matchup.
Byfuglien, part of the team’s original 16 named players, was expected to be a big part of the top pairing on this team and a weapon on the powerplay. As Tom Gulitti adds, Tortorella said just this week that he was excited about the Jets’ blueliner’s big shot. Instead, Erik Johnson will suit up as the team’s sixth defenseman.
- Tyler Seguin, who injured his foot this week in a pre-tournament match, is not expected to miss any training camp, as Mike Leslie of WFAA in Dallas reports. The hairline fracture that the Stars’ forward suffered is not serious enough to warrant him missing much time, and did not come as a surprise to the Dallas medical staff. Seguin was replaced by Ryan O’Reilly on Team Canada’s roster.
- In a new column from Helene Elliott of the LA Times, she examines how any success at the World Cup will give the NHL leverage in any Olympic negotiations down the road. With players and fans getting their international fix from the pre-season tournament, the league is not necessarily obligated to send players to the Winter Games, which usually causes an ugly stoppage mid-season, and prevents the league from hosting their all-star events. With the build up for the tournament being mixed, but overall fairly positive, it seems the league and NHLPA will have a strong bargaining chip to play to try and get a pay structure put in place for any player headed to the Olympics.
Can’t-Miss Games Of The 2016-17 NHL Season: October
The start of the NHL regular season may be a month away with the World Cup of Hockey and preseason still to come, but it’s never too early to get excited for the best slate of games the NHL has to offer this season. Here are the can’t miss-games of October:
Oct. 12th – Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Ottawa Senators
The puck drops on a new NHL season at 7pm ET in the Canadian capital, as the Sens host the Leafs in a rivalry match-up. With #1 overall pick Auston Matthews and newly acquired keeper Frederik Andersen expected to be among many new faces in the Toronto lineup, the Leafs will have a clean slate as they start the year off against old friend Dion Phaneuf and an Ottawa team looking to get back to the playoffs.
Oct. 12th – Calgary Flames vs. Edmonton Oilers
Later that night, the Oilers will open the brand new Rogers Place for it’s first NHL regular-season game, as they welcome their Alberta rivals. Edmonton will definitely be curious to see if the newly-acquired Adam Larsson can help to slow down the Flames’ dynamic duo of Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. Leaving behind Rexall Place and the many memories (though few good ones in recent years) they had there, the Oilers will look to start the season off on the right foot in a new building, while Calgary hopes to play spoiler.
October 13th – Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
The home opener for the 2015-16 Stanley Cup champs comes against none other than the 2015-16 President’s Trophy winners, as fans are treated to a battle of talent and intensity between two fierce rivals on just Day 2 of the NHL season. Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin will each look to start off strong and lead their teams to victory, as the Penguins begin a title defense and the Capitals begin another long march toward that elusive Stanley Cup championship.
October 20th – San Jose Sharks vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins have another big game a week later, this time against their Stanley Cup competitors, the Sharks. The 2016 Stanley Cup final was one of the best in recent memory, with immense speed and talent on both sides and young goalies Martin Jones and Matt Murray standing on their heads. Though nothing can make up for falling short when it mattered most, you can bet that captain Joe Pavelski and the Sharks will be fired up for some revenge in this game.
October 23rd – Edmonton Oilers vs. Winnipeg Jets
The Jets will get their first taste of outdoor hockey, as they square off against the Oilers in the Heritage Classic. Investors Group Field in Winnipeg, home of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League, will host the game as these two Canadian teams look to battle it out, and at least put on a better show than the much talked-about Alumni Game.
Snapshots: Quebec Expansion, Roy, Radulov, Trouba
In a post for ESPN.com published this morning, Craig Custance provides a wealth of information on a wide array of topics. The entire piece is well worth the read but here are several of the highlights.
- Custance relays an update on possible expansion into Quebec City, per comments from NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly. Daly said that while he would like to see the NHL return to Quebec, “hopefully at some point in my career,” there are currently no serious discussions of adding a 32nd team to the league. Daly: “We’ll recap the expansion process, but I don’t expect there will be any announcements on new expansion.” Further diminishing the chances of a Quebec entry any time in the near future, Daly also stated that despite the drawn out process, the Arizona Coyotes will “find a long-term arena in the Phoenix area,” thus eliminating any talk of possibly relocating the club. All together, the NHL is satisfied with 31 franchises and the existing geographical balance of those teams. While Daly’s comments appear to pour cold water on the idea of a Quebec franchise, it’s still a good possibility the league places a team there in the relatively near future.
- During the first period of Team North America’s win over Team Europe, former Avalanche VP of hockey operations and head coach Patrick Roy met with the media. Roy is said to have resigned his position due to philosophical differences with other members of management and a loss of influence in the front office. When asked whether the Avs choice not to seriously pursue winger Alexander Radulov in free agency was a contributing factor to his decision to leave the organization, Roy indicated that while he vouched for his former Quebec Remparts star and would like to see him one day play for Colorado, the final call was always Joe Sakic‘s and that Roy “respected his decision.” Roy would later suggest that the team is giving more thought to using analytics in their decision-making and that also may have played a part in his decision to leave.
- Earlier today we touched on the lack of progress in talks between RFA Johnny Gaudreau and the Flames. But Gaudreau is far from the only remaining unsigned RFA of note. According to Custance, Winnipeg defenseman Jacob Trouba has not spoken to agent Kurt Overhardt since camp opened for the World Cup of Hockey. Custance also points out that one potential benefit to RFA’s participating in the tournament is the chance to further enhance their values with excellent performances at the tournament playing against many of the top players in the world. Trouba, for example, believes that he can fill a greater role with the Jets and if given a heave dose of responsibility with Team North America, perhaps he can prove to Winnipeg he is deserving of more ice time.
Jets Notes: Setoguchi, Trouba, Heritage Classic
In a heartbreaking (but wonderful) piece by David Pollak of The Hockey News yesterday, Devin Setoguchi comes clean about his history with alcoholism and how it almost destroyed his career. The former 8th overall pick was a thirty goal scorer in the NHL once upon a time, but yesterday signed a professional tryout with the Los Angeles Kings after spending last season in Switzerland.
It’s been six years since he last scored 20 goals in an NHL season, but is still only 29 years old and feels he has enough left to help a team on the ice – even if it’s at the AHL level or in Europe.
Today, on the Hustler and Lawless show on TSN 1290, Setoguchi related a story about how Evander Kane came to his house once while they were teammates on the Winnipeg Jets, and poured out all his alcohol in an attempt to help him break his addiction. Ironically, some may say, because of Kane’s own troubled history, it may have been a turning point in his battle and he now is working towards helping younger players understand the risks involved.
- Also on TSN 1290, former NHL executive Bill Watters opined that the Jacob Trouba camp “wants out of Winnipeg”. While Watters isn’t close enough to either side to have any particular insight past what his hockey sense tells him, it does continue the narrative that has been going on. Both Matt Larkin of The Hockey News and Darren Dreger of TSN spoke recently on the station about a possible Trouba deal, with Larkin going so far as saying “I’m seeing a trade in Trouba’s future, because the two camps seem to be so far apart in terms of how they value what Trouba has done in the NHL so far.” Indeed, Trouba is currently playing at the World Cup without a deal, and both sides seem just as far apart as ever on the future of the young defenseman.
- The final rosters for the legends game at the Heritage Classic were announced today, after having their first group presented last month. Among the final few additions were Curtis Joseph for the Edmonton Oilers, and Eddie Olczyk for the Winnipeg Jets. The game will take place on October 22nd, with Dale Hawerchuk leading the hometown Jets against a star-studded Oilers squad captained by Wayne Gretzky.