Snapshots: Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, Dailey, Trouba
Today is the five-year anniversary of the tragic plane crash of the flight carrying the KHL team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Pilot error and subsequent technical failures caused the plane to crash shortly after take-off from the airport in Yaroslavl, Russia, on its way to their KHL season opener in Mink, Belarus on Wednesday, September 7th, 2011. All of the team’s players and coaches on board the flight perished, along with eight crew members for a total of 44 fatalities. Among the victims were three-time NHL All-Star forward and Lady Byng Award winner Pavol Demitra, 1996 first round pick and long-time Anaheim Mighty Duck Ruslan Salei, 2006 Stanley Cup-winning center Josef Vasicek, bruising NHL defensemen Karel Rachunek and Karlis Skrastins, and Devils prospect Alexander Vasyunov , not to mention Canadian head coach Brad McCrimmon and assistants Igor Korolev and Alexander Karpovtsev, all of whom had successful NHL careers. The team was forced to cancel its KHL season and the country of Russia and the entire hockey world mourned. On this day, the KHL has vowed to never hold another game, in memory of the those lost. Teams, players, and media members around the globe have remembered the tragedy today, and although Lokomotiv has luckily rebuilt their organization into a perennial playoff team, the 2011 team will never be forgotten.
- In other sad news today, the Philadelphia Flyers announced that former defenseman Bob Dailey has passed away at the age of 63 after a battle with cancer. Not one to lose a battle on the boards during his playing days, Dailey was one of the biggest and strongest players around in the 70’s and 80’s. A dominant force with the Vancouver Canucks and later Flyers, Dailey was a a big, talented blue liner who had a knack for finding the back of the net or the stick of an opportune teammate. In 1977-78 with Philly, Dailey had 21 goals and 36 assists for a career-high 57 points, as well as a +45 rating, second only to Bobby Clarke on the Flyers. His loss has been mourned by many throughout the world of hockey today.
- Some happy news may be on its way for Jets fans, as Darren Dreger reported on TSN 1290 in Winnipeg today that rumors of Jacob Trouba‘s displeasure have been greatly exaggerated. While Dreger consented that not much is going on between parties, he refuted all rumors that the young RFA defenseman is unhappy in Winnipeg or unwilling to sign there. In fact, Dreger simply says that both sides want to keep all of the negotiations out of the public eye. It seems as though a resolution will be hammered out eventually, but Jets fans can rest easy if they don’t hear too much about it until the pen meets the paper on an extension.
Snapshots: Jets, Las Vegas, Devils
News and notes from around the NHL:
- Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff commented on the Jacob Trouba negotiations today on Winnipeg’s TSN 1290. The Jets GM said that contract negotiations are “sacred” and that the back and forth details between the club and the still unsigned RFA are meant to be private. He intimated that just because little has leaked regarding the negotiation status, it doesn’t mean that progress is not being made. Trouba represents one of Winnipeg’s prized young defenseman, though he only scored 6G and 15A last season. The defensive prospect is only 21 and has room to develop, but with contract talks still going on, Winnipeg may have to consider moving Trouba if the price is right.
- Las Vegas continued building its front office today by hiring Dan Labraaten as its European Scout. Labraaten, a Sweden native, has worked in the New Jersey Devil’s scouting department for thirty years, and brings his much-needed experience to the new expansion club. Labraaten also played in the NHL during the late 70’s / early 80’s for the Red Wings and Flames.
- Devils prospect Ben Johnson was found guilty of sexual assault in Windsor, Ontario today. The assault occurred in 2013 when Johnson was playing for the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL. He has since moved on to the Devils’ AHL affiliate in Albany. It is unclear at the moment whether this ruling will affect his ability to play hockey—sexual assault cases may limit a person’s ability to travel in and out of Canada, something integral to professional hockey players.
Update: Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports that the New Jersey Devils are initiating the termination process for Johnson’s contract.
Jets Name Captains For 2016-17
The Winnipeg Jets announced today that their new trio of captains for the upcoming season will feature Blake Wheeler wearing the “C” and Mark Scheifele and Dustin Byfuglien donning the “A”‘s as alternates. Wheeler steps in for long-time captain Andrew Ladd (who wished him well), who was traded at the deadline last season to the Chicago Blackhawks and then signed a long-term deal with the New York Islanders this off-season. Wheeler had previously served as an alternate captain to Ladd along side Mark Stuart. Those two roles will now be taken over by the young Scheifele and defensive stalwart Byfuglien.
After finishing in last place in the Central division in 2015–16, the Winnipeg Jets are very much in a rebuild. The promotion to captain of Wheeler and naming of Scheifle as alternate are further evidence of this movement. With 2016 second overall pick Patrick Laine now in the fold, as well as other young contributors, the youth revolution is in full effect for the Jets, and their two top young scorers will be leading the way.
Wheeler, who was acquired from the Boston Bruins with Stuart in 2011 for Rich Peverley, has since been the top offensive catalyst in Winnipeg and was a predictable choice for captain. With at least 25 goals and 60 points in each of the last three seasons, Wheeler has cemented himself as the most reliable and productive forward on the Jets. His tenure as a offensive leader on the team will now transform into a role as a locker room leader on the team as well. Byfuglien too is a long-time team member; his first year with the organization was their last season as the Atlanta Thrashers. As the leader of the defensive core and one of the best scoring defenseman in the NHL, it makes sense for the bruising blue liner to take on a bigger leadership role on the team. Scheifele may be the only surprise naming at just 23 years old, but his label as a face of the franchise after being drafted 7th overall in 2011, his development into a top NHL prospect, and his steady increase in scoring over his first few years makes him a natural fit in a leadership role moving forward with a young team.
Perhaps the only surprise omission from a captaincy role is that of Bryan Little. A career member of the Trashers/Jets and a consistent contributor year in and year out, Little being left out of the leadership heirarchy is strange. However, with a drop off in points in 2015-16 and a contract year approaching in 2017-18, it is possible that this is a sign of things to come for Little.
Jets Expected To Name Wheeler Captain
The Winnipeg Jets have announced a press conference to take place at 1pm EST, according to a tweet from Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun, where it is expected they will name F Blake Wheeler as the team’s next captain. The Jets dealt former team captain Andrew Ladd to the Chicago Blackhawks at last year’s trade deadline and played the rest of the campaign without naming a replacement. Wheeler, along with D Mark Stuart, were both assistants with the club last season.
Wheeler has spent five-plus seasons as a member of the Winnipeg/Atlanta franchise following a 2011 trade deadline deal with Boston. The speedy forward has been a consistent point-producer since joining the franchise, tallying a total of 123 goals and 207 assists in 394 games. Over the last three seasons, Wheeler has scored 26, 26 and 28 goals, respectively.
Wheeler was originally the fifth overall selection in the 2004 entry draft, chosen by the then Phoenix Coyotes. After playing three seasons at the University of Minnesota, Wheeler turned pro and exercised his right to become a free agent should he not agree to terms by July 1, 2008. Ultimately, a deal could not be reached with the Coyotes and Boston was able to swoop in and secure Wheeler’s services. At that time, the rules governing college free agents were quite different than they are today.
Injury Notes: Laine, Callahan, Tynan
As the season gets closer and closer, injuries and rehab from offseason surgery pepper the headlines. Here are a few updates on injured players around the league:
Patrik Laine underwent knee surgery back in June, but according to head coach Paul Maurice (via Mike G. Morreale of NHL.com) he’s been back at full strength for a while now, and has shown no ill-effects. Laine will take part in the upcoming World Cup of Hockey, and then compete for a spot at Jets camp. Maurice says that Laine is “certainly going to be given the opportunity to excel right out of the gate,” and goes on to speak about his experience with young players and high draft picks:
The hockey is going to come, the hockey is there, but all of these other things are also important. I’ve coached a lot of good young players, I’ve coached a player who won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year (Jeff Skinner, Carolina, 2010-11) and I’ve seen the ups and downs of those seasons they’ve had. If he has a great two weeks, I’m not going to get too excited about it; if he doesn’t look right in the first two weeks, I’m not going to worry about it a bit.
A player that won’t be able to play in the World Cup is Ryan Callahan, who pulled out in June because of hip surgery. According to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times Callahan is expected to be out until mid-November, but he’s trying to get back even sooner:
It’s such a long estimated timetable that there’s obviously variation in there. Some guys come back a little bit earlier than that, some guys it’s five months. If it’s before then, then great.
Callahan hasn’t even started skating yet, though he is on schedule to start on the ice next week. Smith reports that the injury had been bothering Callahan since January, and links it to the 18-goal drought the forward suffered during that time. Since Callhan thought he could rehab it instead of surgery originally, he’ll now miss about a month of the season.
Lastly, Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch mentions on twitter that Blue Jackets prospect T.J. Tynan has a possible fractured bone in his arm after being hit with the puck in practice a week ago. He’s still unsure whether the former third-round pick will miss any regular season time, even if it is in fact broken.
Tynan was an excellent playmaker last season, scoring just six goals but assisting on 40 for the Calder Cup winning Lake Erie Monsters. That made back to back 45+ point seasons in the AHL for diminutive forward; Tynan stands at just 5’9″, 165 lbs.
Minor Transactions: 08/30/16
Here is where we will keep track of the day’s minor transactions:
- The Carolina Hurricanes will sign notorious forward Raffi Torres to a professional tryout, according to Aaron Ward. Torres is coming off a season that saw him suspended for more games than he played at any level, after he was given a 41-game ban for his hit on Jakob Silfverberg in the preseason. He did get into six games for the San Jose Barracuda, but was held scoreless. Torres was recently quoted as saying “The show or no”, referring to a possible retirement if he doesn’t make the NHL this year.
- The Manitoba Moose have signed two players to one-year deals. Patrice Cormier and Kevin Czuczman will be suiting up for the Winnipeg Jets affiliate next season. Cormier played for the Moose last season and got into two games with the big club, not scoring a point. Czuczman is a defenseman who made his NHL debut in 2013-14 with the Islanders, but hasn’t made it back since. He scored 15 points in 74 games with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers last season.
- The New York Rangers’ AHL affiliate Hartford Wolfpack have signed Boston University defenseman Ahti Oksanen. Oksanen finished his BU career with 115 points in 150 games, including 35+ points in each of his junior and senior seasons. His 36 points last year ranked him second on BU, ahead of first-round pick Charles McAvoy and second-rounder Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson.
- The Toronto Marlies have signed Jon Jutzi to an AHL contract, after inviting him to their rookie development camp in July. Jutzi, 25, played four seasons at Minnesota State University alongside Predators draft pick Zach Stepan, cousin of Derek Stepan. Jutzi got into six games with the Manitoba Moose this spring after graduating, where he was held pointless.
Snapshots: Bishop, Burns, Howden
Barring the unexpected, Ben Bishop will enter the 2016-17 season as the starting goalie for the Tampa Bay Lightning. After leading the NHL in GAA (2.06) and finishing second in Vezina Trophy voting, Bishop has established himself as one of the league’s top net minders and is a key reason the Lightning will be among a small handful of teams expected to challenge Pittsburgh for Eastern Conference supremacy. But as he enters the final year of a contract, which comes with an AAV of $5.9MM, Bishop’s time in Tampa may be nearing its end, as Mike Halford of Pro Hockey Talk explains.
At 29 and with presumably several years of elite-level play ahead of him, Bishop will be in a position to command a significant multiyear deal next summer. The Lightning already have $55MM tied up in their 2017-18 salary cap – according to Cap Friendly – and will need to re-sign pending restricted free agents Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat and Jonathan Drouin, none of whom will come cheaply. Additionally, that figure does not yet account for the eventual cap charge of Nikita Kucherov, who is still a RFA and is in line for a nice payday. Chances are Tampa simply won’t be in a position to offer Bishop what he can command elsewhere.
On top of that, as Halford noted, the Lightning were proactive and inked backup goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy to a three-year extension which goes into effect in time for the 2017-18 campaign after Bishop’s contract ends. Vasilevskiy is one of the top young goalie prospects in the NHL and should be ready to assume a larger role. This gives the Lightning a fair amount of protection should they reconcile themselves to the likelihood of Bishop’s departure.
Halford wonders if Tampa would consider dealing Bishop prior to the trade deadline but points out that as long as GM Steve Yzerman feels the team’s chances of contending are better with Bishop than without, he is more likely to hang onto the goalie. He goes on to mention Calgary and Dallas as potential suitors, should the Lightning conclude moving Bishop is the best course of action. Both of those teams were linked to Bishop this summer.
Elsewhere in the NHL:
- Assuming he plays out the season without signing an extension, Brent Burns will be one of the most sought after free agents on the market next summer as an elite, puck-moving blue liner who can produce points. Joey Alfieri, who writes for Pro Hockey Talk, considered what Burns’ next contract might look like, suggesting Dustin Byfuglien‘s recent extension with Winnipeg as a fair comparable. Like Byfuglien, Burns is 31-years-old and both men are among the most dynamic offensive defensemen in the game today. Byfuglien inked a five-year pact worth $38MM with Winnipeg during the 2015-16 campaign. The Byfuglien comparable seems reasonable but it’s likely Burns can get more, particularly if he reaches the open market. The San Jose Sharks defender has tallied 44 goals and 135 points over the last two seasons. Byfuglien, on the other hand, has recorded 37 goals and 98 points. San Jose tends to tread carefully when it comes to the contract length for aging players – think the matching three-year deals for Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton – and they promote a willingness among many of their players to take fewer dollars from the Sharks than they could secure otherwise in free agency. Re-signing Burns will surely be a top priority for the Sharks and it will be interesting to see if the two sides can get something done.
- Quinton Howden, who signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Winnipeg Jets on July 1st, is thrilled to have the chance to play for his hometown team, as Jason Bell of the Winnipeg Free Press writes. Howden was a first-round pick of the Panthers in 2010 and played the previous three seasons with the Florida, tallying 10 goals and 17 points in 92 games. Howden, who grew up in Oakbank and played his junior hockey with the Moose Jaw Warriors, is expected to compete with several others for one of three or four forward spots up front for the Jets.
RFA Profile: Jacob Trouba
Of the 14 remaining restricted free agents this offseason, Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba is one of the more notable ones. He is undoubtedly among the most talented players left to sign but what makes his case a bit more intriguing are the amount of questions that need to be answered.
After his rookie season in 2013-14, Trouba was looking like a cornerstone top pairing blueliner of the future. While his numbers dropped a little bit the following year, the projections of him never really changed that much; sophomore jinxes happen to many players and it was expected that he would take a big step forward last season.
Unfortunately for Trouba and the Jets, that didn’t happen in 2015-16. His numbers once again took a dip – despite playing in 16 more games than he had in each of his first two years – while his ice time was cut by 1:15 per game to 22:04. He finished the season with six goals and 15 assists in 81 contests. While there’s no disputing that he’s still a very important player for Winnipeg, there are some questions about what his overall ceiling may be now.
Is he a top pairing rearguard in the near future? If the Jets think so, then it stands to reason that they should be amenable to working out a long-term deal. If GM Kevin Cheveldayoff isn’t set on that though, then a shorter-termed bridge deal is likely their preference. We pegged Trouba for a two year, $8MM contract if they wind up going the bridge route.
Earlier this offseason, a report surfaced that the two sides are apart on term, money, and even usage so suffice it to say, there’s a lot more at play than simply negotiating a salary for this coming year and beyond. It also implies that only one side – likely Trouba’s – is open to a long-term pact at this point.
From a salary cap perspective, the Jets have the flexibility to go either short-term or long-term with the 22 year old. They have slightly more than $9.3MM in cap space according to Cap Friendly with only Trouba still to re-sign. However, Winnipeg hasn’t spent right up to the cap with regularity every year so there may be budgetary restrictions at play as well.
The fact that there is a debate on his ideal usage is worth noting. Winnipeg is deep on the back end, particularly on the right side where Trouba plays. Dustin Byfuglien (who begins a new five year deal with a $7.6MM cap hit in 2016-17) and Tyler Myers (who was the centerpiece of the Evander Kane-to-Buffalo trade in 2015) are the others on that side. In Myers’ case, he signed a long-term contract coming off his entry-level deal with the Sabres and hasn’t lived up to his $5.5MM cap hit which would only give Cheveldayoff pause as another question surfaces: Do they want to risk having two young blueliners on potentially bloated long-term deals if Trouba’s step back last season wasn’t just a one-time thing?
[Related: Jets’ Depth Chart]
With the upcoming World Cup of Hockey still a couple of weeks away and training camps starting slightly after that, there’s still no imminent rush to lock down a new contract. But there are a lot of questions still to answer when it comes to Trouba’s contract which means that a new deal may yet still take a little while to get done.
Jets Notes: Howden, Season Statistical Predictions
Forward Quinton Howden couldn’t be happier to be playing for his favorite team writes the Winnipeg Free Press’ Jason Bell. Howden, who spent the last three seasons with the Florida Panthers, will have his work cut out for him, but is absolutely thrilled to be back where he grew up rooting for the Jets. The left wing has a lot of competition for one of the final forward spots but it doesn’t dampen the dream of playing for the team he worshipped. On what he brings to the Jets, Howden said:
I’ll bring my speed, that’s my biggest asset. If I can use that to my advantage, hopefully I’ll show what I’ve got.”
The Winnipeg Sun’s Paul Friesen also caught up with Howden and likened him to a “kid-in-candy-store” when it comes to playing for the Jets. Friesen writes that Howden is a player whose potential hasn’t been fully realized and was described as one of the fastest players in the Panthers’ organization. Howden’s “wide-eyed” approach to being a member of the Jets organization may not nail down a spot for him on the roster, but with the speed and enthusiasm, Howden certainly has a chance to make himself well known.
- The Hockey Writers’ Judson Rempel makes some predictions about who could lead the Jets in statistics come this season and the predictions aren’t surprising. Rempel opines that Mark Scheifele will lead the Jets in goal scoring while Blake Wheeler should pace the team in assists. Rempel also delves into analytics, writing that Mathieu Perreault should lead the team in Corsi% while Dustin Byfuglien will make the long skate to the penalty box more than anyone else.
Central Division: Remaining RFAs
We are less than a month away from the start of the World Cup and training camps. However, there are still 15 restricted free agents remaining, and many of them are not who you would expect to be unsigned at this point. Two NHL teams’ leading scorers, four top-four defensemen, and several other high quality players are still looking for new deals.
Let’s continue our break down of the remaining RFAs by taking a look at the Central Division:
Dallas Stars – $7.98MM in cap space, according to Cap Friendly – The Stars have yet to re-sign their first round pick from 2013, Valeri Nichushkin. As we reported yesterday, the Stars and Nichushkin are continuing to talk. A trip to the KHL was speculated earlier in the off-season after Nichushkin said he would “perhaps consider” leaving the NHL because he felt head coach Lindy Ruff didn’t trust him to play big minutes. Nichushkin scored 34 points in his rookie year, 2013-14, but has only posted 30 points in the two seasons since, having missed all but eight games of his sophomore season.
Winnipeg Jets – $9.37MM in cap space, according to Cap Friendly – The right-handed defenseman is one of the hottest commodities in the NHL these days, so the Winnipeg Jets have quite a nice problem on their hands. Jacob Trouba is a big, mobile, two-way defenseman who is right handed and should be making huge steps forward in the coming seasons. However, he’s blocked from playing big minutes by other big right-handed defensemen Dustin Byflugien and Tyler Myers. Trouba can play the left side, but performs better on his natural right side. According to Gary Lawless of TSN, Trouba feels he should be playing bigger minutes, and negotiations aren’t going well – the two sides are apart on “everything”. Despite all that, Lawless said a trade was unlikely; no team is likely to want to pay the asking price to acquire Trouba after a down season. Trouba will be playing for Team North America in the next month’s World Cup of Hockey, so like Johnny Gaudreau, expect both sides to try get this resolved before then.
Nashville Predators – $5.41MM in cap space, according to Cap Friendly – The Predators NHL roster appears to be set, but they still have one last minor league signing to go; Stefan Elliott is without a contract. The Predators acquired him from Arizona as part of a bizarre three-way trade that sent Pacific Division All Star Captain John Scott to Montreal. Elliott played 21 games in the big leagues last year, but figures to be a solid AHLer who can step in to the NHL if injuries arise.
Related: our reviews of remaining RFAs in the Pacific and Atlantic Divisions.