What We Learned This Week In The NHL – Week 13
What We Learned This Week In The NHL – Week 13
NHL Rumor Mill – January 3, 2020
NHL Rumor Mill – January 3, 2020
Having made the first NHL trades of 2020, the Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, and Montreal Canadiens might not be done dealing. Check out the latest in today’s rumor mill.
MORE MOVES IN STORE FOR FLAMES, CANADIENS, AND SABRES?
SPORTNET’s Eric Francis, the Calgary’s Sun’s Wes Gilbertson, and The Athletic’s Scott Cruickshank report the Calgary Flames freed up salary-cap space by shipping winger Michael Frolik to the Buffalo Sabres for a fourth-round draft pick in 2020. The move clears $4.3 million from the Flames’ cap payroll.
Does Calgary Flames GM Brad Treliving have more moves in store? (Photo via NHL.com).
Gilbertson and Cruickshank report Flames general manager Brad Treliving doesn’t intend to sit on his new-found cap space. Gilbertson believes this allows Treliving the flexibility to go shopping for another roster piece. Cruickshank speculates the Flames GM could be in the market for a big, top-six winger, preferably on the right side.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The New York Rangers’ Chris Kreider would fit the bill, though he skates on the left side. So would Chicago Blackhawks left-winger Brandon Saad, but his $6-million annual average salary through 2020-21 could be tricky to accommodate unless a salaried player heads to Chicago or the Blackhawks pick up part of his cap hit. The LA Kings’ Tyler Toffoli would be a natural right-side fit. It’ll be interesting to see if Treliving pursues one of those guys before the Feb. 24 trade deadline.
SPORTSNET: Eric Engels believes the Montreal Canadiens’ acquisition of defenseman Marco Scandella from the Buffalo Sabres indicates they’re not giving up on their playoff hopes this season. Scandella will provide some welcome left-side blueline depth and will likely line up alongside young Cale Fleury on their third defense pairing. If this move pays dividends for the Habs, Engels speculates GM Marc Bergevin could make more to keep his club’s postseason dreams alive.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Acquiring Scandella proved a cost-effective depth move for the Canadiens, giving up just a fourth-round pick in 2020 to acquire him. The Habs still have three picks (including their own) in the fourth round. With over $5.5 million in cap space, Bergevin has room to make another addition or two before the deadline.
That’ll depend, of course, on where they are in the standings. Sidelined forwards Jonathan Drouin, Brendan Gallagher, Joel Armia and Paul Byron should be back in the lineup by month’s end. If they’re still in the hunt by then, perhaps Bergevin will go shopping for a top-four defenseman.
TSN’s Darren Dreger reported via Twitter the Buffalo Sabres could have more moves coming. “Sounds like Buffalo is still on the hunt and willing to move other pieces,” he wrote.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Adding Michael Frolik from the Flames will provide experienced right-wing depth to their forward lines, but they could use a scorer to take some of the offensive burdens off their top line and perhaps offset the absence of sidelined winger Jeff Skinner. With the Sabres’ struggling to stay in the playoff race, perhaps their next move will come in the following days.
They still have depth on their defense to draw upon as trade bait. Blueliner Zach Bogosian has requested a trade, as has forward Evan Rodrigues, but it could take some creativity on management’s part to find a suitable return.
NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 3, 2020
NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 3, 2020
Three stars and top rookie of the month for December, Canadiens, Sabres, and Flames get busy in the trade market, milestones reached by Zdeno Chara, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: Nathan MacKinnon’s four-point performance (one goal, three assists) led the Colorado Avalanche to a 7-3 thumping of the St. Louis Blues. Nazem Kadri scored twice and Samuel Girard collected four assists. Robert Thomas scored twice for the Blues.
Nathan MacKinnon’s four-point effort carried the Colorado Avalanche over the St. Louis Blues 7-3 (Photo via NHL Images).
The Vancouver Canucks picked up their sixth straight win by holding off the Chicago Blackhawks 7-5. J.T. Miller had a four-point effort while teammates Elias Pettersson, Bo Horvat, and Tanner Pearson each collected three points. Patrick Kane scored two goals for the Blackhawks while teammate Adam DeBrincat had three helpers.
The San Jose Sharks defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 on an overtime tally by Brent Burns. Joe Thornton picked up his 1,080th career NHL assist to move into seventh on the all-time assists leader list. Patric Hornqvist scored both Penguins goals.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are unbeaten in their last nine games (8-0-1) after downing the Winnipeg Jets 6-3. William Nylander scored two goals and set up another while teammate Frederik Andersen kicked out 45 shots. Earlier in the day, the Jets announced defenseman Nathan Beaulieu will miss at least a month with a lower-body injury.
Sean Monahan’s third-period goal gave the Calgary Flames a 4-3 win over the New York Rangers. Johnny Gaudreau had a goal and an assist for the Flames while Rangers defenseman Adam Fox collected three assists.
The Vegas Golden Knights scored four first-period goals and hung on to beat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4. Max Pacioretty scored twice for the Golden Knights, who killed off a 6-on-3 Flyers power-play in the final 90 seconds of the third period. Vegas winger Jonathan Marchessault missed the game with a lower-body injury.
A four-goal second period carried the Florida Panthers to a 6-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Evgenii Dadonov tallied twice and added an assist for the Panthers.
The Columbus Blue Jackets edged the Boston Bruins 2-1 on an overtime goal by Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Jackets’ point streak has reached 12 games (8-0-4). Bruins winger David Pastrnak tallied his league-leading 30th goal of the season.
Jack Eichel’s penalty-shot goal in overtime completed a 3-2 comeback by the Buffalo Sabres over the Edmonton Oilers. The Sabres overcame a 2-0 deficit on regulation goals by Curtis Lazar and Sam Reinhart. Sabres rookie winger Victor Olofsson left the game in the third period with a lower-body injury.
Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy’s 38-save performance carried his club over the Montreal Canadiens 2-1. The Habs played without winger Brendan Gallagher, who’s out indefinitely with a concussion.
Nico Hischier tallied the game-winner as the New Jersey Devils nipped the New York Islanders 2-1. The Devils are 4-0-1 in their last five games. New Jersey center Jack Hughes missed the game with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech (lower-body injury) also missed this contest.
The Arizona Coyotes doubled up the Anaheim Ducks 4-2 following a three-goal third period. Goaltender Antti Raanta made 26 saves for the win.
HEADLINES
Florida Panthers winger Jonathan Huberdeau, Pittsburgh Penguins goatender Tristan Jarry, and New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin are the NHL’s three stars for December 2019. Buffalo Sabres winger Victor Olofsson is rookie of the month for December.
Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara and San Jose Sharks forwards Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau are the 12th, 13th, and 14th players in NHL history to play at least one game in four or more different decades.
TSN: The Montreal Canadiens yesterday traded defenseman Mike Reilly to the Ottawa Senators for a fifth-round pick in 2021 and minor-leaguer Andrew Sturtz. They also acquired defenseman Marco Scandella from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2020.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: With these moves, the Canadiens add some much-needed veteran experience to their blueline in Scandella while shedding a $1.5-million salary-cap hit for 2020-21 by moving out the frequently-scratched Reilly. Eligible for UFA status this summer, Scandella can be considered a rental to keep the Habs’ flickering playoff hopes alive. The Senators, meanwhile, needed defensive depth with Dylan DeMelo, Nikita Zaitsev and Ron Hainsey sidelined by injuries.
The Sabres, meanwhile, flipped that draft pick they received from the Canadiens to the Calgary Flames for winger Michael Frolik.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres needed help up front. That they only had to part with a fourth-rounder speaks to the decline in Frolik’s stock. The Flames were reportedly close to moving Frolik at last year’s trade deadline to the Minnesota Wild in a deal for winger Jason Zucker but it fell through at the last minutes. Frolik might not be the only move the Sabres have in store, while the Flames could also be active in the trade market leading up to this year’s deadline. I’ll have more later this morning in my daily Rumors update.
THE ATHLETIC: Los Angeles Kings captain Dustin Brown returned to practice yesterday following a stint in hospital recovering from pneumonia.
USA TODAY: Carolina Hurricanes center Erik Haula and his wife, Kristen, released a statement yesterday mourning the passing of their unborn daughter.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: My sincere condolences to the Haulas.
Canada’s Road To World Junior Gold Goes Through Finland
Canada’s Road To World Junior Gold Goes Through Finland
Why Some Players Were Passed Over for The 2020 NHL All-Star Game
Why Some Players Were Passed Over for The 2020 NHL All-Star Game
NHL Rumor Mill – January 2, 2020
NHL Rumor Mill – January 2, 2020
Could the Penguins make a trade to offset the loss of Jake Guentzel? Could the Blackhawks use their newly-gained salary-cap space to bolster their roster for the rest of the season? Find out in today’s NHL rumor mill.
PENGUINS OPTIONS TO OFFSET GUENTZEL’S ABSENCE
THE ATHLETIC: With high-scoring Jake Guentzel sidelined four-to-six months by a shoulder injury, Rob Rossi examined some creative ways the Pittsburgh Penguins could offset the winger’s absence. By placing Guentzel on long-term injury reserve, they have an additional $6 million to bolster their roster. General manager Jim Rutherford has said he’ll probably wait until the Feb. 24 trade deadline to make any moves.
Should the Pittsburgh Penguins shop goaltender Matt Murray for a scoring winger? (Photo via NHL Images).
Rossi speculates Rutherford could shop his first-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, suggesting New York Rangers winger Chris Kreider could be his top trade target. With Tristan Jarry playing well and Casey DeSmith in the minors, Rossi also suggested shopping goaltender Matt Murray, who’s a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this summer. That could be a risky move if Jarry’s current hot performance should cool over the second half of the schedule.
Free-agent winger Ilya Kovalchuk is another option, but Rossi claims Rutherford isn’t interested.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: As long as the Penguins continue playing well, Rutherford could take his time and evaluate the trade market leading up to the deadline. They’ll get a big boost when sidelined captain Sidney Crosby returns to the lineup soon. Rutherford has a well-earned reputation as a wheeler-dealer, so we shouldn’t rule out the possibility he’ll look into making a move or two in the coming weeks.
WILL THE BLACKHAWKS USE THEIR CAP SPACE TO BOLSTER THEIR ROSTER?
CHICAGO TRIBUNE: Jimmy Greenfield notes the Blackhawks have an additional $10 million at their disposal with defensemen Brent Seabrook and Calvin de Haan sidelined for the remainder of the season. As their salaries go back to counting against the Blackhawks cap payroll next season, the Blackhawks would have to pursue players on expiring contracts.
Greenfield suggested Los Angeles Kings winger Tyler Toffoli, Ottawa Senators center Jean-Gabriel Pageau, or New Jersey Devils defenseman Sami Vatanen as possibilities. He also pointed out the Blackhawks aren’t trading promising youngsters Kirby Dach or Adam Boqvist, and they probably won’t move their first-rounder. They also lack a second-round pick in the 2020 draft.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: That lack of tradeable assets could make it difficult for the Blackhawks to get into the bidding for a decent playoff rental player. That’s assuming they’re still in the postseason chase by next month’s trade deadline. If they fail to gain ground in the standings by the end of this month, I doubt GM Stan Bowman will become a major buyer.
While Sabres veteran Dman, Zach Bogosian requested a trade, Buffalo forward Evan Rodrigues has also made his interests in a trade known. His name has been out there for awhile.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) December 31, 2019