NHL ’21 Division Rankings and Playoffs

Posted on January 13, 2021 by Derek

These are just rankings based on what I think. In a 56-game season where there could be Covid positives, pauses and player movement at the trade deadline, a lot can change. Keep that in mind.

Only four teams per division make the playoffs. It’s divisional format like the old days which means 1 plays 4, 2 plays 3 and the winners face each other for a chance at the Conference Final. Very simple. Now can we go back to the Wales and Campbell? Get back to tradition.

WALES CONFERENCE

Patrick Division

*1. Flyers

*2. Capitals

*3. Bruins

*4. Islanders

5. Penguins

6. Rangers

7. Sabres

8. Devils

(1) Flyers over (4) Islanders

(3) Bruins over (2) Capitals

Flyers over Bruins

Adams Division

*1. Lightning

*2. Hurricanes

*3. Stars

*4. Blue Jackets

5. Predators

6. Panthers

7. Blackhawks

8. Red Wings

(1) Lightning over (4) Blue Jackets

(3) Stars over (2) Hurricanes

Lightning over Stars

Wales Conference Final

Lightning over Flyers

CAMPBELL CONFERENCE

Norris Division

*1. Golden Knights

*2. Avalanche

*3. Blues

*4. Wild

5. Coyotes

6. Kings

7. Ducks

8. Sharks

(1) Golden Knights over (4) Wild

(2) Avalanche over (3) Blues

Avalanche over Golden Knights

Smythe Division

*1. Maple Leafs

*2. Canadiens

*3. Flames

*4. Canucks

5. Jets

6. Oilers

7. Senators

(4) Canucks over (1) Maple Leafs

(2) Canadiens over (3) Flames

Canadiens over Canucks

Campbell Conference Final

Avalanche over Canadiens

Stanley Cup

Avalanche over Lightning

NHL Awards

Conn Smythe Nathan MacKinnon

Hart Nathan MacKinnon

Norris Seth Jones

Vezina Carey Price

Calder Kirill Kaprizov

Selke Anthony Cirelli

Byng Artemi Panarin

Adams Claude Julien

First Coach Fired Jeff Blashill

First Coach Hired Gerard Gallant

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New NHL Season Starts Up

Posted on January 13, 2021 by Derek

Following a lengthy wait, hockey finally is back. A new NHL season starts up later today with five games on the schedule. It even features an early bird special with the Flyers and Penguins doing battle in Pennsylvania at 5:30 PM EST.

In what should be a challenge for the league due to the unforgiving and unpredictable nature of COVID-19, they’ll try to work around the early positives with the Stars, whose schedule has been pushed back. Indeed, the threat of the global pandemic isn’t going away. With it already forcing cancelations in the NBA and now even before they drop the puck in the abbreviated 56-game ’21 season, questions linger. How successful will they be at avoiding a pause? It’s a legit concern.

Everyone should be happy to have the sport back. We’ve missed it. With the league realignment of divisions that have been altered due to location even if one doesn’t make sense, you’ll have teams in each division jockeying for position with only the top four making the playoffs. It’ll be like the old days of the old divisional format when you had the Adams, Patrick, Norris and Smythe when there were a lot less teams. I don’t know why the NHL doesn’t go back to the traditional names. It was better due its unique nature.

Be that as it may, you have the East and Central comprising the Eastern Conference. Why is our division called the East? They can’t just call it the Patrick for old times sake. Then there’s the weirdness of the North Division comprised of seven Canadian teams that stretches from Ontario to Alberta with British Columbia and Manitoba. The West (Pacific) making up eight teams with a couple not even in the right timezone. This is strange. But that’s what you get these days.

It’s not worth going through all the changes to teams. Some notables. Zdeno Chara in DC will be strange. So will Torey Krug in St. Louis. Joe Thornton in Toronto will be odd. It’s blasphemy. But he’s sticking around for at least this year to see if he can help solve the Maple Leafs playoff woes. Good luck. Jacob Markstrom has changed addresses from Vancouver to Calgary. Taylor Hall is in Buffalo to team with Jack Eichel for a year. Paul Stastny returns to Winnipeg after never fitting in Vegas, who uses players as chess pieces like Beth Harmon in The Queen’s Gambit. They paid former St. Louis captain Alex Pietrangelo a lot of cash to change sides. That’ll be strange. Braden Holtby now is in Vancouver where he’ll share the net with Thatcher Demko.

These are strange times. Montreal has the look of a playoff contender with the addition of Josh Anderson even if that contract is risky. Nick Suzuki should blossom into a top center. Carey Price won’t be asked to start 50 of 56 with Jake Allen backing up. Tyler Toffoli is a good addition.

Edmonton is hoping the Connor McDavid/Leon Draisaitl tandem along with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins can carry them into the playoffs despite Mikko Koskinen and Mike Smith. Maybe the return of Jesse Puljujarvi along with key additions Tyson Barrie and Kyle Turris will help. They couldn’t even get by the Blackhawks in the qualifying round last August.

Kirill Kaprizov will compete for top rookie status after dominating the KHL. He’ll boost the Wild’s offense which still features Kevin Fiala and Zach Parise. Plus a solid D corps. Can Cam Talbot get them into the playoffs? The goalie situation will be interesting.

The Rangers are hoping the arrival of top pick Alexis Lafreniere will brighten their playoff chances. He’ll start on a questionable third line with Filip Chytil and Julien Gauthier. Chytil will make or break it. Kaapo Kakko must improve and newcomer K’Andre Miller will be looked upon to boost a shaky defense. Igor Shestyorkin is the new starter with Alex Georgiev backing up.

These are just some of the storylines entering the new season. One which could be unpredictable. Keep an eye on this year’s rookie class which prominently features Kaprizov, Shestyorkin, Lafreniere, Tim Stutzle, Alex Turcotte, Trevor Zegras and Ilya Sorokin. Defensemen could include Jamie Drysdale, Bowen Byram and Ville Heinola.

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Unsettled camp adds to questions surrounding Devils’ 2021 season

Posted on January 12, 2021 by hasan4978

With hockey finally set to return in the next couple of days, I should be excited to see my team play for the first time in ten months. In general there’s always a lot of optimism going into a season when everyone is still undefeated and usually when you have a new regime there’s an added feeling of anticipation. I certainly don’t want to bring anyone else down, I’m glad the majority of fans can enjoy hockey’s return and on a certain level I’m still looking forward to Wednesday night as well.

Unfortunately on the whole, I’ve never been so passive or felt the same feeling of dread as I do now going into this Devils season.

Clearly there’s stuff more important and more dire going on in the country which probably contributes to my general malaise, but that’s not really a matter for comment in this blog. Except to the extent that the COVID vaccine really needs to get distributed faster and more efficiently in the next several weeks, and that’s certainly contributing to my general bleh mood on the eve of the Devils’ return to play. Looking at all the games getting canceled around the NBA give me pause about this NHL season. I thought the NHL and NBA would be able to get through their seasons because baseball and football have, but the virus has only gotten worse despite the vaccine starting to be publicly available and I’m starting to doubt whether that can happen, at least not without another big pause.

But let’s say for argument’s sake the NHL somehow, someway gets through a 56-game season and playoffs all the way through – then we get to the macro worries about the Devils themselves. For a camp that only lasted two weeks, the Devils had more than their fair share of drama and considering this team’s already precarious position they could ill afford it.

First of all, franchise center Nico Hischier came into camp with a still mysterious leg injury, where all we know is he’s week to week and not skating. So he won’t be on the ice in the near future, yippee. Then there was the senseless Jesper Bratt holdout, which finally concluded a couple of days ago but with Bratt still in limbo because of visa and quarantine concerns, he’s still likely weeks from playing a game. Why Bratt thought he was worth some big contract after three promising but still uneven seasons where he hasn’t put up more than 35 points yet is beyond me, and why Fitz let the holdout get to this point with months to negotiate only to settle for the bridge deal way after the deadline to get Bratt in for the season is also beyond me. This was the rare holdout where nobody won. Bratt missing for weeks was really worth trying and failing to get a long-term deal and/or getting a few pennies off the next two years where we don’t have cap issues anyway? Garbage.

Then you have the Corey Crawford disaster, where apparently at the beginning of camp and on the eve of the season he had a change of heart about playing and abruptly retired. Crawford was supposed to be if not our starting goalie, certainly a viable 1A which we didn’t have last year. As angry as I am with him for leaving us in the lurch (especially given he never did a thing for the Devils to begin with, this isn’t someone like Travis Zajac hanging it up on the eve of camp), I can’t ultimately blame him if his heart wasn’t in it. I suppose it’s better to leave now than to have him play a half-hearted season before that point. After Crawford’s abrupt exit, GM Tom Fitzgerald probably felt like Adam Sandler in The Wedding Singer after his ex-fiancee gives the reasons why she dumped him at the altar.

So we’re out two top six forwards and one half of our goalie tandem going into a season where we were already rated no higher than 7th out of 8 teams in a stacked Patrick Division plus (the hell with all of the NHL’s new corporate names they’ve gotten for their temporary divisions). With a new staff and a team that hasn’t played an actual game in ten months. Not exactly ideal. It’s anyone’s guess what we’re going to do in goal although they claimed Eric Comrie off of waivers to compete with one-time draftee Scott Wedgewood for the backup job. Of course that’s a fluid situation.

At this point in the blog I’m wondering why I still have any anticipation at all for Wednesday’s season opener. I haven’t even really watched any of the scrimmages though it’s always difficult to know what to ‘root for’ in scrimmages anyway.

With all the things that actually happened which have short and long-term consequences, I can’t even get annoyed over things like P.K. Subban and Miles Wood’s infantile fight during the team’s final intrasquad scrimmage, or the forced bro-hug posted on social media after it. At least I suppose it’s a good thing two of the bigger disappointments last year are coming out like they actually give a crap about rebounding.

If you’re still reading you might be wondering if there is even any good news in Newarkville? Well by all accounts the best player in camp is 22-year old Yegor Sharangovich, a 5th rounder in 2018 who was off to a hot start in the KHL this year with 17 goals in 34 games and has kept up that scoring touch in camp. I suppose it should be pointed out it’s easier for a guy like Sharangovich to shine in scrimmages (and perhaps early in the season) considering he’s one of the few players on the ice that’s been playing regularly, but with his KHL season so far you’re allowed to have some optomism we might actually be adding a legit scoring forward. God knows we can use one.

It also seems like 2018 1st rounder Ty Smith will finally make the NHL roster although whether he actually plays on Opening Night is still a question mark considering the Devils have kept eight defensemen on their active roster, which doesn’t even include the recently signed Sami Vatanen who’ll likely replace one of the other guys like Matt Tennyson after he clears his protocols to come over. It’ll certainly be a roster filled with youth and a couple more of the younger guys will get an early chance to play with Hischier and Bratt still missing.

I wish I could get more excited, especially with a lineup of younger guys looking to prove themselves. I’m just not feeling it right now. Who cares whether the lineup’s younger guys or older guys if they’re just getting their face kicked in? And how invested can I get if we’re headed straight for another March pause?

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Rangers sign first round pick Braden Schneider to AHL contract, Devils re-sign Jesper Bratt

Posted on January 11, 2021 by Derek

In some more local hockey news, both the Rangers and Devils made interesting moves. Each signed a young player. One will be on an NHL roster as expected while the other will get their first taste of pro hockey in the AHL.

The Devils re-signed restricted free agent Jesper Bratt to a two-year deal worth an average cap hit of $2.75 million. The 22-year old from Stockholm, Sweden is entering his fourth NHL season.

A former sixth round pick in the ’16 NHL Draft, Bratt has played in a top nine role for New Jersey. In all three of his seasons, he’s recorded over 30 points while filling a role on the penalty kill. Last year, he hit a new career high with 16 goals while adding 16 assists for 32 points in 60 games. Look for him to slot in on one of the top two lines.

In other news, the Devils waived Nick Merkley, Colton White, Josh Jacobs, Ben Street and Brandon Gignac.

Nico Hischier is still not skating according to new coach Lindy Ruff. He will not start the season in time. For now, Travis Zajac will center one of the top two lines while ’19 top pick Jack Hughes anchors the other which will likely feature Kyle Palmieri and possibly Andreas Johnsson or Nikita Gusev.

In Rangers news, they decided to sign recent ’20 first round pick Braden Schneider to an AHL contract. Having missed the cutoff to sign him to an entry level contract (ELC), they apparently liked what they saw from the big right defenseman at the World Junior Championships. He played well in a second pair role for Canada. Schneider showed off his physical style while also jumping into the play where he contributed a goal and two assists with 25 penalty minutes and a plus-eight rating.

Schneider is 19 from Prince Albert, Saskatoon. The Rangers thought highly enough of him that they swapped first round picks and gave up a third to the Flames to select Schneider at number 19. A good skater who isn’t afraid to use his size to finish checks, he could become the hard-nosed physical defenseman the team lacks. They have changed the look of the roster over the last year plus by adding Jacob Trouba and finding out that Ryan Lindgren is a solid top four defenseman.

With plenty of defensive depth in the system that features Nils Lundkvist, Zac Jones, Matthew Robertson and Tarmo Reunanen, the organization is in good hands under Team President John Davidson and GM Jeff Gorton. They have to be excited about ’18 first round pick K’Andre Miller impressing coach David Quinn enough to make the NHL roster. He’ll get the chance to start with Trouba on the number one pair. Only 20, it’s a great opportunity for the former Badger.

Even though he didn’t make the team, Quinn told reporters that we could still see forward Morgan Barron get into some games. He felt Barron looked a little tight. Barron will likely be on the taxi squad. They also could get him into AHL games when it starts up.

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With K’Andre Miller making the team, the Rangers have a bright future, Seven players on Waivers

Posted on January 11, 2021 by Derek

It’s only been a week since training camp opened. Over that brief time, coach David Quinn was so impressed with K’Andre Miller that he gave the rookie defenseman a ringing endorsement a few days ago.

The 20-year old left defenseman spent two years playing college hockey at Wisconsin. He also represented Team USA at the ’19 and ’20 World Junior Championships. Even though he disappointed last year, Miller returned to the Badgers and put up 18 points (7-11-18) in 36 games. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, there was no Frozen Four.

Following his sophomore year, Miller signed an entry-level contract (ELC) with the Rangers to turn pro. Were they rushing the former forward who converted to defenseman? Based on how he handled himself while getting to practice with the team in the playoff bubble, the coaching staff liked what they saw. Even though he wasn’t eligible to play against the Hurricanes, there was optimism. That has continued with a strong camp with Quinn liking Miller enough to pair him with Jacob Trouba.

In doing so, it looks like Tony DeAngelo will start on the third pair with Jack Johnson. The veteran replacement for Marc Staal. Of course, the only pair that’ll stay intact is the cohesive second tandem of Ryan Lindgren with Adam Fox. They were so effective during their rookie year that Quinn leaned on them a lot with former assistant Lindy Ruff, who takes over the Devils.

The defense is more interesting. If Miller proves he can stick and play responsible minutes, you have another recent former first round pick cracking the roster. Defense isn’t an easy transition at the NHL level. The Rangers will have to remain patient with Miller. There’ll be mistakes. It’s how he learns and responds from those mistakes that’ll determine his rookie season.

With number one center Mika Zibanejad finally cleared to practice with the team three days before the home season opener versus the Islanders, he’ll have to catch up quickly with cohesive line mates Chris Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich. Considering the chemistry they have, that shouldn’t be an issue. In one of the scrimmages, they played well with fourth line center Brett Howden. Howden had a goal and assist. He’ll slide back down to anchor Brendan Lemieux and Phil Di Giuseppe.

For now, Quinn is sticking with his top six. In an important second year after struggling in ’19-20, Kaapo Kakko looks to take a leap up on the second line where he’ll replace departed right wing Jesper Fast (Canes) to play with Ryan Strome and Artemi Panarin. It’s a great opportunity for Kakko to benefit from playing with Panarin, who is one of the game’s best players. Strome fits in well with Panarin due to his unselfish nature and skating. One would th*ink Kakko will have plenty of scoring chances while teamed with those two. We’ll see if he can take advantage.

So much hype is surrounding top pick Alexis Lafreniere. The super gifted Canadian scoring left wing is a fast skater who can do things with the puck at a high level. The former 2020 WJC Most Valuable Player is the kind of future star the Rangers haven’t had. They never picked first since the Entry Draft was formed. It’s true that they got lucky by losing in three to Carolina to somehow win the lottery. Now, it’s showtime for the wiz kid from Quebec City.

The good thing is there won’t be as much pressure at the start. He’ll slot in on the third line with Filip Chytil and Julien Gauthier. It’s a golden opportunity for Chytil to raise his level. He’s shown flashes so far, but hasn’t been consistent. We’ll see if he can take the next step in his development. Gauthier was acquired from Carolina last year. A player with a willingness to work, he has some power forward moves to his game. While it might be a stretch for him to be in the top nine, it’s an opportunity to see what he is capable of. He’ll be asked to do the grunt work on the new line.

For now, it’s Howden back at center on the fourth line with agitator Lemieux and skater Di Giuseppe. Howden had a good abbreviated miniseries. He wins draws and will play penalty kill. Something we should also see the energetic Lemieux do. The Grate One must play on the edge without going overboard. He will finish checks and stand up for teammates. But he also is capable of potting a few goals. They need him to draw penalties. Not lose discipline. Di Giuseppe was solid after his recall. He’s a good skater who works hard. The fourth line has potential to be trusted. Will Quinn show enough faith to play them regularly?

The goalies are Igor Shestyorkin and Alex Georgiev. They’re a young tandem. Shestyorkin will be expected to prove himself following the brilliance he showed. Don’t forget it was not that many games. We’ll see how he handles the pressure. Georgiev has been a good backup with lots of character. He handled a tough situation well last year. Now, it’s just him and Shestyorkin. Consistency will be the key in net in the post Lundqvist Era.

Former Devil Kevin Rooney is the extra forward. He is a hardworking center who kills penalties. Not a bad pickup. Will we see Morgan Barron? It all depends what happens with the fourth line.

Veteran Brendan Smith is the extra defenseman. He practiced with prospect Matthew Robertson, who’ll likely be reassigned to his junior team.

The Rangers placed the following players on waivers. Some will report to the taxi squad.

Nick Bitetto

Jonny Brodzinski

Colin Blackwell

Brandon Crawley

Gabriel Fontaine

Anthony Greco

Keith Kinkaid

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Crawford announces retirement from hockey, Wedgewood now Devils backup goalie

Posted on January 9, 2021 by Derek

After taking a few personal days to be with his family, goalie Corey Crawford decided to announce his retirement from hockey. It wasn’t a surprising decision. The 36-year old proud veteran two-time Stanley Cup winner realized that he had nothing left to prove.

A very good netminder who spent his whole 10-year career with the Blackhawks, Crawford realized that there was nothing left to give. Rather than continue his hockey career with the Devils where he signed a two-year contract worth an average of $3.9 million, he wanted to spend more time with his family. Considering his injury history which included multiple concussions, it isn’t shocking.

Unfortunately for the Devils, they are still on the hook for the $3.9 million salary cap hit due to Crawford’s age. He’s over 35. It doesn’t seem fair. It should be something they should change in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). This per CapFriendly.

https://twitter.com/CapFriendly/status/1347963312420626433?s=19

I don’t see why a team should be held responsible if a player they signed changes their mind. It isn’t like Crawford was already under contract having played x amount of seasons. This is a different situation. He never played a game for the Devils. That’s why the 35 and over clause in the CBA should be adjusted under such special cases.

Correction: Following that information, CapFriendly posted a retraction. The Devils aren’t on the hook for the Crawford contract. His $3.9 million cap hit comes off. I knew it didn’t make sense. So, it frees up more cap room. I was wondering why PuckPedia had more cap space with Crawford not listed.

With Crawford doing what’s best for him longterm, I give him credit. He didn’t try to stick around too long. If you’re not fully committed, then the best decision to make is to retire. That way the team can move on.

The Devils currently have Mackenzie Blackwood as their starting netminder. He’s signed for three years at an AAV of $2.8 million through 2023. Scott Wedgewood is now the backup. He’ll make $700,000. He’s had a good training camp. For him, it’s another opportunity to play in net for the Devils. We’ll see how it goes.

For his NHL career spent with the Devils and Coyotes, Wedgewood is 7-10-5 with a 3.05 GAA and .903 save percentage over 24 games. His first four came in New Jersey back in ’15-16 when he went 2-1-1 with a 1.25 GAA, .957 save percentage and a shutout. He spent most of his time with Binghamton in the AHL.

In other recent Devils news, they brought back defenseman Sami Vatanen. The veteran right D agreed to a one-year deal worth $2 million. He’s an experienced player who can play on the bottom pair and penalty kill. It’s a smart low risk move that is an upgrade over extra Connor Carrick. If they fall out of playoff contention, the Devils can always trade him to a contender.

Crawford finishes his 10-year NHL career with 260 victories, a 2.45 GAA, .918 save percentage and 26 shutouts. He played all 488 games with the Blackhawks where he won two Cups in ’12-13 and ’14-15. He’ll always be a champion in Chicago hearts.

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As training camp opens, Kreider a sounding board on Lafreniere and Rangers

Posted on January 4, 2021 by Derek

The look on the bench says it all. A wow moment is coming for some new Rangers. AP Photo by New York Rangers via Twitter.

Hockey is back. For a few teams, they already officially started the abbreviated training camps early due to not qualifying for the postseason. Now, all 31 NHL teams are back to work in preparation for the start of a 56-game 2021 season. The fun begins on January 13 for some teams while for others, it’s Jan. 14.

For the Rangers, they’ll have the top cross-town rival Islanders on the schedule in 10 days. The countdown is on. Even if it’ll once again be without fans due to COVID-19 restrictions, it all starts up for real. Fifty-six games with every single one against your own reformed divisions. That means we get Rangers/Islanders eight times. That includes the first two to start. You better believe it’ll be fun.

Chris Kreider is looking forward to it and a lot more as he and his teammates which include top pick Alexis Lafreniere get ready for what promises to be a four month sprint from Winter to Spring. Basically, going from ice cold to warmer temperatures in May. If they’re lucky, they’ll get to continue the journey further.

By that, I’m obviously referring to the ultra tough East Division. It’s an eight team division that includes the old Patrick Division of the Capitals, Devils, Flyers, Islanders, Penguins and Rangers. Plus two classic Adams rivals in the Bruins and Sabres. Both of who should fit in. Especially when you factor in the history between Boston and New York along with the classic Bruins/Flyers battles. The Sabres get to stay in state and form even more intimidate rivalries with the Islanders, Rangers and the Devils. They certainly have had some epic playoff series versus the Flyers along with heartbreak to the Pens. There’s something for everyone in this division that featured five legit playoff teams last year. What does that mean for the Rangers, Devils and Sabres? It won’t be easy.

But to hear Kreider tell it, he can’t wait. You know a player who’s been around for nearly a decade loves the idea of playing all these rivalry games. He definitely sounded enthusiastic in the Zoom conference above when speaking to reporters about a variety of topics. That included the excitement surrounding Lafreniere, who he praised for his skills. When talking of the newest Blueshirt, he spoke highly of how the puck just is on a string when the teenager has it. He’s played with him before. So, he knows what the kid from Quebec City is capable of.

When asked about how he handled last year with questions surrounding his contract status, he was very candid in acknowledging that after 20 games, he was able to refocus and do what he knew he was capable of. As Kreider basically pointed out, you can only control what you can. Something he’s seen plenty of times with former teammates. He didn’t need to cite any names. Instead, he spoke of the hard cap and how from year to year, they know the roster isn’t going to look the same. He spoke from experience on how other players handled the pressure and weight of expectations and uncertainty due to free agency. Not knowing isn’t easy. That the now Rangers’ leader was able to reach agreement on a new contract that keeps him on Broadway had to be a relief. He’s seen many popular teammates leave due to such complicated situations.

For the most part, the Rangers are intact for the upcoming season. However, Kreider was also asked how strange it was not to see [Henrik] Lundqvist, [Marc] Staal and [Jesper] Fast. Of course, all three are in different situations. While Staal prepares with the rebuilding Red Wings and Fast gets going with the contending Hurricanes, who are in a different division due to realignment, Lundqvist won’t be donning a Washington Capitals number 35 jersey. It’s still hard to believe that the affable 38-year old all-time Rangers franchise great needs open heart surgery. He will miss the season. What that means for his career, who knows. It could be over. I would love to see him come back only if he’s medically cleared for ’21-22. He’ll be 39. We can only hope and pray as fans that the final game wasn’t a loss to the Hurricanes in a very brief stay at the Toronto bubble.

Listening to Kreider, you can tell the team misses all three. He called them three of the nicest people he’s ever known. That speaks to the quality of Lundqvist, Staal and Fast. They were important locker room leaders who set a good example for a younger roster to follow. Having also watched former Ranger Mike Rupp talk about Lundqvist, he heaped high praise on how committed and competitive his former teammate was while discussing him on NHL Network. This is a former Stanley Cup hero in ’02-03 who used to play on the other side of the Hudson rivalry. He wasn’t a Ranger too long, but certainly respected what Lundqvist brought to the table. Listening to him speak was as good as it gets. I’ve heard Kevin Weekes channel similar thoughts about Hank.

It definitely sounds like all three players will be missed from a leadership standpoint. However, that means more significant roles for some key Rangers. While coach David Quinn tries to figure out if the team will have a captain, they’re still waiting on top finisher and number one center Mika Zibanejad to report. He’s been delayed due to quarantine. In the meantime, Brett Howden has taken practice rushes with Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich. For now anyway, Kaapo Kakko has supplanted Fast as the right wing on the second line with Ryan Strome and leading scorer Artemi Panarin. Basically, that means Quinn prefers continuity for now with the top six.

It also would mean Lafreniere starting on the third line alongside Filip Chytil and Julien Gauthier. While I understand why Quinn would want to keep the top two lines intact, I believe longterm, you’ll eventually see Lafreniere bumped up. He’s got too much skating, talent and playmaking ability to be on the third unit. However, if that’s where he starts it could benefit Chytil, who really must step it up. He needs to prove he can be relied upon as a center. That means more consistency and some improvement on face-offs. It really is an important year for Chytil, who could replace Strome if he’s moved.

The Rangers center situation remains a question mark entering the New Year. Strome fit in well with Panarin last season producing career bests. On a deeper team, he’s better suited on the third line. There certainly will be added pressure to perform now that he got a bump up in pay over the short-term. We’ll see what he can do for an encore.

In order for the team to have success and seriously challenge for a top four spot, they’ll need both Kakko and Chytil to perform well. They must show improvement so that Quinn isn’t always throwing all his eggs in one basket. Ditto for Buchnevich, who must prove he can start off better than past seasons. This is a contract year. With recent first round pick Vitaly Kravtsov is playing for Traktor Chelyabinsk in the KHL, Buchnevich could be a goner if he doesn’t prove himself. Sure. He’s been a much better second half player and adjusted to Quinn’s no-nonsense approach. But it’s about consistency. Will he be worth that next contract or does he become a cap casualty due to the likely stagnant $81.5 million max?

If they are to become a more balanced team up front, that means Lafreniere positively impacts who he plays with. It also means either Gauthier or Brendan Lemieux improve. Lemieux is the more hard-nosed forward who plays on the edge. He must remain more disciplined and be on the right side of the ledger when it comes to drawing penalties and not taking them. It also means chipping in a few more goals. Something he’s capable of. He’ll start on the fourth line with Howden and possibly Kevin Rooney or Phil Di Giuseppe. Morgan Barron will also try to make the club out of camp which will include a couple of game like scrimmages. There is no preseason.

For now, Quinn has decided to shift Tony DeAngelo to the left side where he’ll get a chance to pair up with Jacob Trouba. That will be worth following. I liked what I saw when Quinn tried DeAngelo with brilliant rookie Adam Fox in search for more offense. Both are superb skaters who can transition the puck quickly and create puck possession and offense. Maybe the second pair of Ryan Lindgren and Fox eventually gets split up. I could potentially see Lindgren getting a shot with Trouba as a shutdown first pair while DeAngelo-Fox work together to form a very fast second pair who can turn defense to offense. It all depends on what happens early.

If Quinn is committed to a team top four D, what about his bottom pair? It can’t possibly be veterans Brendan Smith and Jack Johnson. I don’t see that working out well for either. Keep an eye on K’Andre Miller and Tarmo Reunanen. The best hope for the team is Libor Hajek shows enough improvement to break into the lineup. He’s a good enough skater. The defense is a concern. If he can make the leap, then they’re not relying as much on Johnson and Smith. They even signed vet Anthony Bitetto as insurance.

The organization boasts plenty of promising defense prospects. They include Nils Lundkvist, Zac Jones, Matthew Robertson, Miller, Reunanen, Braden Schneider and Hunter Skinner. With Schneider having a good game for Canada in the U20 IIHF WJC semifinals against Russia, there’s a lot of promise for the future. Jones has also been a fast rider with his improvement at UMass-Amherst. We’ll see about how ready Miller is. He’s young. There’s no reason to rush him unless he forces his way into the conversation.

As for the goalies, it’s all on the Russian tandem of Igor Shestyorkin and Alex Georgiev. There will surely be more pressure on both with the recently turned 25-year old Shestyorkin expected to be the starter. Georgiev has been a good backup. Now, there’s no security blanket with Lundqvist no longer around. They’ll have to push each other and be consistent. We know the capability of Shestyorkin and it’s exciting. This time, there are expectations.

That’s all for now. You pretty much got the full breakdown. We know the East Division will be tough. I’ll examine it more this week.

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Devils begin new year with anticipation and questions

Posted on December 31, 2020 by hasan4978

Well the moment is finally upon us, and I don’t mean the merciful end of 2020 in a few hours, but rather the moment hockey has finally come back for the Devils and six other teams whose last time on the ice as a team was in March – before the COVID pandemic changed the world as we know it. Hopefully most of those changes won’t be permanent. This is the first year in a long time I’m not at a friend’s house for New Year’s and I’ll quite possibly go from this March to next October in between physically attending a game at Prudential Center, since it’s not likely we’ll have fans in the arena till late in the condensed season, if at all.

Sure these are relatively insignificant problems compared to the physical, mental and economic problems many have been suffering from in the year of COVID. Still, we could all use more of a return to normal when and where we can get it, whether it’s in sports or otherwise. Of course a lot about what will be the 2021 NHL regular season is going to be necessarily abnormal. It’s still our team coming back and hockey at the highest level though. And in the Devils’ case, it’s also the beginning of a new regime in charge after a tumultuous 2019-20 season that saw the Devils fire their GM Ray Shero and coach John Hynes, and part ways with the one-time franchise face in Taylor Hall as well as their long-time stalwart and captain Andy Greene.

Of course there are plenty of holdovers as well, looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2019-20 season which began with high hopes, but those crashed to earth in a matter of weeks. And camp hasn’t been completely free of angst either, with Nico Hischier nursing an undisclosed leg injury suffered in training which was called ‘week-to-week’, not exactly ideal considering the season is less than two weeks from officially beginning. Also, winger Jesper Bratt is still missing from camp being an unsigned RFA and having to go through quarantine once he does sign and come back. So there’s a decent chance two top six forwards can be on the shelf for our first game in ten months.

Having a two-week (or less) camp is problematic for everyone around the league but honestly I think it’s more problematic for a team like the Devils, and not just because we’re one of the unlucky seven that haven’t played since March but also because there are a lot of younger players who could use the normal routine of camp to win jobs and open eyes. Perhaps with the injury to Nico and delay in Bratt’s return a couple of those guys will get chances anyway. It would be nice to be able to treat the first 5-10 games of the regular season as an extended preseason, the way it would be in a normal year but with only 2/3 of a season and division play only it’s pretty much imperative to come out of the gates as ready as possible.

Not as if I expect the team to make the playoffs anyway or anything like that, but you at least want to see this team be more competitive than they’ve been the last two years. Of course in that vein, I’ve heard and read more than once in the last twenty four hours on the interwebs that ‘I don’t care what this team’s record is, as long as I see development from the kids’…that’s one of my biggest pet peeve fallacies. If your team is terrible it’s more than likely a reason why is you’re not getting enough development from key pieces – especially when said key pieces include two #1 overall franchise centers, a first-round defenseman finally looking to stick with the big club this year, and a 24-year old goalie. You need to be more competitive than doormat territory precisely because it’ll show improvement from guys you want to be a part of the long-term solution.

I kept putting off a further preview of this team in 2021 because I still expect more moves and PTO signings, especially with the forwards. I doubt much will materially change at this point though, particularly in the back where they have six vets under contract, and 2018 1st rounder Ty Smith came off a season where he was named the WHL’s top defenseman, so there are hopes he’ll stick with the big club this time after coming up short of making the team in his first two camps. Not that having vets mean things are entirely settled on the blueline.

Coming off a career-worst season, one-time Norris winner PK Subban needs to bounce back this year, particularly given his status as the most experienced defenseman we have. A Subban bounceback plus trade acquisition Ryan Murray staying healthy would go a long way toward improving the blue line from the wild inconsistencies of the last few seasons. Of course Subban is only signed for two more years and Murray through this season so improvement from the younger defensemen is also paramount going forward. Damon Severson flourished after the coaching change last year, but there is a bit of a sense of when a tree falls in the forest and nobody’s around to hear it, did it really fall? Meaning it’ll be nice to see him produce when we’re not just playing out the string in front of relatively nobody (as opposed to the literal nobody that’ll be in the stands this year). Will Butcher’s taken a step back the last two seasons from a solid rookie campaign, while Connor Carrick and Dmitry Kulikov are decent back six options.

Goaltending should be the most improved area on the team with another year of experience for Mackenzie Blackwood, as well as the signing of vet Corey Crawford – although the health of the latter (who just turned 36 today and hasn’t played more than forty games in the last three years) is by no means certain. Still, Crawford gives us a far better ‘on paper’ option than all of our non-Blackwood goaltenders gave us on the ice last year.

Up front, the most succinct way to describe it as question mark upon question mark, with the two most important question marks being our aforementioned #1 overall picks. Will Nico make the jump from good to great in his age 22 season? Can Hughes make the jump from not ready for the NHL to becoming at least a solid NHL player in his second season? At least Hughes is off to a good start off the ice, putting on some needed bulk.

Of course with Nico the long-term question is shelved for the moment given the short-term concern over his injury. Another important question mark is offseason trade acquisition Andreas Johnsson. Can he be a Blake Coleman replacement, perhaps? After a solid 20-goal season as a rookie he took a step back, slowed by injury last year. Will in-season trade acquisitions Janne Kuokkanen, Nick Merkley and Nolan Foote be able to win spots on the roster this year? Foote has the highest celing of the three but is likely a year or so away of contending for a full-time role while the other two are closer to earning bottom six forward minutes.

With almost everyone else that’s assured of a roster spot you pretty much know what you’re going to get. Kyle Palmieri will put up his 25 goals and 55 points, or whatever the 56-game version of those numbers are, while Nikita Gusev came on strong toward the end of his first NHL season…with both those players the questions are more off ice since neither is signed beyond this season. Travis Zajac is a pro’s pro, but he’s 35 this year and also a free agent at the end of the season, perhaps this will be the end of the road for #19 in the red and white? I’ve pretty much given up on perennial teases Pavel Zacha and Miles Wood being any more than they are – which is limited bottom six forwards, but there is still time for both to prove me wrong.

Other than goaltending perhaps, coaching is the key area where the team should be improved over recent seasons. Not that Lindy Ruff was everyone’s first choice this offseason (hand raised) but perhaps he’ll prove to be the right choice for us, given his work with younger teams in Buffalo and Dallas and a long track record of regular season success. Not to mention in a season that’ll be filled with more volatility and unpredictability, having a steady hand behind the bench can only help matters.

No season preview would be complete without an overview of the division at large. For all intents and purposes we only have to worry about seven teams this season, the other teams in the temporarily conceived East division. If you’re a NHL historian think of it as the old six-team Patrick Division, plus Boston and Buffalo. Of the other seven teams, I think for the moment you have to consider the Flyers and Capitals as playoff definites (although in such a stacked division there might be no such thing as a definite) with an aging Boston, the Islanders after their stellar bubble run, and Pittsburgh in the second tier as teams that can make it but can also fall back.

Then you have the Rangers who can easily muscle into that second group, but they’re also reliant on young goaltending and forwards (including #1 OA pick Alexis Lafreniere) plus Artemi Panarin keeping up the Hart-like pace he had in his first season with the Rangers. Bringing up the rear are the other locals, Buffalo who can never seem to get out of its own way – and it’s almost fitting Taylor Hall wound up there – then us. While we’re almost certainly the seventh or eighth best team in the division on paper, anything can happen in a short season.

Shoot, the 2015-16 Devils – who had no business being in a playoff run during Shero and Hynes’ initial season here – would have been right in the mix for a spot after 55-60 games with contributions from the likes of Wild Thing Bobby Farnham and journeyman Lee Stempniak, among others. Of course the division-only schedule itself is the bigger cause for concern given who the other division teams are. If you want an inspirational address for a team accused of being misfit toys, Lou Brown from the movie Major League can probably do better than I can:

I guess that was my microwave version of a preview, fitting for a microwave version of a season and camp.

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Rangers prospects score nice goals, tracking WJC ’21 and some NHL notes

Posted on December 29, 2020 by Derek

With both the KHL season and U20 World Junior Championship going on, there’s more hockey for fans to gloss over. That means plenty of highlights from games and enough time to track your team’s prospects.

Thus far, the IIHF WJC ’21 is in its fifth day of preliminary action. We’ve seen a few big performances with none better than Senators ’20 third pick Tim Stutzle dominating Slovakia in a big 4-3 overtime win yesterday to give Germany a huge two points in Group A. He looks like the real deal.

For more extensive coverage on the tournament, please refer to my hockey prospects blog. I do game reviews and add details on some of the top prospects playing in the WJC over in Edmonton. Each game takes place at the Oilers home rink Rogers Place. USA defeated Czech Republic 7-0 earlier. They’re now 2-1-0 with the big New Year’s Eve match versus Sweden. In the second game, Canada leads Switzerland 1-0 in the first period. Game Three is later pitting heavy underdog Austria against Russia.

For Team USA 🇺🇸, the Rangers are represented by ’20 fifth round pick Brett Berard. The under sized gritty forward has been good so far. He posted a goal and two assists in an 11-0 blowout of Austria. That included this highlight reel goal below.

An effective player with good speed and a willingness to drive the net and get dirty, you can see why the Rangers like him. He also set a good screen on Russian netminder Yaroslav Askarov on a goal that made USA’s first game against Russia interesting. The distraction allowed John Farinacci to pot a rebound to start a third period comeback. Ultimately, they fell short in a 5-3 defeat on Boxing Day.

Berard has drawn raves for his scrappy play. He’s around the puck a lot and makes things happen. He set up Bobby Brink’s tally today versus Czech Republic.

It’s looking like Berard could be a steal. Of course, it’s very early in his development. He is in his freshman year for Providence College. It’s definitely nice to see him be a factor on a good American team that features future star Trevor Zegras, Alex Turcotte, Cole Caufield, Matthew Boldy and Cam York. He assisted on a Brink goal today.

The Rangers also have Braden Schneider playing for Canada and Dylan Garand backing up for the defending champs. Schneider returned earlier from serving a one game suspension for a high shoulder hit that caught the head of an opposing player in Canada’s first game. He didn’t leave his feet. But anytime you make head contact, intentional or not, you’re going to pay the price. He took responsibility for the tough hit prior to puck drop versus Switzerland.

He’s a big and strong guy. The play was unfortunate. That’s hockey now. They have to protect player safety. Imagine if Scott Stevens played now. Exactly. The game has changed. Schneider had some kind words in a taped interview about the Humboldt Broncos, who are fondly remembered by the hockey community.

In recent KHL action for Traktor Chelyabinsk, Rangers prospect Vitali Kravtsov scored a nice goal the other day in Russia. He’s turned it around recently with goals in three of his last four games. Kravtsov is up to 12 on the season. That leads Traktor.

It’s nice to see him rounding into form. The KHL season has about two months left. It’s possible he could debut with the Rangers after the Traktor Chelyabinsk season concludes. We’ll see. He just turned 21 before Christmas.

Speaking of birthdays, tomorrow Igor Shesterkin will turn 25 on Dec. 30. The Rangers new starting goalie is getting ready for the abbreviated divisional format 56-game season which begins on Jan. 13. The Blueshirts start up versus the Islanders on 1/14.

NHL training camps officially opened up for the teams who didn’t qualify for last year’s expanded playoff format. Moves continue to be made as some organizations prepare to make room in compliance with the $81.5 million salary cap.

We’ve seen the Lightning get the Senators to take the contracts of Cedric Paquette and Braydon Coburn with a 2022 second round pick in exchange for basically retired forward Marian Gaborik and backup goalie Anders Nilsson. The Sens also did the Coyotes a favor by taking the remaining year of veteran center Derek Stepan for a second round pick. It didn’t make a ton of sense, but Stepan can add some leadership to a young rebuilding team that needs it. His remaining cap hit is $6.5 million before turning unrestricted next summer. Does the former Rangers fan favorite have something left at age 30?

We’ve also seen the Blues reach agreement with former Senator and Panthers finisher Mike Hoffman on a pro tryout. With Vladimir Tarasenko out long-term along with Alex Steen, both will be on LTIR which will create room to fit Hoffman in for one year. The cost is expected to be $4 million. He’s betting on himself to reset the market and gets to play for a good team that won the Cup in 2019. It’s a smart move by both parties.

In unfortunate injury news, Blackhawks’ 2019 third pick Kirby Dach suffered a fractured hand on a hit in Canada’s final exhibition game versus Russia. His hand wasn’t in a good spot and caught the brunt of a hit. The timetable for the Hawks second center isn’t good with the team revealing that he couldn’t begin “hockey related” activities until four to five months from now following successful surgery yesterday. What a big blow that is.

Even more worrisome, captain Jonathan Toews announced that he’s taking time away from hockey to address an unspecified injury. I have no idea what that means, but it doesn’t sound good. Sending all the best to one of hockey’s good guys and classy superstars.

I’ll have more news and notes in the coming days. Enjoy the WJC. Happy Holidays!

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Lundqvist to have open heart surgery, an emotional time for Rangers great

Posted on December 28, 2020 by Derek

In more stunning news, Henrik Lundqvist revealed that he will have open heart surgery. The former Rangers all-time great posted a tweet detailing the upcoming procedure.

The 38-year old Swede needs an Aortic Valve replacement, Aortic Root and Ascending Aortic replacement. He still remains positive despite this potentially life changing obstacle. He has a great attitude. It’s admirable the way he’s approaching this.

It’s hard to believe Lundqvist had a heart condition throughout his brilliant 16-year NHL career. A former seventh round pick by the Rangers in the 2000 NHL Draft, he won 30 or more games his first seven seasons and 11 of the first 12. The backbone of the franchise totaled a team record 459 wins (2nd active), which ranks sixth on the all-time NHL list. He also established franchise marks in games played (887), minutes (51,818), shots against (25,610), saves (23,509) and shutouts (64).

A Vezina winner in ’11-12 when he won a career best 39 games with career highs in goals-against-average (1.97 GAA) and save percentage (.930) with eight shutouts, he finished third for the Hart Trophy. It was his splendid goaltending under former coach John Tortorella that allowed the Rangers to finish with the best record in the Eastern Conference. What made it special is they were a year removed from squeaking into the playoffs and losing in the first round to the powerful Capitals led by Alexander Ovechkin.

After coming back to edge the Senators in seven games and avenge the loss to Washington by prevailing in seven, they fell short in the team’s first Eastern Conference Final appearance since ’97. A gut wrenching six game series loss to the Hudson Rival Devils. It wouldn’t be the last time they reached the Final Four. The biggest highlight coming two years later under coach Alain Vigneault when they eliminated the Flyers in seven and then dug deep to rally back from a 3-1 deficit to stun the Penguins in an emotional second round.

They did it by going into Pittsburgh and winning convincingly in Game Five. Then faced adversity with the death of Martin St. Louis’ Mom France. After attending the funeral service, they won an emotional game on Mother’s Day with St. Louis scoring the first goal in Game Six. The Garden shook. They would complete the franchise’s first ever 3-1 comeback by edging the Pens 2-1 with St. Louis setting up close friend Brad Richards for a power play goal late in the second period of Game Seven. Lundqvist did the rest in a nerve racking third where it felt like an eternity.

They defeated the Canadiens in six to win the Conference Final. It wouldn’t have been possible without an acrobatic Lundqvist save to rob Thomas Vanek. The game’s only goal came from Dominic Moore off a Brian Boyle set up from behind the net. A near flawless third allowed Lundqvist to earn the 1-0 shutout win before a loud MSG that again shook.

In their first Stanley Cup appearance in 20 years since they last won, they came up short in a closely fought five game series against the Kings. The difference was LA’s resiliency. Three times on home ice, they came back from deficits and won Games 1-2 and 5 in sudden death with Alec Martinez playing the ultimate hero. It was a cruel ending for the Rangers.

A year later, they nearly returned. But a bad third period on home ice in a do or die Game Seven allowed the Lightning to advance to a Stanley Cup Final against the Blackhawks. Little did we know that would be the final time those teams made it so far.

The bitter end came two years later in a six game second round defeat against the Senators. A very winnable series. There’s nothing more to say.

The past few years have been tough on Lundqvist. He saw his playing time dramatically reduced under coach David Quinn. The emergence of backup Alex Georgiev and heir apparent Igor Shesterkin made it hard on the prideful veteran who was used to a heavier workload.

It had to be heartbreaking. At the very least due to a Shesterkin injury, Lundqvist got into two of the Rangers’ postseason games against the Hurricanes. Though he didn’t win either, he gave the team a chance. Simply put, they were overmatched. Carolina swept the best-of-five Play In Series.

Knowing the writing was on the wall, Lundqvist informed teammates that he had played his last game for the Blueshirts following Game Two. He was bought out during the first period last Fall. Eventually, he landed on his feet with the Caps signing him on the first day of free agency to replace departed vet Braden Holtby. He was real excited for the next chapter and posted some cool videos on his Twitter account. It was nice to see.

When we learned recently that he would miss the upcoming 2021 season, it was a bummer. I was really looking forward to seeing Lundqvist in Caps threads. It would’ve been interesting to see how he did working with Ilya Samsonov. Instead, here we are a week later wondering if we’ll ever see Lundqvist in a number 35 uniform playing another NHL game. It’s sad.

The only thing we can do is wish him the very best and hope for a full recovery. His health is first over anything. This is serious stuff. My heart goes out to him. God bless 🙏 our beloved Number 30. Forever King Henrik.

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