Battle Of Hudson covers the Rangers and Devils, who's intense rivalry heated up in the 90's. With fresh faces added, they battle for supremacy in NYC and NJ..
In a move to address backup goalie, the Sabres acquired Anders Nilsson from the Blues for a 2017 fifth round pick. They immediately signed the 26-year old Swede to a one-year deal worth a reported $1 million.
Originally an Islanders’ third round pick in ’09, he’s since bounced around the league. Nilsson went from the Blackhawks to the Oilers following a good season with Kazan AK-Bars where he won 20 games and posted a .936 save percentage in the KHL. He started out well in ’15-16 even putting Cam Talbot on the bench during the first half.
But Nilsson couldn’t maintain his level- falling to 10-12-2 with a 3.14 goals-against-average and a .901 save percentage. Eventually, Talbot regained the starting role with Edmonton. Eventually, the Oilers moved Nilsson to St. Louis on Feb. 27. He only appeared in three games allowing four goals on 44 shots.
Now, he is with his fifth NHL organization and third in a year. Nilsson will be the favorite to be the Sabres’ backup behind starter Robin Lehner. He should get stiff competition from Linus Ullmark, who won 10 games with a 2.60 GAA and .913 save percentage in his rookie year.
Somewhat astonishingly, all three Buffalo netminders are Swedish. Each are two years apart in age with Nilsson the elder statesman at 26. That’s followed by Lehner (24) and Ullmark (22).
Kyle Okposo (center) with John Tavares (right) was a great duo with the Islanders. Now, he’ll either team with Jack Eichel or Ryan O’Reilly in Buffalo with the belief they can win a Stanley Cup.
On Canada Day, NHL teams made plenty of moves in hope of improving. For the Buffalo Sabres, that meant successfully recruiting Kyle Okposo by signing him to a seven-year $42 million contract. As TSN hockey insider Darren Dreger reported, $25 million of the $42 million will be paid in signing bonus.
The 28-year old former Islander forward has topped 50 points in each of his last three seasons. He had 64 (22-42-64) in his final season with the Islanders while helping them reach the second round for the first time since ’93. In 11 postseason games, Okposo tallied two goals and six assists for eight points.
So excited to join the Sabres organization and the Buffalo community. Thanks for all the welcoming messages, can't wait to get going!
A three-time 20-plus goalscorer who also can set up teammates as his 42 assists demonstrate in two of the past three seasons, the versatile right wing from Saint Paul, Minnesota decided the rebuilding Sabres give him the opportunity to win a Stanley Cup. Featuring Jack Eichel and Ryan O’Reilly, Buffalo gives Okposo the chance to play on the right wing with either center.
“He knows that Jack’s a great young player and he raved about Ryan and how hard he was to play against and [how] he was a complete 200-foot player and all the different adjectives that you use about a player like Ryan,” Sabres’ general manager Tim Murray said Friday in a feature that appeared on the team’s website.
According to his attorney, no charges have been filed. Murray was adamant about Kane needing to change his behavior. He is a controversial player the Sabres are invested in. Signed thru 2018, he’ll earn $12 million the next two years. Part of a deal that sent Tyler Myers to Winnipeg which also brought back Zach Bogosian, Kane scored 20 goals and 15 assists with 91 penalty minutes in his first season with Buffalo.
With Murray already re-signing McCabe to a new three-year deal worth an average of $1.6 million, he still must get Ristolainen re-signed. The Sabres’ top scoring defenseman broke out with nine goals and 32 assists with his 41 points ranking fourth in team scoring over a full 82 games this past season. If the recent extensions for Aaron Ekblad ($7.5 million AAV) and Victor Hedman ($7.875 million AAV) are any indication, the 21-year old Finn could be a rich man. The number probably won’t be as high but figure it to be between $5-6.5 million.
One move Murray also made this off-season was acquiring defenseman Dmitry Kulikov from the Panthers with a second round pick (Rasmus Asplund) at the Draft held in Buffalo for Mark Pysyk, a second round pick (Adam Mascherin) and third round pick (Linus Nassen). The 25-year old Kulikov is a solid skating left D who has one year left on a deal that pays him $4.5 million in ’16-17 before becoming unrestricted. Essentially, it was a swap of former first round picks with Kulikov more advanced than Pysyk, who would only turn restricted next summer. A risk Murray is willing to take.
As for the newest Sabre, Okposo believes they’re moving in a similar direction as his former team. After benefiting from working with John Tavares, he’ll get to play with either the super talented Eichel or the play-making O’Reilly. Either should be a good fit. Impressed with Buffalo’s skill level following a overtime loss late in the season, he hopes he can help bring a championship to Western New York.
“I hope I can provide a veteran presence,” he said. “I think we can get there quicker than I did with the Islanders. I just want to try to help the team in that aspect and try to help the team win a Cup.”
The Rangers signed Adam Clendening and Michael Paliotta to one-year two-way deals adding defensive depth. Rookie camp wrapped up with some nice surprises. Jeff Beukeboom is the new assistant coach.
After making a couple of decent additions to the fourth line bringing in forwards Michael Grabner and Nathan Gerbe on the cheap, the Rangers added some defensive depth by inking a pair of 23-year old defensemen to one-year two-way deals.
First, they signed Adam Clendening from the Oilers. He wasn’t qualified by Edmonton making him unrestricted. A former 2011 second round pick of the Blackhawks, Clendening split this past season with the Pens and Oilers totaling one goal and six assists in 29 games. That included a goal and five helpers in 20 games with Edmonton. Interestingly, he was part of the Carl Hagelin trade that sent the ex-Ranger to Pittsburgh for David Perron. Now with Perron returning to St. Louis and Clendening being claimed by Edmonton and signed by the Rangers, Anaheim wound up with nothing from a deal that saw Hagelin help the Pittsburgh win a Stanley Cup. Great asset management.
The second blue liner the Rangers inked was Westport, Connecticut native Michael Paliotta. Another former 2011 Chicago third round pick, he spent four years at the University of Vermont before debuting with an assist in one game for the Blackhawks in ’14-15. Part of last year’s blockbuster that sent Brandon Saad to Columbus for Artem Anisimov, ex-Hawk Marko Dano (traded to Winnipeg to rent Andrew Ladd), Corey Tropp, Jeremy Morin and a 2016 fourth round pick (Anatoly Golyshev), who was selected by Islanders in a pick swap with Chicago (Lucas Carlsson) and a 2017 sixth round pick, Paliotta spent most of ’15-16 with Lake Erie of the AHL tallying eight goals and 15 helpers for 23 points in 68 contests. He got into one game for the Blue Jackets with four penalty minutes.
Neither signing looks substantial. On paper, both Clendening and Paliotta should be part of Hartford. With the trade for former Avalanche Nick Holden, the Blueshirts current top six looks like Ryan McDonagh, Kevin Klein, Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, Brady Skjei and Holden with Dylan McIlrath still blocked. With general manager Jeff Gorton unable to find takers for either Girardi or Staal, it’s a good bet both will be back. What that means is they’re counting on the two blood and guts vets to be much better. A dicey situation.
McIlrath is restricted like forwards Kevin Hayes, Chris Kreider and J.T. Miller. Given what he showed in his rookie season, McIlrath needs a coach who’s willing to play him consistent minutes. I don’t have much faith in Alain Vigneault.
In a move that took longer than it should have, Jeff Beukeboom was hired as the new assistant coach replacing Ulf Samuelsson. Beukeboom worked with both McIlrath and Skjei down in Hartford. It should’ve been a no brainer. Instead, it’s painfully obvious he wasn’t Vigneault’s first choice. God forbid they have someone who can coach up the D and alter the strategy.
As for the rest of the summer, it’s gonna be focused on re-signing Hayes, Kreider, Miller and McIlrath with the latter taking a cheap deal. Hayes should probably be around $2-2.5 million. Miller could get higher based on his career year. I wish they could lock him up. As for Kreider, it’s anyone’s guess. He earned $2.6 million this past year and had basically identical numbers with the same amount of goals (21), three less assists (22), three less points (43) and 30 fewer penalty minutes (58) in 79 games. He finished strong and had two goals in the five-game first round loss to the Pens. If I were to estimate, I’d say the next deal is between $4.5-5 million on average. But for how long?
The Rangers have approximately $11 million left to spend. We know where most of it is going. Can they bring in a center to replace Dominic Moore? Or is the plan to have Oscar Lindberg anchor the fourth line with Hayes remaining the team’s third line pivot despite his lack of face off acumen and defensive deficiency? That one is hard to figure.
Considering that they subtracted Viktor Stalberg and added Grabner and Gerbe, figure those two speedsters to be part of the fourth line. If only Jesper Fast wasn’t asked to be a third line right wing. He is a tireless worker cut from the same path as Hagelin. But isn’t nearly as dangerous and struggled killing penalties.
If Gorton is unable to change the roster, then it’s pretty much the same group they had. What does that mean? Basically, the lines would be similar with a couple of new guys sprinkled in. Here’s what the potential 12 forwards could look like:
Kreider-Stepan-Miller
Nash-Brassard-Zuccarello
Buchnevich-Hayes-Fast
Grabner-Lindberg-Gerbe
Extra: Glass
The fourth line would at least be faster. Speed is something they lacked. Obviously, with Tanner Glass not the fleetest of foot and Moore slowing down. However, Glass gave a solid effort. So, take nothing away from him. If he’s an extra and used sparingly for games where a little toughness is called for, that’s fine.
Consider that Pavel Buchnevich isn’t a lock for the Opening Night roster. From reading Leslie Treff’s rookie camp review on New York Sports Day, he didn’t distinguish himself from some of the other young prospects who were more noticeable.
At times yesterday and today, [Robin] Kovacs played on a line with Pavel Buchnevich, who was clearly the most hyped player in development camp. It did not seem like there was any chemistry between them though.
A dilemma may be coming this fall with Buchnevich, who has excellent offensive skills. The Rangers need him to play in New York, however, he was far from dominant this week and made quite a few defensive and offensive mistakes. Buchnevich speaks little to no English and needs to adjust, but it was far from clear that he will be NHL-ready this fall. He gave a small presser earlier in the week and indicated that he will be working out most of the summer in New York, and that he believes that he is ready to play at the NHL level, but he may need some adjustment time in Hartford.
At the very least, the club can feel good about its future. With Halverson turning pro this year, Igor Shestyerkin overseas, Adam Huska and Tyler Wall all in the system as goalies, there appears to be a bright spot should Henrik Lundqvist ever get traded. A lot would have to happen for that to change. He’s got five years left and signed thru 2021.
Of course, with almost everyone improving, the Rangers don’t have much maneuverability to upgrade the roster. We’ll see if there are any surprises.
While signing a depth defenseman and a fourth-line forward doesn’t sound like much activity amidst all the frenzy of July 1, it was nonetheless part of an important day for the Devils as they signed five players to contracts and going a long way toward putting their 2016-17 roster into focus. Yes it was expected that Shero would re-up with wingers Beau Bennett and Devante Smith-Pelly as well as defenseman Jon Merrill even after not giving them a qualifying offer, but still crucial as all three look to craft out bigger roles next season. Merrill and Smith-Pelly both agreed to two-year deals ($1.3 million per for DSP, $1.175 million per for Merrill), while Bennett signed a one-year deal at $725k, interestingly enough saving money on the QO they declined to extend. Though all could have gone to UFA, all chose to remain with the Devils.
Devante Smith-Pelly calls Devils a team that's "trending up" and he's "excited' to be part of that.
In addition to retaining those three, the Devils also made a couple of outside signings today – the biggest one being the signing of ex-Penguin blueliner Ben Lovejoy (above) to a three year, $8 million deal (AAV: $2.67 million). Lovejoy adds snarl and a bit of a stabilizing stay-at-home presence the Devils needed after dealing off Adam Larsson in the Taylor Hall acquisition. Perhaps just as importantly, the 32-year old Lovejoy gives a still young defense a second veteran presence to lean on in addition to captain Andy Greene and provides a stopgap at RHD until prospects Steve Santini and Joshua Jacobs develop and the Devils one day see what these kids can become.
Signing Lovejoy also balances out the defensive pairings giving them a third RHD to go along with Damon Severson and Santini (assuming he makes the team) while their leading three LHD are Greene, Merrill and John Moore. With last season’s revelation David Schlemko moving onto San Jose after signing a four-year deal, I don’t expect any more UFA signings unless it’s a depth/seventh defense type.
Showing he wasn’t done adding to the team, Shero also inked veteran center Vernon Fiddler to a one-year deal worth $1.25 million. The 36-year old Fiddler improves the team’s depth, giving them a true fourth line center (ATOI last year: 11:38) and one that can actually win some faceoffs and put up a few points. Last season Fiddler put up twelve goals and twenty two points playing all eighty-two games for a high-powered Stars team. Fiddler’s addition signals change in a bottom six that was frequently lacking in 2015-16. Retaining Smith-Pelly and adding Bennett along with Fiddler starts to round out the starting twelve forwards. My projected lines as of this afternoon:
One of the kids could also win a spot and bump former first-rounder Jacob Josefson or last year’s overseas signing Dmitry Kalinin out of the lineup, such as Blake Pietella who didn’t look out of place late last year. With both Josefson and Dmitry Kalinin still under contract they currently have the first crack at being the wings on an improved fourth line though, since the team is not expected to retain free agents Stephen Gionta, Jordin Tootoo or Tyler Kennedy. If any return hopefully it’s in a depth role only (re: 13th and 14th forwards). We already know Lee Stempniak will not be returning after signing a two-year $5 million deal in Carolina, making it the tenth team for the well-traveled Stemp, who was a revelation last season as a camp tryout signing but ultimately not a long-term part of the rebuild Shero’s engineering.
Looking at that lineup currently the biggest question is top six wing (which on paper looks to be a battle between Bennett and Smith-Pelly) and third-line center. 2015 first-rounder Pavel Zacha will be given every chance to make the team and with the construction of the roster you would think it would be at center. There is also the possibility that 2014 first-rounder Joel Quenneville could emerge and steal a spot after a strong WHL season, though you would think the team would like to get him some time in the AHL first. Of course there’s also the specter of franchise icon Patrik Elias who could also be a factor if he recovers from his knee surgery and shows he can still play. Elias has already said he doesn’t want to play anywhere else so if he doesn’t return, that’ll be it for the Czech legend and hopefully future HOF’er.
While I do expect other tweaks before September I’d say the major work is over barring a trade to perhaps improve at center or LHD. And right now I’m fairly content that this team is a lot better than it was a week ago, even without the expensive, flashy UFA signings many teams opted for this afternoon.
The Rangers signed Michael Grabner to help boost the penalty kill.
On what’s been a busy day for most of the NHL, it’s been a predictably light one for the cash strapped Rangers. After losing solid depth forward Viktor Stalberg to the Canes for one year, $1.5 million, they reached agreement with free agent forward Michael Grabner. The terms are two years for an average of $1.6 million per season.
Grabner will turn 29 before the start of the ’16-17 season. A former Islander who once stunned everyone by scoring 34 goals in his first full season, Grabner never really became a consistent scorer. After netting 20 in his second year on Long Island, he totaled 28 the following two seasons. In ’14-15, he fell out of favor under coach Jack Capuano. After netting eight goals and five helpers in 34 games, he was traded to the Maple Leafs last year. In 80 contests, he went 9-9-18 with a shorthanded goal.
If there is a positive, the speedy Grabner has always been a consistent penalty killer who gets plenty of shorthanded chances. For his career, he’s scored 12 shorthanded goals with half coming in his breakout year in ’10-11. He’s scored at least one shorthanded goal in six of the previous seven seasons.
There’s no doubt penalty killing was a huge disappointment for the Rangers in ’15-16. After losing Carl Hagelin, they dropped off significantly falling to 26th with a dismal 78.2 percent. So, adding Grabner can only help.
As for what to expect, at this point he’s a fourth line, penalty kill role player. No more. No less. So, it’s nothing to get too excited over. However, he should adequately replace Stalberg, who did a solid job contributing nine goals and 11 helpers while adding some physicality. Grabner doesn’t play that style. He’s more speed and finesse.
One thing I’ve learned watching him, he’s an exciting player due to his defensive instincts which cause odd-man breaks. If only he possessed better hands. For the moment, the Rangers’ fourth line consists of Tanner Glass and Grabner. I just checked the roster and apparently, they added Nathan Gerbe for one year, $600,000. Eh.
Basically, July 1 is an expected disappointment. I would rather have had Jason Chimera for $2.25 million that the Islanders coughed up. There’s not even room for that. Sad. It could be a long quiet summer for the Rangers.
Kyle Okposo left the Islanders for the Sabres. Frans Nielsen also left for Detroit. Andrew Ladd and Jason Chimera are the newest Islanders.
The July 1 free agent frenzy has begun. For the Islanders, it’ll be a different look this Fall. After bidding adieu to Kyle Okposo, they reached agreement on a seven-year deal worth a reported $38.5 million with unrestricted free agent Andrew Ladd.
An experienced player who won Stanley Cups with the Hurricanes and Blackhawks, the 30-year old Ladd is the kind of player who can help captain John Tavares lead the Islanders. A former captain of the Winnipeg Jets who was sent to the Blackhawks as a rental, the 6-3, 200 pound forward is a good skater who isn’t afraid to go to the net.
A skilled player who has scored 20-or-more goals in five of the last six seasons, he should help offset the loss of Okposo, who signed with the Sabres for seven years, $42 million. So, he’ll make $6 million on average compared to Ladd’s $5.5 million. Both players are signed for the same length. It should be interesting to see who fares better. Okposo will have the benefit of likely playing with Jack Eichel while Ladd could team with Tavares.
Okposo wasn’t the only player the Isles said goodbye to. They also parted ways with popular second line pivot Frans Nielsen. A solid contributor who played every situation, he landed in Detroit for six years with an average cap hit of $5.25 million. For some reason, the Islanders weren’t willing to give him that. So, the Red Wings finally get a center who can aid them in trying to keep their consecutive playoff streak alive.
As expected, Matt Martin won’t return either. The rugged winger who combined with Cal Clutterbuck and Casey Cizikas to form a deadly fourth line will test the market.
Just coming across Twitter… the Islanders have agreed to sign former Cap forward Jason Chimera. He’s the kind of veteran that should help them. He is 37 but has great speed and is a superb penalty killer who can play third or fourth line. I really like that move. The details are two years for $4.5 million. Not bad. A guy I wouldn’t have minded the Rangers going after.
Based on these two moves, it looks like the Islanders are going with more experience and leadership. Both Ladd and Chimera are character players who should fit the team concept. They don’t have much room left on the cap. It takes them to about $8 million remaining. Ryan Strome is a restricted free agent as is Jean-Francois Berube and Shane Prince.
As for the other big fish who landed elsewhere, David Backes left St. Louis to sign with the Bruins getting a five-year deal worth $30 million. So, the Blues take a hit at center and also in the leadership department. They will have a new captain. The former one left an emotional heartfelt message to the only organization he knew:
As expected, the Oilers signed Milan Lucic. For some reason, they gave him seven years, $42 million. While the cap hit of $6 million per season isn’t bad, seven years is awfully risky for the bruising style the big power forward plays. He’ll certainly make room for Connor McDavid. I guess Edmonton preferred more toughness which is why they parted with the supremely skilled Taylor Hall, who went for Adam Larsson to help revamp their blue line.
There have been other moves which aren’t as earth shattering. Eric Staal agreed to a three-year contract with the Wild worth an average of $3.5 million per season. Jamie McGinn signed with the Coyotes for three years, $10 million. A nice payment for a secondary scorer.
The Devils made a pair of moves inking former Pens’ defenseman Ben Lovejoy for three years at an average of $2.66 million. Also agreeing was Vernon Fiddler for a year, $1.25 million. So, they made some solid depth moves. Former Devil David Schlemko left for San Jose getting a four-year contract worth $2.1 a season. Essentially, Lovejoy replaces him on the back end.
Two days before the official beginning of free agency, Devils GM Ray Shero dropped the first of what would be a series of bombs to significantly alter the NHL landscape this afternoon by trading former #4 overall pick (2011) defenseman Adam Larsson for former #1 overall (2010) left wing Taylor Hall. In a sense this trade seemed like a natural fit for both sides with the Devils’ surplus of prospect/young defensemen and the Oilers’ surplus of forwards – which only got more pronounced after the alleged agreement with UFA forward Milan Lucic as well as drafting Jesse Puljujärvi last Friday after the Blue Jackets passed on a consensus top three pick.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t surprised. These blockbuster one-on-ones rarely happen in hockey, and Larsson had signed a long-term team friendly extension last offseason (with still five years left on that deal, at just over $4 million per) before continuing his late-season breakout in 2014-2015 with a real solid 2015-16 campaign. Plus on paper the Devils needed a right wing more than a left wing, given the fact they have Mike Cammalleri, 2015 #6 overall Pavel Zacha, Reid Boucher and Joseph Blandisi all already candidates to play on the left side next year, while at RW they have Kyle Palmeri, and two guys they didn’t qualify or re-sign yet in Devante Smith-Pelly and recent acquisition Beau Bennett.
And while I’m not quite as gaga over Taylor Hall as most of the hockey world (he’s never topped thirty goals in a season, for one thing and his production hasn’t been quite as scintillating the last two years as it was in his best season of 2013-14), he instantly becomes a first-line forward for us, having averaged around 70 points a season in his nearly five years in the league. And Hall’s still going to be just 24 when next season opens, signed long-term himself, under team control for the next four years at $6 million per year. Perhaps the best thing about Hall is the instant chemistry he has with former Windsor teammate Adam Henrique – see photo above. Clearly an offense that has been among the worst in the league the last three years needed a jolt up front and Hall certainly provides that.
What kind of cost it came at remains to be seen. While I do agree that the Devils got a player better at his position than Larsson is at his, I don’t think this is quite the slam dunk it’s being portrayed as in the media. True, Larsson was never a big point-getter though perhaps he can develop more of an offensive game in Edmonton playing a more two-dimensional role than he did here. And his skating was still a problem at times despite dilligent work to improve it. Still he’ll bring elements the Oilers need – a good first pass on offense and solid defensive work, especially on the penalty kill. Even though he’s not our player anymore I’m still mystifed if not annoyed over just how lopsided this trade’s being portrayed in the Canadian media and among our fans.
A bigger concern even than giving up Larsson is how the Devils’ defense will look come September. Clearly with UFA yet to start and a boatload of cap space, Devils GM Ray Shero should be far from done making moves. Granted, the UFA market is a bit questionable with leading options Keith Yandle and Alex Goligoski off the market along with the rumors of Jason Demers agreeing in principle with the Oilers. As of now our top six includes captain Andy Greene and third-year man Damon Severson, who likely inherits Larsson’s role on the top pairing alongside the captain. Despite Severson’s meh sophomore year last year you figure he should be okay with Greene while he learns and gets better at the pro game.
Our real concern is 3-6, where our leading options are Jon Merrill – coming off a down third season, injured until the start of camp and still unsigned after not being qualified, John Moore who followed a decent first half with an awful second half, and prospect Steve Santini who has a lot of potential to eventually replace Larsson as a shutdown D with even more physical bite, but in the here and now he’s only played one NHL game. Merrill, David Schlemko and David Warsofsky are all currently UFA’s. Resigning any and all is a possibility but resigning all would leave our defense a huge question mark going into next season. Also going into free agency our forward situation is far from settled with a now stacked left side and a bunch of question marks aside from Palmieri on the right side. And if Pavel Zacha doesn’t stick with the Devils this year they also need a top nine center.
It’ll be interesting to see where all the chips fall by camp…but don’t go anywhere now. With the way things are going around the NHL we should get more of a picture of what Shero envisions for the 2016-17 Devils by the end of the weekend.
June 29 Fireworks: P.K. Subban is no longer a member of the Canadiens. He was dealt to the Predators straight up for Shea Weber. Meanwhile, Steven Stamkos decided to stay put with the Lightning passing up unrestricted free agency.
In what may as well be called June 29th madness, two more catastrophic moves took place. Following the Devils stealing Taylor Hall from the Oilers for Adam Larsson, a blockbuster of epic proportions took place between the Canadiens and Predators.
The much rumored P.K. Subban was traded straight up by Montreal to Nashville in exchange for Shea Weber. Subban is younger than Weber, who at age 30 still has another eight years remaining on a deal worth an average cap hit of $7.857 million. This on the heels of trading for Andrew Shaw and giving him a six-year contract that averages out to $3.75 million for a supporting cast player.
As for Subban, he’s 27. So three years younger. One of the most popular Habs in franchise history, he will now wear the ugly mustard jerseys of the Predators. That just sounds weird. His cap hit is actually more than Weber. Subban averages $9 million a year over the next six seasons before hitting the market in 2022. He’ll team with Roman Josi to form a potent 1-2 punch on a strong blue line that features Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Ellis.
The Preds also just gave Filip Forsberg $6 million per year over the next six thru 2022. Wait till next summer when they have to ante up for Ryan Johansen. Speaking of which, the Blue Jackets handed Seth Jones a new six-year contract worth a reported $32.4 million. He was the player traded for Johansen.
In a wild rumor, the Bruins are considering giving Winnipeg Group II Jacob Trouba a monster offer sheet which could be in the neighborhood of $9 million per year. I think he’s gonna be one of the best defensemen. That said, it’s absurd to throw that kind of money around for a 22-year old who just completed his rookie contract.
Normally, a mega trade like the Weber for Subban one would be the story of the day. A deal that I like better for the Preds because I think Subban has a lot more to give.
However, on a crazy day where star for star happened and Hall for Larsson did as well, the Lightning and Steven Stamkos agreed to a brand new eight-year deal worth a reported $8.5 million per year. In the end, he decided getting that extra year and having a tax free contract was the best way to go. So, rather than go to July 1, the Lightning captain decided he loved Tampa too much to leave. Given that they reached Game 7 of the Conference Finals before he returned, it’s probably a wise decision.
Why go elsewhere when it’s more of an uncertain situation? Personally, I thought the Red Wings would’ve been the favorites to land Stamkos had he hit the market. They cleared Pavel Datsyuk’s $7.5 million salary with the trade to Arizona. Instead, Stamkos showed loyalty to the team who drafted him. Even if dollars and cents were a big part of it, you have to give him credit. He just made it a lot easier for Tampa general manager Steve Yzerman to get rid of Ben Bishop with next year’s expansion draft.
Yzerman must still re-sign key restricted free agent Nikita Kucherov. The clutch playoff performer who will only get better. Alex Killorn is also a Group II. So, they’ll still have to shed some salary. It’s worth noting that Victor Hedman, Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat are all in their final years with only Hedman able to become unrestricted. Jonathan Drouin will also be a restricted next summer.
Assuming Andrei Vasilevskiy takes over the number one goalie from Bishop, whose days are numbered, the Bolts should remain one of the East’s best teams. Brian Boyle comes off next summer. You have to figure Ryan Callahan could be a buyout candidate at some point. He still has four years left at $5.8 million cap hit.
With Stamkos officially off the market, that means Milan Lucic is the biggest name still available. Edmonton and Vancouver should get in a bidding war for him. With not many other big names, look for more trades. Teams must prepare for next summer when Las Vegas enters the league.
What does that mean for the Rangers? Unless they can find takers for some of their big name salaries (Stepan, Nash, Brassard) with no one wanting Dan Girardi or Marc Staal, they’re in bad shape.
We’ll definitely remember June 29, 2016 for a long time. The fireworks came before July.
Grand Larceny: Taylor Hall (right) is now a Devil after they stole him from the Oilers for Adam Larsson.
The Devils have made a huge splash two days before the free agent frenzy. Needing to bolster their offense, general manager Ray Shero has acquired Taylor Hall from the Oilers for Adam Larsson.
In a stunning move that shook up the hockey world, New Jersey just improved their team leaps and bounds. While it is hard to give up Larsson, who developed into a top pair shutdown defenseman, you have to give to get. Shero was willing to take the risk. It’s the kind of ballsy move a smart executive does without hesitation.
Trade is one for one: Adam Larsson for Taylor Hall.
In adding the ultra talented Hall, the Devils finally have a star player who can both score and set up goals. The 24-year old led the Oilers in goals (26), assists (39) and points (65) in 82 games this past season. The former 2010 number one overall pick was put on the block with rumors circulating that Edmonton was hot after July 1 free agent Milan Lucic. With the club needing to address their back end, they were willing to part with Hall to get Larsson. A steady right-handed smooth skating defenseman who can fill a void.
While the 23-year old Larsson has never evolved offensively, he’s the kind of skating and positional defenseman who teams crave in today’s game. The Oilers had been after him for a while. The former Devils’ 2011 fourth overall selection completed ’15-16 with three goals, 15 assists, 77 penalty minutes and a plus-15 rating in a full 82.
In terms of contract status, Larsson is signed thru 2021 with an average cap hit of $4.167 million. He’ll team with Darnell Nurse as Edmonton’s projected top pair followed by Oscar Klefbom and Andrej Sekera if he isn’t moved.
As for Hall, he is signed thru 2020 and makes $6 million per year. On paper, it looks like a steal for the Devils. Getting this kind of significant talent for a solid two is grand larceny. What are the Oilers smoking? Granted. They boast plenty of scoring led by emerging superstar Connor McDavid followed by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jordan Eberle and Leon Draisaitl. They also had Finnish prospect Jesse Puljujarvi fall into their lap at number four thanks to the Blue Jackets’ lunacy.
If you’re a Devil fan, you gotta be psyched. Suddenly, you have a much better lineup up front. Built around Hall, Adam Henrique, whose production should spike, Mike Cammalleri, Kyle Palmieri, Reid Boucher, Devante Smith-Pelly and Travis Zajac, the Devils have the look of a playoff team. Don’t forget Joseph Blandisi and future star Pavel Zacha.
The blue line will take a hit. But they still have Andy Greene, Damon Severson, Jon Merrill and John Moore. They do have some guys in the system. Seth Helgeson and Raman Hrabarenka and Steven Santini. However, keep in mind the Devils also have plenty of cap space. So, if they want to upgrade the back end, it should be no problem.
There’s only one thing you can conclude. This is a home run for the Devils. Shero hit it out of the park. As for the Oilers, that’s why they’re the Oilers. A dysfunctional organization in a utter state of chaos.
Eric Lindros finally had his name called yesterday for the Hockey Hall of Fame 2016 class induction. Getty Images
The wait is over for Eric Lindros. He’ll finally be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as the main headliner of the 2016 class which also features Sergei Makarov, Rogie Vachon and Pat Quinn. They’ll be inducted in on Nov. 14 in Toronto.
For Lindros, the 43-year old from London, Ontario who took the hockey world by storm during the 1990’s as the game’s most dominant power forward got the call today. From the very beginning, he was controversial refusing to even put on the Quebec Nordiques jersey after they selected him first overall in the 1991 NHL Draft. Eventually, he forced a trade with an arbitrator ruling in favor of the Flyers after Quebec actually accepted two packages including one from the Rangers.
In one of the biggest blockbuster trades ever, the Flyers acquired Lindros from the Nordiques on June 30, 1992 for a huge package that included future Hall of Famer Peter Forsberg, Mike Ricci, Chris Simon, Steve Duchesne, Kerry Huffman, Ron Hextall, future considerations plus a 1993 first round pick and a 1994 first round pick and cash. The deal turned the Nordiques into a future Western powerhouse when the franchise relocated to Colorado and were renamed the Avalanche. They won two Stanley Cups with Forsberg a big part of both.
Ironically, injuries cut short Forsberg and Lindros’ careers. It was almost as if they mirrored each other. Neither played 800 games. Forsberg wound up with 708 totaling 885 points for one of the highest point-per-game averages (1.25). Lindros totaled 865 over 760 averaging 1.14 PPG. He finished with 372 goals and 493 assists along with 1,398 penalty minutes. A powerful specimen who ran over opponents and played with snarl, he was a dominant force throughout his controversial eight-year Flyer career.
The ferocity with which he played resulted in frequent injuries. Lindros never played a full 82. The closest he came was with the Rangers in ’02-03 when he got in 81. By that point, he was a shell of himself due to the head shots he took resulting in several concussions that contributed to his demise. The one that’s always remembered is when he returned for the final two games of an intense 2000 Eastern Conference Final versus the Devils. It was during Game 7 that Scott Stevens caught Lindros with his head down, delivering a thunderous hit that knocked him out literally. One of the scariest concussions ever suffered finished Lindros for good with Philadelphia. He sat out the entire ’00-01 season. His relationship with Bobby Clarke was tumultuous.
At the time, no one realized the seriousness of head injuries. Lindros was proven right. Now, whenever a player takes a head shot, there is a concussion protocol they must go through before returning. Had he played with his head up, there’s no telling how dominant the Big E could’ve been. I definitely think he would’ve led the Flyers to at least one Stanley Cup. The closest they ever came was in the ’97 playoffs when Lindros helped carry the Flyers to the Finals before getting swept by the Red Wings. In 19 games that postseason, his 26 points (12-14-26) led Philadelphia in scoring.
The Legion of Doom featured Lindros, John LeClair and Mikael Renberg. A cohesive trio that dominated opponents. In the Conference Final, the Rangers had no answer for them. I still can remember Lindros scoring the go-ahead goal with less than 10 seconds to play in Game 4 after Brian Leetch tied it at MSG. What a crusher. He also scored a hat trick in a Game 3 win out-muscling Mark Messier for the empty netter. At that moment, I hated Lindros. His goal gave the Flyers a stunning 3-2 win to go up 3-1 in the series. They wrapped it up in Game 5.
Astonishingly, despite his amazing talent Lindros only won one major award winning the Hart Trophy for league MVP during the shortened season of ’94-95. He led the Flyers to the Atlantic Division title. As a 21-year old, he led the league in scoring with 29 goals and 41 assists for 70 points in just 46 games. The Flyers advanced to the third round where they met the Devils. Despite 15 points (4-11-15) in 12 games, they fell short losing the series in six. Claude Lemieux’s goal in Game 5 against Hextall turned the series. The Devils celebrated their first Cup sweeping Detroit.
Looking back on Lindros’ 13-year Hall of Fame career, I’ll always wonder what could’ve been. Had the rules been different as they are now with the impact of the concussions he suffered, there would’ve been a lot of suspensions for some of the head shots delivered. His rival was Stevens, who made a career of knocking out opponents with ferocious hits. At the time, they were considered clean and within the rules. To be fair, it’s not his fault Lindros got caught with his head down. A cardinal rule of hockey is to always keep your head up. Unfortunately, the big man was so used to not paying the price that his head was on a swivel.
It’s interesting how it came full circle for Lindros. Given the concussion protocol now, many players have Lindros to thank for Player Safety. A huge member of the NHLPA, he always fought for player rights on such important issues. Something that went unappreciated by angry Canadian media who had it out for Lindros following his trade request out of Quebec. He was also proven right about the Nordiques, whose owner couldn’t be trusted. They only lasted until ’95 before relocating to Colorado.
Was he perfect? Absolutely not. Many viewed Lindros as spoiled and babied due to his overprotective parents. That definitely was a factor in why his relationship with the Flyers and particularly Clarke went south so quickly. Think about it. One minute, they were playing for a Cup. The next, Darius Kasparaitis gave Lindros his first concussion. Within a three-year span, things changed dramatically.
There also was the much rumored affair with teammate Rod Brind’Amour’s wife. Something that was rehashed with the Flyers honoring their 40-year Anniversary by inducting Brind’Amour into their Hall of Fame. Brind’Amour was a terrific two-way center who gave the Flyers a potent 1-2 punch. That is until he was dealt to the Hurricanes for Keith Primeau. Ironically, Primeau replaced Lindros once he was sent to the Rangers in the summer of ’01 for a package that included Jan Hlavac, Pavel Brendl and Kim Johnsson. Ironically, Brind’Amour led the the Hurricanes to a Cup in 2006. Primeau came close with the Flyers falling to the Lightning in the ’04 Eastern Conference Final. Tampa won the Cup.
When one considers everything, it’s no wonder it all fell apart. I’ll say this. Once Lindros became a Ranger, he was a different player. More professional. His parents disappeared. When he first donned the Blueshirt, he still had it. New general manager Glen Sather rolled the dice on Lindros. For three months, it looked like a great move. A healthier and motivated Lindros was near the top in scoring and had the Rangers in first place. Playing with Theo Fleury and Mike York as the FLY Line, they dominated opponents. That all changed with a road game in San Jose where he had his bell rung, resulting in another concussion.
At the time, I had just moved into my apartment in Bristol, Connecticut for my second stint with ESPN as a NHL researcher for Remote Production. I can still recall watching the Coyotes blow out the Rangers on New Year’s Eve. I believe the score was 5-0. It was ugly and also the turning point. The ’01-02 season came apart. Mark Messier also got hurt. Even though he played all 82, an alcohol drug addicted Fleury lost his mind. So did Sather trading York for Tom Poti. One of the most unpopular moves in team history. He did also acquire Pavel Bure to play with Lindros. Little did we know that Bure was also near the end after scoring 12 times in 12 games.
Lindros missed 10 games but still led the team in scoring with 37 goals and 36 assists totaling 73 points with 138 penalty minutes and a plus-19 rating. The shame of it was that once he returned, he wasn’t the same player. More hesitant to go to the dirty areas due to his concussion history, he largely became a perimeter player.
Not surprisingly, his production suffered. In ’02-03 which also was the most games (81) he ever played, Lindros dropped to 19 goals and 34 helpers for 53 points with 141 PIM. The hands were gone as was the edge. What a shame. That same year, Bure played his final 39 games of his career scoring 19 more times with 11 assists. I still can remember a beautiful goal Lindros set up Bure on where on a two-on-one, Lindros made a perfect pass that a diving Bure one-timed in. What a beauty. That both their careers were cut short was a twist of fate. Two superstars who came close to a Cup early on but never got back. Both now are in the Hall of Fame with each over a point-per-game.
After three years on Broadway, Lindros played two more seasons. One with his hometown Maple Leafs and the final one with the Stars. He retired at age 34 following ’06-07.
Going in with him is Makarov. A former Russian star who defected to North America to start the Russian invasion. A big star with CSKA Moscow, Makarov won the Calder Trophy as a 31-year old posting 24 goals and 62 assists for 86 points. He was a two-time 30-goalscorer with Calgary and the Sharks, helping lead upstart San Jose to a huge first round upset over Detroit in the ’94 playoffs. In 424 NHL games, he tallied 134 goals with 250 assists for 384 points. He’s finally being recognized for being one of Russia’s best players.
Vachon had long been passed over. A former Vezina winner who shared the award with Gump Worsley with the ’67-68 Canadiens, he won three Stanley Cups and went on also to star for the Kings before finishing a 17-year career with the Red Wings and Bruins. Vachon totaled 355 career wins including 171 with the Kings which was the franchise mark before current goalie Jonathan Quick passed it.
Joining them in the builder category is Quinn. A former NHL defenseman who became a fixture behind the bench for the Flyers, Kings, Canucks, Leafs and Oilers, he is a two-time Jack Adams Award winner who guided the Flyers and Canucks to Stanley Cup Finals. First, with Philadelphia in 1980 and then with Vancouver in 1994. Neither won. He also guided two tough Toronto teams to the Conference Finals before losing to Buffalo in ’99 and Carolina in ’02.
Quinn coached exactly 1,400 games going 684-528-154-34. His teams made the playoffs 15 times. The Big Irishman who passed away at age 73 on Nov. 23, 2014 also coached Canada to Olympic gold in ’02. He also won at the junior level with Canada in 2009 at the Under-20 World Junior Championship.
A very deserving honor for a man who should’ve been recognized while he was alive. Similar to Pat Burns. At least he’ll finally go in.
Congrats to all four. As for players who were passed over, they included Mark Recchi, Dave Andreychuk, Paul Kariya, Jeremy Roenick and Sergei Zubov. I can’t understand why Recchi isn’t in. A three-time Cup winner who totaled 577 goals with 956 assists for 1,533 points in 1,652 games, he deserves inclusion. He also was a big postseason performer helping the Pens, Canes and Bruins win Cups. His 147 points (61-86-147) in 189 playoff games is nothing to sneeze at.
As for the others, I feel Zubov belongs. I’ve seen the argument against him and I think his critics are nuts. For nearly 15 years, the Russian defenseman was one of the most consistent hitting double digits in goals 11 times topping 40 assists eight times. A great passing defenseman, he went over 50 helpers three times including a jaw dropping 77 which led the ’93-94 Rangers. His 89 points also led them. He is a two-time Cup winner with the ’94 Rangers and ’99 Stars. Zubov’s numbers will never compare to other elite defensemen. But the 152 goals and 619 assists for 771 points in 1,068 games rank 20th on the all-time list. Only countryman Sergei Gonchar had more points (811). Forty more than Zubov but in a lot more games.
Roenick is third all-time among American born players in goals (513) and points (1,216). His 703 assists are sixth. JR is also third in power play goals (184), tied for third in shorthanded goals (28) and tied for second with Hall of Famer Mike Modano in game-winners (92). Modano went in in 2014. He holds the record for most goals scored (561) by a U.S. born player and is tops in scoring with 1,374.
Andreychuk scored 640 goals (14th all-time) including the most power play goals (274) in NHL history. He had 1,338 points in 1,639 games winning the Cup with the ’04 Lightning. He wasn’t what I’d call a star but the level of consistency is what makes a good case.
You can also make a case for Kariya, who was a point-per-game on the dot in an injury shortened career due to concussions. He was a dynamic performer scoring 402 times with 587 assists totaling 989 points in 989 games. Most of the production came as a Mighty Duck where he even showed tremendous courage returning from a huge Stevens hit and scoring a goal in an Anaheim win during the ’03 Stanley Cup Finals. Had his career been longer, Kariya would’ve been a lock for 500 goals. Who knows how many points he could’ve wound up with?
I also want to mention Alexander Mogilny. Another one of the originators who came over from Russia, Alexander The Great was a dynamic scorer who starred for the Sabres in the early 90’s. In four consecutive seasons, he topped 30 goals with his career best 76 tying him with Calder winner Teemu Selanne for the league lead in ’92-93. His 127 points tied with Doug Gilmour for seventh in the NHL. It was during the mid-90’s that he was sent to Vancouver for Michael Peca and a first round pick (Jay McKee) that helped Buffalo reach the Stanley Cup Final in ’99.
The electrifying Mogilny remained productive scoring 55 for Vancouver one year and 43 with the ’00-01 Devils while playing with Scott Gomez and Sergei Brylin. He came over a year earlier helping the Devs win a Cup. After spending three years in Toronto, he returned for one last cameo in Jersey before calling it quits. Mogilny’s 473 goals are third all-time among Russian born players trailing Sergei Fedorov and the remarkable Alexander Ovechkin. His 1,032 points remain second in scoring followed by Alexei Kovalev (1,029) and Ovechkin (966), who eventually will be tops in every category. Mogilny was over a point-per-game going 473-559-1032 in 990 games.
I’d love to see him recognized. But wonder if the way his career ended will hurt his chances. Don’t forget Mogilny was part of a dynamic Russian line with Fedorov and Bure. He also won Olympic gold in 1988.
When it comes to the Hockey Hall of Fame, who knows what the thinking is. Not every player blows you away. It should be interesting to see who gets called next year.
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