Devils trade Schmid and Holtz to Vegas for Paul Cotter and 2025 3rd rounder

Posted on June 29, 2024 by hasan4978

Jesus Fitz, couldn’t you have waited at least like a few hours after I finished my last blog before doing another big trade?! I don’t have the energy for this and want to go back outdoors lol

Well then, apparently he wasn’t done for the day completely remaking his roster as former #7 overall pick Alex Holtz and 2023 playoff cult hero Akira Schmid were both sent to Vegas for a physical back six player in Paul Cotter and yet another 2025 pick, this one in the third round. While I can’t say either guy being moved was a massive shock at this point, both of them in the same deal for essentially another role player is basically sticker shock considering for all of Holtz’s issues he did score 16 goals last year in a very limited role while Schmid was thought by many including me to be the goalie of the future after last postseason.

My, how things change in one year – at least in Schmid’s case. Holtz has been a bit of a lightning rod for longer than that, passed over by management last year and kept in the scratch box for at least half a season before the player himself requested to be sent down to the AHL so he could play games again. This year he started strong with a bunch of goals in the first half (sixteen overall this season, but a -15 and only 28 points despite somehow playing all 82 games) but petered out in the second half and again fell out of favor with two different head coaches, the GM publicly ripped him before the trade deadline and even team Sweden’s selection committee at the World Championships left him off their roster this Spring in favor of a few non-NHL players.

The fact Holtz wasn’t included in either our Timo Meier trade in 2023 or our more recent Jacob Markstrom trade suggests he had little value around the league and this trade pretty much confirms that. If anything, it seems as if Holtz was more of a throw-in to this deal than Schmid, who granted will always be a cult hero here for what he did in ten days last April to bring us back from the abyss in a certain playoff series.

Cult hero isn’t the same as regular contributor though, this season he took a step back at both the NHL and AHL level with sub-.900 save percentages at both, and with Nico Daws now healthy after his hip surgery last offseason (and having a great flash at the NHL level before wearing down himself) and Isaac Poulter also now ready to challenge for AHL time, there was a bit of a glut down there and one of these guys was likely going to be offloaded sooner rather than later regardless. Perhaps it was a bit harsh on Schmid, as were some of then-coach Lindy Ruff’s comments about him after a poor game early this season but he’s the oldest of the three and now that he was guaranteed to be stuck at the AHL level for at least another season, he’ll hopefully get more of a path to playing time in Vegas than it seemed we were willing to give the 24-year old at this point.

While I’m the first one to beat the drum that Holtz had little value around the league, this return even surprised me though. Maybe it shouldn’t have, but packaging both of them you’d figure would return more than a back six player who couldn’t even get into Vegas’s playoff lineup and a meh draft pick next year. Sure he hits, and god knows Fitz’s been obsessed with adding size today – it seems as if he wrote a note to his wife and scribbled on it ‘size no matter what’ a la Kevin Costner in the movie Draft Day with a certain player he wanted to draft.

I have compared Fitz’s whole day to Costner going nuts and wanting to remake his entire franchise in one fell swoop on Draft Day. Some of it is more understandable than others, I do think Fitz jumped the shark a bit in the draft itself – even drafting overagers in the later rounds to hit the size quota, not to mention TWO goalies. If it wasn’t obvious Schmid or one of our other AHL guys were about to hit the road, it became so the minute Fitz doubled down on the goaltending position with another pick in the fifth round. It’s almost as if last season broke his brain as far as needing more goaltending and size. Sure we did clearly need both, but THIS much? And they have to actually be able to you know, play for it to matter.

Ultimately I am okay-ish with Fitz getting rid of two players who clearly weren’t a part of the plan for another trombone player who’ll round out the drummers in our band (sorry, but this Lou reference definitely fits). It just seems like Fitz is in total desperation mode though. Maybe he should be, despite his well-publicized extension in the middle of last season the Devils really can’t afford another season out of the playoffs with the supposed best young core in the league. At some point it won’t be that young anymore, especially the more slower vets Fitz decides to add to it. Perhaps that extension actually wasn’t very long, either way Fitz is definitely acting like a GM on the hot seat, and that almost never turns out well for the desperate teams.

He does deserve a chance to make this work (a la Joe Douglas with the Jets), hopefully for both of them – and me – it doesn’t bomb in both cases.

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Devils trade Schmid and Holtz to Golden Knights for Cotter and a ’25 third round pick

Posted on June 29, 2024 by Derek

Day 2 of the NHL Draft has been hectic. As Hasan mentioned in a previous post, the action has been fast and furious at Sphere in Vegas.

After a relatively quiet first night that saw only a few teams move up into the first round, there have been a lot of trades involving both players and picks.

The biggest one is Mikhail Sergachev, who was dealt to the Utah HC for J.J. Moser, Conor Geekie, the number 199 pick, and the rights to a Leafs’ 2025 second. The Lightning got Utah to take the entire $8.5 million cap hit to free up space. They also moved Tanner Jeannot to the Kings.

Despite those two moves, it’s been reported by Elliotte Friedman that the Bolts are after Jake Guentzel, whose contract negotiations with the Hurricanes fell apart. He was close to re-signing for eight years at $8 million per season.

If it’s true that they low balled Steven Stamkos with a ridiculous $3 million cap hit over eight years, then he probably is gone. That makes no sense for the well-respected Lightning captain who scored 40 goals and had 81 points this past season. If he leaves, I wonder where he’ll wind up.

One team making the biggest headlines is the Devils. After sending John Marino to Utah HC to select goalie Mikhail Yegorov in the second round and free up room to potentially sign free agent defenseman Brett Pesce, they traded Akira Schmid and Alexander Holtz to the Golden Knights in exchange for Paul Cotter and a Vegas 2025 third round pick.

Schmid is best known for how well he played in the Devils’ first round series win over the Rangers in 2023. The former 2018 fifth round pick came out of nowhere to post a 2.13 goals-against-average (GAA), and .922 save percentage in 2022-23. In five starts versus the Rangers, he went 4-1 with two shutouts and a .951 save percentage to backstop the Devils to the second round last year.

Unfortunately, Schmid couldn’t duplicate that success. He struggled mightily in 2023-24, going 5-9-1 with a 3.15 GAA and .895 save percentage in 19 games. Eventually, his struggles led to him being sent down to Utica.

Holtz is a former number seven pick in 2020. Once viewed as a big part of the future due to his lethal shot, he fell out of favor under former coach Lindy Ruff. Despite going through both Ruff and former interim coach Travis Green, who became the new Senators coach, Holtz played in all 82 games, posting 16 goals and 12 assists. He was never trusted by the coaching staff. Now, he gets a fresh start in Vegas.

Cotter is a 24-year-old forward who had seven goals and 18 assists with 41 penalty minutes in his second season with the Knights. Listed at six-foot two, 212 pounds, Cotter adds size and strength to the Devils. He was second on the Knights with 233 hits in 2023-24.

So, the Devils get stronger. The question is at what expense? What if Holtz becomes the player most thought he could be? Only time will tell.

At the present time, there’s nothing new to report on the rumored deal involving Jacob Trouba. Friedman hinted earlier today that the Rangers and Red Wings were close on a trade that would send Trouba back home to Detroit. We’ll see what happens.

I’ll have more on that and the Rangers draft weekend.

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Devils draft D Silayev, G Yegorov and trade Marino to Utah in busy start to draft weekend

Posted on June 29, 2024 by hasan4978

If it wasn’t obvious after GM Tom Fitzgerald made another coaching change and traded Kevin Bahl plus our first-rounder next year for a goalie, it’s even more obvious now after our last two moves that Fitz wants to remake our roster at all levels of the organization. It’s been rumored all offseason that defenseman John Marino’s been on the block, particularly given the fact we’ve been heavily linked to another RHD (Brett Pesce) in free agency, plus his NTC was due to kick in on July 1. Sure enough, on draft weekend Marino was dealt to Utah along with a fifth rounder for two second round picks – and that wasn’t even the relocated franchise’s biggest move of the hour minutes after their blockbuster trade for Mikhail Sergachev from the Lightning was announced.

Good for them, but as to what it means for the Devils it remains to be seen. Marino was one of the biggest surprise breakouts on our 2022-23 record-setting team after coming over from the Penguins for one-time first rounder Ty Smith and a third-round pick. Despite the fact he was traded after two seasons and had a disappointing follow-up to his first season in New Jersey this year, you have to consider the deal a mild success at least. We probably got slightly more in value in the trade back for him as opposed to what we gave up to get him, and we did deal him days before his NTC was due to kick in avoiding a potential albatross if he didn’t bounce back this year.

Some may term that kind of deal as heartless in the vein of the Rangers letting Barclay Goodrow go to the Sharks (one of the teams on his NTC list) on waivers, maybe it is but after last season quite honestly, I’m not attached to the great majority of this roster even including people I know are going to be here regardless. Full disclosure, I didn’t have an issue with what the Rangers did either and I dislike them as much as the next Devils fan. In Goodrow’s case, if you want a full NMC, take a little less money when you sign your initial contract to begin with and get the NMC. A partial NTC isn’t exactly the same thing. In Marino’s case, if you didn’t want to be traded, don’t be one of the biggest disappointments on a team full of them.

How we wind up replacing Marino and Bahl is another matter, we’ve been rumored as a likely destination for Pesce all offseason, ideally at least a short-term upgrade on Marino but we’ll see what kind of contract he does sign if he signs. Recent rumors have also tied us to veteran Brenden Dillon. Hopefully I won’t be rolling my eyes at the contract for either, if we do sign them both. Of course, as we’ve seen multiple times, the cap is only an issue if you want it to be or are incompetent. Teams like the Rangers always seem to figure a way out of their cap headaches (the recent rumors of trading Jacob Trouba of all people could provide yet another example).

As far as the actual draft itself, picks are now coming thick and fast – towards the end of the third-round as I’m writing this – so I’m not going to do that much analysis of the later-round picks. It does seem interesting that Fitz picked two big forwards with his third-rounders, clearly adding more size at all levels of the organization. Can’t say I disagree with that, sure you need smaller skill players and I wouldn’t want to go too far off BPA even at this point in the draft but we already have smaller skill forwards and finesse D in abundance. We need to have a little more balance in our lineup, both up front and the blueline.

Truth be told I wasn’t even that attached to all the pre-draft stuff for #10 overall anyway. First of all, I hate potentially getting attached to prospects who might wind up somewhere else (especially if it’s a somewhere else that’s a rival or direct competitor). Second of all, there was too much media hysteria around our having pick #10 on the table for me to completely dismiss the possibility of our trading it, especially after Fitz just traded next year’s first for a short-term goalie. Not to mention even the doggone scouts and talent evaluators who know a heck of a lot more than me get this stuff wrong the majority of the time anyway.

All that said, I like the way the Devils went with their first-rounder, drafting KHL defenseman Anton Silayev. Hard to resist a 17-year old who’s already 6’7 with reportedly an unusual amount of quickness for a big man. Not to mention one with already a significant amount of experience playing big minutes against professionals, and one being coached by the legendary Igor Larionov. Few people (if any) are more qualified in the world to help a young Russian acclimate to hopefully becoming a top professional NHL player. That, along with the tools make this a very exciting pick, or at least as excited as I get for a guy who’s at least two years away from being heard from again by Devils fans.

Can’t say I was initially all that hopped up for our next pick, the first one acquired from Utah in the Marino trade. After already trading a 2025 1st for our present starting goalie, Fitz used a mid-second round pick this year on a goalie prospect (Mikhail Yegorov). To be fair, a lot of the best goalies in the NHL are also Russian but this kid is actually playing in North America – committed to Boston University – and was supposedly the top rated NA goalie prospect this year. Again, he’s got size and you can’t teach 6’5 size, particularly for goalies.

That video’s a little longish and I haven’t even watched it yet to be fair but I will, as it’s a long-form interview with someone I now can have some attachment to after being drafted by the Devils organization. I’ve alluded to the fact Fitz is clearly targeting size in this draft and our two third-round picks continued this trend. Our first, at pick #85 was Kasper Pikkarainen. Another lifetime ago, his dad Illka was drafted by the Devils and even played 31 games for us in 2009. Our next pick at #91 is an even bigger boy, Swedish winger Herman Traff.

Sometimes GM’s can get caught up drafting for need. In this case Fitz is clearly caught up drafting a type. I can’t even say I blame him given the pathetic lack of size on our NHL roster. We’ve been exposed as being too one-dimensional since Carolina’s easy disposal of us in the 2023 postseason. Alleged FA signings Pesce and Dillon also fit into the ‘we need bigger’ mandate. Hopefully Fitz won’t jump the shark and completely eschew skill, the way he did when he desperately gave goon d-man Kurtis MacDermid a three-year deal.

Either way, Monday likely won’t be boring for Devils fans at least as the summer of Fitz heats up.

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HARD HITS: Rangers Must Avoid the Same Mistakes

Posted on June 22, 2024 by Derek

Show of hands? How many loyal true blue Rangers fans think they can win the Stanley Cup with the current roster? There probably aren’t many people who believe that.

In truth, the Rangers had an excellent season. Under coach Peter Laviolette, they had the league’s best record – winning the Presidents’ Trophy before bowing out in six games to the Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final.

It was an enjoyable year on Broadway. Pride was restored. The Blueshirts earned respect around the league. Even if there were still doubters, they proved that they were one of the best teams.

Despite relying heavily on Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, and Alexis Lafreniere, the Rangers were a tough out. Igor Shesterkin saved his best for the second and third rounds. After the Hurricanes found it tough to beat him, he was even better against the Panthers. Eventually, their aggressive style at 5-on-5 and strong penalty killing proved to be too much.

The biggest problem was the inconsistencies of Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. However, Kreider will be remembered for his natural hat trick in a thrilling third period comeback that eliminated the Hurricanes in Game 6. He’s always had a knack for scoring in the clutch. That’s why Kreider’s well-respected by teammates, coaches, and fans.

When it comes to Zibanejad, he never scored to his capability. After posting 39 goals and 52 assists for a career high 91 points in 2022-23, his production tailed off. He fell to 26 goals, 46 assists, and 72 points. 

Unfortunately, after a strong start to the postseason, he all but vanished against the Panthers. Zibanejad didn’t score a goal and had only two assists. His play affected Kreider, who wound up with a shorthanded goal and a helper in Game 5. Too often, the first line was pinned in by the Aleksander Barkov line. They spent too much time defending and not enough attacking. Even with Barkov limited to a goal and three assists, his line dominated the head to head matchup.

It didn’t matter who Laviolette tried on the right side. Jack Roslovic was ineffective following a good series against the Hurricanes. Filip Chytil was also tried. He wasn’t up to the challenge. The way he was handled by the organization makes one scratch your head. One minute, he played while the next, he sat out due to recovering. Why did they even bring him back? It hurt rather than helped.

In a third round, when Panarin, Zibanejad, and Kreider combined for only two goals, Barclay Goodrow scored three times. That included the overtime winner in Game 2. He also scored twice in Game 3, which was the last game the Rangers won. Instead of being rewarded, he remained underused on the fourth line.

Laviolette could’ve moved him up to the third line, which struggled to produce any offense. Aside from Alex Wennberg’s overtime winner in Game 3, they didn’t contribute enough. Kaapo Kakko had a few good shifts but was unable to be a factor. Will Cuylle didn’t receive enough ice time, even sliding down to the checking line. Roslovic played some with Wennberg and Kakko. They had no chemistry.

Sometimes, you have to ride the hot hand. Goodrow was versatile enough to be moved on to the third line. He was actually used better in his first two seasons by former coach Gerard Gallant. Goodrow had his best two seasons, posting double digits in goals and eclipsing 30 points. Under Laviolette, he was exclusively on the fourth line and killed penalties, which he did well alongside Trocheck.

Laviolette also made a mistake with Matt Rempe. He didn’t play him enough to help the team. It isn’t like he’s just some big lumbering guy who could hit and fight. He can skate, forecheck, and is effective at screening goalies. Once they lost Jimmy Vesey to a separated shoulder during Game 2, he should’ve been used more consistently. Instead, Rempe hardly touched the ice in Game 5. It was like playing a man short.

While Jonny Brodzinski was a good story, he wasn’t going to make a difference. Neither was Blake Wheeler, who was forced to take a penalty in overtime of Game 4 that led to Sam Reinhart’s power-play goal. It was a cruel ending for Wheeler, who probably played his final game of an outstanding career. What was he doing out in the first minute of overtime with Zibanejad? It never made any sense.

Neither did rushing Jacob Trouba back from a broken ankle to finish the regular season. He never was the same player. Somehow, Laviolette had Trouba back with K’Andre Miller against the more aggressive Panthers. That was until he went back to Braden Schneider, with Trouba and Erik Gustafsson on the third pair.

The defense struggled mightily. With Adam Fox playing with a mild MCL strain, following the knee on knee hit he took from Capitals defenseman Nick Jensen in the first round, there weren’t enough clean breakouts. That made it tough for them to get out of their end and transition.

Laviolette refused to play Zac Jones, who might be the best skater they have on the blue line. They sure could’ve used him. His speed and quicker decision-making might’ve helped. Hopefully, Jones gets that chance next season.

If there’s an area that Chris Drury must improve, it’s avoiding the same mistakes he’s made during the summer. Last year, he was limited in what he could do due to the cap crunch. However, aside from adding Gustafsson to help the back end, the other bargain basement additions failed miserably.

Nick Bonino was too slow and eventually waived. Tyler Pitlick was also reassigned to Hartford. Perhaps Drury could’ve made a better move to help out. He added Roslovic, who to his credit was better than expected in his first postseason.

Unfortunately, when he went up against the stronger Panthers, it wasn’t good enough. What did they expect? To catch lightning in a bottle with a third liner. That was never going to solve the 5-on-5 issues with Zibanejad and Kreider. If they’re running it back without Goodrow, Drury better acquire someone who can not only drive play but score at even strength.

Wennberg was a solid, depth addition. But he didn’t move the needle. It’s hard to believe he spent most of Game 6 playing out of position with Zibanejad and Kreider. That was perplexing. They may as well have moved Kakko up and seen if he could provide something. He’s good at the puck possession. He didn’t have much success earlier in the season with them.

Rather than making minor moves up front, maybe Drury should’ve gone for Anthony Duclair. He was good after the Lightning acquired him, scoring eight goals with seven assists down the stretch. But against the Panthers, he had two assists in a five-game first round ouster. Still, Duclair has more offensive skill. The 28-year-old former Rangers’ 2013 third round pick is an unrestricted free agent. That might be worth exploring.

If they’re looking for a more expensive option, I’d suggest kicking the tires on Jake DeBrusk. He’s scored over 20 goals three different times. After a down year that saw him light the lamp 19 times with 21 assists, DeBrusk was one of the best Bruins, finishing the postseason with five goals and six assists. The 27-year-old is a good top six forward who can finish around the net. That’s definitely a need.

If they want to get creative, look no further than Nikolaj Ehlers. With a yeer left on a contract that pays him a cap hit of $6 million, he’s expected to get moved. A consistent player who’s scored 20 or more seven times, he had 25 goals with 26 assists for the Jets.

Most notable is that every goal came at even strength. In fact, 54 of his 61 points were at even strength. That’s exactly the kind of forward the Rangers could use. Ehlers is a good skater who can play power play. Adding another quality player to the second unit would help. However, that also means not throwing all their eggs in one basket. It can’t always come down to the same five players on the top unit.

If Drury were to explore a trade for Ehlers, that would mean parting with a roster player and either a prospect or draft picks. Would they consider moving Kakko as part of a package to upgrade the roster? He accepted the $2.4 million qualifier for next season. Either he’ll be kept or used in a deal. That’s up to Drury.

One of the frustrating aspects of the current roster is how locked in the Rangers are to key players. Zibanejad has a no-movement clause until Year 8, when he can submit a 21-team no-trade list seven days before the trade deadline. At a cap hit of $8.5 million, I’d say they’re stuck. They better hope he bounces back next year.

Before Year 6 of a seven-year contract with an $8 million cap hit, Trouba will submit a 15-team no-trade list on July 1. Unless he can get fully healthy and improve his skating, it’ll be awfully hard to move him. His character isn’t in question. He’s been a solid leader who plays the game hard. But anyone can see that he’s in decline. Playing on the third pair seems more likely.

Kreider is a bargain at $6.5 million. He also will have to submit a 15-team no-trade list this summer. Considering how consistent he is at scoring goals by tipping in shots and putting home rebounds, with many coming on the power play, he shouldn’t go anywhere. Not unless they want to get younger and move the one contract that isn’t going to be tough. I can’t see it. He’s too important to the core.

With two years remaining on a deal that averages out to $11.64 million on the cap, Panarin isn’t going anywhere. He put together the best season of his career, pacing the Rangers in goals (49), assists (71), and points (120). He finished the postseason with five goals and 10 assists. Unfortunately, he only had a late goal in Game 6 against Florida. He was shut down.

If the negotiations between Ryan Lindgren and the team go poorly, maybe Drury could decide to move on. Lindgren is a year away from unrestricted status. He’ll likely command between $4.5 to 5 million per season.

The length is crucial. They can’t have a repeat of Dan Girardi. Anything longer than four years would be a big mistake. Especially the way Lindgren plays. At 26, he’s already showing signs of wearing down. The Warrior will play through almost anything. How long before all the wear and tear catches up?

Lindgren is the defense partner of Fox. It’s a tricky situation that must be handled much better than what they did to Goodrow. He had no idea they would waive him so the Sharks could claim him.

Considering how Glen Sather treated Brian Leetch, not even asking for permission to trade him to the Maple Leafs two decades ago, you never know what to expect from this franchise. If they can do that to arguably the greatest New York Ranger on his birthday, nothing should be put past them. They operate very privately. Drury doesn’t exactly give many interviews.

Unless they leak a story to Larry Brooks, nobody knows what’s happening. They aren’t very forthcoming. You’d think the way they operate, there’s no way they’d be located in Manhattan.

If there’s one thing we all can agree on, Drury can’t overpay any free agent and hand out a no-movement clause like candy. That’s their specialty. Somehow, they seem to always find a way out. They shouldn’t bank on it this off-season.

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Oilers look to make history against Panthers

Posted on June 22, 2024 by Derek

By now, it’s been discussed in the sports world. It isn’t only about the hockey being played in late June. It’s whether or not the Edmonton Oilers can make history on Monday night against the Florida Panthers.

Once upon a time, they trailed the Panthers 3-0 in the Stanley Cup Finals. Astonishingly, they scored only one goal in the first two games. Then, a late third period rally fell short in Game 3 back in Edmonton.

At that moment, it looked over. Someone forgot to tell the Oilers. Boasting the game’s best player in Connor McDavid, anything is possible. When asked about the unenviable position they were put in, he said, “It isn’t over till it’s over.” Yogi Berra would’ve been proud.

Up to that point, McDavid had been held without a goal by the Panthers over the first three games. But as he pointed out, they were getting chances. Sergei Bobrovsky was a brick wall for the first eight periods of the series. He allowed only two goals.

Even with Edmonton breaking through twice on goals from Phillip Broberg and Ryan McLeod, Bobrovsky robbed McLeod of the tying goal with Stuart Skinner pulled for an extra attacker. The Panthers shut it down from there to pull within one win of their first Stanley Cup.

Entering Game 4, Bobrovsky was the Conn Smythe favorite. He’d performed brilliantly – giving up only four goals on 86 shots against an explosive offense. Neither McDavid nor Leon Draisaitl had gotten untracked. Aleksander Barkov had outplayed both by a significant margin.

Things changed last Saturday. In Game 4, the Oilers erupted for eight goals in an 8-1 blowout victory over the Panthers. Before McDavid finally scored his first career Stanley Cup goal that made it 4-1, they got key contributions from other players.

Mattias Janmark scored a shorthanded goal on a Connor Brown pass in front over three minutes in. Adam Henrique then tipped in a Janmark pass over three and a half minutes later that made it 2-0. It was exactly the kind of start Edmonton needed.

After Vladimir Tarasenko answered to cut it to 2-1, Dylan Holloway replied back on a McDavid feed to restore a two-goal lead. Holloway would later add his second during an uncompetitive third period. He also assisted on a McLeod goal.

As it turned out, the Oilers’ secondary scoring has played an important role in rallying them back to tie the series. They still needed a remarkable performance from McDavid to hold off the Panthers for a 5-3 win to take Game 5.

After Brown scored another shorthanded goal to set the tone early, McDavid took over. Following a Zach Hyman power-play goal, he helped set up, McDavid then created a signature moment by skating through almost the entire Panthers to score a highlight reel goal that made it 3-0. Following a Matthew Tkachuk tally, McDavid then turned on the afterburners to set up Corey Perry. It was breathtaking stuff from him.

Edmonton still had to hang on. Goals from Evan Rodrigues and Oliver Ekman-Larsson made it a one-goal game. They got some key saves from Skinner. An afterthought in the goalie matchup, he’s handled himself well during the historic comeback. He made 29 saves to win Game 5.

McDavid put a stamp on the victory with an empty netter that is best known for Tkachuk’s diving save to prevent a goal. It was pretty astonishing. McDavid wound up with four points to send the series back to Edmonton.

On Friday night before a raucous atmosphere at Rogers Place, it was the play of those secondary players that led the Oilers to a 5-1 victory over the Panthers. Despite what the final score indicated, the game was much closer.

If there was a period that the Oilers dominated, it was the first one. A pass for Barkov bounced off his skate for a neutral zone turnover. That allowed Brett Kulak to move the puck up for Draisaitl, who made a great pass over for an easy Warren Foegle finish. Despite having a power play along with other chances, Edmonton only took a one-goal lead to the locker room.

The second period started out well. Henrique finished off a Janmark pass to give the Oilers a 2-0 lead, only 46 seconds in. But the play was mostly controlled by the Panthers.

In fact, with the building still celebrating the Henrique goal, Barkov thought he’d cut it to one just 10 seconds later. He put in his own rebound.

However, after a delay, Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch decided to challenge the play for offside. The replays on ABC/ESPN were hard to tell. It was awfully close. The question was whether Carter Verhaeghe still had his skate on the blue line when the puck broke the plane. It was a matter of center meters. Even rules expert Dave Jackson was puzzled. He wasn’t sure he would’ve challenged it. A point Panthers coach Paul Maurice echoed in the postgame.

After a lengthy review, they determined that the play was offside. While fans rejoiced, Maurice fumed at the Florida bench. Who could blame him? It had to be frustrating. They didn’t see anything definitive on their video that would overturn the goal. I was perplexed as well. But a freeze frame view showed that there was a shade of white ice between the skate of Verhaeghe and the blue line. That was enough to reverse the call.

It was a crucial moment. Had the goal stood, who knows what would’ve happened. That could’ve given the Panthers the momentum needed to turn the game around.

Instead, they played a good period. But they were unable to beat Skinner. A lousy power play certainly didn’t help. McDavid was off for hooking with 9:03 remaining. Florida couldn’t do anything.

It was the very aggressive Oilers’ penalty kill that continued to be the story. They’ve been unbelievable during this postseason, killing off 94.1 percent of penalties. They’re 64-for-68. Throw in the three shorthanded goals with two coming during their comeback, and it’s been dominant.

Late in the period, Hyman got behind for a breakaway and went to a backhand that nicked Bobrovsky’s pads and went in for a 3-0 lead. That was a huge goal.

Early in the third, Barkov got his goal when he blew by Foegle and tucked in a forehand past Skinner less than two minutes in.

The Panthers turned up the heat. They forechecked well and created some opportunities. Either Skinner made the save, or the Oilers blocked them.

Since Game 3, Sam Bennett hasn’t been heard from. He’s been one of the best Panthers during their run. He gets his nose dirty and makes things happen. Tkachuk has been a disappointment with only one goal in the series. Verhaeghe has no goals and struggled mightily. Even Sam Reinhart only has tallied once. He missed high and wide on a chance in the slot.

Even with the edge in play at five-on-five for over half the contest, the Panthers only mustered one goal on 21 shots. It’s a credit to how well the Oilers defended. They’ve made it hard for the Panthers to get shots through.

Knoblauch deserves a lot of credit for changing his team’s mindset. He’s emphasized defense and backchecking. He is one win away from going from coaching the Wolf Pack to taking the Oilers to a historic Cup in his first NHL coaching stint. The Rangers almost hired him last summer. But they eventually settled on Peter Laviolette. There are reasons why I won’t divulge.

Laviolette did a great job in his first season with the Blueshirts – guiding the Presidents’ Trophy winners to the Conference Finals. But he made a couple of mistakes that hurt their chances against the Panthers. That’s for another day.

This is about Knoblauch and what he’s trying to accomplish with the Oilers. Who would’ve thought that in a 5-1 victory on Friday night, McDavid would have no points. He wasn’t a factor. It was the play of the role players. Janmark. Henrique. Foegle. Brown. McLeod. Derek Ryan.

Edmonton is a completely different team under Knoblauch. They’ve proven it in how they’ve played. Knoblauch is a very calm presence. He doesn’t get too high or too low. Maybe that’s why he has the Oilers  in position to become the second team to come back from a 3-0 deficit to win the Cup. His players believe. They never panicked.

It was back in 1942 that the Toronto Maple Leafs became the only team in NHL history to rally back from a 3-0 series deficit to win the Cup when they defeated the Detroit Red Wings. That was 82 years ago.

In 2004, the Boston Red Sox stunned the New York Yankees by winning four straight to come back from a 3-0 deficit to win the pennant. They’d go on to win their first World Series since 1917. Comebacks from 0-3 down became possible. Since then, the 2010 Philadelphia Flyers did it, and the 2013-14 Los Angeles Kings did it. Both played for the Cup. The Kings won it. The 1975 New York Islanders also pulled it off.

The Oilers are just the third NHL team to force a deciding Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Final. The Red Wings did it in 1945. They lost to the Maple Leafs. I guess they weren’t able to turn the tables on Toronto.

It’s hard to understand how these things happen. What are the Panthers thinking? A look at a few of their players’ faces last night. They looked shocked. Do they still believe they can win on Monday night? The game will be in their building. They’ve already blown three chances. Win Game 7, and they deliver the franchise’s first Cup. Maybe the extra day off will help.

The momentum is with the Oilers. They’ve already made history by reaching this point. Now, it has become about winning one more time. Can they complete the turnaround?

It’s hard to envision McDavid having another quiet game. He’s special. It’s his chance to deliver a Cup back to Edmonton. They last won in 1990 when Mark Messier led them to their fifth championship over seven years. Messier and Wayne Gretzky are legends. They’ll be watching like everyone else with anticipation.

Will the law of averages catch up with Skinner? That largely depends on which Panthers team shows up. They’ve had a lot of quiet performers who’ve gone cold at the wrong time. Even Gustav Forsling hasn’t been noticeable over the last two games.

There are sure to be a lot of subplots. Interest will be through the roof. We’re talking about history. Whether the Oilers complete the historic Cup or not, one team will be celebrating.

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Rangers’ handling of Goodrow business as usual

Posted on June 20, 2024 by Derek

When it comes to sports, the business side can be cruel. Such is how things played out for Barclay Goodrow. With three years left on a six-year contract that pays him a cap hit of $3.64 million, he became a former Ranger on Wednesday.

Goodrow’s 15-team no-trade list was used against him. By placing him on waivers, the Rangers opened the door for one of the teams he didn’t prefer to pick him up. That’s precisely what happened yesterday when the Sharks claimed him.

Mollie Walker of the New York Post reported on Tuesday that there was a pre-arranged deal between the Rangers and Sharks. That landed Goodrow back with his first team.

It didn’t matter that the Sharks were one of the 15 teams on his no-trade list. If Rangers team president and general manager Chris Drury worked out a deal with Sharks general manager Mike Grier, they worked around that roadblock to send Goodrow back to San Jose.

He reportedly wasn’t happy through his agent with how it went down. I don’t blame him. It isn’t fair. But sometimes, that’s business as usual.

The Sharks are trying to get to the $65 million salary cap floor for 2024-25. By taking Goodrow’s contract, that puts them currently at $56,687,504. That’s over $31 million in cap space.

San Jose also acquired Ty Dellandrea from the Stars for a 2025 fourth round pick. He’s restricted. They have decisions to make on several Group II free agents.

With Goodrow returning to San Jose, he’ll be looked to for veteran leadership on a rebuilding club. Pretty soon, that’ll feature projected top pick Macklin Celebrini and former 2023 first round pick Will Smith. The Sharks should get a jolt from both top prospects.

For Goodrow, it’s a harsh reality. He went from a contending team to a lottery team, looking to restore pride. At 31, it’s gotta be disappointing. That doesn’t mean he can’t be traded to a contender looking for what the gritty Goodrow provides. What if a rival decided to acquire him next year? That’s the worst-case scenario for the Rangers. Don’t rule it out.

Even if it was underhanded, Drury did nothing wrong. He worked within the rules of the salary cap to unload Goodrow’s contract – creating space to make another move this summer.

The Rangers are in desperate need of a scoring right wing that can aid Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. Jake DeBrusk checks a lot of boxes. It’ll be interesting to see what Drury does in July. He indicated that he wanted to get stronger and tougher following the six-game series loss to the Panthers.

If Goodrow is the first domino to fall, what else does Drury have planned? Could a Filip Chytil or Kaapo Kakko be on the block? Is there any realistic chance to move Jacob Trouba? Don’t forget he has to submit his 15-team no-trade list in 11 days.

Are they ready to make the kind of impact moves necessary to win a Stanley Cup? Coming close isn’t enough. It’s been 30 years since they won in 1993-94. Had Zibanejad, Kreider, and Artemi Panarin played better against Florida, it could’ve been their time. I don’t know how they would’ve defended the freakish Connor McDavid. He’s something the league’s never seen before.

One thing is certain. The Stanley Cup just got a lot more interesting. As exciting as the possibility of an Oilers’ historic comeback from 3-0 down sounds, there’s no reason for the Cup still to be going. It’s the first day of summer. The schedule has too many breaks during the season. They’ve let ESPN dictate the playoffs.

There are moves being made by other teams. It’s not officially off-season, but things are getting done. That can’t be what the league prefers. Or does it? About as much as Goodrow wanted to leave New York for San Jose.

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Dedicated Wachter won’t return to Devils telecasts

Posted on June 20, 2024 by Derek

While the Devils made headlines with the acquisition of Jacob Markstrom on Wednesday, there also was a bit of disappointing news.

Erika Wachter won’t return to the New Jersey Devils telecasts on MSG Network. In a post on Instagram, she revealed that her contract wasn’t renewed. She handled it with class. Something that obviously isn’t a two-way street when it comes to how MSG operates under CEO James Dolan.

Wachter served as the host of Devils pregame and postgame for six years. She also was front and center on intermission segments covering the team. An area local from Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, Wachter is a Syracuse graduate who has a degree in broadcast journalism.

She served as a production assistant for ESPN. Wachter moved on to holding on-air positions for NESN in Boston and CPTV in Connecticut. In 2014-15, she was a sports reporter for the University of Connecticut, covering multiple sports, including basketball, football, and hockey.

Wachter became the host of Devils telecasts in 2018. Prior to that, she worked for two years at Fox 5, winning a New York Emmy Award for her work in Health/Science: Program Special.

Her hard work didn’t go unnoticed. She received a New York Emmy nomination for best sports anchor in 2022.

Considering how good she was on Devils games, it’s disappointing that Wachter was let go. Unfortunately, it’s business as usual for MSG. They lose a quality person by not keeping Wachter. She is also a host on both MLB Network and NHL Network. Something she’ll continue to do.

There’s even a petition online to keep her. I signed it. If there’s one thing Rangers and Devils fans can agree on, it’s that Wachter’s work stood out. She definitely added a lot to the Devils broadcasts. Not only is she knowledgeable, but she also has a good personality. 

For someone with her background, it shouldn’t take too long for Wachter to get a new job working for another team. She’ll be missed on Devils telecasts.

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Devils finally land ‘big fish’ goalie in Markstrom for 2025 1st and Bahl

Posted on June 19, 2024 by hasan4978

After seemingly an entire calendar year of rumors and speculation (if not longer), the Devils finally got their man, announcing a deal for Calgary’s Jacob Markstrom – at just over 30% retained for a top-ten protected first-rounder in 2025 and young defenseman Kevin Bahl. Another lifetime ago – seemingly – Bahl was a headliner in the Devils’ trade of Taylor Hall to the Coyotes, although one of the first-round picks which turned out to be Dawson Mercer wound up being the better long-term asset. It’s been obvious for a while that GM Tom Fitzgerald was looking to upgrade the goaltending position, admitting he was ‘big-game hunting’ this offseason.

Markstrom was an obvious target for multiple reasons – one being he’s used to the workload of a starting goalie and the Devils needed a 1A to slot in over Jake Allen, who is going to be the 1B at least through next season. Another being his contract situation – signed through the next two years at the age of 34, he’s clearly a short-term patch giving kids like Akira Schmid, Nico Daws and Isaac Poulter even more time to develop in the minors rather than forcing them into the fire as the former two have been at different times the last few seasons. And not so insignificantly, franchise legend and current front office employee Martin Brodeur was publicly high on Markstrom, naming him as one of his top five current goalies in the NHL back in February.

Admittedly that probably didn’t help what little bargaining position we had but let’s get real, any goaltending acquisition was going to cost more than people wanted, there’s a reason why most of the other guys rumored to move haven’t moved yet and also why this deal took so long. Full disclosure: I’m not as in love with Markstrom as our franchise legend seems to be given his inconsistency in Calgary the last few seasons.

2020-21 2.66 GAA, .904 save percentage, 43 starts

2021-22 2.22 GAA. .922 save percentage, 63 starts

2022-23 2.92 GAA, .892 save percentage, 58 starts

2023-24 2.78 GAA, .905 save percentage, 48 starts

Not particularly inspiring other than 2021-22, but of course that was when Matthew Thachuk and Johnny Gaudreau were still in Calgary. Since then, they’ve been foolishly trying to patch together a winner without any success and finally cashed out on one of their few assets remaining. And his numbers precipitously dropped after the trade deadline this year, perhaps in part due to some of the defensemen the Flames dealt off – and also perhaps in part due to him being unhappy over not being traded when it seemed as if a deal between us and Calgary was close a few months ago before being reportedly nixed by their ownership.

While I don’t love the player and absolutely see the bust potential here, I also think this was probably the best of a lot of potentially disastrous and uninspiring options. I was hoping we wouldn’t have to give up a first-rounder but at least it’s not this year’s #10 overall and next year’s first-rounder is top ten protected as well. If we’re even on pick watch this season or next, then something’s gone terribly wrong and Fitz’s job security will be pretty tenuous at best. At least there’s some retention on Markstrom’s deal, so we’re paying total just a hair over $6 million for a vet goalie tandem of Markstrom and Allen next year. I’m a bit nonplussed over giving up Bahl, who granted was an asset as a starting NHL defenseman but he was frustrating in being a big guy who never played like it and certainly didn’t have the offensive skill to be a finesse big man on D. He’s definitely got time to improve but the Devils also have younger players on their blueline who are better and ones in the farm who will likely pass him in short order if they’re not also used in trades eventually.

To be honest, I’m actually surprised this deal’s gotten as much ripping as it has from Devil fans online and social media and I’m far from the biggest pompom waver in general about the team, or with this player specifically. I mean, have you all not been paying attention to the goaltending market? Devil fans complain about looking for average goaltending for at least four of the last five seasons, but don’t want to actually pay anything and just keep attempting the same moneyball strategy that largely has failed over those five seasons. If this was the price for an older, inconsistent Markstrom with a NTC after a year of negotiating, what did you think we’d have to give up for a more proven guy like Jusse Saros or a younger goalie like Linus Ullmark? And it’s not like even those guys are slam-dunk locks.

At some point you have to at least attempt to make a move, especially when you’re Fitz looking to rebound from a disappointing year and start putting some consistent winning seasons together – and despite a well-publicized extension in the middle of last season, job security is almost never infinite. Just ask predecessor Ray Shero, who was canned several months after getting a contract extension of his own, leading to Fitz eventually getting the job here. Someone compared this Markstrom trade to Shero’s PK Subban deal – a short-term patch which doesn’t really handcuff you long term but certainly was still high-risk and high-reward. Hopefully for Fitz’s sake – and ours – this one turns out better for him than that one did for Shero.

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Goodrow gets claimed by Sharks

Posted on June 19, 2024 by Derek

It took only a day for Barclay Goodrow to find a new team. He was claimed by the Sharks today.

For Goodrow, it’s a return to San Jose. Originally signed by the Sharks as a 21-year-old rookie free agent, he spent nearly six years wearing the cool teal color jersey.

He didn’t become a regular until he was 24. In 2017-18, Goodrow had seven goals and seven assists for 14 points in 47 games. The following season, he posted seven goals and 10 assists for 17 points over a full 82 games. He added two goals as the Sharks reached the Western Conference Final in 2018-19. They lost to the Blues.

His final year in San Jose lasted 62 games. After achieving new career highs with eight goals, 16 assists, and 24 points, he was acquired by the Lightning on Feb. 24, 2020. It was a great fit.

Goodrow played on the third line with Yanni Gourde and Blake Coleman. They added key secondary scoring along with grit to help the Lightning win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021.

In three years with the Rangers, he totaled 28 goals, 48 assists, and 76 points. Goodrow helped them reach the Eastern Conference Final in both 2022 and 2024. He performed well this postseason, scoring six goals and adding two assists for eight points. The biggest highlight was his goal in overtime that beat the Panthers in Game 2 of the Conference Finals.

Now, Goodrow will move back out West to play for the rebuilding Sharks. They can use an experienced player like him. Maybe he will be used better than how Rangers coach Peter Laviolette used him. Goodrow can center the third line or shift over to either wing. He’s a versatile player who can be trusted on defensive assignments and the penalty kill.

It might seem like a second guess. But Goodrow probably would’ve fit better on the third line during the playoffs. They got little production from Alex Wennberg, Kaapo Kakko, Will Cuylle, and Filip Chytil, who looked timid. Goodrow performed better than most. Cuylle wasn’t always utilized right either. He spent some time with Goodrow on the fourth line.

Regardless, the Rangers are moving on without Goodrow. By claiming him, the Sharks pick up the remainder of his contract, including the $3.64 million cap hit.

That frees up some space for Chris Drury. With the top line still without a dependable right wing, he could look to fill that void. Jake DeBrusk or Tyler Bertuzzi could be options. I prefer DeBrusk, who’s 27. If they want to go the more affordable route, Anthony Duclair is also unrestricted.

With the Oilers getting a historic performance from the otherworldly Connor McDavid, who became the first player to record eight points in two games of the Stanley Cup Finals, the off-season will have to wait a bit longer. We’ll see if Edmonton can force a seventh game against the Panthers.

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Well-respected Goodrow is first to go

Posted on June 18, 2024 by Derek

On a hot summer day of 90-degree temperatures in the metro area, the Rangers made their first change of the off-season.

They placed Barclay Goodrow on waivers. The 31-year-old forward was deemed expendable due to the $3.64 million cap hit that has three years remaining on.

Despite a good postseason in which he posted six goals with two assists to help the Rangers reach their second Eastern Conference Final in three years, the well-respected Goodrow can either be claimed or unclaimed. If he isn’t picked up, the buyout cost would be $6,666,667 over six years.

According to puckpedia.com, the Rangers would get a cap credit in Year 1. That’s due to the base salary ($5 million) being more than the cap hit ($3.64 million) in one year.

When the Rangers acquired the rights to Goodrow from the Lightning and then signed him back in the summer of 2021, they made the move due to what the versatile forward brought to the table. A gritty player who plays the game hard every shift, he added valuable experience, intangibles, and leadership to a team that needed it.

After hitting double digits in goals and going over 30 points over his first two seasons under former coach Gerard Gallant, Goodrow saw his role diminish under Peter Laviolette. He was used primarily as a checking center and key penalty killer. Laviolette even preferred matching the fourth line up against opponents’ top scoring lines.

However, even with Goodrow performing up to expectations in the Rangers’ run to the Conference Finals, where he scored three goals against the Panthers, his ice time didn’t increase at 5-on-5. That might’ve been a mistake. The fourth line provided more than the third line.

With Goodrow reduced to a fourth line center, the Rangers must’ve felt that the salary was too high to justify keeping him. A good player whose leadership definitely helped them in their two trips to the Final 4, Goodrow should draw some interest around the league. The Flyers and Sabres could be possibilities. They can use a high character locker room leader to help them reach the playoffs.

As far as a replacement goes, perhaps they’ll look in-house. Jonny Brodzinski, Matt Rempe, and Adam Edstrom are early candidates. Brodzinski proved that he could shift to center and play a fourth line role. Maybe he’ll get a closer look in training camp.

Rempe came up and brought a physical presence. His energy and enthusiasm, combined with his size and strength, made him a fan favorite. However, as he showed in limited duty, the 21-year-old forward can do more than deliver hits and fight. He’s a highly intelligent player who wants to stick. If his skating improves as be vowed on breakup day, who’s to say Rempe can’t win the job in September? I wouldn’t bet against him.

Edstrom was the other rookie who came up for a brief stint in 2023-24. For a big man, his skating was solid. He acquitted himself well. Unfortunately, he fell victim to the numbers game. Maybe by waiving Goodrow, it opens up a spot for Edstrom.

Filling the void left by Goodrow isn’t the only concern for the Rangers. They freed up necessary cap space to possibly add a scoring right wing. If the core isn’t changing, then Rangers team president and general manager Chris Drury has some more wiggle room to work with. It’s anyone’s guess what he’ll decide.

The off-season will include getting Braden Schneider re-signed. A bridge deal seems likely. Ryan Lindgren is the key restricted free agent who wants to remain a Blueshirt long-term. That’ll be an interesting decision.

It remains to be seen if Jacob Trouba will get moved. His no-movement clause becomes a moderated one on July 1st. That’s when he’ll select 15 teams on his no trade list.

With the Stanley Cup almost certain to end tonight in Florida, then comes the off-season. If the Panthers do close out the Oilers in Game 5, things will move quickly. Even with the scorching hot weather.

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