Vancouver Canucks - 2014 - what if Jim Benning never happened? Pt. 2

[CanuckJohnny]

Canucks trade veteran to Vegas

December 31st, 2017 -
In a minor trade this afternoon the Canucks moved defenseman Nick Schultz, who has been toiling in Utica all year after failing to make the team, to Vegas in exchange for nineteen year old blueliner Gustav Lindstrom. The 35 year old Schultz has played in 35 games for the Comets of the AHL and has a +4 rating and 50 PIMs. Vegas wanted his shutdown abilities and experience. Vancouver recoups an asset in Lindstrom who is a defensive defenseman with a great stick but poor hockey IQ and skating. Lindstrom could become a useful depth defenseman if he rounds out his game. This trade was mostly about giving veteran Nick Schultz an NHL opportunity he wasn't going to have in Vancouver though, and anything Lindstrom becomes for the Canucks organization will be a bonus.

[CanuckJohnny]

Slumping Wild make change behind the bench

January 26th, 2018 -
Kevyn Adams' tenure in Minnesota didn't even last two full seasons. As the team slid out of a playoff spot General Manager Chuck Fletcher gave Adams the axe. It seems like a hasty firing as over one and a half seasons Adams had a 69-55-13 record with behing the Wild bench. Nevertheless Fletcher is hoping it will be the shake up the team needs to fight their way back into a playoff spot down the stretch.

His replacement will be Keith Carney. Carney was an assistant coach with the Blackhawks a few years ago but this will be his first opporunity as an NHL head coach. He brings experience as a player at the NHL level and a proficiency with training defensemen. He is an intelligent hockey man with tendencies to coach his teams towards attacking, less physical hockey focused on puck control. Time will tell if he is the right fit for this team or not. The roster is constructed with a lot of two way forwards and defensive defensemen. Maybe he can bend them to his style, or maybe he will adapt to his personnel, or maybe this will be a failed experiment.

[CanuckJohnny]

Philadelphia cuts coach Reirden loose midway through his first season

February 3rd, 2018 -
Coach Todd Reirden was fired today, just 51 games into his assignment as head coach of the Flyers. He had led the team to a 22-21-8 record in that span, just two points back of third place in their division. It's a bit of a puzzling move by GM Ron Hextall but maybe it will pay off and light a fire under this team down the stretch.

The man tasked with righting the ship and leading Philadelphia to the playoffs is former New York Islanders assistant Dean Chynoweth. It will be Chynoweth's first opportunity to be an NHL head coach. The native of Calgary prefers a physical brand of hockey. He runs a tight ship discipline wise and keeps his teams motivated. He is good at pushing his teams physically and works especially well with younger players.

[CanuckJohnny]

Vegas trades for another Vancouver defenseman




February 7th, 2018 -
The Canucks are being rewarded for their glut of minor league defenseman, with Frankie Corrado the latest winner of an opportunity for NHL icetime with the Vegas Golden Knights. Corrado failed to make Vancouver out of camp with the surprisingly good showings that Sergachev and Andersson had and made it through waivers to Utica where he has been playing well but not seeing any opportunities to be called back up to Vancouver. Well, Jim Benning of Vegas called and offered up recent draft pick Eeli Tolvanen in exchange for the blueliner and Trevor Linden jumped on it, picking up another young asset for a veteran who had been surpassed on the organizational depth chart. The 18 year old Tolvanen signed a contract shortly after being drafted and came over from Europe to play in the AHL, where he has 12 goals and 27 points in 50 games.

[CanuckJohnny]

Don't look now but Vancouver is in a playoff spot

February 9th, 2018 -
Markstrom made 39 saves in a 3-0 shutout over Carolina and Bo Horvat and Tyler Bertuzzi both had 2 point nights as Vancouver now finds themselves sitting at third in the Pacific. It's true they are the beneficiaries of playing in the weaker division in the West - if they were in the Central they wouldn't have enough points to qualify for a Wild Card spot. It won't be easy to hold down third place with Vegas, Los Angeles, Anaheim and Edmonton all nipping at their heels but after last season's debacle and two and a half years of never being in this position it is still an accomplishment for this group of players.

[CanuckJohnny]

Blue Jackets fire McLellan, bring in Adams




February 14th, 2018 -
Happy Valentine's Day Todd McLellan, it's not us it's you. The Blue Jackets let McLellan go partway through his second year coaching the team. He finishes his run with Columbus with a record of 54-72-11. Columbus was hoping for more this season and Jarmo Kekalainen didn't want to wait until the offseason to bring in his man.

That man turns out to be the recently unemployed Kevyn Adams. Apparently Kekalainen was interested in the former Wild bench boss and once he became available Jarmo pulled the trigger on firing McLellan so he could brin in Adams right away. Adams is good at keeping his players motivated and managing a locker room. He leans toward defensive hockey and played a role this year in 25 year old Charlie Coyle's breakout season. He should get a little more leash from Kekalainen than he did from Fletcher in Minnesota and he could be a good fit for the Blue Jackets.

[CanuckJohnny]

Heads continue to roll in the coaching carousel




February 17th, 2018 -
Ottawa was the most recent team to cut ties with their bench boss, giving Mike Yeo his pink slip after less than a year. Yeo came in near the end of last season and clearly had a short leash this year, being let go after going 24-22-10 this year. The Senators sit four points back of the final wild card spot in the East.

His replacement will be Craig Berube, who coached the Flyers for four seasons before being let go this past offseason after a dismal year. Berube is good at making ingame tactical decisions and he is a fairly strict disciplinarian. He has good coaching skills, especially with forwards and in physical training. He is an aggressive line matcher and prefers a physical style of play. He has a decent reputation as a coach and could bring a boost to the Senators organization and push this club to be their best down the stretch.

[CanuckJohnny]

Pair of big name players sign extensions prior to the trade deadline




February 20th, 2018 -
The Bruins and Lightning both locked up key players for the foreseeable future, killing any speculation that either of them could be dealt at the deadline this year.

Boston got a steal of a deal signing Brad Marchand to a six year contract at a serious hometown discount. Marchand will make an AAV of $5.71 Million. The star winger has 31 goals and 70 points through 58 games and is on pace for his fourth straight season of producing at least a point per game. A year removed from their second Stanley Cup of this decade, the Bruins make a savvy move to keep a core piece around at a bargain price. "I believe in this group of guys, we have something special here and I really want to continue to be a part of it and bring another Cup to Boston," said Marchand.

The Lightning gave captain Steven Stamkos a five year extension worth $8.5 Million per year. Stamkos is on pace for his best statistical season ever, with 40 goals and 81 points already through 59 games. The Lightning have looked dangerous the past couple seasons and with Vasilevskiy in net and Hedman patrolling the blueline and now captain Stamkos locked up long term Steve Yzerman's club could be on the cusp of greatness.

[CanuckJohnny]

The Old Guard and the Youth Movement - Vancouver announces flurry of extensions prior to trade deadline

February 23rd, 2018 -
The Canucks announced that both Sedin twins were re-signed to one year deals at a hometown discount. Sedins have seen their production drop off quite a bit the past few seasons but are having a resurgent season (well, Daniel WAS until his concussion anyways) but have both taken less than $4 Million on one year extensions with No Movement Clauses. Chris Tanev was also extended, getting 5 years at an AAV of $3.42 Million. Tanev has played at least 21 minutes a night for the past three seasons for Vancouver while defending against the league's top offensive threats and as the league leader in shot blocks and a premium defensive defenseman he could certainly have garnered a much bigger raise on the open market. It's a tidy piece of business for Linden and crew to bring all three veterans back at a bargain.

Vancouver also announced a lot of their younger players received extensions. Most notably Jared McCann signed for six seasons at $1.32 Million per. Rasmus Andersson and Evgeny Svechnikov, both playing with the big club this year, received extensions. Minor leaguers Dominik Kahun, Alex Iafallo, Filip Chlapik and Alex Friesen also re-signed with the club.

[CanuckJohnny]

McDavid inks four year extension with Buffalo




February 25th, 2018 -
On the eve of the trade deadline Buffalo announced they signed superstar center Connor McDavid to an extension worth $4.82 Million per year for four years. The highly touted McDavid exploded in his sophomore season for 38 goals and 93 points. Through 62 games this year he has 31 goals and 68 total points. The Sabres are still toiling at the bottom of the standings but with their franchise center locked up for four more years the future is bright in Buffalo.

[CanuckJohnny]

Another one bites the dust as Anaheim fires Blashill before deadline




February 25th, 2018 -
The Ducks are struggling near the bottom of the West as their five year playoff streak looks to come to an end this year. Amidst swirling rumours that he had lost the room entirely, Jeff Blashill was let go earlier today by Bob Murray. Since taking over the Ducks mid-season in 2014-2015 Blashill has led them to a record of 147-105-17 while making the playoffs every year, but this season was the first with Blashill at the helm that they had a losing record as they were on pace to not only miss the playoffs but finish third last in the conference, sitting with a 27-33-7 record currently.

Who's the new bench boss in Anaheim? Dallas Eakins is the man they bring in - he hasn't had a job since the Oilers fired him in the middle of last season. Eakins is a fairly balanced coach who has spent a lot of his career working with younger players. He will probably give the prospects lots of opportunity to shine. Eakins is not especially bad at anything but neither is he especially good at anything, however he does usually get at least a few years of rope from whichever organization hires him so he may be good at 'managing up' as they say. He should get a couple years to turn this club back around and has a lot of young talent, especially on the blueline and in net, to work with.

[CanuckJohnny]

NHL Update and Storylines




February 25th, 2018 -

EAST

• The Montreal Canadiens are dominating, with a +72 goal differential as they sit atop the standings
• The Penguins have scored the most goals in the NHL and are positioned relatively comfortably atop the Metro
• Speaking of the Metro, the Islanders have been surging lately, riding a five game win streak to third spot in the Metro
• Conversely, Detroit has been falling fast, dropping their last four in a row and on the brink of sliding out of a wild card if their poor play continues
• There are five teams within 3 points of the final wild card spot, and including the two current wild card teams there are seven teams within 3 points of each other vying for two playoff spots
• Of those teams within spitting distance of a wild card, Ottawa may be the most intriguing, they've lost an astounding ten games in the shootout and two in overtime - if a couple of those go differently they could be in a playoff spot right now
• Washington looks best positioned for a strong finish to earn their way into one of those wild card spots based on their +19 goal differential, but they will have to figure out how to win on the road and correct their abysmal 10-18-2 road record

WEST

• The Flames really look like the class of the conference despite being second in the Pacific to San Jose, they have the fewest goals allowed and the best goal differential in the conference as well as the most Regulation and Overtime wins, the Sharks have benefitted from six shootout victories and coming out on top of a lot of close games but their goal differential is only +5, the worst of any West playoff team
• Vancouver has been on a surprising run, including a current four game win streak, to sneak into that final Pacific playoff spot - they've struggled on the road though and will need to steal some wins in other buildings to hang onto their current position
• Despite a midseason coaching change the Wild are struggling, dropping their last four in a row as they drop out of a playoff spot. They're a better a team than this - the only team in the West who is outside the playoff picture with a positive goal differential
• The Oilers are the closest team to finding their way back into the playoffs, they sit five points back of Vancouver for the final spot in the Pacific and seven points back of the Predators for the final wild card spot
• The Avalanche are barely on top in the hotly contested Central, but they boast an impressive road record of 19-11-2
• The Blues have the most goals for of any Western Conference team and the best goal differential in the Central and are only two points back of the Avs but sit in third because the Blackhawks are on fire, riding a five game win streak at the moment and sitting at second in the Central against all odds

LEADERS

• Ovechkin is well on his way to another fifty goal season and may even crack sixty this year
• Johnny Gaudreau is a huge part of Calgary's offensive dominance this year, leading the league in assists and points
• Brendan Gallagher has been healthy all year and his contributions have been helping boost the Canadiens to the top of the league, he has 40 goals (t-3rd) and 77 points (t-6th)
• Tavares has been great in the circle again this year for red hot Islanders, leading the league with a 59.4% faceoff percentage
• Chris Tanev of the Canucks leads the league in blocked shots to the surprise of nobody, he is fearless and reckless with his body and anticipates well in his own end
• Cole Cassels of Vancouver is developing a reputation for playing hard and occasionally over the edge, he is eighth in the NHL in penaly minutes in his sophomore season
• Auston Matthews is having a stellar sophomore year with 34 goals, eighth in the league
• Oscar Klefbom is really establishing himself as a top tier defender, second in the league in blocked shots and sixth in takeaways
• Mark Giordano leads the NHL in takeaways and is fourth in DGR
• Although youngsters Dylan Larkin and Connor McDavid are as high in the scoring race as they were last year, their overall game rating shows they are still at the top of the league in performing and driving play and influencing games
• Keith Yandle has reinvented his game to a degree, grading out the highest in the league in defensive game rating despite having a reputation as more of an offensive defenseman
• Another player with an offensive reputation who has looked surprisingly effective and efficient in his own zone this year is Canucks blueliner Derrick Pouliot
• Brandon Manning has been throwing his weight around this year, leading the NHL in hits by a significant margin
• Justin Abdelkader has been getting more icetime as captain of the Golden Knights and has been leading with his physical play, fifth in the league in hits
• The Canucks have two rookies in the top three of rookie scoring, this year's fourth overall pick Nico Hischier with 39 points to lead all rookies and a second round pick last year, Mikhail Sergachev, who leads all rookie defensemen with 30 points
• Patrik Laine has 16 goals and 27 points in his rookie year, and he is doing that while getting relatively little ice time for the playoff bound Blues, he's fourth in the NHL behind only Gaudreau, Ovi and Crosby in points/60.
• The Vezina race is shaping up to be a four horse race, with Carey Price (the league leader in GAA) being challenged by Vancouver's Jacob Markstrom (who has been on fire after a rough start and has carried his team into a playoff spot and leads the NHL in save percentage and GSAA), Calgary's Devan Dubnyk (generally the third after those two in Vezina conversations but in the top five in most goaltending statistical categories and leading Calgary in a very succesful season) and Colorado's Michal Neuvirth (whose stellar stats are somewhat diminished in weight because he is sharing a crease with Varlamov and has only played in 34 games).
• One surprising story is Buffalo's 24 year old netminder Andrey Makarov who has taken over the starter's crease from Jhonas Enroth after being called up early in the season from the AHL. Makarov had a great year in the AHL last year with 43 wins and a .924 save percentage but he was expected to soon be leapfrogged in the organization by other higher profile goaltending prospects like Cal Petersen and Carter Hart. Instead Makarov leads the league in shutouts at the deadline with seven, despite playing behind a poor team and poor defense in Buffalo.
• Frederik Andersen has carried a heavy workload in Vegas, claiming the crease from Marc-Andre Fleury and performing well despite facing a lot of shots on most nights. He is third in the NHL in GSAA with 21.98.
• 24 year old John Gibson is carrying the heaviest workload in the league, playing in almost every game for the struggling Ducks. He leads all NHL goalies in gamaes played (60), saves (1939) and goals against (182).

[CanuckJohnny]

CANUCKS at the deadline




February 25th, 2018 -

Record: 32-25-5, 69 points (nice), 3rd in the Pacific

Key Storylines:

• Tyler Bertuzzi claimed a first line spot out of training camp and never looked back. Currently he leads the team in goals (29) and points (58) and is on pace for the highest point totals for a Canuck in a season since Henrik had 81 in 11-12 (six years ago)
• Speaking of Henrik, he has had a resurgence playing alongside Bertuzzi this year, even with his brother Daniel down most of the season with a concussion. His 36 assists lead the team and he is on pace for his best season since the lockout shortened 12-13 year.
• Nico Hischier, after barely making the team on the fourth line, has earned his way into a steady top six role and leads all NHL rookies in scoring. His 16 goals are third on Vancouver and he leads all Canuck forwards in blocked shots with 46.
• Bo Horvat again leads his team in faceoff percentage and after a slow start offensively this year he has stepped up to score 19 goals already, second on the team, in his first year as an assistant captain. "Bowie" also leads all Vancouver forwards in takeaways with 27.
• Jared McCann also started poorly, being demoted to the fourth line to begin the season after being pencilled in on the first line, but he has picked it up and now has 12 goals and 33 points while playing alongside Horvat on the second line and is also tied with Horvat for the team lead in plus minus with +10.
• Derrick Pouliot leads all Canuck defensemen with 12 goals and leads all Vancouver skaters with a 72 overall game rating. He has established himself as a reliable and dangerous top four defenseman in the NHL this year.
• Mikhail Sergachev made the team and on the first pairing at that, another training camp surprise. He hasn't looked back and leads the time in ATOI while being tied with Pouliot for the most points for Canuck defensemen.
• Nikita Filatov had a terrible start to the season and was eventually demoted out of the top six but after finding his game a bit on the fourth line he was moved onto the checking line with Brandon Tanev and Cole Cassels and, surprisingly for such an offensive player, he really shone in that role and reinvented his game a bit and the offense has been coming along with that. After starting the season with only twelve points through 37 games he has since scored 13 points in the last 25 games and seems to have found a home on that third line for now.
• Chris Tanev leads all Vancouver defensemen in plus minus at +7 while taking on all the most difficult matchups and also leads the league in blocked shots and leads the Canucks in takeaways.
• Jacob Markstrom has bounced back from his rough start to the season and now leads the league in GSAA and is on fire, a huge part of Vancouver being back in the playoffs.
• Casey DeSmith has looked much better since coming back up from the AHL in December and he now has two shutouts on the season.

Deadline Activity:

Things are fairly quiet on Vancouver's front, Linden isn't keen to mess with the team chemistry in the midst of this hot streak and although his cupboard of draft picks is a bit bare it's unlikely he'd be willing to jettison either of veterans Mikko Koivu or Patrick Sharp, both of whom have been reliable contributors to the team this year and a big part of their current success. This team is overperforming however and isn't a contender at this point in their arc. It would be foolish to sell the (future) farm to make a run this year. It's unlikely Linden and his team make any moves unless they are relatively minor.

[CanuckJohnny]

Trade Deadline Preview 2018




February 25th, 2018 -

Buyers:

Calgary Flames - Captain Mark Giordano is 34 years old, star netminder Devan Dubnyk is 31 and in the final year of his contract without an extension in place, Calgary could be going for it this season. They have some exciting young pieces up front in Gaudreau, Connor, Strome, Monahan and Bennett. Shawn Matthias is in top five in the league in faceoff percentage. They're getting solid play from 23 year old Nikita Tryamkin who is in the top five of the NHL in plus minus at plus 44. The depth on defense is lacking however, beyond Giordano, Tryamkin and the 34 year old Dennis Wideman.

Colorado Avalanche - Ownership is rumoured to be really pushing Joe Sakic for immediate success. The Avs are on top of their division but with the Blackhawks and Blues at their heels they may not be comfortable simply sitting pat. The goalie tandem of Neuvirth and Varlamov has been successful for them. This is a team with a lot of firepower up front between MacKinnon, O'Reilly, Landeskog, Duchene, Tanguay and rookie Travis Konecny but they don't really have much on the blueline after Tyson Barrie. Brad Hunt was a savvy acquisition in the preseason and he has 31 points and a plus-10 rating this year but no playoff team should go into the postseason with him as their number two defenseman.

St. Louis Blues - The Blues are keen to defend their title of Stanley Cup champion and will aim to do so with depth again. With Robby Fabbri out for three or four months still they may look to add another top nine forward with skill. Pietrangelo is injured again but should be ready for the playoffs. Do they want to add another defender as insurance? Bouwmeester was effective last postseason but he's another year older and the playoff grind playing top four minutes might not be the best usage for him if Pietrangelo does go down again.

Pittsburgh Penguins - Jim Rutherford is eager to be back on top of the hockey world. Despite some great seasons and good runs in the past five years it's been almost a decade since they won the Cup and they may be starting to running out of runway for this core. Fleury is gone and Matt Murray has stepped in admirably, they have one of the more effective tandems in the league between him and Raanta, they have eight shutouts between them. This is a team that lacks depth after Crosby, Malkin, Guentzel, Perron and Letang. Hartman is growing into a solid 3C for them but Beau Bennett seems to have topped out as a middle six winger and Oshie hasn't been as productive this year. Maatta and Aho and Despres have played above expectations as young defensemen but their blueline could use a boost from a bona fide top pairing defenseman to play with Letang or add depth to the top four.

Boston Bruins - They are pushing hard to have a shot at one more ring for 40 year old Zdeno Chara. Their 6'9" captain is currently out for a couple more months with an arm injury but would be back in time if they made a deep run. David Krejci will not likely return no matter how deep their playoff run is, and though Ryan Spooner has filled in quite adequately for him the Bruins may be in the market for more forward depth all the same. While Krug and Hamilton are a formidable top pair, with "Big Z" out they are very thin on the blueline after those two, with minor league defensemen like Henrik Tommernes and Corey Potter taking regular shifts.

Sellers:

Arizona Coyotes - Jake Allen has signed a six year, $5.9M AAV extension, but could he still be in play for the Coyotes, who are in total rebuild mode and are short on valuable pieces to offer up at the deadline? Everyone not named Matthew Tkachuk or Max Domi should be for sale. They do have late blooming scoring winger Brett Connolly on a great value contract for four years, but at 25 they may look to hold onto him. A pair of free agents they signed this summer could be attractive pieces (and maybe that was the plan all along) as Hartnell has 27 points and Ladd has 18 but both of them have the coveted grit and leadership and experience that GMs tend to overpay for at the deadline.

Toronto Maple Leafs - Dave Nonis is overseeing a rebuild in Toronto. Could red hot starter Jonathan Bernier be available? Is it finally time to move captain Dion Phaneuf, and if it is, will they get any value from the 32 year old with three more years remaining on his $7M AAV contract? 28 year old James van Riemsdyk could garner interest as a top six scoring option. He has 14 goals and 40 points through 61 games. At 30 years old, Phil Kessel may be slowing down. Could they find a contender willing to take on the remaining three years of his $3.64M AAV contract? James Neal has 15 goals and they should get some calls on the power forward.

Anaheim Ducks - Even with the recent coaching change the playoffs are a non-starter right now for the free-falling Ducks. They do have some interesting veteran pieces. If they are willing to move on from him after signing a three year deal this offseason they could doubtless find some takers for 34 year old James Wisniewski and his 32 points in 64 games. Chris Higgins has a no trade clause but would reportedly be willing to waive to go to Boston or the Rangers. He has only appeared in 26 games this year but has 12 points and is plus ten in those games and brings a great work ethic and playoff experience. Corey Perry is a huge part of their culture and recent success but at 32 if he becomes expendable he could be one of the biggest fish of the deadline. He has 20 goals and 36 points so far this year. Erik Johnson is in a contract year and the 29 year old has a reputation for solid defensive play.

Vegas Golden Knights- After making some noise early in the season the expansion franchise has fallen off and will likely miss the playoffs in their first year. If Jim Benning is smart he should be making moves to bring in more draft picks and prospects to position his team for future success. It's unlikely Fleury would waive his no trade clause but if he does they would be wise to move him since Andersen seems to have claimed the crease. Veteran defenseman Alex Edler should be available and draw interest. He is +11 on a struggling team and playing some of the best defense of his career. 30 year old Alec Martinez is also a potential trade target for teams looking for defensive depth. A lot of their forwards are available, including Bryan Little and Frans Nielsen. Captain Justin Abdelkader is also rumoured to be on the block and would be a good add for a playoff bound team.

Other Names Available:

Jared Spurgeon - The Minnesota Wild probably still see the 28 year old two way blueliner as part of their future plans but his name has been floated out there and he doesn't have an extension in place with Minnesota yet. Spurgeon has 10 goals and 40 points this year.

Cory Schneider - The Devils are rumoured to be shopping the 31 year old goalkeeper. In the midst of another sub-par season for their team Schneider has been effective with a .914 save percentage and 3 shutouts in 31 outings.

Riley Sheahan - The versatile forward is just 26 but rumours are Steve Yzerman isn't planning to re-sign him and has him on the trade block. Sheahan is noted for his defensive acumen but he also has 11 goals and 34 points this year, career highs.

Brock Nelson - The 26 year old pivot has had a down year on an otherwise hot Islanders squad. A season after putting up 17 goals and 51 points he only has 5 goals and 16 points through 63 games this year. Garth Snow is reportedly shopping him for more immediate and experienced help for the postseason.

Michael Del Zotto - The Flyers are aggressively shopping the 27 year old two way defenseman. "MDZ" has 21 points in 53 games and one of these contending teams may pick him up for blueline depth if they lose out on higher profile pieces.

Brandon Sutter - The defensively reliable center is being made available by the Devils who reportedly have failed to come to terms on an extension. Sutter has 23 points and is plus 3 on a struggling New Jersey squad this year.

[CanuckJohnny]

Trade Deadline Day




February 26th, 2018 -

TRADE ALERT: Well, Joe Sakic and the Avs get us started off early, announcing a trade with Arizona to pick up Josh Manson and Scott Hartnell. COL acquires LW Scott Hartnell (47gp, 8-19-27, -12), RD Josh Manson (62gp, 3-7-10, -20); ARI acquires prospect D Philippe Myers (21yo, AHL 57gp, 3-25-28, -6), prospect LW Alexander Kerfoot (23yo, AHL 57gp, 12-27-39, -2), 2018 COL 2nd, 2018 COL 3rd. Analysis: Colorado gets off to a good start, picking up a middle six veteran winger with playoff experience and grit in Hartnell while also adding depth to the blueline in the form of 26 year old Josh Manson, a physical, defense first defenseman with good intangibles. He should immediately slot in on the second pair for them. Arizona moves a couple of their more valuable available pieces early but they should be happy to get two younger players in return and two picks in the second and third round of this year's draft.

RUMOUR: The Canadiens have weathered P.K. Subban's long term injury remarkably well but they are reportedly kicking tires on a few defensemen. Currently 37 year old Robyn Regehr is anchoring their second pair and while Chabot and Emelin have been dynamite on the first pair together in Subban's absence they could really use some depth for a team looking to win the President's Trophy and go deep in the playoffs. Some executives around the league believe the Canadiens should be looking for some firepower up front as well. They've had good production from under the radar additions like Anton Rodin and Teddy Purcell and Jacob de la Rose is having a career year at 22 years old but league-wide they aren't considered to be very deep beyond Pacioretty and Gallagher.

RUMOUR: Well, rumour has it that Avalanche GM Joe Sakic isn't done with his wheeling and dealing just yet and he has a few irons in the fire still. We'll see if anything comes to fruition but he is still looking to add, either at forward or defense.

TRADE ALERT: Boston is making an aggressive move, trading for two Anaheim veterans to augment their lineup and giving up a recent first round pick in the process. BOS acquires D James Wisniewski (64gp, 8-24-32, -17), F Chris Higgins (26gp, 5-7-12, +10); ANA acquires prospect F Troy Terry (20yo, 18gp, 3-2-5, +2), prospect F Logan Hutsko (19yo, AHL 56gp, 11-24-35, +11), 2018 BOS 2nd, 2019 BOS 4th. Analysis: Wisniewski was a coveted piece, with few top four defensemen available and a lot of contending teams looking for help on the blueline. Anaheim packages him with Higgins to get a haul, bringing in Troy Terry, a nineteenth overall selection two years ago, as well as a second rounder this year and Hutsko, a second round choice last year. Boston wins the sweepstakes for Wisniewski but gives up early on a scoring forward with top six potential in Terry.

TRADE ALERT: St. Louis spends a rising goalie prospect to acquire a versatile middle six centre in his prime in Riley Sheahan from Detroit. STL acquires F Riley Sheahan (62gp, 11-23-34, +1); DET acquires prospect G Ville Husso (23yo, AHL 49gp, 2.61gaa, .912, 30w), 2018 STL 3rd. Analysis: The Red Wings weren't going to re-sign Sheahan. Between that being common knowledge and the market being relatively flush with options at forward they didn't have much leverage but they do address an area that is lacking on the organizational depth chart in acquiring highly regarded goaltending prospect Ville Husso. Husso was somewhat blocked in the Blues organization as 24 year old Jordan Binnington's star is rising there but some scouts believe Husso could grow into an NHL starter and a quality one at that.

RUMOURS: Garth Snow is really working to find a different home for 26 year old Brock Nelson who has struggled immensely this year while also being reportedly at an impasse in contract talks. Islanders management is also considering a goalie to share the load with 32 year old Halak, they don't have much confidence in backup Kevin Poulin as they push to stay in a playoff spot.

TRADE ALERT: Anaheim stays busy and makes a blockbuster trade, moving out fan favourite Corey Perry for a haul of futures. PIT acquires RW Corey Perry (59gp, 20-16-36, -10), D Erik Johnson (64gp, 8-8-16, -9); ANA acquires RW Beau Bennett (54gp, 9-22-31, +8), prospect F Adam Brooks (21yo, AHL 56gp, 13-27-40, -1), 2018 PIT 1st, 2018 PIT 2nd, 2020 PIT 3rd. Analysis: The Penguins make a huge splash and put the league on notice they are going for it all this year. They swing for the fences with Perry who immediately becomes their best right winger and plays with a chip on his shoulder and brings playoff experience and energy. He should thrive beside Crosby or Malkin. They move on from 26 year old Beau Bennett who is a productive middle six forward but wasn't moving the needle for them and likely won't improve any more beyond what he is. Erik Johnson gives them a legitimate NHL defenseman who can play in the top four and greatly improves their depth on the blueline. Anaheim pulls the trigger on the biggest trade of the deadline so far, bringing back a first and second round pick and a younger winger in Bennett - doubtless hoping the California native will find another level after bringing him home.

RUMOURS: Leafs GM Dave Nonis is still furiously working the lines trying to find the best value for some of his veterans as they continue with their rebuild, but the prices aren't what he and his management team had hoped they would get so far.

TRADE ALERT: The Islanders have their goalie and send center Brock Nelson down the road to New Jersey. NYI acquires G Cory Schneider (31gp, 2.78gaa, .914sv%, 3so, 11w), C Brandon Sutter (57gp, 8-15-23, +3); NJD acquires C Brock Nelson (63gp, 5-11-16, -8), prospect G Linus Soderstrom (21yo, AHL 51gp, 2.45gaa, .919sV%, 30w). Analysis: The Devils and Isles swap two way centers on expiring contracts and Garth Snow gets the best goalie available to share the crease with Halak. Lou Lamoriello makes a savvy move to pick up Nelson and see if he can extend him and hope he bounces back and grows into a top six center. He also adds 21 year old goalie Linus Soderstrom, a potential NHL goalie and immediately the top prospect between the pipes for the Devils. Soderstrom was expendable to the Islanders because their top goalie prospect is Ilya Sorokin, the Russian has elite potential and is the heir apparent to Jaroslav Halak in a year or two.

RUMOURS: Arizona GM Don Maloney shot down rumours that his team might move netminder Jake Allen, stating that Allen "is our guy and we have committed to him long term and are going to build around him and hope to have a competitive team in the next couple years in front of him."

TRADE ALERT: Joe Sakic swings a deal with Dave Nonis to acquire star winger Phil Kessel. COL acquires RW Phil Kessel (61gp, 15-12-27, -5), TOR 2019 5th; TOR acquires prospect LW Vitali Abramov (19yo, AHL 58gp, 20-15-35, +3), 2018 COL 4th, 2019 COL 2nd. Analysis: Colorado gets a bona fide talent to add to their top nine. While Kessel's production has dropped off this year (that, coupled with the availablity of a lot of wingers this year, probably led to the lower than expected price tag) he is still well regarded around the league for his offensive skill. The Avalanche won't have a pick between their first and their fifth this year but I don't think they'll mind at all if they're still playing in June. Toronto opens up more playing time for some of their young stars and recoups some more future assets at the same time.

RUMOURS: Alex Edler reportedly used his NTC to block a move to Calgary. The Flames were rumoured to have a package in place before Edler nixed it. When asked why they had been so inactive over the deadline so far, members of Jim Benning's staff in Vegas commented that he "mostly just ran out of time."

TRADE ALERT: Another Toronto trade as Philadelphia moves to bolster their roster for a playoff run with a blockbuster deal. PHI acquires RW James Neal (57gp, 15-8-23, E), LW James van Riemsdyk (62gp, 14-27-41, -1), D Dion Phaneuf (65gp, 5-21-26, +18); TOR acquires prospect LW Mathieu Joseph (21yo, AHL 57gp, 13-26-39, -2), prospect D Filip Hronek (20yo, 18gp, 2-2-4, -8), prospect RW Alexander Barabanov (23yo, AHL 58gp, 13-21-34, -1), 2018 PHI 1st. Analysis: Wow, this deal by Ron Hextall could really alter the dynamic of the Metro playoff race down the stretch. Nonis packages both of his best available forwards left in order to get the coveted first round pick he couldn't get all day for either of them. He also manages to throw in captain Dion Phaneuf, who agrees to waive his No Trade Clause to go to a potential playoff team. Phaneuf is a Philadelphia kind of player, mean and physical, and so is James Neal. JVR returns to the team that drafted him and although his reputation isn't quite to the level of Perry or Kessel, he is actually the highest scoring forward moved so far today with 41 points in 62 games. Hextall gives up a couple of promising prospects as well in Hronek and Joseph but with Crawford and Seabrook recently acquired and now this blockbuster his team is clearly committed to right now.

And that does it, no more deals are coming through and the deadline is over. Teams have made what moves they could to put them over the top for a playoff run or to set themselves up for the future.

[CanuckJohnny]

Pacioretty signs extension with Canadiens




March 2nd, 2018 -
Max Pacioretty and the Montreal Canadiens have come to terms on a four year contract extension for $4.93M per year. Pacioretty has 27 goals and 78 points for the Habs through 60 games this year.

[CanuckJohnny]

DeSmith holds the fort in rare start for key victory




March 22nd, 2018 -
Dan Bylsma has been riding Jacob Markstrom hard down the stretch but with a back to back coming up DeSmith got the start against rival Chicago. He was up to the task. First period goals from Bo Horvat and Stefan Noesen spotted him a lead and the team played solid defense in front of him, allowing only 16 shots on goal. DeSmith was perfect until five minutes to go in the game when a Ville Pokka slapshot from the point got through him, but he held at one goal allowed and Vancouver took home an important two points.

After a stretch of mediocre play Vancouver is barely staying in their playoff spot at third in the Pacific. After the win they are three points up on an Oilers squad that has a game in hand on them. They will need continued solid play down this final 8 game stretch to earn that final playoff spot. They face the defending champion Blues tomorrow, no easy task.

[CanuckJohnny]

Vancouver gets stellar performance from Markstrom in critical win over Oilers





March 29th, 2018 -
With five games remaining on the schedule and the Canucks and Oilers tied at 78 points each in the battle for third in the Pacific and the final playoff spot available to either team Edmonton rolled into Vancouver. Both teams brought losing streaks into the key matchup - Vancouver had dropped three straight while Edmonton had lost two in a row.

The first period opened with Vancouver controlling most of the play, and they scored two goals (from Hischier and Koivu) as well as outshooting the Oilers 12-5. The second saw much more even play, with the shots for the period ending up at Vancouver 14, Edmonton 11, but the Canucks were finishing incredibly, with goals from Tanev, Filatov (promoted to the second line for this game) and Sergachev, while Markstrom stood tall in Vancouver's end.

In the third a desperate Oilers team ramped up their efforts and only 32 seconds in Jordan Eberle snuck his 20th of the year past Markstrom. The attack was relentless for most of the period but Markstrom held up, facing a total of twenty shots on goal in the third and thirty six all together while only allowing a single goal. Svechnikov notched his 8th of the year for Vancouver in garbage time to seal it, a 6-1 victory at home for the Canucks. Their fate is in their own hands, but they can't afford to slip with four more games to play.

[CanuckJohnny]

Playoff Race in the East will come down to the wire

March 31st, 2018 -
The competition for the final two wild card spots in the East will be tight. The Buffalo Sabres, led by Connor McDavid, have catapulted themselves into the conversation with a seven game win streak. The Sabres are one point out of the final spot, but they have a game in hand on the Rangers and Red Wings. Rumours are circulating that Rangers GM Brendan Shanahan is on the hot seat and if this late season collapse sees them drop out of the playoffs it could be the last straw. The Red Wings have a -26 goal differential, the only current playoff team in the East with a negative differential.

Buffalo could certainly dislodge either team with continued strong play, but is their hot streak sustainable? If McDavid carries them into the playoffs it will be a heck of a story. Also impressive is the story of 24 year old Andrey Makarov who could be the real deal for them, taking over as the #1 and recording nine shutouts so far in his rookie year. Also overshadowed by McDavid are young stars Sam Reinhart (72 points) and Mikhail Grigorenko (54 points) as they continue their unlikely push for the playoffs.

[CanuckJohnny]

They are in! Vancouver clinches playoff spot with shutout victory in second last game of the season




April 5th, 2018 -
Jacob Markstrom pitched a nineteen save shutout and Patrick Sharp had a goal and an assist as Vancouver triumphed over the basement dwelling Coyotes and clinched third place in the Pacific in doing so.

The tone in the dressing room was celebratory but measured afterwards, as captain Henrik stated, "We have a lot of work to do and a long ways to go. We don't see getting into the playoffs as an achievement, we're focusing on being better every day and we want to have a long run and surprise some teams once we're there. This is just the beginning, the playoffs are a grind, we don't want to act like we've accomplished anything yet." There have been rumours this may be Henrik and Daniel's final year in the NHL, despite their recently signed extensions, as Daniel still hasn't returned from his concussion early in the year. If that is true this could be Henrik's final shot at hockey's greatest prize, unlikely though it may be.

Chris Tanev commented that "It feels better than making golf plans for next week, that's for sure. We've been on the wrong end of this too often the last couple years, it's going to feel great competing in playoff games. Looking forward to it."