Ramblings: Quick Injury Goes From Bad to Worse (Oct. 15)

steve laidlaw

2016-10-14

Quick out for months, Couturier's breakout potential, Backlund a depth option, and more.

Oh good gravy the Jonathan Quick injury news keeps getting worse and worse.

A trade must be coming soon but I cannot envision the team that’s positioned to trade them a goalie. A few weeks ago, I wonder if the Lightning would have shipped out Ben Bishop to clear enough cap space to sign Nikita Kucherov to a long term deal, instead of a bridge deal. That’s moot now. It’s tough to see the Lightning making a move now that their roster is set. The Quick situation is an example of why having two capable starters is good insurance.

So who has the kind of goaltending depth to make a deal?

Winnipeg? Would the Kings have any interest in Michael Hutchinson or Ondrej Pavelec? I imagine Pavelec would go for cheap.

The Ducks surely wouldn’t send Jonathan Bernier to a division rival would they? Also, they gave up a pick in order to acquire Bernier so why would they move him so quickly?

Perhaps the Senators are interested in moving Andrew Hammond with Matt O’Connor waiting in the wings.

It just seems too early in the season for a team to write things off and move a goaltender. Mike Condon likely comes available once Matt Murray gets back for the Penguins but that’s still a few weeks away.

I could see Ryan Miller coming available once the Canucks appear out of it this season but that could take until Christmas.

Before we write off the Kings entirely, remember that the Wild a few years ago hung around just long enough that once they acquired Devan Dubnyk they were ready to pop and make a run at a playoff spot. Perhaps the Kings have enough to cobble together such a second half once Quick returns, or after acquiring a new starter. The Wild got by with the unimpressive tandem of Darcy Kuemper and Niklas Backstrom before Dubnyk came available.

However, watching Jeff Zatkoff get roasted by the Flyers I am not certain that any goalie they acquire becomes a must-own commodity.

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Great start for PK Subban in Nashville:

The fans ate it up, as well they should.

One bit of concern: Subban skated “only” 23:04, down over three minutes from his average if time in Montreal. Most of that lost ice time was on the power play as Subban skated only 1:56 with the man advantage, down from the 4:37 he saw in Montreal. This is a big deal and it’s something I feared would happen.

On the other hand, there are some big winners of a stacked #1 PP in Nashville, namely Ryan Johansen who had three PP assists. The other members of that top unit: Mike Fisher (a goal and an assist), James Neal, Roman Josi and Filip Forsberg. I don’t love Fisher here but he has some value as a net-front guy, I suppose. The rest of that unit is drool worthy.

Also drool worthy, the Predators’ top line:

16.38%  EV           FIALA,KEVIN – FORSBERG,FILIP – JOHANSEN,RYAN

They barely used Forsberg and Johansen together last season so while they were experimenting with this during the pre-season, I wasn’t certain they would link up and it was enough to steer me away from pursuing a Forsberg-Johansen tandem in all my pools. Seems like a mistake on my part.

Really good spot for Kevin Fiala. He should only have value in keepers, daily fantasy and deep one-year leagues.

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Two games in, the Blackhawks lines have already been thrown into the blender:

12.07%  EV           PANARIN,ARTEMI – PANIK,RICHARD – TOEWS,JONATHAN

11.64%  EV           ANISIMOV,ARTEM – KANE,PATRICK – MOTTE,TYLER

7.33%    EV           HOSSA,MARIAN – PANARIN,ARTEMI – TOEWS,JONATHAN

7.33%    EV           ANISIMOV,ARTEM – KANE,PATRICK – PANARIN,ARTEMI

4.31%    EV           ANISIMOV,ARTEM – KANE,PATRICK – SCHMALTZ,NICK

4.31%    EV           HINOSTROZA,VINNIE – SCHMALTZ,NICK – TOOTOO,JORDIN

I fear that this will be a theme all season.

No points for Kane so far, but don’t panic. The Blackhawks’ schedule will even out and he’ll score soon enough.

Tough luck for Blackhawks rookie Ryan Hartman:

An already thin group will be stretched even further.

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Brian Elliott has seen enough of Connor McDavid:

McDavid is off to a great start and the linemates appear to be clicking as well as both Milan Lucic and Jordan Eberle added a pair of points. Also with two points; Leon Draisaitl who has found a home as the net-front guy on the Oilers’ top PP unit.

I’m not convinced that any of the Oilers’ lines outside of the top group is any good so we might see Draisaitl be very streaky but skating on that top unit should make him productive enough to have relevance.

Kris Russell has points in both games with the Oilers but he is well behind Andrej Sekera and Oscar Klefbom on the depth chart for that all important PP time. In fact, Russell didn’t see a second of time on the PP last night. Don’t count on him being particularly relevant if your league doesn’t track blocked shots.

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It was a home game for Calgary so naturally Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan found some points.

I am more interested in what Michael Frolik and Mikael Backlund are putting together as depth scorers. The two have clicked for points in each of the first two games, which continues the chemistry that they flashed last season. Backlund scored 32 points in 45 games over the second half of last season, a 58-point pace. I doubt 58 is in play for Backlund but perhaps 50 is attainable.

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Amazingly enough, Sean Couturier has yet to score 40 points in an NHL season. If not for injuries, he probably gets there last season. He scored 39 in 63 games, a 51-point pace.

Couturier has a pair of goals as I finish writing this. The second line of Couturier, Travis Konecny (two assist in his NHL debut) and Jakub Voracek has looked really good. Offensive talent all over that line. If Konecny wants to stick on this line, he’ll need to keep producing. Great start.

Everyone wants to know what to do with Ivan Provorov (who got his first NHL assist). He has paired with Mark Streit on an intriguing pairing. Talented as he is, I maintain Provorov won’t be fantasy relevant unless Shayne Gostisbehere gets hurt.

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The prognosis is in for Evander Kane. He cracked three ribs and will be out for weeks.

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Bryan Little is out indefinitely with a knee injury.

I’m not sure if that is a positive or a negative. It seems these days teams “hoping” for an injury to heal without surgery just wind up losing the player for longer.

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One shouldn’t overreact but after last season’s rigmarole do you trust anything the Canadiens have to say?

Al Montoya makes an intriguing option for a spot start, although with today’s stacked slate you may not have room in your lineup.

As always, check Goaliepost daily for the latest goalie start information.

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How about some good news?

Rakell will likely center the second line with Corey Perry on his wing but this is a team with a lot of options. Remember, Rakell was used quite frequently as the left winger alongside Ryan Getzlaf and Perry. My big question is whether or not Rakell will skate with those two on the top PP unit. Right now it’s Jakob Silfverberg in that spot. One of Rakell or Silfverberg has a shot at a 60-point season if he clicks.

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Have you signed up for Dobbernomics yet? It’s the free fantasy hockey game where the players are like stocks in that their value changes daily based on performance. Your job is to buy low and sell high to build the best squad possible. Did we mention that it’s free?

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I made an appearance on the Roto Hockey Show earlier this week, making some bold predictions before the season kicked off. Check it out! We ended up breaking it up into a two-parter so I’m hoping to finish up the second half this weekend for release next week. This show is definitely worth your time. I tune in every week, even when I am not on the show.

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Thanks for reading. Follow me @SteveLaidlaw.

13 Comments

  1. Travis Merrick 2016-10-15 at 00:51

    The Rakell signing really hampers Lindholm signing without at least two corresponding moves…could be awhile…

  2. Striker 2016-10-15 at 06:51

    Not that it matters as Anaheim won’t be trading Bernier to LA regardless as Anaheim has playoff aspirations, Gibson has never been able to stay healthy & Anaheim has to have some concerns about his stage of development having never played more than 40 games in 1 season in the NHL.

    That said Toronto will only receive a pick if 1 of 2 things happens. Bernier makes it to the Stanley Cup final with Anaheim or the team they trade him to & he plays 1/2 the teams playoff games. If the team he’s on wins the cup it’s a 2nd & if he’s on the losers team it’s a 3rd. That’s not happening.

    Also the Bernier deal was really part of the Anderson trade & was only delayed so Toronto could pick up his 2 million bonus on July 1st, then ship him off to Anaheim. Anaheim took the entire cap hit but only 2.15 mil in actually salary.

  3. Striker 2016-10-15 at 07:00

    With Getzlaf, Kesler, Vermette & Wagner at C don’t you think it’s more likely Rackell plays LW? Do you really want Vermette playing as the 4th line C? His face off skills should mean far more ice time than would normally go to a 4th line C. If Rackell plays C as you propose, then I assume Vermette is moving to LW? He could still take draws regardless of playing C or LW when on the ice. Vermette seems like the better 3rd line C option.

    Isn’t Cogliano, Kesler & Sifverberg locked in as the 2nd line in Anaheim? I except it’s an odd 2nd line but they play all the difficult minutes against the other teams best players but still provide decent secondary scoring & by TOI they are certainly the 2nd line.

  4. Chris Liggio 2016-10-15 at 07:13

    owning McDavid and Elliott this season has made for some interesting reactions throughout these first few days.

  5. Striker 2016-10-15 at 07:15

    My final point of the day. Elliott owners buckle up. As I state when ever discussing goalies no teams overall defensive abilities are better reflected than by a goalies #’s. As people slagged Calgary & Dallas goalies all year I said there were far bigger issues in play than just their respective goalies. You could put Schneider in net or the reincarnation of Sawchuk & they wouldn’t post respectable #’s for these teams.

    Even with a D of Giordano, Brodie, Hamilton, Wideman & last season Russell Calgary’s goals against were brutal, Dallas’s not great & it’s early but the trend appears to be continuing. It isn’t goaltending that’s the problem specifically but missed assignments primarily by the forwards but also the defense.

    In fairness they have a new coach in Calgary, so a new system to learn & it’s early but if you were assuming Elliott would come into Calgary & even post average SV% #’s your going to be disappointed. I struggled to complete my standings rankings & lay my wagers for teams making the playoffs, winning rounds, conference finals & the Stanley Cup as the parity in the NHL between 13th placed team & 26th place team in the NHL is shocking. I see the standings in the NHL this season for all but 3 teams as incredibly tight in both conferences.

    Those 3 teams being Toronto in the East who I have dead last in the NHL & in the West I have Vancouver last & Calgary 2nd to last & those are my bottom 3 teams in the NHL. I took TB at 9 to 1 to win the cup.

  6. rowan94 2016-10-15 at 07:59

    Do them embedded tweet videos not play fullscreen for anyone else? Using Chrome

  7. VancouverIslander 2016-10-15 at 09:11

    Should the Kings not call Garth Snow? He might actually welcome a chance to ease the congestion in the Islanders’ three’s-a-crowd crease. L.A. developed J-F Berube before inexplicably waiving him. The Islanders could return him to the Kings for a price. Thomas Greiss might interest the Kings as a relatively affordable stop-gap measure.

    • Striker 2016-10-15 at 09:22

      Plenty of potential options available for LA in net. I had LA in trouble this season. There cap space; Brown!, & can any team afford to pay a player 10 mil per in todays cap world?, is killing their depth & their a bubble team for me to make the playoffs with Quick. With out him, even if they find a stop gap I just don’t see it. NYI is an obvious target. Well thought out.

      Enjoying the storms on the island? Been trying to get my house ready for sale; lists Monday, in the Cowichan Valley & the weather is wreaking havoc with my efforts. Ha-ha!

      • VancouverIslander 2016-10-15 at 10:14

        We’re e3xpecting q

      • VancouverIslander 2016-10-15 at 10:17

        We’re expecting quite a blow in the Comox Valley. I’m scheduled to drive up to Cumberland to catch a house concert by a wonderful singer named PK Tessmann, but I might stay home with my wife if it looks like we’re a good bet for a power outage.

    • Phil 2016-10-15 at 12:19

      The isles are in a great position to move a goalie. Halak has already stated he doesn’t like the 3 goalie set up..there’s only 2 nets so someone has to watch during practice. My guess would be Griess as he would fetch more from LA, but Berube seems the logical choice. It would be a bold move if Snow could move Halak, but $$$ is a probablem and he’s proven he can’t stay healthy.

      • VancouverIslander 2016-10-15 at 14:20

        The other issue is L.A.’s cap space or lack thereof. With slightly more than $1.5 million to spare, they would have to free some cap. Halak’s hit is $4.5 million this season and next, so he’s out. Greiss is a much more affordable $1.5 M and Berube would make a great short-term fix for L.A. because his hit is just $675,000, although he’s an RFA after the season. I’m sure smarter guys than me will work something out.

  8. wotan 2016-10-15 at 16:33

    Just throwing this out here: FLA has three NHL Goalies in Lu, Reimer and Berra. Couldn’t Berra make sense for the Kings? He’s not that proven, either, but has shown to be capable to carry a team for stretches – and he’d be an upgrade over Zatkoff for sure and an affordable one on top of that.

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