Nichols' Notes
/According to Larry Brooks with The New York Post, the Rangers will not be asking Rick Nash to waive his no-move clause and he has no intention of volunteering to do so either.
Brooks' Slap Shots offering also suggests the New York Islanders 'should be mighty interested if the Maple Leafs are still dangling Jake Gardiner.'
Excellent look at the potential permutations of the Stars’ first power play unit from DallasNews.com’s Mike Heika this week.
Bench boss Lindy Ruff knows the team, which finished with a paltry 15.1 percent conversation rate last year (23rd overall), needs improvement and sees the potential for good things with the new additions of Jason Spezza and Ales Hemsky.
With Tyler Seguin and Spezza both liking to work off of the left halfwall, Ruff sees the possibility of moving Spezza to the point.
“I think Jason could,” Ruff said. “A lot of what Getzlaf was doing for Anaheim, dishing the puck up top, he has that reach and that ability to see ice. If he could slide to a lefty, either Goligoski or Daley, or slide it to Tyler Seguin, they’re both one-timers. That’s something we’ve already talked about.”
Last year the Stars had Seguin, Jamie Benn, Alex Chiasson, Goligoski and Ray Whitney logging the most first unit power play time over the course of the season. Chiasson was dealt to the Ottawa Senators in the Spezza deal and Whitney is a UFA who won’t be back in Dallas. Spezza should be a lock for that first unit with Seguin and Benn, while Hemsky will see a fair amount of time there as well. Barring unstoppably dynamic chemistry of a five-man set, we’ll probably see the Stars go with a rotating fifth piece on PP1 amongst Hemsky, Daley (if a forward isn’t adequately filling the second point slot), Erik Cole, and Valeri Nichushkin. Cole and Nichushkin clearly bring a different skill-set to the table than Hemsky, so it's not a stretch at all to suggest they'll each be rotated in at times as they and the situation merit.
The Stars’ top four PP minute-munchers (Seguin, Benn, Chiasson and Goligoski) had a noticeable jump in time over the rest and the addition of Spezza in Chiasson’s spot should only enhance the separation from the rest of the pack.
However the pieces fall into place for PP1 and PP2, Ruff has an increasing talent base from which to draw – including an emerging star in young Nichushkin.
New Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Johnston and superstar Sidney Crosby finally crossed paths, in a way, for the first time on Saturday.
“We hadn’t met before today,” Johnston told Willy Palov of The Chronicle Herald by phone on Saturday afternoon. “There was no connection other than growing up in the same area. Today was the first time I actually had a chance to get to know Sidney. We just had a long talk on the phone. I came in to Pittsburgh today our development camp starts on Monday. We had a great talk and that was the very first time we’d ever met.”
If you missed it headed into the weekend, Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff was asked about Evander Kane’s recent vague answer on an interview with Team 1040 Tuesday. The winger’s comments were covered in Nichols’ Notes.
"I have lots of conversations with lots of players all the time," Cheveldayoff said, via The Free Press's Ed Tait. "When you’re behind closed doors and having conversations, be it with a coach, be it with a trainer, be it with a manager... lots of things are said and will remain in house.
"The hard part about questions like that, and I was asked that question at the draft as well and I responded that it was an unfair question... what I mean about that is if I answer every question about every rumour, every speculation that a may or may not have asked something or may or may not have said something, I’d be answering those all day long.
"Evander Kane is a Winnipeg Jet and that’s how we’re going forward."
It certainly seems like Kane doesn’t want to be in Winnipeg and if that perception is incorrect, then that’s on Kane. Trade rumours will abound regardless because that’s the age in which we live, but it’s a pretty easy fix to make it known your preference would be to stay in town. Look no further than to how Sam Gagner handled round after round of trade chatter in his time with the Edmonton Oilers before finally being dealt recently in that entertaining three-way.
Well, 'entertaining three-way' is probably a bit redundant. But I digress.
Kane is one supremely talented individual who, at the age of 22, has barely scratched the surface of his abilities on the ice. The Jets know this, which is why they’re reluctant to part with him unless they get a substantial return on their investment.
Within the next few years, Kane has the ability and potential to develop into a monstrous talent – if he wants it badly enough. I think he does and I believe he’ll get there.
The question remains: In which team’s jersey will he make that transformation?
Matt Niskanen spoke with the Washington media Saturday and, via The Post’s Alex Prewitt, relays how important he feels the transition game will be in his role with the Capitals.
“My job and my approach to it is get those guys the puck as fast as you can,” Niskanen said. “If we’re on defense playing the rush or in your own zone, get them the puck as fast as you can. You want to have possession, get it out of your end clean, get ‘em the puck in an area they can do something with it.”
The Vancouver Sun’s Elliott Pap examines the Canucks’ summer development sessions. GM Jim Benning and director of player development Stan Smyl provide their own perspectives on how summers have changed drastically for NHL teams since they each played.
Prospect Brendan Gaunce pointed out that aside from the training and nutrition teaching elements that are designed to help the kids take that next step, there is also another important aspect to these camps.
“You also see guys here who have played in different leagues, in colleges, the WHL, QMJHL, OHL, and I think you can learn about the different styles of their games,” said Gaunce. “I think you just kind of take bits and pieces from each guy. As for the bonding part, I’ve made a couple of good friendships here. It’s a good atmosphere coming to the rink and it’s not a kind of dog-eat-dog situation. It’s more you’re all trying to make the team together and you could all possibly play together in the future.”
Speaking of the Canucks, Jason Botchford at The Province examines the health of Hunter Shinkaruk, who had hip labrum surgery in January. The result? Apparently ‘more strength and mobility in his hip than he ever had.’
Botchford: Shinkaruk oozes love-for-the-game. If it was a measurable, he’d hit 11.
We’ll see how things go for the talented winger in training camp in the fall.
The Chicago Blackhawks have, as Mark Lazerus of The Sun-Times points out, become renowned for developing prospects and turning them into NHL players.
GM Stan Bowman illustrates why patience is, whenever possible, the best route possible for teams with prospects.
“That’s the one thing for us — you get a guy who spent a couple years developing, they have confidence and they’re ready for that next challenge,” Bowman said. “It works better that way than taking a kid who’s played 15 games in the AHL, put him in the NHL, and if they don’t have success right away, they start to question themselves, change their game and may never get it back. We don’t want to go that route.”
The better a job at developing depth in a roster, the easier it is to practice that philosophy. The Hawks, clearly, have been excellent in this area.
“It’s a progression,” Bowman noted. “It takes time. We’re fortunate we don’t have to rush guys into spots where they may not be prepared.”
Brandon Dubinsky signed his six-year, $35.1 million contract extension with the Columbus Blue Jackets Friday and The Dispatch’s Aaron Portzline ran a Q&A with the forward.
The Blue Jackets will continue to look to him to help lead the younger players on the roster, which is a natural progression as players age in the league. So who taught him what it means to be a leader?
“ I’ve been pretty lucky,” Dubinsky said. “I’ve played with a couple of Hall of Famers and a couple of almost Hall of Famers. When I first came into the league, I mean ... my first couple of years it was like an All-Star Team. Whether it was Jaromir Jagr’s work ethic … you learn from a guy like that where, it’s the end of the season, you’re about to go into the playoffs and he pulls you aside as a 21-year-old and says ‘We’re going to start riding the bike harder after practice.’ You look at him like, ‘Whoa, we’ve gone through a full season already.’ And he says ‘This is going to make us better in Game 6 or 7 in the playoffs.’ Or a guy like Chris Drury, who didn’t say a whole lot, but when he did say something it meant something and everybody listened. I played with Markus Naslund, who taught me a lot, and I only played with him for one season. I’ve been fortunate to play with a lot of guys, and just taking bits and pieces from guys along the way has really helped me out.”
With the St. Louis Blues bringing back Steve Ott with a two-year, $5.2 million deal, GM Doug Armstrong pointed out that one of Ott’s strengths as a player is his ability to be a utility guy who can be moved around the lineup and who competes with the requisite grit and determination.
One of the more important factors for Ott and the Blues headed into 2014-15, though, could be Ott’s good health. He knows that a shoulder injury and a sports hernia – which was already operated on in the off-season – limited his effectiveness in his short stint with the team since being traded from the Buffalo Sabres.
“I’m skating like crazy and working out like crazy,” Ott said, via Jeremy Rutherford of The Post-Dispatch. “(The sports hernia) was bothering me for the last few months, and it’s just nice to know that I’m all fixed up. I can already tell, such a tremendous difference in the gym and when I’m skating. I take a big onus on myself to come in and have a big year this year.
“I’m sure you’ll see a little bit of a different player. I can’t wait to start with a fresh, clean slate going into camp and continue to get comfortable, rather than the situation that presented itself last year.”
There was a quiet, but potentially important, note regarding Detroit Red Wings center Stephen Weiss on Friday.
"(Trainer) Piet Van Zant texted him two days ago," general manager Ken Holland said, via Ansar Khan of Michigan Live. "He said he's feeling great, he's training hard; he's played some shinny. So far all reports are he's healed and ready to roll in September."
The Wings’ signing of Weiss to a five-year, $24.5 million contract last summer has been largely criticized after his disastrous, injury-plagued campaign. But while the deal certainly hasn’t worked out even to close the Wings’ favor so far, it’s still early enough in that pact for the proverbial tide to turn. Keep in mind that the NHL’s salary cap is due to make some pretty sizeable jumps over the next four years, so having a second line center locked in at $4.9 million could still turn out well for this team. Weiss needs to be healthy, yes, but he’s been pretty durable over his career aside from the last two years. He’ll also have some talented wingers with which to play, so let’s not completely write off the guy’s potential to be someone for this team just yet.
Chad LaRose didn’t play for any team last season, but had stayed in touch with Canes assistant coach Rod Brind’Amour during the year and has contacted the team about a possible return.
GM Ron Francis sounds open to the idea.
"I'd like to talk to him," Francis said, via Chip Alexander of The News & Observer. "He took a year off and obviously he'd need to earn his way back. There are some options. We could get him to camp on a tryout. He could start the season in Charlotte (AHL), show that he could still do it.”
If you missed it, Chip’s story explains why things soured a bit between LaRose and the team at the end of the prior campaign.
Anaheim’s signing of Dany Heatley this week came with mixed reaction because, frankly, Heatley still has a stigma attached to his name. Making $7.5 million per season with severely waning production will do that to a player.
The Ducks seem like a perfect landing spot for the veteran winger though, and while nobody should get too crazy with point expectations, there is little doubt Heatley will be poised for an increase in that department as he shifts back into a steady top-six role in Southern California. While reprising a first line wing role with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry would naturally be ideal, Heatley could do some serious damage on a unit with Ryan Kesler too.
Heatley is hungry to prove himself again. He’ll see a more prominent power play role with the Ducks than he finished with in Minnesota, thanks in part also to Teemu Selanne's retirement. Let’s also not gloss over the fact that being a good teammate on the Wild, despite being relegated to a fourth line role, had to have played a big part in contending Anaheim believing Heatley was worth the $1 million gamble as a reclamation project of sorts. A bargain is one thing, but no contending team wants to bring on a potential disruption in the locker room.
Is Heatley poised for a dominant statistical comeback? Not likely, but I also believe he’s not – as many have suggested – ‘finished.’ The answer, as is often the case, likely lies somewhere in between.
Defenseman Nate Prosser remains a UFA, and told Chad Graff of The Pioneer Press on Saturday that his agent and the Minnesota Wild are still talking.
"It's a waiting game," said Prosser, who also indicated he's "waiting to hear back from a few teams that are checking their depth charts and everything to see if I fit in."