The Impact of Matt Niskanen's Retirement on the Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers offseason went from what should have been a dull one to a being a potentially intriguing one in the drop of a hat. 

A veteran defenseman retiring wouldn’t be a big deal in the NHL, but this is 2020. Matt Niskanen decided to retire even though he still has one year left on his current contract at a $5.75 million cap hit. Sure, with Niskanen retiring,  it frees up that cap space, which almost every team will be looking for with a flat cap for the next few years. The Flyers have also re-signed veteran defenseman, Justin Braun. Braun was an unrestricted free agent, the Flyers would have let go, but with Niskanen retiring, the team didn’t want to lose another piece of the penalty kill. Braun signed a new two-year contract worth $3.6 million to go with a $1.8 million cap hit.  The team will miss the leadership and experience that Niskanen brought to the team. 

Niskanen’s retirement will have an impact in the long run that fans may think. The team was in a much better position for the expansion draft, but now that could change. If the team goes and acquires or signs a free agent to a longer-term deal, it may force them to have to make a tough decision as to which blueliners to protect come the expansion draft. The biggest question in all of this is who is Ivan Provorov’s partner this season? Can Provorov has the same success he did this season without Niskanen as his partner? 

Who is Ivan Provorov’s Defense Partner Next Season?

It is one of the longer-term questions that Niskanen’s retirement brings to the table. Do Chuck Fletcher and the Flyers go out and sign someone like Alex Pietrangelo, or maybe try to acquire someone like Matt Dumba? This blue line will be young next season, but there is experience there. I feel like if the Flyers do anything at all, it will be to acquire a top pairing, veteran defenseman. The team could do this via trade or free agency. The team should go after someone who is a decent defender, so Provorov doesn’t have to worry about defending all the time and can maybe pick up some points in the offensive zone.

Sure, the Flyers very well could stand pat and go with who they have on the current roster. The defensemen on the current roster are Provorov, Braun, Shayne Gostisbehere, Robert Hagg, Travis Sanheim, and Phil Myers. They could bring up a guy like Mark Friedman, who could rotate in and out as the seventh defenseman, but I’d rather have Friedman getting some ice time with the AHL club than being the seventh for the Flyers. If everything stands pat, who moves up to play with Provorov? Sanheim played with him for a bit during the 2018-19 season, but that breaks up the Sanheim-Myers pairing. I don’t think Gostisbehere would even be an option to play top-pairing minutes at this point since he’s been so inconsistent and injury-prone the past few seasons. 

Can the Flyers still package Shayne Gostisbehere in a Deal?

Another impact of Niskanen’s retirement: can the Flyers afford to trade Gostisbehere or is he too valuable to the team? The Flyers have some defensive prospects in the system like Egor Zamula and Cam York, but those guys likely won’t see the NHL for another few years. With this being the case and Niskanen no longer a place holder, should the Flyers still see if there are any takers out there for Gostisbehere? My answer to this is yes because they still need a scorer, and it wouldn’t hurt to see what a package with Gostisbehere could bring the team in return.

Gostisbehere has had one good NHL season and that was his rookie one. Granted, the injuries have started to pile up in the last few years. It seems like even when he is healthy, he is a risk on the ice. And yes, I get that those fakes and moves he makes at the offensive blue line are something that most defensemen can’t do, but he is unreliable in the defensive zone. He takes chances with the puck, when he should just clear it or get it to a teammate to clear.  

WHAT IMPACT COULD THIS HAVE ON THE EXPANSION DRAFT?

If Niskanen decided to play out the season and not retire, the Flyers would have been in good shape going into the NHL Expansion Draft for the Seattle Kraken. The decision on which defensemen to protect would have been an easy one with Provorov, Sanheim, and Myers. If the Flyers have to sign or acquire a defenseman with some term to his contract, this will make it more difficult for the team. Yes, they could protect four defensemen, but then that would only leave four forwards to protect. 

Two of those forwards, Claude Giroux and Kevin Hayes, have no-movement clauses, which means the Flyers would have to protect them. That would leave two players to protect, and they would likely be Sean Couturier and Travis Konecny. If the Flyers had to go this way, then they risk losing Oskar Lindblom. Another option would be for the Flyers to make a deal with the Kraken to take James van Riemsdyk off its hands, but at what cost? It still may cost them either some draft picks or a young player that is NHL ready.

Niskanen’s retirement doesn’t just have short-term effects, but also provides some longer-term ones, but I’m sure Fletcher and the Flyers will figure it out, and if they don’t, the fans will have some younger players to look forward to seeing in the future.

3 Keys: Avalanche @ Sharks

The Colorado Avalanche visit the San Jose Sharks tonight with puck drop being at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The Avalanche are looking to break a two game losing streak, while the Sharks are just looking to play better down the stretch. If the Avalanche win tonight then they would be in first place in the Central Division. The Sharks only have pride left to play for this season, but I wouldn't expect this team to just lay down.

The Avalanche should look to get out to a fast start and maybe even get the first goal of the game. The Sharks need the first goal of the game and will likely rely have to rely on its goaltender to make saves. The Avalanche are dealing with injuries to major players, but Nathan MacKinnon is healthy and putting up some points, while Joonas Donskoi returns to San Jose for the first time since signing a free agent deal with the Avalanche in the offseason. Despite the Sharks not play well, Evander Kane has managed to score 25 goals so far this season.

Here are three keys to tonight's Western Conference match up:

1.) Avalanche Get Off to Fast Start

The Avalanche are a better team when they get off to a fast start and get the first goal of the game. If the Avs score the first goal of the game then they are 30-6-7, but if the opposition scores first then they are only 10-13-1 in those games. The team could get off to a fast start by getting some pressure on the Sharks' goalie early in the game by getting pucks to the net. The Avalanche should try to establish the forecheck and cycle game early so they can spend some time the offensive zone since they have 71 first period goals on the season. The Avs should come out using their speed and being involved in the game early.

2.)  Sharks' Martin Jones

Jones has not been the most reliable goalie in the past few years. He tends to let up at least one soft goal per game, but this season the defense in front of him has not been good at all. The goalie has a 2.97 goals against average and an .898 save percentage. Those numbers are not particularly good, and he faces a high power offense tonight in the Avalanche. Jones is going to have to be great in this game and make saves for the Sharks to even have a shot at grabbing two points in this one. The guys in front of him will turn the puck over so Jones needs to be ready and read the play to make the saves that will need to be made tonight.

3.) Get the First Goal

These two teams just play better when they manage to get that elusive first goal of the game. The Avalanche almost need to get the first goal of the game to win. If they can manage to get the first goal then they can build off of that momentum. The Sharks are 20-7-3 when scoring first, while just 9-27-2 when the opposition scores first. The Sharks are not a good team when trailing and having to come from behind especially since they've had issues putting the puck in the net all season. The game may come down to whichever team scores the first goal of the game and can build off of it.

Players to Watch

1.) Avalanche's Joonas Donskoi

This will be Donskoi's first game back to San Jose after signing a free agent contract with the Avalanche in the offseason. Donskoi spent his first four NHL seasons with the Sharks. The forward has been a depth addition to the Avalanche and has 32 points on the season despite missing some time with injury. I'd look for Donskoi to be into the game and have a multipoint night tonight since he's facing his old team and this game could mean a little more to him.

2.) Sharks' Evander Kane

Despite the Sharks having issues putting the puck in the net, Kane has 25 goals on the season. He isn't afraid to go to greasy areas to get goals. The forward can also use his speed to get to loose pucks. Kane isn't afraid to get to the front of the net for deflections or rebound chances. The Avalanche will need to be aware of where Kane is on the ice at al times, but that shouldn't be difficult since he likes to be involved in the play while he is out on the ice. 

3 Keys: Lightning @ Red Wings

The Tampa Bay Lightning visit Little Cesars Arena to take on the Detroit Red Wings tonight. The Lightning are looking to inch two points closer to the Boston Bruins for the top spot in the Atlantic. The Detroit Red Wings will be playing for their pride and a chance at getting even better odds at winning the NHL Draft Lottery.

The Bolts beat the Red Wings 2-1 on Dec. 29, 2019, which was the only other time they faced each other this season. The two teams are trending in the opposite directions with the Lightning looking to have a good stretch run for better playoff positioning, and the Red Wings have already been eliminated from playoff contention.

Here are three keys for tonight's match up between the two teams:

1.) Don't Play Down to Opponent- Lightning

The Lightning need to be ready to play this game from puck drop, which could be hard after coming off of a high octane game against the Bruins last night. The Bolts can't expect to win, but they're going to need to make sure to put the effort in for a full 60 minutes tonight. The Red Wings will won't be in the postseason, but that doesn't mean they still aren't playing for their pride, and could look to play spoiler for some other teams still in the race. The Lightning need to approach this game like it is against one of the better teams in the NHL and not the worst. If the Bolts don't put in the effort and are sloppy with the puck then the Red Wings could steal a very important two points from them.

2.) Avoid Slow, Sloppy Start- Red Wings

The Red Wings have only scored 42 first period goals this season, while giving up 60. If the Red Wings come out slow and aren't ready to play this game then it'll be over before it even started. The Lightning are too good of a team to not take advantage of its opposition's mistakes and slow starts, so the Red Wings need to avoid  both. A good way to do this would be to establish a forecheck and cycle game early so they can get some offensive zone time and not have to defend as much. The biggest key to the game for the Red Wings will be avoiding turning over the puck in their own zone to avoid unnecessary scoring chances for the Lightning.

3.) Leading after Second Period- Lightning and Red Wings

The Red Wings haven't been good at too many things this season, but when leading after the second period, the team actually has a winning record. The Red Wings are 9-4-2 when leading after the middle frame, so they may want to have the lead heading into the third period. A way to do that is to get an early goal so the momentum and confidence is on its side going forward. The Lightning are 31-1-4 when leading after the second period, so if the Red Wings don't have the lead going into the third, it will be virtually impossible for them to get any points out of the game.

Players to Watch

1.) Dylan Larkin- Detroit Red Wings

Larkin is one of the Red Wings that is actually having a pretty decent season. He has 18 goals, 32 assists and 50 points. He leads the team in both assists and points. The first line center can play with speed, which can be dangerous at times. Larkin not only has good vision, but he can put the puck in the net too. The 23-year-old is in his fifth season and has been one of the few bright spots for the rebuilding Red Wings. He hasn't had much help this season, but watch out when him and Tyler Bertuzzi are on the ice because they can produce. 

2.) Nikita Kucherov- Lightning

Kucherov got off to a slow start, but has managed to turn it on. He has 32 goals, 50 assists and 82 points. He leads the Lightning in goals, assists and points. Kucherov will be leaned on even more down the stretch since Steven Stamkos will miss the rest of the regular season with an injury. Kucherov can do it all and the Red Wings will need to be aware of where he is on the ice at all times. The Red Wings have to make sure that they have a man on Kucherov and not leave him wide open for a shot because he likely won't miss the net with his shot. 

Flyers Add Veteran Depth for Postseason Push

The Philadelphia Flyersare right in the thick of things in the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference Playoff race. The Flyers didn’t make the splashy moves like their Metropolitan Division foes did, but the moves they made at the NHLTrade Deadline will help this team in the long run. The team acquired veteran forwards Nate Thompsonand Derek Grantin two separate trades.

Every trade has its pros and cons, but let’s focus on the positives these two players will bring to the Flyers. There were cheap options since the team was already up against the salary cap. The forwards bring even more versatility to the Flyers’ lineup. The trade will help an already decent penalty kill be even better, and they won’t block the young kids from being a part of the Flyers in the future.

SALARY CAP LIMITATIONS & YOUNG KIDS

The Flyers didn’t have much cap space going into NHL Trade Deadline Day, so these two trades made perfect sense for the team. Thompson only has a cap hit of $1 million this season, while Grant’s cap hit is only $700,000 for the year. It won’t make too much of dent in the already dwindling cap space.

These two forwards are also unrestricted free agents at the end of the season. If the Flyers decide not to re-sign either one of these players, then it won’t block a youngster likeJoel Farabee from making the team out of training camp. The Flyers rookies have contributed when called upon, and with Grant and Thompson possibly being gone after the season, the young kids could still make the roster next season.

VERSATILITY

The Flyers were one of the deeper teams to start the season, but then the news of Nolan Patrick having a migraine disorder was announced by the team. This news hit the center depth of the team hard, as it was figured that Patrick would be the third line center behind Sean Couturier and Kevin Hayes with Scott Laughtonbeing the fourth line center. The trades will be able to keep Claude Girouxon the wing, where he has excelled in the past few seasons.

Thompson will be the Flyers’ new fourth line center replacing Michael Raffl, who did an admiral job filling in, even though he is not a natural center. Grant’s arrival means that depending on matchups the Flyers can slide Laughton to the wing and Grant to center if needed. Morgan Frost can work on his game without the puck while with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for the rest of the season, which will benefit him in the long run, instead of being up with the Flyers and not playing. The addition of the two forwards means more options at the center position, and throughout the lineup.

IMPROVED PENALTY KILL

The Flyers penalty kill has improved this season. The team was ranked in the bottom third last season, but are now the 12th best team at killing penalties in the NHL. In 62 games, the Flyers are killing off 81.7% of the penalties they take. They have allowed 34 power-play goals against in 186 times shorthanded while adding seven shorthanded goals. The addition of Kevin Hayes has made this penalty killing squad better this season, and Thompson and Grant have the potential to make it even better.

The addition of these two forwards will mean that Giroux will only need to take defensive zone draws on the penalty kill only when needed. Grant and Thompson will be solid options on the penalty kill if one of the Flyers better forward penalty killers is in the penalty box. Grant already has three shorthanded goals on the season, and could potentially add more if he’s used by Alain Vigneault while shorthanded. Thompson can eat up some valuable minutes and take face-offs while a man down.

Sabres Slashes: Second Half Resolutions

The Buffalo Sabres have passed the halfway mark of its season, and the results have not been good. The team went out and made some significant moves to get better in the offseason, but it looks like the same old Sabres on the ice.

The higher expectations were met the first month of the season, but the team has fizzled since that time. They started 9-0-3, but are 11-16-9 since Oct. 28, 2019. They started similarly last season, but eventually, the team cooled off, just as it has in the first half of this season.

There is no doubt that this team needs to focus on a few areas to improve and gain some fans back. One area would be to improve its special teams, which have been holding this team back. They're going to need the bottom six to step up and in a big way because they can't be a one-line team, and expect to make a playoff push. Consistency is a big key for the team heading into the second half, whether it is in-game or from game-to-game.  Carter Hutton has to step up his game and make some saves, even when the team in front of him isn't playing very good.

It is a new half of the season, so just like when the new year begins, I have some second half resolutions for the Sabres to improve its play, and possibly even make a second-half run for a playoff position.

1.) Special Teams Improvement

The power play and the penalty kill are both struggling and in order to get back on track, this needs to be remedied quick. The special teams are an integral part of the game, and if they aren't clicking then it could be a long game. If one had to choose between the power play and penalty kill then the power play has been the better of the two so far this season. The man advantage has 23 goals in 130 opportunities, and is operating at 17.7% for the season. At home, the power play has converted on 10 of 57 opportunities for a 17.5% clip, and it has added a shorthanded goal. The Sabres have a slighty better power play while away from home, as it has converted on 13 of 73 opportunities for a 17.8% conversion rate. A way to improve the power play if for the second unit to start chipping in since do not produce at nearly the rate of the first unit. 

  

The penalty kill has been disastrous all season long but has been especially bad while on the road. The penalty kill is ranked 27th out of 31 teams and is only killing off 74.6% of its chances.  While shorthanded, the numbers are skewed big time because of the play at home versus the road. The home penalty kill has been pretty good for the Sabres and is ranked 14th in the League. The home penalty kill has only allowed 11 power-play goals against in 60 chances and has chipped in two shorthanded goals. The penalty kill while on the road is only operating at 68.6%, which is good enough for last in League. While shorthanded on the road, the Sabres have allowed 22 power-play goals in 70 chances.

2.) Depth Production

This is a reoccurring theme for the Sabres, as this was also a major issue last season. The addition of Victor Olofsson has helped a bit, but the bottom six has still lacked production this season. The team does have some of these players like Johan Larsson, Zemgus Girgensons and Vladimir Sobotka coming off of the books in the summer, which should help them be able to get some fresh faces in the lineup. The problem has been evaluating that the Sabres can't seem to find the right players to contribute to the bottom six. They went out and acquired Jimmy Vesey and Curtis Lazar, but neither has really helped out much this year. Lazar has been in the minors for most of the first half.

The top five scorers of Jack Eichel, Victor Olofsson, Sam Reinhart, Rasmus Dahlin, and Marcus Johansson have combined for 64 goals, 103 assists and 167 points on the season. Jeff Skinner is out injured and will miss a significant amount of time.  The rest of the current roster has combined for 40 goals, 76 assists, and 116 points. The production goes down drastically by line. The first line has contributed 92 points, the second line has 48 points, the third line 30 points and the fourth line has only seven combined points. The depth players need to step up their game and find a way to contribute if the Sabres have a shot at making a playoff run. 

3.) Carter Hutton Gets Back on Track

The team signed Carter Hutton to a three-year, $8.25 million contract in 2018 free agency thinking that he would be a short term solution to its goaltending woes. Well, he's playing for the Sabres, where goalies aren't exactly helped out by the team in front of them. In 16 games, he is 6-6-4 with 3.23 goals-against average and a .894 save percentage to go with two shutouts. Sure, some of the goals allowed have been due to bad defensive breakdowns in front of him, but he still needs to start making some saves to bail his teammates. No, the goals all haven't been a result of poor defensive play, but rather, some have been the result of poor goaltending. 

To fix his game and get back on track, Hutton should start with tracking the puck better. Even if there is traffic in front of him, he needs to battle to get into position to follow the puck to make the save. The less flopping around in the crease area, the better for him. He can't commit too early and he needs to have the patience to wait out the opposition, if the chance arises. The goalie can improve his stats and game by being in position to make a timely save, or even to make the easy save. He also needs to come up with the big save when needed to help bail out his teammates and keep his team in a game. 

The Sabres still have time to turn the season around, and by improving, in these three areas, it can happen. It may not lead to a miracle or a playoff run, but it would help the confidence of this team going forward.