Sakic speaks in Colorado

The one contender that almost all the NHL is watching are the injury riddled Avalanche. Last night, Joe Sakic spoke to a gaggle of reporters and here’s the gist. They are looking for a goalie, are not against trading their 1st round pick in a hockey deal, and they feel no pressure at all to make a move. One of those three statements isn’t entirely true. The Avs are in a playoff spot now but could fall out now that it is crunch time for so many teams. I believe Sakic will be very busy and active. When it come to goalies, I think they have their eyes locked on Rangers Georgiev.

Jets looking to trade Byfuglien

My take: waste of time. No one will trade for him knowing he’s about to be a free agent.

Rangers Demand for Kreider is High

Last night Bob McKenzie revealed on NBCSN the Rangers demand for Kreider and it is as astronomically high. Per McKenzie the ask is a 1st round pick, a prospect, an NHL player or prospect, and a conditional pick for Kreider. Both sides are still talking but he believes he is more likely to be traded. With as many as 5 teams in on him, a bidding war this weekend is likely.

Pageau Drawing More Interest

The ask for Pageau will be a 1st or 2nd rounder at least and the Sens don’t want to retain any salary as well. Sounds like the Flyers were in but dropped out. I still hold that he will land with the Islanders.

Jets get needed cap space

TSN’s Frank Seravalli got the news the Jets and Dustin Byfuglien will part ways. That is going to give them over $7M in cap space to make a run at the trade deadline and address their biggest need for defense. The consensus is that GM, Kevin Cheveldayoff isn’t looking at a rental after being burned by Kevin Hayes this past summer and wants to make a hockey trade. This will make it even tougher for the Maple Leafs who are also in the market for a top four defenseman (left side).

Leafs goaltending situation gets worse

Last night the Leafs starting goaltender, Frederik Andersen left the game with an apparent head injury. Early reports look good but they called up Kasimir Kaskisuo just in case. So now what are the Leafs going to address first, defense or their glaring issues in net as their backups continue to struggle. Considering that more teams are in the market for blue-liners at the deadline, I expect GM Kyle Dubas to turn his eyes back to the goalie market and specifically the Rangers Alexander Georgiev.

The Blueshirts are still very interested in Kasperi Kapanen in order to ease prized prospect, Kaapo Kakko’s transition with a fellow countryman in the lineup. Jeff Gorton could possibly send Libor Hajek along in the deal to help the Leafs defensive concerns if Dubas will sweeten the pot with a future 1st round pick or another top prospect.

Trading Dumba

The Minnesota Wild are said to be sellers in the upcoming deadline and the biggest asset they may trade is defenseman Matt Dumba. At a $6M cap hit, the 25 year old defenseman is cost controlled until 2023. The Leafs are said to be interested but with Jets in the market for a top four blue liner with term and plenty of cap space, I expect them to go hard after and land him. The Jets also have the assets to get Matt Dumba in Winnipeg.

TSN’s Latest Trade Bait List

Here is TSN’s Top 20:

Latest Buzz

The Leafs are focused on a top 4 defenseman that can play the left side. They are loaded at forward and have made Kasperi Kapanen (RW) available. Well last night Kapanen was scratched according head coach Sheldon Keefe for “internal accountability” and it was a one time thing. We will see if that is the case, as he’s been attached to rumors for Minnesota’s Matt Dumba.

Montreal is said to be moving Ilya Kovalchuk (#3 on the list) for a 2nd round pick at the deadline. Boston is still interested in landing Chris Kreider (#1) but may not have what it takes to outbid Colorado or St. Louis so they and the Penguins are hard after Tyler Toffoli (#6).

Lastly, Winnipeg is also looking for a top 4 defenseman and may have the cap space to do it once Dustin Byfuglien makes it official he is not returning. That could make the market for defenseman even tougher and thus more costly.

Winnipeg Jets Defenseman Dustin Byfuglien has been suspended 4 games by the NHL Department of Player Safety for this cross-check on Rangers forward JT Miller.

By the mere fact that Byfuglien had a phone hearing, the maximum suspension he could have received was five games. Thankfully the NHL got this one right and gave him four. In the explanation video, they cite the fact that it was cross-checking, to a player already out of the play, who was also defenseless. Byfuglien also has a history (just fines), but that also factored into the decision. You can view the DOPS video below.

Winnipeg currently holds the final wild card spot in the Western Conference, 2 points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings, who have played one fewer game, and five points ahead of the San Jose Sharks, who have played the same amount of games as the Jets. This could really hurt Winnipeg in their push to bring playoff hockey back to Winnipeg for the first time since 1996, with Byfuglien now having to watch from the press box until the Jets’ final game, which will be at home vs. the Calgary Flames; not to mention the fact that Winnipeg has some tough games before that.

As I mentioned in yesterday’s article, we are just thankful that JT Miller escaped without any injury.

As always, would love to hear you thoughts/comments

Follow me on Twitter: @ekwestel

I’m sorry but I just had to share this with you guys as we await word from the NHL on Dustin Byfuglien’s hearing. Today after Jets’ practice there were some pretty good gem quotes courtesy of the Winnipeg Free Press.

[su_quote cite=”Winnipeg Free Press” url=”https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/Jets-expect-decision-on-Byfuglienscross-check-expected-this-afternoon–298491841.html?cx_navSource=d-tiles-1″]”It doesn’t look good on video but it’s easy to slow it down after the fact,” Ladd said today. “Over the course of the game things happen quick. I know he didn’t mean to get him in the neck. He was probably trying to get him in the back and hit the wrong spot. Whatever comes of that “It’s not in our hands anymore so we’ll deal with it as it happens.”[/su_quote]

WATCH THE HIT HERE

Really Andrew? How can you even try and justify that play? At least head coach Paul Maurice swerved on the question and just said they will deal with the verdict when it comes.

Sheesh!

The talk of the game and leading into this morning has been the executioner style check by Dustin Byfuglien to the neck of J.T. Miller. What many are not discussing is how Henrik Lundqvist continued to improve and saved the Rangers bacon for two periods. Also, many aren’t talking about the PP finally cashing in or how the team kept its cool and one a tough hockey game.

RANGERS 3 v. JETS 2

“Violent, deliberate (pause) could have broken his neck,” said a heated Alain Vigneault after the game. Normally, AV is cool as a cucumber but he couldn’t keep it in check. “It’€™s one of the most vicious crosschecks I’€™ve seen this year,” he concluded.

Even Sam Rosen who exclaimed, “It’s About Time!” had enough by the time the game was over and Byfuglien was given a minor for slashing Mats Zuccarello. The NHL has responded by requesting a phone hearing with the Jets’ defenseman that can only see a max of 5 games for a suspension. I’m still waiting for the April Fool’s joke here.

Regardless, even though many wanted Tanner Glass or any Ranger to retaliate, the Blueshirts stayed poise and won a hockey game. The biggest revenge came when JT Miller hit Chris Kreider in stride past Byfuglien himself. CK20 made no mistake using quick hands to bury the game winner behind Ondrej Pavelec.

“It’s difficult to defend when pucks are turned over,” Kreider told the AP. “It’s hard to go from a standstill to picking up forwards who are driving to the net. That’s something we work on as a team.” JT Miller was impressed with the hulking power forward as well.

“He made the entire play happen with his speed,” Miller stated while wearing the Broadway Hat. Miller added that when Kreider is going like that, it’s easier for everyone. When it came to the hit, the kid didn’t have much to say that his coach didn’t voice already.

As for the returning to form of Henrik Lundqvist, he said “Tonight I tried to do less movements.” That little adjustment paid dividends by the way of a huge 32 saves win. Now the Rangers will face the Minnesota Wild and the red-hot goaltending of Devan Dubnyk.

NOTES: 

Marc Staal (maintenance day) not skating today in St. Paul…Sheppard skating with d-men..MSL on a line with Hayes & Hagelin #NYR

€” New York Rangers (@NYRangers) April 1, 2015

Referee Dan O’Rourke, watching Byfuglien’s cross check from 5-10 feet away, should also be having a hearing with NHL. In person.

— Larry Brooks (@NYP_Brooksie) April 1, 2015

Winnipeg’s Dustin Byfuglien will have a hearing tomorrow for cross-checking NY Rangers forward J.T. Miller.

NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) April 1, 2015

St. Louis skating on Hayes’ right wing along with Hagelin. Fast in Moore’s fourth line with Glass. Sheppard the extra forward.

— Andrew Gross (@AGrossRecord) April 1, 2015

HIGHLIGHTS & INTERVIEWS

At the 17:21 mark of the 2nd Period of last night’s Rangers 3-2 win at Winnipeg, J.T. Miller was the victim of a “vicious” cross-check from Jets D-man Dustin Byfuglien, which should have warranted at least a 5-minute major, if not a match penalty too.

[su_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wywqIcGiZag”]

Luckily for Miller and the Rangers, he didn’t miss a shift. For those of you who watched the MSG broadcast last night, you got a sense of how bad it was, by the comments being made by Sam and Joe from the time of the hit, up until the final buzzer. And then AV, who is usually cool and clam about everything, decided to unleash this quote: “violent, deliberate, could have broken his neck. I don’t know what’s going to happen. One of the most vicious cross-checks I’ve seen this year.”

That kind of reminded me of the Brooks Orpik knee-on-knee hit to Derek Stepan at Pittsburgh in April 2012, which garnered as fiery response from John Tortorella. Not only was Miller in a vulnerable position, but the official was right there and still decided not to call anything. That hit contained everything the NHL has been trying to remove from the game: intent to injure, to the head/neck, defenseless player etc. Word has not yet been released as to whether Byfuglien will have a hearing with the Department of Player Safety, but one would have to assume that he will have one, but after all it was a Ranger who was on the receiving end of it, so who knows.

What the Rangers can’t control, is the punishment Byfuglien is going to get. However what the Rangers could have done is given Byfuglien some punishment on the ice. My one question is: WHERE WAS THE RESPONSE???? Yes, I’m looking at you Tanner Glass. Miller has been such a vital player on this team, now even more with Martin St. Louis out, and not one player on the Rangers can take a run at Byfuglien and stand up for Miller? That’s ridiculous!!!

Last I checked, Miller stands up for his teammates and has even fought, and he’s not an “enforcer?” The Rangers apparently have an “enforcer,” so if he’s not going to do his job, why play him?

First of all, of the Rangers who were on the ice at the time of the hit, would you want any of them scrapping with Byfuglien? Hayes? No! Kreider? No! Although he would have surely taken a run at him had he seen the hit and not already been skating back on defense.*

*Editor’s Note: Chris Kreider was on the ice at the buzzer when Byfuglien was abusing Mats Zuccarello and did nothing.

Staal? With his injury problems as of late, absolutely not. Girardi? No, also. From the time of the “hit,” there were 22 and half minutes left in the game, and it took until Byfuglien’s bonehead penalty on Zuccarello that someone even gave him a stare, and that was Zuccarello himself.

Why wasn’t Tanner Glass immediately thrown out there to challenge Byfuglien? Throughout the season, AV has defended using Glass because of his toughness, so why exactly was he not taking a run at Byfuglien right away? At least Byfuglien received the best non-physical punishment, as Kreider absolutely burned him on the winning goal after received a beautiful pass from (yes) JT Miller (Broadway Hat to go with it), but that’s not the point. Byfuglien should have been bumped and bruised throughout the 3rd period, but nobody on the Rangers decided to lift a finger towards him.

Last night, the NHL received a very loud message, and it’s not one I want getting out. That message is you can take liberties on any Rangers player on the ice, and they will not respond. That needs to change very quickly.

Would love to hear your comments

Follow me on twitter: @ekwestel