Head coach Peter Laviolette told reporters on Sunday that he expects all players present on the team's current trip to be available for Game 1 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, which would include Fisher and his fellow injured forward Craig Smith, according to NHL.com's Nick Cotsonika.
Fisher has been out of the Predators' lineup for the past two games with an undisclosed injury. Meanwhile, Smith has not dressed since Game 6 of Nashville's second-round series against the St. Louis Blues while dealing with a lower-body injury, and has played in just four games during the playoffs.
While the two would be welcome additions to the Preds' lineup, they have combined for just one assist in 18 games during the playoffs.
The rookie has enjoyed a stellar first playoffs this spring, for the most part, sharing the league lead with nine goals and ranking fourth on his team with 16 points.
However, despite his strong stats, Guentzel's production took a dip during the Eastern Conference Final as the Ottawa Senators limited the 22-year-old to just two assists in seven games.
In fact, Guentzel hasn't found the back of the net since Game 6 against the Washington Capitals, having tallied just three assists over his last eight games.
Amid the slump, head coach Mike Sullivan insisted Guentzel is contributing in other ways.
"I think Jake’s game has been really good. He didn’t score in that series, but I think there’s more to his game than just that," Sullivan said Sunday after practice. "He’s played some heavy minutes for us since he’s joined our team, in particular, in this playoff race.
"So I think as our team starts to get healthy here, we’re able to lean on the balance of the group, which I think will serve Jake, in particular, really well. He’s a very good player. I think he helps us win even on nights when he doesn’t score because he has a complete skill set. He’s pretty sound defensively. He has awareness away from the puck. He’s a playmaker. He has a high hockey IQ. He’s a competitive guy."
It's for these reasons that Sullivan never wavered on Guentzel's ice time during the last round. Despite his dip in production, Guentzel still played an average of 17:53 a night, fourth most among Penguins forwards behind only Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Phil Kessel
"There’s a lot of aspects of his game other than just his ability to score goals that help our team win," Sullivan added.
That means buyouts and an opportunity to restructure by ridding of mistakes from summers past. The window opens 48 hours after the conclusion of the playoffs and runs until the end of June.
For the not-so-low cost of two thirds of a player's remaining salary spread over twice the term left on his contract, a team can clear the deck of its unwanted. Here are five players who could face that reality this offseason:
Dan Girardi
The New York Rangers blue-liner would be the most expensive buyout of the bunch, as his deal runs for another three seasons and carries $13 million in owed salary, including $3 million in signing bonuses.
For a team that seeks a puck-moving defenseman unlike Girardi on its right side, clearing out the 33-year-old would alleviate the dollars to add that piece. New York could be in the mix for Kevin Shattenkirk this summer, should he reach free agency, or the team could re-sign Brendan Smith, acquired from the Detroit Red Wings at this year's trade deadline. Bringing back either defender won't come cheap.
The Rangers are no stranger to buyouts, having previously used one-time compliance buyouts on former defenseman Wade Redden and center Brad Richards, who were paid to go away in 2013 and 2014, respectively.
The buyout:
Season
Salary
Cap Hit
Buyout
Buyout Cap Hit
2017-18
$4M
$5.5M
$1.11M
$2.61M
2018-19
$3M
$5.5M
$1.11M
$3.61M
2019-20
$3M
$5.5M
$1.11M
$3.61M
2020-21
$0
$0
$1.11M
$1.11M
2021-22
$0
$0
$1.11M
$1.11M
2022-23
$0
$0
$1.11M
$1.11M
Scott Hartnell
Evidence of Hartnell's time with the Columbus Blue Jackets running thin was seen in the postseason, when the veteran winger was scratched for Game 4 against the Penguins, and as he was held off the scoresheet in the four games he was in the lineup.
While he finished 2017-18 with just 37 points in 78 games - his lowest full-season finish in more than a decade - the 35-year-old Hartnell can still be a valuable addition for most clubs. What complicates his future in Columbus is the coming expansion draft, when the Vegas Golden Knights will pry a player from each of the 30 teams.
As Hartnell holds a no-movement clause, the rules state he must be protected, unless approached by the Blue Jackets to waive that right. Doing so would allow Columbus to protect another young player up front, like William Karlsson or Boone Jenner. But as there is no guarantee Hartnell would agree to that maneuver, and potentially risk being claimed by an expansion team, the best bet for the Blue Jackets could be to buy out the remaining two years of Hartnell's $4.75 million-a-year contract.
The buyout:
Season
Salary
Cap Hit
Buyout
Buyout Cap Hit
2017-18
$4.5M
$4.75M
$1.25M
$1.5M
2018-19
$3M
$4.75M
$1.25M
$3M
2019-20
$0
$0
$1.25M
$1.25M
2020-21
$0
$0
$1.25M
$1.25M
Jaroslav Halak
The math doesn't work. After losing the New York Islanders' top job last season to Thomas Greiss - who recently signed a three-year extension with the club - there is surely an unwillingness to pay big dollars for Halak to sit on the bench. Or as he did this season, star in the minors in Bridgeport.
While the 32-year-old Halak has fallen out of favor in Brooklyn, he put together a late showing as the team's top performer following his recall from the minors in late March, in which he went 6-1 in seven games and allowed just 11 goals in the process. It was nearly enough to push New York into the postseason, only to miss by a single point. Couple that performance with how Halak fared with Team Europe at last summer's World Cup and he should have some suitors calling this offseason.
Moving on from Halak would also open a full-time backup gig for Jean-Francois Berube, who the organization has thought highly of over the past two seasons but has been unable to provide him with proper playing time. A pending unrestricted free agent, Berube needs a new contract to stick around with the Islanders.
The buyout:
Season
Salary
Cap Hit
Buyout
Buyout Cap Hit
2017-18
$5M
$4.5M
$1.67M
$1.17M
2018-19
$0
$0
$1.67M
$1.67M
Antti Niemi
If the writing weren't on the wall following a disastrous season, the picture became clearer when the Dallas Stars brought in Ben Bishop.
Now with three big-ticket goalies under contract in Bishop, Niemi, and Kari Lehtonen, the odds are the Stars will clear away their three-headed monster in the crease by sending a buyout to Niemi. That move comes at a cheaper rate than dumping Lehtonen - which isn't saying much about how his season fared. Together, the two combined for an NHL-worst .893 save percentage.
Niemi, 33, has just one year remaining on his contract, so a buyout would come with a reasonable penalty that came off the books following the 2018-19 campaign.
The buyout:
Season
Salary
Cap Hit
Buyout
Buyout Cap Hit
2017-18
$4.5M
$4.5M
$1.5M
$1.5M
2018-19
$0
$0
$1.5M
$1.5M
Kevin Bieksa
Anaheim Ducks coach Randy Carlyle is a big fan of Bieksa. The problem is the 35-year-old is caught in a numbers game, both in terms of the expansion draft and in the many blue-liners, like Shea Theodore and Brandon Montour, coming up through the system in Anaheim.
Like Hartnell, Bieksa holds a no-movement clause that requires protection in the expansion draft. But could the Ducks approach the veteran defender to do his club a solid? Waiving his no-movement clause would open up another protection slot for the Ducks, whether they choose to use it on a youngster like Josh Manson or a key forward like Rickard Rakell or Jakob Silfverberg.
However, if Bieksa is unwilling to waive his contractual right, Anaheim may have no choice but to issue a buyout to Bieksa, who would then be made available to test the waters as an unrestricted free agent.
The 30-year-old participated in practice on Sunday, and head coach Mike Sullivan noted he'll be a game-time decision for Game 1 on Monday against the Nashville Predators. Sullivan added that the team is "definitely encouraged" by Hornqvist's status.
Hornqvist has been out since Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Ottawa Senators. However, he did take part in the pregame skate before Game 7, but was ultimately scratched.
He's contributed four goals and seven points in 13 playoff games and should give the Penguins a boost if he does indeed return for Game 1.
We've reached a spot on the calendar when committed puckheads open up their pocketbooks and sprinkle a little loot on some Stanley Cup Final prop bets. None juicier or more attractive than trying to predict who will win the Conn Smythe Trophy.
Below is a breakdown of the odds, locks, long shots, and dark horses, along with a few picks you might be interested in come Monday night.
There's no shortage of options, but choosing the winner is a lot more difficult than it looks. However, like picking a Super Bowl MVP, there's some strategy involved.
For example, picking a goalie as your MVP is probably a decent call, especially this year with two elite 'tenders defending the blue paint in Matt Murray and Pekka Rinne.
Since the award's inception in 1965, a netminder has taken home the trophy 16 times, most recently in 2012 when Jonathan Quick earned the hardware following the Kings' Cup victory over the New Jersey Devils.
Safe Bets
This is the section you probably want to pay the most attention to, as the award will likely be taken home by one of the following two men.
Pekka Rinne (3.75-1)
It might be the boring and predictable choice, but if you've watched Rinne play this season, it's also the smart one. And though his regular season was solid, he's been an absolute beast between the pipes this postseason.
Rinne leads the NHL in playoff wins (12) and save percentage (.941), and is tied for the league lead in shutouts (2).
If Nashville hangs around in this series, Rinne will be a major factor. If the Preds manage to win this thing, expect the three-time Vezina finalist to be holding more than just the Cup over his head when all is said and done.
Sidney Crosby (4.55-1)
How do you not include Sid in this category? Dude is the definition of a lock.
Let's not reinvent the wheel here. Crosby is the best all-around player on the planet and not having him in your mix of Conn Smythe candidates would be the slip of a lifetime.
His playoff track record speaks for itself: 157 points in 142 games, four Eastern Conference titles, two Cups, and of course, a Conn Smythe Trophy. He performs when it matters most.
Long Shots
Here's where we can get a little loose, dial back the wager amount (or not), and wait for a big payout.
Phil Kessel (13-1)
Over the last two postseasons, Kessel has registered 41 points in 43 games. For comparison's sake, Crosby has 39 in 42.
Impressive. But Kessel has been scoring in the clutch his whole career, so his playoff numbers shouldn't really come as that much of a surprise. After all, he is a former fifth overall draft pick who produces at almost a point per game in the postseason.
At 13-1, Phil is worth a wager.
Ryan Ellis (13-1)
Insert a top-four Nashville defenseman here.
Realistically, any one of P.K. Subban, Roman Josi, or Mattias Ekholmcould have their name in the mix for the hardware, but it's Ellis that seems to be on a path to something special.
No longer an under-the-radar rearguard, Ellis has made the 2017 postseason his own coming-out party. If not for Erik Karlsson's ridiculous playoff performance, Ellis would be leading the league in points by a D-man with 11 through 16 games.
Ellis has emerged as a legitimate offensive threat on Nashville's blue line, and he should also be a guy you're considering for the Conn Smythe.
Dark Horses
Throw caution to the wind and go with your gut. You might not get a return on your investment, but this is hockey, so you never know what any given player is willing to do to drink from that glorious silver mug.
Viktor Arvidsson (31-1)
A key piece of Nashville's regular-season success with 31 goals and 30 assists, Arvidsson has continued his offensive production this spring, chipping in two goals and eight apples.
The speedy winger will need to step up in the absence of Ryan Johansen and have an impact on this series. If he does, it may be just enough to etch his name on one of the most sought-after trophies in hockey.
Bryan Rust (67-1)
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)
If 67-1 isn't juicy enough for you, take in the fact that Rust can put the puck in the back of the net, especially in the playoffs.
In 112 regular-season games, Rust has 20 goals to his name, as opposed to 12 in just 40 postseason contests, six of which have come during Pittsburgh's current run. He's proved to be unfazed on the big stage, so you shouldn't be either when laying your wager on this underrated playoff performer.
Here are three player matchups that will significantly swing the Stanley Cup Finals depending on who gets the upper hand:
P.K. Subban vs. Sidney Crosby
Though it hasn't been confirmed, the pairing of P.K. Subban and Mattias Ekholm will likely draw the assignment of Sidney Crosby's line. Subban and Ekholm did a tremendous job containing Ryan Getzlaf in the conference finals, holding him to zero goals and four assists in six games.
Crosby is a whole different animal, though. His playmaking capability, edge work, and ability to protect the puck are second to none.
Subban, who leads all Predators defensemen with 31 hits in the postseason, is going to have to continue his physical play against Crosby. Keep in mind, Crosby has played a lot of hockey over the past three years:
Game type
Amount
2014-15 reg. season
77
'15 playoffs
5
World Championship
9
2015-16 reg. season
80
'16 playoffs
24
World Cup
6
2016-17 reg. season
75
'17 playoffs
18
Total
294
Crosby has played an astounding 294 meaningful games since the beginning of the 2014-15 season. This could be taking a toll on his body, especially considering the wear and tear of back-to-back deep playoff runs.
Now, Crosby might be in better physical condition than anyone on the planet, but it will still be key for Subban to set a physical presence throughout the series against No. 87.
Roman Josi vs. Evgeni Malkin
With Subban likely to match up against Crosby's line, the pairing of Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis will see Evgeni Malkin's line over most of his ice time.
Malkin has been playing some of the best hockey of his career this postseason - and that's saying a lot. Not quite like his '09 playoff performance, but through 19 games, the big center has seven goals and a postseason-leading 17 assists.
He will certainly be a handful for Josi. However, Josi's best asset could mitigate Malkin's impact in this series: his skating ability.
Josi is one of the best skaters in the entire league. The more he wheels the puck out of his own zone, the less chances Malkin will have to generate offense. Though he certainly isn't a slouch in his own zone, Malkin isn't known as an elite defensive center. He has received a total of four Selke Trophy votes in his career, and they were all for fifth place back in 2008-09.
Forcing Malkin, and his linemates Phil Kessel and Scott Wilson, to play without the puck can lead to frustration, as we saw in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Pekka Rinne vs. Matt Murray
Though Rinne and Murray will never be in each other's faces like the aforementioned matchups, their head-to-head play will arguably be the most important of the entire series. Both goaltenders have been spectacular in the postseason:
Stat
Rinne
Murray
W-L
12-4
3-1
GAA
1.70
1.35
SV%
.941
.946
SO
2
1
Obviously Rinne's numbers are over a much larger sample size, but Murray's play can't be discredited.
Here's a not-so hot take: the better goalie will win the cup. Plain and simple. However, Rinne will likely be relied upon more heavily than Murray will, making his performance that much more crucial.
A local Pittsburgh fish market is doing its part to prevent catfish from winding up on PPG Paints Arena ice.
With the Nashville Predators' tradition of throwing catfish onto the ice becoming a more common occurrence as the team treks forward in the postseason, Jim Wholey, the co-owner of Wholey's Fish Market has implemented new policy to keep Preds fans at bay.
"You have to show ID if you want to buy catfish here," Wholey said, according to Ben Schmitt of the Tribune-Review. "If you're from Tennessee, we're not selling it to you."
For Wholey this isn't the first time he has implemented such a rule to prevent certain sea creatures from making an appearance on Pittsburgh Penguins ice.
Back in both 2008 and 2009, a similar rule was put in place to try to deter Detroit Red Wings fans from throwing octopi onto the ice.
"Like I said in 2008, this is for eating, not throwing," said co-owner Dan Wholey. "Catfish are delicious, and we're going to eat them before, during and, after we beat the Predators."
During Round 2, an inspired Preds fan was lucky enough to sneak a giant catfish into Honda Center in Anaheim and chuck it onto the ice ahead of Game 2.
With the offseason underway for a number of teams, with the remainder to join them in a few weeks, we're looking at what's in store for each club in the coming months.
Check out what a wild ride 2016-17 was in Missouri:
Month
Record
Season Record
October
5-2-2
5-2-2
November
8-5-1
13-7-3
December
6-6-2
19-13-5
January
5-8-0
24-21-5
February
7-5-0
31-26-5
March
11-2-2
42-28-7
April
4-1-0
46-29-7
Of note:
Head coach Ken Hitchcock, thought to be in his final season behind an NHL bench before retirement, was fired on Feb. 1, with his replacement, assistant Mike Yeo, taking over sooner than expected.
Hitchcock was dumped after a disastrous January that saw St. Louis allow five or more goals in seven of its eight losses. Starting goalie Jake Allen's save percentage in six January starts: .841. Backup Carter Hutton was better in six starts, but still bad, at .904. Hitchcock - a terrible goalie, clearly - paid the price.
The change worked, though, as the Blues won seven of eight as Yeo took over. The club allowed two goals or fewer in six of those seven wins, with Hutton posting two shutouts and Allen one. Goalies, right?
Then, all of a sudden, the offense dried up. The Blues scored six goals during a five-game losing skid, before winning nine of 10 in March.
So, actually, it was a tale of about eight different seasons for the Blues these past few months.
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
In the end, the Blues won a playoff round, beating the Minnesota Wild in five thanks to Allen's heroics - he stopped 174 of 182 shots, for a .956 save percentage. Eventually, St. Louis bowed out to the Western Conference champion Nashville Predators in six games, with Allen posting a .909 mark in the second round.
While there's no shame in losing to a Cup finalist, there won't be a lot of turnover in St. Louis, and the players are looking at their second-half run and playoff success after a rather tumultuous season as a sign of things to come.
As Vladimir Tarasenko put it, the team stuck together, and that means something, because the same group is coming back for another go in 2017-18.
Free Agents
After trading Kevin Shattenkirk to the Washington Capitals at the deadline, the Blues have one player who will be an unrestricted free agent: Scottie Upshall. He'll turn 34 in October and is unlikely to return.
A year after letting captain David Backes and forwards Troy Brouwer and Steve Ott walk in free agency, and trading pending UFA goalie Brian Elliott ahead of July 1, there will be little turnover on the roster heading into training camp.
Player (Position)
2017-18 Status
Age
2016-17 Cap Hit
'16-17 Points
Scottie Upshall (F)
UFA
33
$900K
18
Magnus Paajarvi (F)
RFA
26
$700K
13
Colton Parayko (D)
RFA
24
$858750
35
Nail Yakupov (F)
RFA
23
$2.5M
9
Draft Picks
The Blues have seven picks in the coming draft, including two in the first round - their own and Washington's, acquired for Shattenkirk.
Round
Picks
1
2 (Own @ 20 + Capitals @ 27)
2
1
3
0
4
1
5
1 (Sabres)
6
1
7
1
Summer Priorities
1. Lock up Parayko
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
With Shattenkirk gone, the focus shifts to getting restricted free agent defenseman Colton Parayko's signature on a contract extension. Only 24, the kid's going to be a star.
Parayko averaged 21:12 of ice time during the regular season, behind only captain Alex Pietrangelo and veteran Jay Bouwmeester. That jumped to 23:44 in the playoffs, where Parayko chipped in offensively with five points in 11 games.
The question is: Bridge contract or long-term, big-money deal? Doug Armstrong views Parayko as a "cornerstone player," and would prefer to keep him around for a while, but he's got Pietrangelo at a cap hit of $6.5 million (through 2019-20), Bouwmeester at $5.4 million (through 2018-19), Carl Gunnarsson at $2.9 million (through '18-19), Robert Bortuzzo at $1.15 million (through '18-19), and Joel Edmundson at $1.05 million (he'll be a RFA on July 1, 2018, took some major strides in the playoffs, and is only 23).
The core of this Blues team is Tarasenko, Alex Steen, Jaden Schwartz, Patrik Berglund, Vladimir Sobotka, Robby Fabbri, Pietrangelo, Bouwmeester, Gunnarsson, Bortuzzo, and Allen, all signed through at least 2018-19 and beyond (Fabbri's a RFA ahead of 2018-19, but the 21-year-old isn't going anywhere). Armstrong has to figure out where Parayko fits in cap-wise, and then figure out how to take this team over the top.
2. Fix Jake Allen
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
Allen had some season. In fact, it was a lot like the Blues', writ large.
Month
Starts
SV%
Wins
October
7
.923
4
November
11
.903
7
December
11
.892
5
January
6
.841
1
February
10
.933
5
March
11
.953
8
April
4
.913
3
Playoffs
11
.935
6
Allen was basically useless November through January. And no NHL goalie can have a January like Allen did. It got so bad that the poor guy was left at home to take a mental break when the Blues departed for a three-game road trip on Jan. 20, with the 26-year-old returning to the net on Jan. 31 (another loss in which he stopped only 19 of 23 shots).
The staycation worked, though, as Allen found his game in February and beyond. He finished the post All-Star portion of the season with a .938 save percentage and three shutouts, and the truth is the Blues don't beat the Wild in the first round without Allen playing arguably the best five-game stretch of his career.
St. Louis was outshot in the series:
52-26
24-22
41-31
28-28
37-27
After years of trotting out multiple goalies - Elliott, Allen, Jaroslav Halak, even Ryan Miller briefly - the Blues finally committed to Allen, and he's the guy going forward, signed through 2020-21 at a cap hit for $4.35 million. But they've got to ensure he finds consistency moving forward, because every point, every win counts.
3. Trade Paul Stastny
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
St. Louis' free-agent signing of Paul Stastny hasn't worked out. That's life. The Blues shot their shot, and we won't begrudge them for that, but it's time to move on, and perhaps the most value Armstrong will get is this summer, with a full season left on Stastny's deal (at $7.5 million - yikes).
The Blues are still in win-now mode, so they're not about to expose Stastny in the expansion draft, but he'll be 32 in December, and injuries have kept him out of far too many games the past two seasons. A 0.85 points-per-game producer in his first eight seasons in Colorado, he's at 0.66 through three seasons and 204 games in St. Louis. That's respectable, but not good enough for someone making $7.5M against the cap.
This goes back to Armstrong figuring out how to put the Blues over the top. Stastny and David Perron (turning 29 on May 28) will be UFAs on July 1, 2018, and will make a combined $11M against the cap. With Fabbri expected to be healthy after an ACL injury cut his season short, the Blues are deep up front, so there are numerous decisions to be made.
The Blues had the big fish ahead of the 2017 deadline, and could dangle Stastny ahead of the 2018 deadline.
2017-18 Outlook
The Blues' window remains open, and it's up to Armstrong to figure out how to prop it a little bit wider. But this team will again be strong in 2017-18, pushing 100 points.
As stated, the same team's coming back, with a healthy Fabbri, and a full season of Sobotka. If Stastny's healthy, and producing, one option is to hold on to him and make a run, then let him walk in free agency, like Backes before him.
The Blues have options, in other words. But their goal is singular: Win the Stanley Cup.
St. Louis finished with 99 points this past season and a plus-17 goal differential. That's five more points than Nashville had in 82 games, and the Predators finished at plus-16.
Get in, get hot, and anything can happen. The Preds are proof. And the Blues are hoping it's finally their turn.
