William Carrier is the last player from the Ryan Miller trade from Buffalo to St. Louis.
Miller and Steve Ott were traded to the St. Louis Blues at the NHL Trade Deadline in 2014 in exchange for Carrier,Jaroslav Halak, Chris Stewart, and two premium draft choices.
We know what became of Halak and Stewart. They were jettisoned during the early stages of the "Tank For McEichel" campaign.
Who is Will Carrier, you ask?
Carrier is 2013 second-round pick. He will turn 22 in December.
Carrier was a scoring star in The Q with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.m
Were it not for injuries, carrier would have made his NHL debut in Buffalo last season.
When healthy, Carrier is a desirous blend of high skill and power. In his past two years with the Rochester Amerks, Carrier has struggled to light the lamp with regularity, however, he has continued to develop his 200 foot game complete game.
Carrier will wear Danny Bruere's #48 on Saturday night in Ottawa. I don't like this idea. Carrier should have chosen another sweater number. Just satin'.
I spoke with an NHL scout friend on Thursday night. I was told that Carrier has impressed his head coach Dan Lambert with his attention to detail and consistent play. Carrier has scored three goals and an assist in seven games played.
Carrier was called up play with Derek Grant and Nick Baptiste on Buffalo's fourth line. Justin Bailey was returned to Rochester to make room for Carrier.
Carrier will be given a chance to show Dan Bylsma and Tim Murray can do at the NHL level.
Part of me wonders if Tim Murray called up Carrier to audition him for prospective trade partners who have scouted the power winger in Rochester. Anaheim San Jose were scouting Buffalo during the Sabres-Leafs game on Thursday night. Murray and Bylsma will have to play without top four D Zach Bogosian for the next month or more due to an MCL injury that he suffered in Minnesota this week. Rookie Casey Nelson is a wait and see solution to replace Bogosian on Buffalo's second D pair. Nelson is a nice stop gap measure but he is not a long term solution. Nelson played in his second game of the season in the 2-1 loss to Toronto.
Might Tim Murray be advancing down the road with Ducks GM Bob Murray, who sent his director of player personnel to Buffalo? The Ducks may balk at trading Cam Fowler right now, however, Shea Theodore may be available for trade. The 21 year old defender has been a frequent flyer between Anaheim and AHL San Diego this season. I'm told that Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle may not be as sold on Theodore's readiness to play in the NHL as his predecessor Bruce Boudreau was. Theodore is an exceptional, complete top four D. He's ready for the NHL now. He can't stick and stay in Anaheim due to Bob Murray's recent about face in trading away Cam Fowler who has 4 goals and 4 assists already this season.
Vancouver may want to trade defender Ben Hutton and forward Jake Virtanen trade for Evander Kane and Will Carrier. Kane suffered broken ribs during the season opener against Montreal on October 13. However, Bylsma said Friday that Kane has been on the ice skating "quite hard, quite extensively" for days. Tim Murray said Thursday that Kane very likely could return to the lineup next week. If this is true, several NHL teams, including the goal-starved Canucks will be calling Murray to inquire about Kane's availability.
Never rule out Winnipeg as a trade partner for Tim Murray as evidenced by the Evander Kane blockbuster trade. Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff holds Jacob Trouba's future in his hands. Trouba is an unsigned RFA who must be signed by December 1 or else he will have to sit out the rest of the season. Trouba requested a trade six months ago and Cheveldayoff continues to hold out for better offers.
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The Vancouver Canucks are in full blown crisis mode.
They cannot score goals to save their lives and have now been shutout by four of their last five opponents.
Their latest goose egg was handed to them by Mike Condon and the Ottawa Senators. Condon was acquired by trade from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday.
On Wednesday night, Carey Price made 42 saves for his 37th career shutout and the Montreal Canadiens beat Vancouver 3-0 on Wednesday night. The Canucks have now lost six straight games. Ryan Miller allowed two goals on 18 shots. Alex Radulov was awarded an empty net goal when he was interfered with while attempting to score.
Canucks head coach Willie Desjardins and GM Jim Benning are experiencing cold sweats, anxiety and cotton mouth.
The anxiety level amongst the fan base is rising by the moment.
They have played ten games and have lost six straight. Their offense has been tied up, tken away and held for ransom.
The Canucks are not scoring goals.
In their 11 games this season, the Canucks have only scored 16 goals for.
Ten of their goals have come 5v5. Two goals have come on the PP, while two goals have been scored during 3v3 OT. The have one shorthanded goal and a one 6 on 4 PP goal.
Why are the Canucks so bad at scoring goals?
It's simple. They are getting chances that they cannot bury. The veterans and kids should burn their sticks to kill off the evil spirits that are haunting them.
In my opinion, they have too many perimeter players who don't want to get dirty.
In other words, they are not willing to pay a price to enter a battle, win 50-50 pucks and eat up rebounds.
If I'm being honest, Vancouver's left wingers have been the most dreadful, disappointing performers. In the first eleven games of the season, Daniel Sedin has just two goals while newly acquired hit shot winger Loui Eriksson and veteran Sven Baertschi are pitching bagels right now.
How can the Canucks win games when their left wingers are left out of the battle?
GM Jim Benning could not wait to throw a super sized $36 million (6 years) unrestricted free agent contract at Ericsson in July.
Benning felt confident that Ericsson could infuse 5v5 and PP goal scoring. In my opinion, Benning over paid to land Eriksson, who has scored 30 goals in the NHL. Benning's hands were tied in the Eriksson contract because he lost out on the chance to sign then #1 UFA forward Kyle Okposo, who signed a seven year, $42 million contract with the Buffalo Sabres. Benning also lost on signing then UFA Milan Lucic to a $42 million so he settked for Eriksson, a player that scored 30 goals for him in Boston. David Backes signed in Boston and Eriksson became the go to UFA.
Eriksson has earned his reputation as a notoriuos late starter when it comes to his offensive production during NHL seasons.
Eriksson, 30, appeared in all 82 regular season games in 2015-16 for the Bruins. He scored 30 goals (second on the team) and 33 assists (fifth on the team) for 63 points (tied for second on the team). In 10 NHL seasons split between Boston (three seasons from 2013 to 2016) and Dallas (seven seasons from 2006-2013), amassing 504 points (212-292- 504) and 146 penalty minutes in 725 career games.
Eleven games into his Canucks debut and Eriksson is invisible.
Ditto Baertschi.
Eleven games into the new season, I'm grading out the Vancouver left wingers at C-.
Sedin, Baertschi and Eriksson are not doing their part to extinguish their scoring drought.
Among them, Sedin, Eriksson and Baertschi have just two goals on 60 shots om goal. Sorry folks. That's just not good enough production.
I'm hearing a lot of chatter about Canucks GM Jim Benning looking to add a 20-goal scoring left winger.
You'll recall that in July Benning proclaimed his desire to add a fiercely competitive scoring forward. He said it then: "I want another 20 goal scorer". Benning failed to recruit scoring star Steven Stamkos to Vancouver. Stamkos avoided the UFA market by re-signing an eight year, $68 million contract extension to remain in Tampa. Benning also whiffed on acquiring gritty, scoring UFA forwards Kyle Okposo (Sabres), David Backes (Bruins), Troy Brouwer (Flames), Andrew Ladd (Brooklynders) and Eric Staal (Wild).
When he lost out on Stamkos, Benning made an aggressive run at signing Vancouver native and UFA Milan Lucic. In the end, Lucic landed in Edmonton for seven years and $42 million. The Canucks never got a sniff of signing Okposo, 28, who inked a 7 year, $42 million deal in Buffalo.
Benning moved quickly when Lucic went to the Oilers and signed then inked UFA winger consolation prize Loui Eriksson, 30, to a six year, $36 million contract.
With Sedin, Eriksson and Baertschi struggling to light the lamp, Benning still has an appetite to add another physically dominating scoring forward to his top six forward group that features a lot of skill but not a lot of truculence and pugnacity, two elements that Eriksson knows nothing about.
in July, Benning let it be known that he is hunting for another big, skilled scoring winger to add to his top six forward group.
“If I had a crysyal ball, I would say we’d try to add a winger who had some grit and size to him, who can score…, Benning said.
Sounds like Benning is describing Evander Kane who is recouping from cracked ribs suffered in an opening night collision with Montreal's Alexei Emelin. Kane will be out of the lineups for the next 3-4 weeks, if not sooner.
On Monday, Kane learned from a Buffalo City Court judge that his case will be dismissed in six months if he can stay out of trouble with thd law. Kane's case will be adjourned and his file sealed on April 30, 2017 if he can reman on the right side of the law.
In Thursday, Sabres GM Tim Murray delivered potentially great news about Kane. According to Murray, Kane told him that he felt well enough to play against Toronto. Murray said that Kane would first have to pass physicality and battle testing before he plays again. Murray said that Kane could return to the starting lineup next week. Kane's recovery and return to the lineup will certainly help the Sabres. His return could also allow Murray to use the power forward as trade currency. Murray needs a top four rear guard to replace the injured Zach Bogosian, who has an MCL injury. Bogosian will be off the ice for "weeks".
Maybe it's time for Kane to go home. Literally.
Kane has two years remaining on his current contract. The Canucks likely would ask the Sabres to retain a portion of Kane's $5.25 million.
Kane checks all of the pre-requisite boxes of the type of player that Benning has ben desperately seeking.
Tim Murray's ask in return for Kane would likely be left D Ben Hutton and a prospect, perhaps Jake Virtanen.
Hutton is a skilled, smart 23 year old puck mover. Hutton played just 85 career games, however, he has shown tremendous confidence and aptitude for the role of top four D-man. Last season, Hutton averaged 19:52 TOI, scored one goal and added 24 assists in 2015-16. He landed 104 shots on enemy goalies. He blocked 100 shots and delivered 42 hits.
Assuming his ribs heal according to his doctor's care plan, Kane would be a valuable player for a skilled team like Vancouver. Kane is no stranger to winning battles. He refuses to back down. He drags his teammates into battle, something that the Sedins and Eriksson are not doing eleven games into this season. Kane drives enemy defensemen crazy with his speed, size and skill. He plays in your face hockey and is very hard to play against.
Kane loves to shoot the puck from all angles on the ice. The 25 year old sniping Kane never saw a shot on the ice he didn't like. He potted 20 goals last season despite injuries. What would Benning give to add a legit 20 goal scorer who doesn't shy away from the dangerous areas on the ice?
Vancouver would be wise to pursue Kane. Their season's failure or success is hanging in the balance.