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Red Wings On Pace For Worst Record Of The Century

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With an overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night and a regulation loss to the Florida Panthers on Saturday, the Detroit Red Wings have fallen to 12-33-4 on the season. The team’s points percentage now sits at an abysmal .286. At this rate, the 2019-20 Red Wings will not go down in the history books as bad, but rather the worst.

Well, at least the worst of the 21st century. Detroit is now on pace to fall short of the previous century low, set by the Colorado Avalanche in 2016-17. That year, the Avalanche finished 22-56-4 with 48 points, but even that ugly mark was a points percentage of .293. Barring an improvement in play in Detroit, Colorado looks like they will be able to remove the title of worst single season since 2000. As it stands, the Red Wings are on pace for only 47 points on the year.

Fortunately for Detroit fans, they at least don’t have to worry about being the worst ever. In fact, in the salary cap era of the NHL, it would be next to impossible for any team to ever have the worst record in league history. Should the Red Wings finish the year with their current .286 points percentage, it would rank just 43rd-worst in the league’s record books. The 1974-75 expansion Washington Capitals will likely always sit alone in the bottom spot with an 8-67-5 record and .131 points percentage that is almost inconceivable at any level of the sport.

However, the Red Wings and their supporters would probably like to avoid the “worst” title, even if it limited to this century. Luckily, there is a glimmer of hope. In 2016-17, the Avalanche traded away Jarome Iginla, one of their top-six forwards, and struggled even more down the stretch as a result. By all accounts, there is no equivalent for this year’s Red Wings. Detroit’s roster is mostly made up of promising young players that they do not want to trade or overpaid veterans that they cannot trade. Either way, the team is not expected to lose a major piece via trade this season – unless you count Mike Green or Trevor Daley as a key contributor – and what you see is likely what you get for the rest of the year from this team. If they are just consistently bad instead of becoming even worse as the year wears on like 2016-17 Avalanche, they may just have a chance of avoiding the title of worst team of the century.

Trade Rumors: Andersson, Islanders, Avalanche

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As if it wasn’t complicated enough when Lias Andersson, the New York Rangers first-round pick at No. 7 overall in 2017, demanded a trade from the team last month, TSN’s Darren Dreger states that as the situation continues to unravel, things are getting “messy”. Andersson, who was suspended by the Rangers after leaving the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, has returned to his native Sweden for the time being. In the meantime, rumors have swirled that the 21-year-old is dealing with mental health issues, a sentiment that Andersson’s camp is now fighting back against. Where there is some documented injury is in his foot, and Andersson is set to undergo surgery shortly that will keep him sidelined for multiple weeks.

Yet, teams are still not shying away from kicking the tires on the young forward. Despite his discontent with his role in the Rangers organization and his lack of production in the NHL and AHL, Andersson’s history of strong work ethic, good teamwork, and immense skill persists, and NHL clubs will continue to keep tabs on him. Dreger’s colleague Bob McKenzie believes that the Rangers are ready to move on and preparing to trade Andersson before the NHL Trade Deadline if they can get “the right prospect” in return. McKenzie does warn though that New York is cognizant of the message that this could send to other prospects in their system and want to be careful with how they deal with the Andersson situation.

  • When the New York Islanders lost stalwart defenseman Adam Pelech for the season due to injury, GM Lou Lamoriello was quick to note that “You don’t replace an Adam Pelech at the trade deadline”. The shutdown defender is relied upon for big minutes and competent defensive play that is not easy to replicate. The Islanders’ plan is to handle the loss internally for the time being, mixing their defensive pairs until they find the right fit. Thus far, the results on the back end are “encouraging”, writes The Athletic’s Arthur Staple. However, that doesn’t mean that the Islanders won’t be on the lookout for defensive help ahead of the trade deadline. Yet, Staple believes that the team’s current scoring doubt shows that offense is still a greater concern than defense, even with the absence of Pelech, and that the team should devote more of their trade capital to improving up front rather than on the blue line.
  • For much of the season, the Colorado Avalanche have been talked about as one of the biggest suitors on the trade market. A legitimate Stanley Cup contender with considerable cap space, it makes sense that the Avs could choose this year to load up for a run. However, Colorado did not land Taylor Hall despite rumored interest and now Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater reports that they are no longer pursuing another top option. Dater writes that Los Angeles Kings forward Tyler Toffoli will likely not be landing in Denver this season, as the Avs have apparently falling out of the running for the two-way winger. Dater is beginning to doubt if Colorado makes any big moves this season in an uninspiring trade market.

Snapshots: Three Stars, QMJHL Trades, Jets

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The NHL has released their Three Stars for last week, with Nathan MacKinnon taking home top spot. The Colorado Avalanche superstar had eight points in three games and has now almost caught Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid in the NHL scoring race. MacKinnon has 25 goals and 64 points on the season, a pace that would see him easily eclipse his personal best of 99 points set last season.

In second place is another exceptional center in Mark Scheifele, who posted eight points of his own in three games. The Winnipeg Jets forward now has 20 goals and 48 points this season, while averaging close to 22 minutes a game. The third star went to Zach Werenski, who incredibly scored five of the eight goals that the Columbus Blue Jackets totaled last week. The 22-year old defenseman now has double digit goal totals in each of his first four seasons, and 13 this year in just 35 games.

  • With the World Juniors over, several CHL players that took part in the tournament will likely see their rights traded as teams load up for Memorial Cup runs. Nowhere is that more obvious than the QMJHL, where both Raphael Lavoie and Dawson Mercer were dealt today. The pair of Canadian gold medalists are on the move to Chicoutimi where they’ll join a Sangueneens team that is 27-7-4 on the season.
  • Andrew Copp has been officially activated from injured reserve by the Winnipeg Jets, with Nathan Beaulieu taking his place. Copp hasn’t played since the middle of December, but is an important depth forward for the Jets. In 34 games this season the 25-year old has 14 points, seeing more playing time and better linemates than ever before in his career.

Snapshots: Crosby, Avalanche, Kase

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The Pittsburgh Penguins are playing a number of youngsters from their AHL affiliate as multiple players sit on injured reserve. However, the team may get a big boost soon as center Sidney Crosby could be coming back soon, according to NHL.com’s Wes Crosby. Crosby practiced on Friday in a non-contact jersey.

The Penguins have been without their star center for the past 23 games after the veteran opted to have core muscle surgery on Nov. 14. Crosby is expected to skate on his own again this weekend. While Crosby is not expected to join the team for Sunday’s game against Montreal, the Penguins believe that the 32-year-old could join the team for their three-game road trip that starts on Tuesday, although he has yet to be cleared for contact, so nothing is definite.

“That’s a big step,” Crosby said. “Once you’re cleared for contact, you see how things respond from there. But I’m not ready for that yet. Until then, I think I’ll probably flip-flop between doing my own stuff and skating with the injured guys, and then going with the team depending on the practice.”

  • Although New York Rangers winger Chris Kreider has been predominantly in the news when it concerns trade rumors with the Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater writes that he’s hearing more recent rumblings the team might be interested in acquiring Los Angeles Kings forward Tyler Toffoli. Dater adds that the Kings had a scout at Saturday’s Colorado game and the scribe believes the two squads will make a trade together before the deadline. The 27-year-old might be a good fit for the Avalanche, who could use a player with size and scoring ability and wouldn’t cost too much. It might cost Colorado a first-rounder to get Toffoli, but considering where they likely will be at in the standings, it might be a trade worth making.
  • The Anaheim Ducks could be without forward Ondrej Kase for a bit as head coach Dallas Eakins said the 24-year-old has a bone bruise somewhere on his lower body and wasn’t even able to put his equipment on today, according to Eric Stephens of The Athletic. Kase has struggled with injuries throughout his career as he has never played more than 66 games in his short career. The forward gotten some top line minutes so far this year in 35 games, but only has three goals so far this season.

 

 

NHL All-Star Selections Announced

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Although it took some time, with each individual team rolling out their own selections, the final rosters for All-Star Weekend have come into focus. Below are each of the four divisional team, set to face off in the Skills Competition on Friday, January 24th and the All-Star Game on Saturday, January 25th:

Atlantic Division

G Frederik Andersen, Toronto Maple Leafs
G Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins
D Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
D Shea Weber, Montreal Canadiens
F Tyler Bertuzzi, Detroit Red Wings
F Jack Eichel, Buffalo Sabres
F Anthony Duclair, Ottawa Senators
F Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers
F Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
F David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins (C)

Metropolitan Division

G Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals
G Joonas Korpisalo, Columbus Blue Jackets
D John Carlson, Washington Capitals
D Dougie Hamilton, Carolina Hurricanes
D Seth Jones, Columbus Blue Jackets
F Mathew Barzal, New York Islanders
F Jake Guentzel, Pittsburgh Penguins
F Travis Konecny, Philadelphia Flyers
F Kyle Palmieri, New Jersey Devils
F Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers

Central Division

G Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues
G Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
D Roman Josi, Nashville Predators
D Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues
F Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks
F Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche (C)
F Ryan O’Reilly, St. Louis Blues
F Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg Jets
F Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars
F Eric Staal, Minnesota Wild

Pacific Division

G Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights
G Darcy Kuemper, Arizona Coyotes
D Mark Giordano, Calgary Flames
F Logan Couture, San Jose Sharks
F Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
F Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings
F Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers (C)
F Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks
F Jakob Silfverberg, Anaheim Ducks
F Matthew Tkachuk, Calgary Flames

Additionally, each divisional squad will have one more addition as decided by the Last Men In fan vote. Voting opens on January 1st and closes on the 10th. Here are the candidates:

Atlantic Division – Patrice Bergeron, Rasmus Dahlin, Dylan Larkin Aleksander Barkov, Max Domi, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Steven Stamkos, Mitch Marner

Metropolitan Division – Teuvo Teravainen, Nick Foligno, Nico Hischier, Brock Nelson, Mika Zibanejad, Claude Giroux, Kris Letang, T.J. Oshie

Central Division – Jonathan Toews, Cale Makar, Jamie Benn, Ryan Suter, Matt Duchene, David Perron Patrik Laine

Pacific Division – Ryan Getzlaf, Clayton Keller, Johnny Gaudreau, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Drew Doughty, Tomas Hertl, Quinn Hughes, Max Pacioretty

Latest On Rangers’ Chris Kreider

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The New York Rangers are suddenly getting impressive results from forward and potential trade chip Chris Kreider, who has been one of the team’s better players recently, which includes a nine-game stretch in which Kreider has posted five goals and five assists, giving the 28-year-old 11 goals and 23 points on the season so far through 37 games.

The recent hot streak should increase the forward’s trade value as he has become one of the top trade chips at the trade deadline with Taylor Hall already having been moved to Arizona. However, The Athletic’s Rick Carpieniello (subscription required) points out how uniquely talented the forward really is and how the Rangers will miss the top-six forward, especially with their young forward prospects struggling.

However, Carpiniello writes that while it would be extremely unlikely anyway that the team would offer Kreider a six or seven-year contract for $6.5-7MM per year. Kreider’s response when asked about whether he’s had any discussions with the Rangers wasn’t a positive one either. “I’m worried about Toronto tomorrow,” he said. “Not worth the energy, big dog.”

On a radio show, 630 CHED in Edmonton, Friday with Elliotte Friedman, the Sportsnet insider suggested that several teams are in play for Kreider, the Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche are the two leading candidates that have shown interest in acquiring the forward.

“Boston does. I think Colorado does,” said Friedman. “I think those two teams really make a lot of sense. Now for Kreider, I’m sure there’s more. I don’t know if St. Louis would ever do it. To me that fits 100 percent with what they like, but I know Boston does too and I know that Colorado has dipped their toe in on Kreider a couple of times here and there.”

Boston makes sense as the Rangers and Bruins have made several trades with one another over the years. Back at the trade deadline in 2018, the Bruins acquired forward Rick Nash, while the Bruins also have unloaded the contract of Adam McQuaid and acquired Nick Holden in separate deals over the past three years. However, the Bruins, who really need help from their secondary lines after the trio of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak, would be an impressive addition.

The Avalanche and Rangers don’t have as significant a history of trading with each other, although they did swap a pair of minor leaguers, including Ryan Graves for Chris Bigras back in 2018. However, Colorado has the young talent and significant draft picks to trade for a player like Kreider, who could make their already solid second line even more impressive as he could mix in with Nazem Kadri, Andre Burakovsky and Joonas Donskoi.

NHL Draft Picks Participating In The World Junior Championship

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The 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship is underway from Ostrava and Trinec in the Czech Republic. The tournament began today and will run through the championship game on January 5th. Each of the NHL’s 31 teams has at least one representative at the WJC. Five teams have only one draft pick participating, while the Los Angeles Kings (9) and Arizona Coyotes (7) each have more than those teams combined. However, it only takes one player and one moment to make history at the WJC. Check out which future NHLers will have that chance this year:

Anaheim Ducks (2):

G Lukas Dostal, Czech Republic
F Trevor Zegras, USA

Arizona Coyotes (7):

F Barrett Hayton, Canada
F Jan Jenik, Czech Republic
F Matias Maccelli, Finland
D Aku Raty, Finland
D Victor Soderstrom, Sweden
F Valentin Nussbaumer, Switzerland
D Ty Emberson, USA

Boston Bruins (3):

F Jakub Lauko, Czech Republic
F John Beecher, USA
F Curtis Hall, USA

Buffalo Sabres (4):

F Dylan Cozens, Canada
F Matej Pekar, Czech Republic
G Erik Portillo, Sweden
D Mattias Samuelsson, USA

Calgary Flames (1):

G Dustin Wolf, USA

Carolina Hurricanes (5):

D Anttoni Honka, Finland
F Lenni Killinen, Finland
F Patrik Puistola, Finland
F Dominik Bokk, Germany
F Jack Drury, USA

Chicago Blackhawks (2):

F Antti Saarela, Finland
F Michal Teply, Czech Republic

Colorado Avalanche (4):

D Bowen Byram, Canada
G Justus Annunen, Finland
F Sampo Ranta, Finland
D Daniil Zhuravlyov, Russia

Columbus Blue Jackets (4):

F Liam Foudy, Canada
F Kirill Marchenko, Russia
F Dmitri Voronkov, Russia
D Tim Berni, Switzerland

Dallas Stars (3):

F Ty Dellandrea, Canada
F Oskar Back, Sweden
F Albin Eriksson, Sweden

Detroit Red Wings (5):

D Jared McIsaac, Canada
F Joseph Veleno, Canada
D Moritz Seider, Germany
F Jonatan Berggren, Sweden
F Jesper Eliasson, Sweden

Edmonton Oilers (4):

F Raphael Lavoie, Canada
G Olivier Rodrigue, Canada
F Matej Blumel, Czech Republic
D Philip Broberg, Sweden

Florida Panthers (3):

Justin Schutz, Germany
F Grigori Denisenko, Russia
G Spencer Knight, USA

Los Angeles Kings (9):

F Aidan Dudas, Canada
F Akil Thomas, Canada
F Lukas Parik, Czech Republic
F Rasmus Kupari, Finland
D Kim Nousiainen, Finland
D Tobias Bjornfot, Sweden
F Samuel Fagemo, Sweden
F Arthur Kaliyev, USA
F Alex Turcotte, USA

Minnesota Wild (1):

F Alexander Khovanov, Russia

Montreal Canadiens (4):

D Alexander Romanov, Russia
D Mattias Norlinder, Sweden
F Cole Caufield, USA
D Jordan Harris, USA

Nashville Predators (1):

D Spencer Stastney, USA

New Jersey Devils (5):

D Kevin Bahl, Canada
D Ty Smith, Canada
D Daniil Misyul, Russia
F Nikola Pasic, Sweden
G Akira Schmid, Switzerland

New York Islanders (2):

F Jacob Pivonka, USA
F Oliver Wahlstrom, USA

New York Rangers (5):

D Nico Gross, Switzerland
F Karl Henriksson, Sweden
D Nils Lundkvist, Sweden
D Zachary Jones, USA

D K’Andre Miller, USA

Ottawa Senators (3):

D Jacob Bernard-Docker, Canada
D Lassi Thomson, Finland
F Shane Pinto, USA

Philadelphia Flyers (4):

F Egor Zamula, Russia
D Adam Ginning, Sweden
F Bobby Brink, USA
D Cameron York, USA

Pittsburgh Penguins (1):

D Calen Addison, Canada

San Jose Sharks (1):

Santeri Hatakka, Finland

St. Louis Blues (2):

G Joel Hofer, Canada
F Nikita Alexandrov, Russia

Tampa Bay Lightning (3):

F Nolan Foote, Canada
F Maxim Cajkovic, Czech Republic
G Hugo Alnefelt, Sweden

Toronto Maple Leafs (3):

D Mikko Kokkonen, Finland
D Rasmus Sandin, Sweden
F Nicholas Robertson, USA

Vancouver Canucks (4):

F Karel Plasek, Czech Republic
D Toni Utunen, Finland
F Vasily Podkolzin, Russia
F Nils Hoglander, Sweden

Vegas Golden Knights (3):

F Pavel Dorofeyev, Russia
F Ivan Morozov, Russia
G Isaiah Saville, USA

Washington Capitals (2):

F Connor McMichael, Canada
D Martin Has, Czech Republic

Winnipeg Jets (2):

F David Gustafsson, Sweden
D Ville Heinola, Finland

NHL Announces All-Star Captains

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The 2020 NHL All-Star captains were revealed today as three of the names remain the same from last season as Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin, Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid and Colorado Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon headline the captains for each division as picked by the fans. The new name on the captain’s list is Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak.

Pastrnak replaces Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews who was captain at the 2019 all-star game. The 23-year-old is having a dominant season with Boston this year. Having scored a career-high 38 goals last season, Pastrnak is already closing in on that number in almost half that time. The winger already has 28 goals and 50 points in just 36 games as he heads for another career-high this season. Last year was Pastrnak’s first year as an all-star, who was also the “accuracy shooting” winner.

McDavid continues to improve every year. The 22-year-old has continued to put up more and more scoring each year and is on pace to have a career-high in points once again this year. McDavid has 20 goals and 59 points this season through 38 games. MacKinnon is also have another impressive season for the Avalanche, boasting 21 goals and 53 points so far in 35 games this year. The veteran of the group, Ovechkin will make his 11th all-star appearance this season as the 34-year-old has 22 goals this season.

The all-star game will be in St. Louis this season, which will be Jan. 24-26.

Minor Transactions: 12/15/19

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After a full slate of game Saturday night, the NHL quiets down on Sunday with just eight teams in action. Regardless, many teams will start making moves before the league’s Holiday Roster Freeze that kicks in on Thursday, Dec. 19. Keep your eyes this transaction page throughout the day to catch every team’s moves:

  • The Carolina Hurricanes announced they have assigned forward Julien Gauthier to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. The 22-year old and former first-round pick in 2016 picked up his first career NHL point Saturday in Carolina’s victory over Calgary. Gauthier has fared well in the AHL this season with 10 goals in 22 games after a 27-goal season a year ago. He has now five NHL games to his career.
  • The Montreal Canadiens announced they have recalled center Lukas Vejdemo from the Laval Rocket of the AHL, while re-assigning defenseman Otto Leskinen. Vejdemo is the Rocket’s second-leading scorer with eight goals and 16 points. The 23-year-old is in his second season in North America, having scored 13 goals and 29 points last season and looks to be exceeding that mark. If he can get into a game, it will be his NHL debut. Leskinen made his NHL debut on Dec. 5 and played in five games with Montreal. He failed to record a point in that time, but did contribute 13 hits.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs announced they loaned forward Pontus Aberg and defenseman Martin Marincin to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. While the move could be just a simple paper transaction, it’s also possible the team hopes it can get back forward Trevor Moore, which would require the move.
  • CapFriendly reports that the New Jersey Devils have assigned center Michael McLeod to the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. McLeod had an impressive performance Saturday in the Devils’ victory over Arizona. Playing center for the team for the first time ever, the 21-year-old picked up two assists and a plus-two rating in the game, suggesting he might be ready for more extensive callups at a later time. McLeod has 13 points in 24 games with Binghamton.
  • The Athletic’s Ryan S. Clark reports that the Colorado Avalanche have recalled defenseman Anton Lindholm from the Colorado Eagles of the AHL. Lindholm will fill in for defenseman Cale Makar, who was recently put on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. The 25-year-old Lindholm has appeared in 23 games with the Eagles, scoring one goal and two points.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning announced the have assigned forward Mitchell Stephens to the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. The 22-year-old forward made his NHL debut on Dec. 9 and has appeared in four games. While he didn’t register a point, Stephens was useful in the faceoff circle where he 18-of-26 (69.2 percent). He will return to the Crunch where he had five goals and 10 points this season.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have activated forward Tyler Motte from injured reserve and made space for him by assigning forward Zack MacEwen to the Utica Comets, the team announced. Motte suffered a lower-body injury on Oct. 25 and was expected to be out for four weeks. It’s taken quite a bit longer, but the 24-year-old is expected to join the team. He has only appeared in six games for the Canucks this season with one assist. The 23-year-old MacEwen has appeared in eight games with Vancouver, posting a goal and an assist.
  • As the Ottawa Senators continue to shuffle young players to and from the NHL, the latest move comes with Jonathan Davidsson being returned to AHL Belleville. Davidsson, acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets last season, has played in six games with Ottawa this season, recording just one point. He has four points in eleven games with Belleville and, in just his first season in North American, will benefit more from a large role in the AHL. than his limited action with Ottwa.

Latest On New Jersey’s Taylor Hall

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Saturday, 4:45 PM: The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports that the Arizona Coyotes are the lead candidate to acquire Hall with a potential trade coming soon.

Saturday, 9:45 AM: Sportsnet’s Elliott Friedman reports that Hall is expected to be held out of the lineup again tonight, as the Devils ironically face another of his top suitors in the Arizona Coyotes. This should not come as any surprise. If talks had grown serious enough to sit Hall last night, they were not likely to fall apart to the point that the Devils would be comfortable playing him tonight. In all likelihood, Hall has played his final game as a Devil. A trade may not be “imminent”, as the team denied, but it is certainly coming in short time.

Friday: As if there wasn’t rampant Taylor Hall trade speculation already, the New Jersey Devils had to turn the drama up to soap opera levels on Friday night. After taking part in warm-ups, Hall was announced as a late scratch just minutes before puck drop. The team would only state that the decision was due to “precautionary” reasons.

It’s hard to believe that this is health related, as Hall has played in all 30 games with the Devils this season without a hitch. Hall has struggled with injury issues throughout his career, but there has been no report of any lingering injuries of late. Nor has there been a report any incident occurring during warm-ups that could have changed the status quo. This seems to be a team decision made completely independent of Hall’s health.

And who would Hall have been set to square off against tonight? None other than the Colorado Avalanche, the team considered the heavy favorites to land Hall’s services. It’s not as though the Avs need to scout the 2018 Hart Trophy winner. Hall is an established NHL star, scoring at a point-per-game pace or better pace in four of his nine pro seasons, including his 93-point MVP campaign. If Colorado was closing in on a deal for Hall, they would likely rather he sit than risk himself against what could soon be his own teammates.

Of course, that line of thinking is challenged by both teams dismissing the idea that a trade has been made. Devils team officials have made it clear that Hall’s scratch is not related to an impending trade. Meanwhile, sources close to the Avalanche say that the team is not acting as if there is anything in the works. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun believes that the offers for Hall are getting serious enough to warrant his benching, but stops short of saying that any team is close enough to get a deal done. Yet, isn’t it convenient that Hall was a “precautionary” scratch on Friday night against the club considered to be his biggest suitor …

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