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Flyers Notes: MacDonald, Gostisbehere, Konecny, Cousins

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After being cut and waived by the Flyers early last season, that’s not likely to be the case this time around, CSN Philly’s Tim Panaccio believes.  Not only does Philadelphia have the room to keep his $5MM cap hit on the books but MacDonald’s ability to play both sides on the blueline has made him a  much more valuable player to have around.

Last season, MacDonald formed a pairing with Michael Del Zotto with MacDonald playing on the left side.  In camp, he has found himself on the right side alongside top prospect Ivan Provorov, who appears likely to make the opening night roster.

The Flyers currently have eight defensemen in camp and are expected to trim that to seven before the season gets underway.  While it remains likely that the team could ship MacDonald back to the minors as he would be a safe bet to clear waivers, another option is Brandon Manning, who was in and out of the lineup last season and would be in a similar role if he were to break camp with the team.  However, he would have to clear waivers to be sent down.  The only players who don’t are Provorov and Calder finalist Shayne Gostisbehere, who is a lock to make the team.

[Related: Flyers Depth Chart]

More out of Philadelphia:

  • While rookies who quickly surge to become impact players midseason often drop off the next year, the Flyers are expecting Gostisbehere to buck that trend, writes Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post. After starting last season in the AHL, he was recalled and quickly became a force, scoring 17 goals while adding 29 assists in just 64 games and merely repeating those numbers over a full season would have him among the higher scoring blueliners in the league once again.  The 23 year old logged just over 20 minutes per game last season and will likely shoulder a similar workload in 2016-17.
  • Speed is a huge factor in today’s NHL which should work well for 2015 Flyer first rounder Travis Konecny, Isaac pens in a separate piece. The 19 year old is looking to forego his last junior season (with OHL Sarnia) to stick with Philadelphia and has made a strong impression at camp, leading the team in preseason scoring with four points in four games.  However, at just 5’10, he’s undersized for the bottom six role he would likely play with the team.  As a junior aged player, Konecny can play in nine NHL games before burning the first year of his entry level contract.
  • Also from the above column, center Nick Cousins is attempting to transition to the left wing. Although he spent a good portion of the season as their third line center last year, the bottom two spots at that position appear to be earmarked for returnee Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and newcomer Boyd Gordon.  Cousins appears to be open to the move, telling Isaac, “It’s going to be a little different, but I’m open to try it. I think once I get used to it, I’ll be good at it. I’ll fit in wherever they want me.”

Minor Transactions: 10/5/16

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Unrestricted free agent center Cody Hodgson announced his retirement earlier this week at the age of 26, writes Jonathan MacDonald of the Vancouver Province.  He spent last season with Nashville and will remain with the organization as part of their hockey and fan development program.

Hodgson was originally drafted by the Canucks back in the first round (10th overall) back in 2008.  He suited up in 71 games with the team, putting up a respectable 17 goals and 18 assists.  However, he was dealt to Buffalo in 2012 in exchange for rugged winger Zack Kassian in a swap of one-time top prospects who could use a change of scenery.

The move didn’t work out too well for Hodgson as he collected 99 points in 218 games with the Sabres but never really became the core player they desired when the trade was made.  He did, however, manage to land a six year, $25.5MM deal shortly after being acquired, a contract that was bought out last summer.  In the hopes of revitalizing his career, he signed with Nashville but was waived after just 39 games, spending the second half of the season in the minors.

Hodgson wraps up his career with 64 goals and 78 assists in 328 games with the three teams.  He will still be paid for many years to come though as the Sabres will owe him just shy of $800K per season every year through 2022-23.

Other recent minor transactions from around the hockey world:

  • Carolina UFA winger Anthony Camara has joined the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL, the league announced in its daily transactions list. Camara was originally a third round pick of the Bruins in 2011 but was traded to the Hurricanes as part of the John-Michael Liles deadline deal.  Camara finished the season with their AHL affiliate in Charlotte but did not receive a qualifying offer back in June.
  • While the Blue Jackets cut right winger Aaron Palushaj from training camp yesterday, he will remain in their organization, having agreed to terms on a minor league contract with their AHL affiliate in Cleveland. He spent last season with Philadelphia’s AHL team in Lehigh Valley but has 68 NHL games under his belt with Montreal, Colorado, and Carolina.
  • Columbus has also offered Marc-Andre Bergeron, who was released from his PTO today, a minor league contract, reports Steve Turcotte of leNouvelliste (link in French). The 36 year old will take some time to make the decision whether to accept the offer, retire, or try to continue his career elsewhere.  Bergeron has been a power play specialist for most of his career, picking up 235 points in 490 NHL contests.
  • Ottawa UFA center Travis Ewanyk has joined the Utica Comets (affiliate of Vancouver) on a tryout deal, the AHL team announced via Twitter.  The 23 year old spent last season with Ottawa’s farm team in Binghamton, picking up nine points and 110 PIMS in 66 games.  The Sens declined to tender him a qualifying offer in June.

West Notes: Benn, Pearson, Boyle

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Dallas center Jamie Benn has been one of the top players in the NHL in recent years but at one point was strong considering baseball, he told Jonas Siegel of the Canadian Press.  Before the Stars selected him in the fifth round back in 2007, he had an NCAA commitment to the University of Alaska-Fairbanks where he would have played both sports.  However, after being drafted, he agreed to play in the WHL, thereby foregoing his college eligibility.

On the diamond, Benn spent his time at center field and first base while also pitching from time to time.  One of his former coaches called him the second best hitter to come out of Victoria, B.C., behind only Michael Saunders of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Benn’s commitment to both sports may have played a role in him dropping as far as he did in the draft as his hockey conditioning and skills weren’t as sharp as many other junior aged players at that time.

It’s hard to say the selection hasn’t panned out for the Stars, who picked four players ahead of Benn that year with only one actually playing in the NHL (Colton Sceviour, who signed with Florida this summer).  The 27 year old – who suited up in his first preseason game this week and appears to be on track to start the season – has put up three straight seasons of 79 points or more.  Although he may very well have been a successful baseball player had he opted to make that his primary choice, it’s safe to say that the decision to stick with hockey has served the Stars’ captain well.

Other news from out West:

  • Los Angeles left winger Tanner Pearson has been suspended for the remainder of the preseason plus the first two games of the regular season for an illegal check to the head on Edmonton defenseman Brandon Davidson, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced. Pearson had received a match penalty on the play originally.  He will forfeit just over $15.5K in salary to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund and will be eligible to return on October 18th against Minnesota.
  • Veteran defenseman Dan Boyle officially announced his retirement at a press conference today in San Jose. The 40 year old played in 1,093 games over a 17 year career, suiting up for the Panthers, Lightning, Sharks, and Rangers and won a Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2004.  With 605 points to his name, Boyle ranks 35th in scoring amongst blueliners in NHL history.

Injury Notes: Kronwall, Zetterberg, Klefbom, Kessel, Miller

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Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall may not be ready to start the regular season as his knee is not recovering as quickly as originally anticipated, reports Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.  Unfortunately for both him and the team, this won’t be an issue that will completely go away, even when he does return to the lineup as the damage is permanent.  As a result, he’ll be dealing with pain management throughout the season:

“We have somewhat of a plan in place. But in saying that, you feel how you feel every day. If something doesn’t feel right, then you have to take a step back. But so far, we’ve been able to move along.”

If Kronwall isn’t ready to start the season, he could potentially be placed on injured reserve which could buy the team a bit more time to sort out the rest of their blueline.  Xavier Ouellet, Ryan Sproul, and Nick Jensen are all waiver eligible and if all of Detroit’s defensemen are healthy, at least one of them will be heading for the waiver wire.

[Related: Red Wings Depth Chart]

Detroit captain Henrik Zetterberg is also recovering a bit slower than expected from his knee issue but St. James adds that he is more optimistic about being ready to start the season.  Zetterberg is also expected to spend more time on the wing this year which should be a little less stressful in terms of skating.

Other injury notes:

  • Although Edmonton defenseman Oscar Klefbom was pulled out of the lineup by a concussion spotter last week, he didn’t actually suffer one and passed all of the baseline tests, notes the Edmonton Sun’s Robert Tychkowski.  The 23 year old missed 52 games last season due to injuries and will be counted on to play a key role for the Oilers this season.
  • Pittsburgh’s Phil Kessel admitted that his hand is not yet 100 percent but he is expected to make his preseason debut tonight, writes Sam Werner of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The right winger had surgery in the summer to correct a lingering issue in his hand and is at the point in his recovery that playing is the next step in the rehab process.  Assuming no issues come up, he should be ready to start the season to keep his consecutive games streak intact.
  • Boston defenseman Kevan Miller left Tuesday’s preseason game against Montreal with a lower body injury after getting hit with puck and CSN New England’s Joe Haggerty notes that Miller was also absent from practice today. However, it appears the Bruins are exercising caution more than anything at this point and head coach Claude Julien doesn’t expect it to be more than a day-to-day thing.

Oilers Name McDavid Team Captain

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As expected, the Edmonton Oilers have announced that Connor McDavid will be the team’s captain for the 2016-17 season and likely well beyond. At just 19-years-old, McDavid becomes the youngest team captain in NHL history, as the team tweeted, edging out Vincent Lecavalier for the honor by about six weeks.

The top overall selection in the 2015 draft, McDavid has the potential to be a generational talent. McDavid was one of only five players last season to average better than a point-per-game, tallying 48 in 45 contests as a rookie. It’s likely had he not missed nearly half the season due to injury that he would have been an easy choice for the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie.

Despite his youth, McDavid appears perfectly suited for the role of captain. He served in the same capacity for both his junior club, the Erie Otters, and for Team North America at the World Cup.

In addition to giving McDavid the “C,” the Oilers also appointed Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jordan Eberle and Milan Lucic as alternates.

While it’s a near-certainty McDavid will soon be one of, if not the best hockey player on the planet, it remains to be seen whether he can finally lead the long-suffering Oilers back to the postseason in 2016-17. The Oilers have long boasted tremendous talent and skill but have failed to reach the playoffs in a decade. After several high-profile offseason acquisitions and with their best player now leading the way, Edmonton looks poised to make a jump in the standings.

Metro Notes: Pirri, Leighton, Wilson

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The hardest skill to find on the open market is goal-scoring yet one of the NHL’s most prolific when it comes to finding the back of the net, Brandon Pirri, remained unsigned as a UFA late into the summer. Pirri is tied for 30th in goals scored for every 60 minutes of ice time he plays at even strength over the last two seasons. Eventually, the New York Rangers decided to roll the dice and invest in a one-year deal with Pirri and as Sean Hartnett of CBS New York writes, the Blue Shirts might have scored the steal of the summer.

Despite his offensive prowess, Pirri has bounced around the league quite a bit since breaking into the league with the Blackhawks during the 2010-11 season. He wouldn’t earn a regular role until dealt from Chicago to Florida during the 2012-13 campaign. Pirri would spend parts of three seasons with the Panthers before a trade deadline deal to Anaheim this past season. The Ducks chose not to qualify Pirri after the season, thus making the forward a free agent.

Recently, after a preseason loss to Philadelphia, Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault acknowledged the offensive abilities but also pointed out other areas Pirri needs to improve upon before earning the bench boss’ trust.

“There’s no doubt that he’s got the knack to find the net and score. Tonight, he scored a big goal for us. But there’s other areas where I need to be sure he’s going to be able to make the play, get the puck out, be strong on the wall. And tonight, in certain areas, he needed to make a better play. But there’s no doubt offensively that he’s got good hands and he can find the back of the net.”

Pirri is also locked in a tight battle for a roster spot. Even after placing Marek Hrivik and Nicklas Jensen on waivers for the purpose of sending them down to the AHL, the Blue Shirts have four or five players competing for perhaps three spots. Additionally, Vigneault has previously said Pirri would be best served in a top-nine role and he might have a hard time beating out some of his competition despite a four goal, six point preseason. But as Hartnett notes, Pirri’s versatility could be key as he can play either wing and even fill in at center if needed. If Pirri can find enough playing time in New York and continues to put the puck in the net as he has done for much of his career, the minimal investment the Rangers made this summer could prove one of the wisest moves of the offseason.

Elsewhere in the Metro Division:

  • When goalie Michael Leighton inked a deal with Carolina in September, he knew in all likelihood he was destined to spend most of the season in the AHL with the Charlotte Checkers. But as Chip Alexander of The News & Observer writes, the veteran of 106 regular season NHL contests is content being the #3 netminder in the organization and with his role mentoring the teams goalie prospects. “They’ve got two solid goalies up here, I knew that coming in. I just want to go down there and help the young guys, hopefully show them a little bit of leadership and kind of guide them toward what they should be doing in the future. And also play well. I want to win. If I go down to Charlotte I want to win games and hopefully win a championship.” Of course Leighton is aware he is just an injury away from NHL duty. Last season, while in the Chicago organization, Leighton got that call and would see action in a single NHL contest. Leighton is perhaps best known for back-stopping the 2009-10 Philadelphia Flyers to within two wins of an improbable Stanley Cup championship. He won eight of his 13 starts that spring and recorded three shutouts during the Eastern Conference Final against Montreal. Regardless of whether Leighton sees any NHL action this season or not, his experience should prove valuable to the Hurricanes organization.
  • LW Scott Wilson of the Pittsburgh Penguins is doing his best to land a plum job skating next to one of the elite centers in the game today. As Seth Rorabaugh of DKPittsburghSports.com writes (subscription required), Wilson has taken advantage of the absence of several high profile players due to their World Cup commitments and impressed the Penguins coaches with his play. He is being rewarded with an opportunity to skate along side Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist in tonight’s preseason tilt with Detroit. Whether the Penguins leave Wilson in the spot to open the season is open for debate. But assuming the Carl Hagelin – Nick Bonino – Phil Kessel line that was dominant in the postseason remains intact, the Penguins will need to find four wingers to play with Sidney Crosby and Malkin. Hornqvist, Chris Kunitz and Conor Sheary figure to fill three of those vacancies but that does leave open the possibility Wilson could force his way into that last spot.

Devils Lose Merrill, Gazdic For Four Weeks

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The New Jersey Devils announced today that they will be without the services of defenseman Jon Merrill and forward Luke Gazdic for four weeks each due to injury. Merrill broke his index finger in Saturday’s preseason tilt against the New York Rangers, while Gazdic suffered a broken left foot on September 26th.

The loss of Merrill is a particularly tough one for the Devils as their top-six was already a bit thin. Merrill recorded a goal to go along with four assists in 47 games in 2015-16 but missed the final three weeks of the season due to a shoulder injury. He had surgery on that shoulder in May and was expected to miss four months but recovered quickly enough to participate in training camp.

The Devils could choose to roll with Seth Helgeson or perhaps Yohann Auvitu to pick up the slack on the back end until Merrill is healthy. Or the club could look to the waiver wire where a number of interesting players could be available. Jakub Kindl, cut by Florida, or Matt Bartkowski, released from his PTO with Ottawa, could represent solid, short-term fixes for the Devils.

While Kindl might have name recognition going for him, he would also represent a fairly sizable financial commitment should the Devils claim the 6-foot-3, 199-pound blue liner. He is in the final year of a contract that has an AAV of $2.4MM but with Detroit retaining $360K as part of last year’s deadline trade with Florida, any team claiming Kindl would be on the hook for just over $2MM.

On the other hand, Auvitu is an intriguing player. The French-born blue liner was named the top defenseman in the Finnish League in 2015-16 and attracted plenty of interest from teams in both the NHL and the KHL this summer before choosing to sign with the Devils. The 27-year-old Auvitu also speaks five different languages: English, Russian, German, Finnish and French.

Gazdic, a big LW, spent the last three seasons with Edmonton, seeing action in 129 games for the Oil and accumulating just five goals and eight points. He was expected to add some size and toughness to the organization in a depth role.

Professional Try-Outs Remaining In Camp

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We’re now two weeks into training camp, and there are still a handful of professional try-out contracts (PTOs) remaining in camp. With the difficult economic situation in the NHL, these veterans have been forced to take PTOs to try earn contracts.

Here’s an updated list:

Anaheim Ducks:
LW Sean Bergenheim
G Yann Danis
C Kyle MacKinnon

Boston Bruins:
D Christian Ehrhoff

Calgary Flames:
D Nicklas Grossmann
LW Chris Higgins
LW Lauri Korpikoski

Colorado Avalanche:
RW Gabriel Bourque
LW Rene Bourque

Columbus Blue Jackets:
G Brad Thiessen

Detroit Red Wings:
D Nathan Paetsch

Edmonton Oilers:
D Eric Gryba
RW Kris Versteeg

Los Angeles Kings:
RW Devin Setoguchi

Minnesota Wild:
LW Ryan Carter

New Jersey Devils:
G Anders Lindback

New York Islanders:
C Stephen Gionta

St. Louis Blues:
D Mike Weber

Toronto Maple Leafs:
LW Rich Clune
D Raman Hrabarenka
LW Brandon Prust
C Colin Smith

Vancouver Canucks:
RW Jack Skille
RW Tuomo Ruutu

Information via Cap Friendly.

Oilers’ Hendricks To Miss “Weeks”

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The Edmonton Oilers will start the season without one of their best penalty killers and leaders.

Forward Matt Hendricks left the Oilers’ Tuesday night win over the Anaheim Ducks in the second period with a lower-body injury. According to Oilers head coach Todd McLellan, Hendricks will miss “weeks”.

Hendricks absence, combined with Iiro Pakarinen’s serious knee injury sustained earlier this week, gives a couple of young forwards a better chance of cracking the opening night roster. Center Anton Lander, right winger Tyler Pitlick, and left winger Anton Slepyshev are battling for the 12th and 13th forward slots. Expect Lander and Pitlick to have the inside track on those jobs.

The Oilers have already suffered several injuries in training camp, with WHL-bound second-round pick Tyler Benson injuring his shoulder, Patrick Maroon and Oscar Klefbom missing short amounts of time with minor injuries, Pakarinen’s knee injury, and Brandon Davidson taking a headshot.

Training Camp Cuts: 10.05.16

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We’re now a week away from the beginning of the NHL regular season. Teams are getting closer to their final rosters, and with that comes more cuts.

Here are the cuts made on October 5, 2016:

Carolina Hurricanes (via General Fanager):
G Michael Leighton (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Charlotte, AHL)
D Keegan Lowe (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Charlotte, AHL)
C Brody Sutter (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Charlotte, AHL)
D Matt Tennyson (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Charlotte, AHL)
LW Brendan Woods (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Charlotte, AHL)

Columbus Blue Jackets (via team release):
D Keith Aulie (released from PTO)
D Marc-Andre Bergeron (released from PTO)
RW Mike Brown (released from PTO)
C Jarret Stoll (released from PTO)
RW Daniel Zaar (assigned to Cleveland, AHL)

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