Injury Notes: Backlund, Jurco, Zetterberg, Leafs, Grabovski, Smid
Flames center Mikael Backlund has suffered a concussion and is likely to miss the remainder of the World Cup of Hockey, according to a report from Expressen’s Henrik Sjoberg and Gunnar Nordstrom (link in Swedish). The injury was reportedly sustained against Finland on a hit from Sami Lepisto; as a result, Backlund missed yesterday’s game against Team North America and was replaced in the lineup by St. Louis center Patrik Berglund.
Backlund has been held pointless in four games with the Swedes including pre-tournament action while playing in a bottom six role. There is no timetable for how long he might miss beyond the possibility of missing Sweden’s remaining games at the World Cup.
While the 27 year old played in all 82 games last season, he is no stranger to being injured as he has missed time due to a broken finger, injuries to the arm, hand, and knee, as well as to his abdominal wall all since 2011-12.
[Related: Team Sweden Depth Chart]
In other injury news:
- Detroit winger Tomas Jurco isn’t expected to play until at least November as he continues to recover from back surgery, reports MLive’s Ansar Khan. Jurco struggled with Detroit last season, recording just six points in 44 games while spending time as a scratch. When healthy, he’ll likely battle for a bottom six spot with the Wings.
- In a separate tweet from Khan, Henrik Zetterberg, who withdrew from the World Cup (and was replaced by the now-concussed Backlund) due to a knee injury, will not be participating in team practices or scrimmages for the time being. He will, however, continue to skate on his own. Last week, Zetterberg noted that he expected to be ready for the season opener although his likely level of participation in the exhibition games was unknown.
- The Maple Leafs released their training camp roster and as expected, it was noted that defenseman Stephane Robidas (who is now a consultant for the team) plus forwards Nathan Horton and Joffrey Lupul have all failed their physicals and will start the season on injured reserve. It was reported yesterday that Lupul was heading for the IR while it’s unlikely that Horton will play again due to continuing back issues.
- Islanders center Mikhail Grabovski continues to deal with concussion symptoms, tweets Newsday’s Arthur Staple. He has not been given the green light to do any sort of skating yet so he’ll likely be out for a while although there is no timetable for his possible return. Grabovski has two years left on his contract with a cap hit of $5MM.
- Calgary blueliner Ladislav Smid will not play this season, reports Postmedia’s Kristen Odland. A decision on retirement hasn’t been made and it’s more likely that he will spend the year on LTIR. Smid played in just 22 games last season and suffered a neck injury towards the end of the year.
Korpikoski Headed To Camp With Flames On PTO
Veteran checking forward Lauri Korpikoski, who was bought out of his contract by Edmonton earlier this summer, is evidently going to training camp with the provincial rival Flames, joining several other experienced players looking for work in Calgary. The addition of Korpikoski was first reported by Darren Haynes, via Twitter, and later confirmed by the Flames themselves through the release of their training camp roster.
Korpikoski would have been entering the final season of the four-year, $10MM contract originally inked while a member of the Coyotes. But unhappy with the Finnish forward’s play and looking to open up a slot for a younger player, the Oilers bought out his contract in June, making him a free agent. Unable to land a guaranteed contract, Korpikoski will now have to compete with NHL veterans Chris Higgins and Matt Frattin, both of whom are also going to camp on a PTO, and several other players for a bottom-six role with the Flames.
A veteran of 540 NHL games, Korpikoski played just one season with the Oilers, tallying 10 goals and 22 points in 71 contests, after being acquired from Arizona for center Boyd Gordon. For his career, he has scored 181 points with 122 minutes in penalties and has posted a -54 plus-minus rating. Korpikoski was at one time considered a solid, defensive forward who combined for 77 points in 161 contests during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 campaigns as a member of the Coyotes. He would also garner some Selke votes, placing 40th and 35th respectively in balloting for those seasons.
You can keep track of the latest PTO signings by checking out our Training Camp Invite Tracker.
Atlantic Division Notes: Lupul, Marchand, Galchenyuk
TSN’s Frank Seravelli reports that Joffrey Lupul is rumored to have failed his pre-season physical and expects to start the NHL season on injured reserve. The oft-injured Maple Leafs forward only played in 46 games last year, scoring 11 goals and 3 assists.
Lupul has faced a variety of injuries in his career, but none more severe than his back issues which have sidelined him for significant periods of time. When healthy, Lupul is an excellent contributor, but his repeated injuries often derail successful campaigns.
Lupul began his Maple Leafs career with a bang, netting 45 goals and 105 points in his first 110 contests spread out over parts of three seasons in Toronto after a 2011 deadline trade with Anaheim. His strong play led to a massive five-year contract extension worth $26.25MM in total despite the fact the skilled forward had seen action in no more than 66 games in a single season since 2008-09. Unfortunately for both parties, Lupul has missed nearly a full season’s worth of games (76 in total) since inking that extension and has produced just 0.46 points-per-game during that time.
The Maple Leafs are currently over the cap by $827K, but moving Lupul to LTIR will free up $5.25MM in space. Assuming Stephane Robidas also starts the season on LTIR, the Leafs go from slightly over the cap to over $8MM under the cap. The Leafs will have the option of freeing up additional space by placing Nathan Horton on LTIR as well, which would further lower their overall cap commitment to around $60MM.
Lupul was originally the seventh overall pick in the 2002 NHL entry draft, chosen by the Anaheim Ducks. Ironically, he has twice been included in trades involving Chris Pronger, first going from Anaheim to the Oilers in exchange for the Hall of Fame defenseman, then returning to the Ducks as part of a package that saw Pronger head to Philadelphia. Toronto would acquire Lupul and Jake Gardiner from Anaheim as part of a trade for veteran blue liner Francois Beauchemin.
More from the Atlantic Division:
- Joe Haggerty joined local Boston sports talk show, Toucher and Rich, and discussed Brad Marchand‘s pending free agency. Marchand, of course, ranked 6th in the NHL in goals scored in 2015-16, tallying a career high 37. He is currently playing on what many consider to be the best line in the World Cup, skating on the left of all-world pivot Sidney Crosby with Bruins teammate Patrice Bergeron on the right. Haggerty opines that the Bruins need to lock up the agitating winger before he hits the free agent market, suggesting it will take a seven-year contract with an AAV of $7MM per season. He also listed the Penguins as a potential suitor should Marchand make it to free agency. Haggerty cites the fact both Marchand and Crosby are originally from Nova Scotia and that the success the two players are experiencing at the World Cup might prompt an impassioned plead to Penguins management from their best player to go get Marchand. Of course while Marchand might be getting a glimpse of how fun it might be to play with Crosby every day, he’s also reminded of just how good playing with Bergeron is.
- It appears the Montreal Canadiens have anointed Alex Galchenyuk as the team’s #1 center, with head coach Michel Therrien saying he plans to start the talented American on the top line with Max Pacioretty and Brendan Gallagher, as Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette reports. Galchenyuk, who has moved back-and-forth between wing and center since breaking into the league in 2012-13, may have finally earned the trust of the coaching staff on the heels of a strong 30-goal campaign, which included netting 18 over the team’s final 27 games. Veteran center Tomas Plekanec will then assume the role of #2 pivot and is expected to have new offseason additions Andrew Shaw and Alexander Radulov on his wings.
*Mike Furlano contributed to this post.
2016-17 Season Preview: Anaheim Ducks
As the NHL season is now less than a month away, we continue our look at each team’s offseason and preview the upcoming year. Today, we focus on the Anaheim Ducks.
Last Season: 46-25-11 record (103 points), 1st in the Pacific Division. Lost 4-3 to Nashville in Round 1.
Remaining Cap Space: $7,5MM per CapFriendly.
Key Newcomers: Mason Raymond (LW) – free agent signing (Calgary); Jonathan Bernier (G) – trade (Toronto); Antoine Vermette (C) – free agent (Arizona); Jared Boll (LW) – free agent (Columbus).
Key Departures: Jamie McGinn (LW) – signed with Arizona; David Perron (LW) – signed with St. Louis; Frederik Andersen (G) – traded to Toronto; Brandon Pirri (LW) – signed with NYR; Mike Santorelli (LW) – signed in Switzerland; Chris Stewart (RW) – signed with Minnesota; Anton Khudobin (G) – signed with Boston.
Player to Watch: Hampus Lindholm and Rickard Rakell. The former first round draft picks—and Swedish natives—remain unsigned as of writing. With training camp looming, it is possible that both are on the outside looking in when the puck drops October 12th.
Lindholm has established himself as one of the Ducks’ top defensive prospects, scoring 10G and 18A in 80 games while playing 22 minutes a night. Hampering Hampus’ negotiating power, however, is the presence of other defensive prospects Cam Fowler and Sami Vatanen. The Ducks have an embarrassment of riches on defense, and can afford to play hardball with Lindholm’s camp. What is not helping is Lindholm’s scarce playing time at the World Cup of Hockey. Lindholm has not received any significant exposure this fall in a tournament that could’ve showcased his skills and potentially increased his value.
Rickard Rakell is in a similar situation. An unsigned RFA playing for Team Sweden in the World Cup and hoping to increase his value—until complications from a previous appendectomy required additional surgery and a two week recovery period. Rakell broke out last season, scoring 20G and 23A in 72 games, and finished fourth in team scoring. An inability to come to terms with the Ducks most likely stems from whether the production outburst was a fluke, or just Rakell’s natural upward development.
Key Storylines: Can Randy Carlyle do what Boudreau could not, and can John Gibson handle a full starter’s workload?
Bruce Boudreau was let go at the end of last season despite four consecutive first place finishes in the Pacific. The problem in management’s eyes was that Boudreau could not get it done in big playoff games and a new voice was needed. One could debate the existence of ‘clutch’, but losing four straight game sevens gave management enough ammunition to seek out someone new. Or Randy Carlyle, the man Boudreau replaced in 2011-12. Carlyle last coached the Toronto Maple Leafs, missing the playoffs in 2 of 3 seasons, and fired midway through the fourth. The former Ducks coach is an odd choice to replace Boudreau, but the thought is that an old voice may motivate veterans Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf.
On the ice, Anaheim shipped out RFA goaltender Frederik Andersen this summer to the Maple Leafs and move forward with John Gibson as their undisputed starter. Gibson appeared to grab the starter’s role from Andersen last season, going 21-13-4 in 38 starts, and posting a .920SV% and 2.07GAA. Those personal stats are slightly better than Andersen’s .919SV% and 2.30GAA. Either way, the Ducks had a decision to make in net, and chose the young netminder over the Danish RFA. Gibson has not played a full season, however, and questions remain as to whether his numbers can remain consistent with a full workload. The Ducks brought in Jonathan Bernier from the Leafs to potentially ease the growing pains, but the starter’s job is clearly Gibson’s to lose.
Confirmed: Orlov Signs One-Year Deal With Capitals
The Washington Capitals and Dmitry Orlov agreed to a one-year deal worth $2.57MM. Orlov was a restricted free agent this summer, and while his contract will keep him as an RFA next summer, he is arbitration-eligible. The signing wraps up the Capitals’ obligations right before training camp opens.
Orlov is currently playing on Team Russia’s blueline in the World Cup of Hockey and averaging around 20 minutes a game. Last season he scored 8G and 21A in 82 games for the Capitals, but remains a bottom-pairing defenseman because of a stacked Capitals’ blueline.
The signing leaves Washington with approximately $880K in salary cap space to start the season. The Caps have little wiggle room to add, however, and will have to manipulate the cap creatively in order to make space at the trade deadline. The deal itself seems team friendly, but if Orlov continues to progress he is in line for a healthy raise next year.
Breaking Down Bovada’s 2016-17 Projections
Over the past two weeks, Las Vegas odds-maker Bovada has provided hockey fans with a pretty clear picture of how they think the 2016-17 will play out. With both Stanley Cup odds and regular season point total over/unders now released, you can see just about everything that the folks in Vegas expect to occur before they finally have their own team in the mix. Below are the projected final standings for each conference, as well as a breakdown of the potential story lines and playoff match-ups if Bovada does indeed prove to have their predictions correct:
Eastern Conference
- Washington Capitals (Metro): 107.5 pts, 10/1 Cup odds
- Tampa Bay Lightning (Atlantic): 106.5 pts, 10/1 Cup odds
- Pittsburgh Penguins (Metro): 103.5 pts, 9/1 Cup odds
- Florida Panthers (Atlantic): 98.5 pts, 16/1 Cup odds
- Montreal Canadiens (Atlantic): 96.5 pts, 25/1 Cup odds
- New York Islanders (Metro): 95.5 pts, 25/1 Cup odds
- New York Rangers (Metro): 95.5 pts, 25/1 Cup odds
- Boston Bruins (Atlantic): 92.5 pts, 25/1 Cup odds
- Detroit Red Wings (Atlantic): 90.5 pts, 25/1 Cup odds
- Philadelphia Flyers (Metro): 89.5 pts, 33/1 Cup odds
- Columbus Blue Jackets (Metro): 84.5 pts, 66/1 Cup odds
- Buffalo Sabres (Atlantic): 83.5 pts, 50/1 Cup odds
- New Jersey Devils (Metro): 82.5 pts, 50/1 Cup odds
- Ottawa Senators (Atlantic): 80.5 pts, 50/1 Cup odds
- Toronto Maple Leafs (Atlantic): 80.5 pts, 50/1 Cup odds
- Carolina Hurricanes (Metro): 78.5 pts, 66/1 Cup odds
In what can be considered a testament to the top four teams in the East, Bovada essentially doesn’t care where the Canadiens, Islanders, Rangers, Bruins, and Red Wings finish in the regular season, as they all have the same low odds of reaching the Stanley Cup if they have to go through the Capitals, Lightning, Penguins, and Panthers. At least Montreal can be proud that a Canadian team is finally back in the postseason. As it looks now, these final standings would result in first round series between Boston and Washington (likely not the Caps preferred opponent), the Rangers and Tampa Bay (Rangers lose the alphabetical tie-breaker), the Islanders and Pittsburgh in the Metropolitan match-up, and Montreal and Florida in the Atlantic match-up. Wins by the top seeds would then see a battle for the panhandle state between the Lightning and Panthers and a 2016 re-match between the Capitals and defending champion Penguins. On the outside looking in are the Detroit Red Wings, whose postseason streak will finally be snapped, and sadly in the final year of Joe Louis Arena to boot. They are joined by another 2015-16 playoff team, the Philadelphia Flyers, whose drop from 96 points last year to a projected 89.5 points seems harsh. However, the Flyers dropping out of the running early does set up a great “Subway series” between the Rangers and Islanders for playoff positioning and a repeat of last year’s race between Original Sixers Boston and Detroit for the final playoff spot, two events that hockey fans would love to see. The odds-makers clearly hate the Blue Jackets as a playoff team, as their Stanley Cup odds are worse than all but one of the teams who finish behind them in the standings. That one team, the Carolina Hurricanes, is slated to finish last in the East, tied for the worst odds at the Cup, after just narrowly missing the playoffs last year and injecting top-end prospects into their roster this season. Keep that in mind, you gamblers out there.
Western Conference
- Chicago Blackhawks (Central): 102.5 pts, 9/1 Cup odds
- Dallas Stars (Central): Off the board, 12/1 Cup odds
- St. Louis Blues (Central): 101.5 pts, 14/1 Cup odds
- San Jose Sharks (Pacific): 100.5 pts, 14/1 Cup odds
- Los Angeles Kings (Pacific): 99.5 pts, 16/1 Cup odds
- Anaheim Ducks (Pacific): 98.5 pts, 16/1 Cup odds
- Nashville Predators (Central): 98.5 pts, 16/1 Cup odds
- Minnesota Wild (Central): 94.5 pts, 25/1 Cup odds
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Edmonton Oilers (Pacific): 87.5 pts, 33/1 Cup odds
- Calgary Flames (Pacific): 87.5 pts, 50/1 Cup odds
- Winnipeg Jets (Central): 87.5 pts, 50/1 Cup odds
- Colorado Avalanche (Central): 86.5 pts, 50/1 Cup odds
- Arizona Coyotes (Pacific): 76.5 pts, 66/1 Cup odds
- Vancouver Canucks (Pacific): 76.5 pts, 66/1 Cup odds
Since the Stars are currently off the over/under table until Tyler Seguin‘s injury is sorted out, their position was an estimate. Their Cup odds were set at 12/1, and since their goal tending last spring (still unchanged) did not inspire much hope about their postseason play, their odds being greater than that of the Blues has to be a reflection of their better chances of being the top seed in the conference. If this Western Conference configuration looks familiar, that is because it contains the exact eight playoff teams as 2015-16. In fact, other than the Oilers (somehow), Bovada appears to not consider any other team in the West to be a legitimate playoff contender. There is also heavy favoritism in seeding, teams, and odds toward the Central. Within the playoff picture, it looks like another tight race at the top of each division, as seven teams battle for position and the Wild sit contently in the eight spot. As currently constituted, these standings would produce first round playoff match-ups between the Wild and Blackhawks, the Predators and Sharks (again), the Blues and Stars (again) for the Central, and the Ducks and Kings for the Pacific. Should the top seeds all advance, it would set up showdowns between Chicago and Dallas in a barn-burner, and San Jose and L.A. in a great rivalry throw-down. If all goes according to plan, there are some excellent series in the West coming next spring, and Bovada’s projection may not be far off. None of the bottom six in the conference look like contenders, and the Canucks seem likely to fulfill their destiny as the worst team in the NHL in 2016-17. Let the Nolan Patrick sweepstakes begin!
2016-17 NHL Over/Unders
After giving us their opening Stanley Cup odds last week, Las Vegas odds-maker Bovada was back at it again today, releasing their over/under for each NHL team’s total points in the upcoming season. Not included on the list (below) are the Dallas Stars, who were left off the board by the odds-makers until more information is available regarding the injury to Tyler Seguin. The Stars are an unpredictable pick at this point regardless, as both Seguin and Jamie Benn are banged up, Valeri Nichushkin is suddenly gone, and the defense is still a risk following the departure of three starters.
While the points projections generally mirror the Stanley Cup odds, Bovada has certainly predicted some interesting scenarios. Despite having the highest Cup odds in the East, the Penguins are again expected to finish behind the Capitals in the Metropolitan Division. On second thought though, a slow start to the regular season for the defending champs would not be much of a surprise, nor would another postseason collapse for Washington. Elsewhere in the division, the Islanders and Rangers are projected to be in a dead heat for that final divisional seed, with the loser slipping into a wild card spot. Staying in the East, they see the Canadiens and a healthy Carey Price skyrocketing from their 82 point finish a year ago to 96.5 points in 2016-17, with the Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators taking a corresponding dip in the standings. Out West, the battles atop each division promise to be similarly tight as they were last season, but the projected jump by Calgary and Edmonton of 10+ points from bottom dwellers to playoff contenders may be a story to watch. The good news for Vancouver Canucks fans is that they’re expected to finish with more points this season than last. The bad news? It will be good enough for last place in the league.
The easiest over to take out of this group is likely the St. Louis Blues. Although they lost captain David Backes and have to see if Jake Allen can handle his bigger workload in net, the Blues are set at 101.5 points, a mark they have beaten easily in each of the past three seasons. The Ottawa Senators are another good over, as they have hardly changed their roster this summer and finished with 85 points last year and more than that the two years prior. Their 80.5 line seems unwarranted unless you believe the rest of the Atlantic Division is in for a big year. That seems unlikely, especially when it comes to the aforementioned Canadiens, who are an easy under. Yes, the loss of Price for much of 2015-16 hurt the Canadiens, but they also had a lot of trouble scoring goals as well. The effects of the trade-off between P.K. Subban and Lars Eller for Shea Weber, Andrew Shaw, and Alexander Radulov have yet to be seen, but one would think that it’s not enough to justify a 14 or 15 point increase in points. The Oilers, somewhat obviously, are also a good choice for an under. If this many seasons of “this is the year” followed by a lottery pick haven’t tempered your expectations of Edmonton yet, nothing will. Even if they do finally improve in 2016-17, will it really be to a high-80’s point total? Doubtful.
Washington Capitals 107.5 points
Tampa Bay Lightning 106.5 points
Pittsburgh Penguins 103.5 points
Chicago Blackhawks 102.5 points
St. Louis Blues 101.5 points
San Jose Sharks 100.5 points
Los Angeles Kings 99.5 points
Anaheim Ducks 98.5 points
Florida Panthers 98.5 points
Nashville Predators 98.5 points
Montreal Canadiens 96.5 points
New York Islanders 95.5 points
New York Rangers 95.5 points
Minnesota Wild 94.5 points
Boston Bruins 92.5 points
Detroit Red Wings 90.5 points
Philadelphia Flyers 89.5 points
Calgary Flames 87.5 points
Edmonton Oilers 87.5 points
Winnipeg Jets 87.5 points
Colorado Avalanche 86.5 points
Columbus Blue Jackets 84.5 points
Buffalo Sabres 83.5 points
New Jersey Devils 82.5 points
Ottawa Senators 80.5 points
Toronto Maple Leafs 80.5 points
Carolina Hurricanes 78.5 points
Arizona Coyotes 76.5 points
Vancouver Canucks 76.5 points
Wingels’ Roster Spot In Jeopardy
Kevin Kurz of CSN Bay Area writes today that after a disappointing 2015-16 season, Tommy Wingels is no longer a guarantee to be on the San Jose Sharks roster to start the season. The gritty forward put up just 18 points last year after back-to-back 30+ point seasons. That level of output might not be enough this year to take a roster spot from one of the Sharks’ up-and-coming young players.
A 6th-round pick of the Sharks out of Miami (Ohio) in 2008, there were never any great expectations of Wingels. He was a high-energy guy who played a tough game and had the ability to dig the puck out of the corner and occasionally contribute a goal or two. His first few seasons in San Jose showed just that, as he put up mediocre numbers, but carved out a role for himself as a reliable bottom-six player. Then, in 2013-14 Wingels game took a huge leap forward. He scored 38 points for the Sharks that season, the second highest point total of his entire hockey career, going all the way back to juniors. Excited with his progress, San Jose signed Wingels to a three-year extension worth $7.425MM. Wingels was able to replicate his success the next year as well, with 36 points in 75 games, making the contract look like a bargain. He also became a key part of the power play, contributing four goals with his crash-the-net style. Although his once-stout defensive game struggled a bit, his newfound offensive skill and new role on the team made the change to his game an acceptable one.
However, 2015-16 told a very different story. Wingels came out flat last season, showing no sign of the point production of the past two seasons nor the two-way ability he was originally known for. Although he tried to remain an offensive presence while also turning up his physicality, it only resulted in a -10 rating and a career-high in penalty minutes. As the year dragged on for Wingels without much success, he began seeing less and less time under new coach Peter DeBoer. He ended up playing in only 68 games with his lowest average time on ice since his rookie season.
Now, Wingels has a tough road ahead of him to get back into favor with the Sharks and their fans. DeBoer has watched his team go all the way to the Stanley Cup with Wingels playing a limited role, and may decide that he can do without the forwards physical play if it means a promising young player doesn’t make the team. As it stands, the addition of Mikkel Boedker and the development of Joonas Donskoi and Chris Tierney have all but locked up the top nine in San Jose. It will be in Wingels’ best interests to come to camp with his regular high compete level and be satisfied with securing a fourth line role where his toughness and intensity can be put to good use. If DeBoer decides that he’s willing to pay nearly $2.5MM for an energy liner, than Wingels will keep his job and be on the road to redemption in 2016-17. If not, the majority of Wingels time in San Jose this season could be spent wearing a Barracudas jersey instead of a Sharks jersey.
North America Injury Notes
The young and talented Team North America is set to face Group B leader Sweden today, but they will do so without their starting goaltender. Penguins playoff hero Matt Murray was injured in the team’s last World Cup game against Russia and is currently being treated as day-to-day. The injury is to his thumb on his blocker hand, which makes it difficult for him to grip the stick and handle the puck. With NHL training camp right around the corner, the team, as well as the Pittsburgh brass, feels that those essential skills are worth a few days of rest and rehab.
For their final round robin game, which will determine whether they move on to the semifinals or head home, North America will go to Ducks goalie John Gibson, with Jets youngster Connor Hellebuyck backing him up. Gibson, in fact, has more pro experience than Murray and may be a better option for North America going forward. Murray has allowed five goals through two games with an .886 save percentage, so a fresh face starting in net might provide a boost for the team.
North America has other injury concerns as well:
- Blue Jackets defenseman Ryan Murray is also dealing with an injury. While the exact details have not been disclosed, the young blue liner has developed a bit of an “injury-prone” reputation early in his hockey career. Although coach Todd McLellan expects Murray to play and has confirmed that he will at least skate in warm-ups, his status is a game time decision.
- If Murray cannot play, North America will be forced to dress 13 forwards and five defenseman, with the Panthers’ Aaron Ekblad having already left the team with a neck injury. Rangers forward J.T. Miller would be pressed into action, and the defense would have to rely on some heavy minutes from each of their five members.
Two Prospects Sign Their Deals With The Devils
The New Jersey Devils have inked two of their prospects to entry-level contracts, according to GM and Executive Vice President Ray Shero.
Forward Blake Speers and defenseman Colton White were both selected in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft from the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Speers was selected 67th overall, while White was chosen 97th.
Speers scored 74 points in 68 games last season, and added another 10 points in 12 playoff games. Elite Prospects describes him as such:
Has slick hands and good overall puckhandling skills. Great passing ability and a very accurate shot. Plays a puck possession game; not diminutive in size, per say, but does need to get stronger. Not afraid to battle along the boards, but his size does show through against bigger opponents. Has all the tools to be a successful contributor when played in the right role.
White posted 35 points in 68 games, and another 3 in the playoffs.
Speers was named captain of the Greyhounds last season, and White serves as an assistant captain. Both men are expected to return to Sault Ste. Marie for one more season of junior before making their professional debuts in the 2017-18 season.
Provided neither player makes the Devils this season, the three-year contracts will not count against the 50-contract limit and will expire following the 2019-20 season.