Snapshots: Vegas’ Fake Nicknames, Leafs Logo, Cervenka
NHL.com’s Nick Cotsonika reports that much of the hubbub over Las Vegas purported nicknames are a clever trick played by owner Bill Foley. While Cotsonika jokingly referred to them as the “Red Herrings,” Foley admitted that some of the names–Sand Knights specifically–were a clever ruse to “irritate” some people. To quote Foley:
“I found I had to be very, very careful about what I said, because as soon as I mentioned a direction, then everyone picked up on it,” he said. “It would get in the news and then people would start filing domain name registrations for that particular name. That’s why I’ve been kind of circumspect lately. It’s been interesting. It’s been fun too.”
Foley indicates that he knows the top choice, as well as the secondary choice, and admitted that he never reached out to the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League to talk about a Knights moniker for Vegas. Further, Foley wants a nickname with two words.
In other NHL news:
- The Maple Leafs unveiled their new logo at center ice–a change for the first time in 45 years. Everything old is new again as the Leafs selected to redesign the classic Leafs emblem used from the 1940’s through the 60’s. CBC notes that logo, with slight alterations to give it a sharper look, is a throwback to the most successful years of Leafs hockey from 1963-1967.
- Former Calgary Flames forward Roman Cervenka will take David Krejci‘s spot on the Czech Republic squad for the World Cup of Hockey. Cervenka played one season with the Flames during the 2012-13 season and has since played in the KHL and Czech league. NBC’s Adam Gretz writes that while he means no offense to Cervenka, he’s unlikely to match the impact Krejci would have had for the Czech Republic.
Snapshots: Torres, Jokipakka, World Cup
Raffi Torres will turn 35-years old on October 8th. He hasn’t played an NHL game since April 30th, 2014 (when the Sharks were eliminated from the postseason). He has been suspended five times during his NHL career, the latest lasting 41 games. The Toronto Maple Leafs, after agreeing to acquire his rights in a deadline deal last year, immediately loaned him back to his current AHL team, not wanting any part of him in their organization.
But somehow, he’s earned a professional tryout from the Carolina Hurricanes this fall and will skate to try and snatch a spot on their fourth line. In a piece by Chip Alexander of The News & Observer today, Torres and GM Ron Francis talk about his latest (and possibly last) opportunity in the NHL.
“I know I’ve got to change. I know I say that over and over, but I’ve got to change and I can change,” says Torres when speaking about his suspensions. He admits that what he’s done over his career is wrong, and seems genuinely convinced he could offer something to the Hurricanes this season. Francis, for his part says he has “served his time” and is willing to at least give him a look this fall. If he does make the roster, he’ll be joining his eighth NHL team in 16 years. Here is more from around the league:
- Among the news that Sean Monahan is still too injured to participate in the upcoming World Cup, Wes Gilbertson of Postmedia tweeted out another interesting injury tidbit. Jyrki Jokipakka, who underwent hip surgery at the end of the season is now expected to be “good to go” for the tournament. Jokipakka was part of the return for Kris Russell this past year, and was well received in his 18 game Calgary stint. He’ll be suiting up for a Finnish team that is looking like a darkhorse candidate; Patrik Laine recently won tournament MVP at the World Championships, while the goaltending tandem of Pekka Rinne and Tuukka Rask should be among the best.
- Staying with the World Cup, Rob Vollman of NHL.com published a piece that says the possibility that the North America team wins the tournament isn’t necessarily a long-shot, due to the usual peak of physical performance around 24. Indeed, the youngster team led by Connor McDavid will have a speed advantage over the rest of the field, and can create offense at an elite level already. The one thing Vollman mentions as a weakness though, faceoff skill, was weakened today when Monahan withdrew. The Calgary centerman was clearly the best on the team in the circle, meaning players like Auston Matthews and Mark Scheifele will have to step up in the defensive end.
Bruins Notes: Krejci, Marchand, Vatrano
Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.com was busy today, writing multiple pieces about the Boston Bruins and their upcoming training camp. On David Krejci‘s exit from the World Cup today, Haggerty reminds us what the centerman said earlier this week:
If I’m ready then that would be awesome, but if not then I have to do what I have to do to be 100 percent. I’m in contact with the national team coach, and we talk pretty every week. They’re asking about my updates, so they know what’s going on. I’m sure they have some backup plan if it’s not going to work out. We’ll see what happens.
He had hip surgery in April, and is still expected to be ready for the season. Here is some more from Haggerty today:
- Brad Marchand isn’t thinking about a new contract while he plays this season, saying that he goes year-by-year and is more focused on making it back to the playoffs. “Guys are really hungry after missing the playoffs again last year. First and foremost this year is on my end and we’ll deal with the years after that down the road.” said Marchand, but Haggerty opines that the Bruins should be more concerned with locking up their young winger. He’s part of the driving force behind the Bruins lineup, and should command more than Loui Eriksson if he hits the open market next summer. He’s set to earn $5MM in salary this season in his last of a four-year pact.
- Frank Vatrano scored 44 goals last season across two levels in his first full year at the professional level. He’s out for even more this year. “I kind of know what it takes to play at the next level, and how to be a complete player. Going into summer that was kind of my mentality: to become a complete player. That’s something I’ve been working at all summer.” The 22-year old exploded onto the AHL scene this year after a successful sophomore year at UMass in 2014-15. 55 points in 36 games at the lower level, he’ll need to prove that he can carry that production to the big leagues; he only scored 11 points in 39 NHL contests.
Flames Sign Matt Frattin, Four Others To AHL Deals
The Calgary Flames’ AHL affiliate have announced the signing of five players to AHL deals. Matt Frattin, Jamie Devane, Mike Angelidis, Ryan Lomberg and Roman Dyukov have all signed minor-league contracts to join the Stockton Heat.
Frattin, the most notable of the bunch, has 135 games of NHL experience in his career split between the Maple Leafs, Kings and Blue Jackets. After being selected in the fourth round of the 2007 entry draft, Frattin was a standout at the University of North Dakota even scoring 60 points in his senior year. Once thought of as a solid wing prospect, Frattin could never find any consistency at the NHL level despite repeated success at the lower level.
Another former Maple Leaf, Devane was actually signed to a PTO with the Flames earlier this summer, and will now agree to an AHL deal. Only seeing two games of NHL action over his career, Devane never did develop into the rugged bottom-six winger that earned him a third-round selection in 2009. Now 25, he’s actually coming off the best offensive season of his professional career: 11 points in the AHL.
Angelidis, 31, is a long-time AHL performer that has been an all-star, captain and Calder Cup champion in his career. Never scoring more than 20 goals in a season, Angelidis is known for his work ethic and grit, and will bring leadership to the Heat in a similar role. In 14 NHL games, all with the Tampa Bay Lightning, he’s scored just two points and recorded 22 PIM.
In Lombo and Dyukov, the team adds two players more prospect-aged, at 21 and 20 respectively. The 5’9″ Lombo split last season between the Heat and the ECHL’s Adirondack Thunder, scoring 38 points in 58 games. The former University of Maine product went undrafted, but is working his way through the professional ranks trying to prove he can compete. Dyukov, a Belarusian defenseman, played in his native league and won a championship last season with Yunost Minsk. Suiting up for 32 games at the top level he recorded eight points and chipped in four more during their playoff run.
Flames Were Close To Acquiring Ben Bishop At Draft
Ben Bishop is entering this season without a guaranteed starting role in Tampa Bay after Andrei Vasilevskiy played extremely well down the stretch and into the playoffs last season. In an interview with the Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times on Friday, he said that “(a trade) looked like for a little bit it was going to happen. At kind of the last minute (the Flames) went out and got Elliott. It was close, but there was never… It wasn’t that close, obviously.”
While the Flames would eventually trade for Brian Elliott to fill their crease, a move including Bishop might still be on the horizon. The netminder is owed $5.95MM this year in the final season of his deal, and was overtaken by Vasilevskiy in the playoffs after he injured his ankle. While Bishop is unsure of his future, the Lightning inked Vasilevskiy to a three-year extension this summer that will pay him $3.5MM per season through 2019-20.
If GM Steve Yzerman decides to start the season with the two goaltenders, he’ll surely receive plenty of interest throughout the year as other netminders go down to injury. While he can’t keep both long-term, as an expansion draft for the new Las Vegas franchise would surely select one of them should they both be under contract, Bishop could be a huge piece to dangle should something similar to the Carey Price injury happen to another team this season.
For now, Bishop is just trying to push all the trade speculation out of his head, and focus on hockey. He’s one of the goaltenders set to report to Team USA camp for the upcoming World Cup in a few days, though it’ll be another fight to get ice-time – Cory Schneider and Jonathan Quick are the other two.
Sean Monahan Withdraws From World Cup; Vincent Trocheck To Replace
Another player has fallen to the injury bug and has to withdraw from the World Cup. Sean Monahan has suffered a back strain in training and will be unable to play in the upcoming tournament, according to the team twitter. Monahan is expected to have recovered in time to participate in the team training camp, and should be ready for the start of the season. Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports that Vincent Trocheck will be his replacement on Team North America.
“It’s definitely disappointing”, said Monahan in the release, also noting that because the tournament is in Toronto, about a thirty-minute drive from his hometown of Brampton, he was looking forward to playing for friends and family that don’t get to see him very often.
Monahan though, is just too important to the Flames to risk any further injury at what is from their perspective a meaningless tournament. He put up another 60+ point season last year and is still just 21-years old. Just signed to a whopping seven year, $44.625MM extension, Monahan is the present and future of the Flames organization alongside still-unsigned Johnny Gaudreau.
Quotable: Crosby, Wheeler, McDavid
Sidney Crosby didn’t start 2015-16 the way he wanted. Through his first 30 games, the Pittsburgh Penguins captain had only 19 points, and was struggling to a -7 rating. Crosby had never finished a season with fewer points than games played, but it looked like he was in danger of putting up the worst season of his career. It wouldn’t happen, as Crosby would remind the world why he is one of the best players in the world, finishing with 85 points on the season and trailing just Patrick Kane and Jamie Benn for the league lead.
In an enlightening article for SI.com yesterday, Crosby writes about his struggles last season and how much the media and fan reaction got to him.
…when the media repeats the same questions — particularly when the team isn’t winning consistently — you already know that whatever is being said out there, it isn’t good. You can feel the atmosphere in the arena and see the look in people’s eyes. It’s hard not to hold the stick a little bit tighter. It’s hard not to want to fix it all with one big game. It’s hard not to over-think and over-work and try to make perfect plays instead of just playing.
Corey Perry Added To Team Canada World Cup Roster
After Jeff Carter pulled out earlier today with an injury, Mike Morreale of NHL.com reports that Team Canada has announced that Anaheim Ducks’ forward Corey Perry will replace him on the roster. Carter suffered what is being characterized as a “week-to-week” lower-body injury while training for the tournament, and thought better of risking further aggravation so close to the start of the season.
For Perry, it was surprising to many that he was left off the original roster after suiting up for Canada at the past two Olympic games, winning gold both times. Perry in fact has donned the red and white quite a few times during his hockey career, collecting a both World Junior and World Championship gold to go with the Olympic victories.
After what some characterized as a down year (which still saw him score 34 goals and 62 points), Perry was held to zero goals in the postseason as Anaheim was ejected in the first round by the Nashville Predators. A former 50-goal scorer, Perry will become just the second true winger (joining Brad Marchand) up front for the Canadians, and likely skate with teammate Ryan Getzlaf once again.
Taylor Hall is likely next in line should another forward succumb to injury before the tournament, though as Tom Gulitti of NHL.com points out the New Jersey Devils will be just fine with him getting an entire training camp to familiarize himself with his new team before playing on what will likely be the most successful team of his career thus far.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Las Vegas Hires Kelly Kisio As Pro Scout
If you were an expansion team, looking to fill your ranks with the best hockey minds not currently employed by an NHL team, where would you look? Las Vegas has decided that the WHL is the place to go, as they’ve mined another long-time front office member from the junior ranks. According to a team release, Kelly Kisio, a member of the Calgary Hitmen front office for the past 18-years, has been hired by the expansion franchise as a pro scout.
Kisio first joined the Hitmen in 1998-99 as the General Manager, and continued in that role until 2013 when he was promoted to President of Hockey Operations. He also spent four seasons behind the bench with the club from 2004-08 while still in his GM role. He’ll now join the Vegas club as a pro scout covering the western region.
An excellent player in his day, Kisio scored 658 points in 761 goals for the Red Wings, Rangers, Sharks and Flames, including a 78 point effort in 1987-88. Serving as captain of the Rangers for over three seasons he made one all-star appearance in 1993.
The hiring of Kisio follows a clear pattern for GM George McPhee this summer, after he hired AGM Kelly McCrimmon from the Brandon Wheat Kings and amateur scout Bruno Campese from the Prince Albert Raiders among others.
Injury Notes: Rask, Krejci, Andersen
After working all season to rehab his injured shoulder, Victor Rask now tells Ben Pope of The News & Observer that he’s one-hundred percent healthy and ready for another big season. “I think I had a good season last year but I also want to improve and get better for every season. I think this year’s going to be even better,” said Rask, who played much of last season in a shoulder brace, still scoring 21 goals and 48 points in just his second NHL season.
“I’m just excited for the future and I think we’ve got something really good going on here.” Indeed, the Hurricanes have a strong young core of players going forward, with Rask, Jeff Skinner and Elias Lindholm up front and one of the youngest defense corps in the league. The team will hope Rask has another level this season, and can push Skinner for the team lead in points again.
- According to a report from Roman Jedlicka of TV NOVA Sport, Czech Republic and Boston Bruin forward David Krejci will not be playing in the upcoming World Cup after hip surgery earlier this summer. Krejci is still expected to be ready for the beginning of the season, though Bruins fans should definitely keep an eye on his status as we head into September.
- Aivis Kalnins gives us some more news from the KHL, as Ilya Samsonov has reportedly been placed on injured reserve. Sampsonov was the first goaltender taken in the 2015 draft, 22nd overall by the Washington Capitals, and was slated to see an increased work load for Magnitogorsk Mettalurg this season.
- Also from Kalnins, the Danish Hockey Federation is expecting that Frederik Andersen, who was injured earlier today in an Olympic qualifier should still be available for the World Cup, where he was selected by Team Europe as one of three goaltenders (Jaroslav Halak and Thomas Greiss were the other two). Elliotte Friedman adds that Andersen is being flown back to Toronto to be examined by team doctors, with the injury simply being listed as “upper body”, and Kristen Shilton of TSN says it’s his shoulder.