Minor Transactions: 8/25/16
Here are the recent minor transactions around the hockey world:
- Carolina UFA forward Dane Fox has signed a one year with the Missouri Mavericks, the ECHL team announced. Fox was originally signed as an undrafted free agent with Vancouver in late 2013 and was dealt to the Hurricanes shortly after the most recent trade deadline in exchange for future considerations. Fox spent most of last year with ECHL Kalamazoo, picking up 26 goals and 24 assists in 53 games but was not given a qualifying offer by Carolina by the deadline back in June.
- Enforcer Patrick Bordeleau has signed with the EIHL’s Cardiff Devils, according to a team release. Bordeleau was an unrestricted free agent of the Avalanche. The 30 year old winger spent last season with Colorado’s AHL affiliate in San Antonio, collecting five assists and 72 PIMS in 55 games. He has 129 games of NHL experience, all with the Avs. The decision to place a limit on fighting majors in the AHL beginning in 2016-17 likely made it much more difficult for him to land another deal in that league.
- Flyers UFA forward Brandon Alderson has signed a one year deal with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, the ECHL squad announced. Alderson split last season between Philadelphia’s AHL and ECHL affiliates, picking up 28 points in 59 games between the two minor league levels. Alderson was not tendered a qualifying offer by June’s deadline.
Avalanche Choose Bednar As New Head Coach
Colorado has named veteran minor league head coach Jared Bednar to replace Patrick Roy in the same capacity with the Avalanche. The timing of Roy’s resignation put the Avalanche in a bind as most organizations had already filled their coaching staffs – both at the NHL and minor league levels – and would understandably have been hesitant to potentially lose a quality coach to Colorado this late in the summer. Still, the Avalanche had several good candidates to choose from and clearly decided Bednar would be the best fit.
Bednar spent the last two seasons as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets AHL affiliates, winning the Calder Cup this year with the Lake Erie Monsters. He also served two years as head coach of the AHL’s Peoria Rivermen from 2010 – 2012. Overall, Bednar has 14 years of professional coaching experience.
This will be Bednar’s first NHL head coaching gig but he had already been identified as one of the top young up-and-comers in the industry. Columbus had rewarded Bednar for his work by giving the 44-year-old coach a two-year extension earlier this summer. Now they’ll have to replace the coach who so recently led their AHL team to a Calder Cup championship.
Other candidates linked to the opening and considered potential finalists along with Bednar were Washington assistant Lane Lambert and Blackhawks assistant Kevin Dineen.
Avalanche executive vice president and general manager, Joe Sakic, had this to say about the hiring of Bednar:
“After profiling the type of coach I wanted for our team and going through an interview process with several good candidates, I believe that Jared Bednar is the best person to lead this team behind the bench. Jared’s track record of success as a head coach in the American Hockey League speaks for itself and he is considered to be one of the top up-and-coming coaches in our business.”
Roy would spend three years as head coach of the Avalanche and won the league’s Jack Adams award for top coach following his first season with the club after leading the team to a 52 – 22 – 8 record. Colorado would make the playoffs that year, losing in the first round, but it would be the only postseason appearance with Roy at the helm. The Avalanche would post a 78 – 70 – 16 record over the last two seasons. Roy, who also served as a VP of hockey operations, evidently left the team due to philosophical differences with the front office.
Mike Chambers of the Denver Post reports that Bednar received a three year contract. Financial terms have not been disclosed.
New York Rangers To Sign Brandon Pirri
According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the New York Rangers are set to sign goal-scoring winger Brandon Pirri to a one-year deal. Friedman indicates the pact will have an approximate value of $1.1MM.
Over the last three seasons, Pirri has scored 0.95 G/60 at even-strength. Last year only 40 forwards who saw at least 500 5-on-5 minutes of ice time had a better goal-scoring rate. Clearly, Pirri knows how to put the puck in the net and for a relatively minimal investment, this looks like a free agent bargain.
Despite his ability to score, Anaheim declined to extend a qualifying offer after the season making Pirri an UFA. The decision came just months after the Ducks acquired Pirri from Florida for nothing more than a sixth-round draft choice. PHR profiled Pirri’s free agent market, examining why a skilled goal-scorer remained on the open market well into the summer and why two teams already essentially walked away from him for little to no compensation in return.
Less than a week after the team added coveted college free agent winger Jimmy Vesey, the Rangers continue to stockpile quality forward depth. With Pirri on board, the Rangers now have as many as 15 NHL-caliber forwards on the roster. The signing likely will led to additional speculation that the Rangers may entertain dealing from a position of strength – veteran scoring forward – to address a position of weakness – quality blue liners.
The Rangers have been linked to defense help much of the summer with one oft-rumored target being Kevin Shattenkirk of St. Louis. It’s at least possible, given the recent additions of Vesey and Pirri, that the Rangers would feel comfortable enough with their forward unit to part with a proven scorer to upgrade the defense corps though they may find it easier to do so closer to the trade deadline.
Canadiens Name Eric Crawford As Director Of Pro Scouting
After the Las Vegas expansion team hired away Vaughn Karpan this week, the Montreal Canadiens were left without a director of pro scouting, and today have named his replacement. Eric Crawford, a former member of the Vancouver Canucks front office was hired by Montreal as a pro scout last season, and will be promoted to the vacant position.
The younger brother of long-time NHL head coach and now Ottawa assistant Marc Crawford, Eric joined the Montreal front office after 16 seasons in various positions with the Canucks, including director of player personnel from 2010-2015. He was part of the teams that drafted players like Ryan Kesler, Cory Schneider, Alexander Edler and Bo Horvat, but also missed on quite a few high draft picks throughout the last decade.
Crawford will join Trevor Timmins, the current vice president of player personnel and director of amateur scouting, to try and turn around a Montreal franchise that was exposed without the goaltending of Carey Price a season ago. With young players like Alex Galchenyuk and the newly drafted Mikhail Sergachev in the mix, Crawford and Timmins have the start of a promising future; now they must continue it.
Panthers Trade Bolland, Crouse To Arizona
In another shrewd move by Arizona GM John Chayka today, the Coyotes have acquired Dave Bolland and Lawson Crouse in exchange for two draft picks, a 2017 third rounder and a 2018 second rounder. When combined with the deal that Chayka pulled at the draft to take on the Pavel Datsyuk cap hit, essentially in return for the right to draft Jakob Chychrun, the Arizona GM is using his cap space to build a system without paying out much actual cash.
Bolland, meanwhile, is still trying to come back from a variety of injuries and is just an empty cap-hit until he’s fit to play again (at which point he’d presumably be bought out, as Florida tried earlier this summer). He’s owed $16.5MM over the next three years, but is expected to be placed on long-term injured reserve when the season starts, making much of his deal covered by insurance.
The former Blackhawks has found nothing but pain since he left the windy city, playing in 101 total games in the three years since. His point totals have dropped to almost negligible amounts, and it seems as though his days as an effective third-liner that could perform at both ends of the rink are behind him.
In Crouse, the Coyotes snatch a player who was drafted 11th overall in 2015 and has future NHLer written all over him. The Kingston Frontenacs forward is coming off another solid junior season where he scored 62 points in just 49 games before making his professional debut with the Portland Pirates of the AHL at the end of the year. Crouse was regarded in his draft year as a prototypical power forward, capable of scoring double-digit goals while using the full effect of 6’4″, 212-pound frame.
While he may never become a top-line player, he fits in perfectly with the Arizona system as it’s currently constructed. With players like Dylan Strome, Max Domi and Christian Dvorak headed for the top-six, even if Crouse never fully reaches his potential he’ll have a place on the third line.
The draft picks are both conditional, with the third rounder being the higher of the two Arizona currently owns (their own, and Detroit’s) and the second rounder turning to a third if Crouse does not burn a year of his entry level contract (to do so, he’d need to play in at least ten NHL games).
The Coyotes have built an excellent group of prospects over the past few years, using high draft picks and smart moves to add talent wherever they can. With Strome and Dvorak set to make their debuts this season, it might not be long before we start seeing banners being raised to the Gila River Arena rafters.
Elliotte Friedman was the first to break the trade on Twitter, while Craig Custance provided the conditional details on the picks headed back.
Image courtesy of USA Today Images.
Snapshots: Seguin, Injury Impact On Red Wings Roster
Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin believes the Stars window to win is wide open writes The Hockey News’ Ryan Kennedy. A healthy Seguin makes Dallas a favorite Kennedy reports and with Jiri Hudler now in the fold, the Stars are quietly stronger.
Seguin believes that the second round loss to St. Louis will only intensify the “appetite” for the team to win. From Kennedy:
“A lot of it has to do with that experience,” he said. “Getting that taste in your mouth of winning a playoff round, losing a playoff round, getting closer and knowing what that feels like. Knowing the atmosphere. We’ve got that taste now.”
Seguin’s health comes at a crucial time as Jamie Benn is currently recovering from his own injury. Kennedy writes that the key to the Stars’ success comes with both Benn and Seguin being on the ice together.
Speaking of injuries:
- The Detroit Red Wings crossed two names off the list for the near future as Niklas Kronwall and Tomas Jurco are both injured and will most likely not be ready for the beginning of the season. Jurco has a back injury, aggravated during off season work outs and aside from the 4-6 weeks off and then shelved for another month following. Jurco’s absence creates a roster spot in the Red Wings current logjam at forward. Without Jurco until what appears to be late October or early November, it provides a chance for a young forward to step up in his place. While Jurco is still young himself, the winger struggled last season to find his footing on the roster. More interesting in all of this injury talk is that after speaking with Dan Rosen, Ken Holland felt that Kronwall was healthy and feeling better. Then came today’s news of Kronwall not playing in the World Cup of Hockey, and perhaps sitting longer. This provides an interesting situation for the Red Wings, a team apprehensive to place trust in younger players. Without Kronwall, and without making a deal to grab the top four defenseman Holland seeks, the Wings are now forced to consider younger players like Xavier Ouellet and Ryan Sproul to step into the spot.
Atlantic Notes: Radulov, Jurco, Nylander, Hunter
Stu Cowan for the National Post profiles new Canadiens winger Alex Radulov today. The article discusses the obvious pressures of playing in Montreal, as well as the heavy fan attention Radulov has already received. Cowan, and Radulov, also discussed a past incident in which he missed curfew during the playoffs while with the Nashville Predators. Radulov has made it clear he believes that the past is behind him, and that he’s matured over the last four years. It’s mentioned that he’s now married, and a recent father. Real world responsibilities do often have a civilizing effect on people. The Canadiens will have to hope Radulov can prove himself as a player, and a person. In the wake of the P.K. Subban trade, especially after character was cited as a partial reason, Radulov and this year’s Canadiens will be under tremendous scrutiny.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic Division:
- Red Wings GM Ken Holland tells Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press that forward Tomas Jurco will miss the start of training camp with a back injury. Jurco was injured while training in Slovakia, and had surgery on this side of the Atlantic last week. St. James notes that he’ll be far from the only Red Wing absent from early camp, with eight players participating in the World Cup of Hockey. Jurco, 23, had four goals and six points in 44 games for the Red Wings last year. The Red Wings will also be without prospect Vili Saarijarvi, who recently had wrist surgery.
- Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston wrote today about the Maple Leafs’ promotion of new assistant general manager Mark Hunter. In the piece, Johnston quotes GM Lou Lamoriello’s effusive praise of Hunter, and paints a portrait of a determined, hard working executive. Hunter heads up Toronto’s scouting and player development, and previously served as GM of the OHL’s London Knights, a team he still owns. Johnston also speculates about Hunter’s potential to take over for Lamoriello after he retires, while noting that another assistant GM, Kyle Dubas, has long been assumed to be next in line.
- Erik Wollschlager of Today’s Slapshot insists that Sabres prospect Alex Nylander should be in the AHL next year. Since he plays in the OHL on loan from a Swedish team, he’s eligible to play in the AHL, despite remaining junior eligibility. Nylander’s older brother, Leafs prospect William Nylander, played in the AHL this season at age 19. It’s hard to tell if he’s necessarily too good for the OHL, or ready for the AHL, but Wollschlager lays out a strong case.
Blues Add Mike Weber On Tryout Deal
The St. Louis Blues have signed 28 year old defenseman Mike Weber to a professional tryout, according to Andy Strickland. Weber started last year with the Buffalo Sabres, and finished it playing ten games with the Washington Capitals. A veteran of 351 NHL games, Weber scored one goal, five points, in 45 games last year. None of those points came in his 10 games with the Capitals. He has not played for any other NHL teams.
The Blues have seven NHL defensemen, according to Cap Friendly. It’s hard to see who he could take a spot from, but this may be insurance in case the Blues manage to finally trade Kevin Shattenkirk. One advantage Weber does have is that the Blues are in the unusual position of having a surplus of right handed defensemen. Weber being a lefty could be of value as a means of balancing the pairings.
Strickland also notes that Weber is close friends with former Blue Steve Ott, who signed with the Red Wings on July 1st.
World Cup Roster Changes: Keith, Bouwmeester, Kronwall, Lindholm
Earlier today Hockey Canada added St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester to its World Cup team to replace Chicago blue liner Duncan Keith. Keith is still not 100% as he continues to rehab from a right knee injury suffered last season. Blackhawks team physician, Dr. Michael Terry, had this to say about Keith’s recovery:
“As Duncan continues offseason rehabilitation on the right knee injury that he sustained last season, we understand his decision not to participate in next month’s World Cup of Hockey. We believe it is in his best interests to focus on getting stronger and not risk further injury.”
Bouwmeester joins Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Jake Muzzin as the only left-handed shooters on Canada’s blue line. That’s likely the primary reason Bouwmeester was chosen over right-handed options such as Kris Letang and P.K. Subban. It was also somewhat surprising that Bouwmeester was added over Mark Giordano of the Flames.
Giordano tallied 21 goals and 56 points while playing a full slate of games for Calgary. He has developed into one of the league’s best offensive defenseman over the last three seasons and like Bouweester, is a left-handed shot.
Bouwmeester, conversely, recorded just 19 points and was had a plus-minus rating of -4 in 72 games for the Blues. In all probability, Hockey Canada favored Bouwmeester’s extensive experience representing his home country. He was a part of the 2004 World Cup-winning team and also won a gold with Team Canada at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
This is the second change in as many days to Team Canada’s roster. Yesterday, Logan Couture was added to replace Jamie Benn.
Team Canada is obviously still going to be one of the tournament’s favorites but if there is a weakness, it may well be the team’s blue line.
Elsehwere, Anaheim Ducks defender Hampus Lindholm, currently a RFA, has been named to Team Sweden to replace Niklas Kronwall. Kronwall is still recovering from knee surgery performed in January.
Lindholm, 22, scored 10 goals and 28 points last season for the Ducks and is considered one of the up-and-coming young defensemen in the league. He’ll join an excellent blue line group anchored by Erik Karlsson from Ottawa and Victor Hedman of Tampa Bay.
Sweden is expected, along with Team USA, to be one of the biggest threats to Canada’s chances in this tournament. In addition to an excellent defense corps, Sweden will have Henrik Lundqvist between the pipes. Up front they have plenty of skill led by the Sedin twins, Daniel and Henrik, Filip Forsberg and Nicklas Backstrom. Obviously Sweden boasts a formidable roster with plenty of talent.
Coyotes Add Three To Coaching Staff
Arizona Coyotes GM John Chayka, via a release on the team’s website, today announced the team has hired Mike Van Ryn, Steve Potvin and Dawn Braid to the club’s coaching staff.
Van Ryn, a former NHL defenseman who skated with Florida, St. Louis and Toronto during an eight-year career, will become the team’s player development coach. According to the team’s post, he will assist Steve Sullivan, the club’s director of player development, “in amateur player development as well as in working with coaches and players in Tucson (AHL) during the season.” Van Ryn was most recently the head coach of the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers.
Potvin joins the team as the skills coach. His responsibilities, again via the team’s website, will include, “player assessment and individual skill improvement.” Potvin enjoyed a lengthy playing career which included 10 seasons appearing in top European professional leagues and 158 AHL games.
Ordinarily a team fleshing out its coaching ranks wouldn’t be of particular note but the addition of Braid makes her the league’s only full-time female assistant coach. Braid is set to become the Coyotes skating coach after filling the same role on a part-time basis in 2015. Prior to that she has served as a skating consultant with the Toronto, Anaheim, Calgary and Buffalo organizations.