Penguins Re-Sign Matt Cullen
The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-signed veteran center Matt Cullen to a one-year deal worth $1MM, as reported on the team’s website. As of last week, Cullen was believed to be entertaining offers from at least four teams but evidently chose to remain with the club with whom he just won the Stanley Cup championship.
A veteran of 18 NHL campaigns, Cullen had a resurgent year for Pittsburgh, scoring 16 goals and 32 points while appearing in all 82 games. He was also a key contributor during the Penguins Cup run, netting another four goals and six points in the postseason. Cullen provided tremendous value after converting a PTO into a one-year, $800K deal with the Penguins.
It’s likely Cullen will again reprise his role in the club’s bottom-six, providing a fair amount of offense while also serving time on the penalty kill and taking critical, defensive zone draws. Last season, Cullen led all Penguins forwards averaging 2:32 of shorthanded ice time per contest. He also won an impressive 55.7% of his faceoffs, a figure good enough for 16th overall among players who took at least 500 draws.
The signing does appear to put the Penguins even further over the cap than they already were which suggests GM Jim Rutherford will have some work to do to get the club cap compliant before the regular season begins.
Front Offices On Jimmy Vesey
After completing his meetings with team representatives today (which include names like John Tavares, Jonathan Toews and Auston Matthews) Jimmy Vesey will have to decide where he plays his first professional hockey game. TSN spoke with a couple of front office members about Vesey’s future, and they bring up separate but interesting points:
Brendan Shanahan, President & Alternate Governor, Toronto Maple Leafs (link):
He’s had a fabulous college career, and has earned the right to have this kind of interest from this many clubs, us being one of them. People are attracted to his leadership qualities; captain of Harvard, he’s obviously a very intelligent player on the ice and off, and he’s a guy who seems to have the ability to put the puck in the net, so when those types of players come available people line up.
Brian Burke, President of Hockey Ops, Calgary Flames (link):
If you look at the college free agents, they have made a dramatically insignificant contribution to our league. Tyler Bozak might be the best one. Of the 100 or 150 that have signed, most have very little impact. I think this player is going to play, and make a difference. I think he’s going to be a good player..but if you look at that group and the money the league has spent on their contribution, it’s a pimple on an elephant’s butt.
Back in February, when the Nashville Predators still held Vesey’s rights, GM David Poile spoke about his ability and future with the team:
We’ve had him here for our development camps each of the last two or three summers and he’s grown so much as a player and a person. Physically, he’s ready to play. As far as a college hockey player, he’s dominant in a lot of areas; one of them is his skating. Obviously, offensively he’s put up a lot of good numbers, so we truly believe that he can come in and play right away.
It’s clear that not everyone in the league is sold on Vesey’s ability to step in and be a difference maker at the NHL level, but the amount of teams that have taken meetings with him over the past few days would suggest they believe he at least will be able to step in right away. Vesey, or at least his agent Peter Fish, has only said that he’ll make a decision this weekend at some point.
John Gilmour Signs With New York Rangers
Amid all the Jimmy Vesey discussion, the New York Rangers have signed another NCAA standout. According to Mark Divver of the Providence Journal, John Gilmour, a defenseman out of Providence College has agreed to a two-year deal with the club.
Gilmour, 23, was originally drafted by the Calgary Flames in 2013 but, like Vesey, decided to play four years in college and became a free agent. He was part of the 2015 national champions after defeating Jack Eichel-led Boston University in the final.
Playing in 141 games over his four years, Gilmour scored 65 points including 23 goals. We recently profiled Gilmour when we listed him at #3 on our list of top college free agents, behind just Vesey and Thomas DiPauli, the latter of which was reported earlier today to be in talks with six different teams.
[Related: New York Rangers’ Depth Chart]
The Rangers weren’t going to wait around to dip their toes into the college ranks, and with Gilmour add a young, mobile defenseman to a group that isn’t seen as such. Gilmour will try to crack the roster this year, but may have trouble because of the big deals sitting on their blueline.
Friedman’s Latest: Gaudreau, Avalanche Coach
While Elliotte Friedman is out of the country working the Rio Olympics, he’s still in touch enough with the hockey world to give us a couple of tidbits today. In his latest column, Friedman reports that Johnny Gaudreau will be playing in the upcoming World Cup regardless of his contract situation. He’s purchased extra insurance for himself to guard against any injury that could happen during the tournament.
Friedman also adds that Gaudreau will not negotiate on his new deal while he’s at the tournament; he’s scheduled to arrive for practices on September 4th. It still seems likely that a deal will get done, as Gaudreau has publicly stated his desire to stay in Calgary long-term.
On the Avalanche coaching vacancy Friedman adds that Jared Bednar, currently the head coach of the Cleveland Monsters (the Columbus AHL affiliate), is another candidate. After winning the Calder Cup last season, he’s received praise from around the league, and has a connection to Avalanche assistant general manager Chris MacFarland, who spent time in the Blue Jacket’s organization.
Puck And Player Tracking To Be Used At World Cup
The World Cup of Hockey had a press conference today in Toronto, announcing several things about the upcoming tournament. Among the most interesting, was the revelation that player and puck tracking will be in full effect. Players will have microchips sewed into their sweaters, with the puck also having a sensor embedded inside of it.
Data will be calculated on puck and player speed, trajectory, acceleration and spacing, and will be used during the live broadcasts. For the analytics community, this is huge news, as more data is always a good thing, and the precise movement of each player with and away from the puck will lend itself to stronger analysis. The NHL will use this as a test for a possible future league-wide roll out, though no information has been given on a possible timeline.
The team jerseys at the tournament will also feature advertising for the first time, as the NHL and NHLPA came to an agreement with SAP (a German software corporation) to be the prime sponsor. Shoulder patches will be sewn into each sweater, opening the door for future advertising. The Air Canada Centre will also have animated board advertising installed, much to the chagrin of fans.
Snapshots: Roy, Vesey, Oilers
When Patrick Roy suddenly resigned as head coach of the Colorado Avalanche last week the hockey world, along with GM Joe Sakic, was stunned to say the least. While Sakic said all the right things, and refused to throw his former teammate under the bus, Terry Frei from the Denver Post writes that it was how their relationship had developed that caused Roy to exit so abruptly.
In the piece, Frei writes that though Roy had a big impact on personnel and development decisions in his first three years, as someone holding a vice-president of hockey operations should, he’d been slowly edged out as Sakic gained more confidence and experience on the job. To quote Frei: “Did he quit on the Avs? Sure, he did. As coach. Because he thought he had been fired as a VP.”
The Avalanche are still looking for someone to fill the head coaching role, and as Frei reports, Sakic has indicated that none of the current assistant coaches are being considered. We profiled five candidates here who may find their phones ringing at some point, though many are already under contract with another team, if in a lesser role.
- The Jimmy Vesey sweepstakes continued today, with the final team meetings taking place. Multiple reports have current players attending the meetings in order to sway his decision, with John Tavares being one of the biggest names confirmed (via James Mirtle). Though the Islanders may still be seen as outsiders, a promised role next to Tavares is definitely something any player would have to consider, and with P.A. Parenteau currently penciled in, it wouldn’t take much to offer it. Other teams are obviously offering similar things, with Jonathan Toews (link) and Auston Matthews (link) both in Boston to meet the Harvard grad.
- In his latest column, David Staples of the Edmonton Journal posits that the Oilers will never be successful while they keep trotting out a few weak-links, despite the obvious top-end talent on the roster. In analyzing the roster, Staples references Chris Anderson and David Salley’s book “The Numbers Game: Why Everything You Know About Soccer Is Wrong“, and applies their “O-ring player” idea to some recent Oilers like Anton Lander, Mark Fayne and Mark Letestu. While a team can’t have NHL stars in every roster spot, it’s these weak-links that are holding the team back from ever capitalizing on their young stars’ success.
Interest In DiPauli From At Least Six Teams
While everyone watches closely and awaits a decision from Harvard product and free agent Jimmy Vesey, another college name is garnering a lot of attention from teams around the league. Thomas DiPauli, the Notre Dame winger and former Washington Capitals draft pick is also a free agent, and according to Mark Divver of The Providence Journal there is currently interest from half a dozen teams, and he won’t go unsigned long.
Back in July, we profiled DiPauli after he declared his intention to test free agency, and he was recently ranked #2 on our top college free agents, behind only Vesey. DiPauli isn’t the scoring threat that Vesey is, but does profile as a solid contributor in the bottom six, with the capability of scoring 10-15 goals in the NHL. His two-way style is always sought after as teams look to roll four lines more often in today’s NHL.
Should DiPauli sign somewhere in the next few days, he’ll be added to the list of positives for that team in the Vesey sweepstakes, as the two share an agent and are both graduates of the US Development Program. One could speculate that at least some of the same teams that are after Vesey are the ones in the hunt for DiPauli as well, as teams look to get essentially “free” young talent.
World Cup Notes: Price, Tavares, Crosby
Worry not, fans of Canada and the Canadiens. Carey Price is healthy and ready to go for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. In an interview with Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, Team Canada’s GM Doug Armstrong said Price is “100 per cent and he’s ready to go” for the start of Team Canada’s training camp, which kicks off on the Labour Day long weekend.
Price hasn’t played an NHL game since November 25, so “he’ll have to shake off some of the rust”, according to Armstrong. The Canadian GM has been in touch with Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin since naming Price to the initial roster on March 2. Armstrong said Price may be the best goaltender in the world based on his play since the Sochi Olympics.
Here are some other notes from Canada’s World Cup roster:
- Islanders captain John Tavares spoke with Sportsnet’s Luke Fox about the challenges that come with the early end to the summer, compounded by the Islanders making their longest playoff run since he was drafted in 2009. “You lose two weeks that you normally use for training or getting settled in your home city,” said Tavares. However, he’s excited to take part, especially after being forced to miss Canada’s last two games in Sochi. There’s no one player that Tavares is looking forward to lining up beside; instead its the chance to learn from the great leaders.
- Tavares also commented on the possibility of the NHL not attending the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. He enjoys the best-on-best tournaments, and despite the return of the World Cup, says that there’s “something special” about the Olympics.
- Unlike Tavares, there’s one player in particular that Sidney Crosby is looking forward to having on his team: fellow Nova Scotian and noted pest Brad Marchand. Crosby told Fox that “having [Marchand] on your team is going to be so much more enjoyable than having to play against him.” He added that Marchand is a “really good player” who plays “right on the edge”. The two skate together in the off-season with another local kid by the name of Nathan MacKinnon, who will play on Team North America.
Training Camp Invites: Devane; Galiardi; McCollum
A few more hockey players were invited to NHL training camps today:
- The Calgary Flames have invited former NHL forward Jamie Devane to training camp this September, reports the Globe and Mail’s James Mirtle. Devane last played for the Nashville Predators’ AHL affiliate Milwaukee Admirals, scoring 6G and 5A in 62 games. The former 2009 third round draft pick played in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization and appeared in 2 NHL games. Devane is a big bruising forward weighing in around 230lbs, and Flames President Brian Burke is known for admiring such players. In fact, Burke was the Maple Leafs GM who drafted Devane in 2009. Burke used the 68th pick on Devane—Reilly Smith was picked next.
- The St. Louis Blues also extended a training camp invite today to T.J. Galiardi, reports the Globe and Mail’s James Mirtle. Galiardi has had mixed success in the NHL, scoring 44G and 61A in 321 games for the Avalanche, Sharks, Flames, and Jets. The forward spent last year in Sweden playing for the Malmo Redhawks. St. Louis lost David Backes, Steve Ott, and Troy Brouwer in the offseason, so Galiardi may win himself a spot on the big club if he impresses.
- The Los Angeles Kings have invited former Red Wings goalie Tom McCollom to training camp. McCollom was a former first round draft pick that could not crack the big club, but played well on Detroit’s AHL affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins. McCollom was signed to a one-year contract last year but the Red Wings declined to extend a new offer. Los Angeles is currently lacking proven backup goaltending, with last year’s backup Jhonas Enroth supposedly close to signing in Toronto.
Keep track of all the training camp invites with our training camp tracker.
Vesey Update: Harvard’s Ted Donato On ESPN Radio
ESPN New Hampshire’s “The Stretch Run” with Pete Sheppard and Jimmy Murphy took #VeseyWatch to the airwaves today, debating the possible landing spots for Harvard star and one-man free agent frenzy Jimmy Vesey. Murphy revealed his prediction to be the New Jersey Devils, based on some inside information, as well as the plethora of USA Hockey connections in the organization and the ample cap space that the Devils have. New Jersey is in a unique situation compared to many of the major players in the Vesey sweepstakes, in that they are well below the NHL salary cap, so the roster that Vesey sees now is unlikely to change due to his signing there, and down the road the Devils could have the space to award Vesey with an expensive, long-term extension.
As a New England station, the pair then predictably analyzed the prospect of Vesey on the Boston Bruins. However, neither felt strongly about the Bruins’ chances. They felt that Claude Julien’s approach of being hard on young players and making them earn their play time, a system that sent Alexander Khokhlachev packing to Russia, may scare away a college free agent like Vesey. They also described the Bruins as a poor fit for Vesey compared to rest of the field, as they could not guarantee him success and playoff experience due to their poor defensive depth, nor could they guarantee him a top six role, with Brad Marchand, Matt Beleskey, and Frank Vatrano in the fold and Julien’s penchant for being tough on young players.
However, when Harvard University head coach Ted Donato, a former Bruin himself, joined the show, the mood towards the Bruins changed somewhat. He acknowledged that Vesey “is and always will be” a Bruins fan, and said that he knows from experience that Boston has a great fan base and strong tradition, and that it is an honor for local kids to play for the team. Donato sounded skeptical about the current Boston team when asked about the state of the Bruins, but seemed optimistic about the moves they have made with an eye toward the future. Whether or not that is an obligatory remark from the father of Bruins prospect Ryan Donato, it seems like Donato considers the Bruins to be very much in the mix for Vesey’s talents.
Donato did stop short of endorsing the Bruins as the destination for Vesey though, and said that he has tried to stay away from that situation. He describes Vesey as being “smart”, “well-spoken” and “humble”, and that he, his family, and his agents are taking a “down-to-earth” and reasonable approach to finding the right spot for the Hobey Baker winner. Donato listed the Rangers and Blackhawks (who Sheppard and Murphy call the “Patriots” of the NHL) as great franchises who are in the mix, and said that every team will have something to offer Vesey and that it will be a difficult choice.
While Donato did not reveal any real insider information about Vesey’s decision, it was a good segment from a guy who knows Vesey very well and has NHL experience and a great hockey mind himself. Listen for yourself and learn more about the young man who already has the entire hockey world captivated.