Prospect Notes: Lazar, Mantha, Frk
On the last day before the regular season starts, some final cuts are making their way down the wire. In Ottawa, Curtis Lazar has been assigned to the Binghamton Senators of the AHL as he continues to recover from a bout of mono he’s suffered through this summer. Lazar, 21, has played the last two seasons exclusively in the NHL and shouldn’t be down for long. His 20 points were a solid building block in his development as he continues to grow into his frame.
This is good news for Tom Pyatt, who will debut on the Sens third line according to Brent Wallace of TSN. Pyatt has spent the last two seasons playing in Switzerland, where he found quite a bit of success. 62 points in 92 games there hearkened back his junior days for Saginaw, where he was an effective offensive centerman, even scoring 43 goals one season. The Sens will see if he can contribute on their bottom six as a strong defensive winger who can maybe chip in a few goals.
- In Detroit, the team has finally made the decision to send Anthony Mantha to Grand Rapids official. Many had hoped the former first-round pick would crack the roster this year and make his presence felt as a power forward in the NHL, but he’ll have to wait just a little bit longer. Mantha, 22, has found success at the AHL level the past two seasons and made his debut last year for the Red Wings in a ten-game cup of coffee. He’ll need to develop some more consistency in both ends of the rink in order to get into Jeff Blashill’s lineup, but still has quite a bit of time to develop; power forwards often take a little longer.
- Newest Carolina addition Martin Frk hit the ice for the first time today according to Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer, skating alongside Bryan Bickell and Jay McClement on the fourth line. A former Grand Rapids Griffin himself, Frk is still just 23 years old and possesses a nose for the net. His 27 goals last season put him second on the AHL squad, while chipping in another four points in four playoff games for the Detroit affiliate.
Devin Setoguchi Close To Deal With Los Angeles
It looks like Devin Setoguchi will find another chance this season in the NHL. After an excellent camp, Jon Rosen of FOX Sports West reports that the two sides are working out a contract to be signed in time for the start of the season.
After being invited on a professional tryout, Setoguchi has been skating with Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown and apparently has done enough to deserve a deal. The former San Jose Shark has had a turbulent career thus far, with a battle against alcohol being his biggest challenge. Earlier this year we reported on the tell-all interview that David Pollack of the Hockey News published, which revealed specifics of the forward’s troubled history with addiction.
Now, he’ll look to get a career back on track that was once quite promising. Setoguchi, who is still only 29, scored 31 goals in 2008-09 and looked like a legitimate top line sniper. Since his last 20 goal season in 2010-11, he’s played for six different professional teams including on in Switzerland. He hasn’t been able to stay healthy or effective, but perhaps Darryl Sutter and the Kings can pull some of that goal scoring ability back out of him.
Leafs Notes: Marner, Laich, Brooks
The Maple Leafs will be an interesting team to watch this season as they continue their youth movement and strive to be anything other than the worst team in the league. Among the rookies set to make their mark this season (and there are many) is Mitch Marner, the much talked about prospect from the London Knights. While it’s been expected for weeks that Marner would stay with the Leafs, GM Lou Lamoriello came out today in Kevin McGran’s article with a decisive stance:
He’s made the team. What we’ve seen of him, offensively and defensively, he’s done very well. We’re not thinking of anything other than how he can help us right now and his commitment to get better.
He’s extremely mature and I’ve been extremely impressed by him. He’ll be given every opportunity.
Lamoriello said that Marner shouldn’t worry about his junior status, or the idea that he may go back after nine games like other top prospects. He’s here to stay, and he’s already impressed his head coach with things other than his offense.
I think he’s been really good. He’s good defensively, way better than I expected. He’s got to learn to work hard in practice. He’ll do that. I haven’t seen him get hit. Why is that? Why does he have the puck all the time? Why when (Marner) gets it, there’s always tons of room? When anyone else gets it, there’s no room. To me it looks like he’s driving the line.
Marner is set to start on a line with Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk, and is expected to see time on the Leafs powerplay.
- Also from McGran is the note that veteran Brooks Laich, acquired by the Leafs last year in the Daniel Winnik trade, has not been sent to the AHL despite clearing waivers. With the Leafs still having one cut to make before the deadline at 4:00pm tomorrow, Laich seems the odd man out. McGran does note though that a last-minute injury could open up a spot for him. When “Loophole-Lou” Lamoriello says “We do have a couple of lingering injuries” it often means, ‘we’ll find a way to keep everyone’. Don’t be surprised if Josh Leivo, who has been nursing a couple of injuries during camp, is who sits down for a couple of days to start the season.
- Kristin Shilton has some prospect news, as she reports that Adam Brooks, the Leafs’ fourth-round pick from this past draft is headed back to the Regina Pats for the upcoming season. Brooks was the WHL’s leading scorer last season, and actually could have headed to the AHL for this year since he’s already turned 20-years old. Instead, he’ll go back as an over-ager to try and win another scoring title as he continues his development.
Rickard Rakell, Ducks Remain Far Away From Deal
While anything can change in an instant, it appears as though Rickard Rakell is no closer to a deal with the Anaheim Ducks. Julie Stewart-Binks of FOX Sports caught up with Rakell’s agent, who told her the two sides are still “not looking at things the same way”. This comes just days after a report that said no progress had been made in negotiations, despite both sides wanting a long-term deal done before the season starts.
Rakell, as discussed at length on this site, is one of the remaining restricted free agents without a contract for the upcoming season. While Johnny Gaudreau signed with the Flames today, and Nikita Kucherov seems poised to do the same with the Lightning when he arrives in North America, both Rakell and fellow RFA Hampus Lindholm remain unsigned by the Ducks.
While the team has almost $8.5MM in cap space at the moment, that probably isn’t enough for long-term deals for both players. Likely, the negotiations for the two players are linked, with the Ducks trying their best to get both under contract for as many years as possible without committing more dollars than they have at the moment. Since the team needs to be cap-compliant tomorrow, the two deals would need to come in under that $8.5MM to have them ready for the start of the regular season.
Rakell, 23, put up 43 points last season in what some would consider a mini-breakout. His goal scoring raised from nine in 2014-15 to twenty last year, and he took over as the number two center on the team, a role likely being held open for him until he comes to an agreement. With the Ducks poised for another deep run due to their strong defense corps and veteran first line, it would be a real shame to see the two players hold out for any length of time. After assuming all of Jonathan Bernier’s $4.15MM contract from the Maple Leafs in a trade earlier this summer, the team looks to have handcuffed itself when it comes to two of their most important pieces.
Nikita Kucherov Closing In On Bridge Deal With Tampa Bay
According to Bob McKenzie of TSN, restricted free agent Nikita Kucherov is en route to North America from Russia to sign a bridge deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning. While the team has been trying to lock the winger up long-term, it doesn’t look like that kind of a deal will get done before the season starts; instead, the two sides will agree to a shorter term and re-evaluate in two or three years.
Kucherov is coming off back-to-back all-star seasons, scoring 65 and 66 points over the last two. Leading a team in scoring that includes Steven Stamkos is no small feat, though the winger did just that in 2015-16. Already a 30-goal scorer at 23, Kucherov will eventually be given a huge contract to play in this league.
After re-signing Stamkos, Victor Hedman and others this summer, the Lightning have to be careful with their cap space going forward, having just $5.5MM at the moment for this season. Though a bridge deal would likely come in just shy of that for Kucherov, a long-term deal that bought out any free agent years would have seen that rate jump quite a bit. Johnny Gaudreau recently signed for $6.75MM, and only gave up a single year on the open market.
Johnny Gaudreau Re-Signs With Calgary Flames
According to Elliotte Friedman and the player himself, Johnny Gaudreau has re-signed with the Calgary Flames for six seasons. He’ll earn approximately $6.75MM per season, bringing him in almost half a million higher than Sean Monahan who signed earlier this summer. 
In Gaudreau, the Flames have a budding superstar at a reasonable price. The diminutive winger put up 78 points last season as a 22-year old, and has been likened to other smaller players like Martin St. Louis and Patrick Kane. While Gaudreau might not be a perfect parallel for either of those two, his production has already blown his draft position out of the water.
The Flames selected him in the fourth round before he completely dominated the college hockey ranks at Boston College, and proved that even at 5’9″ (allegedly) he can make an impact at the highest level. Pairing him with Monahan, the prototypical top-line center has built a duo that is almost unstoppable in the offensive end, the two combining for 141 points last season, despite being 22 and 21 respectively.
The contract will buy out one of Gaudreau’s free agent years and, like many of the contracts this summer, has a strong portion of the money allotted in signing bonuses, making it resistant to buyouts or work-stoppages. While he will become a free agent before his 29th birthday, the Flames have locked in some cap-certainty for the next six seasons without going over their negotiating limit of $7MM. If Gaudreau continues on his pace, and decides to hit the open market in 2022, he’ll easily make up any money he left on the table here. A good sign for Flames fans though, is that both he and Monahan have expressed the desire to stay in Calgary for their entire careers – though this is far from a certainty.
Radko Gudas Suspended Six Games
After avoiding suspension for a hit earlier this pre-season on Jimmy Vesey of the New York Rangers, Radko Gudas has been given a six-game ban for his hit on Bruins’ forward Austin Czarnik.
This is not the first time Gudas has received discipline from the league. Last season he received three ejections in the span of a month, and was given a three-game suspension for a hit on Mika Zibanejad in December. Though he’s only technically a two-time offender now, the six-game ban is a strong message that his on-the-edge style will no longer be tolerated by the league.
The Flyers now have a lot of trouble on their blueline for the start of the season and will be hoping that Brandon Manning can play as soon as possible. With Michael Del Zotto out and now Gudas unavailable, 19-year old Ivan Provorov will be staying with the team. These injuries and suspensions are heaping even more responsibility onto sophomore Shayne Gostisbehere, as he looks to become the leader on the back-end for the Flyers this season.
New York Rangers Looking For McIlrath Deal
As teams get ready for the start of the regular season, they have to submit final rosters and be cap-compliant on Tuesday evening. In New York, it seems this will cause the team to look for a deal for one of it’s young blueliners, despite having trouble in their own end last season.
According to Larry Brooks of the NY Post, the team is actively seeking a trade partner for Dylan McIlrath. Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal also tweets that Adam Clendening has made the squad, lending credence to Brooks’ report, since the two were basically battling for the same spot.
McIlrath, on a one-year deal worth $800K this season, is a former 10th overall pick of the Rangers from 2010 but has not blossomed into the bruising shut-down defender they’d hoped for. He played in 34 games last season, though did show some promising signs late in the year; his possession numbers were quite strong, even without the consistent playing time.
For the Rangers, going with the cheaper, younger option in Clendening is also about versatility. As Brooks writes, the 23-year old free agent is able to play both sides of the ice, while McIlrath is strictly a right-side option. While that may scare off the Rangers, many teams (see: Edmonton) are looking desperately for right-handed options that can be effective in the NHL. McIlrath may not represent that right now, but with his pedigree and relative youth the Rangers will probably have no trouble finding a buyer.
Montreal Canadiens To Sign David Broll On AHL Deal
Tough-guy David Broll will be back in the American Hockey League this year, as according to James Mirtle of the Globe and Mail, the former Maple Leafs draft pick will sign a minor-league deal with the Montreal Canadiens to skate with the St. John’s IceCaps this season (their last, before moving to Laval in 2017-18).
Broll was originally selected by the Maple Leafs in the sixth round of the 2011 Entry Draft, as a gritty winger who could hopefully develop into at least a penalty killing presence at a professional level. While he’s never developed much of a scoring touch, he did enough to earn a five game call-up in 2013-14 for the Maple Leafs, where he recorded one assist.
One of the suspected victims of the AHL’s new fighting restrictions, Broll will need to keep his gloves on his hands this year; he’s had double digit fighting majors in each of his three professional seasons. The league now will suspend players who record more than three fighting majors in a single season, a strong step towards ridding the league of fighting almost entirely. Broll will clearly need to contribute in other ways to stay relevant in hockey.
2016-17 Season Preview: New Jersey Devils
With the start of the regular season two days away, we continue to look at each team’s off-season and preview the upcoming year. Today, we focus on the New Jersey Devils.
Last Season: 38-36-8 record (84 points), 7th in the Metropolitan Division.
Remaining Cap Space: $11.4MM per CapFriendly
Key Newcomers: C Vernon Fiddler (UFA, Dallas), LW Taylor Hall (trade, Edmonton), RW Beau Bennett (trade, Pittsburgh), D Kyle Quincey (UFA, Detroit), D Ben Lovejoy (UFA, Pittsburgh).
Key Departures: D Adam Larsson (trade, Edmonton), D David Schlemko (UFA, San Jose), RW Jordin Tootoo (UFA, Chicago), Patrik Elias (UFA, unsigned).
[Related: New Jersey Devils Depth Chart at Roster Resource]
Players To Watch: Taylor Hall. The Devils made waves this summer by trading defenseman Adam Larsson to the Edmonton Oilers for former number one pick Taylor Hall. Hall is an elite talent, scoring 132G and 196A in 381 NHL games for the Oilers, and he looks to continue to do that in New Jersey. The trade reflects more on the Oilers’ need for a team shakeup rather than a comment on Hall’s skill, so the Devils did not purchase damaged goods. In fact, most hockey pundits view this trade as a steal for New Jersey.
Hall was blindsided by the move, but has quickly acclimated himself to his new team, reported Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. He’ll immediately become the Devil’s top line threat alongside Travis Zajac and Kyle Palmieri. The Devils suffered down the stretch last season after Mike Cammalleri went down with a wrist injury, and went out and acquired more offensive help.
Key Storyline: Scoring. Namely, can the Devils score? The team finished last in goals scored last year (184) in large part because of injuries to aging Patrik Elias and the oft-injured Mike Cammalleri. Kyle Palmieri emerged as the team’s bright spot, potting 30 goals for the first time in his career, and the Devils will need him to continue his newfound offensive prowess if they expect to challenge for a playoff spot. The team also brought in Taylor Hall to boost its anemic offense and his goal-scoring touch should propel the Devils from the bottom of the offensive heap.