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Archives for March 2017

Snapshots: Hobey Baker, Smith, Enstrom

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The NCAA has narrowed it down to just three Hobey Baker finalists, and two of them went undrafted. Zach Aston-Reese of Northeastern University signed with the Penguins, and already has six points in four AHL games. Mike Vecchione from Union College had 63 points in 38 games and is expected to make his decision any day now on where he’ll spend his first few professional seasons. Will Butcher, the third finalist and only defenseman, is heading to the Frozen Four with the University of Denver but is expected to be offered a contract by Colorado after his season ends.

Butcher had 36 points in 41 games, and could wait until August to become a free agent. Like Jimmy Vesey last season, Butcher would have many suitors for his services as he’s shown the ability to play at both ends of the rink and could contribute right away to an NHL team. We’ll see if Colorado can get him locked up, but the longer Denver plays the closer he gets to free agency without them even able to offer a deal.

  • John Vogl of the Buffalo News reports that newly signed Sabres forward C.J. Smith will start his professional career with the team right away and will earn a prorated version of a maximum rookie contract of $925K for this season. He’ll earn the same next season, before becoming a restricted free agent in the summer of 2018. Smith scored 51 points in 41 games this season for UMass-Lowell, and decided to leave school a year early to jump right into the AHL. He was taking rushes alongside Zemgus Girgensons and Matt Moulson today in practice, wearing #49.
  • Toby Enstrom has undergone knee surgery and will be out for the remainder of the year. The 32-year old has had a tough season, scoring a career-low 14 points while dealing with personal issues and a concussion. He has one year remaining on his current contract at a cap-hit of $5.75MM and has a full no-movement clause. It will be interesting to see if the Jets approach Enstrom to try and get him to waive it for the expansion draft, as they currently have too many defensemen to protect.

Pittsburgh Penguins Send Three Players To AHL

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The Pittsburgh Penguins are getting healthy. After being pushed around by the Chicago Blackhawks last night in a 5-1 loss, they’ve sent Oskar Sundqvist, Josh Archibald and David Warsofsky to the AHL. Only Sundqvist played in the game last night, and even he only saw eight minutes of icetime.

The Penguins got Conor Sheary and Chad Ruhwedel back last night, and Bryan Rust played his third game since returning. With Jake Guentzel and Ron Hainsey both on the brink of a return, the team is starting approach full strength. If Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang can at least return for the playoffs, the Penguins will be a tough team to deal with. As it looks more and more like they’ll face the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round, they’ll need all hands on deck.

Each of the three have played just a handful of games for the Penguins this season, with Archibald leading the group with two goals. They will return to the AHL for now to try and help the first place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on their Calder Cup run. With 95 points, the baby-Pens should be considered the favorite to take home the trophy this season.

Morning Notes: Patrick, Johnson, Parise

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Thought the Brandon Wheat Kings came into their WHL playoff series as underdogs, it looked like the series could be a long one because of Nolan Patrick and his recent dominance. Instead Patrick would never appear in the series, held out with a lower-body injury for all four of the Medicine Hat Tigers victories. A 3-2 win last night showed how lopsided the series was without Patrick, as the Tigers out shot Brandon 54-25.

It has been a very disappointing year for Patrick, who missed a large chunk of the season, the World Juniors and now the playoffs. Mike Morreale of NHL.com still thinks he’ll go first overall, and reminds us of some of the other injuries to top players in their draft year or immediately following. Patrick’s only real competition for the #1 spot is Nico Hischier of the Halifax Mooseheads, who was excellent in tying up his QMJHL series at 2-2. Hischier had four hits, was 10/16 on faceoffs and scored the game winner on the powerplay.

  • Tyler Johnson was back out on the ice before Tampa Bay Lightning practice today and though he’s still not sure when he’ll get back into the lineup, he told Bryan Burns of NHL.com he hopes to soon. “I better [return] or I’m going to be pretty upset,” he told Burns after the skate. Johnson has been out since the March 9th game that saw three Tampa Bat centers hurt, and would be a huge boost to a club still right in the thick of the playoff race. With Steven Stamkos upgraded to day-to-day (and taking line rushes on the top unit today), Tampa Bay might be getting healthy just in time to make some noise in the final few weeks of the season.
  • Michael Russo of the Star Tribune reports that Zach Parise was out skating at the optional practice for the Minnesota Wild today. Parise took a stick in the eye on Tuesday night and had to leave the game, a scary moment for Wild fans and players alike. The alternate captain was in all kinds of agony on the ice after smashing his head on the way down. Russo reports that though he’s likely to miss tonight’s game against the Ottawa Senators, he may return sooner than many expected. The Wild need to get back on track after going 1-7-2 in their last ten and falling within striking distance of the St. Louis Blues. While they’re definitely going to make the playoffs, if they continue playing as they are right now it would be an early exit.

Buffalo Sabres Sign C.J. Smith To Two-Year Deal

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Thursday: The team has announced the contract. It is a two-year, entry-level deal for Smith.

Wednesday: According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Buffalo Sabres are about to make a splash in the college free agent sweepstakes. Friedman is hearing that C.J. Smith out of the University of Massachusetts-Lowell will sign with the team shortly. No details on the deal have been released yet. Just yesterday Smith’s teammate Joseph Gambardella signed with the Edmonton Oilers,and we mentioned Smith as a possible signing next season if he didn’t leave school early. He apparently has decided to turn pro after his junior season, and is an exciting signing for the Sabres.

Blessed with exceptional speed and acceleration, Smith is extremely dangerous off the rush and in the offensive zone. His 51 points in 41 games sat just one behind the older Gambardella for the River Hawks lead, and he looks poised to create scoring chances at the next level. One of his strongest attributes is his quick release, able to get the puck off in traffic with enough power to beat goaltenders.

His biggest obstacle at the next level will be adjusting his game to defenders who he can’t beat with foot speed alone, and improving his ability to retrieve pucks in the offensive zone. While he should provide ample offense at the AHL level, that same creativity might not be possible in the NHL, and he’ll have to find new ways to help his team. Despite all that, he represents a very intriguing option for the Sabres as soon as next season and should push for a job at camp.

He’ll have to try and fight his way through some more established names on the left side, with Evander Kane, Marcus Foligno and William Carrier all established there for the immediate future. Even if he were to try and crack the lineup on his off-wing, he’ll have Alex Nylander to deal with next season. Once he signs, he’ll likely jump onto a Rochester Americans team that isn’t headed for the Calder Cup playoffs and try to show he belongs in professional hockey.

Florida Panthers Recall Adam Wilcox On Emergency Basis

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After James Reimer took a hard hit to the head from the Maple Leafs’ Brian Boyle on Tuesday night and had to leave the game, the team has now recalled another goaltender. Adam Wilcox, newly acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning at the trade deadline, has been brought up for tonight’s game in Montreal. He’ll back up Reto Berra tonight.

Wilcox has found a new gear in Springfield since the trade, recording two shutouts and a .932 save percentage in nine games. The 24-year old still has plenty of upside, though as with most goaltenders it’s hard to project where they’ll be as they move through their twenties. Yet to make his debut, he might get a chance down the stretch if Reimer is held out for the rest of the year.

It wasn’t the first time Reimer has dealt with this sort of head injury. Back when he was a member of the Maple Leafs he suffered a similar head shot at the hands of Brian Gionta and the Montreal Canadiens. It took him 18 games to get back into the net, and even then didn’t look like himself for some time. Though the Panthers are technically still in a playoff race, they should shut Reimer down for the remainder of the season and protect their asset. The team signed him to a five-year deal in the offseason, and will hope he can take more and more load off Roberto Luongo—who is dealing with a lower-body injury—over the next few years.

Buffalo Sabres Return Brady Austin To AHL

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Now that Rasmus Ristolainen has served his three game suspension, the Buffalo Sabres will send defenseman Brady Austin back to the Rochester Americans. Ristolainen will be back in the lineup for Buffalo’s match up against the New York Islanders on Sunday afternoon, as the Sabres try to claw their way out of the bottom of the standings and see this season as a step in the right direction.

Austin has played in the last five games for the Sabres, making his NHL debut on March 20th, but has been held scoreless thus far. A seventh-round pick in 2012, he has developed into a steady physical presence and one that can fill in occasionally at the NHL level. Just 23, he’s come a long way from his OHL days, and will continue to try and develop into a penalty kill specialist.

With Ristolainen back, the Sabres are basically at full strength for one of the few times this season. They’ve dealt with injuries to both key (Jack Eichel) and role (Dmitry Kulikov) players throughout the year, as almost everyone has taken a turn on the injured reserve. As they finish their season and head into the summer, they can be encouraged by the play that Eichel has given them down the stretch, and excited about what a full season might bring next year. Look for them to be players in the defensive market, to try and stabilize what has still been a below average group.

Evening Transactions: Ducks, Lightning

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Some assorted transactions from around the NHL this evening…

  • The Ducks have recalled left winger Ondrej Kase from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL, the team announced. The 21-year-old has played in 51 games this season, compiling five goals, nine assist, and 16 penalty minutes. The former seventh-round pick has also appeared in 11 AHL games, collecting eight points.
  • Forward Joel Vermin has been recalled by the Lightning from the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, the team announced. The Bern, Switzerland product has collected three assists in 15 games this year, and he has 21 career games under his belt. The 25-year-old has also appeared in another 43 contests with the Crunch, collecting 12 goals, 16 assists, and 17 penalty minutes. The former seventh-round pick joined the organization back in 2013.

Avalanche Sign Tyson Jost To Entry-Level Contract

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The Avalanche have signed 2016 first-round pick Tyson Jost to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced this evening. Terry Frei of the Denver Post tweets that the 10th-overall pick could play with the squad as soon as Friday.

Reports from yesterday were a bit pessimistic that a deal would get done this season. Jost and his North Dakota teammates were knocked out of the NCAA playoffs, so it’d be natural for the talented prospect to go professional. However, considering his age, there were some whispers that the forward may return to college for a second season. The 19-year-old had a fantastic season with the Fighting Hawks, collecting 38 points in 35 games. Jost also had a standout performance playing for Team Canada at the World Juniors, tallying four points in seven games.

“We are excited to announce that Tyson has signed his entry-level contract and will be joining us for the rest of this season,” said Avalanche Executive Vice President/general manager Joe Sakic. “Tyson is an all-around player. He competes, plays the game hard and is reliable at both ends of the ice. He just finished a strong year at North Dakota and we’re looking forward to seeing him in an Avalanche sweater.”

Prior to his collegiate career, Jost was the 2015-16 MVP of the British Columbia Hockey League, compiling 42 goals and 62 assists. He also competed at the 2016 IIHF Under-18 World Championship, leading the tournament in points with six goals and nine assists.

Atlantic Notes: Glendening, Marchesseault, Reinhart, Canadiens

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The Red Wings will be without forward Luke Glendening for the remainder of the season as a result of a fracture around his ankle, GM Ken Holland told reporters, including MLive’s Ansar Khan.  The 27 year old had played in all but two games for Detroit prior to the injury which was sustained on Monday against the Hurricanes.  His production was down this season as he collected just 14 points (3-11-14) while averaging just shy of 13 minutes per game.

Holland noted that no determination had been made yet as to whether or not Glendening will require surgery.  He did announce that the team does not plan to call anyone up to take his place as the team already has 12 healthy forwards on the active roster.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Despite his strong season, there are no planned discussions any time soon between the Panthers and winger Jonathan Marchessault on a contract extension, GM and interim head coach Tom Rowe told George Richards of the Miami Herald. Marchesseault is in his first season with Florida and has been one of their few bright spots this season as he leads the team in goals with 29.  The 26 year has another year left on his contract after this one at a very team-friendly cap hit of $750K.  Accordingly, no extension can be signed until July 1st.
  • Sabres winger Sam Reinhart’s ice time of zero raised some eyebrows last night against Columbus but he wasn’t injured. Instead, head coach Dan Bylsma decided to sit him for the entire game as a result of violating team policy.  John Vogl of the Buffalo News reports that the infraction was for missing a team meeting earlier in the day.  It’s expected that Reinhart will be back in action for their next game which is Sunday against the Islanders, a game that they will also see defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen return to the lineup after serving his three game suspension.
  • Canadiens head coach Claude Julien has yet to decide if he will rest any of his regulars between now and the end of the season to give them some rest before the playoffs, notes Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette. Julien revealed that at times in the past players have been resistant to the idea so he’ll meet with the players to get their input as to whether or not they want a rest.  He did note that goaltender Carey Price will get at least one more game off between now and the end of the regular season though.

Spencer Foo To Forego Senior Season, Will Sign NHL Deal In Summer

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College free agent winger Spencer Foo will turn pro and forego his senior NCAA season, his college team announced.  However, it remains unlikely that he will sign with an NHL team before the end of the current season, meaning his entry level deal wouldn’t start until 2017-18.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that part of the reasoning for the decision to wait to sign is that it will allow him to finish up his current classes.  The 23 year old will be a highly sought after player as yesterday, Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider suggested that pretty much the entire league has already shown interest in signing Foo.

This past season, Foo was second on Union College in scoring with 26 goals and 36 assists (the most in a single season in Dutchmen history) in just 38 games and was one point shy of tying three others for the most points in all of the NCAA’s Division I.  He had a program-record 21 game point streak during the season and was held off the scoresheet just four times all season.

Recently, Foo was named a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, given to the top NCAA player.  He was also named to the All-ECAC Hockey First Team.

Unlike last summer’s mini-frenzy with Jimmy Vesey, who eventually signed with the Rangers, there won’t be a need to wait until mid-August for Foo to sign; as he is an undrafted free agent, he’s free to sign at any time.  His entry level pact will be limited to two years in length and given the expected level of interest, he should be able to capitalize on a favorable bonus structure as well.

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