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Chicago Blackhawks Hire Jeremy Colliton As AHL Head Coach

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The Chicago Blackhawks have a new coach for their AHL affiliate Rockford IceHogs, today naming Jeremy Colliton to that position. Colliton had been coaching in Sweden for Mora IK of the Allsvenskan for the past four seasons since his retirement from professional hockey. Obviously wanting to go in a new direction after a first-round exit, the Blackhawks dropped the hammer on both AHL coach Ted Dent and NHL assistant Mike Kitchen a few weeks ago. Now, they’ll go with a much younger name that may be familiar to some around the league.

Colliton was drafted by the New York Islanders in the second round, and would eventually make the NHL for a short while. In 57 career games, the forward registered just six points before heading to Sweden in 2013-14. When he was just 29, he retired from professional hockey due to post-concussion symptoms and was immediately asked to stay on with Mora as their head coach. Still just 32, Colliton coached this year’s iteration of Mora IK to the league Championship and promotion into the SHL for next season. Their 35-13-4 record was easily the best in the league during the regular season.

Considered a top young coach, Colliton will now have the chance to lead men who are in certain cases older than him. The Rockford team scored the fewest goals in the league this season and finished with a 25-39-12 record. He’ll be tasked to turn it around despite the continuous stripping of talent to feed the parent club, either through trade or call-ups.

Cale Makar And The University of Massachusetts

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In just over a month, Calgary-native Cale Makar will hear his name called in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft. Barely on the radar for first-round consideration at this time last year, the puck-moving defenseman for the Brooks Bandits of the “Junior A” Alberta Junior Hockey League is now forecast to be selected in the top ten on June 23rd. If he’s drafted anywhere higher than 16th overall, he’ll pass Joe Colborne as the highest selection in AJHL history. Makar even stands a chance to be the first defenseman taken off the board in the draft this year.

So where did this kid come from? Makar has shown tremendous growth in his skating, passing, and overall understanding of the game in recent years. He made his Bandits debut at the age of 16 in 2014-15, scoring five points in the final three regular season games of the season and adding seven more over Brooks’ 20-game playoff run to the league championship series. However, this did little to put Makar on the map. In 2015-16, he began to turn some heads with a point-per-game campaign featuring ten goals and 45 assists in only 54 regular season games and continued pace in a postseason in which his 14 points in 13 games helped to lead the Bandits to an AJHL title. Yet, Makar’s name was still one largely unknown to those outside of the AJHL or the NCAA scouting community. Only after he proved that his previous season’s production was no fluke did NHL scouts begin to take major notice. This season, Makar lead Brooks to a second straight title and did so behind 75 points – 24 goals and 51 assists –  in 54 games and another torrid playoff pace of 16 points in 13 games. Makar took home just about every AJHL award possible for 2016-17: MVP, Playoff MVP, Most Outstanding Defenseman, Highest Scoring Defenseman, All-Star, and the championship trophy to boot. The next accolade he hopes to add to the list is of course a top ten spot in the NHL Draft to cap off a dominant season.

The only knock on Makar is that at 5’11”,  179 lbs. and playing in an inferior league, he still has some physical and mental development to do before he is NHL-ready, regardless of his natural skill. His speed and puck-handling were unparalleled in the AJHL, but that may not be true against a similar level of talent. Unless the team who drafts him falls in love, Makar is likely to be a project player in need of a year or two minimum before he can make the jump. Where he’ll be playing in that time is almost as surprising as his own meteoric rise. It’s no longer strange for Canadian players to play American college hockey, even top draft picks. However, Makar is not headed to a powerhouse program like Boston College or Boston University, but instead a Hockey East Conference rival with much less history: the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

Hockey East may be the premiere conference in the NCAA, but UMass has been an exception in recent years. The team was 5-29-2 this past season, finishing last in the conference by a significant margin. Though their records were marginally better than 2016-17, UMass has finished in the bottom three in Hockey East every year since 2010-11, never with a record above .500. The program has only qualified for the NCAA Tournament once, riding star goalie Jonathan Quick to the postseason in 2006-07. Over the last decade, the program has managed to develop a few solid NHLers, none more so than Quick, such as the San Jose Sharks’ Justin Braun, the nearby Boston Bruins’ Frank Vatrano and three players still alive this NHL postseason: the Nashville Predators’ Matt Irwin, Anaheim Ducks’ Brandon Montour, and Pittsburgh Penguins’ Conor Sheary. Yet, they’ve never been able to put together a deep enough roster to compete on the national level.

Athletic Director Ryan Bamford and head coach Greg Carvel hope that Makar could be the beginning of a new chapter in Amherst. Bamford, himself in just his second year, hired Carvel last year from St. Lawrence University, where he had played himself in college, in what many felt was a lateral move. However, Carvel seemingly liked the idea of moving back to UMass, where he had received his Master’s degree in Sport Management. While the first season under Carvel was not much of an improvement on the ice, the hire has already begun to pay off in recruitment, specifically with Makar enrolling in the fall. With Edmonton Oilers’ prospect William Lagesson signing his entry-level deal, Makar will likely only be joined by Buffalo Sabres’ 2015 seventh-round pick Ivan Chukarov as drafted players on the team, unless other members of the incoming class are also selected this June. Regardless, Makar alone has the potential to boost interest in both potential future players and a passionate fan base that has been waiting a long time to see another successful Minutemen squad.

Makar may not just be a well-regarded recruit, he may end up being one of the all-time best players to ever put on a UMass jersey. As far as hockey alumni go, he faces only Quick in regards to fanfare, but Makar could prove to be a better prospect than former New York Giants receiver Victor Cruz or former NBA All-Star Marcus Camby. If Bamford, Carvel, and the supporters of UMass are lucky, Makar could prove to be the hockey equivalent of the legendary Dr. J, Julius Erving. Only time will tell, but it all starts with Makar’s selection in the upcoming NHL Draft and his first season of NCAA competition next fall.

Filip Sandberg Eyeing Jump To NHL

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It’s already been a busy off-season for European players crossing the Atlantic to join the NHL ranks, and it doesn’t show any signs of stopping. Add forward Filip Sandberg to the list of names expected to be skating in North America next season. The Swedish forward has not been identified as an NHL target by any of the more well-known media outlets on this continent, but Swedish news source Jönköpings Posten, “JP”, makes it sound like a forgone conclusion that Sandberg is headed overseas. (link and article in Swedish)

The JP article specifically names the Detroit Red Wings as a suitor for Sandberg’s services, but expect many teams to be bidding for the young Swede. At 22 years old, the versatile Sandberg can play all three forward positions and shows two-way ability often unseen in Europe. He also has a high level of hockey intelligence, positioning, and vision, making him an ideal play-maker, especially when lined up at center. While his size – 5’9″, 181-lbs. – could be seen as a hindrance to success at the NHL level, it hasn’t held him back so far. For a smaller player, Sandberg is tenacious along the boards and on the forecheck.

Assuming Sandberg signs in the NHL. its yet another big loss for his Swedish Hockey League club, HV71. They signed minor league MVP Victor Ejdsell to a contract earlier this off-season, only to watch him sign with the Nashville Predators as well and put his status with the team in doubt. Then, just yesterday, 21-year-old star stay-at-home defenseman Andreas Borgman announced he would be leaving the team and within hours was signed by the Toronto Maple Leafs. The same quick turnaround could occur following the rumors surrounding Sandberg, as not only does he have great ability and just finished the best season of his career, but he is also fresh off the highest-scoring stretch of his career as well, tallying 14 points in 16 games for HV71 in the postseason. The team did re-sign Sandberg to a two-year extension back in February, but as the JP article states, those contracts mean little when NHL teams come calling. Sanberg seems likely to be joining Borgman in North America sooner rather than later.

Dallas Stars Upcoming Defensive Decisions

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When the Dallas Stars fell apart this season, ending with thirty fewer regular season points than the year prior and missing the playoffs by a wide margin, many pointed to their goaltending and to a lesser extent their defense. Why shouldn’t they, after the Stars watched Jason Demers, Alex Goligoski and Kris Russell all leave in one summer only to see the team bring in a 33-year old Dan Hamhuis as a replacement. The team had posted a league-worst .893 save percentage, and just 133 points from their defense in comparison to 174 the year before.

Many fans went into this offseason pleading with management to acquire some better defenders, even pondering a Kevin Shattenkirk or Karl Alzner—likely the two most sought-after defensemen in free agency—appearance in Texas. But, when looking at their roster for next season is there really room for an addition outside of a big-name? "<strong

Going into next season, the Stars have three defensemen who are absolute locks to make the club. Hamhuis, John Klingberg and Esa Lindell will all surely figure into the group in some fashion, even if the former is on the last legs of his career. After those three, the Stars actually have several internal options that may not be any worse than what they could find in free agency. Jamie Oleksiak hasn’t lived up to his high draft position, but still should be considered to have potential given his size and flashes of successful play. Patrik Nemeth and Stephen Johns both have shown the ability to contribute at the NHL level, though in what role they are best suited in is still undecided. Greg Pateryn, part of the return for Jordie Benn at the trade deadline has shown his ability as a shot-suppressor and is easily an NHL-caliber defender.

Then there is Julius Honka, who today was written about by Aaron Vickers of NHL.com while he skates in the World Championships. Honka is certainly deserved of a look at the NHL level next season after his outstanding AHL performance and promising 16-game tryout with Dallas. The 21-year old is playing for Finland, and as Vickers writes has been compared favorably to Klingberg by multiple Dallas players, including Klingberg himself. For three straight years he’s shown he can dominate the AHL, so why not give him a chance to adapt to the higher league.

That also doesn’t even consider the fact that the team may go with Miro Heiskanen at #3 in next month’s draft. While Heiskanen is expected to need some seasoning, perhaps the team feels as though he’s ready for the NHL right away and brings him in to compete with the rest of their young group. It wouldn’t be the first time a high draft pick exceeded expectations in his first training camp.

The Stars have more than enough bodies on the back end to make up a defense corps, meaning that if they really want to improve it would likely come through trade instead of free agency. Bringing in more mid-pairing types to compete just doesn’t make sense without moving some of the names listed above out. More likely, with the addition of Ben Bishop in net the team will try to build a group out of what it has and perhaps swing a trade for a single name. As even this group may be good enough to get them back to the playoffs with a shift in goaltending.

Snapshots: Oilers, Flames, Grubauer

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The Edmonton Oilers are preparing for the expansion draft, and GM Peter Chiarelli knows his club will lose a talented player. Speaking with Paul Gazzola of NHL.com, Chiarelli admitted that the selection from the Oilers may be a little more painful than some other teams, especially because of the success the franchise experienced this year.

Edmonton is expected to go with the 7-3-1 protection scheme, and while there is no risk of losing a player like Leon Draisaitl or Adam Larsson, other possibilities like Griffin Reinhart or Mark Letestu remain depending on how much stock the team puts in youth versus experience. With rumors swirling about Jordan Eberle’s potential availability, perhaps a deal would be made before the draft in order to free up a potential protection slot for the forward group.

  • The Flames continue to search for a goaltender and Eric Francis of Postmedia writes about all of their options. In discussing the new deals for Ben Bishop and Scott Darling, Francis lists veterans like Marc-Andre Fleury and Ryan Miller as possibilities to bridge the gap to their young prospects. He also touches on other successful backups like Antti Raanta, who could try to follow the Cam Talbot-path from the shadow of Henrik Lundqvist to the ice in Alberta. In one way or another, the Flames must solve their goaltending issue, as both Brian Elliott and Chad Johnson will be free agents come July 1st. Interestingly, that adds the Flames as a landing spot for a goalie before the expansion draft, as they currently have none to protect.
  • One other name that is mentioned in regards to the Flames is Philipp Grubauer of the Washington Capitals, who Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press also goes in depth on. Grubauer knows that he is a target for the Vegas Golden Knights, and teammate Braden Holtby believes he’s ready to become a starter somewhere in the league. It’s not just Calgary and Vegas who will likely check in on Grubauer though after his performance this season. The 25-year old registered a .926 save percentage in 23 games and should be on the radar of several other teams—Whyno includes Winnipeg, Philadelphia and Colorado as teams possibly looking for an upgrade this summer.

Anaheim Ducks Sign Josh Mahura To Three-Year Contract

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The Anaheim Ducks front office is still working hard while their team fights for the Stanley Cup, today signing third-round pick Josh Mahura to a three-year entry-level deal. No financials have been released. Mahura’s season ended on Sunday, when the Regina Pats lost the WHL Championship series to the Seattle Thunderbirds despite a goal and assist in the deciding game from the 19-year old defenseman.

Mahura registered 53 points this season split between the Pats and Red Deer Rebels, but turned up his game in the playoffs. His 21 points ranked third in playoff scoring from defensemen, behind only Ethan Bear (Edmonton) and teammate Connor Hobbs (Washington). Both of those two are (around) a year older than Mahura, making his performance even more impressive.

The Ducks have developed a number of excellent defenders in recent years, and continue to impress in the draft with players taken outside of the first round. When they selected Mahura, he was coming off an MCL injury that robbed him of his entire draft year, though he returned just in time for the playoffs for Red Deer in 2016. That risk looked to pay off this year, as he put together an excellent season and has a chance to make an impact at the professional level down the line. At just 19, and with the Ducks loaded with defensive talent, he’ll head back to the WHL to try to win a championship next season. Regina also will host the Memorial Cup in 2018, meaning Mahura will get a chance regardless of the Pats’ finish. That tournament will be quite interesting to the Ducks as Sam Steel, their (second) first-round pick from last summer was the leading scorer for the Pats and the whole WHL this season.

Minnesota Wild “Willing To Listen” On Potential Trades

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After Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman wrote in yesterday’s “30 Thoughts” column that he’d heard Nino Niederreiter’s name come up in trade talks, Michael Russo of the Star Tribune did a little more digging. He spoke directly with Minnesota Wild GM Chuck Fletcher and got him on the record about his outlook for this summer.

I’ve spoken to a lot of teams in the league. People are inquiring about a lot of our players, not just necessarily [Niederreiter and Mathew Dumba]. If teams call and ask about a player, I’m listening, but there’s a big difference between listening and shopping. We’re going to have to make a change or two here, so if somebody has an idea, I’m willing to listen and I’m willing to work with people if something makes sense.

That “change or two” is likely because of the cap situation the Minnesota Wild find themselves in. With Niederreiter and Mikael Granlund due for substantial raises and the Wild already committed to over $61MM in salary next season (via CapFriendly), there just may not be enough room to keep everyone. Fletcher mentioned more than once about waiting to see where exactly the cap would land—it’s expected to increase a few million to somewhere around $76MM for next season—indicating that it may be possible to extend everyone and still make the team better.

The Wild would obviously put a huge price tag on Niederreiter, especially after a career season for the former fifth-overall pick. With two years left before free agency, the 24-year old scored 57 points and looked like the possession-driving force the New York Islanders had hoped for when they drafted him. The same would go for Dumba, though it would likely take a different sort of package for the 22-year old. He’s entering the final year of his current contract, and will be a restricted free agent next summer with several years still to go before he hits the open market.

Dumba though may be at risk of being selected by the Vegas Golden Knights, with Ryan Suter, Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin expected to earn the protection slots should the team use the 7-3-1 method. Moving his $2.55MM cap hit might not take the Wild completely out of the woods though.

While Fletcher is clear that he’s not shopping Nieddereiter, Dumba or anyone else at the moment, he’ll be open to whatever idea someone has to try to improve his club. With no first or second round picks this season, and no second rounder next year either, they may need to move on from someone to replenish the future.

Nashville Predators Sign Andrew O’Brien To One-Year Extension

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Andrew O’Brien will be back in the Nashville Predators’ system next season, after signing a one-year two-way deal for 2017-18. The contract will pay him $650K at the NHL level. O’Brien was set to become a restricted free agent this summer.

Acquired from the Anaheim Ducks earlier this season in exchange for Max Gortz, O’Brien played 32 games down the stretch for the Milwaukee Admirals scoring 10 points. The 6’4″ defender was originally drafted in the fourth round, but has still yet to make his NHL debut. At the time of the deal, the Predators were without Roman Josi, P.K. Subban and Petter Granberg due to injury, making their depth chart on defense look quite a bit thinner.

With the two-way deal—and given Nashville’s incredible skill at the NHL level—the 24-year old O’Brien is likely headed for the AHL again next year. The Predators will likely come to several deals of this nature in the coming weeks, as they have several minor-league RFAs that will need new contracts for next season.

Edmonton Oilers Sign Goaltender Dylan Wells To ELC

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The Edmonton Oilers have continued to lock up young talent, inking Dylan Wells to a three-year entry-level contract today. Financial details were not released. The 19-year old goaltender has just finished his third season in the OHL for the Peterborough Petes.

Drafted in the fifth-round last summer, Wells improved dramatically this year appearing in 52 of the Petes’ games. His .916 save percentage was an amazing .45 more than last season, and he followed it up with an impressive .930 in the playoffs. The Petes were the best team in the Eastern Conference during the regular season, but were swept out of their Conference finals matchup with the Mississauga Steelheads.

Wells has a long way to go to the NHL, but took a solid step forward this year and will try to dominate the OHL again next season. The Oilers will hope that with another year of success in junior, Wells will be able to step into the AHL in 2018-19 and continue his development.

Morning Notes: Krueger, Penguins, Leafs

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Though Ralph Krueger had been linked as recently as this week to the vacant Buffalo Sabres head coaching job, it seems as though he’s doing just fine in his role as the chairman of the Southampton Football Club, and has no plans to leave. Talking to NBC’s ProSoccerTalk, Krueger revealed that he’d already been offered two jobs in the NHL but that he’d turned down both.

It was nice and honorable that I was offered two NHL jobs post-season and I was happy they didn’t forget about me but I turned them down. It just feels like we’ve only just got started here and especially with the management re-organization we just did, there is kind of like there’s something here where we are going to take it to another level.

Krueger doesn’t actually say that the jobs were head coaching positions, but many believe that he was on the short-list for the Vancouver Canucks vacancy before it was filled by Travis Green, and Vegas may have reached out to him before hiring Gerard Gallant.

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins had Bryan Rust and Patric Hornqvist skating this morning, but unfortunately it was without the rest of the team. The pair took the ice to work before the practice began, and will likely not be available tonight when the team takes on the Ottawa Senators. Trevor Daley, however, did participate with the main group meaning there is a possibility he returns tonight.
  • The Maple Leafs’ addition of Calle Rosen and Andreas Borgman yesterday were the fourth and fifth entry-level deals the team has given out this spring. Miro Aaltonen, Jeremy Bracco and Carl Grundstrom also all inked contracts, adding to the impressive young pipeline the Maple Leafs are building. The influx of another group of 19-23 year-olds should continue to build the long-term success that President Brendan Shanahan and head coach Mike Babcock have spoken often of. Mining the European ranks for talent seems to be a growing trend in the NHL as teams look for every advantage.

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