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Snapshots: Demers, Upshall, McDavid

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Various players were in Toronto today for the BioSteel Camp, which gave savvy media members a chance to talk to them individually and away from the normal post-game scrum. One of them, Luke Fox of Sportsnet, caught up with Florida Panthers defenseman Jason Demers and asked about the report from earlier this summer that he blocked a trade to the Vancouver Canucks. Demers definitely didn’t deny the report, saying that Pierre LeBrun of TSN has “got his sources.”

Regardless, Demers is still playing in Florida this season and is getting ready to try and bounce back from what was a disappointing year. The right-handed defenseman was one of the best two-way options on the open market in 2016 when the Panthers snatched him up for five years and $22.5MM but scored just 28 points and wasn’t as effective in his own end. It will be interesting to see if he becomes available once again if the Panthers get off to a bad start, or if the right deal comes along to pry him out of Florida. His no-trade clause covers just eight teams around the league.

  • Scottie Upshall is waiting for another NHL opportunity after scoring 18 points last season for the St. Louis Blues, and he told John Matisz of Postmedia that he already has offers from the KHL and Europe in hand. Upshall, like James Wisniewski earlier today, still believes he can help an NHL team, but is also excited about the possibility of playing in the Olympics should he be playing in a European league come February. Upshall never did reach the high potential he showed to be selected sixth overall, but has been a solid contributor and fan favorite for nearly 700 games. Only 33-years old, he could be in for a professional tryout like in 2015 when he ended up signing with the Blues on October 5th.
  • Of course, no media day would be complete without talking to the reigning league MVP Connor McDavid, and Kristen Shilton of TSN asked him several questions at the BioSteel camp. When asked about being called the best player in the league, McDavid immediately deflected the praise to Sidney Crosby, saying that “at the end of the day everyone knows who the best player in the league is, and it’s not me.” Many fans would disagree with that, but McDavid went on to say that he wants to work on the things that make Crosby so dangerous, namely scoring from in tight and on deflections. Edmonton Oilers fans will be happy to hear that the $100MM contract he signed hasn’t made McDavid rest on his laurels, and that he’s working to come back even stronger next season.

James Wisniewski Latest To Be Linked To Olympic Roster

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Since the NHL isn’t allowing players to go to the 2018 Winter Olympics, the rosters for both North American squads remain something of a mystery. While Team Canada has been preparing their group by playing in various international tournaments, USA Hockey is opting for a different approach that will likely make it tougher to project a roster until closer to the event.

This morning we heard about some of the top NCAA names that are being considered, and now Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports that unsigned free agent defenseman James Wisniewski has also been in contact with the management team. This piece of information comes in an excellent profile of the former Columbus Blue Jackets defender (subscription needed, but well worth it), which also has him waiting for a training camp invite this summer.

Last year Wisniewski had to go play in the KHL after not earning an NHL contract in training camp with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and could have to play abroad once again. The 33-year old is just a few seasons removed from his career-high 51 point output and is right-handed, but still can’t seem to find work anywhere around the league. Perhaps he’ll be able to use the Olympics as a springboard for a return to the NHL.

Bobby Farnham To Attend New York Rangers Training Camp

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The New York Rangers have signed Bobby Farnham to a professional tryout agreement according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, meaning the 28-year old winger will attend training camp to try and fight for a contract. While the Rangers have quite a bit of depth up front, PTOs can often be used as showcases for other teams around the league.

Farnham played three games for the Montreal Canadiens last season, but spent most of the year in the AHL. In 2015-16 he spent the entire year at the NHL level, getting into 50 games with the New Jersey Devils after being claimed off waivers less than a month into the season. His original NHL team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, had signed him out of the AHL after he’d completed four seasons at Brown University.

A long-shot to make an NHL roster at this point, Farnham is known more for his fists than his skill. In just 67 games in the NHL, he’s been involved in 11 fights and many more in the minor leagues. The small but tough winger is always willing to stand up for his teammates, and could catch a two-way deal for the express purpose of protection call-ups. While fighting and the enforcer is being slowly fazed out of the game, there are a few instances of “tough guy” call-ups each season.

“Positive” Talks Continue Between Jack Eichel, Buffalo Sabres

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The Buffalo Sabres finished re-signing their restricted free agents recently when they inked Zemgus Girgensons to a two-year contract, and immediately turned their attention (if it hadn’t been there already) to an extension for budding superstar Jack Eichel. With Connor McDavid receiving his eight-year, $100MM extension early from the Edmonton Oilers, many wondered if Eichel would also be locked up this summer. The Sabres are clearly trying to get it done before camp, and when Dan Fetes of WROC in Buffalo caught up with Sabres GM Jason Botterill today he seemed very confident they’d be able to.

Our discussions continue to be very positive. It’s obviously a little bit of a new market this summer with some of the different contracts that have come out, but our discussions have been very positive. At the end of the day, we certainly want to get Jack signed up for the max amount of term possible and he has the belief. All our discussions have been positive about the contract, but also just about the season and his preparation in general.

Botterill goes on to discuss the connection Eichel and new head coach Phil Housley have already made, but the most important takeaway for fans is that there is no animosity between the two sides. An extension seems inevitable at some point, but negotiations have definitely been impacted by McDavid’s deal and others like Leon Draisaitl or even Ryan Johansen and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Eichel remains under his entry-level deal for one more season, but will be in line for his big raise starting in 2018-19.

Though he missed a big chunk of last season to injury, Eichel still recorded 57 points and ranked 15th in the entire league in points-per-game. That was ahead of other star centers like Tyler Seguin and John Tavares, leading many to believe that he could take a step and push towards the top of the leaderboards next year. That’ll take a healthy season and an improved overall game by the Sabres, but with the added comfort of an eight-year extension behind him it’s definitely not out of the question.

Interest Increases For Cody Franson

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Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 in Vancouver spoke to Cody Franson’s agent (presumably still Gerry Johannson of the Sports Corporation) and reports that interest has increased in the free agent defender recently, and he could sign in the next few weeks. The Canucks aren’t in the running, and it’s still to be seen whether Franson will get a guaranteed contract or have to settle for a professional tryout.

It’s been quite for the 30-year old Franson over the past few months in a repeat of the 2015 offseason. That year he had to wait until September 10th to sign a two-year deal with the Sabres, and it seems as though a similar outcome is on the horizon. With teams starting to announce the schedule for their training camps, whoever does sign Franson will want him under contract and ready to go over the next two weeks. The puck-mover remains one of the most divisive players in hockey, with some seeing him as a solid offensive threat from the back end that can help drive possession, and others believing his defensive deficiencies far outweigh any potential scoring ability.

We ranked Franson 22nd on our list of the Top 50 Free Agents, projecting a two-year $5MM deal for him. While it’s still not out of the question for him to sign a deal worth that much—his September contract in 2015 was for $6.65MM—the former Buffalo Sabres defenseman may have to settle for a one-year contract this time around. Even as we see much older players like Francois Beauchemin sign, Franson remains one of the top names on the open market. It’s not clear who would be interested, but there are several teams who could afford to add another depth option, especially one that is right-handed.

Snapshots: Jagr, Keenan, Team USA

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Jaromir Jagr remains unsigned now deep into August, and though the second all-time leading NHL scorer wants to play again this year there hasn’t been a ton of interest just yet. Elliotte Friedman joined NHL Network yesterday and said that a few teams have reached out, including the Calgary Flames. The Flames are led by a former Jagr coach in Glen Gulutzan, but nothing sounds imminent with any team so far.

Jagr has joked about playing for his own Czech club to start the year, and that would allow him to play in the Olympics. The Czech Republic have several players in this situation, but could see some late-summer signings rob them of Olympic talent.

  • Kunlun Red Star of the KHL have fired their General Manager just a few months after installing him in March, and have given the reins to Mike Keenan who will remain on as head coach as well. Keenan is a legendary NHL and KHL coach who made big waves after going to China, and will now have full control of the organization.
  • Andy Strickland of Fox Sports reports that USA Hockey is considering Troy Terry, Jordan Greenway, Ryan Donato and Adam Fox for their Olympic team, which comes as little surprise. The quartet of college players are all outstanding options that could likely find great success on the international circuit. Greenway already represented the US at the recent World Championships, while Donato, Fox and Terry were among the best college players in the country last season.

Roman Polak Skating Again, Rehab On Track

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After suffering a broken fibula in the playoffs for the Toronto Maple Leafs, there hadn’t been many updates on free agent defender Roman Polak. Today that changed when agent Allan Walsh of Octagon Hockey tweeted out a video of his client completing a skating drill. The interesting part is that Polak is skating in Maple Leafs gear, despite being unsigned at present. Toronto has a history of allowing rehabbing players to train at their facilities, but it could point to Toronto being an eventual destination for the 31-year old.

Polak has already played for the Maple Leafs in two different stints, and there has been speculation since his injury that a spot would be held for him when he eventually returns. A favorite of head coach Mike Babcock during his time there, he was the team’s lead penalty killer and provided some toughness to a blueline mostly occupied by more offensive options. While this is obviously no guarantee that he would return, it’s good to see him on the ice again and healthy.

The right-shot defenseman has played 634 games in the NHL over his career, recorded 115 points and 504 penalty minutes. While possession stats rate his overall impact poorly due to a below-average ability to skate or pass the puck out of his own end, he does draw rave reviews from teammates and coaches for his work ethic on and off the ice. He’s coming off a one-year, $2.25MM contract with the Maple Leafs and would surely have several suitors should he be healthy enough to play at some point this year.

Cale Makar Expects To Play Just One Or Two Years At UMass

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Over the last few weeks, teams around the league have been experiencing what it’s like to lose a draft pick to free agency after he completes college. After watching him develop into an exciting prospect, they’re unable to sign him and end up having to watch other teams pursue him on the open market. As one reader asked in our live chat last week, there could be some hesitation for teams picking players that are headed into the college ranks with the fear that they could lose them down the road.

It doesn’t sound like the Colorado Avalanche—one of the teams burned recently by Will Butcher’s free agency—will have to worry about that with the fourth-overall pick from this summer. Cale Makar, the dynamic defenseman from the Alberta Junior Hockey League is set to attend UMass-Amherst this season but spoke to the NHL Network yesterday about his future.

I think in my mind it’s a process and I think in terms of my development it’s going to be very beneficial for me to go to college for one or two years, or however long it’s going to take for me to be ready to make the jump to the NHL.

There’s no doubt that Makar does need some seasoning against top players, as the AJHL isn’t quite on the level many other prospects played at. That said, Makar has shown well on the international stage at the recent World Junior Summer Showcase and possesses remarkable talent. There should be little worry that it will take him more than a year or two to adapt to the higher level and be ready to make the jump.

There is some level of protection against a player drafted as high as Makar waiting for free agency, but it’s not exactly worth the fourth-overall pick. The Avalanche would be given a compensatory pick in the second round, similar to the situation Arizona faced when they did not sign Conner Bleackley—who was originally a Colorado draft pick as well—in 2016. Colorado should also be familiar with the risk and reward of choosing a college-bound player; last year saw Tyson Jost refine his game for the University of North Dakota before making the jump to the NHL near the end of the season. Jost got ample experience in big game situations against older players in the NCAA tournament, and is expected to make an impact in the NHL this year.

Will Butcher Expected To Take Another Week To Sign

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Yesterday Kevin Allen of USA Today reported that it might take up to a week for Hobey Baker winner Will Butcher to make a decision, something that his agent Steve Bartlett confirmed today. Bartlett took to the airwaves to discuss Butcher’s free agency with WGR 550, and told The Instigators that it would be another week before any decision is made. Butcher is taking his time to determine where his future lies, and is willing to sign with a team that doesn’t have an immediate NHL opportunity.

Bartlett also said that Butcher would have to sign a three-year entry-level contract, though that seems like a simple mistake. Because of Butcher’s age (22), he’ll be required to sign a two-year ELC and will become a restricted free agent in the summer of 2019. That shortened ELC is important, as Butcher will want to have NHL experience by the time he’s negotiating his next contract.

The undersized defenseman is an offensive threat, but there are still doubts about his ability to contribute consistently at the NHL level. His greatest attribute, quarterbacking a powerplay, is a much different animal at the professional level when everything speeds up. Wherever he signs it will be interesting to follow his career to see if he can make the same impact as some of the other recent NCAA free agents.

Connor Brown Still Unsigned As Training Camp Approaches

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The NHL season looms ever closer, but a key part of the Toronto Maple Leafs youth movement remains unsigned, reports the Toronto Star’s Kevin McGran. Breakout player Connor Brown is still an unsigned restricted free agent after finishing his ELC this past season.

Expect Brown to get a significant raise from his three-year ELC playing him $2.775MM over three years. In his first full season, Brown put up 20G and 16A in 82 games. The problem is that the Leafs are hard up for cap space. The team had to use the rarely-invoked offseason LTIR to fit in all their contracts. They should have some space come puck drop, but every dollar is important going forward for this organization.

Brown is not alone, however. Forwards David Pastrnak, Alexander Wennberg, and Bo Horvat all remain unsigned. Many pundits assumed that all parties were waiting for the Edmonton Oilers to come to terms with Leon Draisaitl to set the market. Now that Draisaitl is locked up—8 years at $8.5MM a year—more RFAs should sign with their teams.

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