Archives for August 2017

New York Islanders Sign Stephen Gionta

August 8, 2017 at 1:30 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

While brother Brian waits to see where he’ll be spending the 2017-18 season, Stephen Gionta has signed a one-year two-way contract with the New York Islanders that will pay him the minimum of $650K at the NHL level. Gionta was an unrestricted free agent, but will return to the Islanders for at least one more year.

Playing in 26 NHL games last year, Gionta registered six points and was his usual physical self on every shift. The small but fiery forward has made a career on his work ethic, even playing in all 82 contests for the 2015-16 New Jersey Devils. A former captain in the AHL, he brings leadership and depth to the Islanders and Bridgeport Sound Tigers where much of his season could be spent once again.

The Islanders currently project full up front to start the year, especially if Joshua Ho-Sang indeed takes a full-time role this season. They also have Michael Dal Colle and Mathew Barzal waiting for their chances in the NHL, though none of the three play the same style as Gionta. Instead, he’ll be used as a fourth-line depth player that you could keep in the press box for games at a time, something you wouldn’t want to do to a younger player who is still developing. Despite being waiver-eligible, it’s unlikely that anyone would put in a claim on Gionta at this point in his career.

His flexibility also extends to where he plays on the ice, as Gionta has spent time at all three forward positions. He’s generally been very weak on faceoffs, but has the defensive responsibility to anchor a fourth line if pressed into duty. Whether he sees much time with the Islanders is still to be seen, but the signing brings absolutely no risk.

New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues Announce ECHL Affiliates

August 8, 2017 at 12:54 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

After two years of an “informal working agreement”, the Adirondack Thunder are the official ECHL affiliate of the New Jersey Devils. The two sides signed a one-year agreement to work with each other and the new Binghamton Devils of the AHL.

Adirondack had been the ECHL affiliate of the Calgary Flames after completing a market swap with their AHL team—the AHL Adirondack Flames became the Stockton Heat, while the ECHL Stockton Thunder became the Adirondack Thunder—but had housed several Devils’ prospects as well. Scott Wedgewood is perhaps the most notable example, as he played one game for Adirondack in 2015, the same season he would make his NHL debut.

The team also announced that Brad Tapper would take over as head coach and director of hockey operations for the Thunder. Tapper was most recently an assistant coach with the Rochester Americans of the AHL, but with a new regime in Buffalo installing their own coaching staff was free to pursue other options. This will be Tapper’s first professional head coaching position after a playing career that saw him suit up for 71 NHL contests with the Atlanta Thrashers.

In other minor league news, the St. Louis Blues have officially announced their affiliation with the Tulsa Oilers, giving the team an ECHL affiliate even though they won’t have on in the AHL next season. The Chicago Wolves, St. Louis’ most recent AHL partnership agreed to an affiliation with the Vegas Golden Knights. Expansion is expected in the AHL for the 2018-19 season to account for this, but for now St. Louis will send their prospects to several different teams (including the Wolves). Tulsa will give them a home for their ECHL players.

Summer Predictions: Metropolitan Division

August 8, 2017 at 12:03 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 5 Comments

The hockey world is at a standstill now that August has rolled around. With all of the arbitration cases now decided, and just a few restricted free agents left to sign players and fans alike are counting the days until training camp starts. While there are still several names in free agency that could still help an NHL club, it seems like many are destined either for professional tryouts or late-summer deals after injuries strike.

So now we’ll get into our summer predictions. Before the start of the year we’ll be releasing a full season preview with projections for each club and the expected playoff teams, but first we’ll ask you to give us your take on how you believe each division will end up. We’ll start with the Metropolitan Division, where defending Stanley Cup champions Pittsburgh will try for a three-peat in 2017-18.

Choose who you think will win the Metropolitan this season, and make sure to leave your full prediction for the division standings in the comments. We’ll be sure to publish these results alongside our own PHR rankings in September.

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Morning Notes: Ovechkin, Hlinka, Werenski

August 8, 2017 at 9:59 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Alex Ovechkin still won’t give up his dream of playing in the 2018 Olympics, even in the face of a possible suspension. He told Sport-Express in Russia that there is “always a chance” and that he hopes the NHL will change their stance on letting him play.

When it came out yesterday that the NHL would not allow minor league players on two-way deals to attend, much speculation came along that any Olympic squad who broke this rule would be disqualified from competition. The IIHF has been clear that they will honor the NHL’s wishes for the 2018 Games, likely with hopes that the relationship can be mended for 2022.

The Ivan Hlinka U18 tournament started yesterday, and with it FanRag’s resident prospect guru Hannah Stuart took a look at some of the most interesting names in the tournament. Joe Veleno tops the list, a name which we’ve discussed before in relation to the top pick in next year’s draft. Veleno will be at the top of any scout’s list when watching the QMJHL this year, as the 17-year old has almost no limit on his upside going forward.
Columbus Blue Jackets’ super rookie Zach Werenski sat down with Rob Mixer of The Athletic for a one-on-one interview, discussing his decision to turn pro and the struggles he had on opening night. He ends the discussion with a mention of how easy playing with Seth Jones was for him, something that Columbus fans can look forward to for a long time. Jones is locked up long-term at a reasonable cap hit, and Werenski should earn an extension next summer to see his prime years covered in Columbus. With those two locked in as a top pair for the next half-decade, it’s hard to project anything but success for the Blue Jackets.

Snapshots: Stafford, Hurricanes, Johns, Stevens

August 7, 2017 at 8:51 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 2 Comments

The Bruins have maintained communication with UFA right winger Drew Stafford, CSN New England’s Joe Haggerty reports. However, it appears that at this point, a tryout offer may be what he ultimately winds up getting if he is to return to Boston.

Stafford, who rated 21st in our Top 50 Free Agents list, was an under-the-radar trade deadline acquisition for the Bruins and wound up being a serviceable player for the stretch run, where he collected eight points (4-4-8) in the final 18 games of the regular season. He’s also only a year removed from a 20-goal season so it’s likely that he’ll continue to look for a guaranteed contract for the time being over accepting a PTO offer with still more than a month to go until training camp.

More notes from around the hockey world:

Hurricanes GM Ron Francis is still talking with other teams about possible moves, he told NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. However, he is prepared to enter next season with the roster he has if nothing else pans out. Carolina has already added several players this offseason including new starting goaltender Scott Darling, defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk, and center Marcus Kruger while most recently inking blueliners Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce to long-term extensions.
Although center Cody Eakin was selected by the Golden Knights from the Stars in the Expansion Draft, they at one time had their eyes on defenseman Stephen Johns which played a big role in Dallas protecting him, notes Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News. The 25-year-old was in and out of the lineup as part of their defensive rotation last season but since they ultimately decided to protect him from Vegas, that may give him a better shot at securing more of a full-time spot in the lineup in 2017-18.
UFA goaltender Colin Stevens, who was under contract the past two seasons with Florida, has signed a one year deal with the Wheeling Nailers, the ECHL team announced. The Panthers declined to tender him a qualifying offer in June after the completion of his entry-level contract. Through his first two professional seasons, the 24-year-old has not yet played past the ECHL level despite a very strong run with Union College in his NCAA career.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Florida Panthers

August 7, 2017 at 7:33 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2017-18 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Florida Panthers

Current Cap Hit: $64,114,999 (under the $75MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Henrik Haapala (Two years remaining, $925K)
F Denis Malgin (Two years remaining, $690K)
D Michael Matheson (One year remaining, $925K)
F Jared McCann (One year remaining, $894K)

Up front, the Panthers will be counting on Haapala, who led the Finnish SM-liiga in scoring in 2016-17, to help fill some of the void left by some of their departures up front (including leading goal getter Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith, and Jaromir Jagr). He’s undersized at just 5’9 but with their winger depth, a top-six role isn’t out of the question. Malgin surprised many by making the team out of training camp last season but saw his role reduced as the season progressed. He should make a run at a bottom-six roster spot as should McCann, who enters his second season with the team after being acquired for defenseman Erik Gudbranson last summer.

Defensively, Matheson has quickly blossomed into a core player. He logged over 21 minutes per game last year and should come in around that amount again this coming season. He also has impressed at the past two World Championships with Team Canada. With those in mind, he’s going to be in line for a big raise come 2018-19 and is a prime extension candidate before then.

Potential Bonuses

Haapala: $450K
McCann: $212.5K

Total: $662.5K

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

D Alex Petrovic ($1.85MM, RFA)
F Colton Sceviour ($950K, UFA)
F Radim Vrbata ($2.5MM plus $1.25MM in bonuses, UFA)

Vrbata parlayed a strong showing with Arizona last season into a richer deal with Florida where he will have a prominent spot inside their top six given all of the players they lose. His bonuses are structured so that he should hit at least $1MM of them ($250K for each of 10, 15, and 20 goals plus $250K for 45 points) while he’ll earn another $250K if they make the playoffs. Sceviour fit in pretty well in his first season with the Panthers as a bottom-six forward who contributed the odd goal here and there. He’s not going to make or break their fortunes and if he was to get an extension, it should come in close to his current contract.

Petrovic signed his current deal at the end of June, avoiding the possibility of going through arbitration. He’s coming off an injury-shortened season where he missed 33 games due to a lower body injury which slowed up his progression. If he can stay healthy and potentially land a spot in their top four on the back end, he may be in line for a long-term contract next summer.

Two Years Remaining

F Micheal Haley ($825K, UFA)
F Derek MacKenzie ($1.375MM, UFA)

MacKenzie is on a 35-plus contract but it shouldn’t be too much of a risk. He has fit in well as a fourth line center and penalty killer. By the time his contract expires, he’ll be 38 and will be approaching retirement. Haley has bounced around on two-way deals in recent years but after holding his own in 58 games with the Sharks last season, he landed this one-way contract that should give him a spot as the 12th/13th forward.

Three Years Remaining

F Evgeni Dadonov ($4MM, UFA)
D Mark Pysyk ($2.733MM, UFA)

Clearly, GM Dale Tallon is a full believer that Dadonov’s offensive progression shown in recent years with SKA St. Petersburg will translate into NHL success in his second go-around. Their commitment to him demonstrates that they believe he can play a top six role right away. He’s one of the riskier signings of the summer but if he can produce, he could become one of the better bargains as well.

Pysyk fit in nicely with the Panthers in his first season with the team after being acquired from Buffalo at the 2016 draft. He’s a steady fourth or fifth blueliner with a cap hit that looks a whole lot better if he can handle the former role on a regular basis moving forward.

Four Or More Years Remaining

F Aleksander Barkov ($5.9MM through 2021-22)
F Nick Bjugstad ($4.1MM through 2020-21)
D Jason Demers ($4.5MM through 2020-21)
D Aaron Ekblad ($7.5MM through 2024-25)
F Jonathan Huberdeau ($5.9MM through 2022-23)
G Roberto Luongo ($4.533MM through 2021-22)
G James Reimer ($3.4MM through 2020-21)
F Vincent Trocheck ($4.75MM through 2022-23)
D Keith Yandle ($6.35MM through 2022-23)

Up front, there’s a case to be made that most of the players are on value deals. Barkov, when healthy, has proven that he’s a capable top center. However, he has dealt with injury trouble in each of his four NHL seasons and has only reached the 70-game mark once so far. Huberdeau missed most of last year with an Achilles injury but played quite well when he returned and has established himself as a legitimate front liner. Meanwhile, Trocheck led the team in scoring last season and is one of the more underrated centers in the league.

Bjugstad’s situation is a little more interesting, however. He signed his contract in the middle of a career year that saw him pot 24 goals and 43 points. His offense has tailed off since then (he had just 14 points in 54 games in 2016-17) and now sits third on their depth chart at center. His contract is somewhat of a premium for that type of role and with the reports that the Panthers are on a tighter budget, he’s someone that they could look to move at some point over the next year or so.

Defensively, Ekblad’s contract was somewhat of a controversial one at the time considering he had only played two years with Florida before landing it. The fact he’s coming off a down 2016-17 season and a concussion doesn’t help either. He’ll be given every opportunity to bounce back, however. Yandle won’t win many over with his defensive zone play but is still one of the better puck-movers from the back end and is consistently above average in his point production. As for Demers, there has been some speculation that he could be available, in part due to their budgetary restraints. His contract is a bit on the higher end for a second pairing player but he has been fairly steady in that role for several years now which makes him a safer buy if other teams are interested. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him move over the next year or so either.

Luongo is entering the final year of his contract that pays a salary commensurate with a starting goaltender. After that, his pay starts to go down fairly quickly which will lead to speculation about him retiring. If/when that happens, Florida will be hit with a salary cap recapture penalty, the amount of which will vary depending on the year he hangs them up. With that in mind, they went out and added Reimer to give them some insurance for when Luongo retires or gets hurt. In the short-term, Reimer is one of the highest-paid backups in the league but this signing was made with the longer-term in mind.

Buyouts

F Jussi Jokinen ($1.33MM through 2018-19)

Still To Sign

No remaining RFAs although it wouldn’t be surprising to see them shop for some scoring depth up front

Best Value: Barkov (when healthy)
Worst Value: Bjugstad

Looking Ahead

Florida has plenty of cap room to work with although their budgetary restrictions will come into play. They don’t have many expiring contracts that will be due major raises (Matheson is the only one that comes to mind) so their short-term flexibility should be intact for at least a little while.

A few years from now, that should change. They already have nearly $35MM committed to just six players for 2021-22 and unless the CBA swings a higher percentage of revenues to the salary cap (which doesn’t seem like a likely scenario at this point), there’s a good chance that they won’t have the flexibility to really add another core player or two. That said, a lot can change between now and then so their future situation shouldn’t be too much of a concern for now.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

PHR Mailbag: Sharks, CBA, Hurricanes, Bruins, Predators

August 7, 2017 at 6:12 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 6 Comments

Over the last few days, we’ve taken your mailbag questions on Twitter using the hashtag #PHRMailbag and on the site via the comments feature. Here are the inquiries for this edition of the mailbag:

nvalasco: What does SJ do now that they lost Marleau? They already struggled to score last year, & now lost a 20-30 goal scorer. Unless Hertl takes that next step we’re waiting for, how big of a step back do they take?

I have to admit, I’m really surprised by San Jose’s lack of offseason activity, particularly with regards to not really replacing Patrick Marleau. They’re banking on a healthy Tomas Hertl picking up some of the slack and a full season of Jannik Hansen will certainly help. Mikkel Boedker is due for somewhat of a bounce back campaign as well. Those three will help offset some of the lost production but if the goal is to try to improve, I don’t think they’ve done that.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re waiting out the UFA market for one more winger; Thomas Vanek and Jaromir Jagr come to mind as players who could still help for a year while serving as a bridge to youngsters like Timo Meier and Kevin Labanc. The team clearly has confidence in their youngsters but it never hurts to have a capable insurance policy in place.

Even if they don’t make further moves, I don’t think they’re in too much jeopardy of taking a major step back. Vegas isn’t going to be a playoff contender and neither are Arizona and Vancouver. Right off the bat, their worst case scenario is maybe just falling short of a Wild Card spot as they’re not going to be any worse than fifth in the division. The Sharks aren’t likely to contend for a division title in 2017-18 but they should still be in the think of the playoff race, either for the last guaranteed Pacific spot or one of the Wild Cards.

Harry Goldman: If The NHLPA Opts Out Of CBA After The 2019-20 Season, Do You Think There Will Be A Lockout? If “YES” How Long?

I think you’re being generous classifying this as if and not when the NHLPA opts out as things currently stand. Between the rapidly escalating escrow situation and the Olympic snafu, it’s going to happen. Unfortunately, considering the last two CBA talks have resulted in lockouts, there’s a good chance there will be another one when that time comes.

As for how long it will be, a lot will depend on whether the two sides are going to be looking to change the 50/50 split (at least on paper) of hockey related revenue, or HRR. If they agree to keep it as is, that’s one big element that will be out of the equation that was there before. That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are discussions as to how to redefine or reclassify certain parts of HRR that could complicate things a bit even if they keep the current split intact.

In terms of other stuff that will be on the table, escrow and the Olympics will undoubtedly be areas that the NHLPA will want addressed while it wouldn’t be surprising to see the league try to put caps on no-trade or no-move clauses, term limits, and maybe even restricting the amount of signing bonuses permitted in a standard contract on the table to avoid contracts like the ones that Carey Price and Connor McDavid, among others, have signed lately.

If you’re looking for anything optimistic to hang your hat on, consider that the US television deal may be in play at this time as they’ll be within one year of the current deal with NBC expiring. It’s not practical business sense to not have games being played when you’re trying to get a new TV deal, especially with the expectation that rights fees across the sporting landscape are likely to drop.

It doesn’t seem like much progress gets made in CBA talks until there’s a work stoppage so it’s reasonable to expect one to happen. However, I don’t think it will be as long as the last two – maybe a couple of months but not enough to cancel an entire season like 2004-05.

Erik Jernigan: I feel that the Hurricanes still need to acquire a top line center. Do you see any other options that may be available since it doesn’t seem like a Duchene deal will ever happen?

You can make a case that many teams still need to acquire a top line center but Carolina isn’t in bad shape at all with Viktor Rask, Elias Lindholm, and Jordan Staal. If they were to keep Lindholm down the middle permanently, that’s a pretty strong trio with the first two still having some offensive upside. There isn’t a true number one but you could make a case they have three number twos and not many teams have that type of depth. They could use more offensive help for sure but I don’t think GM Ron Francis would need to limit his focus to the center position.

In terms of notable names besides Matt Duchene (who some teams view as a second liner and not a top liner now) being available, there really aren’t any that spring to mind. Toronto and Tyler Bozak could be one to watch at some point if they intend to move William Nylander back to center long-term but he’s a rental. Everyone wants John Tavares but the likelihood of the Islanders moving him now is remote and he’s also a rental. I wonder if the Jets will be able to afford to keep Bryan Little around long-term but he too is a pending UFA and that decision could be punted until closer to the trade deadline depending on where they are in the standings.

Legitimate number one centers with team control rarely become available and Duchene is probably the most prominent pivot that could move before the season starts. Beyond him, the opportunity for upgrading at that position may have to wait until midseason depending on which rental players may be available.

Connorsoxfan: Is Boston going to have to add a vet like Vanek/Jagr/Stafford, or are they content relying on young guys like Bjork and Jakob Forsbacka-Karlson/Carlson (I forget the spelling) to fill out the top 9?

The answer may ultimately depend on what happens with the David Pastrnak discussions. How much money does GM Don Sweeney want to keep around for in-season moves? If Pastrnak comes in at a deal smaller than Brad Marchand (eight years, $49MM) which is what both sides had talked about earlier, then there should be enough wiggle room to add a more proven veteran. If it comes in higher though, they may not have enough room left in their ‘slush fund’ to sign someone of note and still have enough money left for during the season.

I think the team is content with using some of their talented prospects in their top nine if they need to. If it was me in charge though, I’d be looking to sign one of those veterans. Injuries always happen and young players can struggle so why not have that extra help in place beforehand rather than potentially being forced to trade from a position of weakness during the season? With Drew Stafford’s market in particular not going anywhere, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s offered a cheap one-year deal. He played well enough down the stretch for them that he’d be worth keeping around in some capacity.

Ray: Will Preds GM pull the trigger give up defense for offense? Finally get replacement for James Neal?

I think there will be a time where GM David Poile moves one of his top-four defenders. However, I don’t think it happens this season. The earlier acquisition of Alexei Emelin gives them the security blanket of being able to move him into a second pairing role if injuries arise. If they move one of their better ones now, Emelin becomes a full-time top-four player which isn’t ideal.

Nashville has quite a few promising young blueliners including Dante Fabbro and Samuel Girard, among several others. They could dangle one of those prospects to a rebuilding team to try and find a replacement for Neal that way. I think that would be the better way to go as that would allow them to keep their top two pairings intact.

A few years from now when some of these youngsters are NHL ready is when I could see one of their big four defenders getting dealt. If they have intentions of making another long playoff run in 2017-18 though, they’ll need that back end at full strength so dealing from that to fill their offensive void fixes one hole but creates another that may be even harder to fix which would be counter-productive at best.

Snapshots: Red Wings, Hainsey, Goodrow

August 7, 2017 at 4:46 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 1 Comment

The Detroit Red Wings’ upcoming cap troubles have been examined at length here at PHR, but they’ll worry about the most immediate one in training camp. That’s according to Ansar Khan of MLive, who talked to GM Ken Holland about the fact that the Red Wings are projected to be over the cap when opening day rolls around. From the GM himself:

If everybody is healthy when we get to opening day, we’ll probably have to make a move. I’m anticipating we’ll be over by a little bit.

That little bit is because of Andreas Athanasiou’s still unsettled contract situation. The ultra-fast forward will require a raise after scoring 18 goals last season, which will push the Red Wings even further over the cap than they already are. Johan Franzen will hit long-term injured reserve but a decision will likely come from the defense, where they have nine players including Luke Witkowski, who may end up playing more forward this year anyway.

The Maple Leafs brought in Ron Hainsey to work with their young defense group this season, and according to Dave McCarthy of NHL.com Mike Babcock expects to play him alongside Morgan Rielly to start the season. Babcock is usually strict about playing defensemen on their strong side (meaning left-handed players play the left and visa versa) but one of Rielly or Hainsey will have to flip. Both have plenty of experience on the right side, with Hainsey most recently playing there for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the playoffs. Rielly spent much of 2014-15 on the right side under former coaches Randy Carlyle and Peter Horacek. Regardless of who moves over, it’s a big ask for the 36-year old Hainsey as Rielly was used in a very defensive deployment by Babcock last year, skating against the opponent’s top line almost every night.
The San Jose Sharks have signed Barclay Goodrow to a two-year contract, inking the restricted free agent after another outstanding AHL season. Signed as a CHL free agent in 2014, Goodrow actually broke into the league immediately and played 60 games for the Sharks. Since then he’s spent most of his time in the AHL, registering back-to-back 20+ goal seasons. This year he put up 25 goals and 45 points, but got into just three games with the Sharks at the highest level. The team expects him to battle for a full-time NHL role at training camp next month.

Robbie Russo Close To Signing With Detroit Red Wings

August 7, 2017 at 2:21 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

According to Ansar Khan of MLive, the Detroit Red Wings are close to coming to an agreement with defenseman Robbie Russo. The restricted free agent was eligible for salary arbitration but decided not to file, usually a sign that the two sides have already had productive conversations during the year. He’s coming off his entry-level contract, but will likely sign a two-way deal with the Red Wings.

Russo, 24, made his NHL debut last season and spent 19 games with the Red Wings down the stretch. Drafted by the New York Islanders in 2011, he became a free agent in 2015 after four years at the University of Notre Dame and signed with the Red Wings immediately. After finding plenty of offensive success in the AHL in his first season and up to his call-up in March, he amazingly was held pointless in the NHL. That’s despite playing over 16 minutes a game with the Red Wings and generally being a positive possession player.

The Red Wings have a pretty full blueline after signing Trevor Daley and Luke Witkowski this summer—though the team has said the latter may play forward at times—and it’s unclear exactly where Russo fits in. Though both Niklas Kronwall and Jonathan Ericsson have dealt with injuries they’re expected to be ready for the start of the season, while according to Khan it’s not as clear for Ryan Sproul who is working through a knee injury. Either way, Russo will have to win a job in training camp to be included on the roster come the start of the season.

Two-Way Contracts Not Allowed To Participate In Olympics

August 7, 2017 at 1:50 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 1 Comment

Confirming what had been expected for weeks now, the NHL made clear to Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press that players signed to NHL contracts will not be allowed to play in the upcoming Winter Olympics even if they are currently in the minors. Players can go if signed to AHL-only contracts (or AHL/ECHL two-way contracts), but any deal with an NHL portion will not be allowed.

This drastically reduces the Olympic drawing pool, but it was already expected with Team Canada going with a squad almost entirely made up of European league players and USA Hockey admitting that they’d look mostly to the NCAA ranks for their team. Whyno adds another interesting detail that players under contract but loaned to European teams are eligible, since they wouldn’t be able to play in the NHL this season anyway. It would be tough to see players like Lias Andersson or Miro Heiskanen make the Olympic team, but this would make them eligible even though they’ve already signed entry-level contracts with their respective teams. Both are expected (for now) to return to their native countries for development this season.

That exemption also extends to players in the Canadian junior leagues according to Whyno, meaning other first-round talents who are headed back to the CHL after signing ELCs could be of interest to their various countries. Though Nolan Patrick and Nico Hischier are expected to break camp with the Flyers and Devils, other young players could be included in Pyeongchang.

It will be interesting to see how many players under AHL-only contracts are considered, with someone like Darren Raddysh coming to mind as a potential option. Raddysh signed an AHL contract after a huge season in the OHL, and could be among those considered for the Olympic team. While many believed the 21-year old defenseman would find an entry-level contract somewhere after putting up 81 points in his final year for the Erie Otters, he instead settled for a minor league deal with the Chicago Blackhawks. Perhaps maintaining Olympic eligibility was a factor, as he would have to be seriously considered, especially if he gets off to a hot start with the Rockford team.

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