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Archives for September 2017

Penguins Release Jay McClement From PTO

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The Pittsburgh Penguins’ search for center depth has taken another turn. The team announced late tonight, no more than two hours after the end of their preseason finale loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, that they have released veteran forward Jay McClement from his tryout with the team. Pittsburgh is down to 24 players remaining in camp, including 14 forwards – with exactly four listed as centers.

The two-time defending Stanley Cup champs have been looking for a third-line center all summer and some saw McClement as a possible solution, while others saw McClement at least centering the fourth line and pushing Carter Rowney or some other option up to the third line. Instead, McClement is gone and questions remain. McClement, a veteran of over 900 NHL games, not only has a long history of being a solid bottom six option, but also performed well in the preseason with the Penguins. The decision to cut him becomes even more of a surprise in the context of the post-game report from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Jonathan Bombulie, who spoke with both McClement and coach Mike Sullivan, the former believing he had put forth his best effort and had no regret and the latter calling that effort “solid” and admiring McClement’s “wealth of experience”. McClement admitted that he would be anxious waiting for the decision over the next few days, but instead GM Jim Rutherford made the call in a matter of hours.

With McClement gone, the winner of the “last-PTO-standing” battle seems to be Greg McKegg. Unless Rutherford has a trick up his sleeve, the 25-year-old AHL veteran appears to be the top option for the Penguins’ third line center spot, at least to start the season. McKegg has performed well in the preseason and is fresh off of his best NHL season, in which he scored a career-best seven points in a career-high 46 games between the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning. Whether or not McKegg lasts on the third line or even lasts the season in Pittsburgh remains to be seen, but as of now there doesn’t appear to be any other in-house option for the Penguins following McClement’s release.

Snapshots: Gelinas, Harper, Iginla

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The Montreal Candiens have yet to cut defenseman Eric Gelinas, in camp on a PTO, but according to TVA’s Renaud Lavoie, an NHL contract is not on the table. Lavoie reports that instead Gelinas has been offered an AHL contract to play with the Habs’ new affiliate, the Laval Rocket. Lavoie is of the opinion that Gelinas will accept the contract and that it could be good for his career. After clearing waivers three separate times last season with the Colorado Avalanche, the league’s worst team, it’s clear that taking a step back and getting a fresh start is not a bad idea for Gelinas. Playing a leadership role in an AHL locker room for a whole season could teach Gelinas consistency and responsibility and a chance at making the Canadian Olympic team would give the 26-year-old the experience of playing an important role in meaningful games.

  • Shane Harper tried the PTO route like Gelinas, but rather than settle for an AHL deal, Harper has decided to take his talents overseas. For the Valencia, California native, who was in camp with the Los Angeles Kings, that means choosing to live in a foreign country rather than a half hour from his home town had he signed with the Kings affiliate, the Ontario Reign. Harper has signed with the KHL’s Lada Togliatti, according to a national news source (link in Russian), where he could easily be the best player on a club that has failed to make the playoffs in each of the past three seasons. Harper scored three points in his 14-game “rookie season” with the Florida Panthers in 2016-17 and added 22 more points in 58 AHL games. The article indicates that the KHL was Harper’s first choice once his NHL hopes were dashed this past week.
  • One player who has no plans to choose the AHL or KHL any time soon is future Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla. In his “31 Thoughts” article this week, Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman reveled that the 40-year-old power forward has even denied having any interest in playing for Team Canada in the upcoming Olympics, as his sole focus is on finding a fit in the NHL. Despite a couple good seasons with the Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche, the fact of the matter is that Iginla’s production has been steadily declining since he left the Calgary Flames back in 2013. Last season, Iginla only managed a career-worst 27 points, and that is including a strong showing with the Los Angeles Kings to close out the season. There is always the possibility that someone will come calling for the services – especially the leadership and experience –  that Iginla brings and remaining dedicated to playing one last season will only help his chances of being signed. However, with the regular season about to  begin, the hard truth is that we may have seen the last of Iginla in the NHL, even if he can’t yet accept that.

Montreal’s Holland, Carr Among Seven On Waivers

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While Saturday’s group heading to the waiver wire is not as large or containing as many noteworthy names as each of the last few days, it contains over 150 2016-17 NHL games played and a handful of players with some substantial NHL pedigree. The following seven players were placed on waivers today:

F Peter Holland, Montreal Canadiens
F Daniel Carr, Montreal Candiens
F Anton Rodin, Vancouver Canucks
F Nicolas Deslauriers, Buffalo Sabres
D Taylor Fedun, Buffalo Sabres
D Viktor Loov, New Jersey Devils
G Tom McCollum, Detroit Red Wings

The two biggest names on the list are the pair of Montreal Canadiens wingers. Carr, 25, has played in 58 games in the past season and a half with the Habs after signing with the team following a prolific collegiate career at Union College. While Carr only recorded nine points in his 33 2016-17 games, many expected him to take on a larger role this season. Instead, the Canadiens will try to send him down to the AHL to begin the new season. The more surprising decision may be Holland, who signed a two-year deal with Montreal as an unrestricted free agent this off-season. Granted, the reason the 26-year-old was able to sign such a deal was that he was first not qualified by the Arizona Coyotes, but Holland is still a veteran of 243 NHL games and showed promise with the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2014 to 2016. Holland is in a very similar situation to Kenny Agostino, recently placed on waivers by the Boston Bruins after signing with the team this off-season. Both have shown ample ability on the ice, but have been unable to show the consistency of an NHL regular. Agostino cleared waivers and Holland may too, but there is some risk involved in this move by Montreal.

NHL Snapshots: Girard, Flyers Draft, Rosen, Borgman

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The Nashville Predators have some defensive issues to worry about with defender Ryan Ellis out for several more months due to knee surgery. However, one issue the team has is a good one as the play of Samuel Girard has impressed everyone. Suddenly, the issue is whether or not to keep him on their roster to start the season.

Girard, a second-round pick in 2016, is just 19 years old, but the gifted offensive defenseman has worked hard to show that he is ready for the NHL now. And with Ellis’ injury, might there be a place for him? The team has used him heavily in the preseason. He has played in all four games, logging more than 20 minutes in each game. According to Adam Vingan of the Tennessean, Girard is making a strong case to stay. His last game on Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets with most of their opening-night starters on the ice, Girard played 24:02, second to Roman Josi.

The team is considering keeping him, knowing full well that if they don’t, he’ll return to his junior team and cannot be recalled until after their season is over. The team could also keep him for nine games without burning his first year of his entry-level deal.

  • Sam Carchidi of Philly.com writes that the Philadelphia Flyers could get a big break from the St. Louis Blues if their injuries continue to mount. The Flyers, who acquired the Blues 2017 and 2018 first-round picks from St. Louis for Brayden Schenn. They used that 2017 pick on Morgan Frost and were expecting a late first-rounder in next year’s draft. However, with some of the injuries that St. Louis has suffered, it will be Philadelphia that reaps the benefits if the Blues see a drop in the wins column. If it were to turn into a top-10 pick, the Blues would get the pick back. Carchidi writes that would be unlikely, however, as the Blues are still a solid team, but the injuries could improve the chances that their pick will be an even better one.
  • Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun writes that at least one of the two Sweedish defensemen pair of Calle Rosen and Andreas Borgman are likely to make the team. Both had key moments in Friday’s preseason game and the two little-known blueliners are starting to make a name for themselves. Rosen, 23, is a gifted skater and passing defenseman, coming over from Sweden for the first time, while Borgman, the 2017 SHL Rookie of the Year, is a more physical defensive player.

Pacific Notes: Virtanen, Neal, Slepyshev, Sekera

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One preseason game remaining and Jake Virtanen remains with his team. The former sixth overall pick in 2014, has failed to crack the Canucks roster, but a solid training camp has many believing he has a good chance to become a regular in Vancouver this year, according to NBC Sports Cam Tucker.

After getting into 55 games two years ago with Vancouver in an underwhelming season, he managed to make just 10 appearances last year and even struggled with the AHL’s Utica Comets, scoring just 19 points in 65 games. However, his skills are obvious. Canucks GM Jim Benning has stated that his size and speed just need developing. At 6-foot-1 and 229 pounds and only 21 years old, Virtanen is trying to establish himself now, but is also trying not to think about whether he makes the roster this season. He has focused on his play instead and has already notched three preseason goals.

 

Central Notes: Winnik, Upshall, DeBrinicat

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The Minnesota Wild have seen enough out of Daniel Winnik, who is on a PTO with the team. He has been informed they don’t need to see him again and now begins the waiting game for the 32-year-old forward, who must wait to see if the Wild will choose him over youngsters Joel Eriksson Ek or Luke Kunin, according to The Athletic’s Michael Russo (subscription required).

Winnik, who is looking to play for his eighth NHL team, had a good camp and impressed head coach Bruce Boudreau.

“I pulled him aside and I talked to him and said, ’Danny, you’ve done great. I know exactly how you play. We just want to look at a couple of the young kids,'” Boudreau said. “So it’s not like he would have to come in here and play great to either make the team or not make the team.”

According to Russo, Kunin has had the better camp so far between the two rookies and the team intends to look at both he and Eriksson Ek more closely in tonight’s preseason game against the Dallas Stars. Kunin, who has been playing center for the team all preseason will be tried at right wing.

As for Winnik, he remains a free agent and could sign with any team, but might have to take a small pay cut if he makes the Wild’s roster as the team is low on cap space.

  • The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford tweets that Scottie Upshall passed a physical and was signed to a PTO and is currently practicing with the team. The hope is that a contract can be worked out in the next couple of days. Upshall spent the past two years in St. Louis. The 32-year-old fourth-liner had a solid season a year ago with the Blues, scoring 10 goals and eight assists. He was just released from his PTO with Vancouver and has a good chance to return to his old team with the multitude of injuries to players like Patrik Berglund, Zachary Sanford, Robby Fabbri and Alex Steen.
  • The Daily Herald’s John Dietz writes that it looks like Chicago Blackhawks’ Alex DeBrincat might make the team, writing that he had an excellent training camp. “It seems like every time he’s around the puck good things happen,” coach Joel Quenneville said to Blackhawks TV reporter Eric Lear. The Hawks still have many decisions to make, according to Dietz, including whether or not to keep seven or eight defensemen.

Atlantic Notes: Sergachev, Chara, Kronwall

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Mikhail Sergachev has done everything that he can do on the ice. Now it’s a question of whether Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper plans to keep the 19-year-old on their roster or send him back for another year of juniors. The 6-foot-3 top-prospect defenseman, who came over to the Lightning this offseason as the key piece in the Jonathan Drouin trade, must wait until Tampa Bay brass finalizes their roster, according to Tampa Bay Times’ Joe Smith.

The scribe writes that Sergachev has played major minutes in four preseason games so far as the team scrutinizes whether they plan to keep him. Smith believes that evaluation will continue for the first nine games of the season, the most that Sergachev can play in the NHL before his entry-level contract kicks in and begins his NHL service time. Whether the team keeps him from that point on is up in the air.

“It could be nine games, 10 games, 40 games, there’s no rush,” general manager Steve Yzerman said. “We haven’t decided our lineup for opening night. We’ll decide that in a week.”

Smith says while Sergachev has impressed many with his skills, he has often tried to do too much on the ice and made mistakes. However, the team’s plan has been to get him as much ice time as possible with the hopes of getting him as much experience as possible. Sergachev actually made the Canadiens roster last year out of training camp. However, he played in just three games before being returned to Windsor.

  • The Boston Bruins have been playing it safe with veteran blueliner Zdeno Chara this year. The 40-year-old defenseman has played in just one game and the team has no intentions of playing him in tonight’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks, according to CSNNE.com. The team is fearful of losing another left-shot defenseman after Torey Krug went down last week with a fractured jaw. Head coach Bruce Cassidy admitted that the 6-foot-9, 250 pounder doesn’t need much time to get ready for the season. “I don’t think Zee needs it to be honest with you. He’s been around a long time and will get his work in at practice,” he said. The team also hopes that it will keep him fresher for the regular season.
  • MLive’s Arpon Basu writes that veteran defenseman Niklas Kronwall is listed as day-to-day after sustaining a groin injury. He has only played in one preseason game due to back spasms and has now been scratched for tonight’s game. Coach Jeff Blashill said if he can’t practice on Tuesday, he will not likely play in the season opener.

2017-18 Primer: Dallas Stars

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With the NHL season now less than a week away, we continue our look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come.  Today, we focus on the Dallas Stars.

Last Season: 34-37-11 record (79 points), sixth in Central Division (missed the playoffs)

Remaining Cap Space: $503K per CapFriendly

Key Additions: G Ben Bishop (trade, Los Angeles), F Martin Hanzal (free agency, Minnesota), D Marc Methot (trade, Vegas), F Tyler Pitlick (free agency, Edmonton), F Alexander Radulov (free agency, Montreal)

Key Departures: F Cody Eakin (expansion, Vegas), F Ales Hemsky (free agency, Montreal), F Jiri Hudler (free agency, unsigned), G Antti Niemi (buyout, Pittsburgh), F Patrick Sharp (free agency, Chicago)

[Related: Stars Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: G Ben Bishop – Despite the fact that Dallas has been among the top spending teams in goaltending in recent years, the position has been an issue for them for a while now.  That’s why they acted quickly to acquire Bishop’s rights from the Kings and then sign him to a six-year, $29.5MM contract.

Ben BishopBishop isn’t coming off the best of seasons himself though as his .910 save percentage between Los Angeles and Tampa Bay was his lowest in any of his full NHL seasons while it actually checked in below the league average.  However, Kari Lehtonen and Niemi combined for a .893 SV% so even if Bishop plays at a similar level in 2017-18, it would represent a significant upgrade over what Dallas received between the pipes last season.

If the 30-year-old can get back to his level of the previous few seasons though, he could wind up being one of the most important acquisitions of the offseason while making Dallas that much closer to being a contender.  That’s a lot to ask of any goalie but Bishop’s track record suggests he has the capability to have that type of impact for the Stars.

Key Storyline: The goaltending has been upgraded with Bishop.  The offense has been bolstered with Radulov and Hanzal and projects to among the stronger forward groups in the league.  GM Jim Nill added Methot to the back end as well but is that enough of an upgrade for a group that struggled last season?

Dallas finds themselves with several blueliners who have higher potential but have yet to reach it just yet in players like Julius Honka, Esa Lindell, and Jamie Oleksiak while veteran Dan Hamhuis is coming off a quiet season himself.  Obviously, they’re hoping for continued development from their younger players but this isn’t a group on paper that’s among the best league-wide.

As a result, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Nill try to add some help on the back end at some point during the season.  Given their current cap constraints though, they’re going to have a hard time taking another player on without shipping someone out the other way so will the Stars look to deal from their strength up front to get a defensive upgrade?  They’ll wait to see what they have first but this situation could be one to watch for as the season progresses.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Training Camp Cuts And Recalls: 09/30/17

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With season-opening rosters due on Tuesday, teams are in the process of making their final cuts before the 2017-18 campaign gets underway.  As always, we’ll have all the movement right here throughout the day.

Buffalo Sabres

F Justin Bailey – Rochester (AHL)
F Nicolas Deslauriers – waivers for purpose of assignment
D Taylor Fedun – waivers for purpose of assignment
D Cody Goloubef – release

Detroit Red Wings

D Robbie Russo – Grand Rapids (AHL)
D Filip Hronek – Grand Rapids (AHL)
F Corey Elkins – released from PTO

Los Angeles Kings

D Chris Lee – released from PTO

Montreal Canadiens

F Daniel Carr – waivers for purpose of assignment
D Jakub Jerabek – Laval (AHL)
F Michael McCarron – Laval (AHL)
F Peter Holland – waivers for purpose of assignment

New Jersey Devils

G Ken Appleby – Binghampton (AHL)
D Viktor Loov – waivers for purpose of assignment
F Kevin Rooney – Binghampton (AHL)

Vancouver Canucks

F Anton Rodin – waivers for purpose of assignment

Some teams will also be recalling players to suit up for their final preseason game.  Here are those moves.

D Tommy Cross (BOS)
F Jordan Szwarz (BOS)
D Jakub Zboril (BOS)
D Devon Toews (NYI)

Morning Notes: Trade Market, Brassard, Avalanche, Canadiens

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With expansion no longer something that general managers need to be planning around this season, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic told TSN 690 (audio link) that there should be more trade activity in 2017-18 than there was last year:

“I was talking to a GM today and we were saying this might be more active a trade year than last season because the Vegas expansion process kind of suffocated the trade market last year (during the season, that is).  Obviously, we had fireworks in the offseason.  But before the trade deadline, not quite as crazy a year.  And now teams don’t have to worry about that.  It’s something they don’t have to sweat.  I think it’ll liberate some teams.”

Of course, the trade market is rarely robust at this time of the year as most teams will want to wait at least a month or so to assess what they have and what they need before looking to make deals although there is likely to be a trade or two in the coming days as teams look to finalize their rosters before Tuesday’s opening roster deadline.  In the same interview, LeBrun suggests Montreal and San Jose as teams to watch for as they both lost a significant player in the summer and have plenty of cap space to work with while St. Louis may be doing something soon with their slew of injuries.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • Senators center Derick Brassard has been cleared for contact by team doctors, notes Postmedia’s Ken Warren.  He underwent shoulder surgery back in June and was expected to be out four-to-five months and it appears that he will be back in the lineup at the four-month mark when Ottawa takes on Washington in the regular season opener on Thursday night.
  • The Avalanche have called a press conference for Monday where it’s expected that they will officially announce a new AHL affiliation with the Colorado Eagles, reports BSN Denver’s Adrian Dater.  The affiliation would come into effect starting in the 2018-19 season so the Avs would maintain their current affiliation with AHL San Antonio for the upcoming season while the Eagles will remain as an ECHL franchise for 2017-18.
  • Following their game on Friday, the Canadiens announced (Twitter link) that winger Nikita Scherbak and goaltenders Zach Fucale and Michael McNiven were all re-assigned to Laval (AHL). All three players had previously been cut during training camp but were called up for insurance purposes.

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