Archives for September 2017

Poll: The Fate Of The Remaining RFA’s

September 23, 2017 at 10:31 am CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

Notable players have begun to be cut from training camps and placed on waivers as the season draws closer, under two weeks away now. Yet, two restricted free agents still have yet to even sign a new contract, nevertheless compete in camp. Columbus’ Josh Anderson and Detroit’s Andreas Athanasiou still remain unsigned long after agreements were reached in more difficult RFA cases like those of David Pastrnak and Sam Bennett. Not only do the pair still not have contracts for the coming year, but seemingly no progress has been made recently either.

After it was reported more than a week ago that there was a “vast gap” in negotiations between Anderson and the Blue Jackets, a recent update stated that “no progress” had been made since then either. The newest piece of information has Anderson traveling to Switzerland, where he could potentially meet with several NLA teams. Anderson has also spoken about the possibility of starring for Team Canada at the Olympics. Anderson scored 17 goals for Columbus last year, which would be quite a lot of production for a team chasing a division title to lose.

Athanasiou is beyond overseas speculation; he has several hard offers on the table from KHL clubs. While “talks continue” between the two sides, there has been no concrete news for days. The “Riley Sheahan-to-Pittsburgh” rumor, that is supposedly contingent on an agreement with Athanasiou, has obviously not happened either, as it has been all quiet from both the Red Wings and their talented, young player. Athanasiou scored 29 points in 64 games for the struggling Wings last year. Can a team lacking much game-breaking talent afford to lose such a player?

There are a lot of different ways that this could all end up. Either or both could simply sign with their current teams, whether it be in the coming weeks or early in the season like several 2016 cases. Either one could be traded to a team with greater need and greater ability to sign them to a deal that comes closer to their desired term and salary. Or, the nuclear option, both have expressed and interest (read: threatened) in going overseas and could pull the trigger if their team will not sign or trade them. Take a crack at the poll below and sort through a variety of endings to these RFA sagas:

Training Camp Cuts: 9/23/17

September 23, 2017 at 9:30 am CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

The more than fifty cuts made from training camps around the league yesterday was only the beginning. Weekend or not, expect the announcements to keep flooding in, and we’ll keep track of it all right here:

Anaheim Ducks

F Stu Bickel – San Diego (AHL)
F Maxime Comtois – Victoriaville (QMJHL)
F Alex Dostie – San Diego (AHL)
G Olle Eriksson Ek – Farjestad BK (SWE U20)
F Nic Kerdiles – San Diego (AHL)
D Brady Lyle – North Bay (OHL), released from ATO
F Antoine Morand – Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)
F Julius Nattinen – San Diego (AHL)
F Kyle Olson – Tri-City (WHL)
F Austin Ortega – San Diego (AHL)
D Turner Ottenbreit – Seattle (WHL), released from ATO
G Angus Redmond – San Diego (AHL)
F Kevin Roy – San Diego (AHL)
F Zach Saar – San Diego (AHL)
F Deven Sideroff – San Diego (AHL)
F Tyler Soy – San Diego (AHL)
D Jeff Schultz – San Diego (AHL)
D Keaton Thompson – San Diego (AHL)

Buffalo Sabres

F Eric Cornel – Rochester (AHL)
F Vaclav Karabacek – Rochester (AHL)
G Jason Kasdorf – Rochester (AHL)
G Jonas Johansson – Rochester (AHL)
D Brycen Martin – Rochester (AHL)
F Steve Moses – Rochester (AHL)
D Casey Nelson – Rochester (AHL)
F Kevin Porter – Rochester (AHL)
F Cliff Pu – London (OHL)
D Devante Stephens – Rochester (AHL)
G Adam Wilcox – Rochester (AHL)

Calgary Flames

F Austin Carroll – Stockton (AHL)
D Josh Healey – Stockton (AHL)
D Oliver Kylington – Stockton (AHL)
F Andrew Mangiapane – Stockton (AHL)
D Adam Ollas Mattsson – Stockton (AHL)
G Tyler Parsons – Stockton (AHL)
D Colby Robak – Stockton (AHL)

Carolina Hurricanes

F Clark Bishop – Charlotte (AHL)
G Callum Booth – Charlotte (AHL)
F Warren Foegele – Charlotte (AHL)
D Tyler Ganly – Charlotte (AHL)
F Gregory Hofmann – HC Lugano (NLA)
D Keenan Kanzig – Charlotte (AHL)
F Steven Lorentz – Charlotte (AHL)
G Alex Nedeljkovic – Charlotte (AHL)
F Andrew Poturalski – Charlotte (AHL)
F Nick Schilkey – Charlotte (AHL)
F Spencer Smallman – Charlotte (AHL)
F Sergey Tolchinsky – Charlotte (AHL)
D Josh Wesley – Charlotte (AHL)

Chicago Blackhawks

D Kyle Baun – Rockford (AHL) (cleared waivers)
G Jeff Glass – Rockford (AHL) (cleared waivers)

Dallas Stars

F Travis Morin – released from PTO, will attend AHL camp
F Greg Rallo – released from PTO, will attend AHL camp

Minnesota Wild

D Zach Palmquist – Iowa (AHL) (cleared waivers)

Montreal Canadiens

D Zach Redmond – Laval (AHL) (cleared waivers)

Nashville Predators

D Frederic Allard – Milwaukee (AHL)
F Derek Army – released from PTO, will report to AHL camp
F Bobby Butler – released from PTO, will report to AHL camp
F Tyler Kelleher – released from PTO, will report to AHL camp
F Justin Kirkland – Milwaukee (AHL)
D Joonas Lyytinen – Milwaukee (AHL)
D T.J. Melancon – Milwaukee (AHL)
F Angelo Miceli – released from PTO, will report to AHL camp
F Trevor Mingoia – released from PTO, will report to AHL camp
F Tyler Moy – Milwaukee (AHL)
D Trevor Murphy – Milwaukee (AHL)
G Matt O’Connor – Milwaukee (AHL)
D Jimmy Oligny – released from PTO, will report to AHL camp
G Jake Paterson – released from PTO, will report to AHL camp
F Stephen Perfetto – released from PTO, will report to AHL camp
D Rick Pinkston – released from PTO, will report to AHL camp
F Anthony Richard – Milwaukee (AHL)

New York Islanders

D Sebastian Aho – Bridgeport (AHL)
F Casey Bailey – released from PTO
D Kyle Burroughs – Bridgeport (AHL)
F Michael Dal Colle – Bridgeport (AHL)
F Scott Eansor – released from PTO, will report to AHL camp
F Tanner Fritz – Bridgeport (AHL)
F Ben Holmstrom – released from PTO
F Ross Johnston – Bridgeport (AHL)
F Jeff Kubiak – released from PTO, will report to AHL camp
D Kane LaFranchise – Bridgeport (AHL)
G Eamon McAdam – Bridgeport (AHL)
F Kyle Schempp – Bridgeport (AHL)
F Travis St. Denis – released from PTO, will report to AHL camp
F John Stevens – Bridgeport (AHL)
D Devon Toews – Bridgeport (AHL)
F Yannick Turcotte – released from ATO
D Mitchell Vande Sompel – Bridgeport (AHL)
D Parker Wotherspoon – Bridgeport (AHL)

New York Rangers

D Alexei Bereglazov – Hartford (AHL)
G Alexandar Georgiev – Hartford (AHL)
D John Gilmour – Hartford (AHL)
F Ryan Gropp – Hartford (AHL)
G Chris Nell – Hartford (AHL)
D Vince Pedrie – Hartford (AHL)
F Malte Stromwall – Hartford (AHL)
F Adam Tambellini – Hartford (AHL)

Philadelphia Flyers

D Mark Alt – Lehigh Valley (AHL) (cleared waivers)
D T.J. Brennan – Lehigh Valley (AHL) (cleared waivers)
F Greg Carey – Lehigh Valley (AHL) (cleared waivers)
F Corban Knight – Lehigh Valley (AHL) (cleared waivers)
G Alex Lyon – Lehigh Valley (AHL)
D Will O’Neill – Lehigh Valley (AHL) (cleared waivers)
F Phil Varone – Lehigh Valley (AHL) (cleared waivers)

Ottawa Senators

G Chris Driedger – Belleville (AHL)
G Marcus Hogberg – Belleville (AHL)
G Danny Taylor – Belleville (AHL) (cleared waivers)
D Erik Burgdoerfer – Belleville (AHL) (cleared waivers)
D Cody Donaghey – Belleville (AHL)
D Andreas Englund – Belleville (AHL)
D Macoy Erkamps – Belleville (AHL)
D Christian Jaros – Belleville (AHL)
D Patrick Sieloff – Belleville (AHL) (cleared waivers)
F Chris DiDomenico – Belleville (AHL) (cleared waivers)
F Vincent Dunn – Belleville (AHL)
F Gabriel Gagne – Belleville (AHL)
F Nick Paul – Belleville (AHL)
F Francis Perron – Belleville (AHL)
F Ben Sexton – Belleville (AHL) (cleared waivers)
F Kyle Flanagan – released from PTO (Belleville)
D Jordan Murray – released from PTO (Belleville)
F Jack Rodewald – released from PTO (Belleville)
D Charles-David Beaudoin – released from PTO
F Brendan Woods – released from PTO
F Drake Batherson – Cape Breton (QMJHL)
F Parker Kelly – Prince Albert (WHL)

Tampa Bay Lightning

F Shane Conacher – Released from PTO
F Alex Gallant – Syracuse (AHL)
F Kevin Lynch – Released from PTO (Syracuse)
F Otto Somppi – Halifax (QMJHL)
F Carter Verhaeghe – Syracuse (AHL)
D Mat Bodie – Syracuse (AHL)
D Reid McNeil – Released from PTO (Syracuse)
D Matt Spencer – Syracuse (AHL)
G Connor Ingram – Syracuse (AHL)
G Michael Leighton – Syracuse (AHL)

Snapshots: Khudobin, Fast, Hanzal

September 22, 2017 at 8:56 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

One of the battles in Boston’s training camp is for the backup goalie position. Veteran Anton Khudobin is the incumbent but is coming off an inconsistent season that saw him post just a .904 save percentage, well below the league average in 2016-17. Accordingly, some have wondered if youngster Zane McIntyre could push for the number two job with the Bruins but head coach Bruce Cassidy told CSN New England’s Joe Haggerty that Khudobin remains the favorite for the job.

“He’s in very good shape and he’s practiced well, so he’s got a leg up on the other [goalies] based on his experience. We know that going in, but he’s going to get pushed. Zane was good in a game, and Malcolm [Subban] let in a couple where he could have been more aggressive. But it was a first game, so right now they all look good. That’s a good problem to have if they all push each other, but to get direct to the point Anton has done nothing to lose that backup spot.”

If McIntyre isn’t able to supplant Khudobin for the backup role with the Bruins, he will be able to go down to Providence without going through waivers as he’s exempt for this season. The same can’t be said for Malcolm Subban, who would have to hit the wire before heading to the AHL.

Elsewhere around the league:

Rangers winger Jesper Fast is progressing well in his recovery from offseason hip surgery, notes Matt Calamia on the Rangers’ team site. Head coach Alain Vigneault said that the team is targeting late October for his return to the lineup which would actually put him ahead of schedule from the five months he was expected to miss when he went under the knife in early June. The 25-year-old has six goals and 15 assists in 68 games with New York last season and will push for a bottom-six role when he returns to the lineup.
Stars center Martin Hanzal is expected to start skating with the Stars on Saturday, reports Mark Stepneski of Stars Inside Edge. The 30-year-old has been out since the start of training camp with an ankle injury. While Dallas has a surplus of centers, head coach Ken Hitchcock suggested earlier this month that it won’t be Hanzal who shifts positions and that it might be Jason Spezza who spends time on the wing instead.

Central Notes: Parise, Hossa, Wilson

September 22, 2017 at 7:51 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 4 Comments

Although Wild forward Zach Parise took part in practice on Friday for the first time in training camp, his back troubles are something that he and the team will be monitoring throughout the course of the season, notes Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press. Head coach Bruce Boudreau is hopeful to get Parise into a game before the exhibition schedule comes to a close.

The fact that Parise believes this situation is going to have to be watched throughout the season has to be somewhat concerning, not only for this year but possibly beyond if it continues to linger. He is the highest paid forward on the Wild with a cap hit checking in at just over $7.5MM while he has eight years remaining on his contract.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Calgary Flames

September 22, 2017 at 6:47 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 2 Comments

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.

Calgary Flames

Current Cap Hit: $69,784,210 (under the $75MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Matthew Tkachuk (Two years remaining, $925K)

Potential Bonuses

Tkachuk: $850K

It wasn’t known right away last year if Tkachuk would be NHL ready after being drafted but he put that talk to rest pretty quickly with a very productive rookie campaign. He is already a top-six forward and if he progresses into a top-liner by the end of his contract, he could find himself in the range of six years and $33MM that several notable players have signed coming off of their entry-level pacts.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Mikael Backlund ($3.575MM, UFA)
D Matt Bartkowski ($613K, UFA)
G Eddie Lack ($1.375MM, UFA)*
F Matt Stajan ($3.125MM, UFA)
F Kris Versteeg ($1.75MM, UFA)

* – Carolina is retaining $1.375MM on Lack’s contract.

The Flames have already publicly expressed an interest in keeping Backlund, their first rounder back in 2007. His game has really taken off over the past two seasons and he has now slid into a full-time top-six role. As a result, he’s in line for a sizable raise on his next contract given the demand for impact centers on the open market. Stajan has become more of a depth player in recent years and while he will likely earn another contract, it will be for considerably less than his current one. Versteeg impressed after coming over late in training camp last year but still was only able to garner a one-year deal, albeit at a decent raise. While on the surface it would seem like a similar season would position himself to get more interest in the summer, he hasn’t had a lot of suitors in the past.

Bartkowski was able to get the extra year on his contract thanks to expansion and will now battle for the seventh spot on the depth chart. As a result, his next deal shouldn’t be too much higher a year from now. As for Lack, he will serve as the backup and will be looking to restore some value after a particularly rough season with the Hurricanes. Top reserve netminders are starting to land bigger contracts (such as the one he’s currently on) and a good year from him would position Lack to sign at least a comparable deal next offseason.

Two Years Remaining

F Sam Bennett ($1.95MM, RFA)
F Micheal Ferland ($1.75MM, UFA)
F Curtis Lazar ($950K, RFA)
G Mike Smith ($4.25MM, UFA)*

* – Arizona is retaining 25% of Smith’s contract.

Bennett unsurprisingly signed a bridge deal coming off a so-so sophomore campaign. The Flames still view him as a top-six center down the road and if they’re unable to re-sign Backlund, he could find himself in that spot a year from now. This is a contract where both sides are hoping that Bennett vastly outperforms it and earns himself a big money, long-term pact as a result. If that doesn’t happen, he could find himself as a strong change-of-scenery candidate by the time the two years are up.

Ferland showed some offensive touch last season and plays a very physical style. Those two elements will be attractive when he’s eligible for free agency so assuming he can hover around the 15-goal mark, his next deal should be a fair bit pricier. Lazar had a disastrous 2016-17 season which is why Calgary was able to lock him up this cheap. He still has some upside and could make this a bargain by the time it’s all said and done if he can hold down a regular role but on the flipside, a poor training camp and start to the season could have him on waivers before too long.

After Brian Elliott and Chad Johnson didn’t get the job done last year, the Flames are hoping that Smith, who had comparable numbers behind a lesser defense in Arizona, will be able to help them take that next step forward. If Smith can rebound with the aid of one of the strong back ends in the league, the contract could wind up being a bit of a bargain but if he struggles, they’ll likely be shopping for a new starter next summer once again.

Three Years Remaining

D T.J. Brodie ($4.6504MM, UFA)
F Troy Brouwer ($4.5MM, UFA)
F Michael Frolik ($4.3MM, UFA)
D Travis Hamonic ($3.857MM, UFA)
D Michael Stone ($3.5MM, UFA)

Brouwer’s first season with Calgary did not go particularly well. He wound up with the lowest full-season point total of his career despite spending a significant portion of the season in their top six. He’ll probably get another chance in there at some point due to a lack of right-wing depth but if he falters early on, GM Brad Treliving will be looking to move him out. However, he has a full no-trade clause this season. Frolik has been remarkably consistent, averaging 0.50 to 0.54 points per game over the past four seasons and provides the Flames with good secondary production. He won’t be a strong value contract for the money he’s making but if he can maintain that level of scoring, the deal won’t be a negative one either.

Brodie struggled out of the gate last season but rebounded well while maintaining a spot on the top pairing. Whenever you can get a top-two defender at that price (with quality production from the point as well), it’s a bargain deal. Hamonic was acquired from the Islanders where he’ll be asked to play in a second pairing role. They paid a steep price to get him in terms of the acquisition cost but he’s only a year removed from being a top-two defender for the Islanders. He has the potential to really deepen their back end and take some pressure off of the top pairing and having someone that can do that making under $4MM is another bargain. Stone didn’t fare too well in Arizona but his play picked up after being dealt to Calgary. He’s pricey for the role he’ll start in (on the third pairing) but he’s capable of moving up when needed and is a nice luxury to have while they have the cap space.

Four Or More Years Remaining

F Johnny Gaudreau ($6.75MM through 2021-22)
D Mark Giordano ($6.75MM through 2021-22)
F Sean Monahan ($6.325MM through 2022-23)

Treliving didn’t go the bridge route with his two top forwards last year and instead bypassed the bridge contract for the long-term deal right away. While both players saw their production dip a little bit in 2016-17 in the first year of their new contracts, Gaudreau and Monahan still finished first and second respectively in scoring for the Flames and are locked in as front-line fixtures for years to come. It’s also noteworthy that Gaudreau’s deal came in at the same rate as Giordano as that likely sets their internal contract ceiling for the foreseeable future.

Speaking of Giordano, his scoring numbers dropped considerably last season but his all-around game remained strong. As long as he can play at the level of a top pairing blueliner, the Flames will get good value out of this contract but he turns 34 before the season starts and has five years remaining. At some point, he is going to drop down the depth chart and make this a tougher deal to carry on the books but that is still probably a few years away at least.

Buyouts

F Lance Bouma ($667K in 2017-18, $767K in 2018-19)
D Ryan Murphy ($100K in 2017-18, $138K in 2018-19)
F Mason Raymond ($1.05MM in 2017-18)

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Still To Sign

None

Best Value: Brodie
Worst Value: Brouwer

Looking Ahead

While many expect their provincial counterparts to have to make some cap-related trades in the near future, the Flames shouldn’t find themselves in that same situation any time soon. Their expected big pay raises are staggered a little bit (Backlund next summer, Tkachuk the one after that with maybe Bennett fitting here as well) and there aren’t any real cap-crippling contracts on the books. (Brouwer’s isn’t a good deal but it’s short enough that they could plausibly buy him out if it came to it.) Calgary has arguably the deepest defense corps in the league (Nashville would give them a run here) and they’ll be able to afford it for a while yet.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Atlantic Notes: Ceci, Daley, Aaltonen

September 22, 2017 at 5:42 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 4 Comments

The Senators have received plenty of trade interest over the last few years in defenseman Cody Ceci, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman told Sportsnet 960 in Calgary (audio link). One of those suitors appears to be Colorado who has inquired about Ceci’s availability in a possible Matt Duchene deal but it doesn’t appear that GM Pierre Dorion has any inclination to move him, at least for the time being. Ceci’s entering the final year of his bridge contract with a $2.8MM cap hit and a $3.35MM salary which will also represent his required qualifying offer next June. While his offensive numbers dipped in 2016-17, his ice time shot up considerably by nearly four minutes to over 23 per night and if that carries over into this season, he’ll be in line for a significant raise regardless of whether or not his production rebounds.

Elsewhere around the Atlantic:

Defenseman Trevor Daley’s preference this offseason was to remain with Pittsburgh, reports Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. However, while the interest was mutual, the two sides weren’t able to come close to terms financially and Daley wound up signing a three-year, $9.5MM deal with the Red Wings back on July 1st despite coming off of a season that saw him record his lowest point total since the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign.
Finnish center Miro Aaltonen also drew interest from Vegas but ultimately chose to sign with the Maple Leafs in part due to their looming second contracts for their top forwards, notes Jonas Siegel of The Athletic (subscription required). With the likes of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander all heading for big paydays over the next couple of years, Toronto will need some cheaper talent to fill out their roster so it appears that Aaltonen is prepared to play the waiting game if need be over taking what may very well have been an easier path to the NHL with the Golden Knights.

Panthers Sign Defenseman Ed Wittchow

September 22, 2017 at 4:37 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

Despite outward appearances, not all tryouts end poorly in the NHL. Every once in a while, an impressive camp effort can be it all it takes for even the most obscure player, veteran or prospect, to prove that they are deserving of an NHL contract. Such is the case of Ed Wittchow, who today signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Florida Panther, per a team release. Financial terms have not been disclosed.

Wittchow, 24, was actually drafted by Florida back in 2011, a sixth-round selection out of the USHL. The Minnesota-native attended the University of Wisconsin for four years, becoming the captain of the team in his final year. However, the 6’3″ Wittchow is a stay-at-home type who managed to accrue only 17 total points in his time with the Badgers. While a reliable defensive player, he also didn’t turn heads with his checking ability or physicality in the college game either. Thus, upon graduating, the Panthers had lost interest in signing Wittchow to an entry-level deal. However, he stuck around the organization, singing an AHL contract with the Panthers’ affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, for the 2016-17 season. Again, Wittchow was not nothing if not unspectacular, scoring just four points and posting a -6 in 38 games with Springfield and skating in another 14 games with the ECHL’s Manchester Monarchs. Nevertheless, Wittchow’s hard work and dedication – specifically referenced by Flordia GM Dale Tallon in today’s announcement – earned Wittchow an extension with the Thunderbirds and an invitation to camp. After getting another close look at their former prospect, it seems the Panthers again would like to be a part of Wittchow’s hockey future by giving him his first NHL contract.

The Panthers could use some extra defensive depth after their recent trade of solid veteran Jason Demers to the Arizona Coyotes, but expect Wittchow’s role in 2017-18 to be more of a backup to the backups. With just one season of pro hockey under his belt, the Badger blue liner likely needs quite a bit more seasoning before he is ready to challenge for NHL minutes. However, with Springfield teammate Ian McCoshen likely now slated for a starting role in Florida and the likes of Mackenzie Weegar and Josh Brown the next men up, Wittchow should be set to play a leading role on the Thunderbirds’ blue line this season, which can only help his chances of reaching the next level one day.

Injury Notes: Lightning, Sabres, Jets

September 22, 2017 at 3:16 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

Despite finishing the 2016-17 season with 94 points and missing the playoffs, the Tampa Bay Lightning are the favorite of many to win the Atlantic Division and possibly even the Eastern Conference. Why? It’s not because they added Dan Girardi, Chris Kunitz, and Michael Leighton this off-season. No, the real reason for the resurgence of hope in Tampa is of course the return of captain Steven Stamkos. The Bolts’ superstar is set to return to the team after missing nearly all of last season, and the first step is his preseason debut tonight at home against the Predators. Stamkos told the Tampa Bay Times’ Joe Smith that, more than anything, he’s feeling curious about his first game action since November 15, 2016, eager to see how he feels and how he plays. Lightning fans are eager as well; their season rides on the health and performance of Stamkos. When Stamkos returned from a broke leg in 2014, he tells Smith that he felt he was playing “the best hockey of my career”. However, the serious knee injury that sidelined him for much of 2017 could take a bit longer to work back from. Only time will tell how one of the best players in the game returns from his latest injury, but there is no doubt that the spotlight will be on him, starting tonight.

Smith also issued an update today on Anton Stralman, the Lightning defenseman whose undisclosed injury had kept him from even practicing this week and had some worried about the start of the season. That is, until today. Previously, Stralman had only been seen skating at practice in a red, non-contact jersey and was not taking part in drills, but Smith reports that he was back it today, cleared for contact and participating fully. Stralman told Smith that he expects to be back t full strength for the season opener, easing the fears of the fan base.

Another team with a pair of potential difference-makers currently sidelined are the Buffalo Sabres. The Buffalo News’ John Vogl reports that big off-season trade acquisition Marco Scandella was back at practice today after sitting out the last few days. Still recovering from hip surgery, Scandella said that he is preparing for the season mentally, even if he’s taking it easy physically. The Sabres plan to use Scandella on the top pair this season, and while they would love for him to be at 100% come October 5th, his long-term health and durability is of greater concern.

Unfortunately, Vogl’s article didn’t have as much optimism about young scorer Alexander Nylander. The team’s 2016 first-round pick has yet to take the ice in training camp after suffering a lower body injury in the Sabres’ prospect camp. Nylander’s status is up in the air, but it seems highly unlikely that he will be ready for the season if he is still watching practices from the stands. New head coach Phil Housley acknowledged that the team is letting Nylander move slowly with his recovering, but admitted that there is no definite time table for his return.

The NHL is trying to cut down on injuries this season and to achieve that goal they are ramping up the enforcement of penalties. That presents a substantial problem for the Winnipeg Jets, who have taken more penalties than any team in the league over the past four seasons and haven’t been very good on the penalty kill either. In a stroke of genius, the team hosted former NHL referee Paul Devorski in camp today, who provided some in-depth instruction on how to void penalties, especially those like slashing that have been given special emphasis by the league this season.

Islanders Sign Kieffer Bellows To Entry-Level Deal

September 22, 2017 at 1:57 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

Kieffer Bellows would have liked to have come out of camp with the New York Islanders with an NHL job, but as he heads to his junior team he’ll take the next best thing: his first NHL contract. The Islanders cut Bellows from camp earlier today, but have announced a few hours later that he signed his entry-level deal before leaving. The contract is the entry level maximum: three years, $925K per year.

The Islanders’ 2016 first-round pick, Bellows has already been an intriguing character for fans to follow. The son of former NHLer Brian Bellows, Kieffer was a standout on the 2015-16 U.S. National Development Team, registering 81 points in 62 games. After being drafted by the Isles, Bellows moved on to Boston University last fall, where he had long since been committed to play college hockey. Yet, in May it was revealed that Bellows would not return to the Terriers this season, instead changing development tracks and moving to Canadian juniors, where the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks held his rights. While many speculated that Bellows move may have to do with the loss of talent at BU – the powerhouse program watched Charlie McAvoy, Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, and Clayton Keller leave early – but the counter is that more talented NHL prospects remained than left and the team had reinforcements of several 2017 draft picks and 2018 hopefuls coming in. In the end, it seems that college hockey might have just been a poor fit for Bellows and he felt that he could develop better in the WHL.

All eyes will be on the 19-year-old power forward this season as he adjusts to the major junior game. With his contract signed, it is possible he could see some time with the Islanders in 2017-18, but seeing as they already have several young forwards still being worked into the lineup, it seems more likely that Bellows will use this WHL season as a tryout for next year’s squad.

Arena Notes: Calgary, Arizona, Detroit

September 22, 2017 at 1:07 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

The ongoing issues with the Flames and the city of Calgary has been well-publicized. The two sides are at odds in regards to the construction of a new arena and who should shoulder the greatest burden of the cost. The Flames have made it known that they have made offers to the city, offers they believe to be fair, and that the city has been the side unwilling to work toward a resolution. However, as The Hockey News’ Ken Campbell points out, the public relations battle that the team is waging may be all for not. Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi, according to Campbell, is not only well-liked, but also a tough negotiator. Campbell believes that Nenshi is not like many politicians, who often cave when it comes to dealing with local sports teams. It seem that Nenshi is willing to make a stand and work toward an agreement that is more balanced for the taxpayers of Calgary. Some may see risk in Nenshi calling Flames billionaire owner Murray Edwards’ bluff, but Campbell believes that there is no way the Flames leave the city under any circumstances. The people of Calgary will inevitably end up partially funding a new arena, but with Nenshi as their negotiator, it should be on far better terms than the Flames’ current offer.

The Arizona Coyotes issued a statement last night, updating fans on the status of the ice at Gila River Arena. The Coyotes were forced to cancel their first home preseason game on Monday night due to poor ice conditions. With only a fixed amount of time for preseason hockey, Arizona did not even have the ability to postpone their contest with the Los Angeles Kings. In an effort to make sure they didn’t miss anymore opportunities to take a look at their young and very different roster, the Coyotes worked quickly to install a new sheet of ice and have their arena back up to suitable standards. The improvement is just in time, as the San Jose Sharks come to town tomorrow.

The Detroit Red Wings took the ice at the brand new Little Caesars Arena for the first time today, as noted by beat writer Helene St. James. The Wings played their final game at Joe Louis Arena, the historic building at 19 Steve Yzerman drive, in April after being one of the most dominant teams in all of sports during their residency from 1979 to 2017. Veterans like Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall, who more or less grew up in “The Joe” will now have to get a feel for their new home, the massive 20,000 seat Little Caesars Arena, and it all starts with the team’s first game there, hosting the Boston Bruins tomorrow night.

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