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Archives for October 2017

Carolina Hurricanes Recall Patrick Brown

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Patrick Brown has been recalled by the Carolina Hurricanes, robbing the Charlotte Checkers of their captain for the time being. Brown, just 25, was named captain last season during his third year with the AHL squad. Known for his leadership and work ethic more than anything else, Brown also wore the captain’s “C” at Boston College before signing with the Hurricanes as an undrafted free agent. That BC team had a ton of talented players including Johnny Gaudreau, Kevin Hayes and Michael Matheson (none of whom were freshmen), but it was Brown who was given the leadership role.

There is no doubt that Brown is a student of the game, and it started a long time ago when his father, Doug Brown, was playing in the NHL. The elder Brown spent 15 years in the league, playing mostly for Detroit and New Jersey and winning two Stanley Cups with the Red Wings. A veteran of 854 career regular season games, Doug Brown would send his son off to follow his footsteps at BC and then to the NHL. Patrick’s uncle Greg Brown also attended the school, captaining the Eagles himself before a short-lived NHL career. Greg is back there now as an associate coach, who also works with the USA Hockey World Junior program.

It’s not the younger Brown’s first time in the NHL, as he’s played 28 games there over the past few years. It is interesting however that he would be called up after Janne Kuokkanen was sent down recently. Apparently the Hurricanes have decided that Kuokkanen’s development is more important, and that Brown can act as a insurance policy while they head out on the road to face Colorado and Arizona. It’s a nice bonus for him, as he’ll get to cash NHL-level checks for the time being. Brown re-signed with the Hurricanes this summer for one-year on a two-way deal that earns the minimum of $650K at the NHL level.

Poll: Which Team’s Position Is Furthest From Where It Will Finish?

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On October 31st, several teams around the NHL standings are positioned far from where they were expected to be. Some have outproduced even the most optimistic predictions, while others have lagged far behind their role as “Stanley Cup Contender”. On a day where we each dress up as something fantastical, we ask you who you think is hiding behind a costume and will eventually be given their trick, or treat.

Is it the Vegas Golden Knights, who continue to shock the NHL with an 8-2 record? If the Knights falter few would be surprised (especially given their recent goaltending troubles), but perhaps they’re better than anyone gave them credit for this summer. They certainly look like one of the best teams on the ice. What about the Los Angeles Kings, who were criticized for not doing a ton to address their team but continue to allow the fewest goals in the league? Drew Doughty and company have a +16 goal differential in just 12 games, trailing only Tampa Bay.

Or, at the other end of the spectrum the Edmonton Oilers. Unable to score despite having one of the best players in the world, is there a Superman “S” under that Clark Kent-like start? The Oilers have just a 3-6-1 record, but were expected by many to cruise to the playoffs. The New York Rangers, coming off a 100+ point season aren’t far ahead, and seemed to have sparked the anemic Montreal offense with their poor performance on Saturday night. Is that big apple candy-coated, or does it have a rotten core?

Cast your vote below for whose record you believe is just a costume, and there is either a contender or pretender under the mask.

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Minnesota Activates Nino Niederreiter From Injured Reserve

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The Minnesota Wild have dealt with injuries all throughout their lineup to start the season, and have felt it in their record of 4-3-2. On Saturday they found their defensive game against the reigning Stanley Cup Champions, beating the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1. Now, they’ll be getting back one of the best two-way forwards in the league to help give them even more punch at both ends of the rink.

Nino NiederreiterNino Niederreiter has been activated from injured reserve, and is expected to play against the Winnipeg Jets tonight. Accruing some Selke votes last season, Niederreiter was one of the Wild’s best forwards for the entire season, scoring 25 goals and 57 points in 82 games. His possession numbers are outstanding, and he easily led the team in hits.

Getting him back, especially while Charlie Coyle and Zach Parise remain injured, will be a huge boost to the Wild’s forward group. In the game against Pittsburgh, they were forced to rely on the top line for 20 minutes of ice time, limiting their bottom group. Niederreiter allows them to lengthen out that lineup and play some of their younger forwards in a more sheltered role.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Rasmus Dahlin To Play In Karjala Cup

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Team Sweden released their roster for the upcoming Karjala Cup today, and Craig Button of TSN provided us a snapshot of the list. Remember, this is the tournament where Hockey Canada will send their Olympic tune-up squad and will be a sneak peek of what to expect at Pyeongchang in 2018. If your eyes spot an odd birthday in the mix, you’re not crazy. Rasmus Dahlin, born March 13th, 2000 will be heading to the tournament for his country. The 17-year old defenseman is the front-runner to be the first-overall pick in next year’s NHL draft, and fans look like they might get an up close viewing of him against international talent over the next few months.

Rasmus DahlinIn addition to the Kajala Cup, Dahlin seems like a lock for Team Sweden at the World Junior U20 (though he would actually qualify for the U18 tournament) and could even work his way into a spot at the Olympics. While that still seems like a long-shot, even being in the conversation at this point is ridiculous. Dahlin is seven years the junior of the next youngest Swedish defenseman on the Kajala roster, and has just Linus Soderstrom—a 21-year old goaltender drafted by the New York Islanders—and Rasmus Asplund—a 19-year old forward drafted by the Buffalo Sabres—anywhere close to his age group.

Dahlin is playing for Frolunda in the SHL currently, recording six points in his first 14 games with the professional club. Even at 17, he doesn’t look out of place playing against men sometimes twice his age. A dynamic offensive player, who has looked better in his own end and adds some physicality at times, Dahlin is a franchise-changing player that should be considered among the best defensive prospects in several years. While there is a chance he falls out of favor and loses his #1 standing next June—this draft has several incredible prospects at the top—a good showing at international tournaments will only increase his profile.

Button also provides the roster for Team Finland, which has two standout names. Miro Heiskanen and Eeli Tolvanen will both suit up for their country, just a few months after being selected in the first round of the NHL draft. Heiskanen of course went third-overall to the Dallas Stars, while Tolvanen fell all the way to 30th thanks to a late denial of his Boston College application. He eventually went to the Nashville Predators, who are likely quite pleased with their selection at the back end of the round.

Tolvanen has 23 points in 24 games for Jokerit of the KHL, setting all kinds of rookie records in the process. The 18-year old winger has immense offensive potential, and already has experience with the North American game having spent two seasons in the USHL before being drafted. Heiskanen on the other hand is playing for HIFK of the Finnish Ligga (both Jokerit and HIFK are based out of Helsinki) and has recorded eight points in eight games while providing his normal error-less two-way game. Heiskanen and Tolvanen are among the early standouts from the 2017 draft class, despite not playing in North America this season. Both should have long careers ahead of them, and will start to prove it on the international stage at the upcoming tournament.

The Karjala Cup is hosted in Sweden and Finland from November 6th to 12th.

Dylan Ferguson Officially Recalled On Emergency Basis

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Amazingly, the Vegas Golden Knights lost another goaltender last night. Oscar Dansk has been moved to injured reserve and the team has recalled Dylan Ferguson from the Kamloops Blazers on an emergency basis. Ferguson was only drafted a few months ago by the Dallas Stars, but dealt to Vegas in a trade for Marc Methot. He signed his entry-level contract in late September, but was sent back to the WHL to continue his development. That development will get a jump start, as he’ll now backup Maxime Lagace in the Vegas net.

While a team is normally not allowed to recall players from their junior clubs after assigning them there, there are extenuating circumstances that allow it. Since the Golden Knights organization literally has no other goaltender under an NHL contract, this certainly qualifies as an emergency situation. The team currently has three goaltenders—Marc-Andre Fleury, Malcolm Subban and now Dansk—on injured reserve, meaning that Ferguson and Lagace are it for the time being.

It’s never a good time to get down to the fifth goaltender on your depth chart, but now may be the worst. The Golden Knights have just started a six-game road trip to the east coast, which concludes with a back-to-back situation in Toronto and Montreal next week. Dansk has to spend at least seven days on injured reserve and was quickly ruled out of the rest of the trip, meaning there is a legitimate chance that Ferguson gets into a game before returning to junior. Luckily (if you can call it that), the team has just one game in the week following the final game of the road trip.

Ryan Stanton Placed On Waivers

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While we were already told not to expect Vadim Shipachyov’s name to appear on the waiver wire today, we weren’t left with an empty list. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Ryan Stanton of the Edmonton Oilers has been waived, likely meaning he’s now healthy enough to be assigned to the AHL. Stanton had been on season-opening injured reserve so far, after signing a two-year two-way contract with the Oilers this summer.

Stanton spent all of last season in the minor leagues, but was once a full-time part of the Vancouver blueline. In 120 career NHL games, the 28-year old undrafted defenseman has just 27 points. If he goes unclaimed (which seems likely) he’ll provide the Bakersfield Condors with some extra experience and depth, something the 3-4 team could desperately use.

Bruins Send Agostino, McIntyre Back To AHL

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The Boston Bruins have assigned forward Kenny Agostino and goaltender Zane McIntyre back to Providence of the AHL, after both dressed for the team last night. McIntyre backed up Tuukka Rask, while Agostino played just under six minutes up front. Both will return to the P-Bruins, where they were having excellent seasons.

With Anton Khudobin dealing with just a minor injury, McIntyre was never expected to stay up with the NHL club for much longer. He’ll serve as the third goaltender for the Bruins organization all season, but hopefully not need to start many games for the big club. The 25-year old goaltender has a .928 save percentage with Providence this season, something he’ll look to continue now that he’s back in the AHL.

Agostino is a more interesting story. Last year’s AHL MVP and scoring leader, he signed a one-year, one-way $875K contract with the Bruins this summer and looked like he had an inside track for a role up front. That all disappeared in training camp when several young players showed they were ready, and Agostino has been limited to just five games and 12 minutes a night for Boston. He’s registered just one point in those games, but has generated 11 shots. While there are obvious shortcomings to his game, he does have offensive upside that could feature at some point this season.

For now, he’ll have to continue his domination of the AHL and prove that he’s ready to take the next step. At 25, Agostino now has seasons of 43, 57 and 83 points in the minor leagues and was off to a hot start with seven points in his first three games for the P-Bruins. If there ever was such a thing as a “Quad-A” player in hockey, he is it.

Vadim Shipachyov To Terminate Contract, Return To Russia

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Though Eric Engels of Sportsnet is standing by his report that Shipachyov has decided to go back to Russia, Bob McKenzie of TSN now tells us that Shipachyov will not be on unconditional waivers today. He admits it might happen in the future, but the fact that he isn’t just yet does leave a tiny bit of hope for those who would like to see another team in the NHL acquire him. Part of the hold up is likely that Shipachyov will be required to pay back some of his $2MM signing bonus (pro-rated for the amount of contract that is to be terminated), a defense against these very scenarios. Engels reports that that process is underway.

It still seems overwhelmingly likely that the Russian center will return to the KHL this season, ending what can’t even be called a promising NHL career. In three games he scored his first goal, but was then sent back down to the AHL because of a combination of roster constraints and inconsistent play. When he does, watch out for him on the next iteration of the Russian Olympic roster. Though he obviously wasn’t included yet, he will become a candidate for selection as soon as he returns home.

Earlier updates

  • Though there seemed to be some hope Monday morning when a report surfaced that Vadim Shipachyov’s agent was still talking to teams about a possible trade, that glimmer of hope has been destroyed. Engels reports that the Vegas Golden Knights’ forward has decided to return to Russia, and will be put on unconditional waivers tomorrow in order to mutually terminate his contract.

Minor Transactions: 10/31/17

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Happy Halloween reader, and welcome to another edition of who’s up and who’s down. As usual, we’ll keep an eye on all the movement around the National Hockey League and collect all the minor moves right here.

  • The Buffalo Sabres started the day off with the first move, bringing Taylor Fedun back up from the minor leagues. Fedun has already played two games this season for the Sabres, but had given up that depth spot to Zach Redmond of late. With Justin Falk expected to be activated this week, there is no clear path into the lineup for Fedun. Perhaps he’ll serve as insurance while Buffalo heads out on a short two-game road trip to Arizona and Dallas. The 29-year old has 41 games of NHL experience so far, registering 15 points.
  • The Ottawa Senators have returned Max McCormick to the AHL after calling him up just yesterday. McCormick played in Senators’ game against the Montreal Canadiens last night, but amazingly saw just a minute of ice time and 14 minutes of penalties. It won’t be the last time he’s used in this role for Ottawa, who will likely bounce him up and down if they feel they need a physical presence.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have indeed sent Louis Domingue to the AHL, recalling Joel Hanley with the corresponding roster spot. The Coyotes turned to Scott Wedgewood in net last night and finally got their first win of the season. Domingue, once considered a capable backup, will need to find his game again in the minor leagues.
  • Julius Honka, profiled as a potential impact rookie earlier this summer, has been sent to the AHL by the Dallas Stars. Honka wasn’t playing enough to warrant staying up with the NHL team, as his development is key to the Stars future. The 14th-overall pick from 2014, Honka has tremendous upside as an all-around defender capable of contributing offensively and skating big minutes in the future. He’ll have to wait for a bigger opportunity, or an injury to one of the Stars’ top six.
  • Philadelphia has recalled another defender, bringing up Will O’Neill from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Both Nolan Patrick and Andrew MacDonald are currently on injured reserve, while Shayne Gostisbehere is still out with an upper-body injury. O’Neill will serve as an insurance policy on the upcoming two-game road trip, but is unlikely to get into a game. The 29-year old has never been called up previously, but has a long history of success in the AHL.

Riley Sutter Climbing Draft Boards

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2017 may not be over just yet, but it’s no secret that executives and scouts across the NHL are already eyeing the 2018 draft class. Among the early contenders to be worthy of a first round pick is a familiar name: Sutter. The latest in the long line of family royalty is 18-year-old Riley Sutter, a right wing for the WHL’s Everett Silvertips and very likely a top pick this June.

Riley Sutter is the son of Ron Sutter, who likely has him beat in terms of draft position. Ron was the fourth overall pick in 1982 by the Philadelphia Flyers, whom he played with for nine seasons to begin his 1000+ game NHL career. Ron’s twin brother, Riley’s uncle, Rich Sutter was famously selected six slot behind his brother in 1982, tenth overall by the rival Pittsburgh Penguins. Riley’s other uncles include Brian Sutter, the long-time captain of the St. Louis Blues drafted in the second round in 1976, Duane Sutter, the 17th overall pick in 1979, Brent Sutter, the 17th overall pick a year later and arguably the best of the Sutter brothers with over 800 points in his 17-year career (and a former NHL coach to boot), and, of course, the most relevant of the Sutters right now, recently relieved Los Angeles Kings coach Darryl Sutter, who also played 400+ NHL games. Then there’s the next generation of Sutters, Riley’s cousins, highlighted by Vancouver Canucks center and 2007 11th overall pick Brandon Sutter, Brent’s son. Cousins Shaun Sutter, Brett Sutter, Brody Sutter, and Lukas Sutter were all additionally drafted into the NHL, but have not come close to the success of their fathers and uncles or even Brandon. Riley hopes to end the streak of underwhelming Sutter’s once he is drafted this June.

So what does the youngest Sutter bring to the table? The 6’2″, 201-lb. forward has a power forward frame and began to find his scoring touch last season with 39 points, including 20 goals, in 67 games for the Silvertips. Early in 2017-18, that pace has picked up. Sutter has 13 points, again the majority of which are goals, in his first 16 games. A physical game at his age is attractive enough, but the scoring touch and quick skating he has displayed, as well as the undeniable intangibles of being from hockey royalty, have boosted Sutter up draft boards. In the latest rankings from International Scouting Services, Sutter is up all the way to 16th, helped out by his early results (as well as a severe lack of right wings at the top of the class). If he can keep his scoring up, Riley very well could be the latest Sutter to be a first round pick and may even be able to push to become the second highest-drafted family member, behind his own father, if he can crack the top ten in June.

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