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Overseas Notes: Jagr, Zherdev, Salmela, Pogge

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NHL legend Jaromir Jagr will surely keep pushing for an NHL roster spot, even if it takes him through the 2018 Winter Olympics and his 45th birthday to finally land a gig with a contender down the stretch. In the mean time though, Jagr finally has a place to call home for 2017-18 season. Unsurprisingly, it’s Czech club HC Kladno, of whom Jagr is a part owner. Czech hockey news source “Hokej.cz” was the first to report (link in Czech) Jagr’s plans, and even goes so far as to say that Jagr should be ready for game action by Saturday. Now, Kladno was always the fallback plan for Jagr, so this announcement doesn’t eliminate the possibility that Jagr could still sign in the NHL or KHL, as has been most recently rumored, at any time. What it does mean, is that the ageless wonder is going to keep playing, one way or another.

  •  Latvian KHL club Dinamo Riga took a hit earlier today when former NHL forward T.J. Galiardi terminated his contract with the team following a hot start to his season. However, Riga was ready to react accordingly, as they soon after announced the addition of 2003 4th overall pick Nikolai Zherdev. Zherdev, a name that many in North America equate with missed opportunity, was a top pick of the young Columbus Blue Jackets organization more than a decade ago. While a one-dimensional scoring forward, Zherdev’s talent was undeniable. In four seasons with the Jackets, Zherdev recorded 76 goals and 105 assists in 283 games; he was also a -52. Columbus traded Zherdev to the Rangers in 2008-09, where he again was a highly successful scorer, but Zherdev left the team after the season, returning home to Russia. After a season in the KHL, Zherdev attempted an NHL comeback with the Flyers, but didn’t have the same gusto to his game and headed back across the Atlantic in the off-season. Since the young age of 26, Zherdev has been playing in the KHL and has struggled with health and inconsistency for much of that time. Zherdev was already released after just two games with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk earlier this season, but hopes he can find a more permanent home with a Riga club in need of as much help as it can get.
  • While Riga is deep up front, even after the loss of Galiardi, they don’t enjoy the same talent on the back end. They helped themselves with that problem today as well, inking veteran defenseman Anssi Salmela to a one-year deal. The 33-year-old Finn played in 112 NHL games between 2008 and 2011, bouncing between the New Jersey Devils and Atlanta Thrashers, but managing to play a respectable and reliable stay-at-home role in both locations. Salmela has done more bouncing around since heading back to Europe; he’s jumped from team-to-team and league-to-league in the KHL and Swedish Hockey League, including a strong showing with Linkoping just last season. Salmela will add some experience and leadership for the Dinamo as they look to be build upon their last-place roster.
  • Another NHL veteran finding employment overseas in goaltender Justin Pogge. After losing starter Ville Kolppanen, Swedish club Rogle BK reached out to the reliable journeyman. The team announced (link in Swedish) the new deal today, comparing Pogge to former keeper Anders Lindback. Pogge sat on an NHL bench as recently as 2012, but has actually not seen any big league action since the end of his rookie year in 2008-09. Pogge has played in Italy, Sweden, and most recently Slovakia, with the KHL’s HC Slovan Bratislava last year, and has actually fared well for himself since leaving North America behind. He has a chance to continue an altogether impressive European career as he begins his time with Rogle this season.

Boston Bruins Sign Jack Studnicka To ELC

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The Boston Bruins have inked another prospect to a three-year entry-level contract, signing Jack Studnicka today. The 18-year old was selected just a few months ago in the second round of the NHL Entry Draft, and is already back with the Oshawa Generals this season where he serves as captain.

Studnicka is a prototypical top-six forward, who has dazzled at times but works hard to contribute at both ends of the rink. His 52 points in 64 games last year was a nice total for his age-17 season, but he should easily improve on them with added responsibility. Already in the first two games of the season, Studnicka has five points and is showing off an impressive skill set.

Selected 53rd-overall, some of the criticism launched towards Studnicka was his thin frame and whether it would hold up at the professional ranks. He measures in at almost 6’2″ these days according to his coaching staff, but remains listed at 171-lbs. That frame will have to get heavier, but with an impressive wingspan and a lightning-fast release, he’s already on his way to being a deadly goal-scoring talent.

Studnicka will likely have to wait another year to play in the U20 World Juniors for team Canada, but he could be one of the leaders on that team in 2018. Able to play all three forward positions already, he’s a versatile option for the Generals and his future professional teams.

2017-18 Primer: Florida Panthers

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With the NHL season now just a couple of weeks 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 Florida Panthers.

Last Season: 35-36-11 record (81 points), sixth in Atlantic Division (missed playoffs)

Remaining Cap Space: $11.49MM per CapFriendly

Key Additions: F Evgeni Dadonov (free agency, KHL), F Radim Vrbata (free agency, Arizona), F Jamie McGinn (trade, Arizona)

Key Departures: F Jaromir Jagr (free agency, unsigned), D Jason Demers (trade, Arizona), F Reilly Smith (trade, Vegas), F Jon Marchessault (expansion, Vegas), F Jussi Jokinen (buyout), F Shawn Thornton (retired), F Thomas Vanek (free agency, Vancouver)

[Related: Panthers Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Barkov, HuberdeauPlayers To Watch: F Aleksander Barkov & F Jonathan Huberdeau – Last year was an extreme disappointment for the Panthers, who came into the season with high expectations after winning the Atlantic Division in 2015-16. Even with solid performances from young players like Marchessault and Vincent Trocheck, the Panthers failings resulted from one key thing: Barkov and Huberdeau played just 92 games combined.

When healthy, the pair combined for 78 points in those 92 games, Barkov providing the majority with 52 in 61. While it’s easy to point at injury for many teams, the Panthers lost key players (including Aaron Ekblad) for long stretches and could never recover.

Some people may forget that Barkov and Huberdeau are a couple of the most impressive young players in the league, who each have 60-point, 30-goal potential if they can stay healthy and take a step forward. As just 22 and 24 respectively, it doesn’t seem that far-fetched.

Key Storyline: The Florida Panthers’ front office was one of the battlegrounds in the fight between analytic and traditional scouting methods. The Panthers looked like they were going to be on the forefront of statistical evaluation running the team, but this season fell apart and both Gerard Gallant and Tom Rowe were fired.

Back came Dale Tallon, and with him some of the old-school hockey knowledge that has a slightly different idea in how to improve this team. Demers, Smith, Marchessault were all shipped out of town quickly, before they could do any long-term harm, replacing some of the work Rowe did last summer.

The Panthers have a new direction led by an old face, but should be able to overcome any possible possession regression and still be quite a dangerous team. Whether it really has been an ousting of the “analytics people” from the decision making is unclear, but it will be interesting to see how they bounce back this year. A healthy team could provide a false positive for their new style, and hurt them down the road. Or, like many have believed before, perhaps the old guard really can see something that numbers don’t tell us.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: McDavid, Polak, Dotchin

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Connor McDavid has taken over the top spot on TSN’s yearly player rankings, after an incredible eight-year run by Sidney Crosby. McDavid still only edged the former #1 for the top spot, but will try to start a run of his own this year. Several other players made huge jumps, including Nikita Kucherov who jumped from 27 to 7, and Mark Scheifele who improved 35 spots to crack the top 15.

Two top-10 stalwarts in Alex Ovechkin and Jonathan Toews both plummeted down the rankings after disappointing seasons, but could easily see a resurgence should they should it was more an anomaly than a trend. Check out the entire list, then leave below what you think should have been different.

  • Roman Polak won’t play tomorrow night for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but according to head coach Mike Babcock (via James Mirtle of The Athletic) he’s making progress and should still get in before the season begins. Polak is technically on a professional tryout with the team, but it does seem like he would be signed by the team should he show that he’s completely healthy after the terrible injury last year. The Maple Leafs already have several players competing for the last few defensive spots, but none of them save for Connor Carrick are right-handed. Since the Maple Leafs are already going with three lefties in their top-4, having a right-handed option like Polak in a depth role seems prudent, even if he’s not an exciting option.
  • Jake Dotchin still hasn’t gotten into any preseason action for violating a team issue, and he told Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times that “it’s hurting” him. Dotchin was widely expected to start the year in an increased role with the Lightning after an impressive rookie campaign, but every day he sits out is another chance for someone else to make an impression. The young defender has been known to cross the line physically while on the ice, and though there is no report on what he did yet the team is clearly not happy with him.

Waivers & Recalls: 09/26/17

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After all eighteen players placed on waivers yesterday cleared, there is a new group available to teams around the league today. While these waivers rarely see players change squads, as very few have room on their NHL roster, there is a chance some veteran NHL names will get picked. We’ll keep track of everyone placed on waivers right here.

On waivers:

Andrew Campbell (ARZ)
Hunter Shinkaruk (CGY)
Tyler Wotherspoon (CGY)
Emile Poirier (CGY)
Cameron Gaunce (CBJ)
Alexander Broadhurst (CBJ)
Andre Benoit (CBJ)
Brian Flynn (DAL)
Brent Regner (DAL)
Turner Elson (DET)
Jordan Nolan (LAK)
Jeff Zatkoff (LAK)
Scott Wedgewood (NJD)
Ben Thomson (NJD)
Bracken Kearns (NJD)
Tyler Randell (OTT)
Frank Corrado (PIT)
Jarred Tinordi (PIT)
Zach Trotman (PIT)
Chris Summers (PIT)
Garrett Wilson (PIT)
Jean-Sebastien Dea (PIT)
Kevin Czuczman (PIT)

There will also be some recalls over the next week or so to help out in preseason games or fill in for injured players, such as Charlie Lindgren, who was pulled from the Montreal lineup last night just before puck drop.

Recalled:

Mikhail Vorobyev (PHI)
Zach Fucale (MTL)

Minnesota Wild Sign Brennan Menell To ELC

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The Minnesota Wild have decided that Brennan Menell is worth a three-year entry-level contract, just months after he went undrafted for the third time. The high-flying defenseman will report to Iowa to try and crack their lineup, or head back to Lethbridge of the WHL for his overage year.

Michael Russo of The Athletic wrote about Menell just two days ago when the Woodbury, Minnesota native played in an exhibition game with the team. His journey is one of being constantly overlooked, but after a 71 point season in the WHL last year he finally earned a shot at the Wild development camp. He’s continued to impress, something that he did on a nightly basis for the Hurricanes, recording the second most points from a defender in the entire league.

There is still a long way to go for the undersized puck-mover, but he hasn’t been stopped yet. His offensive upside is tremendous, and as the game moves more and more towards mobility over physicality he could find a role in the professional ranks right away. The team lists him at 6’0″, 181-lbs which would be a far cry from the smallest player in the league. He won’t be overlooked any longer.

Training Camp Cuts: 09/26/17

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There were some impressive performances last night in the hockey world, as Auston Matthews scored a preseason hat trick while the New Jersey Devils split squad dropped eight on the Ottawa Senators. Late last night the Vegas Golden Knights released some more cuts, which is what we’ll start with here. Make sure you keep refreshing throughout the day to find out the latest names sent packing.

Arizona Coyotes

F Ryan MacInnis – Tucson (AHL)
F Nick Merkley – Tucson (AHL)
D Kyle Wood – Tucson (AHL)
D Kevin Ekman-Larsson – Tucson (AHL)
D Andrew Campbell – Tucson (AHL)*

Boston Bruins

F Ryan Fitzgerald – Providence (AHL)
D Jeremy Lauzon – Providence (AHL)

Calgary Flames

F Brett Pollock – Stockton (AHL)
F Morgan Klimchuk – Stockton (AHL)
F Ryan Lomberg – Stockton (AHL)
F Spencer Foo – Stockton (AHL)
G David Rittich – Stockton (AHL)
F Dillon Dube – Kelowna (WHL)
D Juuso Valimaki – Tri-City (WHL)
F Emile Poirier – Stockton (AHL)*
D Hunter Shinkaruk – Stockton (AHL)*
D Tyler Wotherspoon – Stockton (AHL)*

Colorado Avalanche

F Reid Petryk – San Antonio (AHL)
F Dominic Toninato – San Antonio (AHL)
D Conor Timmins – Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)

Columbus Blue Jackets

F Paul Bittner – Cleveland (AHL)
F Jordan Maletta – Cleveland (AHL)
D Ryan Collins – Cleveland (AHL)
D Jacob Graves – Cleveland (AHL)
D Blake Siebenaler – Cleveland (AHL)
D Doyle Somberby – Cleveland (AHL)
G Matiss Kivlenieks – Cleveland (AHL)
F Alex Broadhurst – Cleveland (AHL)*
D Andre Benoit – Cleveland (AHL)*
D Cameron Gaunce – Cleveland (AHL)*
F Carter Camper – Released from tryout
F Brett Gallant – Released from tryout
F Miles Koules – Released from tryout
F Bobby MacIntyre – Released from tryout
D Scott Savage – Released from tryout
G Ivan Kulbakov – Released from tryout
G Brad Thiessen – Released from tryout

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T.J. Galiardi Terminates KHL Contract

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Former NHL winger T.J. Galiardi has reached a mutual termination of his KHL contract with Dinamo Riga, making him a free agent able to sign with whichever team he chooses. That decision comes after registering six points (all assists) in his first 11 games this year, putting him among the team leaders.

Galiardi was selected 55th-overall by the Colorado Avalanche in 2007, but has dealt with injuries throughout his career and was given few chances at a full-time role in the NHL. In 2009-10 he scored 39 points for the Avalanche, but wouldn’t be able to come close to repeating that at his other stops, which included San Jose, Calgary and Winnipeg. He attended training camp with the St. Louis Blues last year on a professional tryout, but was cut before the season began and headed to the KHL instead.

Still, the 6’2″ winger is only 29 years old and could find himself in contention for an Olympic spot if he can prove he’s healthy and productive somewhere outside the NHL. Though he was born in Calgary, he is a dual USA-Canada citizen and represents the USA internationally.

It seems unlikely that this termination will lead to an NHL contract, but perhaps he’s looking at AHL-only deals to return to North America. Those would also allow him to chase an Olympic spot, but put him closer to those making the decisions for USA Hockey.

Toronto Marlies With Several NHL Veterans In Camp

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While many AHL camps have gotten underway in recent days largely with the early cuts from their NHL affiliates and ECHL hopefuls as “campers”, the Toronto Marlies drew some attention today when they announced a 40-man initial roster featuring several familiar names.

Among the many in attendance are NHL veterans Jordan Caron, Brandon Gormley, Matt Hackett, and Mackenzie Skapski. Caron and Gormley are especially interesting as past first-round picks, while Hackett and Skapski are two of the very few remaining free agent goaltenders on the market. All four players have value in their own right, yet end up not on NHL contracts, or in NHL camps, or even on AHL contracts. Why?

Skapski may be the easiest to explain. After two impressive spot starts at the young age of 21 with the New York Rangers in 2014-15, Skapski’s career has been in free fall. The next year, Skapski posted a 3.00+ GAA and nearly a .900 save percentage in the AHL and ECHL. Those numbers continued to plummet this past season, with Skapski making 13 rough starts in the AHL and spending the majority of the season in the ECHL.

The once-promising Hackett also made his NHL debut at 21 years old with the Minnesota Wild back in 2011-12. Hackett made 12 appearances with the Wild in his rookie season and had an impressive 2.37 GAA and .922 save percentage. While that level of performance was unsustainable, Hackett continued to make a living as a backup or third-string option for the Wild and Buffalo Sabres for years, before taking on more of an AHL depth role for the Anaheim Ducks since 2015. However, too much depth in net, as well as injury issues, limited Hackett to only seven starts last season, in which he was less than spectacular. More of an unknown commodity now than the future-starter tag from years ago, Hackett needs to prove himself once again at the pro level.

Gormley, the 13th overall pick in 2010 by the Arizona Coyotes, has not had the career expected of him when he was selected before fellow defensemen like Derek Forbort, Mark Pysyk, and Justin Faulk early in the draft. Gormley has just 58 games of NHL experience and has not played at the highest level since midway through the 2015-16 season. However, Gormley had been a productive AHLer, with 75 points, more than half a point per game, through his first three pro seasons. In the past two seasons? Only 21 points in 91 games. With the points disappearing, Gormley faces the possibility that his career could be coming to an end soon at just 25 years old. Gormley could use a big camp to keep that from coming to fruition.

Caron is probably the most notable player in any AHL camp on a tryout basis, not just the Marlies’, as the Boston Bruins’ 2009 first-rounder was a “black ace” call-up by the St. Louis Blues mere months ago. While Caron has the appearance of having stuck around the NHL, in actuality he has only played in four NHL games since the end of the 2014-15 season. Nevertheless, the 6’3″, 205-lb. power forward is still a veteran of over 150 NHL games and has shown flashes of ability from time to time. If any of these four player can make the Marlies – and make a difference – it is Caron.

Andrew Desjardins Suspended Two Preseason Games

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As he tries to make the New York Rangers, Andrew Desjardins has been suspended two preseason games for an illegal check to the head of New Jersey Devils’ forward Miles Wood. Desjardins is on a professional tryout with the Rangers, and won’t get another chance to show what he can do in game action. As the video explanation from the Department of Player Safety says:

It is important to note that Wood is eligible to be hit on this play, provided it is done in a legal manner. However, rather than take an angle of approach that results in a legal, full-bodied check, Desjardins takes an angle of approach that picks Woods’ head, making it the main point of contact.

This will be the first time Desjardins is suspended by the league, but this still could spell trouble for his chances of making the New York roster. He was already a long-shot, and with the impressive play of the two young draft picks (Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil) there likely will not be room for him on the team.

For now, he’ll have to sit out and see if he can do something outside of game action to impress the coaching staff.

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