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Snapshots: Duchene, Athanasiou, Vegas, Belmont Park

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Matt Duchene has been suiting up in the preseason for the Colorado Avalanche despite continuing trade speculation, and Adrian Dater of BSN Denver has now been told it’s very likely the unhappy forward will begin the year with the team. That does seem like the only option at this point, as a team has still yet to step forward and meet GM Joe Sakic’s asking price.

Some of the hesitation to pony up for Duchene comes from his disappointing season a year ago, when he scored just 18 goals and 41 points. Those numbers were both career-lows in full seasons, and there has been some debate over whether Duchene can handle top center duties any longer. From all accounts, the 26-year old has looked great in training camp so far as he tries to prove that he can still help turn the tide for any organization.

  • Unsigned restricted free agent Andreas Athanasiou hasn’t spoken to the Detroit Red Wings in almost ten days according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. St. James says that since a face-to-face meeting on September 16th, there has been “nothing but silence.” It’s starting to look like Athanasiou will not start the season with the Red Wings, despite multiple offers extended from the team. Holdouts rarely end in big raises for players involved in them, and it’s not clear exactly why the two sides are so far apart.
  • Jason Pothier of SinBin examined the history of George McPhee when he was the GM of the Washington Capitals, and shows that if he’s operating similarly a trade may be coming in the next few days. McPhee has completed eight trades in the last week before the season in the past, and since there still seems to be too many NHL-level defensemen in town, it could happen once again.
  • As expected, there will be at least one other bid for the Belmont Park location is a potential spot for a new New York Islanders’ arena and it will indeed be New York City FC. Jim Baumbach of Newsday reports that the soccer franchise will submit a bid, but it’s actually not the team’s preferred location. We’ve heard before that it could take months to be given a decision, but proposals must be officially submitted by Thursday afternoon.

2017-18 Primer: Los Angeles Kings

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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 Los Angeles Kings.

Last Season: 39-35-8 record (86 points), fifth in Pacific Division (missed playoffs)

Remaining Cap Space: $6.83MM per CapFriendly

Key Additions: F Mike Cammalleri (free agency, New Jersey), D Christian Folin (free agency, Minnesota), G Darcy Kuemper (free agency, Minnesota), D Oscar Fantenberg (free agency, KHL), G Cal Petersen (free agency, Buffalo), F Alex Iafallo (free agency, NCAA)

Key Departures: D Brayden McNabb (expansion, Vegas), F Devin Setoguchi (free agency, Germany), F Jarome Iginla (free agency, unsigned), G Ben Bishop (trade, Dallas)

[Related: Kings Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

"<strongPlayer To Watch: F Anze Kopitar – It’s not always a young player breaking out that brings a team back to contention, and that likely won’t be the case with Los Angeles. Though Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson could have even more room to grow as potential top-line options, it’s Kopitar that will be under the microscope this year.

In what turned out to be a disappointing year for the Kings, Kopitar himself had a frustratingly poor season. Though his point total of 52 still put him second on the team, an extremely low shooting percentage kept him to just 12 goals all year and his possession numbers hit a career low. Kopitar had never scored fewer than 10 even strength goals in his career, but tallied just seven last year.

That said, there may be nothing to worry about for the Kings. The aforementioned shooting percentage is the most likely culprit of the decline, as he came in more than 4% under his career norm. He should bounce back from the low total, though may never again reach the 30+ marks of his youth.

Key Storyline: It was clear in 2016-17 that the entire organization expected to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Despite being out of a playoff spot at the trade deadline, the team still went out and acquired Jarome Iginla and Ben Bishop to try and sneak in. They wouldn’t, and it ended up costing nearly the entire management and coaching staffs their jobs.

There are new but familiar faces in town to run the show now, as President Luc Robitaille and GM Rob Blake have taken over the front office while John Stevens will take over the head coaching duties. All three have Kings blood running through their veins, and will be entrusted in guiding the franchise back to the promised land.

That may be easier said than done though, as the team has several aging core pieces and a lack of elite prospect capital. They added a couple of solid names in that department at the draft (one of which signed his entry-level contract just today), but will have to keep working to create the type of homegrown pipeline that once carried them to multiple Stanley Cups. Blake and Robitaille were both late-round Kings’ draft picks themselves (in the fourth and ninth rounds respectively), and should have a good understanding of the value of drafting.

With all of this turnover there still remains the looming Drew Doughty decision, as the superstar defender will be eligible for a contract extension as of July 1st, 2018. With just two years left on his current deal, Doughty would be one of the most sought-after free agents on the open market should he ever reach free agency. With that in mind, the new front office will need to decide whether handing out an extremely expensive, long-term extension to a player who will turn 30 during its first year is worth it.

Doughty is clearly one of the best players in the world, but if Los Angeles takes a step backwards and misses the playoffs again, speculation about his availability on the trade market will surely spike.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Winnipeg Jets Sign Luke Green To ELC

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According to Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun, the Jets have signed prospect Luke Green to a three-year entry-level contract that will pay him an average salary of $847K in the NHL. Green was selected in the third round of the 2016 draft and made his AHL debut at the end of last season on an amateur tryout.

In three seasons in the QMJHL, Green has showed off his offensive upside on a nightly basis. Registering totals of 36, 35 and 37 points each year, the puck-rushing defenseman who was once drafted first overall in the league’s bantam draft is one of the most dynamic players you can see in junior hockey. His skating ability is excellent, and though he lacks some creativity with the puck once in the offensive zone he gains the blueline with ease.

The Jets have a nice pipeline of defensemen developing, and Green will only add to that once he joins the professional ranks. For now, he’ll be heading back to the CHL to continue development in his own end.

Los Angeles Kings Sign Jaret Anderson-Dolan To ELC

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The Los Angeles Kings have seen enough of Jaret Anderson-Dolan to believe he has earned an entry-level contract, signing the second-round pick to a three-year deal today. The 18-year old forward was selected 41st overall at this year’s draft, after dominating the WHL alongside Kailer Yamamoto for the Spokane Chiefs.

Anderson-Dolan shot up draft boards this past season after exploding offensively, going from just 26 points in 2015-16 to 76 in 2016-17. That included 39 goals and a trip to the U18 World Junior Championships as captain of Team Canada. Though he was held scoreless in that tournament, he could get a chance to return to the international stage this year among the U20 group. Even if he doesn’t, he’ll be part of an improved Spokane team that should end the year with a better record that last season’s 27-33-12 final.

For the Kings, the addition of Anderson-Dolan and fellow 2017 draftee Gabe Vilardi will give a boost to a relatively uninspiring prospect system. While the NHL team continues to age and fall further away from their Stanley Cup runs, there will need to be an infusion of youth at some point.

Snapshots: Lecavalier, Miller, Rodrigues

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The Tampa Bay Lightning will retire the second number in their franchise history this season, when they raise Vincent Lecavalier’s #4 to the rafters on February 10th. Lecavalier, who last played in 2015-16, is the franchise leader in goals and was once the NHL’s youngest ever captain (since broken by multiple players) when he was given the “C” at just 19.

In 1,037 games with the Lightning, the 1998 first-overall pick scored 874 points and led them to a Stanley Cup in 2004. Twice he was nominated for the Hart Trophy as league MVP, including 2006-07 when he led the league in goals with 52. A prototypical number-one center, Lecavalier played an exceptional all around game that combined speed, power and skill. He finished his career with 949 points in 1,212 games.

  • Despite spending time in the middle during the preseason, J.T. Miller will be back in his familiar wing position when the season starts, Alain Vigneault confirmed today to a group of reporters including Dan Rosen of NHL.com. Vigneault has been impressed with the play of 2017 first-round draft picks Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil, as well as former University of Michigan standout Boo Nieves. While it has been expected for a while that just one of the young players would make the roster with David Desharnais taking the other center role, there is a growing suspicion that both Andersson and Chytil could start the year with the Rangers. That would be quite the turnaround for a team that hadn’t even drafted in the first round for several years.
  • Buffalo Sabres forward Evan Rodrigues was injured this weekend in a preseason game against the Toronto Maple Leafs when Andreas Borgman crumpled him into the boards, and will be held out for the time being with a hand injury. Head coach Phil Housley was non-committal when asked if it would linger into the regular season, similar to the way he spoke about Jake McCabe’s upper-body injury. Both players were expected to be in the lineup for opening night, which now could open spots for some others to start the year in Buffalo instead of Rochester.

Eighteen Players Placed On Waivers

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With training camp cuts coming fast and furious, many names were placed on waivers today as teams begin to try and slip players through to their minor league affiliates. Below is a complete list of players on waivers today, thanks to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports:

Michael Latta (ARI)
Tyler Gaudet (ARI)
Dustin Tokarski (ANA)
Jordan Szwarz (BOS)
Tommy Cross (BOS)
Andrew Agozzino (COL)
Rocco Grimaldi (COL)
Trent Vogelhuber (COL)
Felix Girard (COL)
Joe Cannata (COL)
Jesse Graham (COL)
Reece Scarlett (FLA)
Alexandre Grenier (FLA)
Cody Bass (NSH)
Tye McGinn (TB)
Reid Boucher (VAN)
T.J. Tynan (VGK)
Paul Thompson (VGK)

Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Sam Miletic To ELC

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have used unconventional means to restock their prospect cupboards in recent years, and are now mining the undrafted ranks once again for talent. The team announced today a three-year entry-level contract for Sam Miletic, the third such contract they’ve given out this fall, following Alex D’Orio and Jordan Bellerive.

Miletic is an interesting case study in how draft boards are created around the league. After dominating the Michigan highschool circuit, scoring 79 points in just 26 games in 2013-14, Miletic went to the USHL where he showed he could still put up some points against higher competition. The next year he went to play with the London Knights of the OHL, and was off to a slow start—14 points in 35 games—before leaving the team to focus on his education back in Michigan.

He went undrafted and returned to the Knights this year in hopes of turning heads once again. It worked, as he scored 37 goals to lead the team but still no one called his name in any of the seven draft rounds. He did earn himself a look at the Penguins development camp and rookie tournament before ultimately doing enough in the main training camp to earn an entry-level deal.

There was a lot of uncertainty around Miletic in each of his draft years, which ultimately proved enough for no one to take a chance on him. Now the Penguins, who have a shining example of an undrafted player in Conor Sheary, will hope Miletic continues to prove that he can provide a solid two-way game with goal-scoring upside in the professional ranks. The next decision will to be whether to play at the AHL level or head back to London as an over-aged player.

Training Camp Cuts: 09/25/17

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Another week begins with a full preseason schedule and teams starting to use their expected opening day rosters more and more. With that, cuts will be happening each day and PHR will keep you updated on each one.

Arizona Coyotes

F Michael Latta – Tucson (AHL)*
F Tyler Gaudet – Tucson (AHL)*
G Adin Hill – Tucson (AHL)

Anaheim Ducks

F Nicolas Kerdiles – San Diego (AHL)
F Dustin Tokarski – San Diego (AHL)*

Boston Bruins

F Jordan Szwarz – Providene (AHL)*
D Tommy Cross – Providence (AHL)*

Chicago Blackhawks

D Viktor Svedberg – Rockford (AHL)

Colorado Avalanche

F Brendan Ranford – San Antonio (AHL)
F Brady Shaw – San Antonio (AHL)
F Shawn St. Amant – San Antonio (AHL)
F Alex Belzile – San Antonio (AHL)
D Nolan De Jong – San Antonio (AHL)
D Mason Geertsen – San Antonio (AHL)
G Spencer Martin – San Antonio (AHL)
F Felix Girard – San Antonio (AHL)*
F Trent Vogelhuber – San Antonio (AHL)*
F Rocco Grimaldi – San Antonio (AHL)*
F Andrew Agozzino – San Antonio (AHL)*
D Jesse Graham – San Antonio (AHL)*
G Joe Cannata – San Antonio (AHL)*

Dallas Stars

F Justin Dowling – Texas (AHL)
F Mark McNeill – Texas (AHL)
D Andrew Bodnarchuk – Texas (AHL)
D Ludwig Bystrom – Texas (AHL)
G Mike McKenna – Texas (AHL)

Detroit Red Wings

F Zach Nastasiuk – Grand Rapids (AHL)
D Dan Renouf – Grand Rapids (AHL)
G Matej Machovsky – Grand Rapids (AHL)
F Mike Borkowski – Released from tryout
F Austen Brassard – Released from tryout
F Connor Crisp – Released from tryout
F Luke Esposito – Released from tryout
F Dominik Shine – Released from tryout
D Simon Denis – Released from tryout
D Pat McCarron – Released from tryout
D Kevin Tansey – Released from tryout
D Pat Nagle – Released from tryout

Florida Panthers

F Chase Balisy – Springfield (AHL)
F Dryden Hunt – Springfield (AHL)
F Juho Lammikko – Springfield (AHL)
D Michael Downing – Springfield (AHL)
G Sam Montembeault – Springfield (AHL)
D Nikolai Belov – Released from PTO
F Alexandre Grenier – Springfield (AHL)*
D Reece Scarlett – Springfield (AHL)*

Los Angeles Kings

F Brandon Prust – Released from PTO
F Shane Harper – Released from PTO
G Matthew Villalta – Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)

Nashville Predators

F Pierre-Cedric Labrie – Milwaukee (AHL)
F Trevor Smith – Milwaukee (AHL)
F Emil Pettersson – Milwaukee (AHL)
F Yakov Trenin – Milwaukee (AHL)
D Alexandre Carrier – Milwaukee (AHL)
D Petter Granberg – Milwaukee (AHL)
D Jack Doughtery – Milwaukee (AHL)
D Andrew O’Brien – Milwaukee (AHL)
G Anders Lindback – Milwaukee (AHL)
F Cody Bass – Milwaukee (AHL)*

New York Rangers

F Daniel Catenacci – Hartford (AHL)
F Cole Schneider – Hartford (AHL)
F Scott Kosmachuk – Hartford (AHL)
D Brandon Crawley – Hartford (AHL)

Tampa Bay Lightning

F Brett Howden – Moose Jaw (WHL)
F Anthony Cirelli – Syracuse (AHL)
F Adam Erne – Syracuse (AHL)
F Mathieu Joseph – Syracuse (AHL)
F Matthew Peca – Syracuse (AHL)
F Mitchell Stephens – Syracuse (AHL)
F Dennis Yan – Syracuse (AHL)
D Erik Cernak – Syracuse (AHL)
D Jamie McBain – Syracuse (AHL)
D Ben Thomas – Syracuse (AHL)
D Daniel Walcott – Syracuse (AHL)
F Tye McGinn – Syracuse (AHL)*

Vancouver Canucks

F Reid Boucher – Utica (AHL)*

Vegas Golden Knights

F T.J. Tynan – Chicago (AHL)*
F Paul Thompson – Chicago (AHL)*

*Placed on waivers for purpose of assignment.

2017-18 Primer: Minnesota Wild

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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 Minnesota Wild.

Last Season: 49-25-8 record (106 points), second in Central Division (lost in the first round to the St. Louis Blues)

Remaining Cap Space: $-734K per CapFriendly

Key Additions: F Matt Cullen (free agency, Pittsburgh), F Tyler Ennis (trade with Buffalo), F Marcus Foligno (trade with Buffalo), D Kyle Quincey (free agency, Columbus), F Daniel Winnik (PTO, Washington)

Key Departures: D Christian Folin (free agency, Los Angeles), F Tyler Graovac (trade with Washington), F Martin Hanzal (free agency, Dallas), F Erik Haula (expansion, Vegas), G Darcy Kuemper (free agency, Los Angeles), F Jason Pominville (trade with Buffalo), D Nate Prosser (free agency, St. Louis), D Marco Scandella (trade with Buffalo), F Jordan Schroeder (trade with Blue Jackets), F Alex Tuch (trade with Vegas), F Ryan White (PTO, Vancouver)

[Related: Wild Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: D Mat Dumba – The former first-round pick has gone under the radar for the most part but has seen his production and ice time increase each season.  There’s a good chance that trend will continue for 2017-18 and the timing will be notable if it does.

Matt DumbaDumba is heading into a contract year and sits as one of two prominent restricted free agents next summer (the other being winger Jason Zucker).  He will be coming off of his bridge contract, one that carries a cap hit of $2.55MM.  There’s a good case to be made that he could wind up doubling that contract, particularly since he has arbitration eligibility.

The Wild already have three big-ticket contracts on the books defensively with Ryan Suter, Jared Spurgeon, and Jonas Brodin and they are all signed through 2019-20 at the very least.  They also have more than $63MM in contracts committed for next season and inking Dumba to a long-term pact will get rid of a big chunk of what they have left to work with.

That’s what makes Dumba worth watching this season as he may wind up forcing Minnesota’s hand two different ways – by playing well enough to earn a big ticket contract while making them move someone out to free up the money to get the deal done while leaving enough on the table for Zucker and the rest of the roster.

Key Storyline: It’s not very often that a backup goalie could be a key factor but this is a rare occasion where that very well may be the case.  Devan Dubnyk has been one of the better starters in the league in recent seasons but he has also worn down due to overuse down the stretch.  One of their objectives was to find someone who they would be comfortable with starting a bit more frequently to keep Dubnyk rested which is something that is quickly becoming the trend throughout the league.

Alex Stalock is slated to serve as the number two netminder this season.  While he has been in that role in the past, he has spent the bulk of the last two seasons at the minor league level.  He was given an early extension primarily so that he could be left unprotected in expansion but it’s fair to wonder if he’ll be able to provide them with the 20-25 starts they’ll be looking for.  If he struggles early on, it will be worth watching to see if they bring in someone else quickly although their cap situation will most likely limit their options.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Sproul, Giroux, Tryamkin, Benson

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Detroit defenseman Ryan Sproul has been given the green light to return to the lineup and will make his preseason debut on Monday, reports MLive’s Ansar Khan.  Sproul underwent ACL surgery on April 18th, a procedure that typically requires six months to recover from so it appears his recovery process is a little bit ahead of schedule.  Had that not been the case, he was a potential candidate to land on LTIR to start the season.

Red Wings GM Ken Holland confirmed to Khan that the team plans to carry only seven defensemen to start the season so right now it appears that the 24-year-old is on the outside looking in at a roster spot despite playing in 27 games with Detroit in 2016-17.  Sproul will require waivers in order to be assigned to AHL Grand Rapids.

Other notes from around the hockey world:

  • The Flyers will experiment with placing long-time center Claude Giroux on the left wing on Monday night, notes CSN Philly’s Jordan Hall. Giroux has spent time at that position earlier in his career but not very often lately.  The idea of switching positions might allow Giroux a bit less wear and tear on his body but would also allow someone like Sean Couturier – who has been more of a shutdown player so far in his career – to take on more of an offensive-oriented role.
  • Defenseman Nikita Tryamkin’s decision to leave the Canucks to go back to the KHL caught some by surprise. The blueliner told Sport-Express’ Igor Eronko (Twitter links) that a lack of playing time was a big factor in his decision to leave.  Tryamkin averaged 16:44 per night last season, the lowest of any regular blueliner in Vancouver.  He added that he could see himself back with the team but he won’t discuss that possibility while still under contract to Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg; he’s signed there through the 2019-20 season.
  • Oilers prospect Tyler Benson will likely start the season on injured reserve but is expected to join his junior team (the WHL’s Vancouver Giants) on October 13th, notes Postmedia’s Jim Matheson. Benson, Edmonton’s second-round pick (32nd overall) in 2016, has yet to skate with the team in training camp and has not been cleared for any contact drills after undergoing double sports hernia surgery over the summer.

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