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Colorado Avalanche Claim Patrik Nemeth

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The Dallas Stars took a chance when they waived defenseman Patrik Nemeth to try and send him to the AHL yesterday, and they didn’t get away with it. The Colorado Avalanche have claimed Nemeth off waivers, and will add him to their roster for the start of the season.

Nemeth, 25, spent 40 games with the Stars last season but still can’t seem to put it all together and fulfill his second-round draft status. Through 108 games in the NHL now, he’s registered just 14 points and has averaged fewer than 16 minutes a night. With the Stars adding Marc Methot to the mix this offseason, and feeling stronger about Jamie Oleksiak and youngster Julius Honka, there was no longer any room for Nemeth on the roster.

In Colorado though, where there is a near void of NHL-capable defenders, Nemeth will likely be given a chance immediately to turn his career around. Beyond Erik Johnson, Tyson Barrie and Nikita Zadorov, the team will carry a group of players all trying to prove their worth in the NHL. Nemeth will have to compete with the likes of Chris Bigras, Mark Barberio and others for minutes.

Detroit Red Wings Sign Kaden Fulcher To ELC

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The Detroit Red Wings have signed Kaden Fulcher to a three-year entry-level contract, inking the undrafted goaltender after he attended their development camp this summer. Fulcher is already back with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the OHL, but will no longer need to re-enter the draft next summer.

Fulcher must have shown something the the Red Wings’ brass in camp to let them know he had turned a corner, as his previous OHL experience has been far from deserving. The 19-year old goaltender posted just an .891 save percentage last year on a pretty average Bulldogs team, but has so far impressed with a .935 mark through four games. Perhaps attending camp unlocked something, and the Red Wings didn’t want to wait around for other teams to pick up on it.

It’s been a long road for Fulcher, who was selected in the 13th round of the OHL Bantam Draft before being traded from Sarnia to Hamilton after just three games. He’ll have quite a bit of work ahead of him to make the NHL, but now knows his future is somewhat stable with the Red Wings organization.

Marian Hossa Cleared For Long-Term Injured Reserve

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The NHL has made its decision on whether or not Marian Hossa can be placed on long-term injured reserve, and it’s a good one for the Chicago Blackhawks. According to Scott Powers of The Athletic, the league has decided that the Blackhawks can indeed use the cap-saving measure on Hossa, after they confirmed his skin disorder with an independent physician.

"<strongHossa has dealt with the issue for years, but it has progressed to the point where he won’t be able to play this season. That raised several eyebrows around the league as the 38-year old has four years left on his contract at a $5.28MM cap hit, and the team is once again pushed right up to the cap ceiling. Despite the big cap hit, the contract will only actually pay Hossa $1MM per season, as the deal was signed before the previous collective bargaining agreement. Allowing him to be placed on LTIR will help the Blackhawks out salary-wise, but they would likely rather just have the future Hall of Fame forward in the lineup instead. Hossa’s presence is hard to replicate, and the Blackhawks will have to rely on some younger players to try and fill the gap left by his absence.

Though no one has said that this is basically a retirement for Hossa, it wouldn’t surprise many if it were. The legendary winger will turn 39 this season, and has done just about everything there is to do in his career. A three-time Stanley Cup Champion, six-time All-Star, and Memorial Cup Champion, Hossa has been a perennial Selke candidate as one of the league’s best defensive forwards while also recording 1,134 points in 1,309 regular season games. Add in another 149 points in 205 playoff contests, and participation in four different Olympic Games, and you have the resume of one of the greatest wingers in recent history.

Once Hossa is placed on LTIR, the Blackhawks should be able to add Cody Franson on an NHL contract of some sort. The free agent defenseman attended camp on a professional tryout, but has been expected to have a handshake deal in place since joining the team. Now that the club will get a little cap relief from moving Hossa to injured reserve, they’ll be able to announce whatever contract the two have agreed upon.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Josh Anderson To Sign With Columbus

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Josh Anderson has agreed to a three-year deal worth $1.85MM a year with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Anderson was a restricted free agent, and the Blue Jackets’ last player to sign before the season starts. The deal will officially take Anderson through the 2019-20 season, and is broken down as follows:

  • 2017-18: $1.6MM
  • 2018-19: $1.85MM
  • 2019-20: $2.1MM

Anderson and the Blue Jackets were locked in contract negotiations all summer. Things rose to a head in September when Anderson reportedly asked for a trade. The final terms are lower than what two other prominent RFAs received. Calgary Flames’ Sam Bennett signed for $1.95MM a year, and Toronto Maple Leafs’ Connor Brown signed for $2.1MM a year.

In his first full season with the Blue Jackets, Anderson scored 17G and 12A in 78 games and an additional 1G and 1A in 5 playoff games. Columbus valued him enough to make moves prior to the expansion draft to protect him and other prospects, but apparently did not budge from its contract valuation. Head coach John Tortorella stated earlier this offseason that Anderson will have to earn his spot on the team.

Sportnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first to confirm that the deal was done.

Jaromir Jagr Signing Delay Due To Immigration Process

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Veteran forward—and fan-favorite—Jaromir Jagr is reportedly signing with the Calgary Flames, but the Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the signing will not be official until the organization handles Jagr’s immigration to Canada. The team does not expect Jagr to report to Calgary until Wednesday.

The delay benefits the Flames because now they will have more room to make roster moves before locking up Jagr’s roster spot. The Flames have a few million in cap space to work with, but their decisions are more about which prospects stay with the club.

Immigration issues do not necessarily imply a problem. Rather, they routinely crop up when a player moves from one country to another. Last season the Vancouver Canucks traded Jannik Hansen to the San Jose Sharks, but Jansen required a U.S. work visa before being able to report to the Sharks. Even though hockey players have agents and lawyers, they still have to navigate the immigration system like regular citizens to legally work in Canada or the United States.

Cody Franson And Alex Chiasson Should Sign Deals Soon

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TSN’s Bob McKenzie tweeted this evening that Cody Franson and Alex Chiasson are “more likely than not” to sign NHL deals this week. Both were unrestricted free agents who were unable to secure contracts this offseason.

Defenseman Cody Franson signed a professional tryout agreement (PTO) with the Chicago Blackhawks after failing to land a deal with another NHL team this summer. Franson last played for the Buffalo Sabres, scoring 3G and 16A in 68 games. His last contract with the Sabres was a two year deal worth $3.325MM a year. Part of the delay may be that the Blackhawks are waiting for the NHL to approve Marian Hossa’s IR status.

Forward Alex Chiasson signed a professional tryout agreement with the Washington Capitals this summer—a team effort to boost forward depth. Chiasson scored 12G and 12A in 81 games for the Calgary Flames. If Chiasson stayed with the Capitals, it would be his fourth team in five full NHL seasons (not including his 7 game rookie season). The Capitals will also have to engage in some creative cap maneuvering because they are currently $39K above the cap.

McKenzie did not specify which teams would sign the above players, but usually players sign with the teams who offered the PTO. Nevertheless—like Kris Versteeg last season—a player could use the PTO opportunity to garner offers from the rest of the league.

Snapshots: Brouwer, Kostin, LTIR

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With the addition of Jaromir Jagr to the Calgary Flames (which has still yet to actually be announced), there is something of a log jam for bottom-six wingers. Troy Brouwer, the most expensive one of the bunch, has now been rumored to be on his way out according to Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 in Vancouver. While Dhaliwal makes it clear that nothing is imminent, a Brouwer trade would make sense for the Flames.

Last year, Calgary spent a second-round pick to acquire Curtis Lazar with the hope that he could develop into more than just a fourth-line player. Mark Jankowski, another first-round pick who the Flames have been waiting on impressed in camp and has earned a spot on the team. When added with Matt Stajan, Kris Versteeg and Freddie Hamilton the team clearly has enough bodies to handle a trade. Whether they swing a deal for Brouwer and his hefty salary ($4.5MM for each of the next three seasons) is still unclear, but Calgary is definitely a team to watch in the coming days.

  • Klim Kostin was on track to make the St. Louis Blues team out of camp but has suffered an injury according to Lou Korac of NHL.com. The young forward is set to miss 7-10 days and could start in the AHL to get his legs back under him before making an impact with the team. The Blues are without so many of their forwards to start the year that Kostin and other young players will likely have to play a role earlier than the team had wanted.
  • Speaking of the St. Louis Blues and young players, the team has announced an entry-level contract for Tanner Kaspick after spending some time with the club in camp this year. Kaspick is already back playing with his Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL, where he has four points in four games. Kaspick was a fourth-round pick of the team in 2016 but has shown that there may be more upside to his game than originally thought. In 49 games with the Wheat Kings last year he registered 45 points, and should be given even more responsibility this season as the new captain.
  • Chris Johnston of Sportsnet asked Lou Lamoriello of the Toronto Maple Leafs if his team had been given any sort of decision from the league on the Joffrey Lupul situation, to which the GM said no. The league is set to decide whether Lupul and Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa can be placed on long-term injured reserve, a decision that should be made before long. If they are, both Toronto and Chicago could get more salary cap relief. The Blackhawks did place one player on LTIR today, moving defenseman Michal Rozsival there to free up another roster spot. Rozsival signed a contract last season in order to help the Blackhawks become expansion draft compliant, but did not pass his physical at the beginning of training camp.

Alex Formenton Signs ELC With Ottawa Senators

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The Ottawa Senators have signed another prospect, inking Alex Formenton to a three-year entry-level contract. Formenton was selected in the second round (47th-overall) this summer, and is actually still in training camp with the team. While nothing is set in stone yet, there is a chance he begins the year with Ottawa and could last even past the nine-game mark should he continue to show he’s ready for the next level.

Formenton’s next step really depends on Derick Brassard’s health, but it looks like he and Logan Brown could both be in the lineup on opening night this Thursday against the Washington Capitals. The young forward has made a great impression in his first training camp, after an impressive rookie season in the OHL. Formenton joined the London Knights last year after originally playing in the OJHL to maintain his college eligibility, and immediately showed off his elite speed-skill combination to score 34 points in 65 games. That was buried in a strong London lineup and playing at 17, but he clearly caught the eye of someone in Ottawa.

The 6’2″ winger has shot up the last few years but is still working to fill out his frame. He’ll might have a tough time handling NHL physicality every game, but with his game-breaking skating ability can still contribute in other ways. The team will have nine games with which to decide if he should stay the entire year and burn one season of his ELC, or send him back to the Knights to continue his development and take on a bigger role.

Detroit Red Wings To Start Season With Just 22 Players

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The Detroit Red Wings have been right up against, or projected over the salary cap all offseason. Since bringing in Trevor Daley and Luke Witkowski in free agency, the team has admitted they would likely have to make a move to become cap compliant on day one of the season. Injuries could have solved that for them, but now according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press the team plans on carrying just 20 skaters and two goaltenders into the start of the regular season. That’s leaving one empty roster spot in order to become cap compliant.

Detroit currently projects to be $3.72MM over the cap according to CapFriendly, but will be placing Johan Franzen and his $3.95MM cap hit on long-term injured reserve. That will allow them to get under the limit, but still doesn’t give them much room to work with, especially if a deal is made with Andreas Athanasiou at some point. The Red Wings don’t project to have much success this year already, and now it seems like they’re starting behind the eight ball to begin the year.

With Tyler Bertuzzi and Evgeny Svechnikov both on injured reserve as well after sustaining injuries in camp, it looks like newly signed David Booth will be in the lineup to start the year despite being placed on waivers this afternoon. After adding his $700K, the team doesn’t have any room to bring up another roster player. While none of this affects the way the Red Wings will ice a lineup each night, it’s a hard way to start the year. Chasing the cap all season puts them at a disadvantage in trade negotiations, while also making it difficult to bring back Athanasiou even if an agreement is reached. The team still could need to make a trade to help them out in the coming days.

The Red Wings start their season Thursday night against the Minnesota Wild.

2017-18 Primer: Columbus Blue Jackets

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With the NHL season now just a couple of days 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 Columbus Blue Jackets.

Last Season: 50-24-8 record (108 points), third in Metropolitan Division (lost in the first round to the Pittsburgh Penguins)

Remaining Cap Space: $7.99MM per CapFriendly

Key Additions: F Artemi Panarin (trade, Chicago)

Key Departures: F Brandon Saad (trade, Chicago), F Scott Hartnell (buyout), F Sam Gagner (free agency, Vancouver), D Kyle Quincey (free agency, Minnesota), F William Karlsson (expansion, Vegas), F David Clarkson (trade, Vegas), F Keegan Kolesar (trade, Vegas), F Josh Anderson (unsigned RFA)

[Related: Blue Jackets Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Pierre-Luc DuboisPlayer To Watch: F Pierre-Luc Dubois – When Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen strode towards the podium at the 2016 draft, holding the third-overall pick almost everyone in the building expected him to select Finnish forward Jesse Puljujarvi. Puljujarvi had been neck and neck with Patrik Laine for much of the year as the potential second-overall pick, and had only fallen to a close third in recent months. Despite the obvious talent in Puljujarvi, Kekalainen went after the more important position and selected Pierre-Luc Dubois, the second best center available in the draft (behind just Auston Matthews). That selection was surprising, and early indications may have had fans calling for their GM’s head.

Dubois was sent back to junior and struggled mightily early for the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, not even playing center full-time. It looked like it might be a disappointing season for a player who had such high hopes until a mid-season trade to Blainville-Boisbriand turned things around. Dubois would start showing his dominant physical presence once again, and recorded 59 points in 41 games down the stretch and into the playoffs. He was a more well-rounded player, and showed he could be ready for the jump sooner than initially thought.

That jump is about to happen as Dubois has survived all the Columbus cuts and is penciled into the lineup for opening night. Meanwhile, Puljujarvi had a disappointing camp and was sent back to the AHL to begin the year. While those two will be tied together for some time, it seems likely that Dubois will be given every chance to succeed this year with the Blue Jackets. While he’ll begin the season as a winger, there is still a real chance he ends up in the middle at some point. If he could lock down that role, it would be a huge advantage for a club that has some of the best forward depth in the league.

Key Storyline: In 16 seasons since the Blue Jackets were added to the NHL, the franchise has won exactly three playoff contests. Last year marked just the third time the team had been to the postseason, and they have still yet to make it past the first round. That seems destined to change over the next few years, as the Blue Jackets proved last season that they were one of the premiere clubs in the league. With 108 points, they amazingly finished third in their division but should be pushing the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals and New York Rangers once again for the top spot.

With a Hart Trophy-caliber goaltender, elite defense corps, the reigning coach of the year and a lineup featuring a solid mix of size, skill and speed there is no one they shouldn’t be able to play with. Still, the playoff demons are there for this club and the structure could backfire once again. Even with their 100+ point season they were forced to face the Penguins in the first round, and could face a similar fate this year should they not be able to take down the top spot. While they can’t look too far ahead, the playoffs are the real test for this team.

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