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Evening Notes: Coyotes Goaltending, Angello, Bloom, Raty

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As this offseason was wrapping up with most team’s rosters relatively clear, the Arizona Coyotes and GM Bill Armstrong made it known that the team was still looking for goaltending with all options, internal and external, on the table. To that end, the team had signed journeyman Christopher Gibson to a PTO ahead of training camp, but released him a couple of days ago. A day later (yesterday), the team claimed another journeyman netminder in that of Jonas Johansson off waivers from the Colorado Avalanche. Should Johansson stick with the Coyotes, it would be his fourth team in three seasons.

Earlier today, Armstrong talked with PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan about Johansson and where the team’s goaltending situation stands. Armstrong said Johansson is expected to be on the ice at the team’s practice facility tomorrow and they will get as many looks as possible at the goaltender during their final three preseason games. The GM added that they will continue to monitor the goalie market and waiver wire going forward. Johansson could have a chance as the Coyotes’ primary backup to Karel Vejmelka, a role that seemed destined for either Ivan Prosvetov, who was assigned to the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners earlier this evening, or the recently-signed Jon Gillies.

  • St. Louis Blues forward Anthony Angello left tonight’s game with an apparent injury and will not return to the game, the team announced. The injury is a tough break for Angello, 26, who is in camp with the Blues after signing a one-year, two-way deal with them earlier this summer. Angello spent his entire career to-date in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, spending time in both the NHL and AHL. It’s unclear how severe the injury is and no timetable has been announced yet, but any significant absence would be bad news for the former Cornell University standout who could have a chance to latch on with St. Louis as a quality depth option.
  • Buffalo Sabres prospect Josh Bloom took another intriguing step in his development, having been named Captain of the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit, the team announced. While the honor doesn’t necessarily develop any on-ice skills for the 19-year-old, his ability to be a leader on his team does seem to bode well for his off-ice development and his future in the NHL. The winger had 30 goals and 31 assists in 67 games last year for Saginaw. Mitchell Smith and Dean Loukus will serve as full-time Alternate Captains for the Spirit, while a third alternate will be split between T-Bone Codd and Brayden Hislop.
  • Earlier today when New York Islanders head coach Lane Lambert met the media, The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz asked the new bench boss about top prospect Aatu Raty, who has impressed so far in Islanders camp. Specifically, Kurz wondered if Raty, who is a natural center, could be a fit on the wing, to which Lambert replied that the 19-year-old is a center only. This would seem to indicate that despite his strong impression, Raty is unlikely to make the Islanders opening night roster, given the team’s strong depth down the middle with Brock Nelson, Mathew Barzal, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and Casey Cizikas. Considering the prospect’s struggles in his first full season in the Finnish Liiga, which contributed to his draft stock slipping, it might make sense that Raty doesn’t spend his first full season in North America in the NHL. However, if he can produce similarly to how he did last season with Jukurit (40 points in 41 games), it is possible Raty could force his way into the NHL sooner rather than later.

Snapshots: Bruins Injuries, Carcone, Caggiula, Sharks Front Office

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This afternoon saw a preseason rivalry contest with the Boston Bruins playing host to the Philadelphia Flyers. For the most part, things went the Bruins’ way, as they defeated the Flyers 4-0 with young forwards John Beecher and Marc McLaughlin each netting a pair of goals. Despite the promising performance, the team did have a couple of injury scares when both Fabian Lysell and Taylor Hall were forced to leave the game with injuries.

However, it looks like Boston avoided the worst with these injuries. In speaking to the media, including The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa, Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery said both players only have minor injuries. Jimmy Murphy of Boston Hockey Now adds that both will be out only one or two days. Injuries are never good news, but for a Boston team trying to compete despite a myriad of long-term injuries already on the books, missing a dynamic forward like Hall and a top prospect trying to make the team like Lysell for only a few days is certainly a relief.

  • The Arizona Coyotes announced they have recalled forward Michael Carcone from the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. Carcone, who is entering the second year of a two-year, two-way deal, had only just cleared waivers yesterday. The 26-year-old winger is a veteran of six AHL seasons, and just made his NHL debut last year for Arizona where he contributed four goals and two assists in 21 games. Clearing waivers may not feel like a great sign for a player, however given Arizona’s current state as well as Carcone’s track record of AHL production and his NHL contributions last season, he should still be able to find opportunities going forward.
  • For his career, when healthy, forward Drake Caggiula has proven he can be an impactful depth player for whatever team he’s been on. The key words there, though, are ’when healthy.’ Perhaps the most notable injury of Caggiula’s came last season, when the forward missed the final 64 games of the Buffalo Sabres’ season with a herniated disc in his neck. Recently, Caggiula had a chance to speak with Trib Live’s Seth Rorabaugh about his injury last season, his recovery, and his play this preseason. The forward mentioned that before his surgery in February, not only was he unable to play hockey, but his quality of life was severely impacted. However, after having surgery, relief was immediate and he was able to recover. Now, the 28 year old says he feels fully healthy. That much appears clear now, not just from Caggiula’s own words, but he has impressed in training camp as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who he signed a one-year, two-way contract with this summer. In three intra-squad scrimmages, Caggiula has three goals, in addition to scoring the Penguins’ only goal of the day in today’s 3-1 loss to the Sabres.
  • The San Jose Sharks and GM Mike Grier today announced several new hockey operations hires. Dominik Zrim, Director of Salary Cap Management/CBA Compliance; A.J. Bernstein, Coordinator, Hockey Analytics; Martin Uhnak, European Scout, Czechia, Slovakia, Germany, Switzerland; Cody Ward, Assistant Video Coach; and Brian Ganz, Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach. Already with the Sharks, but now promoted, is Stephen DiLustro, who was promoted to Director of Strength and Conditioning, who had been working under Mike Potenza in that role. Interestingly, Zrim is one of the co-founders of website CapFriendly, which tracks player transactions and salary, as well as salary cap related topics.

Latest On Montreal Canadiens Rebuild

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For many, looking at the Montreal Canadiens’ situation from afar, they would classify it as a “rebuild.” After appearing in the Stanley Cup Finals in the shortened 2020-21 season, the team was eager to repeat their success, but instead found themselves in the basement of the NHL standings. Not only that, it began to appear more and more clear that future Hall of Fame goaltender Carey Price would be sidelined long-term, if not for good. Losing their once-in-a-generation netminder would seem to make it all the more clear that this was a rebuild.

On Tuesday, Canadiens GM Kent Hughes discussed the state of the franchise with Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Hughes said that early on after being hired (Hughes was named General Manage on January 18th of this year), he and his boss, Jeff Gorton, had declined to put any sort of label on their plans, whether that be a rebuild, a retool, a reset, or something else. However, when pressed by LeBrun about whether Price’s status impacts the direction of Montreal’s plans, Hughes said “I think so” before adding, “[I]f we had a fully healthy Carey Price,” then remarking that they did owe it to Price to try and remain competitive.

While Hughes still failed to put a label on their plans, being without Price for the 2022-23 season and likely beyond seems to push Montreal closer to a more conventional rebuild. Had Price been healthy and the the player everyone has come to expect, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to think that Montreal, with a few changes, could become competitive rather easily. Now, without a game-changer like Price, Montreal could opt to change course and take things slow.

When it comes to labeling the team’s process, one might wonder why the team would avoid doing so, and that reasoning could, of course, simply be subjective. On his reasoning, Hughes says, “people can put different connotations on what a rebuild means versus a reset or a re-tool. To me, they’re just words.” Instead, Hughes added, it’s more about trying to build something while not limiting his flexibility as far as conforming to the timeline and process that his words have put him into.

That seems to make the most sense for any team in this sort of situation, but especially the Canadiens. For one, there is a chance, albeit small, they could have Price back in the future. Second, this group has recently had great success. And third, although the team finished dead last in the entire league last season, there was a noticeable positive change after current head coach Martin St. Louis replaced Dominique Ducharme behind the bench, not to mention their injury situation, which was among the worst in the NHL.

Some might worry that Hughes’ unwillingness to put a label on the process constitutes unwarranted optimism that there may be no long-term tear down or protecting his and the team’s image as they prepare for a long-term teardown, and that concern may be fair. However, consider a similar situation that played out a few hundred miles south of Montreal with the New York Rangers. Recall in early 2018 when Rangers management, including Gorton himself, somewhat infamously issued a statement to fans, essentially advising them of a full-scale rebuild after years of success.

Many feared the worst after the team had traded an overwhelming majority of its prospects and draft picks in the years prior. But, the organization was able to hit on a number of their draft picks, many of which they acquired when they traded away veterans from their team. They were also fortunate to score in the draft lottery by securing a first and second overall pick, used to select Alexis Lafreniere in 2020 and Kaapo Kakko in 2019, respectively. Add on to that the acquisition of Adam Fox, who developed into a Norris Trophy-winning defenseman and the emergence of superstar netminder Igor Shesterkin. Perhaps most notable was, just 17 months after their announcement of a rebuild, the team signed superstar Artemi Panarin to a blockbuster deal.

Two seasons after that announcement, the Rangers found themselves as a play-in team in the 2020 bubble; three years later, they were in the playoff hunt up until the last week or so of the regular season; and four years after, they were big-time buyers at the trade deadline, gearing up for a Stanley Cup run. Sure, the Rangers were far more clear about their intentions (not many teams explicitly state their intention in a letter to fans either), but Hughes vagueness could give him the opportunity to assess his situation as it progresses and see where it fits. Perhaps there’s more good fortune beyond number one overall selection Juraj Slafkovsky and the process is accelerated like in New York; perhaps it’s a little longer and more deliberate like that of the Ottawa Senators or Detroit Red Wings; or perhaps it’s a drawn out, full-scale rebuild like the Arizona Coyotes. For now though, based on Hughes’ comments, flexibility in the process will be the name of the game in Montreal.

Evening Notes: Nylander, Maple Leafs Injuries, Sillinger

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The Toronto Maple Leafs and their fans figure to have a tense few months throughout the 2023-24 NHL calendar, as superstar Auston Matthews will be eligible for an extension, and should he choose not to pursue one in Toronto, could head to the UFA market. But, even if Matthews were to re-sign, the UFA worry wouldn’t stop there, as William Nylander is also set to hit the market in the summer of 2024. It doesn’t feel like too long ago when Nylander held out as an RFA, ultimately signing a six-year, $45MM deal at the last minute on December 1st of 2018, but that long-term deal is now more than halfway complete.

Recently, The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel had a chance to sit down with Nylander to discuss his future. When asked about the possibility of an extension with the Maple Leafs or testing the free agent market, Nylander said it wasn’t something he had really thought much of, but added that it would be “unreal to stay,” especially if the team could go on a deep playoff run before then. Looking deeper into an extension, Siegel opines that if Nylander can build upon his 2021-22, where he had 80 points in 81 games, and help Toronto make a deep playoff run, not only does an extension with the Maple Leafs become more likely, but it could push his number to at least $9MM per season. On the other hand, if Toronto is still unable to take the next step in the playoffs, they could opt to move on from Nylander. Of course, there is still plenty of time for Nylander to establish who he is as a talent and two more postseasons before his contract formally expires but, as one of five members of a group of Maple Leafs superstars who may figure to earn a raise from his $6.96MM cap hit, the Maple Leafs could be poised to make an interesting decision either way.

  • Sticking with the Maple Leafs, the team lost two of its defenseman in tonight’s preseason contest against the Montreal Canadiens before the game was even half over. Veteran Jordie Benn, who signed with Toronto this offseason, suffered an undisclosed injury early on in the first period and left the game. The Maple Leafs have since announced that he will not return to the game for precautionary reasons. Also injured was Carl Dahlstrom, who the team soon after announced would not return to the game for precautionary reasons. Losing the pair puts the Maple Leafs in a tough circumstance early on in a preseason game, left with just four defenseman. At one point, forwards Calle Jarnkrok and Alexander Kerfoot were taking shifts on defense for Toronto.
  • Aaron Portzline of The Athletic tweeted that, per Columbus Blue Jackets radio host Dylan Tyrer, forward Cole Sillinger skated today in a non-contact sweater after he suffered an upper-body injury on the first day of training camp. Today’s skate was Sillinger’s first since the injury, and no timetable for a more formal return has been disclosed.

Tyson Hinds Signs With Anaheim Ducks

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The Anaheim Ducks have signed defenseman Tyson Hinds to a three-year, entry-level contract, per a team release. Financial terms have not been disclosed.

Hinds, selected 76th overall by the Ducks in the 2021 NHL Draft, has been an impressive performer throughout rookie camp and preseason. The team made an extra effort to select him at the draft, trading their 2022 third-round selection to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for the pick.

A 2003-born player, Hinds will return to the QMJHL for 2022-23, where he’s spent the last three seasons of his career with three different teams (Shawinigan, Rimouski, Sherbrooke). In 2021-22, split between Rimouski and Sherbrooke, Hinds had 12 goals, 23 assists, and 35 points in 61 games. He added a goal and three assists for four points in 11 playoff games for Sherbrooke.

Anaheim Ducks Forward Max Jones Out Day-To-Day

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According to Anaheim Ducks assistant coach Mike Stothers and relayed by The Athletic’s Eric Stephens, forward Max Jones is out day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Jones, the team’s 24th overall selection in the 2016 NHL Draft, played just two games last season before suffering a torn chest muscle and missing practically the entire campaign. While this lower-body injury has nothing to do with that chest injury, Stephens notes the team is exercising extra caution with Jones, and rightfully so.

With a career-high of just 12 points and having never played more than 59 games in a season, Jones hasn’t exhibited the offensive potential you’d hope for out of a first-round pick. High-end scoring was never Jones’ appeal, though. Rather, his 6′ 3″, 216-pound frame and willingness for physicality made him an attractive prospect for the Ducks at the time.

If he can manage to stay healthy, Jones is again expected to contend for a role in the team’s bottom six. With some added offensive depth over the offseason, Jones could get a chance to have a breakout season with some better linemates.

Top Blues Prospect Scott Perunovich Leaves Game With Injury

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Defenseman Scott Perunovich is one of the very best prospects the St. Louis Blues have in their system – if he stays healthy. Injuries have been a serious concern for him in the past, and they may be unfortunately continuing now. The Blues announced that Perunovich left tonight’s preseason game against the Chicago Blackhawks with an upper-body injury and will not return.

Perunovich took a hit along the boards from Blackhawks forward Michal Teply, causing his arm/wrist area to make awkward contact with the glass.

St. Louis’ 45th overall pick in 2018, Perunovich missed the entire 2020-21 season with an injury after a spectacular junior season with the University of Minnesota Duluth. In 2019-20, he registered an assist per game and finished the year with 40 points in 34 games. Despite the missed season, Perunovich didn’t seem to miss a step in 2021-22, scoring 22 points in just 17 games with the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds and registering six assists in his first 19 NHL games with the Blues. He now has just played those 36 games combined over the last two seasons, and the 24-year-old is losing precious development time.

Perunovich figured to challenge for a top-four role with the Blues this season, especially with veteran Marco Scandella on the injured list. Hopefully, Perunovich’s injury isn’t long-term and he’s able to rebound and get back to health before the regular season begins.

NHL Reportedly Notifying Teams Of “Sharp” Salary Cap Increase

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Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the NHL has been informing and preparing teams for a sharp salary cap increase over the next three seasons. If it holds true, it’s a landmark point financially in the league’s post-COVID operations and continued growth.

According to Friedman’s reporting, the salary cap will still increase its projected $1MM incremental climb in 2023-24, setting next year’s cap at $83.5MM. However, while original projections labelled a big salary cap jump coming in the 2025 offseason, later reporting, now fortified by Friedman’s report, signifies that a notable jump will likely come a year earlier. The 2024-25 salary cap will be reportedly set around the $87.5-$88MM mark, while the 2025-26 salary cap would be set around $92MM.

The roughly $4MM salary cap Upper Limit increase per season is much more in line with the league’s pre-COVID growth, if not more. The cap rose anywhere between $2MM and $4MM per season between 2015-16 and 2019-20, but now with two additional teams bringing in revenue, it makes sense that the figures would climb a bit more dramatically.

The sharper nature of the increase also looks a lot of recently signed long-term extensions look a lot smarter. Take Nathan MacKinnon’s eight-year extension, for example. While his $12.6MM cap hit will be worth roughly 15% of the team’s total cap space in 2023-24, that percentage will drop to around 13.7% in a $92MM-cap world for 2025-26. The percentage will only continue to decrease from that point onward.

Now, extend that $4MM-per-season growth over the life of MacKinnon’s contract. The salary cap would be $112MM in 2030-31, the final year of his deal, where the contract would be worth just 11.25% of the team’s total cap. That’s equivalent to a roughly $9.25MM cap hit in 2022-23.

Suffice it to say, it’s great news for both teams and players if the reported projections indeed hold true.

Evening Notes: PWHPA, Hischier, Hodgson

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There’s some exciting news coming on the women’s hockey front. In an interview with The Hockey News’ Ian Kennedy, Canadian National Team captain Marie Philip-Poulin confirmed that the current touring structure for PWHPA games will turn into a league for the 2023-24 season, bringing two professional women’s leagues back into the fold for the first time since the CWHL and NWHL were both active.

The PWHPA Dream Gap Tour is the main pool of talent that Canada and the United States select for their national teams. They’ve effectively been limited to playing exhibition games without a league structure governing competition, although that shouldn’t diminish the level of talent and competition on display. A league structure should bring more financial stability and a better plan for growing the women’s game in North America.

  • New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier left the team’s in-progress preseason game against the Montreal Canadiens at the first intermission. The team reports that Hischier’s absence is simply due to cramping and that he won’t return to the game for precautionary reasons. Hischier registered a shot on goal and played 6:24 in the first period, his preseason debut.
  • Philadelphia Hockey Now’s Sam Carchidi tabs winger Hayden Hodgson as a candidate to crack the Flyers’ roster out of camp this year. Hodgson made waves in the Flyers organization this season after a breakout year in AHL Lehigh Valley, earning an NHL contract near the end of the season and a six-game call-up, where he registered three points. Hodgson hadn’t even played in the AHL since 2017-18, spending every season since then entirely in the ECHL (and partly in Slovakia).

Training Camp Notes: Stone, Biakabutuka, Mangiapane

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Injury troubles plagued the Vegas Golden Knights last season, something they can ill-afford a repeat of in 2022-23. There’s some good news on that front regarding one of their star players, though, as right wing Mark Stone skated in a contact jersey today for the first time during training camp.

The Golden Knights will count on Stone to have a rebound year as their captain, especially with their offensive depth thinning. The 2021 Selke Trophy finalist and 2019 runner-up played in just 37 games due to injury last season, registering nine goals, 21 assists, and 30 points. Hopefully, the serious back injuries that plagued him last season don’t become a long-term issue for the 30-year-old.

  • Somewhat of a rarity these days, a player attending camp on an amateur tryout might do well enough to earn a contract within the organization. Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen notes that the Red Wings have been impressed with defenseman Jérémie Biakabutuka, with head coach Derek Lalonde complimenting his skating and compete level. The 20-year-old is set to return to the QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders next season but could receive an NHL entry-level contract from Detroit or receive an AHL offer from the Grand Rapids Griffins when his season is over.
  • Calgary Flames winger Andrew Mangiapane was a full participant in camp today after missing the first four days of group skates with what the team called a “minor lower-body injury.” He made his return to scrimmages skating on a line with newcomer Nazem Kadri, a role he’s likely to reprise in the regular season as well. Mangiapane is coming off a career-high 35 goals and 55 points.

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