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Archives for March 2018

Poll: Will The San Jose Sharks Re-Sign Evander Kane?

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When the NHL trade deadline finally came around, one name that was expected to be the big prize was all but out of the news. Evander Kane’s rumor mill had quieted tremendously in the weeks leading up to the deadline, with Rick Nash taking over as the top rental option. The Buffalo Sabres might have waited too long, as they ended up being unable to secure a first-round draft pick for Kane when they eventually did deal him.

The San Jose Sharks were the eventual buyers, and apparently were the only team to submit a real offer for the enigmatic winger. Much of that probably has to do with the fact that in the 21 games leading up to the deadline, Kane had just five points. It looks like a steal for San Jose now, as Kane has already matched that number in his first three games for the Sharks and provides a scoring boost while the team tries to lock up their position as a Western Conference contender.

The condition on the second-round pick Buffalo did send, is that if the Sharks re-sign Kane the Sabres will receive that much-coveted first rounder. Is that going to happen? No one can tell you for sure, but Kevin Kurz of The Athletic believes that GM Doug Wilson would like to try.

One of the biggest red flags in Kane’s history on the open market would be his lack of playoff experience. The 26-year old has now played 560 games in the NHL without advancing to the postseason, something that the Sharks intend on changing this year. If he helps get them to the playoffs, and shows his capability as a big-bodied scoring threat therein, he could fetch a long-term big money deal on the open market. Even without a long playoff run, he still stands to enter free agency as one of the top offensive options, and ranked third on our Midseason UFA Power Rankings.

Do you believe San Jose will make it work with Kane and convince him to stay? Should they even be considering it? What happens if they get knocked out early, or Kane is a no-show come playoff time? Vote below on whether you think Kane will re-sign with the Sharks, and explain why in the comment section.

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Sam Lafferty Signs Entry-Level Contract With Pittsburgh Penguins

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After Brown University was eliminated from the ECAC hockey tournament on Sunday, Sam Lafferty has signed his two-year entry-level contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Lafferty played four years at Brown, and could have become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Because of his age, a two-year contract was the only thing Pittsburgh could offer.

Selected in the fourth round in 2014, Lafferty has led Brown in scoring the past two seasons and will join the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for the remainder of the season on an amateur tryout. The 6’1″ winger is an excellent athlete that could have a future as a bottom-six player for the Penguins, though they’ll try to coax even more than that out of him at the minor league level. Pittsburgh has had a good run with college players of late, and hope the 23-year old Lafferty is just the latest example to make a quick transition to professional hockey.

Mark Divver of the Providence Journal broke the news on Twitter ahead of time.

Arizona Coyotes Sign Tyler Steenbergen To Entry-Level Contract

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The Arizona Coyotes have inked one of the best goal scorers in the CHL, signing Tyler Steenbergen to a three-year entry-level contract. Steenbergen currently plays for the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL, where he has put up another outstanding offensive season.

Though Steenbergen is used to scoring goals, with 95 over the last two seasons with Swift Current, none have come close to the importance of the gold medal-winning tally for Canada at the most recent World Juniors. Steenbergen, a surprise addition to the team after a scorching start in the WHL, was held off the board the entire tournament until 1:40 remained in a tied gold medal game against Sweden.

Steenbergen was selected in the fifth round in 2017 after going undrafted in his first round of eligibility. He’s done nothing but produce since, and could turn into a legitimate prospect for the Coyotes down the road. Now 20, he’ll join the Tucson Roadrunners next season to see if that scoring touch will carry over to the professional ranks. Though he’s not armed with any one standout skill, he always seems to be in the right place at the right time and can get off his shot quickly even while pressured.

Philadelphia Flyers Sign T.J. Brennan To Two-Year Extension

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The Philadelphia Flyers have signed minor league defenseman T.J. Brennan to a two-year contract extension, keeping the offensive dynamo in the organization for the next couple of seasons. The deal is of the two-way variety, and will carry a $675K average annual value in the NHL. The breakdown is as follows:

  • 2018-19: $650K in NHL, $450K in AHL
  • 2019-20: $700K in NHL, $450K in AHL

Brennan, 28, is arguably the AHL’s best offensive defenseman. A three-time 20-goal scorer, he has 39 points in 48 games this season including only 12 with the man advantage. He is among the best at skating the puck out of his own end, and possesses a booming shot from the point.

In 567 career AHL games, Brennan has 418 points but is still looking for that first Calder Cup. He also doesn’t bring much in terms of NHL upside, as his career has resulted in just 53 games at the highest level. His high-risk offensive nature comes at the expense of some defensive responsibility, something NHL coaches have never been able to trust for very long.

Still, he gives the Flyers another veteran option in the minor leagues to work with their young players and provides some depth should the NHL team face injury. He had been on a two-way deal, and was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent again this summer.

Brock Boeser Diagnosed With Small Fracture, Out Four To Six Weeks

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Though he won’t suit up again for the Vancouver Canucks this season, the news is still relatively positive regarding Brock Boeser. The rookie phenom will make a full recovery in just four to six weeks after suffering a soft tissue injury and small non-displaced fracture in his lower back.

Boeser fell hard into the open bench door after receiving a check from Islanders’ forward Cal Clutterbuck, and immediately clutched his back in pain. He was taken to hospital in an ambulance from the rink, but appears to have avoided serious injury.

The 21-year old winger was having a Calder-worthy season with 55 points in 62 games, but will unfortunately not be able to add to those numbers for the rest of the season. While that may confirm Mathew Barzal as the rookie of the year, Canucks fans will be happy that the injury won’t affect Boeser’s ability to contribute next season.

Ostap Safin Signs Entry-Level Contract With Edmonton Oilers

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The Edmonton Oilers continue to lock up prospects, this time signing Ostap Safin to a three-year entry-level contract. Safin is currently playing in the QMJHL with the Saint John Sea Dogs, but could see some time on an amateur tryout with the Bakersfield Condors before the end of the year.

Safin, selected in the fourth round of the 2017 draft, came over to North America after growing up in the Czech Republic and has found immediate success in the CHL. With 53 points in 56 games, he has excellent potential as a power forward for the Oilers, one who can skate exceptionally well for a player of his size. Now listed at 6’5″ 191-lbs, Safin protects the puck well in the offensive zone and tries to create chances for teammates.

While he may not project as a top line player in the NHL, Safin has already shown more than expected from his fourth-round draft status. His size, speed and deceptive offensive talent has transferred well to Saint John where he leads the team in points, and will soon be tested at the professional level. Since he was drafted out of Europe, he could potentially go to the AHL next season despite being only 19 years old. Otherwise, a return to Saint John could bring about huge offensive numbers as one of the more advanced players in the QMJHL.

Jonathan Cheechoo Officially Retires From Professional Hockey

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Though he hasn’t played in the NHL since 2010, Jonathan Cheechoo has officially announced his retirement from professional hockey. The 37-year old winger had played the last four seasons in the KHL, though wasn’t part of a professional team for the 2017-18 season. The San Jose Sharks, Cheechoo’s most recognizable team, will honor him before their game on March 24th.

Selected in the second round of the 1998 draft, Cheechoo was a dynamic offensive player in the OHL and quickly turned that goal scoring prowess into success in the NHL. In 2005-06 after the lockout, Cheechoo took home the Maurice Richard trophy for leading the NHL in goals with 56. He, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau were nearly impossible to stop (especially on the powerplay), scoring 93, 92 and 86 points respectively that season for the Sharks. Though Thornton and Marleau are still excellent players in the NHL, Cheechoo’s flame would burn brightly and quickly extinguish.

After another impressive season with 69 points, Cheechoo’s offensive production would quickly deteriorate to the point where he registered just 14 points in his final season with the Ottawa Senators. He’d continue to score in the AHL, until leaving for the KHL in 2013 to become one of the league’s more dangerous offensive threats. In four seasons in Russia, Cheechoo put up 164 points in 217 games and was named an All-Star three times. Cheechoo’s NHL career ended with 305 points in 501 games.

In his announcement, Cheechoo thanks the Sharks for giving him a chance in the NHL:

First of all, I would like to thank the San Jose Sharks organization for drafting me and giving me the opportunity of playing in the National Hockey League. We had many awesome years of incredible hockey! I want to thank all of my former teammates. It was an awesome experience to play alongside all of you. You made the game enjoyable and helped me to become a better player and person.

Minor Transactions: 03/06/18

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After a relatively quiet Monday night in the NHL, the league is back with nine games on tap tonight including a few huge matchups. The Tampa Bay Lightning try to tighten their grip on the Atlantic Division against the red hot Florida Panthers, while the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators battle in what could be a first-round matchup. As they prepare for these contests later tonight, we’ll keep track of all the minor movement around the league.

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets will be without Sergei Bobrovsky tonight against the Vegas Golden Knights, meaning Jeff Zatkoff is on his way up to the NHL. Bobrovsky is just dealing with a minor illness, which likely means Joonas Korpisalo will be in net when the Blue Jackets try to keep their playoff hopes alive.
  • The Dallas Stars have recalled Roope Hintz and goaltender Mike McKenna from the minor leagues, both under emergency conditions. That may be confusing as Hintz was also recalled yesterday, but after the Stars’ game against the St. Louis Blues he was returned to Texas—at least for a few hours. McKenna is on his way up because Ben Bishop is out with a minor injury, giving Kari Lehtonen the starting role for the time being.
  • The Buffalo Sabres announced that Kyle Criscuolo is out four to six weeks with an upper-body injury, meaning he’s likely headed for injured reserve through the end of the season. The 25-year old forward made his NHL debut this season, and would have been a welcome addition to the Rochester Americans’ playoff run.

NHL Announces Global Series Schedule

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This season, the NHL returned to their Global Series with events in China and Sweden. Both were considered successes, and now the league has released their plan for the 2018-19 season, which will include four different international cities.

In the preseason, the Global Series Challenge will continue in Switzerland and Germany, while regular season games will be played in Sweden and Finland. The New Jersey Devils, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers and Winnipeg Jets will be the four teams representing the NHL, all four with international stars leading the way.

On October 1st, the Devils will take on SC Bern in Bern, Switzerland, an opportunity for standout rookie Nico Hischier to play once again in his home country. Hischier is the highest ever draft Swiss-born player, selected first overall in 2017.

October 3rd will bring the Oilers to Kolner Haie in Cologne, Germany, to face off against the club team coached by Leon Draisaitl’s father. Draisaitl is from Cologne, and will be a huge draw for the NHL squad in the preseason match.

The season will then be kicked off by a game between the Devils and Oilers in Gothenburg, Sweden, where Oscar Klefbom, Adam Larsson and Jesper Bratt should all be among the prime attractions. Obviously, a matchup of Connor McDavid vs. Taylor Hall is exciting wherever it is, and the league knows marketing their young superstars is an important part of expanding the global brand.

Just a month later, on November 1st and 2nd, the Panthers and Jets will face off in Helsinki, Finland. It’s easy to understand the draw for this game, as Aleksander Barkov and Patrik Laine are among the best Finnish players in the entire league. They’ll put on quite a show for the fans in Helsinki, a city the NHL has visited several times before.

Charlie McAvoy Out With Sprained MCL

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The Boston Bruins have lost one of their most important players, as the team announced that Charlie McAvoy has sprained his left MCL and will be re-evaluated in four weeks. That likely means the rookie defenseman is out for the remainder of the regular season. The injury was suffered on Saturday, when McAvoy tripped over the stick of Brendan Gallagher and fell awkwardly to the ice.

Four weeks from now would actually put McAvoy back in time to play in the last three games of the season, but the idea that he won’t even be evaluated until then is what worries Bruins fans the most. With Boston locked into a playoff spot and fighting for seeding in the Atlantic Division, they need McAvoy back at full health for the postseason. Already arguably their most important defenseman, the 20-year old rookie logs more than 22 minutes a night and is third on the team in hits.

McAvoy made an impression right away with the Bruins, after he was signed last spring and forced into action in the playoffs. In six postseason games, he averaged more than 26 minutes a night and registered three points. Without him, the team today had the deadline acquisition of Nick Holden step into an increased role alongside Torey Krug, while Brandon Carlo skated with Zdeno Chara on the top pairing.

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