Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for April 2018

Columbus Sends Several Players To World Championships

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Every year when a team is eliminated in the first round, calls come in from the various World Championship teams to see if they are willing (and healthy enough) to suit up for their respective countries. For the Columbus Blue Jackets, many players in the organization received those calls.

Brian Hedger of NHL.com relays the list from GM Jarmo Kekalainen. Ryan Murray (Canada), Pierre-Luc Dubois (Canada), Cam Atkinson (USA), Dean Kukan (Switzerland), Markus Nutivaara (Finland), Alexandre Texier (France) and Matiss Kivlenieks (Latvia) will all be playing in the tournament.

The appearance will be a first for Dubois, who just last season was competing for Canada at the World Junior Championship. 2017-18 saw a huge leap in his development, as he went from an inconsistent junior year to a reliable top-line center on a playoff team. With four points in his first taste of the NHL postseason, Dubois is set up for a long career of impressive moments. The 19-year old could add another one by playing a big role on Team Canada.

For Atkinson, it will be only his second appearance at the tournament despite some great seasons over the past half decade. Though he was only able to play in 65 games for the Blue Jackets this year, he once again showed that he can be a top offensive producer and earned himself a seven-year extension. Atkinson’s small stature hasn’t slowed him down against top competition, and he’ll likely be asked to play a big role for USA Hockey over the next few weeks.

The tournament starts on May 4th, in Denmark.

Philadelphia Flyers Will Not Re-Sign Manning, Oduya, Read

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Philadelphia Flyers face a long offseason after being eliminated from the first round of the playoffs, but GM Ron Hextall has already made some key decisions. Speaking with media today, he made it clear that Matt Read, Johnny Oduya and Brandon Manning would not be re-signed by the club. The team’s other unrestricted free agent, Valtteri Filppula, is still being considered for a new deal.

Hextall, according to John Boruk of NBC Sports Philadelphia, also doesn’t plan on buying out Jori Lehtera at the moment and will bring back the same coaching staff.

None of the three players set to hit the open market should come as much of a surprise, after their play declined rapidly the last few years. Read, who was one of the most impactful college free agents of the last decade, was dragged down by a hefty $3.65MM cap hit and spent most of this season in the minor leagues. After scoring 24 goals as a rookie in 2011-12, he recorded just 30 over the length of his latest four-year $14.5MM contract extension. For a much smaller price, someone around the league could take a chance on him as a bottom-six player, but he’ll hit free agency at age-32 and could have to settle for a two-way deal.

Oduya, claimed off waivers just before the trade deadline, played just a single game for the Flyers this season. He battled injury and inconsistency this season in both Ottawa and Philadelphia, and will be 37 when next season begins. There may not be many suitors for him, though his solid history may get him a look somewhere as a depth defender.

Manning is perhaps the most interesting, after setting a career-high with 19 points this season. The 27-year old defenseman has serious warts to his game, but regularly posts solid possession numbers and will likely demand a relatively low price tag. He could be a sneaky pickup for a team in the league looking for some help on the blue line, though no one should consider him an answer to top-4 struggles.

International Notes: Koskinen, Yakovlev, Lyubushkin, Yelesin

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

In the always enlightening 31 Thoughts column by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, he touches on several international players that are on the radar for NHL teams. Starting with goaltender Mikko Koskinen, who he reports recently agreed to a deal with Edmonton, Friedman has also heard—but can’t confirm one way or the other—the $2.5MM/year rumor that has been floating around.

Though nothing has been announced by the team, a deal of that magnitude for the 29-year old goaltender would likely mean the team has plans for him at the NHL level, perhaps as part of a tandem with Cam Talbot next season.

  • The Vancouver Canucks could sign Par Lindholm according to Friedman, or at least have the best shot at this point. The 26-year old Swedish center competed at the Olympics this year and was one of the SHL’s most dangerous offensive weapons. With 47 points in 49 games he ranked fourth in league scoring.
  • Friedman reports that Yegor Yakovlev is expected to sign with the New Jersey Devils, after another good season with SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL. The 26-year old defenseman played at the Olympics as well, and is heading to the World Championships for Russia.
  • Ilya Lyubushkin (24) and Alexander Yelesin (22), two young Russian defensemen are also expected to sign, though Friedman only sources overseas reports that say the former is headed to Arizona. We’ll have to wait to see where exactly they end up.
  • Bogdan Kiselevich is also still on NHL radar, with Friedman reporting that “several teams continue to chase” him. Kiselevich, 28, has been playing in the KHL for years and was even selected in the CHL import draft way back in 2008. He was an alternate captain for CSKA Moscow this season, but becomes a free agent in a few days.

Nashville Predators Sign Miroslav Svoboda

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Nashville Predators have some of the league’s best goaltending, with a duo of Pekka Rinne and Juuse Saros that looks poised to challenge for the Stanley Cup this season. Still, they’re committed to strengthening the position by signing more international talent. The team has signed top Czech goaltender Miroslav Svoboda to a two-year entry-level contract.

Svoboda was arguably the best goaltender in the Czech league this season, recording a 33-14 record with a .926 save percentage including five shutouts. The 23-year old goaltender was drafted in the seventh round by the Edmonton Oilers as an over-aged player in 2015, but never signed. The fact that he now has means he’s likely ready to start his North American career, one that could progress quickly.

The 6’3″ goaltender joins a group of youngsters that could be used should Rinne decide to sign elsewhere after the 2018-19 season. Scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent next summer, Rinne will be 36 years old and likely looking for one last contract. If Nashville decides Saros is ready to take over full-time, the team will need to find a backup. Svoboda will be competing for that role, along with several other international prospects.

Red Wings Notes: Rasmussen, Kronwall

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Detroit Red Wings were questioned by some when they selected Michael Rasmussen in last season’s draft. A strong preseason showing poured a little cold water on some of the criticism, and Rasmussen’s playoff performance with Tri-City has amped up the excitement surrounding the young prospect. Through 11 games in the WHL playoffs, Rasmussen has 29 points (14-15) and recorded yet another multi-point game in an 8-4 loss Tuesday evening. The Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James writes that the Tri-City captain is making a very strong case to crack the Red Wings roster in the fall. The 9th overall pick in the draft has spent time on the wing during the playoffs, and seems to be developing into the big bodied, scoring forward Detroit envisioned when they drafted him. Of course, the NHL game is entirely different than juniors, but it’s a positive development for a team that has finally seemed to embrace the idea of a rebuild.

  • MLive’s Ansar Khan reports that defenseman Niklas Kronwall is looking forward to a mentoring role next season in what will be the final year of his contract. Khan predicts that next season will be Kronwall’s final year in Hockeytown, as the 37-year-old has been playing on a wonky knee but still managed to defy Father Time with a stronger than expected season. Now, Kronwall will be counted onto mentor the younger defensemen rising through the system, namely Filip Hronek, Joe Hicketts, Libor Sulak and Dennis Cholowski. Khan writes that while some of those dmen could reach Detroit next season, he quotes Kronwall as saying:

    “We’ve seen some guys up front (Dylan Larkin, Anthony Mantha, Andreas Athanasiou, Tyler Bertuzzi), and I think it’s definitely time for the back end to also get rejuvenated with some young players.

    “It’s time for these young guys on D to take another step and get a shot at playing for the team. It starts with hard work. Have a good camp. Both Hronek and Cholowski seem to have had really good years. It will be awesome, and I very much look forward to watching them play.”

NHL Announces Jack Adams Award Finalists

at CDT | by 6 Comments

There won’t be much debate about the nominees for this award. The finalists for the Jack Adams Award, given each year to the NHL’s best head coach, have been released by the NHL Broadcasters’ Association. Reported first by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the 2018 finalists are the Boston Bruins’ Bruce Cassidy, the Colorado Avalanche’s Jared Bednar, and the Vegas Golden Knights’ Gerard Gallant. 

With all due respect to Cassidy and Bednar, the Jack Adams this season has been a foregone conclusion for some time, with only a race for second-place ongoing. The work that Gallant has done in the inaugural season for the expansion Golden Knights has been nothing short of miraculous. Gallant took a hotchpot of cast-off players from around the league who had never played together before and turned them into the most successful expansion team in North American sports history. Vegas’ roster is the definition of a sum greater than its parts, as no one could have predicted the success that this team would have based on the past performances of its players. That has a lot to do with Gallant, who has gotten his players to buy in to the system and it had rewarded them in turn.

Cassidy and Bednar rightfully deserve the recognition, though. Cassidy’s nomination feels like a continuation of his success to close out the 2016-17 season as well; the Bruins are 68-38-13 since Cassidy took over for Claude Julien last February. Under his guidance, rookies like Charlie McAvoy, Jake DeBrusk, and Danton Heinen have flourished and the Bruins have transformed into one of the best teams in the league. No one could have seen that coming this season. Even more unlikely was a return to the playoffs for the Avalanche, however. Bednar worked his magic on a young, inexperienced, and somewhat incomplete lineup, helping Nathan MacKinnon to an MVP-caliber season and leading the team to nearly double the success from a historically bad 2016-17 campaign, going from 48 points to 95 points.

While Gallant may be the overwhelming favorite for the award this season, this is a class of Jack Adams finalists that will be looked back on as one of the best and most deserving of all time, with three head coaches who truly “contributed to his team’s success”.

Front Office Updates: Hurricanes, Wild, Islanders

at CDT | by 2 Comments

When last the Carolina Hurricanes’ GM search was updated, it was a distressing situation with several candidates reporting that they were not interested in the position. At least one initial candidate has remained in conversation with new owner Tom Dundon, though. Buffalo Sabres Assistant GM Steve Greeley will be in Raleigh again tomorrow, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger. Greeley will have his follow-up interview for the ’Canes GM job, which right now puts him two interviews ahead of most other potential candidates. Since his last interview, Carolina has added finding a new head coach to the top of the list of duties for whoever fills their GM role. Bill Peters opted out of his position as Carolina’s coach last week, leaving the team with two major vacancies to fill. Despite a strong and eclectic resume – in addition to the Sabres’ AGM, Greeley has been the New York Rangers’ Assistant Director of Player Personnel, an associate head coach at Boston University, and a pro scout for the Los Angeles Kings – hiring a coach is something Greeley does not have experience with. Although, neither does Dundon, so perhaps Greeley’s lack of background in that one area won’t affect his candidacy.

  • One of the first people to back out of Carolina’s search last month was Nashville Predators Assistant GM Paul Fenton. It now appears that Fenton simply wasn’t interested in that particular job, as he is clearly focused on another opening. Earlier today, Fenton was tabbed as one of the favorites for the newly-open Minnesota Wild GM job. Now it had been confirmed (subscription required) by The Athletic’s Michael Russo that Fenton was actually in Minneapolis all day today to have his initial interview for the Wild position. Per Russo, Fenton spent the day with Wild owner Craig Leipold and team president Matt Majka. By all accounts, this is the first interview for Minnesota’s GM vacancy, which firmly places Fenton as the leading candidate.
  • The man who Fenton would be replacing is Chuck Fletcher, whose successful albeit unspectacular run in Minnesota came to end on Monday. However, Fletcher did build a perennial playoff team and is well-respected across the league. For that reason, it would be a surprise to see him unemployed for very long. One possible fit is with the New York Islanders, who are seeking a “top executive” to work with Garth Snow. Fenton was considered a candidate for this job as well, but now that Fletcher is available, he could be the top option. Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal even thinks that Fletcher is a strong enough hockey mind to not only assist Snow, but supplant him.

Wayne Simmonds Played Through Torn Pelvis, Broken Ankle

at CDT | by 4 Comments

Wayne Simmonds held court in his season-ending media availability today, and shocked all that listened as he listed off the injuries he dealt with this season. According to Adam Kimelman of NHL.com, Simmonds had a torn pelvis in training camp but played through it all season. The Philadelphia Flyers forward also suffered a pulled groin in mid-October, broke his ankle in late October on a Shayne Gostisbehere shot, and tore a ligament in his hand in February.

Simmonds played in 75 games, the lowest total of his career (not counting the shortened season).

Missing time only for the hand injury, these other ailments may be to blame for Simmonds’ relatively weak offensive output. After averaging 30 goals the last four seasons, he registered just 24 this season and posted only 46 points. That’s his lowest total in a full season since 2010-11 when he was still with the Los Angeles Kings.

Still, Simmonds is an extremely effective player when healthy and is on one of the most team-friendly contracts in the league. Earning just under $4MM per season, Simmonds is eligible for a contract extension on July 1st and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2019. Along with the rest of the 2019 “Superclass”—which includes players like Erik Karlsson, Drew Doughty, Tyler Seguin and Jeff Skinner—Simmonds could get locked up to a long-term deal this summer. His performance for the Flyers has been outstanding, and his involvement in the community even more so. Named one of the finalists for the Mark Messier Leadership Award, Simmonds would likely have 30 teams knocking on his door if he hit free agency.

Andrew Shaw Undergoes Knee Surgery, Out Six Months

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Montreal Canadiens are already having injury troubles for the 2018-19 season, and it is still months away. After announcing that Paul Byron would miss up to six months following shoulder surgery, the Canadiens today released news on Andrew Shaw. Shaw has undergone knee surgery and will also be out a minimum of six months, meaning he won’t be ready for the start of next season.

Shaw has struggled to stay healthy in a Montreal uniform, playing just 119 games in the two seasons since they acquired him from the Chicago Blackhawks. GM Marc Bergevin sent two second-round picks to the Blackhawks for Shaw, citing his Stanley Cup pedigree as a big reason for the acquisition. He then handed him a six-year $23.4MM contract, that hasn’t yet paid off for the club.

Contributing just 22 goals and 49 points across two seasons, Shaw was also held scoreless in five playoff games last spring and couldn’t help the Canadiens reach the postseason this year. Though he has shown flashes of offensive potential, he hasn’t been a consistent enough contributor to the squad to make up for the initial cost. Luckily, he’ll have lots of time to turn that around as he’s still just 26-years old and under contract for four more seasons.

The Canadiens have a huge offseason in front of them, and some had suggested that Shaw was a potential buyout candidate to clear some extra room in order to go for a big fish (see: John Tavares) in free agency. That won’t be possible now with him injured, though it was unlikely anyway regardless of his disappointing season.

Nathan Walker Recalled From AHL

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Washington Capitals have recalled Nathan Walker from the AHL, though it is unlikely that he’ll get into a game unless several injuries strike. The Capitals are already carrying 16 forwards on their playoff roster, meaning Walker is likely just a “Black Ace” that will practice with the team for the duration of the postseason.

Walker made his NHL debut this season, becoming the first Australian player in NHL history. He ended up playing in seven games for the Capitals, while also spending two games with the Edmonton Oilers between waiver claims. The 24-year old forward scored his first NHL goal and recorded 22 points for the Hershey Bears, but isn’t known only for his offense.

Despite his small stature, Walker is an energy player capable of grinding down defenders with his unending forecheck and using his speed to be responsible at both ends of the rink. Though he didn’t make much of an impact this season, there is a chance he could play a more regular role with Washington next season while they deal with a cap crunch. Signed through next season, he’ll become a Group VI unrestricted free agent in 2019 if he doesn’t play in 71 games.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top