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Archives for April 2018

Francois Beauchemin Confirms Retirement From NHL

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After one last season with the Anaheim Ducks in which he was called upon more often than many expected, Francois Beauchemin has called it quits. The veteran NHL defenseman confirmed his retirement on 98.5 Sports radio in Montreal. Explaining that it’s time to take care of his children, Beauchemin will hang up his skates after parts of 14 seasons in the NHL.

Selected in the third round back in 1998 by the Montreal Canadiens, Beauchemin struggled through his first few professional seasons, even spending time in the ECHL. The smooth-skating two-way defender had holes in his game that needed to be ironed out, and eventually found himself on waivers after failing to make the Canadiens once again. Claimed by Columbus and then later traded to Anaheim (as part of a package for Sergei Fedorov), it likely was the best thing that could happen to his career.

Beauchemin would become a huge part of the Ducks defense immediately, and form a player-organization bond that would span three stints and more than a decade. In his first season he logged more than 24 minutes a night for the club, something that would become a hallmark of his career. A premiere minute-eater, Beauchemin averaged over 23 minutes a night for his entire career, and would be a necessary third wheel to Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger for years.

In 2006-07, just his second season with the Ducks, Beauchemin raised the Stanley Cup after defeating the Ottawa Senators in five games. He averaged more than 30 minutes per game during that playoff run, more even than his two legendary teammates.

His career would continue to Toronto, then back to Anaheim, then to Colorado before finishing with this final season in Anaheim. Signed in the offseason after a buyout from the Avalanche, he was expected to be a depth option while the team dealt with injuries to Sami Vatanen and Hampus Lindholm. Instead, he would lead the team in blocked shots and play a key role in getting them back to the playoffs.

Beauchemin finishes his career with 288 points in 903 career games, logging over 21,295 minutes in all. He finished fourth in Norris trophy voting during the shortened 2012-13 season, and was named to the Second All-Star Team in the same year.

Montreal Canadiens Sign Alexandre Alain

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The Montreal Canadiens have signed undrafted free agent Alexandre Alain to a three-year, entry-level contract. Alain is still playing with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in the QMJHL playoffs, where the team has advanced to the semi-finals and leads Charlottetown two games to none.

There is a lot to like about Alain, who has taken strong steps forward every year of his junior career. Initially seen as a future dynamic two-way center prospect, he struggled to create offense in his first few seasons and needed a trade from Gatineau to really find his game. This season he took it to another level, producing 87 points in just 65 games and adding another 19 in 11 playoff contests.

Absolutely one of the hardest centers in the league to match up against, there isn’t a single moment Alain stops working on the ice. His tenacity and willingness to go into rough areas are what have really stood out to scouts, even before his offense caught up with him this season.

Somewhat unfortunately, to stick as a center in the professional ranks there needs to be more than just work ethic. He’ll need to show that he can be a consistent offensive producer—or at least facilitate for his linemates—to ever sniff the NHL, though there is certainly a role for him in the minor leagues as the Canadiens try to find more depth down the middle. Alain was playing as an over-ager in junior, meaning he’ll be heading to the AHL’s Laval Rocket next season.

Buffalo Sabres Sign Victor Olofsson To Entry-Level Contract

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The Buffalo Sabres have added another interesting piece to their prospect pool, signing Victor Olofsson to a two-year entry-level contract. Olofsson is fresh off his latest season in Sweden, and could be headed to North America for the 2018-19 season.

Selected in the seventh round back in 2014, Olofsson exploded offensively this season for Frolunda in the SHL. He led the league in goals with 27, and finished with 43 points in 50 games. The undersized winger may have been overlooked for several years, but could no longer be ignored after an outstanding season.

The Sabres now list the 22-year old Olofsson at 5’11” 173-lbs, but his biggest test will still come with the physicality of the North American game. His knack for finding open space and getting the puck off his stick extremely quickly will come in handy, but the first challenge will be dealing with the rigors of the AHL. Even if he doesn’t immediately become a top line option for Rochester, his addition is another injection of skill into an organization that desperately needs it.

2017-18 Finalists For Mark Messier Leadership Award

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The NHL has revealed the nominees for another award, naming Deryk Engelland, Wayne Simmonds and Blake Wheeler finalists for the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award. The award is given “to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice during the regular season.”

Nick Foligno was the last to win the award, when he took it home in 2017 alongside the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. Prior to that, several captains including Jonathan Toews, Sidney Crosby and Mats Sundin had taken home the award. For a full list of winners see here.

Though Engelland isn’t technically the captain of the Vegas Golden Knights, he has taken many players under his wing as they adjust to life in Las Vegas. Engelland, a native of the city even before being selected in the expansion draft, was also involved heavily in the #VegasStrong movement after the mass shooting that occurred just before the season began. He addressed the Golden Knights’ crowd directly before their first game, explaining his connection to the city and pledged the team’s help in the healing process.

Simmonds, an alternate captain for the Philadelphia Flyers, has long been involved in community outreach and is a board member with the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation. This season, Simmonds has opened up about his struggles as a black hockey player and been a leader in the Hockey Is For Everyone cause, helping younger players of color to follow their dreams regardless of the challenges that still may lay before them.

Regarded as one of the most well-respected leaders around the game, Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler is an ambassador for the True North Youth Foundation and his wife, Sam, sits on the foundation’s board. The couple have led several functions and events to help underprivileged youths in the area. His effect on his teammates is easy to see from the outside, and often mentioned in media availability.

All three players were key reasons why their squads made the 2017-18 playoffs, and continue to be positive influences on the game of hockey.

Follow @pfrumors (ProFootballRumors.com) For The Latest NFL Draft News

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It’s NFL Draft week! This year’s draft is full of intrigue and you’ll want to stay tuned to Pro Football Rumors for every update whether you’re a casual or hardcore NFL fan.

The draft is hours away and we still don’t know who the No. 1 overall pick will be. Many believe the Browns will take either USC quarterback Sam Darnold or Wyoming QB Josh Allen with the top choice, but the latest word indicates that Oklahoma signal caller Baker Mayfield is in consideration. The Browns could throw everyone an even bigger curve by taking Penn State running back Saquon Barkley at No. 1, which would truly throw the rest of the draft board in flux. The Browns have also made it known that they are willing to trade the first pick, so we could see a blockbuster deal involving a team desperate to find their future solution under center.

The uncertainty doesn’t stop there. The Giants, at No. 2, are reportedly enamored with Barkley and are divided on this year’s top QB prospects, so it’s unclear if they will follow through on their expected plan to draft Eli Manning’s successor. The Jets, meanwhile, are grappling with whether to select Mayfield or UCLA QB Josh Rosen, assuming both players fall to them. With so many questions regarding the top three picks, the possibilities are endless for how the remainder of the first round will shake out.

Over the next 48 hours, there will be a myriad of rumors regarding the NFL Draft and Pro Football Rumors will help you separate the wheat from the chaff. To stay plugged in with up-to-the-minute updates, follow Pro Football Rumors on Twitter: @pfrumors.

Snapshots: Kinkaid, Jets, Malkin

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He won’t be facing any Taylor Hall shots, but Keith Kinkaid of the New Jersey Devils is headed to the World Championships for Team USA. Kinkaid started six games in the 2016 tournament, but struggled to find any consistency and his team failed to medal. This time around, things are a little bit different in his career.

Kinkaid essentially took the net from Cory Schneider this season, registering a .913 save percentage in 41 games and showing that he could have what it takes to be a starting goaltender in the NHL. It came at a good time, as the 28-year old goaltender is eligible to sign an extension on July 1st, but could hold out to hit free agency in 2019. Though he struggled in the postseason allowing nine goals on 46 shots, his body of work over a relatively short career is impressive enough to put him among the candidates for a long-term deal on the open market. A good performance at the Worlds would only add to that resume.

  • The Winnipeg Jets happily welcomed Toby Enstrom and Nikolaj Ehlers back to the ice today without their previous non-contact sweaters, meaning a return for the beginning of the second round seems possible. Ehlers played in just four games in the opening series, while Enstrom has yet to suit up in the postseason. According to Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun, Enstrom took his normal place beside Dustin Byfuglien in practice, while Ehlers was alongside Paul Stastny on the second line. Though nothing is official yet, the Jets are expected to kick off their second round series against the Nashville Predators on Friday night.
  • Evgeni Malkin was spotted by The Athletic’s Josh Yohe today, who noted that though there were no apparent casts, the superstar forward was walking with a “hint of a limp.” Malkin didn’t play in Game 6 of the first round, but is apparently “day to day” according to head coach Mike Sullivan. Getting Malkin back soon is imperative for the Pittsburgh Penguins as they prepare for another second round matchup with the Washington Capitals.

Michael DiPietro Gets Invitation To Join Team Canada

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The IIHF World Championships is set to begin May 4th in Denmark, and there have already been plenty of players announced to the Team Canada roster. Add one more name to the goaltending group, as Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 in Vancouver is reporting that Canucks’ draft pick Michael DiPietro has received an invitation. Dhaliwal expects DiPietro to be the third goaltender, but it is still a huge honor for the 18-year old.

Amazingly, DiPietro was cut from the Canadian World Junior squad earlier this season but will now represent the country on an even bigger stage. Carter Hart, the starter for that World Junior team is still in the WHL playoffs with the Everett Silvertips.

DiPietro was the third goaltender off the board last June, selected at the beginning of the third round. He went back to the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL and had another solid season, turning up his performance in the playoffs. Though the Spitfires were eliminated early, it wasn’t their goaltending that lost the series. DiPietro put up a .934 save percentage, stopping 226 shots in six games.

Inviting an unsigned draft pick—DiPietro still has not signed with the Canucks—to join the World Championship team is a lesson Canada may have learned from USA Hockey, who brought along Cal Petersen last year to experience the tournament as a third goaltender.

Taylor Hall Will Not Attend World Championships

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Though he was asked, Taylor Hall has declined an invitation to compete in the upcoming World Championships according to Mike Morreale of NHL.com. Team Canada would have loved to bring the MVP candidate aboard, but after a long season and disappointing playoff exit Hall will take some time off before starting to train for next year.

Hall has always been an excellent players, going back to his first-overall selection in 2010, but he found a new gear this season playing for the New Jersey Devils. With 93 points in 76 games he set a career-high in basically every offensive category, including goals, assists, plus/minus and takeaways. He added six points in the first five playoff games of his career, proving he could perform on the biggest stage. Unfortunately the Devils ran into a powerhouse Tampa Bay team and were eliminated, but still took huge steps forward this season.

On one of the most affordable contracts in the league—$6MM for each of the next two seasons—Hall will concentrate on helping the Devils take another step next season. It’s not like he hasn’t represented Canada in the past, playing in three World Championships and taking home two gold medals.

Offseason Keys: Buffalo Sabres

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While the playoffs are ongoing, many teams have already started their offseason planning.  What storylines lie ahead around the league?  Our Offseason Keys series begins with a look at the Buffalo Sabres.

Things were looking up heading into the year in Buffalo.  In came Jason Botterill as GM and Phil Housley as head coach but the more things changed, the more they stayed the same.  Instead of making a push for the postseason, the opposite happened as they finished dead last in the league, creating a whole new set of questions that will need to be addressed in the months to come.  Here are the keys to their offseason.

Determine Their Starter

Three years ago, former GM Tim Murray dealt a first-round pick to Ottawa in a deal for Robin Lehner with the expectation he’d be their goalie of the present and future.  The results were okay early on but have gotten worse each year.  In 2017-18, he posted a 3.01 GAA with a .908 SV% in 53 games, numbers that were below average for a backup let alone a starter.

Accordingly, it’s fair to wonder as to whether Lehner is still in the long-term plans, something that is exacerbated by his contract situation this summer.  The 26-year-old is a restricted free agent with arbitration eligibility and sits one year away from UFA eligibility.  (His qualifying offer checks in at an even $4MM.)  This is the time where a team would typically want to commit a long-term deal rather than risking having the player opt for arbitration and a one-year deal but given his recent performance, that’s far from a guarantee.

If Lehner isn’t in the long-term plans anymore, than Botterill will have to be active to try to find someone who will be.  Youngster Linus Ullmark isn’t ready to step into a number one NHL role just yet (and backup Chad Johnson isn’t likely to return) so they will have to look outside the organization to find that player.  Unfortunately for Buffalo, the UFA market isn’t ripe with long-term options so a trade may be the way they have to go.

Add A Top Defender

Last summer, Botterill rebuilt the defense, adding Nathan Beaulieu, Marco Scandella, and Victor Antipin to give them more mobility.  The idea made sense in theory as the league trends towards a quicker style of play but the results were not pretty as the team had a league-worst -81 goal differential.

What they added in quantity last summer didn’t compensate for the lack of top defenders they have.  Rasmus Ristolainen is a quality blueliner but the rest of their back end are role players or youngsters that aren’t quite ready for top minutes yet.  That’s not uncommon for rebuilding teams but bringing this same group back with another year of experience likely won’t change too much.

Top-four defensemen are typically in short supply and high demand but if Buffalo wants to get out of the cellar this summer, finding a way to add one has to be a must for Botterill.

New Deal For Reinhart

Last summer, getting a contract extension done for center Jack Eichel was a top priority and they accomplished that.  This offseason, they have another core youngster to lock up in Sam Reinhart and an interesting decision to make along the way.

With Eichel and Ryan O’Reilly down the middle, Reinhart spent a lot of this past season on the wing and he responded well with a career-high 25 goals and 50 points.  However, the 22-year-old was drafted as a center but right now, he’s blocked.  Eichel isn’t going anywhere but could O’Reilly be on the move?  Some of his comments from the end of the season have fueled speculation that he could go which could open up a spot for Reinhart to play his natural position long-term.

As for the contract, has he done enough to bypass a bridge deal?  He has been fairly consistent in his three NHL seasons with his point totals ranging from 44-50.  Does Reinhart have another gear in him to become a top-line player?  If so, then perhaps the time is right for the Sabres to commit long-term.  If they think this is more of his ceiling though, a shorter-term pact may be on the horizon.  It’s not as big of a commitment to make compared to the eight years and $80MM Eichel received last summer but a new deal for Reinhart is still a big item on Buffalo’s to-do list.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Oilers Winger Iiro Pakarinen Signs In KHL

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Oilers winger Iiro Pakarinen is heading back overseas.  A report from Sasha Huttunen and Markku Saarinen of Iltalehti in Finland states that Pakarinen has signed with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL for next season, ending a four-year stint in North America.  The term of the contract is not yet known.

The 26-year-old played in 40 games with Edmonton this past season, posting two goals and an assist while logging just over 10 minutes per night in ice time.  He was more productive at the minor league level after clearing waivers back in December, recording 13 points (9-4-13) in 18 games with their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield.

While he wound up back with the big club down the stretch, the writing was on the wall that Pakarinen was likely to be a player on the fringes in training camp.  As a result, he’s chosen to go where he’ll have a bigger role which could help his chances of landing another NHL look down the road.  While Edmonton can retain his rights for one more year by qualifying him in June (his required offer is a little over $760K), he will become an unrestricted free agent in July of 2019.

As Bruce McCurdy of the Edmonton Journal notes, Pakarinen was one of the more effective penalty killers for the Oilers and with Mark Letestu, who led all Edmonton forwards in shorthanded ice time per game, dealt to Columbus near the trade deadline, GM Peter Chiarelli will likely be on the lookout for some checking help up front in the months to come.

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