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Viktor Svedberg To Attend Calgary Flames Training Camp

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The Calgary Flames already added former Rockford IceHogs goaltender Jeff Glass on a professional tryout, and he’ll be joined by teammate Viktor Svedberg according to Scott Powers of The Athletic. Svedberg wasn’t re-signed by the Chicago Blackhawks this summer after his recent two-year one-way contract expired. He’ll try to earn a similar deal in Calgary, or at least catch on with the organization for the next chapter in his hockey career.

Svedberg, 27, is a gargantuan defenseman that has flashed real shutdown potential in Rockford over the years but never quite put it all together for a lengthy run at the NHL level. He did receive 27 games with the Blackhawks in 2015-16, but they were spread between several stints and rarely did he receive an opportunity to really log substantial minutes. Last year he played 73 games in the AHL and recorded his career-high of 24 points, but doesn’t offer a ton of upside offensively for Calgary going forward. What he can bring, is an active stick that can reach nearly across the defensive zone given his 6’8″ frame and huge wingspan. While that may not be enough to jump into the Flames’ opening day roster, it should land him a role in the minor leagues somewhere.

There is a link between Rockford and new Calgary head coach Bill Peters, but Svedberg didn’t arrive from Sweden until after Peters had left to join Mike Babcock’s staff in Detroit. For the Flames, there is a need for extra bodies in camp given their preseason schedule that includes games in China, but there isn’t a ton of room on the roster for a player like Svedberg. Already the Calgary management team will have to decide between players like Dalton Prout, Rasmus Andersson and Josh Healey for the last few spots unless injuries occur over the next few weeks. Brett Kulak would appear to have the inside track for the third pairing given his 71-game season in 2017-18, but also was placed on and cleared waivers prior to his arbitration hearing this summer. The team could easily go in a different direction, which should give Svedberg at least a small sliver of hope as he heads to training camp.

Conor Timmins Still Dealing With Concussion-Like Symptoms

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Fans hoping to see Conor Timmins on the ice for the Colorado Avalanche at the upcoming Vegas Rookie Faceoff will be disappointed, as the team today announced that he is still experiencing concussion-like symptoms and will not take part in any on-ice activities. Timmins has been skating at some of the informal practices, but won’t be put in a competitive situation until his health clears up. Colorado AGM Craig Billington explained the situation:

Conor still has concussion-like symptoms. He has made a lot of progress throughout the summer and [we will] monitor that. He is in the proper protocol and procedure medically and we will just keep working with him.

Concussions are challenging to timeline but I know things have been progressing positively. It’s a good sign and we will go from there.

Timmins was also held off the ice at development camp earlier this offseason due to the concussion, that is believed to have been suffered in the OHL Finals. Timmins suffered a big check but returned to game five before missing the deciding game six, and has been sidelined since. Selected 32nd overall in 2017, there were some who believed Timmins would be battling for a full-time roster spot with the Avalanche this season given his impressive performance for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and at the World Junior Championship with Team Canada.

This doesn’t by any means indicate that Timmins will miss part of the season, but there may be a bigger appetite to start him slowly at the minor league level. Colorado has quite a few very good prospects in the system on the blue line, and Timmins is an important part of their future. His long-term health is the priority right now, and there is no reason to risk that for a rookie tournament in early September.

Islanders Notes: Seidenberg, Skarek, Soderstrom

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The New York Islanders may have a familiar face join them in training camp, as Arthur Staple of The Athletic tweets that Dennis Seidenberg is expected to sign a professional tryout. Though there has been nothing confirmed from the team, bringing Seidenberg back makes some sense for an Islanders team that currently only has seven defensemen on one-way contracts. After losing Calvin de Haan and Brandon Davidson this summer, the team could potentially bring the 37-year old Seidenberg back as a depth option.

Seidenberg played just 28 games for the Islanders last year before captaining Germany at the World Championships, and doesn’t have anywhere near the upside he once carried. A rock solid two-way defender for parts of his NHL career, he actually had a sort of renaissance in 2016-17 with the Islanders when he recorded 22 points. That kind of performance can’t be expected, but if new GM Lou Lamoriello wants to bring back some experience to guide a club that is heading into the season without their long-time captain, there could be a fit.

  • Andrew Gross of Newsday reports that goaltender Jakub Skarek won’t be staying in North America long, and is expected to head back to Finland in the coming days. Skarek, a 2018 third-round pick, signed his entry-level contract earlier this offseason but will play in the Finnish Liiga this season. The Czech goaltender is an interesting prospect in a pipeline that is filling up quickly with talent, something the Islanders have lacked at the NHL level for the last few years.
  • Speaking of that goaltending pipeline, Linus Soderstrom may not be available for Islanders camp according to Gross. The 22-year old Soderstrom is expected to play in the AHL this season but is still recovering from surgery and is considered “day-to-day” at the moment. The 6’4″ Swedish netminder struggled last season in the SHL, but has previously posted huge numbers there and was named the World Junior Championship top goaltender in 2016.

Ben Scrivens Joins University Of Denver Staff

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It wasn’t so long ago that Ben Scrivens was suiting up for Canada at the Olympic Games, but his playing career is now officially over. Scrivens has taken a team manager role at the University of Denver where he will also pursue a masters degree. A veteran of 144 NHL games, Scrivens had played in the KHL the last two seasons and took home a bronze medal at the most recent Olympics.

Scrivens finished an incredible collegiate career at Cornell University in 2010, when he was named a Hobey Baker finalist and ECAC Goaltender of the Year. Though his NHL career wouldn’t provide much of an opportunity to start on a regular basis, he did finish with a perfectly reasonable .905 save percentage. Still, there’s always been more to Scrivens than just his on-ice play and he’ll take that outlook to Denver to try and help the Pioneers this season.

Latest On Matt Duchene, Ottawa Senators

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The Ottawa Senators look like they may have the keys to the 2019 free agent market at the moment, with Erik Karlsson, Mark Stone and Matt Duchene all heading into their final seasons. Duchene, the 27-year old center that Ottawa put together a big package of assets for last season, has spoken about how he would like to stay with the Senators if possible in the past, but today denied that the two sides have had any talks. Frank Seravalli of TSN quotes Duchene, who also notes the appeal of unrestricted free agency.

It’s the first time you have that ultimate power as a player and you have to do what’s best for you.

Duchene, like any other pending free agent, just watch John Tavares reach free agency and finally decide to follow his heart back to his hometown. A seven-year, $77MM deal awaited Tavares in Toronto, and while Duchene may not command that kind of commitment he would certainly be a sought after asset next summer. Just today, Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) released an article speaking with other star players who took notice of Tavares’ decision and respect how he took care of himself over any loyalty to his former team.

While none of this means that Duchene’s tenure in Ottawa is coming to an end, it has to be on the mind of the front office after spending so much last season to bring him in. The Senators’ season went downhill quickly after acquiring Duchene, but at the time there was already talk about extending him long-term if possible. GM Pierre Dorion had coveted Duchene for some time, and after a rocky start the star center fulfilled on some of his potential. With 49 points in 68 games for the Senators, Duchene showed that he can still be a very effective offensive player and could be a key member of a group that has been pushed into rebuild status without even trying.

Duchene was eligible for an extension on July 1st, but as he explained to Seravalli there have been more pressing matters to deal with in Ottawa this summer. With the Karlsson situation still hanging over the franchise and training camp opening in a few days, there may not be news on a contract extension for Duchene anytime soon. With every day that passes free agency becomes more and more enticing though, so the Senators have to make sure they make a decision on Duchene’s future before long.

Snapshots: Nurse, Karlsson, Crawford, Seattle

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Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse is one of the more prominent remaining restricted free agents and the belief for quite some time has been that he will inevitably sign a short-term bridge contract.  However, there is nothing imminent on the contract front for the 23-year-old, agent Anton Thun told Postmedia’s Jim Matheson.  A two-year deal with a cap hit around $3MM has been the expected outcome but it wouldn’t be shocking to see the sides change gears and look at a one-year contract if they can’t bridge the gap on the two-year pact in the coming days.  Matheson adds that Nurse will not be at training camp next week without a deal in place.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • The Senators have received a trade offer for defenseman Erik Karlsson that features six elements in it, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (audio link). The offer is believed to consist of a pair of roster players, two prospects, plus a pair of draft picks although it’s contingent on Karlsson agreeing to a long-term contract extension.  Dreger notes that the offer came in several weeks ago without a deal happening but that at least provides a better idea of what Ottawa is looking for in order to move their franchise player.
  • The health of Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford has been in question for a while dating back to last season. While he has made progress, team president John McDonough acknowledged to Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times that he hopes the netminder will be ready when training camp opens up next Friday.  Crawford is believed to have not taken part in on-ice sessions since mid-February so even if he is physically ready to practice, it will take a while for him to get game ready.
  • While the Seattle group secured additional investors and completed negotiations on multiple arena agreements yesterday, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly cautioned that this doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be ready to begin playing in 2020-21. Instead, he told reporters, including ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, that the Board of Governors is eyeing 2021-22 as the potential start date, assuming Seattle eventually goes through the approval process.  He added that there won’t be a vote from the board at their next meeting with Seattle’s representatives on October 2nd.

2018-19 Season Primer: Vancouver Canucks

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With the NHL season now just a month away, it’s time to look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Today, we focus on the Vancouver Canucks.

Last Season: 31-40-11 record (73 points), seventh in the Pacific Division

Remaining Cap Space: $9.27MM per CapFriendly

Key Additions: F Jay Beagle (free agent, Washington), F Antoine Roussel (free agent, Dallas), F Tim Schaller (free agent, Boston)

Key Departures: F Nic Dowd (free agent, Washington), F Jussi Jokinen (free agent, unsigned), F Daniel Sedin (retirement), F Henrik Sedin (retirement)

[Related: Canucks Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: F Elias Pettersson – Vancouver’s top pick in 2017 did about everything there was to do in the SHL last season.  Not only did Pettersson lead the league in scoring, he also took home Rookie of the Year honors as well as regular season and playoff MVP while winning medals at the World Juniors (silver) and World Championships (gold).  Suffice it to say, he showed that he’s ready to try his hand at the NHL in 2018-19.

The 19-year-old is viewed as Vancouver’s long-term center of the future but it has been suggested in the past that the team may opt to start him on the wing to allow him to ease into his defensive responsibilities.  That’s an approach that several teams have taken in the past and it seems to work well.

Although they’re two different types of players, it wouldn’t be surprising to see some compare Pettersson to Brock Boeser.  Boeser came into last season viewed as a top prospect and made a huge impact and they’re hopeful that the Swede can make a similar mark.

With the Sedins leaving and not really being replaced (their offseason additions are better suited as bottom-six forwards), Pettersson should have a chance to jump into a top-six role quite quickly.  If he progresses as quickly as he did in Sweden, he could wind up being a contender for the Calder Trophy while showing that the Canucks have a high-end one-two punch up front to build around.

Key Storyline: The sudden departure of Trevor Linden from the front office caught many by surprise.  While both sides have stayed quiet, numerous reports have stated that the reason for his departure stemmed from a desire from ownership to get back into playoff contention sooner than later while Linden’s philosophy was to be more patient.

With Linden now gone and Jim Benning holding more control now, there has been speculation that the team could be looking to make a big splash on the trade front.  Given that they’ve lost two top-six forwards without really replacing them (instead of hoping for internal candidates to push through), that would presumably be the area they’d look to target.

Is that the right approach for them to take, however?  It’s not as if Vancouver narrowly missed out on the postseason last year; they were 22 points behind Colorado for the final playoff spot.  The current state of their roster says they should continue the path they’re on but ownership appears to want to go the other direction.  Which approach will ultimately win out?

Overall Outlook: With Boeser and Pettersson up front plus goalie Thatcher Demko and defenseman Quinn Hughes in the pipeline, the future looks bright for the Canucks.  However, this is the present and their roster as currently constructed does not appear to be anywhere near good enough to contend for a postseason spot.  Unless they make a big splash (or two), another year outside of the postseason appears to be the likely outcome in Vancouver.

Minor Transactions: 9/6/18

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With training camps on the horizon, players will need to be making decisions in the near future about their plans for the upcoming season.  Some of those calls were made today and are noted here.

  • Veteran enforcer Tom Sestito has decided to retire, reports Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 30-year-old played in 154 NHL games over parts of nine seasons with Columbus, Philadelphia, Vancouver, and Pittsburgh, collecting 21 points and 499 penalty minutes.  He had spent the last two seasons with the Penguins’ AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in a depth role.
  • The Blue Jackets have invited winger Trent Vogelhuber to training camp, Portzline reports in a separate tweet. He was initially drafted by Columbus back in 2007 as the final selection in that draft class but has yet to make it past the AHL level.  The 30-year-old spent last season with Colorado’s affiliate in San Antonio, scoring four times while adding eight assists in 59 games.
  • Devils UFA winger Ben Thomson has signed a one-year deal with Anaheim’s AHL affiliate in San Diego, per a team release. The 25-year-old qualified for Group VI free agency as he has just three NHL games under his belt over four seasons.  Last year, Thomson spent the entirety of the season with New Jersey’s affiliate in Binghamton, tallying five goals and eight assists along with 119 penalty minutes.
  • After getting Sabres draft pick Matej Pekar to commit to Barrie of the OHL, the Colts also announced the commitment and signing of Golden Knights goalie prospect Maxim Zhukov. This gives Barrie their full complement of import players which further guarantees that Andrei Svechnikov, the second overall pick in June, will be sticking with Carolina this coming season.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Toronto Maple Leafs

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Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2018-19 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Current Cap Hit: $66,183,333 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Travis Dermott (two years, $863K)
F Kasperi Kapanen (one year, $863K)
F Par Lindholm (one year, $925K)
F Mitch Marner (one year, $894K)
F Auston Matthews (one year, $925K)
D Igor Ozhiganov (one year, $925K)

Potential Bonuses:

Lindholm: $850K
Marner: $850K
Matthews: $2.85MM
Ozhiganov: $850K

Total: $5.4MM

You’d be hard-pressed to find a team that’s getting more value out of their entry-level players right now.  Matthews has quickly established himself as one of the top centers in the league and between that and his draft pedigree, he’s likely looking at a contract around the $10MM mark for next season.  Marner hasn’t received quite as much hype as Matthews but he led Toronto in points last year and will be in line for a significant raise of his own.  He shouldn’t get quite as much as Matthews will but he’ll only be a couple of million shy.  Kapanen impressed in a late-season showing and was a regular in the postseason.  His role will still probably be limited which makes him a strong bet for a short-term deal next summer.  Lindholm was brought in to contend for the fourth line center spot but even if he succeeds in landing that spot, a big raise is unlikely.

On the back end, Dermott worked a midseason recall into a regular spot and he should be able to hold down at least close to a full-time role.  If he does that over the next couple of seasons, he’ll be well-positioned to double his current AAV at the very least.  Ozhiganov was brought over to push for a roster spot on the right side that doesn’t have a ton of depth at the moment.  He could need some time in the minors to get acclimated to the shorter ice surface but they’ll be counting on him to contribute at some point.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

D Connor Carrick ($1.3MM, RFA)
F Tyler Ennis ($650K, UFA)
D Jake Gardiner ($4.05MM, UFA)
D Ron Hainsey ($3MM, UFA)
F Andreas Johnsson ($788K, RFA)
F Josh Leivo ($925K, RFA)
G Curtis McElhinney ($850K, UFA)
G Garret Sparks ($675K, RFA)

Leivo was essentially a full-time reserve forward last season but Toronto thought enough of him to sign him to an in-season extension to stop him from potentially hitting Group Six free agency.  Despite the small raise in pay, there’s a decent chance he finds himself in a similar role in 2018-19 which won’t help his bargaining power.  Johnsson played well in the postseason but with such a limited track record, he opted to simply take his qualifying offer and will bank on a strong first full NHL season helping him get a bigger raise one year from now.  Ennis is making a lot more than just the $650K thanks to his buyout from Minnesota and he will push to crack the fourth line and try to rebuild some value.

Gardiner had a rough showing in Toronto’s final playoff game but has been a critical part of their back end for several years now.  He’s also coming off of a career year offensively and a repeat of that would make him even more coveted next summer.  With what the Leafs will soon have tied up in their forward group, they may be in tough to give Gardiner the raise he’ll be able to get if he tests the open market.  Carrick was a frequent healthy scratch last year and still managed to land a small raise.  If that repeats itself this coming season, however, he may become a non-tender candidate as they will be looking to round out their back end with cheaper depth options.

McElhinney had a nice year as the backup and really hasn’t done anything to lose the position.  However, Sparks, who is ten years younger, had a good year at the AHL level and would need to clear waivers to return there.  With that in mind, this will be a battle to watch during training camp.

Two Years Remaining

F Connor Brown ($2.1MM, RFA)
F Nathan Horton ($5.3MM, UFA)
F Patrick Marleau ($6.25MM, UFA)

Marleau’s decision to leave San Jose for Toronto caught many by surprise but he fit in well in a secondary role.  Of particular interest with his deal is that after July 2, 2019, only $1.25MM in actual salary will remain on the deal so if they need to try to free up some cap space, this deal is one that they will likely try to move (pending Marleau waiving his no-move clause, of course).  Brown’s numbers dipped a bit last season but so did his ice time so that’s somewhat understandable.  He’s in the middle of his bridge deal and should be in line for a decent raise two summers from now.  Horton hasn’t played since April of 2014 and won’t play on these final two years of the deal.  With the bonuses for Matthews and Marner, Toronto will want to avoid placing Horton on LTIR this coming season (to avoid the bonus overage) so his deal being on the books will be more of a factor than it has been.

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