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John MacLeod Signs With Hershey Bears

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Among the sixteen college players who became unrestricted free agents this summer after their draft rights expired, there was one name that stood out. John MacLeod was drafted 57th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2014, right around players like Brandon Montour (55th), Ryan Donato (56th) and Christian Dvorak (58th). The defensive defenseman was a top prospect coming out of the US National Development Program and had recently brought home gold as a key member of the U18 World Junior team. MacLeod ended up going to Boston University for four years, where he twice won the Hockey East title and suited up for nearly 120 games.

Unfortunately MacLeod did not earn a contract with the Lightning, and today had to settle for an AHL deal with the Hershey Bears. He’ll join the Bears organization—the AHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals—and try to prove that his defensive game is good enough to carry him at the next level. MacLeod has never shown much in terms of offense, recording just 22 points throughout his entire collegiate career and struggling even before that. Still, he’s logged huge minutes at various points in his career and can spark a team with his physicality.

The Bears are looking to bounce back after a dreadful 2017-18 campaign that saw them miss the playoffs for just the second time in 13 years. Troy Mann was removed as head coach and replaced by Spencer Carbery, and the roster will have several new faces on it. It’s important to note that MacLeod is not under contract with the Capitals at this point, and instead is playing on a minor league deal.

West Notes: Schmidt, Theodore, Panik

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When Nate Schmidt was recently suspended for 20 games for violating the league’s Performance Enhancing Substance policy, the Vegas Golden Knights immediately came out in support of their defenseman, stating that they “strongly disagree” with the ruling. Schmidt himself stated that he believes the positive test came about through environmental contamination instead of any substance he ingested, given the minuscule amount that was found and the lack of any evidence in a hair sample.

Today, Vegas GM George McPhee didn’t go so far as blame Schmidt but did defend his organization and the Golden Knights’ training staff, telling reporters including Ken Boehlke of SinBin.vegas that the substance “didn’t come from us.” While Schmidt claimed that the only supplements he used were from the Golden Knights, McPhee explains that a simple protein shake could cause a positive test and that he has told other players that they “don’t need anything from anywhere else.” Schmidt is practicing in unofficial skates with other players from the team, but will miss the first 20 games of the regular season and is not allowed to play in any preseason contests.

  • McPhee also spoke about the still unsigned Shea Theodore, and told reporters that he hopes a deal will be completed soon. Theodore is one of 11 remaining restricted free agents without a contract, and could potentially miss part of training camp if he doesn’t have a new deal in the next week. The young defenseman is even more important for the Golden Knights now that Schmidt will miss a quarter of the season, and could be asked to log huge minutes in the early part of the year. Coming off his entry-level contract, the Golden Knights have a decision to make between signing him to a bridge deal on a lower cap hit or trying to lock up the 23-year old long-term before he really shows his full potential.
  • Richard Panik was arrested earlier in the offseason for trespassing at an Arizona establishment, and pleaded guilty in court this week. Craig Morgan of The Athletic passes along a statement from the Coyotes, which says they have dealt with the situation internally and won’t comment further. TMZ has released a video of the arrest, but even with the added publicity it seems as though the Coyotes will not hand out any punishment that includes a suspension.

Tyler Seguin “Hopeful” After Renewed Contract Talks

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The Dallas Stars were suddenly thrust into the spotlight recently when Tyler Seguin spoke about his current contract situation. Seguin described it as “disappointing” that there hadn’t been much in the way of extension talks this summer, but took a different tone today with Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com. According to Seguin, contract talks with the Stars have increased since his media appearance at the BioSteel Camp in Toronto, and he’s now “hopeful” that the two sides will come to an agreement before the season begins.

Seguin is one of the big fish in the 2019 unrestricted free agent class, and has expressed a desire in the past to stay in Dallas long-term. That kind of a contract would likely approach what John Tavares landed on the open market, something that Dallas has to make sure they can fit in before signing. The Stars already have Jamie Benn under contract for $9.5MM per season and have been linked to other star players like Erik Karlsson and Artemi Panarin, if only in passing. Inking what could be an extension that eclipses $80MM for Seguin is a huge commitment, though he certainly has deserved it through his on-ice performance.

The 26-year old Seguin is one of only a few players who can claim real 40-goal capability, and added even more defensive responsibility to his repertoire last season. In 2017-18 he recorded his fifth consecutive season of at least 72 points, and should considered among the very best centers in the NHL. In fact, he recently landed just outside the top-10 in our PHR community-voted rankings and would be arguably the best player available next summer if he reached free agency.

Columbus Blue Jackets Announce Front Office Extensions

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have built a deep playoff contending roster, and those who are responsible were rewarded today. President of Hockey Operations John Davidson, General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen and Assistant General Manager Bill Zito have all signed multi-year extensions to stay with the franchise. Zito has also been promoted to Associate General Manager. No word yet on a contract extension for John Tortorella, though Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports that the team is “still working” on it.

Kekalainen will take over as longest-tenured GM in Blue Jackets history this season, in this position with Columbus since early 2013. The former NHL forward was actually the first European-born GM in the history of the league, and has developed a reputation for his fearless management style. The team has made several moves over the last few years that seemed relatively risky, like taking Pierre-Luc Dubois or trading for Artemi Panarin. Though the Panarin situation is far from resolved given his current contract situation, any doubts in his ability have been summarily dismissed after another outstanding season in Columbus.

Columbus has built one of the deepest teams in the league, and will once again have the benefit of pairing Seth Jones and Zach Werenski if they so choose. The Blue Jackets top pairing are considered among the best defensemen in the league and are both still under the age of 24. Still a real contender for the Stanley Cup, Kekalainen and the rest of the front office have some difficult decisions to make regarding Panarin and fellow pending free agent Sergei Bobrovsky. These extensions at least give the management confidence that they will be in place regardless of their final decision, and will be able to consider the long-term health of the franchise instead of trying to save their jobs.

Eric Comrie Re-Signs With Winnipeg Jets

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The Winnipeg Jets at meticulously crossing names off their list, and this time it is Eric Comrie’s turn. The restricted free agent goaltender has signed a one-year two-way contract worth $650K in the NHL. Comrie was one of two unsigned RFAs alongside Josh Morrissey, who is next on the list for the Jets this offseason.

Comrie, 23, will be battling Laurent Brossoit in training camp for the right to back up Connor Hellebuyck this season after another solid year in the AHL. Selected in the second round five years ago, Comrie has developed nicely in the minor leagues and has a legitimate shot at a long NHL career. While he might not have a future starting in Winnipeg, there’s no reason to think he couldn’t do an adequate job playing 20-25 games this season and allowing Hellebuyck—who led the NHL with 67 regular season appearances in 2017-18—to remain fresher for the eventual playoff run. Comrie recorded an .872 save percentage in three games with the Jets last season, but had a .916 in the AHL forming one of the best tandems in the minor leagues alongside Michael Hutchinson.

The biggest thing standing in his way is the fact that he is still waiver-exempt, meaning unless he seriously outplays Brossoit in camp he’ll likely start in the minors once again. Brossoit is also on a one-way contract for this season, though the $650K cap hit would not count towards the Jets salary cap if he cleared waivers and was assigned to the minor leagues. At worst, Comrie will be handling the starting duties for the Manitoba Moose and will be ready for a call-up if necessary. He’ll still be a restricted free agent at the end of this deal.

Long Negotiation With Ryan Ellis Was Watched By Oilers, Maple Leafs

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One of the biggest contracts signed this summer in the NHL was an eight-year $50MM extension handed out to Nashville Predators defenseman and associate captain Ryan Ellis. That contract was filed on August 14th, six weeks after Ellis originally became eligible to add some years on to his current situation. A deal for one of their most important players was obviously at the very top of the to-do list for GM David Poile and the rest of the Predators front office, but as Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) details there was a ton of work involved to come to the final agreement. Interestingly, LeBrun mentions the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers specifically when speaking about teams that were keeping a close eye on the Ellis situation, hoping it would deteriorate and he would be put on the trade market.

For the Maple Leafs, it’s easy to see why they would be interested. The Ontario-born Ellis was a superstar in the OHL before heading to Nashville, and his two-way skill from the right side would be a perfect complement to the Maple Leafs left-heavy defense group. With Morgan Rielly, Jake Gardiner and Travis Dermott locked into the left, if the Maple Leafs are going to improve the blue line—as so many believe they desperately need to do in order to contend—there aren’t many fits better than Ellis available. They would have to try to convince him to sign long-term, but some of the sticking points in Nashville like signing bonuses and trade protection haven’t been off the table so far with young GM Kyle Dubas.

The Oilers might need Ellis even more desperately though, after a wasted season near the bottom of the standings despite Connor McDavid’s outstanding play. When blue line members like Oscar Klefbom and Adam Larsson took a step backwards last season it was clear that McDavid couldn’t carry the load all by himself. Edmonton struggles at times to get the puck quickly out of their zone with any sort of control, something that Ellis excels at while also contributing offensively. They too have a need on the right side, and don’t have the cap space to acquire a very expensive asset. Ellis is earning just $2.5MM on the final year of his current contract, as one of the biggest bargains in the league.

That the Maple Leafs and Oilers were interested in Ellis—at least in passing—shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, though it does make the next few months even more interesting. With a player like Erik Karlsson still without an extension in Ottawa, and others like Tyler Myers and Nate Schmidt heading into their final years before free agency, the two teams will likely still be keeping an eye on various situations to see if they can improve.

Joe Thornton Expects To Be Back At Full Strength

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One of the most decorated and longest tenured players in the NHL is still at it and feeling confident that he is still capable of playing at a high level. San Jose Sharks star Joe Thornton told The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz that he is feeling good as the 2018-19 season approaches:

I feel good. I know my birth certificate says 39, but I think not playing a full 82 games and playoffs last year, my body feels really, really good and I feel healthy. It’s kind of like a lockout year for myself, you get time to refocus and finally train a little bit and go again. I’m real excited for the year… I think when I’m out there I dictate the play. It doesn’t matter who I play against, I usually dictate the play. I’ve had that criticism for 22 years. I think I’ve kept up pretty good.

Thornton is coming off his second straight season with a major knee injury, having torn the MCL and ACL ligaments in his left knee in 2016-17 and then again in his right knee midway through last season. Thornton tells Kurz that his left knee didn’t feel fully comfortable until November of last year, but that he made better progress with his right knee. While Thornton did miss the final 35 games of the regular season and did not appear in the playoffs, he admits that he was “real close” to getting back into the lineup. As such, he has been able to prepare this summer like any summer, with two healthy knees for the first time in a while.

If truly back at full strength, Thornton could be a season-altering presence for the Sharks. The 39-year-old managed to post 36 points in 47 games last year and part of the campaign he was still dealing with injury. The last time the big center played a full season, he registered 82 points in 82 games in 2015-16. Overall, the future Hall of Famer has 973 points in 961 games since coming over to San Jose all those many years ago. With the likes of Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture and Evander Kane and youngsters Tomas Hertl, Kevin Labanc, and Timo Meier up front, Thornton has plenty of weapons to work with and could find his way back to elite level production. If that happens, it could push the Sharks over the top in their search for an elusive Stanley Cup title.

Maple Leafs Will Not Name A Captain This Off-Season

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The Toronto Maple Leafs did not have a captain last season and judging by the comments of new GM Kyle Dubas, they may not have one this season either. In an interview with TSN’s Bob McKenzie, Dubas stated for a fact that the team would not name a captain prior to the beginning of the season and would again go without one until Dubas, Brendan Shanahan, and the coaching staff can better evaluate their options.

I want to get into a day-to-day with these people and see who is best suited to handle [the captaincy]… if we do determine that we need somebody to handle that. If we feel we have a void in leadership because we don’t have a formal captain, then that is something that I think we can address… We need to evaluate it as the season evolves and as we go through the ups and downs of a season and see how the players each individually handle the daily process of a season.”

Dubas seems hesitant to make any sort of decision until he has a complete read of the locker room and until a time that he feels naming a captain is necessary. He calls the title for a historic club like the Maple Leafs “an honor” and wants to make sure that the correct person is named. Dubas feels that being patient with naming a captain will be the right move and eliminates the risk of any future drama surrounding the team’s leadership.

Dubas specifically mentions Patrick Marleau, Ron Hainsey, and free agency prize John Tavares as top candidates if and when a decision is made. The latter was the captain of the New York Islanders before signing in Toronto and some speculated that the commitment made by the team to Tavares could indicate that he would be in line for the same role. Meanwhile, Dubas singled out Marleau as a player who stepped up as a locker room leader for the team last year. While the team lost regular alternates in Tyler Bozak and Leo Komarov this off-season, Marleau, Hainsey, and Nazem Kadri also wore the “A” occasionally last season. As for the young core of the team, Dubas says that he hopes William Nylander, Morgan Rielly – a frequent alternate the past few years, Jake Gardiner, Auston Matthews, and Mitch Marner continue to grow in their leadership abilities, but stopped short of calling any of them a prime candidate at this point. With Nylander still unsigned and both Gardiner and Hainsey on expiring contracts, it would seem that either Marleau or Tavares would be the favorite for the role, with Rielly, Matthews, and Marner as possibilities. However, Dubas will not rush the decision and the Leafs may even go another whole season without a formal captain.

Minor Transactions: 9/5/18

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September is upon us, but the hockey futures of many players are still up in the air. While high-profile NHL unrestricted and restricted free agents still remain in the hunt for a big league contract, others are sorting out minor league deals and tryout agreements:

  • The Boston Bruins inked veteran defenseman Mark Fayne and German import Marcel Noebels to PTO’s yesterday, but they’ve added another tryout to the camp roster as well. Appearing with the group slated to begin the preseason in Boston, rather than on the road in China, is defenseman Joel Messner. Messner, a recent graduate of the University of Nebraska-Omaha, was a four year starter for the Mavericks and captained the team last season. The 24-year-old blue liner scored more points last year, 23, than he did in his previous three campaigns combined, showing some remaining potential to his game. Given the Bruins dramatic defensive depth, both at the NHL and AHL level, Messner may be only be trying out for a two-way minor league deal to perhaps headline the Bruins’ ECHL defensive unit with the Atlanta Gladiators. Nonetheless, he could make for an intriguing player to watch for in camp.
  • Tyler Soy, an unsigned 2016 seventh-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks, has stuck with the organization. Soy signed a one-year deal with the San Diego Gulls today, the Ducks’ AHL affiliate announced. The 21-year-old center played two games with the Gulls at the tail end of the 2016-17 season and must have made a good impression. He also finished second in scoring for the WHL’s Victoria Royals last year, registering 92 points in 66 games. Soy has the ability to be a difference-maker in the AHL and could soon re-establish himself as an NHL prospect.
  • The AHL’s Bakersfield Condors, affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers, have re-signed forward David Gust to a one-year deal, the team announced. Gust, a first-year pro last season, led all Condors rookies with 13 goals and 24 points. The 24-year-old right wing is a former Ohio State standout, recording 41 points in 39 games as a senior. Bakersfield hopes to see some of that upside in the coming season.
  • Gasper Kopitar, brother of L.A.’s Anze Kopitar, is staying in the system. The ECHL’s Manchester Monarchs have announced a one-year extension for their Slovenian superstar. Kopitar was under contract, but did not play for the Monarchs last season due to injury. Healthy and re-committed, he is back to work with Manchester. With this deal, the Kings organization has now kept the younger Kopitar employed in North America for more than five years, even though he has never played above the ECHL level. Although New Hampshire is quite a ways from California, it is surely a gesture that the Kings’ captain appreciates.

2006 NHL Draft Take Two: Ninth Overall Pick

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Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.”  Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended.  For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.

Our look back at the 2006 NHL Entry Draft is now in full swing as we poll the PHR community to see who would have been selected in the first round and in what order knowing what we know now.  Through the first eight picks, we’ve already seen potential Hall of Fame players switch teams, and multiple captains move up and down the draft board.

1st Overall: Jonathan Toews (St. Louis Blues)
2nd Overall: Claude Giroux (Pittsburgh Penguins)
3rd Overall: Nicklas Backstrom (Chicago Blackhawks)
4th Overall: Brad Marchand (Washington Capitals)
5th Overall: Phil Kessel (Boston Bruins)
6th Overall: Jordan Staal (Columbus Blue Jackets)
7th Overall: Milan Lucic (New York Islanders)
8th Overall: Kyle Okposo (Phoenix Coyotes)

Okposo drops just a single spot from his original draft position, and takes Peter Mueller’s role in the desert. One has to wonder whether the University of Minnesota product would have found as much success playing for the Coyotes given that he wouldn’t have had the chance to suit up alongside John Tavares, but his point totals certainly indicate his top-10 talent. Okposo is ninth in scoring from the 2006 draft despite playing in only 670 games to this point, fewer than many of the players still available in our poll.

Now we’ll move on to the ninth pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, which was originally held by the Minnesota Wild.

Looking back at this draft, the first seven teams were probably quite happy with their selections. That may have ended with the Coyotes selection of Mueller, but at least his career got off to a good start before injuries started to pile up. That can’t really be said about the Minnesota selection, who failed to ever score more than five goals in a single NHL season.

James Sheppard was a big strong center for the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in 2006. He had just finished a season in which he scored 30 goals and 84 points, and had been invited to the CHL Top Prospects Game. He was ranked ninth by the NHL’s Central Scouting among North American skaters, ahead of players like Okposo and Michael Grabner. There was a lot to like about a potential shutdown center that brought some scoring upside to the plate. Unfortunately, that scoring upside never materialized for Sheppard and though he would reach his career high in points as a 20-year old with just 24 in 82 games. He was grossly outmatched in the faceoff circle at the highest level, and could drive play like he had in junior. There was work to be done on his game, but it wouldn’t happen in Minnesota.

The Wild would eventually trade Sheppard to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a third round pick, and he would struggle to find any offense there too. After another few games with the New York Rangers in 2015, he was off to Europe to play in Switzerland and Germany. Sheppard is still just 30 years old, scored 33 points in the DEL last season and has twice won the Spengler Cup with Team Canada. Still, this pick was a pretty substantial bust for Minnesota, given the long-time NHL players selected behind him.

Now they’ll get a chance to fix the mistake they made in 2006 and pick someone else. The first-overall selection Erik Johnson is still available, as are talented forwards like Derick Brassard, Bryan Little and Nick Foligno. With the ninth pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, who should the Minnesota Wild select? Cast your vote below!

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