Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for September 2018

Training Camp Cuts: 9/28/18

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With season-opening rosters due just a few days from now, quite a few more cuts are expected today around the league.  We’ll keep tabs on these moves here and will update this post throughout the day.

Please note that this list does not include players placed on waivers today.  That group of players can be found here.

Anaheim Ducks (via Eric Stephens of The Athletic)

D Simon Benoit (to San Diego, AHL)
G Kevin Boyle (to San Diego, AHL)
F Sam Carrick (to San Diego, AHL)
G Jared Coreau (to San Diego, AHL)
F Chase De Leo (to San Diego, AHL)
D Jacob Larsson (to San Diego, AHL)
D Steven Oleksy (to San Diego, AHL)
D Josh Mahura (to San Diego, AHL)
F Anton Rodin (to San Diego, AHL)
F Corey Tropp (to San Diego, AHL)
D Andy Welinski (to San Diego, AHL)

Boston Bruins (per team release)

F Ryan Fitzgerald (to Providence, AHL)
F Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson (to Providence, AHL)
F Jakub Lauko (to Rouyn-Noranda, QMJHL)
F Jordan Szwarz (to Providence, AHL)
D Jakub Zboril (to Providence, AHL)

Dallas Stars (via Mark Stepneski of Stars Inside Edge)

D Dillon Heatherington (to Texas, AHL)
D Reece Scarlett (to Texas, AHL)

Detroit Red Wings (per team release)

F Wade Megan (to Grand Rapids, AHL)

New Jersey Devils (per team Twitter)

F Kevin Rooney (to Binghamton, AHL)
F Brett Seney (to Binghamton, AHL)
D Ty Smith (to Spokane, WHL)

New York Rangers (per team Twitter)

F Lias Andersson (to Hartford, AHL)
D Steven Fogarty (to Hartford, AHL)
D Libor Hajek (to Hartford, AHL)
D Ryan Lindgren (to Hartford, AHL)
F Michael Lindqvist (to Hartford, AHL)
F Ville Meskanen (to Hartford, AHL)
D Rob O’Gara (to Hartford, AHL)

Ottawa Senators (per team Twitter)

F Filip Chlapik (to Belleville, AHL)
D Christian Wolanin (to Belleville, AHL)

Philadelphia Flyers (per team release)

F Tyrell Goulbourne (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Carsen Twarynski (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)

Winnipeg Jets (per team release)

F Mason Appleton (to Manitoba, AHL)
G Mikhail Berdin (to Manitoba, AHL)
G Eric Comrie (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Sami Niku (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Jansen Harkins (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Skyler McKenzie (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Nelson Nogier (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Kristian Reichel (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Peter Stoykewych (to Manitoba, AHL)
F C.J. Suess (to Manitoba, AHL)

Washington Capitals (per team Twitter)

F Maximilian Kammerer (to Hershey, AHL)

2018-19 Season Primer: Florida Panthers

at CDT | by 1 Comment

With the NHL season now less than a week away, we continue our look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Next up is a look at the Florida Panthers.

Last Season: 44-30-8 record (96 points), fourth in the Atlantic Division (missed the playoffs)

Remaining Cap Space: $1.9MM per CapFriendly

Key Additions: F Troy Brouwer (free agent, Calgary), F Mike Hoffman (trade with San Jose, via Ottawa), G Michael Hutchinson (free agent, Winnipeg), D Bogdan Kiselevich (free agent, CSKA, KHL)

Key Subtractions: F Connor Brickley (free agent, Nashville), F Radim Vrbata (retirement)

[Related: Panthers Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: F Mike Hoffman – Aside from the unusual circumstances that saw him dealt twice on the same day (the second of which resulted in a unique protection going into the Erik Karlsson trade), Hoffman landing in Florida was certainly one of the more intriguing offseason additions in terms of overall fit.

The Panthers were already a little above average in terms of their offense and adding a player who has scored over 20 goals in four straight years really gives them an under the radar attack heading into the season.

However, there are a couple of looming questions when it comes to Hoffman as well.  For starters, with Evgeni Dadonov and Jonathan Huberdeau on the left side, the 28-year-old will probably have to shift to the right wing to stay in the top six.  With that in mind, how will he handle the position change?  On top of that, how will he handle going from a focal point of the offense in Ottawa to someone that’s in more of a supporting cast role now?

Assuming he adapts just fine, Hoffman’s addition could very well be what pushes them back into a playoff spot.

Key Storyline: Florida made headlines a couple of years back when they handed James Reimer a five-year contract to serve as an insurance policy behind veteran starter Roberto Luongo.  As it turns out, that wasn’t quite enough insurance which is why they’re going to pay Hutchinson $1.3MM to play in the minors this season.

The Panthers now have three NHL-quality goaltenders at their disposal but will that be enough to patch their way through the season?  Luongo is coming off a campaign in which he posted his best save percentage (.929) since 2003-04 but also only saw action in 35 games.  Considering he only played in 40 the year before and the fact that he’s 39, it’s fair to question if he can carry the load much longer.

That’s where Reimer is supposed to help out but he’s not coming off of the greatest of years, allowing nearly three goals per game (a 2.99 GAA) with a save percentage hovering around the league average (.913).  That’s an okay stat line for a backup but Reimer is supposed to be more than that.  If Luongo gets injured again, can Florida afford to run with Reimer as the starter for more than a short-term basis?

The Panthers have made a lot of moves regarding their goaltending in recent years as they’ve rightfully recognized that Luongo (who still has four years left on his deal) can’t be the 60-game starter he once was.  However, it’s certainly fair to wonder if they’ve done enough to shore up that position.  If not, don’t be surprised if they pursue a rental at some point in the year if the status quo isn’t getting the job done as they won’t want their play between the pipes to hold them back from getting to the postseason.

Overall Outlook: The bad news for Florida is that they’re probably not ready to be in the battle for a top-three spot in the Atlantic.  The good news is that there’s a good chance that no one else in the division beyond that top group is likely to really push for a playoff spot.  They’re in a tier of their own which will place them squarely in the Wild Card race.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Sixteen Players Placed On Waivers

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

As is the custom at this point of the preseason, the waiver wire is a busy place today.  TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie reports (Twitter links) that the following players have been placed on waivers:

D Chris Bigras (NY Rangers)
F Joseph Blandisi (Anaheim)
F Dennis Everberg (Winnipeg)
F Brendan Gaunce (Vancouver)
F Seth Griffith (Winnipeg)
F Peter Holland (NY Rangers)
F J.C. Lipon (Winnipeg)
F Nicolas Kerdiles (Winnipeg)
G Marek Mazanec (NY Rangers)
D Julian Melchiori (Florida)
G Zane McIntyre (Boston)
G Al Montoya (Edmonton)
D Cameron Schilling (Winnipeg)
F Cole Schneider (NY Rangers)
F Ben Street (Anaheim)
G Dustin Tokarski (NY Rangers)

Montoya was acquired from Montreal last season in an effort to solidify their backup position.  However, he became expendable when the team inked Mikko Koskinen to a $2.5MM contract in the offseason.  He carries a $1.0625MM cap hit although the team will be able to write off $1.025MM of that if he clears waivers and is assigned to Bakersfield of the AHL.  The placements of Mazanec and Tokarski means that youngster Alexandar Georgiev is set to break camp as the backup for the Rangers.  The two veterans will contend for the number one job with AHL Hartford and are safe bets to clear having spent the bulk of the last few years in the AHL.  McIntyre is coming off of a strong season with AHL Providence and should serve as Boston’s third-stringer if he passes through unclaimed.

On the back end, Bigras was once a prominent prospect in Colorado’s system but has stagnated in recent years.  He was dealt to the Rangers just before the trade deadline last season but stayed in the minors the rest of the way.  Melchiori battled injury issues last season and was only able to get into 49 games with Manitoba of the AHL.  He has 30 games of NHL experience over parts of three seasons but isn’t likely to be claimed.  Schilling is coming off of his best year in the minors that saw him post 32 points in 71 games with Manitoba but he hasn’t seen NHL action since playing in four games with Washington in 2014-15.

Up front, there are some familiar names.  Blandisi was part of the Adam Henrique-Sami Vatanen trade last season and was productive in the minors, collecting 29 games in 46 games between Binghamton and San Diego.  The 24-year-old has also had some NHL success, posting 26 points in 71 games and could very well be a candidate to be claimed.  Gaunce was a first-round pick (26th overall) of the Canucks back in 2012 and has held down a depth role over the last couple of seasons.  Teams looking for a younger center to work with may be inclined to take a look at him.  Griffith has proven to be a productive player at the AHL level but hasn’t been able to translate that to much NHL success.  Everberg spent last season in the KHL but has 70 games of NHL experience under his belt in Colorado.  Holland, Lipon, Kerdiles, Schneider, and Street are all AHL veterans and have cleared waivers before which makes it likely that they will pass through again this time around.

Devils Claim Jean-Sebastien Dea Off Waivers From Pittsburgh

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Devils have added some depth up front as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that they have claimed center Jean-Sebastien Dea off waivers from the Penguins.

The 24-year-old is coming off of his best season at the AHL level after posting 18 goals and 32 assists in 70 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, ranking second on the team in scoring to winger Daniel Sprong.  He also collected an assist in three postseason contests.

Dea does not have a lot of NHL experience as he has suited up in just six games in Pittsburgh, five of which came last season where he scored his first NHL goal but averaged just 5:29 of ice time per game.  However, teams are now more inclined to try smaller offensive-minded players and it appears he’ll get a longer look in New Jersey where he will battle for a spot at the end of their lineup.  The Devils are certainly familiar with him – head coach John Hynes had him for a year at the AHL level while GM Ray Shero also has some extra information about him from his time with the Penguins.

Dea will make the league minimum of $650K in the NHL while his salary dips to $200K if he was to later clear waivers and be sent to the minors.

Red Wings Sign Jared McIsaac To An Entry-Level Contract

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Red Wings have locked up another one of their 2018 draft picks, announcing that they’ve signed defenseman Jared McIsaac to a three-year, entry-level contract.  Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The 18-year-old was a second-round pick of Detroit (36th overall) back in June and is the second to sign following top selection in winger Filip Zadina.  McIsaac had a strong draft-eligible year with Halifax of the QMJHL where he led all Moosehead blueliners in scoring with 47 points (9-38-47) in 65 games.  In his rookie campaign in 2016-17, he took home the Raymond Lagace Trophy, awarded annually to the top rookie defender in the league.

While McIsaac is now signed, he won’t be in the NHL this season having already been sent back to junior by the team after he sustained a shoulder injury earlier this month at their prospect tournament.  As a result, he won’t reach the ten-game mark to officially begin his contract, meaning that his deal will slide a year and still have three seasons left on it come July.

Central Notes: Tolvanen, Gunnarsson, Crawford, Wild

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Predators prospect Eeli Tolvanen’s European Assignment Clause allows him to decide to leave AHL Milwaukee after ten games with the team, reports Paul Skrbina of The Tennessean.  The scribe adds that if the winger opted to go back to the KHL (it’s not an automatically-triggered clause), he could not return for the rest of the season.  Given that Tolvanen was projecting to be a depth player as their roster currently stands, they opted to send him down to maximize his playing time but if he wants to force their hand, Nashville will have a decision to make about his playing future within the next few weeks.

Elsewhere in the Central:

  • Blues defenseman Carl Gunnarsson has still not been cleared for contact as he continues his recovery from offseason hip and knee surgery, notes Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Accordingly, it’s highly unlikely that the veteran will be available to start the season.  Between this and the suspension to Robert Bortuzzo yesterday, St. Louis will be down a couple of regular defenders when their season gets underway on Thursday.
  • Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville told reporters, including Jimmy Greenfield of the Chicago Tribune, that goaltender Corey Crawford is on track to practice with the team next week. While that doesn’t bode well for his odds of being available to start the season, he shouldn’t miss too much time past the opener.  In the meantime, that will allow the team to keep Anton Forsberg up to start the season instead of running him through waivers over the next couple of days.
  • Wild winger Luke Kunin will be evaluated on Tuesday to assess his recovery from offseason ACL surgery, reports Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. The initial timeline for him to be ready was seven months and that mark will be reached next week.  However, even if he gets the green light to resume full practice work, he still won’t be ready for the season opener.  Meanwhile, blueliner Gustav Olofsson has resumed skating on his own as he works his way back from a shoulder injury but there remains no timetable for his return to the lineup.

Capitals Hoping To Deal From Depth Of Defensive Prospects

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan may have gotten more than she bargained for when talking to Washington Capitals GM Brian MacLellan today. The Stanley Cup-winning executive let slip some internal team building plans, a rarity in the tight-lipped NHL. MacLellan acknowledged that the Capitals currently have a surplus of defensive prospects, but took it even further, stating that he hopes to trade some away in exchange for forward prospects.

The first part of MacLellan’s statement is rather obvious and why Khurshudyan though to ask about his plans. The Capitals had struggled defensively for many years before putting together a solid unit en route to championship last season. Although it involved trading and later re-signing Brooks Orpik, the team was surprisingly able to keep the group together this year and moving forward, with seven of the nine defensemen who suited up in 2017-18 – most importantly the top six from the Cup run – returning. The top four of John Carlson, Michal Kempny, Matt Niskanen, and Dmitry Orlov are all signed through at least three more years, while Christian Djoos and Madison Bowey – both under 25 – are restricted free agents at the end of their current contracts. There isn’t much long-term opportunity for defensemen in the Capitals system, yet they are well-stocked in pro-caliber prospects. 2015 second-rounder Jonas Siegenthaler, 2016 first-rounder Lucas Johansen, and promising righty Connor Hobbs would all be pushing for NHL play time on a majority of teams across the league. The team also used first- and second-round picks on blue liners in June, selecting Alexander Alexeyev and Martin Fehervary respectively. While it doesn’t hurt to have a redundancy of talent, it does seem as though the Capitals have too many mouths to feed on defense over the next five years or so.

As such, MacLellan revealed that he would ideally trade some of those players for forward prospects of a similar caliber. Seeing as Johansen, Alexeyev, and Fehervary are recent high picks with room to grow, Siegenthaler and Hobbs would likely be the leading candidates to be dealt away, with an even an off-chance that one of Djoos or Bowey are dealt. Forwards of equal quality to that foursome would be far more valuable to Washington, who has ample opportunity up front moving forward but far fewer players to compete. Outside of Jakub Vrana, who Khurshudyan calls the Capitals’ “last high-end forward prospect”, and Andre Burakovsky, the depth of talent among young forwards in the system is not overwhelming. Many could have good careers as bottom-six forwards, including 2018 second- and third-round picks Kody Clark and Riley Sutter, but none seem to have much in the way of great top-six upside. The Capitals also don’t plan to be in a draft position next year to land a forward with elite scoring potential. So, they’re left to trade from an area of strength in the organization to fill an area of weakness. At least that is MacLellan’s plan. The fact that it is now public knowledge could help or hinder his attempts to make it happen.

Snapshots: Canucks, Watson, Olson

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Vancouver Canucks will not have free agent addition Antoine Roussel in the lineup when the regular season begins. Roussel has been sidelined since the start of training camp due to a concussion, but the hope was that without preseason action, he would have the time and rest to be ready for the real thing. However, in speaking to head coach Travis Green, Ben Kuzma of the Province has confirmed that Roussel will not be ready for the start of the season. Green gave no timeline for his return, only stating that a comeback in time for opening night had been ruled out. Green did add that young goaltender Thatcher Demko has also been dealing with concussion symptoms. He has entered the league’s concussion protocol and there is no word on when he will be ready to play or whether he will begin the season on the injured reserve or in the AHL. Kuzma writes that Demko collided with the Calgary Flames’ Mikael Backlund during last Saturday’s preseason match, but his condition deteriorated to the point of being diagnosed ahead of the Canucks’ next game on Monday night. Considering bottom-six forward Roussel and current third-string goalie Demko have been the only training camp casualties in Vancouver, the team has had relatively good luck. They hope it stays that was as the team needs a healthy and positive start to the season given their struggles over the past few years.

  • Another player missing to star the 2018-19 season in Nashville Predators forward Austin Watson. Watson was suspended for the first 27 games of the campaign for his role in a domestic abuse incident this off-season. Watson pled no contest to the assault charges an the NHL felt that a third of the season was fitting supplemental punishment. However, Watson did appeal his suspension and that hearing with a neutral arbitrator took place yesterday, according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun.  LeBrun suggests that, unlike in salary arbitration, this decision could take up to a couple weeks. If Watson is successful in his appeal, an unlikely outcome, the arbitrator will choose a new, shortened length that he sees fit. If not, Watson will be eligible to return to the Predators on December 3rd.
  • Quinn Olson, the younger brother of Anaheim Ducks prospect Kyle Olson, has made a decision on where he wants to start his next season. The younger Olson will pass up the major junior route that his brother, a forward for the WHL’s Tri-City Americans, took and will instead opt to go the college route. Olson has committed to the University of Minnesota-Duluth, the NCAA’s reigning champion, reports College Hockey Inc. The undersized but effective 17-year-old forward is playing this season for the Okotoks Oilers of the junior-A Alberta Junior Hockey League and could possibly play one more season with the team, but if he continues to score at a point-per-game pace, as he has for much of the last season plus, the Bulldogs will probably try to bring him in next year instead. Olson is a draft-eligible prospect for the upcoming 2019 NHL Draft and is likely to join his brother in an NHL pipeline shortly.

Robert Bortuzzo Suspended For Preseason Games, Season Opener

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

St. Louis Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo faced a disciplinary hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety and the results are in. For elbowing Washington Capitals defenseman Michal Kempny, who remains sidelined, the league announced that they have suspended Bortuzzo for the Blues’ final two preseason games and one regular season game, the team’s season opener on October 4th against the division rival Winnipeg Jets.

Player Safety called Bortuzzo’s hit a blatant case of “elbowing”, describing the situation as the following: “Bortuzzo does not keep his arm close to his chest and deliver a full body check. Instead, he raises his arm up and away from his chest and his forearm and elbow are the only parts of his body to make meaningful contact with Kempny.” They go on to detail Bortuzzo’s previous record with suspensions and fines, acknowledging that he is not a first-time offender.

Curiously, the league did not really treat him as a repeat offender who intended to harm Kempny in this situation. Although it is a three-game suspension in total, the two preseason contests are meaningless. Essentially, Bortuzzo will lose just one real game and will forfeit $6,182.80 in salary, whereas Kempny may miss several games with an expected concussion. The decision isn’t as egregious as the recent mishandling of the Max Domi sucker punch case, but is another miss by the league when it comes to policing the game.

2018-19 Season Primer: Los Angeles Kings

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With the NHL season now less than a week away, we continue our look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Next up is a look at the Los Angeles Kings.

Last Season: 45-29-8 record (98 points), fourth in the Pacific Division (lost to Vegas in the first round of the playoffs)

Remaining Cap Space: $4.1MM per CapFriendly

Key Additions: F Ilya Kovalchuk (free agent, SKA St. Petersburg, KHL)

Key Subtractions: F Andy Andreoff (trade with Tampa Bay), D Christian Folin (free agent, Philadelphia), D Kevin Gravel (free agent, Edmonton), F Torrey Mitchell (free agent, Lausanne, NLA), F Tobias Rieder (free agent, Edmonton)

[Related: Kings Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: F Dustin Brown – This time one year ago, Brown had lost the captaincy and was viewed as one of the worst contracts in the league.  He was coming off of his fourth straight season where he failed to surpass the 15-goal and 35-point mark which is poor value for someone with a $5.875MM cap hit.

Then last season happened and everything turned for the better.  He went from being a middle-six forward to averaging the second-most ice time for any Los Angeles forward while setting a new career high in points with 61.  Now, even though there are still four years left on his deal, it certainly doesn’t look too bad now.

Is his boost in production a sign of things to come or a one-year aberration?  If it’s the former, the Kings should be able to really bolster their offense with the addition of Kovalchuk and the expected return to health of Jeff Carter.  If he goes back to his previous output though, suddenly there’s an opening on their top line that needs to be filled while they will go back to being a middle of the pack attack.  While his performance last season was a pleasant surprise, it also means that the spotlight is back on him once again.

Key Storyline: Kovalchuk’s NHL retirement that wasn’t really a retirement has come to an end as he has made the jump back to the NHL.  Despite the fact that he’s 35 and hasn’t played an NHL game since 2013, the Kings wasted little time locking him up to a three-year, $18.75MM contract, beating out several other teams in the process.

Clearly, Los Angeles is banking on Kovalchuk stepping in and playing a top role right away.  However, will an adjustment period be required for him to get re-acclimated to playing on the smaller surface?  Early indications are that he should be a key contributor on the power play but as an older player, can he keep up with five-on-five play?  Fortunately, he won’t be counted on to carry a line which should afford him the opportunity to ease into things if he needs to.

Instead of trying to bring in a few players to shore up various parts of their team, the Kings put almost all of their cap space into signing Kovalchuk.  (The $4.1MM figure cited above is with a roster size below the minimum; they’ll be closer to around $2MM once it fills out.)  Did they make the right call by opting to put all of their eggs in one basket?  If not, don’t be surprised to see GM Rob Blake looking for more scoring help as the season progresses.

Overall Outlook: The Pacific Division projects to be quite a tough battle and as a result, it wouldn’t be surprising to see that division land both Wild Card spots.  That should bode well for the Kings who likely won’t contend for the division title but should fall squarely into that second tier.  Assuming they stay relatively healthy, they’re in decent shape to make the postseason once again.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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

scroll to top