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Archives for September 2018

Snapshots: Upshall, Nylander, Hutton

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Although Scottie Upshall was released from his PTO by Edmonton on Monday as his leg injury continues to linger, his time with the organization may not be over just yet.  Postmedia’s Robert Tychkowski reports that the Oilers have offered him the chance to rehab in Edmonton and an opportunity to play with their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield once he gets the green light to return to game action.  Upshall has yet to decide whether or not to take them up on their offer.  If he wants to return to the NHL this season though, it’s likely that he will need to spend some time at the minor league level to show he’s fully healthy.

More from around the hockey world:

  • While shifting the focus to a bridge deal with winger William Nylander might help get him locked up before the season starts, Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas stated in an interview on Sportsnet 590 (audio link) that doing so would be a “sub-optimal” He reiterated that both sides’ preference remains to get a long-term deal done although there is still a sizable gap to be bridged.  Dubas also acknowledged that they have received inquiries from other teams regarding Nylander’s availability but emphasized that they are not shopping the 22-year-old.
  • It’s never too early to think about the next college free agent market and 11 teams have already expressed some interest in Miami (Ohio) defenseman Grant Hutton, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Among those teams is Ottawa, as GM Pierre Dorion met with the 23-year-old.  Hutton is entering his senior year and is coming off of a productive junior campaign with 13 goals and 14 assists in 36 games.

2018-19 Season Primer: Montreal Canadiens

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With the NHL season now less than two weeks away, it’s time to 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 Montreal Canadiens.

Last Season: 29-40-13 record (71 points), sixth in the Atlantic Division (missed the playoffs)

Remaining Cap Space: $7.06MM per CapFriendly

Key Additions: F Joel Armia (trade with Jets), F Max Domi (trade with Coyotes), D Xavier Ouellet (free agency, Detroit), F Matthew Peca (free agency, Tampa Bay), F Tomas Plekanec (free agency, Toronto), F Tomas Tatar (trade with Vegas)

Key Subtractions: F Daniel Carr (free agency, Vegas), F Alex Galchenyuk (trade with Coyotes), F Ales Hemsky (free agency, unsigned), F Max Pacioretty (trade with Vegas), F Logan Shaw (free agent, PTO with Calgary)

[Related: Canadiens Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: G Carey Price – To put it lightly, last year was not a good one for Price.  He dealt with fatigue issues, a lower-body injury, and a concussion which resulted in him playing in just 49 games.  In those contests, he posted the highest goals-against average and lowest save percentage of his career.

Needless to say, that’s not what the Canadiens were expecting when they inked him to an eight-year, $10.5MM extension back in July, the richest contract given to a goalie in league history.  Montreal committed to Price as their franchise player and instead, he provided a performance comparable to a mediocre backup netminder.

Despite the poor season and Montreal’s anticipated place in the standings this coming season, expectations remain high.  If Price can rebound, the Canadiens should at the very least be out of the basement in the Atlantic but if he falters again, they’ll likely be a cellar-dweller and his contract could become among the worst in the league in a hurry.  Montreal is a pressure-filled market and Price is really going to be under the microscope since the team goes as he goes.

Key Storyline: Montreal’s problems down the middle have been well-documented.  Their short-term solution was to take the winger that they acquired last summer and converted to center and move him back to the wing (Jonathan Drouin) to take another winger that they picked up this summer and convert him to center (Domi).  They also added Peca who has all of 20 games of NHL experience and Plekanec, a capable checker that was in the lineup for most of the season but whose role is likely to be lessened.  That’s not the significant improvement that they needed.

The Canadiens were near the bottom of the league in scoring last season and dealt away arguably their two top pure scoring threats in Galchenyuk and Pacioretty which has left them with a dearth of natural scoring on the wing.  Long story short, how is this team going to score on a regular basis?  There’s a case to be made that they haven’t improved their attack which is going to put even more pressure on Price.

However, this is a young forward group.  Plekanec is the lone one over the age of 29 so they are clearly banking on some internal improvement.  Will some players take a step forward to help replace Galchenyuk and Pacioretty?  If not, two of the biggest issues the team had last season (center play and scoring) will likely hold them back again.

Overall Outlook: Assuming Price rebounds even a little bit, Montreal shouldn’t be battling it out with Ottawa to stay out of the basement in the Atlantic.  However, they will need a lot to go right for them to really get into the mix for a Wild Card spot.  It’s looking like another non-playoff season for the Canadiens although their record shouldn’t be as bad as it was last year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: Smith-Pelly, Smith, Beleskey, Sheahan

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Although Devante Smith-Pelly’s absence from Washington’s lineup so far this preseason has been conditioning-related, Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post reports that the Capitals won’t be taking the same route that Tampa Bay did with Jake Dotchin by seeking to terminate his contract.  GM Brian MacLellan noted last year that Smith-Pelly’s conditioning level wasn’t ideal in his first training camp with the team but the 26-year-old wound up being an important contributor for them in the postseason.  It certainly appears that his second campaign with the team will start in a similar manner.

Elsewhere out East:

  • The Senators had some trade talks regarding recently-waived center Zack Smith but Ottawa was hoping to avoid taking a contract in the return, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. Considering he has three years and $9.75MM left on his contract, it’s understandable to think that teams that have interest would want to offset the money somewhat which has led to the team putting him on waivers in the hopes that a team would assume the remainder of the contract for free.  Garrioch spoke with some general managers around the league and they indicated that it’s unlikely that Smith will be picked up.
  • Rangers winger Matt Beleskey sustained a shoulder injury in a fight last night against the Devils, notes Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post. However, head coach David Quinn doesn’t believe it will be a long-term issue but adds that it’s “too early to tell”.  Beleskey came to New York as part of the Rick Nash trade but spent the majority of the time at the minor league level.  He was already viewed as somewhat of a long-shot to make the team despite his contract and this won’t help his cause.
  • Penguins center Riley Sheahan returned to practice after missing the last ten days with a lower-body injury, notes Jonathan Bombulie of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Pittsburgh hopes to get him into at least one preseason game and have a couple of chances to do so with the team playing Wednesday and Friday.

Alex Galchenyuk “Week-To-Week”, Will Miss Opening Night

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Late last week, it was reported that Arizona Coyotes forward Alex Galchenyuk had been sidelined with an injury. However, the team had not yet evaluated the injury or its severity. Head coach Rick Tocchet was tight-lipped about how it occurred, what type of injury it might be, or how long Galchenyuk could be out for. It seems now that the team has taken the proper time to consider Galchenyuk’s status and the results are not optimal. Arizona announced that Galchenyuk is “week-to-week” with a lower body injury and is expected to miss the team’s opener in Dallas on October 4th.

Missing just one game would be a best case scenario at this point, as there continues to be a lack of details or answers regarding this injury. As the Coyotes biggest off-season acquisition, there was a lot of hype and excitement surrounding the young scoring forward entering this season. Beginning the season without him is less than ideal, but even hinting at a long-term injury would be a tough pill for fans to swallow before the season even begins. “Week-to-week” is a difficult time frame to estimate, especially for a player who has been rather resilient in his career. However, when Galchenyuk did suffer a serious knee injury in 2016-17, he had a tough time getting healthy and would up missing 21 games over two stints on the injured reserve. A similar outlook for this mysterious lower-body ailment would be disastrous for Arizona.

Early indications had Galchenyuk not at center, but at left wing for the Coyotes and certainly in the top-six. Until he returns, his spot will likely return to what it was last season – a revolving door of options including Richard Panik, Brendan Perlini, Mario Kempe, and Lawson Crouse. That lineup is even less appealing than last year, when Max Domi (traded for Galchenyuk), Jordan Martinook (also traded), Tobias Rieder and Anthony Duclair (free agency) were also in the mix. The ’Yotes have to hope that the rest of their forward corps can pick up the slack and could use a hot start from free agent addition Michael Grabner and rookie Dylan Strome. Either way, the team will need Galchenyuk back as soon as possible if they want to take a step forward this season.

Ottawa Senators Agree To Affiliation With ECHL’s Brampton Beast

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The Ottawa Senators have added another layer to their pipeline, announcing today that they have agreed to a one-year affiliation agreement with the ECHL’s Brampton Beast. As with all NHL-ECHL relationships, the Ottawa Senators and AHL’s Belleville Senators will be able to assign players to Brampton in 2018-19. The Beast were most recently affiliated with the rival Montreal Canadiens and their AHL team, the Laval Rocket. However, Montreal will not have a specific affiliate this season, opting instead to send some players to Brampton and others to nearby clubs like the Maine Mariners.

Brampton is a logical fit for the Senators, located in Ontario not far from Toronto, a quick flight or manageable drive from Ottawa or Belleville. The Senators were formerly affiliated with the Wichita Thunder, but gave up that exclusive relationship prior to last season. Ottawa used Wichita sparingly, as well as Brampton, last year despite a lack of a formal relationship, and the Thunder took on a new parent club in the Edmonton Oilers. Now, the Senators are back in the ECHL officially and may use Brampton more frequently due to its proximity.

With this agreement in place, the number of unaffiliated NHL and ECHL clubs drops again. There has been much movement in the ECHL this off-season, but with the Vegas Golden Knights and Fort Wayne Komets linking up, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Orlando Solar Bears making a reasonable match, and the Atlanta Gladiators adding the Nashville Predators on alongside the Boston Bruins, very few teams have yet to be paired up with the season about to begin. Currently, the Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Florida Panthers, and San Jose Sharks are without an ECHL affiliate, while the Greenville Swamp Rabbits and Rapid City Rush are without parent clubs. The Panthers and South Carolina-based Swamp Rabbits would seem to be an easy match, but only time will tell if and when any further relationships are formed this season.

Bruins Face Threat Of History Repeating Itself

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The problem that every team wants to have is being too deep. Having a redundancy of talent is nothing to complain about. However, it does make for hard decisions and sometime losing players on waivers or regretting not signing an impressive camp invitee. The Boston Bruins learned this the hard way in 2015-16, when Lee Stempniak worked out with the team all off-season and early in camp only to sign with the New Jersey Devils when no offer came from Boston. The Bruins then had to give up a second- and fourth-round pick to acquire Stempniak at the trade deadline, whose 41 points at that point would have been of use to the team all season long. The Bruins are a much improved team entering 2018-19 than they were three years ago, and are unlikely to be as negatively impacted by a bad call, but still want to make the best decision for the team.

Naturally, Stempniak as well as Daniel Winnik have been in camp on PTO’s and have looked surprisingly good. Winnik looked like one of the Bruins’ best skaters in their first two preseason games and has a goal and an assist through four games, while Stempniak has dominated the team’s last two preseason games, racking up a goal and four assists with a hand in nearly every Bruins tally. Stempniak and Winnik may be 35 and 33 years old respectively, but both are proven veterans with the versatility to play multiple roles. The hard-nosed Winnik, who totaled 23 points with the Minnesota Wild last year, might be better suited for a fourth-line role, while the keen-eyed Stempniak could bounce back from an injury-plagued season with the Carolina Hurricanes to be a serviceable middle-six replacement option. There is no doubt after this preseason that both experienced forward can still help an NHL team, but are either the right call for the Bruins?

The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn recently analyzed the Bruins roster and found data to support the claim that the Bruins have eight forwards who are of top-six caliber, among the best count in the league. Of course, the top line of Patrice Bergeron between Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak is set, while David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk won’t be splitting apart on the second line. One of rookie Ryan Donato or sophomore Danton Heinen will play the off-wing on that line, with the other lining up naturally on the left side with David Backes at right wing. There are the eight top-six forwards, none of whom are losing ice time to Stempniak or Winnik. However, the Bruins also invested in their fourth line this off-season, bringing in Chris Wagner and Joakim Nordstrom to complement Sean Kuraly and Noel Acciari. Winnik would seem like a fit with that group as well, but five veteran grinders fighting for three fourth line spots may not be Boston’s best use of roster space. Finally, the Bruins seem committed to giving a prospect a shot at centering the third line, with Trent Frederic, Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, and Jack Studnicka all trying out in camp. Winnik or Stempniak would seemingly only make sense if the Bruins had doubts about all three of those options handling the position. Even as injury fallback options, there is a logjam. Anders Bjork and Peter Cehlarik are both young forwards with NHL experience currently slotted for AHL assignment who could benefit from increased opportunity.

Then again, feeling content with the roster is what caused the Bruins to pass up on Stempniak the first time around. Given that Bergeron, Kuraly, and Acciari are all dealing with injuries currently, the team could opt to sign Winnik or Stempniak for the time being and deal with the roster management down the road. Boston could also avoid the sunk-cost bias associated with their recent signing of Nordstrom, who very well could be an inferior option to either of the veterans. At a $1MM salary, the Bruins could completely bury Nordstrom’s cap hit in the minors if he were to clear waivers. Such a decision would then clear room for Stempniak or Winnik (or both) to join the team. There is no easy answer and lots of moving pieces, but Boston knows as well as any one how a training camp roster decision can come back to haunt a team.

Minor Transactions: 9/25/18

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Even as many players lose their shots at an NHL roster spot across the league, via waivers and reassignment, positive moves are being made as well, giving others a second chance or new opportunity ahead of the 2018-19 season. Follow along with some smaller transactions around the hockey world right here:

  • It’s the first NHL call-up of the season and it’s not a minor one, either. The San Jose Sharks have recalled 14 players from San Jose Barracuda’s camp, the team announced. Nine forwards and five defenseman will re-join training camp and, likely the main purpose of the promotion, will take part in the team’s road game against the Calgary Flames tonight. San Jose entered camp initially with very few if any real position battles and likely have their lineup sorted out with the regular season set to open next week. Rather than tire out their veterans with a trip back and forth to Alberta, they’ll let the kids go instead. Regardless, it is a great experience for some of the younger players who were dejected at already being demoted to the AHL.
  • As indicated by his unexpected waiver placement earlier, Ryan Haggerty has signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 25-year-old two-way forward has been a member of the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for the past two years and signed an extension to return this season. However, as an invite to NHL camp, Haggerty did enough to earn a bump up to a two-way contract. CapFriendly did some digging after Haggerty was put on waivers and found that the has signed a two-year deal worth an average of $675K at the NHL level. Haggerty is expected to return to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, but could be a useful bottom-six depth piece for the Penguins this year.
  • After clearing unconditional waivers yesterday, recently released former Anaheim Duck Julius Nattinen has already found a new home. The young center, a second-round pick in 2015, struggled greatly in the AHL last season, recording just 12 points as a first-year pro. The Athletic’s Eric Stephens reported that Nattinen did not plan to report to the San Diego Gulls again this season, leading to his termination. He will now return home to Finland, as Liiga club JYP has announced a three-year contract with Nattinen. The 21-year-old forward will try to get his career back on track overseas, but likely has burned his bridges in the NHL with a quick exit from the Ducks’ system.

Zack Smith, 17 Others Placed On Waivers

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A substantial group of players again went untouched on the waiver wire yesterday, as there remains just one claim so far this season. Today, a new set of names become briefly available on their way down to the AHL. According to The Athletic’s James Mirtle, these 18 players have been placed on waivers by their respective teams today, highlighted by Ottawa’s longest-tenured player:

F Anton Blidh (Boston)
F Colby Cave (Boston)
D Jake Chelios (Detroit)
F Hudson Fasching (Arizona)
F Byron Froese (Montreal)
D Cody Goloubef (Boston)
F Ryan Haggerty (Pittsburgh)
D Brett Lernout (Montreal)
F Nick Lappin (New Jersey)
F Michael McCarron (Montreal)
F Mark McNeill (Boston)
D Robbie Russo (Arizona)
G Harri Sateri (Detroit)
F Hunter Shinkaruk (Montreal)
F Zack Smith (Ottawa)
F Jordan Szwarz (Boston)
F Chris Terry (Detroit)
D Rinat Valiev (Montreal)

Obviously, Smith is the star of this group and easily the biggest name to hit the wire so far this year. The decision to placed the veteran forward, a career Senator entering his eleventh season, on waivers is a curious one. Admittedly, Smith did not play well last season; beyond only recording 19 points in 68 games, he logged a brutal -32 rating, saw a drop-off in face-off success, and struggled in many possession metrics. Nevertheless, he remained a favorite of head coach Guy Boucher and saw a career high in ice time. After losing the likes of Erik Karlsson and Mike Hoffman this summer, Smith – while not the strongest player – was one of the few loyal locker room leaders left in Ottawa. There has already been a negative response, as Matt Duchene called the move “a kick in the balls” for the locker room, according to TSN’s Brent Wallace. For some reason, the team has decided to move on, one way or another. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that the Senators have been shopping Smith for some time and had trade interest, but were not able to come to an agreement with any of the teams not included on Smith’s limited list per his modified No-Trade Clause. Now, they will either lose him for nothing in return or have the ability to bury him in the minors if he clears. Such a demotion would clear $1.025MM in cap space of his $3.25MM salary. It is important to note when considering any potential claims, that Smith is signed for three more years, making his inclusion on waivers even more surprising.

The group of Canadiens could also offer some appeal, particularly the 23-year-old power forward McCarron. Although the 2013 first-round pick has not lived up to expectations yet, he has the one thing you can’t teach and that is size. At 6’6″, 230-lbs., McCarron has the frame to do some damage at his spot on the right wing if put in the right system with the right line mates. It hasn’t happened yet in Montreal, but some other team may be willing to take a shot. Veteran grinder Froese, who played in 48 games with the Habs last year, could also get a passing glance, while trade recent Montreal trade acquisitions Shinkaruk and Valiev are somewhat intriguing albeit not likely to be claimed.

Team in search of young, affordable fourth line help could look at the Bruins’ Blidh and Cave, although such a move is unlikely. The same goes for Haggerty, whose placement on waivers comes as surprise, given that no contract has of yet been announced with Pittsburgh for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguin.

Training Camp Cuts: 9/25/18

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Another day of camp, another day of cuts. Things are starting to get more difficult though as rosters have become much thinner over the past few days and each release and reassignment is not taken lightly. The pace of roster announcements today is noticeably slower than this past week. Yet, the cuts must be made. Follow along here for all of the camp casualties across the league today:

Note that players placed on waivers today are not included on this list.  They can be found here.

Arizona Coyotes (per team release)

D Kyle Capobianco (to Tuscon, AHL)
G Adin Hill (to Tuscon, AHL)
F Kevin Klima (to Tuscon, AHL)
F Jens Looke (to Tuscon, AHL)
G Hunter Miska (to Tuscon, AHL)
F Lane Pederson (to Tuscon, AHL)

Boston Bruins (per team release)

D Connor Clifton (to Providence, AHL)
F Karson Kuhlman (to Providence, AHL)
D Jeremy Lauzon (to Providence, AHL)

Carolina Hurricanes (per team release)

G Callum Booth (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Morgan Geekie (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Andrew Poturalski (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Dan Renouf (to Charlotte, AHL)

Chicago Blackhawks (per team Twitter update)

D Carl Dahlstrom (to Rockford, AHL)
D Joni Tuulola (to Rockford, AHL)

Detroit Red Wings (per team release)

F Dylan Sadowy (to Toledo, ECHL)
D Brenden Kotyk (released from PTO)
F Bryan Moore (released from PTO)
G Pat Nagle (released from PTO)
D Matt Register  (released from PTO)
F Jordan Topping (released from PTO)
F Luke Kirwan  (released from ATO)

Edmonton Oilers (per team Twitter update)

D Kevin Gravel (to Bakersfield, AHL)
D Keegan Lowe (to Bakersfield, AHL)
F Brad Malone (to Bakersfield, AHL)

Montreal Canadiens (per team release)

D Michal Moravcik (to Laval, AHL)
D David Sklenicka (to Laval, AHL)
F Nick Suzuki (to Owen Sound, OHL)
F Joel Ward (released from PTO)

New Jersey Devils (per team Twitter)

F Joey Anderson (to Binghamton, AHL)
F Michael McLeod (to Binghamton, AHL)
F Marian Studenic (to Binghamton, AHL)

New York Islanders (per team Twitter update)

F Steve Bernier (to Bridgeport, AHL)
G Christopher Gibson (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Seth Helgeson (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Mike Sislo (to Bridgeport, AHL)

Philadelphia Flyers (per team release)

F Nicholas Aube-Kubel (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Philippe Myers (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)

Vancouver Canucks (per Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal)

F Reid Boucher (to Utica, AHL)
D Ashton Sautner (to Utica, AHL)

Vegas Golden Knights (per team release)

G Maxime Lagace (to Chicago, AHL)
F Stefan Matteau (to Chicago, AHL)
D Griffin Reinhart (to Chicago, AHL)
F T.J. Tynan (to Chicago, AHL)
F Cody Glass (to Portland, WHL)

College Notes: Perbix, Barnaby, Summers

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Anaheim Ducks prospect Jack Perbix has made a decision on his hockey future. The Minnesota native announced on his personal Twitter yesterday that he has committed to the flagship school of his home state, the University of Minnesota. Perbix, who dominated Minnesota high school hockey last year with 61 points in 25 games at Elk River, earned himself a fourth-round selection back in June. He now heads to the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL this season, before joining the Gophers next year. The only question that remains is just how long Perbix remains at the college level. While he may not be an extraordinarily high draft pick, Perbix has the skill to break out in the NCAA and could then press for an opportunity in Anaheim. Right wing is a long-term position of need for the Ducks and one that would grow more dire should they lose Jakob Sifverberg to free agency this year. If Perbix continues to improve and show that he can handle tougher competition, he could be joining the NHL far sooner than after four years at school.

  • Matt Barnaby, who shares his name with father and former NHLer Matthew Barnaby, has also committed to his school of choice. The 20-year-old forward announced via Twitter that he has decided to join Penn State University next season. While the Nittany Lions have vastly improved since joining the NCAA level in 2012, Barnaby is nevertheless one of the bigger names to join the program. Last season, Barnaby finished third in scoring in the junior-A Central Canada Hockey League, recording 76 points in 62 games for the Pembroke Lumber Kings. The Buffalo native has since joined the USHL’s Chicago Steel with high expectations for the campaign. Although Barnaby was undrafted through three years of NHL Draft eligibility, he will still join Penn State with substantial buzz and will be a player to watch for in the NCAA for years to come.
  • Former Clarkson University standout defenseman Kelly Summers has not had the off-season that he hoped for or many expected. One of the top unsigned college free agents to hit the market in August, Summers was coming off a 30-point campaign for the Golden Knights and seemed headed for an entry-level contract or at least a promising AHL situation. After all, frequent Clarkson pair mate – and one with slightly less production – Terrance Amorosa signed with the San Diego Gulls early on. However, that never came to fruition and now Summers has had to settle for an AHL tryout, as he was included on the Belleville Senators’ camp roster. Ironically, Ottawa was the team that initially drafted Summers in the seventh round in 2014, so Summers really has not made much progress at all in a disappointing free agency experience.

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