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Archives for October 2018

Jordan Greenway, John Quenneville Assigned To AHL

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The Minnesota Wild and New Jersey Devils have made some tough decisions with regards to two budding prospects, assigning Jordan Greenway and John Quenneville back to the AHL. Both players suited up last night for their respective teams, but will now be headed to the minor leagues. Greenway will play just two games in the AHL according to Michael Russo of The Athletic,  as Joel Eriksson Ek has returned to full practice for the Wild and is expected to take his spot in the lineup until their upcoming road trip. Quenneville, who played more than 13 minutes last night for the Devils, has already bounced up and down this season and may continue to do so until he shows some improved consistency at the NHL level.

Greenway is an important prospect for the Wild given his physicality and offensive upside, but hasn’t been able to show much of the latter yet at the NHL level. With just two points in his first 15 NHL games, he’ll get a chance to boost his confidence at the lower level and get back to what made him so effective at Boston University and on the international stage. The 6’6″ forward scored 92 points in 112 games for BU, and competed at the World Junior Championship, World Championship and Olympics for Team USA in the span of just over a year. He was an integral part of the gold medal-winning 2017 World Junior squad, scoring eight points in seven games alongside star talents like Clayton Keller and Charlie McAvoy. If he can ever find that level of play in the NHL, the Wild will have another legitimate power forward option to plug into the lineup. For now, he needs to find his footing again.

For Quenneville, there’s not nearly as much rope left on his “top prospect” status. The 30th overall pick in 2014, he now has two full minor league seasons under his belt and has failed to show much at the NHL level in several different stints with the Devils. Through 19 games spread over the last three years, he’s recorded just four points. There is huge potential still in Quenneville, who possesses excellent puck skills and a big enough frame to battle physically, but he needs to show it before he starts being passed over on the depth chart in New Jersey. He’ll turn 23 this season, and is still looking for a way to crack an organization that has shown it is more than willing to give young players a chance.

Realignment Proposal “Vetted And Adopted” For Potential Seattle Expansion

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The NHL Board of Governors have still not officially voted to allow expansion to the city of Seattle, but as Pierre LeBrun notes on TSN’s latest Insider Trading segment, they’ve already worked out a realignment plan. A proposal has already been “vetted and adopted” by the board’s Executive Committee, the small selection of owners that first decides if things are even brought before the whole group. The realignment plan is now just waiting to see if Seattle will in fact be brought in as the league’s 32nd team, a vote that is expected to take place in early December.

Though he can’t guarantee it, LeBrun—and his fellow panelists Darren Dreger and Bob McKenzie apparently—feels as though the realignment would consist of the Arizona Coyotes moving to the Central Division, with Seattle taking their place in the Pacific Division. That’s the most obvious option, given the Central currently consists of just seven teams and putting a team from Seattle there doesn’t make much sense. The league also wouldn’t want to break up the rivalry of Calgary/Edmonton, or move the Vegas Golden Knights so soon after establishing them in the division.

If Seattle does end up in the Pacific, there’s a natural rivalry ready to take off with the city of Vancouver.

Poll: Will The Blue Jackets Re-Sign Panarin Or Bobrovsky?

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Even in this early part of the season, many eyes around the league are focused on the Columbus Blue Jackets. As more players like Nate Schmidt ink contract extensions and are taken off the 2019 unrestricted free agent market, even more pressure is on the Blue Jackets and their pending duo of stars. Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky are both scheduled to become UFAs next July, and have had little movement with the Blue Jackets in terms of contract extensions.

In fact, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet writes that Bobrovsky may have already given “an indication of teams he will consider” a trade to this season, given he has full control with a no-movement clause. Bobrovsky has taken the lion’s share of work in the Columbus net to start the year, but is performing worse than he ever has in his career. His .872 save percentage is among the league’s worst, and nearly 50 points lower than his mark from last season. It’s hard to believe he won’t turn things around, but if the Blue Jackets aren’t intending on re-signing him—or he’s not willing to re-sign with the Blue Jackets—a trade might be the best scenario for both.

Panarin meanwhile told the club he didn’t want to negotiate during the summer, but also wanted all business completed by the start of the season. That left the Blue Jackets in a tough position given their belief in themselves as Stanley Cup contenders, as trading a player like Panarin can only hurt your on-ice product in the short term. The 26-year old forward though never said anything negative about the organization or city, just that he didn’t want to sign a long-term deal at the moment. That little bit of wiggle room could force the Blue Jackets to keep him around all year and make a pitch at the end of the season.

It’s obvious that both players are incredible talents, capable of changing the direction of a franchise all by themselves. But both will also be incredibly expensive on the open market, likely challenging some of the highest paid players at their respective positions. Can the Blue Jackets wait out the year and re-sign either one? Or are both destined to be in a different jersey come September 2019.

[Mobile users click here to vote]

Eeli Tolvanen Expected To Stay In North America For Full Season

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After Eeli Tolvanen lit up the KHL as a teenager last season, some expected him to step right into the NHL and not look back. His chance came at the end of the season with the Nashville Predators, but after some struggles in three outings was kept off the playoff roster entirely. Tolvanen would get another chance at training camp this summer, but ended up sent to the Milwaukee Admirals to work on his game at the minor league level. That assignment came with a catch though, as Tolvanen’s entry-level contract has a clause in it which would allow him to return to the KHL after ten AHL games if he so chose.

Tolvanen has now played eight games in the minor leagues and will reach the ten mark this weekend, but isn’t expected to be going anywhere. Pierre LeBrun said as much on the most recent edition of TSN’s Insider Trading, and as Paul Skrbina writes for the Tennessean, Tolvanen this week even told a Finnish radio station outright that he’d be staying in North America.

Obviously things could change over the next few days, but Tolvanen staying in North America is good news for the Predators as it means they’ll have the chance to monitor his development more closely. It also means that they will be able to recall him at a moment’s notice if they feel he’s grown enough to compete at the NHL level, which is likely why he wants to stay close as well. The 19-year old is armed with a wicked shot and excellent offensive instincts, but has to learn how to create more chances for himself instead of just waiting for an opportunity to let a shot fly. He does have five assists (and one goal) in eight minor league games, and continues to take steps towards his eventual NHL ceiling. For now, he’ll stay in the AHL and learn to dominate on North American ice just like he did last season for Jokerit.

Snapshots: Foster, Aho, Rantanen

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One of the legendary moments from the 2017-18 season aside from the Vegas Golden Knights setting a new standard for expansion franchises, and Alex Ovechkin finally hoisting the cup above his head (and, alternately hoisting his head above the cup), was made on an otherwise unexceptional night in Chicago. With their regular goaltenders injured, the Chicago Blackhawks started minor league netminder Collin Delia for the first time in his career. Everything was set up for a normal debut by a budding prospect, but went awry in the third period.

In came Scott Foster, emergency goaltender extraordinaire, signed to an amateur tryout deal in order to fill in. Foster entered with 14 minutes remaining in the third period and made seven stops to secure the win for the Blackhawks. The former Western Michigan University backup goaltender became an instant folk hero in his local recreational league, and now has even more to tell his friends when they gather at the pub. The Blackhawks announced that Foster will serve as the third goaltender at optional skates this season, continuing to add more pages to the brief chapter of his NHL life.

  • There’s not much about the Carolina Hurricanes attack that doesn’t run through Sebastian Aho, the third-year forward with 14 points in his first nine games. Aho recorded 65 last season to lead the Hurricanes, and after Jeff Skinner and Elias Lindholm were jettisoned this summer there’s little reason to think he won’t lead them for years to come. That’s what owner Tom Dundon believes, and what he told Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required). Dundon was effusive in his praise of Aho’s game, and all but guaranteed that the Finnish forward would be in Carolina for a long time: “He’s going to play here. This is where he’s going to play. We’ll figure it out.” Aho is in the final season of his entry-level contract, and will be looking for a huge raise on his next deal. Custance suggests that the 21-year old is watching the William Nylander negotiation closely, as it could be a direct comparable for his own next summer.
  • Speaking of big second contracts, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet notes that Mike Liut, the agent for both Mikko Rantanen and Patrik Laine, likes to wait until after his clients’ third season to sign their next big deal, instead of looking for an early extension. He’s done that with Vladimir Tarasenko, Rasmus Ristolainen and Leon Draisaitl, and Friedman implies that a similar path might be taken by Rantanen and Laine. The former is off to an incredible start in Colorado, while Laine is bound to take off at any moment.

Gary Bettman Upholds Tom Wilson’s 20-Game Suspension

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After an in-person appeal in New York that took more than seven hours, Tom Wilson has not received any reduction of his 20-game suspension. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, who heard the appeal, released his decision today to reject the appeal and uphold the full suspension. Wilson now has the option to appeal to a neutral arbitrator, as Austin Watson did for a domestic violence suspension earlier this year.

Coincidentally, tonight will also mark the debut for St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist, who was the target of the hit that earned Wilson the suspension. It was the fourth suspension in the last 105 games for Wilson, an “unprecedented frequency of suspensions in the history of the Department of Player Safety.” The Washington Capitals forward will forfeit more than $1.2MM in salary for the ban, which at this point is the major thing he is fighting for. Having already missed eight, Wilson will likely be out for nearly 20 games by the time any decision is made by a neutral arbitrator. He currently has seven days to file that appeal.

In the decision, which is 31 pages in length, Bettman notes that the NHLPA suggested a suspension of eight games was warranted if they were to accept the fact that he violated Rule 48 for checks to the head—which they did not, given the basis of the appeal. In fact, much of the weight of the decision surrounds the claim that Wilson did not violate Rule 48, as Sundqvist’s head was not the “main point of contact.” This, as well as the argument that Wilson’s history with the Department of Player Safety was unfairly characterized, was summarily dismissed by the commissioner. His decision finishes with a clear statement to Wilson:

One true and fundamental test of effective discipline is whether the discipline is of sufficient strength and impact that it has the effect of deterring the Player being disciplined from repeating the same or similar conduct in the future. By this standard, the supplementary discipline previously assessed to Mr. Wilson prior to this incident has clearly been ineffective in deterring his dangerously reckless play.

I hope that this decision will serve as an appropriate “wake-up call” to Mr. Wilson, causing him to reevaluate and make positive changes to his game.

Vladislav Namestnikov Generating Trade Interest

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It’s not often that a forward averaging just ten minutes a night and with just one point in his first eight games generates a lot of trade interest, but that might be the case for New York Rangers center Vladislav Namestnikov. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet writes in his latest 31 Thoughts column that there is some interest in Namestnikov and that the Rangers may be willing to listen. The 25-year old center has been pushed further and further down the lineup this season for the Rangers, and played just 13 shifts (9:25) on Tuesday night.

Though he may not be performing well this year, there’s good reason to believe Namestnikov can still be an effective player in the NHL. Originally selected 27th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning, he eventually grew into a talented offensive player that lined up alongside Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov for a time. Though skating next to those two superstars helped along his numbers, his underlying possession statistics have always been relatively good and he’s at least shown that he can play up in the lineup if given the chance.

Part of the reason the Rangers may have decided to move on from him as a core piece is the fact that Namestnikov is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent following the 2019-20 season. Signed to a two-year, $8MM contract in July, he may be both too expensive and slightly too old to really figure into their rebuild. He’ll be looking for a long-term deal when he hits the open market—provided his play rebounds in New York or elsewhere—just while the Rangers are ready to start competing again with their young core. Just like Kevin Hayes, who has made it clear he’d rather stay with the Rangers, there might just not be room for them on the next iteration of the team.

Matt Beleskey, Mario Kempe Placed On Waivers

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Thursday: Both Beleskey and Kempe have cleared, and can now be assigned to the minor leagues.v

Wednesday: Matt Beleskey has only played a single game for the New York Rangers since being acquired last season as part of a larger deal, and it doesn’t seem like he’s going to get into the lineup anytime soon. The veteran forward has been placed on waivers, which will allow the team to move him to the minor leagues and save a good portion of his remaining cap hit. Beleskey was sent to New York from the Boston Bruins last season as a cap dump, with the team retaining 50% of his $3.8MM cap hit. That means if the Rangers do send him to the minor leagues, only an $875K hit will be applied to their cap.

Mario Kempe from the Arizona Coyotes has also been placed on waivers, a predictable outcome after Alex Galchenyuk’s return last night. Kempe has been held scoreless through four games this season, and is less valuable to the team right now than the group of waiver-exempt forwards. Should he clear, he’ll be assigned to the Tucson Roadrunners.

Beleskey, 30, rode the coattails of Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry in Anaheim all the way to a five-year, $19MM contract with the Bruins in 2015, but hasn’t been able to replicate much of the success he had with the Ducks. Though his first season in Boston was fine, he quickly fell out of favor and has been a healthy scratch more times than he’s played over the last few seasons. There was little chance he would figure into the Rangers plans as they continue their rebuild, so he’ll likely just play out the last two seasons of his deal in the minor leagues.

Minor Transactions: 10/25/18

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Ten games grace the NHL stage tonight, including several East-West matchups between playoff contenders. As teams prepare for their games this weekend, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves around the league.

  • The Ottawa Senators have recalled Christian Wolanin from the AHL to give them another defenseman for their upcoming road trip. The team will be without Mark Borowiecki for the first game as he sits out his one-game suspension, but are expected to have Cody Ceci back in the lineup. That means Wolanin may yet have to wait for his first game this season, but is at least earning an NHL paycheck for a few days.
  • Jeremy Lauzon is the lucky defender that has been recalled by the Boston Bruins, this time under emergency conditions. The team moved Kevan Miller to injured reserve, and have several other defensemen banged up. Torey Krug did take part in the morning skate, but Charlie McAvoy and Urho Vaakanainen are not expected to play. It’s the first time Lauzon has ever been recalled to the NHL.
  • Rocco Grimaldi has been recalled by the Nashville Predators after the team placed Dan Hamhuis on injured reserve. Grimaldi has 11 points in his first eight games for the Milwaukee Admirals, and has played the game of extra forward at the NHL level many times before. He’ll likely be sent back down soon, and find himself back with the team again later during the year.
  • Rick Dhaliwal of Sportnet reports that Alex Biega has been called up by the Vancouver Canucks, noting that Guillaume Brisebois could also be on his way up to the team. Biega played 44 games for the Canucks last season but was forced to start at the minor league level this year, where he has two points in his first three games.
  • The Calgary Flames have activated Travis Hamonic from injured reserve, and will re-insert him into the lineup after being out with a facial fracture suffered early in the season. To make room on the roster, Anthony Peluso has been sent back to the minor leagues. Juuso Valimaki, who is just one game away from burning a year of his entry-level contract, will sit tonight for the Flames.
  • Christoffer Ehn has been sent back to the minor leagues by the Detroit Red Wings, making room for Mike Green’s return to the lineup this week. Ehn was a surprise on the final roster out of camp, and played nine games with the Wings to start the season. The 22-year old forward recorded his first NHL point two weeks ago, but had seen his ice time diminished recently.
  • Jake Bischoff has also been sent back to the AHL, and is still awaiting his NHL debut. It’s not the first time Bischoff has been called up without actually getting into a game, and it likely won’t be the last. The 24-year old defenseman scored 23 points in his first full season at the AHL level in 2017-18, and will look to do more damage for the Chicago Wolves this year.

Darling, Neuvirth Complete Conditioning Stints

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The Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes were in similar situations earlier this month when they claimed Calvin Pickard and Curtis McElhinney off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Both had an NHL goaltender—Michal Neuvirth and Scott Darling respectively—injured, and were looking for short-term help without giving up an asset or rushing a prospect. Now both are in the same situation again, as Neuvirth and Darling are ready to return.

The Hurricanes announced today that Darling has been recalled from his conditioning stint with the Charlotte Checkers, while Neuvirth told reporters including Tony Androckitis of Inside AHL Hockey that he would re-join the Flyers in Boston after playing for the Lehigh Valley Pchantoms last night. The question now for both teams is what happens to that extra goaltender that they claimed earlier in the year.

For the Flyers, it’s likely a simple decision of putting Pickard back on waivers. The team is unlikely to carry three goaltenders for any substantial length of time, and don’t seem ready to rid themselves of starter Brian Elliott just yet, despite his slow start. Elliott has just a .882 save percentage through the early going, and has allowed 24 goals through seven games. Pickard meanwhile has performed even worse with an .833 through his three appearances.

In Carolina, things aren’t nearly as clear. Though McElhinney hasn’t performed nearly as well as he did for the Maple Leafs or even Columbus Blue Jackets, he could potentially be a better option this season than what Petr Mrazek has shown so far. This is the third straight season that the former Detroit Red Wings goaltender has performed poorly, and is providing little value to the Hurricanes for his $1.5MM salary. That contract would also likely keep him from being claimed, something that certainly couldn’t be said for McElhinney.

In fact for both Pickard and McEllhinney, getting through waivers is an unlikely scenario. The Maple Leafs were left with very little goaltending depth after losing both, and then saw third-string netminder Kasimir Kaskisuo go down to injury in the minor leagues. That left them with Eamon McAdam getting an emergency call-up from the ECHL when Frederik Andersen tweaked his knee, something that the team will want to avoid going forward. If the Maple Leafs are the only team to put in a claim on Pickard or McElhinney, they could assign either goaltender directly to the minor leagues and keep them in the system without having to use a roster spot. It’s hard to imagine they wouldn’t try that for at least one of the two if they’re placed on waivers today or tomorrow.

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