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Minor Transactions: 03/20/19

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There’s only four games on the schedule for tonight in the NHL, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be without fireworks. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres renew their rivalry, while the Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals clash in a battle of Eastern Conference division leaders. As teams prepare, we’ll be here keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • It wouldn’t be a weekday without a Justin Bailey transaction, as the Philadelphia Flyers forward has been sent back to the AHL once again. Bailey has been involved in eight transactions since the beginning of March, bouncing up and down as the team needs an extra body.
  • The New Jersey Devils have sent Colton White and Nick Lappin back to the minor leagues as they finally start to get healthy. The Devils were without nearly half of their normal roster recently, but could get several players back in the next few days. The team will welcome in the Boston Bruins tomorrow night, at which point White and Lappin could be on their way back up if more insurance is needed.
  • Defenseman Libor Sulak has been recalled under emergency conditions by the Detroit Red Wings, who may not have Trevor Daley back before the end of the season. Sulak is another one of the Red Wings’ young players to make his debut this season, and has played six NHL games.
  • Cameron Gaunce is back up with the Lightning, now that Dan Girardi has been downgraded from day-to-day to out indefinitely. Gaunce will serve as the team’s seventh defenseman until Anton Stralman is ready to return.
  • With Valtteri Filppula out for four weeks, the New York Islanders have recalled Tanner Fritz from the AHL. Fritz has played just four games with the Islanders this season, but offers an experienced professional to give the team some center depth while they deal with Filppula’s absence.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Adam Johnson from the AHL, while sending Joseph Blandisi and Juuso Riikola back down. Johnson is still waiting to make his NHL debut after signing out of the NCAA ranks almost two years ago, but is having an excellent season in the AHL with 40 points in 63 games.
  • Paul Carey has been recalled once again by the Boston Bruins, who also activated David Pastrnak today. Patrice Bergeron did miss practice, but head coach Bruce Cassidy deemed it a maintenance day and told reporters the star center would be just fine.
  • The Anaheim Ducks announced that they’ve recalled defenseman Andy Welinski from San Diego of the AHL.  He has been shuttled back and forth between the Ducks and Gulls in recent days based on their injury situation.  Welinski has played in 19 games with Anaheim so far this season, playing a little over 14 minutes a night.

Valtteri Filppula Out Four Weeks

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The New York Islanders were picked apart last night by the Boston Bruins, and now have some injury to add to that insult. Valtteri Filppula will be out for four weeks with an upper-body injury after leaving the game early. Jordan Eberle has been listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Filppula, 35 (today!), has experienced something of a renaissance this season under head coach Barry Trotz, hitting the 15-goal mark for the first time since 2013-14. The veteran pivot has been an important piece for the Islanders this season, offering them solid defense down the middle while chipping in with some timely secondary scoring.

His absence will be obvious, and will likely lead to the Islanders trying several options at the center position. Four weeks means he will miss at least part of the first round, a matchup that could be against the Pittsburgh Penguins and their notable center depth. For now he’ll focus on recovery and try to get back onto the ice quickly. Eberle is still scheduled to travel with the team and should return soon.

Seattle Offers Early Look At New Arena

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The Seattle expansion franchise is on track to start play at the beginning of the 2021-22 season, and work has already begun to create a new state-of-the-art arena. The Oak View Group who were awarded the expansion club will demolish the old standing KeyArena and build a new rink while maintaining the old roof. All these plans are laid out in a new video released today that gives fans a first look at the early demolition work. At the very end, it also shows a rendering of what the arena might look like when completed—notably swathed in red.

Originally scheduled to enter the league in 2020-21, the Seattle timeline was pushed back to make sure the arena was fully functional and ready for the start of the season. It was approved as a $660MM renovation, but at the press conference announcing the team OVG officials suggested it may run up to $800MM when all is done. That kind of investment will set up the Seattle team for success, and provide fans with an excellent experience.

Still there are obviously hurdles to clear in order to get things done on time. While the construction continues, Seattle will need to fill out a management group and coaching staff while preparing for the expansion draft in the spring of 2021. The team could very well name a GM this summer, giving them plenty of time to get things ready for an explosive inaugural season.

Several Teams Showing Interest In Justin Brazeau

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Yesterday our Zach Leach profiled CHL undrafted free agent Justin Brazeau, and today his name popped up in the latest edition of Insider Trading. Darren Dreger reports that several teams have already shown interest in the 6’6″ forward, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, Vegas Golden Knights and Columbus Blue Jackets. Dreger notes that while teams would like to sign Brazeau to an AHL contract, he’s looking for an NHL entry-level deal after his outstanding performance this season.

Brazeau, 21, has dominated as part of a solid North Bay Battalion squad, scoring 61 goals and 113 points in 68 games. They’ll take on the Niagara IceDogs in a first round playoff matchup starting on Thursday evening, but are heavy underdogs. That means Brazeau’s season could be over relatively soon, giving him even more time to consider the offers from several squads.

Luke Philp Signs With Calgary Flames

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While the NCAA ranks are picked clean each year, the Canadian college scene rarely produces high end NHL prospects. That’s because most Canadian players are either snapped up in junior hockey or head south of the border to take advantage of the scholarship system. This year though there is a name that’s trying to change all that. Luke Philp, who recorded 45 points in 24 games for the University of Alberta, has signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Calgary Flames. The deal will kick in for the 2019-20 season, despite what the press release says. Philp is currently injured.

That’s not to say there hasn’t been success stories from Canadian universities before. In fact, Philp will have an example to look up to on the Flames as new teammate Derek Ryan also attended the University of Alberta for four years before jumping into professional hockey. Ryan wasn’t as fortunate though, as he had to grind through several years overseas before proving he deserved a contract with the Carolina Hurricanes. He now carries a $3.125MM cap hit on a three-year deal with the Flames.

It’s not like Philp came out of nowhere to overwhelm the USports ranks. A former star for the Kootenay Ice of the WHL, Philp actually recorded 82 points in 71 games for the team in 2014-15 leading to a ranking on the NHL’s Central Scouting list. He wouldn’t end up being picked, but teams have kept an eye on him over the years. Previously attending development camp with the Philadelphia Flyers, San Jose Sharks and Toronto Maple Leafs, Philp was also obviously on the radar of the two Alberta teams in Edmonton and Calgary.

Minnesota Wild Sign Alexander Khovanov

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The Minnesota Wild have inked forward prospect Alexander Khovanov to a three-year entry-level contract. The deal will kick in for next season, and Khovanov will remain with the Moncton Wildcats for the rest of this year. The Wildcats are about to start their first round QMJHL playoff series later this week.

Khovanov, 18, fell all the way to the third round last June after a so-so debut in North America. In 41 games during the 2017-18 season he recorded 35 points for the Wildcats, but didn’t make quite the impression that fellow Russian phenom Andrei Svechnikov did. The two had been picked first and second overall in the CHL import draft, but with Svechnikov’s experience in the USHL he was much more prepared for North American hockey. There was also the fact that Khovanov contracted hepatitis A and missed a good chunk of development time.

Still, there was plenty of reason to be excited if you were a Minnesota fan and Khovanov made good on his offensive promise by tallying 74 points in 64 games in his second go round. The fact that he has already signed his entry-level contract should quell any anxiety about him returning to Russia, at least without consent from the Wild.

There may be reason to have the prospect play overseas next season, if the team doesn’t think he has much to learn from the CHL. Turning 19 next month he will likely dominate the junior circuit in 2019-20 if given the chance, something that may not be best for his development. Either way he’ll be a name to keep close watch of at training camp and throughout next year.

Snapshots: Pekar, Miami, Yakupov

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After his season came to an end in the OHL, Matej Pekar is headed to join the Rochester Americans for the rest of the season. The 19-year old forward is currently injured and it is unclear if he’ll get into any actual games, but he can at least become familiar with the team and their facilities. Pekar was just a fourth-round pick last June, but has already become one of the more intriguing prospects for the Sabres after a solid season with the Barrie Colts.

Pekar recorded 36 points in 33 games and attended the World Juniors with the Czech Republic. The left-shot forward will see his entry-level deal slide to next season, and won’t start burning years even if he does get into some AHL action over the next few weeks.

  • It wasn’t a very successful season for Miami University (Ohio), and head coach Enrico Blasi has been fired because of it. Athletic Director David Sayler announced the decision today, explaining that he needs to see more competitive play out of his school as they try to battle in the NCHC—arguably the toughest conference in college hockey. Miami went just 5-17-2 this year and 45-84-15 under Blasi over the six seasons as part of the NCHC. Blasi had been head coach of the program for nearly two decades overall.
  • While reports surfaced this morning out of Russia that the Arizona Coyotes were one of a few teams interested in bringing Nail Yakupov back to the NHL, Craig Morgan of The Athletic threw cold water on the idea. Morgan tweeted that a league source called the report “completely inaccurate.” Yakupov found great success after heading back to the KHL this season, recording 23 goals in 47 games and being a big part of a St. Petersburg SKA team that looks poised to return to the Gagarin Cup finals. It’s unclear if there are other teams circling Yakupov to see if he’s willing to come back.

Dallas Stars Sign Trio Of Prospects

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The Dallas Stars have had a busy morning, signing Rhett Gardner (two-year), Joe Cecconi (two-year) and Josh Melnick (one-year) to entry-level contracts. All three deals will start next season, as the trio will join the Texas Stars on amateur tryouts for the rest of this year. Gardner and Cecconi were both drafted by the Stars, while Melnick was an undrafted college free agent who just finished his fourth year at Miami University (Ohio). The team has also assigned top prospect Ty Dellandrea to Texas after his season with the Flint Firebirds came to an end.

Gardner, 23, was selected by the Stars in the fourth round of the 2016 draft after an encouraging freshman season at the University of North Dakota. The 6’3″ center had scored 11 goals while playing behind the likes of Brock Boeser, Drake Caggiula and Nick Schmaltz and looked like he might develop into a real offensive threat down the road. Unfortunately that offensive touch never did really materialize, with Gardner topping out at 21 points during his sophomore season. Still, Gardner will bring another big powerful forward presence to the AHL Stars next season, one capable of playing at center and on the penalty kill if necessary.

Cecconi meanwhile brings a much higher ceiling in terms of NHL potential. The 21-year old defenseman was picked in the fifth round of the 2015 draft, but has developed into quite the player for the University of Michigan. In his first two seasons with the Wolverines, Cecconi recorded just 15 points in 71 games but after being paired with Quinn Hughes partway through the 2017-18 season really took off. The two formed one of the best defensive pairings in all of college hockey, and Cecconi ended up recorded 27 points in 40 games. He maintained that production this year with another 20 points in 36 games, and now joins the Stars as more than just a late-round lottery ticket. The 6’2″ defenseman seems to be more than the sum of his parts in terms of individual skill set, and will attempt to take another step in his development at the next level.

Melnick, the lone free agent of the bunch is the classic overlooked forward prospect. Measuring in at just 5’10”, he nevertheless recorded four excellent seasons at Miami and will try to show off his playmaking skills at the professional level. The 23-year old has produced at every level, and could be a big offensive threat in the AHL next season.

Decision Looming For New York Rangers

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It’s not very often that a team decides to dismantle their team quite as thoroughly and openly as the New York Rangers have over the past year. Starting with a letter to their fans in early February 2018, the Rangers’ front office explained that they did not believe the roster as then constructed was going to bring any realistic success or a chance at a Stanley Cup. Just a few weeks later the team began selling off their biggest assets, dealing Nick Holden, Michael Grabner, Rick Nash, Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller in the span of just a few days. After that kind of a deadline, it was obvious that the Rangers wouldn’t stop there.

This season’s deadline brought much of the same, as New York jettisoned Mats Zuccarello, Kevin Hayes and Adam McQuaid for almost entirely future assets. One name that was brought up repeatedly but never moved however was power forward Chris Kreider. Kreider represents the last member of the former core with an expiring contract, as his deal is up following the 2019-20 season, and now sits as the biggest decision the team must make this summer. The talented winger will turn 28 in April, and could be an extension candidate if the team believes he can help them get back to the playoffs with their rebuilt lineup. He could also be their biggest trade chip at the draft if they want to take another step backwards to build the prospect cupboard up. In fact, Larry Brooks of the New York Post writes that there is “not even the slightest chance” that Kreider will report to Rangers training camp in the fall without an extension, implying he would be traded without one.

That decision will come after a potentially career-best season from Kreider, even if it has come with some ups and downs. The 6’3″ forward is just two goals and four points from his previous highs, both set in 2016-17 on a team that finished with 102 points and made it to the second round. There would certainly be a lot of teams lining up for his services if available, given his 30-goal potential and all-around effectiveness. Hayes, for instance (who admittedly is a center) has never scored 50 points in a season but landed the Rangers a good young player and first-round pick even as a pure rental. The fact that they potentially could get more than that for Kreider with a bigger market may be too much to pass up.

But at some point, the team will have to decide if they’re ready to compete again. A multi-year extension for Kreider, expensive as it may be, may help the team do just that in the next few years when young players like Brett Howden, Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil are still on their entry-level deals. There’s plenty of talent in the system now for New York, and it may be time to start retaining it instead of cashing it in.

For now, Kreider and the team will focus on finishing out the season strong and without injury—something the forward has battled for much of the season, according to Brooks—while developing their young players at the highest level. But come this summer there will be a point where GM Jeff Gorton and his staff will have to decide when the next phase of the plan is scheduled for, and if Kreider is a part of it.

Minor Transactions: 03/19/19

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If there were a list of the most important nights on the NHL schedule, this evening may rank pretty high. With ten games on tap there are key matchups all across the league, including a massive battle between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes. Both teams are playing well and have actually started to chase down the top teams in the Metropolitan Division, coming into tonight’s action just three and six points behind the New York Islanders respectively. As teams prepare for all the big showdowns tonight, we’ll be here keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have sent Cameron Gaunce back to the minor leagues after serving as insurance last night. With Dan Girardi and Anton Stralman continuing their recovery, the team needed an extra defenseman just in case. Gaunce will return to the AHL where he has had an outstanding season and wait for his next opportunity at the NHL level.
  • Justin Bailey has been recalled by the Philadelphia Flyers once again, a normal occurrence lately for the young forward. Bailey has played seven games for the Flyers since being acquired earlier this season, but is still looking for his first point in the black and orange.

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