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Archives for April 2020

Mark Kastelic Signs With Ottawa Senators

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The Ottawa Senators have signed one of their 2019 draft picks, inking Mark Kastelic to a three-year entry-level contract. Kastelic spent the 2019-20 season with the Calgary Hitmen as an overage WHL player, meaning he’ll be able to go right to the AHL later this year. Senators GM Pierre Dorion explained just why the team has signed Kastelic:

Since being drafted just last June, Mark has worked hard to earn this contract. We were pleased to see how he progressed in his overage season in Calgary, where he served as Hitmen captain for two consecutive seasons, and where he was on track to post his most productive major junior season. He’s a solid two-way centre who shows strong attention to detail in his play.

Kastelic, 21, wasn’t picked in his first two years of draft eligibility but after an outstanding 2018-19 season with the Hitmen which saw him score 47 goals in 66 games, the Senators took a chance on the hard-working forward. Standing 6’3″ 220-lbs he’s almost as big as his dad Ed Kastelic, who played 220 NHL games with the Washington Capitals and Hartford Whalers, racking up 719 penalty minutes in the process.

The captain of the Hitmen for the past two seasons, Kastelic now represents a depth addition for the Senators but it is hard to count out some future NHL time. He’s scratched and clawed to earn himself a big-league contract, now he’ll have to work even harder to climb the ranks.

Anton Slepyshev Re-Signs In KHL

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The Edmonton Oilers had been trying to bring back a familiar face, sending a contract offer to KHL forward Anton Slepyshev in recent days. It looks like it wasn’t enough, as Igor Eronko of Sport-Express reports that Slepyshev has signed a two-year extension with CSKA Moscow to remain overseas.

It’s not hard to understand why Slepyshev would want to stay in the KHL. The 25-year old forward recorded just 23 points in 102 NHL games over parts of three seasons while with the Oilers but scored 18 goals and 45 points just this year for CSKA. A third-round pick by Edmonton in 2013 he has finally reached the offensive potential he always flashed, but there’s no guarantee that kind of success would follow him back to North America.

Of course, this two-year deal also has further consequences. Since Slepyshev did sign and play with the Oilers at one point, his exclusive NHL negotiating rights will expire on his 27th birthday. He’ll be turning 26 next month, meaning Edmonton will lose his rights before this new extension is complete. With that in mind, remember Slepyshev’s name in the spring of 2022 when he could be a potential free agent signing for the entire league, should he entertain the idea of coming back to the NHL.

Arizona Coyotes Sign Cameron Crotty

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The Arizona Coyotes have convinced one of their interesting college prospects to turn pro, signing Cameron Crotty to a three-year entry-level contract. Crotty recently completed his junior season at Boston University, where he wore an “A” as an alternate captain.

Instead of returning for his senior year, the 20-year old defenseman will join a Coyotes organization that selected him 82nd overall in 2017. While it may not seem like Crotty has very much offensive upside after scoring just 27 points in 102 NCAA games, the 6’3″ defender can actually move the puck quite efficiently and may be able to improve at the next level.

Though the Coyotes already have a solid veteran defensive core in the NHL, four of those reliable names are heading into their final years under contract and are scheduled for unrestricted free agency in 2021. Out of Alex Goligoski, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Jason Demers and Jordan Oesterle there are bound to be some departing names, meaning Arizona will need to find some replacements in the near future. That opportunity may be perfect for Crotty, who needs some more time but has serious NHL potential.

Snapshots: Slepyshev, Eliasson, Hudon

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There has been some recent talk about the Oilers trying to bring back winger Anton Slepyshev.  In a recent video conference with reporters (video link), GM Ken Holland confirmed that he has made an offer to Slepyshev’s camp and is waiting to hear back.  The 25-year-old is signed through the end of the month and while some KHL teams will let their players out of their deals early to sign in the NHL, most don’t so even if they’re able to reach an agreement over the coming weeks, it may take some time before a deal is made official.  Slepyshev didn’t do much offensively in his first stint with Edmonton where he scored just 10 goals in 103 but has shown more of a scoring touch back home, collecting 18 goals and 27 assists in 54 games with CSKA Moscow this season.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Red Wings prospect Jesper Eliasson is transferring to the SHL as Farjestad announced that they have signed the goaltender to a two-year deal that runs through the 2021-22 season. Eliasson was a third-round pick (84th overall) back in 2018 and the two-year term means that at the completion of the final season, Detroit will have a limited window to get him signed before the June 1, 2022 signing deadline.  The 20-year-old spent this season playing down a level with Almtuna (Allsvenskan) while on loan from Vaxjo.
  • Agent Allain Roy confirmed to Guillaume Lefrancois of La Presse that Canadiens winger Charles Hudon has received interest from the KHL and the NLA for next season. However, Hudon’s preference is to try to remain in the NHL.  It has been a tough year for the 25-year-old as he has struggled with Montreal, picking up just one goal and one assist in 15 games.  However, he is in the top-five in AHL goals with 27 in just 46 games with Laval which is helping to generate his interest from those other leagues.  He will be a restricted free agent this offseason with arbitration eligibility.

Stretch Run Storylines: Detroit Red Wings

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As things stand, the NHL is planning to have games resume at some point over the coming weeks.  Assuming the regular season continues, there will be plenty of things to watch for over the stretch run.  Over the weeks ahead, PHR will examine the top stretch run storylines for each team.  We wrap up our look at the Atlantic Division with Detroit.

After a tough 2018-19 campaign, expectations were low for the Red Wings heading into this season.  New GM Steve Yzerman was committed to keeping the current rebuilding strategy intact and not surprisingly as a result, the team has struggled mightily as they sit dead last in the NHL by a whopping 23 points.  That leaves some big questions ahead, some of which could help be answered if regular season play is able to resume.

Blashill’s Future

With this season being a transition year at best, it was understandable that head coach Jeff Blashill was kept around despite a tough 2018-19.  The record is a whole lot worse this season but Yzerman has said he has liked some of what he has seen with regards to player development and compete level.  The latter stands out considering they have been out of playoff contention for the majority of the season.

If the NHL is able to get in the rest of their games, that 11-game stretch would serve as an opportunity for Blashill to make a late push to stick around for another season which would be the final one of his contract.  There would inevitably need to be a mini training camp and how he’s able to motivate a team that would be getting put through their paces in the late spring or early summer to play 11 meaningless games may actually have an impact on showing what type of hold he still has on the room.

Bernier’s Opportunity

With Jimmy Howard struggling mightily this year (a 2-23-2 record with a 4.20 GAA and a .882 SV%), Jonathan Bernier has had the opportunity to show that he can be the starter.  The end result has been mediocre numbers (15-22-3, 2.95 GAA, .907 SV%) but given the state of the team in general, mediocre isn’t that bad.

Bernier isn’t playing for a contract as he has one year left on a deal that carries a $3MM price tag.  However, with several notable free agent goalies hitting the market this offseason (including Corey Crawford, Braden Holtby, and Jacob Markstrom as starters and platoon options like Anton Khudobin and Jaroslav Halak), he will certainly be looking to prove that he can be counted in his current role.  The stretch run would afford him one more chance to stake his claim to the number one job for next season.

Youth Movement

With any remaining games having no bearings on the standings (they’ve clinched 31st overall even if the full schedule has been played), Detroit should be using any remaining games as an opportunity to give some of their prospects some extra playing time.  Filip Zadina was close to returning before the shutdown and should be in line for a prime role.  Longer looks at players like Gustav Lindstrom, Taro Hirose and Dmytro Timashov would also be beneficial to see if they can be counted on in a regular role for 2020-21.  Michael Rasmussen has yet to play with Detroit this season after playing 62 games for them a year ago while Evgeny Svechnikov, a first-round pick in 2015, has played just four times.  NHL action for them would certainly be ideal.

But beyond them, there are other prospects that would certainly benefit from some late action.  The initial plan before the postponement of games was that Moritz Seider would get an opportunity to play.  He’d be capped at nine games but even that many would be a good introduction before trying to compete for a spot in training camp a few months later.  Joe Veleno wasn’t in the plans to bring up as the Red Wings wanted to keep him in the minors where he was starting to play better.  But with this stoppage, any momentum from that has passed so it may be time for him to get a chance as well.

The longer this stoppage goes on, the likelihood of AHL games resuming gets lower.  There are no post-deadline roster restrictions as long as teams stay under the salary cap and Detroit is in good shape in that regard; they have room to bring up some more players while remaining in compliance.  Forget just the mini conditioning camp to get back into shape, any remaining games are basically opportunities for an extended training camp for 2020-21.  Accordingly, they need to feature a lot of Detroit’s up and coming talent.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

PHR Panel: Braden Holtby’s Future

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We’re now several weeks into an NHL postponement and there is still no clear timeline on when professional hockey will return. While fans of the sport have received small tidbits of news over that time, including college signings and contract extensions, the thirst for discussion has rarely been quenched.

With that in mind, we’re happy to continue our new feature: The PHR Panel. Three times a week, our writing staff will give our individual takes on a question many hockey fans have been wondering about. If you’d ever like to submit a subject for us to discuss, be sure to put it in the comments. This series will run each Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

To catch up on the previous edition, click here.

Today, we’ll each give our thoughts on Braden Holtby’s playing future.

Q: Where will Braden Holtby be playing in 2020-21?

Brian La Rose: 

It seems safe to rule out Washington at this point. With $71MM committed for next season, they don’t have a lot of wiggle room to add another high-priced player and Ilya Samsonov will need a new, potentially pricey deal in 2021. Holtby has been a big part of the Capitals for a long time but they’re close to parting ways.

It’s not a great year to be a starting goalie that’s hitting the open market. There aren’t many openings for clear cut number ones and with the year Sergei Bobrovsky had, teams will be hesitant to sign an expensive deal. Some teams that have a need probably don’t have the money (Chicago comes to mind) which limits things even further.

This has to be great news for Detroit. They have a glaring weakness between the pipes to try to fill and their prospect depth is limited. They’re in solid shape when it comes to the salary cap and with Steve Yzerman at the helm as GM, there is optimism that their days of being in the basement are quickly coming to an end.

That makes them a great fit for Holtby. Even though he’s had a down year by his standards, his track record is good enough that he’d still be the clear cut starter for the Red Wings and could still command a sizable contract. There may be another losing season in the short term but over the long haul, this may be the best situation for both sides.

Holger Stolzenberg: 

I’ve always been a fan of Washington goaltender Braden Holtby, but to be honest, I’ve not been crazy about his play the last couple of years. Yes, he bounced back in the 2017-18 playoffs after losing his job to Philipp Grubauer, but he hasn’t been the same since. He finished the 2018-19 season with a 2.82 GAA and a .911 save percentage and those numbers actually plummeted this year with a 3.11 GAA and .897 save percentage, which makes you wonder how many teams will be willing to pay up for Holtby’s services.

In reality, the Capitals might be really lucky that Ilya Samsonov had such an impressive rookie year. Had he struggled this year, they would be in a tough situation. Any team that is interested in Holtby has to be quite wary of how the 30-year old (31 at the start of next season) has played recently and I would not give him term of any significant length.

However, I could see several teams interested in signing him in hopes that he might bounce back and personally, I wouldn’t be shocked if a team like the Buffalo Sabres might opt to buy out Carter Hutton and bring in Holtby to share the net with Linus Ullmark over the next few years. The defense is getting stronger and they have some talent not far away from coming in to help both netminders. The key, once again, is not to offer too long of a deal, especially since the Sabres have been burned by free agents over the years.

Zach Leach: 

When it comes to Braden Holtby, the only thing that is certain is that he will be playing in a starter’s role to begin next season. Holtby was one of the best players in the NHL from 2014-17, so while his numbers have shown a marked drop-off in recent years, he still has the experience and brand power to land a major contract that guarantees him a top role in net. That’s not to say that the team investing in the Vezina Trophy winner is making a wise decision, but someone will do it.

Who exactly that will be is hard to tell. A Saskatchewan native who played junior for his hometown Saskatoon Blades, Holtby has no real ties to any other NHL market besides Washington. Beyond a possible reunion with first NHL coach Bruce Boudreau, should he land with a team who had needs in net, Holtby’s destination will likely not be based on any past relationships either, but rather simply the best offer.

While things are sure to change this off-season with the possibilities of a stagnant salary cap and compliance buyouts, right now there are few teams in need of a bona fide starter. Staying with the Caps or moving to the Blackhawks or Sharks would be an ideal fit, but would be very difficult in terms of cap construction. On the other end of the spectrum, the Red Wings, Senators, Sabres, and Devils could use help in net but are likely hesitant to make a major investment when they are not close to contending.

For my money, I would say that Chicago is most likely to figure out how to make Holtby fit. They are the only team in the league without an NHL option signed for next season and are desperate to solve that situation and get back to competing for Stanley Cups. A Brent Seabrook compliance buyout would go a long way to making this dream a reality. If San Jose can move Martin Jones or Buffalo decides to go all-in this summer, I would say that those two teams have the flexibility to be players for Holtby as well. I think the Capitals are prepared to move forward with Ilya Samsonov and a top veteran backup.

Gavin Lee:

When you think of signing big-name free agents, which is the very last team you consider? Maybe the Carolina Hurricanes, who haven’t been a big UFA player on July 1 since, well they’ve never really been one. Perhaps that all changes this year, when Holtby will be available for the highest bidder.

Yes, it would be quite a shock for Carolina to make a commitment of that level to a free agent. Yes, the Hurricanes do already have two goaltenders each making more than $3MM next season. And yes, even with the expiring Joel Edmundson and Trevor van Riemsdyk contracts the team still has an expensive defense corps.

But if there has been any theme to the team’s moves since Tom Dundon took over as owner, it’s that they’re willing to take a swing at that inside fastball and try to put it in the seats. That’s exactly what Holtby would be for a team that reached the Eastern Conference Finals just a year ago. The Hurricanes have shown they can be an elite possession team, own one of the finest defensive groups in the NHL, and after some shrewd trades the last few years now have a young top-nine that could rival almost any in the league.

There would need to be other moves that go along with it. Obviously James Reimer and Petr Mrazek couldn’t both be on the roster along with Holtby, but given that the team still has some time before Andrei Svechnikov and Martin Necas get really expensive, perhaps one of them could. A tandem of Holtby-Mrazek for instance still might not be that much more expensive than the ones in Florida and Montreal, where Sergei Bobrovsky and Carey Price already make at least $10MM per season. After his down year and with the squeezed salary cap Holtby won’t command that much, but he could still give the Hurricanes that kind of Vezina-caliber, championship-level goaltending they’ve lacked for so long.

What better motivation could there be than to stay in the Metropolitan Division?

Latest On Torey Krug’s Pending Free Agency

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If the NHL ever decides that they are not able to play any more games this season, it will be a wild few months. Very suddenly, players who were in the middle of a Stanley Cup chase will instead become free agents, able to sign with whichever team they choose—or at least whichever is interested in them. Torey Krug is one of the players in that situation. The Boston Bruins defenseman was an integral part of a squad looking to challenge for a league championship but is now in limbo awaiting a decision from the NHL to see if he has played his last game with the team.

Of course, Boston could re-sign Krug, which is clearly what the defenseman is hoping for. He was on a conference call with reporters including Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com yesterday, and explained the situation:

We haven’t had any talks since this thing has started. I can’t speak for any other UFA that’s in a position like I am, but in terms of my situation here in Boston, we haven’t continued any talks or made any progress in that regard.

For me personally, I really hope I did not play my last game as a Boston Bruin. It’s been a special place for me and my family to grow and my love for the game and playing in front of these fans, it’s been very special to me.

Krug, who will turn 29 on Sunday, was having another outstanding offensive season for the Bruins, scoring 49 points through his first 61 games. The left-handed defenseman has been one of the elite puck-movers in the game for some time now, but took his powerplay production to a whole new level last year and seems to continue to improve in his own end. That package—even if it’s not a big one; Krug stands at just 5’9″—would make him one of the most attractive unrestricted free agents on the market this summer and a target for dozens of teams.

The biggest question to this point is will the Bruins even be able to afford him? With the rest of this season still clouded in uncertainty, there’s no telling exactly where the hockey-related revenue numbers will come down for this year. That means the 2020-21 salary cap could be drastically affected, something that would impact heavily the Bruins’ free agent plans.

Krug isn’t the only important player on the Bruins headed for free agency. Jaroslav Halak, who has been arguably the best “backup” goaltender in the league for some time now, is also headed for UFA status. As is Kevan Miller, though it’s not clear what his future holds due to injury concerns.

Captain Zdeno Chara is also on an expiring deal, though he is probably willing to work with the Bruins on a reasonable salary should he decide to come back. Chara took a one-year deal last year that guaranteed him just $2MM in base salary, but had up to $1.75MM in performance bonuses.

On the RFA side, Jake Debrusk, Anders Bjork and Matt Grzelcyk lead the way and will all be looking for raises.

Depending on how the Bruins go about it, shelling out $8MM+ per season for Krug may simply not be possible. You can understand why the two sides haven’t been locked in negotiations though since there is no way to tell exactly how much money Boston even has to spend.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

NHL Central Scouting Releases Final 2020 Draft Rankings

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Even though we still don’t know exactly when the 2020 NHL Entry Draft will be taking place, hockey fans around the world can still pour over prospect stats and lists hoping their favorite organization gets the chance to add their favorite young player at some point down the line. Today, NHL Central Scouting released its final rankings for North American and International skaters and goaltenders. The top names are as follows:

North American Skaters:

  1. Alexis Lafreniere – Rimouski, QMJHL
  2. Quinton Byfield – Sudbury, OHL
  3. Jamie Drysdale – Erie, OHL
  4. Jake Sanderson – USNTDP
  5. Cole Perfetti – Saginaw, OHL
  6. Marco Rossi – Ottawa, OHL
  7. Jack Quinn – Ottawa, OHL
  8. Kaiden Guhle – Prince Albert, WHL
  9. Braden Schneider – Brandon, WHL
  10. Dawson Mercer – Chicoutimi, QMJHL

International Skaters:

  1. Tim Stuetzle – Mannheim, DEL
  2. Alexander Holtz – Djurgarden, SHL
  3. Anton Lundell – HIFK, Liiga
  4. Lucas Raymond – Frolunda, SHL
  5. Rodion Amirov – Ufa, KHL
  6. Helge Grans – Malmo, Sweden-Jr.
  7. John-Jason Peterka – Munich, DEL
  8. Topi Niemela – Karpat, Liiga
  9. Noel Gunler – Lulea, SHL
  10. Roni Hirvonen – Assat, Liiga

North American Goalies:

  1. Nicolas Daws – Guelph, OHL
  2. Drew Commesso – USNTDP
  3. Samuel Hlavaj – Sherbrooke, QMJHL

International Goalies:

  1. Yaroslav Askarov – St. Petersburg, VHL
  2. Jan Bednar – Sokolov, Czech-2
  3. Joel Blomqvist – Karpat, Finland-Jr.

SC Bern Hires Florence Schelling As GM

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In what is a groundbreaking hire, SC Bern of the Swiss National League has announced that former national team goaltender Florence Schelling will now serve as sports director and GM. Schelling becomes the first woman to be named GM of a top-tier men’s professional team.

Bern is one of the most popular teams in the world outside of North America and has previously been the home for many NHL talents. Players like Daniel Briere, Dany Heatley, Marc Savard, John Tavares and others from North America have suited up for the club during NHL lockouts, while Swiss-born stars like Roman Josi and Nico Hischier were developed by the organization.

Schelling meanwhile was no slouch on the ice, netminding for the Swiss national team for more than a decade. She appeared in ten World Championships, four Olympics and is one of the best goaltenders in Northeastern University’s history. In 2012 she was named a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award as the NCAA’s top collegiate player and has twice taken home the Swiss Ice Hockey Woman of the Year award.

In the 2014 Olympics she carried an underdog Swiss team to the bronze medal, stopping 28 of 31 shots in the third-place game against Sweden to win tournament MVP (and best goaltender). It’s hard to find a more decorated women’s hockey player in Switzerland, but this next chapter will be even more notable for Schelling as she takes the reins of a powerhouse National League team. Bern’s arena holds more than 17,000 fans and draws capacity crowds on a regular basis, putting it right on par (or ahead of) many NHL franchises.

Florida Panthers Agree To Terms With Cole Schwindt

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The Florida Panthers continue to add more names to their prospect cupboard, this time agreeing to terms with OHL standout Cole Schwindt. The contract will be a three-year entry-level deal for the 18-year old center. Panthers GM Dale Tallon gave his thoughts on the young forward:

Cole is a talented and responsible two-way player who had an excellent season playing a key role with Mississauga. He possesses great versatility, size and character and we are excited about his continued development with the Panthers.

Selected 81st overall in 2019 by the Panthers, Schwindt’s offensive totals shot up for the third straight year with the Mississauga Steelheads. The 6’2″ 182-lbs forward recorded 71 points in just 57 games, easily leading the Steelheads in scoring.

Given that Schwindt will not turn 19 until later this month, he is destined to spend another year in the OHL unless he makes a miraculous impression at Panthers training camp. His time with the organization will come later, though his contract will slide forward should he fail to play in ten NHL contests during the 2020-21 season.

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