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Archives for June 2020

Snapshots: Carter, Sorokin, Hoefenmayer

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The Los Angeles Kings won’t be taking part in the 24-team playoffs this summer, so it’s time to get healthy and prepare for 2020-21. With that in mind, the team announced that Jeff Carter underwent surgery on June 4 to repair a core muscle injury. Carter is expected to be fully recovered for the next season.

Carter could very well be 36 when the next season starts and the front-loaded nature of his contract means he won’t be making very much (relatively speaking) when he does get back on the ice. With two years left on his deal but only $4MM in salary, he would be a potential option to trade out of Los Angeles in order to free up some playing time for some of their young talent. Carter does not have a no-trade clause in his deal, though there have been rumors in the past that he may decide to simply retire if sent to a destination he did not approve of.

  • Reports surfaced recently that New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin had restarted preliminary talks with his KHL team on a potential new contract, though absolutely nothing was decided at that point. Today, Darren Dreger of TSN reports that Sorokin has changed his North American representation, hiring Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey as his new agent. Interestingly enough, Kirill Kaprizov, another high-profile KHL prospect (and teammate of Sorokin with CSKA Moscow) hoping to come to North America, recently parted ways with Milstein.
  • Noel Hoefenmayer has added another trophy to his cabinet after being named the CHL Defenseman of the Year today. The Arizona Coyotes draft pick led all OHL defensemen in scoring with 82 points in 56 games for the Ottawa 67’s. Unfortunately, Hoefenmayer never signed with the Coyotes and instead had to settle for an AHL contract with the Toronto Marlies a few months ago.

Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag

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The NHL finally has some idea of how hockey will look if it returns this summer, and players are back on the ice today as facilities start to open for Phase 2. Front offices are preparing for the draft–whenever that will be–and a playoff that may include 24 of 31 teams.

With that in mind and the hockey world buzzing once again, it’s time to run another mailbag. You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter or by leaving a comment down below. Make sure to get your questions in early and we’ll try to get through as many of them as possible when the mailbag runs on the weekend.

If you missed our last mailbag, it was split into two parts that you can read here and here. In the first, Brian gives his thoughts on which of the extra playoff teams will be the biggest threat to go deep in the postseason tournament, while the second gives some insight into the financial situation of the league going forward.

Lawrence Pilut Signs In KHL

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It’s official now, Buffalo Sabres defenseman Lawrence Pilut has decided to take his talents overseas. The 24-year old has signed a two-year contract with HC Traktor of the KHL, leaving the NHL after parts of two seasons.

When Pilut was first linked to the KHL last month, the Sabres told John Vogl of The Athletic that there would be an NHL out-clause in the contract that would allow him to return, though it is not clear if that was included.

The Sabres will be able to temporarily retain the restricted free agent’s exclusive rights by extending him a qualifying offer this summer.

Pilut actually appeared to be a potential building block for the Sabres, given how well he had transitioned to the AHL after a breakout season in the SHL. Over 67 minor league contests, the smooth-skating defenseman recorded 49 points, earning himself 46 opportunities in the NHL.

That clearly wasn’t enough for him, or perhaps he is worried about the huge break that will be between seasons for the Sabres. As one of the teams that will not participate in the expanded playoffs this summer, it could be as many as ten months between NHL games for Buffalo.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Ondrej Vala Placed On Unconditional Waivers

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The Dallas Stars have placed Ondrej Vala on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination. Vala’s entry-level contract was set to extend through the 2020-21 season, but after finding himself playing mostly in the ECHL the past two seasons he will likely pursue other opportunities.

Vala, 22, is a Czech-born defenseman who spent three seasons in the WHL before signing with the Stars as an undrafted free agent. During his time in the organization he has played just a handful of games at the AHL level, instead spending most of his time with the Idaho Steelheads. In 115 career ECHL games, the 6’4″ defenseman has 28 points and 85 penalty minutes.

A two-time representative for the Czech Republic at the World Juniors, he is likely headed back to Europe to continue his career.

Nominees Announced For 2020 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy

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The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is given out annually to the NHL player who exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. The award has been voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association since 1968, and today they announced their nominees for 2019.

Past winners of the award include Robin Lehner (2019), Brian Boyle (2018), Craig Anderson (2017), Jaromir Jagr (2016), Devan Dubnyk (2015), Dominic Moore (2014) and Josh Harding (2013).

Below are the nominees from each team:

Anaheim Ducks – Ryan Miller

Arizona Coyotes – Conor Garland

Boston Bruins – Kevan Miller

Buffalo Sabres – Curtis Lazar

Calgary Flames – Mark Giordano

Carolina Hurricanes – James Reimer

Chicago Blackhawks – Corey Crawford

Colorado Avalanche – Ryan Graves

Columbus Blue Jackets – Nathan Gerbe

Dallas Stars – Stephen Johns

Detroit Red Wings – Robby Fabbri

Edmonton Oilers – Connor McDavid

Florida Panthers – Noel Acciari

Los Angeles Kings – Jonathan Quick

Minnesota Wild – Alex Stalock

Montreal Canadiens – Shea Weber

Nashville Predators – Jarred Tinordi

New Jersey Devils – Travis Zajac

New York Islanders – Thomas Hickey

New York Rangers – Henrik Lundqvist

Ottawa Senators – Bobby Ryan

Philadelphia Flyers – Oskar Lindblom

Pittsburgh Penguins – Evgeni Malkin

San Jose Sharks – Joe Thornton

St. Louis Blues – Jay Bouwmeester

Toronto Maple Leafs – Zach Hyman

Vancouver Canucks – Jacob Markstrom

Vegas Golden Knights – Shea Theodore

Washington Capitals – Michal Kempny

Winnipeg Jets – Mark Letestu

Three finalists and the winner will be named at a later date.

Vision Disorder Contributed To 2019-20 Struggles For Sabres’ Carter Hutton

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In an honest interview with the Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski, Buffalo Sabres’ goaltender Carter Hutton revealed that his career-worst season was not merely due to bad luck or age. While Hutton did face a disproportionate amount of difficult scoring chances while in net for a struggling Sabres squad and at 34 is no longer as equipped to face such a challenge, a medical issue played a major role in his difficulties. Hutton tells Lysowski that he has been battling a vision disorder that has had a destructive impact on his ability.

Hutton has been diagnosed with a condition called convergence insufficiency. In short, Hutton’s eyes do not move at the same time. His left eye moves slower than his right, making for serious struggles with depth perception. As a result, tracking pucks and anticipating shots became extremely difficult. Hutton admits that even simple practice shots were often enough to fool him. Hutton sought treatment and has been working daily to improve his optical strength and visual reflexes in hopes of returning to form. Meanwhile, he was hiding his struggles away from the media as he did not want to be perceived as using the disorder as a crutch for his poor play.

Hutton posted a career-worst .898 save percentage and 3.18 GAA in 31 appearances this season. This included a 12-game stretch from October to November in which he did not record a win and allowed more than four goals per game. Hutton’s struggles were not the only reason that Buffalo also floundered yet again in 2019-20, but even a few wins in that 12-game stretch may have been enough to get the team into the upcoming expanded playoff field. Instead, Hutton and company have a long off-season ahead of them and will face questions next season. Hutton in particular – one season removed from starting 48 games for the Sabres and two seasons removed from posting the NHL’s top marks in save percentage and GAA as the backup for the St. Louis Blues – faces an uphill battle to return to form in a contract year.

Hutton deserves respect for battling this disorder that so greatly impacts his play without using it as an excuse and for continuing to work through treatment on a daily basis in hopes of extending his career. However, if these visual impairments continue despite his dedication to improvement, his playing days are almost certainly numbered.

Dustin Wolf Named CHL Goaltender Of The Year

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What a run for Dustin Wolf. The Calgary Flames prospect has now added CHL Goaltender of the Year to his resume, following his previous selections as the top netminder from both the WHL and USA Hockey. Wolf also signed his entry-level contract with the Flames last month.

Wolf, 19, has done nothing but dominate at the junior hockey level, recording a .934 save percentage across three seasons and 127 appearances. His goals-against average during that time was a minuscule 1.85 and he posted an 88-31-6 record in the regular season.

One might expect a goaltender like that to be a top draft pick, especially given he won the CHL Scholastic Player of the Year award in his draft year. Wolf, however, fell all the way to the seventh round before the Flames used the 214th overall pick on him a year ago.

The reason is simple, Wolf stands just 6’0″ 165-lbs, much smaller than the goaltenders that have reached the peak of professional hockey in recent years. In comparison to mammoth netminders like Ben Bishop and Mikko Koskinen—both standing 6’7″—it’s easy to see why teams may hesitate on Wolf’s potential.

Still, the Flames are obviously willing to give him a shot to show what he can do at the professional level. That won’t happen until next year when he is eligible for the AHL, but with a contract in hand and a history of success he’ll be one of the more interesting goaltending prospects to follow.

Previous winners of the CHL award include current NHL goaltenders like Carter Hart (twice), Darcy Kuemper, Jake Allen and Carey Price.

Arizona Coyotes Hire Xavier A. Gutierrez

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The Arizona Coyotes have hired Xavier A. Gutierrez their new president, CEO, and alternate governor. The move comes after Ahron Cohen left the organization last month. Gutierrez becomes the first Latino president in NHL history. Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo explained why the move is so important:

I am very proud to name Xavier as the first Latino team President and CEO in NHL history. This is a historic day for the Coyotes and the entire NHL. I have known Xavier for over a decade, and he is a seasoned executive with over 20 years of business and investment experience. We share the same approach to business and his intellect, leadership skills, and strategic mindset made him the clear choice to be our new CEO. He is a leader with tremendous vision and integrity, and I have the utmost confidence that he can help the Coyotes become a world class organization on and off the ice.

Gutierrez comes with a long, impressive resume in financial services and investment, including a period working in the NFL offices. That expertise will be tested in the desert where the Coyotes have traditionally struggled, though things have been looking up since Meruelo took over.

Justin Kloos Signs In KHL

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The season is over for the Anaheim Ducks, who didn’t qualify for the 2020 playoffs. For one of there minor league players, that means it is time to pursue other opportunities. Justin Kloos has agreed to sign in the KHL for the 2020-21 season, joining Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod.

Kloos, 26, played this season for the San Diego Gulls fo the AHL, recording 11 goals and 30 points in 53 games. A standout at the University of Minnesota, Kloos was an undrafted free agent signing by the Minnesota Wild in 2017 but has only played two NHL games to this point.

His contract, a one-year two-way deal signed in 2019, would have normally left him a restricted free agent given his age. But Kloos is eligible for Group VI unrestricted free agency since he has been given such little opportunity in the NHL, meaning he can choose his next destination without any restrictions.

West Notes: Canucks, Kaprizov, Karlsson

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While many NHL teams will be opening up their practice facilities to players as part of Phase 2 in small groups as soon as Monday, the Vancouver Canucks will not be doing that. Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre reports that with just three Canucks’ players in the area, each who has access to their own independent ice rinks, there is no reason to open up their training facilities, at least until Canada’s 14-day quarantine for foreigners is solved.

The three Canucks’ players, defensemen Alexander Edler, Chris Tanev and Troy Stecher all choose to stay in Vancouver during the shutdown along with injured forward Josh Leivo. More than half the roster reside outside of Canada. Of course, Phase 2 is voluntary and the Canucks cannot order their players back at this point, so most of their players aren’t necessarily eager to return to Canada yet.

  • The Athletic’s Michael Russo (subscription required) writes that while the NHL has been insistent that unsigned players like Kirill Kaprizov will not be eligible for the upcoming tournament, the NHLPA is working on that issue since the league is technically changing a long-standing collective bargaining rule. That could be a big bonus for the Minnesota Wild if the NHLPA can reverse the NHL’s stance on that. The scribe writes that if the team feels Kaprizov could help immediately, he could push someone like Victor Rask or Ryan Donato out the lineup and make Minnesota’s squad even more interesting. “If we feel that (Kaprizov’s) ready to go then I don’t think it’ll be an issue whatsoever,” interim coach Dean Evason said. “It’s no different than a player popping in and out or sitting out or coming in and taking over for an injured guy. So no, we don’t feel that would be a problem at all and obviously (it’d) be very exciting for us in the organization if we can get him going right away.”
  • Kevin Kurz of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that the team has a number of interesting free agents coming up this offseason, but perhaps the most interesting situation to watch will be that of forward Melker Karlsson, who is an unrestricted free agent and hasn’t always been a fan favorite of Sharks’ fans. While he has proven to be a solid fourth-line player and a quality penalty killer, many of his advanced metric statistics aren’t that impressive. However, after already losing a top penalty killer in Barclay Goodrow recently, losing a second player on a top-rated unit might not be the way to go, making it a very interesting scenario. The scribe writes that Karlsson’s agent said there was mutual interest in getting a deal done, but there have been no talks since play was suspended. His $2MM contact for the past three seasons might require him to accept a pay cut if he wants to stay.

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