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Archives for July 2020

Vancouver Canucks’ Loui Eriksson Has No Plans To Retire

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Barring a trade, the Loui Eriksson era in Vancouver is far from over. In fact, quite the contrary as the veteran is preparing for the upcoming postseason with the hopes of playing a regular role with the Canucks, reports The Province’s Ben Kuzma. In an interview, Eriksson described how he has plenty of gas left in the tank, both for the playoffs this season and for years to come.

Eriksson, 35, still has two years left on his contract at an AAV of $6MM. However, the former 30-goal scorer has been relegated to a part-time role in Vancouver, playing in just 49 games this season. Many Canucks fans had hoped that Eriksson might opt to retire and leave his remaining money on the table due to the drop-off in his usage, but the veteran tells Kuzma that this won’t be the case. He plans to keep playing and the Canucks will have to find some other way to get rid of him if they no longer want him around next season. While the cap-strapped club would love to move on from Eriksson’s $6MM cap hit, which resulted in just 13 points this year, a buyout or an AHL demotion do relatively little to aid in their cap situation. Recent reports indicated that the asking price from other teams to take on Eriksson’s contract was a young roster player. As a result, Vancouver might find it difficult to move the veteran.

Fortunately, Eriksson’s personal relationship with the team does seem to be improving. This past summer, Eriksson did not exactly speak glowingly about his head coach Travis Green, stating that the two did not see eye to eye. However, he has changed his tune in talking with Kuzma, saying that the relationship between the two has been better. Eriksson also spoke about his love of the game and his desire to help the Canucks this postseason. Eriksson still believes that he can be an effective defensive forward and his performance has backed up this claim. While this may not amount to $6MM in value, it may come in handy along with his experience and leadership in the playoffs. What happens beyond this postseason remains to be seen and could very much be tied to Eriksson’s performance, but for now Canucks fans can only hope that after four disappointing seasons that their “star” free agent expenditure has saved his best for a deep playoff run this year.

Minor Transactions: 07/21/20

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As the NHL gets ready for their upcoming postseason, minor league clubs are preparing for next season. As some minor signings come in we’ll keep track of them right here.

  • The Manitoba Moose have signed Trent Bourque to an AHL contract for the 2020-21 season. Bourque, 22, spent the vast majority of last season in the ECHL with the Brampton Beast after finishing his OHL career, recording 20 points in 42 games with the minor league club. A sixth-round pick of the St. Louis Blues in 2017, he became an unrestricted free agent in 2019 when the team decided not to sign him to an entry-level contract.
  • Ryan Strome’s name came across the KHL newswire today, but that doesn’t mean the New York Rangers forward is heading to Russia. His KHL rights were dealt in a trade involving Alexander Polunin, a two-time World Junior medalist who spent last season with Yaroslavl. Should Strome ever decide to head overseas to the KHL, that’s who would have exclusive rights to sign him.
  • After three years with the Cardiff Devils of the EIHL, Bryce Reddick is coming back stateside. He has signed with the Atlanta Gladiators of the ECHL along with Cody Sylvester, who has been playing in Germany for the last several seasons. Sylvester, 28, was actually a star for the Calgary Hitmen in the WHL before performing quite well at the ECHL level in 2014.

Ivan Barbashev To Leave Blue Bubble During Round-Robin

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The St. Louis Blues will have Ivan Barbashev in the lineup when they start their round-robin games in Edmonton, but will be losing him soon after. Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Barbashev will be leaving after one or two games for the birth of his child. Barbashev will have to test negative for COVID-19 four times in four days upon returning to the bubble, meaning he could potentially miss the start of the first round depending on timing.

Barbashev, 24, recorded six points in 25 playoff games for the Blues last season en route to the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. He played a key role physically for the team, recording 87 hits as St. Louis pounded teams into submission with a grueling, grinding playstyle. This season he picked up right where he left off, punishing defenders with 144 hits in 69 games, but also was producing offensively at the highest rate of his young career. In 69 games he put up 11 goals and 26 points while averaging just over 13 minutes a game.

Head coach Craig Berube was clear that when Barbashev returns he will re-enter the lineup, but he’s also preparing MacKenzie MacEachern for playing time.

The Blues, as one of the top teams in the Western Conference, get the advantage of playing this round-robin to determine playoff seeding. Had they been one of the teams in the qualification round, Barbashev could be missing the team’s chance to advance. Instead, like Lars Eller who will also be leaving the bubble at some point to attend the birth of a child, Barbashev may only end up missing a few tune-up games.

2020 Hart Trophy Finalists Announced

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It’s time for the big one. The NHL has announced the finalists for the Hart Trophy, given annually to the “player judged most valuable to his team.” Last year’s winner, Nikita Kucherov, took home the Ted Lindsay and Art Ross as well in an impressive trifecta after scoring 128 points.

This year’s finalists are Leon Draisaitl from the Edmonton Oilers, Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche, and Artemi Panarin of the New York Rangers, the same three that were nominated by their peers for the Lindsay earlier this month.

Like with the Lindsay, Draisaitl seems to be the odds-on favorite after his incredible offensive season. The Oilers forward led all players with 110 points in just 71 games, including a league-leading ten game-winning goals. He even eclipsed teammate Connor McDavid in the scoring race and proved he can carry a line away from his fellow superstar. It’s hard to really discount anything he did, though some voters may feel as though he wasn’t quite as “valuable” to the Oilers because of McDavid’s presence.

MacKinnon, on the other hand, had to carry the Avalanche all by himself for stretches this season. His 93 points were 43 more than the second-highest player on the Colorado roster—rookie defenseman Cale Makar—thanks to major injuries to his normal running mates like Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen. Add that to the fact that MacKinnon has received Hart votes in each of the last two seasons (finishing 2nd in 2018 and 6th in 2019) and you could understand why he’s still a candidate to snatch the award from Draisaitl.

In Panarin’s case, you may not have even considered him in the running halfway through the season. Though he was still obviously one of the most skilled players in the league, his 34 points in 28 games weren’t enough to make the Rangers anything special. From that point in December on however, he put up 61 points in his last 41 games and formed a dynamic duo with Mika Zibanejad that made New York one of the most dangerous clubs in the Eastern Conference. At any point, they might put up a huge number of goals even if their overall team was still not quite polished enough to be a real Stanley Cup contender. With the expanded playoffs this summer they’re in, and Panarin’s game-breaking talent could change that contender assumption in an instant. There’s no question he is one of the most valuable players in the league, but will it be enough to take home the crown?

Edmonton Oilers Loan Theodor Lennstrom To SHL

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The Edmonton Oilers have already made a decision on another prospect, loaning Theodor Lennstrom to the SHL for the 2020-21 season. Lennstrom will return to Frolunda, one of the league’s top programs, where he played last season.

Notably, the 25-year old defenseman is only signed for one season after inking a one-year entry-level contract in April. Should he spend the whole year with Frolunda, he would be a restricted free agent able to sign a new deal with Edmonton. That fact, however, may suggest that the Oilers will recall him from the SHL at some pint to re-join the team in preparation for the 2020-21 NHL season which is expected to begin in December. A move like this would just give him a chance to play games in the interim.

If not, and he spends the whole season there, the Oilers will be in a situation where they can extend him a qualifying offer or work out a longer-term deal. Undrafted, Lennstrom has slowly worked his way through the Swedish professional system and this year took home the Champions League title with Frolunda. An excellent skater, he was expected to push for an NHL depth role to give the Oilers a little more speed on the back end.

Morning Notes: Hall, KHL, Romanov

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The Arizona Coyotes and Taylor Hall have re-engaged in contract talks, according to Craig Custance of The Athletic, but with an interesting twist. Coyotes CEO Xavier Gutierrez is “running point” on the talks instead of GM John Chayka, and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Chayka was not even present at a recent dinner meeting between the team and their star forward.

Hall’s agent Darren Ferris told Friedman that the plan is still to wait until the end of the season to begin any negotiations. The 28-year old former Hart Trophy winner had 52 points in 65 games when the season was ended early and will be one of the biggest names in free agency should he reach it in October.

  • Avangard Omsk has withdrawn from a KHL preseason tournament after 20 positive COVID-19 tests from players and staff. According to an Associated Press report, GM Alexei Volkov explained that most are not experiencing “obvious symptoms.” Omsk is coached by former NHL bench boss Bob Hartley and has several former NHL names on the roster including Reid Boucher, Corban Knight, Jiri Sekac, and Alexei Emelin. The identity of the players who have tested positive was not revealed.
  • Alexander Romanov, who will burn the first season of his entry-level contract without playing for the Montreal Canadiens, will also not be getting a chance to take part in the Phase 3 training camp. The Russian defenseman will report directly to Toronto and serve his quarantine there before joining the team. The Canadiens hope to get Romanov acclimated to teammates and the organization this summer before he competes for a roster spot next season.

Florida Panthers To Loan Vladislav Kolyachonok To KHL

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Florida Panthers defensive prospect Vladislav Kolyachonok is headed home to Belarus, at least for the time being. Dinamo Minsk of the KHL has announced that they have come to terms on a contract with Kolyachonok for the the 2020-21 season. This would indicate that the Panthers have agreed to loan the young defenseman overseas, as Kolyachonok signed his entry-level contract with the club earlier this season.

Kolyachonok, 19, is the best prospect out of Belarus in some time. A second-round pick of the Panthers in 2019, Kolyachonok was the highest-selected Belarussian since 2003 and the first player from his country to be selected earlier than the fourth round in that time as well. An aggressive two-way defenseman who is known for his fast tempo and intensity, Kolyachonok made great strides in his game this season, both improving his offensive ability and solidifying his defensive game while starring for the OHL’s Flint Firebirds. While the teen blue liner could return to the junior ranks this season, it could be that Florida saw so much growth this season that they think continuing to challenge Kolyachonok by letting him face pro competition could be the better route.

Having played in the developmental ranks for Dinamo before jumping to North America, Kolachonok’s return to Minsk is a homecoming in more than one way. The team is desperately in need of a boost as well after finishing dead last in the KHL this season with just 14 wins in 62 games and a -97 goal differential. Kolyachonok will have his work cut out for him on a roster largely devoid of top talent and that has also lost three of their top four scorers in Ryan Spooner, Andrei Kostitsyn, and Teemu Pulkkinen, as well as leading defensive scorer Marc-Andre Gragnani. Fortunately, Kolyachonok won’t be alone; fellow NHL prospects Maxim Sushko of the Philadelphia Flyers and Yegor Sharangovich of the New Jersey Devils have also been loaned to Minsk for the 2020-21 season.
Should Kolyachonok continue in his upward developmental trend through his first pro season, one would think that he would have a strong case to follow it up with an NHL roster spot in 2021-22. Defensive depth and talent are not strong suits of the Panthers, in the NHL or in the pipeline, and they are in need of an upgrade. Kolyachonok is their top prospect defender and if he can prove himself in the KHL, considered by many to be the best league outside of the NHL, and especially on a poor roster, Florida would have little reason not to test him out at the highest level and hope that they have found a new, young cornerstone for their defense.

Minor Transactions: 07/20/20

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As the NHL gets ready for their upcoming postseason, minor league clubs are preparing for next season. As some minor signings come in we’ll keep track of them right here.

  • The Iowa Wild have re-signed forward Mitch McLain to a one-year AHL deal, keeping him in the organization for another season. McLain, 26, played four years at Bowling Green State University after going undrafted and has been part of the Iowa roster for parts of three seasons. This year he recorded just four points in 28 games, while also spending some time in the ECHL.
  • The Ontario Reign will bring back captain Brett Sutter for another year, re-signing him to an AHL contract. Sutter will be close to 1,000 AHL games played after next season and has been the captain of two different minor league organizations. He recorded 26 points in 57 games for the Reign in 2019-20.

Brendan Lemieux Suspended Two Games

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Though it is hard to remember this far back, when the NHL season hit pause, the playing status of New York Rangers forward Brendan Lemieux was still up in the air. The Department of Player Safety was reviewing a hit he threw on Joonas Donskoi of the Colorado Avalanche, and decided to suspend him indefinitely until a decision was made on the return to play. Today, a decision has been made on what to do with him.

The DoPS has suspended Lemieux for the first two of the Rangers qualification round games. As the accompanying video explains:

What causes this hit to raise to the level of supplemental discipline, is the lateness of the hit, the substantial head contact and the force of the impact.

The fact that Donskoi suffered an injury on the play and Lemieux is a repeat offender both played a role in the decision to keep him out of two games.

Losing Lemieux isn’t a death sentence for the Rangers, but it does take an effective weapon out of their lineup for their matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes. Lemieux has found a full-time role as a pest in the team’s bottom-six, contributing a little offense and a lot of physical play. He had six goals and 18 points through 59 games this season but racked up 111 penalty minutes.

NHL Releases Qualifying Round, Round Robin Schedules

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July 20: The NHL has announced some minor changes to the schedule for the round robin. The Boston Bruins-Washington Capitals game that was scheduled for August 8 will now be played on August 9. The Philadelphia Flyers-Tampa Bay Lightning game that was originally scheduled for August 9, will now be played on August 8.

July 14: After revealing the schedule earlier today for the exhibition games occurring after the conclusion of training camp, the NHL has followed up with the schedules for the games that actually matter. The league has announced the full schedule for the best-of-five qualifying round match-ups, four each per conference between the teams seeded No. 5 to No. 12, as well as the six round robin games per conference between the teams seeded No. 1 to No. 4. As a reminder, the qualifying round will serve as a knockout round to trim the list of postseason teams to 16 for a standard playoff format while the round robin games will serve as a means to seed the top team in each conference. Teams will re-seed following the conclusion of the qualifying round and each subsequent round.

The full schedule is as follows (all times ET):

Saturday, Aug. 1

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

New York Rangers vs. Carolina Hurricanes, Game 1, 12 p.m.
Florida Panthers vs. New York Islanders, Game 1, 4 p.m.
Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, Game 1, 8 p.m.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Edmonton Oilers, Game 1, 3 p.m.
Winnipeg Jets vs. Calgary Flames, Game 1, 10:30 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 2

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Round-robin

Philadelphia Flyers vs. Boston Bruins, 3 p.m.

Best-of-5 series

Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, Game 1, 8 p.m.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

Arizona Coyotes vs, Nashville Predators, Game 1, 2 p.m.
Minnesota Wild vs. Vancouver Canucks, Game 1, 10:30 p.m.

Round-robin

St. Louis Blues vs. Colorado Avalanche, 6:30 p.m.

Monday, Aug. 3

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

New York Rangers vs. Carolina Hurricanes, Game 2, 12 p.m.
Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, Game 2, 8 p.m.

Round-robin

Washington Capitals vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, 4 p.m.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

Winnipeg Jets vs. Calgary Flames, Game 2, 2:30 p.m.
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Edmonton Oilers, Game 2, 10:30 p.m.

Round-robin

Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights, 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Aug. 4

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

Florida Panthers vs. New York Islanders, Game 2, 12 p.m.
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, Game 2, 4 p.m.
Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Rangers, Game 3, 8 p.m.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

Arizona Coyotes vs. Nashville Predators, Game 2, 2:30 p.m.
Calgary Flames vs. Winnipeg Jets, Game 3, 6:45 p.m.
Minnesota Wild vs. Vancouver Canucks, Game 2, 10:45 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 5

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

New York Islanders vs. Florida Panthers, Game 3, 12 p.m.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Montreal Canadiens, Game 3, 8 p.m.

Round-robin

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Boston Bruins, 4 p.m.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

Nashville Predators vs. Arizona Coyotes, Game 3, 2:30 p.m.
Edmonton Oilers vs. Chicago Blackhawks, Game 3, 10:30 p.m.

Round-robin

Colorado Avalanche vs. Dallas Stars, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, Aug. 6

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Columbus Blue Jackets, Game 3, TBD
Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Rangers, Game 4*, TBD

Round-robin

Washington Capitals vs. Philadelphia Flyers, TBD

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

Vancouver Canucks vs. Minnesota Wild, Game 3, TBD
Calgary Flames vs. Winnipeg Jets, Game 4*, TBD

Round-robin

Vegas Golden Knights vs. St. Louis Blues, TBD

Friday, Aug. 7

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

New York Islanders vs. Florida Panthers, Game 4*, TBD
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Montreal Canadiens, Game 4*, TBD
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Columbus Blue Jackets, Game 4*, TBD

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

Nashville Predators vs. Arizona Coyotes, Game 4*, TBD
Vancouver Canucks vs. Minnesota Wild, Game 4*, TBD
Edmonton Oilers vs. Chicago Blackhawks, Game 4*, TBD

Saturday, Aug. 8

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

New York Rangers vs. Carolina Hurricanes, Game 5*, TBD
Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, Game 5*, TBD

Round-robin

Boston Bruins vs. Washington Capitals, TBD

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

Winnipeg Jets vs. Calgary Flames, Game 5*, TBD
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Edmonton Oilers, Game 5*, TBD

Round-robin

Vegas Golden Knights vs. Colorado Avalanche, TBD

Sunday, Aug. 9

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

Florida Panthers vs. New York Islanders, Game 5*, TBD
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, Game 5*, TBD

Round-robin

Philadelphia Flyers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, TBD

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

Minnesota Wild vs. Vancouver Canucks, Game 5*, TBD
Arizona Coyotes vs. Nashville Predators, Game 5*, TBD

Round-robin

Dallas Stars vs. St. Louis Blues, TBD

With round robin games scheduled through August 9, the first round will not begin until August 10 at the earliest. However, given that exhibition games don’t even begin until July 28, the NHL is about to cram a lot of hockey into a span of just a dozen days.

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