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Archives for August 2020

Free Agent Notes: Top-10, Pietrangelo, Crawford

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After the morning news was dominated by the Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins completing a trade, you might be wondering what is next for clubs looking to improve their lot. While the trade market is apparently open, free agency—set to start in October—is where a number of exceptional names will be available for nothing more than money. Frank Seravalli of TSN breaks down the ten names he believes are at the top of the list, including three different Florida Panther forwards.

Mike Hoffman, Evgeni Dadonov and Erik Haula are all set to hit the open market and it is not clear if the Panthers will try to retain any of them. In fact, it’s not very clear what the Panthers want to do with any members of their team given the uncertainty in the front office. Florida is still on the search for a new general manager, who will have to quickly make some tough decisions (or engage in brief negotiations) with his trio of pending free agent forwards.

  • The very top name on Seravalli’s list however is Alex Pietrangelo, the St. Louis Blues captain and one of the best defensemen in the entire league. Pietrangelo actually spoke with reporters including Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic today and explained how much the Blues franchise means to him after a decade manning the blueline in St. Louis. Pietrangelo has always indicated a desire to remain in St. Louis, but in a flat-cap world it’s not going to be easy for the Blues to pull off. The team currently has nearly $79.5MM in salary committed to next season already including expensive extensions that kick in for Brayden Schenn and Justin Faulk. That doesn’t leave room for Pietrangelo, meaning they’d have to clear the deck if they want to bring the 30-year old back.
  • Speaking of players who want to stay put, Corey Crawford was clear in his intentions when speaking with reporters today. As Mark Lazerus of The Athletic reports, Crawford explained that he’s “definitely leaning towards staying in Chicago” but that he does want to be a starter still. Crawford admitted that a short-term deal might work for both him and the Blackhawks—which makes sense given the salary cap situation and the fact that Crawford will turn 36 in December.

Toronto Maple Leafs Trade Kasperi Kapanen

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are sending Kasperi Kapanen back to the Pittsburgh Penguins, the organization that drafted him. As Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported a few weeks ago, the teams eliminated from postseason contention can already complete trades without waiting on the playoffs to finish. The Maple Leafs will send Kapanen, Jesper Lindgren and Pontus Aberg to Pittsburgh, while receiving the Penguins’ 2020 first-round pick (15th overall), Evan Rodrigues, Filip Hallander and David Warsofsky.

It wasn’t so long ago that Kapanen was a budding young first-round pick in the Penguins organization. Selected 22nd overall in 2014, he was actually Pittsburgh GM Jim Rutherford’s first draft pick with the organization after coming over from the Carolina Hurricanes. Rutherford knew the name well, given Kapanen’s father Sami played for both Hartford and Carolina under the executive. The younger Finn was traded just a year later when the Penguins acquired Phil Kessel from the Maple Leafs, where he has blossomed into a strong middle-six winger.

Kapanen’s best attribute is his speed, which he uses routinely on the penalty kill to create shorthanded chances for himself and his teammates. Over the last two seasons, he’s totaled 33 goals and 80 points in 157 games but hasn’t quite been able to develop into the top-line player that some imagined when he was dominating the minor leagues.

For the Maple Leafs, this deal is all about balancing their roster. The team has so much salary tied up in their forward group, they needed to move some of it out in order to address the defense. In the meantime though, they’ll restock their prospect capital with a first-round pick (remember, the Maple Leafs didn’t have one this year because of the Patrick Marleau trade) and Hallander, who was one of the Penguins’ top prospects. The 20-year old center has played the last two seasons in the SHL, recording 35 points in 72 games.

While the Maple Leafs say goodbye to Kapanen’s $3.2MM cap hit, the Penguins will gladly welcome it into the mix for the next few seasons. The 24-year old is under contract through the 2021-22 campaign and will still only be a restricted free agent at the expiry of his current deal. His speed and goal-scoring ability will give the team a dimension they have had success with in the past with players like Carl Hagelin, but also gives them some more youth to build around.

As for the rest of the deal, Aberg and Warsofsky both spent the year in the minor leagues and are unlikely to have huge impacts on their new teams. The former is a restricted free agent and coming off a $700K cap hit, while the latter is signed for that amount through 2020-21. Rodrigues perhaps brings the most intrigue, but appears destined to go unqualified this fall. His current cap hit of $2M means the Maple Leafs would have to extend him the same amount in a qualifying offer to retain his rights, something that doesn’t seem justified after he recorded just 6 goals and 10 points in 45 games this season.

Blue Jackets’ Calvin Thurkauf Signs With EV Zug

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Just two months after EV Zug of Switzerland’s NLA publicly lamented that alumnus Calvin Thurkauf was working on an extension with the Columbus Blue Jackets and was unlikely to play for the team again, the narrative has gone in the opposite direction. Zug has announced that Thurkauf has returned to his hometown team and will be ready to start the NLA season.

However, before EVZ fans get too excited or Blue Jackets fans get too worried, it is important to note that Zug’s press release specifically states that Thurkauf is only expected to begin the season in Zug. As an unsigned RFA, Thurkauf could not be loaned overseas like many other NHL prospects and instead needed to sign a contract. However that deal is only valid until Thurkauf signs an NHL or AHL contract for the 2020-21.

Thurkauf, 23, is likely to find work, if not with Columbus then elsewhere in the NHL, after recording 26 points in 53 AHL games this season. He also made his NHL debut, suiting up for three games with the Blue Jackets. A big, physical forward who has proven himself capable in the WHL and AHL, Thurkauf is likely to push for a fourth-line role if he returns to Columbus. Zug fans will simply have to enjoy the homecoming while it lasts.

Calgary Flames Announce List Of Playoff Injuries

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The Calgary Flames will have several months to think about their collapse in the first round, but the time off will also let them recover from some serious injuries. Flames GM Brad Treliving spoke to reporters today including Kristen Anderson of the Calgary Sun and explained that Matthew Tkachuk, Rasmus Andersson and Sam Bennett were all dealing with major injuries by the end of the postseason.

Tkachuk, who sat out the final four games against the Dallas Stars, was dealing with a concussion and was still in the league’s protocol when the team was eliminated. The injury was sustained against the Stars and took arguably Calgary’s most effective offensive piece out of the lineup for the most important games of the season. Tkachuk, who had 61 points in 69 games this season to lead the Flames, was forced to watch from the press box as they gave up seven consecutive goals in game six.

Andersson meanwhile was playing with a broken foot, an injury that he suffered during the qualification round against the Winnipeg Jets. The 23-year old defenseman still managed to average close to 23 minutes a night in the Dallas series, recording four points in six games and arguably being the Flames most consistent defenseman. After posting 22 points in 70 games this season Andersson appears to be one of the pillars that Calgary can build around moving forward.

Bennett apparently tore a triceps muscle in the qualification round, which certainly answers why he was taking so few faceoffs in the postseason. The gritty centerman took just 29 draws across the six-game series, with linemate Milan Lucic (and career winger) routinely moving into the dot for him instead. Bennett actually led the team in scoring during the postseason, recording five goals and eight points in ten games—despite registering just 12 points in 52 regular season contests.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Colorado, Gaudreau, Bjorkqvist

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The Colorado Avalanche will be without both Philipp Grubauer and Erik Johnson for the next while, as head coach Jared Bednar told reporters including Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet that the pair would be out “indefinitely.” Luckily they have Pavel Francouz to step into the net and takeover, as he did so many times this season. The 30-year old undrafted goaltender put up a .923 save percentage in 34 appearances for the Avalanche this season, his first full year in the NHL.

On defense, it will be Kevin Connauton inserted into Johnson’s spot. The veteran NHL defenseman has plenty of experience in the regular season, but hasn’t seen a playoff game since 2014. You can bet the Avalanche won’t be leaning as heavily on Connauton as they did on Johnson, who had been averaging over 19 minutes this postseason.

  • When the Calgary Flames collapsed and allowed seven straight goals to the Dallas Stars in an elimination game, many fans called for the team to be blown up. Johnny Gaudreau was the target of much of the frustration, with Eric Francis of Sportsnet even calling him a “likely trade candidate” after he struggled to produce any even-strength offense in the playoffs once again. For what it’s worth, Gaudreau told reporters today including Wes Gilbertson of Postmedia that he loves playing in Calgary and wants to spend the rest of his career with the Flames. He even directly addressed the rumors that have always swirled about his desire to return to the east coast (Gaudreau is from New Jersey and attended Boston College), saying he is “really comfortable” in Calgary, a place that is “special” to him and his family.
  • Kasper Bjorkqvist has played just six games at the minor league level, but he won’t be playing another for a while. The Pittsburgh Penguins prospect been loaned to KooKoo in Finland’s Liiga for the 2020-21 season. Bjorkqvist, a 2016 second-round pick, played three years at Providence College before signing his entry-level deal in 2019. He played just six games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins before injuring his knee and requiring surgery, ending his 2019-20 season.

Detroit Red Wings Sign Robby Fabbri

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The Detroit Red Wings have signed Robby Fabbri to a two-year contract extension, avoiding restricted free agency with the young forward. The announcement did not include financial details, but Craig Custance of The Athletic reports it will carry a $2.95MM average annual value. Fabbri is coming off a one-year $900K contract he signed with the St. Louis Blues before getting dealt to Detroit in November.

The 24-year old forward has had quite the rollercoaster career so far. Selected 21st overall in 2014, it only took the former Guelph Storm center a year before he was a full-time player in the NHL. Fabbri looked like a star early, scoring 18 goals and 37 points in his first season with the Blues, before leading the team in scoring during a long playoff run. Still just a teenager, he was on a path to becoming a household name and a core piece for St. Louis.

Unfortunately, in February 2017 everything changed. Fabbri tore his ACL and would miss the second half of his sophomore season, starting a brutal stretch that seemed at one point like it would end his career. He re-injured the knee that summer and ended up missing the entire 2017-18 season, meaning there was a 20-month stretch between games for the young forward. After returning to the Blues in 2018 he was a shadow of the player they once knew, and in another season dealing with injuries he managed to score just six points in 32 games.

By the time the 2019-20 season rolled around, the Blues had basically moved on with several other young players taking up full-time roles on the roster. After nine games he was sent to Detroit, where things have turned completely around.

In his first game with the Red Wings, Fabbri scored two powerplay goals after finally finding himself back in the top-six of an NHL lineup. He’d put up eight points in his first seven games with Detroit and finished with 31 in just 52 games following the trade. The fact that the Red Wings got him in exchange for Jacob de La Rose, who has just 37 points in 229 career NHL games, is an impressive feat for GM Steve Yzerman and the Detroit front office. After showing he is still capable of the production he showed early in his career, a nice two-year contract will afford Fabbri some stability financially while he continues to build himself back up.

NHL Issues Update On COVID-19 Testing

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In what has become routine, the NHL has issued another update on its COVID-19 testing within the bubble cities of Edmonton and Toronto. Just like the last several weeks, there were zero positive results among the 4,644 tests administered. All members of the remaining team’s 52-member traveling parties were tested daily between August 16-22.

The league has now administered close to 25,000 tests inside the bubble with zero positives.

With more and more teams being eliminated from postseason contention, securing the bubble should be even easier moving forward. So far the league has done an exceptional job keeping its players and staff safe and separated, though there is obviously still more work to be done.

Dan Vladar Signs Three-Year Extension

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The Boston Bruins have locked up some of their young goaltending depth, signing Dan Vladar to a three-year contract extension. The deal will carry an average annual value of $750K at the NHL level but is actually a two-way contract for the first two seasons. The goaltender was scheduled to hit restricted free agency at the end of the season.

Vladar, 23, was one of the best goaltenders in the AHL this season, posting a .936 save percentage in 25 games with the Providence Bruins. His save percentage and incredibly low goals-against-average of 1.79 both led the league, though Kaapo Kahkonen of the Iowa Wild actually took home the top goaltending honors. Still, there’s plenty to be excited about in Vladar’s case.

Selected in the third round of the 2015 draft, the Czech-born Vladar quickly came to North America to start playing a little closer to his professional future. He suited up for the Chicago Steel of the USHL in 2015-16, before jumping into the Bruins organization and starting his development in the ECHL. A few years and a lot of hard work later, the 6’5″ goaltender is getting closer to challenging for an NHL spot.

Those NHL spots of course are currently occupied, with both Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak under contract for one more year. The veteran duo are both capable NHL starters, meaning Vladar likely has at least one more minor league season in his future before getting tested at the highest level. This extension though provides some security for the Bruins as they head toward unrestricted free agency with both NHL netminders and approach a tough decision on where the franchise will go in net for 2021-22.

Of course, this deal also helps the Bruins in another way. All teams are required to have at least one eligible goaltender under contract for the 2021 expansion draft, meaning Vladar now fills that need as well. It doesn’t seem likely that the Seattle Kraken would pick him though, given how many other young skaters will be available on the Boston list.

Eeli Tolvanen Loaned To Jokerit

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The Nashville Predators have decided to send another prospect overseas for the time being, loaning Eeli Tolvanen to Jokerit of the KHL. In the release, the team notes that the loan only lasts until the start of NHL training camp for the 2020-21 season, meaning Tolvanen will be back to compete for a spot.

Now 21, Tolvanen has been quite the cautionary tale in prospect over-hyping so far. The 30th selection in 2017, Tolvanen quickly found success at the KHL level, setting records as one of the most successful teenaged-players in the league’s history. He scored 19 goals an 36 points in 49 games for Jokerit during the 2017-18 season, with six more tallies in 11 playoff games. That sharpshooting led to him becoming one of the most talked-about prospects in the world at the time, but after coming to North America things quickly quieted.

Tolvanen ended up playing three games for the Predators at the end of the 2017-18 season, but was held scoreless and did not participate in the playoffs. The following season he spent almost exclusively in the minor leagues, scoring 35 points for the Milwaukee Admirals. This year was more of the same, as Tolvanen did not see a single recall all season, instead playing in 63 AHL games.

While he’s scored at a reasonable clip in those minor league matches, totaling 36 goals in 126 games, Tolvanen has clearly not been the all-world prospect that many hoped for when he first arrived. There is still plenty of time for him to develop the rest of his game around that lethal snapshot, which is exactly why the team will let him get in some extra game action over the next few months.

Florida Panthers GM Search Continues

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The Florida Panthers have been one of the most disappointing teams in the NHL the last few seasons. After collecting plenty of high-end talent including Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, Aaron Ekblad and even now Sergei Bobrovsky, the team has been trending in the wrong direction. The last time they made the playoffs was in 2016 and they still haven’t won a single series since their 1996 Stanley Cup Final cinderella run.

Recently, they decided to make a move in the front office, relieving Dale Tallon of his duties and beginning a search for a new general manager. Names like Scott Mellanby, Laurence Gilman, and Ron Hextall have all been involved, but a few more candidates have emerged in recent days. On Hockey Night in Canada this weekend, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported that Bill Armstrong, assistant GM of the St. Louis Blues, has been interviewed, along with NHL Network analyst and former NHL goaltender Kevin Weekes. Today, Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider adds Sean Burke to the list of interviewees.

The search for the right person to lead the Panthers to glory is obviously a thorough one, but the team does not have a ton of time to complete it. The NHL Draft and free agency will begin just a few days after the league awards a Stanley Cup at the beginning of October, meaning whoever takes over the job has less than two months of preparation if hired today.

With the 12th selection this season, the Panthers are a team to watch at the draft if the new GM decides to make a splash. They selected goaltending prospect Spencer Knight with the 13th pick a year ago and already have several other high-end prospects in the system. Evgeni Dadonov, Erik Haula and Mike Hoffman’s expiring contracts will give the newcomer plenty of cap space to work with, though they obviously may want to retain the services of at least one of those forwards.

The biggest question may come on defense, where the Panthers have nearly $25MM already committed to next season but struggled mightily in their own end. Michael Matheson carries a $4.875MM cap hit through the 2025-26 season but was made a healthy scratch again in the qualification round and is obviously a big question mark for next year.

At any rate, the next GM of the Panthers has a lot of work to do this offseason to vault them back to Eastern Conference contenders.

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