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Archives for September 2020

Overseas Notes: Sorensen, Chlapik, Maltsev

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Marcus Sorensen has signed a contract with HC Vita Hasten in Sweden’s second league, according to the team. The San Jose Sharks forward is still under contract in the NHL, meaning this is almost certainly a loan agreement for the next few months until NHL training camps open again. The 28-year-old forward is set to earn $1.5MM on the final season of his two-year contract with San Jose.

With just 197 regular season games under his belt, Sorensen is on track to be quite an interesting free agent case next offseason. He scored just 18 points in 60 games during the 2019-20 campaign, but did put up 17 goals a year before that. At some point this year the Sharks could look to extend the Swedish forward, but for now he’ll be suiting up overseas to stay in shape.

  • Filip Chlapik doesn’t have a contract with the Ottawa Senators, but playing overseas won’t stop him from getting one. The young Ottawa Senators forward will be playing for HC Sparta Praha for free while he continues to negotiate his next NHL deal. Just 23, Chlapik is coming off his entry-level contract and scored six points in 31 games for the Senators this season. He is not arbitration-eligible, meaning the Senators could just issue him a qualifying offer and wait to see if he takes it.
  • The New Jersey Devils have sent Mikhail Maltsev back to the KHL for the time being. Loaned to SKA St. Petersburg, Maltsev will join a crowded roster for the next few months and then be recalled in time for NHL training camps. The 22-year-old forward scored 21 points in 49 games for the Binghamton Devils this season, his first in North America.

Tampa Bay Lightning Win 2020 Stanley Cup Championship

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The Tampa Bay Lightning were crowned NHL champions and hoisted the Stanley Cup on Monday night with a 2-0 shutout win over the Dallas Stars in Game Six. This title feels as if it has been a long time coming for the Lightning, whose young core fell to the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2015 Cup Final and a few years later survived a heart-breaking first-round upset sweep at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets last season. With a flat salary cap set to blow up the roster this off-season, it almost seemed inevitable that this Lightning team would emerge victorious with the franchise’s second championship before the impressive group was torn apart. It also seems fitting that such a truly talented and title-worthy team will go down in history for winning the “bubble Cup”.

Tampa Bay won the Cup in style this postseason, too. The Bolts were one of just two teams to actually earn their regular season seeding in the round robin, entering the Eastern Conference playoffs as the No. 2 seed. Their path to victory first included vengeance against the Blue Jackets in a five-game series that included a historic five-overtime win in Game One and another overtime win to seal the series. Tampa then took on their greatest rival, the President’s Trophy-winning Boston Bruins, and made quick work of the talented team in five games, again clinching the series in extra time with a double-overtime victory. Next up were the New York Islanders, who had upset higher seeds in each of their first two series and had smother opposing defenses. The Isles couldn’t keep it going against the Lightning though, falling in six games with Tampa again winning the final game in overtime. Finally, the Stanley Cup Final arrived with a match-up against the Dallas Stars, who had defeated championship favorites Colorado and Vegas en route to the title bout. However, Dallas could not keep the upset streak going, with Tampa Bay taking the series in six games with a decisive shutout victory.

The Conn Smythe Trophy was a three-horse race on the Lightning side, with forwards Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov and defenseman Victor Hedman all playing at a historic level. It was the Hedman though who received the award for postseason MVP, due in no small part to his ten goals, third-most for a defenseman in postseason history. Hedman totaled 21 points while averaging more than 26 minutes per night of solid defense in an outstanding all-around effort. Kucherov logged more assists than anyone not named Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux in league history and led all postseason participants with 33 points, which would have been enough to take the Conn Smythe almost any other year. With 32 points, including a league-leading 13 goals, Point was also invaluable to the team’s success. Finally, no team can win the Cup without a stellar performance in goal, and Andrei Vasilevskiy played every minute for Tampa and led the playoffs in save percentage

Also deserving plenty of praise and recognition for this Stanley Cup victory are the NHL and NHLPA, who made the postseason possible in light of difficult circumstances. The Coronavirus pandemic shut down the league back in March and nearly five months later the league and players’ association were able to work together to put together an expanded playoff format that produced months of exciting playoff hockey. After 64 days in the bubble, across two cities, there were zero positive COVID tests, allowing for the postseason to proceed without a hitch. Without this expert oversight, there easily could have been no Stanley Cup champion this season. Hockey fans will never forget what the league and its players, especially those on the Tampa Bay Lightning, were able to accomplish in this incredible summer postseason.

Senators Notes: Draft Picks, Nilsson, Free Agency

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Are the Ottawa Senators ready to take the next step in their rebuild and begin trading futures to add help in the present? The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch writes that Senators GM Pierre Dorion is listening to all offers for his numerous draft picks. The Senators own a whopping 13 picks in the 2020 NHL Draft, including three first-round picks and four second-round picks. In a draft class that is considered especially deep, there is a lot of value in those early picks. While No. 3 and No. 5 overall are certainly safe, No. 28 overall and any of the second-rounders could be in play. Dorion is not going to move all five of those picks, but could easily move one or two to bring in immediate help to his roster. Considering that this off-season will also see many teams looking to cut salary, the Senators could land a very good player (or two) by moving their high picks to a team that has no choice but to sacrifice the present and in Ottawa finds the opportunity to invest in the future.

  • Among the pressing roster needs that Dorion could address by dealing a pick is an addition in goal. Garrioch notes that there are concerns around the organization about presumptive starter Anders Nilsson, who has not skated since February as he deals with concussion repercussions. While Dorion is “confident” that Nilsson will be ready for the start of the season, there may still be an impact on his play. If he falters, the team does not have any NHL-proven options behind him, with youngsters Marcus Hogberg, Filip Gustavsson, Joey Daccord, and Kevin Mandolese making up their pro depth. As a result, the team may be forced to add a goalie to serve as a short-term fix. If they don’t want to fill that need on the trade market, there are also plenty of options on the free agent market.
  • A draft day trade and acquiring a goalie would be significant additions by the Senators, but they will be far from done after those moves are made. Ottawa has just eight players signed to one-way contracts for next season with maybe five or six entry-level players who will likely be on the season-opening roster. That leaves plenty of work for Dorion and company to do to fill out the roster. The team has a laundry list of restricted free agents to sign, up to nine of whom will be or at least could be on the NHL roster. Even if all of that adds up to a 23-man roster, the team also has to be wary of the $60.2MM, which they currently fall $22M under. The Senators will likely need to explore the trade and free agent markets for a few more additions before they can call their off-season complete.

Boston Bruins Loan Nick Wolff To Hungary

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Nick Wolff’s North American pro debut may be on hold, but he will be playing professionally in Europe sooner rather than later. The University of Minnesota-Duluth standout, who signed with the Boston Bruins this spring, has joined Hungarian club DVTK Jegesmedvék on loan, the team announced. Like so many player loans being issued right now, the deal between the Bruins and Polar Bears extends until NHL training camp opens, after which Wolff will return. The left-handed defenseman is expected to play a key role for DVTK until then.

Why exactly did Wolff end up in Hungary? DVTK actually plays in the Slovakian Extraliga, joining the league via expansion in 2018. The club then made their playoff debut the same year and were headed back last season before the season was canceled. However, the real draw lies not with the Polar Bears’ upstart success, but with Wolff’s connections to the club. His former junior head coach with the USHL’s De Moines Buccaneers, Dave Allison, is now the head coach at DVTK, while former Duluth teammate Kyle Osterburg also plays for the club. Boston likely would have been willing to loan Wolff to any team to get his season underway, but it might have made their decision easier knowing that former Bruin Rob Flick is also a member of the team.

While the Slovakian Extraliga is not exactly comparable to the NHL, it will get Wolff ready to compete in the AHL in 2020-21. A four-year starter for Duluth, Wolff was a dominant stay-at-home defender who contributed decent offense as well. Wolff’s 6’5″, 230-lb. frame alone makes him a formidable pro, but he is unlikely to play at the NHL level too quickly. Wolff will need time to adjust to the speed of the pro game and to continue to develop his skating and skill, but the Bruins can give him that time. Although the club’s starting defense lineup is still up in the air entering free agency, especially on the left side, Boston is deep in pro defense prospects, again also on the left side, and Wolff is unlikely to move up the depth chart this year.

Minor Transactions: 09/28/20

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As the two surviving teams prepare for Game Six of the Stanley Cup Final tonight, the other 29 teams are busy preparing for the NHL Draft and the opening of free agency. Not only that, minor league affiliates, junior teams, college programs, and countless European clubs are getting ready for the 2020-21 season, as are the many players who still don’t know where they are playing next season. As a result, there are a number of minor moves being made every day:

  • AHL veteran Ryan Olsen is on his way to Germany. The 26-year-old center has signed with the EC Kassel Huskies of the second-tier DEL2, the club has announced. Although Kassel is not among the elite clubs in Germany, it has attracted a fair amount of North American pros over the years, including James Wisniewski. Olsen, a Winnipeg Jets draft pick, has spent the past two seasons with the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage. Olsen has been a useful player in the minors over the years, setting a career high with 34 points just two seasons ago, but has not been able to earn an NHL contract since his entry-level deal expired in 2017 and is ready for a fresh start.
  • Rod Pelley, a name not heard in NHL circles in quite some time, has decided to call it a career. Ohio State University, where Pelley starred for four years, announced that their alum has officially retired. Pelley is best remembered for being a regular for the New Jersey Devils for six years after college. Even after he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks in 2011-12, he returned to the Devils to captain AHL Albany for several more years once his contract expired. Pelley last played in North America for the AHL’s Stockton Heat in 2017-18 and has spent the past two seasons in Denmark and Romania respectively. He retires with over 250 NHL games and over 550 AHL games to his credit.
  • Curtis Brown, who retired back in 2011, was back in the headlines recently with the news that his son, Garrett Brown, had committed to the University of Denver. This would be a major accomplishment for any young player, as the Pioneers are an elite NCAA program, but even more so for a California-grown product. In fact, it was the San Jose Jr. Sharks who initially announced the commitment for the standout. Curtis played his final season in the NHL with the San Jose Sharks in 2007-08, but returned to the area after three seasons of playing in Switzerland and Garrett has grown up in the area. Now 16, the younger Brown looks like he is developing the skill to challenge his dad, a long-time Buffalo Sabres star, and should be an interesting prospect to follow once he arrives at Denver in a few years.

Calgary Flames Loan Dmitry Zavgorodniy To SKA St. Petersburg

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The Calgary Flames have played a trick on hockey writers everywhere, loaning Dmitry Zavgorodniy to SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL. The announcement does not indicate whether the young forward will be returning to North America when camp opens, but Ryan Pike of FlamesNation notes that the team will be able to recall him at that time.

Zavgorodniy, 20, is coming off three seasons with the Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL, including an outstanding 2019-20 that saw him register 29 goals and 67 points in just 40 games. A seventh-round pick in 2018, he stands just 5’9″ but has shown enough to earn the entry-level contract he signed in 2019.

Like so many other teams around the league, the Flames will use overseas loans as a way to keep their prospects playing and developing while the AHL figures out how and when to stage a 2020-21 season. Zavgorodniy is joining a strong team in SKA, one that he’ll have to battle for playing time on.

Montreal Canadiens Agree To Terms With Jake Lucchini

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New contracts for minor league players continue to pour in, with the Montreal Canadiens the latest to sign one of their pending free agents. Jake Lucchini has inked a new one-year, two-way contract with the team that will carry a $700K NHL salary ($85K in the AHL).

Lucchini, 25, arrived in the Montreal organization along with the recently re-signed Joseph Blandisi through a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The late-February deal sent Phil Varone and Riley Barber the other way. While Blandisi has quite a bit of NHL experience, Lucchini has never played a game at that level and instead spent the entire 2019-20 season in the AHL.

That’s not to say he won’t ever get a chance with the Canadiens though, as Lucchini did have a ton of success at the NCAA level. An undrafted free agent signing in 2019, his college career resulted in 104 points in 164 games. That kind of production wasn’t evident with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins through most of this season, but Lucchini did score four goals in just eight games after the move to the Laval Rocket.

Perhaps in that situation again next season he will be able to show his worth and become a useful depth piece for the Canadiens down the road.

Detroit Red Wings Re-Sign Dominic Turgeon

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The Detroit Red Wings have inked another one of their minor league restricted free agents, signing Dominic Turgeon to a one-year contract for 2020-21. While the press release does not include financial details, CapFriendly reports that he will earn $750K at the NHL level and $115K in the minor leagues.

Son of former NHL star Pierre Turgeon, the 24-year-old forward has been part of the Red Wings organization since they used a third-round pick on him in 2014. Making his NHL debut in 2018, the younger Turgeon has now suited up in nine games with the Red Wings, held scoreless in each. Instead, he spends most of his time with the Grand Rapids Griffins where he scored 23 points in 63 games this season.

At this point it’s hard to imagine that Turgeon will ever become an impact player at the NHL level, but he remains a depth option for the team that can fill in if needed.

The Red Wings have a huge number of restricted free agents still to sign this offseason, including important pieces like Anthony Mantha and Tyler Bertuzzi.

Several Teams Spoke With Buffalo About Jack Eichel

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When a franchise struggles for a long period of time and changes their general manager, installing someone with little front office experience, you can assume that the rest of the league takes flight like vultures to try and pick the roster clean of any talent. That’s exactly what seems to have happened in Buffalo when the Sabres made the move to fire Jason Botterill and hire Kevyn Adams as GM.

Bob McKenzie of TSN tweets that several teams including the New York Rangers called on the availability of Jack Eichel, though none of those conversations resulted in “trade traction” with Adams and the Sabres. McKenzie also makes sure to point out that neither the Sabres or Eichel himself have expressed any desire to part ways, in fact just the opposite appears to be true at the moment.

Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston tweets that he was told the Bruins were also one of the teams speaking with the Sabres regarding Eichel, though again these talks don’t seem to have gone anywhere.

It’s easy to imagine why other general managers will continue to poke at the Sabres on the status of Eichel. Not only is the 23-year-old center one of the best players in the NHL coming off an incredible 36-goal, 78-point campaign, but he’s also a $10MM ticket on a team that hasn’t played a postseason game since 2011 and is reportedly looking at working under a drastically reduced internal salary cap due to recent financial restrictions.

If Buffalo is going to turn things around, it’s hard to imagine it would be without Eichel leading the charge. The young forward is a true franchise talent that now has 337 points in 354 career games, despite often playing with an underwhelming roster. Even at that $10MM cap hit he likely represents excess value for the team, unlike some of his high-priced teammates (Jeff Skinner, who carries a $9MM cap hit through 2026-27, scored just 23 points this season).

All that said, Eichel has been quite clear in the past about his desire to win. His agent Peter Fish even re-upped that stance with McKenzie today, explaining that the star center doesn’t want out but is frustrated with the team’s results so far. If the Sabres can’t turn things around, this won’t be the last time that teams are calling about his availability or his name pops up in trade rumors.

Calgary Flames Re-Sign Justin Kirkland

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The Calgary Flames have brought back minor league forward Justin Kirkland for another year, re-signing the pending restricted free agent to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will carry an NHL salary of $700K.

Kirkland, 24, was selected 62nd overall in 2014 but has yet to make it to the NHL. Four seasons in the minor leagues have resulted in consistent if underwhelming point totals, with the 6’3″ winger recording 28 in 53 games this season. While he doesn’t offer a ton of scoring upside, Kirkland still represents a depth option for the Flames that they could use in a bottom-six role if necessary.

Seven more restricted free agents remain unsigned for 2020-21, including Andrew Mangiapane who broke out as a full-time NHL player this season. Not everyone on that list is guaranteed a new deal, but Kirkland will be able to stay put and try to reach another level of play with the Stockton Heat.

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