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Archives for September 2020

Steven Stamkos Returns To Lightning Lineup For Game Three Of Stanley Cup Final

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After 211 days, Steven Stamkos is back. The Tampa Bay Lightning captain is officially in the lineup for Game Three of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday night, making his first appearance since February 25. After continually reiterating that Stamkos’ timeline to return was indefinite, head coach Jon Cooper and his team suddenly have their superstar back with a chance to take a 2-1 series lead over the Dallas Stars.

Stamkos makes his 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs debut nearly two months after the postseason began, a feat only made possible by his team’s ability to reach the Cup Final. Stamkos suffered a core injury in late February that required surgery. While he was initially given a six-to-eight week timeline, core surgery rehab often exceeds expectations. Yet, many still hoped that Stamkos would be ready for the beginning of the postseason. Cooper answered questions about Stamkos’ status throughout the playoffs, speaking about his hard work and dedication, but always stopped short of stating any expectation for when he might return. Only in the last week or so with Stamkos skating and occasionally participating in practice, did it finally seem like a Stamkos return was less puffery and more possibility. He finally makes his return on Wednesday follow not six-to-eight, but 30 weeks after his initial injury.

While Stamkos’ return to the lineup alone will be a boost for the team’s energy and morale, expectations of his actual contribution should remain low. Stamkos will likely show the same rust as others did when first entering the bubble, if not worse. He also took line rushes prior to the game with Lightning fourth-liners Cedric Paquette and Patrick Marron, indicating that he exposure may be limited in his debut. On top of all that, it worth remembering that Stamkos was a key contributor to Tampa’s first-round collapse last year, posting a -8 in a four-game sweep against the Columbus Blue Jackets, and that his career points per game fall well below his career pace in the regular season. Stamkos’ return is inspiring and makes for a good story, but the Bolts are not going to run away with the Stanley Cup now that the captain has returned. A hard-fought series with the Stars still awaits.

 

Red Wings Loan Michael Rasmussen To Austria

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hael rasmussenDetroit Red Wings prospect forward Michael Rasmussen will join the numerous other NHL players and prospects getting an early start to the 2020-21 season. The Red Wings announced that the young center has been loaned to the Graz 99ers, an Austrian club in the recently re-named IceHL. No further details about the loan have been disclosed, but it is expected to come to an end when NHL training camps open up later this year.

Rasmussen, 21, needs the seasoning more than most. Drafted ninth overall in 2017, Rasmussen’s greatest assets were his pro size and strength. At 6’6″ and 220 lbs., the Red Wings didn’t hesitate to put Rasmussen directly into NHL competition in his rookie season in 2018-19. However, he struggled to adjust to the speed and skill of the top level. Rasmussen still managed to record 18 points in 62 games with Detroit, but the team was not content with his development and sent him to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins to begin this past season. Due to an injury that cost him more than two months, Rasmussen was never recalled from the minors, logging just 35 AHL games for the year.

As he awaits the start of the 2020-21 NHL campaign, Rasmussen knows that he has work to do to prove that he is worthy of winning back a regular role for the Red Wings. Both team and player hope that this assignment to Graz will help him get off to a much-needed hot start. Rasmussen should undoubtedly be the best player in the 99ers’ lineup and should be able to focus on working on the shortcomings of his game while still contributing to club’s games. A strong stint in Austria could not only help with Rasmussen’s skill and hockey sense, but could provide a confidence boost that follows him into traiing camp

Free Agent Focus: Colorado Avalanche

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With free agency now just a few weeks away, many teams are already looking ahead to when it opens up.  There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign.  While their top performers may still be locked up, Colorado has a ton of work to do on their depth pieces.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Valeri Nichushkin – After a season that saw him score exactly zero goals in 57 games following several years in the KHL, it looked like Nichushkin’s NHL career might be over after the 2018-19 campaign ended. He was bought out by the Dallas Stars in June and could have easily decided to go back to Russia and continue his career there. Not so fast, said the Avalanche, who signed Nichushkin to a one-year, $850K deal that gave him another chance in the NHL. After scoring 13 goals and 27 points in 65 games while being one of the best defensive wingers in the entire league—he finished eighth in Selke Trophy voting—the 25-year-old Russian has probably earned himself a multi-year extension with Colorado.

F Andre Burakovsky – Quick, after Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, who was the leading scorer on the Avalanche this season? Gabriel Landeskog? Mikko Rantanen? Nazem Kadri? No, it was Burakovsky, whose 45 points were a career-high despite the shortened season. In just 58 games he scored 20 goals for the first time in his career, finally getting the opportunity to play big minutes and rewarding the Avalanche by fulfilling the huge potential he had shown as a young player. Importantly, Burakovsky has already played six full seasons in the NHL despite being just 25, meaning he could become an unrestricted free agent next offseason. Waiting for a one-year arbitration award would get him there, meaning the Avalanche will have to try and work out a multi-year deal in the coming weeks if they want to lock him up.

D Nikita Zadorov – For all the frustration at the fact that Zadorov still hasn’t grown into that minute-munching two-way star that fans have been dreaming off since he came into the league as a teenager, he has already logged nearly 400 games in his NHL career and only turned 25 a few months ago. He’ll never be the leader of the Colorado blueline, but he still represents a valuable asset that they’ll have to make a decision on this summer. Like Burakovsky, Zadorov already has six NHL seasons under his belt and could use an arbitration award to get to unrestricted free agency at 26 next offseason. Unlike Burakovsky, the Avalanche might be okay with that outcome given the pipeline of defensemen they’ve created over the last few years.

Other RFAs: F Tyson Jost, F Vladislav Kamenev, D Ryan Graves, F A.J. Greer, F Sheldon Dries, G Hunter Miska

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

F Colin Wilson – When the 2018-19 season came to an end, the Avalanche decided that Wilson was worthy of a $2.6MM contract. They waited until July 1 to do it, but they obviously felt it was acceptable after his 12-goal, 27-point campaign. He was an option on the powerplay and a depth piece for a team that looked like they were gearing up for a real Stanley Cup run. Unfortunately, that $2.6MM resulted in just four points and nine games. Wilson suffered a (somewhat mysterious) injury in October and never returned, opening the door for other players to take his opportunities. If he’s healthy, perhaps the Avalanche bring him back. But with so much firepower ahead of him on the depth chart, it might be wise for Wilson to go somewhere else to build his value back up.

F Vladislav Namestnikov – If a trade deadline pickup ends up playing just nine regular season games for your team, it usually means the transaction was a mistake. Not so with Namestnikov, who scored four goals for the Avalanche before the shutdown and then added another four in their 12-game postseason. You can bet the team is wondering what kind of a resurgence they could milk out of the 27-year-old Russian forward, given he has shown an ability to score in bunches, but there simply might not be enough to go around. If the team is set on bringing back all of their restricted free agents, Namestnikov may be better served looking for a free agent landing spot.

F Matt Nieto – What can you say about Nieto? A few years ago he was lining up beside some of the very best players on the Colorado roster, but even after being dropped out of that group has still performed relatively well. 21 points in 70 games are nothing to sneeze at, especially when it comes in just over 11 minutes of even-strength ice time a night. Nieto was Colorado’s top penalty-killing forward this season and will be missed if the team is forced to let him reach free agency. There’s not always enough money to go around, especially if Nieto’s versatility and consistency end up drawing a crowd when the market opens.

Other UFAs: D Kevin Connauton, G Michael Hutchinson, F Jayson Megna, D Mark Alt, G Antoine Bibeau

Projected Cap Space

The $22.4MM in cap space Colorado has this offseason is a testament to the way GM Joe Sakic has built his squad, but it doesn’t mean they can take endless shots at high-priced free agents. The team has to consider their own core first, with Makar and Landeskog both heading into their final season under contract. MacKinnon will be up two years after that, with Kadri due for a new deal in the middle. No, they’re not in cap trouble, but they could be if they lean in and spend all of their room this offseason trying to chase a Stanley Cup right away.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Anaheim Ducks Not Expected To Buy Out David Backes

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On Friday, the first buyout period for the NHL will open and teams will be able to reduce the cap hit of some unwanted contracts (while paying a chunk of the remaining salary owed.) With the salary cap ceiling flat for next season (and likely several more afterward) this tool may be important to several teams around the league looking to shed payroll. It’s not the magic wand that compliance buyouts were in 2014, but it could still be useful in the right situation.

One player that has drawn some buyout speculation is David Backes of the Anaheim Ducks, who has just one year remaining on his current contract. The Ducks, who are set to cover just $4.5MM of his $6MM cap hit already thanks to the salary that the Boston Bruins retained in trade last year, would receive an additional $1.5MM in cap savings for 2020-21 should they exercise a buyout of the veteran forward. That would be offset by a $750K cap penalty in 2021-22, while the Bruins would also get a small amount of relief next season ($500K, with a $250K cap penalty in 2020-21).

That doesn’t appear to be the plan, however, as Andy Strickland of Fox Sports Midwest reports the Ducks told Backes they intend to keep him for the upcoming season. Backes himself is preparing for the upcoming season already, working with a skating coach twice a week after scoring just a single goal in 22 games.

Though his play has fallen off a cliff, Backes could still represent a valuable veteran presence on a team that is just starting a rebuild. Youth will be dotted all over the Ducks roster next season, and though they appear quite close to the salary cap ceiling, it’s important to remember the flexibility that will be provided by Ryan Kesler’s contract. Kesler is not expected to play hockey again, meaning his $6.875MM cap hit will be moved to long-term injured reserve.

The Ducks also don’t have any real pressing free agents after already completing deals with Sonny Milano, Troy Terry and Jacob Larsson this summer. Unless they want to pursue high-end unrestricted free agents on the market, they aren’t in desperate need of the $1.5MM in cap savings a Backes buyout would provide.

Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers Working On Trade

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1:40pm: Friedman tweets that the hold up is related to an insurance issue. It is still not clear what the particulars of the trade would be, if it does go through.

10:50am: The Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers appeared to be close to a deal that would see Patric Hornqvist and Mike Matheson switch teams, but there has been a “glitch” holding it up according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Pierre LeBrun and Josh Yohe of The Athletic both tweet that the deal is not yet done. Hornqvist does hold a full no-trade clause, though it is not clear if that is the issue here or if the trade will happen at all.

Matheson has become something of a whipping boy for Panthers fans, ever since he signed his eight-year, $39MM extension in 2017. At the time he seemed like an up-and-coming top-four defenseman, but even then the eight-year term and $4.875MM cap hit seemed like a risky proposition. Since then his performance has declined drastically, with the team either benching him or trying him out at forward to attempt to recoup some of the investment. Ridding the books of his contract would be a win for new GM Bill Zito, though the cost of doing so is obviously important to consider.

Hornqvist meanwhile has three years remaining on his own questionable extension, signed in 2018 and carrying a $5.3MM cap hit. That would actually mean the Penguins would gain some cap space in a straight swap, though the veteran forward still does have some effectiveness left in his game. Hornqvist plays one of the most physical, grinding styles in the NHL, constantly battling in front of the net or in the corners. It’s resulted in a lot of offensive success over the seasons including this one in which he scored 17 goals and 32 points in just 52 games. Still, that style of play can often lead to a steep decline as a player enters their mid-thirties, which Hornqvist is firmly in as a 33-year-old that could very well turn 34 before the next season gets underway (his birthday is January 1).

If the trade does go through without any additions, it would seem a curious decision for a Pittsburgh team that already has plenty of money tied up on the back end. That said, their recent acquisition of Kasperi Kapanen has likely pushed Hornqvist out of a top-six role, making him quite the expensive option in his own right. Perhaps they believe that returning assistant coach Todd Reirden can help Matheson regain his form, or were just looking for a way to get out of Hornqvist’s last few years.

Stay tuned for more information.

Patrick Russell Loaned To Rungsted Seier Capital

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The Edmonton Oilers have loaned several prospects overseas, but they won’t stop there. Now Patrick Russell has also been sent to Europe, loaned to Rungsted Seier Capital in Denmark’s professional league. Russell, one of the few Danish players in the NHL, hasn’t played for a club team in his home country since 2009.

The 27-year-old forward was re-signed to a new one-year $700K contract just last month, but will spend at least the first few months of it playing for a different club. Russell will be expected to return to North America in time for NHL training camps, though it is not clear exactly when those will be held at this point.

Though he has failed to score a single goal in 51 NHL matches, Russell still represents a depth option for the Oilers to plug in at the bottom of their lineup next season. His contract carries just a $700K cap hit, but he has shown an ability to score goals at both the NCAA and minor league levels. If that ability surfaces at the NHL level, he’d be quite the bargain in 2020-21.

Ottawa Senators Will Not Re-Sign Craig Anderson

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The Ottawa Senators will be going in a different direction between the pipes next season. Today, while speaking to reporters including Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia, Senators GM Pierre Dorion confirmed that the team will not be extending a contract offer to Craig Anderson (or Mark Borowiecki, whose agent already broke that news). Anderson will become an unrestricted free agent next month when his current deal expires.

Even as he announced that he wouldn’t be re-signing him, Dorion called Anderson the best goalie the Senators have ever had. That’s hard to argue, given Anderson’s place on the all-time Senators goaltending lists. After a decade with the team, he ranks first in games played (435), wins (202), saves (12,447), save percentage (.914, minimum 50 starts), points (11) and second in shutouts (28). While you could argue that Dominik Hasek’s short stint with the team represented the best goaltending play the franchise has ever received, no one else has come close to the consistency that Anderson showed over his ten years in Ottawa.

Now 39 and coming off a poor season, it was obvious the time to move on had come. The Senators are starting to head back up in their rebuild after gathering an elite prospect system and have some young goaltenders who may deserve an NHL opportunity before long. There’s also still Anders Nilsson, who is expected to be ready for the start of next season and a free agent market full of players that could be short-term options.

Anderson, if he wants to continue playing, could be one of those short-term options available for other teams if they believe he can still be an effective backup. He has posted just a .901 save percentage over the last three years though, not exactly evidence of future success at the position.

Still, if this is the end of Anderson’s career it will have been an excellent one. A third-round pick in 1999 and then again in 2001, he would finish with nearly 700 career games. His postseason performances have been excellent, posting a .929 save percentage over 46 appearances and helping the Senators come within a goal of the Stanley Cup Finals in 2017.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Cody Franson Signs AHL Contract

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After a pair of successful seasons in the KHL, Cody Franson is coming back to North America. The veteran defenseman has signed a one-year AHL contract with the Rockford IceHogs, the primary affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks. IceHogs head coach Derek King released a statement on the deal:

Cody is going to be a great addition to our squad and it will be like adding an extra coach for us. He may not have known it, but I kept an eye on him during his first time with us (2017-18 season) and he’s been coaching the younger players ever since. He’s a tremendous addition to our defensive core, the team overall, and willing to take younger players under his wing to show them how to be a good professional.

Franson last played in the NHL in January 2018 and will not be call-up eligible under this agreement. He has suited up for 550 regular season NHL games in his career, recording 212 points.

Michael McCarron Re-Signs With Nashville Predators

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The Nashville Predators have signed Michael McCarron to a new one-year, two-way contract for 2020-21. The deal will pay McCarron $700K at the NHL level and $300K in the AHL, keeping him from unrestricted free agency.

McCarron, 25, was a first-round bust for the Montreal Canadiens, who invested the 25th overall pick in him in 2013. The 6’6″ forward never did manage to improve his offense enough to really be a difference-maker at the NHL level, even struggling at times to produce at the minor league level.

Still, McCarron will provide some depth and experience for the Predators that can come up and down when needed, or add some size to the Milwaukee Admirals lineup. In 69 NHL contests, he has just eight points but did score 10 goals in just 27 games down the stretch for the Admirals last season.

McCarron was scheduled to become a Group VI unrestricted free agent, something that could happen again next season if he doesn’t play in ten games for the Predators.

Montreal Canadiens Sign Jake Evans

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The Montreal Canadiens have reached a deal with another pending free agent, signing Jake Evans to a two-year contract. Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports that the deal will carry an average annual value of $750K, and is a two-way contract in the first season. Evans was set to become a restricted free agent next month but will now remain under contract through the 2021-22 season.

Evans, 24, has developed nicely since being a seventh-round selection in 2014. Picked out of the OJHL, Evans ended up going to Notre Dame where he became one of the best offensive weapons in the country, recording 88 points in 80 games over his last two years in college. That production continued when he hit the pro circuit, with 45 points as a rookie in the AHL.

This year, Evans received his first NHL opportunity and ran with it, scoring three points in 13 regular season games and suiting up for six postseason appearances. Moving forward he looks like a legitimate option for the fourth-line center role, if not carving out a spot even higher up in the lineup.

At a near-minimum cost, Evans represents an extremely cheap option for the Canadiens to plug in next season, giving them even more to spend elsewhere. Amazingly, he is also still waiver-exempt, meaning he could move to the minors to start the year if the team wants to keep someone else on the roster.

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