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Archives for December 2020

Florida Panthers Sign Sam Montembeault

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The Florida Panthers have signed goaltender Sam Montembeault to a new one-year, two-way contract. Montembeault is one of a few restricted free agents the Panthers still have to sign before the start of the 2020-21 campaign.

Now 24, Montembeault has still yet to really prove he can handle an NHL workload but comes into the season as the third-string option in Florida. Through 25 NHL appearances, he has posted an .892 save percentage but was overtaken by Chris Driedger last season as the backup for Sergei Bobrovsky. Though his new deal is a two-way contract, it seems likely that Montembeault serves as the taxi squad goaltender in Florida unless they bring in a more veteran option.

Originally picked in the third round of the 2015 draft, Montembeault still has all the raw ability to take the next step. Should the Panthers face injury or the inconsistent play Bobrovsky showed last season, perhaps he’ll get a chance to show what he can do in 2021.

Minor Transactions: 12/21/20

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The countdown has begun to the start of the NHL season and as expected there is no shortage of moves being made in response. Combine a slew of recalls from loans with the usual moves from the junior, collegiate, and European levels and there was plenty going on across the hockey world on Monday:

  • The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled Pius Suter from Switzerland’s ZSC Lions, the club announced. Suter was signed as a free agent by the Blackhawks this summer after a career year in the NLA. The Swiss forward stayed home when the NHL season was delayed but is finally ready to make his move to Chicago to show that he has what it takes to play in the NHL. The Blackhawks also recalled Swiss prospect Philipp Kurashev from the NLA’s HC Lugano. Kurashev played well in his first AHL season, but Chicago hopes the dynamic forward can take another step forward this year.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled a recent free agent addition of their own in Radim Zohorna. The big power forward had returned to his Czech club, BK Mlada Boleslav, while awaiting the NHL season but will now report to Penguins camp, the team announced. Zohorna faces an uphill battle to crack the NHL roster but the Penguins are excited to see what he can do in the AHL.
  • After returning to his former KHL club Dinamo Minsk on loan, Yegor Sharangovich has been recalled by the New Jersey Devils, the team announced. The young forward has played well in the AHL over the past two seasons, but took his game to a new level during his brief stay in Belarus. The Devils hope that is the game that will show up in training camp and at whichever level Sharangovich ends up this season.
  • Goaltender Jacob Ingham’s stint in the ECHL didn’t last long, as the league’s transactions indicate that he has been recalled by the Los Angeles Kings after two games with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits. Ingham didn’t exactly impress in the minors either, but he is still a top prospect who will look to impress in training camp and win the top role in the AHL this season.
  • Forward Max Veronneau will not be among the second wave of NHL free agent signings. After just one season in the NHL with the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs, the Princeton product has signed in Sweden. The SHL’s IK Oskarshamn has announced a one-year deal with the skilled forward, who seemingly feels he has a better chance of impressing future NHL suitors overseas than with a season in the AHL.
  • QMJHL standout Nathan Legare, a prospect of the Pittsburgh Penguins, is on the move. On the first day that the QMJHL has re-opened trading, Baie-Comeau Drakkar has traded their captain and last season’s leading scorer to the Val-d’Or Foreurs. It’s a hefty return for the prized prospect: a future first-, third-, and a trio of fourth-round picks, as well as rookie forward Justin Sullivan. 
  • The fallout of the Ivy League’s cancelled winter season extends beyond just this year. Ivy League schools do not use graduate student-athletes, meaning current seniors missing their seasons cannot use their fifth and final year of NCAA eligibility at their current schools. UMass has reaped the benefits with a pair of additions today, as Cornell’s Cam Donaldson and Dartmouth’s Matthew Baker have committed to transferring to Amherst next year, reports Jeff Cox of the New England Hockey Journal.

Flames’ Jake Boltmann Commits To Notre Dame, To Join Team This Season

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One of the most recent additions to the Calgary Flames’ pipeline has made a decision on the next step in his development, one that he plans to act on immediately. Defenseman Jake Boltmann, a third round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, has announced his commitment to the University of Notre Dame. The Lincoln Stars standout is expected to enroll for the spring semester and join the Fighting Irish in the coming weeks.

Boltmann, 19, is a Minnesota high school star who had initially committed to the University of Minnesota many years ago. After opting not to join the Gophers for the fall semester, Boltmann officially de-committed recently. He will now make his move to South Bend, joining a Notre Dame program that also recruited him heavily alongside Minnesota.

Boltmann became somewhat of a viral sensation when video emerged of the young defender finding out he had been drafted in the middle of practice, much to the excitement of his Lincoln teammates and coaches. Boltmann has now wrapped up his time with the Stars and is ready to join the Irish. The dependable defenseman will bring his strong defensive game to a team that already boasts considerable NHL prospect depth. The current group includes Boltmann’s fellow 2020 picks Landon Slaggert (CHI) and Ryder Rolston (COL) while the 2021 recruiting class includes first round hopeful Sasha Pastujov. The Flames hope that Boltmann can quickly establish himself as one of the top defenseman for Notre Dame, a team that should compete for NCAA titles during his tenure.

Drake Caggiula Signs With Arizona Coyotes

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6:15pm: The Coyotes  have made the deal official, announcing the signing of Caggiula. The team also confirmed the reported one-year and one-way terms, but did not disclose financial details. New Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong called his latest addition a “hard-working, versatile forward and a strong skater” in the team’s release.

4:00pm: The Arizona Coyotes are expected to sign unrestricted free agent Drake Caggiula to a one-year deal according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet adds that the deal will likely be for $700K, a nice bargain for a useful depth player.

Caggiula, 26, was left unqualified by the Chicago Blackhawks this offseason, making him a UFA. He scored just 15 points in 40 games during the 2019-20 season, but nine of those were goals. The undrafted forward has shown a knack for scoring despite limited minutes, registering seasons of 13 and 12 goals previously.

A $700K salary will be less than half of what Caggiula made last year, another example of how the COVID-19 financial climate is affecting players on the fringes of NHL rosters. Where Caggiula really fits in Arizona isn’t clear, but with taxi squads, he is a perfect depth option for the league minimum.

Ottawa Senators, Nashville Predators Complete Minor Trade

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The Ottawa Senators have acquired Zach Magwood from the Nashville Predators in exchange for Michael Carcone, swapping minor league forwards before training camp opens. Both players are in the last year of their respective two-way contracts.

Magwood, 22, went undrafted out of the OHL but signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Predators in 2018. After spending most of the 2018-19 season with the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL, he was sent down to the ECHL for much of last season. At the lower level, Magwood dominated, scoring 47 points in 51 games for the Florida Everblades. He’ll now have to fight for a spot with the Belleville Senators if he wants to stay in the AHL this time around.

Carcone meanwhile is also an undrafted signing, though his professional career so far has been a tumultuous ride. Originally signed by the Vancouver Canucks in 2016, this is now Carcone’s third time being traded. The Canucks originally sent him to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a 2018 trade for Josh Leivo and then he was included in the Cody Ceci–Connor Brown swap last year between Toronto and Ottawa. A solid AHL performer, he had 27 points in 59 games for Belleville last year but has still not made it to the NHL.

Neither player figures into the NHL plans for this year, though Carcone does have quite a bit more experience at the AHL level.

Schedule Notes: NHL, QMJHL, WHL

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Teams around the NHL have started to receive potential 2021 schedules according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, and they include some very interesting oddities. For one, Johnston tweets that games have been grouped in two-game series against the same opponent but he has heard of three or even four-game segments as well. Several other reports including from Mark Spector of Sportsnet have indicated that the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks will play each other ten times, hitting the ice against the other Canadian teams just nine times. The All-Canadian division of course has one fewer team in it, leading to the different schedules.

Some other scheduling notes:

  • Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic wondered about the trade deadline in his recent column, noting that though it is scheduled for April 12, Canada-U.S. border restrictions could complicate things this year. Players acquired from a team based in the U.S. would likely face at least a two-week quarantine if joining a Canadian team for instance, making him quite a bit less valuable in a deadline deal.
  • Carolina Hurricanes GM Don Waddell told reporters including Dan Rosen of NHL.com that players recalled from the AHL will have to go through the “taxi squad” period and quarantine for at least seven days before joining the NHL club, meaning there will be no day-of recalls this season. That too will complicate things this season and make teams think hard about who they want to include with their extra roster spots.
  • The QMJHL has announced that their season will not resume until January 21 at the earliest, with the Quebec-based teams starting the next day. There hasn’t been a game played since the end of November due to COVID-19 concerns and restrictions, meaning it will be nearly two months between competitive action for many prospects.
  • The WHL draft meanwhile, which is normally scheduled for May, has now been moved to December for the upcoming year. As the league explained today, the decision was to give 2006-born players more time to be evaluated in competitive situations. The 2021 WHL Cup, which is a showcase for WHL draft-eligible players (not NHL draft-eligible) will be held in October.

Oscar Klefbom Out For 2020-21 Season

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Though there had been speculation for months, Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland finally confirmed today that defenseman Oscar Klefbom will miss the entire upcoming season. Klefbom is hoping to be ready for the start of the 2021-22 campaign. Holland also explained that Gaetan Haas will miss the start of training camp after being a close contact with a positive COVID-19 case in Switzerland.

It’s tough news for Klefbom, who was dynamic for the Oilers last season, scoring at the best pace of his career (34 points in 62 games) and logging more than 25 minutes a night. The 27-year-old defenseman has only played more than 66 games in a single season once through his entire career and will now miss an entire campaign due to an injury in his prime.

For the Oilers, though they’d obviously much rather have a healthy Klefbom on the ice, his injury may clear up some things financially. The team was capped-out but now could potentially move the defenseman’s $4.167MM cap hit to long-term injured reserve to add some relief. That process is complicated, but Edmonton could now add another free agent or trade for a player to help shore up the back end. Names like Travis Hamonic (whose preference to play in Western Canada should be noted) and Sami Vatanen both immediately come to mind, though nothing is certain yet.

Still, neither of those players have the same impact that Klefbom has shown over the last few seasons, meaning other internal names will likely have to step up. If there’s one player that could benefit most, it’s Tyson Barrie who signed a one-year, “prove it” deal with the Oilers to try and get his career back on track. Barrie has a good shot to be on the first powerplay with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, an enviable position for anyone trying to pump up their point totals.

Ethan Bear, the remaining unsigned restricted free agent for Edmonton, also should have an increased role this season when he eventually signs. The 23-year-old scored 21 points in 71 games last season, trailing only Klefbom and Darnell Nurse among Oilers defensemen.

Philip Broberg Named Captain For Team Sweden

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Team Sweden was released from quarantine today at the World Juniors and will be practising later today. Yesterday, the team announced the leadership group for the tournament which will be led by Edmonton Oilers prospect Philip Broberg. Broberg will wear the “C” as captain of the squad and will be joined by alternates Tobias Bjornfot, Victor Soderstrom and Albin Sundsvik.

Broberg, 19, is set to spend this season in Sweden again after the tournament concludes but is a top prospect to keep an eye on for the Oilers. Selected 8th overall in 2019 he has already represented Sweden twice at the WJC and should be a force on the blueline once again. An incredible skater, Broberg has been criticized at times for his decision making but shows signs of quickly turning into a top defenseman for Edmonton. He was so impressive this summer that he actually made the Oilers postseason bubble roster, playing in one of the exhibition games. Though he didn’t actually suit up for his NHL debut, it’s not far off.

Bjornfot meanwhile has already made that debut, suiting up for three games with the Los Angeles Kings at the start of the 2019-20 season. The 19-year-old was the 22nd overall pick in 2019 and is also a returning member of the Swedish WJC team. Bjornfot spent last season with the Ontario Reign as one of the youngest defensemen in AHL history, scoring 19 points in 44 games. He has been playing with Djurgardens IF this year and has three points (and 33 penalty minutes) in 15 games.

Soderstrom, another defenseman, is also one of the top prospects in the world, selected 11th overall by the Arizona Coyotes in 2019. He was a dynamic offensive presence for the Swedes at last year’s tournament, recording six points in seven games. He’s been on loan this season to AIK in the Swedish second tier and has six points in 12 games. Alongside Broberg and Bjornfot, Soderstrom forms a trio of outstanding defenders who could take over the tournament.

Sundsvik is perhaps the most interesting choice, given he was not at the tournament last year and isn’t a top prospect. The 19-year-old center was selected 160th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in this year’s draft (his second year of eligibility) and has just three points in 23 games at the SHL level this year. Perhaps this honor is a sign of things to come and the Ducks landed a steal in the late rounds.

IIHF Provides Update On WJC COVID-19 Testing

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Dec 21: In an update, the IIHF has announced that one additional staff member for the German squad has tested positive and will remain in quarantine until December 30. No new players have tested positive on any of the teams and Sweden–minus the two staff members who tested positive previously–will be allowed to exit quarantine.

Dec 18: The IIHF has provided an update on the COVID-19 testing of World Junior Championship players that have arrived inside the Edmonton bubble for the tournament that is set to start in the coming days. Since the traveling parties entered the bubble, more than 2,000 tests have been conducted. Of those tests, ten came back positive.

The German team has had eight players test positive for COVID-19. The entire team will remain in quarantine until December 24.

The Swedish team has had two staff members test positive for COVID-19. The team will remain in quarantine until December 21.

The release indicates that all other teams will be released from the quarantine period once all test results have been confirmed.

The Germans had dealt with positive tests before traveling to Canada too, with Chicago Blackhawks prospect Lukas Reichel being among those that were not allowed to attend the tournament. Sweden too has known their share of positive results, with almost all of their coaching staff already experiencing it and being removed from the team. These quarantines will obviously mean that several pre-tournament games will no longer be able to happen.

Erik Haula Drawing Free Agent Interest

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The NHL is coming back, which means there are just a few weeks for the remaining unrestricted free agents to find work if they intend on playing the entire season. One of those unsigned players, Erik Haula, is generating plenty of interest according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, who reports that more than five teams have circled back on the free agent center.

Haula, 29, came into the offseason as one of the best centers available on the open market. He was listed 16th on our Top 50 UFA ranking, with a prediction of three years and $11.25MM coming his way. It will be interesting to see if he lands anywhere close to that number when he eventually does sign, or settle for a one-year deal to hit the market again when revenues have (hopefully) rebounded.

Unfortunately for Haula, not only is the market depressed, but his value likely is as well after two disappointing seasons. He played just 15 games for the Vegas Golden Knights in 2018-19 before a gruesome leg injury ended his season and returned in 2019-20 with the Carolina Hurricanes. He never quite found the same level in Carolina, scoring just 12 goals and 22 points in 41 games before a late-season trade to the Florida Panthers, where he had just two points in seven games before the year was canceled.

Buyers will likely be looking at Haula’s 29-goal, 55-point 2017-18 season as what they could potentially acquire on the open market, but given that was an outlier in itself—Haula had previous career-highs of 15 goals and 34 points—confidence that he will ever get back to that level is low. Still, it’s not often that you can find a middle-six center at the end of free agency on a bargain contract, which is why so many teams have shown interest. Any number of clubs around the league could be after him, though Pagnotta does not indicate which are the five that have circled back.

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