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WJC Notes: Quarterfinals, Suspensions, Testing, Newhook

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After an off day, the 2021 World Juniors resume on Saturday with four quarterfinal games on the schedule.  Those matchups are as follows (all times in CT):

11:00 AM: Germany vs Russia
2:30 PM: Sweden vs Finland
6:00 PM: Czech Republic vs Canada
9:30 PM: Slovakia vs USA

It’s the first time that Germany has made it this far in the tournament, led in large part by a trio of players who rank third, fourth, and fifth in scoring in Tim Stuetzle (OTT), J-J Peterka (BUF), and Florian Elias (draft-eligible).  The winners of today’s games will move onto Monday’s semifinals with the medal games being held on Tuesday.  NHL prospects on teams that are eliminated will be able to make their way to training camp if they’ve been invited but will need to go through a quarantine period even though the tournament is being played in a bubble environment.

More news from the tournament:

  • A pair of players will be sitting out today’s action due to suspensions as the IIHF announced that Russian forward Mikhail Abramov (TOR) and German forward Justin Volek (draft-eligible) have both been suspended for one game. Abramov’s ban comes from a slew-footing incident against Sweden on Wednesday while Volek’s suspension came on a cross-check against Switzerland late in their matchup on Wednesday.
  • After multiple teams had positive tests upon entering the bubble, the IIHF released the results of their latest testing which had no new positives. Testing continues to be done daily for all players and team staff including for teams that are eliminated but are still in the bubble.
  • Canada center Alex Newhook (COL) did not practice with the team on Friday and is considered 50-50 to play against the Czechs, head coach Andre Tourigny told reporters including TSN’s Mark Masters.  He left Thursday’s contest against Finland late in the first period after taking a hit from defenseman Eemil Viro (DET).

Central Notes: Strome, DeKeyser, Nedeljkovic

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The Blackhawks and RFA center Dylan Strome have made some progress as they attempt to work out a new contract, notes Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription link) who classifies the status of negotiations as closer than before.  The 23-year-old made an immediate impact with Chicago after being acquired from Arizona in 2018 with 51 points (17-34-51) in 58 games but those numbers took a step back last season with just 38 points (12-26-38) in 58 contests.  Without arbitration rights, Strome doesn’t have much leverage other than trying to drag out negotiations in the hopes of getting Chicago to up their offer but he should still come in at a number that’s well above his $832.5K qualifying offer.  With Kirby Dach and Alexander Nylander out with long-term injuries, Strome’s importance is considerably higher so it wouldn’t be surprising to see both sides take another run at getting a deal done over the next day or two.

More from the new-look Central Division:

  • Red Wings defenseman Danny DeKeyser took part in a full practice today for the first time since suffering a back injury back in October of 2019, relays Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News. The team intends to be cautious with his playing time early on considering how much time he has missed so while he has logged over 20 minutes a night in each of the last seven seasons, it seems unlikely that he will see that much action early on in 2020-21.
  • Alex Nedeljkovic’s one-way salary should give him a leg up on the battle for the taxi squad spot on Carolina’s roster, suggests Michael Smith on the Hurricanes’ team website. The 24-year-old spent most of last season with their AHL affiliate in Charlotte but had a 3.05 GAA with a .887 SV% in four appearances with the Hurricanes last season.  He carries a $750K price tag in terms of salary while veteran Antoine Bibeau, who has a similar number of NHL games under his belt, is on a two-way deal.  In either situation, Nedeljkovic will need to pass through waivers unclaimed unless Carolina opts to carry him on their 23-man roster which would mean that they wouldn’t need to carry a netminder on their taxi squad.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: New Jersey Devils

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We’ve now made it past Thanksgiving and are firmly in the holiday season. Like the last few years, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for but this year comes with a bit of a change. Normally teams would have an idea of where their season was heading, coming up on the one-quarter mark with mountains of statistics to analyze. Instead, in this unprecedented year, the season hasn’t even begun. We’ll still take a look at what each group is excited about and what they could hope for as the calendar turns to 2021.

What are the Devils most thankful for?

The future down the middle.

While they don’t have the best of rosters on paper and are faced with playing a season in the extremely deep East Division, there is cause for optimism in New Jersey.  Nico Hischier has had some ups and downs but the 2017 top pick is a core piece that’s locked up for the long haul.  Jack Hughes’ rookie season wasn’t the greatest but the expectation remains that he’ll rebound and give them a potent one-two punch that many teams would love to have if they can both reach their potential.  Pavel Zacha continues to show gradual improvement while Michael McLeod has shown flashes of upside in his first NHL stints.  An entirely homegrown center group (all of first-round picks, no less) is something that is rare to see but

Who are the Devils most thankful for?

Given that Hischier and Hughes are their building blocks of the future, either one of them would be a logical choice but that’s too simple.  Goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood was a full-time NHL player for the first time last season and the results were certainly encouraging.  He posted a goals against average (2.77) and save percentage (.915) that were above the NHL average despite the fact that the Devils allowed the third-most goals in the league and finished in last in the Metropolitan Division by a notable margin.  With Cory Schneider not panning out (and ultimately being bought out), Blackwood gives New Jersey hope that he can be the long-term goalie of the present and future and be another of those core building blocks.

What would the Devils be even more thankful for?

A contract extension for Kyle Palmieri.

While the focus is justifiably on the future, the present still matters and the veteran is one of the more consistent scoring wingers in the league, ranging from 24 to 30 goals in each of the last five seasons.  While the UFA market wasn’t too kind to wingers this year, consistency still matters which will certainly bolster his value if he happens to make it there.  The 29-year-old is in the final season of his deal which carries a $4.65MM AAV and while it’s doubtful that he could command a max-term extension of eight years, he should still be in line for a decent-sized raise.  If this isn’t at the top of the priority list for GM Tom Fitzgerald, it will need to be as if they can’t come to terms on a new deal in the next few months, Palmieri will almost certainly be among the most sought-after players by the trade deadline.

What should be on the Devils’ holiday wish list?

Everything but goaltending which is set with Blackwood and veteran Corey Crawford.  Fitzgerald has added to his back end over the offseason with the pickups of Ryan Murray and Dmitry Kulikov but it’s still a group that could stand to be improved both in terms of adding a top-four option and overall depth.

Up front, New Jersey was just outside of the bottom five in goals scored last season and haven’t done much to improve on that front with the addition of middle-six winger Andreas Johnsson in a cap dump from Toronto.  While this is shaping up to be a season to evaluate some of their younger players, adding a veteran or two to help ease the prospects into those regular roles certainly wouldn’t hurt.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Minnesota Wild

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM.  Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2020-21 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Minnesota Wild

Current Cap Hit: $78,799,421 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Kirill Kaprizov (one year, $925K)

Potential Bonuses
Kaprizov: $925K

After years of trying to get him to North America, Minnesota was finally successful in convincing Kaprizov to do so although they had to burn one of his two cheap entry-level years last season when he wasn’t eligible to play to get him to sign.  Given his success in the KHL, he should jump into an impact role right away and if he’s able to produce as they expect he can, he should hit his bonuses without much trouble and position himself for a big-money deal next offseason.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Nick Bjugstad ($2.05MM, UFA)*
F Nick Bonino ($4.1MM, UFA)
F Joel Eriksson Ek ($1.488MM, RFA)
F Kevin Fiala ($3MM, RFA)
F Marcus Foligno ($2.875MM, UFA)
F Ryan Hartman ($1.9MM, RFA)
D Brad Hunt ($700K, UFA)
F Marcus Johansson ($4.5MM, UFA)
D Greg Pateryn ($2.25MM, UFA)

*-Pittsburgh retained $2.05MM on Bjugstad’s deal in a trade this offseason.

Among the restricted free agent forwards, Fiala’s deal is the most pressing one.  After struggling following his trade from Nashville, his first full season went much better while he led the team in scoring.  If he’s able to pick up where he left off and show that he’s a capable front-line player, he’ll be well-positioned to at least double his current AAV.  Hartman came to Minnesota by way of a non-tender as Nashville opted to avoid arbitration back when his price tag wasn’t half of this.  Unless he can improve his offensive numbers and move into a more prominent role, another non-tender is certainly on the table, especially with bottom-six forwards feeling the squeeze more than usual in the current cap environment.  Eriksson Ek had a career year offensively last season and could push for more top-six minutes this season.  Unless his offensive production really spikes, he shouldn’t be able to command a huge raise but he could still double his current price tag.

As for the UFA forwards, it’s largely a collection of role players.  Johansson may get an opportunity to play down the middle which would certainly help his cause in free agency but he didn’t have a huge market last time around and he’s coming off a tough year.  It’d be surprising if he came close to $4.5MM on his next deal.  Bonino was brought in from Nashville this offseason in a draft-day trade and with their lack of depth down the middle, he’ll get a bigger role than he would have had with the Predators.  Having said that, even if he gets top-six minutes, he is more of a third liner at this stage of his career.  Those centers can still carry some value but he’ll be facing a small dip at the very least.  Bjugstad was a cap dump from Pittsburgh after an injury-riddled campaign and he should have an opportunity to restore some value.  But even if he has a big season, it’d be hard to imagine that he’d get close to his $4.1MM combined current cost because of the injuries.  Foligno is a popular player who plays an energy role but those players didn’t fare well in free agency last year and with the cap not expected to rise, they won’t do well next offseason so a decrease in salary for him seems like a near-certainty.

Pateryn’s time with the Wild hasn’t gone well.  He was actively shopped last summer and then missed 44 games this season due to core muscle surgery and then had back surgery back in June.  He’s likely going to battle for number six minutes on the back end and players in that role should be closer to half of his price tag.  If he can stay healthy, that’s about what he’d be able to command next summer.  Hunt isn’t the strongest in his own end but he is a threat with his point shot as well which has allowed him to hang around the last few years on minimum contracts.  He played more of a regular role last season and if he can stay in that sixth spot this season, he could push for a bit more of a raise than the pending jump in the league minimum.

Two Years Remaining

F Jordan Greenway ($2.1MM, RFA)
G Kaapo Kahkonen ($725K, RFA)
F Victor Rask ($4MM, UFA)
G Alex Stalock ($785K, UFA)
F Nico Sturm ($725K, UFA)

Rask’s acquisition by then-GM Paul Fenton was a headscratcher and not much has changed in that regard as Rask has struggled mightily with his new team, spending a lot of time as a healthy scratch.  In the right situation, he could still play but that’s with a cap hit of under $1MM, not $4MM.  Greenway has put up decent numbers the last two seasons despite not seeking a lot of top-six minutes.  He should get that opportunity during this deal which will dictate whether he’s a core piece that should get a long-term deal or someone who goes short term again.  Sturm, an undrafted college free agent signing, is an option for the fourth line or taxi squad but will need to establish himself as a regular to have a chance to earn more on his next contract.

Stalock received his deal to give him some stability and Minnesota someone to expose in expansion.  However, it’s proving to be quite the bargain after he vastly outperformed Devan Dubnyk last season.  If he can repeat that performance moving forward, he could easily double that price tag.  Unfortunately for him and Minnesota, he’s out indefinitely with an upper-body injury which means Kahkonen could break camp with the Wild.  He’s their goalie of the future – it’s no coincidence that his contract expires at the same time as Stalock’s – but a one-year deal two summers from now is most likely as he won’t have the NHL track record to justify a long-term contract.

Three Years Remaining

D Mathew Dumba ($6MM, UFA)
D Carson Soucy ($2.75MM, UFA)
G Cam Talbot ($3.67MM, UFA)

Dumba has long been the subject of trade speculation and that isn’t likely to change anytime soon, especially with expansion looming and three other blueliners on long-term deals carrying no-move clauses.  Although he’s coming off a quiet year offensively compared to his previous few seasons, he’s still a right-shot defender that’s capable of logging heavy minutes.  Those players still carry a lot of value and impact defensemen still got paid this offseason despite the cap constraints.  Dumba will be 29 when he hits unrestricted free agency and if his production rebounds over the next few years, he should be able to command close to a max-term contract with a bit of a raise.

Soucy is one of the rare players that was able to get a sizable contract despite a limited track record this offseason.  He was a regular for most of the year but still qualified for Group VI free agency, allowing him to hit the open market early and GM Bill Guerin paid a pretty penny given his role.  Clearly, they think he can get to another level by the time the contract is up.

Talbot had a nice rebound season with Calgary which allowed him to fare much better in free agency this time around than a year ago.  He enters as the undisputed starter for now but could very well be splitting time with Kakhonen by the end.  He’ll also be over 35 for his next contract so Talbot will likely have to go year-to-year from here.

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Kings Notes: Cap Space, Iafallo, Prospects, Kempe

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Kings GM Rob Blake held court with reporters earlier this week (video link) in advance of training camp and shared some insight on his plans for the upcoming season and some of his younger players.  Here are some of the highlights.

  • The team is open to doing like Ottawa did recently to leverage their cap space into adding another asset and Blake mentioned that they have had some discussions with teams on that front. Los Angeles currently has more than $12MM in cap room, per CapFriendly, giving them ample space on that front to bring a player or two in.  Having said that, Blake stated that he doesn’t expect any other roster additions at this time.
  • There have been no discussions yet regarding a contract extension for winger Alex Iafallo. The 27-year-old is in the final year of his deal that carries a $2.425MM AAV and he will be eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer.  Iafallo has improved his offensive production each season and finished second in team scoring in 2019-20 with 17 goals and 26 assists in 70 games.  Even with the financial situation as a result of the pandemic, he should still be in line for a raise on his next deal.
  • While there is some uncertainty surrounding what can happen in terms of assigning youngsters like Quinton Byfield and Arthur Kaliyev, Blake believes that at the very least they can carry them with the NHL club until the OHL season gets underway. The GM allowed for the possibility for the youngsters to see a handful of NHL games although they are wary of the pro-rated limit on the number of games played before the first year of an entry-level deal is burned.  Normally, it’s nine games but this year, it’s six.  It’s possible that the prospects (who are currently at the World Juniors) could start with their taxi squad.
  • Prospects Cale Hults and Johan Sodergran were left off of their training camp roster due to injuries. Hults, who opted to forego his senior year at Penn State back in April, is recovering from hip surgery while Sodergran suffered a back injury while on loan to Almtuna of the Allsvenskan in Sweden.
  • Separate from Blake’s presser, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times relays (Twitter link) that Adrian Kempe is expected to remain on the wing to start the season. A natural center, the 24-year-old has struggled considerably at the faceoff dot in his four-year career but finished last season strong after being deployed on the left side.

2020 Year In Review: March

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2020 was certainly a unique year away from the rink.  However, it was also a year that featured several big trades and free agent signings, coaching changes, and much more.  Over the coming days, PHR will take a look back at the top stories from around the game on a month-by-month basis.  Next up is a look at March where things began to change in a hurry.

NHL Suspends The Season: Following the first confirmed COVID-19 case in the NBA, the NHL joined other leagues in suspending their season.  It was intended to be a short-term measure but wound up lasting several months due to the pandemic.  In the end, the regular season never resumed with the league opting for a playoff qualification round with training camps for that getting underway in July.  The effects are of course still being felt and the pandemic will continue to play a big impact for years to come.

Offside Amendment Begins: Back in December, the league announced a rule change to modify the offside rule that would no longer require a skate to be touching the line to be onside but rather over the plane of the blueline.  That was the end result of a process that actually began in March at the GM meetings where they voted in favor of changing the rule.  It had to go to the Competition Committee as well as the Board of Governors for approval following the recommendation from this vote.

Stamkos Injury: Lightning captain Steven Stamkos underwent successful surgery to repair a core muscle injury that was expected to cause him to miss the remainder of the regular season and maybe the first few games of the playoffs.  Of course, things didn’t happen that way.  Although the postseason didn’t get underway until August, he wound up reaggravating the issue while practicing which held him out until the Stanley Cup Final.  He suited up just once (playing less than three minutes before the injury crept up again – although he scored on his lone shot before exiting the game) and wound up having to undergo a second surgery to fully repair the injury in October.

Richard Passes Away: Longtime Canadiens winger Henri Richard passed away at the age of 84.  The ‘Pocket Rocket’ is the franchise leader in games played (1,258) and spent 20 years with the Canadiens, winning an unprecedented 11 Stanley Cup titles, a record that seems unlikely to be broken.  (It doesn’t include his time as an ambassador for the team either where they won more titles.)  His 1,046 career points are the third-most in franchise history which helped him get into the Hall of Fame back in 1979.

Gorton/Drury Extensions: Satisfied with the progress of their rebuild, the Rangers rewarded the architects of their roster in GM Jeff Gorton and assistant GM Chris Drury with contract extensions.  Gorton has been at the helm of the team since 2015 and had served in a variety of front office roles before getting the promotion.  Drury, meanwhile, has frequently been speculated as a candidate for any managerial vacancies that have opened up and has been with New York since Gorton was given the GM role.  In that time, he has also served as GM of the Hartford Wolf Pack as well as Team USA for their last entry at the World Championships.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Boo Nieves To Attend Tampa Bay Training Camp

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Rangers South continues. The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed Boo Nieves to a professional tryout and will have him attend training camp with the team. The veteran forward has spent the last several years with the New York Rangers but became a Group VI unrestricted free agent this offseason.

Nieves, 26, was the 59th overall pick of the 2012 draft and spent four seasons at the University of Michigan before joining the Rangers organization. Since making his NHL debut in the 2016-17 season he has played in 76 total contests, barely qualifying for the Group VI threshold that allowed him to avoid restricted free agency. Unfortunately, that still doesn’t seem to have helped his case much as he now tries to secure an NHL contract with the Lightning, or at least demonstrate to another team around the league that he can still be a valuable depth piece.

The 6’3″ forward does have 19 points in those 76 games, despite averaging fewer than ten minutes of ice time. He also recorded 27 points in 43 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack last season, meaning at the very least he should be able to help an AHL squad somewhere around the league. Still, with brutal possession numbers and a loaded forward group ahead of him in Tampa Bay, it seems unlikely that he’ll see any NHL playing time even if he does earn a two-way contract.

Snapshots: Smith, Sexton, Eichel

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The Chicago Blackhawks will start training camp in a few days and, perhaps surprisingly, Zack Smith will be there. Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times spoke to Smith’s agent today and reports that Smith is healthy and plans to be in camp this year, fighting for a roster spot with everyone else. The veteran forward hasn’t played in nearly a year, last hitting the ice on February 12, 2020, before back surgery put him on the shelf.

Earlier this week it was also reported that Andrew Shaw is healthy and will be attending camp, meaning suddenly the Blackhawks have a pair of NHL forward that weren’t being penciled into the lineup just a few months ago. That’s good news, especially given the recent losses the team has experienced, with Kirby Dach, Jonathan Toews, and Alexander Nylander all ruled out, perhaps for the entire season. Shaw and Smith are certainly not replacements for those names, but they at least can provide a little depth to a reeling squad.

  • The Minnesota Wild have hired Randy Sexton as Senior Advisor to the General Manager, where he will re-join former colleague Bill Guerin. The two spent years together with the Pittsburgh Penguins when Guerin was first a development coach, then an AGM, and Sexton the team’s director of amateur scouting. More recently Sexton was an AGM for the Buffalo Sabres, working with Jason Botterill, another former Pittsburgh executive, but was swept out with everyone else when changes were made this summer.
  • Speaking of Buffalo, things didn’t get off to a good start today, though it’s not time to panic just yet. Jack Eichel missed the first on-ice session of training camp due to an upper-body injury and is listed day-to-day in his recovery. Interestingly, that left Casey Mittelstadt and Riley Sheahan rotating through the first line center spot between Taylor Hall and Victor Olofsson. Sheahan of course is in camp on a PTO trying to make a name for himself, so today was a nice opportunity to make an early impression. The team also didn’t have Linus Ullmark on the ice thanks to an immigration issue that pushed back his quarantine period. Buffalo expects the goaltender to join them in the next few days.

San Jose Sharks Sign Tristen Robins To ELC

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Jan 1: The Sharks have officially announced the contract for Robins. GM Doug Wilson released a short statement on his young forward:

Tristen came off an impressive performance at the end of last season, scoring 16 points in the final nine games. His game has improved since he made the move to center, and his puck possession, pursuit and skating ability fit in our system of how we want to play moving forward. We are excited to have him a part of our organization.

Dec 30: The San Jose Sharks appear happy with their early 2020 draft picks. After signing first-round pick Ozzy Weisblatt in October and watching their first second-round pick Thomas Bordeleau lead the University of Michigan in scoring thus far, the Sharks have now signed their other second-rounder to an entry-level contract as well. CapFriendly reports that Tristen Robins has signed his three-year ELC with the standard $925K AAV.

Robins, 19, was a polarizing prospect in the 2020 NHL Draft. Seen by many as a second-round pick and others as a third- or fourth-round talent, with others not having Robins on their board at all, Robins’ early selection was at least a slight surprise to some. However, those who watched Robins in the WHL last season as he recorded 33 goals and 73 points in 62 games will understand the Sharks’ excitement. Robins’ deft stickhandling and offensive instincts were apparent with the Saskatoon Blades last season and and sent him moving up draft boards.

With that said, don’t mistake Robins’ contract with San Jose looking to rush him to the pros. While the team does have a need for right-shot forwards, they have depth, youth, and talent up front in the NHL and AHL and can allow Robins (and Wiesblatt) time to develop. However, the contract is a testament to their faith in Robins as a prospect and he could be challenging for a roster spot in a year or two.

Clark Bishop, Alexandre Alain Clear Waivers

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January 1: Both players have cleared waivers. Alain’s contract can now be terminated.

December 31: Two more players have been placed on waivers today, though the reasoning is a bit different for each. Clark Bishop has been placed on regular waivers by the Carolina Hurricanes according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, while Alexandre Alain of the Montreal Canadiens has hit unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination. Alain has decided to pursue full-time studies and reconsider his future in professional hockey. Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin released a glowing statement of the prospect, even if he is about to become an unrestricted free agent:

Alexandre embodies several values that are important to our team. Besides having an impeccable attitude and being a proud competitor, he is an excellent teammate appreciated by all. I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavours.

The 23-year-old Alain signed an entry-level contract in 2018 as an undrafted free agent and has spent the last two seasons playing with the Laval Rocket of the AHL. In 60 games last year, he recorded 11 goals and 24 points. His decision today may come as a surprise, but this is not the first time that academic achievement has been attached to Alain’s hockey career. In 2018, he won the QMJHL Scholastic Player of the year award and was given the Guy Lafleur Award of Excellence and Merit by the Canadiens, which is presented to amateur hockey players who best combine hockey performances and academic achievement.

Bishop meanwhile is a 24-year-old depth forward for the Hurricanes, who played five games at the NHL level last season but spent most of the year in the AHL. That’s likely where he’s headed once again, though the early waiver placement is interesting and could suggest that he has a chance to play overseas like Roland McKeown who cleared waivers today. At any rate, his chance of being a full-time player for the Hurricanes this season is low.

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