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Archives for April 2021

Arizona Coyotes Sign Ilya Lyubushkin To One-Year Extension

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April 19: The Coyotes have made it official, signing Lyubushkin to a one-year deal. The team did not confirm the contract details, but GM Bill Armstrong did release a short statement on his big defenseman:

We are very pleased to sign Ilya to an extension. He is a big, tough, reliable defenseman who gives us a physical presence on our blue line. He is also a great teammate and we look forward to having him on our roster next season.

April 18: With five defensemen expected to hit unrestricted free agency this summer, the Arizona Coyotes have cut that number down to four as they have signed Ilya Lyubushkin to a one-year extension at $1.35MM, according to Coyotes’ reporter Craig Morgan. The deal is all base salary, according to PuckPedia.

The 27-year-old was originally signed by Arizona in 2018 to a one-year, entry-level contract after five years in the KHL, and has subsequently inked two more one-year deals each year. Now, make it four one-year deals. The 6-foot-2 Lyubushkin appeared in 41 games in 2018-19, 51 last year and despite having some visa issues, forcing him to start the season late, has appeared in 31 games so far this season.

While not an offensive defenseman by any means, Lyubushkin has proven to be a solid defensive player on the blueline, who is adept at blocking shots (52 blocks in 31 games) and doling out hits (77). With so many defensemen likely leaving via free agency for the 2021-22 season, the team wanted to ensure that they could depend on Lyubushkin for at least one more season as a third-pairing defenseman.

Will Cuylle Agrees To Terms With New York Rangers

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All the focus at the 2020 draft for the New York Rangers was on Alexis Lafreniere, the first-overall pick. But 59 selections later, the team took another standout CHL forward, selecting Will Cuylle from the Windsor Spitfires 60th overall. After spending this year in the minor leagues with the Hartford Wolf Pack, Cuylle has agreed to terms on his three-year, entry-level contract with the Rangers.

The 6’3″ Cuylle only turned 19 in February, but he’s already off to quite the start for Hartford. He has five points in 13 games but is third on the team in penalty minutes with 26 and got his first AHL fight under his belt last month. It’s not that Cuylle is an enforcer (far from it), but the big winger is more than willing to engage physically, using his size and strength to lean on defenders. That has even been evident while playing against opponents sometimes a decade his senior in the AHL, a league he wouldn’t even be eligible to play in if this were a normal year.

With the OHL still suspended, Cuylle can continue to play with the Wolf Pack and test himself at the professional level. Unfortunately, given he doesn’t turn 20 until February 2022, he actually would need to go back to the OHL for next season if he fails to make the Rangers roster. That’s quite an odd development path, but perhaps Cuylle can take some of the lessons he has learned this season to dominate for Windsor and play an even more offensive role.

New Jersey Devils Sign Alexander Holtz

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Here comes Alexander Holtz. The Swedish prospect has signed his three-year entry-level contract with the New Jersey Devils, which will kick in for the 2021-22 season. Holtz will also be joining the Binghamton Devils for the rest of the season on an amateur tryout once his quarantine procedures are completed.

If you’re a frustrated Devils fan that has watched the New Jersey forwards struggle to score all season, meet your new savior. The 19-year-old forward is a pure goal scorer who has one of the best shots in the world currently outside the NHL. He isn’t just a “grip it and rip it” attacker though; instead, he creates chances in multiple ways and at multiple angles, capitalizing on whatever weakness the defense shows.

In 40 games for Djurgardens this season, his second full year in the SHL, Holtz had seven goals and 18 points. He added another pair of goals and four points in three postseason games, showing a glimpse of what lies ahead for the seventh-overall draft pick.

There’s no doubt that North American hockey will be a challenge for Holtz, but he is just another young blue-chip prospect to add to the system in New Jersey. The team has very few long-term financial commitments and the youngest roster in the NHL at the moment. In fact, after trading away the likes of Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac, the team doesn’t have a single forward on the roster over the age of 26. Holtz will be another piece of that group that the team hopes can grow together into a contender, and if there was anything it needed it was someone to consistently put the puck in the back of the net when some of the other skilled playmakers create space.

Boston Bruins Sign Brady Lyle

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If you’ve been noticing the strong play of number 37 for the Bruins (Providence, that is) this season, you’re not alone. The Boston Bruins have rewarded Brady Lyle with a two-year entry-level contract. Lyle had been playing with the Providence Bruins on an AHL contract that actually extended through the 2021-22 season as well. That second year will be replaced by the entry-level deal and the new contract carries an average annual value of $800K at the NHL level.

Despite scoring at a strong rate in the OHL, Lyle went undrafted in each of his eligible years and ended up settling for that AHL contract last spring. At the beginning of this season when there wasn’t a clear timetable for the minor leagues, he was loaned to Slovakia where he recorded three points in six games with Detva HC. Since returning, he has been one of the most exciting players on the Providence roster, scoring six goals and 12 points in 19 games. Both of those numbers lead all defenders on the Bruins, but Lyle is also tied for the AHL lead in goals by a defenseman.

Sure, there’s still work to be done by the 21-year-old, but securing an NHL deal was the first step. Last month AHL reporter Mark Divver tweeted that “NHL teams are sniffing around” on Lyle, suggesting that Boston may not have been the only team interested in signing him to an entry-level deal.

Commenter Mute Button Now Available

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For those looking to customize their commenting experience here at Pro Hockey Rumors, the website now has a mute button available. Once you’re logged in, you’ll see that each comment has the option to like, reply, flag, or mute. If you decide you would prefer to hide all comments from a specific user, including all comments on a thread they’ve started, hit the mute link.  A box will pop up asking you to confirm.  You can edit your mute list on your profile page. The Trade Rumors iOS app now has a flag button, but does not yet have the mute button.

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Alex Edler To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

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The Vancouver Canucks are just getting back in the swing of things but at least one of their veteran players won’t be in the lineup for the next while. Alexander Edler will have a hearing today with the Department of Player Safety for his kneeing incident in last night’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Partway through the second period, Hyman stole the puck at center ice and was trying to carry it into the zone when Edler closed the gap for a hit. His right leg was extended and the two went knee-on-knee, resulting in Hyman crumpled on the ice in pain. The Maple Leafs forward left the game and did not return, while Edler received a major penalty and game misconduct.

Toronto hasn’t announced how severe the injury is for Hyman (though captain John Tavares did say his teammate was “optimistic” in the locker room), but it appears as though Edler will miss at least one game. Even if he isn’t the all-situations workhorse he was a few years ago, Edler is still an important part of the Canucks’ defense and will be missed, especially given how difficult the team’s schedule is for the rest of the season.

Five Key Stories: 04/12/21 – 04/18/21

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The trade deadline has come and gone and while it wasn’t as busy as some had hoped for, some notable players changed teams.  Unsurprisingly, those moves dominate the top stories of the week but the full deadline recaps can also be found below:

East Division
West Division
Central Division
North Division

Mantha To Washington: With Anthony Mantha having a tough season and three years left on his contract, he wasn’t viewed as a likely candidate to be dealt.  Instead, just before the deadline hit, Detroit struck a deal to send the winger to Washington in exchange for Jakub Vrana, Richard Panik, plus first and second-round picks.  One of those selections likely was included to get the Red Wings to take the remaining two years of Panik’s deal after he cleared waivers.  Mantha and Vrana have had similar production over the past few years but Mantha’s size and upside are definitely intriguing and he has made quite the first impression, scoring in each of his first four games.  Meanwhile, our readers certainly like the trade for Detroit with over 79% giving them an A grade in our poll.

Extensions: A pair of potential trade candidates were taken off the market on Monday.  First, the Kings reached a four-year, $16MM extension with Alex Iafallo.  The undrafted college free agent has worked his way onto the top line in Los Angeles and a top-liner for a $4MM AAV is decent value.  Less than an hour later, the Flyers agreed to a five-year, $15MM deal with Scott Laughton.  The 26-year-old has spent his entire NHL career – spanning parts of eight seasons – with the Flyers and while he isn’t a significant offensive producer, he plays a strong all-around game, becoming a useful part of their core in the process.  Later in the week, likely using Laughton’s pact as a template, the Jets then inked Adam Lowry to a five-year, $16.25MM contract.  The gritty center was going to be one of the more intriguing pivots on the open market this summer but instead will stick it out in Winnipeg where he has become an integral part of their third line.

Hall To Boston: Taylor Hall had been viewed as a prominent rental that was going to be on the move at the deadline basically from the moment he signed with Buffalo.  While he has had a rough season and had just two goals with the Sabres and an $8MM price tag, there were several teams interested in his services.  However, Hall was able to leverage his no-move clause to go to his preferred destination in Boston, being traded there along with Curtis Lazar for Anders Bjork and a second-round pick with Buffalo retaining half of Hall’s salary.  Hall should give the Bruins an upgraded second line down the stretch if he does well and he’s off to a good start with two goals and an assist in four games.  Meanwhile, the rebuild in Buffalo continues with the Sabres hoping that a change of scenery can unlock some of Bjork’s potential.

More COVID Issues: The ongoing pandemic claimed some more games on the schedule as Colorado had three of their games postponed after Philipp Grubauer, Joonas Donskoi, and Bowen Byram landed on the CPRA list.  For the time being, the plan is for them to resume skating on Wednesday and their missed contests have yet to be rescheduled.  Meanwhile, Vancouver’s return was also briefly delayed following some concerns being voiced by J.T. Miller; instead of starting on Friday, they resumed play on Sunday.  That resulted in more than a dozen changes to the North Division schedule including the regular season for that division being extended to May 19th.

Carter To Pittsburgh: Another player that wasn’t expected to be on the move was Jeff Carter.  He had spent parts of ten years in Los Angeles and with another year left on his deal at more than $5.2MM, there wasn’t expected to be much trade interest.  However, the Penguins were able to get a deal done and get him to waive his no-trade protection, acquiring the 36-year-old for a pair of conditional draft picks, a 2022 third-rounder and a 2023 fourth-rounder.  The first pick can upgrade a round if Pittsburgh makes the Stanley Cup Final this season with Carter playing in half of their playoff games while the second will upgrade by a round if he plays 50 games next season.  Carter gives Pittsburgh some needed depth down the middle and was a big part of two Cup-winning teams with the Kings.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Newhook, Smith, Hardman

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With Avalanche top prospect Alex Newhook turning pro late last month, it looked as if he’d become an interesting late-season recall option if for no other reason than to get his feet wet in the NHL before the playoffs.  However, head coach Jared Bednar told Mike Chambers of the Denver Post that the plan for the 20-year-old is to remain in the AHL for the rest of the season.  Newhook, the 16th pick in 2019, had 16 points in just a dozen games with Boston College this season while picking up six more in six contests at the World Juniors.  As Colorado will need to inject some cheaper players into their lineup for next season, he should have an opportunity to push for a roster spot in training camp but it appears that will be his first crack at an NHL opportunity.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • Golden Knights winger Reilly Smith left this afternoon’s game against Anaheim in the third period with an undisclosed injury. Following the game, head coach Peter DeBoer told reporters, including Jesse Granger of The Athletic (Twitter link) that the forward is day-to-day.  Smith has had a quieter year offensively with nine goals and seven assists in 44 games after putting up at least 53 points in each of his first three seasons with Vegas.
  • Blackhawks winger Mike Hardman is expected to see some game action with Chicago before the end of the season, notes Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times. The 22-year-old signed late last month with a commitment to play this season and was able to get that offer with several other teams showing interest.  Hardman had 22 goals over his two seasons at Boston College.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 04/18/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. Here is the list for today:

Colorado – Bowen Byram, Philipp Grubauer, Joonas Donskoi
Edmonton – Dmitry Kulikov
Montreal – Jon Merrill, Erik Gustafsson
Philadelphia – Jackson Cates
Toronto – Nick Foligno, Riley Nash, Ben Hutton

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Matt Roy, Los Angeles Kings, Nate Schmidt and Jake Virtanen, Vancouver Canucks

It was a good day for the list today with no new additions and three players coming off, including the last two for Vancouver as the Canucks get back in action today although neither are obviously in the lineup.  As for Roy, he had been on the list for two full weeks and will now be cleared to rejoin Los Angeles for the stretch run.  Of the remaining ten players on the list, all but Colorado’s three are for quarantining after joining a new team which means this list is in the best shape it has been in for quite some time.

*denotes new addition

Central Notes: Duchene, Hinostroza, Nylander, Werenski

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While not mathematically eliminated, when center Matt Duchene was placed on injured reserve on March 6, the Nashville Predators were a team that wasn’t going to the playoffs. However, without Duchene, the team went on a impressive run and currently sit fourth in the Central Division. While the team didn’t get better without Duchene in the lineup, the 30-year-old center now returns to the team (after missing almost six weeks due to a lower-body injury) and many eyes will be on him.

The Athletic’s Adam Vingan (subscription required) writes that Duchene needs to prove his value to the team. Duchene, who signed a seven-year, $56MM contract in July of 2019, hasn’t lived up to his end of the contract so far after two years. He was expected to step in and solve the team’s second-line center issues, but instead he has struggled. He scored an underwhelming 13 goals and 42 points last year in 66 games and has struggled even more with just three goals and eight points in 24 games. With five more years of Duchene at $8MM per season, the team has to hope they can get Duchene going in hopes of potentially convincing a team, such as the Seattle Kraken to take him.

  • It looks like Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman may have found himself a gem in recently acquired forward Vinnie Hinostroza. Acquired from Florida for middling prospect Brad Morrison, Hinostroza returned to his former team only to already post five assists in his first six games with Chicago. Originally added as a depth option, the Blackhawks could see a potential longer future with him. Hinostroza will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
  • Sticking with the Hawks, forward Alexander Nylander tweeted out himself that he is skating again. The 23-year-old forward was injured during the playoffs last season, suffering a torn meniscus, and hoped that rest would be enough to be ready for this season. In December, he decided instead to have surgery on his knee instead and was given a recovery timetable of four to six months. Now with four months done, Nylander looks like he’s slowly progressing.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets announced that defenseman Zach Werenski, who was deemed out for the rest of the season due to a sports hernia, had successful surgery Wednesday. The recovery time for the surgery is expected to be six to eight weeks, ensuring that Werenski should be back for the start of training camp next season.

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