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Archives for April 2021

Christian Wolanin To Be Group VI UFA

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When the Los Angeles Kings acquired 26-year-old defenseman Christian Wolanin from the Ottawa Senators on March 29, they had a chance to make the deal last beyond just this season. Playing on an expiring contract this season, Wolanin appeared likely to be a restricted free agent this summer. However, there was a chance that he could instead qualify for Group VI unrestricted free agency, a status reserved for players 25 and older with three or more professional seasons but with fewer than 80 NHL games played. Yet, due to the shortened 2020-21 season, that games played total was actually reduced to 71 total games played for Wolanin, making it even less likely that he would end up as a Group VI UFA. He entered the season with 43 games played and as a starting defenseman for Ottawa it seemed fairly obvious that he would play the necessary 28 games if he stayed healthy.

The first sign that Wolanin may fall short of the games played requirement for further team control came during a streak of ten games earlier this season when Wolanin was benched by the Senators. With the likes of Mike Reilly and Artem Zub establishing themselves as blue line fixtures for Ottawa early on, Wolanin slid out of the top four and then out of the lineup entirely. Perhaps sensing that he would not become an RFA if he stayed in Ottawa all season, the team first waived Wolanin and then began floating his name to other teams who might have more interest in playing him. Still, by the time he was dealt in late March, Wolanin had played in a few more games for the Senators following his benching and remained just 13 games shy of the games played mark with more than a month left in the season.

Well tonight, the night of April 28, marks nearly a month since Wolanin landed with the Kings in a deal for forward Michael Amadio. In that time, Wolanin has played in just three games for Los Angeles. More importantly, tonight’s match-up between L.A. and the Anaheim Ducks also marks ten games left in the regular season for the Kings. In order to retain control over Wolanin beyond this season as an RFA rather than allow him to walk as a Group VI UFA, the defenseman needed to be in the lineup tonight and for each of the team’s remaining games. Wouldn’t you know it, the Kings dressed seven defensemen tonight – none of them named Christian Wolanin. The 26-year-old will hit the open market this summer, despite all expectations to the contrary entering the season.

It seems that the Kings, like the Senators, are not all that bothered by losing Wolanin. L.A. is technically still in the playoff mix in the West Division, but are well outside the picture. They would not have been making much of a sacrifice by playing Wolanin over another defenseman, just as the bottom-dwelling Senators might have done. In that same vein, this result also serves to benefit the man himself. Having spent time on two teams who did not value his contributions, he can now seek a superior fit for next season. Sure, Wolanin is unlikely to get the $1MM qualifying offer that he would have been owed if either Ottawa or L.A. had wanted to keep him for one last year, but this way he can move on with the next stage of his career and have some control over what happens next. The former North Dakota standout still has some upside to his game and just needs to find a team willing to give him a chance.

Minor Transactions: 04/28/21

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The playoff chase is heating up in the NHL, but elsewhere most leagues are winding down. The KHL season came to an end today with Avangard Omsk hoisting their first Gagarin Cup. The SHL, the Swiss NLA, and the German DEL are all down to just four teams apiece following the conclusion of their quarterfinal playoff rounds, while the Finnish Liiga is halfway through their quarterfinals with just six teams still alive. Even the AHL season is coming to a close, with no Calder Cup up for grabs and the regular season schedule over for some North Division teams and ending early next month for all others. As the leagues come to a close and players turn toward the future, it can cause some notable ripples in the NHL market. Here are some of those minor, but meaningful moves:

  • After a dozen pro seasons, former NHL defenseman Victor Bartley has called it a career. The 33-year-old made the announcement in the most subtle way possible, changing his personal Twitter account to description to “retired professional hockey player” following the conclusion of his brief season with Unia Oswiecim in Poland. Bartley has spent the past four season in Europe, two with the KHL’s Kunlund Red Star and another with the SHL’s Orebrok HK. However, he spent the previous six seasons under contract in the NHL. Bartley spent parts of five seasons with the Nashville Predators, including skating in 50 games with the team in 2013-14. He also spent time with the Montreal Canadiens and Minnesota Wild, totaling 121 NHL games between the three clubs.
  • The Boston Bruins won’t be reuniting with Linus Arnesson next season. The 26-year-old defenseman, a 2013 second-round pick, recently became a free agent at the conclusion of his SHL season. A solid stay-at-home defender who played well in a few AHL seasons, there was some belief that Arnesson might look at an NHL return following several strong seasons overseas. However, he has decided to stay at home in Sweden rather than try his luck again in North America, at least for one more year. Djurgardens IF, the program that Arnesson played his developmental hockey with, has welcomed their product home on a one-year deal, the team announced. Perhaps Arnesson will try to re-connect with the Bruins next summer, but his value seemingly decreases with each passing year.
  • The Ottawa Senators are hoping that they can finally bring over one of their own second-round picks, 2017 selection Marcus Davidsson. The 22-year-old two-way forward has had somewhat of an up-and-down stretch over the past few years in the Swedish ranks, with 2020-21 as more of a low point, but was once a highly-regarded prospect and has shown flashes of NHL ability. Davidsson finished the season on a strong note though, joining Sodertalje SK of the Allsvenskan for 14 games and recording 8 points and a +5 rating along the way. However, the team announced today that Davidsson will not be remaining with Sodertalje moving forward. This frees Davidsson up to make the jump to North America if he chooses, perhaps getting back on his development track with some time in the AHL for the Senators. Ottawa risks never getting anything out of the high pick if he remains in Sweden and keeps bouncing around and not taking the next step forward in his career.
  • EHC Munich wrapped up their DEL season recently and today confirmed the departures of a number of player. The list reads as a who’s who of former NHLers, including Derek Roy, Chris Bourque, Andrew Ebbett, and Keith Aulie. None of the four are realistic candidates to return to the NHL at this late point in their respective careers, but could still be off to make a difference elsewhere in Europe and potentially to guide current and future NHL prospects.

Tennessee State Considering Adding Division I Hockey

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As the growth of college hockey continues, you never know where the next Division I team may pop up. Just in the past few years, programs have sprouted at Arizona State University and Long Island University, with new additions coming soon at Minnesota’s University of St. Thomas and Missouri’s Lindenwood University and conversations being had the University of Illinois and the U.S. Naval Academy as well. However, the latest school to enter the scene is still quite a surprise.

According to a report from Michael Gallagher of the Nashville Post, Tennessee State University is “considering a feasibility study in bringing hockey to campus.” A historically black university, HBCU for short, located south of the Mason-Dixon line, at first it may not seem like Tennessee State would be a fit for NCAA hockey. However, Tennessee State is located within Nashville city limits and the home of the Predators has become quite the hockey city in recent years. With the game growing in geography and diversity in the United States, Tennessee State may actually be perfectly situated to take advantage of the avid hockey culture that has developed in Nashville in order to recruit some non-traditional, but talented prospects.

Similar logic led to Lindenwood’s move to Division I. The longtime ACHA powerhouse is located in St. Louis, which itself transformed into a major hockey city over the past few decades and began producing incredible homegrown talent, many of whom were the children of former St. Louis Blues. Tennessee State may see the grassroots hockey scene in Nashville booming and are looking to get into the mix sooner rather than later, possibly even forming a similar connection to the Predators. Lindenwood will also serve as a natural rival, both in geography and experience, while Alabama-Huntsville, the original southern hockey school, will be their closest competitor. Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News notes that Miami-Ohio will also be a similar distance to Tennessee State as Lindenwood.

While the Tigers are still a ways away from confirming the formation of a Division I hockey program – Illinois has proven how long these “studies” can take – the prospect of college hockey continue to expand into new corners of the U.S. and further spreading the reach of the game is exciting. As is the potential impact that it could have on the diversity of the game. There is plenty to like about the addition of Tennessee State to the NCAA hockey ranks down the road.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 04/28/21

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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 today’s list:

Anaheim – Adam Henrique
Calgary – Josh Leivo
Detroit – Adam Erne*
New Jersey – P.K. Subban, Jonas Siegenthaler

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: None

The NHL can’t quite get the COVID list down to zero, as Erne joins a few other players on Wednesday. The Red Wings forward played last night against the Blue Jackets, so the situation with both teams is one to monitor over the next few days. The 26-year-old has actually had a decent season, setting a new career-high in goals with 11 and seeing more ice time than he ever has.

*denotes new addition

San Jose Interested In Re-Signing Matt Nieto

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Do you know the way to San Jose? Matt Nieto sure does. The depth forward found his way back to the San Jose Sharks as an unrestricted free agent last offseason, signing a one-year, $700K deal with the team that drafted him in 2011. Now Nieto is approaching UFA status once again and may end up staying where it all began. Kevin Kurz of The Athletic tweets that though the 28-year-old may not play again this season due to injury, the Sharks are interested in bringing him back “if the price is right.”

Even if he signs for the league minimum again Nieto would be getting a raise, as that number increases to $750K for the 2021-22 campaign. It hasn’t been a particularly productive season, with just five goals and seven points in 28 games, but when healthy he was a big part of the penalty kill. Nieto led all Sharks forwards in average shorthanded ice time this season at 2:46, just a few seconds behind team-leading Brent Burns (2:57). A reliable penalty killer for the league minimum is valuable, even if it doesn’t bring much excitement.

There is still some offensive upside in the veteran of 500 NHL games too. Nieto has recorded at least 21 points in five of his seven seasons before this shortened year and reached a career-high of 15 goals during 2017-18 with the Colorado Avalanche. This year’s goal-scoring rate would have actually taken him very close to that mark if kept up over 82 games, meaning he could be a bargain depth option for the Sharks come next season.

They’ll need that kind of bottom-of-the-lineup production if San Jose is to be competitive in 2021-22, as their cap continues to be strangled by expensive long-term contracts for aging veterans. If GM Doug Wilson is unable to shed any of those big-ticket deals, there isn’t a whole lot of change he can make to the roster. The Sharks already have nearly $68.5MM committed to next season for just 13 players and the salary cap is not expected to go up from the $81.5MM it was this year.

Avangard Omsk Wins Gagarin Cup

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The Gagarin Cup has been awarded to Avangard Omsk for the first time in franchise history, defeating CSKA 1-0 in the deciding game six. While the championship obviously doesn’t have a direct impact on the NHL, it signals the end of the KHL season for several interesting prospects that could end up in North America shortly.

Klim Kostin, the 21-year-old St. Louis Blues prospect who just lifted the trophy, is expected to come over and rejoin his NHL team as soon as possible, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Kostin is already under contract with the Blues and was just on loan to the KHL.

Max Shalunov is a different story, as he would need to sign a deal with the Chicago Blackhawks. Originally drafted way back in 2011, the 28-year-old Shalunov’s draft rights never did expire because he never signed an NHL contract. The KHL and NHL do not have an official transfer agreement, so KHL draft rights are held indefinitely. The veteran winger has been a strong performer for years in Russia and could be a nice addition to the Blackhawks organization if they can get him to finally sign.

Yegor Chinakhov, the youngest of the three most notable players involved in the final, was just selected 21st overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets. A decision will now be made by the 20-year-old forward whether to sign his entry-level deal or stay in Russia a while longer.

The win was also an impressive achievement for Bob Hartley, who now has a Gagarin Cup, a Stanley Cup, a Calder Cup, an NLA title, a QMJHL championship, and a CJHL championship as a head coach. Quite the resume for the veteran coach, who was last in the NHL during the 2015-16 season with the Calgary Flames.

Snapshots: NWHL, Kekalainen, Boqvist

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The NWHL has officially announced a salary cap increase to $300,000 for each team, doubling the cap that it had previously used. Commissioner Tyler Tumminia released the following statement on the increase:

The NWHL is committed to its vision of providing opportunities for elite women’s hockey players to earn a living playing the game they love. This increased investment by ownership, especially following a challenging and shortened season, is a significant step forward and exemplifies the strength of our league and our developing business model as we continue to advance professional women’s hockey and inspire the next generation of female athletes.

The league is coming off a successful conclusion to its shortened 2020-21 campaign, which dealt with continual delays and cancellations that threatened to keep the Isobel Cup off the ice. In late March, the playoffs were broadcast on NBCSN for the first time, with hundreds of thousands watching the Boston Pride take home the championship. Just a few days ago, it was announced that the 2021 NWHL Draft will be held virtually on June 29, broadcast live on Twitch, the league’s streaming partner.

  • Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen has a tall order of building his NHL team back to relevance, but some of his time will also be spent representing his country. The veteran executive has been named assistant general manager of Team Finland for next year’s Winter Olympics, helping former NHL forward and Finland GM Jere Lehtinen in the selection of players. Of course, there are a few names on the Columbus roster currently that could be considered for the team, most notably sniper Patrik Laine. The 23-year-old Laine has had the worst season of his career so far this year, scoring just 12 goals and 21 points in 42 games, 18 of which came with the Blue Jackets after an early-season trade. Newcomer Mikko Lehtonen could be in the running after dominating in the KHL, and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo could make it depending on what happens with aging netminders like Pekka Rinne and Tuukka Rask.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks have not yet announced a recovery timeline, but don’t expect to see Adam Boqvist back on the ice this season. Head coach Jeremy Colliton told reporters including those at The Athletic that the young defenseman suffered a broken wrist in last night’s game. It is unclear yet how long he’ll be out, but Colliton explained this morning that he does not believe Boqvist will need surgery.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/28/21

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There has been plenty of roster movement between NHL teams and the taxi squad on a daily basis this season. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of that shuffle news each day:

West Division

  • The Minnesota Wild have assigned Hunter Jones to the taxi squad, while Andrew Hammond deals with an upper-body injury. Hammond has been listed as day-to-day, meaning Jones’ stay with the squad may not be very long.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have officially recalled Lias Andersson and Quinton Byfield from the taxi squad, putting them both in the lineup tonight. Byfield will make his NHL debut after scoring 20 points in 30 minor league games.

North Division

Central Division

  • After a solid debut last night, Joseph Veleno has been moved back to the Detroit Red Wings taxi squad. Hayden Verbeek has been moved back to the AHL in the process, but this isn’t something permanent. Veleno will likely be back up tomorrow when the Red Wings take on the Hurricanes, but moving him to the taxi squad in the meantime saves the team a bit of cash.

East Division

  • The New Jersey Devils announced that they have assigned Marian Studenic and Colton White to the AHL, though Fabian Zetterlund has also been returned on loan according to the AHL transactions page. That leaves the team’s taxi squad quite thin, meaning there are either call-ups coming or players are being moved off the active roster.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Jonathan Drouin Takes Leave Of Absence

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The Montreal Canadiens have announced that Jonathan Drouin will take an indefinite leave of absence for the team for personal reasons. The team has asked everyone to respect his privacy and placed him on long-term injured reserve. Drouin hasn’t played since April 21 against the Edmonton Oilers, missing the last three games. That means he could be placed on LTIR retroactive to his last appearance, and could potentially return before the end of the season after missing his mandated ten games.

It has been a difficult season performance-wise for Drouin, who has just two goals in 44 games this season. After the announcement, there was an immediate outpouring of support on social media from fans and media alike, wishing him the best as he deals with whatever is going on.

With Drouin on LTIR, the Canadiens shouldn’t run into any more cap issues in relation to Cole Caufield or Jake Evans and could use the two young forwards down the stretch. Both were on the ice at morning skate according to John Lu of TSN as the team prepares for a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs this evening.

Gerard Gallant Named Head Coach Of Team Canada

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He’s been away from the NHL for a little while, but that doesn’t mean Gerard Gallant has forgotten how to coach. The veteran bench boss has been named the head coach for Team Canada at the upcoming 2021 IIHF World Championship. Gallant will be joined by assistants Mike Kelly and Andre Tourigny. Hockey Canada CEO Tom Renney released a statement on the decision to bring in Gallant:

We are fortunate to lean on the professional and executive experience that all three gentlemen will bring as Canada gets set for the IIHF World Championship in Latvia. Gerard and Mike have worked together both at the NHL and junior level and have an understanding of what it takes to compete and win. André complements them with his extensive coaching résumé and recent experience at the World Juniors. We believe we have selected a group that will build on each other’s strengths and provide exceptional leadership, with input from Roberto [Luongo] and the Olympic management group, as our team prepares to compete for a gold medal.

This won’t be the first time that Gallant is behind the bench of Team Canada. He served as an assistant at the World Championship in 2007 and 2017 and was also an assistant at the 2016 World Cup. His last full-time coaching position was with the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2019-20 season when he was replaced midseason by Pete DeBoer.

While this could just be Hockey Canada taking advantage of a coach with nothing else to do, it’s easy to see this move for Gallant as a way to get back into the swing of coaching before taking a job next season. Very well respected around the league, his name has been linked to several upcoming vacancies including the Seattle Kraken, who have yet to name their first coach in franchise history. Gallant of course served as that pioneer for the Golden Knights, taking Vegas to the Stanley Cup Final in year one.

Kelly at one point served as an assistant for Gallant in the QMJHL and was actually the coach who took over the Saint John Seadogs when he left for a role with the Montreal Canadiens in 2012. Tourigny meanwhile was recently hired as a full-time coach by Hockey Canada, serving on several staffs over the next year.

The IIHF World Championship is set to start on May 21 in Riga, Latvia.

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