Edmonton Oilers Sign Ilya Konovalov
May 3: The Oilers have officially announced the two-year contract, which will begin in the 2021-22 season.
April 30: The Edmonton Oilers are closing in on signing an impressive prospect goaltender to his entry-level contract. Sportsnet’s Mark Spector confirms the report of Russian insider Mikhail Zislis that Ilya Konovalov is expected to sign with the Oilers in the coming days. Spector notes that deal will begin next season and Konovalov is not planning to travel to North America in time to play for the organization this season.
Konovalov, 22, was an overage pick by Edmonton in the third round of the 2019 NHL Draft. While he had been passed over twice before the Oilers took a chance, Konovalov had spent those years polishing his game before emerging as a top KHL keeper in his final draft year. Despite having just seven KHL games under his belt heading into the 2018-19 season, Konovalov won the starting job for Lokomotiv Yaroslav and posted a stunning .930 save percentage, 1.89 GAA, and 25 wins in 45 games. Last year, he was again the undisputed starter for Yaroslavl and while his numbers dipped slightly, they were still impressive. Finally, this season Konovalov was limited to just 19 games but his numbers improved again to an elite level with a .923 save percentage and 2.29 GAA.
Young KHL goaltenders have found success in translating their games to the NHL of late and Konovalov could be the next in line. The Oilers could certainly use an upgrade in net and Konovalov could see some considerable NHL opportunity right away next season, especially if the Oilers don’t add to their current projected tandem of Mikko Koskinen and Alex Stalock. The cap-strapped club would also definitely benefit from Konovalov earning an NHL roster spot over the course of his affordable entry-level deal. The KHL standout will likely be given every opportunity to do just that beginning next season.
COVID Protocol Related Absences: 05/03/21
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:
Calgary – Josh Leivo
Colorado – Devan Dubnyk*
Detroit – Evgeny Svechnikov*
New Jersey – 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: John Hayden, Arizona Coyotes
The NHL can’t seem to keep the board clean, as even with Hayden coming off they will see the number grow to four. Svechnikov has been added for the Red Wings, who recently had Adam Erne also miss games on a short stint. Svechnikov played against Tampa Bay on Saturday, but for now, is unable to practice with the team. It is unclear if he will miss any game action as the Red Wings don’t play again until Friday.
*denotes new addition
Snapshots: Batherson, Krebs, Soderstrom
The Ottawa Senators won’t be making the playoffs so some of their young players are already getting calls about the upcoming IIHF World Championship. Joshua Norris told reporters that he’d been contacted by USA Hockey recently and today Drake Batherson told Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia that Hockey Canada has reached out to him as well and he is interested in playing.
Interestingly enough, Batherson was actually born in the U.S. when his dad was playing for the Fort Wayne Komets (then of the IHL). The young forward has always competed for Canada internationally though, including a World Junior gold medal in 2018. If he does end up going to the World Championship, Canada is getting quite the player. Batherson broke out this season with 17 goals and 32 points in 51 games, establishing himself as a legitimate top-six option for the Senators moving forward. The 23-year-old will also be a restricted free agent this offseason, making it quite the busy summer even if he’s not in the NHL playoffs.
- First-round pick Peyton Krebs has joined the Vegas Golden Knights in Minnesota and could be making his NHL debut at some point down the stretch. Still just 20, Krebs won’t burn the first year of his entry-level contract unless he plays in seven games this season, which, given the Golden Knights have just six regular season games left, would require him suiting up in the playoffs. Selected 17th overall in 2019, Krebs dominated the shortened WHL season this year and has five points in five games for the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL.
- Speaking of prospects getting the call, the Arizona Coyotes have added Victor Soderstrom to the taxi squad. The 20-year-old Soderstrom is one of the top defensive prospects in the league, selected 11th overall in 2019. He has recorded nine points in 30 games for the Tucson Roadrunners this season but went scoreless in his first two NHL appearances. The Coyotes still technically have a shot at the playoffs, but it will be quite difficult to catch the St. Louis Blues, who sit three points ahead with three games in hand.
Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Justin Danforth
The Columbus Blue Jackets have dipped into the KHL free agent waters once again, this time signing Justin Danforth to a one-year contract. The deal is for the 2021-22 season. No financial details have been released yet, but Danforth is not limited to the entry-level system, and Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports it will be a one-way deal. Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen released a statement:
Justin is a talented, offensive player coming off three outstanding seasons in the KHL and Liiga and we believe he is ready to prove himself in the National Hockey League. He has worked extremely hard to develop his game over the past five seasons and we are excited to welcome him to the Blue Jackets.
Danforth, 28, scored 55 points in 58 games this season for Vityaz Podolsk of the KHL. It’s been a long and winding road for the Oshawa, Ontario native, who spent four years at Sacred Heart University before trying his hand in the minor leagues. Though Danforth dominated at the ECHL level, he failed to get many opportunities in the AHL and took his game overseas in 2018. Two outstanding seasons in Finland followed and now after his strong KHL campaign, he has finally landed an NHL deal.
It will be a challenge for the 5’9″ forward to bring that level of offensive impact to the Blue Jackets, but it certainly appears he’ll be given a chance. Columbus has a very busy offseason ahead of them as even with Danforth, they have just 25 players signed to NHL contracts for the 2021-22 season. Kekalainen is obviously scouring every inch of the globe for talent after a disappointing season.
Tyler Seguin Activated From Injured Reserve
For the first time this season, the Dallas Stars now have Tyler Seguin on the active roster. The 29-year-old forward has been on the non-roster injured list the entire year as he worked his way back from hip surgery but has now been activated and is a game-time decision for the Stars matchup this evening. Seguin’s long, difficult recovery which included surgical delays and rehab setbacks was detailed by Saad Yousuf of The Athletic ahead of the match.
Seguin is returning at the most important time for the Stars, who still have a shred of hope in the Central Division playoff race. The team currently sits three points behind the Nashville Predators for the final spot but has a game in hand. If their highest-paid forward can make a difference, there is still a chance the Stars sneak in and try to make another Cinderella run like last year.
Though he hasn’t suited up for an NHL game since September, it’s hard to not think Seguin could make an impact right away. The Stars have scored just a single goal in their last three games combined and still have Denis Gurianov listed as a game-time decision with his upper-body injury. Even just a little bit of offensive pressure from Seguin could go a long way for a team desperate for any positives.
Evgeni Malkin To Be Activated From Injured Reserve
The Pittsburgh Penguins will have Evgeni Malkin back in the lineup tonight for the first time since March 16. The big center will be activated from injured reserve and make his return to the Penguins roster against the Philadelphia Flyers tonight with just enough time to get his legs back under him before the playoffs. The Penguins have four games remaining and currently sit two points ahead of the Washington Capitals for first place in the East Division.
Malkin, 34, has had a season to forget, struggling at times even when healthy. Still, the future Hall of Fame forward has eight goals and 24 points in 29 games and changes the Penguins lineup considerably. If he can find the level that made him a Hart Trophy candidate last season—when he scored 25 goals and 74 points in 55 games—Pittsburgh will be even tougher to take down.
Of course, with good news usually comes bad and the Penguins had some of that today too. Head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters including Rob Rossi of The Athletic that Mike Matheson is out on a week-to-week basis after taking a puck to the face on Saturday. After struggling earlier in the season the 27-year-old Matheson had really found his game lately, logging important minutes for the Penguins on the back end. Evan Rodrigues is listed as day-to-day and Brandon Tanev, though skating, will not play on Monday.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Michael Houser To Make NHL Debut
The Buffalo Sabres will have an unfamiliar face in net tonight when they take on the New York Islanders. Michael Houser will make his NHL debut after nearly a decade in the minor leagues, playing mostly in the ECHL.
The undrafted goaltender spent three seasons with the London Knights of the OHL and made his professional debut with the Cincinnati Cyclones in 2012. Since then he has been shipped around, suiting up for the San Antonio Rampage, Ontario Reign, Manchester Monarchs, Cleveland Monsters, Fort Wayne Komets, and Tucson Roadrunners. He has spent basically this whole season as a practice goaltender, not even seeing any action for the Rochester Americans. Houser’s last appearance was in March 2020 with the ECHL’s Cyclones.
Coming into the season, an NHL debut wasn’t even a possibility for Houser. The minor league veteran had signed an AHL deal meaning he couldn’t even serve as the taxi squad netminder. But after injuries started to pile up, the Sabres signed Houser to his first NHL deal on March 19 and kept him as the third goaltender while the rest of his position peers were coming in and out with various injuries. Now, after the latest Sabres netminder, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen suffered a lower-body injury on Saturday, Houser will get the chance of a lifetime.
Grinding in the ECHL isn’t glamourous, but Houser has managed to make 255 appearances there over his long minor league career. He was named Goaltender of the Year in 2019 after posting a .922 save percentage, going 29-7-5 in the process. Excellence isn’t anything new to Houser, who was once named not only goalie of the year in the OHL but won the Red Tilson Trophy as the most outstanding player. It’s been a very long road since then, but the 28-year-old will now be in an NHL net for the first time.
The Sabres have also been given an exemption from the league in order to sign Stefanos Lekkas to a professional tryout. The 25-year-old undrafted netminder is in his first professional season after four years at the University of Vermont. He could serve as backup for Houser tonight, but won’t actually get an entry-level deal.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 05/03/21
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
North Division
- The Montreal Canadiens have assigned Xavier Ouellet to the AHL and recalled Joseph Blandisi to the taxi squad, but the latter won’t be playing anytime soon. Blandisi suffered a season-ending knee injury and will undergo surgery in the coming days.
Central Division
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have reassigned Spencer Martin to the Syracuse Crunch, moving him off the taxi squad. The Lightning have Christopher Gibson on the roster still so have the three required goaltenders covered, meaning Martin can get some more playing time in the AHL.
- The Detroit Red Wings have completed their daily goalie swap, sending Kaden Fulcher to the AHL and recalling Kevin Boyle to the taxi squad. Neither one is expected to play in the NHL unless there is an emergency.
- The Florida Panthers will give Philippe Desrosiers a chance in net tonight and have recalled him to the active roster. The team has a rotating cast of successful goaltenders and will now give Desrosiers his NHL debut.
- Matiss Kivlenieks has been recalled under emergency conditions by the Columbus Blue Jackets, giving them another healthy netminder with Joonas Korpisalo out for the year. Kivlenieks, 24, has a .926 save percentage in seven AHL appearances this season.
East Division
- The New Jersey Devils have recalled A.J. Greer from the AHL and appear to be inserting him into the lineup for his season debut. The 24-year-old hasn’t seen the NHL since playing 15 games for the Colorado Avalanche in 2018-19, spending the time since exclusively in the minor leagues. In 10 minor league games since joining the Devils organization, Greer has nine points.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Five Key Stories: 4/26/21 – 5/2/21
The calendar has flipped from April to May with last month ending on a high note with the rest of their TV deal finalized and while this month started on a concerning one following some allegations regarding Vancouver’s Jake Virtanen. Meanwhile, there was some other notable news around the league which are covered in our key stories.
Seattle Joins The League: While we’ve been talking about Seattle becoming the 32nd team for the better part of two years now, their entry to the league was contingent on the full payment of their $650MM expansion fee. The final instalment has been received and they have now officially become the 32nd NHL franchise. While that means that they’ll be able to take part in the draft lottery and expansion draft, in the nearer term, it also allows them to begin signing free agents right away. While NHL players won’t hit the open market until closer to the end of July, college and international free agents are still available and can sign which would help the Kraken built up their prospect pool.
Drouin Takes Leave: After missing the previous three games with what had been listed as an illness, the Canadiens transferred winger Jonathan Drouin to LTIR while granting an indefinite leave of absence for personal reasons. It has been a tough season for the 26-year-old who has scored just twice in 44 games and some time away from the rink will hopefully help his situation. With the placement being retroactive to his last game played, Drouin technically is eligible to return late in the regular season but obviously there is plenty of uncertainty with his situation with the team asking everyone to respect his privacy at this time.
Miller To Retire: Ducks goaltender Ryan Miller has decided to call it a career, announcing that he will retire at the end of the season. The 40-year-old has spent parts of 18 seasons in the NHL, predominantly with Buffalo and has been Anaheim’s backup for the last four seasons. His expected final NHL start came on Saturday and it was a good one as he allowed just two goals on 25 shots in a 6-2 victory over the Kings. Assuming that he doesn’t see any more game action, he’ll hang up his skates with 391 career victories, the most of any American-born player in NHL history while posting a .914 SV% along with 44 shutouts over 795 appearances.
Roy Wants To Return: Patrick Roy has been out of the NHL since his abrupt resignation from Colorado as their head coach back in 2016 but it appears he is interested in trying his hand at the top level once again. Roy has signed with Neal Glasberg of PBI Sports & Entertainment with an intention of returning to the NHL as either a coach or GM. While he has no front office experience in the NHL, he has been the GM of the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL for 13 years over two separate stints (while serving as their head coach for most of those). With what happened with the Avalanche though, it will be interesting to see if that winds up affecting potential interest in him as vacancies open up over the next few weeks.
Shaw Ends Playing Career: Blackhawks winger Andrew Shaw has battled frequent concussions in recent years and decided that it’s time to hang up his skates as he announced the end of his playing career. Technically, while he has effectively retired, he still has another year left on his contract so he will land on LTIR again next season alongside Brent Seabrook. Shaw finishes up his playing days with 247 points (116 goals and 131 assists) in 544 career NHL games between Chicago and Montreal and a pair of Stanley Cup rings with the Blackhawks in 2013 and 2015.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
PHR Mailbag: Toews, Hurricanes, Hall, Avalanche, Selke Candidates, Devils, Projections
Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include the latest on Chicago’s captain, Carolina’s quiet trade deadline, Taylor Hall’s next destination, Colorado’s goaltending situation for expansion, potential Selke Trophy candidates, targets for New Jersey in free agency, and many projections. If your question doesn’t appear here, watch for it in next weekend’s mailbag.
realsox: What is the current status of Jonathan Toews?
Toews has missed the entire season due to an illness and with it being a sensitive health matter, it’s nice to see that there hasn’t been a lot of ill-founded speculation on his situation. The original announcement was that he was experiencing symptoms that left him feeling drained and lethargic and quite frankly, that can be quite a few things and there’s no point guessing on what it could be. He hasn’t skated lately and isn’t coming back this season, even if Chicago makes a miracle run to get to the playoffs.
The good news is that last month, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that Toews’ health is improving and that as things stand, he’s expected to be available for next season which is great news. That means that the Blackhawks won’t be able to put his $10.5MM on LTIR for next year but with Brent Seabrook and Andrew Shaw’s playing days done, they’ll still have a lot of money on there and if all goes well, they’ll have their captain back which would give them a huge boost at center, a position that has been a problem spot all season.
mikedickinson: Is Waddell’s lack of a move at the deadline going to hurt the Canes? With Jesper Fast out last night they dressed seven defensemen and the third and fourth lines weren’t anything great.
I know GM Don Waddell had suggested that they weren’t going to be anywhere near as active at the trade deadline as they were a year ago but I was expecting more from them than swapping out sixth defenders (Haydn Fleury for Jani Hakanpaa and a sixth-rounder). I thought they’d have moved out a goalie but that market didn’t materialize as much as some thought it would (and with Petr Mrazek banged up again, that may wind up working out for them in the end).
I would have liked to see them add some more forward depth, especially since they had the cap space to add where a lot of other contenders didn’t but there may have been a budgetary element to that as well. Having said that, a depth winger shouldn’t make or break their chances in the playoffs. Carolina’s top six is what will make the difference and that has been bolstered with Teuvo Teravainen’s long-awaited return. Teams often go as far as their top players will take them when it comes down to crunch time, so to speak and as long as those guys stay healthy, they should be in good shape regardless of their third and fourth lines.
M34: Where does Taylor Hall fail next season?
At this point, I don’t see a reason to think why it won’t be Boston. Following the trade, Hall confirmed that he used his no-move clause to push a deal to the Bruins and that he had interest in joining them last fall but the money couldn’t come together. Unless things go really poorly, it’s hard to see him opting to go elsewhere.
What works for Hall is that he’s now in a role that’s better suited for him. At this point of his career, he’s not a 20-minute player that’s going to be counted on to get the key goal at the crucial moment. He wasn’t that at the end of his time in New Jersey, he wasn’t that in Arizona, and he certainly wasn’t that in Buffalo this season. If he decides to hit the open market this summer in a search for a role where he can be that number one guy, he will probably struggle once again. But he doesn’t need to be that in Boston where he’s clearly behind Brad Marchand in the pecking order and Marchand isn’t giving up that role anytime soon. He can get the secondary defensive matchups playing alongside David Krejci and take advantage of those which he has so far.
Also working in Boston’s favor is their cap situation moving forward. Krejci’s $7.25MM comes off the books this summer and while there’s a very good chance he re-signs, it’ll be at a lower rate than what he’s getting now. Some of those savings can go towards Hall – who is on Boston’s books at $4MM with Buffalo retaining the rest – while not drastically hurting their financial flexibility with moves still to make in terms of solidifying the defense and retaining or replacing Tuukka Rask. Lots can change over the next few months but if I’m picking where he signs right now, it’s Boston.
coachdit: If you were in Joe Sakic’s shoes, what would you do with goalie regarding the expansion draft? Dubnyk and Gruby are UFA after the season, Johansson and Francouz are in their second season and I believe that means they are exempt.
Let’s look at the eligibility situation first. This is Jonas Johansson’s fourth season on an NHL contract so he is eligible to be taken (but he’s a pending UFA at no risk of being picked). It’s technically Pavel Francouz’s third year but he hasn’t played this season. Unless he comes back, he won’t accrue a year of service time which makes him exempt. Hunter Miska is also eligible for selection.
I don’t think there’s much of a decision to make here. If they can re-sign Philipp Grubauer by then, he gets protected. If they think there’s a chance to re-sign him after expansion, he gets protected. If he goes to them and says he’s testing the open market, I’d still probably protect him as there’s no risk of Miska getting picked even with him on an AAV that’s below the league minimum salary for 2021-22; the Avs will have better players left unprotected to pick from than him.
The only way I don’t see Grubauer being protected is if his demands are so high that Colorado goes out and trades for a goalie. In that case, whoever they get becomes protected. Otherwise, signed or not, they may as well just protect Grubauer.
KAR 120C: Who are the Selke trophy candidates? I ask as Draisaitl is looking good, but wonder about all of the variables in play. It feels like there are always the incumbents.
Honestly, I don’t think Leon Draisaitl is in the conversation. Regardless of how good someone’s defensive game is, if you’re battling for a scoring title, you’re probably getting overlooked for a defensive award. He may get some fourth and fifth place votes but I doubt he sees more than that.
Yes, there are the usual suspects that are in it regularly. Patrice Bergeron is always going to be in the mix. So too is Ryan O’Reilly. Last year’s winner (Sean Couturier) would have been in the mix had it not been for injuries. Mark Stone dropped to fifth last year after finishing second three years in a row and has to be given strong consideration as well.
If you’re looking for a darkhorse candidate, I’ll toss out Aleksander Barkov. He has been thought of as underrated for so long that he really isn’t underrated anymore so he’s on the radar for voters. He logs heavy minutes including late-game defensive situations and takes a regular turn on the penalty kill. He’s well above average at the faceoff dot. If you look at possession and expected goals for stats (which some voters do), he stands out there as well. And with the award seemingly gravitating towards the best two-way forward in the league instead of the best defensive one, Barkov certainly has the offensive numbers to stand out too. You can never count out the regulars for this award but this may be the year for Barkov.
SpeakOfTheDevil: You mentioned in prior mailbags that the Devils lack an identity (which I sort of agree with you about). That being said, name three free agents the Devs should go after this offseason to complement the pieces that we do have and that start acquiring that identity.
With the cap space New Jersey has entering a market that has few teams with big money to spend, I’m going to dream big here with a couple of these. I don’t see them landing three big fish but here is who I’d target if I was GM Tom Fitzgerald.
Dougie Hamilton – With Ty Smith and Damon Severson already on the roster plus P.K. Subban, there’s a puck-rushing component to build off of. Hamilton can add to that. With the young group of forwards they have, Lindy Ruff is trying to get a team that plays more up-tempo. Hamilton fits that playing style. And with Subban being a year away from unrestricted free agency, there’s a pending hole to be filled and what better way to fill it than the best UFA blueliner out there that already fits the direction they seem to want to go?
Gabriel Landeskog – There is a lot of finesse in New Jersey’s young core but not a lot of high-end sandpaper. Landeskog plays with enough of a physical edge to make him stand out among New Jersey’s options and is talented enough offensively to fit alongside Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier and really bring another dimension to that line while also providing some much-needed scoring on the wing. He’d be a huge boost on their top line.
Zach Hyman – Is he a big fish compared to these two? Not really but he’d be a nice consolation prize nonetheless. He has shown in Toronto that he is a perfect complementary piece for skill players and fits in an up-tempo environment. That’s what New Jersey has and is hoping to build upon. If the plan is to build around Hughes and Hischier anchoring the top two lines, they need someone that’s willing to do the dirty work around the boards and more specifically, someone that’s good at it. Hyman checks those boxes. With his price point coming in lower than some of the top free agents out there, he’s going to have plenty of interest but the Devils have the ability to outbid them all.